Shawn M. Nassaney 5K - Smithfield, RI - Sept. 14, 2008

The Shawn M. Nassaney 5K Race/Walk is a race that I started doing since last year, because my 2nd cousin Stacey Nassaney (formally Bliss) married Ryan Nassaney, who was Shawn's brother. Shawn unfortunately was on United Flight 175 on September 11, 2001 along with his girlfriend Lynn Goodchild who were on there way to Hawaii. If you remember, United Flight 175 was the first plane to hit the Twin Towers. The race was put in place in Memory of Shawn Nassaney and Lynn Goodchild and is held as his Alma Mater, Bryant College in Smithfield, RI. Since I've started doing this race I promised myself I would do this race in Shawn's memory and will continue this race for as long as I'm able and as long as the race is held.

Race Day
I wasn't looking to set any PR's on this course or beat my time from last year since I just biked 93 miles the day before. Jess and I got to the race a little later than we wanted, but I still had time to stretch out and get ready. As you may or may not know and from what my dad keeps making fun of me for is that I hate having a slow time next to my name. So needless to say, once I got warmed up and stretched out I changed my race plan from just using this as a training run to I'm going to race this to see how I fair. After getting all warmed up, I headed for the start line and got a good luck kiss from Jess and told her I'd see her at the finish line when I got done. Jess did the 2 mile walk while I did the 5k Run. My parents and grandparents were also at the race to watch as well.

The race start is a little crazy for this 5K since it starts in a big open field and then narrows going up a short hill before looping around the baseball fields and then heads into the woods with the return trip that heads up a huge hill! This course is by no means flat. The start is so crazy because just about all the sports teams from Bryant College come and show there support for Shawn and sprint the first 300 yards like the race is only a mile long. It’s a little annoying if you’re a serious runner and you're trying to get to the front before getting into the woods where the paths are narrow.

The start of the race was much more chaotic this year than last year. We got all lined up and we were waiting for the gun to go off and then all of sudden you hear then just shout go runners over the PA to start the race. Everyone didn’t even know what to do so the race start was little delayed. After I got thru the pack of college kids that sprinted out the first 400 yards I was in about 8th place. I was even running with the 2 lead women runners. The first mile split was quick, a 5:24 pace! I unfortunately wasn’t able to get my other mile splits so I had a hard time judging where I was pace wise after that.

As a side note, the weather prior to the race start was absolutely nasty. It was down pouring the night before and even the day of the race. Fortunately it stopped about an hour before the race, but the race was enough to leave the course very muddy, slick and soaked!

Once I got into the woods I was able to get ahead of the 2 top women runners and pass 2 or 3 other guys. I exited the woods to find myself in 6th place and as I got closer to the finish I was reeling in the guy ahead of me at a decent pace and got him with less than a ¼ of a mile to go and held onto it to finish 5th Overall and 3rd in my Age Group 19-29.

Time: 18:16 (5:54 per mile pace) PR for this course by 13 seconds from 2007

Team Buddy / Ninjas
Yes, you may find this team name very funny, but my family knows that I use these words just about all the time, such as “YOU’RE A NINJA” or you’ll hear me say, “YOU’RE A BUDDY!” So this year my sister Katie decided to create a team called Buddy / Ninjas. I didn’t race under the team title, but my sister, her friend Nicole, my Dad, and my sister’s college friend Julia did.

It was on my way to my own finish that my mom shouted out to me where I was place wise, but also that my sister had taken a spill. I figured that okay she fell, no big deal and she was back up running and was going to finish the race. It wasn’t till I finished the race that I learned my sister took a really bad spill heading down the first hill into the woods. Let me tell you, it looked bad! It was her ankle and it was the size of Softball! They carted her over to an ambulance that was on standby for the Bryant Football game and the race. They thought that she broke it, but come to find out she severely sprained it, which is just as bad as a break.

Race Feedback and Personal Rant
As I mentioned before, I run this race for Shawn and will always run this race. With that said, I don’t mean to provide negative feedback on the race, but just want to make the race directors aware of what needs to be done in the future to improve the race. I heard from someone else that raced this with me that Race day Registration should have opened at 11AM, but wasn’t even up and ready to go till 11:30AM and was very disorganized with what they needed to give the runners and walkers. Also, I’ve never been to a race where 1 person gets 4 awards, I mean come on! I don’t mean to sound like a poor sport, but awards are meant to spread through out the field. Needless to say 1 runner, I won’t name any names, but he was awarded, the Team Award (for the 1st place team), 1st Bryant College Alumni Male Award, 1st Male 19-29 Award and then an award for finishing in the top 3 overall. I couldn’t believe what had happened! I was completely shocked! Last year’s awards were not done this way. I finished 4th in my age group last year, but I was considered the top male because the other 3 males that finished ahead of me in my age group were either part of teams or part of the Bryant Alumni. Needless to say I walked away with nothing for finishing 3rd in my age group.

Despite all this, it was a good race and was somewhat of a good measurement of where my fitness level is right now.