Top Cats Top Ten Races 09

As has become my won't since 06 at years end I write my top ten races of the year,due to my achilles tendon injury in May I had a curtailed season,23 races in total,however I still feel I can present a top ten w/out filler,so submitted for your approval.......

10,Masters Winter Nationals 8K XC,since I got serious about track I've embraced xc,for so long my least favourite type of running.
As a rule xc races tend to be 5k,but now and again an 8k gets thrown in for good measure,in spite of being at a distance not really in my comfort zone nor on a surface that favoured me I still produced a top notch performance,and while not a pr I did snag braggin' rights for the club w/ a late sprint to overhaul Bob Rimkis at the line w/ a 28.50.8.

9,Millrose Games Masters 4x400m,after the emotional race of 08 when I shed a surgical boot two days b4 the race I didn't have it all smooth sailing getting to Madison Square Garden this year,but once I got there I was able to put all that behind me and anchor the team to a 3.46.9.4th place finish thanks to a 56.2 400m.

8,Hartshorne Memorial Masters Mile,one second slower and a place below my 07 debut but anyone present at Barton Hall in January will tell you my epic come from behind charge up the home straight to snatch third place in 4.30.1. was a sight to behold.

7,Thursday Nite At The Races#1 Mile,four days after I'd pr ed here in the 1,500m I returned to The Armory to notch a track pr for the mile{my 5th Avenue Mile of 4.17 from 08 still tops my all time list}
Just as I had in the 1,500m I finished 3rd,a precursor for Hartshorne and Indoor Nationals in 4.28.1.suddenly a 4.25 track mile seemed doable,my achilles had other ideas for this year....

6,Armory Holiday Meet 1,500m,first race of the season and a pr 4.09.2.,what is it about me and running in New York City?
Having missed out on a sub 4.10.in Spokane as I revelled in the moment that was my first major 1,500m four months prior this was most welcome if not a little surprising given my lack of speed work leading up to the race.

5,Penn Relays Masters 4x400m,there was a feeling going into Penn this year that going sub 3.40 was capable for this foursome,in spite of the worst possible lane assignment lead off Ray Parker handed off to the ever reliable Scott Landis,unlike 07 no near botched hand off to Daryl Johnson and when DJ handed off to me I set about my task w/ gusto,a relaxed opening 200m b4 kicking like a mule at the bottom turn and running a pr 53.6. as the team set a new club record,3.38.9.
W/ a new stable of younger 400m runners coming thro at GPTC I keep saying my days of running the Masters 4x400m are numbered,if this was my last Penn Relays till I turn 50 I went out in style.

4,5th Avenue Mile,when I returned to training on July 27th I had ten weeks to get ready for 5th Avenue Mile,to be honest I wasn't 100% convinced I'd run it,certainly after my 4.49.02. three weeks earlier I could've been forgiven if I'd said "it's not gonna be my race this year"
However w/ my mother Eileen here in America to visit New York City I wasn't in a position to back out of the race even if I wanted to.
Fear not"the spirit of Eamonn" and tapping into the source of energy that is running in NYC for me were in full effect that day as I surprised myself w/ a 4th place finish and 1st in the 45-49 age group w/ a 4.34.

3,Mac C'ships 800m,Having twice ran 2.05's already at The Armory after a pair of 4.30.miles b4 hand I returned to my favourite track and my favourite city looking for a good final race b4 Indoor Nationals and also notch a good 800m time.
What I got was a 2.01.1. an indoor pr and my 4th fastest 800m of all time to give me a top four of a pair of 1.59s,a 2.00 and now a 2.01.

2,Masters Invitational 1,500m,w/ designs on a top three finish in Lahti at Worlds it was ultra important to lower my 1,500m pr,I felt a 4.05 would put me w/in touching distance of gold,4.07-4.09 in the shake up for silver so I headed to Boston for the Masters Invitational knowing that the great Tony Young was in the field.
Tony shattered the World Record w/a 3.57. that afternoon and pulled me to a pr in 4.07.4. in second place.
At the time I was a byline in a World Record,little did I know it wouldn't be for the last time in 09.

1,Armory Holiday Meet 4x400m,ok,so my 2.05.8 was hardly my best performance or fastest 800m of the year,but given it would make up 1/4 of a new World Record thanks to a 2.01.4 by Scott,2.02.8 by Bob and a 1.57.4 by Nick it's hard not to rank it #1 for the year.
From a Usain Bolt like 26.16. opening 200m to a grind of a closing 36.55. 200m I only ended up 2 seconds off the 2.03. I thought I'd run.

It's a very different year ending top ten from the one I hoped I'd be writing this time last year,no Outdoor Nationals,No Worlds but to be a part of one World Record and to own another is also something I couldn't have imagined either.
Here's to 2010 and all that it brings.