I was very pleased with this run, but part of this was due to my diminished expectations. I'm in better cycling shape than run shape compared to this time last year, but the Garmin confirmed, when I got it, that I'm not 'as fast' as I thought.

The start announcer was REALLY annoying. Usually, they try to be cheerful but this guy had either gotten up on the wrong side of bed or, more likely, was simply an overcontrolling asshole. Really bossy, just had an irritating attitude. I wanted to go over and either say "CHILL DUDE" or bite him on the leg. Maybe both, but he was condescending and just not a Happy Camper. He had issues, OK?

Usually, CCRM (Capital Road Race Management) has their timed races set up with a timed start and finish, but today it was just the start horn and the pads at the end. I was a little concerned that would compromise my finish time with me seeding myself near the back for a change (as I said, this was one of the fittest groups of runners I've seen anywhere show up for a race, and it was a big field), but it turns out I'd need not be concerned. They had timing clocks at the 1 and 2 mile markers, and I hit Mile 1 around 8:50 - right where I wanted to be, and I was still pulling well under a 9:00 mile at 2, right at 17:30 or so.

I was trying so hard to not 'race' this one but I got caught up (as per usual) so I decided to see how under control I could run w/o blowing up, given that I'm not in the run shape I was at this time last year. My dream goal was to run < 45:00, but in my new relaxed racing attitude, the goal was to run 9:00-9:10 pace (and I pulled that one off).

Oh, its not just high school kids in small bands that are out of tune and sound cheesy playing marching band music. The Shriner's geriatric band that was stationed about 300 yards into the course was, um, pretty bad. JPS (John Phillip Sousa) is DEAD, man. If the Shriners want to recruit new blood so they don't die out as an org, they need to bring in some punk or death metal bands, OK?

I really seeded myself right for this race; starting in the back, I got to pass more people than I got passed by during the race, and I can always tell if I'm paced right about 2/3rds of the way through, as I very rarely 'run' with a pack of people in a race - I'm usually alone, and that's where I was by about Mile 3.5.

I played cat and mouse with a teenage boy between miles 2-3 who was struggling with a run/walk style. He looked fit, but obviously wasn't used to running at a strong pace, and the first time I passed him walking, I grabbed his shoulder and said "Come on, you can't let the old people beat you!" I smiled, he picked up his pace but I caught him walking a second time; I said "not that much further, we're halfway done, you can *do* this!" and he said "I know I can finish, I just don't know how fast!" Eventually I left him behind, feeling somewhat mixed about that, but I felt I'd Done My Good Thing Encouraging Him.

As I noted, the Garmin was invaluable helping me maintain a good pace and have a good idea of where I 'was' in the scheme of the race course so I could judge how much gas I had left in the tank and how I wanted to use it. I really felt the Fatigue Monkey hop on my back around 3.2 or so, and with less than a 1/2 mile to go, a group of 20somethings swarmed me and dropped me like a bad date, but the only thought in my head was "Hell, if they've got this kind of energy, they should have been running harder the whole race!"

The last 1/4 mile I ran harder - although it hurt a bit, because I was deterimined to not get lapped; I dropped a woman that looked to be in her late 20s, and I was nearing the finish I looked back and saw this tiny Asian woman sprinting to catch me, and I picked it up to a 6:30 pace and finished strong the last 100 meters or so. I was a bit dizzy in the finish chute and it was hard to put my foot up to get the timing chip cut off.

Nothing. I could be lighter, I could have run more, but this was a great race considering how little I've run this year. And I had fun because I'm not competing hard anymore - what happens, happens.

It was hot, or I should say, hotter by then. I heart orange soda and they had some, shotgunned that down, and then grabbed water. They had a pancake breakfast but I wasn't very hungry, but I choked down a pancake with some syrup on it... then I noticed that the wait list for the massages was quite short, so I signed up, and I'm glad I did - that's the first time I've taken advantage of a post race massage and it was NICE!

I also made it a point, while cooling off, to watch the various finishers and I'm glad I did. I saw an 85 year old man finish in 55:20, and he finished strong! Pretty amazing, he was all hump backed but his legs looked better than many of the much younger people finishing. Yeah, I yelled like an idiot for him, and the other BOPers that were striding in. Also saw an 83 year old woman finish in 1:08.

To me, the folks at the back of any race - especially when its hot - are the real runners, not the thoroughbreds at the front, because it takes perseverance and a certain amount of grit to stick with it when you're at the back.

As I was waiting my turn, the young man I'd passed showed up and signed up and I chatted with him and his friend who were waiting. Turned out that he'd only started training a month before, and finished in the 46:00 range. I didn't ask his age, but that's a pretty darned good time. Ah youth LOL


Me :-D

And that's OK!


I had fun. Did I just type that? I love the run community... the crowd at these types of events as well as folks on organized (i.e., supported) cycling events are my niche in the world of mediocre recreational athletes. I walked the mile back to The Blonde's house for a shower (she was checking on her cats and garden) and the end of the 5K, which they started an hour after the 8K, was finishing up, and saw the same woman with a blade that I'd seen at Buzz Oates on 5/26, taking her time and with the best smile on her face. That's what it is all about, sportsfans.

Hell, this race put me in SUCH a good mood I hauled off and bought a 2008 Schwinn Madison single speed after the race. Although that wasn't my original plan LOL