On Saturday, as the Grand Finale of my FitFatFit Dad Challenge, I participated in my first organized competitive athletic event in over 20 years. The Toughest Race in Texas is an annual fundraiser for a local school, offering 10k, 5k and 1k runs. Why the name? It’s a trail run, twisting and turning through the scrub cedar and oaks on the 400 acre campus of the school, featuring numerous near vertical climbs up limestone cliffs, treacherous creek crossings and completely impassible scree fields. Maybe even a few cougars.

The whole ordeal is the sick brainchild of none other than Daddy Brad. Who didn’t run, by the way. Presumably because he knows better.

I literally stumbled out of the gate, fiddling with my iPod, trying to get my carefully crafted playlist fired up. I left the damn thing on shuffle, so my cool down songs came where my power songs were meant to be and vice versa. Completely threw me off my finely honed race plan.

I found that on the race trail, I am very age-ist. Never worried about people looking younger than me when they blew past, and targeted gray heads for passing myself. Felt twinges of vestigial competitiveness here and there (like when I got passed twice in the final 200 meters), but generally felt pretty good just competing against myself.

I finished in the dead center of the pack — 72nd in a field of 154, 12th in my age division with a finishing time of 1:01’14”. I was pretty wrecked at the end, but glad I did it.

So that’s it for my FitFatFit 90 day program. I fell well short of my weight loss goals, but did manage to shed 10 lbs. I started a daily exercise program, that included running for the first time in 15 years. Doing about 18 miles a week now, and enjoying it, so that will continue, I guess. I finally got a full physical as part of the challenge and found out that all is in reasonably good working order.

In terms of the parenting part of the challenge, I didn’t really change the amount of time I spent playing sports with my kids, so I don’t really score points there. I suppose I’m setting a better example now, and I’m slightly less likely to injure myself when I do play with them. Bubba and Ri-ri did follow my example and ran the 1K. So I guess I get points for that.

Overall, I can’t say that I feel miraculously better, or have tons more energy — the kind of stuff they put on the fitness brochure. This may have something to do with the fact that my exercise program comes directly at the expense of sleep. (Wonder if there is any net health benefit to going -1 hour sleep for +1 hour exercise on a daily basis.) I also know that if I want to keep running (and I’d like to even up the mileage) I need to lose more weight. So…

Let the challenge being again! Another 90 days, another 10 lbs. This challenge to culminate in the Dennis Road Race on Cape Cod in July. Daddy Brad, you may have trounced me in this round, but it’s all part of my strategery. Tortoise and the hare! See you on the Cape, fat boy.

Bubba and friends at the Toughest Race starting gate