The Bix is a seven-mile race in the Quad Cities. A good 15,000 runners sign up for about $40 apiece. These runners' goals vary from attractive prize money to elite runners (who are afforded generous starting places at the front), to a cheap supply of unlimited beer for those walking the abbreviated 2-mile Quick Bix.
Both Dena and Rosann Diedrich had done the 7-mile route as walkers back in college. By Dena's own admission, she couldn't run a half-mile in those younger days. Over fifteen years later, here we were trying to run it.
Rosann's hubby John was there with us, as well as their witty and gabby 9-year old Brennan. The notorious leg of the race is the first third of a mile up a nearly 45 degree incline. Fortunately we were able to conquer that easily for several reasons:
1. A week of 90 degree temperatures was replaced unexpectedly this day by a steady pour of rain that kept us cool.
2. Since we enrolled for the slowest tier of runners (expecting a 12-minute mile pace), our eyes were mainly focused on avoiding the heels of the slowly accelerating hordes in front of us.
3. Brennan joined us for the two-mile route. His competitiveness spurred him to sprint into the crowd ahead like an addiction, giving us that tingly feeling that any parent would feel if their child's head were bobbing in and out of water a hundred yards out to sea.
Suddenly, we'd covered two miles in 23 minutes. And the fans! Citizens numbering thousands cheered us on, as if we were winning Olympic gold. It was touching to see them huddled in the drizzle for no good reason other than selfless civic support of these amateurish strangers from all over the country.
We not only conquered the course, but did so in almost exactly a 12-minute mile pace (1:22:13). Sure, I came in 564th out of 714 in my age group. The real reward was in escorting Dena and Rosann, and being there to celebrate their accomplishment - nonstop running over the longest distance in either of their lives.
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