Tuesday, August 21, 2012

Moose!

Moose on the loose relay

I’ve run the Moose relay five times over the last eight year.  I like the race. It is not too expensive, the course is pretty quick for a trail race, and most importantly it is on the DRC team schedule.

Dan signed on at the last minute to do the opening leg which freed me up from doing two legs.  I headed out early with Dan and did the 2.5 miles (really 2.45) as a warm-up before the warm-up.  Just before the race started I headed out and did another 2.5 mile loop then changed into my racing flats.  I had just enough time to run out to the mile and watch the leaders fly by on their final lap.  I got in 2 miles with some strides and arrived back at the exchange with a couple of minutes to spare.  I had a little trouble with the exchange as a runner in the 10 mile was coming through at the same time and we sort of had to weave around him.  Then I was off.  My hope was to take a few seconds off my time from last year (I ran 13:23 in the first leg in 2011).

Running the anchor leg was fun as there were plenty of people to catch, some on their final circuit and some relay teams heading out on their third loop.  I tried to set a good fast clip for the first flat and downhill half-mile (2:38).  I had people to pass the entire way as I hit the mile in 5:24 (2:46), and flew around the 180 degree turn.  I thought I’d have a pretty fast split from 1 mile to 1.5 because it is fairly flat and straight, but I rolled through in 8:13 (2:49).  Having run in Mine Falls innumerable times I knew exactly where I was and how far was left the entire time.  That can be good or bad depending on how you are feeling.  Is felt pretty good and thought I still had a shot at breaking 13:20.  I hit 2 miles in 11:01 (2:48/5:37) and pushed for all I was worth.  I hit the finish in 13:23 (2:22).  Damn, exactly the same time as last year.  It was the best effort I could muster.  Our team took the victory in the four man relay (we were the fourth finishers with 3 runners in the 10 mile beating us).  I thought the effort was good and this sets me up well for the Lynn Woods Relay (08/22) and the U.S. Trail 10km championships (08/25).

4 man relay results (19 teams)
    1 Dave Dunham        140 M Bradford        MA DRC ACES                                  1:02:27  6:15
    2 Stewart Richmond 152 M Bedford         NH RICHMONDS                                1:07:52  6:48
    3 Justin Platt               52 F Amherst         NH GRANITE STATE FLASH I          1:08:50  6:53
    4 Justin Platt               37 M Amherst         NH GRANITE STATE FLASH IV       1:08:54  6:54
    5 Mike Murphy            47 M Chelmsford      MA TEAM MURPHY                         1:09:13  6:56
 
My results at the Moose Relay
08/29/04           14:20    Hamstring really bad
08/22/10           13:46    Ran much faster than expected. 
08/21/11           13:23    Alone from the start
08/21/11           14:10    40 minutes after leg 1
08/19/12           13:23    Anchor leg, got to pass a lot of people

No comments: