Today’s race-report will be so shoe smashingly amazing that it will cause you to day dream about winning Boston during your daily runs or make you break out in a hot sweat during your single-digit degree morning run.  I almost reluctant to unleash this bit of non-fiction writing upon the world as I know the havoc that it could possibly cause.  The damage it could cause should be the plot of a video game where special forces troops try to stop me from doing it.  Now that the bar is set low enough, let’s talk about a race that started in a town with a population smaller than the cross country team I coach.

Last weekend found me at the starting line of the first of a series races put on by Jim Craig and his Angry Cow Adventures crew. These guys put on some awesome, low-key/high amenity events in the area that highlight some of the local state parks and back roads. I have partaken in some of the biggest races in the country (Boston and Chicago Marathons, Bolder Boulder, other popular name droppable races).  Those are great, well-organized, high competitive events that allow you to run FAST.  But the Udder Buster 5k/10k/Half-Marathon in Panama, NE is the opposite of that.  The starting line was literally a tar patch in the middle of main street.  The aid station was a box of water bottles on the side of the road.  I saw three volunteers at road crossings and there were two bike escorts.  IT. WAS. SWEET.  It is also not for everyone.  But sometimes, and especially in the middle of these winter months, it is really good for running soul to let go a bit and just get out and race.  Small town events are usually well-organized, have some history, and are in the true spirit of running.  Which to me is involves an element of competition with camaraderie with fun.  Now, on to the report.

Was looking to get in a solid effort three weeks out from a half I am training for.  An indoor 5k I was trying to get into fell through and I got it into my thick head that I HAD to get a race in.  So I went to my sources.  The LTC and OTC calendars, Google, etc.  No luck.  Couldn’t think of anyone who would be putting a race in the middle of January.  But wait, there are people who would race, outside, this time of year.  Much thanks to Jim Craig, a local adventure racer and director and resident who gives a damn about weather guy of Southeast Nebraska.

Drove down to Panama, NE last Sunday enjoying a nice weekend drive.  Unfortunately, it ended up being about 17 degrees with a nice steady NW wind of about 20mph. But it was nice and sunny and I am an optimist, so. . . Went in to the town meeting area to get my packet (no race chip), checked out the map drawn by hand (not to scale) on a whiteboard, and got out for a long warm-up.  Made it 7 miles and got back in time to dress into race gear.  Low key race (there were about 60 people among all three distances offered) but I still hoped to run fast.  You run/race long enough you figure out what to wear, but this weather and course combo posed some problems.  Strong headwind for 10k, followed by a solid tailwind for the bulk of the back half.  Went with long socks, my Brooks Pure Grits, half-tights, glove/hat, singlet, arm-warmers, and a t-shirt to get me through the wind.  Guessed right and whatever sweat I did break I off-set by hauling along my H2O bottle and hand holster.

Jim says green light and we take off.  To spread us out a bit, the group headed down an old rail line trail that dove off into the woods for some single-track.  Had the company of some buddies from the area in TJ Hubbard and Tom Woods.  But they were running the shorter distances.  I asked Tom about pace and he said we were looking at 6:1x and I knew my goal of a 1:20 was out the window.  After finishing on the trails and cutting across some pastures made it out on the country roads at the two mile mark and found myself alone.  No biggies, I usually run fine when it is just me.  Made my way out to Wagon Train Lake where I had some fun on muddy single-track, only getting off course once and wiping out never.  After looping through this hidden gem of a trail system, we just went back the way we came.  With the tail wind, I ditched the t-shirt and felt like a bad-ass running through a 5 degree wind chill in a tank top.  In reality I was feeling the effects of the long warm-up and cold, but the goal after time was to keep a strong effort for as long as possible.  Caught sight of the water tower and pushed it home to a crowd at the finish line of exactly zero people.  Actually, there may have been one or two dudes from the 10k drinking some post race brews out of their trunk who cheered, but I may have imagined that, I was pretty tired.

After cheering on some other half finishers, changed out and grabbed some nachos and a brownie or four.  Grabbed my race prize of a 1 lb flank steak, bid adiós to Jim and got back in time for the Lincoln Track Club annual meeting.  Good day, consider finding a small town race, I recommend the Animal Run in Hickman.