Race Result

Racer:	Cynthia Couture
Race:	Quantico Down & Dirty Cross Country 8K
Date:	Saturday, April 8, 2006
Location:	Quantico, VA
Race Type:	Run - 5 Mile / 8 km
Age Group:	Female 30 - 34
Time:	0:59:54
Overall Place:	21 / 32
Age Group Place:	287 / 342
Comment:	See the hill, take the hill

Race Report:

Up at 5:30 AM, look out the window and see the forecast rain hasn't materialized and it's 59 degrees out to boot. Time to swap out the tights for the shorts! Little did I know I'd be praying for rain in a few hours.

Coffee & a bagel before taking off. Quantico has same day packet pickup & with the races having a smaller field, it's really no hassle to just get there a little early. Plug in the ipod pre-race playlist in the car for the drive down. A good pre-race playlist will result in one of two things - you'll be ready to a) race or b) invade a small country. If it's a really good playlist, you'll cross the finish line and then find the nearest guy in uniform and commandeer the keys to his tank. (What can I say, I am all about the mental preparation.)

First, new rule: If it's above 57 degrees at the start, just ditch the t-shirt because it's going to be gone by the first mile anyway. Since it's a small race, it's self seeding, so I just started near the back and off we went. I quickly fell in with a group, 3 young men who I am pretty sure were under orders to do the race and a Mom & son duo, the little one being referred to as "Got Milk" for the rest of the race by the four of us, as that was on the back of his t-shirt. And we pretty much only saw the BACK of his shirt the whole time.

I do believe this is what would be referred to as a "technical" course - if "technical" means "at least 75% of it is straight up or straight down". After we took off, we went around some turns and such, nice gravel trail, pretty trees, very nice. And then we look ahead and see the pack turning - someone behind me says, "Why are they going STRAIGHT UP?" This is when I thank my lucky stars I have hills all over my neighborhood. So, straight up we go.

It seems that it's ALL uphill for a while. Really, we have to hit a peak at SOME point right? Finally, we do, and the trail narrows considerably so it's single file down, and pretty much everyone is walking it so as not to fall & kill themselves. Works for me. We quickly get into a routine of more walking than running the ups & downs just to keep from wiping out, but it works - going fast on the flats isn't so bad when there seems to be so few of them. Got Milk is the exception and gets these bursts of speed going up the hills. We are all in awe. I do see a couple Marines wipe out on the downhills - while I wouldn't want that to happen to anyone, it does make me feel better to see it happen to the guys that run here all the time, so I know my inevitable fall isn't so bad.

By the water stop around mile 2, I am still with the guys that I started with - they're trying to hijack the golf cart for a ride back, but to no avail. We get our water and walk a bit and take off again. I hear one say to the other, "You're going too fast!" and he replies, "No, I'm not, I'm just trying to keep up with HER!" and points at me. Yes, you can bet that put a big ol' smile on my face.

We come up to a large puddle and one threatens to run through it and then jumps aside at the last minute - I tell him he's a wuss, and you can bet the next one we hit, we both went straight through it. This also feels really good, because there is still no rain. I am really getting into this now, I am definitely getting in touch with my inner mountain goat. I am taking the downhills without having to slow down much anymore, and my eye/foot coordination is working very well as I'm able to see where I need to be putting my feet going down and I am literally bouncing side to side down these, and having a blast.

Somewhere around mile 3, there are actually stairs going down part of the trail - I am trying to be extra careful on them, but I hit the very last one and it was VERY slick, my feet went straight out from under me and I landed right on my butt. Fortunately, I'm decently padded back there and frankly, I think I bounced. There is a chorus of "Are you OK?" from behind me. "Yes, just extremely bruised dignity!" (I found out later that several people had the exact same thing happen there.)

Through some more flats, and another uphill - these I'm still taking slower than the downhills, and manage to trip or something right at the top of one - no damage done except a slightly scraped hand and a little more mud on me. Back up and at em. Got Milk is still charging along like a champ. In the fourth mile there are some of the most gorgeous views of the Potomac River from the trails - really breathtaking. And the rain starts. YAY! Just a light sprinkle, but better than nothing.

We hit the last water stop - they're telling us just a mile left! I ask, "Really, or are you just saying that to make me feel better?" "No, really!!!" I grab my water, take a couple sips and dump the rest on my head - I'm kinda warm at this point. The volunteer collecting cups said, "THAT is how you do it!!" Off for the last mile. Still more hills, but it's OK - I love the last mile, and frankly, I am really digging the hills. That voice in my head that says, "You can totally run a mile" chimes in just when I need it. We come to a turn and see the finish. Got Milk is ahead of me and the second he sees it, he takes off like a ROCKET. He's got folks at the finish yelling for him and all of us behind him as well, and his mother is trying not to have a stroke trying to keep up with him.

I manage to summon up a last good, strong sprint and am duly rewarded for the effort by several folks watching and yelling for me. I get through the finish, and of course, no one has the keys to any of the tanks sitting around.