So, Dan Cassidy and I did the Shelburne Half-Marathon this morning. We decided a couple weeks ago we'd do this just to try out a longer distance running race. In fact this was Dan's first ever running race. Hip-Hip-(you say Hooray!).
Fellow bikers/ex-bikers Jason Baer (Kenda-Raleigh team), Kevin Bouchard-Hall (Young rider Jersey 2004 Tour of Georgia), and Liz Harrison (ECCC Crit Champion 2004) were all in attendance as well...which was awesome. There was probably about a crowd of 200 or so on the start line at the Shelburne Country Store at 8:00am.
Dan and I had the goal of running under 1:30. That would be 6:52 miles. I've just been running about 4-5 weeks, doing 4-5 miles every other, or every 3rd day - and it was Dan's first running race...so this seemed like a good goal. We went out nice and slowly, sitting 30-40 people back for the first mile. Then Dan started moving up a little. Things felt in the legs and the pace felt easy, so we positioned ourselves closer to the front, maybe 10 guys back.
Things continued to feel good so we moved up into a little group, maybe 50 yards back off the front group of 4. I knew there was a steep hill a couple miles into the course and told Dan we'd move up there. We followed the plan and joined the leaders at that point. Having bikers legs we had to run the downhills a little slower than the others, but having bikers lungs we could charge up the hills pretty well.
There was a long gradual downhill approaching the half-way point and Dan started to feel some real tightness in his hips and upper quads. He did the smart thing and backed it off a bit. Unfortunately the tightness continued the rest of the race - and Dan couldn't use the nice long stride he has. Still, it was great to get him into a running race and it seems like he enjoys the challenge of something new.
Meanwhile, a runner from behind surged strongly as the half-way point (as we passed my house) and he broke up the front group. One other runner from that group and myself clawed back up to the leader. We ran for several miles together, including a portion through Shelburne Farms. As we got into the closing miles the runner who had surged mid-race dropped off, and it was just two of us. I ran in second and stayed there as I felt my muscles get tighter and tighter and starting to strain a bit. I did my best to keep my stride relaxed as we approached the finish line at the Shelburne Athletic Club. I made a dash for the finish as we entered the final 400m. It worked and I crossed the finish line with seizing muscles. Literally 30 seconds after the finish I could barely walk. Talk about needing that finish line!
The best part of it all - Helen was the lead biker for the race (as in the person on a bike who rides just ahead of the runners). So, that's cool. And she did a great job too. Then, after the race there was amazing food from the Starry Night Cafe, that swank restaurant down in Ferrisburg. I could barely move my legs, but I was happy as could be as my sister, Dan, Helen, and I sat and chit-chatted on my porch. It was a short lived moment though - because I had to hop in the shower and it was off to work at the Skirack.
So, if you see me hobbling around Burlington in the next week, or hear story of such a thing, you will know why. The time was 1:21. Not amazing, but not bad considering. And wait until Dan Cassidy gets going. He putting it together, one stride at a time. Pictures to come...
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