Recap by Linda Desjardins
All week we had fears of Hurricane Joaquin putting the kibosh on this race. But, unexpectedly, the rainy, windy weather turned into just a windy day with sun and some clouds. Great running day. Seven Striders gathered at Linda Desjardins’ abode and we all trotted down to the starting line. Denise Young wanted to PR. Linda and Rosie wanted a training run prior to the Baystate Marathon with the thought of pushing the last 3 miles if they felt good (tail wind aiding and abetting that thought). Betsy O’Brine was determined to do her best, as was Deb Jackson and her friend Sarah Stanton, (who we tried to recruit to become a NSS member and may have succeeded), and Maureen Kelly (aka Mariellen Hayward for this event J) didn’t have any specific plans beyond running well. So here’s how it played out.
There was considerable north wind but as the course was not an out and back, we got some breaks with two loops at the outset and then ran north for 3.5 into the wind. When we turned west, we were already past the 6 mile mark and were much more sheltered on the inland portion. The race was superbly organized with lots of support and marshals all along the picturesque route. There was really only one long, slow hill to conquer and once we did we were rewarded with mostly downhills and then flat terrain for the rest of the race. And that tailwind for the last 3? MUCH appreciated. We really did well collectively. Rosie ran a PR, 1:59:57. Linda couldn’t begin to keep up with her and ran a satisfying 2:04:23. Denise did get her PR by a huge chunk: She sped in at 2:04:30. Setting a PR by over 20 minutes, Maureen then crossed at 2:12:46. You’ll find her results under Mariellen Hayward’s name. Oops! Then Betsy blasted in at 2:22:21. Deb and Sara finished well under 3 hours in 2:56:01 and 2:56:04 respectively. Great results for all. Then we headed to the food tent for those lobster rolls, chowder, and vegetable soup. The wind was howling and it took about 30 seconds for us to lose our body heat so we passed on the two free Smuttynose Drafts and shivered our way back to Linda’s and had an eating and stretching party. It is really wonderful to share North Shore Strider camaraderie. And we are all thankful to the club brought us together.
We know there was a Beverly 5K and we know that Mariellen Hayward had a great run and a PR with her 7:58 pace. Outstanding, Mariellen. So let’s hear from other Striders: how did your weekend racing go? Fill us in.
Thanks for the wonderful recap Linda and for hosting all the striders at your home pre and post race. It was great to have a warm cozy place to consider and reconsider our race attire, use bathroom facilities, hydrate and fuel ourselves with a pre-race snack, and share with each other our goals for the race. The encouragement and support of fellow striders helped me for sure to achieve a pr time for a half marathon. Thanks for a great day and for being there today!
Thanks, Denise. It was truly my pleasure. I loved the company.
Thank you Linda for letting us crash are your home before and after the race. It was really nice just to gather around back at your place and share some funny stories . Go Striders!
It was a lot of fun for me. I loved having all of you over.