Cow Chip Classic 2012

Thankfully, not an actual cow chip for a bib.

I ran Cow Chip Classic back on September 1.  I didn't post about it because it was a last minute decision to run, and I didn't have a goal for this race. 

The Cow Chip festival takes place each year in Prairie du Sac, where people gather and watch people compete to see who can launch a cow chip the furthest.  The novelty of this festival lies in the fact that cow chips are dried cow dung.  Good ole Wisconsin with their cow tipping and dung throwing.  There is even a "tournament of chips" parade that goes through town with a "Trojan Cow" named Cowabunga.  She is a 13'6" tall cow whose head moves from side to side and lifts her tail for the "chip."  While entertaining, we were there that morning for the run/walk event.

The Cow Chip Classic has two distances: 5k and 10k.  The 5k and 10k starts together and takes the racers through a charming little downtown.  Then the 5k racers turn off  right before the 10k runners go up a daunting looking hill.  The event was small enough that there's only a timing mat at the end.  We all cross the finish line within seconds of each other.  I believe there is only about 900 or so runners total. 

My left foot was experiencing a stress fracture from the Mini-Marathon, and it kept me from doing much running after that.  My friends Barry and Joe were both running and I figured that a short and race would be a good way to get me back on the road.  Besides, I had the Haunted Hustle coming up and I really couldn't afford to keep from running that much longer.  By the morning of the Cow Chip, I could walk on my foot without any pain or soreness but I had yet to run any real distance on it.  Barry and I weren't registered yet so we debated between the 5k and the 10k.  I really wanted to do the 10k as it was a great way to get some training distance in, but in the end, I knew that I couldn't chance it with the foot.  I didn't want to exacerbate an injury that might keep me out of running for even longer.

This was actually my first 5k race.  The shortest race I'd done before this one was Crazylegs back in April.  I kind of just skipped right to a 10 miler for my first race.  I took the 5k easy and didn't push real hard.  I tried to keep up my cadence on the hills and was instead more focused on running injury free.  While running through the downtown, I saw a woman come out of a coffee shop with a race bib on and a coffee in hand, just chilling.  I was amused that she had time to stop for coffee.  Still, I managed to get in under 27 minutes with a time of 26:50.

Afterwards, we looked for chocolate milk at the festival and I debated getting a pork chop on a stick.  Ultimately, no pork chop.  It was a fun and charming race and not a bad way to spend labor day weekend.