I'll Be Your Number #1 With A Bullet

What a great day. Brandon, Kyle, and I woke up this morning for a trip to Albany for a run in the Fandangle 5K. It was a lot of fun. I think we would have really had a chance at the title except for the fact that people who are on the McMurry Cross Country team showed up to run. Brandon and I got 6th and 5th respectively and Miller came in 9th. I think there were about 100 folks there, so let's just say that Gamma Sigs dominated the team standings on the day.

Brandon and I ran a 19:27 for the 5K which is about a 6:15 per mile pace. I love that we are so competitive and driven that we know we can do better, and that is only going to fuel our training for the marathon. It has really helped to have Brandon and Kyle for the training so far, and I know that the true benefits of having that kind of accountability will really come to bear when we are hitting the walls of training.

But even more than simple running, I am excited about the opportunity to truly become involved in each other's lives on an even deeper level. When we are going to be spending about 7.5 months together training, we will know each other on a very intimate level, and if we do not, I think that the time we have spent together has been in vain. For me, athletics has never been an end in and of itself. There have always been lessons to be learned that carry far beyond the physical pain and ecstasy that I feel when I run. I learn about myself and others when I am pushing myself. When I see myself at my limit, I reveal my true character, and I know the character of others. Running is much more than the muscle and sweat that others see. It is a litmus test for the personality.