Luke - 4.25

4.25mi, 25:40 (6:02)

Story time! Epic night...

Zack and I were lying around in the living room at about 8:30, feeling sorry for ourselves, not a joule of energy between us. Zack said he wanted to go fast tonight but knew he just didn't have it in him, and neither of us could think of a good reason to get off our asses and out the door. We started talking about the Beer Mile we're going to do Thanksgiving weekend when his friends are here visiting, and I offered that we should have beer and then run, just to spice things up a bit. I knew he wouldn't be down for that, of course. But then I had an idea that I figured he couldn't say no to: I'd have beers and then race a sober him. The plan evolved to the following:

I would take two 16-ounce beers onto the porch, and at the gun he would start running and I would start drinking. I couldn't start running until I'd finished my beers. First to finish three Amazon mile loops and return home (4.25 miles total) is the winner.

We both put on racing kits and flats and got out the door. We were definitely infinitely more excited to run than we had been ten minutes prior. I said, "Ready, set, go," and we started our watches and I grabbed a beer and started going while Zack sprinted off down the sidewalk. For some reason before I started I had visions of just pounding the first 16 and moving on to the second and finishing it without pause. Of course instead I got about 3/4 of the way through the first and had to burp. I finished it pretty quickly anyway and moved on to the second. As I was taking a burp-break from it I checked my watch which was at forty seconds and decided I would still be able to win if I started only a minute later than Z.

My split for the beer was 1:00.07, so mission accomplished there. I put my mittens on as I ran, and right away I felt heavy and couldn't stop burping. The first kilometer I don't think I put any ground on Zack--I definitely never saw him up in front of me at any point in it. Although it might not be exactly 1000 meters, it is over swampy grass for a bit of it so I think it somewhat evens out timewise. I covered it in 3:32, which would be 5:41 pace, so definitely a good clip, and better than I expected. I hit the 1/4mi mark of the trail in 87, and figured if I could keep that up I'd win. Half mile passed at 2:54, so right on still. And I saw Zack on his way back and he didn't look too far in front of me. When the trail straightened out again it looked a bit further, though. I came through the mile at 5:55 and thought I had closed a bit on Zack. A half mile (3:00) later I was within 15 meters, but was feeling the beer. Just felt heavy and tight all over. I hung around behind Zack for another 600 meters, then put on a big surge and passed him while making an airplane noise. Because I am mature. I figured maybe he would think I was doing better than I was and it might get to him mentally. Race tactics! I crossed the second mile at 6:09, 5-10 meters in front of Zack, and immediately started feeling worse. I could tell Zack was hanging on (I don't think my false bravado fooled him!) and I was definitely worried that I'd throw up or cramp up and he'd fly past me. At one point I started remembering the drinking of the beer, which was not a good taste to remember, so I put it right out of my head. A little past halfway through we passed a jogger, and at first I thought he'd see us and be impressed, but then I realized we were going pretty slow by that point so he probably didn't even notice. That hurt my pride so I picked it up a little, and I think I pulled away from Zack at that point. Crossed the third mile-loop at 6:34, so definitely much slower, but Zack had also slowed down. The last kilometer wasn't too terrible (don't get me wrong, I've felt much much better) and I just kept reminding myself that I could falter at any moment and Zack wasn't too far back. I was also thinking that if I threw up I might have to do a penalty lap on the track...

I finished in a total time of 26:40, the last kilometer being a couple seconds faster than my first, and Zack was twenty seconds behind. We both felt awful at the end (of course). A half hour later and I am pretty much recovered though! Not a bad night of running.