Runner's High

Congratulations to everyone who competed in this weekend's Covenant Health Knoxville Marathon, Half Marathon and 5K.   Yours truly, trudged around the 5K course more than a minute "slower" than last year.

WATE's Running Crew, however, was well represented finishing second in the Team Competition.

For the record our team this weekend was: Don Dare, Kristin Farley, Matt Hinkin, Jill McNeal, Prentice Elliott, Brian Englestad, Angie Froemel, Dan Froemel, Doug Patterson, Blair Patterson and Patty Weaver.

We started our team a couple of years ago as a way to get in shape and lose a little weight. Since then it's taken on a life of its own.  We actually have some wonderful (and fast) runners.  We usually place in the 5K events we enter and it's turned into a great bonding exercise.

I must tell you I'm not much of a runner (my protruding belly is proof of that fact), but I truly enjoy the runs.  Not so much the run itself, but all the activities around the run.   In fact, I  was really dreading Sunday.

I hadn't trained that hard and I've gained some weight since last year. So I wasn't too sure about how my body would handle the stress of the Covenant 5K.

But once there among all the runners, the excitement and butterflys kicked in and I was ready to go.

It's exciting to be in the pack just prior to the gun going off.  Looking around at all the different shapes, sizes and ages.  All of us anticipating that 3.1 mile adventure.

The run itself, at least for me, is 30-plus minutes of pain. But it's worth it for the end.  There is almost nothing quite like the finish.  Crossing the finish line, huffing and puffing is a joy.  You've heard about the runner's high.  It's true.  Finishing a race is a mental and physical rush of adrenalin

I asked Matt why he runs.  He said for the exercise, but mostly for the fellowship.  He's right. A wonderful bond develops among runners after a race.  And it really doesn't matter what your time was.  The only thing that really matters is finishing.

I'm glad this race is finished.  Now it's on to May and the Expo!