It was today's Vancouver Sun Run '05 10k, and being such a short event I was really surprised that this could happen. My design studio was even nice enough to supply us with fancy & less abbrasive CoolMax Running Longsleeves.
This being my 3rd 10k event makes me only a slightly more experienced runner than a triathlete. Slightly more than almost nil, well, is still close to nil. It showed in my race prep. At the last minute I still humming and hawing about whether I should race with a fuel belt. What, can't find my crappy econo-belt? It's a short race, and there's water stations every mile anyway, so why bother? It's time to let go of the Leo-ade honey-molasses crutch and get out the door!
I get really jazzed by the massive events. The thought of pacing with countless other runners is a real hoot. Cummon, 47000+ showed up! But my temperment is not to get too excited by it all. I played it nice and easy with the warm up. It was really cool when I got to my wave. There was 1/2hr+ to start and people were jogging around on the street like it was an ice rink. This is all new to me, but makes total sense. So in I go doing laps with my other yellow numbered runners!
Oh yah, what wave is this? This is the "seeded" section of <47:00 runners. I know some will say that real seed-worthy times don't start til 45 or 40, but I'm just glad I've gotten fast enough to graduate from the 59-50 min wave. My last 10k was 46:27 in the Nov '04 Fall classic. It's taken some hard choices and a lot of hard work to go from not-very-much to decent runner. I'll wear this seed thing like it's a badge.
With minutes to go, the ice rink turns into a mosh pit. Ok, but really civilized. Everyone is doing their own routine while they wait. Some jump, some stand still. I choose to keep moving. A few dance steps don't hurt, except for maybe the sensibility of the pour souls behind me who have to put up with my awkward display. I try not to be self-conscious, but I've been burned before with too little warm up. Like a burning stitch in my side if you know what I mean.
Ok, the gun goes off for my wave and it's a fast start. It was kinda uncomfortable get to pace that quickly, but maybe that my inexperience whining. It's 1k/.6mi of maybe a 7% descent down georgia st. In my Pumas, all I've got is pose to keep me & my joints from exploding and casting out shrapnel of cartilage & ligaments. Remember The AniMatrix? Okay, I'm exaggerating.
Wave start races like this really rev me up because it so satisfying to pass groups of people. So encouraging to get towed along by a slightly faster runner. If the runner happens to be cute, even better. Before the 2nd kilo, my legs & core have caught up with my will to chase other runners. So it's off to the races I go!
The rest of the race was pretty consistent with my past 2 experiences. By 4k, I was starting to feel a little unwilling to push further. I was developing blisters over both balls of my feel. The music tents that were along the route were not playing the most uplifting music. My feet were getting repeatedly re-soaked as I kept running along a depression made by all the tires that drive over the asphalt. At that point my inner monologue was 100% whine!
By 8k I had found some strength again, but only to have my quads & calves begin to seize on me. It was byebye pose and hello brute force at that point. I managed to get through the last kilo at a slightly higher exertion though. Thank you faster runners for the tow!
It was a personal best for me. Results will be in the paper tomorrow, but by my watch I was 44:50, including the few moments I needed to get enough sense to stop my watch.
UPDATE: 44:42 - whohoo!
Thanks for reading!
Leo
-----------------------
Proud member of Team Tooth Pick (TTP): like a leaf in the wind.
This being my 3rd 10k event makes me only a slightly more experienced runner than a triathlete. Slightly more than almost nil, well, is still close to nil. It showed in my race prep. At the last minute I still humming and hawing about whether I should race with a fuel belt. What, can't find my crappy econo-belt? It's a short race, and there's water stations every mile anyway, so why bother? It's time to let go of the Leo-ade honey-molasses crutch and get out the door!
I get really jazzed by the massive events. The thought of pacing with countless other runners is a real hoot. Cummon, 47000+ showed up! But my temperment is not to get too excited by it all. I played it nice and easy with the warm up. It was really cool when I got to my wave. There was 1/2hr+ to start and people were jogging around on the street like it was an ice rink. This is all new to me, but makes total sense. So in I go doing laps with my other yellow numbered runners!
Oh yah, what wave is this? This is the "seeded" section of <47:00 runners. I know some will say that real seed-worthy times don't start til 45 or 40, but I'm just glad I've gotten fast enough to graduate from the 59-50 min wave. My last 10k was 46:27 in the Nov '04 Fall classic. It's taken some hard choices and a lot of hard work to go from not-very-much to decent runner. I'll wear this seed thing like it's a badge.
With minutes to go, the ice rink turns into a mosh pit. Ok, but really civilized. Everyone is doing their own routine while they wait. Some jump, some stand still. I choose to keep moving. A few dance steps don't hurt, except for maybe the sensibility of the pour souls behind me who have to put up with my awkward display. I try not to be self-conscious, but I've been burned before with too little warm up. Like a burning stitch in my side if you know what I mean.
Ok, the gun goes off for my wave and it's a fast start. It was kinda uncomfortable get to pace that quickly, but maybe that my inexperience whining. It's 1k/.6mi of maybe a 7% descent down georgia st. In my Pumas, all I've got is pose to keep me & my joints from exploding and casting out shrapnel of cartilage & ligaments. Remember The AniMatrix? Okay, I'm exaggerating.
Wave start races like this really rev me up because it so satisfying to pass groups of people. So encouraging to get towed along by a slightly faster runner. If the runner happens to be cute, even better. Before the 2nd kilo, my legs & core have caught up with my will to chase other runners. So it's off to the races I go!
The rest of the race was pretty consistent with my past 2 experiences. By 4k, I was starting to feel a little unwilling to push further. I was developing blisters over both balls of my feel. The music tents that were along the route were not playing the most uplifting music. My feet were getting repeatedly re-soaked as I kept running along a depression made by all the tires that drive over the asphalt. At that point my inner monologue was 100% whine!
By 8k I had found some strength again, but only to have my quads & calves begin to seize on me. It was byebye pose and hello brute force at that point. I managed to get through the last kilo at a slightly higher exertion though. Thank you faster runners for the tow!
It was a personal best for me. Results will be in the paper tomorrow, but by my watch I was 44:50, including the few moments I needed to get enough sense to stop my watch.
UPDATE: 44:42 - whohoo!
Thanks for reading!
Leo
-----------------------
Proud member of Team Tooth Pick (TTP): like a leaf in the wind.
Last edited by:
powergyoza: Apr 18, 05 11:32