Racing for a new pair of shoes

By Jeshua Erickson

Published Saturday, September 20, 2008

  The start of last year's Hormel Nature Center 8k.

Several weeks ago I surfed road race calendars looking for races near home. I found the Hormel Nature Center 8k. The winner gets a gift certificate for a new pair of shoes.

Last year's winner: an Austin cross country runner, Kyle Dammen, ran a 33:29 (6:43 mile pace). I checked the Austin cross country schedule to see if their team would be there again. I was in luck, they had a meet. No high-schoolers to contend with. "The fastest times might even be slower than they were last year. I might actually have a chance to win this race," I told myself.

My fastest this summer for an 8k is 31:50 (6:24 mile pace). The only downside was the Hormel Nature Center course is mostly grass, which tends to be a bit slower than running on pavement or asphalt. On grass, I run like a newborn calf because my ankles are loose and get jerked around in places where ground is uneven. On the whole, I run like someone who probably shouldn't be a runner.

This morning I got up ready to win a race. I stretched before Jen and I got in the car and drove to Austin. When we arrived, I warmed up, stretched a little, and then gathered with all the other racers at the starting line. There were trees and to our left and a big open field of tall prairie grass to our right.

Not long after the horn went off I felt as though that new pair of shoes were running away from me. One shoe was a runner who was ten years younger than me and the other shoe was ten years older. They both ran the first mile faster than I'd expected.

The guy who was about ten years older than me stretched out his lead and the guy who was about ten years younger followed him a while, but faded back to where I could easily see him on the straightaways. I thought they might both come back to me. No such luck. I sucked wind and continued to wobble down the path, keeping the younger runner in my sights, but he wasn't getting any closer.

Eventually, the 4-mile marker came and I'd settled for 3rd place and 1st in my age division. A beautiful course, a beautiful morning to run through the Hormel Nature Center, and a finishing time I was happy with, but no new pair of shoes. I ran the 8k (4.97-mile) course in 31:56 (6:25 mile pace). The winner ran somewhere close to 30 minutes, almost three minutes faster than the winner last year.

Was a disappointed? Slightly, but only with my place, not my time. And I quickly remembered how grateful I am to even be able to run...no matter how awkward I look, no matter how much my knees dip toward my instep with every stride, and no matter how much my ankles turn haphazardly in the grass. Besides being skinny, I've never been a natural at running. Just very determined. I'll try again next year to win that new pair of shoes...and then the year after that...and the year after that...until my age simply doesn't allow me to run with the leaders any more.