Portland Baysde 5k

On Sunday Dan joined me at 5:30am for the drive up to Portland, ME.  Dan was taking it easy after having run two marathons in two consecutive weekends so he wasn’t interested in racing but was up for a nice run along the ocean in Portland.  8:00 am is a fine time to start a race, doesn’t kill an entire day like an 11:00 race.  We arrived at the Maine Pier and I got my goody bag (including some doggy treats, this race had a dog category) and then we headed out for a warm-up.  The course was right along the ocean but there was no wind and conditions were just about ideal with temperatures in the 40’s.  We ran the first 1.5m of the point-to-point course then turned back.  I switched into racing flats and my singlet and headed out for another mile with some strides.

The race started with a quarter-mile loop around the start area.  Wow, the leaders just sprinted out.  I was barely in the top ten during the loop and we almost caught the tail-end of the slower racers.  When we hit the bike path I was in 8^th place and already wheezing from pushing the pace.  Maybe I wasn’t as fit as I thought?  Maybe everyone in front of me would fade?  I settled in and slowly passed a couple of runners moving up to sixth place by the mile (5:22).  I was happy to see that split and realize that I was running about the pace I’d hoped for. 

Runners and dogs on the first 1/4 mile loop

I kept focusing on the runners in front of me.  There was a very fast young lady about 15 seconds up at the mile and I was slowly (very slowly) reeling her in.  At about 1.5 miles I passed another runner and worked on the only uphill of the race (a short and not too steep climb to the waste treatment plant).  The two mile mark was long (5:55) but I’d closed on the top lady, she was a little more than 5 seconds up on me at 2 miles.  I tried to close the gap, hoping she’d fade in the last mile but I never got closer than 3 seconds.  She accelerated as I made a push to the finish (I caught two 400 splits of 1:20 and 1:21).  We went slightly off course at the very end which added a second or two, but the course was long anyway.  The final mile was 5:24 and 35 seconds for the last tenth. 

I measured it on www.mapmyrun.com and came up with 3.18 miles which would make it about 20 seconds long, which makes sense with the long mile in the middle. 

Dan and I ran back on the course for a warm-down and then hit the road.  Even with 3 hours round-trip driving we made it back to Haverhill before 11:00 am.

Portland Bayside 5k                                                                        

Portland, ME    11-13-2011                                           

1 15:40  Coleman Hatton   24M Cape Elizabeth, ME  

2 16:07  Chris Harmon      23M Scarborough, ME

3 16:26  Gary Ward         20M Portland, ME          

4 17:13  Abbey Leonardi   17F Kennebunkport, ME

5 17:16  Dave Dunham      47M Ward Hill, MA