Run 4 Kerri

After running the Run 4 Kerri last year, I knew I'd be back for more in 2014. It has quite a bit going for it -- it's local (less than 10 miles from my house), extremely well run, for a good cause, on very scenic roads, and draws some pretty high level competition. On this last point, race director Scott Bessette sent out an email a few days before the race with the bios of at least a dozen competitors who'd be toeing the line. My chances of repeating last year's 15th-place finish were looking slim at the outset.

[Note: In this next paragraph, I will write about a bunch of things that could be viewed as EXCUSES. They are not. They are simply some factors that contributed to a less-than-ideal race day for me. Wait, that's pretty much the definition of an excuse. Hmm, I guess there's no weaseling my way around this. Without further ado, here are a few excuses...]


While I was looking for a strong race, I knew I wouldn't be in top form for a couple of reasons. First, my legs were absolutely trashed after last week's Blessing of the Fleet. I've always felt that you can only tell how fit you are for a race a day or two after it's over, based on how sore your legs are. Well, my legs were a mess, and they didn't feel normal again until Friday. Second, I had the house to myself for the week leading up to the race, which meant I had some extra time for running/cycling, so there would be no tapering for this one. Finally, I had to drive to and from Woburn, MA, for work on both Thursday and Friday, which left me feeling pretty drained by the time the weekend rolled around. So, while I was going into this race with somewhat tempered expectations, a race is still a race, and I wanted to beat my 4-mile PR (21:53) set a month ago, so there would be no holding back.

I woke up on race day feeling woozy for some reason. This was soon joined by some significant intestinal discomfort. My digestive tract is usually rock solid, so this was unnerving. The race was happening no matter what; it was just a matter of whether this would cause problems for me out in the middle of course. I threw some TP in my shorts just in case and said a little prayer to the PM.

I arrived early and after picking up my number and shirt (side note: the R4K has the nicest volunteers I've ever encountered at a race) bumped into some of the large Turtle contingent that would be in attendance. They far outnumbered the WTAC crew, despite this race taking place in our home territory. After a warmup, I found a spot next to Turtle figurehead Bob Jackman a few rows back from the start. Crutch soon wandered over to wish us luck before departing to join "his people." (His words, not mine.)

My goal was to average 5:25 pace and, while not worrying about my position in the race, still be competitive. Unsurprisingly, the race took off quickly, with the speedy guys stringing out the field in a matter of seconds. Despite starting a few too many rows behind the starting line, I immediately found a lane and made my way up into maybe 30th place by the half-mile mark. Before I knew it, I was running neck-and-neck with the leader...of the women's race. I followed Stephanie Reilly through the mile in 5:22 and then pulled even with her as we made the turn onto Moonstone Beach Rd. It's a fun - and humbling - experience to run beside an Olympian. I almost felt embarrassed when I passed her before we turned onto Card's Pond. I wanted to say, "You don't deserve to lose to a schmuck like me," but I thought that might just make it worse. She must have stayed pretty close for awhile, as I had the pleasure of running directly behind the lead women's vehicle through the 2-mile mark, which I passed in 10:50, right on 5:25 pace.

There weren't many guys in sight in front of me at this point, so I focused on the few that I could see and tried to close the gap. I caught two guys by the time we turned into the neighborhood and one more shortly after, and that was it for the rest of race. In fact, I really didn't see anyone else until the long straight into the finish. The third mile ends in the middle of a short, steep hill in the neighborhood. When I rode my bike on the course the day before, a bunch of neighborhoods kids were assembled on this hill and cheered me on like I was in the Tour de France. When I reached the top, they shouted, "TOUCHDOWN!" (It must have been an American version of the Tour de France.) I was hoping to see them again during the race, but I was instead given quiet mumbles of encouragement from the much less exuberant adults standing on the side of the road. This mile was a slow 5:36. I was going to need a big final mile to get back on target.

The steep hill really killed my momentum, and it's hard to get it back, as the course continues slightly up for another hundred yards or so. I eventually got back into a rhythm and tried to let gravity do the work down the hill past the starting line. The downhill propelled me into the long finish straightaway. I managed a decent kick despite having no one to chase and no one to hold off and crossed the finish in 21:40, exactly 5:25 pace, which meant the final mile was 5:14. Surprisingly, this put in 15th place; exactly where I'd finished last year. (And just making the cut for NE Runner Magazine's results page -- I'm gonna be famous!)

I watched Bob and a few other Turtles (including Scott Mason, making a triumphant return to racing)cross the finish and cheered Crutch as he finished off a strong effort. Afterward, Bob invited me on a cooldown with Principe Sr. and Jr., and before I knew it, we were running the course again. This was a bit longer than I'm used to cooling down, but it was well worth it, and I really enjoyed the conversation.

In summary, I'm satisfied with the race. However, it does make me wonder if I should start setting more aggressive goals, or if I my goal pace just happens to be exactly as fast as I can run. We'll see next week, as I tackle a 5-mile trail race in my hometown.


(See the Level Renner write-ups of the race are here and here.)