The start of the Revco 10-K (six miler) was like being in an enormous Cuisinart, packed with a lurching, pulsating, swaying, pounding humanity that kept changing positions (mostly passing me up).

But I had known that this shank's-maring it down Euclid Avenue from E.19th Street with 9,000 pairs of other legs wasn't going to be all beer and Skittles.

At 72, my face is a sodden pie; however, I had convinced myself that my heart was in the right place, thanks to Central YMCA instructor Tom Donaldson of Lakewood. (Tom said if I exercised, I wouldn't necessarily live longer, but I'd feel better while I was around.)

Soon, before my bobbing eyes, came Playhouse Square, with which I had a nodding acquaintance, and the there loomed the Union Club at E. 12th, of which, when I was young, I had hoped some day to become a member. Alas, I never made it.

Next, Public Square was a welcome sight, with a brass band in front of May co. and a downgrade to St. Clair Avenue. Once on St. Clair, the trotting turbulence all funneled eastward to E. 43rd, where we did a turnaround and headed back toward the Square.

On the way back, I overheard two lagging runners in conversation. One said to the other, "If you're looking for enough rope to hang yourself, you've come to the right place."

That reminded me of how my great aunt used to sound off about old fogeys who tried to aspire. She'd say, "Why doesn't he sit down already!"

Back on Euclid going east the final mile, I began to imagine I was being sucked along by the air currents of runners who were still passing me.

Finally, I was spurred from the chute by curbside clapping and no discernible taunts.

Suffering from runner's high, I kept on jogging for another 50 feet. Where I stopped, I met a man who was fast developing a most horrible cramp. He was footballer Larry Csonka and it was writer's cramp. He was squeezing out autographs for hundreds of admirers near a Lite Beer stand beyond the finish line. I'll bet he would have rather been in the race.

This article by Dan Chabek originally appeared in the Lakewood Sun Post on Thursday, May 28, 1987. Reproduced with permission.

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