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Project Turquoise, 5K Run for Refugees in Rock Creek Park

April 23, 2023 (Morning)

Exercise Type: Run

Weather: 50s and mostly sunny, gorgeous running weather!!!

Comments:
Cam Salehizadeh got the word out about a race to support DC area refugees and I opted to jog over from home to Carter Baron, arriving about 20 minutes before the start. Kept it chill with no striders nor drills and assumed I'd run it as a tempo. Race started very casually with a dozen teenage boys goofing around up front. I passed most of them on the downhill and they grew quiet. One went with me and latched on a step off my right shoulder. Mile marker passed at 6:25 and I think we kept it very even the rest of the flat. It's ever so slightly down slope on the way out and upslope on the return. That, along with knowing there is the final half mile up hill and the tall, lanky high school kid on my shoulder gave me some second thoughts on how hard I should run the hill. The boy, pretty sure his name was Aidan Stephenson and I learned afterwards that he's a Flint Hill senior and track/CC runner (FH's top CC runner last fall). I tried a little surge at the base of the hill, and had stayed right on me. I then held steady for most of the hill and threw in another surge just before the last bend and the crest come into view. This one dropped him, and I pressed very hard to create separation and kick the final 200 meters of flat at the top to the finish. He finished at least ten seconds back and I finished very spent in 19:51. Welcomed in Ave Blum and Cam who both rans exceptionally well and collected a gift card and some T-shirts before running home on very tired legs. I hadn't intended to work hard, but I get a little competitive... plus it's good for me to work hard from time to time. Those early miles felt so smooth and the last half mile up the hill felt so hard... Funny how much a hill can hurt. Not too wiped out the rest of the day.