North Shore's Kapuscinski finishes fourth in 1600 at The Armory

Ben Kapuscinski lifted his head off the pillow Monday morning and looked at the clock. 7:00, it flashed. Time for school, friends, and the general huff and puff of a normal Monday.

And after all that was finished for the North Shore runner? A trip to the city to compete in the 1,600-meter race at the Spike Shoe Holiday Festival held at The Armory.

Under any circumstance, he did well, finishing fourth in 4:33.9 in the popular event.

On days like this, it's all about pacing for Kapuscinski. "I just try to keep getting food and energy into the body," he said.

He was never too far from his water bottle, making sure he was hydrated on racing days. And, of course, a peanut butter and jelly sandwich for lunch.

Once he hit the track, Kapuscinski had to maneuver his way through a host of New York and New Jersey runners.

"The hardest part of the race was midway, when everyone started kicking it [into gear]," he said. "I had to pick up [my] pace a lot to keep up. I ended up dropping off a little bit, but on the last lap, I was able to kick it really hard and did pretty well."

Pacing didn't just help him during the day, it came in handy during his heat. "I didn't go out as hard as I used to," he said. "I usually go out quite quick and then I'd be [really tired]."

The event marked the second time this season that Kapuscinski has run the 1,600. He ran a 4:35 at his season debut. He is hoping to get under 4:30 in his next race.

West Babylon also posted notable times. Nick Morfesi ran a 5:03 in the 1,600. Teammates John Modica, Keum Valdes, John Nash and Brendan Kennedy ran a 4:00.10 in the sprint medley relay. Kevin Valdes ran a 6.84 in the 55 dash.

It's certainly a long day for all athletes involved. But after doing what they love, the late arrival home is well worth it.

"We're kind of tired after school, but it's still exciting," said Babylon's Nick Giampietro, who ran the 55 dash in 7.0 seconds. "Throughout the day, we're high-fiving all our friends throughout the hallway and the bus ride here is great. It's a lot of fun."