So .... we're gonna have a bunch of blogs over the next few days - first off, the new Couch to 5K starts this week (not too late!), and after the 5K we're headed straight into training for Ruben's Birmingham Marathon & Half Marathon - it's gonna be a great Summer and Fall of running! Also have something to say about the 'Pose' Method of Running, "Chi Running' and the 'correct' or should I say 'best' way to run? Anyway, some fun stuff on that (can you say 'marketing'? Of course you can! - obscure reference to Mr. Rogers.). Well we just got back from the beach and the Sunset Stampede...I told y'all about it, wouldn't listen to me; oh no! Boy did we have fun! M & I got down on Thursday late afternoon so we just ate and crashed. Friday morning still 'cool' (for the beach) so off I went for an easy run (M walked, she was a tad under the weather, but she got better) and it was just nice! The weather, the scenery (ran through neighborhoods a block or 2 off the beach) was varied from houses, big ass houses, the sound and the gulf - I love the way the roads are down there and you can just 'meander'. Saturday came and with it came....the heat! I thought I was acclimating, but, uh...no. The 5K was part of the old Navarre Beach Run and the course was flatter than Twiggy (or Kate Moss, depending on your age). I started well, right on pace and held that through mile 2, then the home stretch is about .75 mile and this big ol Go-rilla jumped on my back! UGH! I fell almost 30 seconds off my pace and just dragged my 'you-know-what' across the finish line. So I learned I'm not in race shape...I can fix that. I learned I haven't acclimated to the heat, I can fix that. I remembered that I'm old and slow and I'll just have to get over that. The post race had beer, music, red beans and rice, and did I mention beer? The Birmingham group (all 4 of us) adjourned back to Paradise where there's an outdoor bar, grill, and band. Man they could do a great version of many 60's & 70's hits - sounded just like the Box Tops, in fact did all their hits (they had more than 'The Letter'). Good times! Then the next day I saw a poster about the band...it WAS the Box Tops. I also learned that 'failure' is not 'failure' unless you view it as such - I had a bad race, I thought. I was 4th in my age group and missed 3rd by 9 seconds...really, that's not bad. My time was off, but then I'm not in 'race shape' - so I learned that I have to get back into race shape, and I'm aware that I WANT to! Nope, no failure this weekend, great learning moment - lesson learned, had some fun and I know where I need to improve. Sometimes drawing success from the mouth of failure makes the moment even more valuable.....Next time you'll listen to me and go on the trip!!!!