New Years Day Frosty Four mile road race

Heading out into single digit weather is never easy. But when the entry fee is paid for and you know you are showing up with several hundred friends, it is easy. The Frosty Four Mile, hosted by the Tavern in the Square and directed by the Wicked Running Club in the Witch City of Salem. The area was several days into a sub-20 degree cold spell.  I was bundled up pretty good head to toe for the race. Two to three layers depending on the area of the body. I saw plenty of people with just their eye balls exposed on the starting line.

Leaving the Salem Willows on the hunt
Photo by Roger Perham

Ice beard anyone?
Photo by Roger Perham

Dave Dunham and Dan Verrington were the top seeds for each of their Senior age groups heading into the race. My opening six minute mile had me in a deficit trailing Dave by what I judged as 12 seconds and Dan by 4.  I was able to take in the beauty of the 4 degree weather in and out of the area behind the Salem Willows. The water to the right sparkled and shined with ice below the surface. A Christmas tree that lights up at night was in the middle of the secluded cove. 

Mile two clocked in 20 seconds slower but I managed to stay in my place in the race by losing one spot and getting it back passing a runner leaving the willows neighborhood.  A nasty head wind waited while stepping on Resttaurant Row to Dead Horse Beach (faces the Beverly Harbor).

The wind was more or less a cross wind from there back to the finish line. I crossed the finish line in good spirits, seeing my dad on the right hand side, freezing his ass off. He would want it no other way. He admitted not feeling his hands. He bolted home and I regrouped with Dave (placed 6^th, 23:48) and Dan (placed 8^th, 24:27) with a pace I could maintain on a cool down.  

I came back to the Tavern and found myself in the results: 10^th place overall, 1^st in the 40-45 age group, with a time of 25:05.5, 6:17 pace per mile. Jay Frontierro, the gent I passed around mile two, was 11 seconds back, also the same age. Full Results

Dan, Dave and I cooling down after the race
Photo by Roger Perham