Happy 4th of July! About 5,000 Eugenians took part in an Independence Day tradition: the Butte to Butte 10K.Included in that mass was a five-some from Eugene Physical Therapy: Joe, Jeff, Peter, Michael and Chris. Congrats to Team Eugene PT for getting five across the line, and to the rest of the finishers this morning!
Joe's Race Report:
Up and at'em at 0545 this morning. Put in an easy mile around the neighborhood to loosen up before gathering my stuff and heading for downtown to catch the LTD shuttle to the start.
I found Jeff at the bus stop, and once at the start we got in an easy warm-up in the neighborhoods surrounding Spencer Butte Middle School. It was already warm -- in the mid-60s and humid -- characteristic Midwest summer conditions, but unusual for the Willamette Valley.
The starter's pistol fired a shade after 0800. The lead pack was strong up front, featuring former CU Buff Bret Schoolmeester ('08 B2B champ), Ryan Bak of OTC Elite, and former Badger/Olympic Trials veteran Matt Downin. The field was out quick, with two dozen men forcing the uphill along Donald Ave. I settled into about 20th place at the quarter mile, as the course began to show hints of the grade to follow.
The course features a hyperbolic uphill first mile, perhaps a mere 1% grade in the first quarter but progressively ratcheting the grade until you find yourself shuffling up a near 10% grade just before the mile mark. My long runs up to Ridgeline Trail the past month prepared me for this shock, and I weaved my way through the lead mass to the top ten at the hill's crest. I pushed it to the peak, knowing I'd be rewarded with a mile+ of downhill. First mile in 5:55, my first time breaking 6 on this course.
Following the crest on Donald St., a sharp left channels the field back down the butte, flying down Fox Hollow Dr. I opened up the stride and within a minute was in a comfortable, aerobic gear -- a bittersweet respite that made the ensuing flat all the more difficult. I caught a younger guy in a white singlet and floated downhill alongside him, and midway down was joined by another guy, in orange. Hit Mile 2 in a way-too-comfortable 4:58. Pedestrian for that grade.
The tail-end of Fox Hollow spit us out and left onto Amazon Parkway. Goodbye downhill, goodbye shade. And, within 400m, goodbye competition. White and Orange shifted into a working gear, and I fell off the back. I struggled to maintain contact in that 3rd mile. I felt fine enough, but the quads were mush.
Shortly before the 3rd Mile, I was surprised by the water station. My plan was to take a gel -- as practice for Portland this fall -- and to follow it up with water. Too late. Time for a digression:
Water Station Technique
THANK YOU water station volunteers, for providing precious hydration and cooling. However, recognize there is good hand-off technique, and there is bad.
POOR TECHNIQUE: Holding the glass in your palm, or from the bottom, does not allow for any "follow-through" -- or a means to cushion the impact of the receiver running 12-15 MPH. Therefore, most attempts to grasp the cup ends with the cup falling to the road. And even if you do manage to grasp it at that speed, you typically lose significant volume.
GOOD TECHNIQUE: Holding the glass from THE TOP! This allows the passing runner to grasp from the BOTTOM. And by doing so the runner can grasp the full weight of the cup without hardly any volume loss, while the giver can "follow-through" as the runner passes by. Lastly, the giver -- once they feel the runner has grasped the cup -- can then simply "let go" once the cup begins to travel forward. And viola! A perfect hand-off!
If I could give a pre-race clinic on this topic, I would. End of Digression.
Unfortunately, the water station workers at the B2B used the poor technique. At the 3rd mile I ingested roughly 15-µL of water and pressed on. Shortly thereafter I hit the 3rd Mile: 5:12 (16:06).
The last three miles were rough, winding along Amazon Parkway and its steep camber. From there on I went into "AT mode", focusing on good form. I'd been doing 3-4-mile ATs for the past several weeks so this mentality helped a great deal. By this time I was a good 50m from White and Orange -- on my own.
A right and left put us onto High Street. After the 4th mile in 5:25, my legs felt like ground meat, slowly grilling on the hot asphalt. "AT mode" turned into "Survival Mode": a steady "Left-Right-Left-Right..." north to Skinner.
My Sport Psych and coaching background helped in a time like this. I used a lot of Positive Self-Talk to grind through the last 3K, as every block I'd cover I would say aloud, "Strong! Strong! Strong!" That kept my legs from buckling under. 5th Mile in 5:32 -- definitely AT mode.
I kept the feet moving up a slight grade toward Skinner Park, and around the corner. The crowds approaching the finish were terrific. I ground out the last 2K (6th Mile: 5:35, 0.2: 1:03) and labored into the finish.
The Damage: 5:55, 4:58, 5:12, 5:25, 5:32, 5:35 (1:03) = 33:42 (unofficial), 6th place.
*****
I was happy simply to have finished. Having no one pass me in the last 4 miles was another bonus.
After several cups of water, I circled back to find Jeff, and I ran the last 600m with him. He gave his characteristic 100% effort -- but not dry (or wet)-heaving this time -- with a terrific finishing straight.
By 8:40 it was legitimately HOT. I downed several more glasses of water, and furnished Jeff with a few, before joining Downin, women's race winner Jane Rudkin, and Shane, who was just a few seconds behind me. I felt pretty darn good, surprisingly, on the cooldown through the west Pre trail loop and back.
I'm overall pleased; not ecstatic, but satisfied, knowing that a strong effort and tough mindset established today is a crucial foundation upon which strong training and racing is built.
Congrats again to all finishers! And thanks especially to Team Eugene PT for their strong efforts today! Can't say I've ever run a 1oK with 4 other co-workers before! Very cool.
RESULTS SOON.
