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FLRC Newsletter - Aug 2003 |
| Boilermaker Report | |
I've wanted to do this race for quite a long time, but there always seemed to be triathlons on my calendar that weekend. This year my schedule was clear, so I signed up before they closed registration. I like the 10 mile, 15K distance because it is long enough so that you don't have to run too hard and short enough that you don't have to train too much. I also enjoy running in hot weather, since most others suffer from the heat much more than me.
Race day was overcast, cool, and misty. Standing next to Lorrie Marnell at the start, she told me that this was the coolest it's ever been in the 10 years thatshe's done the race. So much for racing in the heat. When I asked her about the course, she said that it was one of the tougher courses because of the hills. More on this later.
Unlike many other High Nooners, I've never done a race as large as this - 10,000 registered for the 15K. They seeded you by predicted time, and it only took me a little over 1 minute to reach the starting mat. The first 1/2 mile was a little congested, but after that I felt like the crowds didn't slow me down at all. I recall felling very "heavy legged" for the first few miles, but it may have been due to what I think were mostly gentle uphills. The first real hill came shortly after the 5K where there is a gradual climb around the golf course. However, there seemed to be a little breeze at our backs which helped going up the hill. Then came a long gentle downhill for about 1 mile, followed by another mile of flat and downhill. At the 10K mark I managed to slip by Lorrie, but she soon spotted me, said Hi, and took off. The last 5K was a series of flat and gentle ups and downs, with a nice downhill just before the finish.
The good running weather and nice course (by Ithaca standards) produced many fast times. Earl Steinbrecher finished 67th overall, 4th in his age group in 51:39. Ed Cope, who just turned 55 broke 60 with 59:78 - good enough for 4th in his age group (4 min behind Bill Rogers). Ed managed to beat another runner in his age group, Frank Shorter, by 4 minutes. Becky Harmon finished 7th in her age group in 60:30. Lorrie ran a nice race in 68:02, and I came in shortly after in a respectable (for me) 68:25. All the results are available at: www.boilermaker.com/results.html
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