2017 Newport 10k

This was my 16th Newport 10k. It has probably gone through 16 names in that time too! I always say I hate this race, but I have run every year but twice since 2000, which I would imagine makes it my most run race. So, I guess I will stop saying I hate it. It is a great course, there is a team prize and Turtles for some reason or another come out to play, and we had 12 this year!

The week heading into the race was pretty good.  My training is ramping up and I am starting to feel better and better.  I did a good long run on Sunday and a light WO on Tuesday.  Thursday I had a solid trail run, despite the good weather though, I must say it was a bit wet!  Saturday was a nice little group run with some Turtles.

We had our first snow of the year on Saturday, but it started after our run, luckily the snow did not effect the course at all, which was a good thing. There have been years with black ice and other issues on course, but this year there were no problems.

We had a big group for a 3 mile warm and then we ran the 0.3 miles to the starting line.

There is generally a good group of runners around the same speed at this race and a lot of returnees year after year. In attendance this year was Bronson, whom was the clear favorite. Then the group I knew I would be running with, Zak Kudlak, Jonny Hammett, Steve Brightman….or is it Brightonman?...Mike Macedo and then Mark Leblanc, whom got 2nd last year and past me at 5.5 mile in 2016 to win the race.

The race went out slower than usual, other than Bronson, but he said he was going to go out at 5:10s and that’s what he did. There was a shirtless Santa that went out hard…the pack of the above went by him around a half mile.

Mark made the first little gap on us and I followed, I just can’t help myself in this race, very out of my traditional relaxed conservative approach. We weren’t cranking and he had a little gap on me, I just wanted to keep the pace in a happy place.

This meant I basically ran alone on Ocean Drive, cutting through the tangents like buttah…after some initial wind out there, we were pretty good. It was warmer than expected…and I felt like I was working pretty hard.

I passed the 3 mile in mark in around 16:47. I was please enough with that…I felt like I had a solid gap on the group behind, but after leaving the noise of waves and wind on Ocean Drive I could now hear breathing, I slowed down mine to make sure I wasn’t just hearing myself…DAMN! They are close. This did not give me the motivation to pick it up…it was the opposite. UGH!

So, the breathing got heavier and I was waiting for the pack to swallow me up. To my surprise Mike Macedo was the first to go by, I didn’t see that coming. Brightonman was next to come up on me, but before he passed we went through a puddle that crossed the whole road, well….I went through, Brightonman didn’t want to get his wee little feet wet. He must have avoided it because the last time him and I were near a puddle he lost his shoe! In either case, I was the one that lost out, as Steve beat me that time and he was able to beat me on this occasion as well. Shit, I spoiled the ending!

Anyway, after the puddle we hit five miles and a left hand turn, this mile is a gradual up and every year I feel like I come to a stop on this turn and I get gaped. The second half of this road I felt like I was starting to come back on Steve, but it was too little too late and I ended up 5th. 6th would have been a better place to finish as I have finished every spot in the top 8 other than 1st and 6th. Hell of a stretch for a stat!

Zak and Jonny were not too far behind in 35:28 and 35:39. Zak completed out top 3 for the team scoring, we won 1:42:26 to 1:57:30 over WTAC, so mission accomplished.

Here is my complete Newport 10k History…

2016 - 4th place - 34:24
2015 - 2nd place - 34:05
2014 - 4th place - 34:55
2013 - 3rd place - 34:13
2012 - 4th place - 33:49
2011 - 2nd place - 35:02
2010 - 3rd place - 35:29
2009 - 3rd place - 34:04
2008 - 4th place - 33:56
2007 - 5th place - 33:36
2006 - 7th place - 35:11
2005 - 5th place - 34:09
2004 - 7th place - 33:50
2003 - Didn't Run
2002 - Didn't Run
2001 - 18th place - 38:17
2000 - 8th place - 36:24

Newport 2012 (Alan B in the background)

After the race a bunch of us headed to Malt on Broadway for some food and beer. It was another solid year in Newport.

Next up…? I dunno. The 4th Season Trail Races are happening, despite what people what some people thought they knew. Mike has it listed on his site that it is game on….dates TBD I guess? I plan on running at least some of those this year.

I have a bowling tournament on Saturday, so that’s the next thing on the schedule.

With schedules on the mind, I wonder what 2018 will hold. I have been on a 2 year on 2 year off pattern as of late. 2014 and 2015 were good racing years.

2014 I ran a pretty well at Snowshoe Nationals, especially on the 2nd day, winning the relay competition with Mike Galoob and Steve Dowsett. I won my 2nd 4th Season Trail Series, I PR’d at 50 miles, breaking 6:30. That was all my body could handle in 2014 and the start of 2015 was tough, but as mid year approached myself and a bunch of seagulls won the Ragnar Trail Relay at Northfield Mountain, then full on marathon mode commenced with a 20 mile PR breaking 2 hrs and then running 2:36:15 at Baystate. I was able to follow that up with a 5k win and a win at the Busa Bushwack 10 mile Trail Race.

Then there were two crappy years in 2016 and 2017. There were some OK races mixed in, but overall the motivation and the performances were shit at best. So, I look forward to the 2018/19 cycle. This should all work rout so I am on my good cycle for year 40!