Foot Race

Foot Race

I need to get running again, since I’m almost positive I’ll be running the St. George Marathon this October. I’ve tried to enter the race the past two years, and they have a 3 times and you’re in rule. I didn’t used to like jogging, but I’ve learned it is a wonderful way to exercise and helps me to focus on what really needs to be done during the next few days. My wife used to jog with me, and she still stays in shape by dancing. The last race we ran together was the Art City Days race, which is usually held in early June. This has been more than 20 years ago, but I still remember who won the race.

This was back when the race used to follow the parade route. It was fun since people were waiting for the parade and people from town would cheer you on. I like to enter this race because it is early in the summer, and it’s a great way for me to start my marathon training. There does seem to be a race every weekend somewhere in the county, so that means I can run at least once during the week. If I run every race during the weekends of the summer, and do some distance work, it really does get me ready for the big one.

I had always wanted my wife to run a race with me, and she agreed to run this one time. I was super excited, and hoped this would be a way for us to keep in shape. So when we left the starting line, she sidled up to me and said, “Would you please run with me? I don’t want to run by myself.”

What devoted husband could resist a plea like that? I throw myself on the mercy of the court. There really are only two choices. I could run at my usual pace, which was faster than she was running. I had been in many races by this time. She was running her first. If I ran with her, then I would be running at a much slower pace than usual, but then she would be running alone. Case closed.

We trotted along together at a comfortable pace, and all along the way we saw friends and neighbors. We waved and felt very good about the exercise we were getting, and everything was right with the world.

Since this is the old race route, the end of the race was also the end of the parade, just down from our house. It ended at the old Pizza Hut, which is now an insurance firm. We were literally steps from the finish line when I realized something was about to happen.

You need to know my wife comes from a very competitive family. Her dad was a football, swimming and track coach. Let’s just say they don’t like to lose. It’s a nice way to say it, and I won’t have to sleep on the couch if I stay nice.

Well, there we are, just yards from the finish line, and there is a little boy running in front of my wife, and I am running just behind her. I want to run ahead and beat her to the finish line, but I have to do some quick mental calculations. Will it make her mad if I beat her? I speed up a bit to test the waters. Remember, she isn’t a regular runner. She speeds up.

The gauntlet has been thrown. I sped up and tried to sprint ahead. It really is a sad picture if you think about it. A wife and husband, who every other day of the year will support each other in sickness and in health, for better or worse, for richer or poorer, to love and to cherish, unless they are entered in the same foot race and inches from the finish line.

Unfortunately, she was just too fast for me. She sprinted ahead, but still let the little boy beat her. But not her husband.

Now don’t misunderstand. We weren’t racing for first place. We weren’t going to be crowned the champions of the Art City 5K. I don’t think we were even going to place in our respective divisions. They have different categories for age and gender, for which I am very grateful. I have placed as high as second when there have only been two forty-year old males in my category.

And on this day, I would finish 2nd place in my family. My wife has forever after been able to claim she is the fastest runner in our family. She sped across the finish line and announced her retirement from foot races. To this day she has never run another race.

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