Fo' Fo' Fo': 4 kilometers and the Squid (7/6/13)

Start of the race - I eventually pass the 14 year old girl

Race: Fourth Annual 4k on the Fourth*
Location: Concord, NH
Goal Time: 15:45
Actual Time: 16:23

This is the race Moses Malone would have absolutely loved.  30 years ago he claimed that his Sixers with Dr. J would sweep all three rounds: winning in fo' fo' fo'.  (They didn't sweep all three rounds.  They did sweep the first round and the finals against Magic/Kareem Lakers but somehow managed to drop a game in the conference finals to the Bucks with the Squid at point guard and 34-year old Bob Lanier playing Moses).

The Fo'th Annual Fo'K on the Fo'th is a small race in Concord, NH.  It was however the Road Runners Club of America's New Hampshire Cross Country Championships.  So, despite the size there were some big guns out there including Craig from Whirlaway.  But as the race started another runner appeared.  I recognized him as the guy who had lapped Joe and Chris Klucznik in the 5000 at the New England Championships.  At the starting line, I turned to a guy next to me and said: "don't follow that guy."  "I didn't plan on it."

The race started at a blistering pace.  Eric Couture - the aforementioned New England Champion in the track 5000 - was pushing the race director (riding the lead bike) pretty hard.  And the rest of us fell in line - each of us running too fast.  At the one km mark, I noticed I was running a 5:35/ mile pace (10 seconds FASTER than the mile I ran at the 26 x 1).  I slowed down a bit and still hit one mile at 5:45 (the same speed as the 26x1.

That's when the heat and humidity really started to get to me.  The heat index chart I use (I have no way to know if it's correct - maybe Tommy B can assist) puts the apparent temperature at 100F (89F with 70F Dew point).  The second mile which ran off-road through fields, some woods and a bit of mud slowed slowed by nearly 2 minutes(!).  The lead pack of Couture, Craig and the high school kid were pretty much gone from view.  I had one target ahead that I thought I could catch.

At the 3km mark I tried to pick it up to a full race pace but didn't have it.  The last half mile was in 6:30 pace while two guys passed me late.

Still won my age group - and it's a 4k PR...  

To be fair, in that Game 4 the Squid did go stuff that stat sheet with 17 pts/ 9 rebounds/ 3 assists and Lanier did actually hold hold Malone to 17 pts/ 12 rebounds when he averaged 26/16 through the playoffs...

* Yes, it was actually held on the 6th.

Cheers with second place in my age group