Race #4- inaugural Race For The Cheetah 5k

Was going to title this post as, "Mind says not good enough, Body says that's as far as I am going, piss off."

For the Valley Of The Sun this was a hilly 5k located in the Papago Buttes just north of the Phoenix Zoo. The day started off with its usual pre-race challenges. Mighty Mo got up with the roosters which threw the whole morning thing outta whack. Then I leave for the race and just as I get there realize I left my timing chip at home, so I had to drive 20 minutes back home then 20 minutes back to the race. That was fun.

Still made it to the race in time to grab my number and goodie bag and store everything in the car, then run a few laps to loosen up. Say a couple of hi-speed, lo-drag guys from Scottsdale Running Company I know. When I saw them all I could say was, "Glad your not in my age group." You see they run sub-5's and that just doesn't help me out at all.

The race was HOT. It was 83 degrees when I got out of the truck so was probably 85* to start the race. An out and back on a hard pack canal for the most part. It was a fairly hilly experience as I stated. Nothing the rest of you might cry home about, but out here an incline is rare.

I started off already feeling like my chest was tight and breathe was hard. This was my second weekend of training since getting the shoes back on after pneumonia. I ran a hard first mile somewhere in the 7:20 range, then a solid 8:00 for mile 2.

Now let me deviate for a moment to explain where I went wrong. For 5k races I don't take water stops, its too short a race. It takes longer for the body to process the water in your system than your on the course. Same with long races, in the last three miles I don't take in water, I just wait till the finish line. But it was HOT, did I mention that. At least 15-20 degrees hotter than I have run recently, since its all been a.m. stuff, and nothing with speed drills.

So my mouth is dry, can't even spit right...all stringy and sticking to my lips. There is a water stop 1 mile from the finish and my mind says, "no don't it", my body on the other hand reaches for the liquid and takes a long pull from the sloshing cup...and the body goes nuts...its ice cold, freezing ice cold. My overheated body is not happy at this sick trip and I start coughing and hacking and eventually a 1/4 mile later pull over for a quick couple of dry heaves.

A much better now and back on the way. Now that little instance sets me back a bit as my stomach is saying, "Hey, cold or not, I needed that!" My mouth is saying, "Damn that was a dirty trick!" My hand is saying, "I couldn't help myself, I never can!" And my mind is screaming, "What is happening to my 22:30 finish!"

The end is bit cloudy, there was another hill, a sharp turn and the finish line. I remember seeing chairs just beyond the chip pad for the finish line and thinking to myself, "Thank God, I have my own chip and don't have to sit down." I hit my Timex after the chip removal area so I came in somewhere right at 24:00, which is a 7:44 per mile pace.

The free food was about 200 yards away so I started to move over there and grabbed some water and a couple of bananas and moved back to the truck for my Finish Transition. I really wanted a 7:15 pace but not terribly disappointed. I stayed under 8:00 per mile. My mind may not be happy but it seldom is. My body is convincing all the other voices that there was nothing left in the tank, no last minute spurts available, no hidden reserves that could have passed one more person...done, finite. If I have a bad time, but I leave it all out there on the field, then I can't be upset, I gave it all I got.

Seize the day, and throttle it. Calvin & Hobbes