Maybe there is something to this xc lark afterall!!!!Following hard on the heals of my 2nd place finish at Osprey 6K and my 13th place at Masters Nationals 5K Sunday it was time to tackle the Philadelphia Catholic League 5K this afternoon.
It wasn,t ideal to have only 3 recovery days but while the ying was less physical recovery,the yang was less time to think or over think it,just get out there and run the feckin thing!!!
Unlike last years mudfest conditions were ideal come race time at 5pm,low 70s no wind and firm ground underfoot,much had been made of the fact the race had been forced to switch to a Wednesday which was unfortunate,my feeling was while the open race had been diluted I could only race against who showed up.
I had a plan going into the race,tuck myself in behind the leader and run w/ the pack,bide my time up Flagpole,Parachute and Flagpole a second time b4 begining my push coming down Flagpole w/ 800m to go and hopefully out muscle and out run any or all around me between the foot of Flagpole and the finish.
From the gun said plan seemed to be working I moved up to the lead six going up Flagpole and was 4th coming through the finish b4 heading into the back woods,I clocked 5.09 at the first mile and just b4 turning to attack Parachute I moved into third.
On the first downhill off of Parachute I "let out the clutch" to move into second,I,d have my work cut out to catch the leader but it,d only take a pulled muscle or a trip on his part to allow me right back into the chase,not that I,d wish that on him or any runner but as my trip just after mile 2 Sunday proved the unpredictable is always a foot step away in xc.
12.56 at mile 2 as I was now third heading up Flagpole,after 18 repeats up Flagpole during my 6 week series of Belmont hill repeats I just wanted to reach the top one last time and work off of the top to begin my final attack.
Down the final downhill I got relegated to fifth but was w/in striking distance of third and fourth,softly.softly,catchy monkey.....,w/ 400m to go I caught fourth place,using his team mates challenge to go w/ me to dig deeper I began winding it up one last time,turning towards the finish it was Sunday all over again,a furious kick w/ the finish in sight got me upto third and had I,ve began my kick sooner I may,ve caught second.
Third in 17.11.55,not too shabby period,off of more recovery maybe I could,ve ran faster,but I played the hand I was dealt,to lose out to two 18 year olds was no disgrace,only a second between me and a second XC runners up place,all in all a good afternoons work.
Home to discover Ireland had beaten Cyrprus 1.0 in Dublin in a World Cup quallifier,2010 South Africa here we come!!!
W/ my third ever xc medal added to the 116 previous medals from a 32 year career I could consider my day a good one,GP says a woefully slow 5 miler is on tap manana......no arguements here!
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