NHTI 5k

I do not like to race at night, but sometimes you’ve got to do it.  In this case I’ve signed up for the CARS (Capitol Area Race Series) and that means one night race.  I can’t believe it has been 10 years since I last did the CARS.  Time is flying by.  I’ve done the NHTI race a few times before and I’ve done many other races on the NHTI campus so there would be no surprises.

I got to the race pretty early since it didn’t make sense to go home after work.  I got all my gear prepared and napped for 30 minutes before heading inside to pick up my number.  I was glad they had indoor facilities as it was chilly outside with temps in the low 40’s and steady wind at 20 mph.  I hung out for a bit and chatted with Scott Clark, somehow we missed each other for the warm-up (I chose to run the 2 loop course and he chose to run on the trails).  This was going to be a LONG 5k, I came up with 3.2 during the warm-up (and the race) and I was cutting tangents like a madman.  I switched into racing flats and headed out for another mile and threw in four sets of strides to really get the blood pumping.  I was finally feeling like I was racing and not just doing an evening run.  I had just enough time to head back to the car and pick up my gloves that I’d thought I wouldn’t need (my hands were freezing and I definitely needed them).

The start was very narrow (I hate the short timing mats and the overhead arch that limit how many can line up) and I thought about getting in the second row.  I saw that Scott was four rows back as was Erin Lane and she had buried me at the SEA race.  I stayed on the line figuring it’d be safe and give me a clear view going into the 90 degree turn 100 meters into the race.  I went out okay and got through the turn fine.  Erin Lane went flying by as did a few others and by ½ mile into the race I was in 15^th place.  I was hoping for a top 10 finish (based on last year’s results) so there would be work to be done.  I passed a few as we headed down to the keyhole turn and then hit the wind, I caught a couple more as I reached the mile in 5:42.  There were footsteps behind me (Darin Brown) but I tried to focus on the fast starting Dylan Tuttle and Erin Lane who was 10 seconds ahead of me at the mile.  I caught Dylan at 1.5 and I tried to not let him latch on as I went by.  That got me into 9^th place and into 2 miles in 11:28 (5:46).  I never looked at my watch during the race just focused on people ahead of me.  I could see Kevin Crowley (GSRT) getting passed and slowing and thought I had a shot at him but I never quite got there.  I ended up 9^th in 18:08 and first in the 50+.  I can’t say I’m disappointed, it looks like most people ran FASTER than the SEA race but I ran almost exactly the same time.  I’ll need to pull it together if I want to be in the top 5 by the end of the series.  I’m looking forward to the Canterbury race in a few weeks, XC should slow down some of the faster guys!

14th Annual NHTI/Delta Dental 5K Road Race - April 20, 2018    255 finishers 45 degrees 20+mph winds   

Place Div/Tot  Div   Guntime Nettime  Pace  Name                   Ag S Race# Hometown        Age %       SEA

======= ===== ======= =======  ===== ====================== == =

    1   1/3    MOPEN   17:07   17:05   5:30 Sean McCauley     26 M    58 Canterbury NH        76.00%

    2   2/3    MOPEN   17:13   17:11   5:32 Justin Orr             35 M   305 Dover NH              77.18%

    3   3/3    MOPEN   17:33   17:30   5:38 Kirpal Demian       16 M   117 Bow NH                75.69%     17:56

    4   1/8    M1519   17:36   17:33   5:39 Samuel Berube      17 M    33 Bow NH                 74.56%     17:51

    5   1/20   M2029   17:47   17:45   5:43 Timothy Lindberg  24 M   192 Ashland NH           73.15%    17:40

    6   2/8    M1519   17:54   17:52   5:45 Jason Schoeller      19 M   124 Pembroke NH        72.67% 

    7   1/3    FOPEN   17:55   17:53   5:46 Erin Lane               37 F   312 Hopkinton NH        83.65%    17:58

    8   1/23   M3039   18:04   18:02   5:49 Kevin Crowley        32 M   215 Concord NH          72.59% 

    9   1/25   M5059   18:10   18:08   5:51 Dave Dunham        54 M    17 Bradford MA          83.91%    18:10

   10   1/21   M4049   18:24   18:22   5:55 Mark Laprade        45 M    67 Bedford NH           77.38%    18:34

   11   2/25   M5059   18:28   18:26   5:56 Darin Brown          51 M    48 Madison NH          80.64%    18:41

   12   3/25   M5059   18:34   18:32   5:58 Scott Clark            52 M   198 Gilmanton NH       80.83%    18:36

   13   2/20   M2029   18:42   18:39   6:01 Dylan Tuttle          21 M    81 Alton NH               69.62%    18:52

   14   4/25   M5059   18:44   18:41   6:01 Glenn Miller           56 M   176 Campton NH         82.74%

   15   2/23   M3039   18:54   18:52   6:05 Sam Wood             32 M   318 Laconia NH           69.39%