July 11, 2004
This past week I haven't really trained much for this run. It has been very crazy at work, Thursday was a nice 11 hour day of crazy running around. I think I ran from Full Serve to the store at least 4 times, which is a good long city block away from one other. Saturday about the most active thing I did was clean my apartment.
Sunday I got ready I saw the sun was out so this was going to be a nice day. I walked all of three blocks from my house to get to the start area. This race is HUGE!!! 5000+ participants the announcer said. I watched the Marathon start (1600 people), the 1/2 Marathon (1300 people) and then it was my races turn I think he said there was 1800 in the 10K race today. After I finished the kids race started which was really wild to watch.
I was hanging out after the race with my Learn to Run Instructors and a few of their friends. Now one of these people had their daughter run in this event (275 kids). Nicole is 3years old and that little rocket ran 1 mile in 15mins.... and would have gone much further if there were people to clap for her. The kid that won looked like he might have been 10 and he did it in 6 min they didn't even have the fancy little tape across the finish line for him yet. 6 min mile... at 10 years old... Lets just say I don't want to run against him cause I can't run that fast!!!
Well for my run I lined up much further ahead in the start area because I didn't want to play dodge the slow-poke for the first few klicks like I did at St. Pats. We shared our course with the marathon and 1/2 marathon so we got to see some of them pass us as they pushed on. Because we shared the course we also got to share the entertainment. Every couple klicks there was a band. I saw a guy playing guitar, a Brass Band, and some wicked fun Drum troupe. The Drums were just before our turnaround spot so I got to listen for quite a while and it helped increase my pace.
This whole race is one huge party feel to it, the volunteers must have spent 6hrs cheering and clapping it was a wonderful event to be a part of. I saw quite a few people I have ran with during the Running Room Club Runs. It felt really good to have them cheer you, as you cheered them. We all run at different paces but in the end we all are winners.
Well I stuck to my plan, keep an eye on the 50min pace bunny let him/her get ahead but do not let the 55 bunny pass me. At the 5K marker pick up the pace and get closer to the 50 Bunny. I didn't realize the Crowchild overpass was going to be at the 8K so I couldn't start getting ready for the finishing sprint until I got over that puppy. 9K marker I started to wind it up, I started to pass people it felt really good to do that. I crossed the line and then they make you stop so they can cut your timing chip off. Meanwhile my heart rate is rocketing up way past my max because the body is saying hey what is up you stopped!!
10Km 0:53:16 avg HR 177 Max 200 from my watch.
After I finished I checked the door prize list and found that the other Randy Miller that was in the race won a door prize and his bib number was one number off of mine. I tried very hard to convince the volunteers to give it to me instead. They told me if he didn't claim it by noon it's mine. So I waited, and then it crashed lightning, rained, finally it hailed. I got very cold and it was noon and then the volunteers said nope wait till 1. I thought it would be better if I just went home, I know one of the volunteers so he might pick it up for me who knows but it wasn't worth getting hypothermia two weeks after having heat stroke/dehydration symptoms :) I found out after the race while checking the results and the other Randy Miller never ran... should have went back for his door prize... grrr..
final males Age G official TIME pace/mile
401/1510 297/658 M 31/71 52:53 8:31
