“Think you’re escaping and run into yourself. Longest way round is the shortest way home.”
I took a long trip away to run the James Joyce Ramble, and then we sold our home. It was that kind of week.
We planned to sell our place in the Rocky Mountain foothills this year, or at least look into making a move, but I envisioned that we’d close the deal during the summer. Or maybe we’d make the move next year. However, events took a life of their own as soon as we returned from a weeklong trip to Spokane, WA where we were planning to move.
Life sometimes throws curves at you. Two factors changed our destination. We bought our mountain condo in 2016, and all seemed pretty good, but the monthly homeowners association fees increased 10-15% a year and by 2024 it had doubled, while the services and quality of maintenance at the site declined. In a few more years the fees would be greater than our mortgage, and that would be financially unsustainable for us. Not to mention the value of our property would decline. At the beginning of this year we decided that moving out in 2025 would be better than 2026. That would mean having the condo on the market by spring.
Things accelerated from there. Realtors, you know. We were on the market on March 7, with open houses the on the following two weekends. So much for a relaxing beginning of spring! Had we not been selling our place I would have stayed the World Masters Championships in Florida to run the 10K road race on March 30, but I needed to get home to help take care of things.
Meanwhile, other events prompted us to rethink whether we actually wanted to move to Spokane. It checked a lot of boxes, but one issue was that it was no closer to our family, in fact further. In mid-March, just a week after the condo went up for sale, we decided that a move to the Midwest might suit us better. Three factors gave the edge to the Midwest. Housing is even more affordable, it’s closer to our oldest son (his brother lives on the West Coast, but it was still a 2 hour flight from Spokane), and access to cross country skiing would be better. We have decided to move to the Twin Cities this July. It beat out Spokane in 10 of 12 categories that we considered. The only two that it was better were location and landscape and size.
Enough of the preamble, now to Dedham and the 10K.
Post WMA Training
I had five weeks after the 8K cross country championships. Recovery from that race took longer than expected. I was completely washed out that first week, and it felt more like following a half marathon, indicating some life stress no doubt but also that the race in Gainesville was an all-out effort.
My weeks in April, leading up to the 10K at the end of the month were 47, 43 (with some skiing and cycling), 56, 43, and 39 miles. For me that’s kind of in the lower end of moderate mileage. I usually like 60-65 miles a week. With so much going on and the slower than normal recovery it was adequate.
Workouts were nothing special in April but I got in a couple of double threshold days, and some single workouts focusing on threshold or CV effort (essentially race pace). I guess my capstone workout, 10 days before the race, was an asymmetrical ladder with 2,3,4,5,6,5,2 on rolling terrain. Starting at threshold and then working toward low 6 minute/mile effort (CV for me right now). That workout went well enough, and I felt I could run under 6:20/mile in Dedham.
Travel and Pre-Race
I flew into Boston on Friday afternoon and visited my cousin and her husband in Brookline that evening. Saturday was very chill, I ended up spending the day on my own at the hotel in Dedham, with my only activity being an easy run to pick up my race packet at the course venue.
Race Day
My friend Jim drove down from New Hampshire Sunday morning and we visited for a bit before taking the short drive to the race. It was cool, windy, and raining off and on. More like day for a cross country race, but it wasn’t terrible and everyone would be facing the same conditions so it didn’t phase me much. Got in a 2-mile warm up jog with some friends, did my strides and stretching and before I knew it, we were lined up and ready to go.
The first part of these races is always a little frenetic, and I’m always surprised at how fast some runners shoot off from the starting line. I focus on staying on my feet but also try to be aware of my pace-effort, next is to survey the scene and to keep an eye out for competitors. Two local guys from my age group strode by in the first 200 m, and then a guy in the 70s age group! I couldn’t even keep track of how many in the 60-64 group were ahead, but it seemed like a lot. Then another runner (a future teammate from the Twin Cities) ran by looking light and fresh.
I was hoping to win the age group, but figured that even if I had a bad day, I would be top 3 in the age group. However, you never know and I’m always full of doubt in the early stages of these masters running events.
By the first mile (a bit too fast in 6:03) I had pulled away from the two local runners and had my sights on my new friend/rival from the Twin Cities who was about 30 meters ahead, who had thrown in at least one surge and was and looking strong. A hell of a way to introduce ourselves, I thought.
I gained some ground in the second mile, but when I got within about 10 meters he surged again and the gap had quickly opened up to 30 meters. I knew I’d have to keep focused and have good middle and latter part of the race to keep in contact. At about 2 miles we made a sharp turn to the right, and I could see him easing up some. I was in a good pack of about six or seven other runners and I went with their tempo. We crossed 2 miles in 12:12. This was faster than the 6:15/mile I had anticipated, but I felt it was important to keep in contact.
Just after mile 2, pulled along by the pack of runners, I eased past my competitor. This was mostly a flat mile, with a net downhill and I think the wind was in our favor. That split of 5:56 was my fastest of the day, as I crossed 3 miles in 18:08.
Then things got harder. The 4th mile is through a campus and it features two solid hills. The first one was 25 feet, not too bad, but after a short downhill the second hill climbs at 6% with a net gain of 40 feet. I really slowed on that one. My mile split was 6:22, the slowest of the day. The 5th and 6th miles were a grind, with lightly rolling terrain, the splits were 6:07 and 6:13. I was running out of gas during mile 6 and on the final turn, with about 1200 m to go, did a head check to see where my competitors were. I had about 20 seconds and although I was feeling uncomfortable I felt that I could hold the effort for a few more minutes. He’d have to have a blazing kick to run me down.
Course map with Garmin splits (probably about a second per mile faster than actual).
The last 500 m have a slight net uphill, with a final hill with about 350 to go. I threw it all down and closed in about 5:50 pace to hang onto a 38:17, good enough for 48th overall and 1st in my age class.
A final surge at the finish was enough to put me on the age grade podium, 3rd out of all runners/ages in the race.
That was a hard fought race–it’s going to be interesting once I get to the Twin Cities, with such strong and competitive teammates! Meanwhile, although we did not field a 60s team, the 70s team showed up strong and took 2nd place to a surging Shore Athletic Club from New Jersey. They rarely lose, but Shore is strong this year.
With BRR 70s team.
And speaking of future teammates, in the age grading category I edged another Twin Cities runner (early 60s) by 0.05% to score a 90.6% age grade, and 3rd place overall. That was probably the biggest achievement of the day.
I was really happy with this race. Although I felt rough in that 6th mile in particular, I held on and didn’t lose much ground. Had I put my head down and stayed with the leaders of that pack I might have eked out 8 or 10 more seconds and been at the 91% range or age grading (and moved up a spot), but other than that I don’t think I could have gone much faster.
Bling!
rrunnin234 