Lawyers 10K

The big early-June 10K around here is the Lawyers Have Heart 10K, run every year on the first or second weekend of June.  I ran it once before in 2010 and I ran it this morning with P__.  This race was not on my calendar, but I got roped into fleshing out an FTC team.

The Lawyers 10K starts on Water Street in Georgetown under the Whitehurst Freeway.  Just after the start the course climbs to K Street, does a u-turn, and continues climbing to Whitehurst.  It follows that road to its end at M Street and continues out Canal Road to the turn-around at the 5K point.  The course then retraces itself with a downhill finish back to Water Street.  It is a deceptively challenging course -- generally flat, but the first hill is hard and there are rolling hills and false flats just when the running is hard.

One note about the start:  I'm not one for gender-bashing, but I couldn't help noticing the men elbowing their way to the front of the start pack.  Meanwhile, Claire Hallisey, a member of the British Olympic marathon team in 2012 Olympics who lives in the DC area, quietly stood to the side in the corral, ultimately lining up three or four rows from the front.  Her 34:34 finish was first among women and 15th overall.  I envy such restrained excellence.

I hate 10Ks.  I hate every race shorter than 10 miles, but the 10K holds a special spot in whatever bodily organ is best associated with hate.  (Spleen?)  Like a 5K or 8K, the 10K distance is too short to pace well.  Unlike those shorter distances, the 10K distance takes long enough to really hurt.  The dead zone between mile 4 and mile 5 is like compressing the last 6.2 miles of a marathon into a one-mile stretch.

After the race I snacked on free Larabar brand "Uber" salted nut bars.  I made it home and found myself sick like at fraternity initiation, later learning that the bars are made with macadamia nuts, my one life-long food allergy.  Tough day all around.  I hope tomorrow's run with Ted goes better!