I had to force myself up this morning.. alarm went off at 4:30 AM, race was an hour and a half away and started at 7:30 AM. I hadn't walked or ran since July 4th and my body was in no shape for this but my mind willed it to be so.
I honestly needed to get back on my exercise regimen regardless of the physical obstacles that had been hindering the last two months. An iron deficiency and a horrid reaction to a hormonal shot left me with complete physical exhaustion and limited exertion towards anything. In the last two months I've had ghost white hands and feet (can count the blood vessels with that whole glow in the dark appearance), an abominable craving for ice (sometimes getting up at 2 am for ICE!) as well as waking periods that last less than four hours. Not something I recommend for anyone... nor is the condition suitable for foot races, LOL.
But today I wanted to move, today I wanted to press forward. Two quarts of Powerade in the 24 hours prior to the event and I made it all the way to the finish line. Six hours later I am still awake and really glad I showed up to participate this morning. I have two more races scheduled for this month. I don't expect the timing to be noteworthy but I do expect the completion to be pushing the limits of my current condition as I aim towards full recovery.
This was a first time event for me. I did not know the race existed until about ten days prior to its schedule. A friend shared a company email that listed details and I was intrigued at the thought of 'running through a zoo'. And it is just that. Approximately 1.5 miles covers the parkway drive and the remainder of the course runs through sections of the zoo itself. The entire route is paved asphalt. The first two miles (other than the initial 100 feet) are ALL uphill. Literally. No exaggeration.
If you've never been to the zoo at Asheboro, it is a very large facility with scattered parking areas all over the range. Small signs were posted within the zoo once cars reached the parking areas designated for the race. All exhibits were taped off for the race and all non-related areas were closed. Runners and/or walkers were allowed 90 minutes to complete so as not to interfere with the parks regular schedule.
Lots of children for this event and lots of kids games and activities after the race. Volunteers were located at critical turns and within the zoo itself, often pointing out any animals that might be visible en route. I saw black bears, wolves, and African lions before reaching the finish line. The polar exhibit animals were temporarily relocated to Milwaukee while Asheboro undergoes renovations but even still, the kids loved it! All entrants were eligible for a free child's ticket to the zoo today if the adult showed his/her bib at the gate. Nice perk for this race.
485 finishers for this event and lots of family spectators. Dasani water at the finish line and just under the bridge - bananas, oranges, apples and muffins. The t-shirts were light blue cotton, fairly standard for a local race and awards were given to the top three in each age group as well as the top three overall. There was a kid's fun run afterwards and all children received a prize for competing. This is a very family friendly race and I would recommend to all - walkers and runners as there is no pressure to compete at this event yet top performers have ample opportunity to set new PR's here!
CHIP TIME: 52:20
PACE: 16:51 per mile