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Comments: The race was on and I started to jockey for position early on. it was tough going getting through all the people who didn't line up in the right area, plus the roadway wasn't exactly wide. But the pace was decent, and I got the first mile done in 7 flat. Good! The next 4 miles were all around 6:50 since I had locked onto a guy I figured was in my AG. I saw a huge mass of runners in front of me in the first several miles. Probably 80 or 90. I let the guy go because he was pushing faster than I thought I could reasonably maintain, but I was off to a good start, and happy about that. I also realized that it's a long race, and there would be plenty of time to pass people in the latter stages of the event. We finally reached the turnaround spot about 5.5mi into it. A tight hairpin turn that flung me past a few runners since I love to dig hard from a stop (which is basically what this turn forces you to do). Miles 5-8 were steady, and I continued to pick off other racers one by one. It was a slow process, but it was consistent. I eventually found myself running with a marathoner and we started to chat. It was great to take my mind off the pain that was building in my groin muscles at that point. We talked about jobs (fellow Mech. Engineers!), families, and other races while we plodded along, continuing to shoot down other racers along the way. http://i22.photobucket.com/albums/b324/Super_Suby/Running004.jpg He encouraged me to "go for it" and empty the tank with just a few miles to go. I would surge ahead a ways, only to be caught by him again. It was good, though, because he kept bumping up my pace, and keeping my running hard. A large hill at mile 11 or so had me hurting pretty bad, and my buddy passed me by. I kept him on a short leash, though, and finally passed him for good on the descent. I love a good downhill! My quads were pretty toasted at this point, however, and it was difficult to maintain speed safely. Things started to get a little ugly down the stretch (see the warm-down description). I was running all by myself on the painted white line of the shoulder of the road. It seemed to take all my concentration to stay on it. I felt like I was on a boat that was leaning to the left, so I had to fight to keep my balance upright. It was a very odd feeling to say the least. During the last mile to the finish, there were 3 racers who looked to be in my AG, and they were a long way off. My watch told me that I wouldn't be finishing under 1:30, so I'd better work my ass off to try to place a little better. My momentum carried me forward, legs on auto-pilot, pumping away. http://i22.photobucket.com/albums/b324/Super_Suby/Running005.jpg My face, clearly indicating the pain I was in, and the nausea I was desperately trying to fight off as I aimed to pass just 1 more runner before the finish line. http://i22.photobucket.com/albums/b324/Super_Suby/Running006.jpg I did pass the guy in the blue shirt in that pic! What would you do differently?: Train more for sure!  Post race
Warm down: I came barrelling through the finish line, and was received by volunteers and medical aid. http://i22.photobucket.com/albums/b324/Super_Suby/Running007.jpg Had a little trouble standing up, so they put me on a cot I guess. Next thing I know I've got bags of ice in my arm pits and behind my head. Apparently I was a little hot. Not sure how long I stayed in there (it's a bit blurred), but I got up eventually and went to find my cheering section. What limited your ability to perform faster: Just general mileage. Needed more of it. I've really just been racing and recovering week after week. My idea of "R & R" I guess! As of this moment, the morning after the event, I'm in the most pain I've ever been in after a race. I can seriously barely walk. Every muscle in my legs feels like it's been beaten to a bloody pulp. I think I can sympathize with anybody who has recently been hit by a truck. In particular, there's something wrong with the outside of my left knee. It doesn't seem to enjoy supporting my weight. Very sketchy. Go figure! At this point, it's tough to decipher general abuse pain from what could be an actual injury. Time (hopefully not too much) will tell. Event comments: Loved meeting Dean Karnazes. What a stud that guy is! Last updated: 2006-09-18 12:00 AM
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United States
Fleet Feet
75F / 24C
Sunny
Overall Rank = 42/2925
Age Group = 25-29
Age Group Rank = 6/153
You know the drill: Bowl of oatmeal a couple hours before the start, and a PB&J sammich to snack on to fight off the hunger in the hour leading up to the event.
Then the wife and I drove out toward the race venue and met at a friend's house who was doing the race also. We had a great place to park without hassle. That was nice.
The warmup mostly consisted of the 1mi walk to the starting area. After walking most of the way, I jogged a few minutes to loosen up a bit more.
http://i22.photobucket.com/albums/b324/Super_Suby/Running001.jpg
You see, I was very sore and I don't really know why. On Saturday, I spent many hours battling with my aquariums. I took one out of commission, and added the livestock to the other one. I think all the heavy lifting of water buckets and rocks, in addition to being hunched over the big tank while standing on an upside-down bucket, contributed heavily to the soreness and tightness in my legs that morning.
I was happy that my ankle didn't seem to bother me, and I was reasonable confident that once I got warmed up, I wouldn't notice the tight muscles, so I set about doing some stretches and then went off in search of the MAN, the MYTH, the LEGEND.... Dean Karnazes.
I found him easily, and proceeded to watch as he renewed his vows with his wife -- his running buddy was actually the minister, too! It was pretty awesome to share that Dean and his family. After the ceremony, I squeezed in, shook his hand, and wished him "good luck."
Next stop, the corrals.
I found my place in the corrals amongst those who also planned to run approximately 7min miles for the duration of the race. But inevitably, there were plenty of people in there who would not be able to run that pace for more than a mile or so. I like that they tried to organize things, though, otherwise it would have been a very frustrating course due to its narrow nature.