Notes
Temp 41 (WC 38) Wind 4 mph.
Rough start. Couple minutes slow to finish stretching, restrooms next to gym backed up, so had to go down to next wing in school. Got back to the gym and everyone had left for start line. Need to drop gear so bolt to the car. Wife is gone and car locked, sprint back to gym and strip off, then sprint to start line about two blocks away. Arrive to find that, in addition to people who should be there, there is a group of four women walkers 5ft tall x 5ft feet wide parked on the front row. Weasel my way to the front on the shoulder of the road. This will have to do. Chest is pounding.
We're off and the high school kids, the fast folks, and a 22:XX guy take off. 22:XX guy must have ran the first 400 meters in about a minute. Everyone goes flying by him (myself included) around the first turn. His head going left and right as people pass him on both sides. Looked suprised??
Not running real comfortable, but do start picking off high school kids. Amy W. passes me about one half mile in. Last position change before 1st mile split. Garmin set to alert every 6:00 minutes, and it goes off when I'm even with the course marker. Mile chirp goes off few seconds later. (Garmin Split 6:04). In a pretty stout group, thought we had to have been a few seconds faster?
Long straight starts at 1.26 miles. Wind will be at backs. I'm running 9th. 1-5 have opened on our group of four (shoot, winner Chris H. is probably getting close to the finish line right now). 46 year old Cape CC/Track Coach H. is 6th followed by Class 1 All-state CC runner Eric R. 22-24 year old former SEMO University CC runner Amy W. is just ahead of me in 8th. They appear to have maybe 3-6 seconds on me. Try to relax and just close the gap, let the wind do some of the work. Coach H. and Eric R. flip flop a couple of times. I'm trying to run through Amy W. and have to keep changing my focus point. End of mile two becomes a blur as four things happen bang, bang, bang within a few seconds of each other. Pass Amy W., see the course mile marker at water station, 12:00 minute Garmin Alert goes off, then Garmin mile chirp goes off. (Think I'm OK at the time, but find out later I've ran a 6:07 second mile split. With the wind at my back...idiot!! Was focused on three other people and not myself.)
Eric R. goes by Coach H. shortly after we pass the two mile mark. I follow shortly thereafter. We make the next to last turn at 2.38 miles and pick up a bit of a cross headwind. I pull even with Eric R. about 2.50 miles in. We're running stride for stride when I notice Coach H. has pulled back behind Eric R. Hits me I'm screwed. Eric R. is going to out kick me. Coach H. is drafting us both and will be fresher at the finish. Just before last turn at 2.88 miles, Coach H. goes inside of Eric R. and passes us both. Eric R. has the inside line on the last turn, I go way too wide and lose ground to Coach H. Eric R. is slow out of the turn and he drops back. I lose him until the three mile split, but then he blows by me like I'm standing still. Didn't see if he caught Coach H., but pretty sure he did. I run my best mile split (5:59) and finish it off in 0:37. Couple of good surges in mile 3.
90 days ago would have been estatic with an 18:48. Today, I feel like I let myself down. Poor focus, poor execution, lost too many seconds in first mile, and, most of all, wasted perfect day to run the second mile of this course. Third mile performance tells me I didn't run whole race to my level of conditioning. Race and learn, race and learn. Get PO'ed and get motivated to improve.
Time 18:48 -- last year 21:01. Overall 8th -- last year 13th. AG 2nd -- last year 1st.
Chris H. bust 16:00 for the win. Brandon S. and Del have top 5 finishes. Freak Chris, four HS CC Kids, and three Masters in top 8. Always one of the better organized and run races in the area. RD Travis C. 1st class guy.