Some background on why I run this unlucky race (and why I’ll continue to run it): 21 years ago, my father and two of his brothers made a bet – the three of them would run the Jonas Cattell Run and the one who came across the finish line last would buy the other two a steak dinner. Nineteen years after than run, at a cousin’s wedding, memories of this race and this bet were discussed, dissected, shouted about, laughed about, and likely shouted about again. It was decided that the following year, 2008, on the twentieth anniversary of my Dad and Uncle’s run the next generation would take up the cause and some how I got involved in a bet as whether I could beat my oldest cousin – a Navy Reservist with a smoking habit. I was not the one who instigated this bet and I even fought against it initially but I admit that I got caught up and did some trash talking as the year went on. Leading up to the 2008 race, there was quite a bit of speculation as to how this would turn out. Unfortunately, I had to drop out of the race and my cousin went on to finish declaring himself the fastest in the family. (This is not quite true as every one of the original three racers beat his time twenty years prior but facts such as this do not stand in the way of people in my family making such proclamations).
And so, I faced all of this family history on race day 2009 with a lot to live up to (one cousin told me that she was expecting me to medal…gah! I just want to finish the darn thing this year) seeking revenge on a course that did me in the previous year. I hate having that DNF (Did Not Finish) on my running record and over the past year, whenever I thought about the race while I was out on a run I would unconsciously start running faster and faster, getting to a near full out sprint by the time I realized what I was doing and got my pace back in check.
On top of this history, and maybe because of it, I did not sleep well the previous evening. On my way to the race, I realized I had forgotten to bring a water bottle and a sandwich. The race wasn’t until 1 in the afternoon and I left the house at 8:30 with only a bowl of cereal in my stomach! Then, I got stuck in traffic and barely made it to Red Bank Battlefield, the finish line of the race, in time to jump on the bus to the start (however, the bus ended up being 40 minutes late so it was a hurry up, wait, hurry up situation which is never a good way to start a race).
All of this was on my mind at the start line - the family and personal history with this race, the lack of sleep and food, and the pressure to live up to the hype. The starting horn went off and like it or not, this race was finally going to happen and I had nothing left to do but run.
Based on my last race, a 51 minute 10K, I was aiming to run this race in 85 minutes, maintaining an 8:30 pace per mile. On a good day I am confident I could do this but this wasn’t anywhere in the realm of a good day. The best way to review this race is to go mile by mile:
Mile 1 – 8:12
The starting gun goes off, I wished my cousin good luck (not the cousin who I was supposed to race last year, another cousin who also ran last year), started my watch and started running. I thought a lot about my 85 minute time goal and whether I was at the correct pace. I was actually worried my pace was too slow because the course was still crowded though it would quickly thin out. The race brings less then 100 people out each year and it doesn’t take long to spread out. I hit the first mile marker, checked my watch and was surprised at the split – 8:12. I guess I better slow it down just a smidge.
Mile 2 – 8:26
Good steady pace. My legs aren’t exactly gliding along and I feel like I am working much too hard this early in the race but I was willing to chalk it up to the lack of warm up before the start and hoped I would find my stride soon. If I have to work this hard the entire time, this race is going to suck. 8:26 – now that’s more like. Eight more miles exactly the same way
Mile 3 – 9:58
Still working hard; still haven’t found my stride and then people start passing me. What the !?&*! This isn’t supposed to be happening in Mile 3. About 10 people pass me during the mile but I keep telling myself to just run my own race, at my own pace. If these people are willing to go out too fast, don’t let them take me along for the ride. Steady pace, I tell myself. This mile had a gradual incline and I blamed this for letting myself get passed by so many people. Also, the temperatures were up in the low 60s and the course had little shade. I am used to much cooler temps since I run in the morning. I hit the lap button at the mile marker and was caught completely off guard when it read 9:something. I thought I was going steady and it turns out these people had every reason to pass me; I was slowing down!!
Mile 4 – 7:19
I hit the water stop just after Mile 3, grabbed water (note to race organizers: Styrofoam cups are the worst, please don’t use them) and gulped down a half a cup. I was hoping to save the packets of Sports Beans I had with me for the halfway point but I was so hungry and needed the fuel so I munched on them. Refueled, I started focusing on my pace. I tried to keep up with the people who passed me, keep them in sight. I would not let this course defeat me again. I hit the fourth mile marker and could not believe I ran a 7 minute mile. Oh crap! I have to slow down. The people who passed me be damned, I can’t keep this up.
Mile 5 – 8:09
Passing Mile 4 and the spot where I dropped out last time was a huge boost. I gained a little bit more confidence and let the people ahead of me go. If I caught them later, great. If not, good for them. Mile 5 brought another water stop and the halfway point. My watch read 8:09 – better than the 7 minute mile before but still too fast. I gotta let this pace go!
Mile 6 – 9:36
I am really feeling it by this point. I tell myself to stay calm and get to Mile 7. Once I was to Mile 7, I could assess my pace and get a good idea of how this would end. Mile 6 went by quickly. I was bummed about my pace but knew that it had to be slow in order to make up for the previous two if I was going to finish this thing in any sort of respectable manner. Surprisingly, on Mile 6, I also started to catch up with a few of the people who passed me. Slow and steady I repeated to myself over and over.
Mile 7 – 8:53
On passing the Mile 6 marker, I realized I had under 9 minutes to the one hour mark and I made it my goal to push a little bit and get to Mile 7 in under an hour. Seven miles an hour! That practically makes me Speedy Gonzalas, right? I ran by the Mile 7 marker and my watch read 1:00:xx – not quite “under an hour” but certainly an hour! I’ll take it. This provided a huge boost and I passed a few more people shortly after the marker.
Mile 8 – 9:30
I’ve made the final turn of the race. I just have to keep running straight and I would get to the finish line. At this point, I knew I wouldn’t make it in 85 minutes but I was confident I could do better than 10 minute pace for the remaining three miles so sub 90 was within reach. 1:27:xx is my ten mile PR and I would have to fight to beat it. At this point, I really wasn’t sure if I had that fight in me. At Mile Marker 8, I saw 9:30 and I was content.
Mile 9 – 7:59
However, this feeling was short-lived because I got hungry (not “hunger” hungry – I was passed that stage – but rather hungry for a fight) and I was determined to put it all on the line. My legs were feeling the miles especially because they were run at such a crazy, uneven pace, I never found my stride out there but I knew if I pushed, if I wasn’t afraid, I could give my PR a run for the money. I had 17 minutes to bring it in under 1:27:00 and two miles to go. That’s 8:30 per mile – just the pace I had been looking for the entire race but couldn’t ever find. I set my sights on the people ahead of me and pushed to get passed them. Seeing that 7:59 at the mile marker felt good. Nine minutes and one mile to go.
Mile 10 – the Finish line
I pushed but legs were so tired. Honestly, I just wanted to quit. If I could have willed that course to be shorter, to end at 9.2 miles, I would have. There was a woman ahead of me with a blue shirt on. I didn’t think I had a chance to pass her but I stayed focus on simply keeping up with her. Then, with about a quarter mile to go, with the finish line just barely in sight I started to gain on her. Maybe, just maybe I could catch her if I pushed. So, I pushed. I ran. I just ran with the little bit I had left and it honestly felt good. Actually, if felt great…it was the best I had felt on the course all day. Just before entering the cones leading to the finish line, I passed her. I kicked it in. The clock read 1:26:xx and I crossed the line. Damn! That felt good!
After the race
Much of my extended family was in attendance and running by them in the finish line with them cheering me on was fun. My uncle walked me over to the runner’s tent to grab water and food and then I went back to wait for my cousin to cross and to cheer on the rest of the runners. Almost immediately, the trash talking started with my uncle acting as the ring leader! I am told the cousin I was supposed to race last year had already been informed of my time (10 minutes faster than his time last year) and supposedly he is ready for a rematch. I wish we could just run it for fun…but I know that isn’t going to happen. It will end up being a duel. It always is with my family. We’ll see. That’s next year. Let’s stay focused on this year.
Last year, the cousin who ran it again this year placed third in her age group so we were eager for the awards ceremony this year to see how she did. She ran this year’s race one minute faster and came in second in her age group. Yay! Next up, my age group and my uncle was convinced I had place. I was not so optimistic. However, they did call my name as the 3rd place finisher for the 25-29 age group, female. Holy crap! I never thought I would win hardware (hardware = medal).
I have to say, everything was stacked against me having a good race on that day but I pulled it off. I’m still a little shocked but receiving that medal felt good.
Pros:
-Family tradition
-Small race size
-Neat to finish at the battlefield
Cons:
-Awful course – boring highways the whole time-Course isn’t closed to traffic, cars are whizzing by the whole time (there are wonderful volunteers – police, fire and EMTs – at the intersections to hold off traffic as the runners go through)
- Not chip timed – my watch says 1:26:10, the official time posted was 1:26:44 – where did those 30 seconds go?
Yes, I will run it again – only because it is a family tradition. I actually wouldn’t recommend this race to anyone. (And next year, I believe it will conflict with the Army Ten Miler…bummer).
This is a picture of the race shirt and my 3rd place medal (sorry for the blurry image, I snapped it with my iPhone). The image on the medal is the same as the image on the shirt.Here's a picture of the back of the medal:
It reads:
Gloucester County, Parks and Recreation, 3rd place, 25-29 years
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