It pains me to report that my performance at this year’s Spectrum Health Irish Jig 5K was slower than last year. I ran a disappointing 23: 54. (My 5K PR from September 2007 is 22:35.)

Unfortunately, the deck was stacked against me before I got even one leg into my compression pants this morning. I foolishly went to bed at 2 a.m. this morning and seem to have caught the cold that has been plaguing my children all week. But a sore throat and congestion are no excuse for a bad run. The truth is I’ve been having trouble sticking to my training schedule this year. My work schedule changed and I no longer take the lunch breaks I used to spend at the gym. So, I need to come up with a new plan very soon. I also need to get off the sauce. It seems that I’ve spiraled back into frequent Pepsi drinking to cope with the frustration of not being able to work out as much as I want to. So now when I get peeved I’ve been reaching for a Pepsi instead of hitting the heavy bag and that’s not working for me.

Even though I personally had a bad day on the course, it was great racing weather and the treats at the end of the course hit the spot. A special thanks to all the race volunteers, the police officers and other folks who marked the course, blocked traffic and cheered us on to the finish. And an extra special thanks to the nice woman I ran with for more than half the race. We pushed each other at the end and had a nice chat afterward. I meet the nicest people at road races. Oh yeah, and kudos to the little boy who was playing bagpipes in his driveway for the runners. I don’t know who he is but I saw him out there last year, too, and really appreciate the gesture.

So, overall, today’s race was a great reality check. Now it’s crystal clear that I need to recommit to my fitness routine and I will. I think I’ll start by swapping out the oversized “Whatever” sweatshirt I ran in today for something a little more positive like, “It’s good to be here.” Because even on the bad days, I’m still really glad to be in the race.

P.S. Here’s a little Anna Maria Horner update for you… The plan is to post my chat with her tomorrow. It’s going to be a super long episode jam packed with interesting stories from Anna Maria’s life so I think you’re going enjoy it. Check back here tomorrow evening when I plan to post the show, then tune in to find out if you’re one the four very lucky listeners selected to win a stack of her newest fabric.

Cheers!