Fourth race tradition keeps on trucking in the rain
My annual Fourth of July race tradition --- participating in the Arnold Mills Four Miler's 55th edition --- continued today (July 4, 2023) despite the rain.
From about the 2-mile mark (for me), the race was run around Cumberland, R.I., in a steady rain, but that was a good thing, as with close to 100 percent humidity, the first two miles had been a slog so the rain was a welcome way to cool off the runners.
Now, when you go as slowly as I did --- I finished the race in 1 hour and 11.50 seconds, good for 559th place out of 568 participants who were timed --- you see the race from a different vantage point. As one woman said at about the 2-mile mark, it's basically taking the scenic view. Or, as I put it, it's like going from Point A to Point B by using local roads instead of the interstate.
One result of my slow time is that, over the looped course that the first 2 miles consists of, I'm always lapped by the leaders and faster runners, and today, I felt as though that started happening much sooner than usual, as the leaders lapped me twice --- after my first mile and again a half-mile later. And from my viewpoint, they were really flying.
(NOTE: The first three runners' times were: First place, 19:02; second place, 19:40 and third place, 19:46. For full results, go to https://oceanstaterunning.com/meet/arnold-mills-road-race-2023/results?)
Besides the rain, the highlight of the race came for me in the last quarter-mile or so, when the course is downhill and a few strangers not only cheered me on, but did so by shouting out my name. Now, I couldn't tell whether they were people who actually knew me, but for whatever the reason, it was invigorating to be cheered on by people calling out my name, and I found myself kicking it to the finish line.
The race, as in the past, is best navigated by chatting occasionally with the other runners and by acknowledging the spectators, whose presence was reduced this year due to the rain, but whose enthusiasm was as genuine as in past years.
So, congratulations, Cumberland, for continuing this fine July 4th tradition, one which I've taken advantage of for most of the 30 years that I've lived just down the road from the race site in North Attleboro.
From about the 2-mile mark (for me), the race was run around Cumberland, R.I., in a steady rain, but that was a good thing, as with close to 100 percent humidity, the first two miles had been a slog so the rain was a welcome way to cool off the runners.
Now, when you go as slowly as I did --- I finished the race in 1 hour and 11.50 seconds, good for 559th place out of 568 participants who were timed --- you see the race from a different vantage point. As one woman said at about the 2-mile mark, it's basically taking the scenic view. Or, as I put it, it's like going from Point A to Point B by using local roads instead of the interstate.
One result of my slow time is that, over the looped course that the first 2 miles consists of, I'm always lapped by the leaders and faster runners, and today, I felt as though that started happening much sooner than usual, as the leaders lapped me twice --- after my first mile and again a half-mile later. And from my viewpoint, they were really flying.
(NOTE: The first three runners' times were: First place, 19:02; second place, 19:40 and third place, 19:46. For full results, go to https://oceanstaterunning.com/meet/arnold-mills-road-race-2023/results?)
Besides the rain, the highlight of the race came for me in the last quarter-mile or so, when the course is downhill and a few strangers not only cheered me on, but did so by shouting out my name. Now, I couldn't tell whether they were people who actually knew me, but for whatever the reason, it was invigorating to be cheered on by people calling out my name, and I found myself kicking it to the finish line.
The race, as in the past, is best navigated by chatting occasionally with the other runners and by acknowledging the spectators, whose presence was reduced this year due to the rain, but whose enthusiasm was as genuine as in past years.
So, congratulations, Cumberland, for continuing this fine July 4th tradition, one which I've taken advantage of for most of the 30 years that I've lived just down the road from the race site in North Attleboro.
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