8th Annual Shawn M. Nassaney Race/Walk

Today was the 8th Annual Shawn M. Nassaney Race/Walk at Bryant University in Smithfield RI. This is a very difficult (at least I think) cross-country 5k race. To make things more difficult/interesting/fun - it poured all morning (after raining a bunch last night too).

After registering (and waiting for the rain to lighten up). Andrew, Anthony and I took a warm up run on the course just to check the conditions. Lets just say the course was wet...and where it wasn't wet - it was mud - mostly wet and mud. We warmed up for what I guess was about a mile and change. Then we went to the track to stretch. We met up with Justin, Tim and Carson. We tried to do some pickups on the track - but Bryant had a football game today and both teams were using the track area for warm ups - so it was VERY busy around the track. Finally the rain stopped - and the muggies came out.

After that we headed over to the starting line. I'm not sure if there was no starting gun/horn or somehow I just missed it - but at some point everyone just yelled GO and off we went. Ground was extremely wet and soft. I was able to keep with Justin in the beginning which was good - cause he is a great pacer. We hit the first mile at 7:30 - 30 seconds faster than last year - and still TOO FAST. Anyway - then into the hills.

The beginning was MUD MUD and more MUD. Since I walked alot of the hills last year - I forgot how many there are. Hill after hill after hill. I came out of the hills and felt spent. I couldnt believe I had only run 2+ miles at this point and felt like I had run 20 (or what I assume 20 feels like). After the big grassy hill all I wanted to do was walk. But that was goal #1 - NO WALKING. I (purposely) slowed my pace down a bit (and had to take my shirt off - it was getting muggy/warm). I realized then that Anthony was right behind me. We ran the last 2/3 a mile or so together and finished together. After I got through the chip removing junk - I went straight to lying in the cold wet grass to help cool off. Final time 26:14. (last year 31:24)