On Friday evening I ran the Celtic Challenge, a 4 miler through a predominantly Irish-American South Buffalo neighborhood known as the Old First Ward.  The race would start and end near Riverfest Park, one of the recent pieces of a puzzle that may revitalize a slightly rough area with great potential.

It was sunny but not overly warm, with low humidity.  We lined up amid the old brick buildings, with most runners sheltering in the shade of a vacant lot until the last moment.  Scoping out the crowd, I saw one familiar guy of similar speed, and a 40-something who just looked fast.  He would be, that intuition is a handy thing to have.

We first went through some industrial and warehouse areas, through a few residential streets, and then down towards the waterfront past the First Niagara Center.  My legs were a bit tired from the mile the night before, but not too bad.  I took the lead, but had the masters guy pegged as competition right with me.  By about one mile, he was using an aggressive tactic not employed against me since high school XC -- running in my personal space.  First an elbow brush, a little spark of static electricity being produced.  Then a shoulder.  At no point was he doing anything unsportsmanlike, just fair battle.  I maintained my space and purposely kept him outside a tangent, staying on the double yellow when we should have been at the oncoming white line.  From there he seemed to back off, not wanting to risk further hijinks that might end in an asphalt encounter.

The lead went back and forth a few times, winding around 2 cul-de-sacs and some feeder roads to office space and ritzy condos on the lakefront.  The RD appeared at times on his bike, directing traffic control via radio.  He is a Buffalo cop, and had no shortage of fellow employees keeping things under control, with motorcycles and a pace SUV leading most of the route.

After 3 miles, we had to turn onto a pedestrian walkway and I almost continued up the street.  My shadow grabbed my arm and said "no, this way".  "Thanks!"  This stretch turned into something out of a movie, with all sorts of park walkers and bar-goers being surprised by the RD.  "Race coming through!  Race coming through!"  People scattered as we turned blind corners and flew down a boardwalk.  It would have been hilarious if I wasn't trying to figure out where I was supposed to be in a mess of cones, volunteers, and confused bystanders hurrying out of the way.

Drawing close to the finish now, I knew where we were in the neighborhood and that we'd decide this one on a kick.  Just over a tiny rise, I spotted the finish line arch and dropped it hard for longer than I would have liked.  The kick held, and the other guy I had worried about came through, hot on our heels.  I congratulated my competitor, found out his name was Pete (and added him to the mental dossier), and thanked him again for keeping me on course and on pace.

Then there was a band, awards, and lots of Guinness.  In the shadows of the vacant, forlorn industrial wreckage and grain mills that led to "armpit of America" and "rust belt" comments for decades, some place amazing is taking shape.  Let's Go, Buffalo.

I love your RRs, jay.  Who knew fast people have so much strategy to deal with ?  I never would have guessed runners did that kind of personal space thing - sounds more like basketball !

I also can't believe race staffs don't do a better job of clearing way for the lead runners.  My sis (a runner!) was walking her gaggle of chihuahuas on leashes in the park one day when the lead riders of a MTB race screamed around a corner.  Luckily nobody was hurt.

I hope that park/renewal project works out.  Birmingham, AL did an awesome job turning a hulking mess of decrepit steel mill into a very cool, arty venue.  (Sloss Furnace ???)  I attended a wedding there years ago and was pretty impressed.

Great job, Jay!  Love the picture you included.  I always like reading your fast perspective in a race.

Congrats on another win, Jay!  I love reading your reports and the race tactics involved, things I am sure you learned while being coached.  I read that and can't help but think if it ever came down to it, I could lose a race to someone who knows about that stuff.

That was very sporting of the other guy to point you in the right direction.

Great job Jay! A very good read. Thanks for the RR.

So this is the reason we missed our weekend long run 'eh?  Two races in two nights with a top 35 and outright win though are kind of worth peeling ones cap back!

 

Good stuff!  Curious, was this an inaugural event, and just because I like to dream of reaching that level someday, what was your time?

Oh no, the LR got done Sunday right on pace... (it was Saturday that I skipped due to ginormous hangover, and let's just say that it was not a productive morning at work either )

This was the 3rd year for the event, and my time was 22:55.

Great report and smokin' time, Jay. How are there so many races in your area, and how are you able to do so many of them so well?

You sure do seem to have bad luck with having clearly marked courses.

That is what happens when you run in the front of the pack, no one else at any of his races has that problem!