Sunday, March 30, 2008

Scarsdale 15K

I threw in a 15K race today as part of my 20 miles. Did pretty good. I finished it in 1:10 which works out to about a 7:30 pace for the race, which I am quite happy with.

I ran the race with Adam and David from Race with Purpose. It was a fun race and an interesting one for many reasons. Basically heres how the race day went down:

- I show up at race wearing a mishmosh of athletic gear because in a wonder of stupidity, I left 80% of my athletic gear in the old dryer on the day it was being carted off as the new dryer was being installed! So today I just threw on my only shorts with the last 2 surviving underlayment and top. (Thank God my summer stuff was still in the drawer because I have not been using them). I am sure I made an intimidating appearance!

-At start of race Adam says he will be taking it easy will run as he feels due to being out for several weeks from Pneumonia. Dave says he is going about 9 pace because he has not trained. me I am hoping to do 8's .

Adam gives me strategy pointers during the first 4 miles, During this phase I also spot my race nemesis, lets call him "sideways", due to the fact I don't know his name, and his gait was weird.

Mile 4, pleasantries end. I decide its time to kick it in and see what I can do for the rest of the race; I say sayonara to Adam and blow by Sideways.

Mile 5, hit first Hill and while going up, Sideways the bastard, passes me. That really ticks me off. When I pass someone they should stay passed.

We hit flat ground and I catch up to and pass Sideways, now onto my next target "Blue boy"( who is wearing blue shorts).

On the next Hill, the jerkoff "Sideways" again, he passes me and I still have not caught up to "Blue boy". SO now I have my past target and new target up ahead of me grrr. Sideways is really pissing me off now, some people just don't know their place!

However, I have come to realize that Sideways is a much better "climber" than I am so, I chose to keep my pace in check ( yeah because I can really zip up them hills...not). Anyhow I was formulating a plan.

Adam was nowhere to be seen, I assumed he was just pacing himself. Blueboy was still up ahead of Sideways.

We crest the hill, and on the down hill I decide its time to employ my new strategy ...I will pass him and keep him passed! (I know not to original but gimme a break!) Anyhow, I decided I had to make as much space between me and this guy on the downhill and flats so when the next hill comes I could hold him off.

I successfully pass "Blueboy". Its now the last mile and I figure to run at what I think is my threshold HR 175. I was pushing it there, don't know what my pace was but I finally lost Sideways and Blue boy.

I come to what I think is the finish only to find out I have to enter the parking lot and then run on the damned track. Mentally, I was ready to quit back on the road. I chose a new target and on the track make a brief surge. To no end. I didn't have anything left. Then as we are about 100 feet from the finish I hear what can only be described as a roaring lion that has a laryngitis. Whoever it was sounded like he was breathing down my back, taking huge stomping steps. I turn around and dammit if it isn't Adam going all out. I was so stunned that he literally just flew by me. His face was red and he looked like a demon possessed. Breathing hard and stomping away down to the finish. I picked it up but there was no catching him.

After the finish, I see Adam bent over breathing hard making weird noises that sounded like "Huuuurdghhhtth" over and over.

But then he gets up and slowly we walk over to the entrance of the track, and he starts calling out in that coach voice, "Go get him Neil!!!" Mind you Neil is across the field, this Dude next to me looked like he was going to pass out a second ago and now he performs what can only be called a "Bellow".

What the??

Where did he get the strength to do this? But then I remember he IS a coach, and has a voice that can carry.

After some chit chat we see David coming about half a mile away, and Adam bellows again "Come on David bring it in!!!!" My throat is starting to hurt just listening to Adam make these bizarrely loud calls! Amazingly David heard him and looked at us!! This guy is only a dot in the distance and he heard Adam.

David comes in looking in good shape and spirits, having run his race as he wanted. Amazing. No training and he runs a 15K just like that. As David is rounding the the last turn on the other side of the field, Adam lets loose a "Don't let that guy catch you David!!". The folks standing at the opposite field post seemed to flinch, and I could swear the grass did bend away from us when he belted that out. It was effortless. Adam was fully recovered from his amazing final stretch push.

As David came over he confirmed he heard Adam from the opposite side of the football field, but did not know what he meant since he was unaware of the guy behind him.

At this point we went in to get post race food, my shoulder started to hurt quite badly, Adam was said he was feeling very cold and David said his foot was starting to hurt. I think we each mentioned our ailment at least three times as if from a script, "I'm cold, shoulder hurt, foot pain" only each time, it was worse. We were just sounding like a bunch of old Ladies now, so it was time to call it quits.

All in all ... a good day. Now in all seriousness, Adam seemed really out of it at the start of the race, and somehow he really pushed himself to his limits. I suppose that is what it takes to really be a competitor. To be able to reach in and drag out everything you have and leave it on the field. He definitely did that. Which is why he is a good coach, he lives what he preaches.

7 comments:

Philip LaVoie said...

Javier... well done man! I take it coach wheezer is forcefully trying to evict the gremlins from their host? ;)

Ski Dad said...

Yep he most definitely is doing that.

justadam said...

Coach Wheezer felt as if his heart was going to explode ala Sigourney Weaver in Alien. I was just so happy to run on a familiar spongy track that I figured even if I had to hold my breath because my lungs had shut down, I could run 300 meters. It was great fun seeing Javier and Sideways duke it out while I laid back until they had both tuckered themselves out. I'll have to post the race from my POV later today.

Anonymous said...

awesome report. that coach adam is quite a character. i think there is a movie here somewhere. i'd liek to see it with will ferrel as coach adam ;)

Strouter said...

OK, is it just me or the most hilarious part of this race report the fact that Javier's winter gear was taken away in the old dryer? I mean, that can't happen to that many people. Nice job! (On the race, not losing your gear...though it still makes me laugh :))

Ski Dad said...

Admitedly it is funny, in an expensive kind of way ;)

Pam said...

awesome job!!!!!!!! loved the detailed report. nicknames for your enemies are KEY to total destruction. Seriously though why are you putting technical fabrics in the dryer? They need to air dry!