login
 Run
Comments: Started near a lady carrying an "11:00" sign who, I assume, was charged with running at that pace throughout. Kept that sign in sight through the first couple of miles but lost it after I walked through the first water stop at just past two miles. Covered the first 4-5 in right around 11:00, but the HR was higher than I wanted it to be and miles 7 and 8 both ended up slower than expected; did I perhaps go out too fast in the first two? I knew I wasn't going to make stretch goal of 1:45 when I was 1:15 and not even to 7 miles. Still, I had a lot of energy after finishing up my Gatorade at mile 8, but the rising HR and the incline on the bridge going back over into VA, sapped most of that. Very crowded the last half mile too as all of us were funneled onto a highway exit that was much narrower than where we'd been running. Very tough to move around in that pack. I slugged it out as best I could those last two miles, finished them in 21-22 minutes. Running through Washington along the street with the Smithsonian was awesome; there were thousands of people lined up there cheering us on. The servicemen at the water stops were awesome too, encouraging us to keep moving and step it up. Lot of enthusiasm out there. I don't know that I'll do this race again, but it was a very cool experience. If I do run it again, I'd like to take the day before to hang out in DC. What would you do differently?: Familiar refrain here but I think I might've gone out too fast the first two miles. I didn't feel bad and, as I said, I still felt like I had a lot of energy even as late as mile 8. Not sure what happened in mile 5, but miles 7 and 8, run on a gradual but long incline up from the Capitol are what really cost me.  Post race
Warm down: Followed everybody through the water area, getting finisher's coin, and into the food area where I picked up a bagel and a banana. Feet and knees were hurting like hell at that point...very tender. Let a lady use my phone to call her husband and I tried Teresa and then headed back to the hotel for a shower. What limited your ability to perform faster: Going out too fast? Not enough mileage? Event comments: I only say event went off late because it took us so long to reach the start line and it then took at least a couple of miles before things started to thin out. Would like to see few more drink stations? I suppose every two miles is more than enough...guess I've just been spoiled a little by Broad Street. Still, pulling off a race of this size in DC is a pretty amazing feat. Last updated: 2010-10-24 12:00 AM
|
|
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
View profile
Add to friends
Go to training log
Go to race log
Send a message
View album
CONNECT WITH FACEBOOK
United States
Army Ten-Miler
62F / 17C
Sunny
Overall Rank = 17328/21636
Age Group = 51-55
Age Group Rank = 867/1033
Woke up a little before 6:30 and got stuff together, pinning number on shirt, applying the good old Nip Guards, etc. Very happy that TSW actually had some pins because I got out of the Expo without any. (Between GU, some socks, some new cool weather pants and inserts for TSW, we probably spent at least $75, but somehow I didn't get safety pins.) Peeked outside every now and then to see what was going on, saw a few people making their way over to the Pentagon. Ate a banana and TSW went down and got me a bagel, which I ate half of before heading out about 7:30 to head to the start over near the Pentagon; should've waited a while longer because my group didn't actually cross the start until an hour after that, so there was a lot of time to kill back under the orange balloon arch marking the 11:00 mile pace area. And I was worried I'd get there too late!
My warmup consisted mostly of walking over to the Pentagon and then up to my start corral where I did some stretching and hopping around. Our spot was at least a third to a half-mile from the official starting line. Pretty cool when the four choppers flew over. Couple of light observation helicopters; guessing the other two were Blackhawks...too big for Apaches. Saw a lot of people wearing "In Memory Of" shirts; I'm out there trying to make a certain time and they're out there as a way to honor and remember a fallen son or daughter; puts it in perspective. And then you see the people helping out, the servicemen and women manning the water stations, manning security, etc. Most are still young enough to have pimples all over their faces, 19-20 years old....another perspective bringer.