Coastwalker
Cool Runner posted Aug-20-2007 08:10 AM
This is one of the few races in the region with a competitive walking division, so I wanted to do it, even though it was
a 95-mile drive to get there. I got up at 4am on Sunday (usual time), fed the cat, watched replays of some of Saturday's LL
World Series games while stretching a bit, had a breakfast of a bagle with peanut butter and a water chaser, shaved, showered,
dressed, gathered all my stuff, and got on the road a little after 6. I made it down to North Attleboro, MA (not too far north
of RI) in good time - it was all highway, and there's no traffic at that hour on a Sunday. At registration, I met Dot Zullo,
who is the wife of one of the race directors, and a talented racewalker who I have chased (and not caught) in a couple of
previous races. She told me there were about 12 walkers registered for the race so far. We had different colored bibs from
the runners, and so would be easy to spot. By the time the race started, I had met up with Emmet S. and Bill H. both of whom
are significantly faster walkers than I. I liked that they were here, not because I had a ghost of a chance of beating them,
but because they'd be good 'rabbits' for me to chase, for as long as I could see them!
This race is on a loop course that starts in town, then quickly moved to a rural area of farms and stables, and then back
to town. There are two significant up-hills - one in the first mile, and the other in the 3rd mile. The second one is followed
by a long downhill. Most of the rest of the course is flat, or rolls gently. This is a small (156 people), local race, but
the organizers still had Mark Coogan and Amy Rudolph competing - pretty impressive!
It was a beautiful day for a race, especially in mid-August, with clear, sunny skies and temps in the low 70s, and low
humidity. I wore my black split shorts, yellow shirt, and favorite NB 550s.
At the start, most of the competitive walkers were in the same general area. The gun went off, and Dot and another guy
took off, and quickly established a 20-yard (and growing) lead. I worked to keep pace with them, and to get comfortable with
the race. After a few minutes, Emmet and Bill came up on either side of me, stayed with me for another few minutes, and then
gradually moved out. Although I had expected it, I didn't like looking at the backs of so many walkers so early in the race!
After about a half mile, we turned right and up the first significant hill. About half way up the long hill, Emmet and
Bill had made up the ground on Dot and the mystery man, and I staying even with Dot, while the guy pulled about 10-15 yards
in front of her. I was also passing other runners who had been reduced to a wheezing walk by the hill (I love passing runners...).
Through mile 2 and into mile 3, I continued to make up ground on Dot and the man. I finally got back to being about 10
yards or so behind Dot as she pulled up to the guy. She must have said something to him because they both picked up the pace
and pulled away again. Dang! Meanwhile, Emmet and Bill were far ahead and were close enough to be sharing the same shadow
before I lost sight of them.
Mile 3 had the other significant uphill, and it was steep enough that it was very hard to maintain good racewalking form.
But, even though there were no judges on the course, I worked to stay 'legal' because I would know it if I broke form, and
I wouldn't be happy with that.
On the subsequent downhill, which went to the mile 4 mark, I made up some ground on Dot and the man, but not enough to
be able to catch them by the finish unless they really faltered. Most of the final mile was flat, or with a slight downhill,
and I continued to make up ground on the twosome in front of me, but too slowly. I finally rounded the last turn and did what
I could to power up the 1/4 mile hill to the finish.
My time was 52:48, which translated to 10:34 average splits. I had hit the splits button on my watch out on the course,
but never looked to see how I was doing. Afterwards, this is how they read: 10:21, 10:20, 10:58 (long uphill), 10:43 (obviously
not nearly aggressive enough on this downhill), and 10:24 (should have had a stronger kick). Overall, I thought my time was
pretty poor. After the very fast 5K I had two weeks ago, I would have thought that I'd do much better than I did. In actuality,
however, I'm beginning to think that that 5K course (not certified) was, in fact, measured short. Neither my recent workout
times, nor this race time come close to what that 5K pace was. This race, however disappointing, brought me back to reality,
and let me know that I still have a lot of work to do if I am to achieve my racewalking goals.
BTW, Emmet and Bill finished first and second in 49:53 and 50:02. Dot finished just in front of me, with a new women's
walker course record of 52:04.
Thanks for reading, and for your support,
Jay
