Bowlegs 5k - Damn it's cold!

This was my first race since the Jacksonville Half-Marathon. This was also the coldest weather I'd ever raced in - you can tell by what I'm wearing. I'm usually one to wear the least possible as I tend to warm-up very quickly. However, it was about 26 degrees when this 5k started. It was held near the FSU Golf Course on a "rolling hills" course that was slightly more challenging than some of my more recent 5k races.
I started off moderately hitting the mile split at 6:40. I tagged along, side-by-side with another runner who seemed to have a similar pace. We ran almost a mile and a half together and passed two miles at 13:38. This was not going to be one of my fastest races, that was for sure. This realization grew even more true as the runner I was pacing pulled away and crested the final hill on the way to the finish. My pace, which had already slowed, grew even slower with a 7:12 3rd mile. I finished 15th overall with a time of 21:33. A lot of room for improvement in many facets of the race; starting to slow, fading in the second half, and having trouble with hills. More endurance training and speedwork on the track will hopefully remedy these issues.

*Above Photo Credit: Herb Wills
Herb's Bowlegs blog: http://troubleafoot.blogspot.com/2010/01/cox-switzer-winners-at-chilly-bowlegs.html

My First Half-Marathon - Boston, Georgia

On Halloween, Saturday, October, 31, 2009, I completed my first half-marathon, The Boston, GA Mini-Marathon. It was kind of a last minute decision to run. Previously the longest distance I had run at one time was 20 kilometers (12.4 miles) at the 2009 Pine Run at Tall Timbers on October 3rd. The Wednesday before, I ran about five miles at Lake Overstreet Trails, an excellent running spot, just watch your footing especially at dusk. Thursday I went for a short bike ride and rested on Friday.

Lisa, another Gulf Winds Track Club member and myself got an early start in our drive to Boston, Georgia. We hadn't registered but fortunately were able to easily park, register and take our time preparing prior to the race. This is unlike me as I usually am one of the last to arrive and am scrambling to park and register before racing to the starting line.

After the Star Spangled Banner was sang I started my Garmin 405 GPS watch at the gun. At the last minute I had set an average pace on my watch of 8 minutes 15 seconds per mile. I started out too fast as usual but settled in behind Lisa for the first few miles. We were heading east on Jefferson Street and into the rising sun. It was about 70 degrees at the start. The course consisted of slight rolling hills and wide open cow pastures. By mile four I had slowed to a more maintainable pace of about 7:50-8min/mile. Although it was warm I still felt strong around mile six, where I spotted Herb Wills and his trusty camera. Roughly half-mile later I was on my way back to the start. I was alone most of the return trip, well behind the fast runners yet ahead of the middle-pack racers. A couple of "run-then-walkers" would pass me before slowing to let me regain the lead, over and over again. That's a strange method in my opinion, but it definitely works for some people. By mile ten, with only a 5k race distance to complete, I began to fade; my legs could sense any, even a minuscule change in elevation. Approaching a water stop I ate my second Orange Gu Energy gel and washed it down with Gatorade, although I spilled most of the drink all over myself. A Boston farmer was nice enough to mist runners with a hose around mile 11. It revived me just enough to push toward the finish.

Finally, I had finished in 1 hour, 48 minutes and 14 seconds. I am very pleased with my time, as I had no idea what to expect. I believe with some more distance practice I will be able to cut many minutes off my next half-marathon. Supporters of the race provided many refreshments and snacks after the race which I gladly enjoyed and always appreciate. Awards were handed out at 11am prior to the annual Boston parade.

In the 30th year anniversary of the Boston Mini-Marathon, 324 runners finished. A number of those runners are GWTC members and many placed. Vince Molosky and Sheryl Rosen were male and female overall winners in a time of 1:19:49 and 1:27:10, respectively. Lisa Cox, pictured left, placed third in her age group with a time of 1:49:16.






Connect:

Race Results : Gulf Winds Track Club - Boston Mini
Herb's Report: Another Boston Mini Win For Rosen
My Garmin Race Report: Garmin Map/Report (couldn't stop watch)