There’s no easy way to say this. It was abominable. The Laborious Labor Day 10-miler is the Labor Day version of the same race a local club – the Highland City Striders – runs near Thanksgiving, the Tough Turkey Trot. It’s basically 8-miles of downhill, until it’s not for the last 2.
On this day, I ran the first 5-miles pretty well. Until I didn’t.
This is one of the situations where I feel like I could have, should have done better. It was a nice day, a familiar – albeit challenging – course. It was a bit of a wake up call for me. “You ran a marathon last weekend!” I heard that a few times, and I’m sure that was part of it, but honestly I know I hadn’t hydrated well. It was a train wreck that never should have happened.
Mile 8/9 always gives me a hassle. I know this. It’s called the “Hosmer Hill” for Hosmer Street in Marlborough. It goes up basically forever. There’s one plateau that gives the illusion that “hey, this isn’t as bad as I remember it…” until you get there and realize that this really is an info-mercial: “But wait! There’s more!” Just. Brutal.
Now, mind you, I’d just recently (like the week before) run a marathon at a 8:39 minute/mile pace. I ran this at an 8:34. So, clearly it was not my best.
All of which said, I needed a long run, and the entry fee is basically canned goods for donation to the local food bank, so my mere presence helped. It didn’t help me feel good, but I helped someone who may need some green beans. I’m really okay with that.
Results
Placed 20/43, 16th Male, 1:25:57
10-Miler History
| Old Fashioned 10 Miler, Foxborough, MA | 2/16/2020 | 1:18:20.79 |
| Mattapoisett 10-Miler, Mattapoisett MA | 11/10/2017 | 1:22:08 |
| Laborious Labor Day 10-Miler Marlborough MA | 9/2/2019 | 1:22:24 |
| Newport 10 Miler, Newport RI | 6/3/2018 | 1:25:32 |
| Black Cat 10M, Salem MA | 3/11/2017 | 1:25:41 |
| Laborious Labor Day 10-Miler Marlborough MA | 9/6/2021 | 1:25:57 |
| Old Fashioned 10 Miler, Foxborough, MA | 2/18/2018 | 1:26:17.85 |
| Newport 10 Miler, Newport RI | 6/4/2017 | 1:26:27 |
| Tough 10 Mile Turkey Trot Marlborough MA | 11/26/2017 | 1:28:56 |
| Tough 10 Mile Turkey Trot Marlborough MA | 11/27/2016 | 1:30:26 |
| Old Fashioned 10 Miler, Foxborough, MA | 2/19/2017 | 1:36:10.20 |
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