This was to be a benchmark race for me to see where I had gotten. No kids. No friends. Just me and my race. I had planned for this one about a month before hand. It takes place in Traverse City, MI where they hold the annual National Cherry Festival. This small Michigan town has boomed and the Festival occurs over or near the 4th of July. The town is located at the base of a peninsula in northern lower Michigan on the west side of the state. Lake Michigan goes into 2 bays and makes for excellent water recreation. They also have a ton of golf courses up there, and the views from above the town are brilliant.
My kids have never been to the Cherry Festival and I was always there growing up. My grandparents had a house in Traverse City and we would always visit during that time. I had friends who had run this race several times. It was a 10K at one time.
My family made plans to go. I continued to train. I debated on doing the 15K, but there was a 2 hour time limit, because when the race is over on Saturday, the final BIG parade starts. The organizers want the parade route clear. I was no where near 2 hours for 9.3 miles. I think I could a little over 4 miles in an hour if I really pushed it.
We stayed at a relative's house and they were kind enough to give me a ride to the start point. The start line is at a local college, but the finish is right down the main parade route so everyone who is getting ready to watch the parade cheers you on. And they DO!!!
When I picked up my bib the day before there were only about 3500 preregistered runners.
And packet pickup was a MADHOUSE. It was at a local elementary school. The parking lot was not nearly big enough to hold all the cars. The spill over went to the high school next door and there were people parking in the street. Crazy. They allowed people to register the day of the race. I think my uncle told me the highest bib number he saw was around 7000. So about half the runners registered that day before or the day of the race. To me, this was amazing.
I jumped out and headed to the start area. There are no corrals. I think they should start having them though. This was July 6 and the sun was just coming up. I walked to the gathering spot for the race start. I was having issues with vomiting while I would run and didn't want that to happen during the race. I don't know what was causing it or why it was happening but would just involuntarily throw up for now reason. I drank a Powerade, the store I went to the day before had no Gatorade, and a gel. Then it was restroom time. Me and 3500 or so of my closest friends.
I thought Color Run was packed WOW. I did some stretching and headed to the start line. The organizers were going to let out a few hundred people out onto the course at a time every 2 minutes. Well, that lasted about 6 minutes. Then they moved some barricades and just let people funnel through to the start line and off you went. I think the elite runners were out of the gate first somehow they had gotten close to the front. After that it was a free for all. I waited and waited, know I was a slow runner and needed to be near the end. I stood for 15 minutes waited but the crowd and the line never seemed to diminish. So, I hopped in the fray and headed for the start line.
I hit the course and it was and easy good start. No issues with vomiting....yet. I hadn't made it a mile yet, when I get a text from my wife saying that the first runners were crossing the finish line. Thanks for the morale boost. Oh well, this is my race. Near the start of the race, once you off the college campus is a the steepest hill I'd ever seen. I thought I'd need a pick and some rope to get up it. HOLY COW!!!! was it STTEEEEEEPPPP!!! I tried to run up it. Uh yah, that didn't last long. I had to walk it or my legs would have died there. The one thing about going up this hill, is the down hill after. Cruised down that thing.
Once out of that area, you start heading towards downtown Traverse City where the race ends. I got to the bottom of the hill, and an intersection. There is a police officer there who is doing traffic control, because traffic wants to get to downtown to see the parade. All running ceased as we waited to be allowed to cross. I wasn't there that long, but long enough. After you cross the street, I headed by a park that had beach access.
I also had to GO!!!! 1 1/2 miles in and I had to GO. Good thing the park had bathrooms, and they were open. I hopped a split rail fence and sprinted to them. The funny thing is I started a trend. I was followed by about 5 people hopping the fence to head to the restrooms. Hilarious.
After that it was smooth sailing to the main drag that leads to downtown. The bad thing about this race is the last 1 1/4 is on a sidewalk that is barely 2 feet wide. Runners are trying to pass walkers who are 2 abreast or people pushing their kids in strollers, but there's no room to pass. You can't jump into the street because its about 50 mph on that roadway and its busy with everyone trying to get to the parade. Hard to go around the other side because people are lined up cheering you on. Difficult to maneuver.
The other morale boost I got along the way was about that same time, runners were coming back at us. Going against the racers. I knew they were race runners because they still had their bibs on. They were running back to the start line to do the 15K!!! INSANE!!! Yeah, I know, insane only to me.
We wound down to a walkway that goes under the main roadway and then up onto Front St. which is the main road downtown and parade route. Home stretch. Everyone who is already lined up to watch the parade cheers you on. It gets more crowded as you reach the finish line area. Literally the cheering never stops along Front St. AMAZING!! It's just under a mile long. I was doing 1/1 ratio with run/walk. I was beginning to tire, but pushing through. I wanted to just run the entire way, but I couldn't. I got a little upset with myself about that, but managed to push those thoughts out and finish the race. I set a new PR at the time of 39:14. That's not counting the stop at the intersection or the bathroom break. Hey, it's my race. I can time it how I want.
I had finished for about 5 minutes looking for my family when the runners for the 15K crossed. Those kids, yes, they were kids. They don't run, or slog, or jog, they SPRINT those 9 miles. I could never and will never be able to do that. Unbelievable.
Anyway, we grabbed some coffees and walked to the car and headed back to the house to enjoy the rest of the weekend. I'm glad I did the race. I'm still debating on whether to do it this year or not. The deal with the course being on the sidewalk and no where to pass kind of bothers me some. I'd like to be slogging along and not stuck behind strollers and walkers who are supposed to keep right. My issue, I know. All in all, I did enjoy it. You can't beat the scenery. Lakes, beaches, and cheering people.
Keep on Runnin'
A side note.
One of my inspirations, that got me off the couch is Jillian O'Malley. She has an amazing story and has competed a couple of Ironmans. She just completed a 50K. She has served her country and her husband still does. She was just in the hospital but is now home recovering. I want to wish her well and hopes she gets better quickly and is back doing what she wants.
You can read her blog at fattytoironmom.blogspot.com
Thanks Jillian!!!
No comments:
Post a Comment