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Revolutionary Run 5-Miler - Run5 Mile


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Valley Forge, Pennsylvania
United States
58F / 14C
Overcast
Total Time = 36m 4s
Overall Rank = 96/1067
Age Group = M35-39
Age Group Rank = 10/97
Pre-race routine:

I love road/running races, because no set up required, just show up and run. Got up at 7:30 for an 8:30 race, got dressed drove to the convention center, hopped on a bus to the park and still had plenty of time to vsit the bathroom and jog for 10 min and stretch. Found a spot behind the 7 min sign and waited for the gun. Wore my Joe Satriani Concert T shirt and Team Hole in the wall hat and watched people look at me and then seed themselves in front of me cause I didn't look like a runner. I remembered many of those faces and ended up passing most of them. Fun fun
Event warmup:

10 min of light jogging around the vistor's center and the finish line and up to log city and the start. Some stretching.
Run
  • 36m 4s
  • 5 miles
  • 07m 13s  min/mile
Comments:

For the most part everyone did a good job of seeding themselves, so although it was crowded at the start we moved along at about the right pace and i didn't have to weave my way through traffic. I pretty much held my line and took it easy and eased my way thru the first mile. Margaret from work was at the kids run turn around and cheered for me, but I didn't realize who she was and that she was cheering for me until after I passed by. Mile 1 7:03. Mile 2 was the loop around the arch and the long hill to the statue past the picnic area. Now everything was well spread out so I worked a bit harder and moved my way forward going up the hill. I did get passed by a tall red head, so I pushed to stay with her and let her help me pas a number of folks as the hill got steeper at the top. I cruised my way down the backside of the hill and passed her. Mile 2 is 7:13. Mile 3 was the short steep hill coming over the ridge, but they had paved the trail in that spot sice the last time I was at the park. I sort of ran out of steam at the top and took a bit to get it back but the down hill helped. Passed a dude who was very loudly encouraging everyone around him, and yelling to folks from his running club at the water stop. Ended up wearing more water that I drank but, I didn't really need any today. Got behind an older wman with a gray pony tail but every time I closed up on her she sped up so I paced off her a bit. Mile 3 at 7:15. The loud guy was behind me and was letting everyone know we were on 7:15 pace. Over the next mile which was mostly up hill to Rt 23 then quick down and up hill which seriously sapped my momentum and took me a bit to get back into the groove, and the up hill to the Washington Chapal. Of the Chapal hill I finally passed the gray ponytail lady but soon after the red head from mile 2 appears on my shoulder and passes. She opened a bit of a gap but I worked to maintain that gap constant. Mile 4 7:25. After the mile marker was the only relatively flat section of the course and me and the red head pushed picking off runners and someone encouraged us to keep up the teamwork. THe steep downhill I closed up a bit but there was still a gap. I didn't make any ground on the steep section on the bottom, but the long section after that is a challenge, so I worked up it and closed and passed her and opened up a gap. Then you do a series of quick turn and then about 30 yards to the finish. I opened my stride a bit but I didn't sprint and surprise who appears at my shoulder crosing the finish line with me. Turns out she had 4 seconds on my by chip time anyway, but it was fun to help push someone to a good race.
What would you do differently?:

Not too much. I paced it well, I was far from spent at the end so I suppose I could have worked harder in miles 4 and 5 and take better advantage of that steep downhill, and I lost momentum on 2 of the steeper hills, got to power through those and recover quicker. But all in all it was a good race. About a second faster than 2007 even with the additional hill at the end, vice the flat run to the rear parking lot after the big downhill, so it was a good PR.
Post race
Warm down:

Walked a bit and found my way to the food and vendo areas. got some water and fruit, then found Ami from work. Her husband had a table for their products so I talked to them a bit and got a few samples. (Perfect Water). Went to watch the finish for a bit then ran into Jerry from the NJ DEP, Adam from work and his wife, and finally Maraget again and got to meet her husband and appoligize for "big timeing them" when I didn't recognize her at the start. Didn't see Collen or Sam or anyone else from work. Saw the results and that I was 10th in my AG, which is pretty good for such a large race, so I headed to the busses and then headed home and took a shower.

What limited your ability to perform faster:

Lck of speed work, still hurts, but the focus this year is a few hilly HIMs and a hilly IM so speed work will not be a high priority this year.

Event comments:

Good race. 4th year 1067 finishers on the run, plus several hundred walkers for the 3 mile walk and plenty of kids for the kids race. Great course although still cramp for the number of runners. But as long as the majority of folks seed themselves properly it works out pretty well. It was funny having a British race director in Valley Forge on Patriot's day weekend reading the ride of Paul Revere, but he accnolgdged than and had a red shirt to boot. Good race, I'd reccommend it.




Last updated: 2009-04-09 12:00 AM
Running
00:36:04 | 05 miles | 07m 13s  min/mile
Age Group: 10/97
Overall: 96/1067
Performance: Good
Mile 1: 7:03 Mile 2: 7:13 Mile 3: 7:15 Mile 4: 7:25 Mile 5: 7:07
Course: The Valley Forge Multi purpose loop going over the hill vice thru the picnic area. Start around log city and finish just past the main entrance. They added the final uphill to the stop light and lnished up there (my suggestion from 2007)
Keeping cool Good Drinking Just right
Post race
Weight change: %
Overall: Average
Mental exertion [1-5] 3
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: Average
Race evaluation [1-5] 4

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2009-04-19 11:26 PM

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