(Note: Since the Pemberville Five Miler begins at 6:30, I had an awkwardly long amount of time to kill. So this is what happened.)
10:00 AM (8 1/2 hours until race time): Wake up and lie in bed for a couple minutes. It’s going to be a hot day, I can already feel it.
11:30: After draining a bowl of Honey Bunches of Oats, I open my itunes and crank up my “Psych up to Run” playlist. Nothing motivates me to run more than this playlist.
A.M. — Pax217
Readyfuels — Anberlin
The Sun Also Rises — Brave Saint Saturn
Vertigo — U2
The Galley Slave — Flatfoot 56
One Time — Earthsuit
Hand Grenade — Thousand Foot Krutch
Engage — Pax217
Our Little Secret — Justifide
Echelon — Pillar
Bliss — delirious?
Come On — Andy Hunter
Go — Andy Hunter
Chinatown Jail Break — Flatfoot 56
Schizophreniac — Earthsuit
Where the Streets Have No Name — U2
Seven Nation Army — The White Stripes
Harder, Better, Faster Stronger — Daft Punk
Where the Streets Have No Name is especially meaningful to me. On top of U2 being an awesome band, this is one of the songs I remember hearing on the loudspeakers at Pittsburgh. The only other song I remember is Bruce’s Born to Run. I think that’s a little too cliché though.
I'm also checking my facebook page more often than I should. I don't think there's a better way to kill time than to mindlessly stare at facebook as it updates itself. Maybe I should get a Twitter too.
12:15 PM: I sit down with my mom and brother for a Japanese lesson. After a summer of absolutely no studying, we’re both a little rusty. I barely remember hiragana and even less of katakana. Luke and I struggle through an hour or so of conversation. I think some of it is slowly starting to come back.
2:22: After eating a really light first lunch, I decide I’d rather feel full for a couple hours at least today. My mom makes a bowl of kitsune udon, Japanese-style noodles and vegetables. It’s just about my favorite lunch meal. I have this theory that Japanese food is better to eat than Italian food before running. Today, I finally get to put my theory to the test.
3:00 (3 1/2 hours to race time): The weather widget on my Mac says it’s currently 85 degrees outside. Great.
3:12: “Josh, if you’re just killing time before the race, you should take your sleeping bag to the Laundromat.” — My mom.
4:08: Going to the Laundromat was the first time I'd been outside all day. Holy cow. It's hot. I saw some people setting up registration tables by the fire station where the start line is. It shouldn't be allowed to be this hot today.
5:00 (1 1/2 hours to race time): Took a nap. Not because I was tired. Not because it's part of my pre-race ritual. Nope. I'm still just killing time. I think I'll go drink some water now.
6:00: Changed into my running clothes (first time wearing compression shorts in a race! Exciting I know). Then I walked down to the firehall to register in. My bib was 169. The square root of 13, an unlucky number. I just thought of that now though.
6:26: I notice the bank's time and temp says it's 90 degrees out.
6:30: The gun goes off...
Mile 1 (8:00): All I think as I approach the first mile marker is, "How are my feet feeling? Is my stomach ok? How's my pace? Too fast?"
Mile 2 (16:08): I'm a little weirded out when I hear the splits being called out. An 8:08 second mile? And I'm still feeling good? Sweetness.
Mile 3 "The Turnaround" (24:23): A mile completely out in the country. No shade, few buildings. Some enthusiastic fans lay out slit hoses that spray water on the runners. The fire department brings out a pump truck to dose everyone on the course. Relief. I love this race.
The turnaround is typically where I stop to walk. I still felt good though. So I kept running. The breeze blew into my face, suddenly the sun didn't seem so unrelenting.
Mile 4 (31:50?): Mile 4 is roughly the same water stop as Mile 2. Oddly enough though, there was no split caller. I was annoyed, so I asked the guy next to me. He said something around 31:50. I have a hard time believing I actually ran the fourth mile in 7:27.
The Finish Line (40:25): I love the finish of a race. I blew past four or five runners on my kick. I may be a road racer right now, but in high school I was a sprinter. My kicks are sweet.
So all in all, a 40:25 five-mile is a pretty good base to start my half marathon training from. Not to mention the fact that it was a gazillion degrees out today either.
