Market Square Day 10K - 6/13/15

Coming into the Market Square Day 10K this year was a bit of an odd sensation. I wasn't confident in my own abilities, but I also knew that I had a good chance to place well. With Jim Johnson out due to a stress fracture and Andrew Huebner still recovering from surgery, I figured my competition today would be Jonny Wilson and possibly any new runners to this race. I assumed that Jonny would be back since he finished second here in 2013 and 2014. I knew that if he did show up, I'd be racing for second place. He doesn't seem to have bad races, and with my current fitness, it wouldn't be a close competition. However, I did have a feeling it would be unlikely that we'd see any new faces in the front pack. The Hollis Fast 5K was on Thursday night, and since it was part of the New England Grand Prix, a lot of New England's top runners were there. I thought it was unlikely that many, if any, would want to double up and run this race as well. (Leslie O'Dell proved me wrong on that point as she pulled off the double and ran well at both races)

Alie and I headed over to Portsmouth at 7:30, but a stop for a car wash left us running a bit late. We got into Portsmouth and were parked by 8:20 which would usually be plenty of time to pick up numbers and get ready. However, we had to park about half a mile away from the bib pick up. By the time we had our numbers and had everything ready to go, it was already 8:45.... didn't leave myself nearly enough time. I was slightly more upbeat at this point though. When we had grabbed our numbers, I checked the registration list and saw that Jonny wasn't racing today. That meant I might actually have a shot at a win today. 

Alie made her way back to the starting line while I tried to salvage a quick warm up. This is the closest I have ever cut a race. I did a mile at 6:45 pace then stopped at the car quickly to change into my racing flats before jogging to the start. I made it to the start line at 8:58 just as they were making the last announcements. I barely had time to tie my shoes before Andy said "30 seconds until the start of the race". No stretching or strides. Not a great pre-race. 

My plan was to try to run a more even race this year. In 2013, the front pack sat back at a painfully slow pace for the first 4 miles before Jonny and I finally started racing over the last two miles. In 2014, I went out ridiculously fast while chasing Andrew and Jonny which resulted in me falling apart over the last 3 miles. I was hoping that I might be able to hold a more consistent pace this year, and even though I am no where near as fit as the previous 2 years, I thought I may be able to pull out a similar time, hopefully 32:00 - 32:30. So, my goal was to run the first mile in 5:10,  see how things developed, and try to maintain 5:10 - 5:15.  

I got a good start and fell into 5:10 pace easily. No one tried to pull away which was a good sign, but I was a bit surprised by the crowd around me. I wasn't familiar with one of the runners (turned out to be Jason Dedonato), and it looked like he meant business. The female leader was also going stride for stride with me. I assumed she would fall back after an initial sprint, but she was still right next to me about half a mile into the race when Derrick Hamel joined the group our little group that Jason was leading. I greeted Derrick which sparked up a bit of a conversation. The female leader asked want times people were shooting for. I replied and asked what she was looking to run. When she replied "I'd like to be under 34", I knew it had to be Erica Jesseman which she laughed at and confirmed. Honestly, in that first mile, I thought I might be running with her the whole way. She made it look pretty easy out there despite the heat. 

A minute or two later, we ran by Andy Schachat, and I believe he said "Eric you got this". But with an Eric, an Erica, and a Derrick in the group, it was difficult to tell which one of us he was actually talking about. We joked about it for a second then ended the conversation and got into some racing. Just before the mile, I noticed the pace was fading to 5:15, so I took over the lead and started to spread things out. Hit the first mile mark right at 5:10. 

Lead pack just before the 1 mile mark. Thanks to my sister Jen for the photos

Shortly after the first mile mark, Derrick pulled up along side me with Jason and Erica a few seconds behind us. That was when I started to really notice how hot and humid it was. The temperature was only in the mid 70s, but the sun was beating down with no cloud cover. On my jog to the start line, I noticed that I felt a bit dehydrated, but there wasn't much I could do about it at that point. By the time we hit the first water stop, I realized I would need to grab some water at a couple of these stops which I can't remember ever doing in a 5K or 10K. I didn't go for that first one because Derrick was in between myself and the volunteers, but I knew I'd be in trouble if I didn't grab something from the next one. We split 5:15 for the second mile, and Derrick took over the lead. He was holding 5:15 pace, so I tucked in behind him.

For the next half a mile, I drifted between being just off his shoulder to being a stride or two back. I made sure not to let the gap grow though. Derrick made a similar move in the Redhook Brewery 5K before falling back, and I was hoping today would be the same. However, a shadow of a doubt did cross my mind. After beating him in the Children's Museum 5K and Redhook Brewery 5K, I thought I had the mental edge on him, and I hadn't been all that focused on racing him coming into Market Square Day. He was putting up a good fight though. About 2 and half miles into the race, we came up on a small hill, and I was able to retake the lead without too much extra effort. I focused on trying to create some separation, and by the time I crested the hill, I couldn't hear foot steps anymore. I knew he was still looming though.

As I came down a hill just before the 3rd mile mark, I chanced a glance back as I made my way around a turn. In the early going, I had been going up the small rolling hills that cover this course a bit faster than Derrick was, but he had consistently taken the downhills faster than I had. After looking back and seeing I still had a 30 meter lead after the biggest downhill on the course, I started to gain some confidence. However, that isn't to say I felt great. The heat was getting to me, and the pace had slowed as I split 5:25 for the 3rd mile. Thankfully, there was a water stop right around mile three, and I grabbed a cup to splash over myself.

At that point, I started to reconsider my strategy slightly. A decent time began to feel less and less likely, and it seemed like it may be smart to start worrying more about the win. Derrick was slill hanging tight 30 meters back, but I thought I could hold on to first place if I was able to keep my pace consistent throughout the rest of the way. I wanted to avoid falling apart and make sure I had a bit left in case Derrick made a late move. So, for the forth mile, I focused I holding 5:25 pace and trying to stay relaxed. I split the forth mile in 5:26 and grabbed more water. I drank half and poured the rest over myself. I'm actually not used to drinking while running, and I didn't feel great for a minute or two afterwards. It wasn't a major issue though and passed quickly. For the last two miles, I put all my effort into holding a steady pace, and I felt like I probably didn't have much left in the tank beyond 5:25 pace. 

Derrick seemed to be stalking me for the entire race. It wasn't until the last mile that the gap started to grow to a comfortable distance. When I hit the 6 mile mark, I finally let myself believe that I had secured the win as I started my kick up the last hill towards Strawberry Banke. 

Credit to Ryan O'Leary of Seacoast Online for this photo. He did a great write up on the race here

Interview over the microphone with Andy Schachat after the race. I always feel a bit awkward during these. 

After my interview with Andy, I headed back out on the course to find Alie who was running her first 10K. I found her with about a mile to go and ran with her until the 6 mile mark. She was a bit mad at me because I told her the course was flat when it does indeed have some rollers. She still ended up crushing it though despite having a severely swollen right foot coming into the race!

My good luck charms cheering the runners on. 

Results below. Full results here

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.