This was a race I'm not sure why I picked to run. I had seen El Paso from I-10 and from what I saw there was nothing to bring me back. Maybe it was the military discount, the small field, or the cheap airfare? Probably the cheap airfare.
I arrive in ELP after barely making my connection in IAH. What a messed up airport but I made my flight with just seconds to spare. It was probably foreshadowing at its best.
After landing I make my way to the rental car counter and notice a weekend events magazine and on the cover is mention of a sporting event Sat night. I think to myself, maybe it is hockey, sure enough it was. I get the name of the team (El Paso Rhinos) and where it is taking place. I get my rental car, get on the road, stop by Chamizal National Monument and after a few pictures, I'm off to the expo.
I finally find parking and within a few feet of the expo entrance I'm approached by this lady who started asking me for money. Now I can't describe what I just drove trough or where the expo was located but I felt like I was walking down the street of some foreign country. I brush her off, get to the expo, get my stuff and head out the door. As I get to my car I realize I don't have my car keys. Oh crap, where are they? Think - where might they be? Ah-ah, they are in the expo on the table where I tried on my race shirt. Word of caution - if you see a race shirt made by Leslie Jordan go up a size. This was the second race this year with a shirt from Leslie Jordan that was one size too small. Maybe they should go with Under Armour - hint, hint for race t-shirts.
Anyway, I get my keys and eventually make my way back to the hotel. after unpacking, I try and find an Olive Garden for my pasta dinner. Yeah, Olive Garden may not be the best Italian food but I'm in El Paso. after calling all three Olive Gardens I finally find one located near the hockey arena. After a quick bite, I made my way to see the Rhinos. I sat next to a fellow runner at dinner (ate at the bar) and he told me no one ever goes to the hockey games and military gets in free. Wow, not many go and free tickets. Awesome! I finally make my way to the rink and it is PACKED. Parking lot full, no street parking. I eventually find a parking spot about 3/4 mile away and head out on foot. I thinking with this many cars they must be good - it is the playoffs after all. I get to the ticket counter, buy a $20 front row seat behind the glass and go inside. When I get inside, there about 100 people and the 20 rows of seat. Then why are there about 500 cars parked outside?? I turn around go back outside, ask for a refund and get my free military ticket. There was no sense paying $20 for a behind the glass seat when in essence all the seats were that way.
As the game is about to start, I get the feeling I'm in a modern real-life setting of the movie Slapshot. As the into video montage is played, from a PC onto a pull down screen, my suspicion is confirmed, it shows mostly fighting and very little hockey. For the next 2.5 periods, I spend more time watching the drunk crowd than the poor hockey being played. I leave early and head back to my hotel to get ready for tomorrow.
Race day was a nice sunny day (as on would expect in El Paso) with temps right around freezing. The high was expected to be around 50F with a light SE wind - nearly ideal conditions. The race was a three race event 5K, 1/2 marathon and marathon. Too bad the race organizer didn't tell people how to line up at the start because there were people who looked like they just came off America's Biggest Loser starting next to me at the start of the starting corral. After a few announcements, the biggie sand non-marathoners made their way to back - it was a staggered start.
I think my recap of the race is gonna be shorter than everything leading up to the race. After the national anthem was sung by the mayor (top that Mayor Fenty), we were off. 50 yards into the race I was tripped by a biggie was was wearing headphone and had no business being up front. Once I cleared her, it was time for the hills. Good thing they were in the first 5 miles. Once we crested the hills, it was time to enter a stretch of flat, desolate land with nothing around except closed factories. I kept looking at my GPS and couldn't understand why my pace was between 6:55 and 7:05. I didn't feel like I was running that fast but it became obvious very quickly. The light SE wind had turned into a 15 mph tailwind. Might as well take advantage of it!!
The first half went okay and I even had a little competition from a fellow runner who thought this was the 1982 Boston Marathon. Every time I tried to pass him, he sped up. Every time I tried to get around him, he got in front of me. Now this was a guy that I came up on and was ready to pass. This went on for a few miles before I finally sped up and passed him. Once that weird event was over we turned straight into that SE head wind which was now up to 20mph.
My pace quickly dropped to 8:00/miles and then 8:30. The wind was brutal. By the time I got to mile 24 I was beginning to cramp (didn't drink enough water) and when I got the hashing beer tent at mile 25, I basically gave up. I had 12 miles to run 1.2 miles and based on fast I was running there was no way I was going to make it so I decided to have a beer and take it easy.
So for the first time in a long time I gave up in a race but still managed at 3:25 and 4th in my age. After getting a blister in the Redding Marathon, the Illusion (US shoes) work great and I think Iv'e found a comparable shoe to what I've been running in the last few years.
The foreshadowing I mentioned early was all about the plane ride home. Delta only has two flights a day out of ELP to ATL. I get to the ticket counter and the flight is cancelled because of the snow in ATL and the east coast. It is amazing how Delta flights were cancelled but US Airways was still flying in and out of ATL and DCA.
Poo, I have to get to work tomorrow. After spending almost 1 hour with the agent she gets me on a flight to DFW via American but no further that day. On Monday, I have an early morning flight from DFW to DCA and because of the snow in DC, there is a two hour delay in reporting plus a few people can't make it to work so my arrival 2.5 late for work basically goes unnoticed except for my boss who knew I was gonna be late/delayed.
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