Sunday, July 15, 2007

Somebody has to be last

About yesterday's race: I wasn't dead last. I was dead last for the women. One old geezer shuffled in a couple minutes after I did. I think he got first place in his age division.

However. I did four miles in 46:19, an 11:35 pace, which is pretty awesome for me! The overall winner was Speedy Gonzalez, who did his four miles in slightly less than 22 minutes. We had to wait for him to pick up his trophy because he was coming back in from his second run of the course. Not counting the warm-up run he did prior to the start.

Most of the forty-two – yes, only 42! – entrants were from the Southern West Virginia Road Runners club, and most of them are young, fit, lean, fast men. I learned something about "low-key" fun runs: These guys take it seriously! I had lots more fun at the mega Country Music Half-Marathon than I did yesterday morning.

The female winner in my age group was friendly, but mostly I felt quite out of place.
[I was second in my age group, woo hoo! But there were only two of us. Heh.] Maybe if my body fat was 12 percent I'd have been more at ease.

Considering that I got a cramp in my right calf about three-quarters of a mile into the run, I feel good about even finishing. I willed myself to keep going, despite intense pain and the eventual numbness of my right foot. I kept looking down to see if it was still attached to my ankle. And I had to take several walk breaks. I doubt if my time would have been better, but I'm sure I would have had more fun.

There was a table loaded with granola bars sugar, donuts sugar and snack cakes sugar at the finish. The early finishers ate all the bananas. I was tempted to reward myself with food, but instead
I grabbed a bottle of water. Two, actually.

The leg cramp worked itself out sometime yesterday afternoon, so I'll go run this morning, and I plan to enjoy myself. If you're racing today, may your feet be swifter than mine. And not numb. And may you have bananas at the finish.

6 comments:

ws said...

First off, if you are happy with the time (despite the pain) that's all that matters. Who cares what the other 41 people who take life too seriously did, well, except that they stole all of the bananas, that is just cruel.

The Army 10-miler will be much more like Country Music - there will be serious people, but there will also be people who are out to have fun.

Sometimes I think numbness is a good thing because I don't feel pain, but then it is uncomfortable, so it is a tradeoff. Hope you had a good run this morning.

Mary Gee said...

I think your time was great! If I had been there, you would have been 2nd to the last female!

I had a similar experience at a small race 2 years ago, and decided to NEVER do a small race again. I need the REALLY slow people to come in after me and they simply aren't at the small races.

Congrats for getting out there!

Shauna said...

oooh that's a great time. congrats debbi! (and i loved the sugar line. hehe)

Grumpy Chair said...

I laughed out loud at your sugar sentence!!!

Congratulations for finishing your second race. Great job.

Lori G. said...

I think if you had been in a bigger race, you would have higher than you were in this race and you definitely would have had more fun (and maybe a banana or two also).

If you're happy with the time, that's the important thing. You went, you ran, you learned something new and overall it was a good experience for you. I'm so proud of you for sticking with it.

I love the sugar line too, you crack me up!

miss petite america said...

holy crap, if i was there, you proably would have smoked me!