The new edition of this race is a memorial to a Massachusetts State Trooper who lost his life in 2016, leaving behind his wife and children who reside in Hudson. The State Police had a strong showing at the event, and there were many nice touches, such as playing Taps; the national anthem sung by a State Trooper; a helicopter flyover; and even Governor Baker was on site to hand out the race awards! There were more than 1000 runners, given the high profile of the event, and weather conditions were clear and sunny. A truly memorable experience!
There were retro police cars, and mounted police, too!
Some more random observations about the race and my own run:
- We usually get fantastic race weather in early June; today was no exception with a finish at around 70 degrees. The course had a great mix of shade and sun.
- Nice course through the neighborhood behind Hudson High School, with folks watching from their yards and cheering us on.
- More than any course I can remember in a while, though, there was a lot of road slant -- I don't know the technical term. The result is there were several stretches of road where one foot was planting noticeably lower than the other. This isn't ideal!
- I chose a typical blend of running/walking, where I slow down for up grades and shady parts, and let gravity assist on the down grades.
- I was satisfied with finishing under 40 minutes for my first race of the year. Considering I've just started letting loose with some real running in the last couple of weeks. My mile splits were negative: each faster than the previous, and that's exactly what I would hope for in any race. I had enough juice left to finish at a strong clip!
- However, after crossing the finish line, it took my tired body a few minutes to realize that water was not to be found in the immediate area. We had to cross the the parking lot back to the registration tents to get to the post-race refreshments. Perhaps it was due to finishing in the 70th percentile and supplies had been used up, but I'd like to see a bit more race staff with water set up right after the finish line.
Selfies from the starting line and the finish gate!
Gutting it out to cross the finish line!
After the race was done, a stop at Dunkin' Donuts was a fitting reward. Forgive the stereotype ;-)
Moving on to other personal news...
I've recently started a new job at a company for which I previously worked. I'm looking forward to working with a new product line and new colleagues, as well as catching up with my former colleagues who are now in different parts of the company. There were several tangible benefits which made taking on this new position a no-brainer: a bump up in pay, a new opportunity for career growth, even a private cube in the office (which corporate culture seems to be trending away from, but this introvert will take it while it lasts!). However, there is one benefit that cannot be overstated: I cut my commute time down from an hour of stop and go driving each way to twenty minutes of mostly highway each way.
Aside from the extra time gained, more than five hours a week, which in itself is also a pay raise, it's the quality of the driving which is notable. I just mentioned that my previous commute was stop and go driving -- imagine the repetitive stress on your right foot as it switches from gas to brake over and over again for an extended time. Well, apparently there is an unofficial term for the condition that can arise: gas pedal knee. I definitely felt some leg pain on that commute in the first months of that job. Eventually, I think my body adjusted to the strains of pedal pressure without any long term issue, since I was able to train up to a marathon again last year. Here's hoping that the improved commute quality will help to bring about even better results this year!
Till next time, friends... stay blue!
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