Date: 9/20/2009 9:10 AM
Type: Race
Course: Lone Gull 10K
Distance: 10 kilometers
Duration: 32:27
Pace: 5:14 / mile
Equipment: adidas Adizero Mana
Weight: 169 lb
Heart Rate: Average: 166 / Max: 174
Misc: Quality: 8/10, Effort: 6/10
Field Placement: 25 / 777 (3.2%)
Age group: 20 – 39
Group Placement: 23 / 165 (13.9%)
Gender Placement: 25 / 413 (6.1%)
Weather: 61° F, Sunny
Event URL: coolrunning.com/results/09/ma/Sep20_LoneGu_set1.shtml
Notes: Gloucester, MA - First time running the Lone Gull 10k (a three-year old race / 1st time Grand Prix event). Not geared up or particularly focussed on this event but I'm always game to hop in a Grand Prix and see what I've got.
Well...I set the course record...as did 24 people before me. These events get a tad more competitive when they grow-up to become Grand Prix events.
This was a really nice race course - rolling with some hills that provided variation but nothing that would straighten you up or deaden you out. This was almost enough to make-up for the very poor logistics (someone forgot the key to the bathrooms, not enough porta potties, loooooooong lines for number pick-up and another looooooong line for chip pick-up).
All the usual suspects with just about every club having a presence. Too bad the CVS 5K was today too because that's another good championship race. Reach the Beachers? Ehhh...you are a different animal.
Warm-up was way too short because of the above stated logistical issues. So, I had a simple plan of going chill until I loosened up and then just run by feel. No real race strategy. I wasn't the only one as Mike was contemplating a marathon pace effort in the car....so I asked him what his PR was (34:xx) and I told him to beat that and his only response was, "Eeeek!"
Renee had even less of a warm-up so she really wanted to ease into it.
Race went off late and not a single runner had a bead of sweat on them. There was lots of debate about whether they would fire off a gun or just say go or whatever at the start. I guess they found a gun. Maybe in the pace El Camino?
Stayed chill in the first mile and didn't worry about the congestion on the roads - these things sort themselves out. When it got too boxed, I stepped to the outside finally and caught up to Carlos Rivera.
This became a race of ever evolving goals and targets. OK, so let's beat Carlos today. Passed Carlos...
Then started some back and forth with CMS' Kevin Tilton. He left me for most of the race. I found a decent pack to work with and started to loosen up. The 5:05 first mile felt chill. The effort really never felt too severe after, either.
Tried to shift to a little more of a XC mindset. I started to pick a runner ahead and then leap from a pack or a runner or two up to the next. I did a much better job of avoiding the "no-man's land" that I seem so adept at finding.
After a bit I caught up to Henry "Hank" Scollard. I was hoping to sneak attack him but some fans and other runners spilled the beans that I was there. So, when we hit a hill I surged up it and passed.
I passed Matt Clark from CMS - he had run a good time at the Joshua Billings. I could not, however, catch Andy McCarron who also ran very well at the Billings.
Around mile three I really started to feel good and loose. The legs lightened and the pace became really comfortable. The splits remained pretty consistent even with some variation in the course with some rolling hills and turns.
Then I saw teammate Bernie Jones up ahead (formerly Mueller). I don't think I have beaten him ever so that became a new goal.
I caught him with about a mile to go and saw Jonathan Fortescue. He has been running very well. I caught up to him with less than a mile and opened up some space.
Next came the return of Kevin Tilton into view. I caught him as we approached he final hill and I used that and the final sprint to nip him by a few seconds.
I hit my 5 mile PR en route to a 12 second PR in the 10K. Pleased with today's race. Beat some guys who often have my number and the guys ahead of me usually are...except Michael Brouilette who is running really well over the past few months.
Notable stud performances today by Dan Vasallo and Dan Smith. Renee ran very well and PR'd along with a 3rd place Grand Prix finish. Sadly, the BAA women were one short of a team so the strong individual performances didn't matter from that standpoint.
As for the men, we lost to Addidas New England RC but held off R.U.N.
http://coolrunning.com/results/09/ma/Sep20_LoneGu_set7.shtml
I run much better at these Grand Prix events when I have a notion that I matter to the team scoring. It keeps me focussed.
1. ADDIDAS NEW ENGLAND RC
30:39 30:44 30:44 31:06 32:39 = 2:35:52
756 Dan Vassallo 24, 749 Curtis Wheeler 23, 748 Nicholas Wheeler
23, 767 Nate Krah 23, 766 Jon Healey 26
2. BOSTON ATHLETIC ASSOCIATION
30:41 31:19 31:56 32:08 32:27 = 2:38:31
638 Will Dobbie 27, 643 Matthew Ely 33, 657 Ben Schmeckpeper 26,
807 Jared Markowitz 26, 648 Joshua Gordon 35
3. RETAILERS UNION (RUN)
30:20 31:17 31:36 31:55 34:16 = 2:39:24
845 Joseph Koech 40, 844 Casey Moulton 27, 846 Justin Freeman 32,
842 Titus Mutinda 44, 843 Tom Casey 22
So, good race...I have faster in me but without taper and amid a mileage build-up I will always take a PR that feels "easy."
Splits:
Mile 1 - 5:05(155/166),
Mile 2 - 5:18(168/169),
Mile 3 - 5:11(167/169),
Mile 4 - 5:21(168/171),
Mile 5 - 5:14(168/170),
Mile 6 - 5:16(171/172)
Effort never really crept into the red zone but the focus was OK.
Results: http://coolrunning.com/results/09/ma/Sep20_LoneGu_set1.shtmlStatistics: Calories: 794
VO2 Max: 66.4
BAA Write-Up:
Brett Ely Captures the 2009 USATF New England 10k Title
9/20/2009
What a difference a week makes. After battling through pouring rain at the Ollie 5 Mile in South Boston last Saturday, the B.A.A. teams returned to the Massachusetts shore on Sunday, September 20th for their second USATF New England Grand Prix Championship in as many weeks. This week, however, the weather could not have been better as runners lined up for the Lone Gull 10k, which was contested along the picturesque Gloucester coastline.
The race, in its third year and serving as a first-time host for the USATF New England Grand Prix, experienced some pre-race growing pains as race organizers tried to keep up with a field size that had nearly doubled from the previous year. Over 800 runners lined up at the start overlooking Good Harbor, and it was Brett Ely who took first among the women, winning her first-ever USATF New England Grand Prix title. Ely, who has represented the B.A.A. on numerous championship teams as well as at two U.S. Olympic Trials Marathons, won convincingly as her 35:29 was 44 seconds ahead of second place.
Renee Knapp also had a noteworthy performance, in spite of a truncated warm-up due to pre-race bathroom lines. Knapp placed third overall and was the second B.A.A. woman across the line. Both Ely and Knapp were members of the winning women's team at the USATF New England 5 Mile Championship last weekend.
In the men's race, Will Dobbie placed 4th overall and was joined in the top 10 by Matt Ely who placed 10th. From then on, the remaining scores took every fifth place with Ben Schmeckpeper in 15th place, Jared Markowitz in 20th place, and Josh Gordon in 25th place. Despite their solid showing, the men's team had to settle for the runner-up spot.
Holding strong in the USATF New England Grand Prix Masters' Standings was Jonathan Fortescue. The 42-year old from Wellesley ran 32:22, a 90 second PR, to take second overall among the Masters. Also running a PR was Mike Brown Dowling who covered the course in 34:10.
The final race in the 2009 USATF New England Grand Prix Championship will take place on Sunday, October 18th at the BayState Marathon.
RESULTS
4. Will Dobbie 30:41
10, Matthew Ely 31:19
15. Ben Schmeckpeper 31:56
20. Jared Markowitz 32:08
25. Joshua Gordon 32:27
27. Jonathan Fortescue 32:33, 3rd Masters
30. Bernie Jones 32:41
39. Matthew Carter 33:10
46. Wayne Levy 33:28
57. Mike Brown Dowling 34:19
59. Michael McGrane 34:29
72. Brett Ely 35:29, 1st Female
77. Andy MacDonald 35:54
93. Renee Knapp 37:06, 3rd Female
109. Sarah Dupre-Healy 37:39, 7th Female
121. David Consigli 38:20
144. Kyle Bowers 39:54
161. Mimi Fallon 40:49
169. Jesus Zeus Estrada 41:16
218. David Rein 43:37
235. Joseph Edwards 44:15
MEN'S TEAM RESULTS
1. Adidas NERC= 2:35:52
2. BOSTON ATHLETIC ASSOCIATION = 2:38:31
Will Dobbie, 30:41; Matthew Ely, 31:19; Ben Schmeckpeper, 31:56; Jared Markowitz, 32:08; Joshua Gordon, 32:27;
3. RUN = 2:39:24
Ok, gotta go...