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November 21, 2006

Race Report Donato Polignone King Oscar Presidio Trails 10K Run, 5K Run/Walk Sunday November 19, 2006

Race Report Donato Polignone King Oscar Presidio Trails 10K Run, 5K Run/Walk Sunday November 19, 2006.
Put on by www.OutsiderPR.com : Race Director Gordon Wright.

Intro: http://www.active.com/event_detail.cfm?event_id=1307068

Brief Description: A Rare chance to race on the beautiful trails of the Presidio. Hailed by the SF Chronicle as "an instant classic." Each racer gets a technical running hat from Magic Headwear and lots-o-schwag!

Gordon Wright puts on a great Race/Run/Walk in the SF Presidio. The Course is a mix of Road, Trails and Dirt Paths. So, as an AR guy much cooler and more enticing than a boring, flat all road 10K.
My Lead-up into this race:

One week earlier I raced the 2006 Gold Rush Adventure Race (Blog coming for that one too) about 100+ Miles of Trail Running, Mountain Biking, and kayaking. Saturday spent the day at the Velo Swap. (Galen thanks for finding that sweet single speed mountain bike for me). Saturday night was spent in my garage working on all of my bikes until about 2AM. Yeah, I knew I had to run a 10k Trail run the next day but hey it’s a 10k, short distance for an AR Racer.
Up at 6:30 am for my drive from Petaluma to SF. Already tired but hey is just a 10k right? I get onto 101 and Adam Doti calls to make sure I’ve left and am not going to be late. I go to answer my cell phone and knock over my 20oz Mug of Coffee right on my lap and car seat. Ouch, that was hot! Great way to start my day. Luckily my running shorts are blue/black else they would have had a very nice/strange brownish color all over them especially in the back were most of the coffee settled to as I drove down the road rushing to get to the Start on time before the gun went off. I arrive in the Parking lot dressed and ready at 8:10 or so. Walk up get my Bib #, and tape up my right ankle (just to make sure I don’t re-sprain it). Say hello to everyone else (all the other Dirty Avocados and AR racers) and next thing you know we’re are lined up at the starting line.

Gordon lets everyone know that after the 1st 100 yards the course turns sharply left and UP the Biggest hill on the 5K loop, ~350 feet up and those are fast and think they are fast should get up to the front quickly b/c the trail up in Single Track and wet. Today I fell into the “think” I’m fast group. I shot right up to the front runners on the flat before the hill. Before we even got off the road (~50 vertical feet up) we ran straight at Ken White who I swear was screaming “there is nothing to see here please disperse”. By this point my legs were burning and I had nothing no power no more energy…it was gone? At this point I realized 1-2 minutes into a “10K” that I should have gotten more sleep, should have warmed up, even stretched a little. Too late for that now the race was going on with or without me. I suffered up the first hill, running slowly. 2-3 guys went by me on the uphill. I would have been ok with these fast guys running by me on the flats or downhill’s but I’m small and light going uphill is supposed to be my strength. I knew at this point it was not going to be a good day. Somewhere about the 3k point I was running along hoping that my legs would recover and my energy/power would come back. I’m all ready now running on cruise control just praying for this “just a 10k to be over”.

Next thing a girl (actually a women) but when you are running with mud on your legs, I’d assume to call any women at that point a girl, pulls up to pass me. I say this more as a compliment but it seems to get misconstrued often. I look at it this way “women” dress up and go to cocktail parties, where “girls” go out and play in the mud. So, I turn my head for the first time today and say just as I’m getting passed “Mari, that better be you.” She turns sees me, slides me a low five and keeps going (she ends up winning the Women’s 10k buy what I’m sure was a huge margin and coming in 6th overall. Yep, that’s right fella’s she is most likely faster than you are). That should have been enough get me going a little faster and help me hang on for a little while. But, that was not to be. I couldn’t stay with her not even for 1k. After Ken White Course Marshal #1, we would come to the rest of my AR Buddies on the course: Galen Pewtherer, Will Gilmore, Jen Klafin and finally Oliver Pohl.
OK, I make it to the Start/Finish line right with the 12 year old runner with Green Shoes who placed 3rd overall in the 5k. Do I need to state the obvious here. That kid is going to be fast, as if he isn’t fast already. Gordon Wright yell out to me, something like “you’re doing great and don’t even look like your working hard.” I guess looks can be deceiving, or he is just a good liar. I was sufferin’! At this point I wasn’t even coherent enough to hit the lap counter on my watch and check my time for the 1st 5k. I didn’t really care at that point. I was just worried about how to get through the next 5k.

2nd Lap and right back to the wet single track up the 1st hill again. I was passed again by another guy, tried to chase him and had to let him go. I was apparently slowing down and didn’t even realize it. As I ran, for the 2nd time, buy my 5 five AR race buddies (Course Marshals Today) I just wanted them to tackle me and put me out of my misery. Not gonna happen they race AR therefore they love to suffer and love to see my suffer perhaps even more. The 2nd lap was pretty uneventful with the exception that I got passed by too many other racers. At the bottom of the 1st Hill Ken white told me and the guy next to me (who just happened to finish 1 spot in front of me) that we were currently in the top ten. Again, I’m not sure how I actually did finish yet. But, it certainly was not in the top ten. Sorry Ken, I just couldn’t hang on. The whole 2nd lap I was expecting/hoping that I would “warm-up/loosen-up” and be able to shift into a higher gear. That never happened. I felt like I was dragging a concrete block behind me the whole 10k and it only got worse. After passing by Oliver’s section on the course it was about 2K or less to the finish. The guy who finished in front of me was a few steps in front of me and we had changed positions all race. He passed me on the flats and downhill’s and I returned the favor when we went uphill. At that point I just went into cruise control and basically followed him right to the finish line. Dude, I don’t remember your name but thanks for the pull to the finish.

“just a 10k” a walk in the park. Yeah, right not today! Perhaps I won’t bust on my short distance running friends after that experience. Nah!

STATS:
Start Time: 8:30am
Distance: 10K, but I logged 5.97 miles not 6.2.
Total time: ~44min, LAP 1: ~21min and LAP 2: ~23min. Unofficial of course and I’ll try to update once the actual results are posted. I forgot to stop my watch when I crossed the finish line.
Total Elevation Gain/Loss: 500 feet per 5K lap was reported I logged 1,044 ft total.
AVG heart rate: No Data. Couldn’t find my HR Strap the morning of the event. Turns out it was under my gear bag in my car.
Weather: 57F, 88% Rel humidity (it was a moist one!), 3MPH winds, Overcast skies. Perfect/Normal SF morning weather.

GPS TRACKING: I tracked my race using my GPS device a Garmin Forerunner 305. This is posted on my activities page at www.MotionBased.com, or you can just go to http://donato.motionbased.com and look for the event.

Gear Testing: Sole Custom Footbeds - http://www.yoursole.com/ - (Model - SOLE Ultra SOFTEC) in my Asics road shoe. Don’t ask me why I wore a road shoe to a ‘trail’ run but hey is was in SF so I expected a little more pavement. The Footbeds were awesome and comfortable as well. Every time I put the shoes on I can feel the extra support and cushioning from the Sole’s. I will be putting these bad boys to the test over the next few months. So, far I like them a lot.

Posted by donato at November 21, 2006 10:25 PM

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