IBM Uptown 10K Classic

Last Sunday was the first of the seven race Austin Distance Challenge series, culminating in February with the Austin Marathon. I had a "goal" time of 0:42. At the starting line while discussing my desired time with a co-worker, I had a feeling of total insignificance as they mentioned the course record over the loud-speaker: 28:05, by some Kenyan. That is a world class time.

I cranked out a 42:39, which was within my goal when I factor in the last 0.2 miles (basically a sub-7:00/mile pace). It worked out to 6:52/mile. Which is "local" class. The winning time was 29:39 (4:46/mile), which is world class, by a Kenyan. A couple of local triathletes squeezed into the top 8 with times considered to be "national" class. This is about a 5:26/mile pace. One of them, Patrick Evoe, won a half-Ironman in Michigan earlier this year.

These classes are all based on the "age graded" standard.

In the last 1/2 mile or so, all these strangers on the side of the road were shouting "go, chad" and "c'mon, chad". I was pegged at heart rate 185 bpm so it took me a couple of seconds to figure out that the guy next to me was also named Chad, and quite a popular person. When I said to him "nice to meet you, chad, I'm chad", the people cheering for him starting shouting "go chads" and "c'mon chads". Then he and I agreed "let's do it" and sprinted for the finish. He nipped me by a couple of feet for 150th place. I ended up in 151st place of 2000 participants.