Sunday 5/24/15 - Redhook Brewery/Runners Alley 5K

Alie and I headed over to the Redhook Brewery in Portsmouth, NH today for the Runners Alley/Redhook Brewery Memorial 5K. I felt optimistic coming into the race since my heel and legs felt good, and my training has been progressing well. I thought 16:20 was achievable, and the goal was to get as close to 16 minutes as possible while making sure I placed well for the Seacoast Road Race Series standings. Unfortunately, Jim Johnson, who is currently leading the series, has been dealing with the stress reaction in his lower leg, so he wasn't in the hunt today. However, I did see Derek Hamel, currently 3rd in the series, as I warmed up on the first and last mile of the course, so I knew there would be some competition up front. The weather was warm for this earlier in the year at about 75 degrees, but during my warm up, it seemed like the 12-15 mph wind was going to be a slightly cooling cross wind. Great conditions for a face race. 

By the time the gun went off, the wind had shifted to the same pattern I saw here in 2013: tailwind for the first mile and headwind for the last mile. Lucas Pozzetta, who finished 2nd at this race in 2014, went to the front immediately and started to gap the rest of the field. 200 meters into the race, I looked down at my watch which showed 4:30 pace, and up ahead, Lucas was still pulling away. At that point, I realized I would be running for second, and I settled into a more comfortable pace. 

Thanks to my mother, Joan, and sister, Jen, for the great pics!

The first mile is gradually downhill, and with a decent wind at our backs, I could still hear footsteps despite running 4:50 pace. About half a mile into the race, Derek pulled up along side me. We chatted briefly, but after a 100 meters or so, he started to slowly pull away from me. Lucas split the first mile in 4:30 - 4:35, Derek hit it in 4:50, and I was a few strides back at 4:52. For the next half mile, I did everything I could to keep Derek in range. However, I wasn't thinking about trying to catch him. His stride looked so smooth that I thought he might make a move and try to bridge the gap up to Lucas. So, I started focusing on running a solid race and salvaging third. 

I hit the first water stop about 20 to 30 meters behind Derek and started to work my way up the small hill just beyond. It's not really an imposing hill as it's very gradual and only lasts for a few hundred meters. Surprisingly, I found that I was naturally bridging the gap to Derek without increasing my effort. It seemed like he was slowing down a bit, so I started actively trying to make my way back up to him. By the top of the hill, I had caught up and started to pull away. I could hear him breathing heavily, so I put in a small move to try to create some distance. A few hundred meters later, I took a sharp turn as I headed towards the 2nd mile mark, and when I glanced back, I was shocked to see he had fallen back quite a bit. 

I hit the 2 mile mark in 10:10 and started to focus on Lucas up ahead. I knew I'd never be able to make up the 30 seconds or so that lay between us, but I could tell he was slowing down. So, I focused on trying to put a dent in that lead. I also felt like sub 16 minutes was a distinct possibility if I could pick up the pace slightly and hold it together. I felt really good until the last quarter mile of the race. As I came up the last hill into the headwind, I could feel sub 16 slipping away. The wheels fell off for a moment as I tried to regroup, and my finishing kick just wasn't enough. I ended up 2nd in 16:04. Splits were 4:52, 5:18, 5:13. Don't get me wrong though. I was very happy with this race. I beat my goal time of 16:20, got a chance to mix it up mid-race with Derek, and finished first among Seacoast Road Race Series runners.  

4.5 mile cool down on the course afterward at ancient marathoner pace and cheered on Alie who ran a new PR! 

Top 10 Overall Results below. Full results can be found here

Overall winners minus Stephanie Burnham who was the 3rd place female

For my efforts, I got $100 cash and a $50 gift card to the Redhook Brewery. 

Dan Doyon did a nice write up on the race for SeacoastOnline which can be found here

Children's Museum 5K - Saturday 5/2/15

The Seacoast Road Race Series has begun! Alie and I drove up to my parents house in Rochester, NH on Friday night then headed over to Dover just before 8 the next morning for the Children's Museum 5K. After grabbing our numbers, we headed back to the car to put on our numbers and get ready for the race. By the time everything was said and done, I was running a bit late again, and I didn't have time for a long warm up. At this point in my fitness level, I doubt running more than a mile warm up matters all that much, but I did feel a bit rushed. I know the course fairly well since I ran this race back in 2013, but I incorporated the start and finish of the course into my warm up as a refresher. On my way back to the starting line, I stopped briefly to talk with Jen, my brother-in-law Eric, and my niece and nephew before doing a few strides.

During my warm up, I saw Derrick Hamel jogging around and figured I would be racing for third. Derrick and I haven't raced since Apple Harvest Day in 2013 where I had a big lead early, and he was nearly able to reel me in. More recently, he finished second to Jim Johnson at the Chief Maloney 10K last week, and I assumed he'd be second to Jim again here at Children's. There was no doubt in my mind that Jim was going to crush the course and take the win. He's been running really well lately with 15:30 5Ks and sub 32:00 10Ks. He tries to downplay it every time I talk to him "the course was short" "the course was pancake flat", but I'm on to you Jim. The only thing that may have been able to stop him is if Nate Jenkins, who was hanging out by the start line, had taken off the warm ups and toed the line. Thankfully for those of us hoping to place well, he was just there spectating.

As expected, Jim jumped out in front right out of the gate, but surprisingly, Derrick didn't go with him. Jim started to gap the field immediately, and I didn't try to go with him as I settled into second place at 5:20 pace. Going into the race, I figured I would be able to manage around 16:45 maybe 16:30 if things went well, so the goal pace was 5:20. For me, the point of this race was to judge my fitness on a course I've raced before and make sure I place well enough to keep myself in the running for the overall Seacoast Road Race Series victory. A quarter mile into the race, the field was starting to take shape. Jim was slowly pulling away, and I could hear multiple sets of footfalls behind me which I assumed included Derrick. At that point, I actually got a bit excited because I thought I'd have company during the race to keep my pace honest. It didn't end up panning out that way though. I held my pace even at 5:20 as we went up the hills that cover the first half of this race, and eventually, I couldn't hear any footsteps behind me. First mile split was exactly 5:20. About a mile and a half into the race, the course takes a quick loop through a neighborhood, and the tight turns give you a good chance to glance to the side to see how far back the next group is. When I looked back, I was surprised to see that I had maybe 15 seconds on Derrick, and I still felt strong. That boosted my confidence a bit and carried me through the rolling hills of the second mile. I split the 2nd mile in another 5:20 as I started flailing down the steepest hill on the course. This hill is just a bit too steep for me to really feel comfortable on, and that's before taking into account the fact that I don't want to mess up my heel by leaning back on the downhill and pounding it. So, I did the only thing I could think of. I leaned forward and flailed my way down nearly out of control. This is actually my normal tactic for this type of hill, but I tried to hold back a bit without falling back on my heels.

About 2 and a half miles into the race, Nathan Huppe was standing on the sidewalk and yelled that Derrick was right behind me. That surprised me a bit since I thought he had fallen back. I chanced a glance back, and sure enough, he was looming. At that point, I started pushing towards the finish. I don't have a finishing sprint right now anyway, so it's better for me to try and spread it out over the last half mile. I still felt pretty good as I went up the last little hill in the course and thought that I would hold on to second place if I was able to hold my pace. I hit the 3rd mile in 5:13, and started my semi-kick into the finish. The last bit of the race is a bit long, but I was still able to finish up in 16:43 for what my watch said was 3.16 miles. I was pretty happy with my time considering where I am in my training. It was a big improvement over both the Run of the Savages and the Rescue Run. I finished up right on target for my estimated time of 16:45, and by my estimation, this course adds 15-20 seconds over faster races due to the length and hills. As an added bonus, I received 6 lobster dinners for my efforts.

Alie crushed it as she improved a ton on her race at the Run of the Savages!

After the race, I cooled down with Jim, Derrick, Darin Brown, and female winner Leslie O'Dell as we ran the course again. The cool down was nice and relaxed as we discussed the upcoming series and running in general. Derrick also mentioned that he hasn't been able to get the miles in lately and was struggling with allergies which explains why he didn't try to run with Jim or myself early in the race.

Full Results can be found here

Marine Mammal Rescue Run Trail 5K - Saturday 4/25/15

Headed over to Rye, NH this morning with Alie to run the Marine Mammal Rescue Run 5K at Odiorne Point State Park. We got to Odiorne Point at about 8:15 and made our way to the Seacoast Science Center to pick up our bibs. It was chilly in the low 40s with a cold wind coming off the ocean, so we hung around inside the Science Center while we waited for my sister, Jen, who was also running the race. We ended up staying inside a bit longer than I intended though. I only had time for a mile warm up and very quick stretch before I had to make my way over to the start line. I bumped into a former Junior Olympics teammate, Mike Peabody, who works for Millennium Running, and we chatted briefly before he had to get ready to time the race.

The trail gets narrow quickly, so the race went off in waves despite only having 350 runners. The first quarter mile of the race was through the parking lot, and I was alone out front almost immediately which had me a bit nervous. I only had time to run the first half mile of the course, and the course map was far to difficult to memorize as the course is a zig-zagging trail through Odiorne Point. The first half mile felt smooth and relaxed at 5:20 pace which I had in the back of my mind as the goal pace. However, as I turned off the paved path and onto the trail, things devolved quickly. My left shoe came untied before the first mile mark and started to loosen up. I briefly entertained the idea of stopping to tie it but, ultimately decided to let it flap in the wind for the next two miles. At the first mile mark (5:30 split), I got a bit turned around and had to stop to ask a volunteer which way to go. There were a number of volunteers out on the course to direct traffic as the course had a number of sharp turns and looped back on itself a couple times. They did a great job, but it was still a bit difficult to tell which way to go at times. Around 1.5 miles, my watch went on the fritz (I still haven't gotten it fixed from when I fell), so I don't have accurate split info. The watch got stuck in a mode where it was still timing the race and calculating the distance but it would only display the time of day. I tried to fiddle with it which threw off my splits, but I wasn't able to fix it.

I slowed down quite a bit during the second half of the race even though we were no longer running into a headwind. The trail was amazingly dry with the exception of one muddy area which they had covered with a layer of mulch. However, there were a few other obstacles including about 100 meters of beach running and one short by steep hill. Overall, it wasn't a PR type of course, but it was definitely interesting. If I had to hazard a guess at my last two miles splits, I would say they were about 5:55 and 5:45 respectively. Not really what I was hoping for, but I didn't know anything about the course going into it. My final time was 17:10. I believe the course was a bit short as my watch, Alie's watch, and Leslie O'Dell's watch all showed that the course was about 2.95 miles. Leslie crushed the competition en route to her victory and 2nd place overall.

After I finished, I looped back and met up with Alie and Jen who both went off in the second wave. I ran with Alie for a bit who had a great race despite the course then cheered on Jen who also had a great run. This was her first race since having 2 kids, and she was somehow still in good spirits during the last mile.

Full Results can be found at Millennium Running

Run of the Savages 5K - Saturday 4/11/15

Today is my 27th birthday! For my birthday this year, I decided I wanted to run a road race. This is a bit out of the norm for me. I never like racing when I am out of shape, and during the last few years, I have only really done it when I needed to finish off the Seacoast Road Race Series. I'm changing things up though. I had a really good time racing in Texas despite having only just started to get back into training, and I hope to continue to race while I build up my fitness base.

The Run of the Savages seemed like a good race for me today mostly due to location. I was looking for something in between Boston and Rochester, so I could stop for the race on my way back to New Hampshire for the weekend. Alie and I left my apartment at 7:45 and walked over to North Station. From there, we took the Orange Line to the garage where Alie parks her car and made the drive up 93 to 495 and Plaistow, NH. We arrived at Pollard Elementary School with plenty of time to spare, and we were pleasantly surprised to find out that registration was only $17 rather than the $30 advertised. Score! ... it's the little victories. We put on our numbers, met up with my parents who came down to watch the race, stretched, and I did a 1.5 mile warm up at 6:40 pace.

There wasn't a whole lot of competition to scope out. The race was started to support the fight against cancer after a 4th grader lost a loved one to the illness. As a result, the field of 571 was largely made up of elementary and middle school students. However, when I got to the starting area, I saw Patrick Ard of Whirlaway, and I knew that I'd be running for second place at best. I did a few strides and found out exactly where the finish line was. After that, the race director gave a speech about the race, the school gym teacher led the kids in a warm up routine, and we were off.

100 meters into the race, I was tucked in behind Patrick and we were all alone. The pace felt a bit faster than I was prepared for, but I decided to stick around for a bit to see what happened.

Half a mile into the race, I could tell I wouldn't be able to hold the pace. I looked down at my watch, saw that we were rolling at about 5:15, and decided to back off. Patrick kept right on going as I settled into a comfortable pace. My watch clicked off the mile mark at 5:29 which felt nice and relaxed. The actual 1st mile mark was about a tenth long. I'm glad I was wearing a GPS watch, or I may have thought I was running 6 minute pace. After the first mile, Patrick had about 75 meters on me as we turned off Main Street and headed into a neighborhood. I was very happy that Patrick was out front at that point. We had a police escort for the first mile, but it pulled over to the side of the road as we headed into the neighborhood. I'm not sure how Patrick knew where he was going, but at a mile and a half, we came to a fork with no sign or person directing the way and he somehow knew which way to go. If he hadn't been there, I probably would have been standing at the intersection until someone else came along.

The second mile had a number of sharp turns as we winded through the neighborhood, but it was mostly flat. Patrick's lead was slowly getting larger and larger as the race went on, and I began to lose sight of him at times. My watch showed 5:34 through the second mile which I was satisfied with. I didn't really know what to expect coming into this race. After the results in Texas, I thought 17 flat would likely be about as good as I could hope for right now, and I was just about on pace for it. The third mile turned back on to Main Street with half a mile to go. The final half mile was slightly downhill with a minor tailwind, but it didn't offer all that much aid. The course finished up by turning back into the school parking lot and ending at the finish line situated behind the school. As I turned into the school, I realized the course was going to be quite a bit short. My watch hit the 3 mile mark in 5:35 just a few seconds before I crossed the finish line in 16:41.

I shook hands with Patrick as we congratulated each other and both remarked that we thought the course was a bit short. If I hadn't been wearing my watch, I would have been extremely confused because the first and second mile marks were quite a bit long while the race itself was a bit short.

After the race, I ran back over the last half mile and met up with Alie who was still finishing up. I ran along side her for a bit, and she was pleasantly surprised when I told her how close the finish line was. This is the first time she really raced a 5K, and she ran much faster than she was expecting! I think she is definitely hooked.

We finished up with a short cool down and headed up to Rochester. Overall, it was a nice little race that we both really enjoyed.

Full results here

Sun and Ski Flash Mob Series - Thursday 3/26

Last week, I was down in Texas to train analysts in our Houston office. I arrived on Tuesday night and flew back to Boston on Friday night. I always have a good time on these trips, but it was particularly nice to get away from the cold weather here in New England. Since I'd finally be somewhere with an average temp above freezing, I decided to bring my running gear along and take a crack at running outside. I had only logged about a dozen runs so far this year, and they had all been on my treadmill. I was still struggling with my heel issue and hoped running outside might brighten my current mentality. The problem was that if I tried to run on back to back days, my heel would be fairly sore the next day. It wasn't very painful. I just worried that if I continued to ramp up my running, I would end up re-injuring it.

While at work on Wednesday, one of the other analysts mentioned that she was going to run a trail race on Thursday night and insisted that I come along. I was pretty hesitant since I never like to race when I know I am going to do poorly, but after browsing the event link she sent me, I gradually talked myself into it. It seemed like a fun little race, and I was itching for some trail running. The race was the 3rd in a series called the Flash Mob Series which is put on by a local sports store called Sun and Ski. I didn't make the connection at the time, but apparently, it's the same chain as Joe Jones Sun and Ski in North Conway which I visited for the first time in years just a few days before going to Texas. Weird coincidence.

The race was at 6:30pm Thursday night and took place at a park about half an hour from the office. I changed at the office, and we left at about 5:15 to allow for traffic. Unfortunately, the traffic was worse than anticipated. We rolled into the parking lot at 6:28, and I was sure that we'd miss the race. I jogged over to the starting arena just as someone announced that the race would be starting a bit late. Around then, it dawned on me that I was actually going to run my first race in 9 months. Until that point, I hadn't been fully committed, but being there in the starting area set me straight. The race was completely free. So, all I had to do was sign a waiver, and I was ready to roll.

Hoka had a tent where they were offering free demo shoes to anyone who wanted to race in them. If I hadn't been so late, I definitely would have tried a pair. I hadn't planned on racing when I came to Texas, and I would be running in my Nike Lunarglide 3 trainers. As it was, I had just enough time for a quick shakeout and stretch. Other runners who tried the Hoka demos during the race later remarked that the shoes were comfortable but more suited to road racing.

Demo Shoes: Hoko One One Clifton

As I waited in the crowd of about 60 runners, I started to get nervous which surprised me. It was an extremely small field with nothing on the line other than a gift card for some free shoes, and I was fairly certain that I would be left in the dust. What was there to be nervous about? My body didn't quite follow that line of logic because my legs were shaking.

Before coming to the race, I had done a quick scouting of the field via Google and found that the previous 2 races in the series had been won in a decent margin by the same person, Erik Hill. On the car ride over, my co-worker told me that he was an 18 year old with solid ability. There was a prize for winning the overall series of 3 races, so he would definitely be back for the third and final race. The talk on the starting line also informed me that there would be another runner in the mix, Chris Strait. The other runners were basically saying that he would be the guy setting the pace, and it would be a tight race between him and Erik. I later found out that he has been focused on and doing well in the Masters division of Ironman races. My plan going into the race had been to tuck in behind the leaders if they went out slow enough.

As soon as the gun went off, my plan went out the window. My racing instincts took over, and I went out stride for stride next to Chris with Erik on our heels. I hadn't brought a running watch with me to Texas, so I had very little concept of pace or distance during the race. I felt good with the early pace and decided to race for the win for as long as I could. I assumed that I would get dropped before the final sprint, but I wanted to see what I could do. The course was a flat out an back on packed dirt paths made by ATVs and bikes with a half mile grass section at the turn around point. Guessing at mile splits with accuracy is difficult because I had no watch, no mile markers, and I'm still not certain what the distance of the race itself was. It was advertised as a 3.5 mile race, but they said at the starting line that the course was longer than that. How much longer? I don't know. My guess is about 3.8 miles give or take a tenth of a mile.

Based on my limited info, I'd say we went out at about 5:40 pace. It felt faster, but that is likely due to the fact that I am so out of shape. Things stayed the same for the first half of the race. Chris and I were in front rolling at our 5:40ish pace, and Erik was within a few strides the whole time. At times, I even felt the familiar need to push the pace which I ending up doing because..... who knows.... instinct? As we turned onto the grass section approaching the half way point, my fitness began to show as I fell in step because Chris. He briefly took a wrong turn which gave me the lead back for a hundred meters or so, but once he got back in front, he started to gap Erik and me. With what I judged to be a little over a mile to go, Erik pulled up along side me. By that point, Chris had a solid 30 meter lead on us. Erik turned to me and said "Let's go get him". I looked back at him, laughing a bit, and said "I've got nothing left". I felt bad though because I was kind of hanging him out to dry. I half halfheartedly tried to help him bridge the gap but began to fall back after maybe 30 seconds.

This was taken on the grassy area near the middle of the race

After that, the wheels fell off as Erik put 45 seconds on me over the last mile or so. I could really feel my lack of fitness, and I hit the wall...hard. With Chris and Erik quickly leaving me behind, I noticed that we had built up a big gap on the rest of the field, and I settled into a manageable pace to finish in 3rd. I'd say my last mile was in the 6:30 range. Surprisingly, I wasn't terribly upset about it. When I finished, I was actually in a really good mood. I don't know why, but something about running that race turned my perspective around. It felt great to just get out there an race regardless of how poorly I ran. All of my frustration about my heel was gone, and I felt a new sense of determination.

Overall, this was a really cool event. Completely free, free demo race shoes, gift cards to the top two male and female finishers (I got a water bottle for 3rd), and they had a raffle after the race where everyone who ran in the race got a prize (running socks, shoe laces, running hat, etc.). Kudos to Sun and Ski for a great event.

Men's Results:

USATF New England Open Championships

Coming into the race:

The USATF New England Open & Masters Track Championships are an interesting event because the fields haven't been very deep in recent years. Since this event isn't part of a series, isn't used to qualify for anything, and doesn't have an cash on the line, most of the top runners in the area don't run it. However, having the title of New England Champion is pretty cool, so you never know who might show up. I won the 5000 meter in 2013 where the only real challenger was Nick Welch of New Balance Boston who didn't have his best race. I was coming back in 2014 to try and defend my title.

Online registration closed on Wednesday, and it looked like it was shaping up to be, more or less, a 2 man race for the win between myself and Alex Hall of BAA. I was actually pretty excited to race Alex which he called me out on right before the race (slightly embarrassing but funny at the same time). The first time we raced was in 2001 at the New Hampshire Middle School Cross Country State Championships. Being the cocky kid I was, I thought I had the race locked up before it even started, but Alex kept the race much closer than I anticipated. Although I won our inaugural meeting, it would be a very long time before I'd be able to repeat the feat. The next time we raced was in 2002 at the NH Class L High School Cross Country Championships were Alex absolutely crushed me. That was pretty much how the rest of our meetings went. We raced half a dozen times, all of which were Championship races, and he beat me every time. Our final race was at the 2005 New England Cross Country Championships when I placed 6th, 1 second ahead of Alex who finished 7th. It was easily the best race of my high school career, and I had finally been able to take him down again. He had clearly gotten the better of me all throughout high school, but I took some solace in book ending what I thought would be the end of the rivalry. Here we were though.....eight and a half years later.....racing in a Championship race.

When I arrived at Regis College, my hopes for a fast race slowly began to dwindle. During my 2.5 mile warm up, my legs felt flat, and temps were rising into the low 80s. Most of the issues I've been having over the last month were still lingering which wasn't doing much for my morale. After the warm up, I went to the starting tent to get my seed number and saw that there had been some race day entries. Sean Duncan was now seeded right behind me. I had seen Sean's name in results, but we had never actually raced. He ran well at the Boston Marathon this year though and looked fit. I thought there was a good chance it was going to be a tight race, but that didn't really change my race plan. There was a lot of talk around the starting area about running slow due to the heat and just hanging back to see who took out the race. A few minutes before the gun went off, I decided I was going to try to keep the race honest. This was likely to be my only 5000m on a track all year and one of my best shots at a fast race. My plan was to take the race out at 15:00 pace and see how things played out.

The Race:

The race started out as expected. I didn't really push the first 100 meters to see if anyone wanted the lead, and when no one took it, I settled into 15:00 pace out front. I don't know exactly what happened behind us, but it seemed like Sean and I were pretty much alone after a lap or two. Alex has been training for much longer races including running the Boston Marathon this year and only recently started focusing on shorter distances. He's been winning a bunch of local road races, but I don't think he has done much, if any, targeted training for the 5000. So, unfortunately, we didn't get to mix it up.

The first 3K of the race was uneventful. I kept rolling at 15:00 pace, and Sean was right behind me. Once or twice, I tried to surge slightly when the pace started to lag, but he stayed right with me. As we went through 3K just a bit off 15:00 pace, I felt like there was no hope of running a fast time. I didn't feel horrible. I just felt flat. At that point, I decided to stop worrying about the time and start worrying more about trying to win. So, I really eased back on the pace, and by the two mile mark, Sean had taken the lead. My goal was to sit back for two and a half laps, recover, and try my luck at a 400 meter sprint. That didn't pan out though. With 800 meters to go, Sean really picked up the pace and that was all she wrote. I tried to keep the gap from getting too big, but in the end, I gave in mentally.

Overall, I was disappointed with my effort. It ended up being a race of half measures where I never fully committed to going for time or going for the win. As a result, I didn't accomplish either. I absolutely can't fault Sean. I would have done the same thing from his position. He ran the smart race. If someone is going to take the lead at a pace you're comfortable with, following is the clear choice. That being said, I doubt I would have had much of a shot at the win even if I did run a tactical race. He's in good form and ran a great race. I could blame it on the heat, the fact that I was leading, or that my legs weren't feeling great, but in reality, I just wasn't ready for that race physically or mentally. It's very disheartening to come back and run the exact same time I ran last year especially when I felt like I was ready to run much faster. I guess they can't all be career days though. On to the next.

Sean gave an interview with Level Renner about the race here

Results:

 

Full Results Here

  Picture from Krissy Kozlosky's site.

J.P. Morgan Corporate Challenge Race Recap

The J.P. Morgan Corporate Challenge is 3.5 mile race through downtown Boston. The race starts on Charles St between the Boston Commons and Boston Public Garden. The course wraps around the Boston Public Garden, runs out and back along Commonwealth Ave and finishes back at the start. Registration for the race opens on April 1st, and the limit of 12,000 entrants is usually met by April 2nd. In order to register for the race, you must be part of a corporate team for a company that operates in the Boston area. Team scoring is done by aggregate time of the top four finishers with Male, Female and Mixed categories. A company can score as many four person teams as they like. With 12,000 runners, this is the largest race contained entirely in Boston. I tried to register for the race in 2012 and 2013 but wasn't able to get in. So, I was very excited to be running in 2014.

Coming into the Race:

I felt okay during the day on Tuesday. I still have some lingering soreness in my left hamstring and hip, but it isn't nearly as bad as it was around Market Square Day. I also had an open blister on my right achilles which was kind of bothering me. I don't usually get them, but I made a bad sock choice during a run over the weekend. It is right at the top of my heel where my shoe rubs, and all of the skin has been pulled away. It's a small thing, but it was giving me some issues. Thankfully, I was able to figure out a decent fix in a non-stick pad and nexcare tape. It ended up bleeding through the pad during the race, but it wasn't a factor since it was virtually painless.

My focus was definitely lacking throughout the day. Racing at night is always difficult for me because all I can think about during the day is the race. On the upside, it did give me ample time to figure out my pre-race plan and race strategy. I knew the pre-race was going to be hectic. With 12,000 runners and who knows how many spectators all crammed into the Boston Common area just after rush hour, moving around and getting to where you need to be would be a challenge.

Judging what the competition would be like is difficult with a race of this size and no registration list. The last few years had been won at about 5:00 pace, but 2009 and 2011 both required about 4:50 pace. Last year's winner, Andrew Combs, ran a 4:17 mile on June 5th at the Adrian Martinez Classic, so I wouldn't want to leave it to sprint finish if he returned. Not knowing who I would be up against, I really didn't want to leave it to a sprint finish if I could avoid it. Regardless of how confident I am with my 400 meter kick, any real track runner would be able to take me in the last quarter mile. My plan was to go out at about 4:55 pace and see how things developed.

I hung out at work until 5:30 pm, got changed into some running clothes then rode my bike to a co-worker/teammate's apartment in Back Bay. His place was relatively close to the start line, so we decided to use it as pre-race head quarters.  Shout out to Billy for generously allowing us to his place. At 6:10, I stretched and went out for a solitary 2 mile warm up around Back Bay at 6:15 pace. The rest of my team aren't really competitive runners, and the mile from Back Bay to the start line would be enough of a warm up for them. After the warm up, I headed back to his place for final race prep and to listen to some pump up music. We left Back Bay around 6:35 and did a slow mile jog over to the Boston Common where we parted ways so that I could try to find my parents who had driven down from New Hampshire! I also wanted to scout out exactly where the start and finish line would be. Sure enough, my parents and roommate were there waiting for me. I chatted with them for a few minutes then headed over to the Boston Common entrance on to Charles St where volunteers were trying to get runners ready to head to the start. This is when the chaos began. They were trying to pack all of the runners into the Boston Common so that they could release the runners onto the street at 7:00 to line up in a three wave start at 7:15. I got a spot off to the side but fairly close to the gate that led onto Charles St and watched as the volunteers desperately tried to get people to back up and allow more runners in. Unfortunately, the sound from the megaphones they were using just wasn't carrying over the volume of so many runners. At 6:58, the runners on the opposite side of the street decided they had enough waiting and started a dash towards the start line. The volunteers had no choice but to let us go as well, and I did a "stride" to the start line. Fortunately, I was able to get a decent position on the start line without too much trouble. There is a sharp left hand turn 100 meters into the race, so I positioned myself just right of center on the starting line to avoid getting boxed in. By the time the gun finally went off, I had been waiting at the start or waiting to get to the start for 25 minutes. This was as I expected though. With so many runners, I knew it was going to be a bit of a process to get the whole group doing what they needed to be doing. All in all, I think it was very well organized, and the volunteers did a great job.

The Race:

I've got video of both the start and the finish, but the quality isn't good enough to post right now.  I'm hoping to get them cleaned up and posted in the next few days. The start of the race had a decent amount of jostling. The start line was crowded, and everyone was trying to get to the first turn quickly. After 20 meters of bumping into the runners next to me, I was able to get out into space and made it to the corner without any major issues. The course took another sharp left followed by a right all in the first quarter mile before things settled down as we headed out down Comm Ave.

I found myself in a group of about 10 runners during the first mile. We were moving at about 4:45 pace into a 15 mph gusting headwind, so I was happy to just tuck in. Half a mile in, a guy wearing a t-shirt and Nike Lunarglide 5 training shoes made a move on the lead pack (turned out to be Zack Schwartz). He quickly put 15 meters on us, and nobody tried to go with him. I think everyone just assumed he was going out too hard since he wasn't really dressed for a race and it wasn't an ideal spot to make a move. We were running into gusting winds, and he wasn't putting on enough speed to pull away. The gap was maybe 15 meters, and he wasn't trying to increase it. We went through the mile in 4:48, and runners slowly started to fall off the lead pack.

Coming into the turn around at the halfway point, I was in 5th place and ready to make my move. We had slowed down slightly in the second mile, and with the wind about to be at my back, I thought I could create some separation without pushing myself too hard. I picked up the pace as we went around the hairpin turn and quickly started to break away from the lead pack. After about a hundred yards, I was all alone and feeling good. My race plan was working out perfectly. Until I realized that all had not gone to plan. The runner in training shoes was still out in front of me. He must have also picked up the pace around the hairpin turn, and without me noticing, he had built his lead to 30 meters (very impressive and well timed move). I split 4:58 for the second mile and started to get worried even though I still felt pretty good. I didn't have enough energy to significantly pick up the pace at this point in the race, and he wasn't slowing down. I would later find out that Zack shouldn't be counted out of any race with results like a win in 24:43 at the Harpoon 5 Miler in May. That's the interesting thing about races like this. You never know who will show up, and it can be difficult at times to spot the good runners.

I decided to wait it out a bit longer and just held the gap at 30 meters through 2.5 miles. With a mile to go, I started to pick up the effort. I thought 30 meters would probably be too much to make up in the last 400 meters, so I wanted to slowly reel him back in to a manageable distance. I went through 3 miles in 4:55, and it started to creep into my head that I wasn't going to be able to catch him as he still had 25 meters on me. As we came around the Boston Public Garden in the final turns, I really started to pick up the pace. I started thinking about waiting 2 years to run this race and how good it would feel to win. When we came around the final turn onto Charles St with 400 meters to go, I was only 15 meters behind, and I started an all out kick. I doubt it was actually very fast since I was pretty much gassed by that point, but I was making up ground. I passed Zack with about 150 meters to go and put everything I had into creating some distance. I was only able to manage 5-10 meters before I ran out of steam. I spent the last 100 meters just trying to make it to the finish line as I checked over my shoulder a few times to make sure he wasn't coming back on me. I crossed the line with my arms held wide for the win in 17:01 over 3.5 miles. I haven't felt like this after a race since Market Square Day last year, and I have to say that I missed it. I am also very proud of my US Bank teammates who all did a great job. We are still waiting on the team results though.

Just a great overall event. Being able to race through downtown Boston in such a big race with great crowd support was amazing.

Getting my award after the race took a bit longer than I anticipated. Volunteers brought me over to a fenced off section by the stage overlooking the start line and asked me to wait for some pictures and the awards ceremony. After that, I did a meandering 3.5 mile cool down through Boston at ancient marathoner pace. I ended at Billy's apartment to pick up my stuff and ride my bike back to the North End.

Level Renner did a write up and has a video from around the 3 mile mark Here.

Top Male and Female Results:

 

Couple of photos courtesy of the JPM CC site

Spectacular award complete with gloves for proper handling!

Market Square Day 10K

Recap of the Race Last Year:

Coming into Market Square Day last year, I was much more confident. By that point, I had raced 5 times, and they all ended in a PR (3,000M, 5000M, 5000M again, Road 5K) or a course record. I had also won the first 2 Seacoast Road Race Series by more than 30 seconds. Granted, I hadn't raced a 10K since my only previous 10K race: the 2003 Bridges 4 Friendship 10K. So, I was a bit nervous about the distance, but I wasn't overly concerned.

When I got to the line, one of the other runners informed me that Jonny Wilson had showed up. I had no idea who he was at the time, but I was told that he was an extremely good 10K runner out of Maine who I probably wouldn't be able to run with (I appreciated the vote of confidence right before a race haha). That changed the race strategy. I had been planning on going out at 5:00 pace to see if anyone would stay with me. Now that I knew there was a serious 10K runner in the field, I would have to wait and see what he did.

Things went out extremely slow with a pedestrian first mile of 5:20. I was itching to pick up the pace but thought my best chance for the win was to keep the pace slow for as long as possible. So, I waited, and waited, and waited. The pace stayed slow at 5:20 - 5:25 for the first 4 miles which meant there was a fairly big group all running together at the front: myself, Jonny, Andrew Huebner (still rebounding from Boston), Josh Andrews, Jim Johnson, Justin Montgomery, and Kevin Tilton. Jonny finally made a move at the 4 mile mark. It seemed like he may have been waiting for that point because it was an extremely decisive move. He immediately put a small gap on the group, and I went with him. After a few seconds, I couldn't hear anyone behind us, and I knew that no one had come with us. I still felt really good since the first 4 miles had been so slow, but as we went through the 5 mile mark in 4:40, I started to realize that I wouldn't be able to hold that pace until the end. I was banking on the fact that he was just trying to drop me and would slow up slightly in the last mile. Thankfully, it worked out that way. I ran just off his shoulder, and once he realized that I wasn't going anywhere, we slowed down to 5:00 pace. About half a mile into mile 6, it started to creep into my mind that I might have to settle for second. The 4:40 had taken alot out of me, and I thought that if he started a long kick then I would be done for. I was able to hang on and began to gain confidence as we got closer and closer to the finish. He wasn't picking up the pace, and I felt like I just needed to hold on until the bottom of the hill at the 6 mile mark. From there, I'd be able to start my kick and just hope that it held until the end. I went into a full sprint at the bottom of the hill with 400 meters to go, and by the time I hit the top of the hill 100 meters later, the race was over. He hadn't tried to respond to my move, and I was able to ride the downhill to the finish line. I finished in 32:10 for the win which I was really happy about. However, the race had been extremely slow and neither Jonny nor Andrew were at 100% health.


How I Felt Before the Race this year:

The hot tub did its job. I woke up on Saturday morning feeling better than I had all week. My hamstring and hip were still tight, but I was confident that I would be able to loosen things up. I did a quick soak in the hot tub before leaving my parent's house, took a few anti-inflammatory, lathered on the icy hot, and did some stretching exercises. After my 2.5 mile warm up at 5:50 pace, I wasn't really concerned about my leg anymore. It felt pretty good, and I thought it would hold up for the race.

My overall confidence wasn't soaring though. I hadn't raced at all in 230 days, and I hadn't raced well in about a year. I had built up a decent base on 8 weeks of solid training, but I had a few bumps along the way that had broken up my rhythm. I was only able to log 36 miles in the week leading up to the race and had to take 4 consecutive days completely off from running. I tried not to think about it though. I focused on my last track workout of repeat miles which suggested that I was ready for this race.

Before the race, I saw that both Jonny Wilson and Andrew Huebner had registered for the race. Jonny had run a 31:15 10K in May, so I assumed he would be mixing it up for the win. Andrew had run an amazing 1:42:33 at the Eastern States 20 Miler at the end of March, but I hadn't seen anything from him since. I would later find out that he is prepping for the Grandma's Marathon next weekend where he hopes to run sub 2:18 and qualify for the 2016 U.S. Olympic Marathon Trials. So, he is fairly fit haha.

Not knowing how fit Andrew was, my plan was to go out in 5:00 and see how things developed.

Race Recap:

My race strategy was out the window in the first 100 meters. Andrew and Jonny started a hammerfest right from the start, and I decided to go with them. After 400 meters, I realized that they weren't slowing down, so even though there wasn't any wind, I tucked in behind them to survey the situation. About half a mile into the race, I glanced at my watch which showed we were running about 4:35 pace. It seemed like Jonny and Andrew both wanted a very fast race. I was okay with that, but this was too fast for me. I thought I could maybe hold 4:50 for a few miles without blowing up, but a mile in the 4:30s? That might be enough to finish me off in a 10K. I made the choice to stay tucked in behind them though. I thought there was an outside shot they were going out so hard to try and drop me early. After all, we were well under 30 minute pace which is something I don't think either of them have done in a 10K. So, I stayed with them and hoped that they would let off the pace after the first mile. We went through the 1st mile in 4:41, and they didn't let up very much. As we cruised during the 2nd mile, the pace was still about 4:50, and I had to start easing off. I still felt okay, but I knew that I would be gassed by the 3rd mile if I kept going. I went through the 2nd mile in 4:55, and they had a 5 second lead on me. From there, the gap just grew and grew. I was backing way off the pace now, but there were moments in the 3rd mile, when I still thought "Alright, I just need to regroup, hold the gap where it is, and I can start trying to make it up as they slow down." That wasn't to be though. I went through the 3rd mile in 5:11, and the wheels fell off. The only time I've gone under 4:40 for a mile in the last 2 years is during a 3K, so starting out with a 4:41 in a 10K was just too much for me right now. I was completely alone for the next two miles as I entered no man's land. Andrew and Jonny were moving in and out of sight up ahead, and we had put a big gap on the rest of the field behind us. Mile splits were 5:19 and 5:10 as I struggled through miles 4 and 5. During the last mile, I briefly entertained the idea of trying to pull things back together to finish strong with a 5:00. I couldn't do it though. Even when the runners in places 4-7 jumped out in front of me after taking a wrong turn, I wasn't able to summon the energy to run them down. The tank was empty, and I had given in mentally. I finished up with a 5:16 last mile and 1:15 (did I even sprint here? I can't remember, but it doesn't look like it) for the last .25 (slightly long probably due to tangents). Final time was 31:47, and I had to workout my place with the race officials. 3 of the runners who had run the wrong way knew it and pointed that out to the officials at the finish line. One of the runners was acting like he wasn't sure though, so I had to make sure I got counted as 3rd.

Overall, it wasn't the race I was hoping for, but it was the performance that I was expecting. The week leading up to the race was less than ideal, and I still have alot of work to do with my training. I wasn't as disappointed as I thought I would be though. At least I tried to go out with the leaders even if it was very stupid. I also take some solace in the fact that if I had run as well as I thought I might be able to going to the race (31:00-31:15), I still would have ended up in 3rd place well behind the winning time of 30:31.

2014 Market Square Day 10K Top 10:

1 1/3 MOPEN 30:31 Andrew Huebner
2 2/3 MOPEN 30:41 Jonny Wilson
3 3/3 MOPEN 31:47 Eric Couture
4 1/126 M2029 33:26 Thomas Paquette
5 1/214 M3039 34:07 Jim Johnson
6 1/199 M4049 34:20 Rich Smith
7 2/214 M3039 34:26 Mark Brissette
8 3/214 M3039 34:35 Chris Grange
9 2/126 M2029 34:57 Adam Brooks
10 3/126 M2029 35:04 Lucas Pozzetta

Matt Parker Photo from Seacoast Online


Meandered through Portsmouth on an easy 3.75 mile cool down at ancient marathoner pace with Jim Johnson before heading back to the finishing area to enjoy the food/refreshments and collect my medal. 12.5 miles for the day.