Foxboro Against Diabetes 5K

NAME: The Foxboro Against Diabetes 5K Run/Walk

DATE: May 31, 2008

LOCATION: The Foxboro Company, 38 Neponset Ave, Foxboro, MA

WEBSITE

CONDITIONS: Partly sunny, mild, light wind

RACE:
Course Difficulty: A great course for everyone. A loop that is flat and fast.
Course Appearance: A nice course laid out along the back roads of Foxboro.
Race Organization: This was the biggest race I have been to so far, and it was as well run as the Baldi River Run last weekend, meaning that everything was efficient and well done.
Course Safety: Plenty of police presence, I think that three different department were represented. All of the roads that we ran on were closed to through traffic (residents of the streets were allowed to access them).
Support: There were two big pockets of supporters, one at the start/finish and another about halfway through the course. There were also some sprinklings of support throughout the rest of the course.
Recommend: Yes, definitely. An excellent event for a great cause!

RESULT: 44/756 (Official Results from Cool Running)

BACKGROUND: The 8th annual running of the Foxboro Against Diabetes 5K was a huge hit! Located at the Foxboro Company cafeteria, this race aims to raise awareness and raise money to help find a cure for diabetes. The race usually gets a pretty big turnout, and this year was no exception. Every year, the race is run in memory of Shannon E. Hurley, who lost her life to diabetes some 13 years ago. All proceeds go to the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation in her name.

MY EXPERIENCE: I was a little nervous about this race, not because of the distance or anything, but simply because I have never participated in a race of this size before. Over 900 runners and walkers registered (756 of whom were runners) and my next closest race in terms of numbers was the Baldi River Run last weekend with 262 runners.

Things didn’t start out so hot when I got there. I had to burn all my cash on gas so I didn’t have enough to get a T-Shirt (they gave away 300 to the first pre-registered) and I was also there late (by my standards) so I didn’t have enough time to really warm up. This unfortunately was one of those races where I didn’t really get to hang around and enjoy the atmosphere of the race. It was really get there, quick warm up, run, go home. They did have an after party at a nearby restaurant (the name escapes me at the moment) but I didn’t have time to join in with the festivities.

While I wasn’t necessarily able to soak everything in, I did notice some very nice touches about the overall setup. First off they had excellent music, which always makes everything better. They were also able to get a Foxboro Fire Department ladder truck to hang a huge American flag over the starting area. It was really cool for the horn to go off and then run under the flag maybe 500 ft. down the starting stretch. They also had balloons stretching in an arc over the finish line.

The start of the race was a little tough for me. Because I had gotten there a little late (I had to pick my car up at the shop) I had to do a very much abbreviated warm up routine. When the horn sounded and I started running, I immediately felt my calves and my hamstrings tighten. I slowed up a tad to try and let them catch up, and eventually my hamstrings did, but my calves were a nuisance the entire race. I did my best to try and ignore them, and it worked pretty well, until the last half mile (roughly guessing here) stretch. This is where I would usually try and use an extra burst of energy to try and finish off the race at a faster pace, but my calves immediately tightened as soon as I tried it.

The first mile was excellent for me, as I passed the split in about 6:15. Since it was a shorter race than I have been running recently, I felt like I could really try and push it without having to worry so much about maintaining a solid pace throughout the race. The course was pretty flat, so I was able to maintain a relatively quick pace (for me, anyways) and passed the second split in about 6:30 (I think). It was at about this point that we came across a fairly significant patch of spectators that were very supportive, and it gave me a slight boost in energy and it made me forget about those danged calves, even if it was just for a little bit.

My last 1.1 miles was solid. I cannot remember what my watch said for my split, and I am a little too tired to do the math right now (did not sleep well last night at all). All I know is that I crossed the finish line in 21:11, good for a 6:50 pace. This was a great race for me to run because it allowed me to see how far I had really come since my first week of running. When compared side by side with the Officer Stewart Savage 5K race that I was in four weeks ago, I have shaved about 19 seconds off of my mile time (I had a 7:09 pace that race)! It was a great feeling to see such improvement!

I hung around for the awards ceremony. While it was my first week not receiving any kind of award, I didn’t really care. I had run a good race and I was benefiting a great cause while I was at it. At the end of the day. I have to give this race two big thumbs up. It was well organized, had a nice course, and the people were friendly there as well. I definitely recommend this race to anybody. No matter what your age or ability you can enjoy this race! I will be back next year (I hope)!

Officer Stewart Savage 5K – May 4, 2008

NAME: The 8th Annual Officer Stewart Savage 5K Road Race and Family Fun Run

DATE: May 4, 2008

LOCATION: Start at Babson College in Needham, MA.

WEBSITE: http://www.wellesleypolice.com/Savage%20Race/Stewart%20Savage%20Race.htm

CONDITIONS: Overcast with a light drizzle.

RACE:
     Course Difficulty: Easy – Mostly flat and downhill, gradual climb for the last portion of the race
      Course Appearance: Pretty, Suburban – Winds through the pretty back roads of Needham/Wellesley, MA.
      Race Organization: Good – Started on time, people called out mile-time at several splits, one water spot
      Course Safety: Good – Street remained open, plenty of cops at intersections
      Support: Bad – Probably due to rain, very few people along course other than the finish line
      Recommend: Yes – A nice race for the beginning runner looking to get his/her feet wet

RESULT: 39/242 – First in age division (Complete Results from Cool Running)

BACKGROUND: On March 18, 1995, Officer Stewart Savage of the Wellesley Police Department suffered fatal injuries in the line of duty. In 2001, the Wellesley Police Department began this race in his memory. Many police departments from around the area participate in this event, and it makes it a special one to be a part of. Office Savage enjoyed staying fit, so the proceeds from this event go to youth organizations in the town of Wellesley and towards maintaining the Wellesley Police Department fitness center.

MY EXPERIENCE: Given the fact that I had only had three training runs going into this race, I obviously had modest expectations for myself. Wrong. I always place high expectations on myself, and, while I wasn’t anticipating winning in this race of some 250 participants, I wanted to do well, possibly placing in my division.

I had a little trouble getting there (my GPS took me to the wrong entrance at Babson), but once I got there, everything went pretty smoothly. I registered, paid my $20 and began warming up around the indoor track in Babson College’s athletic center. After about twenty minutes, I headed outside to do some final warmups before the race started. It was chilly and there was some drizzle and fog with little to no wind.

After some pre-race activities (including the singing of the National Anthem) I headed towards the middle of the pack to start the race. The siren went off and the racers poured out onto the street following a police motor cycle to clear the way.

Before I continue, I must say that the police presence around the course was very good, and not once did I have to concern myself with watching out for cars, and I could just focus on running, which was very helpful given that this was my first race.

The course started out slightly downhill to flat. The all road course took us through the pretty suburban neighborhoods of Wellesley and Needham. When I approached the first mile marker, there was a man with a sign calling out times to runners as they past. My first mile was at a pace of 6:54, which surprised me a little, considering most of my miles had been in the 7:10-7:15 range during the week.

While the pace didn’t last, I was able to maintain a solid speed throughout the course. The final mile seemed to be mostly up hill as we ran through the Babson campus up to the athletic center where we started. I crossed the finish line in 22:12 (a 7:09 pace) – a success for my first ever race.

The post race activities were fun as well. They were unfortunately moved indoors due to the cold and rain, but that was ok. A nice (but limited) spread was laid out for the runners, featuring burgers, hot dogs, chips, oranges, bananas, and various drinks. The awards ceremony was quick. I ended up winning my age division (18 and below – male) which was really an awesome thing. To be honest, I was expecting it since I saw very few runners that appeared to be in my age bracket throughout the race.

Overall, a great experience. Honestly, if I had had a poor time during this race (talking about experience rather than results), I am not sure if I would have had continued. Thankfully, I had an awesome time. Thanks to everyone at the Wellesley Police Department that helped put on a great race!