Good Luck to the Fleet Feet teams of Rochester competing at Ithaca College this weekend. The weather looks awesome and I'm sure there will be some great races! Here is my version of the course description that was sent earlier in an email. Sorry I can't be at the race, but Prez. Obama is calling me to DC. :)
The course is challenging, another 6k. The start area quickly shrinks to a 3 person wide path and heads uphill. Don't get sucked in here, relax, get up the hill, and you will pass many people who went out too fast and are now gasping for air. After a mile or so of some flat, small up and downs, you get to Mt. Everest. This is pretty much single track up a steep hillside, many people walked this, but it will slow everyone down even if you are running, unless you are part billy-goat. Work the hill but keep it under control. At the top you have at least a mile of flat and downhill to the finish, you can press it here and pass lots of people who misjudged the hills. The last 2-300 yards are downhill and flat to the finish, near where you started. Let it rip. Spikes, if you have them, would be helpful.
The Erie Canal, Running Paradise
Showing posts with label Upstate Cross Country. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Upstate Cross Country. Show all posts
Wednesday, October 21, 2009
Monday, October 5, 2009
XC Race at Grand Island
The second race in the Upstate NY series will be on Sunday, October 11 at 11:00am at Beaver Island State Park, part of Grand Island.
Pete Glavin tells me there will be no park entrance fee on race day. From Spencerport it is estimated to be a 90 minute drive.
The race distance is 6k (about 3.7 miles). I'm told it should be a flat as a pancake course. My goal is to set up the FF tent at least one hour before the race begins. We will have drinks and some food for FF team members. At this point it looks like we should have full teams for scoring in all of our divisions.
Pete Glavin tells me there will be no park entrance fee on race day. From Spencerport it is estimated to be a 90 minute drive.
The race distance is 6k (about 3.7 miles). I'm told it should be a flat as a pancake course. My goal is to set up the FF tent at least one hour before the race begins. We will have drinks and some food for FF team members. At this point it looks like we should have full teams for scoring in all of our divisions.
Tuesday, September 15, 2009
Top Ten Reasons to Love XC Running
10. No cars to worry about when running.
9. Beautiful scenery (if you can look and not trip over a root while running)
8. Variety of terrain, short steep uphills, long gradual uphills, the ridiculous hill at the FLCC course 3 miles into it, at a time when you are already hurting.
7. Did I mention there might be hills? Oh, and you can sprint hard and go around a corner and lose competitors in the trees.
6. Your finishing place is important even if you are in the bottom 30% of racers.
5. Another excuse to shop at your favorite running store (Fleet Feet, right?) for the right gear.
4. Spikes make you feel fast even if you aren't and they come in cool colors.
3. Why should the kids in high school have all the fun?
2. It's fun to travel to new areas to run.
1. Listening to Mike W. complain.
9. Beautiful scenery (if you can look and not trip over a root while running)
8. Variety of terrain, short steep uphills, long gradual uphills, the ridiculous hill at the FLCC course 3 miles into it, at a time when you are already hurting.
7. Did I mention there might be hills? Oh, and you can sprint hard and go around a corner and lose competitors in the trees.
6. Your finishing place is important even if you are in the bottom 30% of racers.
5. Another excuse to shop at your favorite running store (Fleet Feet, right?) for the right gear.
4. Spikes make you feel fast even if you aren't and they come in cool colors.
3. Why should the kids in high school have all the fun?
2. It's fun to travel to new areas to run.
1. Listening to Mike W. complain.
Wednesday, November 19, 2008
Upstate NY Cross-Country
Great results from the Fleet Feet team's first real venture into xc. We had a full men's veteran age group team at each of the five races in the Upstate NY series. We finished in third place overall, narrowly defeating Syracuse. The final race of 5 miles was run at FingerLakes Community College on a windy (up to 30mph), cold(37) day on a wet course.
The highlight was Lou K. completing the race with his reading glasses loosely hanging from his race shirt. Think how fast Lou would have run if he hadn't been so engrossed in his copy of "Once a Runner" by John L. Parker?
Special efforts during the race were made by Mike ivehadacoldallweekW, Frank Greatmyfamilygavemetheflu and Joe SprinttillyoudropK.
Mytriathletewife ran all 5 races and secured a ninth overall spot in the women's masters division, earning a tech top shirt. Dennis M, our lead dog at every race, finished fifth in the vet division, also earning a shirt.
Best of all, the team owners drove to the race to cheer us on and cook breakfast for all of us when we were finished!
The highlight was Lou K. completing the race with his reading glasses loosely hanging from his race shirt. Think how fast Lou would have run if he hadn't been so engrossed in his copy of "Once a Runner" by John L. Parker?
Special efforts during the race were made by Mike ivehadacoldallweekW, Frank Greatmyfamilygavemetheflu and Joe SprinttillyoudropK.
Mytriathletewife ran all 5 races and secured a ninth overall spot in the women's masters division, earning a tech top shirt. Dennis M, our lead dog at every race, finished fifth in the vet division, also earning a shirt.
Best of all, the team owners drove to the race to cheer us on and cook breakfast for all of us when we were finished!
Thursday, October 30, 2008
Upstate Cross-Country
Our next race is at Vernon-Verona High School, a 6k beginning at 11am on Sunday, November 9. Here is a course description, courtesy of Frank Q.
"I love the Verona course out of all of them this is a true cross country course. There are no major hills but lots of ups and downs with many turns. It is mostly in the woods."
Team FF Vet men are in 3rd place in the series with 9 points. GVH has 16, High Noon 14, Syracuse 5, GVH2 2points and Buffalo Checkers 2pts. Best 4 races count, top 3 teams win awards, the FLCC race points are doubled. We need to look out for and beat Syracuse and Buffalo runners, though I also think our #3-6 runners need to step it up a bit and close on any High Noon guys we see in the race. I have let myself get beat by some of those guys by less than 20 seconds and need to show some guts in the last 1/4 mile of races.
Individually the top 10 vet men get awards. Dennis has 41 points and is in the top five, Frank G has 10 points and close to the top 10. In SuperVet the top 3 get awards, Dick W. has 20 points and Pete L has 17.
Masters women top 5 get awards, Jan has 9 points, probably not enough for top 5. In SuperVet Eileen has 17 points and top 3 get awards. She also is not yet in the top 3 I believe.
For team and individual awards you must run in at least 4 races and FLCC is double points. If our team wins one of the top 3 spots, our top 8 scoring guys get awards.
"I love the Verona course out of all of them this is a true cross country course. There are no major hills but lots of ups and downs with many turns. It is mostly in the woods."
Team FF Vet men are in 3rd place in the series with 9 points. GVH has 16, High Noon 14, Syracuse 5, GVH2 2points and Buffalo Checkers 2pts. Best 4 races count, top 3 teams win awards, the FLCC race points are doubled. We need to look out for and beat Syracuse and Buffalo runners, though I also think our #3-6 runners need to step it up a bit and close on any High Noon guys we see in the race. I have let myself get beat by some of those guys by less than 20 seconds and need to show some guts in the last 1/4 mile of races.
Individually the top 10 vet men get awards. Dennis has 41 points and is in the top five, Frank G has 10 points and close to the top 10. In SuperVet the top 3 get awards, Dick W. has 20 points and Pete L has 17.
Masters women top 5 get awards, Jan has 9 points, probably not enough for top 5. In SuperVet Eileen has 17 points and top 3 get awards. She also is not yet in the top 3 I believe.
For team and individual awards you must run in at least 4 races and FLCC is double points. If our team wins one of the top 3 spots, our top 8 scoring guys get awards.
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