Yuri's Night 5K Race Report
For the regulars, yes, I'm behind in posting the Resurrection Run 5K and Vancouver Sun Run 10K race reports; however, I'll get to them sometime. :)
When we arrived at Challenger 7 Memorial Park in Webster, I thought that the race might be the first in history to be called on the account of fog. Everybody approaching the park early was forced to slow to 25- or 30-mph to keep from missing the entrance. HMSA's Clark Courtright indicated that he and others even missed the sign off of NASA Road 1 to turn off to the park because of the fog.
Waverly checked with Sarah to see if she needed any help once we got there and I went over to see where I could help On The Run's Jay Lee. No sooner we were there we realized that Edwin Quarles had made the trip over from Angleton. And not before too long, the blogger contingent was increased with the presence of Joltin' Joe Carey and Holden Choi, who drove further than me from The Woodlands.
Mike Mendeck's son, Gavin, was there to help Sarah setup the course and before the race, I also saw and had the chance to speak with both Paul Cooley, also from HMSA, and Bruce Mansur and his wife, Gloria. (It is the great community of runners - who are also great people - that keeps me energized to do the things that I choose to do.)
Waverly and I did about a half mile warm-up before the race. While the fog had burned up and the sun was out, but not yet completely hot, I was wondering how much of the humidity and impending heat would come into play.
I was going to be pacing Waverly and not running my own race so my goal was to try to keep her going out as even as possible. Unfortunately, without trying, I think I pushed the pace a little bit as she struggled a little right after we got off of the pavement on to the grass.
She hasn't raced in awhile -and- she did four miles on the bike last night too.
We have this agreement that "what happens on the course stays on the course." So, that means I'll keep it from here too, but I pushed some and some times she was OK with it and other times not. (And my "push" was simply to keep moving instead of stopping to walk.)
Waverly finished in 37:50, which was good enough for third in her age group (under-19)! (The mile markers didn't get set out, but that was actually good as I was trying to keep her mind off of how far it was today.) Plus Sarah indicated that since the course isn't certified, she thinks that it might actually be 3.15 miles instead of 3.1.
It was a nice effort for Waverly, for not having raced in awhile!
Edwin said he was right at 22-even. Joe was under 23 minutes and Holden, who is coming back off from an extended layoff and reduced training schedule, was right at 27 minutes.
A couple of young runners went 1-2 (with Anthony Aguinaga winning in 18:05 and Brian Alvarado of Al Lawrence Running Club behind by just a second) with his father, Jorge, in third. Raymond Cruz of the On The Run Racing Team was fourth.
She had an excellent turnout with somewhere around 140 participants. (She was pleasantly surprised as more than a week ago, it was somewhere under 60!) The last two years, she has had 99 and 83 finishers in the 5K in 2005 and 2006, respectively.
We talked after everybody had gone and I noted that she seems to have a couple of core group of constituencies that attend this event. It is small (and some people like to not have a big crowd) and it is supported by a lot of people who are from the local area. Plus there are those who work at NASA. The blogger turnout increased from one (Jen Kim) last year to five of us - counting Waverly.
And, interestingly enough, the Mothers for Clean Air Earth Day 5K only had 220 finishers in Bellaire today in the face of this being the same weekend as the MS150.
When we arrived at Challenger 7 Memorial Park in Webster, I thought that the race might be the first in history to be called on the account of fog. Everybody approaching the park early was forced to slow to 25- or 30-mph to keep from missing the entrance. HMSA's Clark Courtright indicated that he and others even missed the sign off of NASA Road 1 to turn off to the park because of the fog.
Waverly checked with Sarah to see if she needed any help once we got there and I went over to see where I could help On The Run's Jay Lee. No sooner we were there we realized that Edwin Quarles had made the trip over from Angleton. And not before too long, the blogger contingent was increased with the presence of Joltin' Joe Carey and Holden Choi, who drove further than me from The Woodlands.
Mike Mendeck's son, Gavin, was there to help Sarah setup the course and before the race, I also saw and had the chance to speak with both Paul Cooley, also from HMSA, and Bruce Mansur and his wife, Gloria. (It is the great community of runners - who are also great people - that keeps me energized to do the things that I choose to do.)
Waverly and I did about a half mile warm-up before the race. While the fog had burned up and the sun was out, but not yet completely hot, I was wondering how much of the humidity and impending heat would come into play.
I was going to be pacing Waverly and not running my own race so my goal was to try to keep her going out as even as possible. Unfortunately, without trying, I think I pushed the pace a little bit as she struggled a little right after we got off of the pavement on to the grass.
She hasn't raced in awhile -and- she did four miles on the bike last night too.
We have this agreement that "what happens on the course stays on the course." So, that means I'll keep it from here too, but I pushed some and some times she was OK with it and other times not. (And my "push" was simply to keep moving instead of stopping to walk.)
Waverly finished in 37:50, which was good enough for third in her age group (under-19)! (The mile markers didn't get set out, but that was actually good as I was trying to keep her mind off of how far it was today.) Plus Sarah indicated that since the course isn't certified, she thinks that it might actually be 3.15 miles instead of 3.1.
It was a nice effort for Waverly, for not having raced in awhile!
Edwin said he was right at 22-even. Joe was under 23 minutes and Holden, who is coming back off from an extended layoff and reduced training schedule, was right at 27 minutes.
A couple of young runners went 1-2 (with Anthony Aguinaga winning in 18:05 and Brian Alvarado of Al Lawrence Running Club behind by just a second) with his father, Jorge, in third. Raymond Cruz of the On The Run Racing Team was fourth.
She had an excellent turnout with somewhere around 140 participants. (She was pleasantly surprised as more than a week ago, it was somewhere under 60!) The last two years, she has had 99 and 83 finishers in the 5K in 2005 and 2006, respectively.
We talked after everybody had gone and I noted that she seems to have a couple of core group of constituencies that attend this event. It is small (and some people like to not have a big crowd) and it is supported by a lot of people who are from the local area. Plus there are those who work at NASA. The blogger turnout increased from one (Jen Kim) last year to five of us - counting Waverly.
And, interestingly enough, the Mothers for Clean Air Earth Day 5K only had 220 finishers in Bellaire today in the face of this being the same weekend as the MS150.
posted by WalkSports.com | 1:30 PM
3 Comments:
A lot of the distance question for my race depends on who I have lay out the course over the hill, and how well they interpret my course map!! :) I do think it's usually a tad long.
I must admit to being more disorganized this year than ever, but hopefully everyone had a good time!
Sarah, I won't tell anyone that the paper registration forms had last year's date on them. ;)
We'll keep that between friends! (But, seriously, who cares?)
As far as the hill is concerned, I think that runners covered the same distance going up the knoll, over it and back down it as your initial intention. At a slight angle going up and at a slight angle going down.
The only downside would be that I don't think many people are going to be wearing the pin that was in the race packet. :(
Always good to see you at the races! Yes, I have not died and gone to marathon heaven. Oh, wait, that would be Boston, right?
Holden
Post a Comment
<< Home