I am a total sucker for certain words or phrases — hidden secrets, fire, ancient wisdom and dragons to name a few. So it is no surprise that when I heard about the “Eye of the Dragon 10K,” I signed up immediately. (BTW, it you are selling the book of Hidden Secrets of Ancient Wisdom of the Fire Dragons, I would like to pre-order a dozen copies.)

It seemed simple enough - 10K which was close to my training goal for Saturday of 6.5 miles. I was prepared for the mileage, not prepared for the route.

The 10K was divided into 2, 3-mile loops. The first loop was filled with hills and turns and twists along the Eau Gillue which is a French phrase for either (a) a basin near a river or (b) sadistic race planner. In addition to the undulations, the surface was unusually rough with continual 2 -3 inch cracks in the black top. It was like running on the surface of a giant page written in braille. Once this portion was completed, it only got tougher.

Next came the rather large bridge run section. A couple of up and overs and repeats did a number on my already sore feet. My goal was to finish in 1:08. Probably not going to happen.

Just went you thought it was safe to get back in the water, Mother Nature decides that 25-30 mph headwinds would be the crowning touch. It was akin to running on treadmill. Great day if you were a kite. Despite the challenges, I did get my 1:08, a new PR and was happy about this. Nice to be on target this early in the year.

Overall, I would say this is a very good race if you want a challenging course and surface. It was a little too early in my training and I almost bite off more than I could chew. I was draggin’ more than dragon.

Bravo once again to the Space Coast Marathon group. They were extremely organized, polite and very runner-friendly. More than enough liquids were on the course and a respectable buffet there at the end. Course was perfectly marked and easy to follow. Creative prizes of dragon statues. . . what else. . . went to winners and the middle of the pack finisher.

What I enjoyed most about this was the ride home. I took a different route that sent me to the St. Cloud area near the St. John’s River. Drove by the NY Yankees getting ready for a spring training game as well as a half dozen 6-7 ft., alligators resting in the sun, having their morning cup of coffee. Seeing the Yankees brought me back to my baseball days. Funny how much things change. 20 something years ago, I said to myself I would be so grateful if things would change, particularly change the way I want them to.

Today, I am so grateful. That is why things change, particularly the way I want them to.