Sunday 10 Mile Race
W/ 45 miles already logged now for the oh so small matter of the Army 10 Miler.......
I can't say w/ any degree of certainty I've always wanted to run the Army 10 Miler but I have been aware of it,post event I would say there is a very strong{Army Strong maybe??...} chance I will be back next year and perhaps years to come as it truly was a great event
The simple truth was after the Philadelphia Rock & Roll Half Marathon in September I was on #197 of my medal count and looking "down the road" to #200
At the end of this month I will have lived in Philly for 32 years and subsequently a lot of my races have been in Philadelphia,ergo the desire to reach the #200 landmark " on home turf"' however I also felt/feel strongly that such a landmark should be notable,the Rocky Run in early November would allow me that chance.....however #198 would be for the 5k,#199 would be for the 10 miler and #200 would be the bonus medal for doing both.......nah!!!!
W/ that in mind I looked for a race pre Rocky Run to allow me #198 so that on Nov 9th I can reach #199 after the 5k,have the 10 miler as #200 and the bonus medal be #201.......
#roadtrip
Conditions were as close to idilic Sunday morning as I had any right to ask,mid 50s w/ the sun in and out of the clouds as I made my to the start/finish at The Pentagon, as iconic a landmark as you could get
Making my way to the first corral I heard them play Dropkick Murphy's classic "Shipping Up To Boston'' as a proud Paddy and Shamrock Warrior that song gets my Celtic blood pumping to begin w/ now it felt like my heart was beating like a bass drum,a boost for "himself" but perhaps an unfair advantage to the field???
Maybe it was " Shipping Up To Boston" that resulted in an opening mile of 6.12,I got a good place in the corral not right up front but w/ plenty runners still behind me and as is my won't over to the right hand side of the road my prefered choice
The wheelchair athletes were long gone as I began to pass the numerous "Wounded Warrior" athletes,despite being 100% focused on my mission today I was humbled and grateful for their sacrifices so that we can have days like today,to those proud men and women I salute you
6.19 at mile 2,the prerace aim was to see if I could hold 6.20 mile pace for a 63.20 a reasonable expectation based on my training
6.14 at mile 3 there was a time I might have felt those early miles in my breathing but this season the devotion to 55mpw week in,week out and the 8 mile tempo runs has paid off in spades,proof that if you put the hard work in during training come race day you will be rewarded
6.18 at mile 4 I felt I was running well w/in myself at this stage,careful not to "over project" only thinking about the next mile and always adding 6.20 to each mile split/overall time to have a target time when I got there
6.08 for mile 5 and a 31.11 at the half.......was I really on pace for 62.22???
6.18 for mile 6 and still feeling comfortable,passing runners ahead of me left and right,I have often and I'm sure will again get my pace wrong but today felt very much like I was "running in The Zone"
6.08 for mile 7 time to vizualize the closing three miles down W. River Dr on my lung bustin' 8 mile tempo runs to keep driving towards the finish
6.18 for mile 8 now I was "sizing up" runners ahead of me picking my targets to pass,if there was a target on the back of my Ireland running vest the feckers were gonna have to catch me first.....
6.05 at mile 9, a 63.20 finish was nolonger my target I was probably going 62 and change.....
5.57 for the final mile to cross the line in 62.24.......6.10 mile pace
Reunited w/ MSW {Mrs Shamrock Warrior} post race I joked the Eliud Kipchoge called and wants to run w/ me!!!!
WOW 62.24....my fastest 10 miler since the 06 Broad St Run{full disclosure I didn't run any 10 mile road races between the 06 BSR and 17 BSR}
#14 all time on my list of 10 Mile Road Races
Last year the 55-59 was won in 63.37 so I felt confident of another age group victory.......5th.......
Sure I could be pissy and feel hard done by if I wanted to but instead I salute the four "Grey Beards" who ran:59.48-60.19-60.19-60.44 impressive times gentlemen
I will return to our nations capital for this event it was a truly great weekend and fun experience,glass half empty no age group win,glass half full a faster time than I could have imagined and the all important #198 medal in hand,Rocky Run here I come.......as the Shamrock Warrior maybe it should be renamed the Shamrocky Run........
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