Scar Top Mountain Run 12K - RunOther


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Coal Creek, Colorado
United States
Racing Underground
75F / 24C
Sunny
Total Time = 1h 03m 49s
Overall Rank = 66/187
Age Group =
Age Group Rank = 12/27
Pre-race routine:

Got up a little before 6, had a bowl of granola and made a smoothie. Jumped in the shower and then loaded up and when to the venue.
Event warmup:

Walked from where I parked to registration. Walked back to the car, changed and then ran back to the race site and up the road a piece

Run
  • 1h 03m 49s
  • 7.46 miles
  • 08m 33s  min/mile
Comments:

Took off comfortably, kept checking my HR and it was saying 136, eventually I realized that I hit the wrong button at the start, so I didn't get a valid start time. I started at that point to get a running altitude check. At the 1 mile mark the guy next to me checked his watch so I asked him the time. 7:06 - faster than I had planned but it felt comfortable at that time. Another 1/2 mile and the climb began. I started to creep into zone 5 and I just decided I am going to walk it back down to the top of zone 3 and than run again. It was frustrating, but I just didn't have it. That climb kicked my backside and my head. I proceeded to take the entire climb that way run and try and keep the pace in zone 4, but if I hit zone 5 walk til it gets back down. I also walked the aide stations. Most of the climbing is done from 1.5-4 miles. I wasn't happy with my performance. It felt like I walked more here than I did in my last Tri. Then on the way down, I tried to just let it go, but I have a lot of work to do on my descending, I need to smooth it out but still be taking advantage of gravity. Felt like I did a lot of pounding downhill. Also, I keep my HR way up on the steep descents. It was just wasn't a great course for me at this point. Brutal is the only word that comes to mind, but that is too severe for such a pretty course on a rather smooth surface. But I just cannot think of the appropriate adjective.
What would you do differently?:

Stay in bed. recon the course other than just online.
Post race
Warm down:

nada

What limited your ability to perform faster:

Starting at 8000 feet, 1000 feet of climbing. Slow uphill. Lack of focus.

Event comments:

Racing Underground does this and they always have a good value. I wasn't ready for what I encountered. Originally, the whole family was going to get up and come, enjoy the pancake breakfast, check out the various tents and watch the parade. They ended up deciding not to go (the day after I registered on-line) If I had been waiting for race day to register, I probably would have bailed out.
Part of me wants to go and do it and another part thinks that on a holiday, if my family can't be with me, it just isn't worth it.




Last updated: 2008-04-07 12:00 AM
Running
01:03:49 | 07.46 miles | 08m 33s  min/mile
Age Group: 0/27
Overall: 67/187
Performance: Below average
Hit the wrong button on the watch at the start. Got the first mile split from someone next to me. 7:06 - 8:45 - 10:28 - 10:19 - 7:46 - 7:25 - 11:59 for the last 1.46
Course: Started at 8070 feet, slight climb and then descend for a mile. Then 2.5 mile climbing out to the highest point (about 8350) then mostly downhill for the next 2 miles. Climb back up and then a slight descent for the last 1/2 mile. They advertise 1000 ft of asc/dsc. Smooth gravel roads and some pavement.
Keeping cool Average Drinking
Post race
Weight change: %
Overall: Below average
Mental exertion [1-5] 1
Physical exertion [1-5] 2
Good race? No
Evaluation
Course challenge Too hard
Organized? Yes
Events on-time? Yes
Lots of volunteers? Yes
Plenty of drinks? Yes
Post race activities: Good
Race evaluation [1-5] 4