Tipp Hill Four Mile Shamrock Run

What a fun race!

I've been looking forward to this run for a while, it's one of the most popular runs in Syracuse, and by the number of people running, it certainly looked it.

This was my first time running Shamrock, although I've done several training runs of the area with Lake Effect runners. The course is only four miles, but it's hilly. Thank you for the input on my last post, I stuck with the old, although I was very concious of how my size eleven left foot felt in the size 10 Asics. I didn't have a time goal, I just wanted to have fun, and not wimp out on the hills.

The sun was shining, the roads were dry, it was about 32 degrees, and I had on my Lucky Charms tshirt, along with my requisite green Bondi Band. We were a group of the usual suspects, Jeannine, Bill and Carol, and our friend Norine. We headed to the 10 mile pace group, and looking back, we could have gotten away with lining up closer to the start. As usual, with a crowd that size, we didn't realize the race had started until those in front of us started moving.

It was really difficult to get going, I had to dodge around so many people, sprint along, then at some points, slow way down. I wanted to take it easy, because the hills were going to come at the end of the race, and I'm used to banging them out early.

The run seemed to go by quickly, I think around mile three I passed a bar and saw Mike's orange Cleveland Browns hat (I know) in the crowd, and I jumped up and down and waved to him and his brother Rob. Then it was time for the last long hill, so off I went. There were people walking all around me, and I passed a couple of young guys which is always fun. I made it to the top for one more loop around the park, and I could see the time clock, which made me excited, until I realized how long that loop was going to be. That was one thing I didn't like, repeating a part of the course when you just want to finish.

My final time was 39:19, with an average pace of 9:50. I was happy to do it under 40 minutes.

We headed over to Nibsy's to meet the boys, who had some prime real estate at the bar. We also chatted up some Lake Effect runners, if you want to check it out, there is a photo of me over at my friend Ray's blog, I'm on the left with the beer in my hand (shocker).

Spent the rest of the day a Jeannine's house, to watch the kids play in the snow, SU lose to Louisville (so much for that number one ranking), and search for celebrities on Twitter. And there was much mocking of Norine's fanny pack. Not a bad way to spend a Saturday.