Max's Race Part II

I kinda planned this when I was picking my races for this year.  I wanted to see if I could improve over last year's race.  I asked my family if anyone wanted to do it with me this year and my youngest, 9 at the time, piped up that he wanted to go with me.  We began to train together and he went along with me on my runs.  We had some good ones, not so good ones, and some really hot ones, but he didn't complain and he pushed through and WE did it.

As the race drew nearer, I asked him if he wanted to go do packet pickup with me.  Well, it's really not a packet, more like bag, bib, and shirt pickup.  The bag has very little in it.  Even less than last year.  Last year, at least had some coupons in it, not this time.  Just a bag to put your bib and t-shirt in along with your bib pins.  At least my guy was excited, well, he acted like he was excited.

I had warned him that we'd have to get up early to head over to the race site.  Again, it's a local university, Michigan State, and about 10 minutes from our house.  He wasn't happy to get up that early, but we got going and headed over to the start area.  This time I kinda knew what to expect and talked him through what was going on.  Well, first things first, gotta get your pic taken with Sparty.

Next is to take a pre-race photo near a tree followed by a pre-race shot with me.

I made sure we were well back in the pack.  Like I mean well back, by people with strollers and walkers, ok, they didn't really have walkers.

The horn went off and we were moving.  The course was set up different this year.  Thank goodness, not as many rolling little hills for us.  We headed up the first hill, which is right at the start.  Then made a right turn and headed towards the athletic complex.  I made sure we waved at the firemen who were out watching us go by.

We then went between Munn Ice Arena and the Breslin Center toward Jenison Field House where Magic Johnson did....well....his Magic.  Then we headed towards Sparty, the statute not the mascot.  One of my friends was volunteering there.  It was the only water station on the course.  I didn't know she was volunteering and she didn't know I was running.  We had a quick chat and then it was run ON.

We then ran up by the outdoor pool and I asked my son if he wanted to go.  Of course he said yes.  I said you can go, but you have to jump of the 10m platform first.  I got the "are you kidding" look.  We made a turn toward the stadium.  I got a quick shot of that.

A volunteer was directing our way and I made sure to let her know that I really liked the course this year.  She said they have to change it every year due to construction on campus while the students are gone on summer break.  Makes sense.

We headed back towards the start and my son began to fade a little.  Said he was getting tired.  Well, we made it back to the start area only to run up the first hill that was after the start, to cross the street and head back down it.  This time there was no up and down and around the dorm.  Just run along the river and up the hill to the bridge.  Once we got there, the volunteers were saying it was all down hill to the finish.  When we rounded the last corner, a volunteer asked my son if he was going to win or if he was going to let me win.  Well, the energy came back and he took off like a shot.

I was able to catch him and point out where my wife and I were married.  He took no interest.

The thing I like about this race is they can announce you as you finish.  They announced both of us as we crossed the finish line.  He thought that was pretty cool.  We grabbed some water, chocolate milk, and a banana or two.  Then we saw balloon animals and of course had to get one.

We got in line and I recognized the clown.  She worked with my Mom when I was at MSU and did my 20th birthday party.  Yes, I said 20.  It was a riot.  She did the typical 3 - 6 year old stuff, but we managed to turn it into something completely different.  She thought she could never go back to the younger kids without thinking of what we did to her routine.

Anyway, her clown name is Shenanigans.  If you're older, like me, you may recognize her from Saturday Night Live, yes, SNL.  They put her picture up on the show 2 years in a row.  She had a little boy sitting on her knee after the annual White House, yes that White House, Easter Egg hunt.  SNL made a joke about the boy being Dan Quayle.  She's been to the White House 4 times under 3 different Presidents.  I'm impressed.

I ran into my older son's hockey teammate and family.  He had run the race.  I didn't realize it at the time, but they were waiting around for medals.  He finished the 5K in just over 18 minutes.  I believe he was 8th overall and 3rd in his age group.  To me, that's crazy fast.

After that, we headed back to the car and headed for home.  I like this race, and even more so this year.  I think it's because I have been running and knew what to expect, but also the nice change in the course.a

I'm a FREAK!!!

I'm sorry I've been away so long.  The holiday weekend and then the start of school for both the kids and myself.  Been just a tad on the busy side.  But, HEY, here I am.

So, a few things have happened since my last entry.  Yes, I'll get to the freak part in a bit.  I have had my longest run EVER last week and I intend on breaking that later today.  I ran my own little 10K run a few weeks ago.  That was not my longest run ever.  It was, then, my longest training run.  I had a few issues along the way, but kept going.  

My biggest issue is apparently I've become sensitive to milk or dairy.  I have no idea where this came from or how it started.  If I have milk or dairy, cheese mostly.  I had cereal and milk for breakfast and then headed out to run.  I got 2 miles in and began hurling.  Yep, puked it all up.  I don't know what it is or how it happens, but no more.  I ended up finishing the run and felt better after the episode and another mile in.  It was kinda like, well I'm this far and if I wanna go back to my car, I might as well finish.  So, I finished.

I went home and filled my tub with cold water.  My own homemade cold plunge.  Let me tell you, I sat in the tub for 10 minutes, it took about 5 minutes to get my breath back.  I will say this, I think it worked.  I was a bit sore but not nearly as sore as I had been after long runs or as you'll hear about shortly, as sore as I was after my longest run ever.

Before I get to that, here's where the freak part comes in.  It wasn't very hot that day, but it got humid quick.  Sweat was pouring off of me.  Someone turned a faucet on on top of my head and it just ran down me.  I love that.  The feeling of the sweat running down my back, soaking my shirt.  Yup, I'm a freak.  Makes me feel like I accomplished something, and I worked hard at it.

I had a few short runs before my longest run ever.  Then the group of friends I am going to run the Rock N Roll Cleveland half with convinced me to meet them at a park and run around the lake.  That run around the lake was some run.  It was 9 miles around.  And the hills, OH THE HILLS!!!  We did it.  I have never run that far before, and I did it!!! 

I did a gel before the run then a few chomps during the run.  Once we hit mile 7, I was tiring out quickly.  I had a few more chomps and that got me through.  Otherwise, I think I would have been sleeping on side of the trail soon after that.  I have to play around with that on my next 2 long runs; they are also, my last 2 long runs before the half.

It was another hot one.  I brought my water belt, but ran out with a little over 2 miles to go.  Good thing it got dark and cooled off quick.  But I did think ahead and brought a water bottle to drink on my drive home.  That helped a lot.

I did not do a cold plunge when I got home.  I was too pooped to pant.  I took a shower and had some food.  Then it was off to bed.  I was sssssoooo sore for the next 3 -4 days.  I could only do 1 short run this week.  I hurt almost the entire time I was running 2 1/2 miles.  I felt good other than that and it didn't seem like it was that difficult of a run, other than my calves were screaming the entire time.  There will be a cold plunge after the next long run.

Today, I'm meeting my friends for another long run.  This time it's 11 miles.  Besides being tired after the 9 mile run, I'm convinced, if I can do 9, then I can do 13.1.  And after today's big run, I know I'll finish the half without a problem.  I have the mental aspect of running 13.1 miles for the first time covered.  I'm confident I'll finish.  As long as my physical ability allows me, which at this point I do.

So yeah, I'm a freak.