Summit Rock Half Marathon - 2010
The good news:
- Got to hang with John "Mr Video, I know that guy, I know that guy, Oh Hi Sally, I gotta go say Hi to him" Stark. No joking, this race was basically in my backyard, and John had to drive an hour. I knew one person at the race - him. It looked to me like he was at his high school reunion!
- I executed just about exactly how I wanted. With a race that has so much very steep up and very steep downhill, my plan was to keep steady effort/heart rate through the whole race. Mission accomplished (I think the first couple of minutes were due to incomplete electrical connection with my skin - that is, I wasn't sweating yet, so the numbers are whack):
- Crazy downhill!! Look at my HR/effort in the last couple of miles vs. the altitude profile - I was effectively running flat 5k effort an a steep downhill. Hmmmm, maybe a few of those HR ticks are attributable to sheer terror!!
- Got to the turn around in 33rd place, finished in 21st
out of 165, with an additional 21 DNFs. - Came in 2nd in my age group out of 12.
- Beautiful course. See pics and videos in John Stark's RR
- John had an outstanding race - pulling in a 5th in his AG!! (and taking multiple videos DURING the race
!)
The bad:
- For the first time ever, I left my nutrition bottle in the fridge at home. Ooops. In our goody bag they gave us a GU chomps packet, Stark gave me his, so those two and course electrolyte drinks did fine. Nice to improvise and not get slammed for it.
- A fair bit of cramping from mile 10 on. Not ache-y cramps, but siezeing groin and calf cramps. Not good when you REALLY need to be loose when flying downhill.
- I probably started out too fast. The first mile or so is a runnable uphill, but I really went for it so that I would hit the single track before the crowd. But then, as per plan, I walked the big uphill, so a bunch of people passed me anyhow. Probably would have been better to head out steady.
- SO SAD to see people "run" past me up a hill, as I get to the top and start running downhill...they start walking. Saw this again, and again, and again.
- It sounds like a lot of people rolled ankles. I did twice, but it wasn't bad. John did as well. I saw one person being carried out, an the post-race mail from the race director suggested that a lot of people twisted. The trail itself is really not THAT technical, but it was wet. I think what got people was the steepness when going downhill. In John's RR he has a video of people going uphill, and him running down. I think you actually can envision the steepness on the uphill vid better, where you see people trying to run, and then just falling back into a walk. It was an out and back, so all that up eventually became a down.
Lastly, and I don't think this necessarily is in the "good" or "bad" category, but I need to add: One day after and my legs are TOAST!! I'm stoked that my knees don't hurt, but everywhere that I cramped yesterday is tender, and my quads and calfs are just generally shelled.
Big fun. Great to come home with a 2nd place medal. Terrific to hang with John.
Mike
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Comments
Nice job Mike!
It is interesting to hear that so many people would hammer it up the hill and then walk!? Definitely an interesting observation.
Great work! Looking forward to more stories of your trail running success!
Rockin', as usual! Congrats!
Funny though, and more race non-execution that just makes you roll your eyes - he was wearing Vibram 5 Fingers shoes, which isn't THAT unusual, even out on the trails. But in talking to him, he commented at how dumb it was since he only got them TWO weeks ago!?!?! He said that the downhill pretty much destroyed this lower legs, and that his Achilles tendons were hamburger...duh! I could see MAYBE running a flat 5k, but no way would I try a 2800ft elevation change half marathon, on a trail, after owning them for only two weeks.
My legs stil hurt pretty bad today, but I wonder if he's even walking.
Mike
@John (and anyone else!)
I'm looking at 2/26 Redwood Park in Oakland 10k, 20k, 30k, 50k. I'd probably go 50k.
Brazen has a race at Diablo on 3/19 with a 5k, 10k, 1/2, 50k. That's a little close to AR for me to do the 50k though. They don't have details posted yet.
Coastal has one on 3/12 with 5m, 1/2, 18m, marathon at Redwood Park.
PCTR has a race at Tilden Park on 3/13 with a 10k, 21k, 33k, 50k
I'm leaning to that first Redwood Park race. It's a challenging course, and a good time for AR, (and I have a PCTR credit, so I can run free!), and it's right between the two of us!.
Mike
FYI - i have signed up today to be a safety runner at Western States 100 next year. The start at Squaw out to Robinson with Todd. I have never run Emigrant Pass before. Should be fun. And I still plan on running the last 27 miles at American River 50 in April. I love that part of the course.