Rocky Neck State Park, East Lyme, CT 10:00 AM
With the Las Vegas Marathon looming, I needed to
get off my *ss and start running. I have been turning in my weekly 20
– 25+ miles per week with no real goal. Now I have a reason to get going.
Gail and Dave Martin tell me of this race and I pass this onto “MW” who in
one nanosecond of recognition tells me the race is right next to Mohegan Sun
and we gotta go run it!
A plan is quickly hatched to meet Team Martin at Mohegan Sun, do a little gambling and get some chow before retiring to a local hotel the night before, next day run the race and go back to Mohegan for some more…entertainment. Yeah, that’s it, we were going back for some more entertainment.
What happens at Mohegan Sun stays at Mohegan Sun…Right Dave?
The day dawns cloudless with temps around 62, perfect for running. We motor down a couple of exits and get to Rocky Neck State Park at 8:30 for the 10am start.
We wanted to get in some extra miles so Marianne and I take off for a 15 minute out and 15 back figuring that’ll be good for at least a three mile warm up.
We scan the crowd for familiar faces and find the Rhode Island fixture at all these oceanfront long distance races: RIRR’s Fred Zulegar. Fred is older than dirt yet still puts in a very respectable time in each of these long distance races. Does Fred ever run short races?? He is my hero this day.
Finding nobody else we know the four of us prepare as the temp climbs into the 70’s.
There are 600 registered runners, some 200 for the 5K and another 400 looking for a good tempo run/tune up for the fast approaching fall marathon season.
Race Recap by the mile:
1. 8:26
2. 8:25
3. 8:17
4. 8:42
5. 8:27 – 43:19
6. 8:23
7. 8:32
8. 8:32
9. 8:43
10. 9:01 – 86:32
11. 8:58
12. 9:32
13.1 10:59 – 1:56:02
I had a goal of 85 minutes for ten. Forget my ½ marathon time right now, I wanted to get under 1:58 though.
I have been running a lot of ten milers lately and my times have been dog doo. It was a real confidence builder to click through mile ten and see those 86 minutes. I haven’t seen that time since The Norfolk 10 miler.
Hey! It’s in Connecticut too! Hhhmmmm.
Mile 11 was a little uphill and held on, Mile 12 I went into survival mode.
The last mile this little slip of a woman cruises past and I call out
“No fair, your lighter”
She replies “You have longer legs”
With that this little sprite pulls away.
Then I feel a pinch on my bum and Marianne, I swear I heard her chortle, sails past and leaves me to curse myself for not having anything left.
I get to the finish line in time to hear Marianne and this sprite congratulate each other, Marianne beat her too, and then I hear Marianne tell her she just wanted to beat her boyfriend..ggggggrrrrrrrrrrr.
I got your number at the Bobby Bell little missy. You best watch out!