Beyond Fitness Great Apple Fun Run - RunOther

Run went really well, considering my level of 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 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 thirty something woman 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. She has to stop a wait for a car to cross one of the side streets, and she took a little too long to get going again - and her pace has 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.


Space out my late summer events a little better, and do more high intensity hill runs.

The first 30 seconds or so 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.


Same thing as always - 20 year old mind hooked up to 46 year old heart and lungs and legs. I just realized, I am trimming 1 second per mile off my time each year. At this rate, I'll be doing 6 minute miles by the time I'm 185 years old!!!


This is just a fun little race - only 8 people in the 6 mile, probably 20 or so in the 3 mile.