Bringing Up the Rear...
Jul. 10th, 2005 01:34 pmToday was the Collier's International 10K Run and I ran it. There was a big problem though - I started ten minutes late.
I woke up with plenty of time to spare this morning, but still managed to miss the train I needed to get me to Mewata on time to start the race. Plus the train was super crowded because of Stampede. So it got downtown after the race started. On the bright side, the start point was only a block and a half away from the train platform. In the got-lemons-make-lemonade department, I was sitting by a really hot MILF and we chatted for a bit. I'm not sure if this woman was a good-looking thirty or a super-well preserved 40, but she was nice. Sexy too - and this was a woman towing her two adolescent sons around. She has a well-displayed wedding ring and nearby husband, so c'est la vie.
I get to the start line to find nobody there but a few race officials cleaning things up. One tells me that the chip sensor in the mat is still active (and also which way everyone went) so I take off (hearing the chip activate as I ran over the mat). I ran a few blocks north to see another race volunteer, who tells me where to turn (which is good because I still don't see anybody). I run across the Louise bridge to see runners on Memorial drive. Around memorial and 12th street i finally caught up to a pair of walkers. This would be the first of many people I would pass during the race. Nobody (in the 10K) passed me at all for the entire race! I was faster than all the slow people and slower than all the fast people. As the race went on, the density of participants increased, but at no time did i feel I had to slow down due to crowds (a common problem among people who start the races on time. heh - losers). I even passed the 7 min/K race bunny, so I know my time was better than 70 minutes. I'm guessing the final time was in the neighborhood of 66 minutes, but I won't know for sure until the official race results are tabulated.
There was a brass band at 14th street and some really nice belly dancers at Crowchild. 37th street was the turn around point and featured some gospel singers.
The course was nice - dead flat except for the small amount of up and down where we had to cross bridges. The temperature was good, averaging around 17 C. My legs were moving good, i wasn't stiffening up or getting stitches. I didn't bonk and I actually increased my run/walk ration (I'm at a point in my normal jogs that I run 4 minutes and walk two minutes. For the race I was doing six and two - in about two months I hope to be able to run 10 K non-stop).
After the race, I immediately consumed 2/3 of my points for the day - If I can't spend a few bonus points on the day I run a race, when can I spend them?
I woke up with plenty of time to spare this morning, but still managed to miss the train I needed to get me to Mewata on time to start the race. Plus the train was super crowded because of Stampede. So it got downtown after the race started. On the bright side, the start point was only a block and a half away from the train platform. In the got-lemons-make-lemonade department, I was sitting by a really hot MILF and we chatted for a bit. I'm not sure if this woman was a good-looking thirty or a super-well preserved 40, but she was nice. Sexy too - and this was a woman towing her two adolescent sons around. She has a well-displayed wedding ring and nearby husband, so c'est la vie.
I get to the start line to find nobody there but a few race officials cleaning things up. One tells me that the chip sensor in the mat is still active (and also which way everyone went) so I take off (hearing the chip activate as I ran over the mat). I ran a few blocks north to see another race volunteer, who tells me where to turn (which is good because I still don't see anybody). I run across the Louise bridge to see runners on Memorial drive. Around memorial and 12th street i finally caught up to a pair of walkers. This would be the first of many people I would pass during the race. Nobody (in the 10K) passed me at all for the entire race! I was faster than all the slow people and slower than all the fast people. As the race went on, the density of participants increased, but at no time did i feel I had to slow down due to crowds (a common problem among people who start the races on time. heh - losers). I even passed the 7 min/K race bunny, so I know my time was better than 70 minutes. I'm guessing the final time was in the neighborhood of 66 minutes, but I won't know for sure until the official race results are tabulated.
There was a brass band at 14th street and some really nice belly dancers at Crowchild. 37th street was the turn around point and featured some gospel singers.
The course was nice - dead flat except for the small amount of up and down where we had to cross bridges. The temperature was good, averaging around 17 C. My legs were moving good, i wasn't stiffening up or getting stitches. I didn't bonk and I actually increased my run/walk ration (I'm at a point in my normal jogs that I run 4 minutes and walk two minutes. For the race I was doing six and two - in about two months I hope to be able to run 10 K non-stop).
After the race, I immediately consumed 2/3 of my points for the day - If I can't spend a few bonus points on the day I run a race, when can I spend them?