Buckshot Races

Saturday, September 5:

Every year on the Saturday of Labor Day weekend, the Buckshot races are held in Eau Claire, to benefit the Special Olympics. These are fairly big races, with 602 in the five-mile race this year, and 779 in the two-mile. I ran both races this year, because I wanted to get in the miles, finishing 2nd of 7 in the 5-mile (to Dan Conway, former Olympic contender), and 2nd of 11 in the 2-mile, to my brother-in-law, who got me into running seven years ago. Pace 8:24 for the 5-mile, 8:07 for the 2-mile, with about 45 minutes of rest between the races.

These races felt very good - I didn’t really care how well I did, yet I had plenty of energy. And these finishing times are a little better than I had a right to expect, considering other recent times. The Brooks Launch shoes did very well. No pains, it’s a masterpiece.

Two funny remarks: In the 5-mile, I walked up one particularly big hill. When I started running again, I heard a woman behind say to her friend: "Look at that - he walked up the hill and he’s still going to beat me!" Later, a few hundred meters from the finish I heard a voice behind me holler "DON’T LET ME CATCH YOU!" I glanced back and couldn’t identify who might have said it. I doubt it was directed at me, though it seemed to be, but I took it to heart and nobody did pass me. Heck of a motivator.

Great day with family and friends. But there is a cloud on the horizon - if you pray, please pray for BT.

Thursday, September 3:

Local roads with Sunshine & Sweet Pea. I run fast loops (so to speak) while they run slower loops. It’s a good time, as we pass each other every few minutes. Brooks Launch shoes were just fine, not as noisy as I expected. 3.5 miles or so, no time kept.