06 May 2007

Bloomsday Run 2007

One race down. Many more to go...

I'm an official Bloomsday 2007 finisher. 12 kilometers (7.46 miles) of sunshine. It was a fun event. I don't think I'd want to run with a moving human mass every weekend, but it was so organized that 50,000 people only felt like about 46,000. Seriously, I was pleasantly surprised with how well the entire day went. Since I enjoy runs alone (with Sadie) on mountain trails I was thinking I may be turned off by a huge race like this. But I really enjoyed it. It was a wonderful atmosphere and everyone seemed so happy to be running.

We got there when it was cold and early and took a few photos (Jeanie came with me for inspiration and gear lugging). I also took my camera phone with me and snapped a few photos during the race. The photos on the course are a bit distorted from being shot while I was running (it seems I was running too fast for 21st century camera technology!)

As for the race itself - I felt good. I started out nice and easy and tried not to get caught up in the first mile adreniline sprint racing. Live music blared on dozens of corners and turns. People lined the streets and yards to cheer the runners on. That may have surprised me the most about the race. I didn't imagine there would be so many spectators pushing us on from the sidelines. And I think it worked. There was a lot of energy on the course.

I almost never run with a watch so I'm never quite sure what kind of pace I'm running. And I didn't run with a watch at this race. My goal at the start was to finish in less than 1-hour 10-minutes. For a 12k, that's about a 9:15 minute per mile. I thought that sounded doable, even never having seen this course before. And the main thing I've heard about the course was Doomsday Hill - a big climb between miles 4 and 5.

My official results are in (as reported on the Bloomsday webpage):

-Finish Time: 0:59:08
-Overall Place: 2,004 out of 39,382
-Ran with a pace of 7:55 per mile
-Placed 53rd among people the same age
-Placed 25th among people from Pullman, WA
-Placed 1,439th among people from the State of Washington
-Placed 1st among people with the same last name (YAHOOO! I WON!)
-Placed 1,646th among males


Click here to see an audio slideshow of Bloomsday 2007 (courtesy of spokesmanreview.com).

Here are some of our photos (click to enlarge):

runner statues - Riverfront Park, Spokane


warming up with a "winner"


runner statues


shirt toss tradition


some random sexy sexy guy near the start


there were so many people that it took me nearly 10 min just to reach the starting line after the first group started


views from the race - "The Good" (live bands)


views from the race - "The Bad" (uh, not sure exactly...)


happy feet (not so happy later in the race)


the bottom of the (in)famous Doomsday Hill can be seen in the background


this was a vulture waiting at the top of Doomsday Hill


view from the course


there's that sexy sexy guy again after the race ended

11 comments:

  1. Yeah! Congratulations on finishing. I was thinking about you this morning during the race time. I was trying to use my ESP to cheer you on. Obviously it helped.

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  2. That's my boy!

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  3. awesome job! not getting caught up in the adrenaline is a major accomplishment in itself- and to have the energy and presence of mind to photograph the vulture at doomsday hill...you must have been flying through it! way to go!

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  4. Wahooooooo! Seriously, I expected a better pace out of you. Nine minutes, seriously. But really, bravo. I'll call about a time to meet up with you and Jeanie. We are driving to San Francisco soon....he is a free agent!!!

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  5. wow, it's so awesome! there may be a day i will run a full...

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  6. Wow, you did really good beating your goal. You should celebrate with a batch of chocolate chip cookies. I'll celebrate too the same way.

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  7. A 7:55/mile pace is remarkable for a rookie! It won't take you long to get under a 7:00 min/mile for such a short race. Your current pace will put you in the top 10% of most mountain trail races. Great job!

    Next is the Boston Marathon and then Western States 100mile!

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  8. Congratulations! ...and I was feeling good about my 30 minute run to the Capitol and back.

    This looks like the race is a fun excuse for really big party!

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  9. to everyone: thank you all for the support and encouragement!

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  10. Hey Scott! Congrats on your race. If you didn't know Mel and I have recently reconnected and I stay in touch with her via her blog. That is how I found your blog. I too have picked up running since the high school days. When I'm training I LOVE it. It is such an out for me. In my lifetime I also hope to train for a marathon. Maybe start with a half first! :) Anyway, if you are interested, I would enjoy catching up on life - lisamae00@yahoo.com
    Take care - Lisa T. (Miller)

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  11. Wow!! That is a fabulous time!!!

    What a great way to start your marathon race training series!

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