What: Sundown at the Pass 5-Miler
Where: Tucson, Arizona. Up and over Gates' Pass
Benefits: U of AZ School of Health, particularly fitness programs
My Stats: 39:48 (7:58 pace), 2nd F 45-49 AG, 17 of 331 women, 86 of
557 overall. (Winner ran a 5:05 pace!!)
URL: www.azroadrunners.org (click on results section)
It was a gorgeous day. We'd had a whole week of clouds and
rain and Saturday came up deep blue skies, 100-mi visibility
and mid-70s temps. Claude (husband) and I caught the shuttle
at Old Tucson Studios (an Old West theme park and movie
studio) to the International Wildlife Museum on the other
side of the Tucson Mts. at about 3:45pm. There, we did the
usual warm-up, stretch, etc. Talked to a lot of old and new
freinds. The crowd was huge, much bigger than last year. 557
finished within the time cutoff, but I was told something
like 800 started it. There were several groups there, one a
city-sponsored fitness project, and some of the fundraiser
groups all in matching t-shirts.
Last year I ran it in 40:15, so this year I wanted to get my
time under
40:00. I also wanted to make a good stab at the AG first, as
the prize is a new pair of NB shoes and I run in NB!
Claude had decided to run despite having acquired a case of
food poisoning the day before. He wasn't feeling too bad,
but also not too good. I assured him he really didn't have
to run it, but he decided he wanted to anyway and would just
take it easy. The road is closed to all motor traffic for
two hours, we have it all to ourselves.
As it neared 5pm we lined up. Nerves high everywhere. The
horn sounds, and we're off! It's not exactly a jackrabbit
start, as the first two miles are uphill over Gate's Pass in
the Tucson Mountains. Last year I ran the first mile in
8:03, and this year 8:07. Darn. Have to pick it up some!!
But last year I really slowed down a lot in the second mile,
so I was hoping to keep a focus and do better. Claude was
still with me (he's a Really Good uphiller), even taking
some pictures as we're running. It's helping me having him
keep me going. The second mile has some quite steep sections
in it. I hit the second mile mark at 8:50. Woohoo! Last year
it was 9:12! I bid Claude goodbye as we reach the crest of
the pass, as his knees demand taking it easy on downhills
and this section is very steep.
I go as fast as I dare, and hope there's no gravel. It would
really hurt to faceplant here! As I'm heading downward,
something comes loose in my shoe and gets stuck under my
heel. And it hurts. But I ain't stopping, as I just passed
the 3 mile marker at 7:33. Now it's a rolling downhill, up
and down and up and down, but all gradually downish. My heel
hurts, and I can tell there's a blister forming. But I'm
doing well otherwise. The heel gets a little better. Mile
four comes at 7:28. I'm stoked, I'm way under last year's
time!! Now to just keep at it.
I grab some water, as I'm pretty dry (still warm and I
passed the last two water stops). Now the stupid heel starts
hurting in earnest. I actually start limping a bit the last
mile. But almost there, so gotta keep going!! We turn into
the parking lot of Old Tucson Studios, and I remember it's a
longish uphill to the finish. But at least I'm not surprised
by it this year, unlike last. The OTS workers in Western
costume shoo us into the gate and up onto Main Street. We
run up the hill in an Old West town, 150 yards to the finish
chute. I run as fast as I can but the foot is really hurting
now. And pass the line at 39:48! (Last mile is 7:50, so I
did slow down quite a bit). But I am Really Happy. I'm given
a bottle of water (and I AM thirsty), and I turn around to
wait for Claude. Darned if he didn't pick it up and he's
less than a minute behind me! I am impressed (but a little
worried) that he did so well feeling like that. After he
came in I take off my shoe, and find two rocks, slightly
smaller than BBs, right under my heel. There is a big
blister, but the rocks seem to have hit a nerve under there.
The heel pad is numb and feels really weird. I'm walking on
my right toe only, no heel pressure. Claude was sixth in his
very competitive age group.
But I do go over and get a massage. Wonderful! The left legs
are much sorer than the right, must be because of favoring
the right foot during the last three miles. Then we walk out
to the car to get some sweat clothes, as the sun is setting
and it's cooling off a lot. Dinner is included, so we walk
up to sound stage 1 and get in line for grub. I have a
veggie burger, baked beans, potato salad, brownie, and
gatorade, but Claude's stomach is doing flip-flops so he
only eats his veggie burger. Awards are to be presented
during dinner, but we eat and watch some of the
presentations for fund-raisers and still the results sheet
is missing. Claude is starting to feel pretty woozy and goes
back to the truck to lie down. I stay another 20 minutes and
it's obvious that the awards still aren't ready, and I don't
want to leave him there too long. So I left before awards. I
did, however, meet the women that came in right ahead of me,
and we had a great conversation going all during dinner.
Sometime today I'll pop over to the Running Shop and see
what I won for my AG second. Missed first by less than a
minute, darn it! Oh well, there's always next year. And next
year, you can bet I'll check my shoes for rocks thoroughly
right before the start!! I think I picked these guys up
running warmup through the gravel parking lot at the museum.
Teresa in AZ
Oh, when I got up on Sunday morning the funny pain and
numbness in the heel was gone. The blister is no big deal.