Good Clean Run: 30K

Monday, March 5, 2018

Stu's 30K recap

I picked up a transfer entry from Michael Duquette who was unable to run Stu’s 30K. 18.64 miles around Wachusett Reservoir hosted by the Central Mass Striders was a good idea to get a change of scenery. The 30K distance doubles up the last race (Great Stew Chase 15K) I ran this year.

The temperature was in the mid-40’s with overcast skies giving way to a light breeze. I wore a throw-back navy blue Polar CMS singlet on top of a long sleeve, fleece headband, gloves, shorts, and Adidas flats. After the opening 6:28 mile, I settled down with Dirk Walther, a consistent training partner for the SRR track intervals. We were soon joined by Kalliman Gomes from Methuen. We discussed the meaning of life during the in-race meet and greet over the next few miles. Dirk and Kalliman are training for Boston while having similar qualifying times.

They picked up the pace after 10K and I held what I was doing for effort. EJ Hrynowski and Lindsay Willard were ahead of me as beacons for several miles. I passed Lindsay (1F) around 10 miles. We exchanged kudos as I went by with suddenly someone hot on my heels. Looking at the results, it would be Jason Baer. We would keep each other company stride for stride, changing the lead into a light head wind when my left calf cramped at 16.5 miles. It released but I had to back off the pace. Game over on the hot finish. Jason would fly away and catch EJ.

In the end, I met expectations for the day: place among my peers with a window of 6:30 to 7:00 miles throughout. For hydration and nutrition during the race I took a Gel around an hour in and another at 90 minutes. I recall accepting a cup at water or Gatorade at least four times during the race. I bailed on the cooldown, grabbed a medal, changed into some warm clothes, and camped down to a few bowls of chicken noodle soup and Polar beverages.

Stu's 30K Photos via Kim Gordon and the Central Mass Striders