Los Gatos Dog Run
October 2, 1993
Executive Summary
Los Gatos 2M Dog Run, Nicky & I took 5th place
overall and no medals!
Prelude
The first time for this event, so a small field (~50) turns
out. Nicky's log shows that his training pace has slowed almost one
minute per mile since the beginning of the year, and I'm beginning to
fear that old age (he's 9) is taking its toll. However a quick scan of
the contenders says we may have a chance! We will be racing "medium
dog" (10-20") category here. Oops! There's a young, extremely fit guy.
Casual stroll by. Glance at the tag. Damn. Medium dog. Looks like
we're racing for second!
Main act
The race starts under overcast skies (thank goodness!). It's a
real cross-country melange - up the main lawn of the High School, through
the school grounds, past wet ground where some club is holding a carwash (!),
around the baseball field (avoiding the coiled hose the groundskeeper has
laid right across the path), past the track, twice around the softball field
(watch out for those holes!), then return. We break near the front and
pretty much hold our place the whole way. The most interesting thing that
happens is on the softball field - a guy who is in second has to stop for
his dog doing his business, and the next thing I know, he's taking out a
plastic bag and picking up after himself, then starts running again with
bag in hand!! Very impressive!!! (I think he lost one place but definitely
gets points for good behavior). Naturally Nick had been walked before the
race to avoid this kind of mishap! Running solid the whole way, we cross
the finish line in 13:07 (organizer estimates the distance as ~1.9M), a
time we're quite happy with given the footing.
Finale
We were fifth overall but they decide to give prizes only to second
place in each division, and of the four teams ahead of us, two of the dogs
are entered as large (>20"), and two as medium (10-20"). NOT! We wuz
robbed! NO WAY those dogs were 20" or less! One of them (the one I spotted
before the race) was close; I'll give him the benefit of the doubt, but
not the other one. He was probably 24"! Later on, the race organizer comes
over, tells me that there was no finisher in the male runner, small dog
category (all the small dogs are running with women, it seems), so he gives
me their prize (dog food) - no medal though!
Sequel
Next week - Oakland!
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