Notes
Heavy mist, light rain, cold, 35 degrees. The first running of the Airline Brewery 10K TrALE Race in Amherst put on by Jamie and Kate Anderson. Weather was ok for running but not very nice for standing around. Warmed up wearing a short and long T and a sweatshirt. Got pretty warm, so finally decided to go with just a long T, my Black to White shirt. This was a good choice as I was plenty warm enough. Race started out with a short section down through the woods into a field and then on to the pavement of Tannery Loop road. The wood section was really narrow single track, not a lot of people who looked like serious runners were stepping up to the front so I did so I wouldn't get caught in the back. Started out fast and stayed with the pack to the road. A few people took off but I was still with the lead group. There was a big down hill and then turn onto dirt roads. Crossed the bridge over the Union river, and the road was slightly uphill. It was a little steeper at the 5K turn around point, a lot of the leaders turned around here. I was just behind a guy with a headband (Joey Cassas) and another guy. A few more were ahead of them. We continued up the logging road and then turned into the woods for some single track. Kept the pace up and started to gain on the 2 guys in front of me. There was a small brook to cross, those guys were trying to stay dry by walking across the stepping stones, but it looked slippery, so I jumped right in and ran through the brook. Once on the other side, there was a short steep climb, those guys stopped to walk and I passed them running up the hill. Soon after the trail popped back out on another logging road. The single track was probably less than a 1/4 mile. The road was mostly uphill to the turn around point. I think there were 4 guys in front of me. I was focuse on the guy in the yellow jacket a little ways ahead of me. He looked like he was my age, he had quite a gap and I wasn't sure if I could close it. I also wanted to put some distance between me, Joey, and the other guy. Kept the fairly hard pace up back down the road, through the woods and back onto the dirt road back to the bridge. Couldn't hear the guys behind me so I figured I gapped them in the woods. Focused on yellow jacket guy, keeping the pace hard, running the tangents started to gain just a little. We crossed the bridge and started uphill on the road. About a 1/2 mile to go, we started up the big hill, he started to walk and I kept running all the way up. He looked back and started walking/running. I got close, but couldn't quite reel him in. Pushed hard to the field and into the woods all the way to the finish and never got any closer. But I was shocked when Joey finished right behind me. I never heard him behind me but I never looked back either as I was focused on yellow jacket guy. This was a good race, but not as much trail as there could have been because the conditions were so wet. Don't think I could have run any harder. Felt like the speed work and Temp runs definitely helped on this race. I didn't win my age group since yellow jacket guy beat me. Good cookout and free beer after the race were night but the weather was rainy, windy, and cold. Left after the awards instead of going to hang out at Jamie's. Good first race of the season.
Gear: shorts, long tech T, hat