Tag.

I was tagged by my good friend NBTR. Here goes:

1. How would you describe your running 10 years ago?

Ten years ago I ran my first race since high school (I was a JV harrier for two years). On a whim, my oldest son Jimmy, 12 at the time, and I ran in the 1998 Memorial Day Falls Church 3K Fun Run even though neither of us were runners. However, I had coached Jimmy's team in soccer (I hold a Series-D soccer coaching license) and conducted soccer workouts and basketball shootarounds with him. We finished in 18:48 (10:05) and were so proud of ourselves!

2. What is your best and worst run/race experience?

My best running experience is always my last run. Yesterday morning I did my last long run in preparation for the next Saturday's hilly Lake Tahoe Relay which I am going to run in as part of Bex's team. I did 11 miles in 1:36:25 (8:46), running six easy miles on the flat W&OD Trail in 49:16 (8:13), and five miles of hills in 47:09 (9:26) wherein I ran up every hill within a mile of my house.

My worst race experience was the December 2003 Tidal Basin 3K. Because it was the last race of the year, I started "reviewing" as I ran and began thinking about the endless litigation I was enmeshed in--her divorce filing in 2001 after she took our minor children out of state for "Spring Break," my lack of any visits in almost a year despite having full joint custody with standard visitation, the staggering legal bills with no end in sight--and for once, running wasn't a solace. Totally overwhelmed, I stopped to walk for awhile, practically crying.

3. Why do you run?

I feel like it. Almost always.

4. What is the best or worst piece of advice you've been given about running?

The best advice I was ever given was, Run early. That way, reasons not to run don't constantly crop up as the day progresses.

The worst advice is that advice which I give freely and for free. Remember what it cost. However, the following two pieces of advice reside on the Facebook profiles of two of my former running students, under their "favorite quotes" section and each is attributed to me by name: In order to run fast, you gotta run fast; and, If running were easy, it'd be easy.

5. Tell us something surprising about yourself that not many people would know.

During the 1972 presidential campaign, I ran a branch office of Staten Islanders for George McGovern. Tricky Dick Nixon's subsequent crushing victory in the election taught me everything I needed to know about the American populace. Therefore I wasn't surprised in 2000 or, especially, 2004.

There ya have it. I tag the next five readers who feel like doing the exercise.