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gretriever
Hipster Doofus
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Joined: 16 Jul 2003
Posts: 19385
Location: A moving target in a firing range.
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 Posted: 05/02/05 - 10:47 Post subject: A Dog on Honky Tonk Row (race report)
Country Music Marathon, Nashville, April 30.
We are always forturnate to get hotels right next to the starting line when we do big races out of town, and CMM was no exception. While thousands are out there shivering, doing what they can to keep warm, and using the porta-potties, LC and I sat in the hotel restaurant having muffins and croissants, and using the nice spacious restrooms the lobby has to offer.
When we get out there - it's COLD. Not so much by the temp (56) as it was humid with a little wind (by the time I got to mile three in the race, I was soaked in sweat). Even though Poky and I are in the same corral, and her sister is the one right behind ours, I can't find them, and was feeling bad about that. However, no more than a minute or two before the race starts, they find me. LC figured it was about 15 minutes from the initial start to when our group takes off so plenty of time to talk and get loose.
Poky, in green, before the race. We thought she was practicing the Queen Elizabeth wave of the hand, but a closer look told us otherwise.
Yours truly before the race. Damn, I need a haircut!
The first mile is pretty slow due to the crowd - about twelve minutes or so. Mile two is about ten and-a-half, and it's pretty steady ten minutes per for the rest of the race. The half-split on the site was 2:09:00, which was not right. The 13.1 marker did not have the chip mats - for some reason they were put down just short of the 14 mile mark. 
As the Cumberland River twists its way through the city, this means no N-S/E-W street grid, which means I really had no sense of which direction I was heading. CMM is much like Mad City in its layout and terrain... lots of rolling hills, especially at the 20-25 mile stretch. LC was at an overpass at mile ten and took a picture or two; she said she yelled down to me and that I looked up. I don't remember that.
I get past the 5K mark, and no achilles problems. What worried me more was getting the cramping in my calves (if you recall, this happened out of nowhere at mile 15 in Chicago). Mile 15 and all is well. It (the cramps) starts up though, around mile 21. This is good actually, as I it wasn't both calves at once, and I quickly developed a plan to walk for one minute at each mile marker, and at the water/powerade stops. This let me continue running pretty normal otherwise until the 26th mile, where it got a little more severe, and I walked about a third of that mile. Note to Coach - I did hit all but one water stop on the course (missed the third one), alternating between the water and the powerade.
At 26, I see the finish. There's a woman, next to me who is really struggling - very tall, very tan, and looks more healthy than me (if appearances mean anything). She's got her hubby/bf on a bike encouraging her, but she's fading. I slow enough to get her up to me, and tell her "C'mon, you're nearly there." "Yeah, but I don't know if I can make it." "C'mon, we'll finish together." When we hit the chute to the finish, Poky said she saw me and yelled, as did LC who was right at the finish line. Both said I saw them and smiled - again, I don't remember. I finished, as did my friend - I'm very happy for her.
It got cold real fast, thermal blanket and warm-ups not withstanding. The temperature actually dropped a few degrees during the race, and the wind picked up. It never rained, but I wish it would have - I think the rain would have really made things feel warmer. It was good to get in the car and turn up the heat. Same thing at the hotel.
This one meant a lot. The time was not a PR, and as I could have had a faster race, that is my disappointment. That said - the time was 4:21:59 - one second more, and it would have been an exact ten minute per mile pace. So this time, I am going to split hairs.  And that's better than the average for my first two 'thons. Placings, per The Tennessean - overall 1725 of 3689 (the race site, though, says 3743 finished) - a top half finish - a marathon first for yours truly!  Males (race site) 1225 of 2203. AG (race site) 149 of 280. Near the middle in those - I can be very happy with that.
The cramping in the calves did not beat me. No injuries. Terrific company (see Riff Raff report). Other than a faster time (which I will always want), I couldn't have had a better time.
Last edited by gretriever on 05/02/05 - 11:08; edited 1 time in total
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