Sauble 8K today!

Race day started as usual , up at 6:30 after about 5 hours of sleep. Too little sleep , almost decided to skip the race but I am glad that I didn't ! Had breakfast, OJ/Oatmeal/English Muffin with PB and Coffee. 30 minutes in the Hot Tub after eating then I was off! It was an hours drive to Sauble Beach, 22C when I left home at 08:00 am.

Did a gel and downed some water on the way. Arrived and picked up my race kit , no number or timing chip just a name tag you pin to your shorts! It was getting too hot for any kind of a warm up so I walked down the beach a half a K and back! The race started at 10:00 am , I am guessing that it was somewhere around 25C, 80% Humidity and Sun... it was going to be a hot one!

1st K was done in 4:23, a few times I slowed my pace to try to meet the 4:30 pace I was trying to maintain over the first 5K. 2nd K was done in 4:00 ..too fast for such a hot day but I was feeling good and crunching the numbers...maybe!!!!! At the 3K mark I was starting to feel the heat , I managed to slow to a 4:30 pace . Passed a couple of others around 3K , one fellow in the 30-39 category started to walk , guess he went out way too fast, would that be my fate too ? Passed the 4K half way point at 17:39 , this was a 4:46 pace! Now I was crunching the numbers in the opposite direction. First 4K was with a breeze at our backs and 50% shade. The last 4K was 0% shade straight south and with a breeze in my face ! Passed 5K at 22:34, 4:55 pace , getting slower! There was an aid station at 6K, ran past but dumped a glass of water on top of my over heating head , there was no sensation of cool ... just wet , that cant be good! Passed 6K at 27:38 , last K pace of 5:04 , 5 runners passed me in the last K , I didn't care I just wanted it to be over ... it was so hot! Made 7K at 32:54, last K pace of 5:14. Four of the 5 runners that passed were a few hundred meters ahead , one fellow who I later learned was 14 was only about a 100m ahead....I set my sights on racing him at the end. I spent the 700m of the last K closing the gap on the young fellow 33 years younger then me. Ever so quietly I snuck up to within a couple of meters , with 300m to go the race was on. I was ahead of him until 200m were left the he was ahead of me until 100m were left !!!!!!! I though to myself " You gotta have more ... its only been 8K , last time it was 50K I gotta have more ! So past him I flew , probably the fastest I have run since I was a kid. Garmin said I was doing 25km/Hour as I passed the finish line ... WOW, last K at 4:41 pace ! The wow factor lasted about 2 seconds as the first of 3 dry heaves occurred ... the crowd that a moment ago was WOWed by the 47 year old 182lb guy trying to be 14 again clear for fear of projectiles. So here I am down on my knees , heaving and praying that it wouldn't be too bad! 5 minutes , a douse of cold water and I was OK ! Others didn't fare so well , a top 3, 18 year old female was taken away by ambulance , she looked OK covered in Ice Packs . Temp at the end of the race was 30C !

So of the 108 brave souls who faced the heat I came in 29th overall , third in the 40-49 age group with a time of 37:14 , an overall 4:44 pace , 14 seconds over my goal !

While waiting for the awards I meet Anne from Hanover , she is a Run Mania Lurker and avid Blogger . I asked about running groups and Anne mention the the Saugeen Tri Club! Googled it and found http://www.saugeentriclub.com/ ... I am in . Meet Frank from Durham , another local runner interested in Anne and my blog as well as organizing a running group!

Awards were done on the beach , very well organized ... Watermelon/Pizza/Pop and water ! Lots of giveaways from local merchants in Sauble Beach , thanks to all. Overall , a great race...Cant wait for next year! Race day started as usual , up at 6:30 after about 5 hours of sleep.