Roll The Credits

It's officially over...it's time to move into the off-season! I gotta say, I'm grateful.

On Sunday morning, I rolled out of bed, hit the metro and lined up for my last race of the 2010 season --- the Marine Corps Marathon 10k.

Overall, it was a great race. Very well organized and a wonderful way to experience the MCM...without having to actually log the miles. Now, for the particulars ----

Pre-Race
I took the metro down to the Smithsonian stop with all the other cold and blurry-eyed racers. Upon arriving at the station I bumped into a fellow STC-er. How random! We huddled in the station trying to stay warm as long as possible before ascending to the Mall to start acclimating...or more precisely...getting in line for the bathrooms.

The Race
The starting line didn't seem terribly organized. Everyone found a spot and then started running.

It was a bit different to start a race hitting my nemesis --- the 14th Street bridge --- so early. We then wound down into Crystal City and then on toward the finish at Iwo Jima.

I'm happy with my run. My goal was to run 1:05:00 and I finished in 1:03:ish.

When I looked at my splits I noticed I seemed to have gotten a bit bored/lacked focus at mile 5, which I remember was just a long stretch of somewhat lonely highway by the Pentagon.

The finish was incredible. Now I know why folks talk about the emotional finish up the hill. The crowds were already lined up at the finish and Marines we standing shoulder-to-shoulder as the road turned up the hill to the memorial.

After The Race
DC is such a small town. I ran into a number of folks from the world of running and tris, as well as folks from my high school.

Before heading home, I headed down to the Lincoln Memorial to cheer on the marathoners who were just finishing up mile 16. As in the past, I was incredibly moved by these runners and their incredible journey at the MCM.

What's Next
I did say it's the off-season, but I'm sure I'll find myself at a Turkey Trot or Christmas Race before the year's out.

That being said, I've learned that a bit of time and distance does make the heart grow fonder...or at least when it comes to races...gets me itching for a new adventure. Watch out 2011...who knows what's in store.