Back in 1993 when me and my brother graduated school together my dad told us that we needed a hobby , something to do on our spare time . He mentioned that we can try the Tar Baby 10k out in town. When I was younger we use to love to go to the Dairy Festival for the games and rides they had and I can recall seeing runners go by just 1/4 up the road where they run pass our neighborhood where we lived at. If I only knew what was about to happen several years later. The Tar baby 10k was a well known and popular event back in the 80s for the tough course and when there was only a hand full of races instead of the 100+ a month you have now . People would come to little ole Eatonton to get in a test race in before Peachtree . A few greats have came through this town to run this race . Craig Virgin, Jeff Milliman , Kim Bird , etc . Now today it's known as the Torture Trail 10k cause they changed the name of it due to complaints from the cult " Newabians " of being a racial name for the race . They were threating to boycott if not changed . But so Ken and I trained running around in our neighborhood . I can remember sitting on the front porch after a few beers yelling at me that Ken was going to kick my butt. We had no idea how to train for this let alone how far a 10k was. Starting in the back of the race that morning we headed out . I don't recall much of the race but only knowing that after 4 miles and seeing the finish line ahead I thought the race was over with but I noticed everyone was turning right ahead of the finish line . Another two miles !!!! I remember coming up the last hill throwing my guts out and finishing in around 46:23. Ken finished ahead of me in around 43:49 . Still today that's the only time he has ever beaten me . He won an age group award and I didn't . It didn't sit right with me cause I trained more than he did and my work didn't pay off . The next few days I went to the Farmer And Merchants Bank where they organize the race . One lady I know well told me how great I did and that I should take up running because I have the body for it . I took up the complement and headed off for some training . I entered a 10k in Monticello and ended up winning it in a sub 40:00 performance with unbelief that I won only running my second race . My dad was there to watch me and I remember him with a tear in his eye as I finished. Well I started hitting some local races but few and I had no idea how to train . The next year came around and was getting ready for TarBaby again . With my whole family there and mom at finish line taking pictures as I crossed . I finished the race in 37:08 and 10th overall and didn't realize till later on that I was off the Putnam County residents course record by :04 seconds. I told myself the record will be mine next year and had my family especially my dad behind me on this . I trained alittle more the next following year but still haven't found my place into what was lying ahead for me . 1995 rolls around with more experience from racing . That year set out to get that record I shattered that by running a 35:18 and getting 3rd Overall !!!!! I was excited about the record but couldn't believe I was 3rd and only 1:30 something from winning . My dad said it would be awesome if I could win this thing . That put the spark in me . My goal was to win this thing and be the first PC resident to win this brutal race .
To be continued ....
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