Some R&R for My Running Shoes

I think my running shoes need some R&R.  It’s nothing specific, it’s just a hunch that I have.  Maybe it’s the fact that they no longer seem motivated to go out in the rain. Or in the cold. Or when it’s dark. Or before or after work.  Or, well, I think you get the picture.

I guess I shouldn’t be surprised.  After all, we’ve logged over 1,200 miles in the last 15 months while the bikes languished (their word) in the garage waiting their time.  That time is now as I shift my “training” to my goal for this year - the Clubs des Cinglés du Mont Ventoux.

Since running has been a big part of who I am this last year, I decided I needed one last hoorah before the running shoes were moved to the back of the closet.  Fortunately, the Credit Union Sactown Run provided the perfect opportunity.  My credit union had 75 people participating so I would be running with friends.

Sactown offers two distances - 5k (3.1 miles) and 10 miles.  I did the 10 mile run last year as part of my training.  While I was there I noticed something very interesting.  Unlike many events, the 5k actually started 30-minutes before the 10 mile run.  So, I started thinking.  I can run 5k in under 30-minutes so next year I should run both and turn it into a half marathon.  I shared this with a few of my crazier running colleagues and we all agreed to give it a go.

I guess a lot of other people also made this connection because this year Sactown added the Homemade Half Marathon to the mix.  They also adjusted the start times so now there were 40-minutes between the start of each race.  With just a few clicks I was registered and ready to go.

We started the 5k right on time at 8:00 am.  I was running with two friends, Gina and Nick, who part of our Ragnar Relay team last year.  While it was tempting to push the pace we kept reminding ourselves we still had a 10 mile run to complete before we were done.  We finished three abreast with a respectable time of 28:07.

Then, we waited, which was kind of weird.  It’s the first time I crossed the finish line of one race and then headed back to the start line for another one.  I also had to figure out what to do with my 5k medal.  

The 10-mile route also started right on time.  We all stayed together for the first 5-miles before Gina had some issues with cramping and sent Nick and I down the road on our own.  With 2-miles to go, I realized we had a chance to break 2-hours so we began to use the energy we had left to pick up the pace.  I finished just ahead of Nick with a time of 1:32:43 and a total time of 2:00:00 by my watch (my official combined time was 2:00:50). I also received my second medal of the day, which was pretty cool.

Now, the focus is on cycling.  Don’t worry!  I’ll keep running for a bit of cross-training but the running shoes will definitely play second fiddle to the bikes.  I hope they enjoy their well deserved R&R.

Ciao!