Back to the Block

Sometimes the racing schedule dictates the vacation. This time was the opposite. 

When I had settled on September for my annual sojourn to Block Island, and with Gloria to come with me for her first time there, it was obvious that a third go at the Run Around the Block 15K (I did it in 2006 and 2009) was in order. And Gloria, too, decided it would be a great way for her to end her summer of running.

Considering I had been crushing my short races all summer long, going back to truly conquer the hills of the very challenging course made sense. There was no way I could expect a PR on such a course, but I was dead set on doing it in under an hour, for it may very well be my last opportunity to do so. At 41, how much longer can this short-race hot streak last?

That meant continuing the intense speed training into a fourth month, and by the time September rolled around, I was spent.  My weekly 40-minute tempo runs and 400-meter and 800-meter intervals were taking their tolls on my body.  Never again, I thought. I can not do all this speed work anymore. It is is time to draw the line, appreciate what I have accomplished, and run for fun after this race is over.

Enduring rough seas that turned Gloria's stomach, we arrived on Block Island Thursday morning, Sept. 8, to overcast and dreary weather. 

After breakfast at the Topside Cafe, the sun was finally out, and the weather improved so greatly that we spent the early afternoon relaxing on the beach. 

Then, we rented bicycles, rode the four miles up to the end of Corn Neck Road and hiked to North Lighthouse, and the very tip of the island.  

It was probably not the best way to rest before a race, but it made for excellent cross-training and was a scenic treat for Gloria. It brought me tremendous joy to see her having such an wonderful experience at my special getaway place.  We had a big lunch at Los Gatitos and passed out for the rest of the afternoon, waking only in time to grab a quick drink at the Mohegan Cafe before it closed at 9:30 p.m. (It was a Thursday on the off-season, after all).

Friday was gorgeous as we ate breakfast on Crescent Beach and I swam in the cool but comfortable water. 

After exchanging the bikes for mopeds, so we could tool around the island without having to expend as much energy, we drove the race course to familiarize ourselves with the terrain. 

The memories of running all those hills came flooding back, and it freaked me out a bit. For the first time, I was nervous about this race. Could I maintain the 6:26 pace it would take to clock in under an hour? Sure, I did a half-marathon last year at 6:16, but that was pancake-flat. This, however, was a hilly beast with which to be reckoned.

Gloria assured me that I should trust my training and so there was nothing left to do but have a huge carb-filled dinner at the Poor People's Pub, where I devoured a skillet-full of delicious macaroni and cheese, and watch the sun set from Old Harbor.

With race time at 1:30 p.m. Saturday, at least we did not have to worry about early bedtimes and alarm-setting. That (and the mac and cheese) made for a much more rested pre-race sleep.

<up next...race day!>