SoCal Pete wrote:Just got back from Charlotte. Plane delay kept me in the host city for a few hours more than planned.
Good run Pete...
for those that are interested I took some shots of the Masters race:
http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=255961&id=500033739&l=69ed160318http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=255997&id=500033739&l=15383cfe70I'm finally caught up enough to post my view from the middle of the pack. This was my second Club Nats experience, and there is really no comparison. Yes, I would have liked to have run faster, but it's hard for us masters to get everything in alignment (mainly availability to travel, fitness, health, weather and course conditions). In my case, I came down with bronchitis mid-week and knew that a 10k race would be painful. Everything else was nearly perfect, and I really enjoyed having a few beers (okay, more than a few) with the Compex, ATC and CNW teams.
I'll first comment on the course. It's mostly hard-packed gravel, and for those of us not wearing spikes, there is a little slippage in the footstrike - more for me than on dirt. This, in coimbination with the congestion and some tight turns, slowed down most of my team by 1-2 minutes, so it was note really that fast in my opinion. Most of my team are tough mudders, so I know they would have liked to slog through some sloppy conditions to make it more adventurous.
The race from my vantage point was congested until the middle of the second loop, and I found it tough to get in a rhythm, always navigating around slowing runners when taking the hills and corners. But I did stick with my game plan and went out at 5:45 and maintained a steady pace while picking off runners as they slowed. Shorter Than Frank was with me at one mile, but he must have had a really nice negative split to finish where he did. I did like being able to catch glimpses of the leaders when they looped through the trees on their way to the hill, and I was a lot closer than I was in 2007. The only problem I had was catching my chip on some shrubbery, so it flopped around for several miles before becoming liberated the second time down the hill. I just said "No Chip" as I crossed the line, and I ended up with the correct time. It was still annoying.
I look forward to seeing many of you next year in Rochester for the 5k and Seattle for the 10k. Now time to get my lungs healthy and focus on indoor track.
ron, I saw plenty of your KC Smoke teammates around (maybe one of the guys in that jersey was you). Good luck indoors!