Sadly I couldn't direct the Northfield snowshoe race this weekend due to the lack of snow, so happily I headed over to Tewksbury to test myself on the (long) 5k course. These races are great, show up pay your $1 entry fee and race. No messing around no bling, just race.
I did my normal warm-up, running the course plus some then changed into racing flats and headed out for another mile of strides. I felt okay despite a hip that has been very tender for 2+ weeks. I wasn't feeling "up" but it wasn't even 8am so maybe I was just lagging? Anyway, I headed over to the line...shook hands with the guy who stepped up to the start and off we went.
It felt comfortably hard the first 3/4 of a mile. I had hoped to run 5:30's for the first 2m then see if I could keep an even effort for the final 1.15. Dave Corbett (Mystic Runners) had won the race last week in 17:33 and he sounded good as we approached the mile. The split was a little slow (5:36) which put me 9 seconds slower than my time on January and 6 seconds slower than I'd hoped. I upped the tempo hoping to shake Dave, but he hung tough and then moved back into the lead. I made a couple of moves during the second mile, hoping to break away. Every time I increased the tempo he went right with me. We hit 2 miles in 11:02 (5:26) which was the same split I'd run a couple of weeks back. Dave seemed strong at this point and nearly broke away in the next half-mile. I made another move with 1/4 mile to go but again could not shake him. We hit 3 miles in stride (16:43) 5:41 which is solid for that mile, and was 5 seconds faster than I'd run previously. Once I could see the line I took off and gave all I had for a 37 second split over the last .15. I was able to gap Dave by 3 seconds. That final .15 was 5 seconds faster than I'd covered it on the 14th!
I ended up with my second win of the year and my fastest time at Tewksbury (by one second). I think the good conditions (29 degrees, sunny, no wind) and the constant pressure of someone else with me helped a lot to run a good time. That would be about 17:05 for a 5k. I'll take it :-) No plans to go back to Tewksbury for the final couple of weeks, unless the snow never comes.
Fudgcicle 5K Series Race 5
Tewksbury, MA
8:00 AM Febuary 4, 2012
29 degrees Sunny
Place Name No. Div/Tot Ag Div City St Timesel Pace
===== =================== ==== ======= == ===== ==========
1 Dave Dunham 166 1/8 47 M4049 Bradford MA 17:20 5:35
2 David Corbett 9 1/4 28 M2029 Stoneham MA 17:23 5:36
3 Festus Mbuva 200 1/9 30 M3039 18:23 5:55
4 Peter LaGoy 235 1/13 52 M5059 hopkington MA 18:38 6:00
5 Daniel Regan 182 1/2 17 M1519 Tewksbury MA 19:05 6:09
6 Frank Georges 809 2/9 34 M3039 Lowell MA 19:54 6:25
7 Mike Hurton 96 2/13 53 M5059 Tewksbury MA 20:20 6:33
8 Keith o'Brien 257 2/8 47 M4049 Dracut MA 20:23 6:34
9 John Feehrer 75 3/8 47 M4049 Westford MA 20:54 6:44
10 Chuck Farrow 189 3/13 50 M5059 Carlisle MA 20:58 6:45
Good to see old friends out there...Hurton, O'Brien, Festus, Tom H.
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