Sunday May 11, 2008

I get up at 4:45am and after a crazy time of deciding what to wear. What to leave in the hotel, and what to take in the car. It was pouring rain last night when I went to bed and I was worried. This morning is dry but MUCH colder and windier than I expected at 40 degrees Fahrenheit with wind gusts up to 45 mph.

The drive from the hotel to the event is difficult and the wind keeps causing me to steer out of my lane. I’m wearing bike shorts, bright green T-shirt with an Asics wind shirt over it, hat, gloves, and old socks over the gloves for additional hand protection.

There are about 100 of us all together. Windy windy, cold, cold. Hands and feet numb for first 2 miles. Hat blows off often. Run with Tom from Nebraska for a few miles. He says a few years ago there was hail and they had to duck under a low bridge for protection.

In the confusion I had only a little to eat beforehand but had two power bars in my clothes. Tried to open one. Hands don’t work under two layers and cold with Renaud’s. Tear it open with teeth. Try to bite. Power bars get hard when its cold and I can’t bite. Crack… Thunk... Wow… Tree limb broke in the wind and fell just behind me.

I run with a grandmother, Deb , for several miles after we passed one anther a couple times. Mothers get in the race free. She is doing the marathon that is staged simultaneously.

I feel shabby after 3 laps of my 6-lap event. After 3.5 hours the sun breaks through and it warms a bit but wind is till a factor. I perk up after lap four and finish strong passing three younger people in the last mile.

The event is known for novelty awards including recycled bowling trophies, etc. For a “finishers medal” I got an orange cowbell emblazoned with the race logo and strung onto gold plastic mardis gras beads. It makes too much noise to wear but it looks cool. I also received a unique large wooden plaque “door prize” with a picture of runners on the course and the name of the event lettered large across the bottom.

My last most recent 50k was under 5 hours but today I had 5:43:33 and was glad to get that under the circumstances.

The race director is a fun fellow who appears a few years older than I and does this for the love of it. He and several others are meeting me (and thousands of others) in Fargo next weekend.

I’ve rested and feel fine now. I may have a hard time getting into a restaurant tonight since its mother’s day but I should probably try anyway.