6:15 PM - Hot, hot, hot! 96 degrees and humid at the start of this baby. A scorcher! Emm was up yesterday to go with the family to see Bon Jovi @ SPAC. We had a pretty good time, but we learned a very valuable lesson, that it is not just 20-somethings that seem to enjoy indulging in alcohol and other stuff. We were having more fun people watching then anything else. Felt like the speakers facing the lawn were not on or something and the performance was not very loud. We celebrated my mom's 49th birthday today, or as I so thoughtfully pointed out on her card, the "20th anniversary of her 29th birthday". :-P My mom's birthday is actually July 13th, but we are celebrating it today because tomorrow we are getting up at 3am to drive to the hospital in Albany with my dad. He is undergoing a valve replacement surgery on his heart. I am planning on sitting with my mom during the operation so she is not alone and seeing my dad when he gets into the recovery room. Now, without further ado, LA RACE REPORT!!! Warm-up: No time really to do a warmup so I parked the car and walked over to register. It's a low key event, $5 registration fee (used to be $3). You don't get a bib or anything, just sign a waiver form and give a name and phone number. They keep track of places by the honor system, filling out a card with your name and time and age and putting it in a box. Has worked really well in the past.The recent spike in entry fee is to accomodate a second charity. Generally the money goes to support the Wilton Wildlife Preservation of which Camp Saratoga adjoins, but now $1 is also going to a new charity to benefit children which I am all for! As I was walking across the parking lot I ran into my old English teacher from 9th grade. She was there running the 5k with her family in part and parcel to the new addition of a family award for the most points for a family at the end of the 5 race series. Said hi and kept walking, soon after which I heard "GRIFFIN! GRIFFIN!" I turn and see another English teacher, my 7th grade one who is here for the same reason as the first. We have a nice rivalry that goes way back, mainly because in the 5 race series, held biweekly on Monday nights for July and August, she and I try to beat each other. Well actually, what usually happens is that she shows for the first or second race, runs a faster time than me for that race, and then doesn't show up again :-P. I tend to get faster as the races go on. I missed the first race but I had a good excuse.. I was WORKING IN MASSACHUSETTS! :) We made small talk as we registered and I found out she was here running the 5k with her son and daughter. Her daughter's first 5k! What a course to choose! Hills, hills, and more hills?! I also talked with Laura Clark, a running buddy who is also the race director, and with Jon Couch whom I haven't seen in a while. Chatted about how I am doing the Mohawk-Hudson River Marathon again in October, to which my English teacher said, "Oh what'd you get the first time? I ran a 4:17!" I resigned to saying that she had beaten my time, a 4:26, though she did not let me get a word in edge wise to help myself excuse my poor performance. I am confident that I am, despite my weight in the best physical condition of my life! If I can lose some lbs and retain the strength I will be a force to be reckoned with, at least as far as middle of the pack runners go! Walked to the starting line, and listened to directions. A few stragglers came running over the hill right before the gun. MILE 1: (7:09) Mile 1 is always a mixed blessing. I know the course like the back of my hand as I have raced here over 30 times. There are two substantial hills that thin the pack, but other than that it is flat. I positioned myself in the middle at the start, a contrast to my normal start from the back mindset. But there were a lot of slow people and children and I had a lot on my mind with my dad's surgery so I wanted to leave some of it out on the trail. Took off and found a comfortable position. Passed about 10 people or so. Made my way through the 90-degree turn and off out of the field into the woods. MILE 2: (7:39) I have come to learn over the years that if you go out too hard on this course, you WILL BE DECEIVED & you WILL BE HUMBLED! I decided not to look at my watch much as splits on this course are deceiving as well. Each mile gets incrementally harder, so to attempt to run even splits is not wise. I instead actually "raced", choosing my target, a 6'4" hulk of a guy wearing a Lance bracelet, yellow Lance shirt, Lance shorts, and Lance shoes. Oh to be able to drop $300 for this lovely ensemble at the sporting goods store (sarcasm implied). Made our way up two more terraced hills. Starting to breath heavy and the sweat flowing. Almost to the road. MILE 3+: (8:33 for 1.1 mi) Another trick that comes with knowing the course, is knowing on which one of the dozen or so hills that line this route to surge on. Also not relying on what the crossing guard tells you! I remember a couple years ago I was in the race with my dad and the crossing guard told us, "Way to go! You're halfway there!" This on an already slow course that says to add 2-3 minutes to a road 5k at the 2.2 mile mark when you cross. Ugh! The last mile is all about maintaining and I very rarely pass anyone because the undulations and twists and turns prevent it until the finishing shoot. I stayed behind Sir LANCElot until about .5 miles to go where there is a very large 200m downhill. Another lesson learned. Do NOT try to slow on this descent or you WILL get hurt! I just put the engine to the max and flew down the hill, up the embankment and down onto the long 1/2 mile singletrack leading to the finish. A lady had passed me right before the downhill and I basically said, Oh heeeeeccccckk no! Took her out going into the single track (another lesson learned the hard way countless times). Caught LANCElot with 300m to go and I heard a pack of 4 closing on me. I used my "speed" and put :04 between me and them in the closing straightaway. Crossed the finish line in 23:21, good for 14th place overall. (Generally the first race I do on this course in the season is in the mid 25:00s so this was good! Also considering the excessive heat) Oh yeah, I beat the first woman overall so I did not get chicked!!
THOUGHTS & COOLDOWN: As I jogged about my mile cooldown I decompressed the race. Overall a very strong performance, however I am lacking stamina for the short 5k distance. I suppose this is due to the fact I have done LSD for a majority of the year with only occasional tempo miles thrown in. I want to work a bit on speed this summer going into the fall racing season to see how close I can get to a couple of my PRs. Also want to get serious about losing the weight I am always talking about. Jim Fixx said that every pound shed can knock off :02 per mile at the same effort. So does this mean I am running a lot harder then the 110 lb scrawny people next to me?! lol. I anxiously anticipate entering a few 5ks this summer if not for fun then for cool swag and the chance to beat the pants off other weekend warriors! Note: Legs are sore. Could feel lactic acid in the closing .25. Will definitely be feeling this tomorrow, but it will be a good hurt! Send thoughts of encouragement for my dad as he has his surgery tomorrow early a.m.!
| 
