Miami Turkey Trot 10K (2011)

 

Today I ran the Miami Turkey Trot 10K, a feast of 4600 people all standing in the wrong corral. This is the third time I've done this event and it has always been a very tough race because it's usually the only weekend in November where temperatures are close to 80F.

Not this weekend. Today it was 71-75F during the race. I did not check the humidity but I know it was high because my sunglasses were foggy all through the race. So, the weather was better than last year, which was 77F.

I was not going to shoot for a PR because I know I have not been able to run my normal paces since the asthma diagnosis. However, I wanted to run all out to see what I can do with the asthma. I was not disappointed in finding out I am stronger than I thought.

Update on Asthma: I went to the doctor on Monday and they redid the breathing test (this is my 6th test). I was at 80-81% after NYCM, with the small bronchi at 62%. Bad, bad, bad. So, with less than two weeks with the new medication, I got all numbers at 94-98% and the small bronchii at 84%. Good news indeed! Now I need to start getting allergy shots to be able to work on the allergies causing my asthma, but that will take longer. Step by step, is what I say.

To the Race: This race is inside a park with not many views (if any). The 10K and the 5K races start at once, so imagine 4600 people trying to start all at once. This is made worse by all the walkers and slow runners standing as much in front as they can. So, this year, I placed myself near the 7:30mm, knowing I was probably too far ahead but everybody around me did not look fast.

Off we went.

Mile 1: The first two miles are usually very crowded and I weaved a lot. Still, I felt OK and clocked 8:44 at Mile 1, unheard of since the asthma.

Mile 2: I knew I overdid the first mile, so I slowed down a bit. My last PR in the 10K was at 8:18mm and it is a miracle I could run an 8:44mm now with the asthma. But I was still pushing but waste a little bit of time at the water station (remember we had the 5K runners/walkers around us still). Pace: 9:14.

Mile 3 is where the 5K and the 10K split and off we go to exit the park. The running started getting easier but I wasted a little bit of time getting water at the water station because volunteers were trying to fill the cups up as much they could and I had to stop (full on stop) for 5 seconds or so to get water. Pace: 9:10.

Mile 4 has us leaving the park and going into the surrounding neighborhood. These miles are usually tough (I always had issues before on these two miles). The turnaround comes sometime during this mile and since it is a very tight curve, you waste time turning around. Pace: 9:15.

Mile 5 is where my second wind began. My asthma was giving me issues during the race (in terms that I was very winded for the first 4 miles) and then, it went away. So I pushed a little bit more. I walked this water station because it was warm already and I threw water on top of my head, so I was surprised to see a 9mm mile with the 5 seconds or so I walked to get water and stuff.. Pace: 9:00.

Mile 6 had us coming into the park again. The water station was exactly at 5.01 and I stopped, got some water, threw more over my head and started running. Even with that stop I ran a 9:06 which is pretty good.

As we entered the track for the final, we were grouped again with the 5K walkers, so I started weaving in and out and finished running a 0.23. Crossed the chute in 56:20.

After the race, I had a yogurt (Chobani was giving them away there), water, and ran 2 additional miles.

This is way off my PR of 51:25 from June. However, last year I ran this course in 1:00:40 so I got a huge PR today of 4:20. It frustrates me that I am unable to match the paces I was running pre asthma, but I am still a better runner than last year, asthma and all. Very proud of today's effort and although I was close to using the emergency inhaler after I crossed the finish line, it passed.

As to my marathon next weekend, although I was initially shooting for a 4:10 pre-asthma, I know that is impossible, after talking to the doctor and racing these last few weeks. I still think that with the 2:14 I ran in the HM (including probably 5-7 minutes wasted when I had to fix the shoe) and this 10K, a 4:30-4:40 is not impossible. It will all depend on whether I get an asthma attack or not. Oh, and the weather, which is currently predicted to be in the mid 70s. Bah!

Thanks for reading.