posted May-27-2007 01:43 PM            

This was just the 2nd time I've run this race, and only the 4th race I've been in that was longer than 4 miles. I convinced myself that this past week's race preparation, which consisted of 1) commuting to work on my bicycle on Monday-Wednesday, then resting Thursday and Friday, and 2) being very hydrated all day on Friday and staying that way Saturday morning, would help me finish in a time much closer to the 68:30 McMillan predicts for me based on shorter races, than the 78:58 I finished in last year. Last year, after all, I was ignorant of a lot of things encountered in a race of this distance, and I felt well prepared, right up until about 5 miles into the race. But I'm getting ahead of myself.

Conditions: Bright Unfettered Sunshine, no wind, 80F.

The race starts on a village street, follows a series of county roads for exactly 3 miles out to the local Indian Ladder Farm apple orchard. The next 2 to 2-1/2 miles is run through recently cut grass in the meadows that comprise the undeveloped portion of the farm. The final 4 miles or so is back on pavement. There are water stops at ~ miles 1.5, 3, 5.25, 5.5, 6, and 8. Several of these stops are just cardtables manned by neighbors along the way who just love to refresh and encourage the runners with ice cold water, which explains the 3 stops in about 3/4 mile at one point.

My strategy was fairly simplistic. I learned last year that I did not want to enter the meadow tired, or I would exit the meadow exhausted. Hoping to run 8:00 splits overall, I planned to run between 8:00 and 8:10 for each of the first three miles, pick up the exertion level to hold that pace through the meadow, and run the last half of the race in sub 8:00 miles. I executed the plan pretty well for the first 3 miles, hitting the orchard in 24:12 (8:03 pace). Unfortunately, I did not run with a watch, remembering that several of the water stops provided race times last year. This year, they did not! So I only know that I ran strong through the orchard and passed one or two other runners during that time who seemed to have gone out too fast.

I stopped at every water stop along the way, dumping a cup of water over my head, another cup on my back, and drinking a cup. This worked quite well, as the heat was not bothering me until I had left the orchard. About 100 yards out of the orchard and back on pavement, I got a miserable stomach cramp. It was also at this point that the runner ahead of me followed the course's hard left onto a heavily treed road, and for the first time I felt I was running alone. This is an uncomfortable feeling for me in a race, and I find myself distressed emotionally when it happens, questioning my ability to get back in the race.

I maintained this position relative to other racers for the next mile or so. Right at mile 6, one of the runners I had passed in the orchard (that guy that went out too fast ) passed me, going up a hill. I congratulated him on his attack of the hill, but he was wearing an iPod and made no response. I decided at that point that I was glad he passed me with 3 miles to go, as I'd rather be right behind somebody than despairing over my inadequecies in the middle of a difficult race. Shortly after he passed me, he made an illegal hard left turn (he took a shortcut ), cutting about 300 yards off of the course.

Another 1/4 mile later, I was back to feelings of despair, wondering why in the world a 42 year old guy who's really just an over the hill offensive lineman, not really a runner, would put himself through this agony. This was the hardest part of the race for me, and instead of stringing together those sub 8:00 miles I needed in order to get a 1:14:00 - 1:15:00, I struggled along at between an 8:30 - 8:40 pace, leaving myself open to getting passed by more runners. Fortunately I was only passed by one more runner the rest of the way, a 30-something female who is also from Voorheesville. I felt at the 8-mile point that the competitive part of me was all used up, and I just wanted to finish and get more water in me and on me.

Then, it happened. Maybe 200 yards from the finish, three finishers were on their "cool-down" lap, heading straight towards me on the course. They weren't on the shoulder of the road. They weren't on the sidewalk. They were running three abreast, clogging the road that I needed to pass in order to get to the finish line. Has this ever happened to you? How do you feel? I was pi$$ed!! I headed straight for the guy in the middle. They held their ground. I picked up the pace. I put my head down. I prepared to throw a wedge-breaking block into them that would convince them from now until next year's race that this type of showboating was unacceptable. Yeah, okay, so I'm a big, slow, over-the-hill former football lineman, and you're a fast runner. I get it. Well, about 2 steps before we collided, the three runners with the running club singlets graciously made way for me. I even got a "heynicefinish" out of the one in the middle as he jumped out of the way.

I turned onto the Village's main street with just over 100 yards to go. The woman who had passed still had a comfortable lead in front of me, and though I never looked behind me, I got the feeling there was no one behind me. I focused on the clock above the finish line and watched as 77:59 clicked to 78:00, and each second passed until I crossed the line in 78:10. 4 minutes slower than I'd hoped for, and just 48 seconds faster than last year; but at the same time, 48 seconds faster than last year!

I don't know my place, either overall or in the 40-49 AG (again, another decade AG - whatever happened to 40-44, 45-49...?). But I'm going to take a stab and say 45th out of 90 overall, and probably 17th or 18th out of 20 in the M40-49 AG.

Today I'm still kicking myself for not making better progress since last year, but I'm also reminding myself that McMillan doesn't include meadows in it's calculator, so to base a 15k cross country race prediction on 5k road race performances is folly on my part,

Other notables: My wife and daughter marched with the Girl Scouts in the parade, and my oldest son marched for the first time as part of the High School's Marching Band.

I'm hoping that someone took finish line pictures - I know I saw someone with a camera with its lens staring right at me as I approached the finish, but I have no idea who it was, or whether they are selling the photos online. If I find one, I'll post it here.

bty

I'm not making up the part about the wedge-breaker. My state of mind at that point was sufficient to take out all three of those guys. Not an admirable position for a church elder, for sure, but there it is.

[This message has been edited by Better than yesterday (edited May-27-2007).]

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posted May-27-2007 02:07 PM               

TomS

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posted May-27-2007 02:10 PM            

............nice racing.......and Great Blocking.......

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posted May-27-2007 02:37 PM            

Good job on getting back into the race after a tough spell.

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posted May-27-2007 03:33 PM               

A 48 second PR is nothing to complain about!

BetterThanYesterday -- Indeed!!!

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posted May-27-2007 03:56 PM            

I think you went into this race with a reasonable plan, given previous races and the McMillan calculator, but without a watch you can never be sure if you were too quick early on.

If that guy who cut off part of the course ended up figuring in the awards, I would have ensured he speak to the RD and DQ himself, and as for those bozos who were in your way at the finish, that behavior is unacceptable

Still, despite the issues, you ran a good hard race. Spareribs

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posted May-27-2007 04:05 PM            

Great job, great race, great report. WTG

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posted May-27-2007 05:10 PM               

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posted May-27-2007 08:17 PM            

TomS - I ran into one of my former teammates while warming up for the race. He's still quite big and is not a runner, but I told him I'd be carrying "The Lineman's Flag" during the race. (Come to think of it, it would have made a nice jousting pole)

tomwhite - There wouldn't have been a flag, would there? I mean, they're done running, so they're technically part of the field (I Mean course) at that point, correct?

ptbrown - good point, but the funny thing is that the heat generally doesn't effect me in training runs. In fact I like to run and cycle in the heat. Most of my training runs are done at high noon on a blacktop biketrail, so I usually feel like I have an advantage going into races "in the elements".

hermosa - I'm almost hoping somebody took a picture of that part of the race and not the finish - I'm sure I was running faster at that point! And you're right - I don't want to dound arrogant - a 48 second PR is good, and I'm thankful for it.

Ribs - Yes, that's exactly it. The weather leading up to Memorial Day has been relatively cool, even "cold" in the last few years, but it never fails to be miserable hot by 1:00 PM on race day. In fact, the year before I started running in this series (there's also a 2 miler) we had 4" of snow on May 18, and the little league games were snowed out. This year it wasn't that cold, but race day was significantly hotter than what I've trained in for the past, oh, 9 months.

mariposai/Papillon - Funny thing is, they were my age! I didn't know it at the time, but they were all hardware winners in the M40-49 AG. Makes me sorta regret that they got outa the way.

And SteveP, of course you are correct. It's all supposed to be about family, community, tradition and fun. But when it comes right down to it, I'm competitive as #ell!.. and it Did make me smile, ultimately,

I neglected to mention in my Race Report that for the first time that I can remember, I was able to hear my sweet daughter's voice singing out, GO DADDY! just before the finish line! I gave Mary a big thumbs up. It really made it all worthwhile. She's going to run part of the half-marathon (in my Dad's memory) with me next week at the Relay for Life. She's the only one of my kids whom my dad never held as a baby - she was born 6 months after he died.

[This message has been edited by Better than yesterday (edited May-27-2007).]

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posted May-27-2007 08:46 PM            

John

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posted May-27-2007 09:20 PM               

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posted May-27-2007 09:43 PM               

ksrunr

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posted May-27-2007 11:16 PM               

quote:

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Originally posted by Better than yesterday:
TomS - I ran into one of my former teammates while warming up for the race.

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beginning to see a pattern here .... jk
This thought did stand out tho -- don't think you should be the one feeling inadequate being passed by someone who took an illegal shortcut. There is the one who should be feeling inadequate. You earned your time. Ron Daw's book Running Your Best has an interesting chapter on mental conditioning that you might enjoy. You are a fine runner. Don't sell yourself short. cj

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posted May-28-2007 09:02 AM               

As a fellow Cap Dist runner (Delmar); I know how these early hi-temp days can tax our energy. Seems like it takes folks like us here in Upstate NY 'til almost July before we get fully acclimated to running hard in heat and humidity--and then there's no stopping us!

Never done this race, have to try it sometime, 15K is a good distance and not too common in the vicinity.

Have a good summer--I don't race too often, so not sure when I'll get a chance to meet you. Gonna start my training for NYCM next month. Maybe I'll see you later in the summer, (e.g., Bethelem X/C runs in August?)

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posted May-28-2007 10:16 AM            

I've never run a 15K and have nothing intelligent to say about your race, but I enjoyed your interesting report, as usual. Your time was a solid improvement over last year--take it and run with that, so to speak.

I am built more like a wide receiver, but I must confess, years ago I knocked someone on his @$$ who was blocking my way. And that was on a training run. Sometimes I can get a little too aggressive: betraying my background as an Infantry Sergeant.

Dark Horse

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posted May-28-2007 10:18 AM            

quote:

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Originally posted by cajohnson5:
Ron Daw's book Running Your Best has an interesting chapter on mental conditioning that you might enjoy. You are a fine runner. Don't sell yourself short. cj

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BTY, I really enjoyed your RR. I certainly understand the mental conditioning issues: it's a very difficult thing for me. Maybe we can start a Group Read of CJ's book...

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posted May-28-2007 10:25 AM            

[This message has been edited by tomwhite (edited May-28-2007).]

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posted May-28-2007 01:59 PM            

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posted May-29-2007 09:52 AM               

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Holly

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posted May-29-2007 10:16 AM               

But any time you beat your previous record, it's a "better than yesterday" day!

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- Runnin' in Rochester

Rochrunner

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posted May-29-2007 10:38 AM               

You should be proud of all that you have accomplished and great attitude too.."48 seconds faster than last year"!

Have a great time running with your daughter next week in your Dad's memory, now that really is what it's all about!!

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"Keep on Running"
Bob

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posted May-30-2007 04:41 PM            

The Race Director faxed me the results yesterday, and I did better in the overall and AG standings than I thought:

OA: 29 / 87
M40-49: 11 / 23 (or if we kick out the cheater, 10 / 22 )

I think it's possible the heat was more of a factor than I had calculated. The winning time in 2004 was 51:35. This year it was 60:29. In fact 60:29 would have been good for just 7th overall in '04. That seems quite significant.

bty

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posted May-30-2007 05:50 PM            

Anyway, thanks for sharing your emotions so freely. I could relate to some of those feelings and appreciate the validation.

Congratulations on shaving 48 seconds from last year's time. Well done.

I liked reading about the wife and kids and the little slice of Americana your village presents.

Very nice.

(p.s. the r.s. played tackle and guard on the line when he was in high school)

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posted May-30-2007 06:36 PM            

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