Saturday June 25 was the 10th anniversary running of the Hyde Park Blast four-mile road race. Although it has never been one of my favorites, I have nevertheless shown up to run it for nine of those ten years.
Why is it not one of my favorites, even though it takes place in my neighborhood? One reason is that from the outset it seemed to be organized by people who did not really understand what runners wanted in an ideal race. For example, the first few years when we had to wear those ridiculous ankle straps with the gigantic timing chips. And the screw ups with the results, and the aid stations, and the start time, that they had the first couple of years. But things have gradually improved, and there isn't so much for me to find fault with any more---which will not stop me from dissing it!
Why Don't I Like This Race?
So now, mostly, the problem I have with it is just that even though it takes place in my neighborhood, it is not the kind of friendly neighborhood race that I love. It's too big and there is too much hoopla surrounding it. In addition to the race, there is the block party, the cycling race, the 5k “elite” race.
And when there is hoopla, I have higher standards of perfection. If you are going to make me big promises, you have to deliver. And this race consistently fails on that score.
But I am probably being too harsh. Anyway, this year it was mostly okay.
The event is a fundraiser for various charities involved with cancer, and they say they have donated over $220k since 2001. I am surprised that the figure isn't a lot higher, considering the number of participants in all the events and the level of corporate sponsorship. Seriously, I would be less critical if I thought they were giving more money to charity. Do the math: 3000 entrants in the 4-mile race this year at $30 a head? And all they've been able to donate in ten years is $220k? There are single individuals who have raised more than that running for charity (I think the TNT record is close to $650k by one man over 20 years). I know there are a lot of costs associated with putting on a race, but isn't that what the sponsors are for?
Anyway, I picked up my race shirt, number and chip at The Running Spot on Friday afternoon. One nice thing this year is that we got our chips at packet pickup. In previous years, we had to pick them up at the start, which made for a lot of chaos on race morning. One not so nice thing is that they wanted us to pick up our goodie bags (which have always been quite well-stocked at this race) AFTER the race. For me, the issue is that I am jogging to and from the race, so if I have to lug a bag home I probably won't be jogging.
A Bit of Shopping and More Whining
Used the opportunity to take a little look around the store merchandise to see if there was anything I wanted to buy. After all, I had to pay $1 to park in the lot across the street, and my hour wasn't up yet. They had a sale on Merrill sandals, and I picked up a pair. They were all out on a table so I was able to try them on myself without any assistance. Which was a good thing because all the clerks were occupied with other customers.
After I found my sandals, I stood for a few minutes at the cash register and waited for someone to come check me out. After a bit of waiting, I began to ask myself whether or not I really wanted these sandals. I looked down at my watch and decided I would give them one more minute before I left empty handed.
This is a great store. A couple of years ago it was named the #1 Specialty Running Store in America, or some such thing. The owner and founder of the store does a tremendous job supporting running in our community. But I don't shop there as much as I used to, since the universe created Zappos and Amazon and Road Runner Sports. I don't want to shop online, necessarily. I would prefer to give my business to local merchants. But if I have to pay to park across the street from the store, and then wait around for someone to notice that I am ready to make a purchase (after I have already waited on myself by selecting and trying on the item without any assistance), well, sorry brick and mortar store, but you are going to lose me.
Perhaps I am not really their target market? This is, after all, one of the first places that someone said to me that I didn't look like a runner. This is the place where the sales clerk asked me if I was going to wear the shoes I was trying on "for running." (Yes, it has been years now and I am still not over it.)
Anyway, before the minute was up, someone did come to wait on me. She said they were extra busy because of all the traffic from the race. I thought that was probably the point of having packet pickup in the store, but whatever. The good thing is that she let me use the coupon for an extra $10 off that I had picked up with my race number. But I am whining here on the Internet about it anyway. That is just how it goes.
But I digress.
What's Good About this Race
There are some things that I do like about this race. As I mentioned, they usually provide pretty good swag. Over the years, they have handed out assorted and occasionally useful small tote bags, various hot and cold beverage containers, little covered canisters that I still use to store dog treats and nuts, a key chain (I still use that, too), and socks. Lots of good stuff.
This year there was to be a cold beverage container and an insulated tote bag. But we weren't getting them until after the race.
They also have better race t-shirts than average. The last couple of years, we've gotten technical tops. This year, the women's shirts are hot pink.
And, for me, oh yeah, the start and finish is about a mile and a half from my house.
The Race
On Saturday morning, I left the house around 7:30 am. The race was to start at 8, so that would give me plenty of time to jog down there, and I wouldn't have to hang out for too long waiting. It was a pleasant morning, a bit cooler than usual, but sunny.
I got to the start just as they were beginning to encourage people to line up. There was a good crowd---about 3000 people registered, and ultimately, 2517 finishers. And as is often the case at the bigger local races, I didn't see anybody I recognized! It is kind of funny how at a 200-person 5k I can look around and recognize almost everybody there, but at a 2500 person race I don't see anybody who looks familiar.
There were a lot of people wearing the race shirt. What is up with that? Don't they know it's bad luck to wear it before the race?
Found a good spot on the left side of the street, not too far back. There is chip timing but I didn't want to get stuck behind a bunch of walkers.
Still, it takes me 30 seconds to reach the start line. Good thing we are using the chip!
My goal is 35 minutes, or about an 8:45 pace. That will be a few minutes faster than last year, and is a little slower than predicted by my recent 5k. I am a little lighter than last year and in a little better shape. OTOH, this race is hilly and that 5k a few weeks ago was flat. So 35 minutes sounds just about right.
The race starts with a gradual climb, followed by a shorter, steeper hill but you also get to go down the other side. The second mile is a long uphill. The third mile is mostly downhill. And the last mile starts with about a quarter mile up hill, and then it is mostly downhill to the finish.
So my race strategy based on my experience at this race is to run comfortably hard for the first two miles---but not to flip out if I am over my goal pace, especially in the second mile. Then I make up time in the third mile, try not to push too hard on the last hill, and run hard to the finish.
And that is about how it goes. Mile one takes me 9:12, which still manages to get me worried until I remember the 30 seconds at the start. So it's more like 8:42, or right on pace. In the second mile, we pass by my old house. The new residents are maintaining it well but I do wish they would paint the tool shed. Mile 2 is 8:57. No worries, this is the uphill mile.
In mile 3, I come upon someone I recognize for the first time in this race. It is Judy Harmony, whom I know from dog agility. She used to run a Miniature Poodle. She put a MACH on it. I have not seen her at a dog event in several years, but I still see her at the occasional road race. She used to be faster than me but she is slowing down. But she is still fast for her age---she will win her age group. On an age-graded basis, she is still faster than me.
Later, I will see in the results that my friend David Jones was also at the race, and will win his age group, but I did not see him at the start. Also a couple of other dog training friends were there, but I didn't see them either. That makes just four people I knew in a crowd of over 2500 runners and assorted hangers-on. At a race that takes place a mile and a half from my house. Amazing.
I think about saying hello to Judy but I don't have that much energy. I pass Judy somewhere near the three mile mark. Mile 3 took me 8:38.
Now we're climbing the hill. There is always a lot of whining about this hill, but it is really no big deal. It is steeper than the hill in mile two, but not that long. I decide to time myself going up the hill. It takes me just about two minutes. I'm not even that fast, and I get up it in two minutes. Everybody quit the whining!
Now I am starting to regret the feta stuffed olives I had the night before, however.
I run down the hill and back out to Erie Ave. I decide I will not start to "kick" until I can actually see the finish line. When you turn the corner onto Erie, there is just a little rise for a block or so until you start downhill.
I accelerate and start passing people. I do not understand these people who slow down when they are approaching the finish line. It is a race, people! So at the finish, I do have to slow down because there are all these people around me just coming to a dead stop and I don't want to run them over.
Fourth mile time was 8:31. I let them cut my chip off my shoe, and I grab some water and Powerade. I am thinking about picking up the promised swag---the drink bottle and the little lunch bag---but then I see a big long line for them, same deal with the food. I just can't stand this waiting on line thing after a race. So I just start walking home with my water and Powerade. I don't really need another plastic drink bottle and I certainly don't need another tote bag of any kind.
I was not sure of my official time because I didn't know exactly how long I took to cross the start, and I did not stop my watch as soon as I crossed the finish line. But later in the afternoon I saw in the results that my chip time was 34:49, or just about what I expected as a reasonable goal, 8:43 pace.
My time put me 4 of 98 in my age group (sounds better than it is), 252 of 1501 women, and 686 of 2517 finishers. My age group placement sounds better than it is because a lot of those 98 women were walkers, and it looks like most of the fast women in my age group weren't there. Remember, I didn't see anybody I recognized at the start line. Where they went, I am not sure. I checked the results of a 5k that was happening the same day, and I didn't recognize the names of anybody who ran that one either. And, get this, I would have been the FIRST overall female in that race. Seriously. So are all the fast old ladies on vacation?
Fourth out of 98 would surely win you some sort of prize in most road races. But not in this one. They don't do age group awards. They give prizes to the top 50 men and top 50 women. This unfairly penalizes us older folk. Unfair! I guess that is another reason I don't like this race. I would feel better about it if they actually gave more money to charity, instead of promoting themselves as a charitable event and yet spending most of the money, on what, I am not entirely sure. I would hope that most of the swag and all of the food was donated by the many corporate sponsors.
But I will show up and run it again next year anyway if I do not have anyplace else to be that day!
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