When I turned 69 I gave myself one year to get into shape to give an "honest effort" in a foot race. I was 210 lbs of "happy beer fat".
Today was not that "goal" race, just a "dress rehersal". The RACE will be on April 30th or May 7th, GOD willing and if the creeks don't rise. I was not "prepared".
I saw this race at Lake Russell put on by Boy Scouts near my home. I am an Eagle Scout, owe them a lot. It appeareed to be a good choice, and it was. I thought instead of running at home, might as well earn a T-shirt.
I got up at 5AM instead of my normal time which is when ever I feel like it. I tend to stay up late and sleep late. My Christmas GPS thing gave me directions, and I found the place in the dark with ease.
I knew it would be a small group, suspected I would be the oldest as I turn 70 in one month. It was a small group of ?????, but 5 were in my age group (65-69) and 3 were over 70. No big deal as this was a rehersal, I would race these 8 some other day -- maybe?
You would think a race on a lake would be flat, but nope, this course was for mountain goats. I have no speed, and my endurance is still crap. Since I had no idea of a finish time.
The race started, and I tried to keep up to the rear without going into oxygen dept in the first mile. I was determined to not be excited, but even before the race started, my pulse was up there. I guess I was having fun? I was not there to race, just to get in a hard run and get my racing feet back under me after a 10 year lay off. Today I failed to find those feets, they stayed home in bed.
Being in a race was harder than I remembered. After about ten minutes, I was hanging on, slowing down, and telling myself to walk in. My mind reminded me I am too old. My body became angry at me. Together they voted for me to stop the insanity. Up each hill (or small rise) I was moving slower than a walk. I was surprised to learn later that the elevation gain was only 135 ft. I was not there for pain, not there to race. I was also not there expecting just to survive, but that is what happened.
I was trying to survive.
Since no one there knew me, it was easy to just stop and call it a day --> but I didn't. I wanted to, but I finished.
Like almost every race I finished as a younger man (back when I could race), I was proud to finish this one.
I fought my demons and did not quit.
I got a medal and a T-shirt to prove I was there. I had a stranger take a photo just to prove it to me tommorrow after I sober up.
Race results:
http://www.coolrunning.com/results/16/ga/Mar19_BEPREP_set1.shtml
My official time was: 24:09 ~
24 minutes will win most of the over 70 races, and I think I can do better.
My average heart rate was 154 and the watch says I actually hit 164 near the end. I would swear it was always over 300 after the first 3 minutes.
So ..... I am over a minute a mile from the state record. I suspect I cannot ever cover that, but at the same time, believe I can improve.