Nookachamps 10k and Half marathon, this is a pretty big one for Western Washington in January. I last ran it two years ago, and it's kind of a special race to me because it's at Skagit Valley College, my "home" course growing up. Weather could not have been better. And I mean, weather couldn't have been better if it was April. Probably 50, brilliant sunny skies, mountains were out and it was unreal. At least one runner went without a shirt, everyone else in shorts. I ditched the gloves halfway through. A few hundred at the start so I started in the first line. Let a group go as the 5k/10k/half started to separate. Hit the first mile in 5:58, which is a touch fast because that includes a slight uphill of 400-600m. Second mile was 5:39, again kind of fast but that has a nice long downhill. The 10k and half split at 2.5, so I turned the corner to head back uphill in 6th, with everyone ahead strung out in a line, and in view. I focused on the 5th place guy and let him pull me up the one significant hill. I was real happy of how I stayed connected with 5th and 4th through that portion, didn't lose a step. After cresting I surged to catch them both and made up some ground between 3 and 5 (miles were 6:44 and a 12:08 for the two -- missed a split there, but rolling out of a hill with back-to-back 6 min/miles was encouraging). There's a short, steep stretch (maybe 250m) heading into mile 5, where I focused on passing somebody. The plan worked, I nailed the guy right as the hill started to crest and zipped by him into the downhill. Really picked it up there and left him in the sawdust (literally, it's a sawdust trail). I had 4th in sight but he had a good surge as well, and weaving through the woods I lost contact. Headed into the finish smelling a sub-37, but I misread one of the painted turns on the ground and mis-timed my final kick. When I went for it I was looking for the 5k finish, and the 10k had another 200m or so. So I backed off just a bit, content to finish in that place with a good time. Legs felt great and light, much better fitness than I expected. I wore the Cascadias, which taxed my calves and achilles because the heels aren't up quite as much as with the supernovas. But no big problem there. Bettered my time from 2008 by more than a minute, so that's a great start to 2010. Hung out with friends from the Slugs after the race, and some people from Skagit Valley I knew from growing up. Just a great, great morning.
brooks cascadia -- 59
| 