The first racing weekend of the year is here, hurrahhhh!!!
We wish our racers good luck, fast times and most importantly...a fun experience.
This thread is for racers of any distance, for regular posters and lurkers!
Go racers go!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
"Champions are everywhere; all you need is to train them properly..." ~Arthur Lydiard
MM#209 / JapanJoyful#803
I guess Monday 1/1/ counts
Seattle Resolution 5K Run and Polar Bear Plunge (1/1/18). FIRST RUN OF THE YEARI’ve been welcoming the New Year at the New Year’s Resolution 5K Run since celebrating the fizzle of the computer world’s Y2K threats in 2000 and the Polar Bear Plunge part ever since it was added in 2004. PLUNGE PART NOT COLDUnlike the cold-turkey running down the beach to the ocean or jumping in the lake, the 5K Resolution Run is a nice warm-up before taking a jog down a concrete boat ramp into Lake Washington about 200 yards from the finish. It’s like a Finnish sauna keeps the skin warm for a few seconds after jumping into the icy creek we used to do a little south of erika-land. Not everyone is so fine with it though. While awaiting my arrival to join in on the spectacle, DW reported the delighted crowed cheering as one runner’s canine companion dug in and refused to go in the 43o lake. They changed to boo’s when the runner unceremoniously picked up the frightened animal and carried him into the lake too. .Fortunately, since it’s Seattle, air temps have never been below freezing, usually the same mid-forties as thet lake. This year was one of the colder ones: air - 37o / water - 43o. However, with no wind at all at the 10:30am start, the sun was noticeably warm and singlets, shirtless, etc were in abundance. .WOMEN+With the finish line and heated changing tents just down the beach, nobody ever really gets cold. As a result 733 of the 1057 entrants included the plunge in their runs. Women were the majority in both the run and the run-w/plunge.category . . . . . . women. . . . . menrun only . . . . . . . . . 195. . . . . 129run/plunge . . . . . . . 393. . . . . 340.GOODIESNo of the knit hats or gloves being given away as in the past but there was so much hot chili with chopped onion and cheese mix condiments that they were giving out take home portions for happy runners. In addition, they were handing out Seahawk logo ICE beverages in abundance (after the football team’s elimination from this year’s playoffs). .Not so in abundance, however, were porta-potties that didn’t get delivered on New Year’s Eve, causing the event coordinator to urge “discretion” on the part of the many ducking into the trees. No body complained, though, about no finisher’s medal to add to burgeoning collections and the polar bear shirt is a keeper..NEW PW BUT FIRST REAL RUN IN MORE THAN A YEARCompared to 28:16 in 2008 (age 65), and 34:45 last year, this year’s 37:52 was a new negative PB. However, being able to run all the way at any distance for the first time since stomach issues with some errant innards cropped up in November 2016 (and were misdiagnosed for nearly the next year until October 2017), it could not have been a more auspicious running start to 2018. Time: 37:52OA - 521/733Sex - 267/340AG - 3/5. Note: youngest of 733 plungers were 8-yo and, if a surely erroneous 98-yo running in my 70-and-above AG is discounted, oldest was 78.If picture works but I doubt is ran-and-plunged in singlet and red wool knit hat (plus goggles)
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"Enjoy yourself. Your younger days never come again." 100yo T. Igarashi to me in geta at top of Mt. Fuji (8/2/87)
January 6 - Wild Azalea Trail 27 Mile Ultra
My first Ultra, but only just long enough to count as an Ultra.
The Wild Azalea Trail is the longest contiguous trail in Louisiana, being over 24 miles long, and this race uses the whole of this trail plus small distances at each end for the start & finish. The whole of the trail is heavily wooded and crosses many creek valleys so there are a lot of short sharp climbs and descents. The race is put on by a group of local runners and mountain bikers and has options of HM, 27 mile and 50 mile runs & 27 mile & 50 mile mountain bike. Apart from the 50 mile run that is an out and back, the races are point to point so we meet at the finish and are then bussed to the various start points.
I have run the HM here the past 2 years, so had a good idea what I was taking on. Last year the course was covered in a thin layer of ice and the race ran in temperatures in the low 20s. This year conditions were near perfect with bright sun and mid 30s at the start rising rapidly into the 50s. My hope was to finish in around five and a half hours.
Travelled to the race with 2 other members (I'll call them N & T) of the local running club, both of whom were using it as a training run for a 52 mile race next month! Picked up our bibs - mine was #110, the first even number I've had for a long time - and made the bus ride to the start. Race started promptly at 8.30am and the first 1.6 miles was a road section to the trailhead - ran this with T at 9:30 pace (far faster than my target pace) and once we got onto the trail I dropped back and settled into an 11-12 minute pace for much of the race.
There were many creeks to cross, most of which had bridges, but a couple did not. I managed to jump the first one, but got a soaked right foot on the second. That may be the reason that I ended up with a small blister on my right big toe by the end.
There were unmanned aid stations about every 3 miles, generally well stocked. My slowest mile was the result of an extended stop at one of these aid stations, where I struggled to get the cap off a Gatorade bottle until I was rescued by the next runner.
About mile 14, I caught sight of a full-size leopard about 10 feet off the side of the trail just as I was passing. Skipped a couple of heartbeats before I realized it was a cardboard cut-out. I still have not figured out why it was there.
I had rather expected that once past mile 20 I would need to walk extended sections, but generally I only walked the more substantial uphill sections and my pace slipped very little. I did pass a couple more runners, but the field was well spread out by this time.
An undulating mile or so from the end of the trail to the finish line ran alongside Valentine Lake - very picturesque. This year they had moved the finish line back to the parking area, so there was one last steepish climb for the last 20 yards - not fair!
My GPS showed 27.72 miles and 2452' of elevation gain
My finishing time was 5:35:15, good enough for 12th place overall out of 33 finishers and the first of 2 over age 60. My friends N & T finished 5th and 10th and T was 3rd lady finisher.
All in all, a very good day.
Started running at age 60.
AG 60-64 PR - 5K 25:45, 10K 53:28, HM 1:57:39, Marathon 4:32:09
AG 65-69 PR - 5K 26:11, HM 2:02:39, Marathon 5:04:47
Well done tet and quick.
I raced yesterday. 20k (they also hosted a 15k, 10k and 5k) in four loops around a place called Grand Park which has over 400 acres of softball, soccer, baseball, football and lacrosse fields. Here's the summary
There were 7 of us toeing the line for the 20k. Staggered start and there were others running shorter but no clue how many. Parking lot did have lots more cars on various laps when I could see.
It was cold at the start and got colder.
I ran four laps, crossed the line first and quickly ran to my car to change into non-ice covered clothing.
I treated myself to a large Dunkin Donuts coffee for the effort.
20k @ 1:43:24
I'm just dumb enough to do this again next month (its a monthly race to raise funds for Girls on the Run)
The frozen end
"He conquers who endures" - Persius "Every workout should have a purpose. Every purpose should link back to achieving a training objective." - Spaniel
http://ncstake.blogspot.com/
Trails are hard!
For exactly that reaction, most likely. See any cameras around? But it sounds like a nice run for the other segments.
C-R: a lot of work for a Dunkie, but a win is a win is a win.
Tet--glad your innards are back behaving and a good start to the year.
Need a fast half for late fall. Then I need to actually train for it.
Excellent race reports so far!!
Tammy
I enjoyed the race reports.
Tet - I can't believe you jump in 43° water. I like the way that dog was thinking although there is no doubt he will forgive his owner.
Quickadder - Nice trail run and a leopard siting too. That has given me some ideas.
C-R - Nice win in the 20k. I did a 4 loop 20 once in Michigan. They had a 5k, 10k, 20k, and a marathon (which did a 2k loop and then 8 5k loops). One year I volunteered at that race it was fun to see the same people over and over. The 5k "loop" was an out & back so I saw the marathoners 18 times.
Reading the reports was such a delight!
Tetsujin, way to go with that ice cold jump in the lake post race.
Quickadder, nice trail race!!!! I really enjoyed reading
C-R nice to see that you treated yourself to a large Dunkin Donuts coffee for the effort!!!
Marathon Maniac #957
Tet – wow, you are made of tough stuff! Great job and the run-and-plunge. And I am with the booing crowd when someone tosses his frightened dog into the water – not fair to the poor critter. And for a PW, you sure beat out a lot of folks – well done!
Quickadder – great job on your trail ultra! I love the leopard spotting, pretty funny. If it was near the end of the race I might have wondered if I was halleucinating…
C-R – you get my vote for super-tough for even showing up in those temps – brrr! How did you place in the 7?
Life is a headlong rush into the unknown. We can hunker down and hope nothing hits us or we can stand tall, lean into the wind and say, "Bring it on, darlin', and don't be stingy with the jalapenos."