endurathon 25k
i've been building up my mileage over the past month, in anticipation for a marathon in april. chance would have it that there was a 25k in san antonio today--a race that fit just about perfectly into my training schedule.
there was one little hitch: the 3m half marathon was being run in austin, texas on the same day. which implied that many of my friends would be running in austin, texas on the same day. i really wanted to run this 25k in san antonio for (a) it was a slight longer than a half marathon, and (b) the course was more challenging. try as i did, i couldn't wean any of my friends to make the drive south with me. i was a slight torn in speaking with some of my friends the day before, knowing that it would be a fun morning and i was going against the grain. but the road called, and it was calling from the south.
after the hour drive, the parking lot was a mudfield, caking everyone's tires and running shoes with mud. i registered, warmed-up, and proceeded to the start line, finding a nice pointed rock to scrape out my waffles before the race.
"the start line is this pole," the race annoucer told the pack of ~200 participants. after the national anthem was played, the announcer non-chalantly spoke to the crowd in a voice that is usually reserved for reading sponors names off of a script: "get set, go."
bah! we're off! i had a general feel for the elevation map of the course: hills for the first half, flats for the second half with a final climb at mile 13. for the most part, that was correct--the first half was quite hilly, the second half was flat but had enough 100m climbs to keep you honest, and indeed there was a monster out-and-back hill at 13.
here's the real story of this race: i made this journey on my own, not knowing anyone at the start line. within the first mile of the race, a pack of 6 formed right in front of me. i was quite tempted to go with them, but their pace was just a hare too uncomfortable. one from that pack fell off at mile 1 to where i was. aside from the yellow top, his distinguishing characteristic was a tattoo of his left hamstring on his left hamstring. genius. i would come to learn that his name was matt.
little did we know at that point that we would be running in lockstep for the next 14.5 miles.
the front pack was too far ahead. the back pack was too far behind. just matt and i, slugging it out up and down the paved roads of sleepy bulverde, texas.
i was wearing a watch, so he would occassionally ask for splits.
"6:35," i'd say after a mostly uphill mile mid-race.
"this is too damn fast--you are a crazy bastard," i'd think. however i was comfortable, so i let it ride. post-race, i found that he was thinking the reciprocated thought.
in conversation mid-race (something i usually ever do), he mentioned that he ran the houston marathon in january, and that he's planning on the austin marathon in february. given that i've yet to get to a 20-mile base this year, his statement could only be translated one way: "matt has a kick in the final 1600m, and i don't." i didn't worry over that, and focused on the runners ahead.
matt and i would scoop us the flotsam of the front pack late in the race--i split the runner in front of us as they passed phone poles; we would build confidence and catch them. it was great fun. disturbingly aggressive speed, but great fun.
it turned out that, sure enough, matt took off in the final 800m, and i could only hold pace. i wasn't surprised. he caught one more person in the final stretch, to which i shouted "go get 'em!" as he pulled away. apparently, that runner didn't take too kind to my words and matt's actions--however, he seemed a bit too proud/competitive than the average runner for his age. i thought that was pretty damn funny. matt beat me clean on the final stretch, no surprise--but i was wickedly happy with locking horns with someone for over 1.5 hours and finishing strong.
this is my second time i've gone to san antonio for a race (the first time was almost two years ago), and they know how to do races. austin race directors, listen up--follow these three observations that i made at the endurathon to make your race even better:
(1) spend less money on police and downtown streets; spend more money on beer and barbecue. i'll take country roads and a 8-ft smoker over bagels and skyscrapers anyday.
(2) draw the door prizes while the race is being run. once the names are drawn, publish the door prize list on a printout and simply tell everyone to see if their name is on the door prize list. believe me, everyone will check. no more drawn-out 30-minute raffle ticket draws!
(3) read off the elder age group awards before the younger groups. master runners usually hang out the entire morning--high schoolers, in general, just want their kitty and then bolt. why teach kids respect when you can impose it? :)
see my photography site for some pictures from this morning. all apologies, sergio--as much as i love the austin running scene, what else can i say? you all missed out.
let's roll the numbers:
1:42:36 -- 6:37/mi pace
2nd in 25-29 males; 8th overall.
6:50 (6:50)
6:48 (13:38)
6:59 (20:37)
6:57 (27:34)
6:50 (34:24)
6:53 (41:16)
6:40 (47:57)
6:37 (54:34)
6:30 (61:03)
5:51 (66:54) [mile marker off]
6:52 (73:46) [mile marker off]
6:25 (80:11)
6:31 (86:42)
6:49 (93:31)
6:18 (99:48)
2:48 (102:36) [0.5 miles]
there was one little hitch: the 3m half marathon was being run in austin, texas on the same day. which implied that many of my friends would be running in austin, texas on the same day. i really wanted to run this 25k in san antonio for (a) it was a slight longer than a half marathon, and (b) the course was more challenging. try as i did, i couldn't wean any of my friends to make the drive south with me. i was a slight torn in speaking with some of my friends the day before, knowing that it would be a fun morning and i was going against the grain. but the road called, and it was calling from the south.
after the hour drive, the parking lot was a mudfield, caking everyone's tires and running shoes with mud. i registered, warmed-up, and proceeded to the start line, finding a nice pointed rock to scrape out my waffles before the race.
"the start line is this pole," the race annoucer told the pack of ~200 participants. after the national anthem was played, the announcer non-chalantly spoke to the crowd in a voice that is usually reserved for reading sponors names off of a script: "get set, go."
bah! we're off! i had a general feel for the elevation map of the course: hills for the first half, flats for the second half with a final climb at mile 13. for the most part, that was correct--the first half was quite hilly, the second half was flat but had enough 100m climbs to keep you honest, and indeed there was a monster out-and-back hill at 13.
here's the real story of this race: i made this journey on my own, not knowing anyone at the start line. within the first mile of the race, a pack of 6 formed right in front of me. i was quite tempted to go with them, but their pace was just a hare too uncomfortable. one from that pack fell off at mile 1 to where i was. aside from the yellow top, his distinguishing characteristic was a tattoo of his left hamstring on his left hamstring. genius. i would come to learn that his name was matt.
little did we know at that point that we would be running in lockstep for the next 14.5 miles.
the front pack was too far ahead. the back pack was too far behind. just matt and i, slugging it out up and down the paved roads of sleepy bulverde, texas.
i was wearing a watch, so he would occassionally ask for splits.
"6:35," i'd say after a mostly uphill mile mid-race.
"this is too damn fast--you are a crazy bastard," i'd think. however i was comfortable, so i let it ride. post-race, i found that he was thinking the reciprocated thought.
in conversation mid-race (something i usually ever do), he mentioned that he ran the houston marathon in january, and that he's planning on the austin marathon in february. given that i've yet to get to a 20-mile base this year, his statement could only be translated one way: "matt has a kick in the final 1600m, and i don't." i didn't worry over that, and focused on the runners ahead.
matt and i would scoop us the flotsam of the front pack late in the race--i split the runner in front of us as they passed phone poles; we would build confidence and catch them. it was great fun. disturbingly aggressive speed, but great fun.
it turned out that, sure enough, matt took off in the final 800m, and i could only hold pace. i wasn't surprised. he caught one more person in the final stretch, to which i shouted "go get 'em!" as he pulled away. apparently, that runner didn't take too kind to my words and matt's actions--however, he seemed a bit too proud/competitive than the average runner for his age. i thought that was pretty damn funny. matt beat me clean on the final stretch, no surprise--but i was wickedly happy with locking horns with someone for over 1.5 hours and finishing strong.
this is my second time i've gone to san antonio for a race (the first time was almost two years ago), and they know how to do races. austin race directors, listen up--follow these three observations that i made at the endurathon to make your race even better:
(1) spend less money on police and downtown streets; spend more money on beer and barbecue. i'll take country roads and a 8-ft smoker over bagels and skyscrapers anyday.
(2) draw the door prizes while the race is being run. once the names are drawn, publish the door prize list on a printout and simply tell everyone to see if their name is on the door prize list. believe me, everyone will check. no more drawn-out 30-minute raffle ticket draws!
(3) read off the elder age group awards before the younger groups. master runners usually hang out the entire morning--high schoolers, in general, just want their kitty and then bolt. why teach kids respect when you can impose it? :)
see my photography site for some pictures from this morning. all apologies, sergio--as much as i love the austin running scene, what else can i say? you all missed out.
let's roll the numbers:
1:42:36 -- 6:37/mi pace
2nd in 25-29 males; 8th overall.
6:50 (6:50)
6:48 (13:38)
6:59 (20:37)
6:57 (27:34)
6:50 (34:24)
6:53 (41:16)
6:40 (47:57)
6:37 (54:34)
6:30 (61:03)
5:51 (66:54) [mile marker off]
6:52 (73:46) [mile marker off]
6:25 (80:11)
6:31 (86:42)
6:49 (93:31)
6:18 (99:48)
2:48 (102:36) [0.5 miles]
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