Notes
Cold morning along the Merrimack. This year's Mill Cities team consisted of Kieran, Simon, Tom Breider, me, and Joe Lauer (in that order). Got to me exchange with enough time for a 2 mile warmup before the runners arrived.
Got the "baton" maybe in 6th place with healthy gaps before and after. Goal was to run low 5:30's and for the most part was able to hold that together. A little headwind while up on the roads, pretty calm on the path by the river.
First few miles felt easy with the added adrenaline. Knew the pace wasn't sustainable going sub 5:30, so just tried to be smart and not burn out. Miles 5-8 were a struggle, often falling off pace and having to play catch-up on the latter half of the mile. Was able to recover each time luckily. The last five miles were basically 5 separate one-mile races trying to focus on hitting each split and not worrying about what was to come.
Around mile 8, I began to hear footsteps behind, which caught be by surprise. I knew if I was hearing someone coming on strong, it was going to be someone fast. I pushed trying to hold on as long as I could. Meanwhile I had been reeling in the Whirlaway guy ahead from a minute plus gap to striking distance.
Place No. Team Name Club Di Leg 1 Leg 2 Leg 3 Leg 4 Leg 5 Time
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1 9 DESIREES DYNASTY AARC MO CONNOR ROSE MATT RAND JERZY ESENBERG KYLE MARKS SCOTT MCARTHUR 2:20:39
2 248 WHIRLAWAY BRATS WRT MO COREY HAMEL STEVE DOWSETT STEVE PLOUFFE JOSE ORTIZ SCOTT MCGRATH 2:27:08
3 25 THE WORM HAS TURNED GCS MO JAKE WORMWALD QUINN PARKER TYLER MCCLAREN LUCAS POZZETTA DEVIN BENNET 2:27:41
4 144 SRR - THERE'S NO WAY ALEX SHOWS UP SRR MO BRIAN KEEFE MATT FUHRMEISTER TODD PROKOP JAKE BARNETT ALEX WHITE 2:27:53
5 247 WHIRLAWAY PURGATORY WRT MX PAT ARD CHRIS HAMEL DAVE DECHELLIS KEVIN ALLIETTE ERIC NARCISI 2:30:50
6 146 SRR - MALE SUB-MASTERS SRR MX KIERAN CONDON SIMON ANDERSON TOM BREIDER CHRIS KLUCZNIK JOE LAUER 2:31:04
7 150 SRR - TO MORROW NEVER DIES SRR MM JIM PAWLICKI JIM RHOADES JESSE MORROW GREG PICKLESIMER JOE O'LEARY 2:33:02
8 30 THIS IS NACHO BRICK GCS CO CONNOR JENNINGS ABBEY WOOD SHANNEN ARESENAULT NACHO HERNANDO SAM WOOD 2:34:16
9 33 CHRIST JOE, JUST COOK THE PATTIES! GCS MX COLIN COOK JOE ROGERS CHRIS POULOS PAT MOULTON JUSTIN SOUCY 2:35:04
10 200 WCRC FAST AND FURIOUS WCRC MO MATT VALLI JORDAN PARKINSON JAKE GAUDREAU NATE WEBBER JOE RAND 2:35:44
11 149 SRR - ANTUNES^3 SRR CX ANDY CLIFFORD BEV ANTUNES RACHEL SHANLEY SEAN MCDONOUGH CHRIS ANTUNES 2:36:12
12 244 SUPER SENIORS WRT MS PAUL HAMMOND CRAIG FRAM PAUL DOE ERIC WILLIAMS DOUG MARTYN 2:36:27
Total Points for GATE CITY STRIDERS
Team Name Div Time W Pts
================================================== === ======= = ===
SENIORITAS FS 2:06:11 B 9
SUNSHINE STREAKERS CV 2:08:58 B 6
210 YEARS & RUNNING MA 2:12:50 B 4
THE WORM HAS TURNED MO 2:27:41 A 10
THIS IS NACHO BRICK CO 2:34:16 A 16
CHRIST JOE, JUST COOK THE PATTIES! MX 2:35:04 A 12
A STRING OF EXPLETIVES MS 2:41:17 A 13
JOY TO THE WORLD FV 2:41:47 B 1
GRATEFULLY NOT DEAD MM 2:43:19 A 8
MICHAEL'S MIGHTY MINIONS CX 2:44:53 A 9
STAY CLASSY GCS CM 2:45:25 A 14
R.I.O.T. (RUNNING IS OUR THERAPY) � FO 2:57:29 A 8
YOUNG AT HEART CS 3:04:09 A 10
GRUMPIER OLD MEN MV 3:11:45 A 7
PICHL PATROL FX 3:16:37 A 10
MASTERS IS THE NEW OPEN FM 3:17:35 A 8
145
Total Points for WINNERS CIRCLE RUNNING CLUB
Team Name Div Time W Pts
================================================== === ======= = ===
WCRC AGED TO PERFECTION CV 2:03:19 B 8
WCRC BIONIC WOMEN FS 2:09:05 B 7
WCRC UNTOUCHABLES FV 2:20:32 B 3
WCRC DAYS OF THUNDER MA 2:34:43 B 3
WCRC FAST AND FURIOUS MO 2:35:44 A 8
WCRC NSYNC MX 2:41:23 A 11
WCRC RED HOT CHILI PEPPERS MM 2:53:19 A 5
WCRC LEGENDS OF THE ROAD CA 2:55:11 B 1
WCRC FULL HOUSE CX 2:56:30 A 7
WCRC FANTASTIC FIVE CO 2:59:52 A 11
WCRC SMOKING ACES MS 3:01:17 A 8
WCRC ROYAL FLUSH CM 3:03:57 A 11
WCRC LEAGUE OF THEIR OWN FM 3:04:53 A 12
WCRC CATCH US IF YOU CAN CS 3:05:38 A 9
WCRC SPICE GIRLS FX 3:10:58 A 11
WCRC GIRLS JUST WANT TO HAVE FUN FO 3:14:23 A 6
WCRC THE BIONIC MEN MV 3:20:56 A 5
126
Total Points for SOMERVILLE ROAD RUNNERS
Team Name Div Time W Pts
================================================== === ======= = ===
SRR - PROFESSOR EMERITUS FS 2:06:54 B 8
SRR - THERE'S NO WAY ALEX SHOWS UP MO 2:27:53 A 9
SRR - MALE SUB-MASTERS MX 2:31:04 A 13
SRR - COED VETERANS CV 2:31:10 B 3
SRR - TO MORROW NEVER DIES MM 2:33:02 A 11
SRR - ANTUNES^3 CX 2:36:12 A 10
SRR - COED OPEN CO 2:48:49 A 14
SRR - -273.15 CELSIUS = YOUR CHANCES MS 2:51:52 A 10
SRR - FEMALE OPEN FO 2:55:40 A 9
SRR - COED MASTERS CM 3:00:14 A 13
SRR - SHOR THING CS 3:16:15 A 7
SRR - EN FUEGO FX 3:21:25 A 8
SRR - MALE VETERANS MV 3:53:31 A 3
118
Around the 8.5 mile - 9 mile mark, the guy behind me made his moving blowing by easily. I think he might have been Moulton (wasn't sure at one point after the race but looking at the results I think this was the case). He was wearing a blue hoodie and basically looked like he was out for a recovery run. I stuck "close" to him pulling in Whirlaway, who was know wise to our advance and he too began to push. Hit the exchange zone pretty close to Whirlaway.
Overall I think this was a success despite giving up one spot. It was a 1:07 PR for me on Leg 4 and I felt comfortable. I definitely think i'm starting to come back.