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Pug
The Movie Geek
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Joined: 21 Aug 2003
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 Posted: 08/01/05 - 07:46 Post subject: Race Report: Scott County Harvest Festival 5k(with picture!)
I've forgotten my watch for a race twice. The second time was for this race and the first time was for this same race last year. I'm sure I'll manage to forget it next year, too.
I registered for this race shortly after finishing the marathon thinking that this would be a fast course and a nice small race to get my butt (and legs) back in gear. I ran my best 5k time on this course last year but that was before the race was moved from the Scott County Fairgrounds to a nearby (more or less) Apple Orchard. I was still hoping for the flat and fast but as I do a little jogging before the race not knowing what the course looks like because there is no map I see an arrow painted on the ground going into some woods. Hmmm. I follow the trail a little bit. This could be interesting.
As we line up with our backs to a hill the race director comes out and turns us around. We'll be starting up the hill. Then he tells us that this is a cross country race and will be entirely on trails and grass and that if we plan on starting out at a six minute mile but check our splits and find that we are at a seven minute mile to not be surprised. No prs will be set today and this is an "Aggressive Course". I must have blanked out because this didn't really register. Maybe I thought he meant that I'm supposed to be aggressive on the course.
The whistle blows and we start up the hill then turn to the right and soon after are on a woods lined trail. I'm all running fast and aggressive like. It's my big failing in short races. I start out too fast because I have no sense of pace because I have a really hard time running faster workouts. A half mile in some girl who is a little bit in front of me takes a face plant (hopefully there weren't horse droppings where she fell because there were everywhere else on the trail). She was running and the trail went downhill and started to curve and just tumbled. I slowed to help her up, but she popped right back to her feet and apologized to me. Why, I'm not sure. She's the one who fell. I didn't.
It's nice, I like these trails and cross country races but this first mile feels long and hilly. Lots of hills and shart turns and a cutback or two and my legs are burning already. I know I'm going too fast and the mile comes up and I hear the guy reading splits saying "seventeen, eighteen, nineteen" but I'm not that close and I'm honestly hoping he is in the eight minute range because if he's in the sevens I might be in trouble. Not that I can't do it, but if I'm still that fast with how tough the first mile is I spent too much energy. I pass the mile marker: 7:34!
Aww, hell.
I'd be well under 7 if it were flat, but if it were flat I'd have a better chance at holding the pace longer. Still hilly, but now on grass as the course winds through the orchard. I'm slowing down and the second mile comes faster. Nobody reading splits and I say "sir, what was the time at two miles?" to the man who was next to me at the split. 16:10. Okay. I slowed. That's fine.
My legs must have picked up some pep again or had the fatigue ran out because even though I was still tired I was moving a little faster. The course also flattened out for the third mile, finally and I don't know what my pace is or what's going on but I get around the last .1 and finish and I'm tired and I see the clock at 24:48 which actually puts my pace at just under 8 minutes per mile. I sped up the third mile, which is always nice.
I know what I did wrong the first mile, I went out way too hard. I was aggressive on the course and in return the more aggressive course showed me the back of its pimp hand. But I like this kind of course. It's fun when your legs aren't burning less than a mile into the race. It was also rather pretty at times. I'm satisfied with the result because even going 8 minute pace for my first race back where I struggled all month is a positive and I also didn't fall too far off the back. There was a time where if I started with a 7:34 and then went to an 8:34, my last mile would have been a 9:34, not back to an 8:00 or faster. Progression.
Fun times. It's nice to be back racing.
Official Time - 24:47 (7:59)
38/68 Gender
8/10 AG
51/138 Overall
Last edited by Pug on 08/03/05 - 07:44; edited 2 times in total
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robp
Pyromaniac
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Joined: 26 Jul 2002
Posts: 16242
Location: Waiting in line at the beer store...
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Posted: 08/01/05 - 08:08 Post subject:
Sounds like a great course to me. Good job for a post marathon 5k.
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JUJR
Grunt
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Joined: 20 Feb 2005
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Location: www.johnnydu.com
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Posted: 08/01/05 - 09:20 Post subject:
Pug, I think the chicky apologized because she thought she may have gotten in your way????? Just a thought...
Sounds like a neat race....cept them hills  I no likey hills.
good job!
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Pug
The Movie Geek
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Joined: 21 Aug 2003
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Posted: 08/01/05 - 09:27 Post subject:
| JUJR wrote: | Pug, I think the chicky apologized because she thought she may have gotten in your way????? Just a thought...
Sounds like a neat race....cept them hills I no likey hills.
good job! |
Oh, I know. That's my guess too, but to be honest she wasn't anywhere close to me. Close enough that I could see her fall, but nothing even remotely obstructive. I just thought it was kind of funny that she apologized.
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JACKED UP
PRESIDENT
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Joined: 06 Jun 2003
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Location: www.johnnydu.com
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Posted: 08/01/05 - 09:50 Post subject:
Excellent job Pug! 
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jrjo
Gone Fishin
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Joined: 15 May 2002
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Location: Lake Wobegon, MN
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Posted: 08/01/05 - 10:21 Post subject:
| robp wrote: | | Sounds like a great course to me. Good job for a post marathon 5k. |
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rolling rock
The Pinball
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Joined: 15 May 2002
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Posted: 08/01/05 - 12:34 Post subject:
great job pug. strong effort for post marathon for sure.
back of it's pimp hand 
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gretriever
Hipster Doofus
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Joined: 16 Jul 2003
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Location: A moving target in a firing range.
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Posted: 08/01/05 - 14:00 Post subject:
| rolling rock wrote: | great job pug. strong effort for post marathon for sure.
back of it's pimp hand |
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TriBob
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Posted: 08/01/05 - 14:11 Post subject: Re: Race Report: Scott County Harvest Festival 5k
| Pug wrote: | | I've forgotten my watch for a race twice. The second time was for this race and the first time was for this same race last year. I'm sure I'll manage to forget it next year, too. |
A consistant pre-race ritual is good. 
Sounds like your endurance carried you through a tough course. Nice job!
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Kimba90
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Posted: 08/01/05 - 17:04 Post subject:
Wow, that sounds like a fun race!!! Nice time for you too, post-marathon.
And that was nice of you to stop and assist a fellow runner too!
Nice report!
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Zatoichi
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Posted: 08/01/05 - 22:47 Post subject:
Great job, and on an unfamiliar course, no less. Awesome! 
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Pug
The Movie Geek
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Joined: 21 Aug 2003
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Posted: 08/03/05 - 07:45 Post subject:
Wow...I look all excited to have bib #1
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JUJR
Grunt
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Joined: 20 Feb 2005
Posts: 1970
Location: www.johnnydu.com
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Posted: 08/03/05 - 08:48 Post subject:
| Pug wrote: | | Wow...I look all excited to have bib #1 |
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ShannonG
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Posted: 08/05/05 - 12:03 Post subject:
Good race. You veddy fast!
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