Late 2010 Updates: Steven L. did some additional things

Hey y'all - I ran the Giant Acorn Triathlon back in October. For the second year in a row, I chose the Olympic-distance option. I cut off about 7 minutes from my previous time!! (Completed in 2:40:44). Much of that time off came from the run, where I actually stopped to heed the call of nature. Despite the time lost from stopping, I was able to run significantly faster after doing so...A trick to keep in mind for future races. Per tradition, I stayed at Lat-Man's crib in Richmond for the rest of the weekend. Per more tradition, we did the pipeline walk on the river.







Additionally, I did the Turkey Chase 10K again, making my 5th consecutive appearance. I posted a 46:56 for that, which is a PR!

2010 Camping Year in Review

Although the DC area "Snowpocalypse" shut down the annual ICE, the year of 2010 still had its share of backpacking and camping adventures, with myself and other familiar NORSA faces.  Just back from my last trip of the year, it is time to recap them all.  NORSA camping is truly an event for all seasons:

Spring - one week solo (Steven S) in the George Washington National Forest, around Trout Run valley plus many side trails.  Highlights included Halfmoon Lookout,  Trout Pond, and Tibbet Knob.  Also a close encounter with a rattlesnake.  Watch out in the high grass on those forest roads!

Summer - canoe camping at Assateague Island (Steven S, Emily P, plus NORSA newcomers Cody & Jessica).  Highlights - all the pretty horses.  More than we bargained for - high winds, sunburn.

Fall - overnight trip to Kennedy Peak (Steven S, Emily P, Matt, Nora, plus NORSA newcomer Michael L).    Unfortunately, the peak itself was preempted by another group, but fun was had by all.  Highlights included fall foliage, seeing three bears, and not starting this forest fire.

Winter - Steven S did another solo trip in the GWNF, this time an 8.5 mile out and back to Halfmoon Lookout on Christmas Eve.  It snowed, but things were going well until a complaining knee turned the last six miles into an agonizing limp back to the parking lot.  Be careful out there and bring plenty of ibuprofen!

That's it for now.  Here's hoping that 2011 is another NORSA-rific year!

Jingle All the Way 10K

Jingle All the Way 10K
December 12, 2010
Washington, DC

Spirits were high at the Capital Running Company’s Jingle All the Way 10K despite a cold and rainy Sunday morning in December. Costumed and serious runners alike toed the line for the 6th annual race held at DC’s West Potomac Park. The flat out and back course allows for attainable PRs but not for a certain NORSA running on this day. Allison ran the race on an injured left calf and was not able to sustain a fast pace due to the volume of runners on the relatively narrow course. Despite running a personal worst for the year, Allison was able to chalk up the race as the “6 miles at marathon pace” run that she was scheduled to complete that day.

The Jingle All the Way 10K is a fun race and provides a good opportunity for runners to stay fit during the winter season. Beware, though, of a lack of bathroom stops along the course (Probably due to park regulations. There’s a public bathroom a mile or two into the race, though.) and large crowds or runners. The race is chip-timed but (at least for 2010) one’s 5K time is recorded based off of one’s gun time. There was plenty of food and drinks at the end of the race (even Christmas cookies!) and as long as one is able to drag him or herself out of bed on a cold December morning, this is a race to do!

Race Results
Net Time – 53:00
Pace – 8:32/m
Over All Place – N/A
Female Place – 395/2,536
Age Group Place – 128/795

Blue Moon Wicked 10K

Blue Moon Wicked 10K
October 30, 2010
Virginia Beach, Virginia

Allison participated in the second annual Blue Moon Wicked 10K held in Virginia Beach, Virginia. She did not miss her starting wave (first wave!!) this time and was able to cruise along the flat, coastal course at a 7:54/m pace and notched herself a new 10K PR.

Allison “beat the train” (a group of employees from a local running store holding up scaffolding as a group making it look as if they were a train) but did not realize that she was to receive a prize for this. The technical socks would have been nothing, though, to the hand carved, tiki head trophy that Allison’s father won after placing third in his age group. The event was well organized and plenty of spectators lined the course to cheer on the (mostly) costumed racers. The registration fee is high for a 10K ($55 plus registration fees) but runners receive aluminum water bottles, tech tees, skull caps and, get this, medals…that double as bottle openers. Absolutely, positively the coolest and most useful medal received to date.

Now for a little downtime from racing (save for a few races scattered here and there) in preparation for the Shamrock Marathon in March!

Race Results

Net Time – 49:00.22
Pace – 7:54
Overall Place – 516/6,128
Female Place – 117/3,913
Age Group Place (25-29) – 26/747

Army 10 Miler

Army 10 Miler
October 24, 2010
Washington, DC

Allison ran 9.95 miles of the Army 10 Miler on October 24, 2010 while skidding the remaining 0.05 miles.

30,000 runners registered for the race with 21,669 crossing the finish line in the allotted time. The course takes runners from the Pentagon, across the Arlington Memorial Bridge and circles the Lincoln Memorial before heading up Constitution and Virginia Avenues. The course then heads back down toward the Kennedy Center where runners meet the obstacle course portion of the race as they hurdle jersey walls to avoid the construction equipment blocking the course. Runners are cheered on along Independence Avenue before looping around the Capital and heading back up Independence along side of the Smithsonian (family of) Museum(s). A sharp left onto 14th Street and two miles along I-395 and the 14th Street bridge (bridges can have ‘rolling hills’??) leads the runners back to the Pentagon for the finish.

The race is the largest 10 mile race in America and it shows! Allison was placed in the first wave of runners but was not able to make her way to the starting coral due to the large crowds and narrow starting area. She spent the entire 10 miles weaving in and out of runners (and a crazy amount of walkers) and had a nasty wipe out after her foot fell into a sunken sewer grate on Independence Avenue after trying to make her way around a tired runner (no worries, we’re all good). After falling, hitting the asphalt hard, skidding across the road 10 yards and having the wind knocked out of her, Allison was hoisted up by four or five runners (‘angels’ in her book!) who carried her along until she could start breathing and moving her legs again. If it was not for those runners, Allison would have had to bow out of the race (she has had two other nasty falls in two separate races that stopped her breathing and she was forced to drop out). She opted to stay in the race and, thus, avoided being a pansy a**.

Despite the fall, Allison’s finishing time fell in between what her training program predicted and what she thought was a realistic time.” It was an honor for her to run along side wounded soldiers and those back from fighting overseas. The support teams were great, aid stations were easy to navigate and the medal people were really nice when Allison wanted to switch her finisher's coin with one that was a bit shinnier (pansy). As long as one doesn’t mind the crowds, this race is a wonderful experience for those looking to support the troops and veterans while touring some of the most scenic portions of our nation’s capital.

Results
Allison Tully 11884
Net Time – 1:22:41
Pace – 8:16 (I calculated the course being 10.14 miles long and, thus, an 8:09 pace)
Overall – 4,519/21,669
Sex – 872/9,594
Division – 228/1,944

Army 10 Miler logo from http://www.armytenmiler.com/