Broad Street Run

Heather dropped me off at the start around 7:45. This was much better than taking the damn subway from the sports complex as it allowed me to relax in my house with a cup of coffee and Tom & Jerry Cartoons until nearly 7:30. It was overcast and calm. Rain was forecast but temps were near 60 and I didn't mind a little a rain. I am always nervous that I won't run into friends before the start but within a few blocks of getting dropped off I bumped into 6 people I knew prior to getting into the corrals. This is what happens when you run year in and year out, even in a big city. You become part of the running community.

I warmed up with a mile or so mostly easy with about 1/4 mile at race pace. I hopped in the corral and lined up with Steve K and Luke from winter marathon training. We discussed our race strategy, run and see what happens.

We lined up a little to far back and we were slowed through the first mile in 6:40. I was running with Steve K and we figured the slow start would make for a better second half. I don't have all the splits but mile 2 was around 6:20, still not as fast as I'd hoped. I was feeling good and figured the pace would come as the race progressed. Mile 3 about 6:15. At this point I was slowly pulling away from Steve and although I still felt good I knew it wasn't going to be fast day. The next few miles took us around city hall and into South Philly the pace remained in the upper teens to low 20s, I think there was even a 6:30 mixed in there. 6:30! That was mile 16 in the marathon just over a month ago and today at mile 6 in a 10 mile race I knew I didn't have much better than that.

I held on for the last few feeling like I might be able to push it more but just not having the oomph to do it. Last year I was running the same pace in the second half of the race and it felt like cake, like I was out for moderate workout. Today it felt like a lot more than that.

I thought I'd be able to drop a sub 6:00 in the last mile and pushed hard past the Wachovia Center, under 95 and down the hill into the Navy Yard. Mile 10 6:17?!? Finished in 1:03:51. Not a stellar performance by any means. Last year I blamed my slower race on a Chilli cook-off the night before, this year I have no such excuses.

I was talking to Steve K, who had a similar performance, after the race and it was clear to both of us that we obviously were not near our top form of a few years back. Life has gotten in the way of the training we used to be able to do. The runs with the Thursday night crew just don't happen anymore, not to mention the Tuesday night group runs and most Saturday morning group runs. It isn't necessarily a bad thing but just the way it is. As I was cruising through the last couple miles I just didn't feel that normal fire to kick ass to the finish, I was almost content to cruise it in.

So it is what it is. I am sure that fire will be back but for now I am content to run 20-30 miles a week and hop on my mountain bike for 20 miles or so. I'll let things come as they may.