« Lake Tahoe Triathlon Race Report | Main | AAAARG!!!!!! »
October 08, 2006
Beyond Fitness Great Apple Fun Run Race Report
This was the first time I have done this race. I figured it would be a pretty small group, and it was - about 30 runners total. I have to hand it to the folks at Beyond Fitness - they did a great job organizing the race. It started on time, they had lots of people where they needed them, and lots of water and snacks.
This run went pretty well, considering my low level of run training. I spent most of the summer working on my swimming and biking for the Tahoe Triathlon, which I just completed about 3 weeks ago. My running mileage really slipped during that phase of my training, and then with a week or so of "taking it easy" after the race, my mileage really was light.
I started out at the front (both the 3 and 6 milers started together). Lots of kids (6-12 years old) and it was fun watching them sprint the first 300 yards and then fade once the course headed uphill. After about 5 minutes into the run, it was me and three other runners stacked together - then one guy (wearing a CDF shirt) took off and really picked up the pace. I commented to the others that "there's no way he can hold that pace, he will blow up about mile 3".
By mile 2, I could still see the CDF guy - but just barely. I was now in 5th place, after being passed to two other people. I was pushing pretty hard, but afraid that if I pushed any harder, I would spike my heart rate and then the wheels would come off. The course was only about a 3.4 to 4.5 percent grade, but being a retired railroad grade, it is constant - which doesn't give any chance for heartrate recovery.
Finally, the turn-around point at mile three. My plan all along was to take it a little easy on the uphill, then crank up on the downill portion. The nearest runner I could pass was a young lady about a 1/4 mile ahead of me - I figured what the hell, lets see if I can catch her in 3 miles.
I cranked it up a notch or two, but I think she had the same plan. No matter how hard I pushed, I couldn't seem to really gain any ground. Finally about mile 4.5 I noticed I was getting a little closer. When she had to stop and wait for a car to cross one of the side streets, she took a little too long to get going again - and her pace had slowed considerably. Finally, about five hundred yards from the finish I pulled in behind her (about 50 feet back).
Suddenly, she heard my footsteps (or was that my labored breathing??) looked back, and panicked when she realized that I was going to make a run at passing her. She yelled something about "what the hell, where did you come from" and turned around and started to crank up the speed.
I had decided two things in the moments coming up behind her.
1) I still had "something left" and I wanted to use it completely up by the finish line.
2) I really wanted to pass her.
So I picked up the pace to almost a sprint, and pulled in right behind her. We were passing a bunch of walkers from the 5k, and I didn't have room to pass so I held back right on her tail. Finally, about 100 feet from the finish the trail opened up, and went uphill for the rest of the way to the finish. I knew that I probably had more brute force to power up the last hill, which I did. I kicked into a full-on sprint, and passed her by a pretty good margin by the time I went thru the chute.
By my watch, my time was 48 minutes and 32 seconds. My "official race time" was 47 minutes and 30 seconds. While I would love to have run that fast, I do not believe there is any way I did a 6 mile run in the hills under 8 minutes per mile - I will stick with my timex time.
The first 30 seconds or so after the finish were tough - as I really sprinted out the last couple of hundred yards. I was pretty much gasping for air, and trying to keep from falling over. Once I caught my breath it was all good again, I walked around, had some water and another cup of coffee.
I stuck around for the awards ceremony - top three in each race received a nicely imprinted coffee cup, and an Exchange Club raffle ticket for a corvette. Overall a very well ran race, that I will do again!!!
The "CDF" guy ended up winning the race - with a very respectable time in the 42 minute range I believe. The second spot went to a guy PUSHING A BABY IN A STROLLER - wow, congratulations to him. Third place went to Brad Foster, a local legend in Paradise sports. Unfortunately, my fourth place did not put me in the winners bracket - I guess there is always next year!!!
Posted by Dennis at October 8, 2006 05:56 AM
Trackback Pings
TrackBack URL for this entry:
http://www.norcalblogs.com/MT/mt-tb.cgi/551
Comments
Dennis - not sure you meant it to be / but that was hilarious! Sounds like you had a great time. Maybe the baby stroller is the way to go next year.
Posted by: paul at October 9, 2006 06:03 PM
Well - it was pretty hilarious - watching this guy pushing the damned stroller, and passing me on the uphill portion!!!!!
It was fun - and I had forgotten how "simple" running is. I showed up about 40 minutes early, being used to having to fuss with a bike, and wetsuit, running shoes, etc... And found that I was ready to race about 37 minutes before the start time.
Lets try to get together one of these weekends for a ride - before the weather goes all to heck!!
Posted by: Dennis at October 9, 2006 08:28 PM