Surprised Kirsch claims women’s crown
By: Justin Feil
Those that had hoped Glenn McIsaac might come back to the pack with age are going to have to wait a lot longer than expected.
The Princeton resident has no plans to slow down and proved so with his second career victory at the June Fete 10k on Saturday. He covered the course in 34 minutes, 32 seconds, just 34 seconds slower than he ran to win the Fete 10k on a cooler day in 2004. McIsaac led a quartet of 40-year-olds, as well as every 30-something and 20-something, through the finish on the Princeton University track at Weaver Stadium. At 48, he was the oldest of them yet also the fastest.
"It’s not the new 28," McIsaac said. "It hurts a lot more at 48. I think training trumps aging, at least to some point. Five years ago, 10 years ago, I just wasn’t training as consistently. I was doing it really recreationally.
"The last couple years, since I turned 40, I’ve started building it up. In particular, the last couple years I’ve been more consistent about 40-mile weeks. I got in eight or nine of those in a row. I haven’t done that since college. I find if you can stay consistent, keep the training going, and you’ve got to avoid injuries, I still think I can run faster. I think I’ll run faster next year than this year if I can train consistently. That’s the key."
It’s not good news for competitors, though few of them appear to be slowing much either. Princeton residents Dan Feder and Mick Letourneaux, both 44, were second and fourth in 35:35 and 37:40 respectively and 41-year-old spring chicken Jim Barger was third in 35:48. Saturday’s finish duplicated 2004’s in that McIsaac and Feder went 1-2 then as well. Feder moved up from his third-place finish of a year ago.
"I don’t think you ever feel really good (about your chances)," said McIsaac who also captured the only June Fete 5k run in 2003. "Especially this, it’s a challenge. I’ve run badly here a couple times on a hot day. In a 10k, you can always blow up. The last two miles, I was thinking, it’s getting warm. Once you’re on the track, if you can’t sprint the last 300, you have to be really hurting."
Jennifer Kirsch had to take a look once she entered the track, but the Manalapan resident had a comfortable enough lead over Raritan Valley Road Runners club teammate Lesley Wassef to relax for the women’s title in 40:51, a pace of 6:34 per mile. Wassef was second in 41:15 while Princeton’s Jessica Mamzer was third in 42:20.
"It was OK. It wasn’t my best," Kirsch said. "I was semi-comfortable. I felt a little more tired the second half. Once I got on the track, I looked behind me to see if there was anyone close. Usually, for some reason, the track somehow psyches me out for some reason. But overall I was happy. I didn’t have any major complaints."
Kirsch only decided the day before to run the Fete 10k. She ran it once before and finished second in 2002. Five years later, she was back to win it though that wasn’t her primary goal.
"It was a nice surprise. I didn’t expect it," she said. "I did it just to have fun, just to get out and have fun. I have been, over the last couple years, racing on and off. So this last month I raced probably more than usual. Last weekend, I ran the Avon Day 5k and two weeks before that I ran the Bahrs (Landing) 5-Miler down the shore. I’m looking to do all the fun races."
Kirsch had no problem making the drive in to race in Princeton and stay for the Fete fun afterwards. She normally runs closer to the shore or on the trails in Monmouth County. She plans to run the Pine Beach 5k in two weeks after becoming the eighth different female Fete 10k winner in the last eight years.
"I kind of planned this last minute," Kirsch said. "I just decided (Friday). It’s kind of the way my schedule’s been going. I’m really glad I showed up and ran it. It’s a beautiful day. I know it’s a lot of fun afterwards."
McIsaac didn’t have far to return to his house in Princeton Borough following his second career win 10k win at the Fete. It’s a race that he looks forward to as a chance to shine on the local streets.
"I like this one," he said. "I take it as sort of a challenge. A 10k is a little longer than I like to run. I kind of prefer the 5ks and track races. This one is always hot so you know you’re going to have a tough time out there. I’ve run badly at it a couple of times so it’s sort of a challenge, can I get out there and hang on?"
McIsaac greatly improved on his time of a year ago, when he was battling back from an IT band injury that cost him parts of 2005 and 2006. He ran 36:20 last year for eighth place.
"This race last year was my first race back from the IT band injury so I kind of took it easy last year," he said. "Then through the fall and winter, I had a real good stretch and built up to some 40-mile weeks, which is pretty good for me. I had a series of those so I was getting pretty fit and then started having some hip trouble associated with the IT band a couple of months ago, the usual cycle. The last couple weeks have been pretty good. The hip’s been feeling good. I was kind of able to carry the fitness over.
"I felt great for about three miles," he added of Saturday. "The last two miles, I was hurting."
Maybe it was the age catching up with him just a little. He didn’t let it show in outrunning the 500 Fete entrants. Despite moving up the masters ladder, his fitness hasn’t waned.
"Because of the injuries, I’m kind of even with my fitness level in 2005 right before the injury," McIsaac said. "I might have been a little fitter then right before the big IT band injury. I’m about the same shape I was in in 2003 and 2004. I was hoping to run nice easy 5:30 pace and dip under 34 minutes."
Nice, easy and 5:30 aren’t words often linked by the average 48-year-old runner, nor even any average 28-year-old. Glenn McIsaac is definitely not average. Three years after his last Fete 10k win, he proved again age is not slowing him down.
"I know I can’t come out now and just do it off talent or enthusiasm," he said. "I have to be fit."

