take 2.
Last year, several of us "Y folk" participated in this one, including: Lisa, Melody, Sheri and myself. This event is fun, as there is free Rahr beer at the end, and, it is Jimmy Buffett themed. This is a race that will likely stay on my calendar as long as I'm in FW.
Last year's route was a little tough, as it took us northeast on the trail from Panther Island Pavilion, down a ramp and across a low water crossing, back up a ramp and further out on the trail to a turnaround point just past the half way mark. The finish line was near the paddle boarding area at Panther Island. Due to the heavy rainfall over the past several weeks, much of the "normal" course was underwater, leading to a reroute of the course. More on that in a minute...
My 30 day cleanse continues...I'm now 12 days in and feeling good. I'm down roughly 6 pounds, my workouts have felt good, i'm sleeping better, etc. Today would be interesting, as I have not run for speed in awhile, and this would only be my 3rd 10k of the year.
I rode the hybrid to and from this one, so as to get a little extra workout today. I really should do that more often for races taking place on the trails.
The new course started us south on the trail from Panther Island Pavilion, to a turnaround point at about the .7 mile mark. Because it was a hairpin turnaround, it led to 2 way traffic for a bit early on, which led to a cramped trail for the 1st 10 minutes or so. We crossed back over the start line at abut 1.2 miles, then proceeded northeast on the trail. We passed the ballpark and headed towards the stock yards, with a turnaround at about 4.5 miles. Then back to the beach area (although, much higher on the shore due to water level), for the finish. The tough hills from last year had been removed due to water levels.
I felt really good at the start of this one. I suspect that the cleanse, better sleep, and the bike warmup pre-race were all factors. I ran my first mile in sub 9 minutes, and felt good. I slowed a little for mile 2, but, was still just under 9 minutes. I began to have thoughts of a PR day. Miles 3 and 4 were solid, and I felt pretty good as I made the turn at about 4.5. I passed the 5 mile mark and began to feel winded. The heat and humidity were taking their toll. At about 5.5, I'd had enough. While I should have pushed through, I began to walk a bit. As a result, I had an 11 minute mile late in the race. I pushed hard for the last .2, and came in at 58:28. Not terrible, but, about 2 minutes slower than I'd hoped. I was 10th of 25 in my AG at the point I left.
At the end, the Rahr was flowing and the party was beginning. Clearly, I skipped the Rahr and opted for a bottle of water and a banana. I headed out soon thereafter and biked back home. I did catch a bit of a calf cramp biking back. I need to pay attention to my electrolytes and potassium intake before races during this cleanse.
Not a bad day, but, could have been better.
:)
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