Over the last few weeks, I’ve seriously considered running a half marathon in February. I even made a training calendar.

I’ve thought and thought and decided that I’m just not ready. I’m so glad that I ran in October, but training is tough. I don’t think I’m hard core enough yet to run outside all winter in the cold and the wind. This is New Hampshire not North Carolina; when it gets cold it gets really cold. Also, my job this year is really challenging. I’m not sure I can commit hours each weekend to running. (I’m slow; training to run 13 miles takes me hours).

I’m not done running though. I think I will do this year’s Will Run for Beer. I love those races. I love the people that run those races. I need pressing goals or I slack off. Hopefully, I can still run a few races with Miriam. I PR’d the 5k I ran with her; I think she’s good luck.

If you haven’t read Animal Farm by George Orwell, you should. It’s one of my favorite books of all time. In the book there is a character named Boxer. Boxer is a work-horse who gives his all to the cause. I’ve always identified with Boxer, who’s catch phrase is “I will work harder.” At the Smuttynose Rockfest Half Marathon, I felt more like Boxer than ever. I felt like a Budweiser Clydesdale as the hundreds of Kentucky Derby bound, racing horses thundered by me.  I did not let their relative speed and my relative slowness defeat me. I know some people disparage slow runners, but I’d rather be a slow runner than sit on the couch all day long.

With the exception of being really thirsty for the last three miles and the almost constant downpour, I felt good for the entire race. When I crossed the finish line though I thought my legs would give out. They felt so sore and tired. Keep in mind the longest distance I had ever run was nine miles, and let me tell you those four miles make a big difference.

Overall, I think it was a successful half marathon. Melinda and I stayed together for the entire race. Jeremy rode his bike out to see us at mile 8 and mile 10. It was really nice to see him on the course.  He generously stood around in the rain all day to be supportive while I, as he called it, participated in some self-torture.

Melinda had some serious shoe problems during the race that left her in a Curt Schilling, bloody sock scenario. The foot pain put her in a less than pleasant mood. Between her sock and the constant rain we were certainly slowed down some, which kept me from meeting my goal by five minutes.

As with any Loco race, the volunteers were superb. They were kind, cheerful, supportive and there even for the slow runners. With that said, I had imagined the Smuttynose Rockfest to be a bit different. I thought there would be a band at the end; there wasn’t – maybe the rain kept them away. I thought the beer tent would allow the people who stood in the rain for hours to support runners in to buy a drink; it didn’t. I thought I would be on a virtually traffic free course; I wasn’t.

Would I run another half? Maybe. I loved how flat this course was and how pretty the surrounding neighborhoods were. One thing I have absolutely no desire to do is to run a full marathon. That looked brutal.

I’d like to be faster. “I will work harder.”