Run 4 Kerri

Results here.  25:16, 6:20 average pace.  36th out of 693.  4th in age group.

I'll get my excuses out of the way right here:

• Two blood blisters on feet from BI Tri just 1/2 day before.
• Legs still beat up from tri.
• Brutal heat and humidity.

Jogged a little with Matthew before race start to try to ease the tight calves.  There was serious competition here.  Could it have had anything to do with the nearly two grand in cash awards?



Small but determined contingent sporting WTAC singlets today
in a sea of many club uniforms



Mike G asked me at the start if I'm going for my PR [24:08].  Ha!  No, I told him I'd be happy with 25, which I didn't quite end up making either.  Lined up with Mark about 4 rows in, sweating away waiting for the siren to start the race.  We're off.  My legs and breathing are complaining to me right off the start. 

The stacked starting line

The first mile is straight on Matunuck School House Road, and I finished that in 5:58, my only sub-6 of the day.  Mile 2 seemed to go by quick, maybe because of change of roads twice, but it was a much slower 6:27.  Mile 3 was a complete suffer-fest and breakdown for me with a 6:37 pace (a full 40 seconds off my first mile), baking in the sun totally exposed on Cards Pond Road with fields on both sides of road.  Although Mile 4 was uphill through a neighborhood with a number of turns, two things kept me going:  sprinklers/hoses and knowing the misery will end soon.  Finished my final mile in 6:17.

Final steps:
finally the race end is within sight

The initial results posted showed me as placing in my age group, but adjusted results showed me missing 3rd place by just TWO SECONDS!  Had I any idea, I could've tried harder at end, but that's OK, I had my day yesterday at the BI Tri, and didn't really feel my results here were worthy of placing anyway.

Seeking heat relief post-race in the cold shower from a fire hose
(l-r) Mark, Mike G, Jeff, Mike C, Matthew

Congrats to Matthew for winning his age group!  1st out of 18 boys in 12&under.  Mark was less than two minutes behind me with a solid 6:49 pace in this heat.  Mike G also placed in his age group with a 2nd.