When I start to reminisce about the runner I used to be 20 years ago, Kevin will serenade me with his rendition of Springsteen's Glory Days. So now that that tune is stuck in your head let's turn back the hands of time to September 1990. It's my first year of medical school. I've just crossed the finish line at the Legs Against Arms 5K (sponsored by Physicians for Social Responsibility) as the first overall female. I had run in high school and college mostly to fit into my jeans. I didn't race much in college because I hated getting passed by all those people who ran cross country in high school (my high school didn't have track or cross country---but we did have 4 solid years of religion!). Here was my first taste of being a medium fish in a small pond.
For the next 4 years, my friend Chris and I would spend every weekend we could racing every 5K/10K within a 50 mile radius of Pittsburgh. Our original intention was to collect as many race t-shirts as possible. In the smaller races, we'd take home a trophy or a ribbon along with our coveted race shirts. After the first year, we set some race goals: I wanted to break 20 min at 5K and 42 min at 10K. For Chris: 17 min 5K and 35 min 10K. I came within 12 and 20 seconds of those goals, respectively. I'm quite sure Chris got his PR's, but what was most memorable was the race experience: the post-race beer trucks and Bavarian pretzels, Wheezing Dude who I just couldn't shake for 5 miles, seeing Utta Pippig and wondering if her feet actually touched the ground.
After 1994, I took a 10 year hiatus from races. Chris moved to San Francisco. I was buried alive in residency then busy with my first few years at a real job.
In 2004, running consistently again, I joined my friend Laura in 2 winter race series: Polarcats and Freezeroo. Unlike the Pittsburgh races, we'd see the same faces just about every weekend. One particular puss stoodout. I'll call her Karen. She's a few years older and in 2004, was about 5 minutes faster on the 5K than Laura and me. She didn't hesistate to let us know that in an aggressive, high and mighty way. For the next 2 years, I'd see her, get repeatedly reintroduced to her, and have my ass kicked by her at these races. She NEVER remembered who I was until I passed her on the bike at the Barker Duathlon in 2006 and almost beat her by 1 second (she friggin' passed me 200 yards from the finish line). She walked up to me after the race and demanded, "Who's coaching you?" Nice. Not Hey, nice ride or Boy what a race or Hello, I'm Karen...
5 months later at a Freezeroo in Feb 07, I beat her by 3 minutes. I called Laura from the finish line; and we sang Ding Dong the Witch is Dead. Feeling guilty of our Schadenfreude, we justified that we wouldn't be doing a gleeful victory dance if she wasn't so mean, so snobby, so rude. Well yeah, it's no fun beating a NICE nemesis.
I've seen Karen since that race and have finish well ahead of her at every race since. She's not any more polite or pleasant to me, but she does remember who I am now. Regardless of how much guilt I should/do feel, I am happy that I beat her. There--I said it. It's my victory against those who think they're better than me just because they have a higher Vdot, those who won't give me the time of day unless I'm on the podium. That's alot for Karen to carry! No wonder she slowed down under the weight of all my hang-ups.
For 2009, I would like to stop chasing down the Karens. To see that those hang-ups are all in my head and those people are now meaningless to me is the real victory. I set my intention this season to race like I did with Chris: for the experiences, the fun, and, of course, those awesome race T-shirts!
