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joplus
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Joined: 18 Sep 2002
Posts: 128
Location: Tampa, FL
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 Posted: 10/21/02 - 08:35 Post subject: (late) Race Report: Rattlesnake Run 5-miler
Race: Rattlesnake Run, San Antonio, FL
Distance: 5 miles
Date/Time: October 19, 2002 8:00AM
Weather: 60F/84% humidity, sunny
Course: looping thing through a rural residential area. Mostly asphalt roads with 2 cross-country sections (one through an orange grove); also a short stretch on concrete sidewalk. The big deal about the course is the hills. Florida is mostly flat so this was a big novelty. The hills weren't huge, but they were definitely there.
Awards: 1st OA M and F, 1st Masters M and F, 3-deep AG awards
Food/Organization/Etc: this was the 35th running of the race, and it shows. Everything went smoothly. The food was typical race food, but there was enough of everything for everyone. I'm not sure whether it was the great organization or the recent arrival of great weather, but
everyone seemed to be in a super mood.
Other: Hands-down the best race T-shirt I have ever seen.
Time: 42:08 (clock)
Place(s): 7/17 AG, 25/96 F, 105/234 OA
Because so much had been made about the hilliness of this race, I didn't know what to expect. I wanted to run it hard, but I wanted to save enough so I could actually enjoy the race instead of death-marching the last mile or 4.
At the gun I started out sensibly (a first for me) and ran the first mile only a bit too fast. The second mile contained the first major hill and the first of the off-road stuff, some of which was narrow trail (no-passing) and all of which was hilly. This slowed me down but also allowed me to catch my breath. I started to pass people in the second mile (another first), and I don't recall anyone passing me for the rest of the race (yet another first). I ran the hills surprisingly well, catching people both downhill and uphill. The course and the weather were great; there were a couple of moments I
caught myself thinking "cool, still only in the 2nd mile, means it won't be over too soon."
Coolest of all was the discovery of a finishing kick, which allowed me to round the final corner and fly the last quarter-mile or so home. The 5th mile was my fastest mile ever, and to have this happen in the final mile of a race (when I'm usually staggering) was great.
Mike (mr plus) did really well too; he clocked his first-ever sub-7 mile in this race. Neither of us won anything for running, though I won a stuffed
truck (like a stuffed animal, but it was a truck) in the raffle.
Splits:
8:22
9:41 (!)
7:59
8:31
7:24 (fastest mile ever, also fastest final mile ever)
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