Today was the Columbus Half Marathon. (Not to be confused with the half marathon option during the Columbus Marathon in October.) Though not trained for it, I went anyway. I told the race director I would help promote it, which I did, and he gave me the chance to speak at the beginning and lead the walkers. About 5 this morning it was raining so hard, it woke me. I thought, I’m not going and rolled over. Of course, I had called the RD the night before and said I would be there, so I had to go. Luckily it had stopped raining by the time I had to get out of bed.

Before the race, I said something inane about the weather (sounds like a CEO I know), wished everyone a good race and went to the back of the 30-50 walkers. Most of the walkers there had heard about WALK! Magazine, so it is probably just as good that I didn’t see anywhere to set out magazines and flyers. If I had been thinking, I would have left them at the running store where people registered and got their goody bags.

This weekend was supposed to be a 7-mile day. So I walked out 3.5 miles with the walkers, then turned around and went back. I assumed (wrongly) that the course was a straight there and back. It wasn’t. Once it entered the bike trail, it went out and back, then back out to a different park entrance. I ended up walking along a busy street by myself to get back to the high school.

Regardless, it was fun. I met two really nice women who I talked to for the first 3.5 miles and I hung around to see some of my walking buddies finish. A bunch of them were between 2.5 and 3 hours!

I feel pretty good. I think I might still do the Air Force half Sept. 16, and use it as a long training day. I’m not sure I can do the New Albany 10K on the 17th. I’ll have a booth, and I don’t think I can do both.

In the meantime I’ll keep training for the other Columbus Half.

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