NSEF 5K

North Stonington Education Foundation 5K.
Saturday, May 25, 2013

49 degrees.  Rain, wind, raw.  Is this really Memorial Day weekend?

After a brief 1+ mile warm-up, lined up next to Jeff Duda, last year's winner. After an initial gun mis-firing, the race got started, and I quickly found myself in about 10th place, as mostly teenagers bolted out from the start.

Having run this race most years, I'm familiar with the hilly course:  first 0.5 miles uphill, next 1 mile downhill, then turn around and repeat.  After 1/2 mile, I had passed all the teens (actually, they had run out of gas and were slowing) and caught up to the leader.  I hung just behind or next to him the remainder of the course out to the turn-around.  At one point, two deer leaped in front of us and startled me.  He seemed to be running with ease (the leader, not the deer) but mentioned a few times his concern with the uphill return.  Just before the turn-around, I could sense another runner approaching the two of us, and at the turn-around my fears were confirmed: Jeff Duda had entered the challenge.

Hunting an aging gazelle
(Jeff Duda 3rd)

A moderate first mile of 6:05 plus running downhill left me with plenty of energy for the return.  I actually picked up the pace to take the lead and after another half-mile or so, I couldn't hear footsteps anymore.  I don't know any more of my splits, as I tried to silence my watch with it beeping from the rain hitting it, and inadvertently stopped the timer instead.  Didn't notice it until I kept waiting for Mile 2 beep to pick up the pace again, and then found myself within 1/2 mile to finish, where I kicked it in.

Outlasting my competitors at finish line

Final results:  18:31, 5:58 pace.  Full results here.

Slower than my usual 5K, but I'm happy given the hills.  Matthew took 5th overall, followed next by Mike B with a 1st in his age group.  John H won his age group, as did Polly, and Steve placed as well.  Good day overall.