My buddy Tim told me he was running this race, and so was his friend Humza, and since I've always been interested in checking it out, I decided to run it too. My dad, along with my cousin Colin and some other friends were also in attendance, so I was pretty distracted. Eventually I warmed up with Sam Wood after losing track of just about everybody else. We did a few small loops of downtown Dover. I didn't have a watch so I ran until I generally felt ready to go. I stretched lightly, shed some layers at the car, and headed for the starting line. It was pretty chilly in the low-to-mid 40s so I was eager to get moving.
After a moment of silence for the fallen at the Boston Marathon and a sweet rendition of the National Anthem, which I should add, was harmonized to by a significantly greater portion of runners than usual, we were off. Nate Huppe took it out and since I wasn't sure where we were going, I followed suit. Dave Dunham was also off the line and moving well. I trailed Huppe through maybe 800 meters before making the pass as we crested the first short hill.
From there it gets kind of boring. I didn't have a watch so I don't know any splits. It was a beautiful crisp morning and we had a tailwind on the way out, so I felt like I was cruising. Somebody called 5:06 at the mile. Nobody at the 2 mile. Somebody called 14:30 at the 3 mile which I immediately discounted as crazy-talk. Mr. Collins shouted hello to me as I passed around 3.5. Then I ran into Erik Travis around maybe 3.75 as the only major hill began. We caught up, running together for a bit, and he told me I had at least 20 seconds on second place. I was probably talking too much by this point as I really sucked wind up the hill.
Finally, cresting the hill I knew I had 1 mile of mostly downhill running to the finish and I opened up the stride and cruised. I wasn't in rough shape at all, but I wasn't smooth either. Worked through to the finish in 26:15. I'll take it. A good clip for a good distance is all I can ask for right now. For a race like the Carter 5 miler I'd hope to go faster, but on a day like today, less than a week after the harrowing experience of our Boston Marathoners and the ensuing chaos, I'm thankful and psyched to be alive and running.
69 miles on the week. 1 lift, some light core here and there, one workout, one longer run, and one decent race. Good vacation week, all considering. Also, shout out to my brother Alex who broke 14:00 in the 5k for the first time at Mt. Sac on Friday!!!! He ran 13:55 and earned every penny of it.
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