Loco Half 2018

Newmarket, NH
Sunday, October 28, 2018

As I write this now almost four weeks in arrears, I am reminded of the benefits of a more timely race post.  Chief amongst them is the memory retention of finer race details.  Here is my recollection:

Having not realized my goal of a fall marathon due to working my way back from an injury, I at least wanted to work in a half.  I picked the Loco Half as it was billed as relatively flat, fit my schedule, and was in the next town over from where Matthew goes to school at UNH.

We drove up the afternoon before, in torrential rains and winds so strong that it knocked power out at our hotel for several hours.  While the rain had largely stopped by race start the next morning, it was still only 39 degrees and drizzly.  Pretty raw.  The course was a one-loop half marathon, with 10 miles on road, and 3 on dirt railway path, with the full marathon being two loops of the same.  I lined up in about the second row, and ran a few strides to both keep warm and get the legs ready.  I was wearing short shorts and a singlet, which was fine, but in retrospect, should have at least added gloves.

Self-explanatory course map

Cool bib!

Left in the dark, and then you park about
a mile away in an industrial park, for the short
school bus shuttle to registration / start.

Chilly, just before the start.
As usual, I'm dressed much lighter than most runners. 
My only regret was not wearing gloves.

Hemmed in a little bit at the start on a narrow street.
(You can see me under the first "T" in start, green WTAC singlet, bib #888)

The start with a RI connection:  Despite over 600 runners toeing the line (250+ in full, balance in half), the mass starting crowd thinned out fairly quickly on very rural roads.  About 1/2 mile in, I came up on a guy wearing a blue Block Island Sports Shop singlet.  It was early enough in the race that I felt comfortable talking, so I asked him if he was from Block Island.  No, but he knew the owners well.  He seemed surprised that I knew Jim and Marion Ortel as well (maybe I should have worn the blue BISS singlet that Jim kindly gave me?) and he asked me if I knew another RI guy by the name of Steve Brightman?  Yeah, I might've heard of the dude.  Turns out that's his uncle.  He asked me what pace I was looking to run, and I think I said something like between 6:10 and 6:30 (my only goal to myself was sub-1:25), and he said he'd try to stay with me then.

With my new BISS friend,
with a crowd behind us.
About Mile 1.
(PS - I love those race that give you free pics with no watermarks,
just their logos)

Close-up at about the same place.

I welcomed the company, but unfortunately he only stayed with me for about 1 1/2 miles.  For a race billed as perfectly flat, it wasn't quite that.  A few rolling hills in the first few miles.  Nothing big at 40 - 50' climbs, but not quite flat. 

The middle miles:  After 5 miles, the course takes a very sharp left turn onto a slightly busier state highway.  Cones demarcated the runners' lane on the far left.  There was just enough room to pass runners, which was good because over the next mile, I passed three runners.  I first passed "Blue Singlet", a really fit looking young runner, and then two other non-descript runners.  The non-descripts gave no answer at all to me passing them, but Blue Singlet immediately jumped on my tail where he would be for the next eight miles.

About Mile 6.
Blue Singlet right on my tail, followed by a random guy
we both just passed.

Looks like I'm clenching my fists here.
Poor form, right?

Somewhere in this section, it started to rain again.  Not a pouring rain, but given the temps in upper 30s, puddles on roads, and raw conditions, the ensuing light but steady rain soaking me did NOT feel good.  My hands just never warmed up the entire race.

The slippery rail trail and finish:  Just before the ten mile mark, we made the final sharp left turn on to the Rail Trail, where we would be for the remainder of the race.  This trail is a mix of gravel and dirt.  It looked it was actually "plowed" for the race, as you could see a litter of leaves piled to both sides.  So you could see the surface where you were going, but that didn't necessarily make it easier.  Just a 1/4 onto the rail trail, and I just slid in mud.  I thought I was going down, but I recovered, and the next mile plus was just a very careful choosing of terrain, staying out of the deeper puddles where possible, and choosing the few sections of gravel or grass as they were more stable.  I figured my 1:25 was out the window and my pace did get progressively slower (my Mile 12 was my slowest at 6:35).  After that, I either got better at choosing my foot plants or just got lucky with terrain, or maybe simply knowing the end was near, I was able to pick it up.

Blue Singlet came right up next to me a few times in the final mile, and since he had comfortably trailed just behind me for eight miles, I knew he was just biding his time to pass me.  Sure enough, with about 1/4 mile to go, despite me picking it up for my fastest mile at 6:07, he went past me with laying down the hammer.  I went right after him, but was not able to catch him.  I stayed fairly close, finishing the race a mere six seconds behind him.  For reference, both the next guy ahead of as well as behind us were a full two minutes ahead and behind, respectively.

Just before the finish line. A bit muddy and wet.

This is right at the finish.
Blue Singlet in lower right, and me trailing him by 20 meters at most
(my head obscured by the gloves of guy in red jacket clapping).

Final steps before finish.

And that's a wrap.
1:23:57 on clock is my gun time, 1:23:55 chip time.

Final results:  1:23:55, 4th overall of 350+, 1st in age group.  Full results here.

What I did not know was that I had finished fourth overall!  That, plus beating my goal by more than a minute, made me pretty happy!  Waited for awards (fortunately you just had to wait for results, and not an awards ceremony), and then took the short bus ride back to the parking area.  Blue Singlet sat in the seat behind me, and tapped me on the shoulder and offered me some of his 3rd place prize winnings saying I had done the work by pulling him along, but I declined and said thanks, but he earned it.  Cold, cold, rainy day, but overall this wasn't just another race for me, this was a confidence builder after an abysmal summer for running for me.

My loot for winning my age group:
a nice cinch sac, arm warmers,
a koozie, and a pair of "Darn Tough" socks.

Mud-splatter legs:  a sign of a good trail race.  But, this was a road race, right?