My niece Avery and I did our first road race together this past Saturday and we were the first baby jogger across the finish line. I was definitely the overzealous uncle in wanting Avery to notch a win in her first race. Quite a different pre-race routine with a three year-old in that everything takes a lot longer, something I had not accounted for in my race prep time. We made it to the start line with barely a warm-up, no stride-outs, and no stretching. It was cool to have my sister racing as well and the three of us situated ourselves about 100 yards from the start line. I was still getting used to the baby jogger and I was clipping some heels as I pushed it through the crowd...oops. The gun went off and it took us a bit of time to get to the start line and start running. Once we did so, I was a bit apprehensive and found myself politely running, sometimes walking behind some very slow runners...uh-um, rather walkers. Thinking that I had left my sister behind, I was stunned to see that she was right next to me asking me why the hell I wasn't running faster and that I should hop the curb onto the dirt path along the road and take Avery four, rather 3-wheelin' past these slow folks. I admit, I was being quite the passive runner and once I came to my senses, I started weaving in and out of people. It soon became a game as to how fast I could weave in and out and past these people. I don't think I was liked very much, especially by a guy who called me a doofus for clipping his heel and accusing me of trying to kill him...a bit melodramatic there. I apologized but he continued to swear at me and asked me "what the hell I was doing". I lost patience for him at this point and simply responded, "passing you" and Avery and I left him in the dust (I couldn't have my niece listen to all his potty mouth words). The course was fairly hilly but I liked the climbs because it added validity to this workout. I hadn't done a stand alone running race in quite some time but found this to be rather enjoyable because with the baby jogger, it was both a strength and speed workout. We went through the first 2 miles in slightly over 14 minutes and finished in 26:54 for a 6:25 pace. Considering the slow start with all the people, I must have dropped to at least 6 minute miles or faster for the second half to finish with a 6:25 pace. There were moments where I felt like the 21 year-old I used to be with all that leg speed. After the race, I made sure to take off anything that would make me recognizable to all the people who's heels I clipped or I scared in passing them. It was definitely one of those situations where I knew I was in control of the jogger but nobody else thought I was. It was a good way to end the week as I had done very little training since the race. In fact, this week I got less than 6 hours of training in. Next week, it's back to consistency and ramping up the next block of training.
Sunday, May 4, 2008
Baby Jogger Win
My niece Avery and I did our first road race together this past Saturday and we were the first baby jogger across the finish line. I was definitely the overzealous uncle in wanting Avery to notch a win in her first race. Quite a different pre-race routine with a three year-old in that everything takes a lot longer, something I had not accounted for in my race prep time. We made it to the start line with barely a warm-up, no stride-outs, and no stretching. It was cool to have my sister racing as well and the three of us situated ourselves about 100 yards from the start line. I was still getting used to the baby jogger and I was clipping some heels as I pushed it through the crowd...oops. The gun went off and it took us a bit of time to get to the start line and start running. Once we did so, I was a bit apprehensive and found myself politely running, sometimes walking behind some very slow runners...uh-um, rather walkers. Thinking that I had left my sister behind, I was stunned to see that she was right next to me asking me why the hell I wasn't running faster and that I should hop the curb onto the dirt path along the road and take Avery four, rather 3-wheelin' past these slow folks. I admit, I was being quite the passive runner and once I came to my senses, I started weaving in and out of people. It soon became a game as to how fast I could weave in and out and past these people. I don't think I was liked very much, especially by a guy who called me a doofus for clipping his heel and accusing me of trying to kill him...a bit melodramatic there. I apologized but he continued to swear at me and asked me "what the hell I was doing". I lost patience for him at this point and simply responded, "passing you" and Avery and I left him in the dust (I couldn't have my niece listen to all his potty mouth words). The course was fairly hilly but I liked the climbs because it added validity to this workout. I hadn't done a stand alone running race in quite some time but found this to be rather enjoyable because with the baby jogger, it was both a strength and speed workout. We went through the first 2 miles in slightly over 14 minutes and finished in 26:54 for a 6:25 pace. Considering the slow start with all the people, I must have dropped to at least 6 minute miles or faster for the second half to finish with a 6:25 pace. There were moments where I felt like the 21 year-old I used to be with all that leg speed. After the race, I made sure to take off anything that would make me recognizable to all the people who's heels I clipped or I scared in passing them. It was definitely one of those situations where I knew I was in control of the jogger but nobody else thought I was. It was a good way to end the week as I had done very little training since the race. In fact, this week I got less than 6 hours of training in. Next week, it's back to consistency and ramping up the next block of training.
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