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November 21, 2005
Weekend in Rochester
First, I need a summary for my log since I haven't posted in a while:
Wed.- 70 minutes
Thurs.- 70 minutes (with 10 downhill strides)
Fri.- 45 minutes AM/ 60 minutes PM at the course preview
Sat.- 1:40 at the race
Sun.- 60 minutes FAST (for me)
Monday (today)- OFF!!
I got up at 5:30am to run on Friday so we could head to Rochester, NY for the USATF National Club Cross-County Championships(otherwise know as Fall Nationals, Club Nationals, etc.). We headed right to the course in Genesee Valley Park and started running because we were so stiff and cold. We had already run for 30 minutes when Brad's teammates arrived, so we ran with them (well, the women's team)for another 30 minutes. The course is mostly a 2k loop, so we kept looping around. I didn't mind at all, because the atmosphere was very motivating and exciting.
On Saturday, I started running as soon as we got to the race. I did a short out and back because the women's race was starting soon after we arrived. While the women raced, I looped around the course backwards and cheered for everyone. It was really exciting because one of Brad's teammates finished 4th. I cooled down with the women which mostly consisted of cheering on the men, which meant more loops, but I still didn't mind. The men's race had well over 300 runners, which was too crowded, and made it difficult to find people. When the women were done cooling down, I headed back over to the 2 golf courses that were in the park to finish up my run.
On Sunday, we headed out for a run with most of the team on a path that runs along the Genesee River. I had heard that people were just doing a 30 minute run. About 5 minutes into the run, we were going no slower than 7:30 pace, so I told Brad that I couldn't wait until they turned around in 10 more minutes, at which time I would continue on my way. At 15 minutes, no one turned around. It wasn't until 30 minutes or so that they turned around. At this point they had dropped me a little, but Brad was keeping me company. On the way back, I slowed down to 8:00 pace, and I was left in the dust. Boy, was I dead when I was finished and happy to be done. When we got back to the room, I got a little sad about the fact that 7:30 pace used to be easy for me eons ago, but I'm just happy that I can run at all.
I'd go back to Rochester in a heartbeat. What I saw of it, looked like a great place to train for runners, but I know they get a lot of snow. Nevertheless, it was a really fun weekend!
Posted by Caitlin at November 21, 2005 07:31 PM
Comments
I'm glad you had a good time, and you're getting a little up-tempo running in :-) I noticed that the race was huge, but it also looked like an exciting one to watch based on the results.
Posted by: Alison at November 22, 2005 05:35 AM