I didn't show up!

Mon, 10/16-

Did a 6M recovery run.

From apartment through .8M of Colonial Park (3M...23:15)

Turned around

Headed back (3M in 21:20, last mile in 6:35)

44:35 (7:26/mile)

Sun, 10/15-

"Competed" at the Masters National XC Championships in Boston.  

The team left the hotel rather early to get a parking spot at the venue, Lincoln Park.  We hung around a bit.  A bit after 10:00, I'd jog most of the course on this cool-enough but rather humid morning.  The  running surfaces were mixed and uneven here and there--just like XC should be, I guess.  One major hill was about the middle of the course.  

I felt okay.

The seven members of our 40-49 age group lined up in our box, 20.  The 50-59 group was down some, and the 60+ group was in the race before.

Given the plan that Paul Vandergrif and Phil Reilly had, to try to maintain 5:40-5:45 pace, I figured I'd be in the mix with them.  

And the gun went off.  With 200+ runners, the first mile, especially the start, was hectic.  I looked down at the ground for much of the first mile, which I reached in 5:33.  The group was flying.  I am sure the top guys hit the first mile in 5:00 or better.  I thought I was doing well.  It seemed, though, that a lot of guys were passing me in droves.  

I took several of them on the hill, which probably took a lot of me.  I figured I was in the middle of the pack by now.  When I reach the two-mile mark in 12:00, I fell apart mentally.  I knew I had slowed, but not by that much!  I went from a 5:33 first mile to a 6:27 second mile.  I went for about another 150 meters, and then I did the unthinkable: I stopped.  I put my head in my hands and began to cheer runners passing by, including several of my teammates.  

Close to a minute into my defeat, Chuck Kruelle ran by and told me to finish it.  I didn't want to, and even hesitated, but he willed me to finish the race.  I started to run a minute or so after I stopped.  I caught up with Chuck, passed him, and began to work on the next guy, who was about 50 meters ahead.  

The last mile was like a training run pace.  I started at 13:00 with 1 mile to go.  I finished in a pedestrian 19:55, for 6:17 pace for the final 1.1M.  

While I was not despondent, I was so disappointed with myself.  My mental toughness was not there, and I felt I let the team down.  I had driven all the way to Boston for this!  I didn't show up!

The drive back home was long and slow.  5.5 hours.

Sat, 10/14-Left for Boston at 1:00.  The drive was wasn't too bad.  4 hours, 20 min.