Cherry Blossom 10 Miler 2010

Coming up in March is the Cherry Blossom 10 Miler in Washington, D.C. I ran this race 2 years ago so I figured it's time to blog about it. First off, it's a lottery entry because it is so popular and I was so excited when I got picked. Being somewhat still new to running I thought I wouldn't make it, I still have no idea how I did, but I am so glad that I did because it was so worth it. Although, I doubt I will ever do it again. Never say never!

C and I went up Saturday morning and stayed with my sorority sister Amber. We took the metro into the city and picked up our packets with race bibs and t-shirts and then walked around the Mall area and the Washington Monument. It was pretty windy so there were a lot of people flying kites on the Mall including one guy who had a kite that looked like a snake and it was about 30 feet long. The head was way up in the air and the tail was smacking people in the heads who were walking by. We walked through this sculpture garden and that was pretty cool too. Sculpture is still an art form that I don't fully understand. I think anything large and made of metal can be passed as a sculpture. When we were getting ready to leave the city, we walked through a street festival. Festivals had been going on all week since it was the Cherry Blossom Festival and the trees were in bloom. I got a really pretty shirt with blossoms on it and of course a tote bag with blossoms on it. The bag actually came in handy during the race.

Sunday morning we had to get up at 5 AM! This is WAY early for C and I. Neither of us are morning people. But I actually felt pretty peppy for it being so early. C...not so much, but he was a good sport. We got to the Metro station at 6:15, hopped on and were at the race by 7AM. Our other sorority sister Shalynn met us there and came out to watch us run. Before long Amber and I were in our corrals and ready to go. Waiting in the corral was boring. I was glad to get going.


EARLY Metro ride!

Pre Race photo...before we were all hot, sweaty and gross.

Being herded in a corral like cattle is great...

This race was the most crowded race I have ever run in. Usually once you get out of the corrals the crowd kind of thins out as everyone finds their pace and you have room to run. This did not happen until we got to about mile 7. It was 7 miles of pretty much shoulder to shoulder running. At one point some lady yelled at me to move if I was going to walk...I don't know how she missed the fact that at that point we were all crowded up like sardines and that there was a person in front of me, and in front of them, and in front of them....you get the point. It was a solid line of shuffling. I was not walking, I was shuffling. That lady kind of ticked me off...The course looped on itself a lot and was a lot of out and back. Here is a link to the map: http://www.cherryblossom.org/images/10images/10-10MCourseMap022210.pdf

It was fun running around the nation's capitol. I really liked running down this one hill towards the Lincoln Memorial and then out across the Memorial Bridge and back. I think that was my favorite part. As I was running mile 1, the winner passed us on the other side...he ran 4 minute miles...sick! I will never be that fast, and that's just fine with me!

I was NOT a fan of the loop around the tidal basin. It was long and kinda boring and my knees were really hurting at that point. But it was where the Japanese cherry trees were located and we got a nice breeze coming off the river. Oh and this race was HOT! It was cold when the race started but after that it got hot quick. My mind started to wander near the end and I started to get choked up just thinking about my races and other life events that have come to pass in the last 2 years and the ones that are still to come. It gave me a cramp in my chest and made it really hard to breathe. I had to keep telling myself to think of other things so I wouldn't cry. And the last quarter mile was mostly UPHILL!! Who plans an uphill finish?! I don't think I have ever been so happy to cross a finish line. I definitly had a few tears slip out after I crossed it. Its hard not to. The longer races are really emotional for me.

"Thank you for being here. Thank you for supporting me. Thank you for believing in me."

D-O-N-E!

I am proud to say I ran almost the entire race. I walked about 4 times total: 2 at the water stops, once to eat some energy gel and another just because I had to, and they each only lasted about 20 seconds so I ran almost the whole 10 miles. When I was training for the half marathon, my 10 mile time was 2 hours on the nose. So my goal today was 2 hours. I finished in 1 hour 52 minutes. Once again, I beat my goal :-)

This is my medal from this race. I love it. Its the prettiest one I have so far.

This was a race that I would suggest doing at least once. Don't worry about your time though, it's so crowded it makes it really hard to go all out as fast as you can. Do it just to enjoy the scenery and the fact that it is spring!