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As habitual participants of the Grand Series races over the past several years, it finally fell our lot to host a race. And that is one great big piece of work. Planning for the race began in late November. We had just started renovations of our kitchen and bathroom and hoped to have them done by race time in January. At least it gave us the impetus to complete a project that probably would have taken several more years to finish. So after countless late nights, it was finally the weekend of the big race. All of the holes in the kitchen and bathroom were covered as well as possible and most of the dog hair was gone - all we needed was a little good weather and a few runners.
Sunday dawned in heavy rain but warm with temperatures in the mid-40's. On the first dump run of the day, the attendant warned of hurricane force winds, cold, and possible snow arriving mid-morning. A quick listen to the local NPR station confirmed the attendant's warnings. But we're runners; weather is of no consequence. Our sport is one that perseveres regardless of conditions. As I headed out to mark the course, the puddle at the corner of our street which, in some past storms had been known to swallow ducks and geese whole, had already begun its rapid expansion. As I put out the first few markers at the top of the hill in Nickerson State Park, I thought that I might actually be able to dry off and warm up in the brief spells in the car between outings. But the placement of the 2 mile mark, which involved a 1/2 mile trek into the middle of the woods and back, quickly dispelled such a ludicrous notion. As I returned, soggy but only slightly chilled, Bob Edwards was the first to arrive. He quickly parked his truck at the start and finish and slogged back to the house. A little soggy, he expertly setup shop and was ready for sign-in as the first few began to arrive. As usual, Pat and Tom Nally were the first to get their names on the list, followed by a trickle and finally by about 10:30, a torrent of arrivals in keeping with the weather outside. A few ventured out for a quick warm up but most were content instead to enjoy the heat of the stove and a slideshow of pictures from the last 3 years of club running. The lack of warm up was to prove troublesome to some in the last 2 miles. After a brief announcement about the course, we were out the door to the start. The temperature was still in the 40's but the rain was getting heavier and the duck-eating puddle had almost covered the road. With a quick "Stay Dry" we were off.
Rich Gori led the charge through the puddles for the first few miles but was slowed as the rain soaked into his running suit and he put on an additional 22 pounds. The lead pack of Mike Herlihy, Jonathan Piers, Matt Theodore, Mike Sellars and myself held together through the 3 mile mark. I drifted forward and backward in the lead pack as I tried to form a bridge to the pack behind and prevent them from missing any of the turns. Just before the three mile mark, a soggy shoelace flailed loose on my shoe and had to be put back in order. The lead pack continued on with Mike Herlihy in the lead. By the start of The Hill(s), a questionable construction effort of the park designers which created one very steep hill and one less steep but much longer hill where there was really only one, I had regained contact with Mike, and Jonathan Piers caught up with him a minute later battling up The Hill(s). We slogged on back on to a short section of trail where the puddles had absolutely gained some ground in our absence and into a biting headwind. The wind had appeared from nowhere as we had made the turn prior to the 3 mile mark and the temperature had dipped down into the 30's. As we returned up Lund Farm Way which we had left just a few minutes before in somewhat balmier weather, the rain was turning to sleet, snow, and ice and stinging our uncovered faces, arms, and legs. A quick dash to the house for warmth, towels, and a change of clothes and it still took a solid 20 minutes to bring the core temperature back to something resembling normal. As more soggy, chilled runners struggled through the doorway, large flakes of snow began to fall, driven sideways by the wind.
What had initially been a technically challenging course with its off-road sections, sharp turns and steep hills, became a near impossible course for many with the addition of the rain, snow and wind; and the finishing times reflected that. No one averaged under 6:29 minute miles and only the first 8 finishers finished with sub-7:00 minute times. The men were led by the host, Geof Newton, in a time of 30:52 followed closely by Jonathan Piers and Mike Herlihy. The women were brought in by Kathleen Thomas in 38:15 followed 2 minutes later by Judy Johnson and Janet Jordan. Perhaps the one person who enjoyed the day the most, aside from those who had spent the morning in the house by the stove, was Connie Worgan who, although she was out on the course for over an hour, had dressed in anticipation of the bad weather and was still dry and warm as she rounded the final turn at 65 minutes. The rest of our sorry lot are still hoping to be able to feel their feet in the morning and avoid the enticing treadmill in the corner for the next three months.
After the last few runners had been rounded up and herded into the warmth of the dining room, Tom Nally and I headed back into the storm to retrieve the course markers. It was now slushing happily with a raw wind blowing from the northwest. Within a few seconds, my third change of clothes for the day was soaked through and I still had to run out to mile marker 2. In the wind and wet, I jogged around the edge of Ruth Pond, unable to go much faster than a 9:00 minute mile with the signs I was carrying, which seems to make the efforts of the Clydesdales and Fillies all the more impressive. I hopped into a warm car with Tom and headed home to another change of clothes and a little food, if there was any left.
This was a wildcard race for the Grand Prix standings as many people looked out the window in the morning and decided to head back to bed. While some who came prospered in the conditions, others not attuned to the cold weather or unprepared for the change in temperature suffered. Judy Stacy-Johnson, Kathleen Thomas, and Janet Jordan reinforced their second place standings in their respective age groups and Martha Edwards took the opportunity to clinch her division. On the men's side, Rich Gori secured first place in his age group, Jonathan Piers took a winning 10 points out of the hands of Mike Herlihy, and Larry Belliveau trounced the 45-49 crowd. Tom Keith enjoyed the day over a struggling Bill Ferguson and Brian Kelly clinched a win in the Clydesdale division.
For anyone with any knees or feet left, now its off to the Keith household for this year's finale!
The Grand Prix series continues every weekend (except 6 January) until the end of January at various locations across the Cape. Cost is $5 for club members and $10 for non-members. All are invited to attend but only club members are eligible for points and awards to be presented at the annual club banquet in February. For more information, visit the CCAC at http://www.capecodathleticclub.org/.