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February 18, 2006
Week No. 19
Reason No. 6 for Running a Marathon
It is great to have people ask you if you have lost weight. Twice during the last couple of weeks, co-workers and friends have asked me how much weight I have lost during my training.
Reason No. 5 for Running a Marathon
I ran our local Durham “Almond Blossom� 5K race this week. I completed the race with the fastest time of my life (22 minutes, 7 seconds), beating my previous best time by a minute and 30 seconds. The best part of the race, however, was a young female runner (probably 18 years old or so) tried to pass me as we approached the finish chute. I was able to kick into high gear, and keep ahead of her by enough to go through the chute first. Once the race officials took off our race tickets, I saw her over on the sidelines, very close to “losing her lunch�. I spoke with her later, and she was incredulous that she could not pass “the old guy�, because she was on the High School Track team, and a sprinter!!!
That moment, knowing that I was able to beat someone at “her race�, that was less than half my age - made all the pain of training worthwhile.
Training this week was much improved over the previous week. Most of my ankle pain has abated, and I have stopped wrapping it before runs.
I did not run over the weekend since we were in Tahoe, so I was well rested by Monday. I started the week with a 12 mile run out amongst the almond trees in Durham. It was a gorgeous day, and was a really good run. I was able to hold just slightly over a 10-minute mile pace, without pushing too hard. I purchased some GU’s (specific brand of gels) and have been using them on the longer runs. This is the brand that will be available to runners at the race, so I wanted to make sure that my system was OK with them. Everything on the run went well, I got home and within 5 minutes my son wanted me to go play tennis with him and his friend.
I reluctantly agreed, as long as they understood that I would not move on the courts – they would have to hit the ball to me!!! I definitely did not want to reinjure my ankle. We finished and stopped at the local Mexican food place for a huge plate full of food – I was famished!!!!
Tuesday was a rest day, Wednesday was a 5-mile run after work. It was a good, quick, cool run, with a time of 43 minutes, 50 seconds. Thursday and Friday I rested, as I wanted to be reasonably fresh for the Almond Blossom Race on Saturday.
The Almond Blossom is held every year in Durham, and is a fun race. I actually started my running career with this race in 2002, so it is one of my favorites. Since my wife was going to run this one (her first race ever) I ran the 5k (that way I could be at the finish line when she crossed).
I started with the front group (probably a 100 total runners), and my first mile clocked in at 6 minutes, 58 seconds. The second mile was around 14 minutes, 20 seconds, and my final finishing time was 22 minutes and 7 seconds. My previous fastest time on this course was 23 minutes and 37 seconds, so I was really happy with my time. I was able to cirle back, and run a little bit with my wife and her friend Lorri - they both finished in around 36 minutes - a great time for her first attempt at a 5K race.
As noted above, being able to beat a high school track team sprinter through the finish chute was just the final highlight to a great day of racing. Oh, wait, the final highlight was being called up to the Podium to receive my medal.
I finished third in my age group, and tenth overall. This is only the second time in my life I have received an age group medal, and this is the first time in my life I have been in the top ten of any of the races I have participated in.
Posted by Dennis at February 18, 2006 02:35 PM