That was a great race in cold, rainy and very windy morning. I am glad that I showed up – else I would have missed the amazing spirit and resolution people demonstrated to fight back ALS. Beyond pale, it demonstrated that in running – nay, in life, it is not about the gold or silver or bronze… it is about SHOWING UP and then PUTTING UP. And I thank Amitesh for exhorting me to come out to race. Both of us have a couple of friends whose parents are patients of ALS. Our run today was dedicated to them. Ran into good old Melanie who walked with her friend the whole distance honoring her neighbor’s dad who had ALS.

In the race itself, Amitesh posted his career best 5K today. I have to wait for my official time (my Garmin promptly quit citing low battery before the race). Whatever it is, there were two kids – at best fourth graders – who started and finished before me!! There were three hills and they kept running like they were going downhill. That was a little humbling!!!

Today’s proceeds went to Emory ALS Center.

Update: Results are out. Posted  24:57 at a 8:02 clip. That would be 4th in my age group and 32nd overall out of 216 racers.

As I said, it is cold, raining and very windy. I show up to run the race thinking not too many people will be there and this might be my chance to medal a race this year. And I find high school kids to sixty years olds warming up in the rain for the race. And little kids and adults alike in ponchos volunteering to set up the tents, organize food, water!!!
Ah! That indomitable human spirit…. If medicine can’t erase ALS, someday this human spirit will…
Now my turn to step into the rain to warm up…

It is cold, raining and very windy. And I promised somebody I will come and race to raise money to fight ALS. This ought to be fun 🙁

Beautiful run this morning around the golf resort (Sawgrass Marriott resort) outside Jacksonville…

5K run in the hills on a foggy morning! With my running speed, I was well within the posted speed limit 🙂

There are certainly days when the nagging problems of the left knee and right hamstring make me wonder why I continue running. Soon, invariably, comes along a very forceful answer in the form of a day like today.
Our Sunday Funday Runday was canceled because of the rains. I decided to go ahead and keep up with the tradition of the early morning run on Sunday – albeit all by myself. The 5 mile run in rain on Greenway Trail was an absolutely delightful immersion in nature.

It was nature’s pristine beauty at its mesmerizing best. The early morning light struggled to break through the firm grip the dark clouds had over the sky. The verdant spring leaves were even more resplendent with the glisten from the overnight rainfall. As far as I my eyes could go there was the narrow trail snaking thru the tall impressive trees vanishing in the misty white drizzle in the distance.

The drone of the continuous pitter patter of rain on the leaves were interrupted only by the mellifluous chirping from the birds and the occasional darts of rabbits and a particular deer startled by me. Saw a couple of other runners too – reassuring that I was not the only madcap out there!!

Couple of times I ran by and over creeks brimming with muddy water from side to side. The unbridled mind floated back to the days a few decades back, when my sister and myself would make boats from paper and float them down small rivulets made from sharp rains. And go out after rains to check the water puddles for tiny tadpoles. I wondered for a while while I can still make those paper boats… or for that matter when was the last time I saw a tadpole.

Five miles later, I was back to my starting point, dripping wet but with a serenity that probably comes with stepping out of the four walls and being one with nature on a dark rainy day. And as I started drying myself up, I remembered – Indeed, that is why I run. With the hurting knee, hamstring and all…