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elkid
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Joined: 18 Nov 2002
Posts: 8353
Location: hiding out in Philly
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 Posted: 09/28/04 - 11:51 Post subject: The Great Race = great PR! with pictures!
I showed up for this race with only one intention: PR. My strategy: take it easy on the few uphills, control it on the flats, and go all out on the downhills. Forget consistency - just fly. Hence my doctor mandated the HRM for this race, knowing I'd be working hard. Turned out this largely downhill course was conducive to my strengths in several ways: it catered to the heavier runner (gravity works!), and it was great for someone like me who relies on wide stride rather than foot turnover for speed. I didn't like that it was largely concrete, and that the downhills were sometimes quite steep (not so great for a heelstriker like me). But I'd come for a PR, and a PR I was going to get.
First I must give major props to BamBam. He drove us into the city on Saturday for packet pickup, and then drove the 3 runners, running 2 separate places, where they needed to go on Race Day. Without the help of Mr. Pittsburgh I never would have found the start line. He even volunteered to wait with me, as I was an hour and a half early for my race, but I encouraged him to go watch Pebbles and Pebbs Jr run the 5K. Besides, no fun just watching me work the portajohn line. Also a huge thanks to the entire family Flintstone for hosting me for 4 days and helping me in ways I cannot express at a time I so desperately needed support.
Finally the race is about to begin. We actually walked downhill to get to the start, a precursor for what was to come. BANG! and we're off. A short downhill then a slight uphill. Whoops - a minute into the race and my heart rate's already up to 94%. Mile 1 is pretty much me dodging people, overtaking a lot of them, jumping on the sidewalk to get around them, stuff like that. I'm racing like I've never raced before: never have I had such serious intent. Hit the mile marker and am OK with the time - a little slow, but with all the congestion it's OK. Then we start mile 2 and
WHEEEEEEEEEEE! it's all downhill. Seriously, I was windmillin' most of it. Gravity was my friend here. I'm sure at some points I was freefalling so fast I looked like Phoebe from "Friends" running through Central Park. I hit the 2nd mile marker and decide my watch is broken: no way have I run that fast. It must be a fluke that after dying during the half last week that it came back to life. Miles 3 & 4 were mostly level, a few small uphills. I hit the 5K mark and realize I've gotten a PR for that distance. I hit the mile 4 marker and realize I've gotten a PR for that distance, too. Mile 5 was a steady climb up an elevated highway that I mistook for a bridge. While not really steep, the up portion was almost a full mile long. And you could see the whole thing, which was a little disconcerting. It looked almost like a mirage. I knew I had a PR, so I decided to not die of a burst heart and go a little slower. Not breaking 93% on the HRM. This mile was slow, but I so wanted to walk due to the mindgame of the mile so just continuing to run was a blessing. Somewhere on this highway I saw Freddie Krueger in full costume, including talons, and a woman sitting (no lie) in the middle of the road with a boombox with a turntable dancing and singing to anyone who would listen. I hit the mile marker for 5, realized I had just gotten a 5M PR as well, and began mile 6 which was
WHEEEEEEEEEEE! mostly downhill. I had feared my fast mile 2 time was a fluke, but I managed to hold that pace for the last 1.2 miles despite the climb. My legs were screaming from all the pounding on concrete, but now I'm thinking I can seriously PR, and reach a goal that I had set for next year: a sub hour 10K. As we run down the Boulevard of the Allies I pass Sparkler Man. Actually, he jumps out in front of me screaming "GO RUNNER GO!" He's wearing a hat emblazoned with sparklers, a shirt with lit sparklers in them, and is clutching tons of sparklers in his hands. How he managed to have these stay lit and not set himself on fire. But he scared me so I jumped out of the way.
Mile 6 marker comes - I go all out now. Take the final turn (where I missed Sahara and Bam  ) and sprinted my little heart out over the finish line. I checked out my watch, and let out the biggest scream ever because I really did PR - 3rd time in 3 weeks, and this was HUGE. Coming into the race, the best I'd run was 1:03:01. Here: a PR by nearly 4.5 minutes. 58:37, splits: 9:45, 8:49, 9:24, 9:21, 10:41, 8:50, 1:46 (.2). 8:50 pace for last 1.2! I have never broken the nine minute barrier; my fastest mile has been a 9:16. I know gravity helped, but the fact that I could run this pace early in the race, and then for the last 1.2 miles is huge. HUGE. My first sub hour 10K with 4 PRs. The best? I finished 3,306/4,821, beat 31% of crowd. Beat 45% of women (991/1,792). Never have I been so firmly ensconched in the pack, never have I beaten so many competitors. That 10:41 smarts a bit, though. I'll have to go back next year and rectify that. 
What a great day. What a great race. I'm so proud of this effort, and I did things that even I didn't think were possible. I'm also proud of Pebbs Jr, who won 2nd in her age group for the 5K, and for Pebbs who paced her in the 5K, and managed to win 1st in her age group without even trying. w00t! After looking for water for 25 minutes and then the rest of the group for 45, I changed and we left, me sans smiley cookies  , to go celebrate in style with the entire Flintstone clan and Sahara and her 3 lovely kids. It was great to end the day with brilliant, funny children and such love all around me. The Great Race was truly a great race, and this was truly a great day. NOW PICTURES!
The runners: our shoes are already on fire!
the 5K champs, Pebbs Jr and Pebbs:
PR CITY, BABY! Must be those marathoner legs:
MiniBam is also excited for my victory!
me and MiniBam still celebrating:
Lady Sahara and me:
Sahara, B, and C:
B & C:
B & J:
S, Bam, and L hanging onto my every word:
The ladies: Sahara, Pebbs, and me:
B. J, and me with prizes!
me, Bam, & Pebbs:
next up: Yo, Adrian! Chasing a course PR to win money for children's autism research at the Rocky 10K Run on Sunday.
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to all you you!
