MidWinter Classic 2018 Race Recap

It is THE winter road race in Maine.  I've looked forward to this race every year since I started running it.   The MidWinter Classic is a 10 mile race in Cape Elizabeth held on Super Bowl Sunday and it just seems normal to get up and run 10 or more miles, swing by Trader Joes and buy all of the food for the game, then come home and eat/drink and watch some football.   It's just what we do!  

photo credit: Maine Running Photos 

This year was absolutely no exception.    I didn't know what to think of what my race would be like going into this year's MidWinter Classic.   My mileage was WAY down.  I was down and out from a back strain which sidelined me for over a week.   To add to it, I've be sick several times since the start of 2018.  Ugh.   It wasn't looking good for this years race.    But I was registered and I was going to run, so I just ran.  

 

photo credit: Allyn Genest

If you live and run in Maine, you KNOW you are a lucky lady if you get a selfie with Allyn Genest at a race.   He's only Maine's sweetest guy ever.   (well, next to my husband, of course)  And then he took a pic of the early crew - Laura, Gretchen, Ward & myself.   This is OUR SPOT pre-race every year.   

photo credit: Allyn Genest

Usually, Ward will give me a good luck kiss before a race starts.  This year, I couldn't find him before the start.  He was off somewhere running with his brother.   This definitely threw me off.  You have to keep your routines in check!  

last year with Emilie, a fellow Altra Ambassador

Anyway.  It was windy as heck on Sunday morning.  I made the mistake and overdressed.  I actually showed up to the race in one pair of Spandits, my thermals to be exact.  But the wind had me nervous and I second guessed myself and changed into my Spandits Icelandics.  I also decided to wear a super warm knit hat.  Yeah.  I could have tossed it the hat.  But poor planning on my part.... I didn't want to have to mess with my hair mid-race.  So I just left it and suffered.   You would think I was newbie to running.   Gah! 

wayyyy back in the beginning - when we brought the kids
and made them stand outside and cheer us on

We lined up for the race start.  The race directors went through their details about staying to the left and be careful.  I heard the warning for the cannon about to go off.... but I don't actually remember the cannon actually firing?   Perhaps I was messing around with my watch at the time and just didn't realize it happened?  Oh well.  

can't forget the year I ran with a fever and then landed myself
on the couch for a week with pneumonia

The crow started off and I so did I.  From the start I wasn't feeling it.   I thought if I just kept my pace in the 8:30s and I would be okay.  Nothing near a great performance but still an okay run.  I've been doing this race for a number of years.  Honestly, at this moment, without looking it up, I don't know how many.  7?  8?   It doesn't matter.  I love it anyway.   

and the year it was 40 and gorgeous ---
well, gorgeous for February in Maine 

Mile 5 came and there was David Colby on the ladder taking photos for Maine Running Photos as usual.  I love those constants at a Maine race!  

Then came the final hills.   Before the race, my friend Andy reminded me that he was going to pass me at mile 7 like he does every year.  I get to mile 7 and no Andy.  Then I was mad at him because I thought he was ahead of me the entire time.   For the last 3 miles I kept thinking, okay, he's going to pass me now.  No, now he's going to pass me.  Okay, where is he?    But no.  He never passed me.  He had a bad day too and finished about 8 minutes behind me.  Thank you, Andy for making me feel way better about my race.  That's what friends are for.  

I finished the race about 8 minutes slower than my PR.  But oh well!   Somedays running is easy and other days it's tough.  Today was a tough one.  There's always next year!   Or the next 10 miler.  Either one.  Thank you to the Maine Track Club for putting on another amazing MidWinter Classic.  You give me something to look forward to in the winter (this and there's the snowshoe races).  Other than that, I really cannot stand winter.    I'm so done with this snow and ice and freezing rain.  

What races have you done lately?