Firecracker 4 2007

Andrea, Anna, and I loaded up at 6:40 am and headed to Dunbar Park to see if the Firecracker 4 would still be run in the rain. When we got to the park there were people everywhere even though the rain was coming down pretty good.

I dropped Andrea and Anna off in front of the pavilion and after parking caught up with them to register for the race. Andrea and Anna signed up for the 2-mile walk and I signed-up for the four mile run. Andrea’s sister Gwen and Gwen’s son Matthew signed up for the 2 mile walk as well.

At about 7:15 we headed to the starting line and stood in the rain. After a moment of silence and some instructions the race director yelled “Go!” and we were off right on time at 7:30. I had my iPod wrapped in a Ziploc in my Nathan runner’s belt. I had the volume way too loud as the race started and struggled with it for a little while at the start.

My first mile was fast (for me) at 7:14. The rain was still coming down and I tried to avoid the puddles for the first mile. There was a large group of runners ahead of me in the distance and a string of people behind so I ran alone for the most part. The third place female passed me at the beginning of the second mile.

I passed the 2-mile mark on the Yaupon bridge over Oyster Creek in 7:34. The sidewalk on the bridge was full of water and I decided at that point that I would splash through the puddles like the big kid that I am.

The third mile was slower and I struggled with whether I should keep running as hard as I was or just slow down and enjoy the rest of the race at a moderate pace. I was having the internal arguments that come in almost every race. I decided to keep pushing.

Mile three was the slowest at 7:46. At that point I realized I had a chance to break 30 minutes. I messed around to much in the third mile arguing with myself though and even though I pushed I missed the 30 minute mark by 12 seconds. I tried to catch a runner in front of me but it was not to be. I was out of gas and he had some left. I ran the last mile in 7:33 and finished the race in 30:12.

Anna won the female division of 2-mile walk. She was extremely excited about that. Gwen came in second and Andrea in third. Matthew won the male division of the 2-mile walk for the second year in a row.