View Workout (Anthony Belber)

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Brant Point Runners

August 1, 2017 (Afternoon)

Exercise Type: Run

Weather: 70s and sun and some humidity

Comments:
Drove from Philadelphia to Nantucket yesterday with Leah and Anna. Feeling pretty indifferent about doing my annual run with the Brant Point Runners this afternoon. Worked on dinner preparation with the girls right up until 5:20 and then rushed up to change into running clothes. Ran somewhat briskly down to the start (2:00 to get to Easton indicated 7:30ish pace), but I was far from loose by the 2:20 mark when I reached the start and they were calling us to the line. Did about 15 seconds worth of stretching and then we began. Fell in behind two young looking guys. Later learned one of them was a rising high school senior and the other had just graduated HS this spring. Pace felt too easy, but I figured I'd be foolish to get greedy and set out alone at a pace I wasn't likely going to keep alone. As we turned onto Hulbert, I pulled alongside them but tried not to pass. As we neared the half mile mark one fellow and I moved ahead. He asked if I knew the course and we chatted periodically over the next half mile. Learned he was in high school and a mid-D runner. Also that he used to live on island but was now in Hingham. (Did not learn until later that he runs a 50.4 400m.) We hit the mile in 6:19 and I felt fine. He pulled ahead by a step before we got back to Easton and gained a few yards as we turned and I had to swerve around a pedestrian. I was conceding to him as we climbed the hill up Cliff Road, but my pace was fairly steady. He had about five or seven steps on me at the crest, but I was coming back on him as we took the turns towards Grant Rotary. I realized he was out of his comfort zone and recalled that he was a mid-D guy as we hit the two mile mark in 12:43 (a 6:24 mile despite the large uphill block). I passed him easily as we entered the circle and he didn't stay with me as we went up and around. His footsteps were pretty close behind, though as we turned towards Cliff Road and I used those two quick turns to surge and gap him. It seemed to work. I was very motivated at this point to open up a big enough gap that he wouldn't use his youth and Mid-D Speed to walk me down, although I decided there'd be no shame if he did. I worked the downhill as aggressively as I could manage and was pleased with my focus throughout the final mile. The three mile mark was 18:38 (a 5:55 thanks to motivation and a big downhill block). Final kick was decent and I finished in 19:08 (30 seconds for the .1 mile). Second place was at least 20 seconds back. Pretty certain this was the slowest 5km race I've every run (and slowest Brant Point Runners 5km), but I was satisfied for no warm-up, no focus, no motivation, etc. Chatted with the young ones for a bit and then jogged very slowly to Brant Point and back to Boat Beach where I took a pleasant and cooling swim. If anything, this race motivated me to get in a decent week of training. Hoping to get out early tomorrow.