The Alabama A and M 10k is a race that I love to hate. The conditions are so extremely brutal that the race delivers the ultimate beat down and leaves you with nothing left, yet that is part of the lure to compete. The temperatures typically are in the low 80's, the humidity is high, the sun is blaring down on you and the two hill climbs in the final two miles are humbling to any runner. While this race does not draw the same crowds as Cotton Row, many prefer the low key nature and appeal of this event.
I have done moderately well in the race over the last couple of years, finishing 4th in 2009 and 6th in 2008 and had hoped for similar results this year. I had a good day at Cotton Row by by standards and I was fairly well rested coming off of a week of vacation where we just hiked every day in the US and Canadian Rockies.
Official Race Results
This picture is a great synopsis of how I felt in the second half of this race.
From the start, I tried to run even effort and not go out too fast as I had done in 2009. I knew that the I had to put some time in the bank for the second half of the race, but if I spent too much energy on the flats, I wouldn't be able to grind it out on the hilly half. Josh Whitehead left the pack early on, leaving a small group of us to run together. While not looking around much, I think it was Trip Richart, Donald Bowman, Emily Hardin and Jon Elmore that had split apart from the pack by the 1/2 mile mark. I did not know Trip before the race and with the way he was staying with the pack I thought that he might make things interesting for top 3 placement. We went through the first mile in 5:41 and I was still feeling pretty good.
As we made our way west on Chase, I took the lead of our pack and Donald and Trip went with me. I tried to through in a few surges to shake Trip, while knowing that Donald would most likely get the best of me with his current conditioning. On each surge, both Donald and Trip would cover the distance. By the time we hit the cone turn around on Mooresmill, Josh easily had a minute on us (in the first mile and a half). Coming off of the turn, I chose to let Donald lead and pace off of him for awhile. Unluckily I was unable to stay with him and despite going through the second mile in an even 5:41, Donald was pulling away.
I grabbed some water at the aid station and with a quick gulp and douse on the back of the neck, I continued to chase Donald. He stayed in sight as we now ran west on Chase, crossing the railroad tracks and started the climb toward the campus loop that we would repeat twice. I crested the top of the hill near the aid station, clocking a 6:06 third mile, putting my three mile split at 17:28.
The fourth mile is one of the fastest miles in any local road race as it drops about 75' from the top of Chase to the south entrance of the campus. I tried to increase my leg turn over but I was still a little fatigued off of the slight climb from the tail end of the last mile. I was able to split a 5:58 bringing my time to 23:26 through 4 miles. That would be the last fast mile of the race for me as I was starting to wear down in the heat and the hills were about to start.
As we started the climb up Morrison Circle, Jon Elmore, who had covered the distance between us in the last mile, passed me as I started to walk on the hill climb. Jon has been running some great 10k's lately and looked strong and light as we trotted up the hill and left me behind. I took about 20 steps of walking before the top of the hill where I started to jog again. Jon quickly put 50 meters on me before we came back through the starting area. I was just trying to hold it all together, including the sick-to-my-stomach feeling of racing at this intensity.
As we crested the incline after the starting line, I was starting to feel a little better and covered the distance that Jon had on me and just as we got to the eastern edge of campus, I was just meters back. The loop here is a hard right with a 150 degree turn. Jon kept going straight for a few steps out to the triangle around the police car and I yelled for him to turn so he would not run the course long. I had hugged the corner tight and took back 3rd place, though Jon hung strong into the aid station. I wouldn't find out until later that Jon was just as sick as I was and the course was taking his toll on him as well. Coming over the top of the hill and starting to weave in and out of people on their first loop, I split the 5th mile in 6:46. Now I was just trying to hang on and told myself that I just had to run strong for another 8 minutes or so.
Making the turn for the second time into campus, I tried to sneak a peak to my right to see where Jon was but I couldn't spot him. I thought that I saw Emily, but couldn't be sure and Trip could be sneaking up on me too, yet I wanted to hang onto 3rd so I dug deep running toward the hill. Passing by team mate Katie Maehlmann who was out cheering on her husband Rick and taking pictures, I approached the hill, but was reduced to a walk again by the middle of the climb. Just as the previous loop, I started to run again by the top and picked up the pace. By the 6 mile mark, which I clocked in 6:32, I was feeling strong again.
Making the final turn, I did look behind to make sure that I was not going to get passed in the last section, I stepped up the pace a little. I didn't see anyone close, but I did see the clock and realized that I could push a little and still come in with a respectable sub 38 despite not really having much all day. I saw the clock as I crossed the line and it read 37:59. A far cry from my best on this course but given the conditions, I was glad that I survived yet another Alabama A and M beat down.
Congrats to Josh Whitehead who ran a very fast time and just had a fun time with his gas station sun glasses. Also to the Nike Fleet Feet Racing team who placed twice in the top 3 overall (Donald Bowman and myself) and 7 of the top 10. We also took top of the top 3 female places (Candace Jacobs and Kathy Youngren). Together we all suffered, but together we all overcame the adversity and difficulty of this course.
Here are the top 25 finishers.
1 Josh Whitehead - 33:31
2 Donald Bowman - 36:33
3 Eric Charette - 37:59
4 Emily Hardin - 38:19
5 Jon Elmore - 38:59
6 Trip Richert - 39:33
7 Robert Youngren - 39:41
8 Candace Jacobs - 39:55
9 Gregory Reynolds - 41:20
10 Joe Francica - 41:22
11 Dewayne Satterfield - 41:31
12 Randy McFarland - 41:36
13 Blake Thompson - 41:39
14 Barry Ege - 42:15
15 Edward Blankenship - 42:25
16 Keith Buell - 42:37
17 Kathy Youngren - 42:52
18 Brett Wilks - 43:08
19 Jeff Hager - 43:10
20 Steve Rice - 43:18
21 Nathan Graham - 43:49
22 Rick Maehlmann - 44:36
23 Vito Pulkis - 44:48
24 Mark Speer - 46:01
25 Jason Mitchell - 46:33
Here are the race details from my Garmin http://connect.garmin.com.