A longtime staple on the New Jersey running calendar is the East Brunswick 5- and 10-K Road Races, always held on the second Sunday in October. A unique feature of this race is the 1 p.m start, which gives people with work, youth sports, or religious activities on Sunday mornings a chance to still make the starting line.
I usually have Fitness Training clients on Sunday mornings, so this enables me to get in a race without sacrificing my own commitments. I ran the race about two decades ago, when I managed a New York Sports Club facility in East Brunswick, but hadn't been back since. In fact, I've only run a couple other 10-K's during that span, as that once-popular distance seems to fade from the scene.
I had a regular training week (no tapering), and driving down to the race, was still deciding on what distance to run. Getting there after a 45-minute ride, I decided to go for the 10-K, if for no other reason, then to justify the time commitment!
Also, longer races are actually less painful for me, as I'm able to run slightly below oxygen debt. My 5-K pace is around 6:40 per mile now, and I was shooting for around "7's" for the 10-K, which actually can be sustained without seeming like every stride may be your last!
I've logged many training miles there, and East Brunswick is primarily flat. While the town is known for it's clogged traffic arteries, this race was primarily held along Green Acres space at the Community Arts center campus and Middlesex County Fairgrounds. It was two loops (with the 5-k runners finishing after one), and had some diverse surfaces with bike trails and some grassy turns. The weather was picture perfect this year, about 65 with a slight wind.
The combined field for the two races looked to be about 300, including many runners from East Brunswick High School's prominent cross-country team, and from the sponsoring Raritan Valley Road Runners club. The toughest mile to pace is the first, and I got through it (with the wind at my back), in 6:45. "Five to go," I thought, and put myself in that "mile at at time," mind-set.
The first half of the race seemed pretty comfortable, and I hit the halfway mark in 21:45, just about perfect for my 44-minute goal. The miles seemed to stretch out, and the wind seemed to pick up in the second half. I hung with a few different runners during this time to keep from falling apart. Even though I was near the front of the pack, I was surprised how many people around me seemed around my age!
While I was laboring, my splits stayed pretty consistent, and I hit 5 miles in 35:43. The last mile is mostly along Dunham's Corner Road (all flat), before returning in for the last quarter-mile in the Arts Center parking lot.
I pulled next to one runner who was in front of me most of the way on Dunham's Corner, with about a half-mile to go. He had a little more in the tank, I guess, and edged back ahead. I planned to give it my all once we reached the parking lot. Another 50ish runner came out of nowhere to pass me there, and I didn't have enough spring in my legs to react and turn it into another gear. Crossing the line in 44:19, I was happy with my time, and exhausted enough to sprawl out on the grass for a minute or two when I finished.
Sure enough, I was 18th overall out of 120, but only fifth in the 50-59 age-group! My only consolation was I'm 57, and everyone in front was exactly 50. Perhaps those seven years of late middle age make a difference.
Oh well, no need to wait around for the awards at least! I swigged and spit a quart of water to recover, grabbed a couple of (delicious) soft pretzels for lunch on my drive home, and listened to the Eagles game on my way back to Somerset County. Yes, there are worse ways to spend an October Sunday!
Monday, October 12, 2015
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