Awesome Possum's Top Ten Races 2010

Since either 05 or 06 I've finished the year off w/ my top ten races of the year,32 to choose from this year,after careful consideration here are my top ten

10,Millrose Games 4x400m,In terms of an actual race there was little to write home about,the lead two teams anchor legs were well clear of me by the time I got the baton but the 4th place team were way behind me when I took off for my 2.5 laps of the hallowed boards of the Millrose Games at famed Madison Square Gardens and 4 years after I'd fulfilled the dream of a lifetime by running there and now had my much coveted Millrose Games medal and another of my"running to do list"items crossed off,several down two to go.

9,Indoor Nationals 800m,My third race in three days,could I capture my third medal?
How often since my Masters Nationals debut in Charlotte in 06 have I gone mano e mano in the 800m w/ John Hinton and Scott Landis?
While those guys were out in front I worked my way into third and hung tough to capture my third Indoor Nationals 800m bronze since 07 and my third medal of the weekend.

8,Upenn 5,000m,A launch pad to alot of my success this year,my resume lacked a decent time for 5,000m until April when I not only sliced 66 seconds off my pr but went sub 16 and captured the club record,and followed in the illustrious footsteps of Coglan,Walker,Maree,Ovett and Lagat,milers who made the jump to 5,000m.

7,Outdoor Nationals 1,500m,Upholding my fine record in the 1,500m at Outdoor Nationals 07,silver in Maine, 08 gold in Spokane and now silver in Sacramento,try as I might I couldn't reel in Jeff Mann up the home straight but it wasn't for the lack of trying.

6,Masters National 5K Road Race,Harking back to the Upen 5,000m on the track I knew I could add this club record to my list,biding my time during the summer I always felt this race could see me for fill that and I did,my only gripe was my 15.59 time was rounded up to 16.00.

5,Track Pentathlon 3,000m,My third pr of the year at 3,000m but my first outdoors,having begun the year at 9.38.3 I ended it at 9.07.7 and who knows what I might've been able to do if I didn't still have 4 more races on tap that morning,sub 9 has to be a consideration for 2011.

4,5th Avenue Mile,One of the hardest things in compiling my top ten list was where to place this race,I wasn't happy w/ my 4th place finish irregardless of it being another 45-49 win.
This is one of two races in my top ten that I'd like to "do over"knowing Nick was coming off of a hamstring injury at the Track Pentathlon I took it out hard from the gun only for the younger and faster runner to blow by me w/ 400m to go,live by the sword,die by the sword.

3,Indoor Nationals 3,000m,Having gone from 9.38.3 to 9.13.6 in my only 3,000m b4 Indoor Nationals I felt confident of a medal at Indoor Nationals so when I came to the bell in 4th place I knew I had some work to do.
I'd love to know what I covered the final 200m in,what I do know is I overtook third place Oscar Gonzales coming out of the bottom bend and hauled in second place Francis Burdett coming off the final turn to claim silver and at the time set a new pr of 9.11.4.

2,Outdoor Nationals 800m,The other race in my top ten I'd like to"do over"
6th and at the rear of the field w/ 300m to go I dropped the hammer and moved in to the lead in the hope it would be enough to win me the race....sadly it wasn't as eventual winner Mike Blackmore caught me half way up the home straight and pipped me to the finish,2.02.1. to 2.02.4.,yeah it was that close!

1,Outdoor Nationals 5,000m,I said at the time in late July this was my race of the year and nothing else happened between then and late November to make me change my mind.
Coming in I had the 3rd fastest time but felt I was looking at a 4th place finish behind Francis Burdett,Pete McGill and Mike Blackmore and after 200m we were the lead 4.
For once I didn't pay attention to my splits per lap or per mile which probably went a long way to my whopping pr.
W/ 6.5 laps to go Pete and Mike made a brake for it and I had two choices,try to go w/or tuck in behind Francis and hope to out kick him for the bronze....I went w/ plan a and it paid off w/ dividends.bronze and a huge pr 15.36.8.