Time to Read: ~2 minAmy and I ran the Ithaca 5 & 10 on September 9, 2012. We returned this year to find a few changes, most notably that the distances are now measured in kilometers, not miles. We were both up for a 6.2-mile (10K) run, so registered a few days prior and made it part of our Sunday plans. It was a delightful day for running: on the cooler side (yet humid, ugh), overcast, and dry.
I had a fantastic time socializing pre- and post-run, but the best part of the day was Ian Golden’s on-course encouragement as he guarded one of the many intersections. It went a little something like this:
Looks like cruising’s made you soft, Dawson!
Ha! He knows about my recent cruise since both Xander and Elizabeth work at the store, but he also has a sense of humor very much aligned with mine. It was a welcome departure from the traditional canon of race encouragement, like “You’ve got this!” or “Great job!” or the venerable “You’re almost there!” (you never are). I thought about this for literally the next mile. The beauty and humor of his words was that they weren’t true, and Ian knew it. Nothing’s made me soft, but most things have made me strong. My running volume is way down, but my cross-training is way up. I was having a good race. Soft? Pfft. Onward!
Here’s a side-by-side from 2012 to 2023. I’m smiling more this year because I won the Veteran’s category for this race (that’s 50-plus as a category). Amy’s sporting bling since she won her age group, too!
11 years apart
Eleven years ago, the story was different for me: my bib in our gym has a big asterisk next to the word INJURED. It’s probably about the time I was experiencing IT band pain, and that’s the worst. That I could muster a smile at all is impressive. Looking back at my photos, I see we ran the Rochester Marathon a week prior, and I remember walking a good part of the latter miles of the race, crying when I saw my kids. I remember being in so much pain.
Shortly after that period, I remade my stride with the help of sports medicine and physical therapy. I continued running. I’m so glad I did!
Bringing home the bling
By the Numbers
Official Results
Time: 42:13
Place: 14/106 overall, 13/61 M, 1/8 Male 50-59