Freezeroo #4 Hearnish 10K(AKA it is really freak’n cold out here)

I don’t expect the Freezeroo races to take place under pleasant running conditions.  After all they take place during the winter in Western New York, and despite global climate change, we do still tend to get some rather nasty winter weather around here.  It seemed last winter the only time the weather dipped below freezing was on the weekends of the 4 final Freezeroo races.  A quick look back on www.wunderground.com showed the following conditions at race time for those races.

Don Curran Memorial 5k: 18 degrees windy and snowing

Hearnish 10kish: 29 degrees and freezing drizzle

Valentines Run: 22 degrees and windy

Churchville 10K: 30 degrees… blizzard

This years Hearnish 10Kish had them all beat with a race time starting temperature of 13 degrees and that is Fahrenheit for all our international readers (-11 Celsius).

Despite the bitter cold Kenny thought it was perfect weather for shorts and a singlet, a decision he was regretting by the time he jogged over to the starting line.

A Chilly Kenny
A Chilly Kenny

The 2 most important things to know about the Hearnish 10k are 1. it isn’t a 10k (it is really 6.44 miles) 2. is has some very steep and long hills.  Just how hilly you ask?  This hilly…

Very Hilly
Very Hilly

I’m not going to give you my usual riveting account of every twist and turn of the race.  In this case I feel there really is no need to go into such detail.  I think it is enough simply say, it was a painful experience.  During the last part of the last big hill I gave serious consideration to walking, it might have been faster than whatever shuffle I was attempting to do.  Sucking in vast quantities of freezing air while shuffling up a 7% grade for half a mile 4 miles into a 10K that is really not a 10k isn’t a whole lot of fun.  When you are doing on the tail end of having a chest cold and needing to catch the person in front of you because they are beating you in the freezeroo standing it is just plain awful.

I
I’m the little speck.

The picture above is from a little before the last big hill.  Jeff ended up running away with the victory by 35 seconds, I did manage to close to gap a bit on Kenny and finished about 8 seconds behind him.  Extra long warm ups must agree with Matt because he started the day with 3 miles at home 6 miles on the course worth of warm up and was able to break away from Dave Bradshaw to finish in 4th place.

Break away Roberts
Break away Roberts

Joe managed his best finish of the series coming in 12th place.  I’ve never met anyone more excite to run a race no matter the conditions or situation than Joe.  I think we need to elect him Roadkill’s spiritual advisor.

Smilin Joe Williams
Smiling Joe Williams

In spite of all my negativity toward this race, it turned out to be another great showing for Roadkill Racing.  We finished 1st 2nd 3rd 4th and 12th.  If it was cross country scoring, us against the field we would have won 22 to 35… not too shabby.  Full Results Here.