Weekly Log 20-Mar to 26-Mar-2023: Final Winter Activity in a Pathetic Winter

Monday:  10 cross-country ski

Granville, MA.   Final day of winter, with spring arriving about 5pm today.  I'm really disappointed with the pathetic winter we've had in RI.  I can't remember a winter with less measurable snow than this one.  We had four inches of snow on the ground for one day this winter, and that was about it.  While I'm sure climate change plays some role and we may never see the kind of winters from decades ago, hopefully this was still an outlier.

Wanted to get at least one day of cross-country skiing in this winter, and this was it.  Fortunately, just a two hour drive away, there is plenty of snow as western MA got hammered with feet of snow just a week ago.  I was getting a little nervous when I was a mere 15 miles away and there was still no snow on the ground, but the scenery went from bare yards to yards buried in snow very quickly.

I think it had been a few years since I've been on XC skis and it took me a little bit of time getting used to.  After struggling and getting my [rented] boots into the bindings, I stood up and promptly fell on my kiester!  Nothing hurt but my pride and no one around to witness it.

Had a fun go of it and after a few awkward missteps, it all came back to me.  I wouldn't say my balance issues went away, as I also fell going down a hill awkwardly, but I got better at it.  It was 31°F at the start but I quickly warmed up and even had to come in to the lodge to go with lighter clothes than I was wearing.  Changed out of insulated running pants into running tights, and that worked much better also.

This is just a great cardiovascular exercise that is complementary to running.  I hope a lot more XC skiing is in my future.

Started out on the beginner field ...

... before going on to more challenging trails.  Note the maple
sugaring lines here as well.

Skiing in a running quarter-zip was just right.  Had to
swap out above hat though for a standard tech running
cap.  There are literally feet of snow out here!

Tuesday:  2 walk, 8 run

AM:  Westerly, RI.  CCC.  Clearing Larkin Foundation at Grills.  This dates to the mid-17th century and is easily overgrown.  We made a lot of progress, but will likely go back next week to finish the job.  Should've taken before and after pics, but I didn't.

PM:  Hopkinton, RI.  Late afternoon run with Brady.  Very warm near 60°.  Dirt road Arcadia loop.  Made sure to stop at streams and rivers for him.  

Wednesday:  14

Westerly, RI.  Coastal loop from home.  Three mile warm-up, then 2 x (3 MP, 3 recover), two mile cool-down.  Had trouble to maintain pace, but overall this was a good effort.

Thursday:  6 walk

Westerly, RI.  Led Thursday WLT hike from Wahaneeta into Woody Hill, and also WMLT property including the rock outcroppings and ravines north of Woody Hill Marsh.  14 humans and Brady.  Took just over 3 hours, including stops for me to explain some of the history and features.  After returning home and getting lunch, then a 2-hour wait that I need post-meal, I lost interest to run.

Friday:  20

Charlestown, RI.  Nice late morning run with temps in upper 40s, low wind, and partly sunny.  Parked at Dave's Coffee, ran a big loop including Quonochontaug, Burlingame Campground, Kings Factory, Shumankanuck, Buckeye Brook, and Route 216.  Lots of rolling hills which eventually wore me down.  Stopped at about 15 miles in for a quick pee break, and it was really hard getting going again after that.  Final mile was a big downhill that I finished out in 6:09.  Average pace 7 flat.

Big mistake post run was not getting protein quick enough.  Waited almost an hour before getting lunch and by then I was really weak.  A tuna fish sandwich eventually gave me some strength, but I should know better not to wait so long.

Saturday:  6

Charlestown, RI.  Recovery run on Burlingame perimeter roads with Brady.  Got this in just before the rains arrived.  Pretty empty and quiet.

Sunday: 9

Charlestown, RI.  Arcadia dirt roads with Brady, Matthew, and Andrew (UNH teammate of Matthew's who moved into the areas).  Unlike yesterday at Burlingame, today was a sunny day with temps in the 50s and every parking lot we went past in Arcadia had quite a few cars.  Arcadia is big enough that it was never crowded, but just more activity than normal.

Unfortunately, the gates on Plain Road and Blitzkrieg Trail, which are closed all winter, are now open allowing vehicular traffic.  Again, it never gets busy, but it's nice to run in the middle of the road without issue.

One of the successes today was nabbing fresh swordfish from
Stop & Shop at $12.99/lb instead of the usual $22.99/lb!
Picked up some fresh asparagus (on sale also), put them on the
grill along with some littleneck clams my Mom gave me yesterday
from a fisherman friend, seasoned the swordfish with some
olive oil and cajun spices, and had a great meal cooked on the grill.

Weekly mileage:  57 run, 10 xc ski, 8 walk

Weekly synopsis:  Pretty good week overall.  My run mileage wasn't really high, but again I feel the cross-country skiing is complementary to running.  I know a few runners from northern New England that switch from running to cross-country skiing in the winter.  Also, I got in a workout and a long run, so that's good stuff.

Weekly highlight:  The cross-country skiing!  Something I'd like to do more of in the future.

Weekly lowlight:  Five weeks post-ankle injury, having my ankle swell up again.  Not as bad as original, no associated pain, but still annoying as the swelling never went fully away and I don't know what caused this sudden flare-up.  I've been "behaving myself" by not running any trails other than super flat and short, so what gives?  My previous x-rays ruled out any break or stress fracture, so that's good.  May seek the advice of a PT on strengthening and healing the ankle at this point.

O'Niantic 5K

 
East Lyme, CT

Saturday, March 18, 2023

Coming off a surprisingly good 5K race just two weeks ago (PLR, USATF-CT, 17:39), where I was a mere seven seconds off my PR.  That piqued my interest in racing another 5K soon.  I searched for a relatively flat race coming up soon and relatively nearby, and eliminated any where the course was not USATF-certified.  Two races came up on today's date:  Mystic Irish 5K (Groton) and O'Niantic 5K (East Lyme).  After researching both, I quickly ruled out the former as 1) the website was lacking (no results, etc), and 2) there was a cone turnaround, of which I am the slowest person on the planet to navigate.

Signed up for O'Niantic.  As long as you signed up a minimum of one week in advance, they mailed your bib out to you saving the need to wait in any bib pick-up lines race morning.  Brilliant!

With my bib already on my race singlet, I arrived 8:55am for a 9:45am start.  Plenty of free parking close to the start/finish.  As I got out of the car, I was quickly reminded of how this was NOT a competitive race.  I saw plenty of people with bibs pinned to the outside of their sweatshirts, jackets, and even one woman with a bib pinned on her jeans.  I imagine a walker and of course they're all welcome, but selfishly, none of these people will be helping to pull me along on the course.  

No line at the porta-jons, so a quick visit there, and then I ran most of the course.  A couple of turns in it became obvious I'd be dealing with a north headwind for a few sections.  Ugh.  Got back in plenty of time to strip down to short shorts and singlet, change into race shoes, and use the bathroom.  Yes, again.  Actually the 5th time, but who's counting.  These short races really do a number on my nervous and GI system.  Ran over to the start hoping to get in a few strides, but it was mobbed.  Found a side street to run strides on, and ran into WTAC teammate Bob Kerwin.  Lined up on the front line and ready to go.

There was a young fast looking kid on the front line as well.  He asked the race starter how long until the start.  He was told they're about to start the wheelchair start, and then another 30 seconds to general start.  With that, he near sprinted off to a nearby porta-jon.  I was surprised he risked it, as I would have never made it, but sure enough with just a few seconds to spare he was back on the starting line.

Mile 1:  The horn went off, and we were on our way.  Fresh off his successful bathroom sprint, the kid took it out hard and had a commanding lead by the first turn.  A guy presumably in his 20s asked if anyone knew whether the kid was shooting for 15 minutes or 16 minutes.  After no response, he said, "Well, I'm going to go for it.".  Good luck.  And he was gone after the kid.  After a fast half-mile east, we turned north for a quarter-mile into the wind, before another turn.  Mile 1 split 5:39.  Slower than what I was looking for, but not bad.

Mile 2:  Almost the entire 2nd mile was into the wind headed north, with a fenced off military reservation on our right and in sections a river or estuary on our left.  On the long stretch out, I could see three runners ahead of me (2nd - 4th place), but once we reached the northern most turn in a neighborhood, I was in no man's land.  In my mind, I was reminded of Matthew's comment ahead of time that the lack of competition would hurt me and I think it did.  I just kind of naturally slow down when I don't see anyone ahead of me and I'm not being challenged from behind.  A few quick turns in the neighborhood, where I didn't see any other runners at all, and we were back on the OAB long stretch between the military reservation and the water.  Mile 2 split 5:57.  Ouch.  Well, any shot of a PR is officially gone.  Just finish the race.

Mile 3:  Now heading south, I could once again see the three runners, now far ahead of me (all but the lead kid).  After two more turns, I turned onto the main road, and saw one runner not too far ahead of me.  This guy was the one that sprinted out after the leader at the beginning, going for 15 or 16 minutes. There were actually quite a few spectators in this area, and one yelled out to me, "You can catch him!".  He was right.  I was quickly up next to him and went past him on the penultimate turn.  However, as I did, it was clear he still had a little something left in the tank and he took off repassing me and stayed ahead of me.  Mile 3 split 5:44.

I made the final turn, where I saw the clock was already 18:0x and ticking.  Just about gave up as I slogged it in a very disappointing 18:16.

Final result:  18:16, 5th overall of out 852.  1st in age group.  Full results here.

At the finish line with WTAC teammates
Keith and Bob

I was really disappointed in my finish time.  Instead of coming anywhere near close to my PR, I was a full 45 seconds off.  Felt pretty embarrassed, actually.  37 seconds slower than two weeks ago.

My anger and self-pity wore off a bit when I was leaving the finishing chute and a spectator asked me, "How old are you?!"  When I told her 58, she obviously seemed impressed, so that made me a feel a little better.  I feel that in a non-competitive race like this she would have said the same thing if I finished in 20 minutes, but I'll take it.

Went for a short cooldown timed with the awards ceremony published time of 10:45am, as I just wanted to get my award and get out of there.  Unfortunately, the ceremony was delayed until after 11 so that people in the beer line could get their beer.  I wasn't happy, but went for another jog around the block, realizing for most people beer would be a priority over an awards ceremony.

I had a bad race.  Life goes on.  Get over it, and move on to the next one.  But before I do, a reflection back on what worked and what didn't in this race:

What went well:

• Organization of the race.  Other than the delayed awards ceremony, everything went off without a hitch.  
• Mailing of bibs before race.  This is a really great feature, and you're ready to go race morning.
• Clocks:  Besides at the finish line, there were digital clocks at both Mile 1 and Mile 2.  Really nice.
• Flat course.  With an elevation of only 89 feet, this is a pretty flat course.  (75' at PLR)
• My start.  I started the race well at least.

  

  Nice bib and age group award (pint glass)

  
  

  

  Nice giveaway to all runners

  
  

What could've gone better:

• There were just two many turns on this course for a 5K at 15 (8 at PLR).
• The course wasn't closed, and accordingly there were several spots where I couldn't run the tangents because a moving car was in the way.
• There wasn't enough competition, and Matthew had warned me about this.  At PLR, the competition in my age group was so stacked that the top 4 runners were within 7 seconds of each other.  At O'Niantic, the top 4 in my age group were 6 minutes apart.
• I gave up.  About half way in, knowing my goals were not going to be reached and having no one to push me, I just mentally resigned.

Weekly Log 13-Mar to 19-Mar-2023: Windy Week

Miscellaneous ramblings:

• Paid my final monthly installment on my Ironman, so I'm officially in now.  Yes, there really is a installment payment plan as it's pricey.  Probably for that reason alone it'll be a one-and-done.  What irks me the most is the $72 Active fee on top of that.  Now I guess I should actually train?
• Finally resolved my spring marathon conundrum.  I like to think that I offset a small portion of my Ironman race fees by taking advantage of an "elite" complimentary entry at Providence Marathon (open has to run sub-2:27 to qualify, but at my advanced age of 58, I only needed to show proof of a sub-3 marathon in the past 24 months).  That saved me $132 in race fees, so good deal!
• I had been interested in Shamrock Marathon, but just wasn't ready for it.  Then I was interested in a small point-to-point marathon just over the border in Ontario, until I got an e-mail from the government that my passport was immediately cancelled.  At first I figured it was one of those spam e-mails, but Googling around before clicking any links verified for me that it was a valid US State Department e-mail.  Guess I won't be going anywhere outside of the country until I get a new passport, which is estimated to be 11 weeks away.  Plenty of time before my July ultra at least.
• 4 1/2 weeks post-ankle injury, the darn thing is still partially swollen!  Certainly the worst ankle injury I have ever had.  I'm not complaining too loudly, as it could be much worse, and I can run just fine on roads, both asphalt and smooth dirt roads.  I can feel the instability anytime I venture onto any surface that's not completely smooth, so at this point assuming the swelling is gone by Providence (May 7), I'll hope to try trails again after that.

Monday:  6

Westerly, RI.  First full day of Daylight Savings Time.  DST is the excuse I'm going to use for shamefully sleeping until 9am, and only then, until a wet tongue licked my face and woke me up.  Hint:  it wasn't Jana.  Man am I lazy.

Ran from the house in pretty raw conditions of light rain and strong wind gusts, headwind along the ocean on Atlantic Ave.

Tuesday:  5

Charlestown, RI.  CCC cancelled in the rain.  Ran roads at Burlingame Campground with Brady.  Got out of the car to temps in the high 30s, drizzling, and windy.  Took one step out of the car and wanted to just go back in it and leave.  To be clear, it wasn't nearly bad as it was earlier in the morning or on other runs I've done.  But it was the second straight day of pretty bleak conditions.

Eventually I warmed up and it was fine, but I was never into it and truly what kept me going was seeing how much Brady was enjoying it and how he loved running up to big puddles and then just sprinting through them.  Brought a smile and laugh to me.  Man's best friend!

Wednesday:  11

Stonington, CT.  Third consecutive windy day.  Since I had a mid-morning meeting at Kelley's Pace, I planned a stopover in lower Pawcatuck to run.  Parked at Pawcatuck River Wildlife Area.  It was a little weird that two cars were there parked with their drivers just sitting inside, but I parked and was quickly on my way.

Three mile warm-up and then 2 x 1-mile on Palmer Neck Road.  5:52, 6:05.  Yeah, not good.  I'll blame it on the strong cross-winds.

Thursday:  3 walk, 6 run

AM:  Groton, CT.  Thursday WLT hike series, this time at Haley Farm State Park.  Went with my Mom and Brady.  Eight total (plus Brady).  Finally after three straight days the strong winds were gone!

PM:  Westerly, RI.  Pre-WTAC board meeting run.  Four of us.  Normally we run trails in Woody Hill, but as my ankle is not ready for that, I stuck to dirt roads and despite encouraging the others to run trails, they stuck with me.  Even on the dirt roads, there were a few sections where I was extra cautious.  Better safe than sorry.

Friday:  6 walk, 5 run

AM:  Tiverton, RI.  Site visit for my hiking map freelancing.  Walk at Weetamoo Woods & Pardon Gray Preserve.  With John Kostrzewa, Providence Journal columnist and author of Walking RI, and his son.  While the impetus was to get familiarity with the trail layout and route that John wanted mapped (that's where I come in with a freelance trail map gig), it was truly enjoyable to see not only a part of RI that I am not familiar with, but also a really cool preserve with some neat features:

High Rock.  Short rock climb to great views.

Raceway at site of former sawmill.
Some resemblances to the sawmill ruins
at Canonchet.

PM:  West Warwick, RI.  Checking out a future mapping assignment on the West Warwick Greenway section of the Washington Secondary Bike Path.  Interesting right near the caboose and mill section; otherwise some depressing sections.

Nice bridge over the Pawtuxet River.  Only issue was the nearby
soap factory was a little too pungent for my senses.

And the Pawtuxet River looking from the bridge

Start/finish of my run

Saturday:  7

East Lyme, CT.  O'Niantic 5K.  Separate write-up in progress.

Sunday:  8

Exeter, RI.  Had planned out an 18-miler in Charlestown.  Woke up at 2am with very achy legs, and despite having taken Ibuprofen before bedtime, I just lay awake in bed uncomfortable.  Got up and went downstairs to stretch and roll out, which helped a little.  When I finally woke up for good, my legs were achy again.  No point going for a long run, especially where I had planned some miles to be targeting MP.  

Drove to Arcadia Check Station with Brady.  Well, I drove, and he laid down.  Ran my new "usual" 8-mile loop of about 6.5 miles dirt roads and the balance asphalt.  Did just fine except awkwardly going around a downed tree on Blitzkreig Trail (which is actually a dirt road) when my right ankle reminded me it's still pretty unstable.  Ugh.

Got home and checked out results of those followers of mine running NYC Half, New Bedford Half, and Shamrock Marathon.  Turned out to be a pretty windy day, at least for the latter, so I'm glad that I "dodged a bullet" by not running Shamrock into 19mph headwinds for half the course.

Weekly mileage:  49 run, 9 walk

Weekly synopsis:  Not to whine, but just not a good week compared to others recently.  They can't all be, right?  Low mileage, NO long run, and a poor performance 5K.  Not going to dwell on it, but will instead pick it up from there.

Weekly highlight:  Nothing running related!  I would say the "hike" at Tiverton's Pardon Gray Preserve / Weetamoo Woods.  Nice place and one of the few good weather days this past week.

Weekly lowlight:  O'Niantic 5K.  Next 5K end of April.  Moving on ...

Weekly Log 6-Mar to 12-Mar-2023: Return of the Long Run

Monday:  5

Charlestown, RI.  Windy recovery run at Ninigret with Brady.  There have been construction workers here weekdays for the past few weeks.  Curious what they are working on, but I guess not curious enough to ask.  

Tuesday:  2 walk, 5 run

AM:  Westerly, RI.  CCC.  Final property to be monitored this year was Grills.  I led one of the two teams, and took the Land Trust property behind homes on the north side of Bowling Lane.  Absolutely disgusting the amount of dumping that goes on there.

One of the nice parts of the northern section
of this property is the railroad tracks are still in place
 from when trains ran here from the nearby mill many decades ago.

The tracks continue across a stream even though
the bridge is long ago rotted and washed away.

Just a portion of the junk we hauled out of our WLT property today,
including a bed post, bed rail, TV, remains of a scooter, and copious
amounts of other junk.

Emma (WLT intern that I was paired up with today) even
pulled this child's kitchen playhouse out of the stream.
This was heavy; it clearly did not just blow into the
stream.
---
But, hey, why bother with the hassle of bringing this junk to the town 
transfer station when for free you can just throw this all
into the woods on Land Trust property?  Sometimes
I just can't understand people's mentality.  At all.

PM:  Charlestown, RI.  Another windy run, and another recovery run, as legs a tad sore today.  Burlingame Campground perimeter loop jog with Brady.

Wednesday:   14

Westerly, RI.  From home to Avondale and Watch Hill, then a loop "around the pond" through Misquamicut and back.  Felt like a struggle to run this at about 7-minute pace, but this is the longest I've run in a while and parts of it were into pretty strong headwinds.

Thursday:  5 walk, 4 run

AM:  Richmond, RI.  This week's WLT hike was at Carolina North.  Pleasantly surprised to see and catch up with John H / Pard.  Nice group of 15 (plus Brady today).

Very happy to find and carry a stick.

Glad my Mom (in red jacket) came along as well.

Happily chasing a stick and running at Carolina Trout Pond

Was nice to have the hike leader (Sally) come up to us after the hike specifically to call out Brady and say how well he behaved is.

PM:  Westerly, RI.  Woody Hill with Brady.  Exactly three weeks out from my ankle injury, I decided to try a short trail run.  In retrospect, this was premature.  Even going slow and cautious on easy trails, I mis-stepped twice and could feel my ankle is still pretty unstable on any uneven surfaces (both were on rocks in the trail).

Friday:  20!

Richmond, RI.  I was in Richmond for a weekly meeting on my hiking trail map short term freelance project.  Finished the meeting and came out of the coffee shop (Higher Grounds) to sun, no wind, and mid-40s.  Perfect running weather!

Drove the short distance to DEM's Wyoming Dam parking lot and started my two (different) loop run from there.  I had already planned to break the run into two pieces with a gel and fluids stop in between.  I like the way on longer runs that Matthew will often make the first portion the longer distance, so you have less to do in the second "half" and I opted to do the same.

Loop 1 (12 miles):  Ran hilly roads (Highview Rd, Fenner Hill Rd) before about a mile section of Route 3.  I noted to myself that Route 3 in this section (west of the old Edwards Garage) was actually so quiet that I could normally just in the road to avoid the sand-covered shoulder, and even when vehicles approached, the shoulder was very wide.  Ran the 300' climb up Canonchet Road, which I actually like.

I was running uphill on Canonchet Road when the PM struck.  It quickly became clear to me that this wasn't a situation where I might be able to outrun him for a couple of miles, but rather this was immediately impending.  I just made it off the road and behind some trees in the nick of time.  [Note to self:  this is why I personally should never drink coffee before runs.]

The rest of this loop was great.  Very little traffic, no ankle instability, and only minor pain in the ankle for a short steeper part of a road climb.  The miles went by pretty quickly on Dye Hill Road and Fairview Ave and I'm back at the car.  I was having a little redness and tenderness on my inner thigh.  Fortunately, I had Body Glide in my car so I applied that liberally to avoid any chafing or chub rub.  Took my GU gel, some water, and Gatorade, fought off the temptation to end my run, and headed out for Loop 2.

Loop 2 (8 miles):  Headed east, mostly on KG Ranch Road and back on Arcadia Road.  Had some pangs in the legs from about Mile 16 on, but by then I was on my way back and had no choice but to continue on.  Just my luck that I got back about Mile 19.5 and had to go for a short OAB to get 20. 

Finally, done.  Legs are sore pretty quickly, so I take some Vitamin I, and I down an entire quart of Gatorade, a small chocolate milk, and lots of water.  I need some protein replacement quick, so I get shrimp tacos at Alaina's Guac & Roll.  Decent, but not great.  Didn't seem fresh.  I much preferred Alaina's when it was a sandwich and coffee shop.

Wyoming Dam:  pretty area

The water was really rushing
through the old dam foundation
dating to at least 1890.

Saturday:  7

Stonington, CT.  WTAC monthly group run at Barn Island.  Temps in upper 30s, drizzling, and a little windy.  One of those days where standing around you feel cold, but on the run was just fine.  In fact, I was overdressed in a quarter-zip and felt quite warm.  I did fine with my ankle on the dirt roads of Barn Island and paved roads in lower Pawcatuck; just a few loose rock sections in Barn I had to be careful with.

Sunday:  7 run, 2 walk

AM:  Hopkinton, RI.  When Nick's ankle was injured, it seems he was running dirt roads instead of trails.  Now the shoe is on the other foot, so to speak, as he's out running a 26-mile BPC technical course today, while I'm taking a page from his book and running the route he planned out for a WTAC group run late last year.

Parked on Camp Yawgoog Road, just outside the Bucklin Gate, and ran OAB with Brady out into Voluntown, CT and back.  

Weekly mileage:  64 run, 9 walk

Weekly synopsis:  This was a great week!  Upped my mileage back over 50 for the first time since ankle injury three weeks ago, and got in my longest run (20 miler) since Detroit Marathon last October.  Unfortunately, the trail run test didn't go so well, but as long as I can run roads (including dirt roads), I think I can be patient.

Weekly highlight:  Running a 20-miler on Friday.

Weekly lowlight:  Realizing I'm not ready to get back to trail running, and that I won't be able to do any more of the Border Patrol Challenges this season.

PLR Shamrock & Roll 5K

 
New Haven, CT

Sunday, March 5, 2023

USATF-CT 5K Championship.  First race of the 2023 USATF-CT Road Grand Prix.  I've committed to running at least three (of eight) of the series this year for Mohegan Striders, whose president calls themselves a "sister club" of WTAC.  He had asked me for a few years to run, and with WTAC not currently fielding a USATF-NE team, it sounded like fun, but I first needed to work out logistics of remaining President of WTAC and getting USATF sanctions completed for WTAC while competing for a different USATF team in a different USATF region.  Don't ask me why CT isn't part of the USATF-New England region.  (A couple of MA clubs did ask me to join after the USATF-NE 5K Championship last month, but I feel this is a better fit for me living on the CT border and knowing a number of the Striders already.)

Race build-up:  It's in my competitive nature to take these races very seriously, which also means when I don't achieve my results I can be pretty miserable to be around.  In both the 2022 (November) and 2023 (February) USATF-NE 5K Championships, I was definitely doing some childish sulking post-race after failing to come close to my 5K race goals.  Thus, in the final days leading up to this race I told myself numerous times not to expect anything with very little training and coming off an ankle injury which is still partly swollen and I'm icing every day.  Since I ran 18:01 a month ago, I figured I'd be fine with an 18:15 but not happy if I didn't break 18:30.  Truth be told, even without the ankle injury, I secretly wondered if the inevitable aging slowdown had already occurred and my sub-18 days were permanently in the rear view mirror.

Race prep:  I got up at 6am (for a 9am race start an hour away), had my usual pre-race breakfast of oatmeal with granola and fresh berries and headed out the door.  I didn't sleep well, had lots of stomach distress, and was very nervous.  I drank a lot of water on the drive over, and made sure to stop drinking 1/2 hour before.  

I arrived in New Haven with plenty of time so I casually walked over to the check-in, after parking about 1/4 mile away, with free street parking on Sundays.  After a recent poorly organized 5K race that served at USATF-NE championship where I waited 40 minutes for bib pickup, I hoped the bib pickup was much quicker here.  It was!  There was no line; I simply walked up, gave my name, and got my bib.  That easy.  Similar size race with 1,200 participants, but just so much better organized.

I walked back to the car, shed a layer, and ran an OAB of just under two miles before using the bathroom again (no line for urinals, very short line for stalls), stripping down to race attire and heading for the start.  At 39°F, I was a little chilly waiting in short shorts and singlet, but with a few minutes to go, we were packed in like sardines and that helped a bit with heat retention.  I counted that I was about seven rows back, so in a much better starting position this time.

Mile 1:  The race started right on time, with the Stones blasting out cheering me up as I took off.  As with the USATF-NE 5K race (Super Sunday), a 90° turn was coming up quick and I feared getting bogged down like I did the last time.  I took the inside corner and it was tight, but no issue.  One more sharp turn coming up, and then a long straightaway.  After that turn, for the rest of the race, I had plenty of room to move and could even run the tangents.  I was huffin' and puffin' pretty quickly in, but I think having so many competitors around me helped drag me along.  As we reached the 1-mile mark on Whitney Avenue, a woman working the mile called out "5:32"!  What?  No, can't be.  Checked my watch for first time.  5:32 smack dab.  Fantastic!

Negotiating the first turn near the start.
I will be near the guy in green shirt
for pretty much the whole race,
but didn't notice him until Mile 2.

Mile 2:  Pretty stoked with that first split, but reminded myself that I'm only about a third in to the race, and I've been disappointed in the past when I assessed my outcome too early in the race.  Focus!  A guy in green with bushy flowing hair passes me, and as he does, I notice a fair amount of gray in the hair.  Probably about my age.  I make it a point to stay with or just behind him.  This helps as I'm breathing like a dinosaur at this point and my tendency is to slow down quite a bit in Mile 2.

Lollipop course with few turns,
and no cone turnaround.

Soon we make a right turn as we start to navigate a block that will form a small lollipop and turn us heading south again towards the start.  I did fine with that turn, but I feel on the immediate next left turn I bungled that a bit and went pretty wide and awkwardly.  My Strava post later confirms I slowed a bit here.

Two more left turns and we're back on the very wide Whitney Avenue heading back now.  The road is closed and coned off, with about two vehicle lanes wide for each direction of runner travel.  Green shirt is just a few strides ahead of me and I push a bit harder to come right up to him.  As we go through Mile 2, I check my watch and see a 5:47 mile split.  OK, not fantastic, but not bad either and certainly exceeds my original expectations.

Mile 3:  Just as Bob Kerwin had explained to me, the next section is a very slight yet perceptible downhill.  This works to my advantage to keep me in the game.  I go past green shirt here, only to be retaken by him at the end of the slight downhill straightaway heading into the penultimate turn.  We are almost home.  Another 1/4 mile takes us to the 3-mile mark and the final turn.  I choose not to waste a split second checking my watch, and later find my Mile 3 split is 5:44.

Finish:  Rounding that final turn, I can clearly see the finish line.  Green shirt is just in front of me.  It's now or never.  I sprint to the finish line gasping as I pass green shirt and never look back.

About to pass "green shirt", heading for home.

Just before the final turn.  I passed the kid,
and the chase is on!
(Thanks for Dave Goodrich for this photo.
He had to bow out of the race with a back injury.)

Final result:  Gun 17:41, chip 17:39, 1st (of 73) in age group!  43rd (of 1,206) overall.  Full results here.

I ended up finishing up one second ahead of green shirt!  But it turns out he's "only" 53 years old and thus not in my age group.  So the sprinting wasn't necessary?  It was actually, because right on green shirt's shoulder is a 57-year old who finishes two seconds behind me for 2nd place, and 3rd and 4th in my age group are just 3 and 4 seconds behind him, respectively!  So if I had finished just 10 seconds slower in 17:49 I would have gotten 4th in my age group instead of 1st.  Now that is a stacked age group!

Post-race with teammates Jeff A (left) and
Way (center).  I honestly didn't
recognize Way!

After catching my breath, I head back to the car to get some layers and run a short cool-down through Yale before returning for food and the awards ceremony.

As I enter Toad's Place (race after-party and awards venue),
the lead singer of the band on stage shouts, "This is a song from
1979"!  Yes, this is MY era.  They then proceed to blast
out The Knack's "My Sharona"!  Very cool.  I still have that catchy
beat in my head.  After that, it's one after another classic rock tune.
---
No offense to others with different music tastes, but to me it was so
nice and motivating to be at a race where there is no rap,
pop, or teenage girl music.

Classic rock at a post-race party AND ice cream?  It's like
someone asked me in advance, "What would you like to have at the
race party?".  Yes, Piggy did go up several times for ice cream
refills and added on plenty of toppings, but for today, I feel
like I earned it.

Up on the stage in the limelight for winning
my age group and taking home a race-embossed
pint glass and a metal water bottle.
(Photo courtesy of Kevin MacDonald)

Today's loot

I am so happy with how this race went down!   Compared to last month's USATF-NE 5K championships with many logistical issues, this race was very well organized.  Very efficient check-in, almost no lines at bathrooms, short lines for post-race food and drink, mile markers with clocks and announcers, and free parking close to start/finish.  Very happy to score some points for the Striders in both the 50+ and 40+ age groups as well.

Age grading:  the great equalizer.
4th overall (of USATF members)

Next race in the USATF-CT Road Grand Prix series is a 10K in early April.  And that's the next race I'm signed up for.  BUT I feel like I have some unfinished business in the 5K.  I finished just seven seconds off my PR, and that's with little to no training, and a still partially swollen ankle that I ice every day.  What if the ankle heals, I take training and seriously, build up my mileage, and maybe even lose a bit of that winter fat I'm carrying around?  Looking out now for an upcoming flat and fast USATF certified 5K with no turnarounds.

Post-event, I stopped on the way home for a proper cooldown.  Nice and easy run in the
seaside town of Madison, and capped off the day with a visit to Madison Coffee House,
where I treated myself to a latte and a bagel lox sandwich.  As I entered the coffee house,
ELO's "Don't Bring me Down" started playing.  One of my favorite songs of all time.  Perfect ending
to a perfect race day.

Weekly Log 27-Feb to 5-Mar-2023: Snow at Last!

Monday:  3

Stonington, CT.  Easy run with Jeff A to review the Hare Hop course for this Saturday and plan for staffing course marshals at key intersections.  Ankle swelled up a little bit more after yesterday's slight roll.  Pretty frustrating, but I'm trying to take it in good strides.

Tuesday:  3 snowshoe!

Westerly, RI.  After a lousy winter (from a snow lover's perspective), I was truly ecstatic to wake up to a blanket of the white stuff.  CCC was canceled, so instead I led a short snowshoe of three CCC'ers, plus Brady.  It was really nice to get out into Woody Hill.  So quiet, beautiful, and peaceful.

Before we even got into the car, Brady grabbed his frisbee
out of the garage and went into the front yard to frolic.

One of my CCC partners in crime,
as he prepares to go over a stream.

Brady didn't seem happy with the pace or stops,
but he seemed to keep himself occupied with hunting for sticks
and laying in the snow.

We finished just as the falling snow was turning to rain, so it was perfect timing.  Came home to shovel the driveway in the rain, but at least we got a fun snowshoe in.

Wednesday:  10

Stonington, CT.  After dropping off bibs and shirts for this coming Saturday's Hare Hop 5K, Matthew and I went to Mystic Y for a 10-mile loop through mostly quiet roads in Stonington and Groton.  This was my best run since my ankle sprain (which is still swollen, although finally no longer black and blue) two weeks ago.  I just ran according to feel and surprisingly ran all but two miles at sub-7 pace.

Thursday:  8

Hopkinton, RI.  Arcadia dirt roads with Brady.  Pretty lousy weather, but I do enjoy this route.  

Friday:  5

Charlestown, RI.  Solo Bgame campground run in between a busy day of activities.

Westerly Land Trust board meeting early, then a meeting on my next gig of making hiking trail maps, before running in Burlingame, getting a late lunch, and then off to my other relatively new gig of race director for Kelley's Pace.  What's neat about retirement is being able to work on the jobs you want to and pass on the jobs that you don't.

Saturday:  3

Charlestown, RI.  After a busy morning spent race directing the Hare Hop 5K in Mystic, I went to Burlingame Campground with Brady for an easy shakeout.  Two mile warm-up, followed by 5 strides.  I felt fine on the run, until the very end when I stepped on uneven ground and had a very minor roll of the ankle.  I had to step off the paved road to go around the gate right near the ranger station, but I should've walked.  Damn.  Went home and iced.

Inadequate training for sure, and I have pretty low expectations for tomorrow.

Sunday:  8

New Haven and Madison (cool-down), CT.  USATF-CT 5K championship.  Race report to follow.

Weekly mileage:  38 run, 3 snowshoe

Weekly synopsis:  So much fun to get out and play in the fresh snow, if only for a day.  The ankle healing is taking much longer than I had expected, but I am trying to be patient and put things in perspective.  While I'm bummed that I haven't been able to run trails in 2+ weeks now, at least I'm able to run.  My ankle is unstable, and it's just not worth risking my recovery.

Weekly highlight:  Racing the USATF-CT 5K championship.  Just fantastic!  Read my separate summary (well, once I write it, that is).

Weekly highlight:  Continued ankle swelling and instability, despite icing every day.