On our nation's birthday, I had the opportunity to race the Heritage Festival 5 miler in Fredericksburg, VA, for my 2,500 career race. When I'm able to reach a milestone such as this, I try to make the race somewhat special for me. Being told that the course was flat and fast, I was excited to run, but when the morning temps were in the 80s, I knew that smart pacing was going to be the key.

As I did a very short warm-up (almost none was needed with this heat), I was thinking about how much fun I've had with racing. When I was a kid, I used to enjoy playing any game that was going on, either at the playground, or in the parks that the local recreation department would put on in the summer evenings. Whether it was Frisbee tag, dodge ball, a pickup basketball game, or soccer match, I joined in with reckless abandon, and always had a blast. I always wondered whether those days would last forever.

Well, with running, they have. I train hard for certain races and to meet goals that I have set for myself, and push my body and mind to the limits, but most of the time, I feel like a kid again by just lacing up my shoelaces and going out for a run. That was the mindset I had for this race, knowing that the time will not be my best due to the conditions, but I still want to put in a good effort and have some fun. So off we go at the start, and I just ran fast yet relaxed, saving something for the later miles, and trying not to overheat.

Within a mile, the leader is away with a large gap, and the second and third place runners are together, pacing each other, just about thirty meters ahead of me. They start to pull ahead even more in the next mile, and I just try to relax, and thinking back on my pre-race thoughts, try to have a good decent run, and just play like when I was a boy. I could feel the pressure of trying to catch the runners ahead just melt away, and felt so comfortable in the zone I was in. I was enjoying the fitness that I had worked hard to obtain, and it was like I was on automatic pilot, just letting my legs carry me along.

We reach the halfway mark, and someone was coming up from behind, but at the same time, the third place runner was starting to falter. By mile three, the gap had narrowed, and I moved into third, but the runner from behind was holding on, chasing me down. So, just like when I was a boy having fun playing, I decided to just run and let the chips fall where they may. My experience from 2,500 races told me that, with this heat, any moves that I would make at this point could have dangerous consequences near the end, so holding back and enjoying the moment was the best way to go.

The course was extremely fast and flat (and I found out afterward that Debi Bernades had designed this course; great job, Debi), and the only significant hill was just before the 4.75 mile mark. After the climb, it was a 400 meter downhill sprint to the finish, which was a great way to end the race. Unfortunately for me, the runner trailing me throughout the last couple of miles made a move at the top of the hill, where he found the gear that I was hoping to have, and opened up seven seconds in that last quarter mile, thereby taking third place, and leaving me in fourth. No regrets on my part, as I felt strong the whole way, and was told by another runner afterwards that I had set a masters course record. I'll take it!

All in all, for a milestone race, I was extremely pleased with my effort, had a great time, and really felt fortunate that, after all these years, I still enjoy racing as if it were a new game for me. And as importantly, I recalled some memories of when I was just a kid, playing with no cares in the world, and doing the best that I could. Racing has provided the fun that, as a kid growing up, I wished would never end.

Editor's Note: Ted Poulos held the world's record for the most races run in one year-222 in 1997 and 229 in 2001. His 2500th career race is an achievement. In his 18 years of running, he has finished in the top three in over half of his races. Along the way, he has garnered more than 700 first-place finishes, nearly 350 second place finishes, more than 250 third place finishes, and numerous age-group placings.