With a start later than most (9:30 am), we had the opportunity to sleep in, spooning gobs of almond butter on banana, sipping the hotel coffee & most of all scoffing at the downpour, watching the flags cut the air from scraper tops. I wasn't afraid that the weather would affect my ability; I was more concerned with the fact that I don't own waterproof materials and had only packed 1 pair of flats, so acknowledging that I would start the race wet made me feel less serious about competing than if I were, let's say, prepared.
Steve had invited BDP & so it was Ber, Alyson, Aly, Nikki, Mckinley & myself that got to huddle beneath the tents, warm up together, and toe the line among BC's best. Maria was home in Bellingham nursing from sick, healing from her Hillbilly win, Bronwyn was getting ready to race the St. Pats 5k in Seattle & Lydia was flying out to LA for the marathon in 80-90 deg. heat. At the front of the line the lead masarati was revving, Ber was singing and Rachel Clif and other neon-clad elites with thin gams were striding. It was likely that Clif, a many-time winner of the event would take it again (and she did with a first mile of 4:54 & finishing time of 16:14).
The rain let up a little right as we set out down a fairly steep hill with an immediate cut to the left. The course is marketed as fast, which to note for next time means the field is fast and there is variance in gradation, but really, you need a bit of hill work training to tackle the thing as incredibly as the 1st through 5th place Canadian finishers did. Maybe a little bit of it is home-course advantage, because even though I had run the First 1/2 a month prior, which absorbed some of the course direction, it undulated in a way, or the speedwork needed for the course's undulation, was not of my particular repertoire. Being, currently, a time hound, it was discouraging to see the finish time, because it eluded that the first mile was too fast, and that I'm off from last year, this time (and this is because I don't like to weigh course differences, etc.) is a lesson to absorb.
My goal, if I actually acknowledged it, was to PR. Breaking 17 would have helped psychologically as a mid-way progress report for Eugene training. I'm really adverse to calculating the factors that affect a workout or race, because when it comes down to it, no one cares whether the wind or the rain came, whether you were on or off, whether you trained through competition, or tapered for it. All that matters is who shows up, who has the emotional and mental prowess to overcome the obstacle/s - because we're all physical beasts. I'll be honest. I've been trying to adopt the mentality I had when I was younger, which was carefree, eat all the donuts, drink a few beers before the race & then after, have fun. Something's changed. I feel guilt in over-indulgence, I feel like I need to control my portion sizes, I don't feel like there's a good spot for me in the world of sub-elite, and that believing in me alone is hard to choose every day. I'm not out of this - I still feel at times carefree, there just seems to be more at stake. I'll find the spirit again.
I crossed the line in 6th (17:42), immediately followed by Jane Ricardi, CNW powerhouse, Ber in 9th (PR - 18:03), Nikki (19:53), Al (20:14), Aly (20:29), Mck (20:59). For complete RESULTS. A huge thank you to Karen & Steve for putting us up, believing in, and creating an event with excellent competition. Forever grateful.
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