Too Cold To Hold 15K

Well, as i posted a few days ago about the Too Cold To Hold 15K i was participating in, i did NOT freeze that part of me that i sit on.  It was a tad bit warmer that i would've preferred.  It was roughly 45 degrees at the start.  i'd rather it been in the 30's but at least it never really got much warmer.

Since i hadn't trained for it all that much, i decided to be REAL conservative and run a Galloway Method setting of 4:1 (run 4 minutes:walk 1 minute).  Also, i pulled way back on the pace.  My goal here just being able to finish having run as much as possible.  i wasn't worried about breaking/setting any records.  Although i did set a personal record, which i'll mention later.


In the days leading up to this event i did a really good job of keep myself hydrated, plus i had a decent breakfast leading up to it, as well.  Couple that with the decision to run much more conservatively and i started off with a very good plan.  Considering the lack of training, i was feeling really good at the starting line.  Nevermind the fact that just about 1 minute prior to the start, i realized i had left my power-gels back in Bugsy (my car).  Unfortunately, dashing over to the car to get them and then back would've added about 10 minutes to my time so i decided against it.  i'm both glad and disappointed i didn't go get them.

Anyway, the horn blew and we were off.  i kept my pace very conservative, like i said, and felt really good.  The minutes and miles slowly paced on by without much to write about.  It was a nice day, nice scenery and i was feeling really good.  i was hitting each mile at a pace that i was expecting, that being between 12:45 and 13:15 minutes per mile.  The water stops were placed at really good spots along the course.

It was around mile 5 though that i started to regret not getting my power-gels.  i could already tell at that point that i was going to be bonking.  All i could do was hope that it came much later in the course.  Knowing that, i decided to pull back on my pace just a tad.  Although i hoped it would come later, it was right at the 7 mile marker that i bonked and MAN did i bonk BIG TIME!  My legs went all rubbery and i just had very little energy left to drive them, so i started walking.  HOPING that i would recover soon.

After walking about 5 minutes, i decided i could muster up enough energy to run the down-hills and the flat places.  Unfortunately there weren't too many of those left.  LOL

From mile 7 to the end, i figure i was only able to run (in very small stretches) a combined amount of about 10 minutes.  The rest was just plain walking but at least i had the energy to at least walk fast.

So, to sum it all up, i finished at 2 hours, 11 mintues and 17 seconds. NOT my best time ever for a 15K but i finished.  i'll take it.  My placing was 695 out of 719 finishers. 

Oh, and the personal record i set for myself? Well, i wasn't the last person to finish but i was THE LAST MALE FINISHER!!!   WOOO-HOOOO!!!  Can i get a blogger's high-five?  Yeah, that's a first for me.  The....last....male.....finisher.

Oh well, nowhere to go but up, right?


laters.