The
Schuylkill Mile Time Trial running race & fun run!
Below are comments on our race. Underneath that are Race
Reports by Matt W. and Flo K.
RACERS'
COMMENTS Schuylkill Mile Time Trial Schuylkill River Park Trail - Philadelphia, PA |
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"Thanks again for all the time and effort you and your committee put into this race." - Sue L (4/7/13) "Great event today. Volunteers were great too. Had a really neat DIY feel and look forward to next year's race." - Paul M (4/7/13) "Once again, thanks for all the work/effort you and your team put into organizing this race. I look forward to it each year and you don’t disappoint." - Sue L (4/1/12) "I just wanted to say thank you for organizing this race. I think it's the only competitive 1 mile race around and it's great! Why should only kids be able to do 1 mile fun runs? I thought it was well-organized if not a little under advertised. On the other hand, the small size was nice. Everyone was able to meet up and talk afterwards and it had a good community vibe to it. I look forward to running it again next year." - Alex T (4/14/11) "Thanks for organizing this. You did such a great job." - Alyona S (race volunteer) (4/6/11) "It was a great race, I liked it... it was just fun." - Logan S (5/27/10) "What a unique, fun race! Thoroughly enjoyed it! Thanks to you and your crew for all your efforts." - Sue L (4/11/10) "Well done, MileTrial Director Kevin! Great weather, light atmosphere, fantastic prizes and all without a hitch-C U next year!" - Matt A (4/11/10) "Great mile trial race it was a truly fun morning...!" - "" (5/3/10) "Jeff and I had a great time! :)" - Kelly C (4/11/10) "And thanks again for running a great time trial. I had such a good time and it was very well organized." - Jaime M (4/13/09) "Great job Kevin and all the volunteers! Had a great time and look forward to doing it again!" - Matt W (4/7/08) "...you sure gave us more than our money's worth and that's a great thing in this day and age." - "" (4/11/08) "First off, great race, everybody had a great time... Definitely I would do it again if there is another time trial in '09." - Harry H (4/7/08) "Yes, the race is one to continue, and was nicely done...." - Thomas V (4/7/08) "That was fun yesterday. You did a great job and my kids loved it." - Meg W (who also served as race volunteer) (4/7/08) "While I expect this race will grow and it should b/c it was a lot of fun and well worth participating in, I also loved the low-key aspect of it: the small group of runners, the VERY efficient registration and bag check, the mostly downhill course and the awards ceremony... I got the same sense of humility and love for the sport and appreciation of those in it from [special guest starter, 2-time Olympic bronze medalist and 3-time Olympian] Edwin Roberts. He encouraged all of us, fast or slow, to set goals and was very friendly and open to all of us who attended.The sport should have more ambassadors like Browning Ross and Edwin Roberts! They model the kind of sportsmanship that makes me proud to be a runner. " - Diane M (4/7/08) "I loved the race! So impressed with everything about it and glad to be there for it’s inauguration." - Flo K (4/6/08) "Thanks for a GREAT time, Kev!! You really created a stellar event - the volunteers were fab, the pretzels delish and I love my new hat. Put me down for next year!" - "" (4/6/08) "First of all, thanks VERY MUCH for all that you and your team did to make this a wonderful, albeit [rainy] event... The course is terrific, fast and fun. This was the first time trial I've run in and I found it an exciting way to start, complete with an Olympic athlete to send us on our way! I loved the fact that the [free to all racers] photos taken (a slide show, no less!) include the Art Museum. Very cool. The course was well marked and monitored, your staff was encouraging and passionate. Eats, drinks and prizes were a pleasant surprise, and a nice touch. What I found was this 'grass roots effort' was much, much more involved that I'd first realized. You did an amazing amount of detail work for this race and I know that you've laid the groundwork for future versions of the Time Trial. I hope that SMTT continues for many years to come. I for one hope that it's able to grow, but not lose the personal touches that I enjoyed so much this year." - Fred S (4/13/08) |
Schuylkill Mile Time Trial - Race Reports
1. Matt W. (2008) - "Inaugural Schuylkill Mile Time Trial"
2. Flo K. (2008) - "First One-Mile Time Trial"
"Inaugural Schuylkill Mile Time Trial"
I get up and it's raining. Ugh.
Do I even want to do this?? Yeah, I already told my friend Flo I'd be there
and I don't let my friends down.
I didn't train specifically for this race at all
and I've never run such a short distance. This scared me a little but this morning
I thought what the heck. This doesn't really matter and I'm in the middle of
training for halfs and 10 milers so I'll just have a fun time with this.
So I broke out my skull racing tights and headed
out.
I get to the race site and at first I can't find
anyone. I must be at the wrong spot. I head the other direction and find Flo
and a few others hanging out. Only 16 runners in this one. Hey I'm guaranteed
a top 20 finish cool!
I start panicking because I can't find my Garmin
in gym bag. I run back to the car and still can't find it. Just great. Now I
have no way to pace myself and I've put a crazy mile time on my sheet for the
seeding. We get seeded by our projected race times and I'm up 3rd! Uh oh, I'm
in trouble.
Each runner goes off at 10 second intervals so
it's not a race in the truest sense but I have in my head not to get passed
and I will try to hang with the person 10 seconds in front of me.
Well I'm off and I can tell by the 1/4 mile I'm
out too fast. So I think to myself I better slow down or I'm going to crash
at the 3/4 mile mark if not sooner. So I have no idea how much I slowed down
but I just keep pushing on. 1/2 mile mark and I'm already feeling the burn in
my chest and legs. Uh oh. The guy in front of me is no further away but no closer.
3/4 mile mark and I'm not feeling too hot but
I see the finish and work hard to push on and through. Not sure of the time
as I didn't have my Garmin.
Considering it was my first ever time running
that hard for a mile I think I did well (find out my time is 5:39 -- Goal time
was 5:45 so I'm thrilled!).
I thought a 5K HARD hurt! Nothing like the burn
of a mile all out (ouch) but the pain is over pretty quickly after! Granted
my legs are sore now but I think it will pass by tomorrow.
The people that put on the race had connections
and had a former Olympic bronze medalist, Edwin Roberts, so that was very cool
to meet him and actually hold his Olympic medal!
At the finish they had enough 'freebie awards'
for everyone so I got a $30 gift certificate to a Philly Runner. So for $5 I
made out pretty well.
They are talking about making this an annual or
semi annual event. I would definitely do it again and hopefully more people
in the Philly and South Jersey area will come out and support this race! It
was very well organized and ALOT of fun
"First One-Mile Time Trial"
It was a lot of fun, though I froze
my tush off thanks to a chilly rain that never quite stopped and for which I
was underdressed. Turnout was small due to the rain, only 16 of us in all.
I met Matt and another fellow forumite Harry while
waiting for the start. Matt had a freak-out when he realized he didn't have
his Garmin, which he swore was with him in the car, so here's hoping he found
it eventually. Harry managed to lose his girlfriend on his way to the race and
she never did appear, so here's hoping he found her eventually, too.
I warmed up with 1.5 miles and a few strides,
and then it was time to line up. We stood single file by respective goal times
and at every 10-second mark, another runner was told to "Go!"
It was tough. Near the beginning I started to
gain on the guy in front of me but then psyched myself out thinking I was running
too hard and now, looking at my Garmin data in SportsTracks, it appears so.
The first 1/4 mile was about 35 seconds faster than goal pace; I slowed down
too much in the second quarter and picked it up in the 3rd and 4th, but not
enough to make my goal.
So I missed it, but I won't flog myself over it
since it wasn't a race, per se and it was my first time at this distance. I
gave it my best, anyway.
Afterwards, the organizer, Kev Gruenfeld, who
did a fantastic job of creating the event and putting it all together, found
us a covered spot for awards. Turns out there were more awards than runners,
so we each got to pick one! I got a snappy little red Brooks running hat, Matt
got a $30 gift certificate to Philly Runners and Harry chose a t-shirt. Considering
the entry fee was only $5, can't beat the value!
The other highlight was meeting Edwin Roberts,
Bronze Medalist in the 1964 Olympics (he was the one telling us to "Go!").
He brought one of his medals, too. I can now say that I've actually touched
an Olympic medal. Very cool.
Contact Kevin: 