OWL-DRAGON

Prediction Run and Reindeer Romp


Bryn Mawr Running Club sponsors through the year a series of predictionruns. This is a run where speed doesn't necessarily win but pacing does. Runners get to pick from three courses 5, 7, 10. (Although these
are approximations - the five mile course is actually 5.4). These courses are the ones used by the Club for their Wednesday night runs during the summer. Each participant picks their expected finished time. No watches are allowed. For the Christmas prediction run the entry fee is an unwrapped toy that is giving to a local charity. They also collect running shoes and accept donations for socks for the homeless. Very sociable event since most everyone is running at a relaxed pace. I have never even been close to my predicted time although this year doing the five mile course I was within a minute. I wasn't able to hang around after the race so I don't know who won but in the past the winner is usually within 10 seconds or less. I saw a friend later in the day who told me he was within 30 seconds and knew he hadn't won. The course after you get off Montgomery Avenue is pleasant but I was disappointed by the paucity of Christmas decorations. I guess it is déclassé among the rich to have too much Christmas.

Sunday was the Reindeer Romp to benefit the American Cancer Society.
CBS's Sunday Morning had done a segment on cancer survival that morning.
I love this race since it's a four minute run from my house to the start. This race runs a course I had laid out several years ago. The first couple of years it was very informal - it was "almost a 5K". But a couple of years ago a local runner and entrepreneur Kevin Nolan took it under his wing. He worked on sponsorship and got the course professionally measured. The first year he did it, despite his best effort, a course marshal sent everyone down the wrong street. But this year the markings were excellent and unlike last year when the weather was terrible, the weather was decent (mostly cloudy, low 40's). It has a wonderfully civilized starting time - 3PM. I've been running the course a couple of times of week with very slow times, so I only went out expecting to break 24 minutes. The course utilizes a roadway owned by the regional transportation provider (SEPTA). This "busway" is closed to all traffic except buses and since there is no service Sunday afternoons it makes a great runway. The first ¾ mile is downhill. You run to Haverford Road and loop back up the busway and after a ¼ mile you go out onto a parallel roadway and through residential streets until you loop back to the busway. Mile two is mostly uphill and then you come down a long slope, a short quarter mile flat then the hill back to the start. A challenging course. This year one of the police officers I had worked with and whom I had encouraged to run for fitness ran his first 5K. I warned him about going out too fast on the initial downhill, but it is just too irresistible. I passed him about the first mile mark - he had burned out on the first mile (and I must confess it felt good to show that the old man still had it.)

I felt I ran well and finished 23:15 - not bad since I've been running lightly since the marathon and really only expected 8 minute miles. I was getting ready to leave when Dick Fitch who times a lot of local races told me that I had placed first in my age group (bless five year age groups - the 50 year old had run 20:xx something). There were 350 runners and another 150 walkers so a nice turnout for a nice cause. My only regret is that I didn't bring a camera so I could have had a photo of Santa giving me my medal.