Running Wild!

I let Peyton play with the camera a lot! One of the winners!

Coach here! Welcome back to me. I know you are all disappointed that this isn't Tressa writing this post, but she's been on me like a cheap suit about writing a post so I thought I should wend my way back to bloggyworld.

This was the second year that I did Run Wild. We really liked it last year because it was a good race and with the entry fee, you and your family gets into the park and you even get a tram token with each racing bib. Plus Mel was nice enough to give us her bib and a nice gentleman was gracious enough to give us his bib so we all ended up riding the tram for free.

So anyway, back to the race... We got there nice and early to make sure we got into the park because they close the park 40 min before the race and don't let anybody in after that. I had plenty of time to get my gear, warm up and let Peyton play with the camera for a while.

Just look at that amazing gu slurping form

I actually warmed up for this race more than I think I ever have for a race. I ran about a half mile, did a good amount of stretching and got sticky with the stick.

I love it when Peyton tries to smile

Peyton got stuck in the turnstyle behind us a couple times

Matchy Matchy Dorks!

We met Mel at the beginning of the race (obviously she heard what I was going to wear that day), posed for a quick picture... and we were ready for race time. As you can see from the picture above, we were nice and loose, pumped, and I need to find a different pose ( I suppose I could do a reprise of gay rooster).

And off we went in a bang (or a weird siren on the race director's bull horn). I had a couple of goals for this race. 1) I really wanted to PR and show that the work I've been putting in with Run Less Run Faster is paying off. 2) I dreamed of going under 20 minutes. 3) I wanted an overall place in the race.

Yes, that ginger did pass me!

Most of Mel's pics are of her butt. I don't know how that happened!

The plan for the race was to take it out a little slower and have enough at the end to finish strong. But like every other race that I do, I forgot everything I had ever known got caught up in the race and started fast like everyone else. The first mile went by at about 6:40 and that was about where the 8k runners split off on their wild adventure and left us 5kers in their dust. After the split I was in 4th place. There was a guy and a girl that were obviously going to smoke me and another guy that had passed me in the first mile and was holding a bit of a lead on me.

We hit the first turnaround and for the first time, I didn't feel like I was going to die and actually ran by a water station (another first). Heading into mile two we made a loop around the parking lot and I caught up to the guy that passed me putting me in 3rd place overall... ok all I have to now is hold onto this place and I've got my placing. So after the second mile went by in about 6:50, I started to pick up the pace.

We headed back into the park onto the animal trails which is really cool because you are back in the trees on the trails. The downside is that there are a lot of tight corners and some pretty steep grades up and down. I joked before the race about having poles around the corners so I could grab them and swing around the corner, and to my delight, one of the corners had a small tree that looked like it was meant for me to grab and rock around the corner. I was like Tarzan swinging from a vine, running from Lions, and talking gibberish.

I had a lot more in me at the end of the race than I did last year, and I was pretty surprised how much I had left. I had a really good kick at the end and I could feel the extra training starting to pay dividends. I was not going to let those kids behind me catch up to me (4th place was a 16 year old). The last mile ended up being about 6:30.

about 10 seconds after that, I was about 70% sure I was going to yack on the girls that come to take off the timing tag.

My final time was 20:42, exactly 1 minute faster than last years race. So I achieved two of the three goals, I ended up in third place and I PRed. Didn't make it into the elusive 20 minute club... a good goal for next year.

Then we watched Mel finish, she looked good but was hurting a bit, dang knee. We also stood around with her during the awards where neither of us won anything good, but I got my award for 2nd place in the Men's (that would be 3rd overall!)

Mel (Tall Mom) and Tressa

Seriously? Thumbs up again???

I don't know quite what is going on here

Elk sparring, pretty cool to see!

The tram ride ended up being pretty awesome, we saw a ton of cool animals up close, including the sparing elk, which the tram operator said he had never seen on the tram before... bonus! Peyton did really well and I think he had a good time. This is becoming a great family tradition. We'll be there next year for sure, hopefully Tressa will be running it too!

Peyton switched back and forth between our laps, but by the end he was pretty tired. We got him the lollipop he wanted and he fell asleep holding on to it in the car, too cute!