Carl Touchstone MS 50 Trail Run - Run20k


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Laurel, Mississippi
United States
70F / 21C
Sunny
 		Total Time = 2h 28m 25s
Overall Rank = 60/77
Age Group =
Age Group Rank = 0/
Pre-race routine:

Up at 4:15a, leave at 4:45a to ensure 7:00a arrival for an 8:00a start. Worked perfectly. Sipped coffee, drank yogurt smoothy.
Event warmup:

None. I was definitely not racing this. Today was a "typical" weekend long run...except on a trail.
Run
  • 2h 28m 25s
  • 12.5 miles
  • 11m 52s  min/mile
Comments:

I was just thrilled that I hadn't lost my trail running touch. I was comfortable, and I didn't trip. I started slow on purpose, knowing that, since I hadn't run trails in a while, it was going to be difficult. The scenery was so beautiful, even though I was going slow, time flew by. I had some "strong miles," but really ran out of gas at mile 11 and probably added 2-5 minutes to my overall time. However, since I had estimated between 2:30 and 3:00 for my time, I am quite happy I came in about 90 seconds faster.
What would you do differently?:

I would do some uphill treadmill runs as practice for those long inclines. And I would be better about my winter running overall so I could keep a bit of a faster pace. I would like to get closer to a 10min/mile pace.
Post race
Warm down:

Hmmmm...pizza, water, cola. ;-)

What limited your ability to perform faster:

Not enough training. I really have neglected my running this winter.

Event comments:

I highly recommend this one! This race is not just a great excuse for a beautiful trail run, but put on by a group of extremely personable, accessible folks. I really didn't want to get a hotel for the night before the race; nor did I want to have to pick up my packet at 5:00am since I didn't start until 8:00am (50k and 50m started at 6:00am). Race director was totally cool with it. Next year, though, we will spend the night before in Laurel. And I may even consider the 50k.




Last updated: 2007-01-24 12:00 AM
Running
02:28:25 | 12.5 miles | 11m 52s  min/mile
Age Group: 0/
Overall: 60/77
Performance: Good
Course: Beautiful 20k loop in the DeSoto National Forest, along the horse trails. Trails are alternately wide, dirt road type and single track. Some stream crossings and some muddy spots, but not bad at all. I would categorize it as gently rolling. (Not flat, but no major climbs). Miles 7-8+ seemed to be a gradual incline.
Keeping cool Good Drinking Just right
Post race
Weight change: %
Overall: Good
Mental exertion [1-5] 5
Physical exertion [1-5] 3
Good race? Yes
Evaluation
Course challenge Just right
Organized? Yes
Events on-time? Yes
Lots of volunteers? Yes
Plenty of drinks? Yes
Post race activities: Good
Race evaluation [1-5] 5