I ran the ACLI Capital Challenge this morning for National Geographic. It's a corporate race where the media toes the line against public servants (ie - congressmen, senators, military etc). I ran the same race in 2003 for NatGeo and I am proud to say I beat former World Record holder(Congressman) Jim Ryun (R - KA).
Klim - 1
Ryun - 0
Swish!
Klim - 1
Ryun - 0
Swish!
I also lost that year to Jim Hage.
15:50 or so usually wins the race and my plan/goal was to run Broad Street pace (ie - 5lows) for 2.5 and then shut it down. That would surely win...or so I thought. I got to Hains Point a bit later than I would for a race (though, I had to remind myself this wasn't a race) and then proceeded to warm-up. I lost track of time, which is very unlike me, and I arrived back from my warm-up just 3 minutes before the race went off. I scrambled to ditch my warm-ups and don my singlet and pin my bib. My flats were still unlaced from my chip on Sunday and I hobbled over to the start. When the whistle blew I darted off on what I thought would be pace. Although this was suppose to be a workout, my racing instincts took over and I wanted to win the race for my office. I was quickly surrounded by 3 other sets of feet (according to my ears) and together we blazed down Hains Point. Well ahead of me, I saw the mile clock hit 4:28 and I let out a groan. I knew I'd be WELL under 5:00. Too fast. I slowed the pace and the pack seemed to catch up. We all (4 of us) hit the mile in 4:49. To steal a phrase from Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid, I muttered to myself "who were these guys?" Seriously, who were these guys. Even a post-collegian runner who hasn't run in awhile would surely die after a 4:49 mile...but at the turn-around (1.5) I was now in 2nd or 3rd. Who were these guys? We hit mile 2 together in a 4-man pack in 9:56. The wind was as brutal as it gets on Hains Point and I decided to tuck in and let the other guys do the work. Knowing the race would be over in 15:00, I casually glanced at my watch and said I'd go at 13:30...but someone went at 11:00. The rest of us matched the move. I glanced at my watch again. Maybe I'll go at 13:00? Well sometime between 13:00 and 14:00 I tipped my hat to the pack and upped the ante...I pulled away...only to have my move matched by the other two runners. By now, I knew these guys were legit and by now I was in it to win it. I would wait until the last possible moment and then kick like hell. That would probably be better for my legs than a long drive anyway. No such luck. Who were these guys? The 2 friends darted ahead. I went with them for a little bit, but then found myself in an all out sprint that I was slowly losing. Knowing I didn't have the "W" locked, I pulled the plug and eased it in. Who were these guys - well, the guy who won runs for Georgetown (and the US Army) and posted a 4:06 time in the mile this winter. Sigh.
I was a bit sore after the race, not because I lost, but because I didn't stick to my original race plan. I lacked the confidence to NOT race. Jim Hage, who was lingering around the finish line, even seemed disappointed in me. "Why did you run so hard?", Jim seemed to ask with his sorry eyes. In addition to not sticking with the plan, this was the 3rd race in a row that I've lost a kick. I've been a major *wussy when it comes to kicking lately and that's not acceptable. What a loser. I figuratively kicked a tin can on the ground before heading over and chatting with Senator Scott Brown (R - MA). I learned a valuable lesson today.
1 Cabell Rosanelli Army Strong I 14:48
2 Brandon Cherry Trans-Mission Impossible 14:49
3 Jake Klim Running for Covers 14:53
4 Evan Jurkovich Cooper 15:08
5 Stephen Kartalia Trans-Mission Impossible 16:05
6 Capt Matt Cavanaugh Army Strong I 16:12
7 JT Newcomb Ensign's High Rollers 16:26
8 Philip Schmidt Serrano Peppers 16:28
9 Clete Willems Fast Trackers 16:30
10 Blake Whitney CQ-RC News Travels Fast 16:59
11 Timothy Smith Trans-Mission Impossible 17:13
12 Jim Hage 8am is Too Early 17:32
13 Brian Chelkun 29 Years & Running 17:43
14 Jason Beachy Fun Bunch of Investigative Run 17:43
15 Ben Geman * Hill Street News 17:45
15:50 or so usually wins the race and my plan/goal was to run Broad Street pace (ie - 5lows) for 2.5 and then shut it down. That would surely win...or so I thought. I got to Hains Point a bit later than I would for a race (though, I had to remind myself this wasn't a race) and then proceeded to warm-up. I lost track of time, which is very unlike me, and I arrived back from my warm-up just 3 minutes before the race went off. I scrambled to ditch my warm-ups and don my singlet and pin my bib. My flats were still unlaced from my chip on Sunday and I hobbled over to the start. When the whistle blew I darted off on what I thought would be pace. Although this was suppose to be a workout, my racing instincts took over and I wanted to win the race for my office. I was quickly surrounded by 3 other sets of feet (according to my ears) and together we blazed down Hains Point. Well ahead of me, I saw the mile clock hit 4:28 and I let out a groan. I knew I'd be WELL under 5:00. Too fast. I slowed the pace and the pack seemed to catch up. We all (4 of us) hit the mile in 4:49. To steal a phrase from Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid, I muttered to myself "who were these guys?" Seriously, who were these guys. Even a post-collegian runner who hasn't run in awhile would surely die after a 4:49 mile...but at the turn-around (1.5) I was now in 2nd or 3rd. Who were these guys? We hit mile 2 together in a 4-man pack in 9:56. The wind was as brutal as it gets on Hains Point and I decided to tuck in and let the other guys do the work. Knowing the race would be over in 15:00, I casually glanced at my watch and said I'd go at 13:30...but someone went at 11:00. The rest of us matched the move. I glanced at my watch again. Maybe I'll go at 13:00? Well sometime between 13:00 and 14:00 I tipped my hat to the pack and upped the ante...I pulled away...only to have my move matched by the other two runners. By now, I knew these guys were legit and by now I was in it to win it. I would wait until the last possible moment and then kick like hell. That would probably be better for my legs than a long drive anyway. No such luck. Who were these guys? The 2 friends darted ahead. I went with them for a little bit, but then found myself in an all out sprint that I was slowly losing. Knowing I didn't have the "W" locked, I pulled the plug and eased it in. Who were these guys - well, the guy who won runs for Georgetown (and the US Army) and posted a 4:06 time in the mile this winter. Sigh.
I was a bit sore after the race, not because I lost, but because I didn't stick to my original race plan. I lacked the confidence to NOT race. Jim Hage, who was lingering around the finish line, even seemed disappointed in me. "Why did you run so hard?", Jim seemed to ask with his sorry eyes. In addition to not sticking with the plan, this was the 3rd race in a row that I've lost a kick. I've been a major *wussy when it comes to kicking lately and that's not acceptable. What a loser. I figuratively kicked a tin can on the ground before heading over and chatting with Senator Scott Brown (R - MA). I learned a valuable lesson today.
1 Cabell Rosanelli Army Strong I 14:48
2 Brandon Cherry Trans-Mission Impossible 14:49
3 Jake Klim Running for Covers 14:53
4 Evan Jurkovich Cooper 15:08
5 Stephen Kartalia Trans-Mission Impossible 16:05
6 Capt Matt Cavanaugh Army Strong I 16:12
7 JT Newcomb Ensign's High Rollers 16:26
8 Philip Schmidt Serrano Peppers 16:28
9 Clete Willems Fast Trackers 16:30
10 Blake Whitney CQ-RC News Travels Fast 16:59
11 Timothy Smith Trans-Mission Impossible 17:13
12 Jim Hage 8am is Too Early 17:32
13 Brian Chelkun 29 Years & Running 17:43
14 Jason Beachy Fun Bunch of Investigative Run 17:43
15 Ben Geman * Hill Street News 17:45
500+ runners
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