Izumo Ekiden 2007

Time: 39:18
Distance: 7 miles

Today's race is broadcast live all over Japan. It is a big deal. We boarded the bus and headed to our respective starting positions with the student assigned to us. My leg started in front of a library and when I got there all the runners were hanging out in an empty room upstairs. Most had their shoes (Mizuno or Asics) off and were sitting on mats or blankets they brought. Some listened to music, others played on their cell phones and some chatted with a teammate. For the most part, it was quiet and very serious.

Once the race began everybody starting moving around and headed outside. The camera crew was huddled around a small television watching the lead off leg. Max was running well in the chase group. A runner from Chuo University took it out in 57 (400m), 90 (600m) and about 2:03 (800m). The alternates on the team thought he was fucked but he managed to hand off with a lead of about 21 seconds. Max ran a great leg and handed off tied for second in 23:11. Tarpy took the sash and ran a decent leg. I believe it was the 5th fastest of all the runners on the second leg. He didn't look great from 4k on, but he held it together and gave the sash to Jon Marcus in 3rd place. The Ivy League was well on our way to a top ten finish.

I started my warm up of 19:34 shortly after Jon Marcus took the sash. I headed out on the beginning portion of my leg. It was not too windy but an ever so slight breeze was in my face. The roads were still a bit slick. I popped a caffeine pill that tasted terrible before starting the warm up. My legs were feeling fresh. I returned to the start of my leg and mingled with some of the other runners. I was able to watch a portion of the race on a younger runner's cell phone. And I thought my iphone was sweet. By this point Jon Marcus was nowhere to be seen. He didn't have the best of days. He fell from 3rd to 12th and ran the slowest leg of the 21 runners. Maybe it was the shapes he was cutting the day before the race.

I took the sash about 250m behind the team in 11th place. I wasn't completely sure what place we were in but I focused on the Waseda University's (I think) runner's back. It was cool running past the drumming fans and those waving flags of the respective universities. I enjoyed hearing the women and children saying "gombate, gombate" (spelling?) to me as I passed. Since my leg started at the 22.3k mark it wasn't until after 700m that I got my first split of: 2:19.48. My following k splits were: 2:55.77, 2:57.56, 3:03.31, 3:07.12, 3:10.39, 2:10.99 for 19:44. I was hoping to run 19:30 at the slowest and closer to 19:15 if I felt good. I ended up being 9:51 at the 3.25k mark which was half-way. So I ran the second 3.25k in 9:53 or so. I ended up with a stitch around the 2k mark and hand trouble breathing the rest of the way. I never really made up any ground on the runner ahead of me until the 4k when he pulled away. I was able to salvage my split on the final 800m mostly downhill section which I covered in 2:10.

Once Courtney took the sash, he like me never was passed or passed anybody. He ran an average leg giving the sash to Sundell. Steve turned in the 7th best time on his leg but couldn't catch anybody. He nearly got a guy at the line but was back by a second. It was disappointing to get 12th when we had such a good chance of breaking the top ten considering the legs of Max, Tarpy and Steve.

I didn't feel motivated to run a cool down. So I didn't. We headed over to the closing ceremony and were depressed not to get called up in the top ten. Later, the team went to the Izumo athletic complex to watch the alternates (Ben Stern, Alasdair and John Traugott) run the 5k on the track. Ben ran a smart race to finish in 14:31 just missing his pr.