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Noquemanon 15 mile snow shoe race - Run


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Marquette, Michigan
United States
28F / -2C
Overcast
Total Time = 2h 03m 55s
Overall Rank = 5/27
Age Group = 35-44
Age Group Rank = 1/4
Pre-race routine:

Eat breakfast then sit around snacking till 10:30. This is a point to point race so you need to get on a bus and ride to the race start. Then at the race start you wait in a heating bus till just before the start.
Event warmup:

Piss and jump around like and idiot hoping to stay warm for the 5 minute wait for the gun to go off.
Run
  • 2h 03m 55s
  • 15 miles
  • 08m 16s  min/mile
Comments:

The mistake every year is to start off too fast. This year I figured I would continue that with 2 miles at 8:06 and 8:04 respectively. After that I settled into a good pace and just kept pushing to the finish. About 2 miles in I realized someone was right behind me. It was this guy named Cliff. He has beaten me the last two years so I told him he should just pass me now and save me the shame of being passed near the finish. He laughed and that started a conversation that lasted till mile 7.
At mile 7 we were still going at a good pace and Cliff decided to jump off the trail for a piss and get some fluids at the aid station. I told him I might slow down for him and he could catch me. He said ok. (I wore a camel pack so stopping for fluids or fuel wasn't required. The key with camel packs in this kind of weather is to blow back after each drink so the line doesn't freeze.)
At this time I figured I was in 5th place. I started day dreaming while flip flopping my way down the trail. My surreal moment was interrupted by the sound of snow shoes. I had not slowed down, but I figured Cliff had just sped up to catch back up to me. I turned around and it was not Cliff! It was someone else coming to pass me and fast. I said WTF where did you come from? He said I was a head of you and had to stop to drop the deuce. Oooohhh was my only reaction as he ran off. (side note: hardest thing you will do during a snow shoe race is take a dump in a porta potty with your snowshoes on.)
That guy zipped ahead of me and I just keep chugging along. Next we went down a hill and came to a frozen lake we were going to cross. As I got to the bottom I caught site of the crapper and another snowshoer ahead of me about 100 yards. The medical staff at the bottom of the hill said, "you are close go catch that guy." I said hell he stopped to shit and still passed me. They just laughed.
At this moment I did see a Bald eagle circling the frozen lake and that was cool. From the lake it was maybe 4 miles to the finish. Nothing big happened from there in. I just plodded along clippity cloppin my way down the trail. At the finish I checked my watch and nearly had a heart attack. I had hoped to run the race in 2:15, but instead I ran 2:03:55. Holy hell that was fast....for me.
Another side note: The trail has km marks on it and they are wonderful. You just watch them tick away. It makes the distance seem shorter and more tolerable. The trail itself was perfectly groomed this year. I will be back next year for another shot at it. I intend to do the dastardly double (I call it that) 15 mile snow shoe race Saturday and a 12 mile fat bike race Sunday.
What would you do differently?:

Not a damn thing. Training was great and the race went about as good as any race I have ever done.
Post race
Warm down:

Stretch and eat chicken noodle soup and donuts. Also pick up my cowbell for being top 3 in my age group. (that isn't too hard to do with only a few in it)

What limited your ability to perform faster:

Legs that don't run like 1-4 place finishers.

Event comments:

The only thing keeping it from a 5 was the lack of new ski hats this year, but that was not the race organizers fault. It was a supplier issue we were told. Every year my goofy dumb ass looks forward to the snow/ski hat to wear for the winter. They are very high quality and very unique for this race. Last note of significance was the snow shoes. Direct mount is the way to go.




Last updated: 2015-01-27 12:00 AM
Running
02:03:55 | 15 miles | 08m 16s  min/mile
Age Group: 1/4
Overall: 5/27
Performance: Good
Course: Run down the Noquemanon trail till you get to the dome at Northern Michigan University.
Keeping cool Good Drinking Just right
Post race
Weight change: %
Overall: Good
Mental exertion [1-5] 5
Physical exertion [1-5] 5
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: Good
Race evaluation [1-5] 4

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2015-01-27 12:14 PM

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Subject: Noquemanon 15 mile snow shoe race
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