decker, decade
my tenth (tenth!) year of going out to decker was chocked full of surprises:
today was anything but a confidence builder for the marathon: despite what i felt to be a conservative start, acid completely filled my legs on 973, bringing my race to an abrupt end. once upon a time i would have found the rabid dog inside of me to fight until dropping dead at the finish; these days, the risk for injury when on an acid trip is way too high to want to push all the way through. save it for the next race.
the story of the day: jim cleary, winner of the resurrected "double decker" 40k, was apparently being challenged by a 20k runner en route to the 20k finish line. not one to put up with petty challenges, jim beat the other runner out in a dead sprint through the finish line, then just kept running on through to the second loop. i didn't witness this first hand, but i can only imagine the reaction of the unsuspecting contestant: whipped from battle, looking up only to find the victor continuing off into the distance. legendary.
for the first time in a l-o-n-g time, jeff, john and myself reunited for a post-run breakfast at "the first restaurant we came across heading back into town." oh lucky day: who knew a waffle house was but a few miles away from the start line? as if that wasn't enough to make the morning, i saw a menu item that i've only heard about in myths: cheese grits. much like opportunities to catch up with old friends, they were impossible to pass up.
decker challenge 20k
austin, texas
1:26:51 -- 16th 30-34M, 80th overall
70-75 degrees. 90% humidity.
634 634 623 628 653 641 629 642 640 721 743 811 [413, +0.4]
- my buddy jeff, struggling with tendonitis for the better part of three years, has finally worked his way back to the starting line
- the traditionally frigid'n'miserable conditions were replaced by a stark contrast: humid'n'miserable conditions, with record high temperatures
- despite ample preparation and information sharing, my legs were of the understanding that this year's edition of the race was a 9-mile affair
today was anything but a confidence builder for the marathon: despite what i felt to be a conservative start, acid completely filled my legs on 973, bringing my race to an abrupt end. once upon a time i would have found the rabid dog inside of me to fight until dropping dead at the finish; these days, the risk for injury when on an acid trip is way too high to want to push all the way through. save it for the next race.
the story of the day: jim cleary, winner of the resurrected "double decker" 40k, was apparently being challenged by a 20k runner en route to the 20k finish line. not one to put up with petty challenges, jim beat the other runner out in a dead sprint through the finish line, then just kept running on through to the second loop. i didn't witness this first hand, but i can only imagine the reaction of the unsuspecting contestant: whipped from battle, looking up only to find the victor continuing off into the distance. legendary.
for the first time in a l-o-n-g time, jeff, john and myself reunited for a post-run breakfast at "the first restaurant we came across heading back into town." oh lucky day: who knew a waffle house was but a few miles away from the start line? as if that wasn't enough to make the morning, i saw a menu item that i've only heard about in myths: cheese grits. much like opportunities to catch up with old friends, they were impossible to pass up.
decker challenge 20k
austin, texas
1:26:51 -- 16th 30-34M, 80th overall
70-75 degrees. 90% humidity.
634 634 623 628 653 641 629 642 640 721 743 811 [413, +0.4]
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