Al’s Run Recap
September 20, 2011 
8 Comments
In Saturday’s 8k (5 mile) race, I came in fourth to last in my division and didn’t fare much better overall. If you’re tempted to feel sorry for me, you should probably know that:
- I completely stopped training for this race at the end of July, and still had the nerve to show up at the start line anyway.
- The night before the race, I stopped at the Lake Forest Oasis (a Chicago area rest stop with a food court) and ate a huge slice of the greasiest Sbarro pepperoni pizza you have ever seen.
- The morning of the race I had Burger King for breakfast.
- At twenty minutes to start I was corralled and holding my left side.
I don’t feel sorry for myself, because I jumped at every single opportunity to sabotage my race. Here’s the cold, hard truth about me: I hate running, but have a thing for race bibs and chip timers and making myself suffer.
Also, I have absolutely no experience running hills. It’s not that the hills of Downtown Milwaukee are all that spectacular; it’s that Indianapolis is entirely made up of flat.
On Saturday, I crested a hill at the end of the first mile and immediately knew that my breathing and heart rate couldn’t be sustained for four more miles, so I walked.
Have I learned my lesson? No. I’ll probably go back again next year. Carrying myself 5 miles is a small price to pay for a Klement’s sausage photo op.
