Race Result

Racer:	Reid Kiser
Race:	Cherry Blossom 10 Miler
Date:	Sunday, April 6, 2008
Location:	Washington, DC
Race Type:	Run - 10 mile
Age Group:	Male 35 - 39
Time:	1:16:57
Overall Place:	1361 / 12257
Age Group Place:	300 / 1143
Comment:	End of a quality week

Race Report:

This was a last second entry into the race thanks to Dave (Michael) Orton. This was a big IM training weekend for the final build phases for Roth, Germany (18+ hours total for week). Travel is scheduled for the last 5 days of the upcoming week, so needed crash the training plan and recover while on the road.

This is the first ever "official" race in which I didn't plan on, it was a 6 p.m. night before decision with no expectations. I decided the only goal would be to go out and see how legs with 16+ hours of accumulated training in them would react(including a RMST swim practice followed by 100 mile bike with Scott Baldwin on Saturday). I figured it would be safe and smart to just try to go out on an even pace based solely on RPE and a marathon pace would be a good place to start.

There were no expectations including just turning in the chip and watching the race without starting and support Dave, Shawn Clark and other RATS. I did decide that anything under 80 minutes would be considered a success for this particular day.

Goal was my current M Pace (7:40):
#1 - 8:06 - Shorts, long sleeve, trashbag and hat - went out easy and just looked for a rhythm. The legs were extremely heavy but not sore.
#2 - 7:56 - Off with the bag and hat, things were warming up.
#3 - 7:42 - Legs began to loosen and pace felt easy, comfortable and manageable. Honestly, I was counting down the miles remaining and time until I could get to Four Courts. I mentally was not engaged but glad I was doing this.
#4 - 7:29 - At this point on Haines Point, things were crowded and didn't really care for the "foot slapper" running next to me. I decided a short 200 meter burst would shake things up and give idea what was in my legs (not much).
#5 - 7:45 - The halfway point helped mentally, but once again I just wanted to get the miles in and finish up the best week of training in my life (to date).
#6 - 7:40 - Now it's just cruise control and holding a comfortably easy pace and looking for mile 7. Got to see Shawn at the turn. He looked like he was having a nice comfortable run as well.
#7 - 7:43 - This is under the Kennedy Center and was really just ready to turn things around and get back to the finish. I couldn't figure out what was left of the course. I din't know the course would include Mem Bridge, but I did notice the final stretch would be Independence coming off of Mile 5. Just get there and you are home.
#8 - 7:45 - Mem Bridge was definitely the toughest obstacle of the day besides waking up at 5:30. But it really wasn't that tough given my pace. It would have hurt if I was pushing the low 7's. Okay, just get to the Cemetery and you will be heading home.
#9 - 7:31 - Thanks be to God. Less than 15 minutes and done. This would be the cool down period of a normal training session, that was my approach to pass the time.
#10 - 7:13 - The last is always the hardest and easiest mile of the race, you're done and trying to be done. I particularly was happy that the course had signs for 1200, 800, 400 and 200 (did I make that one up?) meters. Since I had been counting down the minutes since the gun went off, I mentally referred back to track intervals. Okay, so I have 5-6 minutes, 3.5 minutes, 92 seconds and I get to put dry clothes on and get to Four Courts. The last 400 had a little hill to get up and then a 90 degree turn to the finish. Just get up the hill and it will be steps away to the end. I saw the finish and just held pace, there were no voices in my head pushing for a sprint. I did want to finish under whatever the next minute was on the clock and that was it.

I walked through the finishing chute, turned in the chip, found the crew and hopped a cab to breakfast at the pub with Jason Goyanko, Ken Delraso, Shawn and Dave (and his friend/Tony Panizza's son).

Today was more about the comraderie with training buddies (and pints of Guinness before noon) and knocking out the last run of the week early in the morning to enjoy the rest of the day at home with my wife (who I am beginning to miss with all this training and all her school work).