I'm approaching the one-year anniversary of my last post, so I'm a little overdue in sending an update. As I'm getting ready to close out my competitive racing season this weekend in Boston, it's been apparent that traveling for races has been a bigger focus for me in 2010. I've been able to visit both coasts and add a few more states to the list of those I've visited. Of course, none of this would have been possible without the help of some great race directors, elite recruiters, and my agent, Roger. A HUGE thank you to all!
Here's a brief recap of some of my races in 2010.
Jacksonville, FL - Gate River Run 15K (U.S. Championships)
- This race was clearly early in the season. I pulled an amateur move by forgetting to bring a jersey and wound up racing in my roommate's T-shirt. I'm pretty sure I was the top finisher with some semblance of sleeves. I was also able to add an Olympian to the list of people I've beat, as I passed Dan Browne heading over the final bridge. He clearly wasn't in top shape, but I'm still counting it.
- Dan Browne
- This was an awesome race! Spokane was great, the course was challenging, the field was solid, and I raced well! There was a hill called "Doomsday" that was a steep rise for basically the entire fifth mile, but I was able to use it to my advantage and roll on some guys late in the race. I went through the 10K right around my road PR, and finished the 12K under 37:00, coming home with some American citizen prize money.
- Results
- This was my first marathon. Throughout my training in the spring, I was shooting to run under 2:19, which would have qualified me for the Olympic Trials. Going into the race, the weather forecast was horrible. The Saturday of the race was slated to be 80+ degrees with strong winds. This wasn't exactly good news for me, especially as an inexperienced marathoner. The morning of the race brought rain, which helped the heat, but it was still sticky and windy. When the race started 2:19 was the furthest thing from my mind, which was actually a good thing. I went through the half-marathon point in just under 1:11 and decided to push the second half. Surprisingly, I was able to sustain the effort for most of the second half, finishing in 2:19:55. I'm glad the first one is in the books.
- Video
- The afternoon before the national cross country meet my senior year, I remember Tim Miles and I talking about some of the bad races I had over the course of my college career. At that point, things had been going really well for me, and the national meet was no different. Everyone who races for any length of time is going to have some rough patches, and it can be comical looking back once you are far enough removed. My race on Long Island was definitely one of the "bad" races. From the start I could tell I was in trouble. I was feeling off before the first mile, and after pushing the second mile up the course's main hill, I was hurting. I tried to push through, hoping I would feel better. It didn't work. My fifth mile was just under 6:00, and I finished in 32:44.
- Map
- I'm heading to Boston tomorrow morning for my last race of the year. I'm excited and ready. Previews are below:
- Elite List
- Bio
