I've Never Met Stephen Spada, But I Don't Like Him!

This past weekend I ran the 'Run for Green' half-marathon in Davidson, NC. I've run this race three or four times now. It's a pretty challenging course. As I often tell people, you never know how hilly Davidson is until you run 13.1 miles of it. I also say things like "the person who laid out this course is clearly not a runner." These things are mildly funny.

If you read my prior post, you'll know I just turned 47. And, if you read another previous post, you'll know that I ran a 5K race in summer 2010 in the exact same time I ran a 5K in summer (well, late spring) 2008. Honestly, I think only nine people at most have read my posts, so most likely you have not read these posts (unless you're my one and only follower, Autumn (thank you, Autumn)). There's another post about how this blog is a test of the theory that one can blog and absolutely noone will care.

Anyway, I ran the half-marathon in one hour, forty-three minutes, and nine seconds. In 2008 I ran the same course just 41 seconds faster than this year. Actually, in 2007 I ran the course over three minutes SLOWER than this year. I'm getting faster.

Of course, at 47 I have no chance of winning this thing. Last year the half-marathon was won by a 15 year old. This year the 5K was won by an 18 year old, and the first place female in the 10K was ONLY 13! According to some research, probably done at MIT or Harvard, the peak running age is 27 (coincidentally, I ran 15 minutes faster for a 1/2 marathon when I was 27 - that will be the subject of a future post).

This brings me to Stephen Spada. And Bobby Aswell (who I know a bit from the Davidson Area Running Team). Stephen Spada is 45. Bobby Aswell is 47. These two guys won the half-marathon and 10K races, respectively. What's up with that? It's not possible. They must have pulled a Rosie Ruiz. That's the only explanation for their victories. The other possible explanation is that they're better runners than I.

You might think I'm happy that a fellow middle-ager won a race. Well.....I am. Congratulations Stephen and Bobby!