Chilli Bowl Race Recap

I love the 5k. It was how I fell in love with endurance sports to begin with. The 5k can be a brutal distance if you really race it.

Who was tougher? Mark Allen, Bill Rogers, Lance Armstrong, Or Steve Prefontaine. They are all American legends. But Pre was all about gut. The 5k demands no less than the spirit of Pre, no matter what your level is. If you don't Puke you didn't try. Start fast and build steadily until you are on the edge of blowing up, hold it to the 3 mile mark and then sprint for the finish. The 5k is heavy metal.

My race today began at 7. I woke up. Brushed my teeth. I got dressed. Got some coffee. and waited for Kirk and Sandy To pick me up. They are a couple of friends I met while bar-tending. They have been marathoning for the last couple of years. Very good people. I like them a lot. We all signed up for the race on Thursday.

So Anyhow, they pick me up at 7:41 and we head west. and arrive at 10 after 8. We get our bib numbers, chips, and SWEATSHIRTS, sit down and get ready.

The race was to start at 9:30, So we had lots of time to relax, attach numbers, "loose weight" and warmup. We jogged with pickups for about 10 minutes. I stripped down to my tights, the new top and the CTC jersey, and headed for the start.

We lined up in the back of he pack and anxiously waited for the gun to sound. 9:30 hit and....nothing. It was cold. and we were starting to seriously cool down. I began my weird bouncy hippy dance in an effort to stay warm. The past couple of weeks we have spent in the freezer has given me the opportunity to really hone this display while waiting for traffic lights to change.

Finally at 9:34 a bell rings and 600 runners begin to slowly move forward. within 45 seconds I crossed the line and followed another runner as we weaved through the crowd toward the front. My race plan was going well. I was running hard, but had more. for the first mile, I continually increased speed and hit the first mile in :07.45 . I was still moving forward through the crowd and was running somewhat possessed. I kept digging deeper and deeper and never broke. At the 3 mile mark, I dug in and sprinted.

Finish time 23.01, 7.25 per mile pace. top 25% overall and in my age group.
Not a PR, but certainly a return to form that re enforces my training and diet.

After the race, I showered and jumped on a bus to my gig.
The plan was door to door service on the 7x.
Reality was that Richmond was the end of the line. Two miles shy of the Mayfield Library. Sidewalks were inaccessible so I trudged up Wilson mills in the road during a snow storm with my guitar. Fortunately I was not run over.

Anyhow, the gig was a blast. The format was a songwriters circle. Charley Brown, Brian Henke, Jim Snyvley and myself would each do a song, talk about it and pass. We have all worked together for years, so the bonds are strong and the personal interplay is very natural. These shows are always memorable. My friends are amazingly talented musicians. I am very lucky to be considered their peer.

After the gig I went to Tommy's and had dinner. I forgot to mention ,"no cheese please." Oops.
I won't obsess over it.
I am a bit sore. I ran hard, and I can feel it.
I will spin a bit, go to bed, and Swim in the morning.

One last thing.
The CTC women out ran the CTC men and brought home lots of hardware.
Congrats to all who raced.
Let the season begin.