NK5K! September 7, 2013

So here's how it went down:

Met Tommy at his place and we made the 40 minute drive over to the North Kingstown High School, where the race starts/finishes.  Tommy had never run this before but he'd done his homework, knew the basic layout of the course and that there were some fast dudes in previous years.  We talked about training, upcoming races and stuff on the ride up.  I'd done this race the last two years, and after we got our swag and headed out for a warmup, I suggested we run the back end of the course.  We ran the last mile reversed, and I pointed out the slight rise in the last mile, but the slight downhill for the finish, as well as the hard turn at the finish, which would be a factor at his pace.  I think it helped...results here:

http://www.runrhody.com/resultsTCDisplay2.php?res=38

Here's the deal with this race:  It's incredibly well organized, great spread, awesome tech shirt, and this year?  I'm not really a fan, but local Hope Valley resident and country star Billy Gilman came out and belted out possibly the best National Anthem I've ever heard.  Seriously fantastic.  Then, as we're all looking around saying "That was awesome!", it's go time!

Here's where I get to the boring details, and the coolness:  My mile/km splits?  Almost identical (see Strava link below), and I'm not kidding, they were within seconds...the only time that I actually lost time was at the beginning, when I got boxed in.  Tommy was right, line up at the front.  I was two rows back at the start and still needed to be further up???  OK.  Got it.  Lesson not learned, as I do the same thing almost every time, unless Way Hedding is there to drag me up front.  He's like a reverse heckler...so I passed people the whole race, and felt good the first mile, so-so the second, and good the third...some speedwork would have got me sub 21:00?  I ended at 21:36, but the course ran long, and my GPS had me at 21:11 for the 5K, which either way is a PR, and over 3 minutes off last year's result!  What"s next???

Post-race, I find out FiveK came in third at 16:57, one second behind Kevin O'Neil, who's a pretty cool dude...Our own WTAC board member John Hammett came in at 24:22 and sealed 1st in his age bracket!  I'd set up a WTAC team category, and although there were no team awards, the three of us took the team category!

Team WTAC at the NK5K!

Post event:  I'm standing with Tommy, and I see Eric Lonergan, winner of the race, collecting his prize and coming down toward us.  Eric's a fantastic runner, and I've said great job to him after several races.  Today, I say "Eric, great race today," and he stops to chat with Tommy and I.  Quick recap of our results, and then Eric says "Did you win anything?"  Well no, I just PR'd, so I have that...so Eric, being classy and cool like that, pulls out his winner's prize (A $100 gift card to Rhode Runner), and says he'd like me to have it.  I'm still floored.  Class act, for sure.  Our local scene is like that.

Tommy and I shared a complimentary beer at Gillian's Ale House in NK after the race, and enjoyed every minute of the atmosphere...great group, runners everywhere, and good band and awesome bartenders!  Perfect day!