So, after 17 weeks, I completed the Garmin Connect 5k training plan. My “A” race, the Gobbler Grind 5k 10k & Half marathon put on by the runners edge race company, went really well. I felt great and performed beyond what the training plan predicted.
The garmin Connect phone app works with the garmin smart watch. Workouts are sent to the watch, and supposedly, they use feedback from workouts to customize the training. I didn’t notice anything like that. I enjoyed having a workout right there on the watch.
After the slam, while helping Sydney train for her 100-mile race, I decided to try a fast 5k. You know, just to train for something. My personal best time for that distance, according to athlinks, is a little over 18 minutes. Forget that! I was hoping (secretly) to get somewhere in the 20th minute. The training plan only went down to 22 minutes. That’s pretty close and very fast. So that’s where I set the training goal.
17 weeks is a long training block. For comparison, most intermediate to advanced marathon training plans are 12-16 weeks. So I’m training for a little longer than a long marathon training plan to run about an eighth of the distance. But I’m a slow old guy, so it makes sense.
On November 9th, I ran the Veteran’s Day 5k in Parkville in 22:39 seconds. That was fast enough to win the men’s master’s division. I almost ended the training there. I was encouraged by Sydney and the training plan to finish with the goal race. I felt like i should at least try for my secret target time. And two weeks is plenty of time to cram some good training in.
Throughout training, I had been skipping some key workouts. Hill repeats, spring intervals, tempo runs… all the workouts designed to improve overall speed. I really didn’t deserve the good results. I was really hitting the strength training. I was doing really well with the nutrition. Maybe if I had made up those workouts, I would have hit the 20-minute mark.
Gobbler Grind is a very popular race. The route winds through corporate woods business park and the surrounding neighborhoods. The runners edge doesn’t offer very many races throughout the year, but what they do offer is usually very well run. This event was great, overall, but there were some issues.
The start/finish area was in a different spot than usual. That isn’t a big deal. Unfortunately, because of the placement, fast 5k finishers were crossing the route of the half marathon. Seemed pretty dangerous, yet hilarious as long as nobody got hurt.
There were the usual race sponsors at the finish line festival. A massage place, supplement superstore, fleet feet shoe store. There was also a food tent, offering great breakfast food for sale. I’ve got no problem with people selling food, but i didn’t know about it until I got there. I would have brought some money. Lucky for me, Sydney is okay with being a sugar momma sometimes and hooked me up with some breakfast tacos. They were delicious and totally worth the cost.
We tried looking up my results after I finished so I could avoid standing in line at the results table. With a big race like this, even my p.r. isn’t enough for any awards. I don’t mind. It’s neat to win, but I’m racing the clock. Anyways, the results weren’t showing online, so I stood in line. Just to see. Sydney had a feeling I probably won something. I did. I finished in 21:20, which won 2nd in my age group! I was a little off from my secret goal of 20:xx. I was way ahead of the training goal of 22:xx. I had a lot of fun training and running. So I feel like a winner.
Spencer C. Duncan Make It Count 5k is a flat, fast, exciting, and emotional race in Gardner, Kansas. The race benefits the Spencer C. Duncan make it count foundation. You can learn all about it at: https://makeitcounttoday.org/
Lately, I have been trying to get selective about my racing. I’m trying to take it easy on my body AND my wallet. The Spencer C Duncan 5k is free to veterans. I (obviously) don’t mind a little bit of a drive for a free race. I managed to talk Sydney into signing up, too!
Before the race, we discussed our strategy. Sydney told me she didn’t mind if I wanted to “fly,” meaning run off without her. I do like to get competitive and race and start off way too fast. It’s fun for me. This time, though, I wanted to run with Syd. I wanted to encourage and relax and just have fun.
Running with Sydney, I was still able to goof around with some running friends. Some of them ran some fun events that I had to miss.
Gay Ann had run the first night of “The Night Train,” a 2 night combo event that sounds special made for me. The Night Train Night 1 was a fixed-time event, and night 2 is a set distance event. Great swag, including a special gift for doing both nights, really tempted me. I was strong enough to resist, but not so strong as to not be jealous. Gay Ann is doing both nights, of course, and still killed it at the Spencer Duncan 5k. She is, truly, savage!
Our good friend (and notorious Argo bandit), Andrew had run “the Night Wolf,” a brand new trail race put on by, or for, the wyco wolf pack. The weather here has been very wet. The trails, according to Andrew, were extremely difficult. There is hardly any swag for this one. I’m not so upset about missing it.
Hearing about these races was bittersweet. I’m sorry to miss out on any race. I’m very happy friends of mine were able to participate. I have to remember: I can’t do everything!
One great feature of the Spencer C Duncan 5k is the “boulevard of heroes.” Volunteers hold up portraits of service members killed in action along the entire course. I think this is a really cool memorial and a very neat feature. It makes Sydney emotional.
The last portrait on the course, about a tenth of a mile before the finish, is Spencer Duncan, the race namesake. I told Sydney, “When we get to that picture we’re going to pull the trigger!” She was sooo tired! She was worn out after a tough Friday workout. She had been pushing it the entire race, but she dug in and really RAN that last bit of the race! Sydney won her age group!
1st in her group!
The race is great, but the party at the start/finish is really where it’s at. There’s a Chinook helicopter to tour, a lot of vendors with swag, and my favorite feature this year, Stroud’s cinnamon rolls! I had 3!
There was a d.j. playing hits from the 70’s and 80’s. We were getting down!
Spencer C Duncan make it count 5k was a wonderful experience! I’m glad we got up early and ran it!
I’m sitting at a sidewalk table in front of a coffee shop/business center. I’m waiting for Sydney so we can have our usual midweek lunch date. I absent mindedly scroll through some photos from last weekend
The Snake
The Snake: A 10(ish) mile run around Clinton Lake that I was using as another practice for the Hawk 100. This race utilizes the connector trails between the blue trail and the white trail. I found it very fast and runnable for the first half. At the halfway point, you take a toy snake as evidence you actually made it. Last year, the only snakes they had left were teeny-tiny ones. This year, I got a pretty decent sized one. Either I showed up a lot faster, or they got more large sized snakes. Either way, pretty cool!
Diva dash
The Diva dash 5k & 10k is a ladies only event. I volunteered just to stay involved. At first, I was a little miffed about my assignment. I was waaay over in the corner! How would anyone see my pretty tutu? Hand-made, by the way. Once I saw where I actually was, I realized I had a very important position. Where once the route had turned, this time it went on quite a bit further. I had to guide several runners onto the new way. Only one was verbally upset. There were so many fantastic people running that event, and I felt very honored to be a little part of it.
The rest of the weekend was spent crafting and shopping, cooking and eating, relaxing and socializing. The way a weekend ought to be. Maybe, once the slam is over, I’ll be able to sleep past 5 a.m. on a weekend. Meanwhile, I’ll just try to enjoy the moments, and nap when I can.
Phil and I at Diva DashThe 2 mile mark. Where I’m standing used to be the turn. Can you see the new turn, way back there?Garden fresh string beans with butter and garlic 😋 Some of the snake crew: Chelsea, Sydney, and NickBeautiful overlook park at Clinton Lake Ben was 1st place overall at the snake 🐍
I know I’m missing a few posts. I had a few races. I had some personal and “professional” life things I should have been sharing. I’ll tell you: I was sweating THIS race! You see, I’m pretty spoiled. I’ve hardly had to earn anything in my life. Hard work? Struggle? That’s for suckas.
Well, you just can’t charm a country road. The sun doesn’t care how nice or funny you are. Someone posted a meme: The hill doesn’t care about your feelings!
Lol
We start out in a beautiful lakeside park shelter. It’s a race, so of course we have to be there at 5 a.m. to check in. This race is unique in the fact that it’s 99.69% crew/self supported. There are some ice and water refill stops, but mainly, it’s you, the road, and your crew. So the organizers demand your crew carry 30 lbs of ice, 12 gallons of water. I don’t know the international conversion of that. It’s a lot of ice and water.
They had a “runner’s church” set up, and one of the race officials held a little service. I’m not a person of faith, but I REALLY dogged my training for this one. If I ever needed god on my side, it was now! Haha!
The first part of the race goes through Cheney state park for a couple of miles. It’s a beautiful run around a lake at dawn. Then I hook up with the world’s greatest crew and head out onto the roads of King’s county. The long, long roads.
The plan (lol) was to meet the crew every 4 miles. That was the advice Sydney (HBIC) was given by some veterans of this race. That is a great plan, and I still believe the better distance. We had to change it to 3 miles. My water bottles just couldn’t quite get me to 4. During the hotter parts of the day, they barely got me to 3! (I kept making the crew check for leaks. There are no leaks.)
Things go really well for about 25 miles. I’m keeping a steady pace. Fuelling really well. Everybody is having fun! The only guy on the crew, Jeff, “Heffay,” had to leave. Real work is the worst! He was a champion and tremendous help!
There was one little incident. I kept passing other runners’ crew vehicles and wondering, where’s the WGC? After what must have been (felt like) 15 miles (like, not even a mile), I start to panic. I text Syd asking where they are. She says they’re right there. I don’t see them! If I had been swimming, this moment would be where I drowned. When, like an angel from heaven, our girl Kirby roared up in her charger! Vroom!
She handed me cold water and drove alongside, blasting classic rock and encouragement through her window. I saw the crew ahead, so I tossed her my vest and shirt and told her to go ahead. I picked it up and chugged into them, shirtless, at a sub 8:00 pace!
Then there it was. Just that road. For miles and miles. And miles. And miles. I wrote it that way on purpose. And miles. The description said 32 miles. My garmin said 33 miles. Still going. One road. Straight ahead. For miles. And miles. I asked, “When we get to turn?” This course was supposed to be rectangular. Our girl Erin “p-quad (p4)” let me in on the detail of “it’s at the t intersection. When the road ends, don’t keep going. That’s not the road.” Sage advice, indeed. Erin was hilarious! She was scheduled to pace with me but showed up early to help the crew. She brought a megaphone, some wisdom, some experience (she’s familiar with the area in general, and this race in particular) and just a badass attitude that fits the WGC perfectly.
I stopped using electrolytes after my upset stomach at Prairie Spirit. I was fueling with just water and salt tabs and gel and chews… and fruit snacks and granola bars…and sandwiches and chips and melon. I was starting to get a little concerned because I had not peed yet. I had a pickle and cut the salt tabs for a stop, and that got the flow going.
Food was starting to sound gross. My appetite was gone. That happens, I just need to force food down, but nothing substantial was working. I think it was mainly because of mild dehydration, but I’m no doctor. I just know that when I would eat a corner sandwich, I would gag. We got a bit down when they threw out the bread. And some beef jerky Kirby picked up at the gas station was alright 👍, but granola bars, gels, and chews weren’t happening. This would continue for a while.
I finally got to the turn! It felt amazing! The crew was playing our theme: “I’m sexy and I know it,” and I couldn’t help but dance!
Also, there was another runner that finally caught up with and passed me at that point. Grr! J/k, it’s not that kind of race for me. I’m just trying to 1. Finish 2. Survive.
One thing we were all looking forward to was “the oasis,” a love’s truck stop around mile 45. I was really looking for it, because I’ve had to poo since mile 35!
I don’t like to bring these types of things up, but if you’re out there for 24+ hours, cramming garbage in your face and churning your guts, things will happen. Things that will not be ignored. If you’re lucky, you can handle this business in a little, stinky, hot plastic box. If you’re really lucky, a park shelter with a tiny window. If you’re REALLY, REALLY lucky, an air-conditioned semi-private room with hand washing facilities. But, usually, it’s just…the ground. Sorry. Running is gross. Also, I was unlucky twice on this run, but never in my shorts! (Not to brag.)
After Love’s, it was on to the church! The church was where the 50 milers (53 milers) ended their race, and the hundred milers can start using pacers. There’s a 16-hour cutoff to get to the church, but I was way ahead of pace all day. The church was very cool! It’s a tiny little speck of a town, and all the crews were there, along with some spectators and a dog!
Gay Ann was my first pacer, after crewing all day. After arriving in town late the night before. She’s amazing! And an infuriatingly fast walker! She inspired me to jog some mainly by eliminating the difference between walking and jogging. It was awesome! She kept me moving until David took over around midnight?
Just gotta get this rock outta my shoe
David “Bootsy” had signed up as soon as he could to pace me through the very tough overnight hours. I was very excited to run with him. I’m very impressed with David! He ran a full marathon distance at argo. He’s a triathlete and a power lifter. He’s an engineering student and professional. And a great pacer. We walked for quite a bit of the night. The temperature barely dropped, the humidity went up. It was country dark out there. David never complained, and never called me out when I whined and whinged. We managed some shorter intervals sometimes, but mainly, it was: leave the crew, wait for Rex to pee, hike a mile, look for the crew.
In the meantime, the World’s Greatest Crew was lighting up the night! We had Jamie, Sherri, Gay Ann, and, of course, Sydney, all working to make sure all I had to do was move forward through the night. They fought off exhaustion, bugs, and other crews threats on our mascot to keep David and I upright, fuelled, hydrated, and moving. We could spot them from what seemed like forever away, with the lights and the jumping around. It was beautiful!
I was zombie walking. David asked about hallucinations (I think) and I could describe it really well. Because it was happening at that moment. I had to sit. I was a fall risk. Sweet Sydney let me sit in the vehicle with the air on. I managed a three minute cat nap before anxiety got me moving again. I kind of ruined her seat with sweat, but she told me it was endearing. She takes such great care of me! And everyone else! She really is the H.B.I.C. and the brain and heart of this outfit.
About this time, we’re starting to leapfrog other groups. One guy seemed like he was fueling his entire run with beer! Normally, I’m all for that, but I didn’t think my stomach could take it. I did get some calories in the form of a hammer brand recovery drink. That drink, plus the sunrise, really turned me back on!
Bootsy had to get home in time for church, so after driving 2 hours and running all night, he left to drive another couple of hours. Stud!
Gay Ann took over pacing again, and we really capitalized on the morning momentum. She still hiked very, very fast, but now she stopped to take more pictures and I was feeling a bit better.
Erin “P4” came back and took over pacing duties right around the 85th mile (? Mileage gets sketchy around here. My garmin died in the overnight hours. It’s a fine watch, I’m just not fast enough, I guess.)
Erin is an experienced pacer, regularly pacing a half marathon in Wichita. And she’s local. She knows the area really well. And she’s a hasher, so she’s used to seeing grown-ups act like fussy little babies.
I was over this race! I’ve had it with the road, the hills, the corn…I was done.with.it! But Erin pointed at a field and said, “Check out my llama, I left it here while we do this,” and totally changed the mood.
There was, in fact, a Llama. There was so much animal life on this route! Horses (we say a baby horse!) Cows, armadillo, raccoon, skunk, so many snakes! The crew found a baby frog! A lot of the animals were roadkill, sure, but I’m counting them.
After the third meet-up with the crew telling me we’re in the home stretch they decide to give some real numbers: we’re 2 and a half miles from the finish. It’s right there! I asked what time it was and it was a bit after 10 a.m.
In my mind, I was like, “Awesome! We can beat the noon cut off!” The World’s Greatest Crew didn’t remind me the actual cut off time was 6 p.m., because they’re the “world’s greatest” crew, not the “tell you the truth no matter what” crew, and I love them for it! We churn down this road, over this highway, up this road, me complaining the whole time: “oh, gee. Another hill? Let me guess, up? Whaa whaa whaa” all the way to the park. Inside the park, the little jaunt out turned into the world’s longest park road. But it was downhill the entire way, so we kept jogging it. We got to the end and there was everyone cheering and clanging cowbell! I ran down and bopped the finish cone, gave our mascot a big kiss, and went over to get the prettiest buckle/medal I’ve ever gotten. Of course I fell apart. I get very emotional. Sydney was right there for me. She put me in a chair to get myself together.
As I sat there, reflecting on my adventure. The struggles, the challenges, the whole endeavor seeming huge, I got to watch as a stroke survivor that fueled his race with beer finished just some minutes behind me. So perspective is a thing. Lol!
In the end, this was a great race and an awesome time. I couldn’t have done it without the crew and the pacers.
I’m leaving a LOT out of this recap. Some things are just for me. I hope everyone enjoys reading these because I’m really enjoying writing them!
For the love of all that is good in your life, please, please wear sunscreen!
A couple of options. Anything is better than nothing.
Now that the PSA is taken care of… Tops off! Let the sun shine in! If anyone has a problem with your body, that is their problem.
Soak it in
I say “shirts off summer,” but really, I’ve only had my shirt on here and there all year. The weather has been that mild.
I popped the old shirt off pretty quickly during the Clinton historic half marathon. The heat & humidity really came on during that race! I wasn’t the only one stripping down.
The Clinton 1/2 marathon is a fantastic race. The town of Clinton is a little ways out there. So, once again, Syd and I were up and out the door by 6 a.m. on a Saturday. I guess it’s time I just admit that I prefer waking up early.
The half marathon takes runners through some of the older parts of town, by all the schools (I think) a bit on the Katy trail, on some 2 lane blacktop highway, and it begins and ends in the square.
Half marathon course goes all over town
After the race, Sydney and I walked around the square a bit and recounted the past races we ran there before we were together. It was kind of a fun, impromptu date.
The next day was the Father’s Day superhero 5k at the T-Mobile campus. As interesting as the Clinton half was, that is how boring the T-Mobile campus is.
Imagine: a beige and brick rectangle. Now, cut and paste that and arrange them in a circle. I suppose it’s good for productivity. It’s pretty good for races. Getting the distance right and controlling traffic is easy. We had a little problem figuring out which entrance to use. The directions on the event page confused me a bit.
I kept my shirt on for Father’s Day 5k. There were thunderstorms all night, and it was drizzling throughout the race. My intention was to run easy with Syd, and then the two of us were going to pace her father. That was the plan. Pretty soon after the start, we were tailed by a crying baby in a stroller. I had to get away, so away I went.
I was a little heartbroken when I saw it was an out and back course, but at least I got to high-five everyone.
I finished just as Andy, Sydney’s dad, made it to the turnaround. I walked the second half of the race with him and Sydney joined us when we got back around near the finish. We paced him to a new p.r.!
My training is ramping up. With the 2nd big race just weeks away, I’m upping mileage and trying to acclimate to the heat. I’ve been adding gear and shoes to my setup. I’ve been practicing my fueling with rice crispy treats, and oreos. Got to get the tummy in shape!
TLDR: A lot of little kids, some of them fell down! Hills.
Sydney and I ran the 36th Annual Merriam Turkey Creek Festival 5K Run, Walk & Youth Sprint. It was a lot of fun! The weather was perfect. The crowd was excited. The race hired a local radio station dj, “DJ Kirby” from 94.9 fm to play music and get the crowd hyped up. He made some funny jokes, like “no gambling on the runners this year,” and “my favorite part of the race is watching kids wipe out!” Which I thought was a joke, but oh no! The carnage was all too real.
The race was to benefit the Merriam KS Parks, Recreation and Community Center Foundation scholarship fund. A truly worthy cause and I hope they raised a lot of money.
It seemed like every child between the ages of 11-14 had lined up at the front. Most runners that age have, in my experience, a very distinct running style. Something I like to call the “dash and look.” Dash! A few dozen feet, maybe 50 yards or so… then stop. Maybe walk a little, definitely turn all the way around and look for…? Parent? School chum? More than once, a child would make eye contact with me and immediately take off sprinting again. Normally, I hate the little kid dash and look. This race was different.
I had decided before we got there I wasn’t racing. I just wanted to cruise along with Sydney and enjoy the day. So we were back from the start line, which was perfect for how the race started. Several children started right up front. They counted down:10-9…321 go! And all the kids took off at a sprint. Ran full speed about 50 yards and got plowed into by about a hundred runners when they stopped in the middle of the course!
We were too far back to see any actual collision (except one, when this little girl stopped cold right in front of this guy in his 60s, and they both went flying in opposite directions. it was awesome!) We only saw the aftermath. The carnage! The horror! Really, it was just one kid, screaming like he was shopping with his parents at Walmart.
The race was also extra exciting because during “dodge-a-kid,” only half the road was closed. So the first mile was a messy pile of screaming, sprinting children, wary, veering adults, and big jacked-up pick-up trucks coming right at us!
There was a guy running right in front of us from the start that sounded like he was running the last 5k of a marathon. I was seriously concerned about this dude. I told Syd I had to get away from this guy and jogged on up ahead. That’s where I found Jason Silvers and got to do a little bit for his YouTube channel : The Year I Got The Runs. He asked if I was ready for the hills. I didn’t know about the hills, but whatever. I don’t care about hills. Not to undermine these hills. They are substantial hills.
Sydney caught up with me at the first aid station, and we spent the rest of the race together. Singing to Clint is a Tall Runner, encouraging a kid and just enjoying the moments.
At one point, to tease Clint about his musical taste, I sang the famous part from “You Never Even Call Me By My Name.” What really got Clint’s goat, though, was when Sydney sang a little country/western style tune of her own.
When we got close to the end, Sydney and I held hands so we could finish together and get a sweet picture. DJ Kirby made a funny comment about people meeting at the race. It was very funny and very cute!
This race was just okay. The course was fun, and the volunteers were very nice, but the start/finish line was cramped. There were no port-o-johns as far as I could tell. They held the age group awards hostage until the end of the race, which just did not work. Several of my friends were going straight from the finish to another race across town. I hope they get their medals!
Still, any race is better than no race. It was fun to just have a relaxed, non-competitive run with Sydney and my friends.
Until a couple of weeks ago, I had no intention of entering Running with the Cows 1/2 marathon. I had no races in May, and I was happy about that. This summer is going to be crazy busy, with the slam and all the races around that. My plan was to take it pretty easy. Well, we all know what Mike Tyson said about plans.
See, what had happened was… Sydney was invited to pace the Rock Island 1/2 marathon. I believe they phrased it like this: “Hey, Sydney! We would LOVE it if you would pace for the Rock Island Trail half! And Rex, too… I guess.”
So I’m pacing a half marathon at the end of July. Also, along with a few races I was planning to do already, I can complete a series! Swag & bling, baby!
I didn’t want to do this particular half (running with the cows) because of last year. I, along with everyone else, was destroyed by the heat and humidity. Also, I was promised an “amazing” finish line buffet. Instead, I got a warm BBQ sandwich. Better than a banana and a slice of cold pizza? Sure. Far from amazing, though.
I don’t feel brave or controversial saying 2022 rwtc sucked.
My expectations for this year were cautiously hopeful. Everything pointed to lessons learned, improvements made. The k.a. buffet was back. The aid stations were equipped with “dunk buckets,” and it was a new course. Solid changes.
Syd and I woke up at our new “usual” time. 5:30 a.m.🙁 I had a surprise, though. I saw Bucyrus, KS was NOT an hour or more away! We had time to stop for a muffin at the Quiktrip!
The parking situation was very easy. The parking volunteers actually split the cars and s.u.v.’s into different areas. Brilliant!
It was already in the 70’s at 7 a.m. I knew I was gonna pop my shirt off. Luckily, the race had a Gaylord full of sunscreen spray bottles! Along with the appropriate amount of Johnnie’s and hand washing stations! The start line area was A+ for sure!
The half started right on time, 7:33. I went out way too hard, but with a pace group. The 1:40 pace group, but still…
I was hanging with the fasties, trying to settle in, when this other racer starts bobbing around behind me. First, he’s behind my left ear. Then my right ear. I can’t take it, so I break out of the group and push ahead a few steps. 2 things here: I pretty quickly realized that “the guy” was my hair (I need a haircut), and #2: one of the pacers hollered out “take it easy, it’s not a 50k!” 🤣
There was really only one way to respond. Shirts off! The warm sun and the breeze from my too fast pace felt really good. The first aid station, I was able to step aside and let the good guys go past. I fell back in pretty close to the group. I was still going kind of fast, but I felt good. I had told Sydney I was going for around a 2 hour finish. That seemed reasonable for the week after a 50 miler.
Too hot for tops!
I walked through the aid stations. I high five my friends at the “out & backs” and maintained a good attitude in spite of the heat and humidity.
I made a mistake and dunked my shirt in a “dunk bucket.” It was nice for a second, having ice cold water on me. I just didn’t consider what I was supposed to do with my shirt. I wore the shirt for a bit, but after a while it wasn’t really cold anymore. It was just…wet.
At about the 10 mile marker, I started running with the 1:50 pacer. I fell off and came back a few times, struggling to find some sort of rhythm or cadence.
There’s a big silo right outside the road to the finish. They hang a Running with the Cows banner on it, and you can see it from a ways off. I felt like, when I pass the silo I should start booking it into the finish. But the finish line is still, like, 2/10 of a mile…uphill (an incline, after 12.9 miles, is, in fact, an uphill). I saw Sydney cheering me in, so I gutted it, sprinting into a finish of 1:50:29!
Finish line siloPhoto “sprint”
Afterward, I just wanted to find a shady spot, lie down, and die. I was cooked!
Running is F-U-N!Sweat angels!
I got myself together and went inside to eat. This event is famous for the finish line buffet, but I had not been able to experience it until now. It was an impressive spread! Hot dogs, “walking” tacos, sandwiches, 3 or 4 different types of pasta salad, barbecue, a whole table of desserts, the works! I grabbed a couple of things and went to find a shady spot to eat.
The food!
A lot of our friends were there, but Sydney and I had an event that afternoon, so we took off pretty quickly after I ate. Just enough time to grab a few pics.
Jenny from midwest endurance race company, Sydney, and meAdam & me at the finish. We ran the same race?Aaron & me, relaxing in the shade.😎
This race was a lot of fun! It was managed really well! I will do this race again, as I’m sure it will only improve.
What a morning! What a race! Oh my God, there is so much to blog about! TLDR: there was a half marathon in Topeka, Kansas. I p.r.’d. A lot of friends were there.
Top City is a 5k/half marathon in Topeka, Kansas. Topeka is about an hour away from Kansas City. Just far away enough to be inconvenient.
Sydney didn’t run this race but volunteered to drive and cheer me on. She’s an angel!
The drive took a bit longer than an hour (we don’t pay tolls!) Parking was a breeze, nose in on the street about a block away from the start line. We grabbed my packet, pinned on my number, and caught up with all our friends.
We saw Jason “the year I got the runs” Silvers, Amanda and Will, and Kris, Adam, Myckael, Andrew, Deliece, and Katie. I also met Sydneys cousins, Warren and Barbara, and their son Nick. Nick was running his second half marathon!
The temperature was perfect for running, which is a little cool for just standing there. I jogged around a bit just to warm up a bit. Some other people warming up got a bit competitive. I knew it would be a good race!
I was torn between lining up with Amanda, who was “taking it easy” after her recent foot/heel injury thing, and Adam, who runs exactly like me but faster. I started with Adam. Fast. Too fast. Way too fast!!! It was awesome! I ran the first 2 miles as fast as I ever have before. I felt so great! I knew it wouldn’t last, but it didn’t hurt or anything.
The route went about 2 miles around downtown Topeka, under the capital building, and into the streets and parks of Topeka. The first few batches of volunteers were young people in dress clothes, like missionaries of some sort. I didn’t ask, because, you know…racing…but it was very cool to see them; the fellas in ties and slacks and the women in long dresses.
Around mile 3? Probably? I noticed one of the “direction arrows” was pointing back towards the start. A very rude reminder that this is an out and back course. All those fun, fast downhills will surely bite me on the way back. Oh, well. I decided to worry about that later.
I had finally settled down into a human pace right around the “Rip On” skate park at Shunga Park. I was fine, I was settled. There were spectators handing out treats. I thought it might be beer, but it was pretzels, gummy bears, and apple sauce. No thanks!
The route took us into a neighborhood with nice, pretty houses. I got to pet a dog! When I ran past in my k.c. running shirt the course monitors and spectators would say “go chiefs!” That was fun. I was complimenting a neighborhood guy on how pretty the area was when I saw Myckael running up to the aid station. I shouted “go Myckael!” And then ran away as fast as I could. I guess beating Myckael was a goal I didn’t know I had until just then. Lol.
Leaving the neighborhood I ran into a bunch of runners coming into the neighborhood. I thought, “these can’t be the 5k runners?” As I stuck out my hand for high fives. It was the back end of ghe half marathon! OMG I went out way, way too fast if I’m 5 miles ahead of the pack!
As predicted, the return was a big more difficult than the way out. There were some things I didn’t notice the first time, though. Like the murals illustrating brown vs. the board of education. Topeka is neat!
The last mile brought us straight up towards and under the state capital building. I turned the last corner and saw the finish line. It was a ways away, up a pretty big hill. The farmers market was busy on the left side of the road. I thought about just ducking in there for a while instead of chugging up a hill.
I looked at my watch and saw I was so close to a p.r.! I had to go for it! I was either going to get it or come close, so I gave it everything I had. Sydney was cheering and shouting, “You’re going to p.r., baby! Get that p.r.!”
I did it! My finish time was 1:37:57. A very respectable time! The age groups were split up in ten year increments. I came in 5th in my group. Adam came in 4th. Everyone did awesome! I’m just going to say here, in my own blog, I came in 22nd overall, 20th male, and I was 5th in my age group? We old men are fast a.f.
There was free beer from Iron Rail brewery and BBQ sandwiches from dickie’s for the racers. I had an Irish red. It was delicious!
W.W.R.H.D. 