Well, I survived the City of Lakes 25K run.
Here's my comments in the event that you decide to run this race in the future.....
The race started and finished in different places around Lake Harriet. I was glad that I asked where to park before the race. If you parked on the parkway surround Lake harriet, you could not leave until the race was over (including the 5K that started at 10:45 AM). It was weird to see all the runners show up about 15 minutes before the race started versus milling around the parking lot since everyone was parked in different places.
So on to the race. They had everyone line up and walk toward a starting line (that I am still trying to figure out where it was). Then counted down from 5. The gun went off and we started running up and down the hills around Lake Harriet. By the way, the temps were perfect and the stiff north wind was nice especially if you could draft behind someone.
Key times that I remember.... (with my comments)
1 Mile: 9:30 (Thinking this is the right pace)
5K: 26 minutes + seconds
4 miles: 33:30
10K: 51 minutes ... something seconds
7 miles: 57 minutes (wondering if Kristine would be yelling at me to go faster....)
10 miles: 1:21:10 (8:13 pace)
13.1 miles: 1:45:05 (8:03 pace) (Same time as my Heart of City Half Marathon Time - clock time versus watch time)
14 miles: 1:52 (Second 7 miles was 55 minutes) - (Negative splits is good! Figured that would impress Kristine)
15 miles: 2:00:00 (Exactly.... 8 minute pace! Could not have timed it more perfectly)
25K: 2:04:08 (7:59 pace)
Finish: 266 out of 582 males; 336 out of 972 runners
266 33 M35 Eric Spieler, 36, Burnsville, MN 2:04:08 7:59
Key other notes:
Body Glide works - especially on the feet
Don't tightened your shoes too tight...... (Top of my feet were killing me afterward)
Nutrition is very important.... Cytomax and Powerbar before the race. 2 Cliff Gels (7 miles, 12.4 miles) - Got me through it. Mix of Powerade and water through the course....
Start off easy and pick off prey
I ran slowly back to the start (1 mile) to pick up my long sleeve shirt that I wore that morning. Legs definitely feeled tight once I stopped.
Women runners that have kids are fast... I got passed around 8 miles by a woman (45 years old) that had three kids and couldn't catch her. I ran with a woman (38 years old) that gave birth to her second kid 6 months ago and she was averaging 8 minute pace.
I had a 60 year old woman beat me and get a state record for a 25K race
STATE RECORD FOR 60-YEAR-OLD WOMEN
51 1 W60 Gloria Jansen, 60, White Bear Lake, MN 1:41:20 1:59:36 7:42
Old record 2:06:29 by Judy Cronen, 10 Sep 2000
It was a fun race and was focused specially on the long distance runners..... The weak would not survive this race course......
Bring on the bike race next!
