Toad Suck 10k 2010 Submitted by: Jim Ford - 05/18/10 9:17 am

Toad Suck 10k 2010 On your mark, get set, GO! I had so much fun last year I decided to compete in my second 10k race on May 1st during Conway's annual Toad Suck Daze. My days of struggling to run 4 or 5 miles are long behind me as I regularly run anywhere between 5 - 8 miles several times a week. In fact, last fall I trained for a half-marathon only to be defeated the night before the race, losing 7 pounds to bad chicken from Pei Wei (I'm sorry staff at Walmart and McDonalds in Sheridan... don't even ask). So I felt actually quite prepared for an easy race with a much faster time than the 2009 race . Please click on each picture to see an expanded view with more detail. 10k stands for 10 kilometers (6.2 miles for us Americans who begrudgingly never adopted the metric system). Last year I felt rushed and hadn't eaten well before the race which is key. So this time, I carbed up on spaghetti the night before, went to bed early, stretched out and even ran a little in my neighborhood beforehand... and BARELY made it to the race in time! Almost 1,000 runners were already lined up, about half dedicate to the shorter 5k. And as with last year, severe rain was predicted. I was hoping not to run through 18 inches of flood water as we had the year before, but was prepared for anything. We hear the gun, and if you've never competed, it's like, well, 1,000 people in a space made for 100 people trying to run out of a gate. People of all shapes and sizes, various fitness levels, from ages 7 to 78, walking and running. It's key to get out of the pack, set a good pace, and control your breathing. I almost bulldozed a little kid who darted in front of me! My old running partner Debbie volunteered to take a few pictures along the route but I had no idea where she was. Thanks for capturing these shots! I finally break out of the pack and pass all the slow pokes. I'm feeling pretty good and get about 3/4 into the first mile thinking, "Alright! The rains going to pass us". Kaboom! It begins to downpour! So I settle in and just try to keep up with the pretty girl in front of me. I mean, hey, you have to stay motivated! Shortly thereafter, the 5k runners peel off in a different direction while the 10k folks stay on the long course. Through city streets, volunteers and cops blocking traffic, I've heard when it doesn't rain people actually come out to cheer and clap to keep us motivated. There were a few but not many. About 3 miles into it, I look back and notice I'm within reach of the top 20% runners. The younger guy next to me was huffing and puffing but I was fine. Until... about mile 4 1/2. Just a slight little incline for a half mile or so but I wanted to throwup and ALMOST took a break to walk. I'd long since passed the pretty girl I'd followed earlier and decided I couldn't let her catch back up. So I trudged on. I see my neighbor Eric Peebles who helps organize the event about a mile left and he's both taunting and encouraging me. It helps! I kick the pace up and a half mile left we start really getting poured on. Runners from the 5k are walking back to us trying to cool down. We head into the highschool stadium and track and I see the big timer and finish line. The pretty girl saved her energy to the end and blazed past me, I couldn't go any faster. I push push push and finally... FINISHED! The electronic chip on my shoe automatically locks in my time from start to finish and I head to find some water, peanut butter crackers, and a banana to get a little energy in. When the official times came out, I was at 48 minutes 34 seconds. 13th in my age group and 89th overall but amongst younger age groups I scored in the top 3. Not as fast as I'd hoped but a full 3 minutes and 2 seconds faster than last time, cutting my pace from 8:20 to 7:50 per mile. It was a fun race, I earned the t-shirt, and can't wait until next year when I hope to get to 46 minutes. Thanks again to Debbie for braving the weather to take pictures for me! Hopefully if it rains next year I'll remember my shirt is soaking wet before I raise it to wipe off the sweat from my face! D'oh! For my friends who constantly ask for advice on getting into shape, dedication, and running: You never know what you can accomplish until you try... in the cold... in the rain. Keep at it and don't give up! Log in and leave some comments or go to my pictures page to get more details on many of the pics you see here.

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