Three goals going in were: sub 40:00, (so I could get a preferred starting position again next year), beat course record from last year of 35:34, and go sub 35:00 so I could get an even closer start position. They see runners by sub 30:00, sub 35:00, sub:40, and everyone else over 40:00. With more than 7,000 runners it definitely pays

Gun goes off, and first mile is genrally downhill to flat, just tryign to fins a comfortbaly hard pace, but not feel like I'm working to hard. First mile passes in 7:29, 3 seconds slower than last year. The second mile is all up hill on about a 6-8% grade. Just tried to work the hill, using my arms to pull me up the hill, mile 2 passes in 8:08, 8 seconds faster than last year. Mile 3 is pretty much all down hill on about the same grade as the uphill, just tried to lengthen my stride and glide down the hill. Was getting really warm at this point, so I unzipped my jacket and stuffed my hat in my pocket. Mile 3 passed in 7:14, 4 seconds faster than last year. Mile 4 is a little rolling, but nothing significant. was trying to do the math in my head to see if sub 35:00 was possible, but I just couldn't work it out. Mile 4 passed in 7:11, 5 seconds faster than last year. I hit the 4 mile mark at almost exactly 30:00. That5 means the last 3/4 of a mile would have to be sub 5 min. which as best I could work out was around 6:45 pace. That wasn't going to happen, since the wheels were starting to come off, and I was ready to hack up a lung. So I tried to hang on as best I could to beat last year's time. Hit the finish in 35:25, nine seconds faster than last year. Maybe sub 35:00 next year.

Walked back to my car, and tried not to throw up. :). This was a good run, I didn't know how fast I could go, since I haven't really done any type of speed work at all this year. I think the thing I'm most encouraged about is that it seems I have a pretty decent base off to work this winter.


A big thank you to the Manchester Department of Public Works. With teh 3" of snow at race time, I was pretty much expecting a kind of slushy run, and was really worried about the big downhill and how icy it would be. Turns out they did an awesome job clearing the streets. Everything was wet, but no snow or ice on the road.