Sarah Connor Wouldn't Run, She'd Stand and Fight

On a good day, I've got about 8k in me. This morning, as I was running the Hot Chocolate 15k, I asked myself (numerous times) why I sign up for these impossible feats of athleticism. Sure it was a gorgeous morning and it was a lakefront trail but, honestly, I would much rather walk those 9.32056 miles and enjoy the morning and the view. Running kind of ruins that part of it for me -- I'm a hiker, a stroller. I like a nice promenade.

So I decided to wrap my mind around my reasons for a few miles and come up with 9.32056 of them:

1. To avoid gaining another 15 pounds in my 40s and to help stave off the family tradition of heart disease, high blood pressure and through the roof cholesterol.

2. A playlist that includes Judas Priest into Kim Wilde.

3. The water at mile 7.5 tastes better than all other water in the world.

4. The thrill of pulling out all the stops in the last few yards to pass for good that old guy with the replacement hip and the speedwalking big guy in the t-shirt that says "60 pounds down, 100 to go."

5. Wearing a bandanna like Axl Rose while listening to Welcome to the Jungle.

6. Looking down to see that my fingers are swollen and look like little knackwurst. Or is it bratwurst? One of them is sickly grey color and that one is not me!

7. Tasting blood (from my cracked lip) and sweat while feeling a horrible stitch in my side. Pretending I am Sarah Connor with knife (laser?) wound and then playing "Who's Cooler?"
Who is cooler? Sarah Connor or Rocky? Sarah Connor.
Who is cooler? Sarah Connor or Ripley? Sarah Connor.
Who is cooler? Sarah Connor or Lara Croft?
Didn't see that one, so Sarah Connor.
Who is cooler? Sarah Connor or Linda Hamilton who trained with a Massad agent for a movie role?
Tough choice and reality should win here but ... Sarah Connor.

8. I'm too old to dress up like flapper, Halloween pub crawl the night before, and puke in a garbage can on the side of the street.

9. I temporarily convince myself that the Hustle up the Hancock will be so much easier than this and I should do it.

.32056. That cute little girl handing out a pillowcase full of fun-sized Milky Ways at the end!