This race was originally scheduled for October 6. Due to the government shutdown it was postponed to November 10. (The majority of the route is along the George Washington parkway which is part of a national park). I lucked out with being able to do this race. The original date was the same as Crawlin Crab.
Unfortunately, not everyone who initially signed up was able to participate, but the race directors offered deferrals and bib-transfers. I can’t say that many races would be so courteous to participants. I’m terribly sorry to those who were unable to participate due to the postponement.
I signed up for this race on a whim. I had been feeling really sad and blah toward running following Crawlin Crab, so I decided to do this race as a way to pull myself out of my rut.
Man, did it work.
I actually slept and properly fueled for this race. A rare feat given then I don’t exactly make the best decisions in the days leading up to a race.
Chris and I woke up at 4:30am and got ready to go. It was chilly, but manageable. He drove me over to the starting area (this is frowned upon because they arranged for buses to take patrons to the area). I’m a rule breaker. We didn’t have any issues getting over to the start. He dropped me off and headed to National Harbor while I hung out with my mother-in-law and waited for the race to start.
The race began right on time at 7am. I crossed the starting line just a few minutes after and ran the first two or so miles with my mother-in-law. Her legs are much longer than mine and as I tried to keep up with her pace, my knee began to ache so I fell back. We all have to run our own race and I didn’t want to keep her from a PR.
The course was gorgeous, even with it’s rolling hills. The trees were still covered with leaves, pretty much unheard of by November, and the colors were vibrant. The sun was shining. The air was crisp. No major wind gusts. The course went along the river. It was perfect.
For the first eight miles of the race, my view was the same as above. During mile 8, the scenery began to change and before I knew it I was approaching the Woodrow Wilson bridge. My iPod decided to be funny and played “Suckfest9001″ by deadmau5. I laughed and got into the beat. After tackling the long bridge, I was ready to be done. My legs began to cramp and I was beginning to lose my mojo.
don’t be fooled, this gradual incline will kill your calves!
my expression for the majority of the race
Lucky for all of us runners there was a beast of a hill at mile 11. How cruel to have that so late in the race. I wanted to cry, but I knew for every uphill there’s a downhill. At mile 12, I got to run on gravel and right before the end of the race it was very soft gravel. I forced myself to walk because I was unsure of how my legs would’ve responded to the uneven surface after running on pavement.
mile 12 gravel area plus sweet view of the bridge
I crossed the finish line feeling like death. I gave that course everything I had and it resulted in a new personal best. Yesss!
Other things to note about the race:
1. Gatorade/electrolyte drinks are not offered at every water stop. I was surprised to go six miles before getting something other than water.
2. This is a point-to-point course. You begin in Virginia and end in Maryland. It was cool to cross the state-line during a race but it made it hard for Chris to catch me during it.
3. You do not get a race shirt with your registration. They give you a draw-string bag. While I like the bag, I’d much rather receive a shirt. It’s like a badge of honor. I also think that chairing an additional $25 for a race shirt was a bit ridiculous.
I would recommend this race to anyone looking for a Fall race. I just suggest that you train for hills especially late in your run.
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Have you ever done a point-to-point race? Give me all the details.
What did you have for dinner last night? I’m in need of some new recipes.