McDowell Mountain Frenzy
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McDowell Mountain Frenzy - Run10 Mile
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Comments: OK, so change of strategy then. I set out at a hard pace to accomplish two things, get my HR up fast and see if anyone would come with me. I could hear JT right behind me and see his shadow but he began to fade a bit within the first mile. I was waiting to see if anyone else cam up but it was all quiet behind me. I never looked back and even when the trail adfforded an easy view to where I had been, I didn't bother to look. My plan now was to runa away and hide up the trail, out of sight, out of mind. If they couldn't see me, they wouldn't chase me. So I burried myself. My HR was at our above 10K efforst and I hammered on. The first 5 miles or so has a net gain in elevation, although you are sonstantly climbing up over ridges and down into washes. The hills weren't long, but they were steep, very steep. Running down them fast was a bit scary and my HR would be just as elevated going down as it was going up. Even the flats at this point were slightly up. I wasn't sure if I could hold on to the effort, but I knew around mile 6-7 there was a ridgeline we would run that was a net downhill that would allow for a bit of recovery. I was working through the back of the 25K racers and around halfway, I was managing to hold the effort. I climbed to the top of the ridge and headed back east and allowed my HR to drop to the mid to low 160's for a few min. The trail was open but very rocky, so you had to watch your footing constantly. I knew the last 2-3 miles were relentlessy up and down with a net gain in elevation back to the finish so I tried my best to gather myself and prepare for it. It didn't dissapoint and the only fun part was passing some of my friends doing the 25K. I slapped a few butts as I passed by. Finally I could see the parking lot and the finsih line with about 1/2 mile to go. For the first and only time during the race I looked back to make sure I was alone. The last .2 miles up the parking lot was a buit slow and I was DONE. I crossed the line and was immediatlety handed a trophy, fastest awards ceremony ever! What would you do differently?: Nothing, I accomplished what i set out to do, test my run LT and win the race. Post race
Warm down: I waited to see veryone else finsih. The second place guy in my race was about 3min back from me. He mentioned after 4 miles he couldn't see me anyomore and I told him that was the plan. Jamie had a great race, finsishing 6th OA woman in 1:32 and Nick won the 25K, so it was a Durapulse podium for the two events. Great race! Last updated: 2010-11-29 12:00 AM
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2010-12-13 11:50 AM |
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2010-12-13 12:12 PM in reply to: #3246836 |
2010-12-13 1:01 PM in reply to: #3246836 |
2010-12-13 1:15 PM in reply to: #3246964 |
2010-12-13 2:15 PM in reply to: #3246836 |
2010-12-13 4:46 PM in reply to: #3246836 |
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2010-12-14 8:17 AM in reply to: #3246836 |
2010-12-14 9:41 PM in reply to: #3246836 |
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United States
Aravaipa Running
55F / 13C
Sunny
Overall Rank = 1/93
Age Group =
Age Group Rank = 0/
This race was run on the McDowell Mountain Park Competitive MTB Track which is only six miles from our home, so we could sleep in and arrived at the race site about 45min before the start. The 50K race had already begun and the 25K race would start 15min before us. They were running the same trail as the 10 mile race and then adding an extra 5 after the loop. My coach Nick and a few other friends were racing the 25K and I was the only Durapulse athlete in the 10 mile race. I was really looking forward to/dreading this race as an opportunity to test my run fitness and was wondering if I could hold close to LT for over an hour. I ran the entire course twice in training so that I would be familiar with the terrain as well as the condition of the trail. It's impossible to run to pace as the course is almost never flat and footing is sketchy at times, so I planned to run to effort with a target HR right around 168. We spent the time before the start chatting with our friends, it was a great, mellow, typical run race atmosphere.
My plan was to line up at the front, but not lead right away and see who was who and what kind of pace was going to be set. My friend JT and I walked into the starting chute and stood at the front and no one came to line up with us! I mean, everyone else was a good 10 feet back from the line. The RD called out 10 seconds to go and to move forward, so JT and I got right on the start line and still nobody lined up with us. The horn sounded, I started my watch, and hit the first turn onto the trail almost immediatley and I was in the lead.