San Jose Rock-n-Roll Half Marathon

Last Sunday I ran my first race since completing Ironman Canada back in late August. I didn't really plan on running very hard, just enough to see where my body was at physically before I started 'really' running to get ready for Napa.

The San Jose Rock-n-Roll Half Marathon was pretty much a family affair. Most of my siblings were doing the race, with the exception of one brother. My two younger sister's were shooting for a PR, doing a run/walk the entire race. The last race they did was the Nike Women's Half Marathon back in 2007, which one sister did 8-months pregnant (YES, she was 8-months pregnant and completed a half-marathon! That's another story for another time).

The race was pretty much a "Who's Who" of Team in Training, seeing some old friends that I had not seen in several years. I wind up bumping into a couple of friends in Corral 5, Robert and Richard, from the triathlon team I was on last spring and decided to start the race with them.

Here we go!

The gun goes off and I start running pretty casually with Robert and Richard. Richard had just returned to home, after spending a few weeks in Australia visiting his family. We chatted awhile about his trip for the first few miles, pacing about 8:45/mile, a nice comfortable pace I wanted. The next few miles I bump into a few more friends, chatted a bit and wished them a good race. The bands that were playing along the course were pretty cool and the crowd support was great. I saw a bunch of friends cheering.

WTF!

By this time I'm feeling pretty good and just enjoying the run, so I decided to run just a little bit faster, pacing about 8:00/mile, but keeping it comfortable. At around mile 5 or 6 I noticed that there was this guy that seem to always near me, just to the side. I soon realize that this F**&^ is pacing me! So I tried to shake him off off me without running to hard. I'd run to the left side...he'd be there. I'd run to the right side and he'd be there next to me. Crap! At about mile 7 he was getting on my nerves, but not only that, he was one of these clowns that likes to dress up in fancy 'training' outfits. You know the type, wears freakin' tights underneath a pair of fancy shorts, fancy colored running shoes and the topper, big J-Lo like sunglasses! Like this shit is going to make him run faster! I mean if there was a show called "Entourage for Runners", this guy would be on it. Come on dude, you look like an f'n insect!

The Terminator

So I just continue to run, trying to ignore this jackass. By this time, crap, I am running faster than I wanted to, about a 7:40-7:50/pace. However, I'm still feeling relatively comfortable. It was right around mile 10 this clown runs right by me with attitude, like I'm some chump! I just let him go and pass me.

With in about a half mile, despite my better judgement, I start telling myself,

"You're not going to let some dude dressed up like an insect beat you..are you?!? You remember when one of those naked runners passed you at the finish of the Bay-to-Breakers in 2000?"

So I decide I'm going to turn into "The Orkin Man" and terminate this insect! Now I am pacing him, but staying behind so he can't see me. By this time he is starting to haul and our pace now is at 7:30/mile. He was about 20-yards ahead of me and I took my time to reel him back in. The plan was to pass him on the last mile, hopefully he won't have anything left in the tank...hopefully or I wind up pulling a hamstring 'cause I wasn't in shape. Nonetheless, I already had it set in my mind that this dude was not going to beat me.

By mile 11.5 I have caught up to him and I can sense he's got nothing. I run right along the side of him, just to let him know I'm there. The next half-mile I run a little faster to see if he's going to try and keep up. He takes the bait! Bam! We get to mile 12 and we run a 6:53 mile and he tries foolishly to pass me. Now I make my move. I run right by him and never gave him a chance to catch up. My last mile 6:35. I turn around once I cross the finishline and he is nowhere in sight. Terminated.

"The insect I terminated!"