Turkey for the Texan at the FootwoRX Fowl Fun Run 10K

It's always kind of tough to pass up a 10K that costs just $10. (The race t-shirt was extra, but that is the way things are up here in the Pacific Northwest.)

Having been sore for a couple of days, I hadn't done anything (workout, run, etc.) the entire week for fear of stirring up problems in my back. However, I just didn't want to hang out at the apartment in downtown Vancouver. It would remind me of wishing that I was home in Houston.

Therefore, I made a trek south down Interstate 5 to Mount Vernon, Washington to participate in the Skagit Runners' FootwoRX Fowl Fun Run 10K. It took me about 30 minutes to go through the Peace Arch crossing at White Rock, BC/Blaine, WA and I eventually got to the race location - the Skagit County Fairgrounds - at about 9:15 a.m. for the 10 a.m. start.

I registered, started to warm up a bit (and found out that I was a little tight so I tried to stretch a little) and then soon realized that I was going to need the gloves like I had on Sunday (in Boise). It was probably about 43-44 degrees. Great weather to run in; however, I was still fighting a little bit of a cold and was still coughing a bit of phlgehm.

Shortly before the race started, who did I see? Bellingham, Washington's Boris Balic, the father of my good friend, On The Run assistant manager Vera Balic.

He asked me if I was going to do 10-minute miles. I told him that I wished - given the recent back troubles, not having run since Sunday and my cold. He said that he was going to try and run the first two miles in 20 minutes and then try to pick it up from there. I told him that my goal was just to be able to try and run even pacing. He called it a "recovery race".

Even though the course is certified, I didn't find that out until I had gotten back here to Vancouver and it wasn't a course that I tried to drive before the start of the race. Once we got out there, the course was basically flat - exactly like the Berry Dairy Days 10K in the next town over in Burlington that I had done in June - except for some tough camber in the road when we made turns.

Right before the start, we started to get a little rain. However, it didn't last.

Mile 1 -- 5:48.39
Mile 2 -- 14:35.11 (20:23.50)

Through the first two miles, I actually felt pretty good but a little winded (as I was pushing it a bit with the cool weather.) I thought that the course was going to be marked in kilometers when I passed through the first marker in 5:48. If so, I did the math ... wow, under an hour? "Yeah, right" is what I was thinking. I saw Boris in front of me as he looked as if he passed through the 2-mile marker in 19 and change. (Cassie: The mile marker was clearly off. If I ran a 5:48 mile, I'd be an inpatient at the local hospital.)

Mile 3 -- 10:38.35 (31:01.85)

The marker was right after the turnaround and I thought to myself it wasn't the best time that I've ever had after three miles, but given the circumstances I'd take it. Much of the first 2.9 miles was into a headwind. Two female runners had passed me before the 2-mile marker and a couple passed me midway through mile 3.

Mile 4 -- 11:05.88 (42:07.73)

I hit the water stop at about the mile 3.3 marker, took a short walk once I made it to the mile 4 marker and was starting to feel some of the pain shooting down the back of my glutes into the top of my hamstrings.

Mile 5 -- 10:48.42 (52:56.15)

I had a female runner pass me just before the mile 5 marker.

Mile 6 -- 11:00.58 (1:03:56.73)

I felt as if I was starting to pick things up a little bit after passing the mile 5 marker; however, the time proved that I wasn't. I tried to keep my form good and quicken my foot turnover, but it didn't produce any reduction in time.

Last .2 -- 2:10.12 (1:06:06.85)

I was doing the math -- 1:48 is a 9-min/mile pace; 2:00 is a 10-min/mile pace ... so the 2:10 was just under an 11-min/mile pace in the last two-tenths of a mile. (If I had clicked my watch as I crossed the start line, I could have officially claimed a 1:05:59 as it was 7.80 seconds ... but I didn't, so I won't.)

I can't say that I'm happy, but I'm back in the game for a little bit until I see the chiropractor next Friday afternoon to attempt to see what is going on in my back.

I still believe that this all has something to do with my gait. When my gait is where I need it to be, I run well (i.e. the back-to-back races in September and a good 10-miler at Ten For Texas.) Even though my fitness isn't all where it was this past January and February, I can feel as if that I'm not turning things over in my stride well enough.

I'll be doing some more tinkering tomorrow in Surrey, British Columbia.

Post race ceremonies today included a small slice of pumpkin pie and a cherry bagel with some cream cheese. I waited around for them to call Boris' name as he ended up finishing second in the 70-and-over division. Shortly thereafter, they started to call names for people who had won a Thanksgiving turkey.

Well, guess what? They called, "Jon Walk." As I was walking up there, I knew that there is no way that I could carry that across the border north and even if I did, what was I going to do with it? So as I walked back towards the back of the room to talk to Vera's dad before I was going to leave, I walked up to him and said to Boris, "Happy Thanksgiving!"

I gave Boris the turkey for he and his wife for Thanksgiving. :)

I would say that it more than made up for my 5th consecutive race that had a less than comfortable time!