2009 Race For the Cure, Peoria IL

Note: for those who got here to look for official race results, they are here or can be accessed at the Illinois Valley Striders website.

Just the facts: 1 mile walk to warm up, 1 mile jog, 5K run (24:29) (I didn’t wear the chip), then 2 miles of walking to cool down, including a mile or so with Mike McAsey (our department chair).

The race itself: There are several events going on. They started the “competitive” women’s race at 7:55, the “competitive” men’s race at 8:05 and then the “family walk” at 8:06. There were many women in the “competitive” division (who got a chip time and an individual race number), a few men in the “competitive” division, and thousands in the open family walk (no individual race numbers and no official timing by the computer).

I signed up the day before and didn’t bother to enter the competitive division, but I ran with them anyway. I just didn’t bother with the chip.

It was chilly (49-50 F at the start) and blustery and the first mile is a long, gradual climb. I knew that there were many inexperienced people around me and so I passed a ton of people going uphill; I was to see just a few of them later.

I noted that my legs felt dead; just completely dead; the head wind didn’t help matters much. Mile 1 came at 8:15??? (I didn’t think that I was THAT dead). Then we turned on Glen and then turned again into a winding neighborhood course. There were little hills here and there, but I knew it was mostly downhill.

At about that time we caught the tail end of the “competitive” women’s division?? Needless to say, these ladies weren’t moving very fast.

As we wound around the pleasant neighborhood streets, we caught more and more of the slower women; I was shocked to see the second mile….7:11???? That was off. The average (15:26 or so) seemed to be about right.

The next mile I weaved in and out; it was a real obstacle course (slow women). It was tough to keep track of the men that I was racing. But at the same time it reminded me that, though I felt heavy legged, I was still moving forward.

Mike Rucker got me back and gave words of encouragement. I never really picked it up; I wasn’t in the mood to and well, I probably couldn’t have anyway. The last 1.1 took 9:03 (about an 8 minute pace) and I finished in 24:29.

Social and assorted thoughts: I knew that Mike (my department chair) was walking (his wife is a breast cancer survivor) and so I went back to join him. We walked and chatted; seeing so many people walking and jogging is one of the best parts of this event. It was a good way to cool down.

Unfortunately my wife caught a bug and couldn’t do the race; she did raise money though, and yes, I contributed.

In some ways I love this race. It felt good to see the women lining up and it feel good to cheer for some of them by name. It is great to see the faster women have a chance to run at the front the pack.

In some ways, I hate this race; part of it is that I don’t like crowds. Part of it is that there are so many “once a year” types who don’t know what they are doing.

But in other ways, I like seeing so many people walking the 5K; one doesn’t have to be an athlete to benefit from this sort of exercise.

And, of course, it was spandex weather. I have good memories of my wife wearing her shiny purple tights (1995?); she had some awesome VPLs. Pity I wasn’t quicker with the camera.

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