Polar Cap Four Miler Race Report

The Polar Cap Four Miler  was quite fun for yet another year.  The weather was cold but not unbearable.  There seemed to be a huge crowd although I haven't compared numbers to a previous year.  Now I have, there were more last year. But I got there more than an hour ahead and had to park in the farther parking lot which I have never had to do.  I was almost worried I had the wrong starting time.  My husband ended up coming with me so I parked him in the cafeteria and went off to find the bathroom.  Who is in line in front of me but Darlene so she was easy to find.

Before the race

We made our way to the start without too long to wait.  Once you take off you go past the finish line and then up a hill.  It isn't that much of a hill but maybe because it is in the beginning it feels like quite the challenge. There is someone at both Miles 1 and 2 yelling out your time.  Mile 1 was 9:18 for me and that felt okay.  Mile 2 has a bit of a downhill and I did that one in 8:58.  Loved it! I have now compared my times to last year and each mile is so similar!  

We're off!

This is a picture Darlene took after the race. It is at

the beginning of Mile 2 looking down on Lake George.

One of the things I like about this race is that it has both 

ups and downs.

I had a number of people that I kept changing places with and it was a nice challenge to keep up with them.  There is a very long hill at the end of Mile 3 and going into Mile 4.  I actually did okay here and managed to stay ahead of some people from this point until the end.  Mile 3 was my slowest mile at 9:38 and Mile 4 was 9:11.  My overall time was 37:06 well under the 38 I wanted to be under.  I really was shooting for under 37 once I saw how I was doing but I didn't quite make it.  My husband was at the finish to get some photos of both Darlene and me.  We placed 2nd and 3rd in our age group which is the same as last time we were both here.  Yay us!  My overall pace was 9:17 which was better than the 5K I did on New Year's Day - quite a bit better!  

On my way to the finish.  

Same design as last year but not on white!

Our lunch bags.

I did get my husband to do a little shopping with me after.  We went to Target and I bought an ironing board - exciting right?  Then I got some pants that were 70% off at Eddie Bauer.  I also bought a slip that needs to be returned.  I was exhausted and had no desire to go out last night but we did.  I was also cold and just couldn't get warm.  But it was nice to see some people I haven't seen in awhile and we didn't stay too late!  Man, am I old!