I have run at Bluemont Park probably 2 dozen times. I have run a lot of races there and I also do some of my training there. It's where my wife usually goes to run and I will occassionally join her. So when the DC Road Runner Club held there annual 5K there August 5th I was feeling fairly good about my chances. Not only did I know the course but they also moved the starting line back so the one major hill on the course wouldn't come into play for this race. On the downside, it was hot and storms were in the area so it was also kind of muggy. Given the cancellation of the 8K a few weeks before, I was actually surprised to find that the race was on as scheduled when I arrived in the parking lot.
Unfortunately, I had one of those days where I just didn't "feel it". I went out moderately fast but had to take a walk break after only about 4 minutes. I then used a 4 on, 1 off cycle for the remainder of the race. I tried to keep some of my old competition (Bob Gurtler, Tami Graf, Sharyn Gordon) in sight but I lost touch with them after about a mile. Then I tried to keep Blair Jones in striking distance but I lost her at about the halfway point ( I did lead her for part of the first half of the race). In the end, it was just me running between some slower women. Not a guy to be seen behind me and the nearest male in front of me finished 3 minutes ahead of me. I finished in 37:02 (official was 37:18), making me the 89th male and 139th overall out of 146 finishers. Back to the treadmill I suppose.
Notable finishers were:
Sam Blasiak M 28 Falls Church VA 16:33 1 male winner
Madeline Harms F 22 Arlington VA 19:24 1 Female winner
Karsten Brown M 34 Front Royal VA 17:11 4
Ted Poulos M 46 McLean VA 18:49 15
Charlie Mercer M 38 Arlington VA 19:20 22
Bill Stahr M 47 The Plains VA 20:12 28
James Moreland M 55 Gaithersburg MD 20:25 31 won age grp
Kirk Gordon M 52 Mitchellville MD 20:58 36
Jay Jacob Wind M 58 Arlington VA 21:12 41
Bob Platt M 57 Arlington VA 23:24 57
Jon Palks M 59 Bowie MD 24:46
Tami Graf F 72 Lusby MD 31:08 42 F70-79 1
Robert L. Gurtler M 73 The Plains VA 31:18 86 M70-79 2
Sharyn D. Gordon F 50 Mitchellville MD 32:16 43
Blair Jones F 64 Washington DC 33:17 44 F60-69 1
Friday, August 15, 2008
Friday, August 8, 2008
Anybody can run a mile...right?
The DC Road Runners held their annual 1 mile and 3K championships on July 30 this year. Last year at this event I actually knocked off 3 races-the 1 mile race walk, a 1 mile run and the 3K run. I got to the track this year just as Peter Blank was starting the 1 mile race walk. I cheered him on as he went by and he yelled over that I should be out there with him. I don't know if I would have done it anyway - I did it twice last year and they really beat up my calves. Plus, I'm sure I'm not following the official race walk criteria...I just try to walk fast.
I ran in the next event...the masters mile. I've been worried about this event for the past week. I always dreaded these track events even when I was running at my best. I always get lapped, which is embarrasing, and I worry about holding everyone up. In the past I had always run the mile in at least 8:30. This year I hadn't run faster than a 10:00 mile in practice or in a race. That would be very slow. I looked for runners I knew to be relatively slow-there were none. I would represent the slowbies today.
There was a field of 12 in my heat which meant I was close to the start line when the gun went off. But I quickly fell to the back after only a couple of strides. Initially, Peter was right in front of me. In fact, he turned and said "It looks like its you and me Rammer". But I knew better. Even though he hadn't had enough time to recover from his race walk-which he did in 9:35-I knew he would finish well in front of me. I mumbled something to that effect back to Peter and continued on.
I completed the first lap in about 2:10. I was fairly pleased with that. That went away quickly though as I began to be lapped almost immediately. First by was Ted Poulos. I never know if I should run on the inside lane or get to the outside in these situations-I have received conflicting instructions. Today I ran on the inside, actually stepping on the inside line quite a few times. I really don't think I impeded anyone.
I completed the 2nd lap in 4:20. Not bad at all I thought. Except for the fact that I was gasping for any air I could get and my heart rate was probably about 900. I had to walk. Now its one thing to take a walk break in the middle of a 5K on a road. A few runners that are close to you see you and maybe you get a jeer from an onlooker telling you to run but thats about it. It doesn't get much worse than having to walk during a track event. EVERYONE sees you. But I HAD to walk. I wouldn't have finished if I didn't walk. I only walked for about 20 yards...enough time to get a little air and to let my heart rate come down a little bit. Jay Wind passed me around here. I knew it was him before he got to me because of his heavy breathing. I rooted him on and then got back to my own run.
I got to the 3/4 pole at 6:50. Ugh...my lap was 20 seconds slower than my previous laps. And I had to walk again. At least I wasn't being passed anymore. But only because everyone was either finished or about to finish. I was dying but I pushed on, I think mostly from pride. All of the Pacer girls were there and I really didn't want to collapse in front of them. I saw the clock 100 yards ahead and thought I might be able to get there in under 9 minutes which would be a real achievement. I was cheered in but my legs felt like they were carrying weights and I finished in 9:01:6.
OK, I passed my first test. I didn't totally embarass myself in the 1 mile. But what about the 3K? I knew my pace was going to be considerably slower for the 3K. I would be lucky to break 20 minutes. Was that too slow?
I had some time to think about it. They ran the masters womens mile next. There was only 1 master woman (Patricia Zerfas) but Jim Noone arrived late for the mens master so he ran with her. They both ran close to a 6 minute mile. Great job by both.
Next was the open mile. Time for the young guys. The leaders were absolutely flying. Bert Rodriguez won with a time of 4:21:6! willy Viviani was just a second behind. I think I saw smoke coming off of their shoes.
My favorite race of the night was the womens mile. As I mentioned the Pacer girls were there in force. I happened to be next to the starting line when they lined up. There was a cute woman I had never seen before at the front of the pack in lane 1. She was joking with the race director as he lined them up and she was very relaxed. But when the gun fired she was out of there in a flash. She ran probably the most impressive race I have ever seen run by a woman. She was just cruising. She looked relaxed but purposeful. She had a nice lead on the 2nd place woman who was no slouch herself (and had probably the most defined abs I have ever seen on a woman). As I watched the splits I was thinking to myself "she might break 5 minutes". Sure enough, she came in with a time of 4:55.1! Wow! I looked up the results the next day and learned she was Kristen Henehan, last years Marine Corp winner. After a 6 year layoff after college, she took up competitive running again last year and won her first marathon. She did so well she qualified for the Olympic Trials. Runners world did a very nice video interview with her...look it up...it was very interesting. BTW- the 2nd place woman was Lindsay Wilkins, who won the Crystal City 5K just a few days before. She ran the mile in 5:09.1. If not for Kristen, I would marvelling over her race.
Anyway, back to me. I decided that in fairness to the other runners, I couldn't run the 3K. I figured I would be about 6 minutes slower than the next slowest runner. The women would be waiting for me to finish before they could run their own 3K. It would be getting dark. I would be embarrased. It just wasn't a good situation. So I ate hot dogs instead (provided by the race director for the race that was cancelled the previous week).
I left before the 3K's were run. I'm bummed about that because I see in the results that Charlie Mercer ran the first 3K. Not only did he run it, he won it! I guess he is recovered from the being hit by a car. He ran it in 11:16. Last place was Carlos Liceaga with a time of 16:28.8. That's slower than I expected but it still means I would have been out there by myself for over 3 1/2 minutes. I think I made the right decision.
The 2nd heat of the 3K combined the women with the fast men. Robert Wade, who came in a close 3rd in the mile, won this race with a time of 8:45.9. That would be good enough to usually demolish the field at the monthly tidal basin 3K. Bert Rodriguez was clearly wiped out as he ran a miserable time of only 8:59.8...good enough for 4th!Kristen led the women in with a time of 10:16 with Lindsay right behind in a time of 10:35.2.
What a night!
I ran in the next event...the masters mile. I've been worried about this event for the past week. I always dreaded these track events even when I was running at my best. I always get lapped, which is embarrasing, and I worry about holding everyone up. In the past I had always run the mile in at least 8:30. This year I hadn't run faster than a 10:00 mile in practice or in a race. That would be very slow. I looked for runners I knew to be relatively slow-there were none. I would represent the slowbies today.
There was a field of 12 in my heat which meant I was close to the start line when the gun went off. But I quickly fell to the back after only a couple of strides. Initially, Peter was right in front of me. In fact, he turned and said "It looks like its you and me Rammer". But I knew better. Even though he hadn't had enough time to recover from his race walk-which he did in 9:35-I knew he would finish well in front of me. I mumbled something to that effect back to Peter and continued on.
I completed the first lap in about 2:10. I was fairly pleased with that. That went away quickly though as I began to be lapped almost immediately. First by was Ted Poulos. I never know if I should run on the inside lane or get to the outside in these situations-I have received conflicting instructions. Today I ran on the inside, actually stepping on the inside line quite a few times. I really don't think I impeded anyone.
I completed the 2nd lap in 4:20. Not bad at all I thought. Except for the fact that I was gasping for any air I could get and my heart rate was probably about 900. I had to walk. Now its one thing to take a walk break in the middle of a 5K on a road. A few runners that are close to you see you and maybe you get a jeer from an onlooker telling you to run but thats about it. It doesn't get much worse than having to walk during a track event. EVERYONE sees you. But I HAD to walk. I wouldn't have finished if I didn't walk. I only walked for about 20 yards...enough time to get a little air and to let my heart rate come down a little bit. Jay Wind passed me around here. I knew it was him before he got to me because of his heavy breathing. I rooted him on and then got back to my own run.
I got to the 3/4 pole at 6:50. Ugh...my lap was 20 seconds slower than my previous laps. And I had to walk again. At least I wasn't being passed anymore. But only because everyone was either finished or about to finish. I was dying but I pushed on, I think mostly from pride. All of the Pacer girls were there and I really didn't want to collapse in front of them. I saw the clock 100 yards ahead and thought I might be able to get there in under 9 minutes which would be a real achievement. I was cheered in but my legs felt like they were carrying weights and I finished in 9:01:6.
OK, I passed my first test. I didn't totally embarass myself in the 1 mile. But what about the 3K? I knew my pace was going to be considerably slower for the 3K. I would be lucky to break 20 minutes. Was that too slow?
I had some time to think about it. They ran the masters womens mile next. There was only 1 master woman (Patricia Zerfas) but Jim Noone arrived late for the mens master so he ran with her. They both ran close to a 6 minute mile. Great job by both.
Next was the open mile. Time for the young guys. The leaders were absolutely flying. Bert Rodriguez won with a time of 4:21:6! willy Viviani was just a second behind. I think I saw smoke coming off of their shoes.
My favorite race of the night was the womens mile. As I mentioned the Pacer girls were there in force. I happened to be next to the starting line when they lined up. There was a cute woman I had never seen before at the front of the pack in lane 1. She was joking with the race director as he lined them up and she was very relaxed. But when the gun fired she was out of there in a flash. She ran probably the most impressive race I have ever seen run by a woman. She was just cruising. She looked relaxed but purposeful. She had a nice lead on the 2nd place woman who was no slouch herself (and had probably the most defined abs I have ever seen on a woman). As I watched the splits I was thinking to myself "she might break 5 minutes". Sure enough, she came in with a time of 4:55.1! Wow! I looked up the results the next day and learned she was Kristen Henehan, last years Marine Corp winner. After a 6 year layoff after college, she took up competitive running again last year and won her first marathon. She did so well she qualified for the Olympic Trials. Runners world did a very nice video interview with her...look it up...it was very interesting. BTW- the 2nd place woman was Lindsay Wilkins, who won the Crystal City 5K just a few days before. She ran the mile in 5:09.1. If not for Kristen, I would marvelling over her race.
Anyway, back to me. I decided that in fairness to the other runners, I couldn't run the 3K. I figured I would be about 6 minutes slower than the next slowest runner. The women would be waiting for me to finish before they could run their own 3K. It would be getting dark. I would be embarrased. It just wasn't a good situation. So I ate hot dogs instead (provided by the race director for the race that was cancelled the previous week).
I left before the 3K's were run. I'm bummed about that because I see in the results that Charlie Mercer ran the first 3K. Not only did he run it, he won it! I guess he is recovered from the being hit by a car. He ran it in 11:16. Last place was Carlos Liceaga with a time of 16:28.8. That's slower than I expected but it still means I would have been out there by myself for over 3 1/2 minutes. I think I made the right decision.
The 2nd heat of the 3K combined the women with the fast men. Robert Wade, who came in a close 3rd in the mile, won this race with a time of 8:45.9. That would be good enough to usually demolish the field at the monthly tidal basin 3K. Bert Rodriguez was clearly wiped out as he ran a miserable time of only 8:59.8...good enough for 4th!Kristen led the women in with a time of 10:16 with Lindsay right behind in a time of 10:35.2.
What a night!
City of Oz
The inaugural Crystal City Twilight 5K was held on July 27th. Given that I worked there for over 6 years and even lived there for 6 months, I couldn't pass this one up. Plus, my friend Femi planned on running it so I looked forward to a fun time.
Parking was a little tougher than I expected, partly because some roads were already closed off by the time I arrived to register. I parked near the original USAir HQ and walked about 1/3 of a mile to register. Wow, has Crystal City changed since I was last there. They have added a bunch of restaurants. When Dori and I lived there back in 98 we used to comment on how dead the city was on weekends. That certainly wasnt the case this evening as there were people everywhere! The lines for getting my chip and number were pretty long...and I had pre-registered. I went back to the car and worked on a sudoku while enjoying air conditioning. Yes, I know I sound like a broken record but it was another hot night!
I got back to the start about 7 minutes before the start. I saw Femi and we talked for a few minutes before we positioned ourselves at the front and rear of the field. There were a LOT of people here for this race. I later learned there were 1656 finishers! As a result, it was kind of a crazy start as everyone tried to find a lane they could run in without being blocked. I had to do some weaving at the start as I felt kind of frisky. I had only been running for a couple of minutes when I caught up with one Ric Franke, who I hadn't seen until then. I passed him but I grew worried when I had to stop for a walk break at the 1 mile mark. I ran the first mile in 10:01...thats too fast for me right now. Sure enough, I crashed and burned from that point on. I struglled with a side cramp through much of the 2nd mile. I think I just lost interest in the 3rd mile. I tried to make a go of it but my heart wasn't in it.
I finished with a time of 37:15...good enough for 1463rd out of the 1656. Well, thats not that bad. I beat Ric by about 1 minute (38:13) though he beat me to the food line:) Speaking of which, the after party was very good...The Noodle Co supplied mac and cheese and another pasta while the Budweiser truck was also there providing cold free beer in 16oz cups.
I looked for Femi but never saw him. When I spoke to him at work he said he looked for me for a couple of minutes and then went home to sulk since he was disappointed with his time. So...I ate alone. It was fine. I got to watch lots people dancing to a song that I some how missed. I don't know the name but it includes the line "Everybody clap your hands". Everyone but me knew it. The funniest thing was when 3 construction guys came walking by doing the dance that apparently goes with the song.
Notable finishers were:
Steve Crane 14:46 (winner...smokin' time)
Katie Read 17:14 (female winner...smokin' female time!)
Jim Moreland 20:33
Betty Blank 21:43 (won her age group)
Michael Femi Adeniji 22:48 (281 overall,33rd out of 141 in age group)
Bob Gurtler 31:18 (after a R/T to CA since our Wed Night race)
Joe Belkoski 35:41 (he waved as he passed me shortly after the 1 mile mark. This could be a new person that goes on my "he shall not beat me" list.)
Christina Caravoulias 36:36 ( a former she shall not beat me person)
Me 37:15 (133 out of 141 in age group)
Jennifer Seifert 64:29 (last person in)
Parking was a little tougher than I expected, partly because some roads were already closed off by the time I arrived to register. I parked near the original USAir HQ and walked about 1/3 of a mile to register. Wow, has Crystal City changed since I was last there. They have added a bunch of restaurants. When Dori and I lived there back in 98 we used to comment on how dead the city was on weekends. That certainly wasnt the case this evening as there were people everywhere! The lines for getting my chip and number were pretty long...and I had pre-registered. I went back to the car and worked on a sudoku while enjoying air conditioning. Yes, I know I sound like a broken record but it was another hot night!
I got back to the start about 7 minutes before the start. I saw Femi and we talked for a few minutes before we positioned ourselves at the front and rear of the field. There were a LOT of people here for this race. I later learned there were 1656 finishers! As a result, it was kind of a crazy start as everyone tried to find a lane they could run in without being blocked. I had to do some weaving at the start as I felt kind of frisky. I had only been running for a couple of minutes when I caught up with one Ric Franke, who I hadn't seen until then. I passed him but I grew worried when I had to stop for a walk break at the 1 mile mark. I ran the first mile in 10:01...thats too fast for me right now. Sure enough, I crashed and burned from that point on. I struglled with a side cramp through much of the 2nd mile. I think I just lost interest in the 3rd mile. I tried to make a go of it but my heart wasn't in it.
I finished with a time of 37:15...good enough for 1463rd out of the 1656. Well, thats not that bad. I beat Ric by about 1 minute (38:13) though he beat me to the food line:) Speaking of which, the after party was very good...The Noodle Co supplied mac and cheese and another pasta while the Budweiser truck was also there providing cold free beer in 16oz cups.
I looked for Femi but never saw him. When I spoke to him at work he said he looked for me for a couple of minutes and then went home to sulk since he was disappointed with his time. So...I ate alone. It was fine. I got to watch lots people dancing to a song that I some how missed. I don't know the name but it includes the line "Everybody clap your hands". Everyone but me knew it. The funniest thing was when 3 construction guys came walking by doing the dance that apparently goes with the song.
Notable finishers were:
Steve Crane 14:46 (winner...smokin' time)
Katie Read 17:14 (female winner...smokin' female time!)
Jim Moreland 20:33
Betty Blank 21:43 (won her age group)
Michael Femi Adeniji 22:48 (281 overall,33rd out of 141 in age group)
Bob Gurtler 31:18 (after a R/T to CA since our Wed Night race)
Joe Belkoski 35:41 (he waved as he passed me shortly after the 1 mile mark. This could be a new person that goes on my "he shall not beat me" list.)
Christina Caravoulias 36:36 ( a former she shall not beat me person)
Me 37:15 (133 out of 141 in age group)
Jennifer Seifert 64:29 (last person in)
Outlaw Tim Ramsey?
The annual DCRRC Steve Thompson 8K race was scheduled for July 23rd. There was a threat of thunderstorms that evening but the skies were clear when I left the office at 5PM. When I pulled into the parking lot at Belle Haven Marina I saw the usual assortment of runners so I thought everything was going as usual. However, it didn't take long to learn that the club had cancelled the race for fear of the storms, had posted this cancellation on the website at around 5PM - after many, including myself, had already left for the race, and perhaps worst of all, had not sent anyone to the site to advise people that showed up of the cancellation. I realize that managing the club and directing races is voluntary but I think that if you accept these positions then you are also accepting a certain amount of responsibility to the club membership to do the right thing. Ed Grant, the President of the club, has since apologized for the handling of the cancellation on the club website but by then the damage was done. Argh!
Anyway, since the skies were clear a lot of people showed up for the expected race. We were fortunate to have Bob Platt there, the man in charge of Race Packet. He volunteered to unofficially take charge of the race. Karsten Brown created makeshift finish cards from old flyers. Jon Palks suggested the name "Outlaw 8K" as the new name for this unofficial,un-sanctioned, non-event.
Bob said the "g" word and we were off. It was another hot evening and 2 hours earlier than the Rockville race a few nights before so it was tough. Nonetheless, I felt better than I had recently as I ran that first mile. I ran it all before taking a break. I passed Ric Franke during that first mile. I swore to myself he wouldn't beat me again :)
For the next 2 miles I ran close to a man I later learned was Joe Belkoski. I drafted off of him for awhile and then I would take a walk break. Then I would run and catch up to him again until I could draft off of him for a minute or two until I took another walk break. I did this until after the turnaround. Then we hit a nice downhill section and I accelerated by him. I actually ran at this point for about 4 minutes and I ran it pretty fast (all things relative) so I left him so far behind I couldn't see him. But that run took a lot out of me. I couldn't do another sustained run for the rest of the race. I did a number of 1 or 2 minute runs followed by 1 minute walks. Finally another run that had been running behind both Joe and I caught and passed me. I tried to stay close to him for awhile but I couldn't do it. Then I saw Joe gaining on me. I started running again but he passed me during my next inevitable walk break. He passed along his encouragement as he passed but I told him the race was his. I tried a few times to catch him but I just couldn't do it. I could see him ahead of me for most of the remaining mile but I just couldn't close the gap. He finished in 62:27 while I finished in 63:37 (63:30 watch time). Joe approached me after the race and said he thought I could have caught him on a couple of those downhills but I told him I tried but it just wasn't in me. He said he ran in the Parkway 10 miler and ran along with people that also ran/walked. He said he probably should try it but he's too stubborn. I say, keep doing what you are doing Joe! I would run it all if I could.
It did start to rain during my drive home and we had a pretty strong storm which Ed felt justified the cancellation of the original race. I disagree but I do understand he has to think about liability.
Here are the total results for the race...
pl.nameagesexhometowntime
1Leoule Degfae18MAlexandria, VA28:10.70
2Karsten Brown34MFront Royal, VA28:36.75
3Tikut Degfae18MAlexandria, VA30:30.78
4Ted Poulos46MMcLean, VA30:35.48
5Mark Drosky47MAlexandria, VA32:48.52
6Jason Page63MHamilton, VA33:13.33
7Bill Stahr47MThe Plains, VA35:24.74
8Jim Noone63MFairfax, VA35:28.70
9Kirk Gordon52MMitchellville, MD35:37.72
10Jay Wind58MArlington, VA36:31.16
11Steve McCollum46MWashington, DC36:56.04
12Ken Krehbiel54MWashington, DC37:02.88
13Kristin Dahling32FArlington, VA37:14.87
14Joe Emerson42MAlexandria, VA37:15.99
15Robert Trost62MFalls Church, VA37:41.46
16Greg Chaconas62MWashington, DC37:56.92
17Karen Young40FBeallsville, MD38:04.72
18Tony Keenant36MArlington, VA38:06.86
19James Scarborough50MMcLean, VA38:15.32
20Alex Friend48MFalls Church, VA39:07.76
21Lucia Olivera30FWashington, DC39:26.68
22Bob Platt56MArlington, VA39:54.06
23Patrick Groton30MAnnandale, VA39:59.95
24Eamonn McEvilly65MSpringfield, VA40:38.60
25Michael Knapp14MAlexandria, VA41:15.80
26John Lyon15MAlexandria, VA41:33.61
27Jon Palks59MBowie, MD41:39.80
28Glenn Gardner47MWoodbridge, VA42:26.80
29Leslie Stanfield58FReston, VA44:16.80
30Patrick Brown63MReston, VA44:20.11
31Lisa Schaefer37FVienna, VA44:30.53
32Robert Bowie43MUpper Marlboro, MD44:42.00
33Jaques Bure52MTakoma Park, MD44:42.58
34Laure Veissiere26FWashington, DC45:02.05
35Foster Friedman45MAlexandria, VA45:27.75
36James DeMartino50MWashington, DC45:37.18
37Andy Buechele65MWashington, DC46:21.16
38Monica Mora29FWashington, DC46:42.43
39Irving Todds47MSterling, VA48:00.98
40Bonie Agera32FBurke, VA48:06.85
41Bob Weiner61MAccokeek, MD48:19.79
42Dan Haney40MAlexandria, VA48:33.02
43Andrew Kent44MArlington, VA48:35.56
44unidentified maleM49:13.86
45Bernadette Flynn51FSpringfield, VA50:54.83
46Shelly Cavey28FAlexandria, VA52:51.75
47Bob Gurtler73MThe Plains, VA53:11.53
48Wayne Holland66MAlexandria, VA55:24.66
49Tarah Hepburn30FSterling, VA57:15.38
50Kathie Kramer30FArlington, VA57:28.12
51Mark Ferguson46MArlington, VA1:01:08.18
52Joe Belkoski50MAlexandria, VA1:02:27.07
53Tim Ramsey49MAlexandria, VA1:03:36.78
54Ric Francke61MMcLean VA1:09:58.36
So 53rd out of 54 finishers. Not good. But I beat Ric. OK. And I bettered my time from the Rockville race by over 3 minutes...very good. I'll be glad when I can consistently and easily maintain a 12 minute pace over 5 or 6 miles though.
BTW This was my 27th race of the year.
Anyway, since the skies were clear a lot of people showed up for the expected race. We were fortunate to have Bob Platt there, the man in charge of Race Packet. He volunteered to unofficially take charge of the race. Karsten Brown created makeshift finish cards from old flyers. Jon Palks suggested the name "Outlaw 8K" as the new name for this unofficial,un-sanctioned, non-event.
Bob said the "g" word and we were off. It was another hot evening and 2 hours earlier than the Rockville race a few nights before so it was tough. Nonetheless, I felt better than I had recently as I ran that first mile. I ran it all before taking a break. I passed Ric Franke during that first mile. I swore to myself he wouldn't beat me again :)
For the next 2 miles I ran close to a man I later learned was Joe Belkoski. I drafted off of him for awhile and then I would take a walk break. Then I would run and catch up to him again until I could draft off of him for a minute or two until I took another walk break. I did this until after the turnaround. Then we hit a nice downhill section and I accelerated by him. I actually ran at this point for about 4 minutes and I ran it pretty fast (all things relative) so I left him so far behind I couldn't see him. But that run took a lot out of me. I couldn't do another sustained run for the rest of the race. I did a number of 1 or 2 minute runs followed by 1 minute walks. Finally another run that had been running behind both Joe and I caught and passed me. I tried to stay close to him for awhile but I couldn't do it. Then I saw Joe gaining on me. I started running again but he passed me during my next inevitable walk break. He passed along his encouragement as he passed but I told him the race was his. I tried a few times to catch him but I just couldn't do it. I could see him ahead of me for most of the remaining mile but I just couldn't close the gap. He finished in 62:27 while I finished in 63:37 (63:30 watch time). Joe approached me after the race and said he thought I could have caught him on a couple of those downhills but I told him I tried but it just wasn't in me. He said he ran in the Parkway 10 miler and ran along with people that also ran/walked. He said he probably should try it but he's too stubborn. I say, keep doing what you are doing Joe! I would run it all if I could.
It did start to rain during my drive home and we had a pretty strong storm which Ed felt justified the cancellation of the original race. I disagree but I do understand he has to think about liability.
Here are the total results for the race...
pl.nameagesexhometowntime
1Leoule Degfae18MAlexandria, VA28:10.70
2Karsten Brown34MFront Royal, VA28:36.75
3Tikut Degfae18MAlexandria, VA30:30.78
4Ted Poulos46MMcLean, VA30:35.48
5Mark Drosky47MAlexandria, VA32:48.52
6Jason Page63MHamilton, VA33:13.33
7Bill Stahr47MThe Plains, VA35:24.74
8Jim Noone63MFairfax, VA35:28.70
9Kirk Gordon52MMitchellville, MD35:37.72
10Jay Wind58MArlington, VA36:31.16
11Steve McCollum46MWashington, DC36:56.04
12Ken Krehbiel54MWashington, DC37:02.88
13Kristin Dahling32FArlington, VA37:14.87
14Joe Emerson42MAlexandria, VA37:15.99
15Robert Trost62MFalls Church, VA37:41.46
16Greg Chaconas62MWashington, DC37:56.92
17Karen Young40FBeallsville, MD38:04.72
18Tony Keenant36MArlington, VA38:06.86
19James Scarborough50MMcLean, VA38:15.32
20Alex Friend48MFalls Church, VA39:07.76
21Lucia Olivera30FWashington, DC39:26.68
22Bob Platt56MArlington, VA39:54.06
23Patrick Groton30MAnnandale, VA39:59.95
24Eamonn McEvilly65MSpringfield, VA40:38.60
25Michael Knapp14MAlexandria, VA41:15.80
26John Lyon15MAlexandria, VA41:33.61
27Jon Palks59MBowie, MD41:39.80
28Glenn Gardner47MWoodbridge, VA42:26.80
29Leslie Stanfield58FReston, VA44:16.80
30Patrick Brown63MReston, VA44:20.11
31Lisa Schaefer37FVienna, VA44:30.53
32Robert Bowie43MUpper Marlboro, MD44:42.00
33Jaques Bure52MTakoma Park, MD44:42.58
34Laure Veissiere26FWashington, DC45:02.05
35Foster Friedman45MAlexandria, VA45:27.75
36James DeMartino50MWashington, DC45:37.18
37Andy Buechele65MWashington, DC46:21.16
38Monica Mora29FWashington, DC46:42.43
39Irving Todds47MSterling, VA48:00.98
40Bonie Agera32FBurke, VA48:06.85
41Bob Weiner61MAccokeek, MD48:19.79
42Dan Haney40MAlexandria, VA48:33.02
43Andrew Kent44MArlington, VA48:35.56
44unidentified maleM49:13.86
45Bernadette Flynn51FSpringfield, VA50:54.83
46Shelly Cavey28FAlexandria, VA52:51.75
47Bob Gurtler73MThe Plains, VA53:11.53
48Wayne Holland66MAlexandria, VA55:24.66
49Tarah Hepburn30FSterling, VA57:15.38
50Kathie Kramer30FArlington, VA57:28.12
51Mark Ferguson46MArlington, VA1:01:08.18
52Joe Belkoski50MAlexandria, VA1:02:27.07
53Tim Ramsey49MAlexandria, VA1:03:36.78
54Ric Francke61MMcLean VA1:09:58.36
So 53rd out of 54 finishers. Not good. But I beat Ric. OK. And I bettered my time from the Rockville race by over 3 minutes...very good. I'll be glad when I can consistently and easily maintain a 12 minute pace over 5 or 6 miles though.
BTW This was my 27th race of the year.
Reality reminder
July 19 marked the annual Rockville Rotary Twilight 8K. I believe that I have run it 5 times and it has always been hot. Sometimes we get a thunderstorm. I think it was cancelled once because of heat. Well, they delayed the start by about 10 minutes to allow the temperature to come down a degree or two. I heard a couple of non-runners sitting on a curb question why it was being delayed as it was quite nice out. They obviously weren't runners. While it was fairly comfortable for lounging, it was pretty darn hot for a run...somewhere in the mid to high 80's. The humidity was down which made it seem cooler but we runners were still about to run in very hot conditions.
This is not an easy course as it has several significant hills to conquer. Given my relative poor level of conditioning, the heat, and the course I decided before the start of the race to not over due it. With this in mind, I started all the way at the back of the pack. It was a chip race so why get caught in the middle of the pack?
It was a really good crowd this year at the start and then there was the usual good turnout of residents as we turned into the neighborhoods. There weren't quite as many people out with hoses this year to splash people as they ran by but thats OK with me as I always worry about wet socks and blisters when I see those hoses.
I ran nearly all of the first mile with only one very brief walk break in an OK 11:00. I knew I wouldn't be able to keep that up though. The big hills were still ahead. I think I passed through the halfway point in about 29 minutes. I was slowing down and the heat was taking its toll. It didn't look like I could break an hour. That was immediately verified as I had to walk almost all of the next mile. I was whipped. The only thing that kept me going at this point was Barry Goldmeier, the local joggler. He was running this evening with very cool glow in the dark balls. I always hate being passed by Barry...nothing personal...I just think I should be able to beat someone thats running while juggling 4 balls! But I really thought I should beat him in a nighttime race. (It was after 9:30 by this point). He would pass me, I would struggle to keep up, he would drop one of his balls and have to stop to pick it up and I would race by ("race" is relative). We went back and forth like this until he passed me for good as we ran around Montgomery College.
It was as we ran around Montgomery College that I knew something bad had happened on the course. Two paramedics on bicycles that had been riding leisurely through the crowd and that had passed me about a mile before came by me in the opposite direction at this time and riding at a serious pace. A little further ahead we came across a fire truck that had obviously been providing water to runners but he was hurrying to pack up and get on the road, which he did about 2 minutes after I passed him. As I ran by the truck I heard a voice on a radio name an intersection just a hundred yards from where I had just run and where the course took us by with less than a mile to go.
From that point on, I heard a lot of sirens. I knew someone must have gone down and I silently wished the best for them. I wondered if I knew the person. Since I run in so many races I've gotten to know a lot of runners but the runners I know run a lot of races. This race brings out people that only run a few times a year.
Mile 4 was very slow as I contemplated life and also frankly really struggled with the heat. I drank 3 small glasses of water at the last water stop before Rockville Pike. I always like running on the Pike. It's a straight, slightly downhill road that is well paved and well lit. Drivers frequently lean out of their cars and offer encouragement (or sometimes the opposite of encouragement but thats for another blog). You cant see the finish line but you can see the buildings that are besides the finish line so you get a feeling of progress. I was able to run most of the Pike and I passed quite a few people during this little stretch run. I ran by the intersection mentioned on the ambulance drivers radio but the scene had been cleared.
As I entered Rockville Town Centre I gave one last push and ran through the finish line. The announcer commented on my Pikes Peek T-shirt, though he couldn't pull my name up fast enough to get it out before other runners started coming in behind me. I finished in a disappointing 66:31 but I didn't punish myself because of the heat. I kept telling myself during the race...don't die, don't end up in a hospital tonight, and don't throw up (I was suffering from reflux from about mile 2 on). I accomplished all 3 so I had view the race as a success of sorts.
While taking off my chip the announcer asked the crowd if anyone knew a runner by the name of X please come to the finsih line. I assumed that this was the runner that went down. I didn't recognize the name and I don't recall it now. The paper the next morning confirmed the worst...a male runner, aged 60 died during the race at the intersection I heard named on the radio. This made the 4th runner (that I know of) that died in a race that I ran in. (Virginia Beach Half Marathon in 2001, the Marine Corp Marathon, and The Army Ten Miler just last year). Femi at work now calls me the "Running Angel of Death".
All kidding aside, this does show the dangers of running. My Mother is constantly trying to convince me to stop running for fear of me becoming one of these runners. She called me when she read the article and was shocked that I also ran in the race. But what I always tell her is that while I acknowledge that I am more at risk when I run then if I were at home sleeping, it makes me less at risk for the remaining hours of the day. I think thats a very good trade off and a risk I can live with (no pun intended). So I will continue to run but I will also continue my mantra of "Live to race again tomorrow".
Here are some of the results from the race:
Mohamed Awol (winner 24:24...are you kiddingme!?)
Mike Wardian 25:30
Darkwing Duck (I'm serious, look it up) 26:56
Jim Moreland 34:12
Lou Shapiro 34:25
Bill Stahr 34:47
Kirk Gordon 35:47
Bob Platt 39:49
Jon Palks 42:26
Barry Goldmeier 64:44
Ric Franke 66:23 (that ticks me off, I never saw him. I would have pushed more if I had seen him. That's the downside to starting in the back. He started over a minute in front of me).
Me 66:31
I was the 1103rd male out of 1113 male finishers.
On the female side:
Julie Culley 26:57 (female winner)
Alisa Harvey 29:48 (I'm surprised she ran this given the heat)
Christina Caravoulias 58:52 (good for her!)
There were 870 female finishers and 22 unidentified finishers...so over 2000 finishers. I beat 53 of them. OK, not my best effort.
This is not an easy course as it has several significant hills to conquer. Given my relative poor level of conditioning, the heat, and the course I decided before the start of the race to not over due it. With this in mind, I started all the way at the back of the pack. It was a chip race so why get caught in the middle of the pack?
It was a really good crowd this year at the start and then there was the usual good turnout of residents as we turned into the neighborhoods. There weren't quite as many people out with hoses this year to splash people as they ran by but thats OK with me as I always worry about wet socks and blisters when I see those hoses.
I ran nearly all of the first mile with only one very brief walk break in an OK 11:00. I knew I wouldn't be able to keep that up though. The big hills were still ahead. I think I passed through the halfway point in about 29 minutes. I was slowing down and the heat was taking its toll. It didn't look like I could break an hour. That was immediately verified as I had to walk almost all of the next mile. I was whipped. The only thing that kept me going at this point was Barry Goldmeier, the local joggler. He was running this evening with very cool glow in the dark balls. I always hate being passed by Barry...nothing personal...I just think I should be able to beat someone thats running while juggling 4 balls! But I really thought I should beat him in a nighttime race. (It was after 9:30 by this point). He would pass me, I would struggle to keep up, he would drop one of his balls and have to stop to pick it up and I would race by ("race" is relative). We went back and forth like this until he passed me for good as we ran around Montgomery College.
It was as we ran around Montgomery College that I knew something bad had happened on the course. Two paramedics on bicycles that had been riding leisurely through the crowd and that had passed me about a mile before came by me in the opposite direction at this time and riding at a serious pace. A little further ahead we came across a fire truck that had obviously been providing water to runners but he was hurrying to pack up and get on the road, which he did about 2 minutes after I passed him. As I ran by the truck I heard a voice on a radio name an intersection just a hundred yards from where I had just run and where the course took us by with less than a mile to go.
From that point on, I heard a lot of sirens. I knew someone must have gone down and I silently wished the best for them. I wondered if I knew the person. Since I run in so many races I've gotten to know a lot of runners but the runners I know run a lot of races. This race brings out people that only run a few times a year.
Mile 4 was very slow as I contemplated life and also frankly really struggled with the heat. I drank 3 small glasses of water at the last water stop before Rockville Pike. I always like running on the Pike. It's a straight, slightly downhill road that is well paved and well lit. Drivers frequently lean out of their cars and offer encouragement (or sometimes the opposite of encouragement but thats for another blog). You cant see the finish line but you can see the buildings that are besides the finish line so you get a feeling of progress. I was able to run most of the Pike and I passed quite a few people during this little stretch run. I ran by the intersection mentioned on the ambulance drivers radio but the scene had been cleared.
As I entered Rockville Town Centre I gave one last push and ran through the finish line. The announcer commented on my Pikes Peek T-shirt, though he couldn't pull my name up fast enough to get it out before other runners started coming in behind me. I finished in a disappointing 66:31 but I didn't punish myself because of the heat. I kept telling myself during the race...don't die, don't end up in a hospital tonight, and don't throw up (I was suffering from reflux from about mile 2 on). I accomplished all 3 so I had view the race as a success of sorts.
While taking off my chip the announcer asked the crowd if anyone knew a runner by the name of X please come to the finsih line. I assumed that this was the runner that went down. I didn't recognize the name and I don't recall it now. The paper the next morning confirmed the worst...a male runner, aged 60 died during the race at the intersection I heard named on the radio. This made the 4th runner (that I know of) that died in a race that I ran in. (Virginia Beach Half Marathon in 2001, the Marine Corp Marathon, and The Army Ten Miler just last year). Femi at work now calls me the "Running Angel of Death".
All kidding aside, this does show the dangers of running. My Mother is constantly trying to convince me to stop running for fear of me becoming one of these runners. She called me when she read the article and was shocked that I also ran in the race. But what I always tell her is that while I acknowledge that I am more at risk when I run then if I were at home sleeping, it makes me less at risk for the remaining hours of the day. I think thats a very good trade off and a risk I can live with (no pun intended). So I will continue to run but I will also continue my mantra of "Live to race again tomorrow".
Here are some of the results from the race:
Mohamed Awol (winner 24:24...are you kiddingme!?)
Mike Wardian 25:30
Darkwing Duck (I'm serious, look it up) 26:56
Jim Moreland 34:12
Lou Shapiro 34:25
Bill Stahr 34:47
Kirk Gordon 35:47
Bob Platt 39:49
Jon Palks 42:26
Barry Goldmeier 64:44
Ric Franke 66:23 (that ticks me off, I never saw him. I would have pushed more if I had seen him. That's the downside to starting in the back. He started over a minute in front of me).
Me 66:31
I was the 1103rd male out of 1113 male finishers.
On the female side:
Julie Culley 26:57 (female winner)
Alisa Harvey 29:48 (I'm surprised she ran this given the heat)
Christina Caravoulias 58:52 (good for her!)
There were 870 female finishers and 22 unidentified finishers...so over 2000 finishers. I beat 53 of them. OK, not my best effort.
Thursday, August 7, 2008
Halfway home
On July 16, I ran the monthly DCRRC Tidal Basin 3K. It was my 25th race of the year, meaning I am halfway towards running 50 (or more) races this year.
I got to the race site at about 11:50. As usual, I changed in the car. I then went over and signed in. Then I went in search of a bathroom for a quick break. I only had about 5 minutes until the scheduled 12:00 start. I had to jog about 1/4 mile to a bathroom within the FDR Memorial. I got back to the start at about a minute past Noon just as we were moving over to the start line. And then we were off.
I had hoped my little jog to the bathroom would help warm me up, something I usually don't do. But the run seemed to work against me. I was tired early. I made it across the big bridge and then slowed to a gasping walk. It was a very hot day and it was taking its toll. It didn't take long before Joe Broderick passed me at about the 3/4 mile mark. Last month he and I ran close to one another from this point of the race on, with me pulling away at the finish. This time, I had nothing in me that would enable me to respond to Joe's push. By the 1 mile mark he was far enough in front of me that I knew I couldn't catch him.
I thought I was going to run alone during that last .86 miles. But with about .2 miles to go, Kirk Gordon met me on the road and ran in to the finish with me. That REALLY helped me a lot. As bad as my finish time was (Official 22:47, watch 22:42), it would have been a lot worse without him. Thanks Kirk!
Notable finishers in this race were:
Jake Krong 9:22 (winner)
Shauneen Garrahan 9:58!! (female winner)
Ted Poulos 10:11
James Moreland 11:47
Kirk Gordon 12:21
Jay Wind 12:53
Dee Nelson 14:38
Peter Blank 15:26 (ran early and then directed the race and did a great job)
Tami Graf 18:36
Joe Boderick 20:36
Ray Campbell 33:40
Bill Osborn 33:50
I finished 62nd out of 67 race finishers.
I got to the race site at about 11:50. As usual, I changed in the car. I then went over and signed in. Then I went in search of a bathroom for a quick break. I only had about 5 minutes until the scheduled 12:00 start. I had to jog about 1/4 mile to a bathroom within the FDR Memorial. I got back to the start at about a minute past Noon just as we were moving over to the start line. And then we were off.
I had hoped my little jog to the bathroom would help warm me up, something I usually don't do. But the run seemed to work against me. I was tired early. I made it across the big bridge and then slowed to a gasping walk. It was a very hot day and it was taking its toll. It didn't take long before Joe Broderick passed me at about the 3/4 mile mark. Last month he and I ran close to one another from this point of the race on, with me pulling away at the finish. This time, I had nothing in me that would enable me to respond to Joe's push. By the 1 mile mark he was far enough in front of me that I knew I couldn't catch him.
I thought I was going to run alone during that last .86 miles. But with about .2 miles to go, Kirk Gordon met me on the road and ran in to the finish with me. That REALLY helped me a lot. As bad as my finish time was (Official 22:47, watch 22:42), it would have been a lot worse without him. Thanks Kirk!
Notable finishers in this race were:
Jake Krong 9:22 (winner)
Shauneen Garrahan 9:58!! (female winner)
Ted Poulos 10:11
James Moreland 11:47
Kirk Gordon 12:21
Jay Wind 12:53
Dee Nelson 14:38
Peter Blank 15:26 (ran early and then directed the race and did a great job)
Tami Graf 18:36
Joe Boderick 20:36
Ray Campbell 33:40
Bill Osborn 33:50
I finished 62nd out of 67 race finishers.
A little whine would be good right about now.
On July 14, the DCRRC held their annual Bastille Day 4 miler. Having run a disappointing 4 miler just 10 days prior, I was really hoping to run better in this evening race. I left my office in Tyson's Corner at about 5:45... a little late for a 7:00 start at Fletcher's Boathouse. Little did I know that my car wouldn't start when I got to the garage. Not good.
I ran back to the office and found a friend (Femi-mentioned in earlier blogs) leaving for the day. He said he would be happy to help jump my car if I had cables, which I did. The car turned over quickly. After quickly disconnecting the cables and saying my thanks to Femi, I was off! I knew I needed a light traffice night if I had any chance of covering the 15 miles in less than the remaining 45 minutes. Fortunately, it was one of those rare DC evenings where the road was open in front of me. I was held up on the Key Bridge for about 10 minutes but I still made it to the race with time to spare. Warning lights were on in the car during the drive so I decided to try to restart the car as soon as I parked. Sure enough, dead again. Well, I decided to deal with that after the race. My wife still questions my sanity on that decision as she said virtually everyone would have chosen to take care of their car then but I had a race to run!
It was a warm evening but not blistering hot like a few recent races.The first mile go up hill towards Bethesda. I like to take care of hills early so that was fine. Then, of course, I love the downhills. Here I caught up to Sharyn Gordon and I ran right behind her for the 2nd half of the hill. Unfortunately, I had to take a quick walk break at the bottom of the hill and she just kept going. A few people passed me during the third mile but they never got too, too far ahead. I hoped to catch them with a good last mile. One of those people was Father Frank Gignac. I know he's a priest because he always wears a Catholic University T-shirt (my undergrad school) so I looked him up a couple of years ago. He was the asst. track coach back then. The guy is 75 and still looks good! Anyway, I kept throwing spurts at Father Frank during that last mile in a valiant attempt to catch up. I would get to within 20 yards or so and then have to take a walk break. I did this 3 or 4 times, always with the same result. Thinking I lost my chance I took a longer walk break with just 1/4 mile to go. Then I started running again. I was making up a lot of ground in a hurry. I could see the finish line approaching. It was going to be close. In the final 50 yards, I was taking 2 strides for every 1 that he made. As we closed to just 10 yards from the finish, I was just 6 feet behind him. Unfortunately, there was some congestion at the finish line. He blocked most of the available path. I didn't want to bump into him so I ran on his left shoulder. We crosed the finish line nearly stride for stride in an identical time of 47:24. (My watch time was 46:59...it was a narrow starting chute with a lot of runners). But he did beat me by a nose. I think I would have had him if the finish line were clear and we had a bit more room but thats the way a race goes.
I did beat a couple of people that usually run near me...Blair Jones finished right behind me in 49:10 and Ric Franke finished right behind her in a time of 50:51. All things considered, I was happy with my results for this race. I beat a couple of people I should beat, bettered my time from 10 days earlier by over 4 minutes, and averaged under 12 minutes a mile.
Notable finishers for this race were:
Robert Wade 20:36 (Winner)
Karsten Brown 22:28
Ted Poulos 22:39
Kirk Gordon 26:41 (2nd age group)
Marie Sandrock 26:44 (first female)
Jim Moreland 26:53 (3rd age group)
Jay Wind 27:22
Jon Palks 32:59
Sharyn Gordon 43:23
I finished 158 out of 165 finishers. That was my 24th race of the year.
I ran back to the office and found a friend (Femi-mentioned in earlier blogs) leaving for the day. He said he would be happy to help jump my car if I had cables, which I did. The car turned over quickly. After quickly disconnecting the cables and saying my thanks to Femi, I was off! I knew I needed a light traffice night if I had any chance of covering the 15 miles in less than the remaining 45 minutes. Fortunately, it was one of those rare DC evenings where the road was open in front of me. I was held up on the Key Bridge for about 10 minutes but I still made it to the race with time to spare. Warning lights were on in the car during the drive so I decided to try to restart the car as soon as I parked. Sure enough, dead again. Well, I decided to deal with that after the race. My wife still questions my sanity on that decision as she said virtually everyone would have chosen to take care of their car then but I had a race to run!
It was a warm evening but not blistering hot like a few recent races.The first mile go up hill towards Bethesda. I like to take care of hills early so that was fine. Then, of course, I love the downhills. Here I caught up to Sharyn Gordon and I ran right behind her for the 2nd half of the hill. Unfortunately, I had to take a quick walk break at the bottom of the hill and she just kept going. A few people passed me during the third mile but they never got too, too far ahead. I hoped to catch them with a good last mile. One of those people was Father Frank Gignac. I know he's a priest because he always wears a Catholic University T-shirt (my undergrad school) so I looked him up a couple of years ago. He was the asst. track coach back then. The guy is 75 and still looks good! Anyway, I kept throwing spurts at Father Frank during that last mile in a valiant attempt to catch up. I would get to within 20 yards or so and then have to take a walk break. I did this 3 or 4 times, always with the same result. Thinking I lost my chance I took a longer walk break with just 1/4 mile to go. Then I started running again. I was making up a lot of ground in a hurry. I could see the finish line approaching. It was going to be close. In the final 50 yards, I was taking 2 strides for every 1 that he made. As we closed to just 10 yards from the finish, I was just 6 feet behind him. Unfortunately, there was some congestion at the finish line. He blocked most of the available path. I didn't want to bump into him so I ran on his left shoulder. We crosed the finish line nearly stride for stride in an identical time of 47:24. (My watch time was 46:59...it was a narrow starting chute with a lot of runners). But he did beat me by a nose. I think I would have had him if the finish line were clear and we had a bit more room but thats the way a race goes.
I did beat a couple of people that usually run near me...Blair Jones finished right behind me in 49:10 and Ric Franke finished right behind her in a time of 50:51. All things considered, I was happy with my results for this race. I beat a couple of people I should beat, bettered my time from 10 days earlier by over 4 minutes, and averaged under 12 minutes a mile.
Notable finishers for this race were:
Robert Wade 20:36 (Winner)
Karsten Brown 22:28
Ted Poulos 22:39
Kirk Gordon 26:41 (2nd age group)
Marie Sandrock 26:44 (first female)
Jim Moreland 26:53 (3rd age group)
Jay Wind 27:22
Jon Palks 32:59
Sharyn Gordon 43:23
I finished 158 out of 165 finishers. That was my 24th race of the year.
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