Boxing Day 10 miler

December 26, 2010

This is a casual race that PIH puts on each year, as a fun event to run off some of those Christmas calories.  It's a handicap race, with start times based on performance at a race from the previous year and racers start from slowest to fastest - trying to catch those in front and not be caught from behind. I started 15 minutes ahead of the fastest runner, Sean Chester.  The course is a two-lap course, with long stretches on Mt Newton Cross Road. 

It was a strange race - I got to the race start and a few people were milling about in a very relaxed fashion -- it barely felt like a race.  Other runners were heading out on their first lap, as I got ready to head out on mine.  I started at the same time as Donald Peterson, a local runner who recently ran 24 hours on a treadmill to raise funds for MS.  He wasn't sure how he'd fare on this race, after completing such an arduous event in the past two weeks.  However, as the clock ticked up to our appointed time- 10:31, we headed off at what felt like a pretty brisk pace.  (Donald ended up deciding to only complete one lap -- as he was still recovering from his treadmill ultra-marathon).

As I mentioned previously, other than a few hundred meters, most of the course is along a single road.  Mt Newton Cross Road is a country road with a few relatively significant climbs (for a road race) -- and the steepest climb of the race would come at the end. 

I started off feeling decent, and soon took the lead, running in front of Donald Peterson.  The course climbed up one hill and descended the next, and I kept hoping that the next hill would be the last before the turn-around.  Finally, I started to see the earlier runners coming back towards me, and I knew it was near.  It was fun to see the other racers out on the course, passing and greeting them in turn.  Based on their positions to mine, it seemed difficult to believe that I'd be able to catch them -- but I figured I wouldn't really know until the second lap.  I completed the first segment in 17:55.  I felt pretty happy with this time, although I wasn't really certain what to expect from this race, and wasn't gunning for a specific finishing time.

The way back, my legs really started to feel it - and the race got immensely harder.  This is where I really had to being to work to keep pushing.  At times I thought, why keep pushing - this is just a fun race after all -- let's just cruise and enjoy the run.  But, my race instinct wouldn't let go, and I wanted to try and have a decent performance without getting trampled by the fastees.  At about the mid-way point in the loop,  I saw the fastest runners on their way to the turnaround.  Boy, they looked strong -- I wondered how many I could hold off.

I finished my first loop in 36:15 (18:20 for the segment), having slowed down somewhat.  Now just to do that all over again.  Up a slight incline, down a large downhill and then back to the up, down, and short flat sections.  This third segment felt no easier, and I really felt like I was slowing.  The hills seemed to really break me down.  However, I did end up catching a few runners in front of me.  Then, as I neared the turn-around point, I noticed how I was closer to the runners who had started before me - this race worked, I was actually gaining on them.  I finished my third segment in 18:20 - exactly the same time as for the previous segment.  However, after beginning to make my way back towards the finish, I saw Nancy Baxendale, who had started four minutes after me, and I was almost certain she'd catch me, being that she was so close.  A few of the other faster runners followed, and then I saw Sean Chester.  He was really gunning it, and I figured it would only be a matter of time before I'd see him blaze past me.

This last segment of the course, I began to feel much better, and I started to pick it up a bit.  I was definiteily feeling stronger, but the wind, which had been blowing during the entire race, also seemed to pick up steam, and gave us a nasty headwind (and side-wind) on the return route.  It was definitely a slowing factor. 

I made it about 13 kilometers before Sean came barelling behind me - looking very strong.  I didn't know it at that point, but his goal was to try and break the course record that had stood for 11 years.  As soon as he passed me, I knew I had to keep going as hard as I could, to try and avoid any more fastees from passing me.  I also started to try and catch other runners in front of me.  I figured that if I could pass a few runners, then even if I was passed, I wouldn't lose any positions.  I passed one runner, and put my sights on another ahead of me, as I began the last brutal climb of the race.  The wind decided to make this challenge extra difficult, as it began blowing with extra force at this point.  As if my legs were not already tired enough - they were given an extra hurdle, and I felt like I was shuffling as I crested the hill.  Just as I made it to the top, I passed another runner, and as I looked back, I saw a pack of 4-5 runners coming up behind me.  I was only a few hundred meters from the finish - so I gave it all I had to not get passed by anyone else at this point. 

My parents were cheering for me at the last corner -- and it was great to see them as I dug in for the last bit.  The finish was finally in sight, and I hadn't been passed!  My final time was 1:12:49 (18:14 segment).  I had no idea if that was fast or slow, but I was just so happy to be done. 

As this is somewhat of a non-race race, I have yet to see any results.  So, I have no idea how I fared, or where I placed.  However, I did learn that Sean Chester did indeed end up breaking the course record, finishing in 55 mins XX seconds. It was a brilliant run for him, especially considering the wind, which was pretty fierce during parts of the race.  It also seemed that the gentleman who won the race outright didn't even realize that he was first.  As he was congratulated for crossing the finish line first, he exclaimed "for what?". 

It was definitely a fun race to do, and I'm glad that I decided to run it this year -- despite having a tough run.  It's enjoyable to have another type of format for a race, and a great way to do something a bit different over the holidays.