Newport, RI
Sunday, December 8, 2019
This is definitively one of my favorite road races of the year. Yes, this time of year you are subject to the whims of the weather, and I've endured a few adverse weather Christmas 10K events, including cold rain, frigid temps, bone-chilling winds, seaweed-strewn roads, and plumes of salt water jumping over the walls at the ocean and onto you.
Fortunately, none of those tribulations would befall us today. While we woke up to temps in the teens, by race start at 10am the temperature had risen to about the freezing mark, and we were also rewarded with sunshine and a dearth of wind. After a short solo warm-up on the course, I shed my outer layers, joined my WTAC comrades on the starting line and was ready to go.
WTAC and Christmas 10K newcomer Nick Alge asked me if the course was flat. In a gross oversimplification just before the start, I told him the first two miles were slightly downhill, the next three flat along the ocean, and the final mile slightly uphill. So here's my account of those six miles today:
Mile 1: After running in the USATF-NE mountain series this summer, truly this entire course is just so flat. For comparison, in the final two miles of the championship mountain race (Waterville) you dropped over 2,000', while the maximum elevation during today's race was about 55' above sea level, thus no single drop more than 50'.
Nevertheless, between the euphoria of a race start and the ever-so-slight downhills, I went out for my fastest mile in a 5:44. By the end of the mile, the lead police car and lead runner (Bronson) were well out of my sight, as were the top five or so overall runners.
Mile 2: After running on my own pretty much thus far, a trio of competitors comes up on me. Surely Jonny is amongst them. But no! It is a guy in gray striped shorts, a tall BISS guy (who post-race introduces himself as Ian), and Jackman. All three go past me, and I latch on. Jackman is pulling away, and I go ahead of the other two and stay right behind Jackman, but alas I can alone run that for 1/2 mile at most before he pulls away for good. The end of Mile 2 is a slight downhill for the start of three miles of gorgeous oceanside views. Mile split 5:53.
Mile 3: This is the most beautiful mile of the course. Ocean Avenue with expansive view of the ocean, out to Brenton Point. Pancake flat. The gray striped shorts guy seems to drop off, but Ian and I battle back and forth, exchanging the lead as we both maximized the tangents here. Mile split 5:58.
Mile 4: Continuing mostly with ocean views here. Ian drops back and I'm in no mans land. Where is Jonny?! I hear a loud foot-slapping runner coming up on me. That can't be him. Nope! It's a guy in a RIRR orange singlet. He easily goes past me, but I keep up my sub-6 effort (barely) to close out the mile in 5:58.
Mile 5: Final mile along the ocean. At this point, we've rejoined the walkers who are on a shorter 3.5 mile loop. In some years, a few of them were in my way, but with the numbers down quite a bit lately (200 running finishers today vs exactly double that in 2012), they were never an issue. Towards the end of Mile 5, Jonny catches me and gives me a slap on the shoulders as he goes by. Finally. With just a mile to go, I hang pretty close to him, as we turn off Ocean Ave and head to the finish at Rogers High School. Still sub-6 with a 5:59 mile split.
Mile 6: I remember in years past this seemed like a long mile, but the advantage of familiarity after all these years is that really goes by quickly. With maybe 1/2 mile to go, someone comes flying up on me. It's Zak Kudlow. He quickly goes by me, and chasing Jonny just ahead of me, as we turn left, for the final dash to the finish. A short downhill and he's right on Jonny's tail. But there's still an uphill to go and I'm happy to see my teammate widen the gap and finish ahead of him.
Final results: 36:37. 10th overall out of 200. 2nd in age group. Full results here.
Jonny bests Zak by four seconds, and I'm ten seconds behind Zak. I'm surprised to learn that Ian is just seven seconds behind me, as I hadn't seen or heard him in the final two miles. That's why you always have to keep your game on, and I wonder if I subconsciously slowed a bit after Zak went passed me.
Regardless, I'm super happy with my time, and my 2nd fastest 10K ever. One second faster than last year, and just 15 seconds off my PR in 2012.
Went for a nice 3+ mile cooldown with Steve Brightman, Jonny, and Chris (and first mile only with Ian). One mile on hilly, sometimes techy trails across from the high school, and then three on the road. Still got back before the much delayed awards ceremony.
WTAC won 2nd team (TNT was 1st). We got two cases of mixed Budweiser beer, and it was hard to give away. I took a few for an annual family holiday party we host, and other team members took a few, but I think Chris got stuck with most of it. I picked up my individual award, and then about ten of us headed to the Brick Alley Pub for libations and food. Another great day out in Newport for the Christmas 10K!
Sunday, December 8, 2019
This is definitively one of my favorite road races of the year. Yes, this time of year you are subject to the whims of the weather, and I've endured a few adverse weather Christmas 10K events, including cold rain, frigid temps, bone-chilling winds, seaweed-strewn roads, and plumes of salt water jumping over the walls at the ocean and onto you.
Fortunately, none of those tribulations would befall us today. While we woke up to temps in the teens, by race start at 10am the temperature had risen to about the freezing mark, and we were also rewarded with sunshine and a dearth of wind. After a short solo warm-up on the course, I shed my outer layers, joined my WTAC comrades on the starting line and was ready to go.
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| First, second, and third for WTAC today. Nick Alge, our newest WTAC member, on far right in yellow. (Pics courtesy of Jana) |
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| Pre-race antics: Jonny (67) is really enjoying the feel of his new winter beard. I (193) apparently think this is a zombie run. Kevin (directly behind my left shoulder) is trying to escape my stench by covering his mouth and nose. Chris (right-most green WTAC singlet) is either whispering sweet nothings into the blue guy next to him (204) or he's nibbling on blue guy's shoulder, but either way Ian in BISS singlet (5) wants nothing to do with his antics. |
Mile 1: After running in the USATF-NE mountain series this summer, truly this entire course is just so flat. For comparison, in the final two miles of the championship mountain race (Waterville) you dropped over 2,000', while the maximum elevation during today's race was about 55' above sea level, thus no single drop more than 50'.
Nevertheless, between the euphoria of a race start and the ever-so-slight downhills, I went out for my fastest mile in a 5:44. By the end of the mile, the lead police car and lead runner (Bronson) were well out of my sight, as were the top five or so overall runners.
 |
| Turtles to the left, WTAC to the right, here we go (a poor rendition of the line "Jokers to the left of me, clowns to the right, here I am ...") --- Note a surprisingly very overdressed Dave Schaad to Jonny's right. I remember racing against him in singlets and short shorts in the coldest of February Super 5Ks not that many years ago. |
Mile 2: After running on my own pretty much thus far, a trio of competitors comes up on me. Surely Jonny is amongst them. But no! It is a guy in gray striped shorts, a tall BISS guy (who post-race introduces himself as Ian), and Jackman. All three go past me, and I latch on. Jackman is pulling away, and I go ahead of the other two and stay right behind Jackman, but alas I can alone run that for 1/2 mile at most before he pulls away for good. The end of Mile 2 is a slight downhill for the start of three miles of gorgeous oceanside views. Mile split 5:53.
Mile 3: This is the most beautiful mile of the course. Ocean Avenue with expansive view of the ocean, out to Brenton Point. Pancake flat. The gray striped shorts guy seems to drop off, but Ian and I battle back and forth, exchanging the lead as we both maximized the tangents here. Mile split 5:58.
Mile 4: Continuing mostly with ocean views here. Ian drops back and I'm in no mans land. Where is Jonny?! I hear a loud foot-slapping runner coming up on me. That can't be him. Nope! It's a guy in a RIRR orange singlet. He easily goes past me, but I keep up my sub-6 effort (barely) to close out the mile in 5:58.
 |
| Flashback to 2012 Christmas 10K: I can't tell exactly which mile this is in, but Scott Mason captured this nice shot somewhere in the middle miles along the ocean. (Apparently I tucked my singlet in back then?) |
Mile 5: Final mile along the ocean. At this point, we've rejoined the walkers who are on a shorter 3.5 mile loop. In some years, a few of them were in my way, but with the numbers down quite a bit lately (200 running finishers today vs exactly double that in 2012), they were never an issue. Towards the end of Mile 5, Jonny catches me and gives me a slap on the shoulders as he goes by. Finally. With just a mile to go, I hang pretty close to him, as we turn off Ocean Ave and head to the finish at Rogers High School. Still sub-6 with a 5:59 mile split.
Mile 6: I remember in years past this seemed like a long mile, but the advantage of familiarity after all these years is that really goes by quickly. With maybe 1/2 mile to go, someone comes flying up on me. It's Zak Kudlow. He quickly goes by me, and chasing Jonny just ahead of me, as we turn left, for the final dash to the finish. A short downhill and he's right on Jonny's tail. But there's still an uphill to go and I'm happy to see my teammate widen the gap and finish ahead of him.
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| Jonny holds off Zak, winner of 2010 edition. |
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| I am a fashion connoisseur, with my clash of colors: green singlet, blue shorts, red gloves, and bright yellow shoes. |
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| Feeling pretty good finishing up. |
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| Yes! Happy with this finishing time. |
Final results: 36:37. 10th overall out of 200. 2nd in age group. Full results here.
Jonny bests Zak by four seconds, and I'm ten seconds behind Zak. I'm surprised to learn that Ian is just seven seconds behind me, as I hadn't seen or heard him in the final two miles. That's why you always have to keep your game on, and I wonder if I subconsciously slowed a bit after Zak went passed me.
Regardless, I'm super happy with my time, and my 2nd fastest 10K ever. One second faster than last year, and just 15 seconds off my PR in 2012.
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| After a long hiatus from my initial foray in 2004, I've run most years since then. If I continue this year's trend of taking one second off the prior year, I will beat my PR at age 71. Yeah, that will happen. |
Went for a nice 3+ mile cooldown with Steve Brightman, Jonny, and Chris (and first mile only with Ian). One mile on hilly, sometimes techy trails across from the high school, and then three on the road. Still got back before the much delayed awards ceremony.
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| Boxes upon boxes of famous Allie's Donuts awaited us post-race. I have 1/2 doughnut. That was tasty, but enough. Quite sweet. |
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| My award: a "lapdesk" to support my laptop and mouse while sitting on couch at home typing this blog, and a funky extension cord / power pack. |
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