PUBLIX Carnaval Miami 8K

24:36, 2nd Place Overall / Road Personal Best

3-03-2006, Miami, Florida (7:00PM)
SPLITS- 4:50, 14:44 (9:53), 19:53 (5:09), 4:42

* What a day. Awoke to an easy, but stiff 6-mile run on the canals in preparation for tonight's race. However, before that I awoke to my wife waking me up at 6:45AM for my birthday present... a weather gauge (I always check the weather before I run), followed by a baby book on zebras and a small baby's shirt (boy's). Soon it hit me: we are expecting!!!

Alright, moving on, I felt so full of running, as I had not done a workout since my 20-mile fartlek on Monday and with mileage on Tue-Thu, I was ready to run fast- workout fast. The last time I competed in this race, now 7 years ago as a young 21-year old, I managed to win in 25:48, which is also the year I set most of my track PR's (8:26/14:28), so I have come a long way in becoming a road racer. Anyway, I did not expect my main competition to be here tonight: Ronnie Holassie, as I thought he was already off in North Carolina preparing for his sub-2:15 Boston Marathon attempt. But, lo-and-behold, who was at the start- Ronnie Holassie.

Holassie has won this race about a dozen times, whereas I had won this race once (1999-25:48) and placed 2nd in 2000 in 25:51 while sick. I think Holassie had the course record at 24:16, as best as I can remember and as far as records go back. He usually wins with around a time right at 25-minutes, depending if he is pushed. Well, after watching Madelyn race (and place 3rd for girl's) and the race 15-minutes late, I was ready to get going.
I went out hard. I do not train at night because of my poor vision, and so I had no concept of how fast I was going, but no one was with me. Approaching Mile 1, I saw, blurrily, high-4:30's and into the 4:40's as I passed- ouch, a little too fast, but I was keeping it. Finally, after 1.25 miles, Holassie announes his presence with a clip of my heel. We run side-by-side until he pulls away at 1.5 miles. I run back on him once, he pulls away, I come back on him a second time, and once again, showing my immaturity, I surge to pass him and put him away. Problem is, is that it's onlyl 2 miles into the race and I accelerated on top of 4:50 pace, which ended up hurting me and loaded me up with lactic acid. As I start crashing, Holassie is gone in a heartbeat. We bend around the turnaround in darkness, I almost go the wrong way (thank goodness for the guys yelling "left! left" as I would have disappeared into the darkness, and get back on Calle Ocho (8th Street) for the run home.

We had been facing a headwind on the way out, and now with the tailwind behind us, I started trying to relax and let my training take over. I have been averaging 90-mile weeks since January with solid workouts, so I knew I would come around. Finally, by 4 miles, I was rolling again, but unable to see Holassie. Passing 4 miles, I know I have the opportunity to run a personal best, if I can hold it together and accelerate. I really start opening up and finish the best I have ever finished, just about. I really wished this race was a 10-15K, as I could have continued on, but I ran out of room.

Holassie sets a course record, 23:59 (4:50 pace)... so he basically just held the pace I set, and I rolled in 2nd in 24:36. What a great feeling to run well. I cooled down with my high school coach, Steve O'Brien for the last mile of his race, and then raced my sister, Rebecca (and her boyfriend Joe) home the last 800m of their race.
The FIU guys ran solid, all in the lower-27's and Elliot Mason (FIU alum, Antiga) represented in 3rd place with a 26:14. Overall, a great event and the reason why I run this race every year when it falls on my birthday. A PR on the roads, what a way to celebrate my 28th birthday and the announcement of a new Rodriguez on the way...