5K uphill race...

[Tormod]

Last year I picked up running again, after years of procrastination. Then I managed to get an inflammation in both my achilles. I've only managed to train normally for about two months, and with my exams and paper writing I've not exactly been able to slavishly follow any training programs.

BUT! I finished my first race in about 14 years today, and wow it was tough. It was a 5.4 kilometer race with a total ascent of about 303 meters (race profile).

It was 30C in Oslo today, almost no wind. After about 2 km the heat had already knocked me out. I also started to feel a 10K bike ride I did yesterday...stupid thing to do before such a race.

Anyway, my only aim with this race was to *finish*, and I think I managed to avoid coming in last. The time was about 45 minutes.

My wife shot some pics of me crossing the finish line - I'll publish them tomorrow.

Needless to say, such torture only means I have to do it again next year. I have to do *something* about all those 12-year-olds who left me at the starting line and finished about 15 minutes before me.

Ain't sports fun! At leat when you're 36.

[orbsycli]

aye..I've never been a runner, that sounds intense!

[Mercedes Benzene]

Ahhh the joys of a 5k.
It's by far my favorite race, which I suppose makes Cross Country my favorite running season. I've already started summer training with some people from my team, so we'll be nice and ready when XC starts this fall.
My running calender has me running 513 miles this summer (plus whatever I run at cross country camp in July).


I love running, but it's torture.

[CraigD]

In the 1970s, there was a race known as the “Mt. Wilson Classic”. It was a roughly 15 mi/25 km race from a parking area to the peak of Mt. Wilson, Vermont, USA, then back down the same way.

In the pre-GPS 1970s, there was some debate as to both the actual length of the race, and the elevation change, but general agreement that the latter was between 600 and 700 m. It was considered a race for madmen, because, as anyone who’s done much of it can attest, competitive running down a long steep grade is … well … insane. Doing it on a narrow (1-3 m) trail while others are still running up it … you can judge for yourself. My high school’s varsity and JV cross country and track teams were officially forbidden from entering the race, as it had a history of injuring runners, and usually occurred just before the regional interscholastic championships. It was rumored the race was first organized (a lose term, because, as best I could tell, the race was actually prohibited by the park service, as it terrorized the trail’s many hikers) by a small HS coach with the intention of eliminating the competition for one of his runners who had a chance of winning the interschols.

I’ve no idea if the race still happens, but Tormod’s story reminded me of it. Imagine, T, how much fun your race would have been if, at the finish, you had to turn around and run back down.

[Tormod]

OK! I was officially *not* last. I was #3 from the bottom.

Official time 44:37 which was definitely last in my age group, 6 minutes behind the next person, and 21 minutes behind the winner in my bracket.

I am of course set on improving this next year.

Originally Posted by Mercedes Benzene

Ahhh the joys of a 5k.

My 5K PB is 23:01 which is hardly world class but not bad for an astmatic kid. I hope to better it next year, 14 years after I set the PB.

Originally Posted by CraigD

In the 1970s, there was a race known as the “Mt. Wilson Classic”. It was a roughly 15 mi/25 km race from a parking area to the peak of Mt. Wilson, Vermont, USA, then back down the same way.

Sounds like hell! I would need to train for a couple of more years to even think of participating in something like that.

I’ve no idea if the race still happens, but Tormod’s story reminded me of it. Imagine, T, how much fun your race would have been if, at the finish, you had to turn around and run back down.

A lot of the participants actually did that - since they had parked down at the starting area. Thank heavens I asked Yvonne to wait for me at the finish line.

[Jay-qu]

Well done T

Its great to see your back on the competitive stage of running.

I think it would be cool if we could do an intercontinental 5K race and have everyone post thier times - we could set the tracks on google earth so that everyone has similar inclines

[Tormod]

Here we go!!!

[Mercedes Benzene]

Yay!! You made it!

See, you look perfectly fine. Are you sure this is your first 5k in years?

[Tormod]

My first *race*, yes. I run 2-3 5Ks per week, in addition to a long run.

[Jay-qu]

Scenery looks beautiful!

Check the hypo 5k race if your interested in some multinational competition with your running