 posted Sep-08-2007 09:58 PM
   
This race is 'only' a 5k so times aren't exactly ablazing on the course, but when you consider the 1600 - 1700 ft climb to take you from A to B, you have a good excuse.Last year I pretty much inadvertently peaked at this race and placed in the top 5, and quite competively against the UAF cross country team as well as a spattering of Nordic ski All Americans among them. Things haven't gone so well with training this year, and for the past 5 weeks (with one good week in there), I've been pretty much relegated to 10-14 miles a week of easy jogging, plus some mountain biking on the weekends. Race day was perfect--about 55 and overcast. About 40-50 runners lined up, most of them from said UAF ski and cross country team, but a few townies were in the mix. I took it out conservatively for the first half--which ony has about a 3-5% grade, getting progressively steeper. I saw a faint mile marker (from last year) and crossed in 7:48. At that point I felt suprisingly good (maybe too good...I'll have to check my split from last year) and in about 8th place, just behind a couple of very good local runners. As with most of my races this year I never got into that comfortable groove (but who does at 13% grade?). The course offers a couple hundred meters of respite when it flattens out for maybe 200 m, just about 2 miles in. One college runner passed me just before that. I tried to keep him somewhat in contact, but was feeling a little peaked at that point. The next half mile is torture, but last year it was where I really hung tough; not this time however. An tall Estonian skier powered by on that steep section, which will be the toughest part of next week's Equinox marathon and relayh course--I remember him giving me this huge double take last year when I passed him in the first mile. It was his turn this time and I was unwilling or unable to respond much. Just wanted to get it done without letting anyone else past. The course finally flattens out over the last 1/10 mile or so, but I didn't have a lot left. Finished in 26:49 for 10th OA, over a minute slower than last year. The winner, a three time NCAA top 3 finisher in skiing, won in a record 22:47. The best news was that my leg didn't hurt during or after the race--it's the best it's been for a good 5 or 6 weeks.
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