Day 13340, & the previous day recollected...

So, I planned ahead.  I planned to start slow.

I had "analyzed" my Garmin runs.  I had thought through my shortcomings and mistakes.

Start slow.

Normally, I run about a 9:15 to 9:30 pace on any run of substance.  My best, to date, had been a 3 mile run at an 8:58 pace.  All other attempts at speed have been met with some kind of defeat.

Start slow.

I decided that this race was really just a practice race.  It was just a Saturday hill run.  No pressure.

Start slow.

It was a nice opportunity to run with Lil' Bit.  Quite a few friends were running actually.  Why not enjoy the "fun run" part and just have a nice, social morning activity?  I even told Lil' Bit that I would hang with her at first, but that I might wander ahead after a few miles.

Start slow...

BANG!

Off I go, at a, 8:05 pace!  Uphill at an 8:05 pace.  Oh well, plans are just for dorks anyway!

Bye Lil' Bit!  See you in 55...

Yeah, first race.  I knew that I was surrounded by runner folks.  You know, those people.  The ones that judge you if you look like you are a newbie.  The ones that are all like "I am gonna kick your ass, you Garmin wearing amateur!"

Yeah? Well, fuck you! 

So, I felt a bit like I had something to prove.  Did I?  No.  But I felt pretty good as I chased the lead group up the initial .8 miles of hill.  Then people started to pass me.  No big deal.  A few cute boys ran by, shirtless.  I chased them a bit.  Then, a guy passed me, about 40, in his "gear" with a GU in his back, shirt pocket...

This is a 6.3 mile run, I thought to myself.

Really? He needs a snack in the next 45 minutes?

I ate 2 bowls of Cheerios this morning.  I feel full.

Then a few others ran by, including the woman with her dog, who later did his business in the middle of the street.  Always nice to dodge crap in the road.

After some nice flat, I finished mile 2 in 8:30.  Then, back up to the "city."  The good news here was that once I got up there, I got to run down a bridge to the Stadium.  Ahh, rest.  Mile 3, 8:45.

Now, had this race gone as planned, I would have had energy to spare at this point.  Nope.  Instead, when I saw the 5K marker, I felt tired and wanted to quit and run home (as this was also the part of the course closest to my house.)

No quitting.

Once I made it to the Gateway Bridge (the biggest hill of the race,) my playlist kicked in as planned.

Yeah, judge me if you want, but I got over the hill.

Then, as if a gift of encouragement, I passed GU guy, and his GU was gone.  Huh?  Shoulda had breakfast, bitch!

Then, my favorite moment.  Mile 5, water station.  The guy from Team Nashville, the guy that sold me my Brooks, the guy that yelled at me for running to soon in my running program, that guy...  He handed me my water.  I think he recognized me.  He grinned...

Then came the hard part.  The last mile.

I had looked at the course.  I thought I had it down.  No, apparently not so much, as I kept thinking I was almost done.  And every time I thought I was about to see the finish, I was directed to turn in the opposite direction.

For example, this hill, unexpected... I do love this picture, as you don't see anyone in front of me.  It is like I am winning!  And this song didn't hurt at the time, either.

Then, at 5.7 miles, a guy, same age, a bit heavier, slowed to a walk.  Now, I can't criticize.  It WAS mile 6 and he WAS still ahead of me.  He obviously had some stamina.  So, it was my job to keep him going.

"Half a mile to go! Pick it up! 10 minute mile! Move it! The faster you move, the sooner you're done!"

And he did.  Right next to me.  I felt like an inspiration.  Then I realized that he thought I meant that I was running a 10 minute mile.  Oops!  Well, I am sure he figured it out on his own...

MIles 4-6 were all right at 9:00.  Then, when Garmin hit 6 miles, and I KNEW I had to be close, I kicked it up.

Here I am, 1 block from the finish, running at a 7:30 pace.  Wow!  No GU and yet I was huffin' it and was still ahead of GU guy, et al.

I have watched very few races.  I have to say though, the finish line looks completely different when you are running towards it.  

I finished 92 out of 222.  Apparently, when you finish in the middle, you pretty much finish alone.  I saw no one in front, and no one behind.  Very weird.  Kinda like...

I really wanted that scene from Vanilla Sky when Tom is in the middle of empty Manhattan; but, I couldn't find it.  Oh well, trust me.  It was weird to run alone on the closed street.

54:52.  I beat my median goal, on all accounts.

Meet Lil' Bit.

Oh yeah, and I saw the guy I encouraged.  After the race, he was walking by with his wife and his 2 cute babies.  He thanked me for the push.  That felt great.

I think I have gone race crazy.  

When is the next one?

Day 13337, & Greg is back...

Or, alternatively, "How to train for a 10K in 4 days..."

So, as I mentioned, Greg has been gone since the day after Mother's Day.

I worked a lot.  Not a lot, like 80 hours or anything; more like a lot, like 50 hours in 4 days...

Yuch!

I went in about 10 and left at about 11.

Yuch!

Anyhoo, he got back today.  Meanwhile, I had help a few days.  I didn't have to run the floor on Tuesday, or Wednesday...

And Wednesday, I got a "night out with regular people" evening.  Jay and I were supposed to have a date with Catherine and Bryan.  Jay had to cancel at the last minute.  The great koi/pond crisis of 2008 began at 5:15 yesterday, just as Jay thought he had successfully hooked up the new pump and filter.  Instead, the world stood endangered, ready to end, and he clearly had not showered.  

"I want to go, but I can't," he said, "The fish need me..."

So, we went without him.  They invited recently divorced friend Kirk.  Divorced? Not so important, but hey, life is about details...

So, here we are at Germantown, enjoying a bit of pre evening cheer.

And here is Catherine, hopping into their new Prius.  I have to say, as annoyed as I am with the Prius aesthetic, it is a pretty cool car.  

Quiet as a mouse, great gas mileage, and the backseat is about as roomy as the living room of my first apartment--not so much, as a living room; a lot as a back seat...

And...

It is quite high-tech.  

Pretty cool for those of us that like gadgets and accident-causing buttons and touch screens in our cars...

Anyway, our green, carpooling, electric-hybrid contribution to the Earth was all in  the name of...

HIIIILARIOUS!

I have not laughed so hard in forever.  Sadly, I can't recap much more of the evening, as I was a bit in my cups by the end of the show.  I did "film" several clips, but the youtube versions were just so much better quality...

But, of course, all roads, and evenings, lead to...

3 Crow.

This morning, ouchy...

Meanwhile, in regard to the alternate title, I registered for my first race.  I am running the Civic Design 10K this Saturday at 10 am.

I decided to do so last Monday evening, at the urging of my friend Melissa.  I said I wasn't ready to run a race yet.  She said that I would keep saying that until I actually got it over with.  A point I couldn't argue.

So, I "trained" for 2 days.  

Tuesday, I tried my own private 10K, a flat 10K mind you.  Well, it ended up as a private 7.5-ishK.  Not so good.

Wednesday, I tried a street run, with bridges.  I wanted something similar to the race course.  Again, not so good.  4.8 miles, but WAY SLOW.  Wednesday will be the day that goes down as the day I learned why traffic lights are bad.  Cruising along at a 9:00 pace, hit the red light (for three minutes) and couldn't get my pace back, ever...

Today? 1 mile treadmill warm-up for a non-leg, non-weight training day.  

So, my first timed race starts in 32 hours.  God willing, it will be over in 32:56 or less...

Day 13281, & I hit the streets...

I am a road runner.


Well, I am becoming a road runner. Today, I felt a bit more beaten, more like the coyote...

I have always known that the day I decided to run on pavement, it would probably feel like I have not run EVER before. I have mentally prepared my self for this. I was ready...

I just didn't realize that I apparently live in the Swiss Alps, or the Rockies, take your pick. Damn, my neighborhood is really hilly! This is the hill just up from my house. This is where I decided to start. Dumb! I made it up the hill. It was not that bad, as I had just started out. I did begin to wonder if this was going to work out. Mind over matter, I said. Even if the matter was made of asphalt and concrete, I was going to conquer it.

I noticed, almost immediately, that I had absolutely no idea how fast I was going. I had my iPod. I was listening to my running playlist. I should have been able to pace myself. Nope!

When I made it to the golf course, I realized just how hilly the area was. I guess that the houses just do a nice job of hiding the slope of the land. I had no idea how far I had gone, but if felt really far. Then I looked at my watch. 11 minutes. I had been gone 11 minutes and it felt like 30. Well, Chris, you have to stay out at least 11 more minutes to get back. Might as well make the most of it.

So, make the most of it, I did. I continued onward. I found a nice flat stretch of road that I found quite enjoyable, despite the pain I felt creeping into my shins. Again, I was clueless to how fast I was going. I was not clueless about the pain. I slowed to a walk. I hated to waste the nice flat road on a walk, but I have to work today.

You know what I think is worse than running uphill?

Running downhill. OUCHY!!!!! This bit of information was shared with me by the aforementioned shins after about 20 feet of downward slope. My quads, however, seemed fine with the break that they were receiving.

So, I would say that I managed about 65% run and 30% walk. The missing 5% could be attributed to some variation of a jog when I was trying to find some sort of pace; however, I decided that I must have looked silly at this point and gave it up.

What I had not planned was a focused route. I neglected to think through the hills, obviously, but also about how I was getting back home. So, again like a fool, I decided on a route that would let me finish up on this hill. The problem with photography, or my photography anyway, is that you cannot properly convey slope or steepness. Trust me when I say, this was steep and painful.

But, all in all, I did it and that is what matters. I trekked out on the open road for a full 28 minutes. Sure I felt like I was going to die, but I did it. Sure my shins hurt, but I did it.

After I got home, I jumped in the car to measure my distance. 2.4 miles. This was very enlightening. A: I didn't do as badly as I thought. B: My first mile was 11 minutes. C: Including the walking, I did this in 28 minutes. What I know now is that I went too fast. I need to learn to pace myself a bit better. Overdoing it isn't going to get me anywhere. Maybe I can get Jay to follow along in the car, like Joan Crawford had her maid do. There's nothing like adding a little Hollywood glam to a workout, right?

My other issue with today's run? I had to carry my iPod. I don't have a fancy armband or anything. It is a bulky one, at that. The armband approach would probably mess up my alignment, resulting in injury. So, I went to the Apple store.

I think this one should work out quite nicely for the next road running adventure.