21:54 in the Auburn Great Race!

Well I finally ran in the event of my hometown, The Great Race. It was the 33rd Annual and after years of my teenage years hanging out and causing problems with my peers I actually was there for the reason that one is supposed to be-to compete.

This event is a team triathlon and the biggest in the country of its kind. One runner, one biker, and then either Kayak solo/team or canoe teams. It is a relay. I obviously ran.

I did not sleep well the night before and got a late start because I could not find my team to get the computer chip and number. By the time I got to the start line it was about 4 minutes before race time!

I lined up with the crowd next to a former student of mine who is running in college this fall. He is fast and I needed to not stay with him, which I did not. My pace was still way too fast though. I felt like puking right from the start of the race! At the 1st mile, 6:20! Too fast, obviously. I did not have one single moment of comfort in this race.

A guy that I work with who is fast and experienced passed me at about the 1 and 1/4 mile mark and said "Jason, you came out too fast" and snickered and he was right. I was wobbling for a little there.

At the 2nd mile marker no time was given so I yelled out to other runners and a guy said 13:50, geez-I slowed down to a freaking 7:30 second mile! That sucked.

I knew I needed to push the last 1.1 miles, and it was wind in my face for the entire straightaway. Plus-no one was really around me, somehow. 400+ 5k runners and I am alone?

I pushed and pushed and did about a 7:10 last mile and gutted the last tenth to finish at 21:54.

That is a personal best by 4 seconds. Man, I guess I am consistent-my last three races were somehow all within 5 seconds!!! Crazy!

I then had to keep running to #473 biker to hand off the wristband, a cruel post-finish line ritual. I am not sure how my team finished but I ran 7:04 minute miles over the 3.1 and finished 101 out of 440 or something. I am pleased but there must be room to improve even more. The fast start was stupid as was the lack of sleep. Mind you, I run 30 miles a week and this was a shorter run than I ever do so I need to break through the plateau.

That said, it sure was nice to be a part of Auburn's finest hour- The Great Race-and as a participant and not a oblivious spectator.