CB Road Race - Post Race Report

That was a blast!!!

Weather: 18F - 22mph NW wind - Sunny - 1F wind chill

Not only was today my first race, but it was also the farthest I have ever ran!

I'm finding it hard to put into words what I feel. I'm excited, happy, high, joyful and supercalifragelisticexpeialidoshous (Mary Poppin's Song)!

So here's what happened:

Ten minutes before the race, I walked down the road a ways, to warm up a little. This is when I found out the road was a sheet of ice. I started having doubts,”I can barely walk on this road, let alone run!” Then I found that if I walk on the edge of the road, there was just enough snow, that you didn't slip and slide.

Coming back from my warm up, I noticed there was a restroom building a little ways from the parking lots. I started jogging toward it. Another runner said something to me as I passed. All of a sudden I was knee deep in snow. Then it clicked, he had yelled, “Deep Snow!” After a few steps I was out of the deep snow. However, to get back to the parking lot, I had to go through the snow again. I saw an area that looked shallow, but it was just as deep. I spent the next few minutes in the car with the heat blasting my feet and trying to get the snow chunks out of my shoes.

A few minutes later we were lining up for the race. There was 12 runners in all. Seven were running the two-mile race. The other five were running the 10K. We lined up at 10:00am in the freezing cold to do something fun. The race director asked everyone, what should we name this bunch. Some one yelled "The Crazy Dozen!" Crazy as it may seem, I had a great time.

The first ~300 yards the road was ice covered. I found that running on the side of the road was less slick, but took more energy running in the snow. I got behind someone wearing a yellow jacket that seemed to be running at my pace. But after a few minutes, I decide to pass her, because it just felt too slow. I know everyone says to go out slow, but it didn't feel right. After passing her, I got into my rhythm.

After the first ~300 yards, we turned onto a street that was mostly clean. This felt a lot better than running on the snow and ice. Thankfully, most of this road was clean. I did a mental check. Everything felt good, so I focused on my breathing, to keep my rhythm and pace. Before I knew it we were approaching the turn around point. This is when the two "fast runners" ran by us heading back to the start. About 50 yards from the 1 mile mark, the girl in the yellow jacket passed me. I just told myself, she went out slow as a warm up, then got up to her pace at the clean road. Either way, I didn't let it bother me.

I reached the turn around point and noticed I was feeling really good. Heavy breathing, but not uncomfortable. At that time I looked across the frozen lake to the parking lot. It looked so far way. It was empowering to see how far I had came and to know I still felt really good. Soon after, I started hearing foot steps behind me. I focused on them. The person didn't know it, but focusing on that sound helped the time really fly. I don't know why, but it did. Next thing I know, around the 1.75 mark, I starting wanting to walk. I think my body figured out that I had ran past 1.75 miles (the longest I had previously run before). At this point, the runner behind me decided to pass me.

About ~250 yards away was the turn back to the finish line. I just focused on making it to the turn. I knew if I could get to the turn, I'd be home free. So, I just focused on that turn. When I got there, something weird happened. My body, which had been complaining the past ~250 yards, changed it's mind. I saw the people at the finish. Then I saw my wife.

My wife told me to make sure I lowered my face mask when I got close, so she could get a good picture. So for the next ~200 yards, I just kept reminding myself, “Lower the mask when you get close.” When I was about ~100 yards from the finish line I lowered the mask. I then heard my wife cheering me on. I thought to myself, she wants a good picture, then she is going to get it. For the last ~100 yards, I sprinted as fast as I could! It felt great. I just focused on the cheers and kept pushing faster and faster. Once I crossed the finish line, I had it was a little difficult slowing down. When you're running as fast I you can, trying to stop on ice can be a bit tricky. At least I didn't fall on my face.

As I started walking back to where everyone was, I heard them yell out my time. Twenty-two minutes, nine seconds! That's over a minute faster than my training pace. Then the Race Director's helper, called me over and handed me a silver metal! I came in second place in my age group. Not only that, I was in fifth place over all!

Well, I had a lot of fun...and I think I'm addicted.