2010 boston build-up 15k: race report

the boston build-up 15k (second in the series) is the one i've run least over the years. between the drive up to ridgefield and the icebox like weather, it's been the toughest one for me to line up for (and last year the weather was so bad, the race was postponed). but yesterday, the weather was fantastic - low thirties and roads free of snow and ice! not sure if it was because of the good weather, but the race had a record turnout -following on the heels of the record turnout for the 10k two weeks ago!

plenty of familiar faces (usual suspects), and at the risk of leaving off a few names: emmy, rob, don, kate, john, roy, brian, ronnie, jill, joe, jeanette, dawn, evan, tom, bob, sean, ikuko, and michael. but michael (a/k/a torpedo) and his very hot pink running tights lightened the pre-race mood. i didn't get in a warm-up before the start. my target was a sub 1:10 finish, which would have been faster than my last (2008) time on the course. rather than focus on mile splits, i concentrated on 5k splits - and keeping them under 23:20.

the first mile, basically downhill, was 6:59 - way too fast. i was running with emmy, rob, and tom at that point, but i wouldn't keep up that pace. mile 2 was 7:11 and mile 3 a more realistic 7:26 (the pace i'd actually average when i finished). but i was in for a shock because at mile 3, facing the uphill i was sorely tempted to walk it! i knew that if i gave into that temptation then and there, my race as done. so i shuffled up the hill and reached the 5k split in 22:30 - 50 seconds faster than my planned.

i slowed down mile 4 to 7:41 and picked up the pace for mile 5 - heading toward the turnaround - for another 6:59. but that one really hit home and i slowed down dramatically in mile 6, my slowest of the race in 8:02. at that point i lost sight of emmy and tom, and rob was up ahead of me. i reached the 10k split in 46:07, for a second 5k split of 23:37. i didn't think i had much of a second wind, but a sub-23 for the last 5k would get me in under 1:09!

mile 7 went by in 7:37, followed by a 7:00 for mile 8. but my luck had run its course because i didn't have much left for the climb back in mile 9 and the final 3/10s to the high school. mile 9 took 7:43, and another 2:37 for the final climb up the drive way to the finish line. the last 5k took 23:03 and in finished in 1:09:10 (official, 1:09:14) well under my 1:10 goal, but just off my revised target of a sub 1:09. still, i was very pleased with it :D

afterwards i got my camera and took pictures of don and john as they finished. emmy and sharon had gone back out to run in the last mile with john - who happily finished his second 15k (the first was the 2008 edition) - with a pr! then we all went inside to socialize before heading home - and afternoon football games :D when i got back i went out for an easy 5 miles before the rains came and stuck around for the rest of day.

here are my race photos.

next up: the manhattan half marathon this weekend.