Results:
409 78/170 F3039 JULIE WILLIAMS Hampton Falls NH 36 F 859 2:01:29.5 9:17
Plusses: Super close to the house; easy parking; pretty setting; well-run; indoor bathrooms; not too many people; soup after the race!
Minuses: I didn't have any friends there with me!; the time of year is very busy and could be a weather disaster; the last 5k of this race is a B.
Big Points:
I Run Fast, But Not That Fast
This was the fastest I have run yet. I shaved a full 10 minutes off of my time from Smuttynose, I did a good job! I spent most of the race following very athletic people, and I was doing a great job at it too! I finished in near the 2-hour mark! Waa-hoo! BUT - I was still only in the top 50% for both my age group and overall. REALLY? Who are all these crazy people who are super fast?
What's that Place Smell Like Now?
The setting for the run was awesome. The country club was a nice facility, and there were indoor bathrooms with hardly ever a line. No one seemed to trash the place, it was festive, there was plenty of close parking - and did I mention it was only 25 minutes from my house? There were lots of flyers though to suggest that people better be on their best behavior in order for us to keep getting to run here. And, I can totally understand why -- it is a fancy country club, really. We were in the ballroom for registration. And, for the after party. I'm hoping no one was getting married in there later that evening, how do they get the gym smell out? But, again - people were really nice, the volunteers for the race were picking up like crazy. I'm hoping there were no incidents and they can do it again!
I Showed Up Too Early
I was probably in the top 20 first people there. Whooops.
That last 3 miles was a B.
Like, a big B. Lots of slow gradual hills flanked by big windy hills. Even the road back was longer than I remembered on the way out -- and it was a slow gradual uphill. Which leads me to the next point:
I Could Have Made it in Under 2 Hours
Not sure why I checked this, but the girls that I had been following the whole race, seriously, from mile 1 to mile 10.5 - finished 1 minute and 45 seconds sooner than me, because I lost it in the last 5k. I slowed down to get my last water and then could not fast-up again. I think I need to train for longer runs next time.
I Need Friends
I had no friends to run with, or to cheer with at the end. It was just me. I actually posted on two of my running facebook pages for people to look for me to cheers me, I was desperate. It seems like this was a run where everyone knew about 10 other people. I do like running alone - when I run with others I think all of us inevitably go slower. But, not about speed - moreso it is a nice challenge to be able to do it alone. But, when it is over - where is the party? That's what I sorely missed! I think I need to start going on the group runs with my running clubs. Maybe that is what will get me through the winter?
Here's hoping this won't be my fastest time ever, or my last run until spring! I'm not sure about either, but I'm proud for today!
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