78 Minutes: Hyannis Chronicles

Same race, two perspectives -

by Tom Dmukauskas and Jonathan Wyner.

Ed. Notes: On Feb 24, 2002, Tom and Jonathan raced Hyannis half-marathon. They entered the race with low expectations, but ended up running low 1:18.xx (finishing within 6 seconds of each other), a breakthrough PR by more than 2 minutes for each of them. Here’s their stories.

Hyannis Chronicles

by Jonathan Wyner

It’s funny how the best races are the ones we care least about beforehand. Such was last Sunday’s Hyannis 1/2 marathon for me. While in the midst of a serious bout of February/training-for-Boston doldrums I figured, what better way to beat myself up than to run a race! So after a week including the usual speedwork and a grueling 10 mile tempo I decide to run the Hyannis half. Well it turned out to be a splendid day. As with the rest of our ‘winter that isn’t', the weather was near perfect, and except for a bit of wind, the light traffic on the way and easy parking near the number pick up made the pre race easy.

The Hyannis race offers three distances, 10k, 1/2 marathon and marathon. The marathon course is a two-loop course. I found it a bit disconcerting to not know who was running what along the way. You never know when a 10k runner that has been working with you will suddenly vanish!

The course is fairly neutral. There are some light rolls and one prolonged mildly graded uphill at mile nine. The course is a figure 8 so the wind factor was neutralized…what helped us in one direction hurt in the other.

During the days preceding the race I gave myself a pep talk in order to put the race in perspective. My purpose in running this race was to shake off the winter cobwebs, avoid doing another long run alone, and begin the process of tuning up for Boston. Running with supportive spectators AND people giving me water and gatorade didn’t hurt either! I arrived at the start with a bit of fatigue in my legs, but I kept telling myself this race was just practice….no pressure, don’t hammer. As we stood and waited the RD picked up his horn and suddenly…”go”. He was as casual as I about this race.

From the start my plan seemed to be working. The first mile split read 6:15. I felt as if I was going faster but, whatever…. Second mile split. 5:10! Um…..that cinched it. Lacking reliable splits made it that much easier to relax during the race. I ran for the first two miles with Tom D from the club. He seemed a bit more ambitious than I about going fast and hooked up with a few runners that were pulling ahead. I felt content to just do my work. I kept my mind off the distance and tried to concentrate on my form, focusing on each stride as I went along.

Mile splits 3-5 were right around 6:00 which seemed right. There were a few kids by the course cheering and the run was pleasant enough. At mile 6 we hit the coast and had some lovely scenery along Craigville beach. At mile 8 we hit the longest climb of the race. This is about the point in most races that I start to feel good, and the effort of the gradual uphill was strangely pleasurable….my quads were loosening up.

At mile nine we looped around to come back to the finish. I began to see Tom and his pack closer. The one truly tricky spot in the course is the point at about 10 miles where the half course doubles back on itself and you have to negotiate crossing a stream of marathon runners and two way traffic. The rest of the way was fairly smooth sailing.

I nearly bagged Tom at the end but kept my focus through the end. This race had a purpose, leading up to other races that were more meaningful to me. I thnk this was the first time I have managed to run a race and maintained my control, focus and purpose in running the race instead of getting caught up in the race-mania, and I must say that Hyannis was a lovely place to do it.

I hear New Bedford is another story altogether……

posted by admin in Stories on February 24, 2002

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