Monday, January 30, 2017

USATF NE & Northeast masters championships

USATF always does a nice job with this meet and there are very few chances for a 40+ runner to get on the indoor track, so I put this race on the schedule.  I wasn’t really ready to do any fast indoor track racing (I’ve only been running for 9 weeks) but I’ve never let that stop me from racing before.  This year I consider any racing I can do before March to be a bonus.
I couldn’t convince anyone else to join me for the 1:30 drive to Providence, so I was one of the first to arrive.  I checked for permission to set up in the upper stands and dropped my bag and box of t-shirts before heading back downstairs to get my number.  When I returned five minutes later everything was gone!  I wasn’t in a panic (I left my wallet in the car and keys were in my pocket) but I wouldn’t be able to race without my flats and orthotics.  I was assisted right away and found all of my stuff in the cleaning staff area.  I’m not sure why they picked that up but none of the trash left around up in the stands!
Bill Newsham let me know that the men’s 5,000 would be delayed 30 minutes as the women would be run separately (which only seems fair).  That meant a slight adjustment to when I’d warm-up.  I told everyone I saw warming-up about that delay (including telling Bill about it 5 minutes after HE had told me).  Teammate Ed Sheldon joined me for a warm-up outside.  There is a nice little park with a paved ¼ mile loop right next to the school.  I’ve used this spot for a warm-up before and like the idea that I can’t get lost prior to the race.  Stephen Peckiconis joined us for a few loops as well.  I did not feel well.  During the drive I had some vertigo which I sometimes get prior to a migraine.  I hoped it’d just go away before the race.  I switched into race flats and hit the track for another mile and some strides.  I felt pretty good on the track and was calm as I watched the women finishing up their 5,000.
My plan was to hit as many 42 second laps as possible.  Last year I’d run 17:26 and I was pretty sure I wasn’t that fit this year.  My guess was right around 17:30 based on last week’s Fudgecicle race.  So I’d be looking to hit each Kilometer in 3:30.
Right from the start I was in 8th place trailing one guy closely and a couple of guys right on my heals.  The first lap was a little slow and I moved up on the outside of the guy in front and he upped the tempo a bit so I settled back in.  I felt pretty good but knew it was a long way to go.  We hit the first Kilometer in 3:32, so only a little behind schedule.  One lap later Ed Sheldon went by and I went with him as we went around our group’s early leader.  We started slowly reeling in a few guys in front of us.  It was good Ed shook things up.  We hit the mile in 5:37 and 2k in 7:02 (3:30 for the 2nd Kilometer).  We slowed a little bit after that but I didn’t want to move from where I was at least until 3k.  It was always interesting out there as we were lapping people pretty steadily (and Andy Gardiner flew by twice as he lapped most of the field at least twice).  We hit 3k in 10:35 (3:33), continuing to click off mid 42’s per lap.  We caught up to Brad Klindenst after passing 2 miles in 11:18.  It was nice having a group to work with and even nicer to finally get down to “single digit” laps remaining.  I went around Ed as Brad took off at 4k (14:08, 3:32 split).  Brad really accelerated and I was on my own although I could hear the guys right behind me.  I kicked with all I had but came up short of 17:30 with a 17:33 (last Kilometer in 3:25).
I was pleased with the race, this is a step in the right direction as the USATF NE road 10 mile championships are in four weeks.  I finished the day with a confusing drive to the start of the “Providence downtown 5k”.  I did the course as my warm-down and an opportunity to preview the course that will be the road 5k champs in September.
5000 Meter Run
1 Andy Gardiner              M51 BAA             15:50.22  
2 Bradford Klinedinst       M40 WRT          17:24.91  
3 Justin Renz                  M45 HFC            17:30.72  
4 Dave Dunham              M52 CMS            17:33.65  
5 Michael McGrane          M46 BAA            17:37.92   
6 Edward Sheldon           M52 CMS            17:38.84   
7 Ralph Mead                 M50                  17:57.35   
8 Michael Daniels            M37                  18:01.45  
9 Stefan Cox                  M25 RR              18:04.62
10 Michael Urquiola         M49 GBTC                      19:17.60   
11 Lennie Schmidt          M50                  20:04.06   
12 Bill Newsham             M52 GBTC                      20:16.71   
13 Charles Kaufmann      M61 Dirigo         20:32.96  
14 Frederick Ross III       M70 CSW          23:26.02  
15 Richard Paulsen         M73 NE65+        24:41.85   
16 Robert Knight             M72 NE65+        24:45.92   
 
 
M50 5000 Meter Run
    Name                        Age Team                      Time       Points
==========================================
  1  Andy Gardiner           M51 BAA                        15:50.22   10
  2  Dave Dunham           M52 CMS                        17:33.65    8
  3  Edward Sheldon        M52 CMS                        17:38.84    6
  4  Ralph Mead              M50 unattached                          17:57.35    5
  5  Lennie Schmidt         M50 unattached                          20:04.06    4
  6  Bill Newsham            M52 GBTC                      20:16.71    3
 
200 splits         400      Kilometer          Rolling time
43.0                             
42.9                  1:25.9                           1:25.9
41.8                                                      2:07.7
41.9                  1:23.7                           2:49.6
42.8                              3:32.4               3:32.4
42.6                  1:25.4                           4:15.0
41.1                                                      4:56.1
41.5                  1:22.6                           5:37.6
42.7                                                      6:20.3
42.2                  1:24.9   3:30.1               7:02.5
42.8                                                      7:45.3
43.0                  1:25.8                           8:28.3
41.9                                                      9:10.2
42.7                  1:24.6                           9:52.9
42.9                              3:33.3               10:35.8
42.5                  1:25.4                           11:18.3
42.9                                                      12:01.2
42.2                  1:25.1                           12:43.4
42.5                                                      13:25.9
42.2                  1:24.7   3:32.3               14:08.1
41.4                                                      14:49.5
42.2                  1:23.6                           15:31.7
42.2                                                      16:13.9
40.9                  1:23.1                           16:54.8
38.8                              3:25.5               17:33.6
 
 Scott Mason took some great pics:
 
 

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