This year I finally ran the Westside 10K. Tes Marshall's Run Social / runningnerds group has organized this race for a decade (or more), but it's often the same weekend as the Galloway Half Marathon, which I've run each year since 2014. I volunteered at the Westside 10K-10 mile race as a course monitor several years ago on a frigid morning. The one time that I registered to run this race, I believe the 10-mile distance, the race was cancelled due to severe ice. This year I waited to register until I was sure that my recovery was going well enough to enjoy running, but with a weather forecast that predicted lightning storms this weekend, I didn't actually register until just a few hours before the registration cut-off on Thursday afternoon, after I was fairly confident that the worst weather wouldn't arrive until we had finished the race. With the Galloway Half Marathon coming next weekend, I decided that while I could probably run 10 miles, I might not recover in time for 13.1 miles in eight days, so I registered for the 10K distance. I've had a couple of good runs to prepare for that distance, including last weekend with Tucker Running Club, covering over seven miles, and finishing up the run with Susie Hill.
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| In other words: "No complaining, y'all!" |
I didn't recall discussing this race with Susie last weekend, but when I arrived this morning, she was one of the first people that I saw! Susie and I both ran the Chicago Marathon in October. Her marathon recovery has been smoother than mine. Susie introduced me to a friend, Eric, who was running his first 10K race today! For a "rookie", he was relatively young and looked quite athletic, so I had a feeling that he would easily outrun me. The weather was unseasonably warm for December, in the low 60's, so I wore a T-shirt and shorts for today's race. After completing some dynamic stretches, I jogged an easy mile starting about 20 minutes before the race began. This was a good move, not only to loosen up the legs, but also to properly and comfortably retie my shoes, which required three stops in that warm-up mile.
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| With Susie Hill about 30 minutes before the start |
At 8 o'clock sharp, Tes Marshall started the race. I was well behind the starting line, but immediately began running even before passing the marker at the starting point. The first few blocks on Howell Mill Road were gently uphill, but then the road levelled out. We made a sharp right turn onto West Marietta Street, and then my watch sounded for the first walk break, at 4:30 elapsed. I was on a 4:30 / 0:30 interval strategy, which I figured would save my energy and legs for the challenging hills to come. My main goal was to get to the finish line uninjured, although I was hoping that I would feel good enough after 5 or 5-1/2 miles to pick up the pace for a strong finish.
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| No joke! Today's mantra will be "I love hills!" |
In the distance, I could hear Bob Wells cheering on the runners. It turns out that he was posted at the 1-mile marker, which I reached in ---- 8:08! That couldn't be right, I felt like I was running at around a 10 min / mile pace, and decided that the mile marker was probably in the wrong place. Nonetheless it was great to hear and see Bob, and we exchanged a gentle fist bumb as I passed him. On the right I recognized the buildings of the King Plow center. Bonnie's employer, the RMN Agency, had an office here for a year or two, before moving a couple of miles to the current location on West Peachtree Street in Midtown Atlanta. We turned left into a neighborhood. To the left, the road climbed sharply upward. I was about to say to the runner next to me "Glad we're not going that way!" but then saw that the right turn was also taking us uphill, almost as steeply. Time to bring on the mantra, "I love hills!" The mantra was going to get a good workout today!
There were several cheer groups on the streets of this neighborhood, which was really nice to see. I picked up some speed going downhill, then it was time to climb again to get back onto West Marietta Street, approaching the 2-mile marker, at 18:30 elapsed. I did not think that I was running 9:15 mile average, but just kept moving along on the 4:30 run / 0:30 walk plan. Some of the walk breaks were even downhill, but I didn't worry about that: a walk break is a rest break whether it's going uphill, downhill, or level - not that there was much level ground on today's race route.
As we headed due west, I began to recognize the area near the Westside Reservoir Park, Atlanta's newest city park. We visited a few months ago shortly after it opened to the public. Bonnie and I got a little lost exploring the outer reaches of the park, and ended walking on a very hilly road to get back to the parking area. Today we were now running on that very hilly road. At this point, the lead runner in the 10K race was heading back in our direction. He must have been running at around a 5:30 min / mile pace! It was another full minute before I saw the second runner, and the rest of the leaders were relatively spread out along the route.
Turning left onto Johnson Road, it was time for another walk break at 24:30 elapsed. I was feeling OK. There was a little pain in the left buttock, but it wasn't getting worse, in fact I thought it might have diminished a bit, perhaps as I was fully warmed up at this stage of the race. The route was rolling hills but I could tell it was net downhill on Johnson Road. I was a little surprised to see that some of the speedsters leading the 10K race were actually walking in the return direction, uphill! Around 27 minutes elapsed, I saw the hydration station for the race, and decided to slow down to pick up a cup of purple sports drink and then a 6-ounce water bottle. My hands were sweaty and the bottle was slick with condensation so it was tough to hold onto. We turned into the main entrance of the Westside Reservoir Park, on the sidewalk, with the return runners to our left. Hmm, we're going to have to cross paths on our way out of the park. After a little "speed bump" just past the entrance, I was happy to run downhill. With the water bottle in hand, I drank down about half of the bottle at the 29:30 walk break, which I took on schedule even though I was moving downhill. The 3-mile marker was near the large sign between the parking area and the walking paths, coinciding with 30 minutes flat on my watch, and 2.97 miles, so now the mile markers were nearly equal to my watch mileage. Slightly slower than 10 min / mile pace to this stage, I was pretty happy with that for the first half on such a hilly course. Susie passed me heading out of the park, probably about a minute ahead of me, I estimated. Not sure if I would catch up to her unless she seriously slowed down in the second half, but I was running with a group that was more-or-less at my pace. Around the 5K point, we made a U-turn to exit the park. Wow, the path out of the park was more steeply uphill than I had realized when we were easily moving downhill. Nonetheless I knew that any route involving the Westside Reservoir Park was going to be hilly. "I love hills!" Around 32 minutes elapsed, and about 4:30 after the walk break for the water station, I took a 30 second walk break and finished most of the water bottle. After the race, I realized that the U-turn had been at the lowest point of the course.
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| (Photos from an earlier visit in late summer 2021) "Dinosaur ribs" at the entrance to the park |
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| The quarry at the park reminds me of the late great comedian Robin Williams, who joked "A waste processing plant near a recreation area? How intelligent is that?!" |
Returning to Johnson Road, I tossed the empty water bottle into a recycling bin and picked up another 6 ounce bottle. Following the example of the lead runners, I took a couple of extra walk breaks up to the intersection, "I love hills!" Turning right onto West Marietta Street, I passed the mile 4 marker at 41 minutes flat: 11 minutes for mile 4, 135 feet uphill, 66 feet downhill. There was a lot of car and truck traffic on the road on the return trip. When I reached the intersection with Marietta Boulevard - crossing West Marietta Street, welcome to Atlanta street naming - I realized that WE were responsible for the traffic backup, as the police were stopping cars and trucks to let us cross the intersection. After turning left onto Marietta Boulevard, we crossed a bridge over a set of many railroad tracks. Now I remembered where I was stationed as a volunteer five years ago: the water station was at this exact point. It was 25 degrees F that morning. As runners spilled water onto the roadway, the cold wind passing over and under the bridge quickly froze the water, creating a giant patch of ice at the water station. Yet I don't recall anyone slipping and falling that morning, thank goodness.
Returning to today's account, 40 degrees warmer: we turned right onto Huff Road. We were running downhill, we had earned it, yet I didn't pick up much speed, as it was a little painful to run downhill. Nevertheless I delayed the next walk break until we reached the bottom of the hill, at 50 minutes elapsed. 30 seconds walking uphill, where a few runners passed me, then I began running again. I passed the mile 5 marker just before 52 seconds elapsed, tried to resume running without extra walk breaks, but on this long uphill section of the entire race, it was impossible to avoid some walking. "I love hills, I love hills!!" I kept saying to myself as we kept climbing. A sign was posted for "Huff and Puff Road" followed by "Remember, you paid for this - and you signed a waiver!" On the steepest grade, I said out loud "Oh my God!" There are only two things that will make this non-religious guy say those words: 1) Uphill running, and 2) Bonnie can tell you about the second thing (wink!).
Shortly after the 54:30 walk break, we were about to crest the hill, and I sensed that Howell Mill Road was not far away. I picked up a little speed and moved ahead of a few of the people that had passed me during earlier walk breaks. Turning onto Howell Mill Road, I could see one more hill, but it was a gentle climb. Surely it was the very last hill of the race. "I love hills!" As the alert sounded for the 59:30 walk break, I was about to pass another runner. Shall I walk or shall I pass, I asked myself? I felt strong enough to run instead of walk, after all this was the final kilometer of the race.
At 1:02:00 elapsed, we turned right onto Trabert Avenue for the promised downhill finish! I didn't care if it was a little more painful to run downhill, none of the people that I had recently passed were going to overtake me if I could help it. At 1:02:30, I flew past the mile 6 marker. A couple of times, I did hear footsteps rapidly close on me from behind, turns out it was the 5th and then the 6th place finishers in the 10-mile race. That was cool with me, go right ahead and don't let me get in the way of your 63-minute finish. I accelerated as the road continued downhill and curving to the right, while the pain in my butt was also increasing. C'mon, it's less than 0.2 mile, less than 2 minutes. The old Van Halen song "Somebody Get Me a Doctor" came to mind. I didn't remember the lyrics word-for-word, but here they are:
"You better call up the ambulance, I'm deep in shock, overloaded baby, I can hardly walk!"
OK, I didn't feel that bad. It was more like:
"I'm feeling over fine, and I'm speeding down that line!"
Then I saw the flags marking the beginning of the finishing chute. Another runner was moving slowly ahead of me as the finish line came into view; I put on a kick to beat her to the finish line by a second, just as the 7th place 10-mile runner finished a step behind me. I stopped my watch, and remembered the dramatic last words of the Van Halen song:
"Somebody give me a shot!" and the last two chords, tum-tum
After cooling down and walking around for a few minutes, I decided to use my free drink ticket for a craft beer. At 9:30 in the morning, I'm normally still drinking coffee, but the "Saint Monday" beer was surprisingly delicious. I wouldn't win any awards today, but I had stood up Tes by missing award ceremonies in a previous race where I actually placed in my age group, so I stayed today to congratulate the 10K awardees. Remember Eric who was doing his first 10K? He was the 19th-fastest male finisher, in 48:27! What a great way to run one's first 10K race!
Today's run was nearly 15 minutes slower than my personal best 10K from just four years ago. But I've not been in the best shape this year. My goal for 2022 is to get 100% healthy and to really lose some weight. I'm already down about 5 pounds in the last month by rigorously resuming Weight Watchers tracking. I'm confident that I can get over my recent aches and pains if I continue the physical therapy strength and flexibility exercises at home. And then, I can work toward improving my speed in the 5K distance.
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| Post-race party, mostly 10K finishers in this photo. A few big windows were open, so the place was well-ventilated. Hopefully we were safe enough from breakthrough omicron-COVID. |
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