Philippians 4:13

Overall result...2:44:17 which was good enough for 13th Master (10th 40-44) in the Championships and I believe 75th male and 83rd overall.  Not quite what I was hoping for, but considering the conditions, it is ok.  It was an amazing experience just being here at a US Championship race!   Here is the race report.  My GPS had the race at 26.5M, but that was probably due to the clouds and tree lined streets so my splits on the GPS were way off from mile 8 on.

Got up with the alarm feeling pretty good.  Logan and I hit the road and got to the buses early and got the starting line for the wait.  The weather was cool and a bit rainy but not bad.  Got a 1M warmup in and got the start and found Kristen Fryberg so we could run together. 

The gun went off.  Miles 1-2 were good, averaging a good clip under expected time, but then the rain started and it poured through mile 19!   I ran with Kristen and May Akor from mile 3-9 (cool pacing two Olympic Trials women runners!) Kristen took off here and Mary fell back.  By the half, I was ready to quit.  Hit the HM point spot on 1:18 (about 1 minute behind my goal time).  I couldn't feel my feet from mile 10 on as I was soaking wet and cold.  I hit mile 14 and thought of my friend Steve P. (to whom I dedicated this race) and that gave me the strength to go on.  Up to this point, I was the 9th master. 

At mile 15, 2 master's runners caught me and I ran with them until mile 17 when they (and another master) took off.   I thought of going with them, but wanted to save something for the hill and hoped they might come back to me.  About this point I remember my left foot/shoe feeling funny, like I had a pencil under the middle of my foot.  I stopped to check if my sock had rolled down under my foot (since it was soaked I thought it might have come down), but alas it was fine.  Looking back, I think this is where I first felt a problem that led to issues later in the month (thought it wasn't a Jone's fracture in my foot, but just really angry tendons!).  Yet another "excuse" for slowing down in the second half.  At 18M, another master passed me (whom I would catch and pass at 24M).  Caught Kristen F. again at 20M where she was dying on the hill (sorry, Kristen!  You are a super strong runner!).  At 22M, another master passes me but I keep him in sight and striking distance, bidding my time for a "surge". 

The hill is very steady from 20-25.5M.  The rain has stopped, but the headwind picks up and it drops 5 degrees and I just can't get my muscles warm to put any push on.  I sucked during this section and ran a 43 minute last 10K!  I was trying to fuel, but just didn't have anything left.  I tried to grab a Gu out of my back pocket around 21M but couldn't get it out with my wet/cold hands and my shoulder cramped up as I was reaching back to get it...ouch! 

As I was coming up on 25M I thought of pushing to catch the master in front of me, but I wait too long and he hits the downhill at St. Paul cathedral and takes off, and I end up finishing about 100M behind him, dang it.  I was 3 minutes off of 10th place, but don't know if I could have caught him, whom by the way was my friend John Piggott (he hit the HM in 1:14ish, so he was coming back to me but is too strong a runner).  Overall not bad to be the 13th fastest master in the US for 2008! 

Now a week or so later, looking back I am  most disappointed in my mental collapse at about 14M.  This is where mentally I went from "race" mode to "finish" mode and it showed up when the other master runners passed me.  In race mode I would have went with them (and I think I could have stayed with them), but in finish mode I let them go.  How could I let this happen in such a big race?

Lesson learned:  Respect the hills and do more hill training for the next race.  Need to build the strength in the legs to manage the uphills better next year.  A keep focused and mentally strong.

Splits may come later if I really want to look at them and post them.

Splits: 1-5:37, 2-5:58, 3-5:52, 4-5:49, 5-5:47, 6-5:54, 7-5:55, 8-5:49, 9-6:02, 10-5:49, 11-5:51, 12-6:08, 13-6:09, 14-6:10, 15-6:11, 16-5:50, 17-6:11, 18-6:16, 19-6:18, 20-6:18, 21-6:35, 22-7:00, 23-7:04, 24-6:48, 25-6:50, 26-6:59, 0.2(0.5 on GPS)-3:00.

 Tangent 3 - 69 miles

No run planned today to let my legs have a break and because the cold seems to have come back and landed more in my lungs this time.  I am coughing non-stop right now. 

3.2M easy around Freeman Park on a nice day at lunch (probably one of our last!).  Left leg (calf and hamstring) are still very tight and my right arch was a bit achy.  Cold still here and still coughing but not too bad and I wanted to have a day of decent weather running this week.

Stratos 1 - 261

Ran another 3.2M in Freeman Park after work before going to a church activity with my son.  Nice but windy afternoon and had time to kill before meeting my son and my daughter and wife were busy, so what the heck.  Felt pretty good actually.

Stratos 1 - 264 miles

4M very easy early before heading to work on a still warmer day but windy.  Supposed to get into the low 30's by tonight and by the weekend our lows are in the 20's, highs only mid-30's!  We were planning on camping this weekend, but not looking to likely now.

Stratos 2 - 241 miles

Kory, this story is for you!  My son's soccer game was tonight and I ended up refereeing the whole game (no ref, other coach did not have whistle/stopwatch and I have a cold that I didn't want to pass along) with no issues.  The team has really developed this year and play solid ball and have learned a great deal on how to run the offense (spreading out, passing, crossing, positioning, communication).  The team we played had some good kids but tended to bunch up and not work together so my guys were winning (3-0 final score, which could have been higher but for shots on goal off the mark).  Once we got up 3-0 in the last quarter, I asked my boys to stop trying to shoot and practice passing.  This is where the story starts to get bad. 

I have one boy who is good, but awfully full of himself, is a ball hog and is very emotional on the field (even in practice he gets mad at his teammates if they don't get him the ball!).  I had called back a goal he scored earlier because he kicked the ball out of the goalies hand (a no-no in AYSO).  So, the boys were playing and this particular player and one from the other team were battling for the ball, the other player goes down and the ball is underneath him and as he is trying to get up, my player steps over him and nearly steps ON him to kick the ball.  In the interest of the kid's safety, I call a halt to play and awarded a free kick to the other team (remember we are up 3- with 2 minutes left!).  My playere throws a tantrum and kicks the ball directly at a player on the other team and stomps off.  I stop him, indicate that is not good sportsmanship and ask him to apologize which he did reluctantly. 

Then, after the game, my player didn't even want to shake hands.  As I was leaving the field after shaking hands with the other coach, this players father acosts me and demands to know why I made his son apologize then in a fit of frustration continues to degrade me for my  refereeing, coaching, manlihood, etc.  He is red faced and is looking like he is going to explode.  I calmy explain why I did what I did and walk away.  He then indicates "they are done with me" for the last game and calls me more names.  I guess the apple doesn't fall far from the tree.  This is now the third incident this fall at soccer games...I am done coaching AYSO for a while!

Oh, I am claiming 1M easy running during the refereeing of the game (while my cold is turning into a sinus infection and my head feels like it is going to explode!).

4M easy around Freeman park on a cold and windy day at lunch.  Just recovery, nothing much to talk about.  Still working off emotions from yesterday's run in with a parent from my soccer team.   Crappy weather expected for this weekend...yuck.

Stratos 1 - 268 miles

4.25M this morning after walking my son to school.  A chilly morning as it was only 29 degrees when I ran...brr!  Wore tights and even a cap today. 

3M with Kami after she got done volunteering at school and taking our daughter to school after her doctor appointment.  First run for Kami in a month...we averaged 9 minute miles.  Her foot did ok during the run but is now hurting tonight as I enter this.  Hope we can keep the PF on the mend.

Stratos 2 - 248 miles

9M this morning on a cold and windy day. 4M solo and 5M with Lynette and McKay.  Nice easy run with some friends made the cold weather not quite as bad.  At least it wasn't snowing, it waited until after noon to do that!  My left foot is sore on the outside, I think it is slightly bruised as is my right arch.  Tomorrow will be rest day to allow some healing.

Stratos 2 - 257 miles