Okay, I love to hate this race :) I thought I was going to pace this since I'd done it the last 3 years successfully and without complaint, but for some reason unbeknownst to me, I didn't get a spot. So, I paid, because I'd told some friends I was pacing and I thought they were counting on me. Turns out that earlier in the week I'd found out they'd decided not to run it...nice. I now was stuck doing it myself. Couldn't back out, because my other friend signed up for the 5K since I was going to be there and then my daughter wanted to do it with her. So, I wasn't really excited about this race and didn't really want to do it. No one to run with, so I might as well try. With 2 marathons the last month I knew my legs weren't in any condition to PR or anything, but I figured I'd get a few speed miles in and just let it go from there. I'm good at not watching my watch.
They changed the start this year...no more Alpine Loop! :( Easier logistcally, but disappointing since this is the first time I've been able to "race" this one. It started just after the rollers near Deer Creek and finished at the bottom of the canyon. Basically it is now the Halloween UVM. Oh well, I don't have to worry about trashed quads, right? They also didn't provide a heated tent :( when you dress like you're going to be in a crowded heated tent for an hour and you're left outside...it gets cold!
We ran on the Eastbound side of the road and it wasn't too bad, but there were certainly hills. The race started and Curtis was pacing 1:40 so I kind of meandered with him for a few yards, but then decided to heck with it...lets move and get this done! So, I just let my legs take over. I would see people in the distance and pull them in, but wasn't pushing hard enough to consider myself racing. Maybe just because I didn't have a time goal...I don't know. Anyway, it was nice to run on an open road and have tangents easy to spot and take. Then we hit the trail and familiar territory. I've run that more times than I care to count.
Around mile 10 my legs started feeling tired. I could tell it was just the overuse/fatigue setting in. Man alive, it was going so well. I was still pulling people in who had started too quickly (it took me a good 4-5 miles to warm up my toes and legs so I could start too fast) so I figured just to keep at it. I did have a few women pass me at the end...and they were MOVING! I honestly think they probably started 5-10 min off the gun, because the rest of us were pretty well paced out.
I fought the monkey on my back for the next few mile and when we turned for the last .1 to the finish I could tell I was done. My legs were exhausted. I was happy to see 1:34 on the clock and to know that I'd put in some good tempo miles. Got my medal and then I was out of there.
AP: 7:15 splits: 7:14, 7:13, 7:50, 7:13, 7:18, 7:20, 7:31, 7:17, 7:05, 7:13, 7:13, 7:12, 7:30
Oh wait...not done. Just out of there. Remember my daughter and friend at the 5K? Weeellllll, they decided to change the start time from 9:15 to 11:30 on Thursday before the race. This caused some problems for us as far as scheduling goes. So, when Kristy picked up Lauren she also picked up Adam and the jogger. I caught a bus (had to convince people to get on it so that they would take us as the first load back) and got the the University Mall start line just minutes before the start. Neither Kristy or Lauren could've pushed Adam! So, I grabbed the jogger and waited at the end and then caught up to them and ran the 5K with them.
Lauren started slower than Kristy, but has a little more experience and so she kicked Kristy's trash the last mile when she had to take breaks. I stayed with Kristy and she still was able to pull a 3rd place AG finish with her 30:37. Lauren was happy with her 1st place AG finish and a sub 30: 29:29
We then hung out with little food and no drop bags until they finally brought them around 1:00. Ugh...a LONG day. We didn't get to stop for lunch, just had to head home. I'd promised my mom we would do yard work with her all afternoon.
Kristy, Lauren and I at the parking lot before getting into the car. Thanks Maynard!
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