This is probably one of the first races where I didn’t stress prior to the event and my nerves didn’t keep me from sleeping the night before – almost.
I awoke sometime after 1am from a dream where I was trying to pee with a blanket around my neck before the race, and I hadn’t turned in my bib for runners’ role call. Whatever that’s supposed to be. Apparently if you didn’t answer in time when the announcers called your name, you had to start the race near the back. I shook off the dream, took the blanket from around my neck and went to the bathroom.
The dream left me a bit frazzled and sleep came and went the rest of the night. I awoke exhausted. If there wasn’t a race (paid for, with a reeeeeally pretty medal) I would have rolled back over and gone back to sleep. Until Wednesday.
I also had zombie dreams, but that’s because I’m going to miss The Walking Dead until it returns in October. I love that show.
I really didn’t have any goals for the race, which took place on wide, flat country lanes in the undeveloped fields around Elk Grove (gee, where’d they get the name for the race?). Like most other races my only goal is to run the entire race and finish.
On the technical side of things (it’s about to get Runnerspeak up in here), I started with a pace of 8:18, eased into a 8:17/8:16 pace and eventually leveled out to a 8:22 min/mile.
There wasn’t a lot to see during this race aside from an abandoned Ghost Mall (coming soon to a theater near you – but not at this mall), frolicking horses (which I learned about after the race) and bloody nipples.
A quick word about the Ghost Mall: this structure is on the southern outskirts of Elk Grove. The developers got so far as to build the frames of the various buildings, then ran out of money. The shell of a structure sits there, unused to this day, as it has for years, a testament to poor planning.
Since there was really nothing of interest to look at after that, I watched other runners. I watch their tempos, gaits and stances. I kept pace with those that looked strongest. It seemed to help. I brought my own water, so I didn’t need to slow at the aid stations. Ha ha! Suckers! Kidding. Carrying my own water is a pain. But it saves me from having to slow down or stop altogether.
Disclaimer: I had planned to try a sample of ENERGYbits and review the product. I even brought it with me, but left it in the car. Thankfully, I brought a Clif shot (which I call orc’s blood), and ate that around 6.5 miles. Since I have six miles to run in the morning, I’m going to try the ENERGYbits then to see if they’re what they claim.
I finished the last leg, amping up my pace in the last quarter mile or so, like usual. That stroller-pushing chick was NOT going to beat me! I passed her and her lazy, freeloading kid, and charged through the finish without tripping on any of the photographers.
As I waited, camera at the ready, for Coach Kitten to cross the finish, I witnessed one guy cramp-up, unable to run, let alone walk any further. Another guy collapsed James Brown-style. And a third guy came across the finish in a long-sleeve white shirt, bloody spots where presumably his nipples are, streaks of pink coming down the front of the shirt. I had to wince at the sight.
Though I didn’t set out with any goals, I matched my first half-marathon finish time of 1:50:55 (which is also my best time so far). This tells me I have a real chance to get a PR at Avenue of the Vines coming up in May.
And there was one elk. It was a person in an elk costume. Damn furries are infiltrating everything.
The Wretched Mile 