Kings Park 15k - Run15k

I've been doing road races for almost 4 years, so I'm starting to get some experience. It was pouring rain, windy, and 40 degrees. My goal was to give my best despite laying down a 40-mile bike PR 2 days ago and experiencing some serious accumulated training fatigue that forced me to Rest yesterday. My goal was not to get pneumonia, so I sacrificed speed and wore three base layers and (for the first time ever in a road race) I wore jogging pants. I was willing to sacrifice speed to stay warm as this is a C Race for me, and my goal is to get up and train tomorrow morning. Having said all this, I still wanted to PR because I've been putting in 30-mile running weeks.

I told Bill to go out conservative, and after 3 miles if he felt good -- after the first few hills -- to then push. We started out and with the memory of blowing up on this race twice previously, I started out conservative and did not bomb the first few downhills and flats. I kept steady on the climbs, and kept steady on one killer 325 foot climb around mile 3. I'd even started back farther at the beginning of the race and it was nice to gradually pick people off for the first 3 or 4 miles.

I wore my Rhode Island Ironman hat and it was a constant reminder as to why I was doing this race today, as IMLP specific run training. For the first 7 miles I never 'pushed the pace' much and I felt great; my legs and body felt great. I was a little hot from all the base layers but I remember telling myself that I'd rather be a little too hot, then shivering and risking sickness.

Somewhere between mile 6 and 7 my shoelace came untied. (Wow, this has never happened in close to 40 Road Races!) I pulled over to the side and who goes blowing past me, my training buddy Bill!! WTF! I get up and start running again and I have mixed emotions. 1.) I'm very happy cause Bill has been putting in 40+ miles per weeks, but 2.) I'm always a solid 2 to 3 minutes faster per Bill on any given 10k. Again, WTF? Am I that slow? No... cause I'm feeling fine and headed for a PR on this course. And then it hits me: Bill is having his breakout Race!! I was thrilled and I honestly hoped he wasn't pushing too hard, too early, and headed for a blow-up.

I kept Bill in my sights and about a mile later my shoelace unties again. Shit! This is no longer cool. I double knot the sucker and pull it tight. I repass everyone that just ran past me, and now Bill is a solid 20 seconds ahead of me and I think to myself, "I always told Bill there would come a race where I'd have a bad day, he'd have a good day, and he'd beat me." I just never thought that day was today though!

Mile 8 to 9 was a long out and back with gradual inclines and declines. At the turn-around I felt really good, my body was really loosened up and the accumulated triathlon training fatigue had lifted. I was now about 8 seconds behind Bill. When I saw him coming at me, at the turn-around, I encouraged him and told him he was looking good. At exactly the 9-mile marker my shoe untied again!! I knew if I stopped it was all over but the crying. It was time to PUSH the last mile. Coincidentally right at this point the song "Danger Zone" came on my Ipod. It was Top Gun time, baby! I was Maverick and Goose was not winning. Not today. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A0oaG7sE7oI (If you grew up in the 80's you'd understand. Or maybe I'm just an 80's geek! RIP Corey.)

We rounded a corner and hit a small hill and then hit a decline, made a right back into the neighborhood that held the school were the finish line was. I PUSHED HARD and was quickly on Bill's heels. Part of me thought, "Maybe I should let him beat me." But I knew that wouldn't be right. It wasn't a matter of Ego. I know Bill will beat me one day, I know it as a fact. But I want him to beat me fair and square, on a day where I've given my best. Not a day where I let him win. It's not in my genetic make-up to not give it my all.

To Bill's left was another dude who looked our AG, and up ahead on the right was another guy. I'd never forgive myself if I'd 'mailed it in' the last .3 miles. I went completely anaerobic and made my play despite some climbs and blew right past Bill. As I passed him I strongly encouraged him to come with me. And he did.

Unfortuntaley I made my move prematurely and the last curving climb HURT BADLY and I completely lost all of my kick! Bill repassed me. SHIT!! I stayed on his heels and we entered the final straightaway with about 100 yards to go. It was Top Gun time! I dug deep and found another gear and repassed Bill and blew past the other guy to break the top 100 and grab the 99th overall spot.

I ended up beating Bill by only 3 seconds, and Bill also edged out the other runner.

I shaved 3 minutes and 18 seconds off of last year (last year I was just coming off a bout with IT Band Syndrome) and I PR'd by :27 seconds over my PB for this course back in 2008.

Thankfully Bill had zero hard feelings and was just very happy to even be in the position he was with me right at the end. Thankfully he encouraged me to get out of bed this morning and show up. If I'd stayed in bed none of this would have happened and I wouldn't have had such a fun memory to look back on years from now. BIG CONGRATS TO MY FRIEND BILL ON HIS BREAKOUT RACE! It was sooo awesome to be there and share it with him. He really knocked the cover off the ball today.

This is not a fast course, it's hands down the toughest Road Race on Long Island. This race is not advertised, it is very early in the season, this is a 'Runner's Race'; all the Long Island running clubs show up, cross country high schoolers come to test their fitness -- my goal has always been to just break the top 100 of this race. AND I DID IT! #99. Sure the weather conditions were terrible, and this put me up higher in the standings than on a normal, non-stormy freezing day, but hey: Showing up is half the battle and I did just that, so I earned my Top 100 spot. And so did Bill!

Hopefully, by the Grace of God, I will run and train succesfully from today till race time next year, and in drier conditions I'll slip in under 1:10.

Soaking weight jogging pants and three layers made me a little slower. But Fred always says, train heavy - race light. And today was a Training Day for me. My goal was a consistent effort from start to finish, and my fastest mile 7:00 flat was mile 9. Mission acomplished. I know I could've held my 7:30 pace for many more miles if I had to, and hopefully this run was good prep for my A Race, IMLP.


Kings Park 15k is a challenging, hilly road race. It's a perfect race to start the season and test your winter fitness. I hope to make this my first race every year for many, many years to come.