Running Scared
The terror of winning a race.
In September of 2010, I won the POAG Hot Pursuit 5K Road Race. Yes, that’s right; I won a race. Let me explain.
Before retiring I was a special agent with the Georgia Bureau of Investigation. Any state or local law enforcement officer in Georgia is eligible to join the Peace Officers Association of Georgia, also known as POAG. The POAG holds an annual convention, usually in August or September, and usually at a location on the Georgia coast. One of the events at the convention is the annual running of the Hot Pursuit Road Race. It is billed as a 5K but seldom is. It is always an out and back course with the turnaround point being where ever the turnaround volunteer can find a convenient place to park that is about a mile and a half from the start. In 2010 the course was actually 2.7 miles.
So, how did I win this race? Well, it is open to POAG members only. Most of the POAG members who come to the convention are a lot more interested in the hospitality rooms and annual barbeque lunch than in running. If there was a Clydesdale division for the race most every entrant would be in it. I had run the race 3 times previously and there had never been more than 23 at the starting line. I had finished 2nd once and 3rd twice. The year I finished 2nd I was recovering from a torn calf muscle and my time was over 30 minutes. No…
