This was one of those races that I signed up for almost on impulse. I ran the trails out at Granite Bay a while back when I was really into bagging new kinds of run races (before my left IT band blew up in summer 2008) - my first trail run - I really wouldn't call it a race because I was simply mentally geared to surviving - was on a 10 mile trail run that turned out to be much harder (duh) than running a half-marathon on pavement. It was cold, rainy, muddy, and I was so determined to not fall on the rocks that ring Folsom Lake - its in the beginning of the Sierra foothills - that I saved the fall for a flat, open field that was actually a bog hiding in the grass. I went down on my face in the middle of a field that looked dry that day, which was good for several choice curse words and phrases (and I'd done so good to that point in keeping my shoes dry).
Anyhow, I decided to sign up because I'm going to blow off Warrior Dash next weekend even though I'm signed up; I just can't feel motivated to drive way past Los Banos - its at least a 3 hour drive - by myself - to do an obstacle course run, hose off the mud, and then drive back. Yeah, I paid my entry fee, but sometimes what seems to be a good idea at the time sours, and I'm not going to have fun driving 6+ hours by myself.
Now that the Miracle Of Acupuncture has brought some soundness back to my left hip and knee, although the PF in both feet is a bitch right now, I can run without pain (its after running that the pain sets in), and I feel like while I've lost a lot of speed, at least I'm running decently now, so I kind of want to race (which is also why I'll huff and puff through Apple Hill 11/7 at 3000' - yes, I've done that run before and you can feel the altitude sportsfans when you live at sea level most of the time... but I run nicely on hills, its just getting a sufficient supply of oxygen that's the issue). I might even wear my stupid cornhead hat for Shuffle Run for the Hungry.
But, I'll hand it to TBF Racing, they keep improving the quality of the events that they run at Folsom Lake, Rancho Seco and elsewhere in the metro area, even when its a relatively small event like this trail 5K and accompanying half marathon. Everything is set up smoothly, and to my surprise, everyone in the 5K got the same high quality tech tee the half marathon runners got. That usually doesn't happen in 5Ks around here, you get a cotton tshirt and the longer distance folks get the tech tshirt.
This was easily the smallest 5K I've ever participated in - I'm guessing no more than 50 runners, tops, if that - but most of them looked sick fit, and I knew I'd be running at the BOP, which was fine by me as I was treating this as a hard training run. So I started at the back because there was no point in getting dropped immediately by the human gazelles, and I also thought I'd see - after about the first quarter mile, when the pack sorts itself out in a small race (it takes longer with fields that get much above 100 or so, especially in a trail race where the path can be quite narrow), if I could accomplish any "net drops". In other words, "net drops" are when I pass a runner after the first 5 minutes or so and that runner STAYS dropped.
My net for this race ended up being 7. I dropped a 20something couple, who actually looked thin and fit, and later, I spoke with them and it was the young woman's first 5K she'd ever finished - her running partner had done races before (in fact, he made 2nd place male 20-29, even though they finished well behind me, which says so much of whether you podium or not (I've done in once, 3rd in a < 100 5K during Earth Day 2008 festivities) in a small field depends on who decided to get out of bed that morning and show up.
After the couple, I dropped a trio of early 30s women... probably not so much because I was in better shape; they'd done races before and I think were just out for a morning jog together, I dropped another 20something woman on the first set of little hills, then I dropped a really tall guy - probably 30s, but the finish results aren't up yet... and spent most of the rest of the race chasing a guy about my age (I'll be 49 November 12th SO PLEASE WISH ME A HAPPY AREN'T YOU GLAD YOUR FOOT ISN'T ON THAT BANANA PEEL YET DAY) that eventually pulled away from me. If you look in my FB mobile posts album from today, you'll see a shot of the lake; we never really got into the woods much at all (like you do with the 10 mile race) but you just wind along the shoreline and bluffs.
The end of the 5K loops went into the picnic area where the start/finish line was, and I'd been chasing another guy - who was at least 100 yards ahead of me - the last half mile or so. I caught him in the 2nd to last set of hills... he actually took a wrong turn - at first it confused me... and went around bottom of that little ridge. I don't think he was cheating, I think he just got confused, but the path through the woods was shorter, I caught him at the top of the hill - he'd been walking on and off - and I pushed to the finish line and as soon as made the final turn to the final I knew I'd beaten him. Yay, me. Finished strong, with a smile, then hung around, had some BEER - yes, they had three pony kegs there of different varities - and waited for the awards on the off-chance I might actually podium.
If I'd been in the 50-59 age group I would've podiumed, too, so perhaps November 12 next year can't get here soon enough. 40-49 is the most competitive male group in most of these races (and the fastest growing in triathlon), but if you can make it to 50-54/55-59/55-60 you often can win small races due to attrition. I know I'm not a good athlete but I'm going to use cunning, patience and simply outlasting the rest of you bastards to get my plaques. This assumes that my feet don't blow up (I'm about to start having the acupuncture tech work on my feet too. Yes, the needles in the wrists and feet are not comfortable but I've gotten such stunning results with the IT band that I'm willing to give it a shot).
This was so much fun that assuming that I continue to progress back towards getting what little run form I used to have back that I may do some of the trail races in February and March... they have a challenge over an 8 week period where you have the option of simply running the 5K course or doing a 6 then 8 then 10 then half-marathon trail challenge. I think if I can get back to regularly running 20 miles a week I could pull it off...
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