Getting up early for The Nielson Challenge

I rolled out of bed early this morning - on a Saturday! - to head downtown to participate in The Nielson Challenge.  It's a two-mile course sponsored monthly by our local running club, Pikes Peak Road Runners, that is free to the public. The race was established to promote running and help novice runners like me improve our times.  

My wife has really caught the running bug over the summer and has got me running as well ... however, I must confess that my competitive side is what got me up this morning! I couldn't let my wife go and not know how my time compares to hers. So out of bed early it was.

We reached the park at 7:15 a.m. and checked in. We got our numbers and went back up to the car to keep warm and wait for the start which was at 8 a.m. It was quite chilly this morning. At ten minutes to eight, we jogged over to the start and did a few stretches with the other people running around and warming up; a good crowd of runners were milling about. I'd say that there were probably fifty or sixty on hand for the start.

The organizers gave us instructions regarding the course and at ten past eight the "gun" was sounded. Being the cocky novice, of course, I was at the front and took off with the leaders. I was swept up with the thrill of the moment. Here I was in my first official race! It didn't matter that it had been over two weeks since my last jog around the neighborhood. For the first sixty seconds I was feeling pretty good ... then I began to suck air. People began to pass me; first a little kid, then some women. I decided that I needed to cut back on my pace (despite my pride) and start breathing through my nose if I was going to make it.

Two minutes into the race my calves started to tighten up, and just when I thought about slowing even further I saw the first couple of runners passing me going the other way! This meant that the turnaround (1/2 mile) must be close ... I just had to make it there. I reached the marker and as I turned, a couple of bystanders encouraged my efforts. I started to believe. Plus, there was this young teenager in front of me in a red jumpsuit that I couldn't let out of my reach, which meant I had to keep up the pace. The next half-mile I continued to struggle but eventually found a rhythm in my breathing. One mile done!

Then the course headed into a shady area and a breeze picked up. I got a little chilled. Thinking about the cold made my mind start to wander and my breathing and rhythm got off track. The kid ahead of me began to pull away. As I tried to keep up, a pain shot into in my ribcage. I had a stitch. I wasn't getting enough oxygen to my lungs. I let the boy go and determined to keep my arms and legs pumping. I was not going to walk! At one and a half miles a few more women passed me. It was OK. All I could think about was finishing. Soon my breathing returned to normal and I began to feel better. I envisioned the finish and before I knew it I could see the clock. Racing toward it, a feeling of exhilaration coursed through me as I crossed the finish line. I had done it! 

I felt really good. Yes, it was worth getting up early. I stuck around to find out my time. I'd finished in 17:08. My personal best, averaging 8:34 a mile! My wife was about a minute behind me.

Now I think I really have caught the running bug ... I'm going to have to do better next month when the Nielson Challenge comes around again!