Liftoff

AM: 20 miles with the Forerunners. A great group today, with a 4-3-2-1 theme mixed in for the members doing Boston. I ran the last mile at target 15k pace (~5:30) and felt solid.

I'm a little regretful last week was hit-or-miss, and the coming week is also going to be patchy, but I'm trying to remember the extra rest will probably help more than hurt.

AM: 9 miles

PM: 5 miles at lunch.

PM: 10 miles at track. No snowpiles building up here, but driving through St. Pete at 5pm in a steady, cool rain. We've got a good thing going on in our training group. I had little doubt Mike, Lee and Quint would still be there ready to go. And of course Joe standing under whatever shelter he can find, yelling splits.

Workout was: 4 X 400 WITH 200 REST, 3 X 800 WITH 200 REST, 4 X 400 WITH 200 REST, 400 REST BETWEEN THE SETS.

Lee, Quint and I are running Gasparilla this weekend, so we kept the effort controlled. I was looking for 10k-15k pace. Mike floated around us for the first half, then took off. Maybe because of the cool rain, or the reduced effort, but we kept the recoveries brisk, which felt good. Splits:

1. 1:24, 1:24, 1:19, 1:19
2. 2:45, 2:40, 2:35
3. 1:16, 1:18, 1:18, 1:16

AM: 7 miles.

PM: 6 miles at lunch with Quint.

My one planned run today was scrubbed by a surprise lunch meeting, but I didn't mind. It looks like I'm going into Gasparilla with a serious taper, which is probably a Good Thing.

There are many good and great races in Tampa Bay, but Gasparilla is the one event that sticks out. The 15k on Saturday is the race with history- between men and women the world record was set on the course five times in the early 80s. Gradually the elite prize money went away and was replaced by a very solid local purse for top 5 area finishers ($2000 for first place). So everyone tends to come out of the woodwork for this race.

Last year, both local and elite prize money was introduced for the half-marathon as well. Ryan Vail was the winner, with 3 other men under 1:05.

As exciting as it would be to run the half with nationally-known runners, I came back to the 15k again this year. Partially because of the tradition - and simply - there is a half marathon staged almost every week around here in Jan and Feb.

I managed to snag the 5th local spot last year, which was due at least in part to a softer field. This year looks to be tougher, with around a dozen guys who can contend for a top 5 spot. From what I can tell, only the first spot is automatic. Jon Mott, who recently ran heartbreakingly close in Houston to the OTQ (2:18:12), can tempo the race and win easily.

Irrespective of place, I'm just looking forward to getting out hard. Most of the guys know each other, and it's fun to run with and against them, and this is the #1 chance to do it during the year.

AM: Just 2 miles. 37 degrees - the cold weather PR for St. Pete this winter.

I ran the Gasparilla 15k today, and it was kind of a beautiful race.

The start is in downtown Tampa by the convention center, a simple out and back on Bayshore Blvd. I ran into Coach Joe on my warmup. Being 76, Joe's hearing isn't what it used to be, and I hear like a 76 year old myself. Our conversations are often short, but we understand each other well. "Headwind on the way back," Joe noted, but quickly added: "Same for everyone."

No worries on my end, and it was true. Of the 9 times I've run on Gasparilla weekend, it has either been unseasonably humid or cool/windy, and I'll take the latter anytime.

The starting line looked pretty stacked this year. Many Forerunners and other friends around, and the race went out even quicker than usual. Once the dust settled, I found myself in 14th place. Several guys I wanted to run with were ahead of me, but I came through the first mile in 5:22, which was about 5 seconds faster than planned, so I didn't rush. The pace felt  relaxed, and I knew we were running with a good tailwind.

I passed a teammate around the first mile, then worked my way up to a group of three runners just ahead, one of them my training partner, Lee Stephens. I caught the group around mile 2, and hoped we'd continue together, but they were slowing slightly, so I just focused on maintaining pace. The next 4 miles were all around 5:26 and felt comfortable, with no changes in position.

At the start of mile 6 we were turning north onto Bayshore. Somewhere around here I passed one guy, and was passed by another. We got our first taste of the headwind, and it didn't feel bad. I was running a very good race, and was cautiously optimistic I'd break 51 handily.

Bayshore has long, gradual bends, and the headwinds in miles 6 and 7 were at worst 45 degrees. Unfortunately, around mile 8 we turned again and I hit the headwind full on now. I ran about 5:48 for this mile, and gave back my entire sub-51 buffer, and then some.

Coming into the last mile, I was dazed, and didn't fully register the footsteps behind me. Lee's voice jolted me so hard I would have jumped, if I wasn't so tired. "Come on Drew, you've still got plenty in the tank."

I've never thought of the right words  to say when I come up on another runner in a race, and I've never been particularly inspired by the comments of others. Not that I dislike the attempts at encouragement, but the standard "Good job" doesn't really cut it as you are getting passed.

Lee knows me well though, and he did get me fired up. He was right. We had turned out of the wind again, and I could still give more. What truly touched me though, was that it was completely apparent Lee wanted me to run my best. If he had cared more about beating me, he would have blown by - maybe that would have got me going, or just as likely, I would have been demoralized and slowed even more. I took Lee's words to heart and began pushing hard again. I knew I could come very close to breaking 51 minutes, and I was running as hard as I could.

Right around here, I heard Richie before I could see him. He has a bullhorn for a voice, and is the best cheerleader I've ever met. He was running on the sidewalk of Bayshore parallel to Lee and myself, shouting "Alright Drew, you're looking OK! Keep it up! Lee- close the gap! Close the f--- gap!!" I ran harder.

Just after the 9 mile mark, I saw Mike and his girlfriend cheering and holding up signs. Mike's read: "Drew - don't get lost!" I had a moment of existential panic - how could he know?! - then I realized he was referring to my well-earned reputation for running off course. It was refreshing to smile at that point.

I crossed in 51:04, 10th place this year. I wish I didn't tank quite so badly in mile 8, but I also realize that my first four miles were wind-aided, so you figure you have to pay the piper at some point. It would have been great to be in the top 5 local finishers, but truly, I'd rather this race have a great field, and this year was much better than last.

I lowered my 15k PR by about 55 seconds, didn't lose to anyone over 30, and had a finishing time that may be my best performance yet. But what made today special was seeing the true goodness in many people, in particular a few friends. That just doesn't happen every day, especially in middle-age, out of college, when people tend to hunker down and establish emotional distance. I need to remember all the things my running community has given me, to be sure to return it as I can.

Splits:

1. 5:22
2. 5:26
3. 5:25
4. 5:26
5. 5:26
6. 5:27
7. 5:25
8. 5:48
9. 5:26
10.   -- .3 1:53 (5:17 pace)