So a month ago, finished a run and ran into a friend at the trailhead.
We know each other because her son and mine ran XC together on a
multi-year state championship team. She asks me if I've been racing
and I say I'm actually looking for a 5K that is flat and fast to break
my 22 min barrier. She mentions several that I have conflicts with
then says "the Bodock Festival in Pontotoc, MS is flat and fast".
I sign up and run the race Fri. It's and evening race with an eight
PM start time. I'm a morning person, but I'll give it a shot. Temp is
92 F(down from a high of 103 for the day) with very high humidity.
everyone in a full sweat at the start line. A mile into the race I
encounter a water mister. Mister is a misnomer, this thing is out of
control. It is a wall of water and has created a puddle 20 yards wide
across the whole street. Coming out the other side, my Brooks t-4's
specifically purchased for short races because they are light, have
gained about half a pound.
The race is a 1.8 mile out and 1.3 mile back, so it is one of those
cross a line, break stride and turn around, and hope there isn't a
crowd at the turn. There was. lost a few more seconds.
Going out this run had a half mile, severe grade hill down with the
same thing coming back only it's up this time. No street lights in
this area so difficult to safely bank time down to cover the uphill
loss. So much for fast and flat.
Then, back through the wall of water and puddle.
Did I get my sub 22? Not even close. 23:12, 33rd of 143 (I usually
do better overall percentage wise, but all the area high school XC
coaches must have deisignated this as a substitute for the friday run,
15-19AG was packed), 1st in 60-64AG. 2nd in line for GM, however,
didn't matter, they didn't have a GM award. I was told by veterans of
this race, the time was good, it is a slow race. I'm willing to
believe them.
Nicest feature of the race was the stock tank full of ice water soaked
towels volunteers were handing out at the end of the race. And the
Festival music.
I often finish a race, look at my time and tell myself I had another
twenty seconds or so in mile two or four or whatever. This is one
race where I finished and concluded I left no time anywhere on the
course. I was totally spent.
Frank