The race I will run is the 2nd annual Beach to Beacon, organized by Joan Samuelson in her home town of Cape Elizabeth, Maine. She wanted to share her town with the world - meaning world class athletes. (The top 3 men were 27:40, 28:19, and 28:22. The top 3 women were 32:05, 32:05, and 32:10.) Susan and I ran last year and had a lot of fun. We saw friends from Nashua at the start, met Jonathon Beverly, saw more people we knew after the finish. The finish area was a large field in a park that contained a 1791 lighthouse and overlooked the Atlantic Ocean. Tugboats were on the water with firehouses spewing out water. The weather was perfect.
The race I will run is a 10k. I hadn't run a race this long all summer. I ran a lot a 5 mile races, but this will be different. Once, I thought of 10k as running hard for 5 miles and then keeping the pace for another 1.21 miles. However, now I am beat at the end of 5 miles so that strategy won't work. I will have to start slower, but I am not sure how much slower. When in doubt, play it by ear. Anyway, it is too early in the morning to think clearly.
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At 7:35, I walk to the starting line. With 4,000 runners, the two lane highway seems very narrow. I want to get in a place where I can reach the starting line more than I want to warm up. The announcer stated the race will not start until 8:10, so I run for 15 minutes to warm up. It is still 20 minutes before the start when I finish my place and stretch as best I can. I see another DRS singlet and wave. He sees my and comes over. I get to meet Doug Freeze, after years of seeing his posts on rec.running. There are a few other Striders nearby but I don't know them and they probably don't know me without my club singlet.
Mile 1: The race starts. It takes sixteen seconds to reach the starting line, but I started my watch when the gun went off. I figure I would subtract the difference between gun and chip time from my first mile split. It is still hard to begin racing. There are too many people running slower than me. I finally get to the left edge of the road and begin passing people. I tell myself not to expend too much effort too early. I look for the balloon arch that is at each mile split but I don't see it. I see a few balloons on a standard off the road and someone says 6:20. That can't be mile one, which would mean I ran the first mile in 6:04.
Mile 2: The race makes a right turn off the highway onto a road that has shade. While the race is no longer crowded, there are a few uphills and I reach two miles in 13:04. That makes sense, a 6:32 pace for the first two miles, or 6:24 chip time. Maybe, mile one had more downhills than I thought. I was trying to find spots to run without thinking of the elevation.
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Mile 3: Just maintain pace. I miss the balloon arches but I see balloons on standards each mile. It is getting warm, and I am happy there are water stops each mile. Hit the button on my watch at mile 3 and see 6:17 for that mile. I am pleased and worried at the same time. This is fast, but I know the course is an easy 10k. Just maintain.
Mile 4: I feel the beginning of a stitch so I back off a bit and it goes away. I speed up again when I see a woman from Nashua (Ann) who is faster than I am ahead. I am happy to be that close to her. 6:22.
Mile 5: Downhills. I feel I am running well without excessive strain. 6:10. That still seems way off, but I will take it. I glance at the ocean but don't spend any time appreciating it. I have another 1.21 to go. I keep Ann in sight.
Mile 6: The last mile is the slowest mile. I remember that from last year. I will run faster than last year, which pleases me to no end! That doesn't happen very often. On the first uphill Ann is pulling away from me. The entrance to the park surprises me. I thought it was closer to the finish than it was. I do not like this section as it began with a short, but steep uphill, and ends on the grass. I am looking forward to seeing the six mile split and then the finish. Mile 6 was 6:49 and the last 1.21 was 1:15. My watch reads 40:07 and I later find out my chip time of 39:52.
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After finishing the race, I get my baggage and the camera I had placed between two tee shirts. The first person I see is Parker Morse, who spoke about a few trips he will make this fall as part of his Runner's World job. I think I would what he does for free when I retire.
I watch Susan finish and see a few Striders. Doug Dodds comes by and then Maureen Sproul and her husband.
I see a runner wearing an Amherst College tee shirt and ask him if he went to Amherst. He said yes and when I ask him what year he graduated, he said the same year I did. I am flattered that he recognized my face after all these years. We talk about the 30th reunion he attended this spring. I tell him I will try to make the next one.
I see Doug Freeze and Susan introduces herself to Rodger Smith while I am in the food line. We meet Doug's wife and talk about the beauty of Maine for a while. Donna Cormier sees us and comes by.
After getting more water, I look for Susan. She is talking to Ann and Jane of Nashua. Besides finishing about 20 seconds head of me, Ann won first in the 50-54 age category while Jane was third in the 55-59. The sun is warm, but we decide to stay for the awards as I am the only person with a camera.
The awards ceremony was fun. Former Olympians and BAA winners placed in both the open and masters categories, which were the ones that awarded cash prizes. While waiting to take my photos of Ann and Jane, I watched Joan Samuelson's dad place in the over 70 age group and Runner's World publisher George Hirsch won the 65-69 group.
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The drive home took a good hour longer than the drive to the race. The traffic was backed up at both the end of the Maine Turnpike and the beginning of the highway in New Hampshire. The traffic heading north was even worse.
The Beach to Beacon is a fun race. Susan and I plan on running again next year.