At the Monument Avenue 10k, the Bell Tolls for Me

Ever since I started running, I have loved long distance. The longer, the better.  One of the things that really excites me about college is that I will be shifting from running 5ks to doubling the distance.  

Last weekend, I ran the Monument Avenue 10k and I must say it went very well! According to Running USA, the Monument Avenue 10k is one of the 10 largest road races in the United States. It is far different from the 5k cross country races that I am used to. The most obvious distinction is that it is longer, but the atmosphere and the general vibe of the race are extremely different as well. Despite its scale (it has more than 21,000 runners), one feels a sense of welcoming. Spectators line the streets with funny and supportive signs and volunteers holding water dot the median. Truly, it is a sight to behold. 

Here I am with members of the Patrick Henry Ashland Cross
Country team. I am on the far left, in the incredibly cool
shorty shorts.

Even in the festive and  friendly atmosphere, I could not help feeling slightly overwhelmed on the starting line. Once the gun went off, however, all of my self doubt and nerves vanished.  I was not running alone, but with a "team" of thousands of runners and thousands of cheerful smiles greeting me along the route. Among these faces was my mom, armed with her traditional "Monument Avenue" cowbell that I had discovered in our field when I was very young.

   

With so many spectators, there was not a single second of the race when someone was not cheering me on. Positivity was in the air.

From signs reading, "Smile! You Paid for This!" to one of my coaches high-fiving me at the first mile marker, the race went quickly. Passing through the 2 mile marker, I distinctly remember thirst, a feeling that would remain for the rest of the race. I never stopped for a drink as the two mile sign became the third, then the fourth, then the fifth. There is just something about hundreds of people cheering that keeps a guy moving. Nearing the finish line, a familiar sound rang out, as if it were shouting my name: my mom with her cow bell. Somehow the clanging of that ancient two-pound copper bell pierced the roaring applause of hundreds of bystanders, signaling the end of my race. 

My main goal was to beat my time from last year, 34:04, and as I crossed the finish line, I smiled:  33:54.  I had done it! Alongside setting a new personal record, I was overjoyed to learn that I had successfully defended my title from the previous year as the first place winner in the Men's 15-19 division, finishing 16th overall, an improvement from last year's 23rd overall.

For all the results from the Monument Avenue 10k, click Here!