Road to Super Bowl 5k
Well, the whole family trucked it down to Wilmington this morning. Beautiful sunny day in the mid 40's, great for racing. This run is staged out of a large sports bar and features an out and back that gives just a little taste of the notorious Rockford Park uphill that makes the Cesar Rodney Half Marathon so much fun.
Actually getting to know enough folks among the Delaware crowd to chat a bit at the start. Also kept my eye on a blond haired surfer looking type I'd not seen before who was doing fast strides to keep warm before the race. The cannon (an actual very miniature cannon) sounds the start and sure enough surfer dude surges out to about a 75-foot lead. Once the dust settles its SD, a guy in black shorts/singlet in second, and me and Kevin Matthews, who runs for the VF Striders, 3-4 and one other guy close behind us. Good vibes from Kevin, as we are working together rather than against each other, despite both of us knowing that it would come down to a contest between us for first old fart (i.e., Masters) finisher.
Mile 1 passes in 5:25, and I am grateful that my legs have their mojos working this morning. The pack is still intact at the turnaround on the uphill Rockford Park stretch, but we are not far into the backstretch (downhill now) when, to my surprise, SD starts to fade. Man in black overtakes him, and at this point my inner shark smells blood. So I surge on the downhill, first leaving Kevin behind and then, a little before the 2-mile mark (5:29), dropping SD to take second. Nobody seems to be giving chase, so I concentrate on MiB, who is about 50 feet ahead of me. Lord knows I tried, as witnessed by a 5:16 split for the third mile, but I could not close any distance on him.
So I'm bridesmaid again with a 16:41 finishing time. Kevin finishes a few seconds behind me and SD is fourth. I run the course again with Kevin and cool down with good conversation. I figure I'll get Tony on the way back, but he greets me at the finish all smiles and is proud finishing before I can lap him, with a 39:05 finishing time. Cindy and Maricela walk it in about ten minutes later and we all have had a fine day.
SD introduces himself after the race as Allen, who actually is a surfer dude from Hawaii who has recently moved to Philadelphia and lives about five blocks away. We talk a bit and he expresses interest in running with me, Kevin and Erin. So Team West Philly may grow to four.
First masters gets me a certificate for lunch for two at Eclipse, which is a pricey, well-reviewed, "proper attire required" restaurant with "seasonal" specialties. This sounds good but they only serve lunch on weekdays, and I make it to Wilmington for lunch on a weekday as often as the Eagles make the Super Bowl. But there's a first time for everything, and I'm grateful for anything I win (including the bobble head schwag) and a fun morning down South.
And I'm pumped at getting a 16:41 at the ass-end of an 85 mile week! That 85, by the way, is a PR for weekly mileage. If I keep going like this the Spring season is going to rock!
Actually getting to know enough folks among the Delaware crowd to chat a bit at the start. Also kept my eye on a blond haired surfer looking type I'd not seen before who was doing fast strides to keep warm before the race. The cannon (an actual very miniature cannon) sounds the start and sure enough surfer dude surges out to about a 75-foot lead. Once the dust settles its SD, a guy in black shorts/singlet in second, and me and Kevin Matthews, who runs for the VF Striders, 3-4 and one other guy close behind us. Good vibes from Kevin, as we are working together rather than against each other, despite both of us knowing that it would come down to a contest between us for first old fart (i.e., Masters) finisher.
Mile 1 passes in 5:25, and I am grateful that my legs have their mojos working this morning. The pack is still intact at the turnaround on the uphill Rockford Park stretch, but we are not far into the backstretch (downhill now) when, to my surprise, SD starts to fade. Man in black overtakes him, and at this point my inner shark smells blood. So I surge on the downhill, first leaving Kevin behind and then, a little before the 2-mile mark (5:29), dropping SD to take second. Nobody seems to be giving chase, so I concentrate on MiB, who is about 50 feet ahead of me. Lord knows I tried, as witnessed by a 5:16 split for the third mile, but I could not close any distance on him.
So I'm bridesmaid again with a 16:41 finishing time. Kevin finishes a few seconds behind me and SD is fourth. I run the course again with Kevin and cool down with good conversation. I figure I'll get Tony on the way back, but he greets me at the finish all smiles and is proud finishing before I can lap him, with a 39:05 finishing time. Cindy and Maricela walk it in about ten minutes later and we all have had a fine day.
SD introduces himself after the race as Allen, who actually is a surfer dude from Hawaii who has recently moved to Philadelphia and lives about five blocks away. We talk a bit and he expresses interest in running with me, Kevin and Erin. So Team West Philly may grow to four.
First masters gets me a certificate for lunch for two at Eclipse, which is a pricey, well-reviewed, "proper attire required" restaurant with "seasonal" specialties. This sounds good but they only serve lunch on weekdays, and I make it to Wilmington for lunch on a weekday as often as the Eagles make the Super Bowl. But there's a first time for everything, and I'm grateful for anything I win (including the bobble head schwag) and a fun morning down South.
And I'm pumped at getting a 16:41 at the ass-end of an 85 mile week! That 85, by the way, is a PR for weekly mileage. If I keep going like this the Spring season is going to rock!
posted by seebo | 3:34 PM
2 Comments:
Great effort Steve. Love your reports. Look forward to seeing your Caesar Rodney.
Great race at the end of an awesome week. Isn't it great to put in all that work, see the results and think about how much greater things are going to get?
"Good vibes from Kevin, as we are working together rather than against each other, despite both of us knowing that it would come down to a contest between us for first old fart (i.e., Masters) finisher."
This is what it's all about. 'Competitition' - to seek together.
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