Broad Street 10m raceReport: The 10 Mile Warm Up Club

This is long overdue, still trying to catch up on blogging...

Overall the weather report: cool, rainy, no wind. This is the first run in my new shoes (glycerin7) where they got soaked, dirty. So they looked new for a long time, but ya knew it wasn't gonna last forever.

Cue dramatic NFL music: the day broke cold & grey & wet on the streets of Philadelphia. The runners -, 25,000 strong - huddled in masses, trampling front yards, peeing in parks, moving as if one to the intersection of Broad & Olney in North Philly. OK, enuf with that. But really the entire setting is epic, inspirational, and awesome.

The course description has been written about so many times, suffice it to say it's a net downhill point to point straight line 10 miles long with a slight curve around City Hall and a few slight rises in the first half. In a word: Fast.

I got up extra early, couldn't get back to sleep once awake, and did all the prep ritual correctly because I was out the door right on time @ 6a.m. There was already a huge traffic situation at the stadium off ramp. I don't ever go to the front and cut in, but this morning I did go about half way up and then got in...only because I knew that I was running 10 miles before the start and all the rest of these people were going to be on the subway up to the starting line. My goal was to start running before 7 a.m. to give a bit of a cushion in time. Race starts at 8:30.

The line of cars was moving soooo slowly. I needed to prep in the car. Ever strip from the waist up while in traffic to apply Superman band aids to nips and then get into your singlet? Done it. Went thru some motivational tunes: Chili Peppers, Offspring, Green Day. Got the sweat pants off whilst driving, loaded pockets with Gu and filled Fuel Belt bottles. Finally got parked in front of Spectrum and needed to go pee very badly from drinking water, Gatorade & diet Coke for the past hour. Time check, 6:59. That sux. In a flurry of activity I got my hat on (rain still lightly coming down) then belt on, tightened & tied laces, watch, pinned number (duh, almost forgot) and put chip on shoe, popped can of Red Bull and finally headed to the port-o-johns in south corner of parking lot - the opposite direction that I need to be running.

Business done, start running. Time check, 7:04. Crap, I've got to run quickly up to the start to make sure I make it there before the gun. I'm drinking a can of Red Bull as I pass small groups of runners moving toward the subway station. Mostly they give me looks like "why is he wearing on singlet with bib on it already?" and "why is he running...there's still over an hour to the start plus the subway ride?" At the far side of Pattison there's only a few runners standing around trying to stay dry by hugging the subway station building. They all look like they're waitign for a friend. They look at me with those same curious questioning eyes. I want to stop and explain to them, but I'm already late. I want to tell them that the main subway entry is one full block south, that it's mobbed with 100's (maybe 1,000 now?) of runners, and that their friends/co-workers/etc are all probably standing down there wondering where the hell are they? but I run on.

Dodging cars on Broad is my next fun activity. There's like inner lanes & outer lanes & merging going on here. I need to get to the other side to follow street northbound. Once over there I use sidewalk & street all the way up. For now I'm up & down trying to decide which is better/safer. I prefer blacktop over cement but there's too much traffic. I'm already soaked. And the streets are filled with alot of dirty trash. Bummer. Mile 1 fairly slow, I dropped the can into a community trash pile and begin the search for any definitive mile markers. This quest will not be satisfied for quite a long time. I pick up the pace with 9 miles left to go before the start.

The next few miles go by at a comfortable 8:15 pace (est). I say Hi to everyone I see. Yo South Philly. Some look at me like "WTF" but most don't seem to realize today is even race day. @ or 3 people call out "You doing the race today?" to which I answer "yeah, with a 10 mile warm up!" They seem to appreciate that by shaking their heads in a disbelief fashion. Ha, luv that. At the first few water stations there's no activity but the tables & boxes & water are all there waiting. That's kind of cool to see the progression of readiness as you run backwards up to the start. I'm thinking this could be an annual 20 miler for a group of runners. The 10 Mile Warm Up Club. With about 15 or 20 runners sporting matching t-shirts that would be cool.

I can find absolutely no pavement markings for the mile splits. I don't know where I am/how the time's doing. At the next several water stations I ask for the mile marker but no one has any clue what I'm talking about. Some of the vol's are nice and friendly (and cute), but others are grumpy & appear to be working off c.s. hrs by court order because they obviously don't want to be there. How am i doing on time? Don't know, pick up the pace.

As I approach downtown - which I know City Hall is the unofficial half way point - I realize I need to pee (again). Of course now there's many more people milling around on every block. At every subway stop there's small groups or individuals hurrying down the steps. Or waiting outside. Where's my training partner/friend/lover/co-worker? they are sipping coffee, some are talking on cell phones. I want to ask where's the nearest toilets but none seems to want to engage me in conversation. They see my bib, realize I'm running...not taking the subway, then they turn away! Interesting psychology experiment at work here. The rain is still litely falling. I'm soaked but notice that the cooling effect is wonderful. I really got to pee and the rain doesn't help that sensation. No body knows the mile markers. I begin to see cops during this section. One about every-other corner. Some say hi back to me, others give me a hard tough-guy look. Some are smoking cigs and texting on their cel's. There's supposed to be port-a-potties at certain mile markers...this I should've put to memory for the duel purpose.

Finally at City Hall. This is at least 5 miles done. I decide to short cut (bladder near bursting. gonna have to find a side street and do the public urination thing very soon) up sidewalk, across courtyard to the other side (saves about 100-150 yards). As I round the corner I see them . . . their bright blue glistening majestic line up is like a holy grail - a row of port-o-johns! Things are looking up! I'm in, pee like a race horse, then out in a flash. Hardly even broke stride. A few blocks later, more good news: mile marker 4. So I've gone 6. Time check, 46:00, which is sub-8 min pace. Yikes, too fast. Yet good news in that I'm definitely going to make the starting gun. The next water stop is nearly fully set up. Now i'm getting closer. Still seeing runners at every subway entrance rushing to get onto trains. I invite a pair of guys "C'mon with me, only 3 miles to the start" Response: "the subway stops right here, come back...you can take the train."

The road begins to have some uphill blocks. Mile split 8:25. That feels better, and only 3 more to go. There seems to be less traffic now, but roads still look open. Cop on every corner now. I pass a guy drinking coffee in front of Starbucks (Temple campus?). About 5 mins later he catches up to me but instead of falling into stride together he moves steadily past me. Huh. No love for The 10 Mile Warm Up Club? I pick it up to stick with him, but on each uphill he puts more distance between us. We get to an intersection with the El tracks (?) above and police and directing traffic. No cars allowed to go north from here. Mile split 8:18. One more.

Now there are other runners walking & jogging toward start area. It's weird to see the transition from cars and very few peds to lots of walk/run and total absence of cars. No one notices me now. I'm blending into the scean. I pass other runners jogging...they don't know I've already done 9 miles. Some of the up hill blocks are now noticeably steep. Funny, never noticed that when running the opposite way! Irealize that I'm beginning to feel fatigue. I slow it way down, I'm going to make the start so I'll conserve energy. I can still see coffee guy up ahead, but he's almost a full block ahead. Then I lose him altogether. I move to the middle of the street. I actually feel pretty damn good.

i can see the starting line. The wheelchairs haven't begun yet. This final ascent seems steep. Yes, I am tired and burned a lot getting up here. Last mile split, 8:51. The elites are coming off the front to heat up their legs. Kenyans, real ones. I recognize the local speedsters. I see DavidJ - wave & hello. My friend TJ - "do we need to go around timing mats" i ask, but he says no. Asks if I ran the 10 warm up. "Yep" is about all i can manage. As I go past the start line into the throng I see that my bib doesn't match. I'm in the second corral. I move straight thru the middle and get to my own bib-color mates. I am out of water and can't fight thru entire 25,000 to find more. Start is less than 5 mins now. I move to the side where brick park is to be and see assorted water bottles on the ground in various stages of near empty/near full. I really really don't want to pick up a bottle off the ground and re-fill my Fuel Belt bottles, but they probably are safe, right? i see a dude with a almost full bottle stretching on the sidewalk. Dude - can I refill? No problem. I use about half what he has to fill both tanks half full (will carry 6 oz total on race,,,had 12 oz on the way up to start). He makes a good grab as a throw the the bottle back. Thnks, have a great race!

I wonder how sweaty tired I look? I see Theresa. She's about 10 rows behind hubby & I'm inbetween. She asks if I did the warm-up & I feel better calling back "Yep, just got here, made about 8:30 pace for the 10 mile warm up". It's go time. When I click the next split it says that my standing around was only 6:12 - man I barely made it on time.

Here's the splits for 11 thru 20 (the BSR 10 mile race):
1. 7:26
2. 7:17
3. 7:27
4. 7:40
5. 7:37
6. 8:24
7. 7:44
8. 7:56
9. 7:36
10.7:35

They had my chip time as 1:16:16 and I had my total running time as 2:42:50.
This post is long enough without a total report, I'll give you highlites: I wanted to go 8 pace. The first mile I was pulled along faster adn then figured why not hold pace as long as possible. Between mile 3 & 4 must be where the downhill becomes flat because that was the first slowdown.

Mile 6 includes a 45 second pee break becuse I had to go yet again. I must've hydrated exceptionally well this day! My buddy G passed me here - he was with his BOMF participants. Mile 7 & 8 were the slowest again this year. Somehow I always lose focus and feel so tired here. I remember looking up at windows of hotels/ apartments/ houses and each person I saw I would wave to. They all responded but several took a while to see me in the crowd. there wasn't enuf cowbells ringing! There was a guy giving high fives somewhere near mile 7 so I moved over to his side of street. I miscalc'd and slapped his hand really hard! I heard his friend/wife laughing as he was saying "that one hurt." Near the end I was really very tired. I heard my name being called out but I couldn't find the voice in the crowd. At the last second I saw Dr. Dan with a megaphone but I was already gone past and was sooo darn tired I couldn't respond or acknowledge at all.

The last mile: some people began passing me- they had gone out too slow. One was a beautiful redhead wearing red shorts & top. I think maybe the back said Hawks. I tried to stay with her but she was really moving. Several teen/20-something dudes with a lot left in the tank sprinting it in. I felt i could give it something more, and I tried. There was a girl just in front of me wearing green socks, 2-tone green layers top and she had a shamrock tat on shoulder blade. I'd been following her for a few mins. As I surged I paused at her side and said "c'mon Irish, let's kick in in together" but when i looked at her face I knew she was already max'd out. She didn't smile or say anything,,, and I never saw her again. Looking at the split it doesn't show it, but i was working hard that last mile.
Exhausted, soaked. I more or less went straight to my car and drove home. I was so completely exhausted that I almost felt like crying. Very strange. It happened a few times on the drive home. I drank gatorade thinking maybe something was very out of balance. Was I hallucinating? I almost cried but i don't know why. It felt like something about being tired(of course) and being alone in a crowd of 25,000 runners. Hopefully that doesn't happen at end of marathon. weird!?! It was a very lonely feeling...but not sure if it was real or maybe was induced by some type of physical chemical inbalance.

My son had a soccer game at noon which I was challenged to make it there on time. I did. But they lost the match. I know i was a bit grumpy standing in the rain watching us get beat. I tried to make the best of it and then went home for a nap.
My toes took a brutal beating on this 20 miler. But it was a good longRun. Basically 8:30 pace uphill 10 followed by 7:40 downhill again.