My Dogs are Barking because the race was TOO long.

October 16th, 2010 was a cold and WINDY day. But there was no snow or rain, so I won't complain too much. The animal rescue league of Bedford was holding their first annual 5K race. This is the place we got Dixie, my sleeping compadre so I have a special fondness for them.

I was feeling good, no issues that I could point to. Hoping for a new PR, as always. Roughly 200 runners, so it was cozy, and it was fundraiser so I knew there were a bunch of walkers so I knew there were some people I would beat.

The race started off at a good pace, hit the first turn and WHAM! Into a wall of wind. Bye-Bye PR. It wasn't just breezy, it was holding me back. I picked a girl as my rabbit, but after a mile either her pace picked up or mine dropped (probably mine dropped) and she pulled ahead. At that point I was pretty much running alone, which was fine by me. For the most part, if I don't stop, I'm happy with my race.

The race was really uneventful. At two miles I was feeling ok, the wind still taking its toll on me. As we completed the half mile, someone asked how much further. I said ".6 miles" (thanks iPhone GPS). Then there was this little girl, probably 8, who doing great running, but then stopped to walk, as I passed her I tried to give an encouraging "less than half a mile to go". I think thats the most I've ever said to other racers. We're down to .3 miles left, I tell another woman who asks how much further. What a nice guy. At .2 miles, I start to kick it into high gear. On my death bed, I'll still have enough energy to push through .2 miles. Its nothing. So I pumping my stubby little legs like my life depended on it, pulling away from the ladies that I just told the distance. Still holding out hopes for that PR! Funny thing though. I hit the 3.1 mile mark, and I was no where near the school that we started at. 3.2 miles. Still no school. 3.3 miles. WTF! 3.4 miles. Someone needs to die. At this point, all the extra energy I had was out the window and I'm beyond winded. Finally cross the finish line at 3.46 miles.

The extra distance wasn't a big deal, it was the extra push toward the finish that wasn't where it was suppose to be that killed me. My finish line photo makes me look like a monster that ran .36 miles more than he expected to run.

It was a fun race and I look forward to next years.

3.46 Miles 36:10. A 10:27 pace, not bad for me.