NB's Comments:
shaggy mentioned this
race on our Google Group... and since I wasn't going
to the farm this weekend, I figured, "why not?"
So after
registering online, I saw that packet pickup was at
0600, and the race began at 0730. Since I live
in Houston and the race was in Conroe, I decided to
time it so I'd arrive in Conroe by 0545ish...
It was nice to
have the very first parking spot... not so nice to
wait around for the 0830
start. I really need to do a better job
reading...
I guess the
positive side was that I got to pick up my race packet
and thoroughly evaluate its contents consisting of
various samples of acne soap, teeth whitening strips
and the logo-clad cotton T-shirt the YMCA provided.
shaggy (with
family and friends in tow) eventually showed up
(because shaggy can apparently read better than I),
and after some jaw-jacking about
Dr. Josh's training
program (or lack there of) and how upset shag-master
was going to be if me and the other old man (brewer)
ended up kicking their butts in Sprint Series, we made
our way to the starting line.
(Dr. Josh!
You better get to training! The first race of
the series is only 3 weeks away...)
After a rendition
of the National Anthem sung by a high school girl
standing in the back of a pickup truck to an American
flag proudly carried by another high school girl in
full western wear riding a beautiful Palomino, we
heard a few words from a young disabled person in a
wheelchair. She said that the contributions from
this event, which benefited the Leap of Faith Equine
Assisted Therapy Program, helped "kids like us be more
like other kids." Quite moving to hear from the
weakened voice of a wheelchair bound kiddo...
She also gave us
the "Ready, Set, GO!"... and with that, we were off!
I took off like a
madman to get the first mile out of the way.
This seems to work for me, though I assume at some
point it's going to bite me in the butt. I
crossed the first mile marker at 6 min 15 seconds
(6:15 pace). I noticed my heart rate was over
190, so I slowed just a tad...
At the second mile
marker, my time was 13 min 48 seconds (7:33 pace for
this mile), so I did slow a tad like I planned, but my
heart rate was still over 190. I can only assume
the bricks my shoes had turned into because of the mud
caked on the soles was the reason for the extra
exertion...
O well, I wasn't
going to slow down anymore, so I kept on rolling at
what felt like the same pace. Crossing mile
number three, I was at 21 minutes 23 seconds (7:35
pace for this mile).
It wasn't long
into the final stretch when it appeared I had just
over 100 yards to go to the finish line. And
there was victim--a poor soul looking to simply
finish... not knowing some idiot was plotting to
pass...
As I whipped by
him running with everything I had left, I could hear
someone else trying to do the same to me!
Turns out there
was still some more in reserve above and beyond the
"everything I had left."
I was not passed
as the beep from the machine that read the chip laced
to my shoe indicated I had crossed the finish line
ahead of my stalker.
Dood... shoes go on your feet!"
But THAT took it
all out of me. I looked down, heart rate monitor
was fussing at me... 205 beats per minute. I
reckon that whole 220-minus-your-age thing doesn't
apply to me for max heart rate.
Here's a graph of
my heart rate for the race:
Click to enlarge
I walked around a
bit... drinking water, etc., but my heart rate was
pegged between 140 and 150 and wasn't coming down.
Sweating like a pig and way over heated, I found a
shower in the YMCA pavilion area and took a 10-minute
cold shower to get my body temperature back down.
It worked.
When I crossed the
finish line, I knew I did well; I just didn't know I
did as well as it turned out until I saw the first
posting of the results:
16th overall out
of the 272 competitors, and I took first in the 35-39
age group for males.
Not bad for a
humid Saturday morning in May. I reckon it's
also a step in the right direction as part of my
"training program" for the upcoming adventure races...
That's that I
reckon... since I assume you could care less about my
boring ride back to Houston...
Next race... next weekend... May
17th. The USARA National Championships!
Needless to say, I won't even be placing 1st in that..
HA!
Until then…
Peace.
NB |
