Cowtown Marathon 10K 2/22/14

10K at Cowtown Marathon was my A race for run focus January and February. Coach Todd and I were very excited that Tony signed up with 5K as well.  He ran on treadmill and outside on the road and trained up nicely.  We almost booked a hotel in Ft. Worth because my 10K start was early and we were out early to Ft. Worth Sunday for my Du. And the weekend started out a little strange.  First Grace the Dog was jumping around me and I spilled diet coke on the computer keyboard.  I wiped off quickly and made sure the keys work, but didn’t fully understand the gravity of the incident.  Then I hear the fan blowing and I powered off and on the computer.  Then I realized the battery is not charging.  That is when I started Internet search about how to replace battery on iPad.  Then I learned Macbook Air is not like good old sturdy laptop, where I can lift up keyboard and replace the battery all myself.  Then I started to hear the computer was making noise.  That is when I made an appointment at Genius Bar at the nearest Apple Store and at the same time talked to Apple Tech support.  I took the computer with Tony and they explained that such thin computers these days, even battery is not user replaceable.  And in my case, the store can’t even repair.  I will have to send it in and it will be the top level repair price.  AND they will wipe out the data.  So we ended up buying a new computer, which Tony was thinking for a Christmas present anyway.  We thought I was lucky to have come this far and it was a good idea we didn’t get the room in Ft. Worth.

This was really the first big run race for both of us.  I was plenty worried about the package pick up is supposed to open at 6 and my race is at 7 and we have to pick up the packet 45 minutes prior to the start time.  Coach Todd told me people take shuttles from parking spots.  I wondered it is mainly for Sunday when they have half, full and ultra marathon, but was not sure.  Evening news has been talking about the event quite often the same week and one night it even showed the race check in bag.  I was not sure how big it was and planned on not relying on the bag by wearing cycling jacket.  Luckily I could have Tony bring anything I don’t need at the start line because his race was not starting until 8:30. 

We made good time driving to Fort Worth and it was getting brighter to see how downtown Ft. Worth is like.  I have been there maybe twice since I moved to Dallas in 2005.  I noticed a lot of bikes in the rack every couple of blocks.  It is Ft. Worth bike sharing program thanks to Mayor Betsy Price.  She was known among us cyclists in Dallas area as an avid cyclist.  She upgraded trail around Trinity River.  We crossed 7^th street bridge.  I heard some famous BMX racer made a video riding on the arches.  Then we arrived at Will Rogers where the race starts.  We didn’t have traffic coming from our direction, but saw a long line of cars opposite way.  We somehow ended up in the under ground parking lot and paid 8 dollars.  We found the expo was immediately above where we parked and took a quick elevator.  We picked up our packet and official photographers were already taking pictures.

It was a little chilly, but I wanted to go outside and warm up.  There were a couple of groups doing it, but most people who were wearing the same white bib for 10K seemed to be waiting inside the building.  About 15 minutes before the start, I still didn’t see whole lot of people at the start line.  The announcement said there are about 4,500 people in 10K and later another 4,500 people in 5k.  To wrap up day 1, there will be 6,500 children running 5k! Then Mayor Betsy Price was asked to say a few words and we heard the national anthem play.  Then the Mayor blew the horn for the official start.  The video embedded below is until I start, but long version is here. 

It was the most crowded run start I have ever done.  I would probably have fainted if this was a cycling event start.  As soon as two sides of the start area merged, we took a turn and started climbing.  When tony said I would start passing people as soon as the first hill starts and I didn’t believe it, but I overheard a man complaining about hilly start and some people were really walking already.  It was so crowded and I was not paying attention to my breathing, pace or anything.  Literally there should be 2,000 people in front of me and 2,000 people behind me.  Coach Todd’s instructions were to run like a time trial.  In last 5 miles, I decided to pick up the pace at 2 miles to go thinking now I can run like 5k race, then didn’t last long.  Maybe after half a mile, the crowd thinned out a little bit and I started to pay more attention to my heart rate and cadence.  My heart rate started out around 140 and quickly went around 150 range.  After a while, I started to feel my rhythm.  When there was a break to 5K course, there was a water station.  Not many people were taking water, but I had decided that I would walk through water station and besides there was not water at the start line, so I knew I could use some water.  Just about then, there was somebody reading off time and I compared to my Garmin reading and just took notice Garmin is about one minute behind.  Maybe he is reading gun time and I am closer to chip time, I thought.  We started to run along the river and onto park area.  I always like that opposed to city street running.  I saw a timing chip mat and then there was a sign for 3 miles and a man reading off the time.  Somehow I did quick math and thinking, ah, I must be running 10 minute something mile, that’s good.

So just about half way and I did my body parts check.  Nowhere is really hurting or feeling discomfort, which was a good news and I started to feel good.  On the course, there were volunteers and police officers.  I noticed that nobody is really thanking them.  I have a habit of yelling THANK YOU to police officers on bike rallies, so I practiced that this time as well.  Compared to cycling events, nobody else was doing the same and the police officers were not even hearing me most of the time.  Later there was a young man who made the point of saying, “Good morning!”, which was nice, but I was thinking, good morning is just not thank you.  Maybe runners don’t need to have police on our side like cyclists have to.  Eventually we left park area and it started to look like downtown streets.  I saw some familiar street names that we saw when we came in.  Now my rudimental math was telling me I would most probably run under 70 minutes.  That was my goal when I signed up with Coach Todd, so this was going to be a good race.  I saw 6 mile sign then 3 mile sign.  Then I saw finish line and most people looked just happy to finish, but my strength as an endurance gal is to finish strong.  This time, I had another lady besides me trying to sprint like I did.  I saw an official photographer and I knew I was making painful face.  But that is dramatic picture the race organizer would like to have for drama, right?  I crossed the finish line and as usual, I forgot to stop the watch for a while.  I received the medal and finally stopped my watch and it said 1:05:44. 

Official results
Garmin data

I first assumed Tony would be at the finish line and yelled for him, but soon realized it is one-way traffic control and I ended up in front of Sheep building where check in bags was in operation.  I called Tony and learned he was getting ready for his start. I went through the building for runners’ food without taking it because I wanted to find Tony at his start line.  I recognized the expo area and there were just so many people.  Surprisingly people with purple bib, the same as Tony’s 5K, were still coming down with escalator without lining up at the start.  Eventually I found Tony and it didn’t take too long for the biggest drama for the day took place.  He went the designated opening between the barricades to get to the corral while talking to me and he found a guy making funny warm up dance and he was not paying attention.  The opening was exactly where the huge drainage was and he stepped down way too low than expected and fell.  He heard he heard two popping sounds.  We knew he wouldn’t be finishing and then he would not be running.  So we took off and came home. 

While Tony practiced R.I.C.E., I went to school and set up the computer from the back up, made sure I can go on to Peruna Network, can print and project from one of regular projector 1^ST year room and HDML connected 3^rd year room.   I got an email from race official and found out my official chip time was 1:05:33.  My goal of 70 minutes, was accomplished!  65 out of 230 in Age Group.  Not too shabby.  Then Tony asked me to buy crutches on the way home.  We then went to the Urgent Care too make sure his ankles were not broken, they took quick X-rays and told him we have good news and bad news. The hugely swollen ankle is only sprained, but the other ankle has a fracture! They then told us to go see orthopedic surgeon on Monday. Tony asked if the fracture could be an old injury and the doctor said he did not have the skill to let us know that, and that the ortopedist would be able to tell us that.  As of this writing on Monday, Dr. Bruce assured him with new X-rays that his right ankle’s fracture is an old injury and gave him a longer boot for left ankle and told us to use the short one from Urgent Care on the right.  Now he is making funny faces with uneven booties.  And Cowtown Marathon is his revenge race now.  He is saying one day, we will both run Half Marathon!?!? Really?