WOW, you know something’s working well when there are PR’s being thrown around every time the Gtown crew toes the line. Nice job guys, this team rocks! Dave
Cherry Blossom 10 Miler - Downtown DC - 50 degs, overcast (ideal conditions for racing)
I've been sorta gearing up for this race since Christmas (when I made my 2007 race plan). At best, I was hoping to run 5:15 pace (52:30). I ran 53:22 in October at the Army 10 Miler and was hoping to improve on that time. I PR'd in 5k 3 weeks ago (15:21) and ran a terrible 8k two weeks ago (26:24) so I wasn't sure how I would run today. I took 3 days off this week but still felt sluggish/tired.
I had been emailing this guy named Bert for the past couple of weeks. He runs for the rival Pacers running team and usually beats me (usually = always). We typically battle and slug it out, but his 800 meter sprint speed proves too much. We decided we would try and help each other along.
The gun went off and I quickly found Bert and his Pacers teammate Brian Baillie. We wanted to hit mile 1 around 5:10. A 15 man pack of foreigners went out flying and then another 15 man pack followed closely behind. These guys were probably trying to run 5 min pace. We hit mile 1 in 4:57. I jokingly cursed my race partners. We laughed a bit but figured we couldn't do anything about it now. We rolled through mile 2 in 10:10 and mile 3 in 15:25, finally coming back to our game plan pace. Our three man pack hit 5k in 15:59 and Bert trailed both Brian and I. Just before mile 4 Bert came storming back and led the pack down the Rock Creek Parkway. Brian and I sat behind him, but then Brian made a move and I was left at the back of the pack. They slowly pulled away together. I hit mile 4 in 20:40, mile 5 in 25:57 and 6 in 31:25. I was basically by myself but still hanging off the guys ahead of me...a couple of other runners came back to me (these guys had gone out in sub 4:50). I hit 10K in 32:25. I needed to regroup and started to focus more when we hit the turn around just after 6.5 miles. Mile 7 was passed in around 36:45 and I figured I only had 16 mins of running to go. I thought I was picking it up but my next mile was rather slow (5:22). This entire 2.5 miles was sort of cloudy and I can't remember my mile times and splits. I ended up coming back on Bert (I must have been back 50 meters at mile 8) and ran up alongside him in the homestretch, but as always, he had another gear. I ended up running 52:53; a 30 sec PR so I walked away happy.
Indeed, thanks so much for the support Luke, Ben, Steve, Matias and Max, it was great to see you along the course! I was ecstatic to go by the 10k a couple of seconds slower than my time at the Veteran's Day 10k last november (PR) and ran almost even splits (went by 5 miles in 28:55), ending with a 3 minute PR :) Also, Jake and I saw Bill Rodgers after the race and were quick enough to react and snap a picture with him: http://www.flickr.com/photos/christiam/442496258/
Congrats to Jake and Melissa for their PRs as well!
I wanted to echo Jake and Christiam in thanking everyone who came out to support us. It was a big help!!! I'm sorry to say that my race report will not be as riveting as Jake's (with the possible exception of an amateur mistake I made in the last half mile). I ran pretty much even splits, coming through the half in 29:45, en route to 59:40. There were no women in sight (the elite group had started 10 minutes before), but I was able to settle into a pack with a group of guys. Though it would have been cool to toe the line with a world record holder, in hindsight I think I was better off in the second group because I had more people to run with. Some of the elite women who were separated from packs looked pretty lonely out there. Anyway, in the last half mile my left shoelace came untied and, since I had put my chip on that shoe, I had to stop and struggle with it. I ended up holding it in my hand as I crossed the line and was worried that it didn't register. Luckily it turned out okay. A reminder to everyone: triple knot! Max, you'll be happy to know that I bought a bag of ice and took a bath as soon as I got home. It actually felt good. Congrats to everyone!
Thanks. It was a good race. I felt the support from all of you who were there. I ended up with 52:53...5:17 pace (UNOFFICIAL).
ReplyDeleteMy standard post-race report to come later...
Look forward to seeing the pix.
ALSO:
Christiam shattered his PR running a sub 58!
Melissa ducked under the coveted hour time barrier running a 59:40.
Be sure to post YOUR reports too.
Also - a shout out for Susannah. She ran 59:07 (I think). post your report too!
ReplyDeleteWOW, you know something’s working well when there are PR’s being thrown around every time the Gtown crew toes the line. Nice job guys, this team rocks!
ReplyDeleteDave
Cherry Blossom 10 Miler - Downtown DC - 50 degs, overcast (ideal conditions for racing)
ReplyDeleteI've been sorta gearing up for this race since Christmas (when I made my 2007 race plan). At best, I was hoping to run 5:15 pace (52:30). I ran 53:22 in October at the Army 10 Miler and was hoping to improve on that time. I PR'd in 5k 3 weeks ago (15:21) and ran a terrible 8k two weeks ago (26:24) so I wasn't sure how I would run today. I took 3 days off this week but still felt sluggish/tired.
I had been emailing this guy named Bert for the past couple of weeks. He runs for the rival Pacers running team and usually beats me (usually = always). We typically battle and slug it out, but his 800 meter sprint speed proves too much. We decided we would try and help each other along.
The gun went off and I quickly found Bert and his Pacers teammate Brian Baillie. We wanted to hit mile 1 around 5:10. A 15 man pack of foreigners went out flying and then another 15 man pack followed closely behind. These guys were probably trying to run 5 min pace. We hit mile 1 in 4:57. I jokingly cursed my race partners. We laughed a bit but figured we couldn't do anything about it now. We rolled through mile 2 in 10:10 and mile 3 in 15:25, finally coming back to our game plan pace. Our three man pack hit 5k in 15:59 and Bert trailed both Brian and I. Just before mile 4 Bert came storming back and led the pack down the Rock Creek Parkway. Brian and I sat behind him, but then Brian made a move and I was left at the back of the pack. They slowly pulled away together. I hit mile 4 in 20:40, mile 5 in 25:57 and 6 in 31:25. I was basically by myself but still hanging off the guys ahead of me...a couple of other runners came back to me (these guys had gone out in sub 4:50). I hit 10K in 32:25. I needed to regroup and started to focus more when we hit the turn around just after 6.5 miles. Mile 7 was passed in around 36:45 and I figured I only had 16 mins of running to go. I thought I was picking it up but my next mile was rather slow (5:22). This entire 2.5 miles was sort of cloudy and I can't remember my mile times and splits. I ended up coming back on Bert (I must have been back 50 meters at mile 8) and ran up alongside him in the homestretch, but as always, he had another gear. I ended up running 52:53; a 30 sec PR so I walked away happy.
Next race = Pikes Peek 10k (3 weeks away)
4:57
10:10 5:13
15:25 5:15
15:59 - 5k
20:40 5:15
25:57 5:17
31:25 5:28
32:25 - 10k
36:47 5:22??
42:09 5:22??
47:40 5:31??
52:53 5:13
Indeed, thanks so much for the support Luke, Ben, Steve, Matias and Max, it was great to see you along the course! I was ecstatic to go by the 10k a couple of seconds slower than my time at the Veteran's Day 10k last november (PR) and ran almost even splits (went by 5 miles in 28:55), ending with a 3 minute PR :)
ReplyDeleteAlso, Jake and I saw Bill Rodgers after the race and were quick enough to react and snap a picture with him:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/christiam/442496258/
Congrats to Jake and Melissa for their PRs as well!
I wanted to echo Jake and Christiam in thanking everyone who came out to support us. It was a big help!!! I'm sorry to say that my race report will not be as riveting as Jake's (with the possible exception of an amateur mistake I made in the last half mile). I ran pretty much even splits, coming through the half in 29:45, en route to 59:40. There were no women in sight (the elite group had started 10 minutes before), but I was able to settle into a pack with a group of guys. Though it would have been cool to toe the line with a world record holder, in hindsight I think I was better off in the second group because I had more people to run with. Some of the elite women who were separated from packs looked pretty lonely out there. Anyway, in the last half mile my left shoelace came untied and, since I had put my chip on that shoe, I had to stop and struggle with it. I ended up holding it in my hand as I crossed the line and was worried that it didn't register. Luckily it turned out okay. A reminder to everyone: triple knot!
ReplyDeleteMax, you'll be happy to know that I bought a bag of ice and took a bath as soon as I got home. It actually felt good.
Congrats to everyone!
Pacer's A Team went:
ReplyDelete49:51 50:02 50:16 (52:15) (52:46)
Patrick MacAdie, Steven Crane, Edmund Burke, Brian Baille, Bert Rodriguez