The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly

Yes, that's correct, I've stooped to stealing titles from Bold. You know how it is. Lets' start with the GOOD.

My 2007 racing season is officially over. I know there are a few races in the next few weeks, but I'm going back in for more surgical repair of my back porch on Thursday, so stick a fork (or something sharp) in me, I'm done for the year. And it's been a pretty good year, with a good final race today. Not as good as it could have been, but you'll need to wait for the BAD to find out why. The 24th Christmas 10k Run & Walk for Women & Infants Program in Women's Oncology race was today in scenic Newport, Rhode Island. The course was way out on the point, not downtown or on Bellevue. It ran by the Jackie O Hammersmith farm, then onto the serpentine Ocean Drive along the water before crossing back over to near the start. The race was pretty much the only game in town this weekend, at least for outdoor running races. I wanted to test myself in a 10K before the end of the season, so I made the fifty mile trip down...twice. But I don't want to mix up the GOOD with the BAD. Sticking with the good, I'll cut to the chase. There's no snow or ice down there, temps were in the high 30's, and remarkably, there was absolutely no wind today. Dead calm. The course is pretty flat, so it would be fast. About 450 runners toed the line, and there were a lot of club runners, as it's too late in the year for the casual folks. There were a bunch of Whirlaways and some others from the RI clubs. I lined up in the front, and was rewarded by landing a cameo in the photo on the results page. You can see me in the white shirt and blue hat. Bonus.

The race started out pretty fast. The first mile has a little downhill in it and I clicked off 5:31. Second mile is flat, 5:45 as I settled in. Third mile you're along the water, 5:44. That's 17:01 cumulative, way under my 5K PR pace. Mile four 5:55. Mile five I'm getting passed by a young kid who's been on my heels the whole way, and he brings along another guy who looks to be in my age group. Not to worry, as at least a few of the dozen or so already ahead of me look grey enough to put me out of medal hopes anyway. Still, I try to hang on, and the marker comes 5:50 later for a 5 mile time of 28:47. Holy shit. They out pace me on the run in, but I still make 5:53 for the sixth mile and 1:15 for the two-tenths to make the line in 35:55.

That's almost four minutes under my previous PR, and I'm already skeptical about the distance, but the course would have to be a half mile short for this to have not been a PR. This is even faster than my pace in the Norwood 5K last week, but conditions there sucked, and I think that course is long. And the season is over, Woo-hoo!

The BAD

Saturday, I had a lot to do at home. It's all snowy around here, and I'd been late getting home all week, and the driveway needed to be cleared first and foremost to at least give it a chance to melt down to pavement. Then I did a bunch of other shit that nobody else is going to do, because I live by myself. For these reasons, I did not attempt to make it to the cyclocross race in Rhode Island in time for the 10 am masters start. I did, however, leave the house, actually, the dry cleaners, at around 10, trying to make the noon start of the 2/3 race, in which I would be thoroughly outclassed, but for which I am technically eligible to race in. With the snow up here keeping me off the bike, I figured the workout would be worth the $30 post entry fee, and afterwards I'd jump over the two bridges to Newport across the bay, and preview the run course before driving home up the "normal" way on the eastern side.

Well, it was a good plan. I'd like to blame the directions on the race flyer, but I didn't really follow them. I knew they said Division Street, and after getting on Rt 4 there was a sign that said Division Street was exit 6, but I don't know because it wasn't there. Long story short, I got a tour of that part of the Ocean State and missed the start to the race. I took off before anyone could spot me, because I didn't want to waste time in idle conversation about my stupidity, instead preferring to make a beeline to Newport and at least get in a ride. I only had the cross bike, but it was fine. Saturday was sunny out, and like I mentioned earlier, there was no snow at all down there, as Newport sticks way out into the bay. I rode four laps of the running course. Traffic was light. I wore my Timex GPS, and each lap I got 6.21 miles, or maybe just under... Hmmm.

The race has said it would be run under USATF rules, but there was no mention of course certification. Still though, 24th annual, it had to be correct, right? But I'm riding counterclockwise, and on the right side of the road. Of course, along the water, the road is curvy as all hell, so cutting the tangents edge to edge, the way they measure courses when they certify them, could potentially cut quite a chunk of distance. But the road is marked every mile, and they're right there with the path I'm riding, staying on my side of the road. Whatever. I rode four laps, then I did some exploring, then I changed into my running gear and did five easy miles as people lined up their cars on Breton Point to watch the sun set over the water, not an easy trick when you're dealing with the Atlantic Ocean. It's almost the equinox though, and so the sun is setting more in the south than the west. Everyone had a camera, and as I'm cooling down, I remember that I've got mine in the car; the pink sun is about to disappear under the horizon, and sure enough, as soon as I get back to the car, it's gone. Oh well, again.

Back to the race. I'm not even out of the chute yet and I hear a guy say "but the course is a little short." That's what I suspected, but before the race, I noted this to a guy in the parking lot, and he said no, it used to be, but this year they lengthened it after USATF certifier Ray Nelson had measured it. Soooooo, when I got home, I sent an email to Mr. Nelson. He got back to me quickly. Yes, he said, he measured it last year and found it was 94 meters short. They lengthened it, but even though he offered to remeasure and certify it, they declined. Consensus was the course is still about 20 meters short. Now for a 10,000 meter course, that doesn't seem like much, but I think the certification rules actually stipulate they add 1%, or 100 meters to the measured distance just to be safe, which would make it 120 meters short of certifiable. So figure 25-30 seconds. Still a huge PR for me, still well under a six minute pace, still incredibly satisfying, but still pissing me off just a little bit that they didn't get this certified.

The UGLY



Returning the favor for you Bold, with an arm shot no less. I may have missed the sunset, but the sky is pink, how fitting. Thanks for reading