One Last Fling

This is the last race report to bring us up to date.  (New readers should read up from the bottom starting with my first few posts to get a sense of where I come from with my running.)

I guess I just can't help it.  Putting myself in a tight space to see what I can do despite the odds.  Here I am again.

Following my fall half-marathon, I was anxious for another road race, something even bigger.  With 35 training days in the 7 years leading up to my first and only half-marathon, I'd placed 167th of 4,480 runners and 13th in my age group of over 200.  That was a great running accomplishment.  I wondered what I could do with some prep time.

The Bolder Boulder 10k race needs little introduction.  It's been going on for many years and at over 50,000 runners, it's one of the biggest running events in the US...and it's close to home.  I signed up and provided my half-marathon performance for placement in a starting wave.  I then built my training plan, ran a few days and winter hit, and ski season started and before long...I forgot all about Bolder Boulder.  How bold of me.

May rolls around and as I stand in the 3rd start wave for the 2010 Bolder Boulder 10k I have that familiar feeling of wonderment.  That's to say "I wonder what the heck I'm doing here!".  In the presence of some pretty fast looking folks I have a secret.  I wear the same fast guy race bib but I haven't ran in 180 days, not 1 mile.  Everyone in the first 3 start waves finding themselves in the same position please raise a hand.  Anyone?  Anyone?

Another first, I've never ran a 10k road race.  With only a handful of running days I've been able to capture a top ten age group finishes or very close to it but these were races of less than 5,000 runners and in those cases I had ran at least that handful of days.  I just want to survive this and have a bit of fun.  We'll see.

Bolder Boulder isn't flat.  There's not much hope of running an even pace, even among the well trained.  All of the men and women in my start wave have done something that placed them there.  If I were trained, I'd be able to use some of these runners as a pace guide.  However, my pace is undoubtedly several starting waves behind where I stand on this morning. 

As the clock strikes 7:03 AM, our gun goes off and we head off on mile 1.  I'm pretty comfortable hanging with these guys and gals ...at first.  It's a fast start.  I'd studied split information for the 2009 age group winners.  Most everyone's 1st mile is their fastest in this race. 

1st Mile:  7:06  My quickest of the day.

Party Party!  This is a fun race.  Lot's of entertainment value and that's helping me out in a big way.  I'm able to hold onto some people that I've started with but I know I will have to dial it back a bit soon. The second mile includes a hill which shows in virtually all runner's splits.

2nd Mile:  7:17

I make my adjustment.  I can't keep pushing at the effort I've maintained for the first 2 miles.  I pull it back a bit and hope that my fast start doesn't drop me to my knees before this is over.  For the rest of the race I focus on my breathing as a way of conserving energy.  If I can keep it controlled then I should have a shot at maintaining my new pace.

3rd Mile:  7:27

I'm never doing this again.  From now on, I'll train through winter if I sign up for a spring race.  I will.  I will.  I will.  In other words, I'm suffering a bit. 

4th Mile:  7:27

From my studying, I know that in the 10k, 2 miles left is a good place to evaluate and see if you have the gas to push home harder.  To dig deep and make things happen.  That's what it's about.  Yeah, right.  I'm in deep already.

5th Mile:  7:25

The last mile includes a hard kick up to the finishing stadium.  Yeah, you finish in a stadium full of cheering people in the stands.  What a rush! ...but you gotta get there first.  This last mile and change is my toughest.  It's up and my legs are used up.  I'm marking runners around me and fighting to gain ground on them but I have to really grit my teeth to keep moving.  We level out and it's into the stadium.  3/4 of a lap gets us to the finish line and then the party continues.

6th Mile:  7:43  (Ouch!)

What a remarkable event.


46:27.09 Chip Time

46th in my age group, of 408 and surprisingly I managed to finish ahead of a good number of runners in my starting wave.

This should be an easy PR to drop.  Not a single day of running for 180 days.  Running the wrong way.