Race Recap: George Washington Birthday Classic 10k
Pre-Race
0630 - I woke up to a message from our fearless local Team Red White Blue leader Bill. He didn't ask if I had finally signed up or if I was going to bundle up and come cheer. He just said, "See you soon. You can zoom past all of us." The time stamp was 0553. He was probably already onsite, setting up the Team RWB tent.
0700 - I tried to go back to sleep. I was happy in the warmth of bed, but the thoughts of everyone else freezing and running a 10k before I even got out of bed bothered me. I pulled on some workout clothes and put a few layers of sweats and jackets and hats on and zombied out to my car. Before I realized what was happening, I was driving to Alexandria.
0735 - Parking was a breeze inside the free parking garage. This made me very happy. I met up with the group, said I didn't register and that race day registration had probably closed, but Bill pointed out an open table for registration. So much for cheering. I registered, did a quick warm-up to the bridge and back, and finally got excited to race. I talked with a few Team RWB members, some Capital Area Runners athletes, and my college friend and teammate Maureen (who happened to be racing as well)!
The temperature was about 30 degrees Fahrenheit, little to no wind, and sunny. I was wearing capris and a long-sleeved silverscent thermal with gloves and ear warmers. I lined up near the front but behind most of the fast guys and gals.
Race
0800 - Ready, steady, go! Pacers does a great job about starting on time. The course runs along Eisenhower from the Patent and Trademark Office west toward SportRock and back again.
Mile 1: Near the end of the first mile there is a bridge. It's not so bad when you run it quickly. During the race, it was also the same moment I realized I ran out too fast. Good thing I wasn't wearing a watch (that would have really messed with my head)!
Mile 2: The course isn't very eventful, no major turns with only a few landmarks (two bridges, a park, and some pretty housing). The course is mostly flat with patches of ice along this mile. I was very happy with how clear the roads were, since it had just snowed on Thursday and Saturday. There was a water stop and a couple port-a-johns near mile marker two.
Mile 3.125: There was a slight incline near the end of this mile with a U-turn for the second half of the race. Hairpin turns are great for seeing the leaders. I was able to count four women ahead of me.
Mile 4: After I made the turn, I was able to see all the other women (and men) gaining on me. I realized I could slowly reel in the girl ahead of me. I was happy to be able to cheer on other Team RWB members. They were looking strong! I've never run a race with Old Glory, but we had two guys each carrying an American flag in this race.
Mile 5: Someone shouted out to me that I was gaining on the girl ahead of me (I guess they could see our pace difference). I passed her right before we had one mile left (right before going back over the bridge).
Mile 6.125: I was thinking the girl might have dropped back and ran with the group of guys hunting me down, and she might make a comeback with them. I tried to hang on during the last quarter mile, as I could hear someone closing in on me. He passed me right at the end, but no one else passed me. I was pretty happy to see a low 39:16 clock time (which ended up being 39:13 official time). That was good enough for 4th female overall and first in the female 20-29 age group.
Post-Race
We were given water at the finish line. I talked with the CAR ladies and ran into my friend Jason (who raced as well). I jogged a quick cool-down with one of the CAR ladies (and ran into Mike Wardian--very nice guy).
Inside the building, we were given snack boxes with a banana, a bag of chips, cheese dip, chocolate covered blueberries, and a mini Clif bar. I ate the banana and Clif bar, but I couldn't stomach the chips, dip, and chocolate (my stomach rarely acts well after a hard effort run).
As age group winners, Jessica (one of the CAR ladies) and I received our choice of a small towel, water bottle, or drawstring bag. I am very happy with my bag. Erin (also CAR athlete) placed second overall female and earned a cash prize.
Overall, it was a great race, very well organized with some nice shirts from A4 (though I didn't get one because I registered on race day...and still paid $40...I shall register in advance in the future). It's not an exciting course, but I liked the challenging bridge and slight incline at mile three. It's a fast course with many great local athletes coming out to compete. I enjoyed the snack box and water (very easy for pick-up and facilitating the flow of people).
I thought it was strange that we had the Woodrow Wilson mascot instead of George Washington mascot show up to the George Washington Birthday Classic, but President's Day weekend probably had all the president mascots in demand. I always think it's funny seeing the president mascots around DC, especially when they race during the Nationals games.
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