Masters Running

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NH 5K Racewalk RR (Read 213 times)

coastwalker


    This was my first time going to this race. It was quite a distance from here, about 80 miles, but there are very few judged racewalk races in NH, so we have to take them where and when we find them. I left home a little before 6:30, and was driving north, towards the mountains, as the sun was coming up. In the central part of the state, the trees are as colorful as they get, and when the sun hit them, it was a glorious sight to see. Yes, I'm biased, but NH is soooo beautiful at this time of the year! Bristol is a small town a bit west of the Lakes Region in NH. The organizers had not only the 5K racewalk, but also a 10K run and the NH Marathon. The races were all scheduled to start at the same time (9am) at a local school. I arrived in time to check in and check out the course a bit. It was a loop around one large block in town, with about 3 1/2 laps necessary to complete the 5K. There was one short, steep uphill, followed by a long downhill, and the rest was mostly flat or slightly inclined. I didn't fine any mile markers so I wouldn't be able to check my splits in this race and would have to trust my 'feel' for my pacing in this race. The temp was in the low 40s, there were sun and clouds, and a noticeable breeze - nice. I had on a long-sleeve white shirt, blue shorts, blue cap and my Asics Hyperspeeds. The 5K field was, as, unfortunately all racewalk fields are, small. There were only about 15 of us lining up for the start, and probably half were 'casual' walkers. While we were waiting for the start, I was explaining the racewalk rules, and trying to give a short demonstration of the form required. There were 3 men, one guy dressed in a Nestle dog costume with one of those huge heads, and the rest of the field were women. I took off at the start, and was next to a power-walking woman for about 100 yards until she dropped back. I heard footsteps and breathing behind me, but couldn't tell who it was until we turned a corner and the sun was at our backs. Then I saw the shadow of that huge dog head on the ground beside me! Damn, I thought, how the heck does he walk that fast in that costume??? I kept up my pace as we rounded the next corner, where a judge was positioned. I heard him tell the "dog" that he was bending his knee. What that really meant was that the guy in the costume was half walking and half running. I felt better, but still didn't want him to pass me, regardless of what he was doing! We finished our first lap and were into the second when we passed that judge again: He told the "dog" that he could finish the race, but that he was disqualified for repeated infractions. After that, Nestle fell off the pace, and I was on my own. For one stretch of each lap, we had to be on an asphalt sidewalk. It was not perfectly flat, and had some cutouts for driveways, as well as some dips and little sinkholes from aging and wear and tear. When you have to land each stride with your knee locked, your leg can't act as a shock absorber to help you deal with those little pavement height inconsistencies, and it can be annoying at best, and jarring at worst. At the least, it was a distraction that I didn't appreciate. I felt good, and was doing my best to stay focused on form (especially when near the judges!), arm swing, stride length, etc. However, as I finished my 2nd lap, I became aware of a side stitch. I tried the tricks I knew, but couldn't shake it. In fact, it spread to the other side! That was weird - I never had a stitch on both sides at the same time before. I had no choice but to ignore it as best I could for the rest of the race. Finally, I passed the last judge for the last time, and headed down the last hill to the finish. The stitches prevented me from picking up the pace as much as I wanted to, but I did manage a little speed burst. I crossed the finish line in 32:31, for an average 10:30 pace. Second place was more than 5 minutes behind me. I'm not that fast - it's just that racewalking is not exactly a popular sport, and the fastest among the relatively small community of racewalkers rarely come out for these little local races. While it sure is nice to win, I know all too well that if I were among a group of seriously-competitive racewalkers, I would be left far, far behind. So I judge my performance more by my times compared to my previous races, rather than by my place. In that light, I did OK but not great in this race: It was my second-fastest 5K of the season, but I feel I should be able get my pace closer to 10:15, if not lower, at this distance. However, I got to see some beautiful scenery, met some nice folks, had a decent race, and got my weekend off to a great start. Life is good! Jay

    Without ice cream there would be darkness and chaos.

    Tramps


      Hey, congrats on the win! (And a win is a win, period.) I always find your reports interesting because of the different strategies and issues that come up in RW. And once again, your post makes me "homesick"--especially this time of year. Nothing like Fall in the NH mountains.

      Be safe. Be kind.

        It sounds like a fantastic day, Jay (except for that side stitch). Seeing the sun rise and the fall colors was a great way to start the day. Your small town field was even smaller than most of my small town races and, as you've said, that can be neat. Congratulations on the way you smoked the rest of the field in spite of the aforementioned side stitch. TomS
        DickyG


          Way to go Jay! That's a gutty effort, especially with 2 side stiches...can't say I've ever experienced that before. Despite a small field, your time was excellent and you definately deserved this big win. DickyG
            Congrats, coastwalker. Nice win!
            Quit being so damn serious! When we change the way we look at things, the things we look at change. "Ya just gotta let it go." OM
            Teresadfp


            One day at a time

              Good job, Jay! I'm always impressed with racewalkers - I don't think I could up the form that long. Is racewalking a sport in HS in NH? It is in Maine now. The kids often get to go to nationals since there aren't many states that participate. Maybe more will start.
              stumpy77


              Trails are hard!

                Great race, Jay. When I saw this in a list of upcoming races, I wondered if it would draw you in. I know you wanted to go faster, but you sure smoked the rest of the field. BTW--I hope I'll be able to make it up for the Great Bay 5K. I see you're the RD for that one. Kevin

                Need a fast half for late fall.  Then I need to actually train for it.

                 

                  Congratulations, coastwalker. Dark Horse
                  I'm a dark horse, running on a dark race course.
                    Congrats on the great race! I was actually thinking of you this afternoon as I was walking my 4 miles. (Haven't run in about 10 days, so I took it easy.) I felt like I was BOOKING at about a 15-minute mile - wasn't overly tired, but couldn't figure out how to move faster without running, and I started to think to myself, "I wonder how that race walking guy who posts on RA goes faster than this?" And compared to my lame attempts at "running," you're waaaaaay fast - and an inspiration!!! Eliz

                    flomotioncoaching.com

                    Henrun


                      Great race Jay. Definitely, a win is a win. That's often the way it is in my age group. But your times continue to improve and you should be able to get closer to 10.
                      coastwalker


                        Thanks all! Theresa - Racewalking is more of a coached school sport in Maine than NH, which is unfortunate for us. I regularly see the names of kids from Maine in big meets, and they usually do pretty well. Kevin - It'd be great to see you at the GB5K! I'm usually all over the place, but you'll be able to find me at the award ceremony if not before then. There is a slight chance we'll sell out this year (we have a 1,000 entrant limit), and I'll post here if we're getting close to that. Eliz - Good for you for taking it easy on your first day back after a layoff. 15-minute miles are pretty good for someone not racewalking! The speed all comes from technique, stride length, and turnover rate. It's amazing what a difference some little tweaks can make! Jay

                        Without ice cream there would be darkness and chaos.

                          Great race Jay! Glad that guy got disqualified. Wow a side stitch on both sides...sounds painful. I played leap frog with a racewalker once in a 5K. He was doing 9:00 pace. It was something to see.

                          "During a marathon, I run about two-thirds of the time. That's plenty." - Margaret Davis, 85 Ed Whitlock regarding his 2:54:48 marathon at age 73, "That was a good day. It was never a struggle."

                            Great race report, and an awesome time! Your post has me intrigued to check out racewalking a bit more. Sounds like a wonderful cross training activity for running too. Scenery sounds wonderful!
                            Progress Trumps Pefection


                            Marathon Maniac #957

                              Half the time I can barely run the pace that you are walking - sure seems pretty fast to me...Congratulations on your win!

                              Life is a headlong rush into the unknown. We can hunker down and hope nothing hits us or we can stand tall, lean into the wind and say, "Bring it on, darlin', and don't be stingy with the jalapenos."

                                Life is good! Jay
                                Life truly is good isn't it Jay. I enjoyed your report and agree with others here, a win is a win regardless and you are to be congratulated for that! I'm not sure that I could hold form for racewalking so don't take anyting away from your accomplishment. Those small town races are fun and there's nothing wrong with getting the opportunity to place every once in a while either.
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