Canton Fall Classic 10k

Wait, I thought Canton was a cross race? Yes, Saturday, which was new, as in the past the bike race often conflicted with the Canton Fall Classic running race, which goes right by the cyclocross venue. In fact, in 2006, I was even dumb enough to race both of them on the same day. So enjoyable was that little adventure that the next year I attempted to repeat it but was thwarted by mysterious forces beyond my control. Probably for the best. In 2008 I think I skipped the CX race, and beginning last year it started cx Saturday, running race Sunday, solving my problem.

The Canton 10k is a big deal to me because I've probably done it more times than any other running race. The first time was 1993, my first 10k ever and the furthest I'd ever run in my life at that point. The course is relatively hilly, mostly down for two miles or so, then one big wall before more downhill to the low point in the third mile. 3.5 - 5 are mostly up, gaining quite a bit, culminating in a wall on Dedham Street right at the five mark. The last mile is false flat uphill, but it seems pretty easy and fast compared to the prior sector. In 93 my time was 48 something. I was at the peak of my bike racing career then, having won a few bigger (for me) races that season, but I was no runner. Then through the 90s I continued to dabble in running each fall, but opting for the 5k option at this race in the years I did it. That continued up until 2003.

In 2004 I must have started running more often, and since then I've made the 10k every October, save for the 2007 debacle. My best time was in 2008, when I was killing it in my sneakers. The history:

2009, 11th, 38:21
2008, 12th, 37:35
2007 missed it
2006, 17th, 40:27
2005, 12th, 41:43
2004, 27th, 44:27

The course is not certified, but it's exactly the same every year, and I've no reason to believe it isn't legit. With the hills it's not fast. Typically Canton only draws around 175 runners each for the 5k and 10k, which start together before taking divergent paths just after the one mile marker. This year they somehow more than doubled that, so good for them. The quality has been lacking though, with just a handful of really fast guys showing up, as evidenced by the not-so-fast times of my top 20 placings. The race is well run for the most part, but awards are always a totally disorganized shit show, dragging on for what seems like hours as runner after runner from 5k and 10k age group podiums goes up to the table, hears the speech about what the best prizes left are, then takes their time picking through envelopes and other goodies. Many people leave, and the fast "money" runners probably avoid the race for this reason. Too bad.

I almost did not go. My knee was feeling twingy on Friday, but during the cx race Saturday it was fine. When I got to Canton Sunday I felt good warming up, even though the 3/4 mile from where I parked to the race was all I did, save for a few strides waiting for the fun run to end and the races to begin. At the gun it's flat for about 1/2 mile before starting down the hill toward Ponkapoag. You're mixed in with the 5k runners, many of whom are fast school kids, so it's hard to tell how you're doing. Not that pacing is my strong suit. Plus, with the undulating nature of this course, splits are never close to even anyway. I hit the first mile in 5:53. The leaders were WAY ahead. Half of the twenty runners ahead of me turned off for the 5k.

Mile two was 5:57, I think, again mostly downhill. I knew this was too fast but it's downhill so I kept on truckin. On the wall I caught a kid in front of me even though I slowed down a lot. There were not a lot of footsteps audible around us. Pretty lonely actually. Mile three ends in a downhill but it still took 6:18, quite a drop. We bottomed out through some road construction, starting the rolling grind up Elm Street. If there was a mile four marker, I missed it. I knew I was going slow though, yet I still caught the kid (who had pulled away on the descent) again. This process then repeated itself on the next downward dip, and he held the gap this time. I was fading in mile five, same as last year. Onto Dedham street, the last hundred yards of mile five is the wall in front of the Colgate building. My split for miles four and five was 13:18, or 6:39s, a pretty bad plunge. This put me at 31:35 or so with 1.217 miles to go. I knew my stretch goal of sub-39 was in jeopardy, but I still had to try. And I felt pretty good in spite of really pushing it all the way to the end, but alas the clock was at 39:18 when I crossed. At least nobody caught me from behind. My closing pace must have been around 6:21, just over my race average of 6:20, so I couldn't have botched the pacing too badly.

Four seconds slower than at Dorchester, but on a much tougher course, in high winds, the day after a cx race. I'll take it. The minute I lost since last year, and the two since 2008 matches up pretty well with the 2 seconds/mile/pound theory, as I'm up a few from last year and a few more from the year before that. So one of my goals for November is to lose two kg. Any bets? I cooled down, helped myself to a bunch of take away foods, changed at my car, jogged back, and still had to wait at least forty five minutes for my turn at the prize table. I'd finished 10th overall out of 360 or so, first out of the 56 male 40-49 group (despite finishing behind a 50 y.o. and a 58 y.o., so much for this getting easier next year). When I finally got up there all the cash and supermarket gift certificates were gone, but I managed to score a $25er to Tri-Town Discount Liquors, which should be good for a quartet of 22's. Thanks for reading.