The Turkey Chase 10K is one of my favorite races every year. It is a great way to start Thanksgiving and get my run done for the day as well. I did a moderate warm up and some strides before getting to the start line with only a singlet, shorts, and gloves on. The sky was overcast and it drizzled slightly. I love this course as well...though usually not a PR course...however I have PRed here before and wouldn't be surprised if I did again ...challenging, rolling hills in the first 4 miles with the last 2.2 flat/downhill. The last 2 miles of this race I always feel pretty good. I saw Gurmessa Megressa, some college guys, other studs as well. But I was gunning to win money today. Top 5 get $100 or more...
The start was TERRIBLE. The starter had us stand behind the mats and then all of a sudden said "SET"...and we put out feet on the mat...and then there was confusion...the starter said something that people didn't understand...and everyone stopped and backed up to restart....but then the starter said NO, NO, NO, GO, GO GO!!!!....shit!! I cursed and began racing. What an awful way to start...probably one of my worst ever. I figured the net times would fix the problem...
10 guys surged in front of me to the front...I just hung off the rear. Damn, I thought, this race was going to be fast, and I'm gonna have to work for that top 5...
BUT I stayed patient. I knew I would run them down if I ran the race right.
We made the turn-slight downhill-the ground was a bit moist...but still ideal for racing. I made sure to take the turns carefully however with all the fallen leaves. We made another turn and now the uphills started coming along...especially after mile 1-which did have some downhill to it but was a bit quick(5:02)...this mile is always quick though...every year I hit the first mile of this race faster than my overall pace. But soon after I began reeling guys in...I started catching up to the 10th place guy and then the 9th place guy and so forth-some just went out too fast or could not hold the pace...because I surely wasn't holding 5:02 pace...Mile 2 was 10:20(5:18 split)...so I slowed up some but going uphill as well...
Then we made the turn onto Wisconsin...and at this point I had past 2 or 3 guys and was in 8th or 9th place. I could see the leaders way out front-Gurmessa was hammering this race...the guy is just in his own league...but I concentrated on catching one runner at a time. Then Paul pulled up next to me right around mile 3(15:40ish), and I tailed off of him to catch another runner. Now I was starting to feel pretty good...despite going a slight uphill grade up Wisconsin Ave. My stride and turnover were excellent. The next guy(Gareth Peters) I caught just before mile 4. Now I was in 7th place. I was still keying off of Paul and we made the turn onto Georgetown for the last 2.2 miles. I felt great-I really did. Man, if only I can tear up a Marathon running like this, I thought. I saw Paul gaining on an African who was falling off the pace as well as another college runner(who ended up being Andrew Palmer). So slowly...ever so slowly...I began reeling in these 2 guys...
Just before Mile 5, I caught them. Boy, was this familiar(to last year)...when I caught up to an African last year but got outkicked the last 400 meters...
NOT THIS TIME.
I ran next to Andrew and began to surge-he went with me. I looked back over my shoulder to see if the African matched us. He did not. We kept surging-no sign of the African. We had broke him. Now it was me and Andrew-who was actually sharing some brief words with me about Syracuse-I encouraged him to stay with me. But the last 800 meters I began to kick, and surged brilliantly toward the last quarter mile. The crowd was cheering...
HE'S COMING UP ON YOU! some people yelled to me...
CATCH HIM ANDREW! I heard someone else yell behind me...many were yelling GET HIM!....Dammit-Andrew is coming up on me! I was kicking all out at this point...I didn't have any more turnover than I already had...
100 meters....50 meters.... PUSH IT!!!
I crossed the line...
Andrew crossed just 2 ticks later. I earned 5th place overall. $100.
My time was 32:54 gun-timed, but my net time got screwed up along with some other runners behind me. Almost everyone's net time was 3 seconds faster...My official net time was probably 32:51 or 32:52.
I am happy with how I ran this race. I passed at least 6 guys and worked my way up to earn top 5. Also ran a PR, and the 3rd time I've broken 33 for the 10K...AND on a much hillier course than my previous PR.
One more race to end the year:
JINGLE ALL THE WAY 10K, DEC 12
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