I could run a 10K with a 50% discount thanks to a fellow runner from the group I joined with Dante. Good thing that all others in my group are quicker than me, it pushes me further. My runner number label was 319. Many people put these on walls. For research purposes I may as well put the labels together in a folder, to keep track of distances ran, organizers, places, and general notes.
I saw many people I knew before the race started. To some of them I could say hello. I saw Fernando Pena Nolé and his wife Eugenia, I could chat a bit and all was ok. But I didn't talk too much either since it was quite early, and I didn't want to impose. Later on I saw Pedro Gómez, the runner from Dante's group that had been the 1st argentinean position in the last 42 K in Buenos Aires. I didn't say hi since he seemed focused and doing the pre-heat with another runner. A 20 minutes later I saw him again from closer and he said hi and made a comment on my five finger shoes that I was to run barefoot. I didn't chat too much either since he was already heading elsewhere. He was more focused than anybody I'd figure.
The race was called to start at 8am but that was just the organization to keep everything early, when the actual start was later than 10am. Around 1040 a general preheat began leaded by sumba dance teachers, so a 50-100 woman followed some girls leading on a higher position. Everything seemed to be so far away to start that I went to the bathroom and when I was coming out I could hear the countdown, from 10 to 0.
I joined the crowd without even getting inside the lanes where the runner were. I know the environment of Parque Sarmiento, in Córdoba, since it has been my main training place since age 12 or 14. And I'm not planning on winning the race, so my atypical starting position shouldn't be a problem.
I ran the race happily, and felt again the joy of running as part of group, something I haven't done for a while. I normally ran races in the past as part of a father-son activity until I ran my 42 K in Buenos Aires by 2004. I realized that I do run ocassionaly a little quicker when part of fast mass. I didn't keep track of my time but I did more or less 38 minutes when I was in the 8th Km. At that pace I should be close to 48 mins at 10k.
During the race I noticed that almost nobody had sunglasses, except Pedro and another mid pack person. A rarity was also seeing runners with camelbacks. For a 10k they don't make much sense, but there was a person or two that used one.
At the end of the race I was surprised to see José Pepe Lascano, who (this was my surprise) ran a bit quicker than I did. Good thing that he seems a very nice guy, and I can chat with him about his running experience. I heard at the start of the event that someone said that in Río IV, some 200 kms, there was a New Year Eves 10K run and that it's hold by midnight. Pepe told me that he had his girlfriend over there so he might join for the race. Also, Pepe used to be part of Techo, the ONG, so I can follow some steps on that side too. Maybe, if I go to Río IV I can see him, together with my friend Emi DiCola. His daughter Monserrat was born just this month, nice!
After saying good bye to Pepe I saw some of the girls of LaMuni. They didn't chat too much but they did suggest that we should see each other by December 17, since there's a solidarity race on that date. With gatorade and banana in hand, I leave the group. Good thing that I used some vaseline before the run, because it was very humid and even with the unguent applied I got a little rash in my right leg.
My expectation for running is going pretty well since I have another race for December 8 in Yacanto, at night. This also is a good way of training. Even if there is little time for proper training, running races all the time is a good way to stay in running shape and improve in mileage and increase distances.