Smuttynose 5K, June 22, 2008

Race photos from last Sunday's Smuttynose Brewing "Will Run for Beer" 5K were posted (today?) on the PHOTOGRAPHY web site. (I HAVE REMOVED THE NAME AND LINK TO THE PHOTOGRAPHY WEB SITE, SINCE THEY WERE DICKS ABOUT ME HAVING THEIR IMAGE HERE, EVEN THOUGH I LINKED TO THEM AND GAVE THEM COPYRIGHT ATTRIBUTION. THEY WANTED MONEY.)

I always like looking for myself in race photos, and was pleased to find seven shots. None of them were really all that great, though. Certainly not great enough to shell out any money to PHOTOGRAPHY WEBSITE (NAME REMOVED), but that's not meant to be a negative comment on their abilities. It is darn hard to get great race shots, particularly great shots of each runner in a field of over 700. The best of the seven of me, I think, was this one (PHOTOGRAPHY WEBSITE COPYRIGHT ATTRIBUTION REMOVED):

IMAGE REMOVED BECAUSE PHOTOGRAPHY WEBSITE WANTED MONEY FOR THEIR FAIRLY CRAPPY IMAGE.

This was taken about 100 feet from the end of the race. We're just about to turn the corner for the short, very steep, climb to the finish line. I might not look it, but at this point I can't wait for the race to be over. As described in the race results on Cool Running, this race was, uh, "challenging." It's not that the course was hilly or anything like that (well, except for the climb the last 75 feet), but it is more the 11am start time that caused the challenge. It was well over 80 degrees, a bit humid, and accompanied by an unrelenting sun. I started noticing it in mile 2, as there was no shade at all, and I could feel the heat bouncing up off the road. Oh how I wanted some shade.

Considering the heat, I was happy enough with my 22:25 finishing time, good for 70th overall, and 12th out of the 54 in my age division. This was the first race I've run since last fall's City of Manchester Half Marathon, which was just weeks before I went down with a stress fracture for the winter. And it was the first 5K I've done since the Durgin Memorial 5K in May, 2007, which put me out of action for several weeks with a pulled hamstring. At least I'm not injured now! (Hamstring is a little tight, but that's par for the course anymore. Getting old sucks.)