Chasing CHILI...

Hmmm... doesn't everyone just love a nice hot, spicy bowl of chili after an intense, all-out, bone-chlling, heart-throbbing, knee-buckling, sweat-pouring, anxiety-provoking, adrenline-pumping, physically-demanding 4 mile run?  Apparently alot of people do, as this was theme of the Chili Chase 4 Mile that I entered on Sunday in Davenport, Iowa... run 4 icy miles in the freezing temperatures and then chow down some chili, washing it down with cans of busch light.

I do have some strengths, but the ability to eat a bowl of chili after an intense physical effort is not one of them. I watched in awe as over 350 people squeezed into the Duck Creek Park Lodge after the race and enjoyed the after party festivities which featured chili.  Why don't I have the inner strength to be able to eat a full meal right after a race?  Is this something I can train myself to be able to do?  The meal was part of the entry fee and yet I was unable to enjoy it. 

I couldn't resist entering at least one running race before I pushed my treadmill into the corner until fall, and this race was the one I had chosen.  I really wasn't feeling that confident as I lined up with around 350 starters, so I sort of hid about 1/3 of the way back from the front.  This decision haunted me the entire race, as I was blocked in for almost the first half mile of the race.  As I began to get some leg room, the course become very icy. In fact, at one point we were running single file, as there was only a 1 foot patch of dry road. I decided to run at this pre-determined pace rather than risk slipping on the snow/ice combo.

Eventually I was 'free to fly' and was happy to realize I had worked my way up to 12th place.  I had hoped to get into the top 10, and so I marked the next two runners up the road.  I made it to the 10th spot as we had less than a third of a mile to go, when somebody passed me... luckily I was able to pass another runner before the finish to maintain my position. (Chili Chase Results)

I will admit that I felt a little guilty about running instead of cycling that day, but I really do need to cross train during the winter months to keep from getting burnt out, and running seems to help my overall fitness.  Having said that, I now plan to shift my focus exclusively to cycling, as I have a training race coming up March 12th in Iowa City (The Iowa Spring Classic #2) and then a stage race in Arizona (really? that should be interesting)...