You missed the first annual CIM biathlon! What was initially billed as a marathon turned out to be a run/swim event. With driving rain and a 30 mph head wind, survival became the goal. This was particularly true since the run part of the race was more of a steeple chase as we dodged blown-over porta potties. Of course, as one of my work colleagues pointed out, we should have run backwards and then it would have been a tail wind ... (gee, thanks for the advice).

On a positive note, even condering the weather, this is a great race. The people of Sacramento and the volunteers deserve the highest praise. Quite literally, you couldn't go 100 yards without encountering spectators. These folks lined the course in an absolutely miserable storm and I can't thank them enough. Frankly, they're crazier than we were. At least we could run to stay warm. So, if you want to run a great race, put this on your calendars for next year.

On a side note, as I walked through the lobby after the race, some guy asked me how I did. Chatted for a bit; commiserated about the weather; he asked my time and I told him and he gave me all sorts of encouragement. Finally, after several attempts to find out how he did, he told me his time - 2:22. Not bad, I said. NOT BAD! Moron that I am, I didn't realize that this was Bruce Deacon, one of Canada's best marathoners and his 2:22 just happened to be the winning time.

Over 3800 people registered for the marathon but rumor has it that many chose to remain couch potatoes. The CIM doesn't check starting numbers (and they don't use the chip) so a hard number wasn't available. However, 2727 finished the race. I'm sure that there were a substantial number of DNF's. Particularly since, with the accompanying relay, you could drop out at 1/4, 1/2 and 3/4 and catch a bus to the finish (I'm glad that didn't cross my mind around mile 19 or 20).

Four MITcrc's made it to the race. Scott Feamster, Sharon Marcadis and I ran the marathon and Elyce Gall attended for moral support. Sharon's husband and two Golden Retrievers also came along.

If you'd like to check out a more official source, go to the Sacramento Bee's CIM section at:       http://www.sacbee.com/content/news/projects/story/1242108p-1310535c.html

Cheers,

Bill

* California International Marathon

Congratulations Bill for leading MITcrc with an excellent 3:23 clock time, a 7:45 pace; his chip time could have been a Boston qualifier. (Chip times would be less than clock times, but we were not chipped.) Thank you Bill for also chairing a great MITcrc wading party and for two outstanding narratives from the front of the pack. Brian and Ken also distinguished themselves with times of <3:54, and <3:58, respectively; these are about 9 minute paces. Mohan and Sharon also braved the rain for a total of five MITcrc runners. Although accompanied to Sacramento by her two golden retrievers, Sharon did not bring them on the run as weather conditions were obviously not fit for a dog.

In keeping with my tradition, I started at the very back of the pack so I wouldn't get trampled. The starting area was dark, cold, and sopping wet. We started the race in drenching rain which changed to gentle rain before becoming driving rain. At times the rain felt like hail hitting my face. Massive sheets of water flowing over the course suggested that Folsom Dam, where we started, had broken. My shoes were completely waterlogged at five miles from falling rain, puddle sloshing, and pants runoff. My legs felt like lead because of water-logged pants, which I didn't want to shed because of the bone-chilling cold. My gloved hands were inside my jacket sleeves to further protect them from freezing. My running form was extremely flawed as I kept my head down in a futile attempt to keep headwind rain from completely covering my glasses. As it didn't work, I was continually surprised by giant pools of water and really could describe very little of the course.

Cheering spectators and volunteers at every mile calling out my race time and pace were the only signs that I was making progress. Music and noise makers greeted us at a fun-loving 10-mile mark at Old Fair Oaks. By the half-marathon mark at Manzanita and Fair Oaks, the rolling hills with their waterfalls were behind us. The most popular spectator spot was the 20-mile mark at Munroe and Fair Oaks; people at Loehmann's Plaza offered coffee, bagels, and Krispy Kremes to runners. My favorite spectators were an elegantly dressed elderly couple in the middle of the road; the woman was sitting in a wheelchair under an umbrella held by the man. As I finished long after Bill, Brian, Ken, and Sharon, I was able to enjoy the 15 minutes of sunlight that briefly appeared late morning. Obviously I also maximized the entertainment value of my entry fee by more fully immersing myself in CIM. Amazingly I achieved a PR; however, it was about twice as slow as the winning runner and somewhat slower than the men's 70+ division winner. I'll have to keep running marathons until I get it right.

Even with all the rain, it was important to hydrate. Fortunately 17 aid stations dispensed both water and sports drink. I took two cups of sports drink at the first 15, one at 16, and none at 17 because I realized I might set a PR. The PR was possible because I paced with a runner moving slightly faster starting 2.2 miles from the finish. Rounding the corner toward the end, I looked over and asked "Ready?" Hearing a "Yes!", we started our kick together, crossed the finish line together, and received our medals together in front of the State Capitol. My half marathon time was <2:15, which was about a 10 minute pace; overall I ran at a little less than an 11 minute pace. I went out too fast trying to get warm.

For those of you eager for even more details, 3,347 marathoners and 217 relay teams registered. 15% were from outside California, 46% were women, and 50% were from the Sacramento area. International runners came from Canada, Poland, Russia, and South Africa. The youngest marathoner was a 19 year old woman; the oldest marathoners were 79, a woman and man. 6% of the women and 20% of the men were over 50. The most intriguing runner was a mother who talked on a cell phone to her sister about Christmas presents for about one mile. The most popular running outfits were trash bags, which served as disposable rain gear.

Thanks to Bill, MITcrc participation at CIM expanded by 67% on the night before the race. Please welcome Brian and Ken, who joined MITcrc during the Huffers & Puffers carbo-loading party at The Old Spaghetti Factory. Bill made the ultimate sacrifice in giving his official politically correct MITcrc Boston Marathon RRCA Champions shirt to Ken so he could wear it with pride at CIM. Thanks to CIM weather, Brian and Ken became the first MITcrc members to include baptism as part of their welcoming ceremonies. Thank you also to all the Huffers & Puffers for including us in their pre-race festivities, which included December 2 birthday celebrations for Adriana and Jeff. Certainly there is no better way to celebrate a birthday than walking/running a major event.

By the way, the official CIM description encourages runners to "admire the views as the sun warms your way." Horrendous rain did assure one aspect of the CIM description; we did "savor the passing of each mile marker". Why watch "Survivor" when we can run CIM?