The Wednesday before Thanksgiving in 1978 was a day that change my life. I had done well in the President's Physical Fitness Test, but only in one thing...the 600 yard run. Mike Granfield (the Billerica High School track coach) put on a "Pie race". On a whim I entered the race which was approximately a mile of cross-country running behind the Middle School with a finish on the track. It was mid-30's with a steady 15 mph wind. I wore tennis shoes, jeans, t-shirt, and winter jacket since I didn't own anything more appropriate for the conditions. I finished in fourth place running 5:24. I was bitterly disappointed since the top 3 each won a pie. Coach Granfield approached me after race race and said "I'll see you at practice". I was surprised as I'd never considered running and asked "what practice?" to which he replied "You are running indoor track". I agreed despite having no clear idea of what that meant.
So, 40 years later I'm still competing and thankful to Mike for convincing me to run. My major disappointment has been that I've yet to win a pie.
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