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.