Looking around at the competition gathering in front of Town Hall, I noticed it was a small field and most of the people seemed to be there to walk, not run. And why not? It was a great cause, a nice day, and a mostly flat course. My pre-game assessment - I would run my best, enjoy the race-day amenities and probably take home an age group award.
So I did what I always do - planted myself near the front of the pack and blasted off at the go signal. Within a minute, I was out in front of everyone as we headed south on Main Street to Northfield Avenue, with a quick turn on Valley Road. After the turnaround at Kingsley Street, I headed back the way I came and clocked a 6:04 first mile. Sub-6s are hard to come by these days, so that pace felt like an accomplishment; but I knew I would probably not be able to sustain it.
Turnarounds are good because you can get an idea of where you are in the pack and how far the next person behind you is. To my surprise, I had built quite a gap already.
I had already checked out the course the day prior, but it still felt reassuring to have the police motorcycle in front of me. As great as it is being the front runner, it is unsettling to be unsure of the course and have no one to chase. This course consisted of two out-and-backs - first south, then north - so there was not much to mess up.
Back on Main Street and passing Town Hall, it was a slight uphill as I ran past Thomas Edison National Historical Park and a local school into a 6:15 second mile. Still good with that, I thought as I approached the northern turnaround and noticed that I was way ahead of the next runner.
I could not believe it. This race was mine to lose. All I had to do was keep pushing for another six minutes and it was in the bag. Not only that, but was it possible that I could actually get in under 19 minutes for the first time this decade? Some fatigue was setting in, but now - forget winning the race - seeing an 18 on the clock was my new mission. To do so, I had to run 1.1 miles in 6:40. Doable, but not that easy these days. I dug deep, pushed a little harder and, amazingly, managed to log my fastest mile of the race with a 6:02.
I brought it home with all my might for the last 38 seconds, finishing at 18:59, and somehow winning a race for the sixth time. I felt pretty wiped out, but I was happy as can be. It has been six years since I crushed my goal of getting in under 18 minutes; now, at 48 years old, a sub-19 feels just as victorious. And holy moly, they gave me this huge trophy!
