This may very well have been the most busiest Saturday that I have ever had. The day started out with a drive downtown to run in the Buffalo Wallow 6K Cross Country Race. This is the first time I have run this race. It’s held downtown at the park between Allen Parkway and Memorial. The course is a triple loop. It includes some severe up and downs.
As it was my first time to run a 6K, I have PR’d. I was hoping that I could run something in the 7:30 pace, but I just could not make it happen. My pace stayed right at 7:40. Although the hills up and down were short, I was forced to walk one hill because of its grade and its slickness. The other hill was just as steep. I was able to run up it, but I’m not sure it was any faster than a walk. The down hills were no treat for me either. It was a learning experience for me, and I was happy to try something new out.
With all the rain we had over the last couple of days, I was pleased that the course was not muddier. There was only one bad section; the rest of the course was relatively dry with good footing.
As always, I run with a pretty good bunch of runners. The Open runners are a special group. Virginia Jones finished first in the Open Women. And, as a group, the Open team won the race. As for us Masters, we ran strong. Kelly, Nica, and Diane all placed. John ran well. However, there were a couple of other teams that were better. Above is a picture of my running team. If Diane and Kelly stay in, we’ll have a very good master’s team.
As far as races go, this one is “old school”. There are no T-shirts, but it is chip timed. The only folks running this race are serious club runners. Going into this race, I was worried about finishing last in my age group. Thankfully, I managed to come in 7th out of 11 runners in the 45-49 age group, a very solid, mid pack performance. All in all, the Wallow is a humbling experience.
After the race, I went out sailing. It was the first time for me to sail. It was nice of Julie’s dad to take me. The boat was something like 35 feet long. The bay was gorgeous. There was plenty of sunshine and a little breeze. I thought sailing was much more complicated. Maybe it is, but these guys made it look very easy.
My day finished off with some BBQ. I met a number of other runners for a post Houston celebration. It was a nice affair. By the end of it, I was exhausted. I think all of this added up to a rather slow and lethargic run today. I ran a little over 7 miles. I wanted to put in something like 12 to 15 miles. But, I just could not get myself going.