2017 Cherry Blossom 10 Miler - Race Recap

Net time: 1:03:22
Overall place: 269 
Division place: 36

Splits:
M1: 6:35.4
M2: 6:22.0
M3: 6:21.3
M4: 6:12.5
M5: 6:11.9
M6: 6:11.8
M7: 6:11.0
M8: 6:14.5
M9: 6:17:4
M10: 6:19.6
0.08: 0.24.3 (4:57 pace)

This year was the first time Christine and I have had the opportunity to race Cherry Blossom. I've heard great things about the race and looked forward to it since we were accepted via the lottery. Cherry Blossom would be the 4th of 5 races during this marathon training cycle, and the 2nd 10 miler this year. Training had been going well, and coming off a promising race at the NYC Half combined with a flat course, I knew this race provided the opportunity to post a fast time.

The day prior to the race, I had the opportunity to meet Bill Rodgers, one of my idols, during packet pickup at the National Building Museum. Bill won Boston and New York FOUR TIMES. An incredibly accomplished distance runner, he was really down to earth and easy to talk to. We talked about the Eugene marathon, where he earned his 1976 Olympic berth and how he and a group of elite runners came to transform Boston into the prestigious race it is today. Really cool experience.

On race day morning, the alarm went off at 4:45am to allow enough time to down and digest my usual pre-race nutrition: cup of coffee, twelve ounces of water, and a kind bar. Christine and I decided to do our warm-up by jogging from home to the start line, just a little under 3 miles. We had plenty of time to to do bag check, one last restroom break, then plyometrics and stretching/strides before the 7:30am start.

I had a yellow bib for the first corral, and settled in near the front with a little more than 5 minutes until the start. Coming off a strong finish at the NYC Half two weeks before, my goal was to break 64, or 6:24 per mile. As has been the case during races this cycle, my plan was to start conservatively and negative split the back half.

The gun went off and about 2,500 runners started their trek around the tidal basin. Cherry Blossom is a pretty large race, with some 15,000 entrants. The start is divided into several corrals to ensure minimal crowding around the early bottlenecks. Having done a number of large races in the past few years, I welcomed these starts as they promoted discipline at the outset by forcing a controlled pace the first half mile. I came through the first mile in 6:35 as the course wound towards memorial bridge, and was exactly where I wanted to be.

Knowing that 64 was my goal, I had planned to settle in at 6:20 pace after the first mile or so, and if I was feeling really good would pick it up in the last 2 - 3 miles. According to plan, miles 2 and 3 went off at 6:22 and 6:21 as the course hit the turnaround at the Kennedy Center and made its way towards East Potomac Park, a place I have grown familiar with over the past year.

At the beginning of mile 4, I was feeling very comfortable and increased the pace slightly faster than originally planned. I didn't want to get too close to my lactate threshold, but I went with it. Miles 4, 5, 6 came at 6:13, 6:12, 6:12.

All my tempo runs to date haven't actually been much faster than 6:25/6:30 pace. My ability to get down to and sustain sub 6:15 miles is a testament to the mileage I've been putting in. If there's one piece of advice I could offer any distance runner in a similar position it's this: THE most important variable to your training is the mileage you put in. Nothing else. Build your mileage intelligently. Ensure you are not over-training. Listen to your body. Rinse, repeat. The benefits from intervals, tempos, and marathon pace runs are a product of your weekly mileage.


Coming up on mile 7, I passed a fellow Maryland XC/Track alum, Becky, who was cruising herself, and offered a word or two of encouragement. She would eventually finish sub 64, posting another impressive result after her huge half marathon PB a few weeks ago. Around this point, my effort level was increasing as I tried to maintain that sub 6:15 pace. I tried to take advantage of the tailwind we had on the west side of East Potomac Park before meeting the headwind just before mile 8. Miles 7 and 8 came at 6:11 and 6:15.

During mile 9, although I was getting fatigued and had my effort level increasing, my pace remained pretty steady. As the race continued on the east side of potomac park, I passed a number of runners. One in particular had me do a double-take. A woman in her late fifties with a flawless stride left me in awe. I had no idea until the finish that it was Joan Benoit Samuelson, a true legend.

Mile 9 came at 6:17. Shortly after, I heard the Falls Road cheering squad and another Maryland XC/Track alum Ryan shouting words of encouragement. I dug down into the stiff headwind and tried to find that gear that propelled me to a 5:55 closing mile at the NYC Half. Unfortunately, it wasn't there this time. Nonetheless I continued towards the finish line, charging up the last hill and hitting the tape in 63:22. Good for a 3+ minute PB and a load of confidence heading into the last 6 weeks before Eugene. According to plan, I negative split doing 32/31. Really is the most efficient way to race.

Christine had a great race herself coming in under 90 minutes in spite of a mid race porta-potty break. Due to a nagging injury, Christine has decided to run the half instead of the full marathon at Eugene and focus on a fall marathon as her next BQ attempt. I'm looking forward to training with her this Summer!