Today, the YMCA held the Rowley 5k Poker Run in Rowley, Massachusetts. Its a really fun event, with the idea being that you get one playing card at the starting line, one at mile 1, one at mile 2, and 2 at the finish line. Not only do you have the race winner, winners for each age/sex category, but you also have the winner with the best hand. Of course, if you wish to be all competitive and stuff, you can choose not to pick up cards during the race, and get all five at the finish line. I chose to pick them up, because I was there for fun.About the course... I was totally not expecting it to be as hilly as it was! It started off flat for half a mile, then everything after that was either a slight down hill, or more often than not, an even steeper and longer up hill! I of course know this would make one finish at a higher altitude than they started, and with the start and finish being in the same location, it's impossible. But thats how it sure felt! Whew! Hills... I love and hate them.
When I started the race, I stayed in the number one position for about an eighth of a mile, and the whole time I kept thinking "This aint good". If I'm in first, it either means the runners are all slower than I've ran against, or I'm starting out way too fast. A couple of guys passed me, and then I felt better, but then they just kept on passing me. 15 people during the race passed me. Actually, number 80, he passed me with an eighth of a mile to go, but only got 3 feet in front of me, and I said "Oh no he's NOT going to beat me at the very end!" Now by that point, I was running very slow. I was dead. My wheezing (a bad sign indeed) had started up halfway through the race. By this point I was near done. But my ego looks at me, and says "You'd better not let him beat you, or I'll kick you in the shins so hard, you'll wish I hadn't kicked you in the shins so hard!" Thinking of my poor shins, I went flying across that finish line like a gazelle being chasesd by lions.
That put me in 16th place over all, and 7th out of 22 in the 20-39 age category. I believe there was over a hundred racers. I finished in 20:10, which was better than my last race last october! I could have sworn I was running a LOT slower at the end, but apparently I was almost a minute faster, and from the split times being read to us, I really didn't slow down all that much at the end.
Yeay! Good race. Good runners! Especially you, #80! I needed that kick in the ass! :D
I'll link the rankings when they get posted online, but here's the last race I did:
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