Going
into the race I was not sure what to expect. I had an easy summer, taking
some time off to deal with a hip and plantar issue. I knew I was rounding
into shape, but had not raced much or very far for that matter. The
Clarendon 5k was all I had done in last few months. I wanted to start
conservative, but had an end goal of besting my previous year’s time (57.48).
I decided that even though I may not currently be as fit, I would have
experience on my side this time around having done a ten miler before. I wanted to find a rhythm
and let my muscle memory and body take over from there.
Heading
towards the starting line was a little hectic to say the least. Kerri
Gallagher and I jogged over from Pentagon Row Pacer’s Store and found that the
starting waves were already backed up. We had to hop a median and run up
the outside. We squeezed in about 15-20 rows back from the start, and so
we really had no idea where the other female runners were when the gun went
off.
The
first mile Kerri and I found ourselves dodging in and out of people. We
hit the first mile at 5.40 and I felt really good. All of the dodging
kept my mind occupied.
The
next two miles were all about looking for female runners ahead of me and
picking off as many as I could while maintaining my rhythm. It was a
weird feeling not to know how many female runners were ahead of me or where
they were. Mile 2 was another 5.40 and Mile 3 was a 5.33.
During
Mile 4- 5, I see two female runners ahead of me and slowly try to cut down the
distance between them and I. I can see myself getting closer and closer,
and have to remind myself to be patient. Part of me wants to sprint up to
them, but I know that a burst would come back to bite me. I clock a
5.39 and a 5.42. At the start of Mile 6 I pass both females. One
tries to stick on, but I seems as though I have finally dropped her. I
refuse to turn around and check. Mile 6 I clock another 5.42. Mile
7 I find myself in “no man’s land”. I have no idea how in such a large
race I am without a pack to chase down or run with, so I begin focusing on
random individuals. Mile 7 I clock another 5.42.
Mile
8-9: I let myself relax. Too much! I know I am at a point where I
am not going to catch the lead women and I believe I have lost the two females
I passed in Mile 6. Mentally I checked out. I clock a
much slower Mile 8 around 5.50. I let this aggravate me and run another
slow 9th mile (around 5.55), not feeling very good. Coach
always says “mind leads the body”. I mentally checked out which caused me
to physically shut down.
I remember that I am a miler,
and that I have closing speed on my side.
Mile
10: Right before we reach the final mile, the two females that I had
passed in Mile 6 pass me and start to gap me. I was shocked. I had
no idea they were still there. I almost let them go, but then my
competitive drive kicks in. I remember that I am a miler, and that I have
closing speed on my side. I pull up behind them. One of the women
starts to go early only for us to reel her back in. With a half a mile to
go, I start opening up and make a hard move. I pass both women and
knowI have to carry this to the line.
Coming down the final stretch I can hear the top three women being announced. I take note that my training partner Kerri Gallagher has won! I use that excitement to dig even deeper as the finish line comes into view. I close in 5.30 mile, finishing 5th.
Coming down the final stretch I can hear the top three women being announced. I take note that my training partner Kerri Gallagher has won! I use that excitement to dig even deeper as the finish line comes into view. I close in 5.30 mile, finishing 5th.
It is a good starting point, but I
have a lot of work to do! I hope to improve upon this performance in
upcoming road races this Fall.
| Results 1 - 10 of 21956 | Results Per Page: |
| 2012 Army Ten-Miler | |
| Bib | First Name | Last Name | Age | Gender | 10k Split | Clock Time | Net Time | City | State | Country | Place | Div Place | Gender Place | Division | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 129 | KERRI | GALLAGHER | 23 | F | 0:34:59 | 0:56:09 | 0:56:09 | WASHINGTON | DC | 80 | 1 | 1 | ****WOMEN -- OPEN**** | certificate | |
| 20 | AZIZA | ALIYA-ABATE | 27 | F | 0:35:02 | 0:56:10 | 0:56:10 | ELLICOTT CITY | MD | ETHIOPIA | 83 | 2 | 2 | ****WOMEN -- OPEN**** | certificate |
| 25 | TEZATA | DENGERSA | 32 | F | 0:56:26 | 0:56:26 | ELLICOTT CITY | MD | ETHIOPIA | 88 | 3 | 3 | ****WOMEN -- OPEN**** | certificate | |
| 14 | KELLY | CALWAY | 28 | F | 0:35:09 | 0:56:39 | 0:56:39 | MANITOU SPRINGS | CO | 93 | 1 | 4 | WOMEN -- 25 THROUGH 29 | certificate | |
| 139 | ERIN | KOCH | 24 | F | 0:35:20 | 0:57:18 | 0:57:12 | CHEVY CHASE | MD | 115 | 1 | 5 | WOMEN -- 20 THROUGH 24 | certificate | |
| 36 | MEAGAN | NEDLO | 29 | F | 0:35:23 | 0:57:24 | 0:57:21 | SALEM | MA | 119 | 2 | 6 | WOMEN -- 25 THROUGH 29 | certificate | |
| 522 | CHELSEA | PRAHL | 22 | F | 0:35:28 | 0:57:26 | 0:57:25 | GREENVILLE | MI | 126 | 2 | 7 | WOMEN -- 20 THROUGH 24 | certificate | |
| 867 | ANGIE | ZEIDAN | 31 | F | 0:58:05 | 0:57:41 | FALLS CHURCH | VA | 134 | 1 | 8 | WOMEN -- 30 THROUGH 34 | certificate | ||
| 30815 | GINA | SLABY | 31 | F | 0:35:59 | 0:58:09 | 0:58:05 | TUCSON | AZ | 143 | 2 | 9 | WOMEN -- 30 THROUGH 34 | certificate | |
| 23 | GABRIELA | TRANA | 32 | F | 0:35:59 | 0:58:27 | 0:58:25 | ELLICOTT CITY | MD | COSTA RICA | 154 | 3 | 10 | WOMEN -- 30 THROUGH 34 | certificate |
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