Now, sports fans, on with the show. I was quite apprehensive in the days leading up to ATM. What would my goal be? Or should I say goals. First, run a sub-70 minute race. Second, run at a sub-3hour marathon pace (6:52 or faster). Third (based on my speedwork during the past three weeks), run at a 6:30 pace for as long as I could. All this seemed possible. Then Thursday night at masters swim, during our last set of 3 x 50 meter sprints, my left calf cramped something fierce! I breast-stroked to the wall and tried to massage the cramp out -- I could actually feel and see my calf muscle in a tight ball. The muscle relaxed but was sore as hell. WTF! Would I even be able to run on Sunday? Did all my goals just disappear? crap crap crap
So I spent the next couple of days with my calf in a compression bandage, rolling it over an iced bottle, sleeping with the heating pad. Anything to make it bearable Sunday morning. Well, folks, I guess it worked. When I woke up Sunday at 5am, the calf, although tender to the touch, did not hurt when I walked or did some test strides. I ate my standard pre-race PBJ, got my gear and headed off the metro.
Like the Marine Corps Marathon, ATM is VERY WELL RUN. Got out of the metro at the Pentagon, dropped off my gear at bag check, and made my way to the port-a-johns. Then off to the start. "Right that way towards the green balloons, SIR" said an Army PFC volunteer. You see, there were 30,000 registered runners at ATM -- two waves for the start, color-coded starting corrals. I had a green bib -- second corral, just behind the elite and sub-elite runners.
At precisely 8:00 am, a howitzer fired and we were off. Well, a minute later I finally crossed the start line.
Miles 1 -3 -- 6:51, 6:35, 6:35
I was feeling good, my calves were slathered in ben-gay, the temperature was great. BUT,it was really crowded. My one and only complaint was that the starting corrals were not well marshalled and there were too many, shall we say, non-green bibs getting in my way. I was not able to get to my target pace that first mile. But it was a beauty of a mile, running up Route 27 towards Memorial Bridge -- the Potomac to the right, Arlington Cemetary to the left. Hit the first mile mark just before the bridge at 6:51.
Early morning, crossing Memorial Bridge, mist rising from the Potomac, the sound of thousands of shoes hitting the pavement. God how I missed that sound. April 2009 was my last road race. I know, I know, I've done two 10Ks as the final segments of my triathlons, but it is not the same. To run fast, to run fresh (not having swum and biked already), that is a unique experience. And to be surrounded by other runners. I was awash in a feeling for gratitude that I was not just running but racing again, and racing fast. Although things were still crowded, I was able to start picking up my pace. We crossed Memorial Bridge, rounded the Lincoln Memorials on the left and made our way (following a course similar to Marine Corps Marathon) to Constitution. Hitting the 2 mile mark near the Federal Reserve Building at 6:35 pace.
Turned up 20th Street to Virginia Ave to the first "hill" or rather incline. I was ready for that (well actually I had no clue about the elevation) but my years of running the hilly MT paid off. I overheard one runner tell another that this is where the running crowd thins and he was right. We rounded the Watergate turning south on along the Potomac, and hit the 3 mile mark. Another 6:35. Looking good Louis! Feeling good Billy Ray!
Miles 4 -6 -- 6:37, 6:36, 6:26
After the 3 mile mark,the course went south along the Potomac, past the Kennedy Center, past the Lincoln, towards Independence. Again, this was following familiar ground of the Marine Corps Marathon. But at the 4 mile mark, we turned onto Independence rather than continuing on Ohio Drive to the windy and desolate Haines Point (yay 10 miler!!). Hit the 4 mile mark at 6:37.
We continued along a pleasant Independence Avenue, hitting mile 5 and half way mark at 6:36. I had been running somewhat conservative all this time. Would my calf hurt? Would my pelvic area hurt? No and no. Sure, I could feel "something" in the pelvic area, nothing sore though, nothing debilitating. I was thinking, am I finally back in the racing saddle? My body seemed to be saying yes. So at mile 5 I decided I could crank it up a bit.
The sixth mile took us into the main body of the crowd -- along Independence Avenue by the museums (Ag Dept, Hirshorn, Air & Space). The course would eventually return on the other side of Independence. At around the 5 1/2 or 5 3/4 mark, I saw the front runner coming back towards the 14th Street bridge. Holy flying squirrels Batman! that guy was fast -- easily a mile and half ahead of me. A few seconds later, more front runners. Yikes. But it was inspiring. Mile 6 was just before we turned left onto 3rd Street. I hit it in 6:26!
Miles 7 - 9 -- 6:32, 6:35, 6:30
We turned onto 3rd Street to make a loop around theh Capitol Reflecting pool before returning to Independence Blvd. The water stop was mobbed on the right side of the road, and an Army seargent was yelling no one's on the left! I took his advice, veered left and had my pick of soldiers from which to choose the perfect cup of gatorade. Of course to just gulp it down (had to wash down the chocolate gu I had ingested at mile 5). Just past the water station, there was a woman jogger waiting to cross 3rd street so she could jog along the Mall. From the look on her face, I get the feeling she was unaware that there was a race today. She just stood there on the sidewalk jogging in place. I felt like telling her there are 30,000 runners, you're going to be there for a while unless you just make a mad dash, frogger style, and cross the street. But then, I was cruising and had no time to talk. On the back side the reflecting pool, between the pool and Capitol, I passed a double amputee in a hand crank (outstanding performance, brother!) and another amputee with a prosthetic leg (way to go runner!) I felt a twinge of embarrassment that I had been so depressed over something as minor as a stress fracture.
Anyhow, continued down Independence. Hit mile 7 around the FAA bldg. 6:32. Only 3 miles to go. The crowds were cheering on both sides. To my right, the bulk of the racers were heading up Independence. A stream of runners. I realized that they were probably looking at me and thinking the same thing as I was when I saw the elites. Or maybe not! Passed the Agriculture Department again, turned left onto 14th Street, gatoraded up at the last aid station and passed mile 8 mark near the Mint. 6:35.
Two miles to go with just the dreaded 14th Street Bridge. Memories of four Marine Corps Marathons filled my head. I hate this bridge -- at least I do when I hit it at mile 20 or so. On too many marathons, it would be on this bridge that my pace drifted above the sub-3 hour mark never to return.
But not in a ten miler! And not today. I attacked the 14th street bridge with renewed vigor. After all, I only had 2 miles to go -- less than 14 minutes I told myself. I picked up the pace, passing tiring runners. I hit the 9 mile mark at the Virginia side of the bridge in 6:30.
Mile 10 -- 6:21
I hit the mile 9 mark and really started putting things into high gear. I was almost done and was running a really great race, considering I had not raced all out in over a year and a half. Again, the ATM course tracked the Marine Corps Marathon course. In the marathon, as you leave the bridge you turn left at the bottom of the exit to begin the trek down to Crystal City before returning north, so at this point you would have about 4 or so miles still left to run.
Not with ATM. We turned right and there was the finish. I started to kick. I passed one runner and was passed by another runner -- we sort of globbed off each other's energy, so I think all three of us finished faster and stronger than we would have had each of us finished alone. Finally split 6:21.
The Finish -- 1:05:38
I crossed the line, stopped my watch, looked at it and saw 1:05:38! Holy crap -- that was A LOT faster than I thought I was running. I was so focused on speed that I never quite did the math during the run to realize what my overall time would be. Although my muscles were sore, and my calves felt like they would cramp at any minute, they did not. My sore left calf never bothered me during the race. My pelvic region, while I could feel "something," never bothered me during the race. It was a good race.
I also ran something I have rarely ever done -- negative splits. Maybe because I started out somewhat conservatively, I ran faster the second half than first. My average pace for miles 1-5 was 6:38. My average pace for miles 6-10 was 6:28. My overall average pace was 6:33. I met all of my goals: run sub 70 minutes, check; run sub 6:52 pace, check; run as close to 6:30 pace as possible, check!
So how did I fare compared to the others? 30,000 runners signed up for the race, 21,636 finished. I placed 536 overall (top 2.5%), 490 out of 12,040 males (top 4%), and 54 out of 2016 in the male 40-44 age group (top 2.6%).
My team, the MCRRC Hurricanes, placed 3rd out of 13 teams in the Mixed Masters division.
So in conclusion, this was a great race for me, physically, mentally, and emotionally. I am back in the running groove and I actually feel stronger as a runner than before (even though I missed a 10 mile PR time by little over a minute and a half). I feel very confident in my marathon ability, and hope that proves to be true when I race Shamrock Marathon in the spring (although stay tuned on that front, I might have a few surprises before the year closes).
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