John Samra Memorial 5K, Clifton, NJ - Oct. 20, 2019

As you age, you know it is going to happen.  It is inevitable.  At some point, your legs simply can not propel you as quickly as they once did.  

For the past few years, I had wondered not so much when, but how it would happen.  Would it be a quick demise, like I thought it would be after the car accident in 2013 permanently messed up my back?  Nope - I ran my fastest 5Ks after that.  Or would it be a gradual decline, losing a few seconds a year, as I had begun to do shortly after those amazing sub-18 races in 2016? 

Apparently not.  For even though my 5K times had slipped to the low 18s in 2017 and the mid-18s in 2018, I chalked that up to not specifically training for those races (I had been in the middle of marathon training) and tough conditions (hilly courses, cold winter days).

But there I was in Clifton on Sunday morning, doing my fourth 5K in 10 weeks, having trained for them using Hal Higdon's Advanced 5K program, and I found myself in yet another struggle to try to get under 19 minutes. I had broken 19 minutes for the first time 11 years ago and had continued to do it at least once a year (except 2017, when I ran no 5Ks) through last year. 

In fact, the first time I ran the John Samra Memorial 5K - in 2009 - I obtained a PR with an 18:30.  It was the first time my average pace was sub-6.

I may be getting slower, but I still take my place at the front of the start line.
That's me in the blue skull cap and navy blue shirt.

I ran it again two years later, with a 19:09 and this year's looked to be more like that one. Perhaps I could blame that hill in the first mile.  After blasting out of the city's municipal complex on this crisp October morning with no wind, and onto Colfax Avenue, I took the left onto Clifton Avenue, for the tough uphill.  Somehow, I managed a 5:53.  Off to a surprisingly great start, I wondered if I was finally back in sub-19 shape.  

Around the curve and back on flat land, the left onto 3rd Avenue followed by the right onto Washington brought me to the spot (commemorated by a fire truck with an enormous American flag) where the race's namesake - a Clifton cop - was tragically killed.  Around the block to get back onto 3rd, I was in third place and watching the middle-to-back of the pack running toward me, many offering encouragement.  I saw my buddy, Ed Holster (a Clifton cop himself) hoofing along, as well. Mile two was 6:06.

I had lost some time, but was still in sub-19 territory.  Not only that, but I had that hill coming again, but this time, I was going down.  I tried to extend my legs, but I could feel it starting to hurt.  And the memory of that pain from those long, downhill strides at the end of the Mississippi Gulf Coast Marathon held me back from pushing my legs into full extension.  Worse still, we passed Colfax Avenue in order to proceed to Van Houten Avenue and enter the municipal complex from the opposite side, and that involved going up one more hill. With only a half-mile to go, I was quickly petering out.  A 6:28 third mile, and nothing left in the tank to sprint to the end.

Rounding the final curve next to Clifton City Hall.

Rounding the corner toward City Hall, I heaved my body forward as best as I could, with my lovely wife, Gloria cheering me on once again.  I finished with a 19:22 - my slowest race in more than 10 years.  

Pushing to the end.

So with PRs long gone, and even a sub-19 unattainable, it is clear that age is finally taken its toll.  At 45, I am on the decline.  I will have to live with that; what choice do I have? 

After the race, I told Gloria that I was done racing for the year.  It was too depressing to train harder and while getting worse results.  So, no more.  Done.  That is it.  Finito for 2019.

Naturally, on Monday, I started training for a December 10K.

Did I mention that I somehow came in third place overall?

Ed and me, post race.

(All photos by Gloria Galioto)