Yesterday I ran in the Boston Prep 16 Mile Race in Derry, NH. The race is advertised as being "moderately challenging" but the picture to the left suggests more than moderate! I went into this race with the mentality that it was "an organized training run with water stops" rather than a race. I knew I didn't want to race it all out so I planned to take it easy.....faster than normal long runs, but slower than race pace.
Therefore, I did everything the day before that I would never do if I was actually racing. Bryan and I went skiing at Gunstock in NH on Saturday and enjoyed decent, but cold conditions. Rather than driving all the way back home, we got a cheap hotel room and went out to dinner. I ate lots of food I would never eat before a real race and I had a beer!
Sunday I woke up at 8am and it was 1 degree out....one lonely degree! At least the sun was shining :) Janette was supposed to race with me, but she had a migraine and texted to say she wasn't coming.....oh no....now I would have to do this tough race by myself! It was up to about 10 degrees by the start of the race at 10am.....bbbrrrrrrr!!
The first 10 miles were rolling....lots of ups and downs which wasn't too bad given what the next two miles had in store for me. Starting at mile 10.5 the "hill" begins. The word hill does not adequately describe this monster.....for 1.5 miles we climbed and climbed and climbed some more! It went from steep to steeper without any relief. I walked twice up the steepest parts to try to save my already tired legs. Let's just say this thing made Heartbreak Hill look like the bunny slope!
The last 4 miles were fairly flat with some downhills and I was pleased to pick up speed here. In the last 3 miles, not one person passed me and I passed about 10-15 people (many of whom passed me on the hills). So yes....I wasn't happy with myself for walking some, but in the end it allowed me to save my legs some and actually made up some time. My last mile clocked in as my fastest at 7:56...not too shabby!
So overall, I'm glad I did this race even if I didn't truly "race" it. Yes, it was cold (see the picture Bryan took at the end of the race of the temperature reading from his car)....gatorade was frozen as was my ponytail. Yes, it was a tough course and I'm not pleased that I walked some. Yes, I was a little tired from skiing the day before but I was really happy to see my pace pick up in the last 4 miles.
Watch Time: 2:18:42
Clock Time: 2:19:02
Average Pace: 8:41 min/mile
Average Pace for the 14 miles minus the hill (mile 10+11): 8:31 min/mile
Overall Place: 350/655
Female Place: 102/278
Overall, this race capped off a 47.3 mile week. I am very much looking forward to my step-back week this week!
Bryan wanted to prove how cold it really was! I ran more miles than degrees Fahrenheit!
That's me coming up the last hill to the finish line.....so cruel putting yet another hill at the end!
3 comments:
Great job Sarah!!! I can't see from the picture but did you run with a ski mask dealio on? That helps me keep my breath and thus lungs warmer when it's so chilly out.
How's the different training plan working out for you?
And people call ME crazy! I'm cold and tired just reading that! Way to go!
No, no ski mask....I tend to get hot if I have too much around my neck. No matter how cold it is, I almost always unzip the top of my shirt and I almost NEVER wear a hat...an ear band is about as covered as my head gets!
I'm liking the new training plan. I should post it here so you can see it.....or just be better about blogging my runs :)
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