Mustache Dache Race Report

On November 21^st I got up early and got everything ready to go.  I had to work and couldn’t make it to the packet pickup at Dick’s Sporting Goods.  Thankfully they had race morning packet pickup, so I was able to still get my bib and shirt and timing chip. 

A cold front was blowing in and while it wasn’t cold (it was around 60°), the wind WAS cold.  As we waited for the start time, I was wishing I had worn my white half zip under my green tech shirt.  I was really glad that my costume included gloves because otherwise my hands would have been frozen.  Before the start, I discovered some friends were also there running it!  So I hung out with them before the race started. 

So, I’ve said I was in costume.  I was Luigi from Super Mario Bros!!!  it was really fun putting the costume together.  I already owned a green tech shirt.  I bought a 10 inch stuffed mustache and a green Luigi hat on Amazon.  I picked up some $1 gloves at Walmart and then I sewed together a bibbed skirt in sparkly blue material with oversized yellow buttons!  And then I wore some blue semi-short shorts.

The race started and off we went.  We were running on Camp Mabry and it was an out-and-back course.  It’s the same course as last year.  It’s also the same course as the 4^th of July race, except that this one places the start/finish line further along so it’s actually a 5K and not .2 of a mile short. 

As we ran along, I felt like I was going kind of fast, but not too bad.  I wasn’t concerned about it as this was a 5K.  If I run fast, it’s okay because it’s only 3.1 miles.  I near the first water stop and my Garmin beeps mile 1.  I look down and am shocked that it says 8:59!  I knew I was going fast but it didn’t feel anywhere NEAR like I was going that fast!  I breezed by the water stop.  Kind of difficult to drink out of a little paper cup with a giant mustache on your face.  I kept on cruising along.  Mile 2 beeps and I look again and am even more shocked as I see 8:37!!!  At this point I say “forget this, I’m going for it!” and actually tried to keep the pace up.  I managed 8:38 for the 3^rd mile and the last .15 was done in 1:15.  I had an official timing mat time of 27:27.  That’s just 14 seconds shy of being a new PR.  Yep, I ran my second fastest 5K in a costume…without even trying…without it even feeling hard at all.  When I ran my current PR of 27:14 earlier this year, I crossed the finish line and literally almost collapsed.  I crossed the finish line at the Mustache Dache and I still felt great!  (in fact, I went on to run another 7 really fast paced miles after I got home)

I waited for my friends to finish and cheered them across the finish line and then we hung out and took funny pictures.  We loaded up on bananas, popcorn and oatmeal.  I didn’t personally get any popcorn but I did have a banana and some very yummy oatmeal.  It was cold but it was delicious!

They posted the results on the table and so I went and checked mine.  I don’t know how many people participated, but I placed 55^th overall (daaaaaaang) and 18^th in my age group.  I don’t know how many were in my age group but the age group was ridiculous.  It was ages 18 to 39.  Even with my 27:27, I didn’t have a chance of placing with that kind of age group spread.  I think if it was 5 year groupings I definitely would have gotten at least 3^rd.  If it were 10 year age groups, I probably still wouldn’t have gotten an award, but at least I would have had a chance. 

However, I still won…the costume contest!  And guess what?  I got the exact same award the age group winners got, a pint glass with the Mustache Dache logo on it.  WIN!

I really like this event and plan to do it every year unless a special race comes up (like the Route 66 Marathon in Tulsa, OK…I’d really like to do that one year).

Oh and they had free official race pics!!!