I look so happy here, right? This was after the race...so much more happened before this! For my own horrible memory, here are all the gory details - I'm going to warn you right now this will be a LONG report!
I was running late when I got downtown....at 5:30am. Race start: 7am. Turns out that would be very fortuitous, my time compulsion. I found out that waking up at 4am, while inherently stupid, saved my race. It may actually have been my sleep-addled brain that decided flushing a toilet that was full of water was a good idea. I immediately realized I screwed up, and lucky for me I was able to grab the plunger and avert worse damage. Murphy's Law starts my day. After a cleanup (and mopping) I was able to grab my stuff and run out the door. My legs at this point felt better than they ever have. Sad they did not stay that way!
It was perfect running weather, I'm guessing 45 degs at the start line. One hour before the race I decided to mosey (we do that still in Texas ya'll) over to the nearby Whataburger to use their men's room. Some guy was in it and I think he fell asleep on the john. I realized things were getting dicey at this point (2d time today if you get my drift) and I told him I'd really appreciate it if he could speed it up. Thank god he did is all I'm going to say about that. 20 minutes later I was headed to the start. Great atmosphere at the start! We listened to the Burundi National Anthem, and then some nameless woman - who sang very well - decided to see how long she could stretch the US National Anthem. Let's just say I don't think we started at 7am on the dot. Didn't matter, I had a good conversation with another guy at the start and off we went.
I am SO glad I left my ego at home. I was running back in 2008 at up to a 7:45 minute per mile pace (and did the Congress Avenue mile at UNDER 7 minutes), and man am I ever a LOOOOONNNNGGGG way from that! But I am grateful to AustinFit and my 10:30 pace group for helping me start at a realistic pace. I was feeling better than I ever have in a race, having a great time. I also learned a HUGE advantage for running slower - more women!! No offense ladies, it's all good. Women running at the old pace I ran were SERIOUS, and man they never said a word. Women running at 10:30 pace can still talk, and are MUCH more friendly after a few miles.
The course was hilly, with hills at mile 3, 4, 5 and the last major one at 6. Wow that one really got my respect...my heart rate went way up on it! But I ran every hill, and I was feeling great. Loving life, little kids and puppies. At mile 7.5 roughly I was attacked by the same calf cramp I experienced two weekends ago. Man did that ever HURT! But I ran through it, and decided not to stop for water. I was well hydrated, having had to stop at about mile 5 or so to pee. Damn I hate when that happens, I need to learn not to OVER hydrate. It's a work in progress people. So the wierd thing is, I actually SPED UP the last two miles, despite a gradual uphill to the last stretch down to the finish line. I was grimacing pretty bad from mile 8 to mile 10. Sucks, because I know without that cramp I could have run much faster. And I have to just be content to know that I had a 'pure guts race' as Pre would have called it, with myself. And I won. Here is my 'watch time' calculating the running time only, sans pee break:
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| My new Garmin Forerunner 210 |
The 'official' chip time was 1:45:12 for a 10:31/mile pace, spot on what I have been training at. I loved my first race with my forerunner (210)...it has a 'current' pace setting that tells me what my pace is....and that kept me from killing myself with my fragile male ego I think! lol
My 5 mile (the 1st 5) pace was 10:33 and my overall pace was 10:31....I'm happy with that considering in the final 5 miles I had that infamous pee break and bad cramps. I still managed to run the last mile at 9:42 and the overall pace was despite the pee stop. So my overall place would not have changed, let's just say not too many men finished after I did! Still, I learned something very, very valuable today. Run for fun, analyze the numbers later, and be sure to take in the experience. The experience was a good one!!
Foot note to the cramps.....might be a calf strain. My insurance company (United Health) has a 24 hr nurse line, and she told me that I should see my primary care Dr tomorrow. Ick. Oh well, I'm going to be a good boy and hope this gets me back to health - 100% anyway, in time to train for next months 5K.
