Races not all about winning.

-courtesy of Google Images

This past weekend I went home to compete in my first running competition in a while. I was slated to run in the Birch Bay International Road Race 15k. The course, equalling about nine miles, runs along the water of Puget Sound, just south of Canada, and takes runners into the peaceful tranquility of Birch Bay National Park.

Prior to this race, the odds were stacked against me. I knew I must complete the course, in some way, because it was a project for my journalism class: to write about the experience of competing. However, I had been sick for weeks, hadn't run more than a couple miles, and had done no serious training in over a year. To put it bluntly, things were not looking good.

When my father and I arrived and looked at the course, we realized no records we're going to be set that day, no medals won. He, still recovering from kidney stones a week prior, had no intention of "racing" in the literal sense either. He only wanted a nice leisurely run with his son who would be leaving home soon, the first run that we had shared in over a year, and probably the last we will ever share.

For people like us, who make up most of the field in long-distance events, the thrill is not in winning, but rather in finishing. To show your body that you can work hard and persevere to complete your goals, that you can go faster and harder than you thought possible, that is the goal. Along the way you get to meet some amazing people and see some beautiful sights as well.

If there's anything that I've gotten from this race and the three I ran prior, it is just that. Winning is great, in fact I got second place for my age group, but the enjoyment of running and improving your health is what keeps people doing it, day after day, year after year.