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Afton Trail Race (25k) - Run


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Afton, Minnesota
United States
RockSteady Running
80F / 27C
Sunny
Total Time = 2h 58m 28s
Overall Rank = 203/400
Age Group =
Age Group Rank = 0/
Pre-race routine:

Arrived early to meet up with a few friends in the 50k. It was nice to lounge around and have plenty of time to use the facilities, get ready and start the race without stress.
Run
  • 2h 58m 28s
  • 15.5 miles
  • 11m 33s  min/mile
Comments:

Slow start. That's what happens though when trying to start 400 runners on a trail race I guess. I'm going to need to work on and develop my strategy for these races. I started towards the back, about 2/3rds to be precise, figuring that was about where I belonged. However once we got to the first hill I realized that everyone around me was using the 'walk uphill, run downhill' strategy which is not what works for me. I like to run, albeit slowly, up the hills, charge downhill like a maniac then use the flats to recover at a moderate pace. The first two hills were 3 runners wide, solid mass walking up the hill. After about 3 miles it cleared out considerably and I was able to race at the pace I was hoping for. The uphills however are much longer than what I train on so I'll have to figure out some better hill training or an alternative before my next race. Overall I'm happy with my race, my reasonable goal was come in under 3 hours and I accomplished that, almost exactly. I faded real bad though over the last 3 miles. According to my Virtual Partner set to the 3 hour pace I had a 7-8 minute lead at mile 10 and 11. I lost that entire lead over the last 3 miles. Even walking hard up the last two major hills I had nothing left at the top, my heart rate was out of control and I couldn't start running right away as planned. But this race was more about training and checking my status than anything else. The scenery was fantastic, it was a great trail and a fun race.
What would you do differently?:

Spend more time on hills. I also need to develop a better way to stay hydrated. I was sweating a ton and tried drinking alot to compensate but then I just felt sloshy and cramping in my stomach.
Post race
Warm down:

Warm down was just walking around the finish area, waiting for 50k friends, and re-hydrating with a million cups of lemonade, sprite and Arnold Palmer.

What limited your ability to perform faster:

My training (haven't been logging here in a long time, I need to fix that) has not been what it should be. I'll leave it at that, no need for excuses. ITB issues that killed me at Grandma's Marathon two weekends ago still have me freaked out an scared so I'm holding back as well.

Event comments:

This was a great event. Very well organized, on time, super well marked course, great food and drink at the end, good aid stations, knowledgeable and passionate volunteers, what more could you ask for? I would highly recommend it and I have a feeling as trail running and ultra's continue to grow in popularity this is going to become a hard event to get into.


Profile Album


Last updated: 2013-07-07 12:00 AM
Running
02:58:28 | 15.5 miles | 11m 33s  min/mile
Age Group: 0/
Overall: 0/400
Performance: Average
Course: One big, hilly 25k loop, the lucky 50k'ers got to repeat it. About 1800ft of elevation gain. Elevation profile attached.
Keeping cool Below average Drinking Just right
Post race
Weight change: %
Overall: Good
Mental exertion [1-5] 4
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:
Race evaluation [1-5] 5

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2013-07-07 12:43 PM

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Expert
1544
100050025
Alexandria, MN
Subject: Afton Trail Race (25k)


2013-07-07 6:27 PM
in reply to: #4797642

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Champion
10018
50005000
, Minnesota
Bronze member
Subject: RE: Afton Trail Race (25k)
Wow, those are some hills. I am really impressed with how well you did! 
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