A better day… (ish)

I haven’t run many road races, but so far the Colchester Half Marathon is easily my favorite.  I suppose this is due partly to the character of the race itself and party to how my race went this year. As past reports have chronicled, there is a lot to love about Colchester: its scenic, woodsy course; its many challenging hills; its relatively small size; its hilarious, hyper-energetic race director; the plaintive mooing of the cows in one section; its low cost; the surprisingly delicious post-race food; its late start; and, above all, the great atmosphere of camaraderie and generosity I experienced both times I’ve run the race.   But what made all of these things even better is that this year – unlike last year – I had a very good race.  Here’s a not-so-brief, semi-chronological Top 10 (-ish) race report.

Catamount’s Colchester Top 10

1. Health.  NOT getting sick with food poisoning two days before the race and being unable to consume anything but a small, bland meal the night before – as I did last year.
2. Time.  Arriving early enough (9:15 for a 10:00 start) to get everything done – such as picking up my bib and preparing bottles, food, and winter gear – without feeling tense and rushed and then forgetting a couple of key things.  I managed to finish in time to enjoy a strong cup of hot coffee from home just before going to the start.  J
3. Bimblers.  Seeing Guthrie arrive from the opposite direction right in front of me, and then seeing her, Nadia, and Diana at the start.  It’s always great to see fellow Bimblers at the races.
4. Bib.  Getting race bib number 100.  What a great number!  Perhaps it’s a sign of things to come.  😉
5. Weather.  Cool temperatures, not too cold or windy, mostly sunny – perfect for a winter race.
6. Woods.  As Nadia reported last year, this race has some of the woodsy feel of a trail race, as the course is along rural roads and contains a few sections on dirt road.  I felt (almost) right at home.
7. Simplicity.  Sticking with just one water bottle, a few gels, and grabbing more water at aid stations worked much better than carrying too much in order to have everything I might need (read: want)
8. Cows.  The cows provided great comic relief again this year.  Their loud incessant moos seemed quite urgent and insistent about something, but of course I have no idea what they were trying to say.
9. Rick Konon.  At least as entertaining as the cows, he started the race with the field (in baggy warm-up pants and jacket) and ran ahead and back, and ahead again, urging, cheering, encouraging, praising, prodding, challenging, coaching the whole time.  His favorite spot from which to shout all his encouragements seems to be atop the longest, steepest hill (up a section of dirt road, if I recall correctly).  Again this year I heard him telling runners ‘pump those arms;’ and again this year I resisted the urge to say: ‘well, yes, up to a point, because it does help reduce rotational energy loss, but not too much, or then you’re actually reducing your economy and adding work to your run.’  I’m glad I kept that to myself.
10. Dad and Daughter.  I found it deeply rewarding to see a father helping his daughter for a few miles of the race.  He asked several times about how she was feeling and gave her all sorts of advice about pacing and running up hills.  It sounded like it was her first race.   I can’t wait for my turn with my kids.
11. Countdown Shout.  A middle-aged male runner just ahead of me, who stayed there almost the entire race, would shout out the mileage covered and the remaining distance in an extremely loud, macho, growl-like voice as we passed over each mile marker painted on the road – very much like he was an official announcer, calling the race for an audience.  Needless to say, this also provided welcome entertainment and relief, and when he said “Ten miles down, a 5K to go, runners, go, go!” this helped me re-focus and gave me a boost of mental energy.  It also reminded me that if I wanted any benefit from my last gel, I needed to take it immediately, and that helped me avoid a slowdown.
12. Improvement.  I managed to take around eight and a half minutes off my time from last year and finished feeling like I should have picked up the pace sooner than I did.  It was great to know with such clarity that the training does pay off.
13. The Food.  Again this year the food was delicious.  Meat and veggie lasagnas; green beans with almonds; meat and veggie chilies; really good bread; and more that I did not sample and don’t remember.  The food did not disappoint, and I ate a mountainous plateful.
14. The Future.  Perhaps the best experience came in a nice conversation with a man in the food line.  I asked him how many Colchesters he had run and he told me sixteen.  I was amazed and asked about some of his best race times.  As if first to lower my expectations he said “Well, I’m 69 and will be 70 next month, you see, but I think I ran a few in the low 1:30s.”  I told him I am only 41, am just into my third year of running, and that I will be thrilled if I EVER run Colchester in the 1:30s.  He then confidently encouraged me that unlike someone who starts running at a very young age, I’ve just begun to improve and that the vast majority of my best running still lies ahead.  The thought came like an unexpected gift and provided a very happy ending to a very good day.

-Catamount