My oldest pair of shoes were in the car along with a plastic sheet, a towel, and a bag of running clothes, just in case the weather broke and I felt like going to a 5.1 mile trail race at Knox Farm.
After a dreary, gray and cool day of steady rain, it was likely to just be grocery shopping, TM at the Y, and home. But as I was loading my Buy 10, Get 5 Free Powerades into the trunk at 6:10, a little voice said "The rain's only a shower now, and Knox Farm is less than 5 minutes away. The race starts at 6:30 and your run would be done for the day."
Last one into the registration building, just as the rest of the runners were leaving to jog down to the start line. I flew down there at a good clip to catch up, with car keys dangling from my mouth, bib in hand, and shoes still not laced up. Those got quickly squared away and my attempt to blend into the back of the pack failed. While the RD was discussing confusing directions and what to do in the event of lightning, a teen I had just raced last week pointed me out to his dad a bit too obviously. I just smiled and nodded to both of them. Sr. joked that they could put a flag on me and do away with the directions, and I replied "well, as long as it's not actually a lightning rod."
The RD was ready, said "we're starting in 5 seconds.... GO!" and we did. No one wanted to jet off in the wrong direction just yet, so a bunch of runners stayed together while we still had pavement, and started to thin out as that gave way to wet grass.
The park is a mix of open fields and woods, and the course was not of the "watch your every step or tumble" variety. Nor did it have any tough hills, just some gentle rollers. It was easy to go rather fast for a trail race, even with the wet and the mud. (Sunshine in picture below absent at actual event)
By about 2 miles, we had dwindled to 4-5 guys in voice contact, helping each other with verbal warnings for sharp turns or slippery spots. As we came out of a wooded area onto grass, I finally made a surge to get up front, and promptly lost a shoe in a deep mud pit. Shhhhllluck. Dancing back to a shoe through muddy tall grass is amusing even when you're the victim, and I wasn't upset about the unfortunate timing. It was tied tightly, triple knotted, so I'd have to cram it back on my foot with no time for laces. Somehow it went back on and I took off again, with 4 guys ahead of me now. The closest one said that I should have left it behind, but to go pick those guys off one at a time. Sure, why give up now?
3.5 miles, I had contact with the leader again and was content to go no faster than necessary. At 4 miles, I crept ahead, but he was still slogging on with me.
Turn it up a little. Turn it up a little more on the grass, on the uphills, anywhere to eek out speed that he might not have. Assuming (correctly) that we'd hit a bit of pavement towards the end. Prepare to go ashore, mateys. Open it up, spot the clock, kick, and a final 50 yard scoot across a mowed lawn to the finish line.
It was nice to go change out my shirt, walk back to cheer for other runners, and know that only a few people had seen the ridiculous shoe incident. Until they started telling the story to their friends coming in. A woman asked how my shirt had stayed so clean. "Um, I got changed already..."
Not wanting to be the center of attention, and with a white-finger chill coming on from the rain, I opted to head home instead of hang around for pizza. So. Much. Mud.
Hip Redux
Nice! I lost a shoe in mud once, I did not take it as well as you did. lol
uʍop ǝpᴉsdn sǝʇᴉɹʍ ʇI
Lol... Great RR, as usual, Jay. You expressed what I have always believed about runners; they are (for the most part) very cool people. That was great how you guys up front helped each other like that. Great stuff. I also like the bit "Um, I got changed already..."
I finished reading this with a huge smile on my face. Wow, just wow... Your're the King of Cool, Jay! You lose a shoe in the mud, laugh it off and go on to hunt down those guys who passed you, one by one, and then win the race. That is so freakin' neat... Aww... those last minute decisions are sometimes so sweet! Good stuff, Jay! Congratulations!!! Oh and you'll have to start wearing some kind of disguise at your races from now on, to keep the competition in the dark. You have become a celebrity!
PRs: Boston Marathon, 3:27, April 15th 2013
Cornwall Half-Marathon, 1:35, April 27th 2013
18 marathons, 18 BQs since 2010
Haha. Congrats and great job. Great RR.
Damaris
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Haha! Funny stuff J.
They're going to have to put in some better quicksand if they want to slow you down.
You ought to be careful with spilling your secrets, now everyone's going to try the lose the shoe in the mud strategy to win their races. Or was this just a handicap forced on you by the RD to make things a bit more competitive? Next time you will have to try tying your shoes together, maybe give the other guys a fighting chance.
Great race, great report as always.
Dave
What a great race. Did the guy you took the lead from know you had lost your shoe and then went back to get it? I wonder how he felt about that? I enjoyed the RR. Congratulations!
Ugh. Mud. Fuck that. I had too much of that shit in the Army.
Short term goal: 17:59 5K
Mid term goal: 2:54:59 marathon
Long term goal: To say I've been a runner half my life. (I started running at age 45).
Uffda
Great job Jay!
- Andrew
delicate flower
Heh...going three miles sans shoe would have sucked. Great job, Jay! Nice to see you back in the winner's circle again.
<3
Nice to see you back in the winner's circle again.
Yeah Jay so just how many overall wins is that and at what distances? You have a shit load of runner-up finishes as well no?
That's win #19, ranging from 5K to HM in distance, the first one coming on 4/28/12. There are probably at least that many 2nds. There are tons and tons of smallish races in the area to choose from; the guys whom I have no chance to beat tend to stick to fewer and bigger races. (The biggest field at one of my wins is 605, I think.)
I'm not fast, I just sometimes luck out and go to races where everyone else is slower.
That's win #19, ranging from 5K to HM in distance, the first one coming on 4/28/12. There are probably at least that many 2nds.
Geezus!
No matter how you try to justify it, that is impressive Sir!