Fool's Run 10K - Indiana, Pennsylvania

April 7, 2018 - The Indiana Road Runners decided to celebrate the 40th running of their Fool's Run by offering those who participated in the first year's event a discounted entry fee of four dollars. How could I pass on a deal like that? Besides, it would serve to celebrate a lifetime of running for not only me, but for forty of the eight hundred and some other first year participants who are still out there doing it. Joined by John Goss and Ron Canton (below), who were also there in 1979, a couple hundred other folks showed up, including Adrienne Goss and Doug Craft (below below). It was fun, but unseasonably cold for the first week of April. Temps of 32 degrees and a chill wind kept the field dressed like it was still winter.

Anyway, the gun was off and the field headed around the Ice Arena parking lot on what would be a level to downhill first half with an uphill return as we retraced our steps. Unlike the days of the late 1970's I now hang back with the field at the start. All the distance running and age have made me much more conservative, so I eased into a comfortable gait and quickly found my place within the first mile. Once the field settled, no one passed me for the rest of the race, and while I was gave chase to three girls ahead of me throughout, I also did not pass anyone during the rest of the race, though I did close the gap on those girls. Mile 1 in 8:54; Mile 3 in 25:27; Mile 5 in 43:45.

Every short event like this is a test, or measure of some parameter of fitness or other. I upped my tempo from my usual pace to average 8:46 per mile, holding a steady tempo both up and down the hills for a 40th place finish in 54:19. Breathing was never labored, nor did I feel the slightest indication of a compromise to strength. Running well within myself I held steady and refrained from making it a race. The body was great and as fit as I probably can expect.

Interestingly, the event was won in a time of 38:27; in 1979 my finish was 38:40 in well over 100th place on a real off day for me because of a Lyme disease infection. Brother Don joined me to celebrate and take the pictures. He also was at the 1979 event with a time that would have dusted this field, but Don is one of those who also gave it up. While the depth of competition is not there any longer, the rewards of camaraderie still make it a joy to show up for a good time.