I use the word cry because of the type of race this is! (Essentually two races in one – if you choose). I ran this race last year for the first time and loved the concept. At 8:30 am (a bit early for me) the 5k starts. It is a fairly easy out and back “jont” along the Burlington lakeshore path finishing where you start (at Emma’s Restaurant).
Now for the tougher part of the day! If you have signed up for the “Double Crown,” the clock is now ticking once you have finished the 5k for you to get over to the start line and get ready to run an 8k. This race begins at 9:30 am (exactly one hour after the start of the 5k). So depending how fast you ran the 5k determines your recovery before the start of the 8k. I had enough time to change my shirt, transfer over my bib number, have a few swigs of water, pound back my free gel bar (the one you always get in your bag of goodies when you enter a race) and walk/jog the 1/2 mile to my second starting line (a different location) of the day.
Judging by how I felt after the 5k, I knew the 8k was going to be a lot tougher beast to slay then last year. As the minutes counted down to 9:30, I really had no idea how I was going to perform. I was sitting in second place overall, knowing that I had to beat the gentleman who was currently sitting atop of the podium by at least 20 sec. (The race adds both of your times together in order for overall results) and that was my current deficit behind the leader.
It was “gut check” time as soon as the gun sounded. The current leader (Andrew Gutzmore) jumped out with the leaders of the 8k! I knew that if I wanted any chance at all in pressing him for the victory, I was going to have to attack right away. (Didn’t even come close to happening – my current fitness is still a bit off) I settled into my own pace which was probably the smartest thing to do since I’m not really in any kind of racing form at the moment.
The 8k is also an out and back loop, just taking you farther down the lakeshore trail and finishing infront of Emma’s for the second time of the day. As the race was winding down to about 1 mile to go, I had a look over my shoulder and saw a fellow “Running Free” athlete quickly closing the gap between us! It was none other than Anthony Davey! who I had the pleasure of meeting as we “toed” the line at the start of the 8k. I sucked it up and was able to hold off Anthony’s charge by about 20 seconds!
The overall leader was able to gap me by an additional 30 seconds for the second race, giving him the overall victory by 52 second! I was second and fellow Running Free Teamate was third mearly 36 seconds behind me!
This is a really neat race to try. It is a good flat course with little to no traffic. It is a very solid test of your fitness as you head into the fall (racing) season. (I know I have alot of work to do!)
Thanks to VRPro and all of thier volunteers for another well organized race!
