Topeka to Auburn: Did a Cow Just Fly By?

Almost a month in to 2014 and no race recap yet? Please forgive me for my failure to provide running ramblings. Let me fix that immediately. The first outing for this year was the Topeka to Auburn Half Marathon.  It’s a local race put on by the local running group, the Sunflower Striders. It’s got a lot of things going for it: over 30 years of races, great hills for the area, Kansas’ standard could be anything weather, and varied scenery. I thought , when I signed up, it would be a good test to get ready for my goal races this year. It was.

Let’s start off with me. I have been nursing a nagging knee nearly 9 (yeah, take that alliteration) weeks. I had basically decided I need to back down and really re-build things. Slow slow slow was the name of the game and it seemed to be working relatively well. I decided I needed to carry that into the race too. Which meant slow the eff down and don’t mind them people passing you. Oh and something about enjoying the scenery along the way yada yada yada.

Now, on to race day. This deserves it’s own paragraph. Kansas, we do love ourselves some weather.  One of literal draws to this race is that it is in late Jan and not even god knows what the weather will do.  Well, we knew a week out it was going to be windy. And it did not disappoint. Thankfully though, the temps were very un-seasonal. Upper 40’s to love 50’s is a rarity around here. That being said, it was still windy. Well, windy doesn’t describe if very well, gale force may be more apt. We had 30 mph sustained with 50+ mph gusts. If I had a sail, I could have taken off.

Thankfully the course was laid out so that for the most part, the first half of the course was either in areas where the wind wasn’t quite as strong, or was at our back. This was mostly residential areas, a couple hills, nothing too out of the ordinary. The second half, however was a different story. Starting at about the halfway point is Urish hill, which is the biggie. Now, I get it, you folks near mountains would think our little hill is a speed bump, but for us it is one of the best we have locally.  That being said, it wasn’t race shattering. Doing more trail running lately, I enjoyed this part. They set a camera guy at the top to capture people slogging up it, sort of a race tradition. All in good fun. This point on, the hills rolled and we moved on to gravel roads. Another thing that changed is we moved out of the residential and into more open farm land area. This meant far less wind blocks as well as a turn back into the wind. And man, it really punched you in the face going up hills into a 30-50 mph wind with the lovely around of cow being rammed into your nostrils. Just for fun, it also started sprinkling a bit, or light hail, I couldn’t quite tell as hard as it hit us. Again though, it was fun. It was different, I enjoyed it.

Finally coming around a corner and over a hill or two we could see the finish area. At Cowtown I talked about passing a little girl that passed me previously, here, in a Karmic kick in the butt a 12 year old-ish girl absolutely flew past me. I did nothing but laugh and wish her luck. She was earning it. For me, it was a slow sprint (I know that is an oxymoron but it really is what it was for me) to the finish. I gathered myself and felt great. I bounced around a little to see how the knee felt and it was good. I saw friends, talked to them a bit, and rode a wind gust back to my car feeling like I actually followed a plan for once. I really wanted to use this a training run and I think it went well. Skora Forms took care of my feet, Orange Mud Hydra Quiver Double Barrel on my back felt amazing for carrying water and other gear and goodies, the Island Boost “gel” was delicious and rocket fuel as usual. I think I am ready for Cross Timbers in TX on the 15^th which means I am completely not ready or something incredibly odd will happen. But that is the fun right? 

Well, I'm still a Noob

So, despite growing belief to the contrary, I am still a noob. On Friday I decided I was going to put in one hell of a run. I blew out of work, got dressed, and got out the door. It was a gorgeous night for early December in Kansas. Down the road, up the road, over the Buick sized cracks in the sidewalk. Before I knew it I had gone an hour and 16 minutes and almost 9.5 miles. Records for me, suffice it to say I was feeling pretty good about myself. Much like this picture, only, it was dark, there are no mountains in Kansas, I was too tired to raise my arms, and I was fairly certain some sort of ninja mercenary outfit was chasing me (not really but I thought the picture was hilarious and needed to be shared).

I know what you are thinking, that doesn't sound very noobish at all, what the hell? Well, let me explain. I had been invited to run with the Sunflower Striders on Sunday. This was to be my first time running with a group. I was excited for the opportunity, but also both intimidated and nervous. So I get out there and meet the group, very nice people if not a bit to a lot older than I am. I find my man and he gives me some intros and a brief overview of what is going on. "We are going on an easy run today" he says. "Just a little 6 mile morning roll. By the way, what kind of pace do you run at?" He asked me as everyone was getting all stretched out and warmed up. "Well" I replied, "I try and stay under 8 minutes per mile". "Great! You will do just fine, we should be going about 8:15 per mile".

Whaaaaaaaaaaaa?!?!?! That's easy? Well, in the words of the old knight dude in Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade, "He chose, poorly". Yes, good knight, yes I did. I was stil a little worn out from Friday and Saturday, but I did manage to keep up. They drug me all over west Topeka. I was huffing and puffing and these guys were just breezing along. I am speaking in one word sentences and sweating like I was a snowman melting, these guys, still, running like they were just walking to the coffee pot after waking up. I am both impressed and hurting from my above rocky-esque display of pride in my abilities. Humbled, some would say. So eventually we cruise around and end back where we started, all the while talking about running marathons, and running marathons faster, and runnign speed intervals in the 15 degree mornings. Yes, these guys are good. In the end, it was a good experience, I need something to make me work a little harder and go a little further. They will probably give me some good tips that a noob such as myself wouldn't have known otherwise. So, that's good right?

So there were non-running activities this weekend as well. Old friends made their way back to Allen Fieldhouse. Colorado, and ex KU player now coach Tad Boyle came out to Lawrence, and there was much handshaking and sweet words about missing each other's company. Things were just swell until about, oh, 5 seconds after tip off. Things escalated quickly, and I am pretty sure Travis Releford killed somebody with a trident (See evidence: Exhibit A). May want to lay low for a while Mr. Releford. It was good to see a good ol fashioned Big 12 style throttling of our old friends, please come back anytime. Also, Saturday was an Alonso poor man cooking extravaganza. First it was spaghetti with some Mrs. Renfro's Ghost Pepper Salsa mixed in for some flavor, delicious. But that wasn't it, oh no, that evening it was Chili with, yes, that's right, lots of Mrs. Renfro's Ghost Pepper Salsa mixed in. Thank's for the jar mom, you chose, wisely.

So I was going to put in some hilarious Halo hijinx here (alliteration, my 5th grade english teacher would be so proud), but I think we have decided to do a running commentary of a Halo session instead. Mostly because by this point you have left to look at cute kitties doing murderously cute things, or maybe murderous kitties doing cutely murderous things, I don't know. So stay tuned, cause it will involve me dying a lot, and Tom yelling things that are only mildly comprehensible, and a tank.