Now That’s What I’ve Been Missing!
- rickdmoore
- 6 hours ago
- 4 min read
406 days. Approximately 9757 hours.
That’s how long it had been since my last race.
As those who follow this post know, the time since that race has seen far too much drama. Knee injury. Platelet-Rich Plasma injection. MRI. Meniscus surgery. Blah. Blah. Blah.
What mattered most to me was the walk up to that starting line in downtown Ames, Iowa. Me and just over four hundred other participants clustering closer and closer together.
What was going through my head?
Pretty much what had been going through it all freaking day long. Pondering the questions posed by the three dozen large butterflies fluttering around in my stomach.
How would I feel starting a race at a time closer to when I typically went to bed?
What effect would the sticky humidity and persistent heat have on me?
Had I had enough water during the day?
Had I eaten too much for my early afternoon dinner?
Would the increased pace cause my meniscus to flare up?
What kind of pace would I be able to sustain?
Was I silly to consider placing in my age group as a goal?
Why Did I Choose Midnight Madness?
I first competed in this race two years ago as a “warm up” for the Bix 7 later in July. Emphasis on "warm." Since the event took place in the late evening, heat and humidity were guaranteed with the price of admission. At the time, a 10K was part of the event. Far as I was concerned, a six-mile race under those conditions would help me better prepare for the same conditions with the seven-miles of Bix. Although a heat advisory that year limited all runners to a 5K, the race definitely helped when I ran Bix a couple weeks later. Knowing that it would be some time following my January surgery before I’d be close “racing condition,” I selected this race again as an “icebreaker” for Bix.
At least that sounded good when I signed up for it.
What Happened?
With The Black Key’s rousing “You Got to Lose” blasting in my earbuds, I took those first careful strides, immediately worried as dozens raced past me. But experience and training took over. Running Coach Tim Ives recommended a specific pace in the low seven twenties for the first mile. If I felt strong, I could bump it up from there.
My instincts quickly proved correct as I eased into a comfortable pace, already passing several runners who’d sprinted ahead of me early on. Reaching what I knew had to be the half mile mark, a glance at my watch had me at 7:10. Faster than we’d planned. But feeling doable. Could I hold onto this for three miles?
One way to find out!
Bruce or No Bruce
Thanks to me being me, I meticulously prepared the perfect playlist for this race. Songs with attitude that would boldly kick aside lesser tunes to announce my return to racing. And of course, no sooner than I heard the final notes of Marshall Crenshaw’s excellent “One More Reason"...my earbuds disconnected.
Oh, hell no! I told myself. Bruce Springsteen is up next and he won't be denied.
I immediately reached into my waistband for my cell phone...and dropped it one second later.
That meant stopping to retrieve it. And stopping my watch!
I had a choice. Bruce or the race! Something had to give. Sensing The Boss's nod of understanding, I stuffed the phone back into my waistband and took off! Remembering several strides later to hit the “resume” button on my watch!
Sweet Summer Sweat
With mile uno coming in exactly at 7:10, determination took over. Only two miles left in this race with my legs and I believing we could hold that pace.
Which we did.
To my pleasant surprise, no one passed me from the moment I secured that damned cell phone, with me easing past at least a dozen runners of all ages.
Since the final mile consisted of a loop around some residential blocks, I was quickly reminded - and notably humbled - by the speed of the race’s leaders coming towards us. But those truly impressive talents helped fuel my determination that much more.
And ignore a growing ache in my side.
One Final "Oops!"
I’d wondered if skipping a water stop just after that first mile had been a mistake. I was right. As some cramping in my side remarked to me, some water a little earlier would have been really nice. Still, with less than a mile remaining and knowing that they’d hand out water bottles at the finish line, this may make the rest of the race a bit uncomfortable. But it would not slow me down.
Indeed, with a smile working it's way onto my face, I realized these were the moments I’d missed so badly this past year. With an offer of "thanks" to any Higher Power who may have been listening, I kicked it up a tad just before the final half mile.
I was more than happy to learn that I'd placed 48/416 with a time of 22:35. Even better, I'd earned first in my age group and second in the Senior Masters.
Final Thoughts
With Midnight Madness finally under my belt, I returned from Ames with the following conclusions.
Grateful to be Racing. First and foremost, this past year has taught me that nothing is guaranteed with running - or in life. As a result, we should savor every moment we can do something we enjoy. Trust me on this. I even appreciated that sticky heat!
Nice Start With More Work Ahead. Although pleased with the outcome, my pace was over twenty seconds per mile slower than when I ran it two years ago during a heat advisory. I need to be patient with my recovery. But there is still a solid amount of work ahead of me.
Better Sense of Bix. Even though Iowa’s most popular race is over twice as far with several wicked hills, thanks to Midnight Madness, I have a much better sense of how to approach that race on July 25.
My thanks again to all of you for reading this post. I appreciate your support and definitely look forward to your comments. Good luck with your running!
