![]() Run
Comments: The race crosses two bridges and winds through some very scenic areas of downtown along the river. There were a ton of spectators and volunteers all along the way that were great. The first brige crossing is early in the race and pretty short. The first bridge is made of grating so that you can actually look down and see the river right below your feet. That was pretty cool, but at this point in the race it was still so packed that I had to pay attention to the runners around me rather than see the sights. Had a pretty good first 5K split and still felt great. The middle of the race is all pretty flat with plenty of room for the most part (though not as much as I had expected). They had bands of all genres sprinkled around the course. I saw a guy running the race in a Spartans (from "300") costume that all the spectators loved. The second bridge is at the end of the race and is quite a bit longer than the first. It was really foggy and the whole midsection of this bridge was covered in fog which made it even more ominous. Knowing this was near the end of the race I used everything I had pushing up the bridge. Then, I just tried to keep my speed up as much as possible on the downhill. I didn't have enough left to really sprint to the finish, but I was content that I completed my first race. What would you do differently?: Nothing. ![]() Post race
Warm down: Had 2 MGD 64s, 1 Banana and an Orange Powerade. All provided free of charge by the race organizers. What limited your ability to perform faster: I guess with more experience and more training I could have been faster. My goals for this race were; first, to finish without walking, and to finish at about a 9 minute pace. I had heard some pretty bad stories about the Hart bridge at the end of the race and I was nervous I wouldn't be able to make it up without stopping. I was really happy (and suprised) that I completed both goals. The weather and training were what helped me complete these two goals. Event comments: The best running race I've ever participated in. (Also the only running race I've participated in) Last updated: 2009-02-28 12:00 AM
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United States
Jacksonville Track Club
Overcast
Overall Rank = 1942/12901
Age Group = 25-29
Age Group Rank = 247/964
My first ever running race. The only other event that I have participated in was an Xterra Triathlon over the summer. I used the training plan that the Gate River Run set up on its website and followed it to a T.
The weather was perfect for running. It was cool and foggy with no wind.
Nothing really. Tried to go to the bathroom as much as possible, but still had to go really bad while waiting for the start. Probably nerves.