Cowtown 5K

This weekend (Saturday) I headed to Fort Worth at 4:45 a.m. thinking I would have arrive in plenty of time pick up my packet, warm up, and mentally focused. What was I thinking? On the drive over there, I guess I didn't eat enough breakfast my stomach felt nauceous. I Pulled over at a gas station and bent over and tried to puke. I couldn't do it but I ate a banana I had in the back of my car I was saving for later. After that episode I felt better. Into Fort Worth on 4th Street was like a rediculous 30 minute wait to travel 200 yards or so to get into the parket garage it was absurd. After I got parked I had to strip down to my race clothes as there was only so much time left. Then I had to find packet pick up it looked like an organized mess out there. Finally found that and then I had do a number 2 and restroom line was long. There were plenty people running the half which started the same time as the 10k. As the gun went off I'm sure I probably said a few explecitives outloud. I just started running with the half marathoners I didn't see any 10kers, finally I was mad as hell for about 10 seconds. I just ripped my number off. Then I thought about it for a minute and decided I could probably do the 5k which started 45 minutes later. I then get switched down to the 5k. I was like yes, now I can go to my car and put warmer clothes on until the start, well I couldn't find the parking garage so I just jogged around for the longest time and tried to stay warm. It didn't really work so I was cold the whole time.

As I mentioned before it was balls to the wall cold and windy out there.




We finally got started and the horn went off my feet were already numb. We started out in a pack for the first minute or so then it was a 1-2 race between me and 18 y/0 Nathan Collier from Pottsboro, Tx. He held a constant lead over me pretty much the whole time. I did notice that when we hit strong(er) winds I would bring him back a little bit but then he would end up pulling away again. The course consisted of lots of turns. We would eventuanlly run into some of the half/marathoners some of them slowed us down a little bit and I was able to catch Nathan but he pulled away again and put about the same distance back on me. Near the end I couldn't sprint like I usually do. All I had today was cold feet. I finished the 5k 2nd overall in 16.52, Collier finished in 16.34. I wish him the best as he attempts to qualify for the State High School meet this year. Thanks be to God for everything that could have happened and that did happen.




On a side note they put a small write up about me in the Fort Worth paper.

Missed start leads to second place
William Ritter planned to run the 10K, but a long drive from Gun Barrel City and traffic in downtown Fort Worth caused him to miss the start.
But Ritter didn’t want to waste the day, so he entered the 5K. Despite the rough morning, he finished second to Pottsboro’s Nathan Collier.

The Cowtown also featured an Ultra Marathon/Marathon/Half-Marathon/10K. To view the compete article just click the link. http://www.star-telegram.com/sports/story/1231481.html



Training is going good I suppose. I put in a long day the day after the race once I got moving. I am very sore right now and today was a rest day. We have some good training up ahead. Next event I am running is March 14 in Longview, Tx the Cheetah Memorial 5k, more on that later.