Day 181 -- Zoo Run Run (Updated)

No, that's not a typo. That's what I thought, the first time that I saw it. The Zoo Run Run is a benefit run for the Henry Vilas Zoo in Madison. This is a great little zoo. When it was chartered, it was on the condition that admission would always be free. But they do a lot of good fundraising and they keep updating and expanding the zoo.

I ran the 10K today. It went really well. I started (as I seem to do on race day) back in the pack. Which means that at first I had to do a lot of picking and juking past slower runners. But I don't really have the guts to push my way to the front before the race begins. Nor do I know how far up to go. I shouldn't be right in front, or I'll be in the way of a bunch of people. I'd rather have to go around people than to be in people's way.

After the pack thinned out, I ran a nice steady pace. My first two miles were about 8:10 each, and I finished in 49:35, which is just under 8 minutes per mile. I felt good the whole way, although I couldn't have run another yard when I was done.

I finished 103rd. I'm not sure how many people were entered, but my name was about 1/3 of the way down the list, so I'd guess 300 or so. Plus there was a 5K run and a 5K walk, so it was a big race. The biggest that I've been in so far. I was also 10th in my age group, which I think is pretty darn good. I also don't know how many men were entered in my age group. Probable eleven. ;-)

Tomorrow is the Quad Cities Marathon, which means that (assuming that it is the same weekend next year) one year from today I should run my marathon. That was not lost on me as I huffed and puffed home after running just 6.2 miles. All I need to do is add 20 miles to that.

Below, that's me, streaking towards the finish line. The oldest and newest little jogger took that shot, and I think it came out purty good. That woman ahead of me must have finished 102nd, because I didn't pass her.

Update: The results of the Zoo Run Run are posted here. There were 359 finishers in the 10K. And I finished 102nd, not 103rd. I don't know whether I misread it this afternoon, or whether they disqualified someone. There were 18 finishers in my age and gender group. So I was in the top third overall, but just below the median in my group. Note that the last place finisher was first in her group: women 65 - 99. Good for her! I hope that I'm still out there running in 25 years!

Update II: Oh, boy, don't get the mathematician started on a big list of numbers like that. The trivia that I can dig up!

I was the fourth 10th place finisher. The 10th place finishers who beat me were in the Men's 25-29 group (almost 7 minutes ahead of me), the Men's 35-39 group (about a minute ahead of me), and the Men's 20-24 group (also a minute ahead of me; interestingly, just behind the old coot in the 35-39 group, who was nine years older.) I beat the 10th place finisher in the Men's 30-34 group by a little over a minute. Hah! Take that, you young whippersnapper!

The only first place finishers whom I beat were in the Girls under 15 group (almost 4 minutes behind me), the Men's 65 and over group (almost 12 minutes behind me), the Women's 55-59 group (a minute behind him), the Women's 60-64 group (almost 20 minutes behind me), and the aforementioned Women's 65 and over winner, who finished almost a half hour after I did.

Of course, I know that this is all just silly playing with numbers. The only competition out there for me was me, and I'm happy with my performance. That wouldn't change if I were 1st or 18th in my age group, 102nd or 300th overall. That all just depends on who shows up, anyway.