Riverbank – Jason’s Perspective

May 12 marked the running of the 30th annual Riverbank 25k. This was my third Riverbank. The weather was more cooperative than ever, and I was the best prepared I’ve ever been. When Randy asked me to run our first Riverbank just 3 years ago I thought the distance was insane, and was thrilled to finish without walking. It’s amazing how much my running experience has increased since then, and how my goal for the race has evolved.
Last year I ran 2:08, so that was the time I wanted to beat this year. Based on my training I thought I would be able to complete it in about 2:05. However, finishing in 2:00 marks a sort of running threshold between recreational and semi-serious, so I kind of wanted to pass that mark. My race strategy was to begin at the pace required for 2:00 (7:43min/mile), and hold it as long as possible. That way if I could achieve 2:00 I would be in position to do so, but if not I would just fade at the end to 2:05. Randy had a similar strategy which was great because we could help keep each other on pace. Darren also started with us, however he had little time to train this year and he knew he would fade early.
The three of us got into position at the 8min/mi pace marker. New to the race this year people ran the course at a set pace holding a sign to indicate what pace they were going. Before the race started I had to use the restroom, however this is a typical symptom of my pre-race nerves and usually goes away during the run.
The race started and we got ahead of the 8min/mi pace marker and settled into 7:45. Running along the river out of the city Randy took a perfect line on the inside edge of every bend. The thick crowd kept Darren and I from running such a straight line, and we fell about 5 seconds behind. As the race went on my bathroom urge did not go away. In fact it got much, much worse. At mile 5 I dropped to the side and sat down in a port-a-john.
When I got out I tried to sprint ahead, but had to weave through the runners who were going much slower. About ¼ mile ahead I could see the 8:00 pace marker, and continued to sprint and weave to catch it. Then I realized that catching the pace marker would not be enough to get back to Darren and Randy. They were running 7:45 pace and were pulling ahead of the pace marker just as fast as I was catching up to it. Surrounding the pace marker was a thick crowd of runners hoping to maintain that pace. Breaking through this mass was difficult, and I bumped my share of elbows and said my share of “skews-me”s.
I finally found myself in the clear at the Wilson Ave turn-around. Passing by Johnson Park my legs started to burn at the ketch-up pace I was pushing. That’s when I reached the half-way mark at 1:01:25, and was motivated by the fact that I was not far off 2:00 pace despite my pit-stop.
I caught up with Darren entering the hills of the gravel pits. He had faded from Randy and was running his own race. We ran together over a hill for mutual motivation before he encouraged me to continue on. The hills were difficult. The wind had taken an unusual direction from the east, and was blowing directly against the runners.
I caught up to a 65-year-old man. I remembered him from a 10 mile race 2 weeks prior in which he sprinted past me in the final stretch to beat me by 1 second, putting the crowd into a frenzy. The taunting spectators still echoed in my head, “go old man, you can beat him!” But I was relieved to be running with somebody of my caliber. He shifted to the side of the course, and I thought ‘what a cleaver old veteran, taking the inside lane of an upcoming bend.’ Then he ran off the course onto the dirt. Soon after, he stopped, bent over, and started heaving. The only thought in my head now was, ‘uh-oh.’
I pushed myself has hard as I could through the final 2 miles. I breathed in and out with almost every step. I tried to push even harder to get to the point of feeling like I was suffocating. I poured everything I had into the last mile, and was barely able to acknowledge Doug, Marv, Steve, Mike, Cindy, and Lindsay. I continued on and gave a weak smile to mom B and Melissa. Further on I saw Cheri and her friend and tried to look strong for a picture.
Finally, I crossed the finish line at 2:04:01. Darren posted a time of 2:06:32 which I find astonishing considering his training. Randy finished a few minutes ahead of us at 2:01:18. I’m actually very thankful he got the time he did. He was in better shape than me and I knew I wouldn’t beat him. Since he didn’t make it into the “2-hour club” I can have peace-of-mind knowing that the bathroom break I took at mile 5 didn’t keep me out of the club.