Seriously!!! Just lost 30 minutes of my race report. I don't know if I can write this again. Will go to word then paste in :( Woke up at 7am because it’s race day, even though the race
started at 12:10. Had some oatmeal, then
did some CPA CPE online (good times), then walked 1000m to drop off water
bottles, walked back. Watched Masterchef while I stretched, foam rolled, tennis
balled. Heard the building creaking, then felt vertigo, then realized it was an
earthquake, and I am on the 10th floor of a 15 floor building. I just sit at my desk like an idiot, should
have gotten under the desk. No one
seeing me would think that I grew up in California and had earthquake drills
all the time as a child. Took a shower,
got dressed, and went to staging area. I
was in the first row behind the elites.
They sure were fit and lean ladies.
True six packs. It was a
beautiful sight. I saw a video highlight
of the race at the banquet tonight, and the only part of the video I was in was
at the start, and I looked downright burly and masculine compared to the elites
(and half of them were not Asian, there were Europeans and Kenyans). Anyway, guess I should take up bodybuilding
next. . .j/k that sounds like no fun to me.
Plan was 3:55-4:00k for the first 5k, then 3:55/k (19:35 5k
splits) thereafter. 3:56 overall gets me
right under 2:46. When the gun goes off
I let lots of ladies pass me, I am warming up nice and easy. First k was 4:00. Perfect.
First 5k was 19:29, though, a tad faster than I should have done. Then had 4k under an elevated highway, which
messed up my gps. I should have right
away changed the screen to total time so I could track actual splits, but I ran
by feel and by place (stayed behind two ladies), and as a consequence ran
3:50/k for 4k, which brought me to 9k 20 seconds too soon. 3:56 for 10k meant 10k split was 38:45, 25
seconds too fast. Didn’t worry about it
at the time (I am delusional and thinking, “boy I really am in good shape” what a dufus, really, have I learned
nothing?). Next 5k felt great, got a
19:39. But by 15k legs started to feel a
bit heavy. Then next 5k was 19:48 and I
know I am in trouble because legs are too heavy for half way through. Midway split is 1:22:34 (same as Andrea’s). I pull out my 5 hour energy drinking hoping
it will help. But guess what, caffeine can’t get rid of lactic acid. It does help, though, and I do 19:39 for the
fifth 5k, bringing me to the 25k mark in 1:37:51, four seconds ahead of my “plan”. Splits start to sag though, start tracking
individual k’s, trying to ignore pain in my quads (SORE!). 26k was about 3:55, 27k was 3:56, 28k was
4:05, 29k 4:06, 30k 4:07, 20:12 for that 5k.
Still on pace for sub 2:46 but legs keep getting more and more hurty 31
was 4:22, 32-34 pace was 4:20, 35 was 4:25, 21:54 for that 5k. Wait—it gets worse! Now I start to go paces that count as easy
runs normally, and I watch getting ranked top Hong Kong runner go down the
drain (have to beat 2:49:58 to get that). 4:26, 4:30, 4:43 for 2k, then it goes
toward 4:50, but I am not lapping at that point, what’s the point. I do manage a measly kick to prevent a girl
from passing me, she came in one second behind me. Got 4:42 pace for the last 3.21k. Brilliant. Amazingly, only three girls manage to pass me
in the race (all between 32 and 41k).
I start bawling after the race. I’m sure I was quite the spectacle to the
spectators. BTW, there were spectators
all along the course and it sounded like many were saying “Andale”, as in Spanish,
but perhaps they have a phrase that is similar?
I am not sure. Had several people
call LOWRY! And that was fun. I waved to
lots of kids, and smiled a lot (not after 30k, to be sure). There were also voluteers everywhere. Many more volunteers than runners. They had a volunteer posted every 10-20
meters—seriously. You could not get lost
on this course.
I am gutted. This is
truly a hard pill to swallow. I am officially tried-real-hard-and-got-close.
Of course I didn’t get close in this race.
2:47:08 October 2010. So close.
I can't even tell you how painful the race was. I suffered through
the second half big time. Ended up running the last 5k slower than a
normal easy run because my legs hurt so bad. The hard truth of it is that
I must not have been in shape to do a 2:45, I don't know if it was because of
the late injury or self-delusion. I should not have had lactic acid build
up so early in the race, even being 5 sec/k off. It was like the PF Chang
marathon (bad race for me in Jan 2009) only harder. I will have to
compare paces.
Sorry if this
race report isn’t too uplifting, I want to write it while I am processing the
race and the end of four year pursuit that has been fraught with medical
issues.
After the race
I went to a Japanese spa/bathing house. Lots of runners went, we had a
discount, and it was really neat. You get naked, and there are tons of
naked women walking around, and you go to an area where shower sitting down.
I washed my hair and body. Then there are multiple baths you hang
out in, and there was a cold bath, so I alternated cold and warm baths for four
times. Lots of naked ladies. About a third are runners, and they
are thin and toned. Women's bodys are beatiful, what can I say. It
was like skinny dipping with 70 of my closest Japanese friends. I haven't
seen any friends naked since skinny dipping in HS. Anyway, afterward, you
get in a kimono and go to individual prepping stations where you do your hair. Then
there was an awards banquet with dinner and dessert. They had multiple
speeches, though, and no sitting. It was torturous. I am so sore!
The food was good, but only one of the 8 or so desserts was a true
chocolate dessert, so I had that one twice.
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