I took the rare opportunity to run a road 3K at the Capitol Hill Classic. The course was flat with a few sharp turns and a 180-degree turnaround point. Gun went off at 10:30 a.m. in warm, humid conditions (low 70 degrees, 70%+ humidity). Most of the fast people ran the 10K, so the 3K field was light. Another RUNSHARPER athlete got through the 10K in a decent time considering the weather.

Training: This race was three weeks after a 5K race so I started with decent fitness. My hardest workouts were 2x(3x600) at 4:40 pace, 4x .40 miles on the road at 4:50 pace, and 8x200 (25-28s). Weekly mileage (including coaching miles) was in the low 40s. Coming off a 16:15 5K, I thought a finish in the 9:30s was possible. No injuries to speak of. Some sore calves but nothing to worry about.

Results: Second overall in 9:58. Ran the first half in the front group of four. That was reduced to 3 by the turnaround point and started to spread out from there. I spent the second half of the race in second place with a 10 meter or so gap to first. I thought about surging to close it, but the leader looked strong. I kept the effort high to try to gradually reel him back but he stayed away. Finished with a good kick to get under 10:00. Winner is a high school sophomore coming off a 9:55 3200m performance. I lost by 8 seconds. I had a 10 second gap behind me, so I had the cushion to make a risky move for first. I’ll regret not going for it.

Watch GPS has me through the first mile in 5:09 and 5:03 pace for the remainder of the race. That doesn’t match the reported results because GPS thinks the course was longer than 3K even though the map looks right. 5:09 felt fast but comfortable.

Final thoughts: Decent performance for the first time racing a 3K and first time on this course. I didn’t feel the heat too badly on course, but it must have been a factor in a slower race pace than the recent 5K (in high 40-degree temperatures). Northern Virginia Running Club took the team win. I would definitely recommend this race to those in the D.C. area.

-Sam Sharp