Tuesday, December 11, 2018

Run for Hope 10k

That's what we will call the race this time around, although we know it has many other names.

This was my 17th time running this race and my 2nd slowest time, but one of my most successful races.

After a long road back to returning to some normal running, including  5 mile week the week after Dublin, I was able to string together weeks of 41.6, 31.6, 42.7, 37.7 and I had my biggest week, the week of the race with a 51.1.

This is not much training, but it was consistent, getting out the door almost every day running on the same borrrrrinnnng roads over and over again.  I am still a fat bastard, but at least I am under 190 almost every day now.

I knew going into the race that this would possibly be my slowest run ever in Newport.  I have not run a mile under 6 mins since June, but thought I would be able to run somewhere around 6:10 pace.

As usual we had a solid group of Turtles and we headed out for a warm up, again on boring roads and then headed down to the start.  It was a beautiful day with minimal wind, so a singlet and gloves it was.

Although, I was thinking I could run somewhere in the 6:10 range, I didn't really have a time goal, I just wanted to run an even pace and I really wanted to be 3rd Turtle.  I knew what the other guys have been running in races lately and thought I would be able to probably pull that goal off, depending on how the race shook out.

A quick broken up recap of the race itself.  One of the slowest years in race history, no one went out very quickly.  I was just under 6 at the mile and only a bit back from the chase pack. 

I went back and forth with Turtles, Nick Fox and Bob Corsi early, but then they faded and I ran most of the race yo-yoing with Fred Campagna; this ended up helping my race tremendously.

At 2 mile I thought I was in over my head, as my legs were screaming and I was hacking up a lung from being sick all week, but I was able to basically hold on to that pace/effort the whole race.

Fred and I kept passing people that start out too fast and at 4 we were able to catch the 3rd place Turtle, Steve Croft.  From that point on I was running scared and got a little gap on Fred.

After the left onto Carroll I was surging telephone polls to keep me engaged and it seem to work.  I saw Jeff Walker ahead and with a cop just standing there doing nothing it looked like Jeff almost took a right at the last turn instead of the left.  The cop just stood there for me as well...

And down the hill to the 6 and up the hill to the finish and it was over.  37:09 right around 6s for my 17th finish.  Full Results

I couldn't have been happier and I am excited to get in shape!

We have a group of 8 or so do a cool-down.....then we grabbed our prizes and headed over to Pour Judgment where we hung out for the next 5 or 6 hours.

All and all it was another good day in Newport.

Bronson in the background, monitoring my finish

Race history....

2018 - 9th Place - 37:09
2017 - 5th Place - 35:17
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