I decided a couple of weeks ago (with prodding from Ken Tripp) to try and make it to a couple of the WCRC track races this summer. I love track but never seem to do much with so many other types of races to do. This week it fit perfectly in the schedule. I wasn’t sore from Ascutney due to the uphill nature of the race and a Tuesday effort should give me ample time to recover before the Stowe 8 mile championship this Sunday.
I headed up to Amesbury right from work and had 45 minutes to kill so I took a 30 minute power-nap while Howard Stern rambled on in the background. After figuring out how to sign up (there were about 100 clipboards, one for each category in each event), and what I wanted to run (I decided I could do the 2 mile and with little rest do the half-mile). I headed out on the roads for a gentle 2 mile warm-up then hit the track for 2 more miles with strides. Ken Tripp showed up and joined me for a few laps, but he passed on the two mile. He would be focusing on his speed J
Nine of us lined up for the two mile, the track had been resurfaced recently and felt “fast” but it was also about 85 degrees and very humid with a wind that would bug us on the home straight. The only saving grace was the cloud cover which kept the temperature from soaring. With “runners set” and the gun we were off and I was in the lead. It felt comfortable…too comfortable. I checked at 200 and we were slow (44). My goal was to break 11 minutes but I had a stretch goal of running 80’s (10:40). At the 200 I picked it up and came through 400 a couple of seconds slow. At that point I was passed by ???? who asked “what are you hoping to run” as he went by. I responded “under 11” and he upped the tempo. A 79 second quarter had us nearly back on pace and I moved back into the lead thinking we’d alternate laps. At 1200 I could hear him behind by a few steps and realized I’d be setting the pace on my own. He hung tough only a few seconds back by 1.5, but I pulled away over the last half mile. I pushed hard the last quarter hoping to hit 10:40, I did buy back some of the time but not quite crossing in 10:42.5. Hands on knees for a few seconds then down on hands and knees for a solid minute trying to get my breathing under control. That last half-mile had me wheezing and not 100% sure I’d make it. I continued to wheeze for a bit and got into a slow jog.
Ken joined me and we headed around the track as a warm-down and a warm-up. There was only one heet of the 800 before we were lined up. Ken was hoping to run 34-35 per 200 and I was thinking I could run around 2:35-2:36. Of we went with Ken and a recent 2:01 High School grad pulling away immediately. I hit the 200 in 38 and then moved up into third place as I went through 400 in 76. Ken and the kid passed in 71, with the kid then taking off and winning in 2:18. Ken held strong taking second in 2:21 and I must have looked like hell trying to kick like mad down the straight as the clock clicked toward 2:30. I just slipped under with them giving me 2:29.9 and me getting 2:29.93 on my watch. Teschek timing it was not J
I had a lot of fun hitting the track and came away with a 40+ PR for the half and also got my first win of the year which gives me 32 consecutive years with at least one win. Next up: Stowe 8 mile on 07-18.
Splits:
2 mile
1:22.4
1:19.4--2:41.8
1:19.2--4:01.0
1:20.3--5:21.3
1:21.5--6:42.8
1:20.5--8:03.3
1:21.1---9:24.4
1:18.1--10:42.5
10:42.5
800m
1:16.1
1:13.8
2:29.9
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