Remember that 80 degree last Sunday when 45,000 runners look over the loop? Well I was one of them.
It was my first start of the season and I was pumped! I somehow qualified for corral B, which psyched me out a bit. Usually I’m placed in Corral Q or somewhere waaay back there. So it was a little intimidating at the start line.
When we kicked off the run I was being passed by EVERYONE… there was a point right off the bat where I tried to pick up the pace to keep up with my fellow “B” starters… But I heard coach jen in my head yelling at me “Didn’t I say don’t start too fast!?!”‘
Ok slowdown… Mile one 8:15… Oops that’s 1:15 faster than we planned, but I felt good… Let not slowdown too much.
All week I had been tweeting about how fast I was going to be, in my mind anything longer than 48 minutes was considered failure… I wrote that check now it was time to cash it!
The heat was getting to me around the 5k mark… But as I crossed that spot, I checked my time… 28mins and change.
There’s no stopping now. I tried to kick it up a gear as we rounded on to Michigan. The next turn as Roosevelt seemed 100 miles away… It felt like it took 20 mins to get there, I refused to look at my watch…
I made the left on Roosevelt up that damn hill… I hate that hill. Its my sworn enemy… I ran it constantly when I lived in the loop and I know it can’t stop me… I own that hill!
I tried to kick it up again…Made another left on Columbus. There was the finish, it’s time to go BIG!
I felt like I went in to a full sprint, I was passing people and as I approached the finish line I wanted to look at my watch… Nope not until I cross… Just a few more strides…
BOOM– 46:59!!! That’s 4 minutes faster than last year!!!!!
It felt awesome. I guess my running has improved.
Phil Castello 