Bandera 25k

This past Saturday was the annual Bandera run. I opted for the 25k as, for reasons obvious in photo #2, I didn't need to run any more on this particular day !! ...lol

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The race was a load of fun, up to the point were I was a little fatigued but I hadn't noticed it yet. That's the recipe for the "spill" as I've come to call it. It's about 2/3's of the way through the race, I'm doing well and then I hear the infamous 'thump' sound that indicates the first step (of which there are at least three by my definition) in the spill process. The second step is where you actually hit the deck, all the while wondering "hmmm....what exactly just happened to me?" Then you come to know that you just fell and immediately, if possible, hop up from the ground, dust yourself off and quickly look around to see if anyone saw that. (here comes #3: mild embarrassment) Two guys behind me did see it...as soon as I indicated that I was ok, the snickers and giggles commenced. Myself included. Yeah, I thought, when the legs get just a little rubbery but you haven't yet fully noticed it, that can be dangerous. That little Queen song came to mind: "another one bites the dust...let's go !!" So I did...

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Now, I'm fully aware of my condition and went on to finish the race a little more conscious of my condition and at a little more careful pace. All in all, not too bad for a rookie: a 3:21 25k, through the woods, no less.

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The last pix is of my ice bath in my in-law's pool in Kerrville. That water was like 50 friggin degrees. So, my already sore legs hurt like the devil when I first stepped into the pool. But, after about 30 seconds, POOF !, they went numb from the cold water. I gotta say, afterwards is always a better feeling than going into those ice bath things !

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All in all, Bandera was a fun race that I'll probably do again in the future...