New Milford 8 Mile Road Race…very glad I finally ran this. One of the area’s iconic races (44th running and CT’s 3rd oldest race), and I’ve wanted to run it since we moved here 5 years ago. Has to be an old race, because no one who wanted to build a returning customer base for this thing would design it the way it is today – with a ridiculous hill at the end (check my log for the elevation profile, it’s nasty).
Anyway, this was a good wakeup call in my half-marathon training for how not to pace and how not to hydrate. In the end, my time was okay, but I could have run a much smarter (and probably faster) race.
My workout Wed was supposed to be to dial in race pace, so ran a fartlek with what were supposed to be 3 half mile 6:20’s. I ran them all way too fast (2:45 or so). Very hard for me to get the feel of the in-between pace. I can run a 5:50 and I can run a 6:50, but nailing in-between is an issue.
Anyway, was feeling great in the first mile, pretty comfortable…and then the girl giving splits at mile one said “5:38”…and I felt panic. Holy crap. That’s not good. And was unsettled from there on out. Looking back at the splits now, they kind of make sense, given the course.
That slow mile up to 7 is the crazy hill.
The other big lesson from today was my hydration management. It sucked. Yes, it was warm today, but there were 8 water stations on a 8 mile course, plenty of opportunity to fill up. And I tried, I just wasn’t very good at drinking from the cup at that pace. Something I need to practice. Both calves seized up right after mile 6 (actually right when Beat – another RA guy – passed me). So the last 2 miles were an unnecessarily painful struggle.
So, encouraging for my HM goal in 9 weeks, but plenty to learn from. Great day. Lots of fun. They have a guy playing a fiddle as you slog up the big hill and a big fat smiley face painted on the road at the top.
Onward.
Come all you no-hopers, you jokers and roguesWe're on the road to nowhere, let's find out where it goes
Great Race h2bubbles - you beat your goal time right?
That hill looks mean, 250ft up in about 3/4 mile.
As you say; lessons learned & onwards!
2017 Goals1) Run more than 231 miles2) Be ready for HM in the spring
Petco Run/Walk/Wag 5k
H2: great job on the race. that hill looks like a killer! not sure I could have walked it let alone ran it...
bob e v 2014 goals: keep on running! Is there anything more than that?
Complete the last 3 races in the Austin Distance Challenge, Rogue 30k, 3M Half, Austin Full
Break the 1000 mi barrier!
History: blessed heart attack 3/15/2008; c25k july 2008 first 5k 10/26/2008 on 62nd birthday.
Thanks Bob. I was definitely looking for the non-existant chair lift about halfway up...only good part was you go down just as steep the other side.