Here's part 2 of 3 of the IU Mini- "The Race"
STARTING LINE:
Shuffle out the starting line, feeling I am starting out too slowly... But so are most of the runners... Maybe the creeping pace is not so bad, as it harnesses some of the excitement that could make my feet go faster than is wise at the onset... A sardine shuffling along... first mile is all the chatter and laughter... Amazed how relaxed so many seem.. Reminded to enjoy the journey ... I smile, hearing the patter of hundreds.... At 1/4 mile Start picking my spots to find cushion where I can get into my rhythm and not the tempo of the herd. I settle in and glance at my watch at Mi. 1 8:39 (off my goal by 14 sec) I reason, the crowd slowed the pace...I'll make it up.
Mi.1-2
Between these 2 points ... A band is playing on the right side of the street.... A guy is counting from the sidewalk and yells as I pass by, "400 hundred runners to this point". In a good spot for my hopes, yet wondering if I can hold on... Spot a car on Fee Lane that looks like mine... Well, surprise, it is, because Kelly had to run to the store to buy camera batteries!
Mi.2-3
Turn onto N. Jordan Ave, approach Mi.2 @ 8:24 (making up 1 sec.) yet aware that my first hill is before me among frat & sorority houses I have to go into conserve mode. Not as many yelling and cheering as I was told to expect but some were out there to keep us climbing the first big steady hill. Someone had a hose, darted toward the spot to get doused but the shooter missed so I remained dry. Happy to see the 17th st turn marks the end of the climb.. Got to make up for time lost... See the 3 mi. sign and pick it up crossing the point @ 8:36 (25:40 overall). A quick check on how I feel reveals all is going pretty good. I feared tightening shins at this point since that has regularly occurred over the past 2 weeks, but not today! Descending down Jordan Ave., can see top runners have made their return up the street. (They were already 1 1/4 mile ahead) Conversations are still going on between runners. Some one talks about the challenge of returning up Jordan. I make a mental note to be ready. I have just covered a 5k race dist. and have a lot more to go.
Mi.4-5
Watch check @ 4th mile, 8:28, that's using the hill to my advantage but now it's time to climb again. I expecting conversations to start tapering off some now. Except I am just in front of 2 girls who are talking about guys and about some one who did not get invited to their party. I tried to pick up the pace because I really didn't want to run with a soap opera as the background music... I got away only to pass some guy who decided to boast to his running partner about how great his sex life has been for the past 6 months... I wondered if there would be any quiet places on this route. It's getting warmer and much more muggy but try not to think about that too long. 5th mile sign in sight, I hurry and check my watch 8:40 (42:49 total) Get some powerade as I keep moving on Union Street.
Mi.6-7
Now on the rolling terrain for the next 2 1/2 miles... Welcome it because I have trained for this. A good place to employ my running plan, ease up hills and open up down hills. Conversations are thinning out. Surprised to see several people already starting to walk, especially among the top 400 runners. I start passing some on the hills. Look for people I can pace with for short distances... Pretty happy with the way I am taking the hills, although not pressing too hard... Coming up to some of the more serious runners now. Feel this pack is much more serious... More at home with them and I become more aware of my running temperament... I can smile and enjoy but I want to stay focused as I am at the half way point... I still feel well and with a lot in the tank... I know I am going to need it... Mi 6 time= 8:34 Mi 7= 8:26. I have only reached my 8:25 pace goal once and so I am a little high with the pre-race goal. (Not enough accounting for the hills) At mile 7 the overall time is 59:50. It has been a nice plunge down High St, I make the turn at Winslow.
Mi. 8-9
Winslow HILL or MOUNTAIN? By far the steepest climb rises before me. I believe that this is the first great race separator. Several are walking it. Mind games go on at this point with just 5 miles left. I try not to think of it's steep grade. Another runner beside me jokes, "I love hills!" I say "Yeah, me too." We smile and plod up. Reaching the top feels good. I know it's a serious hill because 2 first aid guys in golf carts are ready to scoop up bodies and take them to the ambulance located on the left at the crest of the hill... Figure if I have made it past this vehicle, I will survive my first mini. Just beyond the hill I see mi. 8 and I check in @ 8:45 (satisfied). The next mile (9) is pretty monotonous & turns onto Henderson @ 8:54... (Much slower and I wished that I had turned my feet over a little quicker. I am starting to knock on the door of 9 minute miles) Start wondering if I am losing my steam?... Did I spend too much early on?... Was everyone I passed over the last 8 miles going to fly by now?
Mi. 10-11
I practice this run a few weeks earlier & Henderson St. Felt like the longest mile back then and today feels no quicker. An impatient driver cuts in front of me & I'm riled, which probably helped me come in at 8:53 @ mi.10.... The stretch from Atwater to 3rd is tiring. I really remember little except that I am wearing quickly now. Keep trying to tell my self I am down to a 5 k distance now, but I'm now burning in my stomach & my shorts are dripping in sweat. like running in mud as I cross mile 11 @ 9:35 ... Wishing for more strength training and conditioning now. With only 2 miles left I had to figure out a way to gut it out. Tempted to walk but resisted. Keep running no matter what!
Mi. 12
The turn onto 7th street would lead me to another turn-around by the fountain. This route was not so steep but as fatigue stepped in, the gradual grade up to the fountain seemed tough. Campus students were zig zagging across the path. On the way to the drink I could see runners who were 2-3 minutes ahead of me on their return. They looked tired too... Making the turn, I hear some lady breathing excruciatingly loud... She was in misery but looked determined to finish... Her effort was totally there though a bit unnerving... Heading toward Indiana Ave. I hear Sue & she's smiling as we pass, exchanging high-5s... Reminded that we worked hard for this and this was no time to back off... New energy came over me despite crossing mile 12 @ 9:33... Just 1.1 miles to go. I was ready to find the finish line.
Mi.13
Heard a speaker talk about finishing strong and I have often quoted that to my sons along the tough stretches of life. Time to practice what I preach... As I turned onto Indiana Ave. a little boy stuck out his tiny palm and I gently tapped it as I ran by, while I smiled at this young encourager. The next 1/2 mile was very hard. A steady climb before me that was getting the best of so many runners-turned walkers. Don't know how many I passed on this hill that tested so many wills... Kept hearing a voice say go ahead and walk a little but I resisted... I saw this hill as a metaphor of my life the last two years... They were very hard to me... They represented so many obstacles and doubts and fears I had faced that made me feel so tempted to quit on a lot of fronts in my life... But I thought about how far I had come, of little victories along the way... I thought of new windows of opportunity before me... Of achievements that were laughable when I first met the hill... Of the questions and uncertainties I possessed... I remembered the long miles run way into the night or sweltering noon day heat... of the pains that stood between me and my hills... I decided right there, I would beat this hill with the same passion that I climbed others in my past. I set my sights on the top knowing it was all downhill from there. I could hear the roar of the music when I cross under a railroad truss. Mile 13 was finally in sight and I was smiling and happy that the finish was drawing near... 9:07 (reverse from the last 2 miles!)
Mi 13.1 The Finish Line
The finish line was clearly in sight and my feet felt lighter. I started bouncing and feeling that I had one final kick left for the mystic 1/1oth left. I don't know where it comes from, when you feel so spent in the final third of a race, but it was there! I started passing people along the way. Time was short and few were left that I could reach. My arms were pumping and my legs forgot I was 45. I saw 2 men who were about 50 yards from the line and about 3o from me. They were the last prospects I could try to pick off and only if I gave every ounce left. Ah, this was what I longed for and wasn't going to walk away wondering if had just given a little more. I sprinted faster than I had in many many years and with just a foot away from the line I caught them, lunging my right foot with all the strength I had, as I shouted out the energy that was welling up in me. With 1/100 of a second I toed in first among them. My first mini marathon was at 1:55.27. Euphoria kicked in as I finished the race I will always remember.
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