Background
The By Hook or By Crook 12K on Sandy Hook, NJ was the penultimate event of the eight race 2022 USATF Masters Grand Prix road and cross country series. And we had everything on the line. Our masters age group team, the Boulder Road Runners, had been leading the series, comfortably, all year. However, Shore Athletics of New Jersey, the race’s host, had been running a stealth campaign. By May we realized that we would need to finish first or second in this race–or beat our East Coast rival team. If they won or beat us by two spots they would take an insurmountable lead into the final race next month at on our home course. It was that simple.
Although we have (arguably) the best 60s+ team in the country, with the most depth, getting three healthy runners to line up and race has proved most challenging. Adding to that, the Pikes Peak Marathon and Ascent were scheduled for the same weekend. That immediately took out two of our top three runners. In our favor however, the rival team would also lose its top runner to Pikes Peak.
Early in the year I decided to run this event, one of only two in the fall (the remainder were in the winter and spring), but Mike was the only other teammate committing to the 12K. At team meetings in the spring and summer I did some cajoling and asking for others to step up, but maybe was not emphatic enough. Adam was the only one who expressed a serious interest but he had an event scheduled for the day before, so travel would be a challenge.
After some last ditch asking around in August it actually looked like only two of us would be traveling to New Jersey, but Adam’s event was moved to another date and he would join us. Just three amigos, up against the host club large enough to field an A, B, and C team.
Who would come out ahead?
The Match Up
On paper we were confident we would match up well against the host. We had beat them handily at the half marathon championships in March, with me going 1:21, Adam 1:26, and Mike 1:29 to their 1:19, 1:31, 1:32. However, in Syracuse they were missing Michael, one of their top consistent runners (he ran 47 minutes in the 12K last year), and they had a couple of newcomers. In 2022 Henry has been running as well as Rick their top runner–the one doing Pikes Peak. Henry has run a 5:08 mile, 17:15 5K, and 2:55 marathon this year. We didn’t have much info on the other guy Carl, but Adam felt confident he could beat Michael and Carl. We were hoping for something along the lines of 45, 48, 50 for the three of us, compared to 44, 48, 50 for the other guys–comfortably in second place and we all had a good day maybe a first and thus locking up the team title in our favor.
Personally I came into the week hoping for another Silver medal to match last year’s (by 0.2 seconds!), but at the last minute Nat from another East Coast team signed up. Nat has been setting records and winning everything in sight since turning 60 over the summer. So Bronze would be the best I would do.
I chose not to look at The Running Professor’s blog on the night before and I’m glad I didn’t. He predicted that Nat, Henry, and another 60s newcomer Jeff would go 1,2,3 for the age group, leaving me the eldest of the bunch (turning 65 early next year) out of the medals.
Time-wise I was hoping to improve on last year’s 45:51 which was a pretty good race, but I felt ready for a 90% age grade this time (would need a 45:30). I do think I was in shape for that, but the weather did not cooperate. For strategy I had a combo plan, not to get sucked up into too fast of a start but also to keep in contact with other top runners in my age group, particularly Jeff whom I had not raced as well as a Ken and Rick who are in the 65-69 age bracket. The often go out fast, last year Ken was a good 12-15 seconds ahead of me at the first mile, which I did right at 6:00.
Sunday was the warmest day of the week and by the 9:30 AM start it was 70 degrees with 88% humidity (dew point 64) with a 12 mph crosswind that favored runners going out, but more of a headwind on the return. With that tailwind at the start, I thought I might have some leeway, but plan was 6:00-6:05.
The Race
I was bumped back to the 4th or 5th row at the crowded start. Took a step after the gun and started my watch as I crossed the first timing pad. First mile was fairly fast, Ken was just a few meters ahead and he was chasing two or three very quick starting women in the 55-59 age group as the pack strung out. The two leaders in my age, Henry and Nat were 100 meters ahead in no time, and I could see the orange bib of Jeff as we rounded the first turn at about 0.8 mile. He was already 15 seconds up and I figured I was in 4th. I crossed the mile in 5:57, a little faster than I had wanted but we had the tailwind and Ken was 5 or 6 seconds ahead and those women were right at 5:50 or a little under.
Normally I’m couple minutes ahead of those women in a race 10K or longer, so what the heck was up!? The were actually leading the entire women’s race at that point, along with the eventual winner who was from the 40-44 age group.
There wasn’t a lot of movement in the second mile as everyone maintained their position, but I could see Ken slowing up, dropping off the pace of the fast-women. I was at 11:56 at 2 miles and passed Ken soon after, he said his hip and hamstring were bothering him. I encouraged him to keep going. The pack with the lead women was just ahead and I set to work on that group, Jeff was about 20 seconds up. The other guys in my age group were way out of sight. Could I catch him for a podium finish?
By the time we got to the turns at the far end of the course, with a couple of ups and backs, I had passed the pack with the lead women and had gained a little bit on Jeff. After 4 miles we hit a stretch of bike path and by the time I got off that and onto the road, I was gaining quickly on him as he fell off. He walked a bit and I caught him near mile 5. Trying to hold steady, I was feeling hot but also that headwind. I knew I was slowing but by this point it was just a matter of keeping a steady effort. There were two guys just ahead. I caught one (Atlanta TC) in the 6th mile but the other stayed just 5-6 seconds ahead. We turned west and my 6th mile had slowed to 6:20 (36:40 split), and into headwind. My watch read 38:01 for 10K. I took a sip and dumped water at the final aid station, choosing not to look back as we made the final turn with just under 2K to go.
Then it got hard. I heard footsteps, I tried to pick it up, but they kept getting closer. It was the lead woman, she was in the 40-44 age class. I stuck with her for maybe 0.1 of a mile, but with just a mile to go let up some and she gapped me. This would be my lapse for this race and I started running on my heels, always a bad sign. I was breathing hard and feeling the heat. I decided to just relax a bit and not let anyone else catch me, but this is the same stretch where Joe caught me last year and we had our epic duel for the Silver and Bronze.
There was no one behind me. However, with a half mile remaining (following a 6:36 7th mile) I heard more steps. It was the Atlanta guy (age group 55-59) whom I had passed in the 5th mile. Enough lagging on my part I would not let him get ahead, and I picked it up back into race pace (which was about 6:20) and he stayed there just a few seconds back. And with about 400 to go I ratcheted my pace up and started a full kick with over the final 200 or so meters. Crossing the line I was surprised to have lost so much time and to see 46:20 on the clock, a full 30 seconds slower than last year.
That was a little disappointing, short of my goal of 90%. It was that 6th and 7th mile that did me in for any time goals. Nevertheless, everyone had the same conditions this year and maybe I could just throw direct comparison out. I did hold on for the Bronze, as Jeff finished some 25 seconds back.
That was my 14th USATF individual medal in the past five years. In that time the only time I did not finish on the age group podium was when I was injured at the Tulsa 15K and had to walk-jog the last 5K to ensure that our team could hang onto 3rd place that day, as well as keep on the Grand Prix podium.
How would we do as a team?! Adam crossed a couple minutes later in 49:30, that was slower than he had wanted but he looked strong. I chatted with some other runners but kept looking for Mike. Shore’s second runner was 2 minutes behind me, and then there third and fourth rolled in, just after 50 minute. No Mike. By 55 minutes I knew Mike was in trouble and so were we as a team.
I wandered back onto the course several hundred meters and found Adam, someone indicated that Mike was walking some fairly early into the race. We were shooed back to the finish line by an officical, Get some water she admonished us! People are collapsing out on the course today.
At just over one hour we spotted Mike, jogging gingerly. He had pulled his hamstring. He apologized, but even though that dropped us down to third in the team standings I felt there was no need–I have been there, a lot of had. The three of us showed up and ran to our best on this day.
If there is any disappointment with Sunday’s outcome it is that we could not get a fourth runner. No one else could or would make the trip. We all have our own agendas in a given year, and can’t make every event, but this was one where we really needed some help. The best we can do for the year is a second in the Grand Prix.
rrunnin234 