Sunday, April 10, 2005
2005 Dodge the Deer race results
2005 Dodge the Deer race info
2005 Dodge the Deer photo slideshow
These people have far too much time on their hands, but the flipside is they are very creative. And I guess having a people dressed as a deer, a chipmunk, and a bear isn't any stranger than a Ninja Turtle...
Good day for the race, though I must admit I'm not used to the heat! It was good I was carrying water, because I definitely needed it. I hadn't been to that park in quite a while (in the summer it's pretty crowded, and the trails there are short... I have to do multiple loops to get in a 5-6 mile run) so I had forgotten that it's quite pretty.
Dodge the Deer at the starting line
that's a LOT of runners!
They had a HUGE crowd (just over 300 runners!) which can be a pain in trail races (no room to pass if you get behind someone slower than you.) I was shocked to hit the 1st mile marker in 10:40, since my goal was to push myself and run 12's, given that my typical pace these days is 12-15 minute miles. So I pushed myself to maintain my pace as best I could, ignored my legs telling me they were done at about 2 1/4 miles, and managed an average of 10:03 for the whole thing (31:10 total time.) I was fried at the end, but was pleased to know I haven't totally lost my ability to run faster than 12 minute miles. Overall, it was a good time.
somewhere in the woods
I think it may be worth doing the "Hairy Gorilla Half Marathon" with these folks at the end of October... especially given that it will be held on trails I run all the time anyway.
Of course, now I've got a LOT of suffering to do, if I'm going to be able to run 10 minute miles in the 10K's and 15K's over the next few months... some of which are fairly HILLY 10K's and 15K's...
JMH
(all pictures courtesy of the Albany Running Exchange)
