Sunday, September 11, 2011

95K

I reached a new milestone in this new phase of my running a 95k week. I think this is mainly because of my fear of my up and coming 50K Ulta The Buzzard Bait. I last ran it almost four years ago and it was a real downer. I was almost blind 8% vision and should have asked for a guide but was too proud. The course was well marked with ground level flags and I had some  vision and thought I would be OK. The course was a two loops of 25k and the first loop went OK, but at about 40K I followed the course down a gully. There had been a stream crossing here on the first loop and I though this was it. I suddenly stumbled into neck deep freezing water. It was November. I floundered around trying to find my way out when I heard kids giggling. I followed their voices and found the bank and asked for their help, but then they started to pelt me with clods of mud so I shut up. Eventually I come across another runner who took me to an Aid station. But my Ultra was over. The Kids had altered the the course as a JOKE. Since then I have had an cornea transplant and see 20/20 out my rt eye but I guess I am still afraid. 

Thursday, September 1, 2011

The Chocolate 10 mile/16K

Off the top I must say that this is a class event. I came down Saturday to pick up my kit with my wife and ended up staying for lunch with friends and watching a fashion show/ comedy show, show casting women's running and exercise clothing. It was very entertaining.
Race day was cool with a stiff breeze off the lake. I met up with some of my old Guy`s and we lined up for the start. We knew that the winner of the 60+ would come from our group and although we all joked about our various disabilities ( according to us we should be in the wheel chair division) we all had our RACE faces on. When the Gun went off we all took off like Mad Men. We ran the first K in 3:48 still in a bunch. Shortly after that my legs turned to MUSH and not surprising we all ground to a halt. We had 15K to go. The winner was determined by. One; who could stand the PAIN best. Two; who recovered the fastest. Three; who had to walk the shortest.
I finished in 1:38 for fifth place the winner 1:35. We were all 5 to 10 minutes off our PBs. We had an average of about 50yrs running experience. It just shows that anybody can make a novice mistake!