This year's Dipsea effort demonstrated conclusively that willpower is no substitute for a good body. Plagued by sciatica problems in the left leg, it was tough going this year, with a "close but no cigar" finish once again. 1:17:47 (net 1:09:47 with my handicap), good for 487th place, 1:53 out of the magic 450th place. 31 seconds slower than last year, which considering my sciatica problems wasn't too bad, and, thanks to an extra one minute handicap, actually a higher placing (last year was 495th). But not good enough.
Splits for this year's run were 23:04 to Redwood Creek, 53:19 (+30:15) to Cardiac,
1:05:47 to Webb Creek (+12:28), and 1:17:47 to the finish (+12:00). Last year I was
able to do 21:56 to Redwood Creek, more than a minute faster, and 52:57 (+31:01)
to Cardiac (a minute slower!), and 1:17:18 (+24:21) to the finish (compared to this
year's 24:18). So my "plummet to the finish" is holding constant, and I
even improved on the all-important Muir Woods to Cardiac section. It appears that
I just wasn't aggressive enough at the start and on the stairs, although gaining
a minute there still would have left me a minute short. Going to have to work a LOT
harder next year.
Interestingly enough, had I been running in the "Runners" section instead
of the "Invitational" section, I would have qualified! In the Runners section
you need to finish in the first 750 overall, and I could have done that with a 1:11:16
net, a minute and a half slower than my actual time. Man on the edge indeed!
And, even if I didn't qualify, I got to see "the man", Jack Kirk, one more time. Jack finished his 68th consecutive Dipsea at age 96. "You the man", Jack.
Steve "The Man on the (wrong side of the) Edge" Patt
in Cupertino, CA
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