The Value of Getting Lost
Tony’s Footprints, from Tony Guillen,
“Getting lost is just another way of saying ‘going exploring’.”
― Justina Chen, North of Beautiful
I love the GWTC Pine Run! I have been running it on and off since 1996. That first year I ran it was just a couple of months after getting married and only two days before starting a new job. I was not much of a distance runner yet and was woefully unprepared. I finished it with a painful groin injury. I was hooked. I was going to conquer it. I kept going back and loved seeing improvement. One year I remember finishing second to David Yon and thinking that would be the closest I would ever get to winning.
I got faster and so did a whole bunch of other guys. Actually it looked as if they just kept getting younger. I kept going back, but I loved the challenge. When Gordon Cherr introduced us to the new course at Tall Timbers I distinctly remember cursing at him at the top of hill past the 11 mile mark. I still kept coming back. Last year I missed it due to an injury, but I knew that I would be back. I wanted to go back to experience the beauty of the course and the exhilaration of the effort it takes to complete it.
I never thought about winning. I made it back this year, healthy and ready to take on the challenge. It was an awesome 13 miles! Let me make one thing clear. The course was clearly marked. I managed to make every turn where there might be plenty of opportunities to go astray. I hit the 12 mile mark with a substantial lead over everyone else. Just one turn to make. The celebration dance was choreographed, the speech was written. I had finally conquered the course and then, quite unintentionally, I went exploring off the course. I will be back!
Having this years Pine Run in our rear view mirror means that we are approaching November and a very busy time for the club. Elections are underway for the 2016 GWTC Board, and Turkey Trot training is full steam ahead. Our Annual Meeting is being held this year on Sunday December 6 from 2 to 5PM at the Tap Room in Midtown. This is a great opportunity to meet your GWTC Board and learn more about all the great things the club is doing. Of course, it is also another reason to get together, socialize and rehash race stories. Keep your eyes open for more information about the meeting on the GWTC Facebook page and on our website at www.gulfwinds.org.
See you on the roads,
Tony