2019 Mudball 4 Mile

I awoke race day, which I suppose is a good thing. My sinuses were killing me, so I blew my nose and blew it some more and then something horrible and yellow came out, but I could feel my sinuses still weren't clear.

Not much of an exaggeration, to be honest

I'd been sick for two weeks, after having been well for two, in turn after 12 weeks of illness. Running a race, any race, was iffy. I was back to 146 pounds from a low of 137, but still well below the 156 at the start of the year. My longest run had been 4 miles and that had taken me 42 minutes. I'd run a total of 77 miles all year.

It was 39 degrees when I headed out to Wirth Park. I was prepared to run in that, but it was quickly warming, so I removed a layer. Then I discovered that I got winded walking from where I parked to where I picked up my number. This was not a good sign. I tried to make the rounds, talking to people I know that I seem only to see at races and who don't overlap very much (I don't think I made any introductions). People were avoiding me, I think, because I probably looked infectious. John Cramer asked if I'd pace the kid's race and I had to decline because I really wasn't sure I could run at all and, if I could, I didn't need to run more before doing my longest run; there would be no warm-up. Fortunately, after a little indecision, Danielle Gordanier got convinced to do it. You can read her account on her new blog (which I recommend): Good Fast Cheap

Danielle, entering the one mud patch

One of the kids lost both of his shoes in the mud.

After finishing, he went back and got them.

I felt good for about 100 meters, going up the first hill. Then I couldn't breathe and dropped back. Here's some familiar faces: old nemesis Scott Purrington (Tartan Terrific shirt) and BJ and Hadley Knight (Miles/Smiles shirt, Eagan shirt, respectively). I'm behind Hadley.

Hadley's 11. She also had a shot at winning.

The course was 5 loops of what they said was 0.9 miles, but which my Suunto measured as a total of 4.02 miles. I spent the first loop with three people, a couple and their friend; the latter had shoe or foot issues and dropped back - she and I traded places the whole day, as I had to walk the uphills (oh, the indignity!) but could still charge the downhills.

Never caught her name. She finished ahead of me.

I apparently got under 6 minutes per mile at one point. You'd never know it from the pics:

Only after the race did I realize I wore a 50K shirt to a 4 Mile

Some of that hair loss is from illness, but it's not coming back

Kirt Goetzke. We're close in ability when I'm well.

Norm Purrington (Scott's father), who I raced as early as 1979. He beat me!

Rick Recker, who I raced as early as 1975. He's having a rough year after injury; I lapped him.

Julie Virkus, legend. Check out some of her over-60 records.

My ribbon says I finished 56th. I recorded my time, but forget what it was (42 minutes?)

I'm still sick and will be for a while, but I got a race done and that's better than 2012 already.