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50th Annual Cherry Blossom 10 Miler

April 2, 2023 (Morning)

Exercise Type: Run

Weather: 40ish, sunny, and a strong wind

Comments:
Being as old as this race, I decided to put in a good winter of training and participate for the first time in about a decade. Glad I did. Pleased with the time and mostly pleased with the winter of good training. Felt in control throughout. Received a huge boost when Jon Ettinger jumped in beside me about 3.5 miles into the race and stayed with me until the final 100m when he stepped off the course. Worked the last two miles pretty aggressively, despite the head wind that made itself known there after rounding Haines Point. After being humbled for most of the race with young folks passing me, it was nice to be doing the passing in those final miles. Great to see so many hoppers both competing and cheering. Run Good! Splits from watch: 6:13, 6:25, (6:26 avg for next two), 6:27, (31:57 halfway), 6:30, 6:31, 6:22, 6:22, 6:04 (31:53 second half for a small neg split) I was pretty relaxed through the first 7 miles, just running in control at what felt like a brisk training/tempo pace. Turning for the finish and heading straight into the wind along the east side of Haines Point was rough, but it was also time for me to push and I was passing dozens of people over those three miles, which felt good. Last stretch up a little climb by the Bureau of Printing and Engraving and into the wind, felt like a gut punch, but I convinced myself to kick hard and was pretty much flat out for the final 400m. Very pleased with the time and with how controlled it all felt. Jon E was a huge help and seeing a few hoppers was energizing. I'm glad I was able to dig in and challenge myself in the final miles, but mostly I was happy to be in good enough shape to click off sub 6:30 average for so long. 7th male finisher in 50-54 age group and top 500 overall in the race. (It's not the top 50 finish of my youth, but the decline seems reasonable.) Wore my new Endorphin Speed shoes and it was the right choice as they helped alleviate some foot pain and felt light and cheerful.