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SRRC Race Reports
Cherry Blossom 10 Miler : Washington, DC--April 2, 2006
by Scott Johnson
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| Scott and Mandy storm the Cherry Blossom 10 Miler. |
The 2006 running of the Cherry Blossom was a milestone for me. Heading into this race I focused very little on a time goal. Rather, I focused on running. Sounds a bit funny, but I stepped back, assessed my past performances and the training I had previously completed, and decided to focus on the process of running.
The first step was to dedicate myself to running with others. Although my schedule allows for few group runs, I was able to hit the Sunday morning long run with Jason and Mandy on a regular basis through February and March. On more than one occasion these guys pulled me along and motivated me to run at new paces and in effect leave my comfort zone. Thanks!
Secondly, I focused more on pace and perceived effort than on heart rate. Although, not perfect, the GPS system Carol and I purchased at Christmas proved a powerful tool. The GPS enabled me to track my progress, establish specific intervals, and provided feedback during the run regarding my pace.
Finally, I decided to run for the joy of it. Sound funny? Well, I have not always been an avid runner and as such I have usually dreaded the monotony of it all. I prefer triathlons for the change tasks. Multi-sport training allows you focus your energy elsewhere for a while if you enter a training rut in one discipline. After several years of swim and bike focus, it is running’s turn. Step one of the mission accomplished, the road ahead was laid and followed.
Now on to the race itself . . . . A more learned runner (thanks Phil) provided significant thoughts on this race. For some it is a right of spring while for others it is a race to be avoided like the plague (Phil). I personally enjoy the course scenery, topography, and location. I now agree with Phil that the Ohio Ave. start is too narrow, a wave start should be utilized, and/or strict enforcement of seedings based on verifiable previous results to reduce the morass of humanity at the start.
I ran—or should I say played tag—with Mandy as we navigated the first 2.5 to 3 miles. During this portion our pace ranged from bursts of 5:30 to the sudden onset of 10:30 including many jumps of the curb. Once we hit the Memorial Bridge we were on our way. It was great to see the elite runners come flying out of rock Creek Park as we entered. They were truly a picture of grace in motion.
At the turn around, we were greeted with a nice long steady downhill. This is the point where I effectively said goodbye to Mandy. For whatever reason, I was unable to open my stride and make the most of the downhill. Thus, this became the part of the course where I focused on following Mandy’s pony tail until the Kennedy Center where I lost her for the last time. This is also the point where I remembered some sage advice. When you are truly challenging yourself and racing only against yourself, “It never gets any easier.” No matter your level of conditioning, when your goal is to leave everything on the course, it simply never gets any easier!
In summary, I recommend everyone do this race at least once and experience it for yourself. I personally enjoy running the streets of DC and can overlook some of the crowds to do so. My focus on simply running paid off with a PR at the distance by over four minutes. Now back to triathlon for races on your calendar are closer than they appear . . . .
Enjoy the journey!
April 2006
The SRRC would love to hear about your running, racing, or crewing experiences! If you would like to submit a race report, to be posted on the SRRC website, please email srrunner@srrunners.org.