I Run

I wasn't so sure if I'd be able to make this race. The weather forecast looked pretty dire and I fully expected it to be snowing by the time I woke up. But there was no snow yet, so I went through my usual pre-race rituals at home (coffee, peanut butter on toast, banana, shower, etc.). Deciding what to wear took up most of my time since at my house it was cold enough to wear layers. But the forecast for Amherst showed a high of 37F, so I went with shorts and a couple of light layers on top, plus a hat and light knit gloves. It was a good choice, except for the hat, which turned out to be too hot.

When I got to the race location it still wasn't snowing. I parked then walked the quarter mile or so to get my bib, chip, and shirt. Then back to the car to drop off the shirt and take off my sweats and jacket. I warmed up for a mile or two, then it was time to be off.

The first three miles of the race were fine, but I couldn't really settle on a pace. I figured just do what was comfortable for now. After mile three there was a pretty good hill, and then we hit a section of dirt road. It was pretty much icy and I could feel my feet slipping a bit, but I was used to that so it didn't really faze me.

I didn't hit splits on my watch at the mile markers. I'd just glance at it and calculate my pace. I was off my most recent half marathon pace by a few seconds but I really couldn't afford to increase it since I didn't know the course and what to expect later.

After the hill and the dirt, the course pretty much leveled out, and I think it was even net downhill for a few miles, which was nice. Sure, there were some rolling sections but nothing big. Water stops were placed every two or three miles and offered Powerade and water. I'd never tried Powerade, but I took a cup and when I saw that it was an incandescent blue I thought, "Yeck". I took a couple of sips and it tasted OK but dumped the rest. That was the only sustenance I took on the course.

After about mile six I increased my stride and stride rate. It felt OK to do that so kept at it. Rain and sleet starting coming down around mile seven and I wondered if I was going to have to take off my glasses. But I kept them on since I really didn't want to carry them. After mile eight we were back on the road we came in on, and there was a good hill, a little bit of a level off, then another hill just before the final half mile or so. I wasn't feeling speedy, but I was feeling strong. People passed me because they had a better kick than I did, but I plodded along.

The final stretch had us wind around the school parking lot which was a little disconcerting because you come in and see the finish line and all these people cheering just for you. And then you run away from them. And in another 30 seconds you come back and run across the mat.

I came in at 1:12:28, which was about where I wanted to be. 1:10:00 would have been nice, but at least it was under 1:15:00.

Post-race goodies were a quarter mile away in the same school where we picked up the bibs. I had some pizza, some great Greek yogurt that was full of protein, and some Powerade (red, not blue).

Then I ran back to my car to try to beat the worst of the storm home, which I just managed to do.

All in all, a fun race, a great challenging course, and lots of very speedy runners. It's a great way to spend a late February day.

# posted by jm @ 3:05 PM