Exciting and stressful times for beingbenkeefe. There are a plethora of things I want to hit on but have decided to do a series of four posts in the next week or so to attempt to give enough time to each of them.
Running a 10K fast is easier than running a marathon slow. Let's start with the obvious.
a. six miles is twenty less than twenty six.
b. forty minutes is three hours less than three hours and forty minutes.
c. being able to take a shower because lucifer's tines aren't stabbing into my feet when water touches them is refreshing.
The event was the Run for Mercy 5K, 10K, and Fun Run at Mill Valley High School in Shawnee, Kansas. The company I work for was a sponsor and I used one of our exemptions to run in the 10K. The pendulum of life swings back and forth and we can keep it from swinging too far in either direction by keeping our side clean. That being said, I offered my lovely wife and oldest daughter to work at the water/aid station that we were sponsoring. A win-win for all parties. My wife got to meet some of my coworkers, my eldest got exposure to the fun of running and hydration, and we all got the chance to spend the morning having a good time while secretly hoping to influence future life choices toward fitness. (mind you the only influencing at this point in their lives would be the four year old)
A series of firsts for me at this race. They usually have pacers but at this event they held up signs so you can get in the proper pace group. I'm cool with that, so I gathered with the five other dudes that were hoping to run 7:00 minute miles. Having never run a 10K race I figured I can run twenty six at 8:00 minutes a mile, so surely I can take a minute off that pace for six. Looking around I quickly realized we were the five guys at the front of the race, at the starting line. Usually all the guys with really long legs, short torsos, and dark completions are at the front, for me this was not where I normally am. Well the cock crowed, or some old South African crowed, and the race started. Seriously, that is the tradition at this race. Instead of a gun, or cannon (see Olathe) they have a guy who crows.
We went out fast, probably not fast for the others, but when you are used to starting at a slow pace and speeding up, I felt like I was sprinting. So did my lungs, I was laboring to breath about a mile in and haven't had that experience ever in long distance running. I settled in around mile two and then thought, "damn this isn't so bad and I'm almost done." Breaking races up into four mile segments is my typical mindset. This is a hold over from high school soccer. We had to run four miles in thirty minutes the first day of tryouts, any time I get to four miles left in anything those memories become my motivation.
I kept having a strange sensation that I was doing something wrong. With only five guys ahead of me I felt out of place. Typically, I am mired in the above average column with runners who are fast enough to be better than average but not quite fast enough to be really good. My legs felt fatigued near mile five but good lord, with only one mile to go, I can muddle through this and keep my cadence high. We turned down the final street and merged with the 5K'ers who started ten minutes after us, and the thrill was rapidly being sucked from my visions of grandeur. The triumphant loner, pushing himself to the finish line, cheered on by the masses lining the street, was erased with tens and tens of tweens, middle aged women, lots and lots of middle aged women, stealing my moment of glory.
I came across at 39:23, fifth place overall, first place in my age group, and with a 6:20 per mile clip. The best finish in the standings I've ever had for a race since high school. No finisher medals at this one and the disappointment was palpable...until my wife pointed out the sweet trophy I won, which is now sitting on the shelf in my garage by some weed and feed.
Once again a good time had by all, more sweet t-shirts, Chris Cakes pancakes for the wife and kido, and sugar-free Red Bull for dad.
Then I thought, you know sometimes shorter is better.
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