Sunday, July 21, 2013

Railroad Days Run 2013

Who: NW CT YMCA
What: 2013 Canaan Railroad Days run
When: Sunday July 21 2013
Where: Canaan CT
Why: For comparative puposes

Somtimes in a race you get to pick your competition. I gave a little name to all the people who were running my race: Two tone tank top, big guy orange shirt, blue shoes, green socks, pink sports bra, and last year's T-shirt.
Really I picked some of them and the others picked me. In a small 5 mile road race, like this one, most of the people around you at the 2 mile mark will be near you at the finish as well.

The first two miles are pretty flat. The field is pretty well sorted out and so that the people around me really are running about the same pace. I picked out big guy orange shirt (BGOS) and two tone tank top (TTTT) on the straight flat part at the end of mile two.

I grabbed water at the first station, took one gulp, poured out the rest, and then flipped the cup to the volunteer with the garbage bag. I think she caught it.

Gayle and some friends were walking to the intersection to watch me run by. They just barely made it in time to see me. I like to think it was because I'm so fast.

The hill starts right after the 2 mile mark. It is about an eighth of a mile up and very steep. I passed BGOS on the way up while waving to my fans. He was definitely feeling that hill. I lost sight of TTTT around the corner at the top of the hill. I recovered a little on the way down and I had eyes on TTTT again. She was slowly pulling away but the rest of my competition was on my heels, although I didn't know it at the time. I heard another runner coming up behind me I figured it was BGOS. But it was a new guy, Mr. green socks  as it happened. Followed by blue shoes.
Well they passed me but they didn't open up much distance.

We passed the next water station. I grabbed my cup, took three gulps, dumped the rest, and flipped the empty cup to the volunteer with the garbage bag. He caught it in the bag while cheering us on.  We passed the three mile mark. Pink sports bra (PSB) and last years T-shirt (LYTS) passed me maybe a little after the three mile mark. TTTT was out of sight but I still had eyes on blue shoes and green socks.
Just before the four mile mark there is the other hill on the course. Not as steep as the first but much longer. I figured it was my hill. (really the first hill is mine too)
I flew by LYTS and  ran down PSB and I almost caught green socks at the top. But he took off on the down side and I lost my chance. Then on the way down PSB passed me again. But the 4 mile mark was already in sight and I stayed right on her heels.
I grabbed water at the last station, took one gulp, dumped the rest, but there was no one there with a garbage bag.
PSB had some magic formula in a small bottle she was carrying. Slowly, slowly I passed PSB one more time just before we got back into town.  I wasn't sure if this was good strategy. What if she had a big sprint at the end?
There were spectators cheering at the corner. "Hurry" they told me "She's going to catch you" There was still at least a quarter mile to the finish but I decided to kick right there. My breathing got ragged I figured I made my move too soon so I did the only logical thing: I pushed a little harder I came flying into the finish my time a little faster than last year.
Out of the 7 people I decided were in my race I finished 4th.

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