Counting the Blooms: Credit Union Cherry Blossom Ten Miler Recap

I woke up early Sunday morning ready to run.  The sun was out, the temperature was in the low 40s, and there was a healthy breeze.  In short, it was perfect running weather.  I met Emily on the metro and we headed down to the mall.

We got to the start area of the Cherry Blossom Ten Miler, next to the Washington Monument, 20 minutes before the start.  Since neither of us were checking bags it was perfect timing.  We milled about, said hi to people we knew, and lined up in our start corral... or so we thought.  As it turns out, we (along with many other runners) were outside the fence from the start corrals, so we ended up starting with a bunch of runners pacing about a minute per mile slower than we intended to run.  Oops.  At least we had a chance to take a pre-race photo while we waited to get inside the fence.

There are some races you run for time.  The Cherry Blossom Ten Miler is not and never will be one of those races.  It's a crowded race along a course that narrows at points, making it a nightmare for people who a) want to PR, b) don't like crowds and c) start in the wrong corral.  Emily and I decided before the race to take it easy and enjoy ourselves - if some space opened up later in the race we would take advantage of it and pick up the pace.  For the first six miles or so, the course was this crowded:

Somewhere around mile 3, we started counting cherry blossom trees in bloom.  There weren't very many.  Emily started counting in the Count von Count voice, laugh and all, which really amused me but probably annoyed other runners around us.  The stretch on Hains Point is pretty but boring, so this provided us with some entertainment.

When Emily and I split up around mile 8.5 I picked up the pace and headed to the finish. The course had opened up and I was able to weave in and out of other runners pretty easily. I was prepared for the hill at mile 9.5 and kicked it in to high gear.  I crossed the finish line sprinting, feeling great, and completely unaware of my time.

After the race, Emily and I met up with some friends at Brunchnic.  Brunchnic is one of the best ideas I cannot even remotely claim credit for - everyone brought a dish and we had a brunch picnic on the grounds of the Washington Memorial.  Some non-runners staked out a spot and got the party going while the rest of us were racing.  It was a short walk from the finish line and a wonderful way to unwind and relax after the run.

Apparently a Sesame Street reference, a long run, brunch, and being outdoors on a beautiful early spring morning are all I need for a perfect Sunday.