Go, you chicken fat, go away!

I must've pulled or strained my right hamstring in Utah.  I had to go to pack meeting tonight, but my wife wasn't able to go.  Right before I needed to leave I got a text from one of the boy's mother asking me if I could give her son a ride to the meeting.  Since there's no one on one ineraction allowed my wife said she would drive us, but that I would need to get a ride home.  I figured I could just run home. 

Pack meeting was fun.  All four of our boys advanced; three of them got their Wolf and one got his Bobcat.  I threw my running clothes on and my scout clothes in a drawstring pouch/backpack.  I didn't stretch like I usually do because I figured it was less than two miles and I would take it easy.  But immediately I could feel the strain.  I kept running because what else was I going to do?  I made it home fine, but I'm really worried about my race the Saturday.

I attempted this race last year, but only managed to eat 4 donuts.  I knew that I would need to bring some water with me to help bed the donuts down.  My wife offered to let me wear her fanny pack which I loaded with 3 bottles of water.  Just a few minutes before 9am they decided to take a picture of us all.

So the race started shortly after 9:01am.  The weather was beautiful, but I saw a lot of people wearing hoodies.  I had stretched out my leg pretty well and rolled it.  It didn't bother me very much during the run, but I could feel it.  The runners seemed to settle into packs and I was the last one to arrive at the Bosa Donut store from the faster pack.  That's where you're supposed to eat 6 donuts before heading back. 

The course was slightly different than last year, and I thought it might be closer to 3.0 miles instead of 3.1 miles.  But my Strava recorded 3.12.  On the way there this speedy kid just zoomed by everybody.  I thought, "He must've got a late start."  With about half way to go to get to the Donut shop, I was passed by this guy running with his wife and kid.  His wife was on a bicycle, and the kid was on a scooter. 

I ran up and grabbed a plate of donuts, confident with my strategy that I would be able to down them pretty quickly.  I didn't want to sit down, so I found a bush that I could set my plate on whilst I ate.  I opened up my first water bottle and started eating the first one.  It tasted great.  I would take a small swig of water each time I took a bite.  I ate my second one and kept an eye on the rest of the competition to see if anyone had left yet.  Still good.  I finished my third one, and this young teenager had finished all 6 of his and started to head back.  My hopes and dreams of winning were crushed.  Unless he were to puke on the way back!  I finished my fourth one and two more runners left including the speedy kid that had passed me before.  Also it seemed that other runners were heading back, but I couldn't tell if they had all finished their donuts or not.  I knew some of them had not.  Also, that fourth donut tasted like the bush as it must've been hanging off the plate a little.  The fifth donut went down, but I was starting to feel it.  That same feeling from last year when I knew I was reaching my limit.  I stuck to the strategy.  I got half way done with the last one and knew I could do it, but I knew it wasn't going to be a piece of cake.  I really had to chew.  It wasn't going down as easily.  I finally got the last bite in my mouth and headed over to the trash bin to throw my plate away. 

I then very cautiosly started running back.  There were a few stragglers still coming in and I, of course, made puking noises at them.  After a few burps and deep breaths, I felt like I could hold it down.  There was a couple that passed me shortly after I started again.  I wondered if they had eaten all of their donuts.  I'd be surprised if they did.  If they did, you know they were meant for each other.  If they can eat donuts at the same pace, there's nothing they can't do.  Anyway, they beat me to the finish line.  But the guy with the family that had passed on the way there was right behind me.  I thought for sure he would pass me again.  As I made my way south through the neighborhood, I found myself feeling pretty good, so I decided to up the pace.  I caught a few more runners, but I could see they were carrying donuts with them.  That man was still right behind me and catching up.  I made the final turn and with about a quarter mile to go I really started to kick it in.  Then I realized I might actually vomit at this pace, so I slowed down.  It had looked like I put some distance between the two of us and should be able to finish ahead of him.  But I wasn't going to take any chances, so I sped up again and finished strong.  If I were to guess, I'd say I came in 5th place, but it's hard to tell because they're just doing it for fun, and they don't count.  The speedy kid ended up catching the other kid, like I knew he would and won. 

I wasn't sure if they were going to do a raffle like they've done in the past, so I stuck around for a little bit.  I had drunk a bottle and a half of water while eating the donuts, so I finished the other half and decided to leave.  It was fun, and I'm proud of myself for having eaten all 6 donuts and not ralphing.  It may be my finest accomplishment in this life.