Dragons

I've linked up the results here below but you won't find me in there. Somehow I was omitted from the race results and, honestly, when I saw it I wasn't even surprised.

Yesterday I was nobody and I spend the better part of the morning waiting for Haley Joel Osment to walk up and explain to me that he only saw me because he saw dead people and, well sorry Blaxy, but you just aren't in the system.

I didn't post Friday because I was tired as hell (I think it was Tuesday that pretty much did it to me) and ended up going to Championship Dining and just getting all drunk. Gay name, gay male patrons, hot ass bitches inside. Train came and picked me up so I didn't get a DUI in the one mile it was from there to my house. In all this, I didn't run. Not because of my other activities, just because I was smashed from the week's training. I was rolling towards 60 for the week but after never recovering from Tuesday, I had to take 50.

For as great as Tuesday was, I don't know if it was really worth the total slowness of the rest of my week there. It ended up serving as both my long run of the week as well as my only workout (after leaving me worthless for any sort of Thurs or Fri workout) and, in fact, it may have served as my demise yesterday as I might have been overconfident in attacking the ramps on the course the first time around.

So, as far as the week goes, I'm not especially thrilled with how it went but I'll take it nonetheless. If nothing else, it's given me a better idea of my current fitness level and I can go from there.

So on to the race...

I jogged the mile to Main Gate at 7:15 this morning. There wasn't a bib waiting for me so I had to go get re-signed up. Not a big deal to some, but bibs 1 through 100 got a free sandwich from Sinbad's and I am sure that my preregistration would have scored me one of these delicacies.

I warmed up with Mike where I learned that the course would include racing down University, around Old Main, down the Mall, and over to Arizona Stadium where competitors would have to go all the way up the ramps, across to the south side of the stadium, and back down all the ramps where a hairpin turn was waiting at the bottom, surrounded by chalk arrows directing you back up the ramps, across the concourse, and down the first set of ramps. Then a loop near Campbell and back to Old Main.

People who were lucky enough to be loved could then stop running and have their partner pick up the slack for a second lap. Apparently gays, widowers, and tragically awkward dancers (my category) have to get used to being alone on Valentine's Day though, so it was here that I just took a deep breath and headed out to do it all again.

4 trips to the top of Arizona Stadium was enough to fire up many of the recreational runners that had come out for this, Tucson's cheapest, race. Personally, while I kinda enjoyed a course that just laid my ass to waste (and it did -- you can figure me in the results in 13th, running a 34:14), I do believe that the markers were notably off and I think that could have only been made up for by adding a drum circle (like the one in front of Old Main) to the top of the stadium. Also, my ankles were kind of sore from the braking at each of the ramp 'switchbacks'. Of course, this may have just been a personal problem as I am freakish downhill runner (one more reason I run couples' relays alone).

Frankly, my race performance was a combination of coming in tired, not having a suitable approach, and simply going out too hard (which lead to basically giving up before unleashing a vicious kick in the final 60 meters). It was rough and I wasn't up to the challenge. That's all there is to it and I hope to do better next time.

This is all in retrospect though. As I ran home with a Dunkin' Donut in each hand, munching away while waiting for Chipotle to open so I could get my free burrito and drink, I can only say that I really did enjoy myself at the Valentine's Day run and got a kick out of the whole thing. Between the emotionless teammate forming, getting to see Mike's kids (they seriously melt this cold, cold heart), a bunch of old recreational runners getting all pissed that they wouldn't be setting a 5 mile PR on a 4.2 mile course like last year, and, of course, Shane's first Tucson win (I believe) -- it really was a notable experience.

The quads are pretty blasted today so I am just going to try to get out in the evening and log in some decent miles. I haven't figured this week yet but I think I'm going to hang around or drop down a bit from 50 in order to get in two very much speed-based workouts. The following week I'll probably go ahead and try to get in the 55 - 60 range.


Race results -- Ike Turner wins Grammy -- Being a Batch