Race Report for the 5K for Farmland

This morning I ran the First Annual 5k for Farmland in Hadley, MA. I was supposed to run this race with my wife and kids, but my wife was laid up in bed with a 101F fever. It was cold, rainy and windy, so I left the kids at home and just ran the race solo. I worked a shift in the ER last night until 3am so I got about 4 hours of sleep before getting up for the race. Since it was the first time that this race had been run and the weather sucked I expected a small turn out.

Boy was I surprised. There were over 200 runners who braved the wind and rain and came out to support the Kestrel Trust. The Kestrel Trust is a conservation group dedicated to preserving the farmland, forest, rivers, and mountains of the central Pioneer Valley. If you live in the Valley, check them out. I think the work they are doing is extremely important. Part of the reason I love living in the Valley is all the wide open spaces.

Anyway, about the race… the course was a SUPER FLAT out and back course starting on the Hadley Town Common and running through the farmer’s fields on Cemetery Road before turning right towards the Connecticut River dikes. It was a mixture of asphalt and dirt roads. Did I mention that it was SUPER FLAT? The entire course was contained within 120-128 feet above sea level.

How did I do? Let’s just say that I’m a jackass. I’m in the middle of my taper phase right now and my marathon is one week from today. I told my wife yesterday that I was going to take it easy in this race; that I didn’t want to do anything that might detract from next weekend’s big race. So, how did that go? I placed 31st out of 206 and accidentally ran a 21:25 (6:55 min/mile) for a new PR. I really didn’t feel like I was pushing it today. The only thing I can think is that the fresh legs are really making a difference.

I hung out after the race for a bit to enjoy the live music performed by Illiterati (click here for a sample of their music.) and eat some free food from Wholefoods. I figure I spend enough money there that they kind of owe me. : )

I was happy to see so many runners out there today despite the weather. What a great bunch of people. Here are some pics (click to enlarge):

Kestrel Trust

Last 1/8 mile

Illiterati