Bolt Run Or Running With The Big Boys

First off, who is the incredible
shrinking man to my right?....
None other then runrandall... I'm
starting to feel him on my heels and I'm afraid there is no stopping him.




If his times get any faster, I'm going to take him out to a buffet. Cause that's the only way to slow him down.... Great job runrandall!

Now on to the race.... You know a funny thing happened on the way to a painful run.... I found out what its like to run with the big boys.... For the first half mile of a 5 mile race...

See it happened like this.... I toed the start line with no runner in front of me.... No jockeying for position... no moving in and out of slower runners.... Just me, runrandall, and about 10 to 15 really good runners.... Then about 200 runners behind us.... I know there is something wrong with that picture... But I was getting tired of running from the back..

The view from the front is much different then the middle or the back.... These guys really fly... And I got caught up in it a little bit... I think a little too much.... O.K. I went all out my first mile... A 6:20 pace, what am I crazy? I wanted a 6:50 pace... But when the bulls are running it's very hard to hold back.

When I hit mile 1 and saw 6:20 on my watch, I said.... "OH.... NOoooo"..... "What am I doing?"
I felt O.K.... But I knew what loomed ahead.... I was just hoping when it happened, there would be a soft place to land and runrandall would be able to identify the body when he found me...

I brought the pace down the 2nd mile to a respectable 6:45 still feeling good.... 5 miles is a long way... And I'm not half done... Guess what else I didn't know... I was running with the wind... I realized that when I made my turn around on Bayshore.... One more... OH...NOooo....

As I made the turn an old man past me... You Know, there is nothing like running the fastest 2 miles you have ever run.... And a 70 year old man passes you.... Does a lot for the ego.
I'm thinking, so this is how it ends.... Start off with the bulls and finishes with the President of A.A.R.P. running me down.

Mile 3 still holding on... Sort of... 7:11 split not bad, but I'm still steamed about grandpa who I can't even see now... I know I'm a grandpa, but he looks the part... Shut-up! I know what you're thinking.

Mile 4 is when I started thinking.. Why didn't I run the 5k? Not the 5 mile..... Why do I do this?... This is the longest 5 miles I've ever run... I hate running... I feel someone behind me... Don't let him pass... Don't let him pass... Don't let him pass... Fine Mr. Hotshot, pass.... Go ahead pass... I'm sure he's going to write in his blog, about the old man he passed on mile 4... Young whipper-snapper, I bet he won't catch the old man who passed me.... Don't let him get you grandpa where ever you are!.. By the way mile 4 (7:32) split... Ouch!

Mile 5 the mile I've been looking for... Time to bring it home... I always like the last mile of a race... Mentally I put myself in my neighborhood and I run the last mile like I was at home, knowing I can run a mile seems to ease the pain... Not really it still hurts.

Looking at my watch I should have only a half mile to go... I pick up my pace and try to find one last gear.... It's going to be close... I want a 35:00 time, and time is running out.... Making the last turn, I see the finish line about 200 yards away... No one behind me.... No one ahead of me... I'm racing on my own.... I start to sprint and I feel pretty good.... At least I think am sprinting.... Down the stretch I come.... Boom, hit the line and watch at the same time.... It's over... Thank you it's over... Some man says "a 7:01 pace, good run!"... I'm handed a card, I fill it out with my name and put it in the 40-44 age box.... There are already 3 cards in the box, so the best I can hope for in my age group is 4th.
I'll post my official place and time when it comes out, my watch had 35:09.

Here's what I know... If you're going to run with the big dogs, it's going to hurt... I don't mean a little uncomfortable... It is a grind on your body and the next mile hurts more then the last... You run on the edge of total breakdown... Running up front is not for the weak minded... There comes a time when you have to will yourself into the next mile, because the body has limits... But the mind has dreams.

See ya on the road, runron.