When my alarm went off at 4:30 am, my blood pressure was showing signs of good hydration, my heart rate was lower than usual, I had no PVCs, and my fitness monitor indicated I was at 85% readiness. Even with drinking more than typical yesterday, I only had to get up once during the night. Perhaps, the three servings of UCAN hydrate made a difference.
At the pool yesterday, my left ear got clogged. This morning, hearing in that ear was reduced, but there was no pain. It looked like systems were a go for a good 5 km race.
The SPCA has managed this race since 2003. This year was their 20th edition, missing only 2020 for COVID.
In the late 80s, the Rappahannock Area YMCA started the River Run 5km in early spring and laid out the course beginning on Caroline Street at the Library and finishing behind the Library on Sophia Street. They reused the route for the initial Turkey Trots, starting in 1993. This course was the first one I measured for USATF certification in 1995. So I’m estimating somebody has used this route for over 30 years.
My first race on this course was the 1992 River Run; today was my 28th finish. Last year, we made a slight course adjustment moving the start line to Sophia Street to have a shared location with the finish line.
The YMCA held the final River Run in 1997, and the Turkey Trot outgrew the course capacity in 2009.
In 2003, the SPCA wanting to hold a fundraiser, managed their first 5 km and took advantage of the certified course. The SPCA has been able to use this course, and it is one of the last 5 km races in the city entirely on the public streets. Working with the city and holding the race at 7 am on a Sunday helps the SPCA maintain the permit.
In 2004, the race was added to the Fredericksburg Area Running Club Coldwell Banker Elite Grand Prix series and was the first year that I participated in their event.
Abnormal for June; the weather provided a lovely morning to run. The temperature at the start was 62 degrees with a 53-degree dew point and no wind. We’ve been lucky this spring for excellent racing conditions.
I left my house at 6:05 am to start my warmup run across the Chatham Bridge. I missed the early packet pickup as I was in Richmond with the grandkids on Saturday. So, I had to stand in the long line of 2 runners to pick up my bib and shirt.
When registering, they asked if I wanted to be part of “Team Cat” or “Team Dog.” I’m not a dog person and have not had a cat for 25 years. I picked “Team Cat.” Does this mean fostering a kitten is in the future?
I took a few minutes to pin the bib to my singlet and threw my bag under the Arsenal Events timing table. After my initial 15-minute warmup, I did three repeats of 2-minute walks and 8-minute runs, returning to the starting line at 6:55 am.
After changing into my singlet, I headed to the start line and observed all the fast people, well at least fast old people, lined up.
To my left, a runner had a dog creating a fuss, and the handler had difficulty controlling it. I slid more to my right.
Within the first mile, I was breathing harder than I wanted. I stayed to the right of a few cones on the Caroline Street center line, which prevented me from running that early tangent.
About that point, I came upon the earlier mentioned dog and handler. The dog was all over the place, darting left and right. I don’t mind people running with dogs as long as the dog can run straight. I have a hard enough time with people not running straight lines.
Remembering Tommy Morelock and his pit bull tripping a runner in a previous year’s race, I admonished the handler to keep the dog running straight. Yes, I know most of the runners in the area and did address them by name.
Getting past them, I went through the first mile in 8:40. Based on my breathing, that was a little slower than my perceived effort.
I hit the left tangent under the Falmouth Bridge and was headed to the right apex onto Riverside Drive as Chris Pirch passed me on his way back. My goal on this course is to get off Caroline Street onto Riverside Drive before the front runners return. Unfortunately, I did not accomplish that goal today. Chris went through two miles in about 10:30.
I thought I was slowing in the second mile. I still ran an 8:49. Looking at my monitor recording after the race, once I started the downhill at the top of Hanson Avenue to under the Falmouth Bridge, my heart rate dropped from 180 to 135 bpm at the mile 2 sign. Back on Caroline Street, it returned to 180.
I ran the tangents well on Caroline Street in the third mile, to the left at Old Mill Park, then the right to almost Ford Street, and then the diagonal to Pitt Street. My third mile was 8:27.
After a youngen passed me on Sophia Street, there were no runners to pass to the finish. When I first saw the finish clock, I was surprised that it was still in the low 26-minute range. I pushed some and finished at 26:42. I was pleased with what I did with the last .10686 in 44 seconds.
A benefit of the out-and-back course, I took a split at the one-mile sign on the way home to get a last mile time of 8:16.
After a slight pause, I did a 20-minute run and walk cool down. I saw the irate driver, who must have been late for church, yelling at runners still on the course to get out of his way. I guess Google couldn’t direct him over to Princess Anne Street.
With my finish time of 26:42, I was 62nd overall, 53rd male, and 8 of 17 males in the 60 to 69-year-old age group. If they had a 65 to 69-year-old age group, I would have been 6 of 10 in that category—too many old fast guys.
Looking back at my 28 runs on this course, my fastest time was 20:28 at the 1995 River Run. That year, I was 69th overall and 65th male. In the 35 to 39-year-old age group, I was 16th. Putting that time into today’s race, I would have been 10th overall.
One other note from that 1995 race, 272 finishers were under 30 minutes, and the remaining 29 were in before 35 minutes. Keep plugging away.