Notes
probably a bit short. i seem to recall the same issue back when i ran this (much faster) in 2011.
got off to a bad start after the "thanks for coming everyone, ready... set, GO!" i looked up and a couple little kids (9-10 year olds) and some guy in basketball shorts were sprinting up the street. i figured i would try to settle in to 5:30ish pace and see if the fast-looking group of guys from the shamrock's club would push the pace beyond that, while waiting for the front three to fall back to us. well... the two little kids eased back by a quarter mile, but the big kid in front looked totally comfortable running up ahead about 50-100 yards. and that's pretty much how it stayed for the rest of the race. he moved a little further ahead in the middle of the race (maybe 200yds?), and seemed to slow a little after the final hill up forest street, but i finished just over 100yds behind him.
overall, really happy with this. even IF the course is short, sprinting down the track at the finish, i would like to think that i would still be a few seconds under 17-flat. as that was the upper goal for me today, mission accomplished! still thinking 1:16 as the goal for mount washington. pat just ran well at ascutney this weekend, so he's thinking more about a sub-1:20 too. depends if he wants to run negative splits/efforts or approach it more evenly, we may be able to run together. i should probably plan on 1:18-1:20 and start slower... but... more than likely, i'll have a hard time not going out in 1:14-1:16 pace. numbers...