This was a beautiful day.
Mid-50's with a light breeze off the ocean. Sunny...well maybe a bit too sunny to be ideal for long-distance running. I could kind of feel the sun sapping some of my energy. I wish you could put on a solar panel outfit to catch the rays and transfer the energy to your muscles, instead of it being drained. But I wore a brimmed hat and donned the first sunblock of the year and made the most of it.
The day was perfect for spectators too and they lined various parts of this easy to view event.
Over 2800 runners registered, this gave a good big race feel.
The course is predominantly flat, with 2 gradual hills, the second of which is at 11.5-12.5 miles, less than a mile to the finish.
Alicia and Ellis came down with me to cheer me on, seeing me off at the start, cutting across the center of the "looped" course to see me again at 5 miles (where they then enjoyed a mini-picnic in Buttonwood Park and visited the zoo there for a bit).
Running down to the point, I could smell the fresh salty sea brine air washing up to greet me. I found it renewing. Another runner at that point handed me Jelly Belly, energizing Sport Beans, Jelly Belly's with vitamins and electrolyzes. Who would have thought?
So the steady breeze for the next couple miles kept me cool, and that pesky sun at bay. Up the hill to the finish. I noticed another Dana-Farber runner just before the finish and gave him a thumbs up.
Most importantly, this was a tune-up race. I kept my pace a bit aggressive (similar to last weekend's run of a similar length), and held it consistently, and then kicked it in to a higher gear to finish strong. Goal achieved; just a few more milestones to cover until the big day.
Alicia and Ellis met me near the finish line and then we had lunch compliments of the race...get this...fried fish sandwiches and clam chowder. Really surprising at first, because I typically wouldn't think of reviving my self with fried anything and cream-based soup. But in this old New England town that inspired the tale of Moby Dick and still remains a major fishing port, it makes sense. And the saltiness, was pretty welcome as it turns out...delicious finish.
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