Brian Baresch
Time for another tune-up race. The Bold in the Cold 15K (and 5K) is
run on the southwest edge of Lake Grapevine north of DFW Airport. It
wasn't cold this time: 60 degrees at the start, with some sun and some
clouds and no wind to speak of. After my 10K two weeks ago a race
calculator estimated my equivalent 15K at 1:04:49, so I figured
1:04:45 would be a reasonable goal, about a 6:57 pace. When I got there I saw several familiar
faces, including a swift woman named F. who I figured I might be able to keep up with this
time, so I adopted that as my strategy.
Off we went, about 100 yards south to a right turn. My early pace felt a bit fast so I eased off a
bit. I expected a top-20 finish, based on last year's results, so I felt a bit flustered to have a
big crowd ahead of me, but then I remembered the 5K and let em all go. We turned north, went around
a grove of trees and barreled back south, then west again. After half a mile F. and I were tooling
along together. We passed the mile in 6:30, kind of fast, but not too bad. After not quite 2 miles
the 5K runners split from the 15K, and ... there went F. Oh #*&|<! She's running an easy 5K instead
of a hard 15. (I found out later she was driving to Houston after the race for the next day's
marathon. She's nuts.) Well ... just settle into a 7-minute pace and try to keep it up. Mile 2 was
6:45; the course was what they usually call "rolling hills". I saw a guy about 30 yards ahead and
decided to try to keep him in sight. The lead woman passed me somewhere around here (I said "Oh no,
I'm gonna get beat by a girl!"), and we exchanged encouraging words. The lead man was already on his
way back by this time, with a substantial lead. We ran on a concrete trail that took us close to the
water, then got onto a street for the return trip. 6:50 and 7:04 miles and I felt fairly in control.
My rabbit caught another guy somewhere in here so I had two people to chase. I couldn't seem to
close the distance though. We rejoined the 5K course on the way back to the finish area, though we
had another loop to do still, so we had to dodge both the trailing 5K runners on the way in and the
15K walkers on their way out, but there was room for everyone.
Another trail in the woods, hopping over guardrails lying on the ground. Then out of the woods onto
a street, circling some softball fields, and for some reason the guy ahead of me slowed down or I
speeded up, don't know which, but I just breezed past him and focused on my original rabbit.
Somewhere along here he stopped to walk at a water station and I went by him as well. I passed mile
6 in 40:59 and realized I was running about my second-fastest 10K since high school. Well, cool. We
passed a marina and headed south again; the sun was out by now. I managed somehow to pass an 11-year-
old kid. The leaders came past us again, the first guy still with a big lead (he'd end up winning in
53 and change, IIRC), and I counted them: 14 ahead of me plus the lead woman. There was no one real
close, front or back, by this time, and that's how it stayed. Mile 8 felt slower, though I forgot to
time one split so I don't know for sure; I sort of picked it up for the last mile (actually that was
one of my slower splits), turned on what passes for afterburners in my world, and crossed the line
in 1:04:05 clock time, 1:04:01 on my watch. Not bad for a fairly challenging course. 15th overall,
3rd in my AG. Nice medal!
I chatted with the winning woman afterward. I didn't recognize her during the race, but I had seen
her picture in a local running store; she won the OKC Marathon last year. No wonder I couldn't keep
up! I think she ended up at 1:01 and change.
Post-race food was oranges, bananas, donuts and little packs of corn chips in various flavors, plus
sport drink, water, coffee and hot chocolate. Traffic control was marginal; we had to dodge several
cars in the last half-mile, but most of the course was on very low-traffic streets. FTMP the course
was well marked, and the mile markers were easy to spot, with different colors for the two
distances; the turnaround on the second loop IMHO should have had at least one person there to
assure us that we had it right, otherwise the course support was exemplary.
Three stars. Brian Bob says check it out.
--
Brian P. Baresch Fort Worth, Texas, USA Professional editing and proofreading
If you're going through hell, keep going. --Winston Churchill
run on the southwest edge of Lake Grapevine north of DFW Airport. It
wasn't cold this time: 60 degrees at the start, with some sun and some
clouds and no wind to speak of. After my 10K two weeks ago a race
calculator estimated my equivalent 15K at 1:04:49, so I figured
1:04:45 would be a reasonable goal, about a 6:57 pace. When I got there I saw several familiar
faces, including a swift woman named F. who I figured I might be able to keep up with this
time, so I adopted that as my strategy.
Off we went, about 100 yards south to a right turn. My early pace felt a bit fast so I eased off a
bit. I expected a top-20 finish, based on last year's results, so I felt a bit flustered to have a
big crowd ahead of me, but then I remembered the 5K and let em all go. We turned north, went around
a grove of trees and barreled back south, then west again. After half a mile F. and I were tooling
along together. We passed the mile in 6:30, kind of fast, but not too bad. After not quite 2 miles
the 5K runners split from the 15K, and ... there went F. Oh #*&|<! She's running an easy 5K instead
of a hard 15. (I found out later she was driving to Houston after the race for the next day's
marathon. She's nuts.) Well ... just settle into a 7-minute pace and try to keep it up. Mile 2 was
6:45; the course was what they usually call "rolling hills". I saw a guy about 30 yards ahead and
decided to try to keep him in sight. The lead woman passed me somewhere around here (I said "Oh no,
I'm gonna get beat by a girl!"), and we exchanged encouraging words. The lead man was already on his
way back by this time, with a substantial lead. We ran on a concrete trail that took us close to the
water, then got onto a street for the return trip. 6:50 and 7:04 miles and I felt fairly in control.
My rabbit caught another guy somewhere in here so I had two people to chase. I couldn't seem to
close the distance though. We rejoined the 5K course on the way back to the finish area, though we
had another loop to do still, so we had to dodge both the trailing 5K runners on the way in and the
15K walkers on their way out, but there was room for everyone.
Another trail in the woods, hopping over guardrails lying on the ground. Then out of the woods onto
a street, circling some softball fields, and for some reason the guy ahead of me slowed down or I
speeded up, don't know which, but I just breezed past him and focused on my original rabbit.
Somewhere along here he stopped to walk at a water station and I went by him as well. I passed mile
6 in 40:59 and realized I was running about my second-fastest 10K since high school. Well, cool. We
passed a marina and headed south again; the sun was out by now. I managed somehow to pass an 11-year-
old kid. The leaders came past us again, the first guy still with a big lead (he'd end up winning in
53 and change, IIRC), and I counted them: 14 ahead of me plus the lead woman. There was no one real
close, front or back, by this time, and that's how it stayed. Mile 8 felt slower, though I forgot to
time one split so I don't know for sure; I sort of picked it up for the last mile (actually that was
one of my slower splits), turned on what passes for afterburners in my world, and crossed the line
in 1:04:05 clock time, 1:04:01 on my watch. Not bad for a fairly challenging course. 15th overall,
3rd in my AG. Nice medal!
I chatted with the winning woman afterward. I didn't recognize her during the race, but I had seen
her picture in a local running store; she won the OKC Marathon last year. No wonder I couldn't keep
up! I think she ended up at 1:01 and change.
Post-race food was oranges, bananas, donuts and little packs of corn chips in various flavors, plus
sport drink, water, coffee and hot chocolate. Traffic control was marginal; we had to dodge several
cars in the last half-mile, but most of the course was on very low-traffic streets. FTMP the course
was well marked, and the mile markers were easy to spot, with different colors for the two
distances; the turnaround on the second loop IMHO should have had at least one person there to
assure us that we had it right, otherwise the course support was exemplary.
Three stars. Brian Bob says check it out.
--
Brian P. Baresch Fort Worth, Texas, USA Professional editing and proofreading
If you're going through hell, keep going. --Winston Churchill
