3:15:51.3
14 of 17 females
1 of 2 age group
55:40.7 1:26.8 1:44:09.1 1:12.0 33:22.8
Course and Elevation Profile
Course:
Run, a bit deceptive.... it's not really hilly... but the slope going out of the marina is a tiny nasty little hill.... not sure if it's the gravel that made it feel that way, but it was an unpleasant little hill, other than that just a rolling course, not flat, but I wouldn't call it hilly. 5K course, two laps for the 10K. In case you didn't catch that a stretch of the course is gravel.
Bike, speaking of nasty little hills. There was one hill that was unpleasant on the bike. I'm a wimp what can I say? Don't get me wrong it wasn't awful, but I really do not like hills. Beyond that one hill though it was not bad at all, mostly flat... ish. I hate to say flat. If you are from around here flat is Hefner, which has I think a 3 foot elevation change. That is flat, but if you are not from around the city, then I'm sure this course would be considered flat, minus that one hill. One lap for the short course, two for the long.
Pros:
Plenty of water! Three water stops on the run, so you got to hit the water stops 8 times. There was one water stop for the bike too, which was nice. Very useful, especially on a day like this!
Run course was well marked, had no problems figuring out where to go.
Food! Lots of food at the finish!
First prize was a hat :) Very cool.
Ice baths! So wonderful, exactly what I needed at the end of this!
Cons:
Bike sticker.... you want me to stick that on my bike? Seriously? And then not even have anyone around to check it when I take my bike out of transition.... seriously? It was a name tag sticker, like you wear at some lame reunion. I have scrubbed my bike for 15 minutes and I still haven't gotten all the goo off it.... not happy....
The bike course could have used a marker to tell people to go south on post. I knew where to go, but the bike ahead of me paused for some time trying to make a decision where to go. On the second lap the cop car had moved into a position that pointed people in the right direction.
Personal:
I always feel better if I know people at the event. This was one of those lucky days. A few of the OCCC crew were there. A couple people I'd met the day before at the off road race were there. One in particular, had volunteered the day before and gave me grief about my vibrams, jokingly telling me I should wear some shoes (ha... ha....). In fact every time we passed each other during the 10K he kept telling me to put on some shoes.
My knee still hurt from the trail run the day before, I picked up a light weight knee brace the night before and wore it during the entire race. I also had some pain killers before, just in case. I told my husband that a DNF was possibly in my future. I wanted to do everything in my power to ensure that didn't happen.
I wore my vibrams thinking, if my runs turn into walks, the cement is going to get very hot. I am glad I did since part of the course was gravel, not small gravel either. Large rocks and lots of them, on a slope. That was the only time I walked in the 10K was up the gravel hill, wasn't worth possibly hurting myself. The 10K is a new PR for me by two minutes and on a harder course too. The knee ached a little in the beginning, but by the time I started my second lap it had stopped complaining. I realized in the second lap that I wasn't feeling sweat around my glasses like I always do. They are cheap sunglasses, I have to constantly wipe my face or they slide off due to all the sweat. I thought maybe the overcast and the water I'd been pouring all over me must be keeping the sweat at bay.
I took an extra bit of time in transition. I unvelcroed my vibrams which I didn't need to do. I fiddles with my bike shoes longer than necessary. I just needed a breather. Off I set, across the mount line, first shoe in... clatter, clunk, click, click... wtf? I pedal up the hill wondering what all that noise from my gears was about. As I get onto the main road, it became apparent. I couldn't shift to high gear... I begged and pleaded with her. I changed from high to low on the cassette, even reached down while riding trying to push the front derailleur over... cursed at her.... nothing worked. I finally jumped off and forced the chain up, but it slipped off a couple of miles down the road.... so there I am in granny gear..... trying so hard to catch any women I could cause since I finished the run next to last of women. I did catch some, but I found the entire bike leg to be frustrating, I know I could have averaged 18. I could have taken 15 minutes off. I know I could have, there were more than a few times I just topped out and I cursed and yelled at the damn bike. By the end of the second leg though I had made peace with it, until Glen passed me..... oh hell no.... that's not gonna fly..... new goal, forget passing women, pass Glen.
Nearly to the end of the bike, I missed the water stop, the guy was trying to help the runners and I wasn't going to stop while he came back to my side of the road. It's about then that I realize, I still don't feel sweat on my face. I reached a couple fingers into my helmet and felt a a bit damp, but definitely not the normal amount I'm used to. I started to freak out a bit, I knew that was a sign of something, maybe too much salt? I had been choosing the junk drinks instead of water today since I knew it was going to be really hot by the end.
I mentioned to a few people as I went out for the last leg that I didn't think I was sweating. One said I needed more water, I complied and asked her to pour 5 or 6 cups on me. Another sent EMSA after me, which was nice, they gave me a bottle of water, but I told them I was determined to finish this race. I did a lot of walking in the last 5K, it was hot, nearly everyone was walking.... but not Glen..... I still had a goal. I poured water all over myself and set out to catch him. At the turn around he told me he'd worked too hard to catch me on the bike, so I better not pass him. There was another woman behind me, I told her we needed to catch him! Team work, we needed to work together and go beat him! She tried, but she told me in the end she just couldn't find the strength in the heat to catch either of us. My friend Charlie rode up to check on me a few times, I told him I just wanted to catch up to Glen, I had to. He of course rode ahead and warned Glen I was coming :) In the last tenth of a mile I did it! On that sorry gravel road! I did it. He told me as I passed "I told you not to do that." My response - "What can I say you should have taken off those shoes."
