Pie Run 2019

Middletown, RI
Thanksgiving Day 2019

My second Pie Run.  I ran this back in 2016 with Matthew, and I was hoping he would run it with me again, but he was playing it safe still returning from his injuries.  I re-read my 2016 Pie Run blog, as well as Tommy 5K's 2015 Pie Run post.

Woke up Thanksgiving morn to 20mph winds.  Maybe I should have checked the forecast before signing up just two days prior?  Oh well.  My competitors would be battling the same wind.  It was "warm" at least, with temps in the low 40s.

Checked in, dropped my gear, and went out for a warm-up.  Easy 1-miler on the course.  Ready to go.

Outbound:  Ran a couple of short strides while waiting for start of race.  Whatever announcements were spoken were kept very brief, and we were off.  As usual, fellow 50-something Scott Grandfield rocketed out.  Back in the day (just a few years ago), I would chase after him and then reel him in a mile or so, but he's actually must faster now, as I inevitably slow down.

This race start photo is almost comical.  Grandfield in red singlet and
gray cap looks fine to me.
To his left, maybe the guy in black should pay attention?
To his left, what direction exactly is the guy in blue long-sleeve headed?  He looks like he's
about to run off the side of the course.  A most unusual bib placement, and gait and pronation.
Behind blue guy is a guy running in a pink dress shirt!
I'm coming up behind pink dress shirt guy, and I think I'm running a normal gait.

Go ahead and make fun of me, but I'm loving my yellow 1500v6 flats.
(And I also love the BISS singlet that owner Jim Ortel gave me.)

Mile 1 was flat and fast.  5:48 pace.  Mile 2 was a slight turn that seemed into the wind, but it was really running into crosswinds.  Still felt fine overall here.  6:05 pace.  At the start of Mile 3, we head down a short hill to Sachuest Point Road.  The lead female catches me here, but as I typically do downhill, I surge ahead and stay just ahead of her until the terrain flattens out again and she goes by for good.  I remember reflecting that hopefully she isn't thinking what a jerk I am for taking off once again once she caught me, but it's just the way I run downhills.

At any rate, the terrain flattens out as we head down towards Sachuest Point, but I try to keep the momentum from the downhill going.  As we start down this road to the beach, I remember this being the exact point that Steve Bousquet (Tommy's Dad) called out to me during the Newport Marathon 2017.  A life gone far too early.

I'm feeling really good and smooth on Sachuest Point Road, running with the wind.  I see the lead police car coming back towards me, with Bronson Venable and another runner duking it out neck-and-neck.  After another 20+ runners go by, I come up to the turn around cone myself.  I really hate cone turnarounds.  The woman in front on me runs straight up to the cone, and then awkwardly goes around the tight 180-degree angle she left for herself, visibly slowing down in the process.  I take my usual wide arch to limit any slowing.  And then I felt it at the turn-around, just before the 3-mile mark:  WIND!!

The first three miles were relatively flat and with the wind.
The return two miles were totally into the wind, with a decent size hill to boot at Mile 4.

Return:  That wind was brutal!  I could feel myself slowing down.  As I'm facing runners now headed to the cone turnaround themselves, I heard my name called several times, but never expended the energy to look or acknowledge.  On the way back, I notice a lot of dogs running on leashes next to their owners.  I can't imagine bringing a dog with this many people, but they don't seem to be a problem.

Up the hill we go.  It's only a 100' hill, but I think it seems more than that because it's gradual and long (almost 1/2 mile).  Running uphill into the wind is not helping, and my average pace is reflected in Mile 4 as 6:57.  Ouch.

Mile 5 should be super fast, as the downhill plays to my strength.  1/2 mile downhill with a 100' drop, and then a 1/2 mile home.  Unfortunately, push as I may, it's all into the wind and I struggle just for a 6-flat pace on final mile.

Making my way through the 3-mile runners
(3rd from back in this pic)

Just before finish.  I look too comfortable here.
Did I push hard enough?

Final results:  31:01, 25th of 744.  1st in age group*.  Full results here.
* - Full disclosure:  I got lucky as we had 5-year age brackets, and I just entered 55-59.

The blanket and large pumpkin pie constituted my age group winnings.
The small apple pie was given to each runner. 
(After all, this is the Pie Run, right?!)

First three miles:  nearly identical splits.  Did I run the same effort this year, or just artificially aided by the wind?
Final two miles:  Much slower this year.  How much of this explained by running into the wind?  Hopefully most, but I intend to return and find out!

This is a really fun race that I enjoy.  The Newport Y is a nice facility.  Not quite as nice as the Westerly Y, but still really nice.  After my solo cool-down (I just missed joining a group cool down), I took advantage of the Y's facility to take a hot shower and change into dry clothes and still had plenty of time before awards ceremony.  Next up is back to Newport County this coming weekend for another of my favorites:  the Christmas 10K!  Hoping for a strong WTAC showing to make their way across the bridges.