One America Festival, Many Firsts

Let's start right off with the Garmin results.

Ok, now that you've had a moment to review them, consider the total distance - 13.29 miles. Hmm. Garmins notoriously under report distance on a run. This one is nearly two tenths over. How could that be?

Corral W.

I started in Corral W. That's fourth from the end, and let me tell you, I could see the end very clearly. I got there as the gun went off for the race (a long trek to the end of the start!), but I need not have hurried - we didn't move for several minutes. In fact, it took 24 minutes to cross the start line. That left a heap of people, chiefly walkers, between me and the finish line.

I briefly considered attempting to be the very last person to cross the start. Why not? I knew I couldn't make any serious time. Why not go for the whole experience. Then, just as quickly, it struck me that out of 34,000 runners, I couldn't be the only one to have the same thought. The image of me fighting it out with someone else over the privilege of being last seemed too absurd even for me, so I pressed forward.

As we nudged in fits in starts towards the start, two ladies behind me called to me, "You obviously don't belong in this corral. How did you wind up here?" Now part of me wants to think they were looking at my ample calves to make their assessment, as it does seem to be the measure of a man anymore. I'm not sure. I would at best describe myself as non-descript in that particular group - no one around me was overly obese or old - so I don't know by what measure I was judged. I played it down, stating I didn't get my time in (technically true; I was under Steve Black), and normally I would be forward.

"How forward?", she pressed.
"A."

There were other comments after that, I downplayed the whole deal, but yeah, it was an ego boost per se to be picked out of a crowd that way. Especially sinceI don't see myself like that.

I thought maybe I would have a shot at spotting Dan during the race. His yellow hair and height combination would at least give me a chance, if I could properly judge where I might come upon him. This was tricky, because it hinged on when and if he should begin walking. His plan was to walk after 3, then run/walk the rest of the way. Judging by our relative starts, I figured (accurately as it turned out) he had between a 15-20 minute head start on me. If he ran all the way and maintained a 9-minute average and I maintained an 8-minute average, I wouldn't catch him at all. If I could be 1.5 minutes per mile faster, I would catch him in the last few miles, assuming he didn't walk. If he walked, I could pass him anytime after about 5 miles.

I looked for a while. After about 5 miles the serious searching stopped. The crowd was the main reason. The crowd was thick enough my first zig-zag mile was 8:30ish. How bad was it? My Garmin tripped long before the mile marker came up. Ask yourself, "when's the last time my Garmin hit a mile before the mile mark?" Answer? Never. Garmins always measure short. I was doing some serious overdistance to get that kind of result. It never changed for the entire race.

Sure, I would scan the crowd every now and then when I would get a break, but more often than not I had to keep my eyes on the ground right in front of me. There were too many people around to get lazy about my positioning.

Morgan and Jake were out there too, both on their first mini-marathons. I would have loved to have stumbled upon them, to join them, but it would have only been through the wildest luck it could have happened.

Turns out I passed all of them, probably on the track based on our finishing times. I finished in 1:43:48 (unofficial), Dan in 2:17 and change, Morgan and Jake in 2:21 or so. I was at the Indiana Running Co. tent for around 10 minutes before Dan walked up. We were there another half hour before Jake and Morgan showed up, but they had been slightly lost for a bit. The great news was all three of them ran the entire race, totally unexpected given the injuries and interruption to training all experienced.

I will cop to two heinous acts of Tom Foolery perpetrated by one Steve Black on today's course. Twice he knelt to the ground, much to the horror of the crowd. First came the bricks on the track. Steve had been watching the jumbo-tron, and noted the men doing push-ups on the bricks. He decided then and there to do something different. So, upon arrival and after checking for a clear spot, dropped to the ground and log-rolled across the bricks. The second time was the finish. Once again, after checking for a spot, he hit the ground and rolled across the finish. Should make for a great finish photo!

I did manage to see Miller, Roy, Jimmy, and Denny before they had to leave. Jimmy did not make the 1:30 (would have been surprised if he had), which is kind of sad because we've both done it for so many years. Guess that training thing I once heard about works? I didn't get any other details before they were gone.

There were many other Bedford and Bedford-area runners there, and it seemed all were universal in the feeling it had been a great day. Many had PR's, including Sandra, Charity, Arlene, Danny Leach, and a few others I can't recall at the moment. I would have liked to stay longer, but we were all under dressed and starving, so we left.

Dan, Morgan, Jake, and I drove down to Bloomington and grabbed lunch at Buchetti's(sp?). Three Chicken Badda-Bings and a specialty calzone later (courtesy of Dan Dyke) and all were satisfied. It was a perfectly lovely experience from beginning to end, and though I had dreaded the event all week, I'm so glad I went. 

Numbers all around

Four - that's the number of senior girls on the track team.

Three - that's the number of sweeps I saw in their races.

Two - I saw at least two personal best times.

One - The number of races I really wanted to see but was forced to miss.

This night featured three events stitched together back-to-back. First was the senior night track meet, which I didn't want to miss. It started at 5:00. Then there was the packet pickup/pizza fill up at Mr. Gatti's at 7:00. Finally, there was the adult swim session I promised to hold at 8:00.

It was fun to watch the track meet, and I didn't even mind having to set hurdles. The girls are getting healthy, and I even got to see a couple of decent (if unlikely) prospects for next cross season. Morgan Benstin looked good in the mile compared to the fall, and she even out kicked Carrie Flinn. That was amazing, and great news... we have to find someone to replace Shelby Bennett. Danielle had a nice win in the 400, our girls looked great in the 800... I gotta tell you, in the last two meets, our distance girls have done the job.

Off to pizza! Once again, it was a good time to get to sit with my friends and chat, if only for a short while. I picked up the packets I needed (Steve is staged in W!), ate some pizza, then shot out to the swim.

Allen, Galloway, Josh, and Robin met me there. Robin is looking really great in her swimming, and Allen went sans flippers for everything but his kicking set. Bravo! He even accepted Robin's request for a rematch, though he knew he couldn't win. Ah... he has patience. While we were busy congratulating Robin, Allen swam 25 yards and immediately turned for another 25. He almost made the full 50 without stopping. That's some progress!

At home again, I find myself contemplating tomorrow. W, huh? I don't know that I will ever be able to find Dan, as separated as we are. I know I won't make any effort to run hard to do so. It's going to be a very surreal experience back there, but it sure won't be fast. For that reason, I'm thinking of going ahead and getting my final 25 mile ride out of the way. It's not as if an easy ride is going to hurt that run... 

The Outs

I'll start with the biggest out - Comcast was totally dead for hours tonight. It's a bit past 10 now, and it's just now come back up. Hate that.

Started the workout today with a short ride of 20 miles. It's supposed to be taper, so I didn't want to overdo it. It went okay, except for the corn on my little toe. It hurt awfully! It felt like someone was standing on my toe and grinding it. Every single crack in the pavement sent shockwaves through my toe. I really thought I might have to call Leisa to come get me. The thing is, as bad as it hurts sometimes, there is no real damage being done. For that reason, I just ignore the pain and go on. It was pretty hard to do tonight.

When I got to the run, Miller noticed my new shoes. He scuffed the left one. Jimmy made a move to scuff, so I offered him the right- and he nailed the corn. I screamed like a Burris headed for corn. I would have admitted to anything in that instant. I recovered immediately, and like a Gary realized I was such a wuss.

We did an easy three, and that was that! However, and this is one good thing that happened... I made the jump from Jimmy's pacer to joining Dan for his race. Let's face it, I could never make the 1:30. Miller can, and he will do a great job pacing Jimmy. I will run a more relaxed pace with Dan. I hate it that I can't do it, but I can't, and that's that.

Next two days off?

Rides and Revelations

Allen has been reading my blog. How do I know? Shortly after posting last night he texted me. He read my tentative plans for riding, and being a somewhat Jimmyesque opportunist, saw a chance to slip a ride in himself.

His plan was for me to ride down to Mitchell right after school. We would meet, then we would ride back to Bedford, then do the 5:15 run. His wife would collect his bike after the run, so he wouldn't have to do a return ride. Jimmy had his running gear. Whether or not we rode to Parkview to do the exchange or got to Jimmy's office was a matter of timing.

Good thing the Allen/IronBill cooperative is a well-oiled exercise tandem.

I got a late start (ISTEP week - don't get me started on that fiasco), and there were winds from the south/southwest that had the potential to delay me. Allen wanted to be at Spring Mill Vet by 4:20. I left my house at 3:40. Got that? Forty minutes to do 13 miles. If you're paying attention, that means I would have to make 18-19 mph to get it done. My legs were still aching from last night's run. Could I do it?

Yes, I could, with time to spare. The recorded pace was a perfect 20 mph to the meeting place. We left the clinic by 4:17. Pretty dang good if I say so myself.

We were able to take things a bit easier heading back. He had ridden from his house, and finishing this bit would give him 25+ miles. Allen was concerned about THE CUT and THE RUN. He shouldn't have, really. The cut isn't that hard, and our scheduled run wouldn't be either.

Still, though I wanted the miles, I let him decide which way we took back. He opted for the highway, though we didn't ride flat out. We dropped down the incline at a pace the hill gave us, then I settled back to the agreed-upon 20-or-so mph pattern. I watched for his shadow behind me. If it fell back, I backed off. We stayed together and on the highway all the way to Bedford. Traffic wasn't terrible, but I'm sure he noticed it. I do it all the time so I don't think much about it anymore.

We got back fast enough to end the ride at Jimmy's. Since Allen had ridden a different course, he had one more mile than I had. That wouldn't do. As soon as I left him I told him I would do another, which I did.

Here is the bike.

A quick turnaround took us to Parkview track, where we tacked on a 4-mile run (or so). I could still feel my sore calves, but the new shoes helped alleviate the pain I was feeling. There wasn't a whole lot to talk about here, except for a sudden revelation.

Chicks don't like Allen.

I don't know how I could have missed it - the proof is plain to see. Let's rewind a year and add it up:

• A coed at Wellesley College refused to kiss his cheek. I have never seen this happen before.
• Allen's arrogance offended WinD to the point she was compelled to defend her honor at Cicero.
• Allen's singing inflamed the ire of Mary Whatserface during the Crane ride. 
• Huck's girl doesn't even know he exists, apparently.
• And now, Robin found the need to kick his butt in a swim-off during last night's swim. 

The evidence is irrefutable. There's something about him that triggers a reaction, no doubt about it. I suppose there'd be little to note if that was all there was to it, but those legs of his have been drawing so much attention... It's actually inspired me to pen a new American novel. I'm thinking, "Doctor Jekyll and Mr. Thighs". Kinda has a ring to it, eh? 

Okay, so I've been hard on Allen. I suppose I should throw him a bone, so here it is...

Jimmy talked about going to the track meet in Mitchell after our run tonight. I needed to be home when Leisa and Erin got there, but I figured I could just squeeze it in. I threw on my shorts over my running compression shorts and scooted out. 

I got there and had a great time seeing my girls run and talking with their parents. I even ran into an old high school chum. To top it off, I talked to Jo Scott and waved to the girls' bus as it pulled out. I climbed into the car to leave. That's when I noticed how loose my pants felt.

That's right, my fly was wide open. I basically flashed every single person I talked to all the time I was there. Lovely. Now that was a revelation...

Ominous Clouds Gather

It could be I'm a Nervous Nellie. It could be there is nothing to worry about. For years I've warned Jimmy I might not be good for sub-1:30 at Indy. I've always meant it, but never so much as now. Often I surprise myself with how easily the run goes. Maybe it will happen again.

But tell me, when the crows start gathering over me while I run, should I worry? Getting all Biblical, when the birds of the air gather, disaster is close behind. Seemed like a lot of cawing tonight during my run.

My thought, despite the significantly warmer temperature, was to go ahead and start out at a smart clip. I had my Garmin and heart rate monitor on, so I wanted to see what level I would achieve for a 3-mile effort. My splits were 7:10, 6:55, 6:59, nothing too tough. How did the heart handle it?

Check it for yourself.

This is not good news. The heart rate was way too high for that pace. It is clearly not a rate I could have sustained for 10 miles, much less 13.1. To be fair to myself, I rode 80 miles yesterday, and perhaps that had me a bit less than recovered. I'd even say it's likely true. But man, this sure wasn't a confidence booster.

I guess I could also point out that 3rd mile was going uphill, and that would cause a spike. Good news there is Indy doesn't have a hill like that. I suppose that makes me feel a little better.

Another point I could make is the course is long, given I did two turns around Hillcrest. That added time no matter how you slice it. I also added to the end to get to 5 miles even.

In the end there are the inescapables - I am woefully out of running shape. I can't afford another experiment like tonight, I'll have to taper and hope for the best. Even if it's hopeless.

4 miles tomorrow night. I will ride as well. All easy. 

Desperation 80

In a nutshell; Indy Mini is next week. I'll have to rest at the end of the week if I'm going to have any shot at hitting Jimmy's goal, even for only 10 miles. I don't want to sacrifice my cycling at this point for a pointless race, so I'm trying to get in as much biking on the front end of the week as possible.

I have a track meet after school tomorrow I have to supervise. I'll also have to run. That's the evening, no getting around it. Tuesday is another run I need to hit. I could get a short ride before or after, but the weather is supposed to change for the worse by then too. Wednesday isn't looking a whole lot better. Thursday is possible, but that cuts into the rest.

You see the point. Whatever I could get done today needed to get done. Only one problem though... lousy weather. It rained all night and into the morning. It really wasn't safe to go out as early as I would have liked. I opted to wait until noon. That was my cutoff time, because I was shooting for 80 miles.

This was already a push. 80 is 25 more than I've gone this season, a pretty big jump. Add to that wet roads and the threat of rain, cool temperatures... part of me was screaming, "Rent some tapes, stay inside!", but I couldn't. No matter what, this one had to be an outdoor ride.

I hit the likely suspects for company. Galloway, in classic Galloway style, gave me the thumbs down after the morning run. I love that about him - no quibbling, a straight yes or no. John T. begged off. Roy didn't understand the text that suggested folks meet me at Huck's and said he couldn't make the noon starting time, but I didn't have time to explain. Only Allen failed to answer, and I wasn't waiting around.

My timetable was to be at Huck's by 1:15. Leaving at noon, this was shaving it close. It's actually almost 22 miles from my house, and with a building wind from the southwest I had to fight to get there on time, though I made it. No one was there. I decided to stop and check my messages. Allen had hit me. We exchanged messages, and once the minor misunderstandings were resolved, he agreed to meet me in Livonia.

I got there first. I rode through, turned around and started back to town, and spotted the car pulling into the church. Oddly, there were two people climbing out of the car. At first I thought James must have joined Allen, but as I got closer, I saw it was Lester.

Allen told me Lester had no shoes this time, so he'd take it easy, maybe going only 10 miles. Then Allen looked for his shoes. They weren't in the car. So now both Burrises had to go in street shoes. We wound up doing a very easy 10 miles on Saltillo Road, whereupon we parted company.

Now I thought I'd have a very rough time of it for the next 15 miles or so. I had to go back into a headwind, sorta. Turned out it didn't hurt me too bad, in fact, I had some of the most consistent speed I maintained all day. However, by the time I turned north on the Amish Super 2 I was pretty tired. I could still maintain speed, but I was 60 in and it wasn't taking much to hurt my legs.

Not much to tell after that. I doubled back the course, added a couple of miles back in town, and finished with the 80 I sought.

You can see the data here.

Gonna try for 70 more this week, likely in two more rides. I can't say for sure what days those will be.

A double with trouble

You haven't lost your mind; I am really trying to make an effort to post more here. It's been some crazy busy, and I let it go for a while.

OOOH! Watching UFC prelims, and the next fight is chicks. Chick fight! This should be good.

Back to the post...

The Louisville Mini was today. The runners seem to have had a good day. Two in particular, Rand and Scott did very well. Rand ran 1:33:27, which is quite possibly a PR. Scott ran 1:43:04, a great first time. It was nearly a perfect day to race. Great, great races.

Indy is only a week away, so our run today was shorter. We did 8 miles, starting a little earlier. This worked out well. Allen, John T. and I started our planned ride a bit quicker, and it was a great one. Lighthouse to Huck's and back, with a tailwind home. I took the opportunity to test my Garmins side-by-side. They gave nearly identical results, as I suppose should be expected.

I need to run early and get ride on the bike tomorrow. I'm hoping for a long ride, 60-80 miles in total. That would help me buy time to rest at the end of the week. I will try to weave interested parties into the mix as the ride proceeds.