This morning was a race directors dream. Ok maybe this is. Regardless, the weather was absolutely perfect for a race. Bluebird skies, peak fall colors, indian summer temps, good breeze. Nevertheless, I almost didn't run it. Last night at 11PM, I was contemplating driving to North Conway for the White Mountain Milers half-marathon. I really wanted to, but then I realized that I've done exactly zero road runs > 8 miles in length this year and my handful of trail runs longer than this have been at easy paces. So a half-marathon wouldn't have been pretty. I really wanted to do the Franklin Park 5K at the Mayor's cup, but I had to be in Gorham at 12:30 for a USM open house for HS students. So I stuck to my plan and did the Great Pumpkin 10K.
The Great Pumpkin course is flat. Very flat. But it's very open and there always seems to be a good breeze. I don't really race road races. I time-trail them with the Garmin 305 as my rabbit. McMillan gives me my expected time and pace and I take of like a very steady robot. It's not pure but it gets the job done.
Over the first 3.5 miles, I steadily passed a few runners, more from them slowing down then me increasing my speed. I felt great and in control. Somewhere after the 4th mile was where I got my side stitch last time I ran this course (2006) so I really focussed on my breathing at this point. Near the end of the 4th mile I could feel a very slight stitch but I kept it under control. I picked up my pace after mile 5 and passed my last runner. At 5.2 miles, I looked at my watch and saw that I had exactly 6 minutes to break 38 flat. This assumes that there really was 1 mile left and not 1.0xxx miles. I was running as fast as I could and paying a steep price in oxygen debt. Turns out I had 1.03 miles to go, which at a 6:00 pace should take 6:11. My time crossing the finish line was 38:10 or maybe 38:11 but my official time was 38:12.
I'll take it - 38:12 is a 51 sec PR. 11th overall, 7th age-group (wtf?). And for the 1st time in my life, in a Portland-area race, I was the first masters runner not running in a Dirigo singlet! So I guess I got Dirigoed.
And my glutes-hamstrings have staged a coup.
Splits:
6:12
6:09
6:11
6:09
6:10
6:03
5:50 (for .23 mi)
Well done, Jeff! Great report! Congrats on a great race... you got a lot to be proud of with that sucker.
ReplyDeleteThanks Jamie - I keep sending an "I'd like to run that trail you ran this morning" comment to your blog and it keeps telling me I need to sign in!
ReplyDeleteJeff, awesome race! And great to see you last night too.
ReplyDeleteYou would have loved it. Many, many awesome trails in my area, I have to have you guys come over sometime.
ReplyDeleteyahoo, Jeff, nice PR! and nice language!
ReplyDeleteIt was the veggie chili.
ReplyDeleteAWESOME job Jeff!!! Congrats on the PR. What is going on in that age group, man - there are some seriously talented dudes!
EPO? Seriously, the talent is awesome.
ReplyDeleteYay! Great job. Now I'm even more convinced pork not pasta for the pre-race/run meal.
ReplyDeleteOnce again, great job.
ReplyDeleteReally interesting insight on time trialing vs. racing. I never really thought about it that way, but you're dead on. Unless you're in the top handful of runners, aren't we all just time trialing? The only difference is that in a race, you're not time trailing alone: plenty of motivation in the guise of other runners. Since I'm never in the top handful of runners, I always go into a race with a time in mind, never a place, and I guess my "race plans" are really "time trial plans."
I haven't stopped thinking about Franklin Park since you mentioned it the other night. I think I still have a pair of spikes...might have to break 'em out next year!
Nice work! Just goes to show how strong the masters community is here in Southern Maine.
ReplyDeleteRyan: that's why we need to host a New England Trail Running Club Championship with scoring similar to HS/college XC - that is runners 6-7 don't score but they do displace. That way everyone is racing!
ReplyDelete