Emerging from the funk

1 1/42 1/326 Jordan Kinley 26 M 484 CHARLOTTE NC 20:25
2 1/49 2/326 Paul Mainwaring 35 M 6 CHARLOTTE NC 21:30
3 2/42 3/326 Greg Isaacs 26 M 2 CHARLOTTE NC 21:34
4 3/42 4/326 Jason Holder 26 M 1 CHARLOTTE NC 21:44
5 1/56 5/326 Bert Rodriguez 30 M 673 ARLINGTON VA 22:01 *
6 4/42 6/326 Alejandro Arreola 28 M 3 CHARLOTTE NC 22:03
7 2/49 7/326 Aaron Linz 37 M 488 CHARLOTTE NC 22:16
8 5/42 8/326 Brian McMahon 28 M 686 CHARLOTTE NC 22:21
9 1/15 9/326 Richard Harris Jr. 24 M 85 HICKORY NC 22:32
10 2/56 10/326 Mike Beigay 32 M 491 CONCORD NC 22:37
11 6/42 11/326 Billy Shue 26 M 58 CHARLOTTE NC 22:37
12 7/42 12/326 Chad Crockford 28 M 40 CHARLOTTE NC 22:50
13 1/69 1/297 Meagan Nedlo 27 F 19 CHARLOTTE NC 23:08
14 1/6 13/326 Corey Tretsky 19 M 26 ROCK HILL SC 23:13
15 3/56 14/326 Kent Morris 30 M 718 CHARLOTTE NC 23:15
16 1/22 15/326 Stephen Spada 45 M 4 CHARLOTTE NC 23:17

* would have been 2nd but for missed turn

At last a satisfactory race performance, probably my first since I ran 15:58 at Cupids Cup in February. Race morning dawned with some good news on the 'competitive' front. Aaron would indeed be toeing the line and Mike Beigay was going to be racing sans stroller. It was very hot and humid but I was mentally and physically prepared for that. Warmed up with Jay,Mike, Kent, Spada and Aaron and was ready to go.

There was interesting news right at the front of the race too. Bert Rodriguez (to my knowledge previously unbeaten in Charlotte races) was in town and would certainly give Jordan something to think about. As the race started, those two immediately took off. Jay followed, then Mike, and Aaron and I found ourselves next to each other. We both joked that it would be nice to not bother racing and just watch the race up front between Jordan and Bert! The first mile was pretty much straight uphill. As the race settled down I moved up to Jay and Mike's side and the three of us formed the 'chase group' behind the front two. Mike was clearly strong on the hills and I always consider hills a strength of mine so this first mile was a question of getting myself into a good race position without taxing myself too much in the heat. We went through the mile in 5:32 which was fine by me.

As the course flattened out and we moved onto East, Jay and I got some separation from Mike and for the next mile and a half literally ran side by side, feeling each other out, considering options about the race and wondering how this was going to play out. We'd said in the week that we would likely be running together and here we were! At about 2.5 miles there was a water stop and for probably the first time in a race of under 10k I actually made sure that I took a cup, had a sip and threw the rest over my head- it was hot alright!

It was just about here that I managed to create a small gap on Jay. The move had been made now and I had a mile and a half to try and stay out in front. I was now running up a very straight road on Worthington and was the prey for all the guys behind! We turned on Lyndhurst and there was a short sharp uphill before we turned on to Mcdonald and ran down the same road we had started up. In the distance I could see that Jordan had dropped Bert and Bert seemed to have missed a turn but was too far ahead for me to have said anything! Coming down Mcdonald I tried to open up and bring it home. It didn't feel like I was and the finish seemed an eternity away but I did indeed close this mile in 5:10 and I crossed the line pretty satisfied. Turning round I discovered that Greg had progressed in typical fashion through the field and had pipped Jay for third. Bert had found his way back to the course and came home next, followed by the rest of the usual suspects coming in close to each other, some happier than others with their results. Jordan had dominated in his usual fashion and run a truly impressive time in the heat.

After a short warm down with Jordan, Meagan, Cory and Billy and the Awards it was off to Big Daddy's for a super breakfast with a few members of the Charlotte Running Club and then home to spend the rest of the day messing around with the kids. Good times.

All in all I was pretty happy with the way the race played out. I raced wisely, not even worrying about splits, etc. and my approach paid off. Training has been solid lately and at last I had a race that reflected that.

The heat really did take it's toll though. Waking up this morning my legs certainly aren't ready to run 16 miles so I am going to take it easy and push my long run back until tomorrow. It means that this week will be 60 rather than 70 miles and next week will be 80 rather than 70, but that should work well as I have a 'down week' after the 80 anyway.

Shout outs to everyone who layed it on the line Saturday. It was certainly one of the hottest days of racing I had ever experienced but we took it on and got it done. Two weeks till the next GP race......