Apple Blossom weekend always seems to be super chaotic.
Being newer to the area, I am not familiar with all the road closings and
secret spots to park. Rest assured (after 15 minutes of driving around) I found
an amazing spot just a 2 minute jog away!
Expecting to wait in lines, I rushed down a hill and then
patiently waited for my precarious wife to take the same jaunt. When we finally
made it to the registration tent, I was in awe! The “I” to “L” line had no one
else in it! Every other line had a minimum of 4 people waiting. I guess it
finally pays off to have the Ilnicki surname (that, and knowing when a
stranger/telemarketer is calling). Time to stash our shirts and goodie bag and
take off for a warm-up run.
Sara led the way down a side street. We chatted briefly as
we cruised just over a quarter of a mile around an 8:20 pace. With the start
time edging near, we changed directions and headed back.
With about 10 minutes before race-time, my body decided it
was round two for bathroom breaks. I said “Good luck” and “love you” to Sara,
and her the same. My main squeeze now my main competition J
My number 1 goal, don’t let my wife beat me!
Seeing that the line for the main section of Johnny Blues, Ed’s Heads, Port-a-Johns or whatever your
region calls them, going about 20 people deep, I recalled on my previous year
of experience and went an eighth of a mile behind the grandstands. There were at
least 10 bathroom stalls, no lines, and plenty of toilet paper! I finished up
my paperwork, chatted with a friend on goals (mine being anywhere from 7:00 to
7:15 pace. His being much faster) and to
the line I went. As I was getting my second warm-up in, the national anthem
started. Fortunately, I found a spot roughly 4 rows back from the start. “I got
this,” I thought, as I scanned the start for my running buddies. I saw no one…
Mile 1
The first mile is always an interesting one. There is no
true sectioning of predicted paces, and with many people wanting to get noticed
by photographers, friends, family, or just because they think they are the next
Meb, everyone is intermingled. This year, it didn’t seem nearly as bad and most
actually seemed to know about pacing! With the race jitters on full blast, I
took off. Glancing at my watch, I was cruising at a 6:00 pace. Hmmm, let’s pull
back on the reins. I started to slow after the second turn and let the waves of
people pass me. Then, we start heading up the hill by Handley High School. One
by one, I start to pick them off. I also get picked off by a few. However, I do
start to fall into my pace. As I crest the hill, a running friend passes me. We
are exchange pleasantries and discuss pace and goals. The others surrounding us
are in complete silence. We fly down the downhill and cross the grandstands
again. Another rush of energy enters my body as I see my parents and daughter cheering
me on. Man, she’s a cutie. 6:29 first mile! Whoa!
Mile 2
Mile two seemed to go by just as fast. The vigor of the
crowd makes one forget how fast they are actually going. I kept glancing at my watch, trying to slow
down. I was able to slow down a bit, but I felt so good that I decide to keep
the fast pace. Not much to say about this mile. Lots of people, both runners
and fans. Pace was a 6:44 mile.
5K Mark
The fastest that I was hoping to come through this point was
21:30. This would have put me almost exactly at a 7:00 pace, which would have
helped me push even harder. To my surprise, I was pushing it faster --- 21:06.
I know 0:24 doesn’t seem like much, but at this moment of this race, I was
flabbergasted. This is when I started to believe in myself that a sub 7:00 pace
was possible. Up until the start of the next mile, I started doing math in my
head, seeing how much I could slack off and still maintain a 7:00 minute pace.
Oh, and a coworker, Mike, passed me. His goal was around a 7:00 pace, too. I
just wanted to keep him in my sights.
Mile 4
This was by far my least favorite mile. Right before the
marker, there was a switchback. On the way to the switchback, I got to see all
of my (now much faster) running friends. I cheered them on, which in return
made me continue a quick pace. After rounding the corner, I saw my wife and one
more friend and his son (whom he was helping pace). The rest of the mile was
just me, my thoughts, and a head-wind as the road slightly inclined. Seriously,
I had no one to truly pace off of, and Mike was much farther ahead of me than I
liked. I needed to turn it up, though my pace was still good - a solid 6:56.
Mile 5
Powering up the next hill (thank you Front Royal), I was
able to increase my pace and carry it over into the downhill. I was now way out
of my training speed. I started to pass people as I pushed to a 6:30 pace to
catch Mike. Cresting the first little knoll, I was slowly reeling him in. I’m
not sure if he picked up his pace, too, or what, but I needed a boost badly if
I was going to make it happen. I did a quick form check, focused on my breathing,
and thought what else I could do. Then, I remembered RunningDad.com ‘s Jeremy
Sanders’ posts. He always gives out high fives when he runs. I grabbed a cup of
water, doused myself with it, and headed towards the fans. Like a match made in
heaven, a little boy roughly 8 years old caught my eye. He knew immediately
what to do. He threw out his hand, and I gave him the weakest high five of my
life. Yet, the joy on his face put a smile on mine and the run became slightly
easier. I pushed onward to run next to Mike. Mile split 6:59
Mile 6
Just over halfway through the last mile, I was able to catch
Mike. We talked about the pace, how we both were hurting, and how I had nothing
left. I tried my best to keep up with him, but he slowly pulled away by a few
strides. This was probably for the better. If I am running next to someone, I
feel obligated to talk to them. From this little “break,” I was able to
regroup. I did another form/breathing check and focused. Then, like an angel
glistening in the sun, I found my next power boost. I girl was holding a sign
that read, “Push Button for Power.” Boy, did I push that button! Mile time 6:52.
The last 0.2
Holy crap! I made this far with every mile under 7:00! I definitely
didn’t imagine this. As I rounded the corner to get on the home stretch, every
muscle fiber was screaming. My form went to crap, and my breathing was now an inconsistent
struggle to gasp. I was done, ready to bonk. But then, just when I thought I
was going to slowly cross the finish line like a slug on a hot day, I saw
Estella. Man, she’s a cutie. With her cheering me on, I pushed aside the pain,
threw a smile on my face and charged onward! I was even able to pass Mike (even
though his net time still had me beat by 0:01)! Crossing that finish line was
pure bliss! My official finishing time was 42:36!
After thoughts
As I sit here typing this, my wife is mocking me about my
usual sayings, “If I would have ran a little more” or “if I trained a bit
harder” yada yada yada, I completely think of the opposite. I’m darn proud of
myself and what I accomplished. To come back on such a short amount of time and
with not much training, I was still able to push myself beyond what I thought I
was capable of doing. My body was riddled with toxins and most cells were
either dead or dying just a few weeks ago. I’m still recovering, yes; however,
I am still a contender. A few more training runs and some core workouts and I’ll
be back to my old pace. With that said, watch out running world, Ilnicki is (slowly
coming) back!
(My amazing wife, Sara and myself after completing
the Apple Blossom 10K. Photo credits to Kim Ilnicki)
