RACE REPORT: Cherry Blossom Ten Miler

We all knew there would be wind, but we didn't know how windy it would be. On the team warm-up, we crested Memorial Bridge and were offered a preview, but conditions weren't awful...at least, not yet.

I started out damn near perfect and kept my stride in check despite the tide of runners moving away from me in the first half mile. Jerry Greenlaw, the "Outlaw", was right by my side and Alex "Viking" Benway was just a stride or two back. We hit mile #1 (all splits are according to my GPS watch) in 5:14 and everything felt perfect. I was thankful for not going out in 5:0X. Suddenly Chris Mills came bounded out from behind me with some encouragement from his coach (George Buckheit). I surmised he was doing a workout or sorts, but, in any case, his jolt rallied everyone around us and

At least 3 to 5 others runners had settled on either side of us by the time we were on Memorial Bridge. The wind had picked up and we jockeyed for position, but more often than not we exerted more effort shifting about than we would have done simply running in a straight line and taking what the wind delivered.

Ahead of our pack was Mills, who was chasing down Bert and Sloane who, in turn, were riding in the wake of the elite pack, which included what looked like about 8 East Africans and couple of Americans.

We hit mile 2 in 5:05, decisively faster than the first mile. Mile 3 was 4:59. Damn. It felt fast, but it also felt comfortable. Going out so slow was having an positive impact it seemed. I tried my best to run tangents and we all did our fair share at keeping the pace honest. Outlaw seemed to look around a lot as if to suggest we should press, but I was content to stay steady until mile 5. The next couple of miles were run in 5:07 and I hit the halfway in 25:56 (25:35 for 5 on the GPS), which was essentially a few ticks slower than I ran for 5-miles just two weeks ago. Having accomplished my objective of going out easy (25:45-26:00), I surged a little in an attempt to find a new gear. The pack caught back up, but soon we slowed. As we passed the Jefferson Memorial, I grunted to Outlaw, who at the time was leading our peloton, “we’re slow”. He thought I said, “get (Chris) Sloane”, who was about 20-seconds ahead. 

Just before mile 6 (5:15) we looped out onto Hains Point. I don’t think any of us were expecting the wind to be as bad as it was. In one sense, the cool air felt somewhat refreshing, but we all knew the gusts had dashed our momentum. Somewhat resigned, I *settled* in behind the pack with the hope of waiting out the wind until the backstretch, at which point, I’d role around the other runners like Michael Johnson off the turn in a 200. “Stupid”, I thought, “Everyone was going to do the same thing”. Suddenly, Viking, like a hero of the night, surged into a cool blast of air and within seconds had gapped the pack. Only one other harrier was able to keep pace. Outlaw and a couple others did their best to follow suit, but they never were able to gain back that ground. I struggled to match their bursts and debated (over and over again in my head) if I should exert a lot of energy trying to make an all out attempt down windy Hains Point or whether to, as some might say, “Stand down. Then attack”. In a way, I did both. I recorded two miles in 5:25, but considering the wind, this deceleration is forgivable.  

I rounded Hains Point and immediately tried to shake the guy I’d been running alongside for the past mile and a half and then find a new gear. I did, but then he came back. Then, he tried to shake me. For the next mile or so, we surged and surged; it felt as if I was running at top speed. Ahead, Outlaw and Wilson Komen (who Outlaw had caught) were slowly coming back to me. Just before mile 9 I really upticked my pace with the goal of catching Outlaw by 9.25 so that we could, in turn, chase after some of the other guys ahead of us, who were in striking distance. Having won the “surge off” with my cohort, I now focused like a laser on Wilson and Outlaw’s backs. Every few steps, I’d gain a step, still it was an awful lot of real estate to make up. 

The Washington Monument inched closer and closer and I knew now that I'd regret it all if I didn't try one last surge. Just before the final incline, I heard Coach Jerry yelling at me to get on Outlaw and pass Wilson. I surged like a sonofabitch and went flat out for the next 100 yards or so, passing both Wilson and Outlaw as if they were standing still. As I crested the "bump" just prior to to finish, I began to unravel, but I held on and tried to focus on the one of the other guys from our initial pack ahead of me.

I finished 17th in the rather slowish time of 52:25. Still, I finished knowing I'd given it everything I had so I was happy. Sunday wasn't a day to run for time. 

Next up is Pike's Peek 10k.

Split	Time	Distance	Avg Pace
Summary	52:26.3	10.08	5:12
1	5:14.7	1.00	5:15
2	5:05.2	1.00	5:05
3	4:59.9	1.00	5:00
4	5:07.0	1.00	5:07
5	5:07.5	1.00	5:08
6	5:15.0	1.00	5:15
7	5:24.0	1.00	5:24
8	5:25.3	1.00	5:25
9	5:16.1	1.00	5:16
10	5:07.7	1.00	5:08
11	:24.0	0.08	4:47