2012 wilton halloween hustle 5k: race photos and results

the wilton halloween hustle is one of my favorite 5k races.  typically i run this one in the morning and the new canaan pumpkin chase 5k in the afternoon.  that was my plan this weekend until the approaching hurricane sandy warnings kept me from heading back to for the second race (that, and the giants game).

my 22:17, 7:11 pace, was good enough for second place in my new age group. unfortunately, this race only gives out awards for first place in your age group!  oh well, i'll just have to run faster next year :D

here are the race results from clubct.

i posted more photos on facebook.

reservoir run half marathon course

since the new weston reservoir run half marathon kicks off the same day as the nyc marathon, there was no chance i'd get to run it.  instead, yesterday don, emmy and i ran the course on our own.  we had expected to run it with a group of runners - but they were nowhere to be found.  in fact, we did briefly meet up with another runner at the weston high school parking lot who had also expected to find a group run of the course.

be that as it may, we set off on the course and had a great time.  there were some fantastic views - aided no doubt by the colors of the fall foliage.  lots of hills - it was a pretty challenging loop, and took us a solid 2:10 to finish it. 

if you're not running the nyc marathon next weekend, check it out :D

the rest of my photos are posted on facebook.

volunteering at the poland spring marathon kickoff

yesterday afternoon i volunteered at the poland springs marathon kickoff pack pick-up.  it took care of my nyc marathon 9 +1 volunteer requirement.  with 8 nyrr races in the book this year, the nyc marathon next weekend will be my 9th scored race of the year and wrap up my requirements for 2012 guaranteed entry!

in a change from the past couple of years where i was assigned to the bib pick-up, yesterday i was assigned to the tee shirt distribution.  for our three hour shift (12:30-1:30) my 3 fellow volunteers and i probably handed out close to two hundred shirts (by my unscientific guess).  the time flew by and it was more fun than i thought it would be :D

two runners mentioned that the poland springs 5 miler would be their first race - ever!  chatting with them was pretty neat (as was the one runner who asked us whether he had to wear the shirt during the race).  except for the one runner who insisted that we find him an xxl (there were only xl) every runner who picked up a shirt during our shift was a pleasure to deal with :D

2012 great train race: race photos and results

it was a tough morning for me at the great train race.  i love this 6.8 mile point to point course from new canaan to wilton.  unfortunately for me, digestive problems made for an unwelcome pit stop just after the third mile.  my goal of a sub-55 became undoable - and i wondered if i'd be able to finish in under an hour.  my 59:23 didn't come easy.  even backing out 2 minutes for the pit stop, i didn't come close to my sub-55 target.  but i was still happy to be out there running it :D

here are the race results from clubct.

the bulk of these photos were taken by kate - who road the course on her bike :D

2012 ridgefield half marathon: race photos and results

yesterday i made a return trip to ridgefield for the half marathon.  the forecasted threat of rain never came to pass.  instead we had perfect running weather - albeit initially on the cold side!  given my slow performance at the norwalk half marathon last month - i was unable to bring it in under 1:50 (1:51:50) - my target of 1:45 seemed a little ambitious.  but as luck had it, 1:45 turned out to be a soft target.  my 1:43:24, 7:53 pace, was a minute slower than the 1:42:15 i ran there last year.  hopefully, for my next half i'll look to get back to a sub 1:40 finish :D

here are the race results from clubct.

more photos posted on facebook.

october 2012 race schedule

the month of october kicks off with return trip to ridgefield for the half marathon on sunday.  i ran this one last year, for the first time, and enjoyed the course.  hopefully, the rain forecast for sunday will hold off until the afternoon.

the following weekend is one of my favorite point to point courses, the great train race.  the rolling, hilly course is just under 7 miles - and, if tradition is any guide, a bunch of us will run the course back to the start (and our cars at the new canaan train station parking lot) :D

the weekend of the 20th had the sullivan strider's inaugural bashakill 14 miler on the calendar.  but, unfortunately, the race was cancelled.  i'm still working on a plan b - but i'd thinking about the tri-state classic 10k in port jervis, ny.  i've never run that one before, so it would be a new race for me.

the month ends with a classic halloween double.  the wilton halloween hustle in the morning followed by the pumpkin chase in the afternoon (both are 5ks).  i've run them many times over the years (only one year in recent memory had the wilton race postponed a week and broke up the halloween themed double).

here's how it looks so far:

10/7 - ridgefield half marathon
10/14 - the great train race, 6.8m
10/21 - the tri-state classic, 10k
10/29 - wilton halloween hustle, 5k
10/29 - pumpkin chase, 5k

as always, if you're at any of them - say hello :D

2012 muddy up 4 kids 5k mud run

the muddy up 4 kids 5k mud run held at camp simmons in greenwich on saturday lived up to its billing - even before crossing the mud pit just before the finish line!  in fact, there was so much water on the course, including a waist deep stream that we crossed twice, that it could easily have passed for a biathlon ;o

the event, to raise money for the boys & girls club of greenwich, was a fun run, not a competitive race.  it was in that spirit that runners queued up to get through the "lemon squeezer" rock formation, cross a waist deep stream twice, and run a quarter mile through the ankle deep water and muck of another stream before looping back to the finish.  but before the finish stood a drain pipe to crawl through and a mud pit to cross on your hands and knees - think army boot camp basic training.

there was a lot of mud - and a lot of fun!  afterwards, the fire department volunteers hosed everyone off.  it took me a solid 35+ minutes to finish the course (which included a 5 minute wait to get through the "lemon squeezer").  i would run this course again in a heartbeat :D