Yesterday was quite the last blast (hopefully) of winter. A couple more days of it and then temps in the 60s. I’m optimistic that I’ll also shed this darned cold that has been hanging around all the way down in the alveoli.
And what a difference a day makes. I ran 13 on Saturday, it really was 53, in anticipation of yesterday’s cold and blowing and snow. Ben Cohoon dodged a major race management headache, must be all that good clean living. His Leprechaun Chase once again proved to be the 2nd best novelty run of the year, behind only his Market to Market Relay.
I popped in at the SAC Museum to pass out flyers for the Ni-Bthaska-Ke Trail Run. Got to see some Real Racing in the process. You know when Tom Nichols is in a race you are going to have your hands full. He headed Eric Rasmussen for the first part of the race. They blew by me at about the quarter mile mark, it was a coin toss as to whether or not some lassie was going to get run over. I was probably more scared by what I saw coming than those that were actually running though.
I share the sentiments of one of the top finishers, why in the hell are headphones allowed in a race with this format? You’ve got some serious guys, damned determined to Race each other, trying to weave through an oblivious mass of tune humming, i pod wearing, fifteen wide running lasses.
The second largest 10K in Nebraska, behind only the Omaha Corporate Cup, I’m hoping that some day, some way, Ben decides to get the course USATF certified. The competition is there, give them some love by providing an exactly measured distance.
Rasmussen would go on to win in 32:09 to Tom’s 33:03. So the lads got their One Free Beer.
But the race of the day in my opinion was 47 year old Stacy Shaw taking it out hard. She led for the first portion of the race, she’s no fan of the tuck and hide. And while Frankie Peterson took the women’s crown in 38:37 (69.85 % WAVA age graded performance) it was my dear, sweet Stacy that age graded better than any other runner in the race. Her 40:51 was good enough for 4th overall female and age graded to a whopping 71.84%. And certainly 2nd place female Theresa Gosnell deserves kudos as well. Her 39:20 at age 41 (71.36%) age graded just slightly below Stacy’s.
Put that in your little green pipe!
Quizzes! Name the runner pictured below. Hints, he was my 1995 Run for the Arts 10 Mile Masters Champ in 51:51. And oh yeah, he also finished 2nd to Bill Rodgers in one of the closest Boston Marathon races in history.
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