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Biloxi "Mayor's Cup" 1-Mile + 5K races!

November 14, 2015 (Morning)

Exercise Type: Run

Weather: WINDY, cool but dry (like 50-55)

Comments:
I've been inspired this year to do more gut-busting short races, and I've followed through on it:

10/9 - RWB OCR race ("5K")
10/31 - Penney Farms 5K

So I looked around and found the perfect pain for this weekend: a combo 1-mile and 5K! And there was a money prize for the mile.

Zero "taper" for this, and quite honestly, I felt pretty flat (physically and mentally) going in, but I didn't care. I need the work!

Warmed up on the 5K course, which was also the 1-mile, which was an out-and back that featured FOUR 90-degree turns sandwiched around a turnaround cone! UGH! The 5K was also an out-and-back with cone. Ran that whole course, stretched a bit, then got ready.

The 1-mile field was reasonably competitive given how small the race "felt". The mayor sounded the horn just past nine, and people TOOK OFF.

The course went straight for only TWO blocks before veering left. By the time I hit the corner, I bet I was 20m behind the leader, in a solid 10th place. F! So I dug down and pressed along the next 500m or so straightaway, gradually reeling in guys 'til turn two and the turnaround cone, a block later. I accelerated hard after places 1-5, and back around corner 3 - thankfully the chase field got out of our way!

On the next straight, it was plain to see who was running hard and who was fading. Of the 4-5 in front, the front guy, now maybe 30m out front but NOT gaining, looked good, as did this older, gray-haired guy. They - and I - all had good forward momentum and stride turnover. We reeled in the rest, including a couple HS kids, on the return straight. Both gray-hair and I were closing hard on 1 and 2, so there'd be a race for the money!

I didn't feel good, but I felt strong. So well before the "3-mile" (200m to go) sign, I pushed HARD, blasting past the older guy and up on the shoulder of second place - a tall, thin guy in his 20s - just before the final corner.

But I made a MAJOR tactical error. Instead of BLASTING past him around the corner, I waited behind, thinking I could push on the home straight. But I misjudged two things:

1. how much he had left
2. that the finish line was actually a block CLOSER than the start

I pushed, but he pushed. He stayed MAYBE 5' in front of me. The hard-running front guy stayed there for the win, then young guy, then me. I think I ran 5:01.

I was pretty pissed off! Poor decision, especially when I don't (yet) have the pure speed!

I didn't dawdle very long. I got a layer from my mom, jogged to the car, grabbed a Powerade bottle(!) and ran along with it, walk-jogging for a good mile before...it was time for the 5K!

Looking around, there didn't seem to be many repeaters from the front of the mile, in the 5K. But I had no idea what was left in my legs.

Turned out...not a whole lot! The 5K got out hard, just after 9:30, and once again I was way back around the first corner. When my watch read like 5:50 pace, I dug down deeper, weaving through the field and a pair of guys - a tall, heavier "Tri guy" and the old gray-hair! - were already way out front. By the half-mile cone I was securly in third but way back.

The next solid mile felt like over two, and it was into a strong wind! Gray-hair was drafting smartly behind Tri Guy, while I wallowed alone. My mile split was a respectable 5:35 or so, but I fell off further. With no one behind for a while, I simply focused on form:

- forward
- turnover (feet)
- pawback

and just tried to keep going. The speed - or PAAAHP - just wasn't there, but that's OK. Up front, gray-hair, fresh off his drafting, broke Tri Guy and took the victory in just over 17. Try guy was like 17:20 to my 17:45.

Not...not great, but damn, not bad. I felt strong and efficient, and goddamn it, it's just GOOD to run hard, even if it's not fast (yet).

Got TWO big-ass trophies out of the deal, $25, a picture with the mayor of Biloxi, and a cup of Bud Light and a chicken strip at the finish! Fun times!

It was great of my mom to be there with me: to even agree to take this visit time to take me to this race, then stand around and watch. It's weird and admirable to think that she's been doing this now for like 20 YEARS!

PM: cleaned up at my Grandpa's apt. He wasn't feeling well, so mom got Mexican take-out. After eating we cleaned up his apt, then headed back to our hotel for a nap.

Dinner was at another (nicer, tastier) Steakhouse, then some more hanging out, then back to the hotel. Watched an awesome Oregon-Stanford football game, then some HBO, then hit the sack.

GREAT DAY!