This morning, in Dallas, Texas, I did my 14th footrace since Labor Day and my 140th overall. The races (a 10K and a 5K) are called the Snowman Shuffle, since it's possible for there to be snow on the ground at this time of year. (When it snows, it doesn't last for more than a few hours.) There was no snow, but it was bitter cold by Texas standards. It was 38º Fahrenheit when I got up at 6:30 and 35º by the time I left my house an hour later. It's not a good sign when it's already cold and the temperature is falling. But I'm a tough old coot, so I got in my car and drove the 31.8 miles to Dallas—specifically, to Winfrey Point on the east side of White Rock Lake.
The wind was vicious. The wind-chill factor at the start of the race had to be in the teens, if not lower. Just yesterday, the high temperature was 81º. We went from summer to winter in a matter of hours. I shouldn't have done it, but I wore Gore-Tex pants and a Gore-Tex jacket. I knew I would overheat, despite the cold wind, and sure enough I did. The course was out and back along the lake. We fought the wind for the first 3.1 miles and then enjoyed a tailwind on the way back. There were places during the first half where the wind slowed my pace to a crawl. I kept telling myself to keep moving, because it was only a matter of time before I reached the turnaround point.
The second half was much easier than the first. Compare my speeds. My mile pace during the first 3.1 miles was 7:32.52. My mile pace during the second 3.1 miles was 7:08.92. Overall, my pace for 6.214 miles was 7:20.72. (Elapsed time = 45:38.68.) I've run a 7:05 and a 7:06 10K this season, so that should tell you how much the wind affected me. I know what you're thinking: "Doesn't the tailwind cancel out the headwind?" No. You never gain as much speed with a tailwind as you lose with a headwind. That is true in running as well as in cycling. The best conditions for both activities are calm air. I think I would have run a 7:05 10K today without the wind, in part because I wouldn't have had to wear such bulky clothing.
Only one man in my age group beat me, and he got the master's award; so I came home with another first-place medal. It was good to see many of my Dallas friends again. Runners are good people. They're also tough. My friend Dennis always runs shirtless, whatever the weather. Sure enough, he came to the starting line today with only shoes, socks, and shorts. (Okay, he had gloves.) I shook my head in wonder at his fortitude. (Or is it stupidity?) After I finished, I stood behind a tree about 100 yards from the finish to cheer slower runners on. Even with my Gore-Tex clothing, I was freezing. Dennis finished in about an hour. I was starting to worry about him. His torso was red from the cold. He laughed about it later in the warmth of the building where we waited for the awards. I've run shirtless when it was 43º. That's as low as I go.
Addendum: Here are the results. I finished second of six in my age group (men 50-54), 10th of 53 men, and 21st of 109 overall.
