It's all downhill from here

My 32nd race of the year promised to also be my fastest race of the year. The Arlington Co-op Downhill Mile was held on August 12. I have run this race the last 2 years and learned that gravity really does make a difference. Its a point to point race and it drops about 250 feet over the course of the mile. It has a couple sharp turns at the top of the course, which is also the steepest part of the course but after that its a pretty straight shot.

Given my time of 9:02 just a couple of weeks before on a track I knew I wouldn't be setting any PR's (7:17) this day. I was hoping for something around 7:40. Anything greater than that would be a disappointment.

This race is usually a VERY low key event with only about 6-8 runners. It was a little bigger this year with 11 runners competing. Most significantly, ultra marathoner Michael Wardian showed up for the run. I saw Charlie Mercer warming up as I walked up the hill to the starting line and he was clearly nervous about running against Michael. Charlie held the course record 4:31 and was undefeated here so he saw his dynasty slipping away. I thought it would be a good race since Charlie was very familiar with the course but I knew Michael was a little faster than him. Sometimes I wish I wasnt so slow so I could actually see how some of these races finished.

Jim Scarborough, the race director, didnt run this year...I think because he didnt think he had enough volunteers. Jay Wind held his phone up at the start and Jim yelled go through the phone while he started the clock at the bottom of the hill. As readers by now know, I almost always start too fast and sometimes find myself still with the leaders after a couple of hundred yards today. Not today though. the other runners were anxious to get to the downhill portion of the course and raced hard over the first 100 yards to get to the steep descent.

As we got to the descent, I was running close to both Bob Weiner and Jay Wind. I know Jay doesn't like downhills and I held him off for more than half of the race last year. Not this year though. Both of them passed me just as we entered the steepest portion of the course and soon I lost track of them. I didn't realize it then but I did have one runner behind me...Tami Graf. I never saw her until the finish. She is certainly faster than me right now so she must have been being extra cautious on the hills. Can't blame her...at times its more falling than running.

I had to stop for quick walk breaks just like the track meet a couple of weeks ago. How frustrating. I knew that would cost me my chance to reach my goal time but I had no choice...I couldn't get any air while running.

I pushed really hard at the finish. I heard a lot of encouragement as I raced towards the finish line. I was gasping for breathe but I really wanted to finish as strong as possible with all of them watching. I crossed the tape in 8:05. I was disappointed but hey, at least it was a new PR as a 49 year old. (How's that for the glass being half full).

Jim did a nice job of awards. Michael ended up beating Charlie by 5 seconds and won Redskin tickets. Everybody won something. I won a book about not being ripped off by my 401k. We said our goodbyes and we were off.

Finishers are listed below:
Bib ## Name G Age City State Time M F Award
--- -- -------------------------- - --- ---------------- ------ - - --------
1 Michael Wardian M 34 Arlington VA 4:40 1 M
2 Charlie Mercer M 38 Arlington VA 4:45 2 M 2
3 Matthew Sushinsky M 17 Rockville MD 4:51 3 M 3
4 Vhan Bui M 22 Springfield VA 4:56 4 M20-29 1
5 Elizabeth Jones F 31 Falls Church VA 5:55 1 F 1
6 Bob Weiner M 61 Accokeek MD 6:12 5 M60-69
7 Jay Jacob Wind M 58 Arlington VA 6:27 6 M50-59 1
8 John Paul Anderson Jr M 47 Edgewater MD 6:42 7 M40-49 1
9 Regina Davids F 20 Centreville VA 7:20 2 F 2 29
10 Tim Ramsey M 49 Alexandria VA 8:05 8 M40-49 2
11 Tami Graf F 72 Lusby MD 8:39 3 F 3

So I was 10th out of 11 finishers and the 8th of 8 males. But Hey, I was 2nd in my age group!