BEST RESULT EVER!
My shins didn't cramp this time!
http://www.onlineraceresults.com/race/view_race.php?race_id=8885Look for Mathew Schwager
(it may show 2nd or 3rd but the official result is 3rd) out of 2285 skaters.
Personal best time of 1:14:40
There was a 4 person pileup right infront of me near the beginning of the race.
Half way through I started to feel confident
6 miles left to go I was almost taken out. A person cut in right infront of me, clipped my skates I stumble out of the pace line right into a crack in the road, but caught myself. Also this is a point where the pace derastically picked up but hung in there
3 miles left to go the attacks by groups of skaters trying to break away from the pace line. None of them worked but helped to keep the pace very high
the final 3 miles had a series of 4 tunnels where people were making a "flying" getaway where a single skater thinks he or she can make it happen, but none of them worked, but still helped for the higher pace.
The final mile. 2 people sucseeded in a flying getaway, but 1 of them ended up tiring out and was passed by like everyone.
at the 500m left to go mark I was sitting in about 20th spot and this was time for me to shine. There were 2 90 degree turns that I took so close to the curb that gained me spots and the final stretch where I kept passing people until I crossed the finish line with the biggest smile eva!
3rd overall, 1st in category!
I got to stand on the podium
