Wild Turkey 5 Mile - Salem

Brisk is the word to describe today's 5 mile race in Salem. A new start (from the statue) and finish (on Essex Street near PEM). The wind chill provided a real feel of the single digits. It was about 16 degrees and windy. I took the pants off as they would have fallen down at some point. So I looked like a masochist out there. Not too many were racing in shorts. Three thin layers up top with a Central Mass Strider ssnowshoe shirt on. I warmed up at the last possible minute to get in a mile around Salem Common with Rebecca O'Hanley, Kris Francis, and Nick Taormina. I shredded the wind breaker and pants before getting to the line. I caught up with David Corbet who PR'd with a 2:44 recently for 26.2 miles. So happy for him.

Good, clean, start, settled in behind Nick down Derby Street with a tail wind. He got away after the mile with a few guys after my 5:41 mile. In and out of Winter Island for mile 2, all I had was one guy close to chase. I caught him at mile three behind the Salem Willows. Nick had a half minute on me and I would lose more space over the last two miles. A nasty head wind was in force leaving the Willows from the Hatch Shell walk-way.

The cross wind off Dead Horse Beach was wicked as expected. Sand was flying across the road like a scene in Dune. I had to look left for 20 seconds to avoid getting sand in the eyes. I held that exact 7th place all the way to the finish line. Official time was 29:51 (29:26 last year), 1st 40-44 and 2nd place in the "wore shorts" division to Dan Chruniak who became a daddy yesterday (gave him the congrats on the starting line). I wasted no time to get moving with a cool down with Kris, Nick and Rebecca for a few laps around the Salem Common. Too cold to hang out, waited for Krissy and Liz and we bolted back home. Happy Thanksgiving!

2018 Wild Turkey 5 mile race results