| March 2003 Newsletter |
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Hartshorne XVI
If I remember correctly (I'm aging, after all) today was my 16th Hartshorne. Since I must travel on Monday for my job, I am posting my report while copying the videotape of the race, expertly filmed this year by Bruce Roebel and narrated by Adam Engst. Both did a wonderful job, although Adam was not your typical neutral announcer: he would interrupt his narration by yelling "Go John!" "Kick Tim!" He was so enthusiastic, I think he got a better workout than most of us who ran. My race was somewhat unusual because I ran the slower of the two heats I usually qualify for. As a result I had an intimidating "1" on my hip which I thought might as well have been a bulls eye. After Kevin Thompson bolted to the lead, I followed a little too slowly and fell off the 39-40-second pace I wanted to run. I passed Kevin after the 41 first 200 and went through the 400 in 80. Kevin passed again and again I settled on following, getting to the half in about 2:43. I knew that was too slow and tried to pick it up. I managed to essentially hold pace and draw away from the field, but finished in 5:28, a lot slower than my Hartshorne last year (5:20). However, we have been following the Jack Daniels schedule and while the scheme didn't result in a faster time I am uninjured for the first time in many years and perhaps I will slowly improve as the indoor season progresses. I know I run better with competitors around me and Suzanne Myette ran 5:23 off the same Jack Daniels training, so I think my lack of racing discipline cost me the extra seconds. I'm sure others will describe the other very exciting heats, but most impressive to me this year with the superb quality of the women's field. From a world record masters time to the quality 60-year-old times, this was perhaps the biggest and certainly the best women's field ever. Thanks for that can go to Diane Sherrer's and Lorrie Marnell's determination as well as Ken Zeserson's and Bob Babcock's financial support. Oh, and Dennis Featherstone's 5:25 at age 62 was quite impressive. Overall, Hartshorne was again one of the few best - if not THE best - master's mile competition in the country. Rick Hoebeke, co-race director Tom Hartshorne and the large number of High Noon and Finger Lakes Runners Club members who help behind the scenes continue to amaze by making this race better and better every year.
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