This is the 3rd year I have run it. It is also the first year this course is a certified 5.5 mile course. Previous years the course was 5.46 or something less than 5.5 miles, my Strava measures it at 5.3. As runner's we know this 0.2 of a mile is kind of a big deal. For me and my standard 10 minute pace, it is 2 minutes.
Crutch talked me into this race in 2013, the year of my 5:26:19 MCM. Why is it I can barely remember any other race times or PRs but that blasted one and down to the freaking partial second?
That was the fastest I ran this race 49:52, works out to a 9:08 pace for 5.5 miles, it was 5.3 miles. The second year was 49:55, still working out to a 9:08 pace for 5.5 miles, it was 5.3. Honestly looking at those times kind of shocks me because I thought I ran about a 9:30 pace, it was 9:25 based on the miles I actually ran.
The 8 miles with Nicole, Crutch, and Patti on Saturday, may slow me down for this race, I wasn't the least bit concerned. I love the course, as much as I hate out and backs, I love this one, being able to see everyone running the race and I know so many people running it and recognize so many faces. You aren't all crammed together with the front runners in a wall coming at you as you pass them on their way back to the finish line. It's not a stomach and eye twisting wall of people.
I had only one goal, the goal of enjoying a huge group run where I paid a fee, got a number, an official time, and a tech shirt! My back of my mind goal was to stay under a 10 pace.
One of the Mohegan Striders, Pete, was there and we chatted before the race. He just ran Mount Dessert Island and said it was beautiful. I've contemplated that for a few years. One year I will, it will be a very long group run!
We kept evenly matched for pace and when the front runners started coming I started speeding up. I knew I was going to do this and hung back behind Pete for as long as I could stand it then took off, mile 2 and mile 3. After the turn around Pete caught up, and hung with me for a while and said "Let's finish this together." I said, "No, go on, I'm fine. I'm going to chase you, I need the motivation." He hung for a little while and urged him on. I knew how this was going to unfold. Mile 4 or 5 would be my slowest because I got a little speedy in mile 2 and 3.
I crossed the line at 55:09.1 so a 10:01 pace? I'm happy! Even getting passed by an old man in a tutu in the finish chute didn't phase me!
Sincerely,
Beth, eventually getting around to doing race recaps... I think I have two more in the cue...
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