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Pug
The Movie Geek
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Joined: 21 Aug 2003
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 Posted: 12/27/04 - 10:34 Post subject: Race Report: Winter Waddle 5k - December 26
With all of the problems I've had this fall with my shoes, my expectations were lowered for what I could possibly do in this race. I think I had realistic expectations. What made this race cool was that my brother in law Jerry and his wife Sara were also going to be running the race. They were in from Philly for the holiday.
Race day. With a 7:00 pm race start, whatever routine I normally had wasn't in play. I arrive near the race start, find a parking spot on the street and head over to the store which is sponsoring the race. I am directed down to the Masonic Lodge to get the bib number and race packet. On the way over I see Jerry and Sara who just happened to be parked next to the lodge, though quite on accident. We get our packets and race shirts, stash them in the car, and do a little jog as I show them where the start is. Then I go off and do my own little jogging as they do whatever it is that they did.
We get to the starting line, and after a little bit, the gun goes off. Or something goes off. I didn't hear it, but the line starting moving, and so did we. That was the last I saw of J and S during the race. I moved off at what I thought was a comfortable pace, which means that it was too fast for where I was at training wise. I get to the first mile, realize I forgot to start my watch, and the guy next to me says to his son 7:45. I realize that I'm in trouble already. This summer that would have been a slower first mile, but a comfortable one. The Day After Christmas that is too fast by a minute. I do okay for the next half mile, and at the turnaround I know that I'm going to be in trouble.
By the second mile I'm hurting. A have a side stich on my left side that is playing dueling banjos with the one on my right side and I'm afraid that they'll be playing rock'em sock'em robots by mile three. I've slowed noticeably at this point and I have no idea what pace I'm at except that I'm sure it isn't good.
I'm able to surge a little bit, but after another quarter mile to a half mile I'm just wondering when this race will ever end. It feels like it is going on forever. Another quarter mile and I'm about ready to confess my sins and pray for forgiveness. But then I hear the music playing and I know that I'm almost done.
Music is good. It keeps you going, picks you up, and lets you know you're almost there. I don't know that I went any faster when I heard the music, but I know that I tried to. I see the clock finally and it just ticked over 27 minutes. I'm close to where I hoped to be, though I feel worse than I expected. I cross the line and hear 27:17! Whee! I can live with that.
After I get through the chute and can breathe again, I head back to the finish line to wait for Jerry and Sara. They come through around sometime between 32 and 33 minutes. For Sara this is a personal best as she's never gone under 33 before.
I'm waiting for the results to be posted online to I can get the official race results, but a 27:17 with a pace of 8:47 is better than I hoped. I just wanted to break a 9 minute pace for the race. It is a far cry from the sub 24 minute effort I gave on July 31, but I'm in a different situation right now, so I had to be realistic. This was what I hoped for, and I can be satisfied with that.
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Cappy
Excelent
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Joined: 16 May 2002
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Location: Spreadsheetylvania
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Posted: 12/27/04 - 10:49 Post subject:
Nice race Pug
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kattzoo
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Location: Happily at the back of the pack
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Posted: 12/27/04 - 10:56 Post subject:
Nice job Pug! A race the day after Christmas sounds like fun!
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mickeyvw98
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Joined: 03 Jun 2004
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Location: Upstate NY
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Posted: 12/27/04 - 11:28 Post subject:
nice job  
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Pug
The Movie Geek
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Joined: 21 Aug 2003
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Posted: 12/27/04 - 11:33 Post subject:
Did I mention that it was 17 degrees with a windchill making it feel like 8 degrees? That was a warmup from the week before.
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jrjo
Gone Fishin
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Joined: 15 May 2002
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Location: Lake Wobegon, MN
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Posted: 12/27/04 - 12:04 Post subject:
Glad you got the cold weather ordered up in time for those Phillydelphians!  Good runnin' Pug. December racing in MN is always mind over muscle.
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akern
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Posted: 12/27/04 - 13:07 Post subject:
Great report Pug. I can identify with all of those feelings you described!! 
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mickeyvw98
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Posted: 12/27/04 - 13:20 Post subject:
| Pug wrote: | | Did I mention that it was 17 degrees with a windchill making it feel like 8 degrees? That was a warmup from the week before. |
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sonnylax
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Location: Living in a lollipop and unicorn world
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Posted: 12/27/04 - 13:25 Post subject:
| Pug wrote: | | Did I mention that it was 17 degrees with a windchill making it feel like 8 degrees? That was a warmup from the week before. |
DAMN that is cold! I don't know how you folks north of the Mason Dixon line handle those winters. I'm already ready for this cold weather to end.
Big on the race!
P.S. You need a little more drama to spice things up! 
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Pug
The Movie Geek
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Posted: 12/27/04 - 13:46 Post subject:
| sonnylax wrote: |
DAMN that is cold! I don't know how you folks north of the Mason Dixon line handle those winters. I'm already ready for this cold weather to end.
Big on the race!
P.S. You need a little more drama to spice things up! |
That's the thing: it was relatively warm. I ran on friday afternoon and it was 2 degrees with a wind chill of -15.
I create my own drama mid-race. 
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Pug
The Movie Geek
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Posted: 12/27/04 - 16:06 Post subject:
Update:
My official time was 27:19 with a pace of 8:47 per mile.
I was 98 out of 158 males, 16 out of 23 in my age group. 130 of 320 overall.
Jerry and Sara may not be exact on the times because I know they switched places in the chute and may have let someone else pass, I'm not sure. Jerry did beat Sara. '
Jerry was 140 out of 158, gender. 22 of 23, age group. 245 of 320, overall
Time - 32:53, 10:35 pace
Sara 105 of 162 gender. 32 of 43, age group. 244 of 320, overall.
Time - 32:51, 10:34 pace
But these are somewhat skewed because Jerry did finish a few seconds before Sara, which makes me think he was 32:42 and the jumble in the chute changed the time and place of the finishes.
Just for reference, 43 year old Digger Carlson won in a time of 16:36. The first female finisher was 42 year old Laura Carlson in a time of 19:50. She would be 26th overall. I noticed that both are from White Bear Lake. A Husband and Wife winning duo?
My best time from this summer would have put me at 70th in gender, 78th overall.
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rolling rock
The Pinball
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Posted: 12/29/04 - 22:14 Post subject:
great report pug. 
congrats on a strong finish too.
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Zatoichi
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Posted: 01/01/05 - 13:52 Post subject:
Nice report, congrats.
17 degrees + windchill: 
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JACKED UP
PRESIDENT
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Joined: 06 Jun 2003
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Location: www.johnnydu.com
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Posted: 01/01/05 - 17:07 Post subject:
Great job!  But Brrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr.
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