Shamrock 10 Race Recap 3.6.10

I normally do not criticize races because I understand that there is a tremendous amount of work goes into them. But after Saturday's race, I feel I have to step up and say something.

This was perhaps the worse race that I have run in many years.

The course was terribly marked, looped and intersected itself, and was even close to be closed to traffic.

Some of the streets had no markings or had faded marks on the far side of the road from the runners. In other areas where the course looped over itself, you had arrows going in different directions. At one point, we looped through a neighborhood and crossed paths with the runners going into the neighborhood.

Making the situation worse, the police held up the traffic for the runners crossing in front of us so we were forced to run on the very edge of the road.

On the return trip, we were heading back along Main Street and cars were passing on either side of us because there were no course monitors or police.

Honestly, I just don't understand. They could have picked any road and ran 3.1 out and back. I mean Mocksville is not that big that we should have these problems. But no, they created this looping and intersecting course with the highest traffic volumes for a Saturday morning in Mocksville.

Ok, I am done unloading now – let me get on with the race recap.

We took off at the start and I quickly hooked up with this other guy. We were working well together and I was hoping we could pull away and battle for 2^nd place. I had seen the 10k race leader win the 5k in just under 16 minutes so I knew better than go chasing him.

We crossed two miles and watched the leader heading around the curve in the distance.

When we rounded the curve, there was no leader in sight and no arrows on the road so we did the only think possible and continued on down the road. At this point, I was feeling pretty good and saving something for the last couple of miles. Then we came to a next intersection a "T" intersection with no arrows and no leader in sight.

About this time, a guy in his car came flying out the road blowing his horn and yelling that we needed to go back and turn before the rail road tracks. I was like "what". As we crested hill on the return to the course, tons of runners were already heading up the hill in the right direction.

The right thing to do was work my way back but logic never seems to work for me in these situations. I pushed hard – way too hard and way across the red line. Buy the time I hit the course 3 mile mark, my legs felt like lead weights were strapped to them.

I tried to shake it off but there was not time in the race to recovery. I think I finished 6^th or 7^th and ran 38:59 for almost 7 miles. I was so frustrated with the race that when we turned the corner for the last 30 yards, I just stopped and walked nice and slowly to the finish. This is something that I have never done before in a race. I did it as a way to let out my frustration in a non-verbal way.

I have already put this race on my do not do ever again list.

On a side note, I was surprised during my warm up to hear someone calling "Bill", "Bill". I looked up briefly but then "Bill" is a common name and I wasn't expecting to see anyone that I knew.

Then, Caitlin came running up beside me. I was totally surprised to see her, but it was good to see someone else that you know at a race.

I think she was equally frustrated by the race. She ran off the course as well. It may have well cost her first place.

 

Thoughts from a frustrated Cool Down Runner