Bix 7 2007 – Came, Saw, Got my butt kicked
I ran the Bix 7 race today in Davenport, Iowa. It is a great race and huge participation with over 15,000 runners. I wanted to do this race last year, but sign up was expired by the time I made my way registration. It features some huge hills, notably within the first half mile and near mile 3. At the last minute, we made this a family vacation, but we were relegated to staying at a smelly Motel 6 along Highway 61. Being put in a room that was already occupied by another family, who may or may not have been squatting there, was the start of the fun.
After a fitful night of sleep, which is starting to be a regular occurance pre-race night, we made our way to downtown Davenport. I was in the yellow starting queue, which was for the midpack runners. My goals for the 7-mile race were:
- Gold – 52:30 – 7:30 pace – a really aggressive goal based upon my performance at the Loop the Lake race in April, which was flat not the hilly monster.
- Silver – 56:00 – 8 min/mile pace
- Bronze – run in less than an hour
I thought I should do well with my mileage increasing to pre-Drake Half Marathon levels recently. I had a bad run on the prior Thursday night (my first double-dipper of the season) as my energy was low, and I cut the run the short. My legs were fresh though Saturday morning, and I was anxious to get on the course.
As it turns out I was probably a bit too anxious. The first mile with 140-ft incline (8% grade) went by in a starting gate and congestion-contributed 8:13. As the pack spread out, I turned in a way too fast 6:58 second mile. The third mile featured the second hill, which might have been even steeper than the first. The incline and too fast second mile started the energy sap. I finished the third mile in 8:00. The fourth mile was 8:18 as I hung there soaking my head with ice and enjoying the slight decline. After that, it was rough going. Mile 5 (9:18) and 6 (8:57) are the miles I wish I could do over. After that, it was all figuratively and geographically downhill. Mile 7 (7:38) and the sprint to the finish were made a lot better by seeing my wife and kids again. I did beat my bronze goal by finishing with a chip time of 57 minutes and 54 seconds. I finished in the upper 24 percent of my agent group and 19 percent overall.
Overall, it was a good learning experience in the necessity of settling into a pace and maintaining it. My times were all over the board between fast runs and walks in the final 5 and 6 miles. I definitely want to do it again next year and correct my mistakes.
Finally, here is a picture of fan support. They definitely made a difference in mile 7.
[...] 5 miles) and the Sioux Falls Half Marathon in September. My perhaps most disappointing race was the Bix 7 where the heat and the hills ate me up. I did complete my first marathon despite suffering weeks of [...]
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[...] year, I had high hopes for running the Bix 7 race. I had just completed a really fast Loop the Lake, improved on my half marathon time, and was in the [...]
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