Forums >Racing>When the big dogs come out to play...
Latent Runner
...the rest of us get humble.
Of late I've (apparently) been fooling myself into thinking I'm pretty fast for someone my age, yeah, about that. This last weekend I ran in the RibFest 5-Miler held at the beautiful Budweiser facilities in Merrimack, NH (home to one of the Clydesdale teams), and even though this race was just one of eight for this year's running series put on by Millennium Running, it also happened to be an event on the USATF New England Grand Prix calendar. I knew I was in some trouble when I saw team after team after team, all in like uniforms, lining up for the start.
Over the last couple of months, one of my coworkers and I have run several large (for New Hampshire) races, he *had* a streak going where he'd won the Men's 30-39 something like four races in a row. In my case, I've typically been finishing in the top ten percent of guys in the 50-59 age range, and often in the top two or three percent. So, like I said earlier, "yeah, about that". Out of 161 guys in my age group, and in spite of the fact that I crossed the line in 37:24 (a time I was pleased with), I finished 55th! And my coworker? He got knocked down from his perch atop his age group to 42nd (out of 265)!
Impressive performances which stand out to me:
As I was heading up a small hill at about the 2.5 mile mark I gradually caught up to and passed a "little old lady". Her stride was looking good and she was running strong and I told her so as I passed. I happened to see her after the finish and found out her particulars:
Fat old man PRs:
Interval Junkie --Nobby
Yep, like our local group of AG and OA winners like to remind each other: no Kenyans showed up for the race.
2021 Goals: 50mpw 'cause there's nothing else to do
not bad for mile 25
Yep, there's always someone out there faster than I. If I want an ego boost, I have to be careful to choose small, obscure races.
That said, congrats on your 5M PR, and keep striving!
I ran a local 5k a few years ago and my sister and brother in law ran it. I had to kid my brother in law because he was beat by an 80 year old woman. Never mind that she ran an age graded 90+... he still lost to an 80 year old woman. OK, she was sub 30 minutes... but still.
Yep, there's always someone out there faster than I. If I want an ego boost, I have to be careful to choose small, obscure races. That said, congrats on your 5M PR, and keep striving!
Thanks for that!
Well, at least it was my "Over 50 PR", I was running in the 26 to 27 minute range 35-40 years ago.
The Men's 50-59 winner, at 54 years of age, crossed the line in 28:09.
Yeah Cipriano is pretty quick. Our own BadDawg was 7th in that div in 29:10. PDoe was 11th in 29:46. All three of them (plus 132 other people including 8 women) beat me (29:51) but at least I can use the excuse of being 3 weeks removed from my 2nd marathon of the spring.
Mike Galoob, who won the 40-49AG in 26:02! has won every race of the series so far. But he's a youngster at 40.
One of my training buddies (d.a.p.) ran 25:42 yet didn't crack the top 10.
NE Grand Prix races are humbling but awesome. And you can't beat the after party that this race had.
Runners run
As one person put it, "SMRSLT" (So Many Ribs, Such Little Time). The Honkers IPA was pretty darn good too.
All three of them (plus 132 other people including 8 women) beat me (29:51) but at least I can use the excuse of being 3 weeks removed from my 2nd marathon of the spring.
A fine performance indeed. Congratulations.
Thanks! I was most proud of my work at the beer tent. We kicked the Goose Island keg, moved on to Red Hook IPA and I managed to accumulate so many beer tickets (without paying for any) that I gave my last one away as my ride was leaving. The ribs were really good too.
That's Bucci over my shoulder hamming for the camera, but as you can see, I was all business:
Welcome to the club, Shipo! I ran my all-time 10K PR of 37:24 last year at a USATF Pacific Association Gran Prix race, one of my two best races ever. I finished 8th in 50-59 (no 50-54 but I'd a been 5th if they had it!). Humbling indeed., but fun and very motivating.
Congrats on your race, it's a good one no matter what the competition did ... join one of those clubs if you have the time and inclination, you will race better for the competition.
Welcome to the club, Shipo! I ran my all-time 10K PR of 37:24 last year at a USATF Pacific Association Gran Prix race, one of my two best races ever. I finished 8th in 50-59 (no 50-54 but I'd a been 5th if they had it!). Humbling indeed., but fun and very motivating. Congrats on your race, it's a good one no matter what the competition did ... join one of those clubs if you have the time and inclination, you will race better for the competition.
Thanks Ken, I haven't run a sub 40:00 10K since I was in my early 30s, a 37:24 10K (which oddly enough matches to the second my 5-Miler this last weekend) is a pretty impressive run for a guy in his fifties.
I've considered joining a running club, however, it may be a bit difficult to work into my schedule what with commuting, training, and taking care of 11 horses (which makes for some pretty good cross training). That said, my company has a running club, but there I'm a big fish in a little pond; good for the folks just breaking into running, not so good for having good training partners to run with.
an amazing likeness
Yeah, it happens. When a race ends up rotated onto the USATF New England Grand Prix calendar, it's time to get the hell out of the way and watch the speed merchants in the matching singlets do their magic on the post race beer. Oh, and in the race as well.
Acceptable at a dance, invaluable in a shipwreck.
Northstar Running
i was surprised to have a 10 year old girl pass me in a 5k race recently. She ran 19:10.
http://www.mtecresults.com/runner/show?rid=319&race=2249
There is always a bigger fish.
Know thyself.
i was surprised to have a 10 year old girl pass me in a 5k race recently. She ran 19:10. http://www.mtecresults.com/runner/show?rid=319&race=2249
Just amazing! Two 10 year old boys had 42 minute times in a 10k I recently ran...there must be a lot of great grade school track programs these days.