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Millionth Annual Butte to Butte 10K

July 4, 2019 (Morning)

Exercise Type: Run

Weather: mid 60s but "felt warm" at times

Comments:
Slept 'til 615, the up to "gird the loins" for a roadie 10K. I ran my first B2B in 1999, when I first had a summer job at the UO. Since, I've run it sporadically:

1999 (37-mid)
2001 (fast: 33-low?)
2009 (pretty fast: 33:high)
2014 (36:21)
2016 (37?)

I had a feeling, based on how running's been this past month, that I could manage at least a 37-low, which would be cool, since that'd be FASTER than my debut at age 21! But the legs have been HEAVY with a formidable workload the past few weeks, including a lot of vert.

To "dope", we actually had maybe 8oz of caffeinated coffee this AM, and a banana, pre-race, on our way to parking the van at mid-way of the point-to-point course, which runs from South Eugene, UP (and south) "the butte" (shoulder), then turns and runs down to the flat, and into downtown.

The race:

Man, I'm slow...ish, now. And this race has gotten deeper. The first mile weaves through a neighborhood, with some rollers and several turns, before climbing the progressively steeper Donald St Hill (resembling Robie Drive, almost!).

Off the gun I was immediately in like 25th place, then maybe fell back to 45th on the climb. I still don't get why I SUCK so bad at fast hill climbing, but I do.

However, for the first time in a while, I ran a fast downhill, which lasts a good 1.5 miles down Fox Hollow (where we lived in latter half of '16).

There I passed maybe 20 people, using good hip hinge (butt back, "vag up") and "Salazar Stride". I also just tride to chill out and get breath control.

Ran alongside Nathan Endicott, a part-time hunter (mostly '13-15), who is so naturally fast for how little he runs. But I put some time on him on the down, before being spit out onto the open, flat and pin-straight Amazon Drive.

Managed a 5:2x mile for that (mostly) downhill...then things get real: just flat. No excuses. Another solid masters runner, the 50+ year old Thomas Kretzpeinter, was in front of me. I thought a bit about trying to run with him, but I was conservative, and just looking to survive.

Things got hard from 4-5 miles. The legs were HEAVY. Feeling the 20+ and 5k'+ on Sunday...the track last week...it all came back. But I simply did my best to hold form:

* butt back, vag up (= forward)
* Salazar Stride
* arm swing & cadence

But in that range...I didn't really care if anyone passed me.

But they didn't!

Our friend - and local running coach/supporter Lonn Robertson, cheered for me on his Elliptgo, but also a dude named Chris, behind me. He was beginning to reel me in. At 5 miles, we zig-zag down a block toward the penultimate, and nearly-mile long High Street stretch. There again, I just tried to hone form.

But he pulled closer. And more loud cheers. So I doubled-down:

* more hinge
* more (quicker) arms

And I had a mild ephiphany. As I told Thomas Reiss, just this morning (who is struggling with calf pain), "YOU GOTTA USE YOUR FEET!" I realized I wasn't pushing with them very well. So I got them going. It helped: a couple extra inches - and faster cadence - with each stride!

The High Street Stetch goes from 19th to 5th, then maybe a 75m left turn home straight. As the blocks counted down, with "Chris" still behind, I gave it more juice. That, and the illusion of finishing on 6th Ave instead of 5th got me to push even earlier.

Chris got within a couple seconds of me, but I finished 7 ahead:

36:37 (5:54 pace)

Splits:
6:00 (rolling)
6:25 (UP, then a touch of down)
5:19
5:56
6:02 (pussing out mile)
5:55 (rebound)
1:01
--36:37?

Cool thing is, this is only 16 seconds off my 2014 time. Solid!

CA didn't run super-fast, but it was her first road 10K since her college years, and MAYBE her 6th short race in the time I've known her...which is five years ago, today, on the nose! I met her at Tap & Growler, the afternoon after the race!

I was 26th (and maybe 4th or 5th master). She was 100+ in 42:xx.

I'm happy we did it. It's the start of what July needs to be: "grindy"!

Post-race:
* chatted with Cam Hanes and Lonn a bit
* jogged back to the van
* coffee at Hideaway
* drove down to little Creswell, OR (adjacent Pleasant Hill) for their 4th of July parade
* prepped for the Mt Hood loop!!

Wore my new, next-gen NB 1400s today! Better than the first pair I had (maybe 2011s?). Too much heel drop, but a light but firm(!) sole. Felt solid.