By Rich Palzewic
Sports Editor
ASHWAUBENON – On Saturday, July 24, I woke up, rolled out of bed, stepped outside and nearly burst into flames because it was so humid – oh, what a joy it was.
Under normal circumstances, it wouldn’t be a big deal, but on this day, I had signed up with a good friend to complete the Packers 5-kilometer run, beginning and ending at Lambeau Field with 3,000 other people.
I’ve done four other versions of the run but none completed under such adverse conditions.
My friend and I didn’t look at the event as a race but more a run, having fun along the way – we didn’t care about our times and had no expectations on a pace.
That’s a great way to look at an event – have fun and don’t put pressure on yourself.
I’m in good aerobic shape from biking, but that’s completely different on the body than running.
In other words, I’m not in exceptional running shape.
It took me about a mile to warm up my legs so they didn’t hurt anymore.
Maybe we should have warmed up, but we didn’t want to waste any energy.
By mile one, I was already completely drenched with sweat.
If you’ve read my Hot Corner articles in the past, you’ll remember I’m a sweater – and proud of it.
If you ever work out with me, don’t trail behind unless you want a shower.
Part of getting through an event is knowing the satisfaction you’ll receive when you’re done.
I’ll admit – waking up tired and feeling how humid it was, the thought did cross my mind for about five seconds to pass.
If I had done that, I know later in the day, I would have been upset with myself.
That’s a good reason to sign up ahead of time – it holds you accountable and you won’t waste your entry fee.
I guzzled a cup of water and Gatorade at miles one and two, which seemed to energize me.
When you hit mile two, you can see Lambeau in the distance, but you still have 1.1 miles to go.
With the finish line within sight, runners take a sharp left-hand turn into Lambeau to complete one lap around the field.
I saw myself on the jumbotron and then finished strong.
My time was about 30 minutes, which as I said, wasn’t important to me.
Grabbing a piece of string cheese and walking back to the car, we took in the moment and reminisced about the fun we had.
Because I had exerted myself quite a bit, it gave me an excuse to sit on the couch the rest of the day and watch the Olympics.
Maybe next year I’ll train a bit more and go for a better time – or, maybe not.
As always, thanks for reading.
Sports editor’s note: To read another Hot Corner article, CLICK HERE.