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Post by frojoe23 on Sept 27, 2007 14:36:43 GMT -5
Guys, here is the link to the race website for this weekend. www.runforthetoad.comIt is 25k (15.5 miles) of cross-country. A two loop course featuring Skeleton Hill (scary) at 11.4 km (relatively close to the end of each loop). Course record is 1:32:04 by a guy who ran 1:10 for the half about a month before the race. I think it may be a very tough course, but I have no idea really. It looks like the race festivities ought to be a lot of fun. Results might be posted on chiptimeresults.com (no www beforehand). Click on Race Results at top of page. If I get a chance on the net up there, I'll let you know how it goes. If not, see ya next week. |
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Post by wvrunner on Sept 28, 2007 13:05:08 GMT -5
Good Luck Jaron. Cross Country is a great indicator for marathon strength, you'll do great. Some of the greatest marathoners (Carlos Lopes, Steve Jones) were strong cross country runners. Keep us posted.
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Post by baldisbetter on Sept 28, 2007 15:06:16 GMT -5
Rock on Bro:: Just got a chance to check out the site. It looks awesome...
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Post by burgrunner on Sept 29, 2007 19:10:53 GMT -5
Good showing in the nation to our North. Looking forward to hearing the details.
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Post by burgrunner on Sept 29, 2007 19:11:11 GMT -5
1 956 Telmo Silva 1:30:22 SM<40 1/60 1 3:37 1:30:19 44:25 45:57 Portugal
2 980 Jaron Hawkings 1:30:46 SM<40 2/60 2 3:38 1:30:43 44:57 45:49 Frostburg MD
3 472 Ken Macalpine 1:34:27 SM<40 3/60 3 3:47 1:34:24 49:03 45:24 Waterloo
4 957 Jose Correia 1:44:17 SM40+ 1/159 4 4:11 1:44:14 50:01 54:17 Portugal
5 292 Todd Willoughby 1:45:29 SM<40 4/60 5 4:13 1:45:25 52:27 53:03 Fergus
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Post by frojoe23 on Oct 1, 2007 10:25:46 GMT -5
I guess it is time for my recap of the race. Mike and I left on Thursday night at 8:30. We spent the night just south of Pittsburgh in Canonsburg. I got up Friday morning and did a 10 mile run - Canonsburg is d**n hilly! We left at 9:30 or so and got to Cambridge at 2:45. We decided to go over and get a look at the course at around 4:30. Mike and I both thought that the course must not be that tough if the record was under 6 minute pace. Well, we were both wrong. I decided to do the entire loop and get another 8 miles for the day. Mike was going to ride the loop on his bike, but got a flat tire 2k into and then decided that he would probably end up wrecking. When I got back to the car, I had run the 7.75 loop in an hour and I was pushing it!!! I told him that the course was harder than what I thought and he seconded it. Later that night he told me that I didn't have to finish and that the goal was to come out of this race healthy. I'll just say that the course was d**n tough. It was like running 15.5 miles on Beall's old course with some of Hereford's "maze" mixed in. There was one very steep hill at 11.5 k (the end of each loop) called skeleton hill - I joked with Mike before we looked at the course that it sounded scary - well, it was!
So on race day, I thought about just running with whoever for a loop and then seeing if I felt good or not and possibly going early on or waiting until about 5k left to make a move. I knew that the best guy running (Ken Macalpine) had only never run under 1:38 on the course, but I was worried that I might not be able to do that either since I don't feel comfortable as a cross runner. Then about 5 minutes prior to the start, Mike comes over and says there are two guys from Portugal there and they are for real. So then I'm a little nervous. The gun goes off and those two explode out front. I hung back a little bit and about 1k into it we go through in 3:35. At that point it was the eventual winner and I. We ran the next K in 3:22 and that was that. I decided to cut him loose. The course is filled with some short steep pitches early and this guy was just sprinting up them. I knew how hard the course was and my goal was to stay relaxed and not to kill my legs early. I felt that pushing it too hard on the first loop would just kill me.
There are so many turns on the course that after I let him loose, I could not see him. I focused on running my own race and hoping that he blew up. At 6k, Mike said he was 22 flat (which he thought was insane on this course). I could only catch glimpses of him at 6k and 9k as you come into and out of these open fields and long straightaways. At 9k, he had a lead of 27 seconds. I was concerned that he would keep it growing, but at halfway the lead was 32 seconds. I took a PowerGel at 14.5 k and was trying to catch a glimpse of him somewhere in the race. With 6.5 k to go (18.5k) I was 44 seconds behind him. Mike yelled that he knew that both the leader and I went off course somewhere, but not to worry about it and just relax. I didn't know at the time why he said it. I hadn't gone off course and I doubted that the leader had. Then I heard people say that I only had two guys in front of me. I thought they were crazy because I was in second place. By this time we were passing huge groups of walkers and 50k runners. At around 5.5k left, I passed some guy moving pretty strong and wonder why he wasn't done a lap yet. I sure that he started out with us leaders, but must have just been one of those crazies who likes to lead for a while.
Back to the real story. At 5k to go, I started to push and make an effort in case the leader is faltering. At 3.5k to go, Mike says that the gap is 40 seconds, so I really start to lay it on and I felt really great in this spot. I don't know any of my splits, but that last 3k was d**n fast. Anyway, I made up 16 seconds or so that last 3.5 miles. It wasn't enough, but I came out with smashing that course record and I felt strong at the finish. My legs didn't ache or hurt (I got in 70 minutes yesterday morning) and I really boosted my confidence. Anyway, the guy that I passed at 19k ended up finishing third. The guy had never run under 1:38 on this course and he runs 1:34 and some change. His second lap split was well faster than mine and the winners. Of course he didn't pass us in the race, but at 7k to go he was ahead of both of us. It was apparent that he cut the course and Mike thinks took about 5 minutes off of his time. But it wasn't going to affect the overall results so no big deal.
More about the winner...yes, him and the 4th place go are both from Portugal (the country). The winner was 28 years old and has a half-marathon pr of 1:07:10 and he believes he is in better shape now. He was on the Portuguese world junior team and as a 19 year old ran 30:50 for 10k on the roads. His friend (the 4th place guy) could not speak a word of English. He is 43 and has run 1:11 for the half as a master. His marathon pr (set in the 1980's) is 2:13.
I had a great time up there and plan on going back next year, only because the guy who was responsible for bringing the Portuguese duo made a statement that he doesn't think anybody can run under 1:30 on that course. So....I accept his challenge!!!
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Post by burgrunner on Oct 1, 2007 12:14:03 GMT -5
Great Job Jaron! It sure looks like you are ready for the 28th, keep it up.
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Post by baldisbetter on Oct 1, 2007 14:43:03 GMT -5
Well done:: I guess all the hills around here are good for something. We should do the coal mine run to celebrate:: Congrats!!
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Post by flyinghighrunner on Oct 1, 2007 19:50:21 GMT -5
Awesome report! HA...I coulda warned you about Guntown (Canonsburg). That's where I went to HS! Nuttin but hills in western PA. Should see y'all this weekend. Finally bouncing back from my cold...in a great way. Hope to hold under 18 per 5k, or better.
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