Colchester Half Marathon 2025

Colchester, CT

Saturday, February 22, 2025

This would be my second time running this race, with the first being in 2022, when I ran a 1:22:30 and snagged 3rd place.  I had no expectations for a repeat of either, and told myself maybe 3-5 minutes slower today.

I arrived at the Bacon Academy host site with an hour to spare.  Check-in was quick and efficient, giving me plenty of time for bathroom and laying out my race kit to be ready to go post warm-up.  Temp during warm-up was 23°F with probably a 10mph headwind.  I felt cold even in my quarter-zip and was second guessing whether a singlet really made sense today, especially for a non-goal race.  I turned around at Colchester Elementary School a mile out, and then felt warm in the sun and tailwind, so singlet it is!

Got back for a final bathroom stop, changed into racing shoes and racing attire, and headed to the start.  Quick catch up with Dave Goodrich and David Cowles, and then took the line.  To my left, I saw "Super" Mario Vazquez and I motioned to Dave Goodrich that I think I know who will win today's race!

Race start:  It was a quick two-command "Set ... Go!" and we were off.  About a 1/2 mile in I came up on and passed Dave Goodrich.  In the distance looking up a hill I saw Super Mario way up following the lead cop car, and then a long gap until a small pack of runners.  As expected, I felt really cold on my face, bare arms, and bare shoulders, but I knew from experience and my warm-up that conditions would improve after about a mile and a half.  

Rolling hills (Miles 2-6):  Turning out of the direct headwind, I was no longer cold.  I was with a group of 3-4 for the next few miles, and we alternated positions as I would pass them on the downhills and then they would easily retake me on the uphills.  

Steep hills (Miles 6-9.5):  Turning left onto a steep (and icy!) uphill, the quartet passed me and with the exception of the trailing runner, I would not see them again until the finishing line.  It was nice to see the RD at the top of the steep icy hill, and he was saying that "this was the ice I was talking about" as he was slapping hands with runners passing him.  Note to self that I realized I didn't listen to anything he said in pre-race announcement, and as that is probably the case of the majority of runners, I need to continue to trim down my own remarks when I am serving as RD.

My quartet was gone, but I had a new (and much worse) nemesis that I would go back and forth with for the next few miles:  a youngish guy who was blasting out country music.  Ugh.  Might as well blow diesel exhaust into my face while I'm running uphill; not sure which would be worse.  I would just get far enough ahead of him on downhills that I couldn't hear his country music anymore, and then up the next hill, I heard his country music blaring long before I saw him and he'd pass me.  This was repeated a number of times, much to my chagrin.  I'm sure some runners don't like my AC/DC (although I can't understand why!), but the difference is I'm not playing, never mind blasting, any music while I'm running.

Just before the end of Mile 9, we start a 250' drop and I was oh so glad to pass the country music guy and pull away from him and his music for the final time.

Ice (Miles 9.5-11):  Miles 10 and 11 are net downhill and in 2022 I ran these miles in a blazing (for me) 5:41 and 6:03.  Not this year.  Not even close.  6:29 and 6:59, respectively.  Almost a minute slower.  Yes, I naturally slowed on the ice, and that explains some, but certainly not all of the huge difference.

Very icy in this section of the race course!

Uphill finish (Mile 11-Finish):  Turned off the dirt/ice country roads, for a 2-mile uphill headwind pavement finish.  About 180' climb to the finish.  Just nothing left, as I ran low 7s.  I crossed the finish line and was announced as the first 60+ and first Rhode Islander.

Finishing strides. 
Free race photo (which is always nice!).

Final result:  1:30:41, 25th out of 326, 1st in age group.  Full results here.

Went for a solo cooldown, and then joined a few running friends inside to take part of the feast.  Well organized race.  Not my best performance.

Quite the spread of food!  Vegetable lasagna (there was a 
meat option as well), potatoes au gratin, sautéed vegetables,
and of course I also went up for a brownie and ice cream!
(There was pizza and several soups that I didn't have room
to sample, but if you went away hungry from this race, it
was your own fault.)