Wrestling With Time
Don’t Pan a Slower Pace
By Bill Pennington
As a proud card-carrying member of the Peter Pan society, it’s difficult and humbling to admit that I’m an aging runner. Some may even say an older runner… yuck.
Yes, when I speak of Top 10 Gate River Run hats, sub 1:50 half-marathons, 21-minute 5K’s, I may as well be remembering when Caitlyn was simply Bruce Jenner.
Yep, personal records are in the past. And, horror of horrors, I shudder when Runner’s World tells me that my race times will dip more in the coming years. What the heck are you talking about, I’m Peter Pan. We don’t accept the concept of decline.
Calling on Superman, calling on Superman…I need you to spin the earth backwards… take us (or at least me) back in race time.
BALANCING ACT
Now, don’t get me wrong. As a recent retiree life is great on Amelia Island, and age is no issue outside of race or interval times. I’ve got plenty of leisure activities, good health, perfect weather, outside decks for evening meals, the beach, hot wife, scenic routes to run, and plenty of microbrews. But, as a competitor, I still want just one more 24-minute 5K. Heck, I’ll even take a 25-something at this point.
Come-on, “get off my lawn”, “stop that damn racket” and then give me a Never Never Land race finish.
What seems as if only a few years ago, as normal I would start a 5K much too fast, passing the first mile in 7-something, but still able to hold-on, though feverishly panting for a low 20’s finish. Now, I burn through 70% of today’s energy for the first mile just to see a flashing number under 9:00. Then, Magilla Gorilla appears, hops aboard my shoulders for his normal two-mile ride to the finish line.
And, boy, the dude is carbo-loaded. No matter how much I shimmy my shoulders, drop my arms and wiggle my hands, he isn’t jumping off. I’m sucking air and I think he’s sucking down a margarita.
“See you at the next race”, the 500-pound ogre smirks as we cross the finish mat. Now, he vanishes while I look for a tree to lean against.
THE BIG WRESTLE
I am somewhere in the middle of the runner’s Peter Pan conundrum. I know I am not going to get faster in my 60’s, but not sure if I’ve completely accepted the fact.
As competitive runners, I believe we embrace races and years as one mural of our running experiences. Age is inconsequential in our illustration. The picture is a whole of our running experiences, not segmented by age groups or decades. Effort stays consistent, but a stop watch quickens.
I’ll bet like many of our AIR members, I arm-wrestle between logical self and competitive self. I hear Mills Lane as this logical/competitive match begins…. ’let’s get it on”, he announces as the two sides lock hands.
And here we go.
My competitive self proudly brags about successful track intervals as the logical self’s arm bends slightly backwards. Then, my logical self counters that it was only 400’s with a two-minute rest between each, which is a far cry from 3.1 miles uninterrupted… arms back to 90 degrees. My logical self points-out that 1:50, 400’s don’t equate to sub 8-minute paced 5K’s…“come -on, you know you can’t keep that up for one, two, three miles”, he jests with a yawn … competitive self’s arm goes back 10-degrees.
So, the back and forth continues.
Then, my wife Emilie, the outside wisdom queen joins the conversation. She emphasizes that I should enjoy running, feel its exhilaration and freedom, and avoid getting so hung-up on times and distances… embrace the present and anticipate future successes.
“Run slower, and smile wider,” she advises.
Superman isn’t coming, and you should be pleased that you can go out on a moment’s notice and run five miles at any pace.
Thank you, sensei.
I know I should take her advice at the next race, but as a Peter Panner, I’m not sure if I can. And besides, Magilla would miss his ride.
Bill Pennington has been writing sports columns, features, and articles for over 40 years. He was a sportswriter/columnist for the Savannah News-Press, and a contributing writer for the Atlanta Constitution, Florida Times-Union, Fernandina Beach News-Leader, Fernandina Observer, and Mort Crim Radio Network. He is a winner of the Road Runners of America Club Writer of the Year as well as an Associated Press and Georgia Sportswriter columnist award. He has competed in over 300 road races, cycling events and triathlons.
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As members of the Amelia Island Runners, Bill and his wife Emilie have lived in Fernandina Beach/Jacksonville for over 30 years.
