Ed Moran's Blog (who was 9th at the Peachtree 10K)- Vol. 1After reading Jacob and Sean’s blogs this week, I felt guilty about procrastinating and forced myself to complete my first contribution to the website. This is my first attempt at blogging, so please be patient. If you are looking for a literary masterpiece, please look away now. Much of my blog will be stream of consciousness, and I can guarantee it will not be as entertaining as Jacob or Sean’s. I do not possess Jacob’s timing, and I have never attempted to clear customs with 4 Ibs. of blow. Also, on a side note, I would like to make this blog as interactive as possible. So, if it leaves you with any questions or if you ever want me to elaborate, just post a comment under the blog. Read more
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USA’s
I arrived at the US Championships with a specific goal in mind, making my first World Championship team. Although my season had hit some rough spots, I was still in the middle of my most consistent period of training in 2 to 3 years. I arrived in Indianapolis confident and ready to compete, I departed disappointed and slightly demoralized.
Unfortunately, nothing went quite as I planned. My brain has deleted most memory of the race, and after only two weeks I can only remember flashes of what transpired. I knew the race would probably be tactical, but I did not expect it to “jog” for 3000 plus meters (8:25 which is about 14:00 pace). During this time, I tried to put myself up front in a good position (it was an added bonus to get some face time on ESPN 2) and prepare for the charge to the finish. When the race finally got going, I was unable to respond and was gapped. With 800 to go I was finally able to get going and closed in 1:59, unfortunately too little too late… 5th in 13:36.
Now I have to wait and see if I make the World Team. My situation is very similar to that of an 8 and 8 team the last week of the NFL season; I will need a lot of help. To make the team, Bernard Lagat must decide to run only the 1500 and Jonathon Riley must fail in his attempts to hit the World “B” standard of 13:28. Needless to say, I am not holding my breath. Riley has been running well this season and has until August 1st to run the standard.
Peachtree
After USA’s I wanted to race ASAP. I decided I wanted to do something a little different and race something “fun,” so I decided to head to Atlanta for the Peachtree 10K, which also served as the US National 10K Championship this year. Never again will I foolishly think a 10K on the roads can be “fun”. From the moment I stepped off the plane, until I crossed the finish line the experience was slightly less than fun.
When I arrived in Atlanta, I was kindly informed that my luggage had been misplaced and that they did not know where it was. Astonishing I thought… Did I mention that I was on a direct flight from Newport News to Atlanta? The attendant told me not to worry. Usually bags showed up and were delivered within 12 hours, so I would have my bag by that evening. Usually I know better, I always pack my singlet, racing flats/spikes, and a pair of trainers in my carry on because of situations like this, but once again; did I mention I was on a direct flight from Newport News to Atlanta? What were the chances my bag would get lost? Several hours past and my bag did not arrive, “Ed don’t panic.” I was lucky enough to have a roommate with the same shoe size, so I was able to borrow a pair of shoes for my pre-meet run. At 8:30pm, about 10 hours after I completed my lost bag claim, I decided to call the airline to check its status. This time I was informed they found my bag (whew), but that it was still at the airport and that they could not guarantee I would have it by 6:00am the next morning. With this information, I got out of bed and headed to Niketown to purchase a fabulous new race day ensemble (that was for you Jacob).
Race day… I woke up feeling a little sluggish, who isn’t at 5:00am, and tried to remove all the negative thoughts about how I felt from my mind. Unfortunately, all the positive thinking in the world does not help when your body is not recovered/ready to race. From the moment the gun when off until I finished, I felt terrible. I went into the race hoping to be the 2nd American and finish in the top 5 overall, but quickly amended my goals. Every step of the way I was earnestly searching for the mile markers, yearning to be within eyesight of the finish line. By the third mile, I was completely spent and shifted from being the aggressor and controlling my group to being completely defensive and just trying to maintain my position. At this point, the little voice in my little head said, “Great idea Ed, Peachtree is going to be fun.” For the next 3 miles, I just stared at the back of Jason Lehmkuhle. Jason being primarily a longer distance guy (15k – marathon), I knew if I could hold on I could be the 3rd American. And that’s how it went… Although Jason and 2 Kenyans opened up a small gap on me, with 400 meters to go with the finish line in sight, I stopped feeling sorry for myself and took off finishing 9th (3rd in the US Championship) in 28:52.
I must admit even with how painful the race was, Peachtree was a great experience. There is just something cool about running through the streets of a major city with 60,000 other runners.
Pan Ams and beyond
My next race is the 5000 at the Pan American games on July 23rd and enter the games with the lofty goal of medaling. Right now my schedule is up in the air after Pan Ams. I am trying to get into a 2-mile in London and/or a 5K in Stockholm in early August, but because the races are IAAF Super Grand Prix events there are no guarantees I will make the fields.
Finally, though the last two races have not gone as well as I hoped, I am still very optimistic about the rest of the season. Training has been going extremely well, and I am hopeful that good workouts will translate into successful races.
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