Unwritten Rules

2 Miles
17:30 minutes, 8:45 min/mile

Started off fast, too fast, with the intention of running miles 1 and 3 quick while jogging 2 at a 10ish pace, but instpead of hitting an 8 pace I managed to get through the first half mile closer to 7:30 and burned out too quickly. Stupid idea anyway after barely stretching and just getting off work. My first appointment isn't until 11 tomorrow, so getting through a nice 3 or 4 mile run at a manageable pace shouldn't be too bad. My right shin gave me trouble too, which ordinarily I'd be more concerned about, but the mix of going too fast and working on a more efficient stride caused that so I'm not worried.

On a side note, a friend and She Who Must Be Obeyed have both told me that intervals are the way to go to burn calories. I must look into this more. Until I rejoin Gainesville Health and Fitness, an awesome health club here in town, I'll have to find a place to run sprints that isn't too on display. Something about a not too thin guy on a track being seen by traffic frightens me.

Also, recently the author of the Running While Chunky blog held a contest to guess her time at the recent Rock n' Roll Half Marathon in Savannah, GA. My wife and I have been following her entries for a few months now, my wife longer than I, when we read that she was having a giveaway to anyone who could correctly guess her finishing time. Since the website for the race stated a 4 hour time limit and, after reading her blog and noting her average pace, factoring in her consistency in coming up with excuse after excuse to avoid quality runs, etc, I knew there was zero chance for her to meet that limit. For that reason I entered a time of DNF for my guess. The pony tail holder thingy was as good as my wifes!

The day of the race comes, we cross referenced some statements in her blogs to Disney race results and easily found her real name, and we tracked her progress on the race website. After my wife texted me her first time check she was already over pace. A few hours later we checked again and her finishing time showed up as 3:02. I chalked this up to her 19+ min per mile pace for most of the course then the speed of the cars picking up all the stragglers. This wasn't far from the truth. As it turned out, she was shuttled forward at one point when she fell behind. Near the end of the race a shortcut appeared and she either took it or it was suggested that she take it to get to the finish line. Fine. No problem with that. If you're physically unable to complete a half marathon in the stated time limit, a very generous 4 hours, then by all means bow out, quit or make a graceful exit. Whatever you call it, have some consideration for the volunteers who have to wait until everyone finishes, their faces in agony at faking a smile and clapping for the last few smiling, barely sweating yet heavily accessorized walkers meandering their way to the finish. Am I bitter that she chose to not call the race a DNF and give the accessory to someone else who actually thought she could finish? No. Annoyed? Yes. Technically yes, she did cross the finish line, but she did not complete the 13.1 miles. Not even close. This was the contest, though not at all official, but an implied rule that entrants were to guess her time for the entire race, which she did not complete. My contest entry next time will not be nearly so considerate, but it will be detailed.

Running While Chunky - (race name) - 8.7 miles, mainly walking, .4 miles down a side street, 500 feet over a corner lot with a beautiful gazebo, 750 feet through a YMCA to the finish line to pick up a medal for paying the entry fee - 3:24. Hopefully its detailed enough. Some contests obviously require a mix of timing, thinking outside the box and a severe case of denial.