Race Report: Samson Stomp, Milwaukee WI

[Aaron]

Race report: Samson Stomp Distance: 5K Participation: I think there was about 1,200 total
participants. Course: mostly flat, some steady ups and downs. Race held entirely on grounds of
Milwaukee County Zoo. Winning time: 16:21 My Goal time: Any goal time of mine completely went out
the window with the wind and cold. My time: 18:37. 16th overall, 3rd age group (20-24) Perks: Warmth
inside the building after the race, big cupcakes, water, gatorade, hot coffee, trophies for winners.

I think I took unbearable cold to a new level today. It was about 6 degrees Fahrenheit with a wicked
wind from the north when I arrived at the race. I felt confident because I put in some quality
training weeks before this, and I always run outside so I am accustomed to the weather.

This experience didn't really help today, as I felt really cold while running this race.

Race started at about 9:30am and about 5 minutes before that during my strideouts before the race, I
came within inches of getting nailed by an opening car door of a parked car that was on the course
which I thought was unoccupied, but *surprise* wasn't. A split second dodge to the left saved me
from certain injury.

So we start the race and I do a first mile in about 5:40. I am pleased with this, given the weather
and I think, wow, I feel good, I think I can string 3 of these together. The course was well marked
and pretty well cared for, given the recent weather (snow, and cold). Very little ice and no snow on
the course. I come across the second mile much more colder and at about
11:40. Also, my feet felt 75% numb. Uh-oh. At this point, I wanted to start moving my arms harder
to give myself an extra pick up in the middle of the race. Unfourtunately, I found that my
arms were frozen and moving them in a more strenuous fashion caused a lot of pain. Between
the 1 mile mark and the 2.5 mile area, I saw three guys slow to a walk that, before this,
were way in out front of me. I guess it was tough for everyone. At this point, we are coming
to the finish and back into the brutal wind before we turn to the right and head to the
finish line. I could feel the presence of a runner right behind me, using me for a shield
from the wind. My frozen and hence non functioning brain thought "let him think he can pass
you, and then take off to the finish." And I did exactly that. The guy behind me came up to
behind my right shoulder and then I mustered all my frozen arms could and "sprinted" to the
finish. After I crossed the finish line, I didn't know if I wanted to keep running to stay
warm, or pass out face first in a snowbank. I chose the third option which was to go inside
and warm up.

Results: I was 16th overall with my time of 18:37. Somehow, this earned me 3rd in my 20-24 age
group. I got a trophy for my efforts. Some good runners were there as well, and the first woman
finished 4th overall with a time of 17:44. Full results can be seen here:
http://www.badgerlandstriders.org/results/samsom.asp

-Aaron TheYAM.net

[Joe]

What do you normally run a 5K in?

jOe

"Aaron" <dblaron419@NOSPAMwi.rr.com> wrote in message news:%oCOb.73874$VV4.58542@twister.rdc-
kc.rr.com...
> Race report: Samson Stomp Distance: 5K Participation: I think there was about 1,200 total
> participants. Course: mostly flat, some steady ups and downs. Race held entirely on grounds of
> Milwaukee County Zoo. Winning time: 16:21 My Goal time: Any goal time of mine completely went out
> the window with
the
> wind and cold. My time: 18:37. 16th overall, 3rd age group (20-24) Perks: Warmth inside the
> building after the race, big cupcakes, water, gatorade, hot coffee, trophies for winners.
>
> I think I took unbearable cold to a new level today. It was about 6
degrees
> Fahrenheit with a wicked wind from the north when I arrived at the race.
I
> felt confident because I put in some quality training weeks before this,
and
> I always run outside so I am accustomed to the weather.
>
> This experience didn't really help today, as I felt really cold while running this race.
>
> Race started at about 9:30am and about 5 minutes before that during my strideouts before the race,
> I came within inches of getting nailed by an opening car door of a parked car that was on the
> course which I thought
was
> unoccupied, but *surprise* wasn't. A split second dodge to the left saved me from certain injury.
>
> So we start the race and I do a first mile in about 5:40. I am pleased
with
> this, given the weather and I think, wow, I feel good, I think I can
string
> 3 of these together. The course was well marked and pretty well cared
for,
> given the recent weather (snow, and cold). Very little ice and no snow on the course. I come
> across the second mile much more colder and at about
> 11:40. Also, my feet felt 75% numb. Uh-oh. At this point, I wanted to start moving my arms harder
> to give myself an extra pick up in the middle
of
> the race. Unfourtunately, I found that my arms were frozen and moving
them
> in a more strenuous fashion caused a lot of pain. Between the 1 mile mark and the 2.5 mile area, I
> saw three guys slow to a walk that, before this, were way in out front of me. I guess it was tough
> for everyone. At this point, we are coming to the finish and back into the brutal wind before we
> turn to the right and head to the finish line. I could feel the presence
of
> a runner right behind me, using me for a shield from the wind. My frozen and hence non functioning
> brain thought "let him think he can pass you,
and
> then take off to the finish." And I did exactly that. The guy behind me came up to behind my right
> shoulder and then I mustered all my frozen arms could and "sprinted" to the finish. After I
> crossed the finish line, I didn't know if I wanted to keep running to stay warm, or pass out face
first
> in a snowbank. I chose the third option which was to go inside and warm
up.
>
> Results: I was 16th overall with my time of 18:37. Somehow, this earned
me
> 3rd in my 20-24 age group. I got a trophy for my efforts. Some good runners were there as well,
> and the first woman finished 4th overall with
a
> time of 17:44. Full results can be seen here: http://www.badgerlandstriders.org/results/samsom.asp
>
> -Aaron TheYAM.net

[Aaron]

"Joe" <joeblow632@hotmail.com> wrote in message
news:G5EOb.73890$VV4.62774@twister.rdc-kc.rr.com...
> What do you normally run a 5K in?
>
> jOe
>

I haven't done a 5k in a while (since late summer) but I think if I had better weather to deal with
(like 30F) I think I could have done a 17:45ish, based on 5k times from similar courses. Looking at
the results, it is obvious that a lot of people were slowed by the weather.

-Aaron TheYAM.net

> "Aaron" <dblaron419@NOSPAMwi.rr.com> wrote in message news:%oCOb.73874$VV4.58542@twister.rdc-
> kc.rr.com...
> > Race report: Samson Stomp Distance: 5K Participation: I think there was about 1,200 total
> > participants. Course: mostly flat, some steady ups and downs. Race held entirely on grounds of
> > Milwaukee County Zoo. Winning time: 16:21 My Goal time: Any goal time of mine completely went
> > out the window with
> the
> > wind and cold. My time: 18:37. 16th overall, 3rd age group (20-24) Perks: Warmth inside the
> > building after the race, big cupcakes, water, gatorade, hot coffee, trophies for winners.
> >
> > I think I took unbearable cold to a new level today. It was about 6
> degrees
> > Fahrenheit with a wicked wind from the north when I arrived at the race.
> I
> > felt confident because I put in some quality training weeks before this,
> and
> > I always run outside so I am accustomed to the weather.
> >
> > This experience didn't really help today, as I felt really cold while running this race.
> >
> > Race started at about 9:30am and about 5 minutes before that during my strideouts before the
> > race, I came within inches of getting nailed by an opening car door of a parked car that was on
> > the course which I thought
> was
> > unoccupied, but *surprise* wasn't. A split second dodge to the left
saved
> > me from certain injury.
> >
> > So we start the race and I do a first mile in about 5:40. I am pleased
> with
> > this, given the weather and I think, wow, I feel good, I think I can
> string
> > 3 of these together. The course was well marked and pretty well cared
> for,
> > given the recent weather (snow, and cold). Very little ice and no snow
on
> > the course. I come across the second mile much more colder and at about
> > 11:40. Also, my feet felt 75% numb. Uh-oh. At this point, I wanted to start moving my arms
> > harder to give myself an extra pick up in the
middle
> of
> > the race. Unfourtunately, I found that my arms were frozen and moving
> them
> > in a more strenuous fashion caused a lot of pain. Between the 1 mile
mark
> > and the 2.5 mile area, I saw three guys slow to a walk that, before
this,
> > were way in out front of me. I guess it was tough for everyone. At
this
> > point, we are coming to the finish and back into the brutal wind before
we
> > turn to the right and head to the finish line. I could feel the
presence
> of
> > a runner right behind me, using me for a shield from the wind. My
frozen
> > and hence non functioning brain thought "let him think he can pass you,
> and
> > then take off to the finish." And I did exactly that. The guy behind
me
> > came up to behind my right shoulder and then I mustered all my frozen
arms
> > could and "sprinted" to the finish. After I crossed the finish line, I didn't know if I wanted
> > to keep running to stay warm, or pass out face
> first
> > in a snowbank. I chose the third option which was to go inside and warm
> up.
> >
> > Results: I was 16th overall with my time of 18:37. Somehow, this
earned
> me
> > 3rd in my 20-24 age group. I got a trophy for my efforts. Some good runners were there as well,
> > and the first woman finished 4th overall
with
> a
> > time of 17:44. Full results can be seen here:
> > http://www.badgerlandstriders.org/results/samsom.asp
> >
> > -Aaron TheYAM.net
> >
>

[Brian Baresch]

Thanks for the report. Great effort in adverse conditions, and good job dropping the other guy at
the end. I think the coldest race I've run was about 20 degrees; I remember ice on the water cups.
And congrats on the AG placing; in a race that size, that's an accomplishment.

--
Brian P. Baresch Fort Worth, Texas, USA Professional editing and proofreading

If you're going through hell, keep going. --Winston Churchill

[M1ahearn]

>> I think the coldest race I've run was about 20 degrees; I remember ice on
the water cups. <<

It was about twenty degrees for the 1995 White Rock Marathon; I don't
remember the water in the cups freezing but whatever got spilled certainly did.

Mike

[Mark]

"Aaron" <dblaron419@NOSPAMwi.rr.com> writes:
>Race report: Samson Stomp Distance: 5K

You froze your fanny off?! They did the 3k indoors for $10 entry.

Anyway... original intent: do the mile AND 300m; the mile in order to try and hang with the 5:00
crowd and get at least down to 5:20 or so.

Testing my condition and came out with an equivalent of about 5:40 ... still not fully recovered
from illness the week before ... so decided to enter the 300 only.

Tried for a 15+13+12 split with 48+48+48 strides, ended up doing 42.1, with a 15+13+14 & 48+48+48
split; lost it after 250m, unable to get in the final sprint and lost 2 seconds there as a result.

The final time was pretty much in line with the 5:40 mile condition, with the 8:1 mile:300 ratio I'd
normally use.

The same thing happened the last time I did the 300: the body started shutting down after 100
strides. That's because I've been doing 100 stride 200 meter intervals all this time up to now.

A few days later I switched to 200 stride 400 meter intervals; most recent being
63+66+65+66+66+66+65+68+65 over a 5-6 mile stretch. Need to get down to consistent 60 second
intervals, and a mile under 5:20 or so.