Return to the ACLI Capital Challenge 3 Miler

And we're off! Shawn is very serious!

It has been seven years since I last ran the ACLI Capital Challenge 3 Miler. I ran a few years with CQ Roll Call in the news division as a reporter can serve as our captain. I organized the teams while I worked there. We won first print media team a couple of times with our stacked team when Amanda, Blake, Shawn, Eugene, and me worked for the company.

Waiting for the start

Now that I am working on the Hill again, I can run for a Congressional team. One problem is that the CAO isn't eligible to captain a team according to the rules. However, a Member can add one runner to their team from an organization such as CAO, AOC, Capitol Police, etc. I had reached out to the race director to ask how I could run, so he kept me in mind in case anyone asked him to fill their fifth slot.

Waiting

The day before the race, I Rep. Conor Lamb's staffer called and asked if I could run with them. A teammate was sick and the race director mentioned my name. They are one of the offices I support in my role as Customer Advocate (Pennsylvania is one of the states in the region assigned to me). I ran up to the office, filled out the paperwork, paid the entry fee, and talked with my teammates. One asked me if I could run 12 minutes. I said that would be close to a world record. She thought I meant I couldn't do a 12 minute per mile pace in which case they would find someone else. I assured them I could do at least 19 minutes for the whole race.

Ready already!

She asked if I had anything with the Steelers colors and said she could provide a Steelers t-shirt. I said if they made me wear a Steelers shirt, I would wear my Patriots hat. We compromised when I decided to wear the old DC Road Runners Club yellow singlet with a black Army hat and black shorts.

Finishing and breaking 18 for the first time!

On May 15, the morning of the race, I walked my wife and son to the Metro, took the Metro to Union Station, then hopped a bike share down to Anacostia Park. I met the Congressman and his staff near packet pickup, dropped my bag in one of the staffer's cars, and then we did a short warm up and I added on striders. I met up with Shawn and ran a little more before getting in the starting corral. Deena Kastor was the celebrity runner and she got the race started then hopped in the back.

First Congressional staffer!

I started out steady and didn't let the fast start pull me faster than my plan, which was to aim for 6:00-6:10. After the first mile, the field sorted itself out and I hit my strider, turning around at the midway point in 9:02. I knew that was a good pace I could hold without overexerting myself. I felt I had a good shot of breaking 18. I didn't pick up the pace too much more and did not even engage a strong finishing kick, saving some for the marathon. There were two runners ahead of me, which I normally would have caught, but they weren't in my division and wouldn't affect my team's score. I crossed in 17:53, good for 15th overall, and first House or Senate staffer. Our team ended up winning first House team by 2 points (cross country scoring where you take the places of all five teammates, add them up, and the lowest total wins). The Congressman said I am welcome back next year.

Motion to Recommit to Running - aka Team Rep. Conor Lamb