Results were posted for The 2006 First Run today. Like all the races I will run this year, I'll diary them in the blog.

This is the first event I've run since Hood to Coast 2004, when I (stupidly) ran on my hip which I'd injured in a car accident the weekend prior. But in my defense, I'd already sunk a bunch of monies into it and I was running with by far the coolest team I have ever run this event with. So while it was not the most intelligent thing to do, if I had the chance, I wouldn't change anything.

Ok, so admittedly I was cranky on the way there because we were getting to the race later than I normally would. As I reflect on it now, I was anxious, although my sweetie will testify I emphatically denied being nervous in the slightest. He'd already had a few drinks and was taking every thing in his usual easygoing manner. And of course, it turned out we were there in plenty of time.

I walked into the tent to pick up my timing chip and race number. I open up my packet right there at the table and I'm stunned to see my race number.

69.

No way.

Under the influence of the anxiety, and it being my first running event in over a year, and it being New Year's Eve, this strikes me as the funniest thing EVAR.

I get to the chute and my legs are twitching with energy. I vowed to relax and not make the mistake of charging out of the gate, thereby using up all my energy in the first half-mile. I queue up The Decemberists', 16 Military Wives (a good pacing song), on the Shuffle. At the end of the countdown to midnight, I give my sweetie a big o'l New Year's kiss and I'm off.

My legs don't feel strong since I hadn't warmed up or stretched or anything. I get to the halfway point at Everett Street and my right calf tightens up. In the next quarter mile, it feels like I've got a two-by-four jammed in my right leg where my calf muscle should be. I decide to run through it and queue up some Nine Inch Nails for inspiration. This works until I reach the incline on Columbia from Naito Boulevard up to Broadway. It feels like I am running through molasses, but I shorten my stride and push hard until I get to Broadway. I make the turn onto Broadway and it's downhill to the finish, but I've pushed so hard up the hill that it takes a bit until my legs are able to adjust. I run some quick, but extremely stiff strides for a block or two until I'm able to open up my gait enough to pull out the "big legs" at the finish.

So here are the results of all that effort:

CHIP TIME - 0:27:05
CHIP PACE - 9:02

AGE DIV (female, age 30-34) - 12 / 49
PLACE OVERALL - 290 / 930
SEX OVERALL - 94 / 508

GUN TIME - 0:27:30
GUN PACE - 9:10
TIME TO START LINE - 0:25

This is a pretty solid showing, considering I was planning on going, you know, slow. And in fact, for most of the event, it felt like I was going slowly.

Now first and foremost, I was elated just to have finished the event strong. My sweetie, who was waiting for me at the finish, got hammered by my running jump-hug into the arms after I crossed the line. Our conversation right after I finished:

Him: Hey! You finished in like, 27 minutes!!
Me: (shocked) Whoa, wait really? 27 minutes? Are you sure?
Him: Yeah, I didn't expect you for another four or five minutes, but then I looked up and there you were.
Me: Hmm. It didn't feel like that at all.
Him: You did really great!
Me: (skeptical, as always): It sounds pretty good, but I'll have to check the results from the web site.

And as I see the results today, it was pretty good. My typical 5K pace ranges between 8:45 and 9:00. And although I'm pleased with my results after training so hard the past few months to get back into race condition, it's obvious I've lost my ability to guage my pace by my perceived effort. It felt like I was running 10-minute miles, not 9. I fully expected to finish at 30 minutes, maybe a little more, but like I said, this is pretty good. I rest for a few days and look for another 5K to do next month.

I'm even more impressed that afterwards I played games and drank until 5:30am at my brother's house. Now THAT'S endurance!