St. Patty's Day 8k Race Recap

4 mile w/u + strides
Target: 8k @27:45 or faster
Actual: 27:42; 2nd place female
Results
4 mile c/d
Total: 13 miles

I've widely stated my view that DC is the best urban running scene in the country, and this race is a great example of that point. For a few hours on a beautiful, crisp, clear Sunday morning, the most important street in the world was closed down just so I (and about 6,000 other people) could enjoy the privilege of toeing the line to a breathtaking view of our United States Capitol building at sunrise. 

In an unprecedented turn of events, I was actually in DC not for work but for--dare I say it--a Nedlo family vacation. My parents, along with dad's running partner Tim and wife Pam, were touring the District for spring break, and it took little convincing to persuade me to join them for a few days. Given my affinity for and familiarity with the area, I was happy to act as the de facto tour guide and share some of my favorite sights/sites. The fact that the St. Patty's Day 8k would be taking place the same weekend was just an added bonus. As it happens, I was in town the same weekend two years ago and not only ran the 8k but also the Four Courts Four Miler the day before. (And, in a completely unrelated coincidence, developed a wicked case of ITBS the day after.) I briefly entertained the idea of pulling the double again this year, but luckily nature intervened in the form of another delightful spring snowstorm and postponed my Friday night flight to Saturday morning. Fortunately I arrived to DC at noon on Saturday and was greeted with perfectly clear blue skies and temperatures in the low 60s--perfect for soaking up the sun and touring around the Mall all afternoon. I capped off the night with a quick trip to Jilane's and a visit to Ted's Bulletin for a few of their homemade pop tarts before returning to my parents' hotel and settling in for the night.

Blueberry cheesecake, peanut butter bacon, Nutella mint...so many tasty options!

Like the previous day, race morning dawned with the promise of clear blue skies and perfectly crisp temperatures. I jogged down to Freedom Plaza, location of the start and finish area, and literally the first person I bumped into was fellow Charlotte expat and former CRC member Brian McMahon. We chatted for a few minutes before setting off on our respective warmup routines, and before I knew it the time had come to toe the line. I was more than a little nervous, having not raced anything this "short" in quite a while and with the bad taste of my Mercedes Half debacle still fresh in my mouth. To make matters worse, my secret hopes of surprising all the locals and charging triumphantly through the tape were dashed when I spotted Claire Hallissey, DC resident and 2:27 British Olympic marathoner, standing a few feet away. Clearly I would be striving for runner-up at best. 

In the beginning, however, the lead seemed somewhat within reach. Either Claire was starting off conservatively or I was going way, way too fast. Both scenarios would inevitably yield the same outcome, but the latter had the potential to hurt a hell of a lot more. As I passed the first mile marker in 5:28, just a few steps behind Claire, the answer was still unclear. This was slightly faster than I'd planned, but not so outrageous as to result in certain implosion. Once we reached the first 180-degree cone turn--of which there would be five throughout the race, barring this from being labeled a truly "fast" course despite its near pancake-flat topography--she no doubt saw that a stranger was relatively close behind and decided to hasten her jogging pace. She powered away decisively and I was never in contention again.

But if it turned out that the former scenario--Claire taking the race out at a relaxed effort--were true, so too might be the possibility that I was in over my head. After a first mile that was arguably a touch too quick, I summarily dispelled all debate by splitting 10:50 for miles two and three. For you mathematicians out there, this breakneck tempo had me careening through 5k somewhere in the neighborhood of 17:01. My 5k road PR is 17:05. On the one hand, this unexpected development could be considered a cause for rejoicing. On the other, more rational and realistic hand, the race was barely halfway over. Not unexpectedly, the fourth mile got pretty ugly. I'm embarrassed to say how close this mile was to six minutes, but shame is a powerful motivator--powerful enough, at least, to force me to somehow pull it together and cover the final .97 miles somewhere in the vicinity of 5:30. The final 10 minutes of this race were some of the more painful in recent memory, but with Claire out of sight and no other women threatening for second I was able to use the men nearby to drag me down Pennsylvania Avenue all the way  the finish line, which I crossed in just over 27:40. I hung around the finishing chute to see my dad and Tim come through in impressive fashion before setting off on a wonderful solo cooldown around the Mall. 

Objectively, despite a suicidal early pace I would consider this a solid effort. I bested my 8k PR by over 30 seconds and ran almost a full two minutes faster than at this race in 2011. (Although, in defense of past me, I was probably a little bit less fresh having raced the four miler on Saturday.) Incidentally, I credit my result almost entirely to the Ted's Bulletin pop tart, seeing as its pre-race consumption had the same positive effect at the Army 10 Miler, and I might just have to pay Jilane to overnight one to me before every race going forward. With the BAA 5k coming up in just over a month and a soft PR that I now have no excuse not to shatter, I may need to call in that favor sooner than later.

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"Yeah, That Was Just Okay."

AM: 8k easy
PM: 2.5 mile w/u
Target: 8k tempo @5:45-5:50 mile pace (3:35-3:40/k); then 5x200m on/off strides around the Triangle
Actual: 8k @29:19 (3:40, 3:40, 3:41, 3:43, 3:39, 3:37, 3:40); 5x200m on/of
1.5 mile c/d
Daily total: 15+ miles

The title is a direct quote from Coach Jordan, always ready with a Hallmark-worthy sentiment where my running is concerned. But tact aside, his comments are always truthful and accurate, which I respect. Tonight was no different; the workout was just okay. But, as he also accurately states in his own recap (thank goodness he's running (and blogging!) again so I can lazily link to his posts when I don't feel like doing my own), the one impressive/redeeming aspect was that even after feeling inexplicably horrific from the gun, I stayed calm and positive and gradually settled somewhat comfortably into the pace--even agreeing to finish out the final two kilometers when he offered me a rare out.

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Running of the Bulls 8K

2+ mile w/u + strides
Target: 8k race @5:45 pace (28:40) or faster
Actual: 28:14 (5:41 pace); 2nd female, $300
Results
4 mile c/dTotal: 11 miles

I'm so tempted to take the easy way out since Caitlin just penned a great recap of yesterday's race, but she already told me that such laziness is unacceptable. Thus, I will try to share some of the action from my perspective without completing rehashing what she's already written. (Okay, and because I'm just a little bit lazy.)

For starters, while we're on the subject of Caitlin, I award all the credit to her for running such a tough, smart race and for keeping the pace honest throughout. There were several sections during the middle miles where I would've gladly slowed down to return to my rapidly diminishing comfort zone, but she forced me to stay focused and on my toes (literally) for the better part of 30 minutes. Without her efforts we surely would not have had five women finish faster than the time Caitlin ran to win the darn thing last year. While during the 2010 race Caitlin pretty much ran solo from the gun, today we had an amazing group of five women who stuck together through the first two miles, then three of us who continued to battle it out all the way to the finish. This speaks volumes for the current quality of women's running in the state of North Carolina and also for its breadth, as today's top five hailed from Charlotte to Wilmington and nearly everywhere in between.

Two of those ladies, Heather Magill and Lucinda Smith, were familiar faces from last month's Capital City Classic 10k in Raleigh. They were tough competitors then and proved to be just as much so today. The third place finisher, Jackie Kirby, is the one I knew the littlest about and also the one who gave me the biggest scare! Once the three of us began to separate from the rest of the pack midway through the race, I tried in vain to shake Jackie from my shoulder. She kept falling back slightly on the uphill sections--at which point I would breathe a sigh of relief that she'd finally been broken--only to see her doggedly fight back into contention with each corresponding downhill. Finally, with about half a mile to go, I was convinced I'd finished her off. Caitlin, one of the strongest hill runners I've ever seen, was in the process of pulling decisively away from me but I was convinced I had second in the bag. As I accelerated down the final hill leading into the former Durham Bulls stadium (which signaled roughly 250 meters to go), I casually looked over my left shoulder only to make sure my position was clear. To my chagrin (or, more accurately panic), Jackie was practically close enough to reach over and give me a love tap. For the remaining minute I was literally running scared, convinced that she was going to come sprinting past me and my pathetic attempt at a kick at any moment. Mercifully that dreaded moment never came and I managed to barely beat her to the line, but it was no easy feat. Though I hated it at the time, in hindsight this is exactly the type of competition that we need here on the regional racing circuit! (And just in case you're wondering if we are all arch-enemies, in reality Caitlin and John and I enjoyed a lovely cooldown jog with Heather and Jackie and Molly Nunn and several other racers. I can't imagine there are many other sports where your heated rivals turn into casual buddies as soon as the competition is finished.)


Almost being (unknowingly) caught on the final hill

Despite being handed my first defeat in quite some time, I was quite pleased with today's result. There's nothing I could've or would've done different from a tactical standpoint to change the outcome. Simply put, Caitlin was just too good. And, quite frankly, if anyone is going to beat me I'd prefer it to be one of my closest friends and teammates. In the process we smashed our time and pace expectations on a humid--albeit relatively cool--morning, which says more about our current state of fitness than a high placing necessarily does. For me, this race also quantifies some significant improvements over the course of recent weeks. On April 30th Caitlin and I ran 29:30 for five miles (and took our now infamous hand-holding photo) at the Heart & Sole Five Miler. If you extrapolate today's 8k out to a full five miles, we bested that time by a solid minute on a comparably difficult course. I also learned that my near-nemesis Jackie ran 16:34 on the track this spring, which is also an encouraging indicator of my current fitness level. Finally, deep down I'm just relieved that I've apparently been able to shake any lingering effects of the heat and dehydration from 13.1 Chicago a fortnight ago. (Sorry, but every year when Wimbledon rolls around I get the urge to incorporate "fortnight" into my everyday conversation.) After a full week of feeling sluggish, fatigued and just generally exhausted, I'm finally on the rebound and feeling like my normal self. There's always room for improvement, but the Running of the Bulls 8k shows that I'm on the right track.

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Double the Treasure, Double the Fun

Saturday, 3/12
Four Courts Four Miler
23:43, 1st female, $100

Sunday, 3/13
St. Patrick's Day 8k
29:31*, 6th female (boo), $100 (yay)
*23:40 through 4 miles

So the title is a play on words...get it...treasure because of the sweet dolla dolla bills and also because treasure is what a leprechaun finds (or leads us too, I can't really remember) at the end of the rainbow on St. Patty's Day! Okay so it might be a bit of a stretch but just know that I am laughing at my own perceived cleverness. Perhaps it's my current state of travel- and work- and running-induced exhaustion that has me spouting bad puns. I'm definitely too tired to finish this blog entry right now but wanted to post up the results so that you don't think I've been slacking all week. Details to come, hopefully tomorrow.

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Uptown Run 8k

2 mile w/u
Target: 8k race @don't drop out, don't embarrass the brands
Actual: 29:57 (5:58, 5:54, 6:07, 5:54, 6:03)
2nd place female, 4th place overall
2 mile c/d
Total: ~9 miles

I must admit, I had literally no idea what to expect going into this race. This is only my fourth week back running, and since I hurt my foot at Greek Fest two months ago I've done exactly zero workouts. Wait, I take that back--I did two strides after my run at White Rock Lake yesterday. Does that count? As you can imagine, this type of race preparation doesn't exactly inspire self-confidence. But, given that I was already going to be at the Uptown Run working the Craft and Karhu tent, I figured I might as well take advantage of the free entry and try to earn some exposure for the two brands.

Contrary to the weather that my Charlottean friends have been enjoying this week, the weather in Dallas is warm, muggy and windy. When I left my parents' hotel room at 5:30 this morning it was 72 degrees and 88% humidity. I knew it wouldn't exactly be ideal racing weather, but to be honest that was the least of my worries. At the top of the list? Not going out too fast, not dying and not embarrassing myself, in that order. I honestly had no idea how my body would respond to a pace it hadn't so much as hinted at in several months, but I didn't exactly have anything to lose by lacing up the boots. Might as well give it a shot.

I warmed up just after 7am with Brett, a new friend of mine who works at Lukes; Andrew, an old friend of mine I haven't seen in a few years; and Dawn, a speedy local runner who I knew would be the woman to beat. (Turns out she was almost the man to beat too, but I'll get to that in a minute.) I spotted my pops (representing with his Karhus) and our family friends who'd also come up for the race, but there wasn't much time to chat. After warming up and waiting in line for 10 minutes for the bathroom there wasn't even time for a few strides before lining up at the starting line. Ready or not, it was time to test out these rusty legs of mine.

The gun sounded promptly at 8:00 and we were off in the Uptown direction. Within the first 800 meters it became apparent that, simply put, there were no fast dudes in the race. My friend Andrew was just tempoing the thing and he was already far ahead of the next male, with Dawn and myself close behind. Allow me to say again just so we're clear: Dawn (a girl) and me (another girl) were in third and fourth place overall. This would not change for the remainder of the race. Now guys, I get it that there was no prize money to be had and that the Uptown Run no longer carries the prestige it once did (hence why it will become a 13.1 race next year). But seriously? We girls weren't exactly running world beating times here, so it was a bit of a surprise (at least to me) to find ourselves front and center from the gun.

Approaching the first mile marker, I still had no idea of my pace, but I was relieved to find myself feeling somewhat comfortable. Seeing 5:58 on the clock gave me a slight confidence boost and armed me with the conviction that I could finish in a respectable time. At this point Dawn was only a few meters ahead and I harbored some hopes of her coming back, but midway through the second mile she started to pull away. Unsure as to how my body would respond as the race progressed, I was hesitant to follow. I kept reminding myself to stay relaxed and focused and to take the race one mile at a time. Sure enough, the second marker loomed before I was expecting it, and I was pleased to see a slightly faster split accompanying the downhill mile. The third mile was a series of turns and a gradual incline, and at that point I felt my legs and breathing begin to labor. Dawn had pulled even farther ahead and I was right in the middle of no man's land, flanked by the Uptown buildings and accompanied by a brisk headwind. Things had the potential to go downhill fast if I didn't keep myself together. Fortunately the fourth mile was solely flat to downhill, which meant I was afforded the opportunity to accelerate slightly while collecting myself mentally. Just past the fourth mile marker was a 180-degree turn and the promise of retracing the hill we'd just coasted down, which made for a physically and mentally draining final mile. With 600 meters to go I made the final turn--no thanks to the cop who allowed me to run five meters off course before halfheartedly calling after me to turn around--and could see the finish line straight ahead, and a quick glance at my watch confirmed that I could dip under 30 minutes if I hustled in. I made it with just a few seconds to spare, hot and exhausted but also pleasantly surprised at my performance.

Without question, the positive takeaway from this effort is that all has not been lost over the past few months. I've obviously forfeited a bit of fitness but not nearly as much as I'd feared. Houston Marathon is a full 13 weeks away, which should be plenty of time to whip myself into respectable shape. I view today's race as a great starting point on the path toward much bigger and better things.

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