Paul Christopher Low
2000 Racing Diary
2000 Year End Review
One thing that the past two years have taught me is that I do not have bad races when I am under raced. After reviewing my substandard performances during the fall of 1999 and late summer of 2000, one of the directions that I will be exploring in the future is to limit the number of competitions that I enter in hopes of raising the results for each contest. On a positive note, I got to go to England and Europe to train and race in what I hope will be a template for future summer racing.
New Personal Records:
Half-Marathon 1:08:59
New Course Records:
1. Salmon Run 10km 31:11
2. Otley Chevin Fell Race: 17:10 (New CR, old CR Mick Hill 17:14)
3. Erringden Moor Fell Race: 58:14
Best Three Races:
1. English European Trophy Trials
2. Snowdon Internaional Mountain Race
3. Shamorck Run 15k
Honorable Mention: XC nationals and International Hochgrat Berglauf
Worst Three Races:
1. World Mountain Running Trophy
2. Internationalier Schlickeralmlauf (Telfes)
3. Willamette xc Invitational
Honorable Mention: News Channel 46 5k
Best Overall Running Moment: Running up through clouds to the top of Mount Snowdon on the morning after the race to find the last 100 feet bathed in the light of the sunrise
Races for 2000
Race Number 23:
Race: USATF Association Nationals
Date: November 25
Location: Franklin Park, Boston, USA
Distance: 10km
Time: 30:49
Splits: ???
Place: 62nd
Team Place: WVTC 14th
Link to results: USATFNE
Comments: Finally, my first good race after so many disappointments! I have been training very hard for this one and the only thing that was missing was the amount of speed work that I would have preferably undertaken in the three weeks leading up to the race. My shift at a west Eugene factory had me running to work in the dark every morning (I do not do speed work in the dark) and then running on legs too tired for speed work in the evening. Nothing, however, gets me excited like xc nationals (except may be the World Mountain Trophy) and It was a beautiful day for a run with temperatures cold enough during the night to freeze the ground and clear, sunny, and breezy throughout the day. Franklin Park has a well-designed course and so crowding was not a problem at the start despite the presence of a massive field. This race provides a steady stream of runners throughout the early going and it did not break into packs until 4 or 5 miles. After reaching 5 miles in 24:30, I started to fade and struggled to hang on for the last mile, getting outkicked by two or three runners, including former college teammate, Jeremy Hurley.
Race Number 22:
Race: Humbolt Half
Date: July 29
Location: Redwood National Park, Northern California, USA
Distance: 13.1 miles
Time: 1:08:59
Splits: ???
Place: 3rd
Team Place: WVTC 1st
Link to results: PAUSATF
Comments: As reported by Jacob Michaels: In another dominant team performance reminiscent of last year, the open men powered to a two minute win over the "elite men's only" Adidas Transports team, and a suprising 8 minutes up on a fading Polo RLX Hoy's Excelsior. Paul Low led the men with his 3rd place 68:59 run, his highest finish in a PA race after two consecutive 4th place finishes at Houlihand and Zippy's. Sean Nixon, Todd Rose and Juan Torrealba ran together for most of the race with Sean pulling ahead in the final miles to place 5th in 70:02. Todd Rose hung on to finish 6th in 70:11. Juan captured 9th in 70:43. Aaron Pierson completed the scoring team with a 15th place 73:09 effort.
Race Number 21:
Race: 16th World Mountain Running Trophy
Date: September 10
Location: Bergen, Germany
Distance:
Time: 57:54.0
Splits: ???
Place: 81
Team Place: USA
Link to results: www.mountainrunning.com
Comments: After racing very well the previous weekend and taking the week nice and easy, I was shocked by my result here. Despite vast improvements from last year’s Trophy race, I found myself surrounded by the same name from Malasia. What a difference a year makes. Had I been the same percentage off of Dave Dunham’s time from the Hochrat Berglauf (a race with which he was quite pleased) I would have run a full 5.5 minutes faster placing me in the low 20’s. I had beaten runners that finished as high as 26 and many, many more that finished in front of me and I really do not know why. There are a lot of “what-ifs” here related to this performance and, after dwelling upon them for quite some time, I am looking toward to future.
Race Number 20:
Race: 25th International Hochgrat Berglauf
Date: September 3
Location: Near Oberstaufen, Germany
Distance: 4.8 miles/2800feet climbing
Time: 33:45
Splits: ???
Place: 2nd
Team Place: USA, 1st
Results:
1 Dave Dunham USA 33.07
2 Paul Low USA 33.45
3 Daniel Green AUS 33.55
4 David Osmond AUS 34.11
5 Martin Sambale GER 34.31
6 Dan Verrington USA 34.34
Comments: The following account of this race was written by the winner, Dave Dunham. Oberstaufen Germany hosted the 25th running of the Hochgratbahn Mountain Race. The course record holder, Kurt Koning, was on hand to oversee the race which offered a 1000DM bonus for a new course record. The 6+ Kilometer (4.8m) course climbed 2800´ on a mixture of asphalt and dirt. The first 2k was entirely on asphalt and had moderate climbs. The final 2k had some grades over 20% and was dirt and loose rock.
The USA team spent the week living and training in Oberstaufen, with the hopes of running well against the multi-national field. The Australian team made a 30 hour trip arriving late the evening before the race. The remainder of the competition would comes from the German contingent doing the race as a final tune up for the worlds.
Race day conditions were fog-drizzle-rain and 50 degrees at the base. Twenty meter visibility rain-fog and 20 mph winds covered the summit. "I was pretty worried at the start. My knee was bothering me from Friday on" noted Dunham. 187 competitors toed the line, with Paul Low the first one onto the hill, a sharp left 50m into the race. Low, DunDachaham, and Dan Verrington, along with Martin Sambale (GER), Daniel Green, and David Osmond (AUS) quickly formed the lead pack. The lead would exchange many times in the first 3k. Low noted "I thought I should lead a bit, then I'd take the lead and everyone stayed on the other side of the road". "Tuck behind me, idiots" was the thought running through his mind. The erratic pace and swirling winds began to take a toll. Verrington moved strongly into the lead at 3k. "I felt good, but I should have backed off on the steep climbs" said Verrington. Prior to 4k Dunham broke away. "I'd looked back on the turn and saw they were still 100m behind, then I'd think - 100m is 30 seconds!" said Dunham.
Dunham went on to win in the 6th fastest time run on the course, but 24 seconds shy of the 32.43 CR. Low moved into 2nd just after the 4k and held on to 2nd depute the lingering affects of a 37 mile day on Wednesday. Veerington rounded out the team scoring with his 6th place finish.
Race Number 19:
Race: Kitzbuheler Horn Berglauf
Date: August 27
Location: Kitzbuhel, Austria
Distance: 12.9k/4100 feet climbing
Time: 63:44
Splits: ???
Place: 14th
Team Place: USA, 2nd
Link to results: None
Comments: The following account of this race was written by Dave Dunham. Over 10 countries made up the field of 36 women and 219 men who ran from the center of Kitz to the radio tower on the summit. The course is entirely paved, with some cobblestone in the first kilometer. The 12.9k race (8m) climbed from 2500' to 6600'. The average grade was 12% over the entire distance. The first 4k climbed less than 200', leaving the next 8k to average 13-16% and the final gut wrenching 900m at 20-30% grades.
Jonathan Wyatt, the pre race favorite, took out the race in the first kilometer. A group of 5 quickly formed, with USA's Dave Dunham and Paul Low running ahead of the second pack. At 3k (9:33), the lead group was caught by Dunham. Low continued to lead the 2nd pack. USA's third man, Dan Veeringly, was around 25th and beginning to move through the fast starters. "I came to a dead stop in the first 200m when I almost hit a wooden post" noted Low of the packed start.
At 4 kilometers the long climbed commenced. Wyatt took command of the race. The lead pack disintegrated in the first k of climbing (5 minute / K pace). Dunham moved into second by 5k, Low had moved up to around 10th, and Verrington was close behind. Dunham was caught by Uli Steidle, a German Grad student at Washington State, at the 6k mark. They ran together from that point to 11k. "It was good to have someone pushing me the whole way, I wish I could have stayed with him" stated Dunham.
As Steidle broke away from Dunham, Wyatt was crossing the line in an amazamaining 55.58. He crushed the record of 57.38 under less than ideal conditions (sun and upper 70's). Steidle took second and earned a spot on the German team, while Dunham held on for third. Low and Verrington staged there own duel with Verrington passing Low at 8k. "I ran a good 10k, now I need to run the last 3k" quipped Verrington. He was passed by Low at the 11k.
Team scoring was based on the top 3 runners times, and the USA team took second behind the strong contingent from New Zealand which placed 3 in the top 7 to win.
Race Number 18:
Race: Challenge Stellina
Date: August 20
Location: Susa, Italy
Distance: 15k/5000 feet climbing
Time: 1:26:44
Splits: ???
Place: 15th
Team Place: USA, 5th
Link to results: None
Comments: The following account of this race was written by Dave Dunham.
The 12th annual Challenge Stellina was held under clear skies with temperatures in the low 80s. The 15k course climbs 5000 feet and includes 4k of flat and down hill. It is mostly single track trail with loose rocks to slow forward progress.
The field of 200 runners featured national team competitors from fifteen countries.
A large pack went through the first flat kilometer on the streets of Susa in 3.10. The climbing then commenced and the field quickly spread out.
New Zealand runner and 1998 world champion, Jonathan Wyatt, moved to the front and never looked back. His time of 1.15.50 established a new course record. The top four finishers have a combined six wins at the mountain running world championships.
Top US runner was Dave Dunham of Bradford, MA. Dunham, who has raced Susa since 1993, noted that it was tough to get used to the time difference as he and fellow Bradfordian Dan Verrington had arrived on Friday evening. The race start was at 8:45 am which was to them 2:45 am EST. Dunham ran his second fastest time ever over the course, and missed his PR by 23 seconds. He was 9th overall in 1.23.20.
Paul Low was the second US finisher in 1.26.34 and placed 15th overall. Low noted that it was very hot, and "I was fighting the whole way."
Verrington completed the US team with a 25th place finish in 1.33.33. The team scoring featured combined times of the top two runners. Team USA took 5th in a best team time run.
Race Number 17:
Race: Schlickeralm Berglauf
Date: Augst 6, 2000
Location: Telfes, Austria
Distance: 12km/loads of climbing
Time: ???
Splits: ???
Place: 31
Team Place: None
Link to results: None
Comments: This race sucked the entire way. It is rare, even in a mountain race that the entire distance provides no singular positive experience but it still happens every now and then. It happened at Telfes. In what was one of the coolest races that I have ever seen, I ran in a manner that was uninspired and just plain bad. Let’s see… I managed to stay with the pack through the village and then, when the climbing began, I watched the pack pull away while lactic acid filled every cubic nanometer of my body. Then, a bunch more people passed me. Then, I finished.
Race Number 16:
Race: Sleve Donard Fell Race
Date: July 29
Location: Newcastle, Northern Ireland
Distance: 6 miles/2890 feet of climbing
Time: ???
Splits: ???
Place: 24th
Team Place: Pudsey and Bramley 2nd
Link to results: None
Comments: Well, there is not too much to say about this race other than I am happy that this will be my last fell race for a while. Although it was a fun experience, the course was just too steep and too rough for me to perform to the best of my abilities. After the initial 20 minutes of running, my breathing was not even labored and I finished feeling anything but tired
Race Number 15:
Race: International Snowdon Race
Date: July 22
Location: Llanberis, Wales
Distance: 10 miles/3300 feet of climbing
Time: 1:08:59
Splits: 43:47 to the top
Place: 5th
Team Place: None
Link to results: Official Site?
Comments: It took 4 hours to drive from Leeds to Llanberis on the morning of this race. This means that I arrived within 30 minutes of the start as opposed to over one hour as was planned. Nevertheless, a race such as this does not really require much warming up especially on this day when the thermometer read a sunny 26 degrees C! There was £2,500 available for a new course record and £25,000 for a sub-hour clocking but neither was seriously considered in light of the heat and the depth of the field. At the gun, I settled in behind the lead pack through the village and then, as the climb begin, I let the leaders get ahead. The course begins to climb very quickly at the start and then levels off before shooting up again only to flatten briefly before the summit. On the flat bit in the middle, I started picking off runners from the lead pack and at the summit, I was in seventh (less than one second out of 6th) and not too far behind the leaders. Coming down from the top, I developed a side stitch and the steep bit near the top was tough going. In hindsight, I think that going slower at this pint may have helped me in the overall descent. During this period, Ian Holmes passed me and the Slovakian guy who was right in front of me at the top was well in front of me. Just before the course began to flatten, I caught John Taylor who was first to the top and then I set my sights forward and caught two more runners before hitting the steep tarmac and slowing considerably. Somehow, I managed to not get caught for the rest of the race despite feeling well spent possibly because of the large crowds that line the end of the race course. In the end, I was fifth overall and second open runner behind an Italian guy named Fabio Ciaponi (that's right, I can no longer say that I have never lost to someone name, "Fabio").
Race Number 14:
Race: Kentmere Horseshoe Fell Race
Date: July 16
Location: Kentmere, Cumbria, UK
Distance: 11.9 miles/ 3300 feet of climbing
Time: around 1:30
Splits: ???
Place: 8th
Team Place: Pudsey and Bramley 2nd
Link to results: None
Comments: After a week of nothing but sleeping and running, I ran the Kentmere Horseshoe just to get around and finish. The course was beautiful as was the day albeit a bit hot and sunny for racing. At the beginning, the leaders tookoff and I did not even try and hang with then. My legs really hurt on the first climb and after that, everything was fine. This is actually a course that would suit me well and it is unfortunate that I could not run this race at 100 percent.
Race Number 13:
Race: Internationaler Danis-Berglauf
Date: July 9
Location: Lenzerheide, Switzerland
Distance: 10.4 km/536 meters of climbing
Time: 43:27.1
Splits: ???
Place: 11th
Team Place: None
Link to results: www.lenzerheide.ch
Comments: I was placing a lot of pressure upon myself to perform well at this race and all that that ended up accomplishing was that I was unable to sleep during the night before the race. For this year's race, the field was absolutely loaded with talent and, in hindsight, an 11th place finished was not so bad; however, it seemed quite bad at the time. The course was not all that steep and but none of the inclines were very long. It was indeed a good route for someone who is good at transitions and I have been having difficulty with them as of late. This translated into me not really finding a rhythm and struggling throughout the race. I also believe that I was somewhat affected by a cold that fully bloomed on the day following the race. At least I know that my next time out to the mountains I will be better…
Race Number 12:
Race: Erringden Moor Fell Race
Date: July 1
Location: Mytholmroyd, West Yorkshire, UK
Distance: 8.5 miles/1900 feet of climbing
Time: 58:14
Splits: ???
Place: 1st
Team Place: Pudsey and Bramley 1st? (1,3,4,6)
Link to results: Annotated
Comments: Here is the write-up as it appeard the following monday in the London Telegraph, "Paul Low, an American working in Yorkshire and running for Pudsey and Bramley, clipped more than five minutes off the course record in winning the 8.5 mile Erringden Moor race at Mytholmroyd." I ran just well enough to win this race, pressing the pace on the ascents then taking it easy everywhere else.
Race Number 11:
Race: Settle Hills Fell Race
Date: June 25
Location: Settle, West Yorkshire, UK
Distance: 7 miles/1750 feet of climbing
Time: 45:55
Splits: ???
Place: 2nd
Team Place: Pudsey and Bramley 1st
Link to results: Annotated
Comments: This was to be my last opportunity to win a race over here as the rest of my schedule includes only races with international class competition. With that in mind, I did not go about preparing for this race in as serious a manner as I probably should. With this race, I had 145 miles for the week and some hard running in there as well including a 28 miler on the previous Wednesday. It does not, however, say that on the trophy for second place. This race begins in the shambles of Settle and does not waste any time with a long run up. I ran relaxed up the first hill with two other runners (eventual 1st and 4th) and then Simon Bailey (5th at 1999 World Trophy Junior Race)and I pulled a large gap on the rest of the field by the steep descent leading into the end. Simon pulled a significant lead on the straight down bit and I caught back a little bit on the flat but then ran out of steam on the rolling hills toward the finish, probably loosing several seconds over the last mile. In was an unfortunate loos to a runner I had beaten four weeks earlier at the Trial race; nevertheless, it was a good week and a good race despite my fatigue.
Race Number 10:
Race: Buckden Pike Fell Race
Date: June 17
Location: Buckden, West Yorkshire, UK
Distance: 4 miles/1500 feet of climbing
Time: 31:49
Splits: ???
Place: 2nd
Team Place: None
Link to results: Bingley Harriers
Annotated
Comments: After my ride to this event fell through, I had to manage the English bus system with little forethought or knowledge of timetables, services, etc. While this is not exactly the stress-free activity that I prefer for the morning of a race, everything worked out quite well with only three exchanges and one ten minute layover between my bus stop on Headingley and Buckden. Having arrived safely, albeit two and one half hours prior to the start of the race, I now had the opportunity to relax and concentrate on the race. The Buckden Pike Fell Race is not a large or necessarily prestigious, the first two people that I recognised were Rob Jebb (British and English international fell runner and 3rd in the British championships last year, not to mention just in from of my two weeks earlier at the European Trophy Trials) and Ian Holmes (1996, 1997, 1998, and quite possibly 2000 British fell running champion.) Add this to the extremely steep climbs and the hot (by English standards) weather and I knew that I had my work cut out for me. At the gun, I took the lead for the run-up which goes through a parking lot before crossing a river. I had the lead for about a third of the ascent before Rob passed me and built a gap of a few seconds. All in all, I was quite disappointed with my decent in this race. Buckden Pike is quite steep at first and then the course goes through a series of steeper sections interspaced with flatter portions. I was fine on the steeper parts; however, I could not recover enough to speed up very well on the faster bits. This is what cost me the first to the top honors and may have ultimately cost me the race. Rob maintained his slight advantage throughout the climb and I actually caught up a little on the first part of the descent; however, when the steep part began, I lost quite a bit of ground as I fell several times and was generally slow. I did manage to descend when enough to hold of Ian Holmes and finish second in a field that included several quality athletes. Keep in mind at well that this was my fifth race in 14 days...
Race Number 9:
Race: Will Ramsbotham Badger Stone Relay
Date: June 14
Location: Ilkley Moor, Ilkley, West Yorkshire, UK
Distance: 2.5 miles/560 feet of climbing
Time: 14:58
Splits: ???
Place: 2nd fastest relay leg
Team Place: Pudsey and Bramley 2nd
Link to results: Wharfdale Harriers
Annotated
Comments: After last weekend's outing, I was only a bit sore in my lower legs and, as a whole, my legs were a bit tired. After assisting in setting up the course markers, I returned to the starting area to discover that I had been chosen to lead off for my three person team. Ordinarily, this is the spot that I would prefer; however, I had not had the opportunity to warm up enough and I was worried that, with such a short and intense race in front of me, I would have some difficulty. Luckily, the race start was delayed by the larger-than-expected entry and I got the warm up that I needed. Then, just prior to the start, Gary Devine, former British Champion on the fells and race director for the event said, "not to worry you, but there is a guy on your leg who has only been 9th in the World Trophy." With that in mind, I ran hard up the ascent, pulling away from the field and building my lead over the flat. The descent in this race is open and I think that I picked the fastest route down, but Andy Peace caught me by the bottom nonetheless. With About 400 meters to go, he moved past me but I pasted him back and put one second on him before the handoff. On a good day, Pudsey and Bramley would have to run very well to beat this Bingley team whose runner handed off right behind me, unfortunately, all of our runners had run Ennerdale on the previous Saturday and as such, we were collectively quite tired.
Race Number 8:
Race: Ennerdale Horseshoe Fell Race
Date: June 10
Location: Ennerdale, Cumbria, UK
Distance: 23 miles/7500 feet up and down
Time: 4:09:47
Splits: ???
Place: 39th
Team Place: Pudsey and Bramley 2nd
Link to results: Annotated
Comments: While I am not even sure that I should list this as a race, I will comment on it nonetheless because the Ennerdale Hourseshoe Fell Race was, if nothing else, a great and interesting experience. After a 1.5 miles run out on the flat, the climbing began and would not cease until we had topped Great Bourn, Red Pike, Blackbeck Tarn, Green Gable, Kirkfell, Pillar, Haycock, Iron Crag, and Crag Fell. While I cannot remember all of the climbs and descents specifically, I do recall that Great Bourn required a long period of climbing, easy at first, then steep enough to require the use of all four limbs for quite a while near the top. Although I was there simply for a run around the course, the route taken by this particular race made simple completion no insignificant task. The fact is that no matter what my speed, I was running up and down large hills over some ridiculously rough ground for a time period exceeding four hours! The fact that 38 others in this race bettered my time is of little concern to me even though my only higher placings in the past several years have been at the national x-c championships and the World Mountain Trophy, both in 1999. This is because there are some people who are actually good at this sort of thing, a talent for which I could not even conceive how to hone properly. In general, I was maintaining ground on my fellow runners over the grassy parts and moderate downhills (not that there were many of those, mind you) while I was gaining on all of the climbs and losing a considerable amount on the descents and the rocky portions of the course. Some of the descents, including 50 degree scree slopes and some sort of red scree shoot, were far more daring than anything that I would attempt if choosing my own route. Climbing was rough as well with some long and slow stuff but with more medium length yet ultra steep ascents. Pillar, I believe, was a truly nasty climb, requiring more bouldering skills than anything prepared on a track. The final climb was more to my liking as I took the opportunity to finish strong after running the first 3:45 as I would a training run. Two words to describe this race, "never again."
Race Number 7:
Race: Otley Chevin Fell Race
Date: June 7
Location: Oltey, West Yorkshire, UK
Distance: 3.5 miles/900 feet up and down
Time: 17:10 (New CR, old CR Mick Hill 17:14)
Splits: ???
Place: 1st
Team Place: Pudsey and Bramley 1st
Link to results: Wharfdale Harriers
Annotated
Comments: With my legs still quite sore from Sunday's race and my confidence a bit low, I took off hard from the gun and instantly pulled a lead on the run up to the hill. I then ran the hill hard and came off of the staired portion and tried to transition well to the rolling bit on top. This is evidently something that I still need to practice as it took quite long for me to get my legs back on the easy terrain following the climb. After building up a cushion on the field in the climb and around the top, I could relax on the downhill, another facet of my racing that requires some additional preparation. Following the down, I ran hard in on the run up and fulfilled all of my goals for the day by breaking the course record set two years ago here when I finished 4th.
Race Number 6:
Race: English Euorpean Trophy Trials
Date: June 4
Location: Keswick, Cumbria, UK
Distance: 7.1 miles/2860 feet up and down
Time: 57:00?
Splits: ???
Place: 3rd
Team Place: NA
Link to results: Annotated
Comments: This race begins with a gradual run out of less than one mile before completing four laps of a hill circuit with a cumulative total of 2860 feet of climbing over a 7.1 mile course. At the gun, I took the lead but failed to break away before the first hill began. Leading to the top of the first hill, I tried to relax on the downhill but could not get a good rhythm over even the initially gradual decent over the long grass. Then, on the steep bit of downhill, I was passed into fourth and the leaders pulled a significant lead before the track contoured and I could begin running fast enough to make chase. At the bottom of the hill, I had caught the leaders and by the top, I had regained the lead. Reread the last two sentences for a description of the third lap. On the third downhill, I could not quite catch the leaders and, although I was closing on them going up the hill, I failed to draw even with them by 5 meters. Nevertheless, I was left behind on the steeper portion of the descent significantly so as to make catching the leaders by the finish line impossible. At the end, I was out of first place by 17 seconds and out of second place by 14 seconds in a race where the top two finishers received cash and automatic spots on the English team for the European Mountain Running Trophy in Poland this July and fourth place was eventually avarded the reserve spot for the trip.
Race Number 5:
Race: Zippy 5km
Date: May 29
Location: Golden Gate Park, SanFransisco, CA
Distance: 5km
Time: 14:55
Splits: 4:50, 9:30
Place: 4th
Team Place: 1st?
Link to results: BARN
Comments: See the story
in Bay Area Running News or, read the race as reported by Jacob Michaels: Paul Low again ran aggressively up front in the lead pack, taking the lead after mile one, trying to take the kick out of speedster Ben Turman of Adidas, Chris Lundstrum of Hoys, and Somalian Kalid Abdalah, all of whom have sparkling track credentials. After mile two the lead went back and forth between these three runners with Abdalah (13:57 5K pr) outkicking Turman in the end by one second and Lundstrum by 2. Paul ended up fourth in 14:55, a brilliant finish considering his specialty is running up mountains. Todd Rose, 6th overall in 15:06, beat the second Adidas runner, Kevin Selby by 5 seconds. Bill Raitter, showing great speed again, especially in the face of his marathon training ran 15:13, easily outrunning Adidas third runner, Hector Delgado (15:24). Sean Nixon, right behind Delgado in 15:26, beat Adidas 4th runner by 8 seconds. Adidas fifth runner was exactly one second ahead of Brad Poore and Brian Singleton, both of whom ran 15:36 and were followed by Trevor Darnell, one second back in 15:37. And that was it: and 18 second victory over Adidas.
Race Number 4:
Race: Salmon Run 10km
Date: May 7
Location: Bend, OR
Distance: 10km
Time: 31:11
Splits: ???
Place: 1st
Team Place: No Team Scores
Link to results: CORK
Comments: There is not too much to say here. First of all, Iran with eventual second placer, Rey Sanchez for a total of 200m before running 9,800m alone over some rough ground (loose dirt, hills, and occasional rocky terrain. I ran tough for the first 4 and then, when I was tired enough that the race got tough, I slowed down. Somehow, I still finished in 31:11 which excites me quite a bit as I would equate the time with a sub 30 performance on a sea-level track.
Race Number 3:
Race: News Channel 46 5km
Date: April 30
Location: Carmel, CA
Distance: 5km
Time: 15:31
Splits: 4:47, 10:08
Place: 7th
Team Place: WVTC 1st
Link to results: Barn
Comments: My first wrong turn in a race this calendar year...Jacob Michaels tells the story as I do not wish to talk about it. "The Big Sur 5K took place Sunday on a cold, windy, and bright morning on the picturesque and over-priced Monterey Coast. The start of the race verged dangerously close to the annoying: the national anthem was sung on a screeching PA system (at least to my caffeine-deprived brain) before the start, while runners stood and shivered and groaned about the 7:30am start time. And the blue blazer-sporting race officials continually used the phrase "elite runners" as they insisted that hoi polloi keep their distance from these runners and their place up front. Next year I will run the race in my own snazzy blue blazer and yell out "make way, elite" in a pretentious accent whenever passing or being passed.
The race itself: WVTC's Paul Low, a mountain runner (yes, a serious running event everywhere else in the world except in the US), breezed up what everyone else considers a hill on the first mile, with Hoy's Excelsior star and recent 29:48 10k performer Chris Lundstrom, and Adidas Tranports speedster Ben Turman in tow. Lundstrom made a move right after the hill leveled out and led until the dirt path. There Paul surged and left Lundstrom and Turman behind. The gap widened closing in on the last hill and the 2 mile mark when disaster struck. Paul, instead of vearing left and going up the hill and back towards the finish, started heading south. Now what the numerous race volunteers and huge marathon water stop brigade were doing as the top three runners went passed them is unclear. Obviously they could not be bothered to direct runners. Paul later said that upon hitting highway 1 he saw cones to his right which he deduced were course markers. In any case, the damage was done and the top three runners all realized probably at the same time they had gone the wrong way. This meant that Paul's sizable lead turned into the large deficit when he turned around and tried to make up for lost time.
Meanwhile the leader of the second pack, Hoys Ex Chris Ashfield, usually a front runner but fatigued just a bit from his 2:25 Boston effort, seeing the leaders make a wrong turn, immediately surged to take advantage of the mistake up front. Our cagey veterans Todd Rose and Bill Raitter were in this pack and followed Ashfield's move up the last hill. On the hill, the new front pack was caught by Turman and Lundstrom to make for 6 runners heading down the hill and into a rather stiff wind. Nobody wanted to take the lead into the wind, making for a kicker's finish. Turman, Rose, and Lundstrom pulled away from the other 3 runners as they neared the finish. Turman, a former collegiate miler had the most grunt, out-kicking Lundstrom by 1 second in 15:08 for the win. Rose was three seconds back for third. Bill Raitter, after winning his weight in beer at a recent race in Oregon, felt he had no drive to win without beverages on the line. Still he ran an excellent 15:15, good for 5th place. Paul Low, who wound up 7th in 15:32, would have undoubtedly been contending for the win if not for the lost time on his wrong turn. Sean Nixon, again travelling up from Redlands in SoCal as he did for Houlihans, was 16th overall in 15:57, while Juan Torrealba, 19th (16:01) and Aaron Pierson, 21st, (16:04) followed. This team was good enough to beat all comers, and most importantly Adidas Transports, who WVTC was tied for first with coming into the race. This leaves the men's open team in first place, alone, going into the next PA race, the Zippy 5K, the first double point race of the year."
Race Number 2:
Race: Houlihan's To Houlihan's 12km
Date: March 26
Location: SanFransisco, CA
Distance: 12km
Time: 37:35 (pr)
Splits: ???
Place: 4th
Team Place: WVTC 2nd (Reebok Aggies, 1st)
Link to results: Here
Comments: It was a beautiful day in the SanFransisco Bay for a race with sunny skies and a cool breeze coming off of the water from the west. This race begins on the north end of the Golden Gate Bridge and finishes along the wharf in downtown SanFran with a few hills and many tight turns along the way. For the first mile, the race screams down a hill to the ocean and so our opening mile of 4:54 kept a nice big pack together for a while. The next mile, however, lifts the runners from the water's edge to the bridge and I took the opportunity to break up the pack, leading to the top of the bridge with three others in tow. At the top of the bridge, I tucked into the pack and the four of us shared leading on the twisty portion of the course. Nothing really happened until about 6.5 miles when, on a flat, straight section of road, John Howell, who had been following Chris Ashfield very closely, stepped upon Chris' afterwhich Chris managed a surge that dropped me back about 15 feet. At 7 miles, the course goes on a steep hill and John and Chis Schille took off and I stayed even with Ashfield for the remainder of the race. In the end, I finished 3 seconds out of third (the last prize money).
Race Number 1:
Race: Shamrock Run 15km
Date: March 12
Location: Portland, OR
Distance: 15km
Time: 46:43 (pr)
Splits: 1 miles 4:53, 2 miles 9:50, 3 miles 15:3?, 4 miles 20:5?, six miles 31:2?, seven miles 35:??, eight miles 40:??
Place: 3rd
Link to results: Ontherun.com
Comments: The most difficult thing about this year's Shamrock run in Portland, Oregon was deciding which of the three races to run. On one hand, I could go for what would probably be an easy win in either and 5k or 8k and experience the rush on winning a major road race (or at least a large one) or, I could run for a purse of $1000/$600/$400 in the sure-to-be-more-competative 15k. After a bit of thought, I figured that, in addition to being better trained for a 15k, I would rather finish third in the 15k than win the 5k or the 8k. After one mile, the pack began to filter and at two miles, I was running in third behind eventual 1 and 2 Phillimon Hanneck and Kelley Lambert with about 6 guys not that far behind. At 2.5 miles, the real climb begins and Lambert took off and no one went with him. Hanneck and I filed in behind him and to my surprise, no one followed us. I maintained pace with Hanneck until the top of the hill; however, I could not match his speed on the downill. To make a long story short, I was in third place for the final seven miles of the race. On the downhill, I concentrated on turning over and, most of all, not getting caught! At 8 miles, I was a sitting duck but I had pulled enough on forth place that I was in no danger of being past since I was still keeping it under 5:00 pace, even then.