I live in Kenosha, and I work in Racine, so I felt like I had "home field advantage" for this race. In addition, my grandparents live a block away from the start/finish, so I was able to use their place to drop off my gear and get ready before the start of the race. Many thanks to Grandma & Grandpa!
Shortly before the race started, I met up with Gerald Cameron, a colleague from work who also signed up for the 30k. Jerry ran the Boston Marathon earlier this month, and he decided to run this race after I told him about it. He mentioned that his quads hadn't completely recovered, but I could tell he was excited about the race. He's much faster than me, and I knew he'd be at the front of the pack.
Anyway, on to the race -- there were three separate starts.
30k (27 participants) - 8 a.m.
Half Marathon (136 participants) - 8:10 a.m.
5k (162 participants) - 8:20 a.m.
Shortly before the start, we were informed of a slight course change from the original map. In addition, the 30k start was delayed because the race director was waiting for the final "OK" from the police officials. I didn't get cold waiting, but I did get very nervous, as I wondered if I'd get lost on the course. Oh well, just take it one step at a time.
Just before 8:10, we finally began our journey. The largest group of spectators was the half-marathoners and 5k runners, and they enthusiastically cheered us on. Shortly after that, I saw Grandma and Grandpa, who also gave their support. I handed off my warm-up jacket to Grandma, and kept moving steadily along the course. With only 27 people in the 30k, there was plenty of breathing room. (Splits for miles 1-3: 8:31, 8:41, 8:40)
At mile 4, I got some more energetic cheers from my Aunt Lisa and my five year-old cousin, Rachel. I waved, smiled, and thanked them for coming out to support me as Rachel responded, "I hope you win!" :) Another relative, Aunt Sue, was waiting for me at mile 5 with a much-appreciated bottle of water. I carried it with me through about the 10k mark, where I used it to wash down the first of two hammer gels I was carrying with me (vanilla-flavored, yum). Many thanks to Aunt Lisa, Rachel, and Aunt Sue! (Splits for miles 4-7: 8:37, 8:43, 8:30, 8:56)
The course wasn't too lonely as the race continued, mainly because a lot of the faster half-marathoners were flying by. We were now heading south along the shoreline of Lake Michigan on a bike trail. Parts of it had "rolling hills", but they were insignificant compared to the hills I've experienced in the Seattle and Portland marathons. I felt great, and I kept up the pace. (Splits for miles 8-11: 8:35, 8:34, 8:24, 8:34)
The course eventually turned west along the Root River. I passed the turnaround point for half-marathoners. Things were pretty lonely for a while, and then I saw a policeman on a bicycle clearing the way for the 30k leaders, who were already heading east toward the finish. Jerry was leading the race, but another runner was drafting him. He looked very focused, but he acknowledged me as I shouted, "C'mon, Jerry, keep it up!" As I wondered how he would fare against his opponent, I pressed on toward the turnaround point, taking my second hammer gel (tropical-flavored) during mile 14. (Splits for miles 12-15: 8:29, 8:32, 8:53, 8:28)
I reached the turnaround and continued my steady pace. This is probably one of the best races ever as far as even splits are concerned. I waved to other 30k runners as I passed by. Later on, I encountered some tired-looking half-marathoners who hadn't quite made it to their turnaround yet. I cheered them on as best I could. There was one more incline before a mostly-downhill straightaway to the finish arch. Grandma made the walk to the finish to support me, and I waved and thanked her as I ran by. I think I had a very solid finishing kick in me, but with no runners in sight in front of me and no one bearing down behind me, I sped up only a little bit as I raised my arms in victory and crossed the line. (Splits for miles 16-end: 8:31, 8:45, 8:43, 5:03)
My finish time was 2:40:09. I averaged about 8:36 per mile, well ahead of my goal pace. As an added bonus, I received my first ever age group award. Among males 25-29, I finished second! Granted, there were only four people in my age group, but it was quite a thrill to receive a plaque (in addition to a medal) to remember my accomplishment.
So, are you curious how Jerry finished? He was done about 25 minutes before me, but he was still hanging around in the area by the post-race goodies. I was thrilled to learn that he had won the race! He shared the details of his performance with me. When I saw him on the course, he had about three miles to go. The runner behind him had been shadowing him for most of the race, and Jerry had not been able to shake him. Jerry informed me that my cheers gave him an extra boost of energy, and that the other runner could not keep up with him much longer. Jerry pulled away, and finished five minutes ahead of the second place finisher. Congratulations, Jerry!
1 comment:
kudo's also go to ben for sharing a 50% off code so i could save $40 on the race entry fees!! thanks ben!!
Post a Comment