When I run through Gas Works Park in Seattle, I feel like I’m a child admiring a world untainted, set in 1957. There are couplings having picnic, kites, birds, rolling green hills, Lake Union, remnants of coal gasification plant scattered, set against the 50’s sounding, Wallingford neighborhood. It doesn’t seem like anyone is concerned with anything but the moment.
A friend encouraged my racing the Seattle Marathon 10k. I think, because she saw an opportunity where, perhaps, I could pr, win $, and represent BDP. I operate really well under the guise of, “Hey, you should do this.” Pre-race plans were to 1) not work a bar shift 2) maybe eat pizza 3) try really hard not to drink wine 4) read with my feet up 5) get more sleep & 6) drive myself at 4:30 am.
I had a small pocket of anxiety that I wouldn’t wake up in time. Happily, I did, with toast and pb and coffee. Put on my spandex and made the drive in the dark through blooms of fog. It was a sing-to-radio morning. Checked in at Gas Works and curled into the front seat of my car to read. During the reading I couldn’t take a deep breath and realized my nerves about the race; a feeling I hadn’t had in a while (new territory?). Something about the speed work needed to accomplish the goal left me anxious. In the warmup, the feeling dispelled. I like the Burke-Gilman trail, and a flat 10k was a lot more manageable in my mind than a multi-elevated one. Upon entering the start I saw Bennett, a fellow wwu cross country and track and field alum I love to bump into because he’s magnetic. Our intentions were the same. The race director, a cute woman with thick black circle eye frames walked to the start identifying her choice of female winner and posing the question, “I’ve got my money on this girl. Who’s going to take her?” It was quiet.
Once the race began, I developed a race strategy, which I then quickly tossed aside. The first strategy was to keep myself in check for half the race, because the most important factor was obtaining a top 5 finish for monetary value, not about the time, which wouldn’t or shouldn’t be a true indicator of ability for that distance in the center of Chicago training. Within a minute or two I just went for it. Went the pace that felt natural, felt great, wondered if I could maintain, decided to think about that later. Based on cheers and jeers I felt I had a small distance from second place. There was a good hill in the middle that I let up on. It wasn’t until mile 5 with a hairpin turn that I could see where everyone was in relation to one another. What I wanted was to let up, have a little more fun and work a little less, but I saw that I had not created this great margin, and that if I wanted this bad enough, I needed to maintain speed if not pick it up more, because who can compare hunger a mile out from the finish? Passed the 6-mile, and entered into Gas Works to the finish for first. After, I felt weird, like, What Just Happened? I think I enjoy the 10k distance, the pace is a little more manageable to find than that of the 5k, 1/2 or full. I filled a goody bag and walked down to the water amidst swarms of geese and felt more than anything like diving in; I just wanted to be very alone. Quiet and chilled. I felt thankful.
-Courtney, C.A.
Noble Chiropractic
119 Grand Ave
Bellingham, WA 98225
(360) 671-7067