Best Laid Plans

My last half-marathon for 2025 is over.

Well. Kind of. 

I agreed to run a half-marathon relay in late November...or 6.55 miles. I'm not running the entire thing half, but.....I guess it counts as a half.  

Kind of? 

I was not planning on running four half-marathons this year. Or 4.5, as the case may be. But some things are out of my control. 

In July, Morty texted me saying he was considering running the Akron half. In my mind it was a passive-aggressive move, then I thought oh it's just informational and I'm overthinking. He didn't ask me to run with him.........he just left the thought of him running dangling in front of me. 

I was supposed to run the full marathon relay last year, but again, that pesky hip and being on crutches thwarted that. So, I kind of wanted to do Akron in some form anyways. 

But I really wanted to run a race with Mort, so I took the bait and axed him if he'd be ok to with him.

Sorry - "with him". 

Anymore, I usually don't purchase race images. Some of the smaller races oddly have them for free. For the bigger races they are money makers.  I paid for pics for my first half and first full....and that's about it. But this would be a monumental occasion - Morty and I crossing the finish line together and with a picture to boot. 

Yeahhhhhhhhhh.............I didn't think that through. 

We were in the same corral at the start......and that's about it. 

As always, I went out way too fast and Mort was doing is first race since before Covid. I wouldn't see him again until mile 12...............when he passed me. And slapped me on the ass as he did it. 

Actually, at mile 10 my back was hurting me so badly. I made it to 12 before I had to walk some - which was when Morty caught me. I tried to run with him, but it wasn't gonna happen. And as he so aptly put it: "I just want this over with".  I couldn't argue with that. 

He ended up getting in two minutes before me, so there was no finishing together, let alone capturing a digital image of such. And it's not that I told him ahead of time I pre-paid for the pics. It was to be a surprise. Oh well. 

Oddly, my pic (well one of them) came out ok. I look strong finishing, but it's a still image and you can't hear my internal thoughts of "ouch.....ouch....ouch....". 

As it would turn out, I'd get in about 22 seconds before the first full marathoner finished. So, at least I beat him.......kind of. 

Still, I loved hanging the Morty, his husband and their grandson. It was a perfect weathered running day. I still think we were all happy it was over though. 

And I got to meet Mr. Peanut. 

SCORE!

Song by: James Blunt