Fredericksburg. Karen H and I each got an age-group first place, and Stephen F got a second. Stephen and I formed the entirety of the M70+ age-group. The race directors are chiropractors Erica and Scott Heppe. My time was 1:27:54, average pace 9:26 per mile, overall 45th of 85 runners.
Races
Charlottesville 10-Miler
Found myself on the finish line video, among 1500 others. Sat March 23rd, my 12th Charlottesville 10-Miler & my 60th 10-mile race, but not my slowest. Chip time 1:40:38, 10:04 pace, 7th of 9 in M70-74, 97th of 166 men over 50 (but 34th in age ranking). The race started at 7:15am, with rain heavy at first, diminishing to drizzle by my finish about 9am. 44°F, 7°C, Wind NNE 4mph, Activity Feel 35°F, 2°C.
Dahlgren Trail ½-Marathon
Above, David Marks and me stumbling into the finish. Below, Allen Vaughan and Stephen Fisher were both slower than me this day. Together we comprised the entire men’s over 70 category.
This was my 23rd & slowest ½-mara, (my 12th time on this course). I was 33rd of 38 men over 50, and 96th of 108 men. I blame painfully tight calves during the final third of the race. Windy, mostly sunny, 36°F, 18°C, Humidity 82%, Wind NW 7mph, UV 1, AT 33°F, Activity Feel 28°F.
Won the cup
Karen H and I each won a mug for placing in our age groups at the Fredericksburg Blue and Gray Half-Marathon. My 9:53 pace was better than several recent attempts at this distance.
The Virginia 10-Miler
Lynchburg, Virginia, Sept 30th, with Karen H & Lisa A before the race, and me afterwards trying to keep up the Waffle House breakfast tradition. At a 10:12.4 pace, this was my 26th and slowest Virginia Ten-Miler, but it still got me 3rd place in my age-group.
Erin, half-marathoner
“Juuuuuust caught her” at Coastal Delaware Half-Marathon, 13.1 miles. Chip 1:52:28.6, pace a very consistent 8:35, 13th of 106 in her age-group, and 57th of the 617 women finishing the race. The course featured a knee-deep flood, not pictured.
My 25th Virginia 10-Miler
At the top, 2022 with Allen Vaughan (who was first in our age group). Flashbacks: in 1998, Edwin, Walt, Vic, BJ, Connie (and with those flowers in hand, did both Vic and BJ get an age group place that year?); in 2006, Elspeth and Edwin; in 2009, Tim and Edwin; 2010, Edwin, Sharon, Walt (night before, and after the race); 2011, at the finish. This year, 2022, I ran faster than the year before but placed 4th instead of 2nd in the age group. Should have trained more.
Tobacco Road Half-Marathon
Virginia Ten-Miler
My favorite race of the year:
47th Virginia Ten Miler (my 24th).
Of the 15 men in the 70-79 age group, Allen was first (he’s much faster than I am — 1:28:34 for an 8:52 pace) and I was second (way ahead of the 3rd place man.)
Weather was perfect: sunny, clear, no wind, 48°F, 9°C.
As always this race, I insisted on Waffle House breakfast.
Dahlgren Heritage Rail Trail ½ Marathon
The start of the DHRT Half-Marathon has a few hundred yards of rails, a restored ancient wooden caboose, a decrepit freight car, and “The Rocket”, a working railway pumper cart. Race volunteers use it as a moving platform for photographing the runners approaching the finish. See this moving illustration. Among the Fredericksburg Area Runners Club members who finished the race this day was Vic Culp, longtime director, in black hat at back.