Whiteface Race and Frozen PARTS!

Race Update # 3

Lake Placid, NY ~ Whiteface Mountain Uphill Footrace
June 4, 2006.


This would be my first major “footrace” since I sliced my toes off at Ironman Lake Placid over a year ago. Since then I have not done what I would consider “Run –Specific training”. I assumed I would be able to be competitive considering my running history but guessed a finishing time around 1:15. I was also a little bit leery about the race considering I had been on the road for over two weeks for my job and had little time to train.

The morning sky was an ominous portent into what might be for this day. The sky was grey and it was raining quite hard. Considering the race covers over 3500 ft in elevation gain and this was spring in the Adirondacks. A light drizzle covered the runners at the start. I started slow and towards the back not too confident in my form. By mile 1 I had cracked into the top ten, and continue to move up the ranks as the miles passed by. At the three mile mark the slight drizzle had changed into a soaking rain.

By mile 5 the race started to creep past tree line and the decreased temperatures plus the wind made for a grueling finishing three miles tempartures dropped into the low 30's and snow could be seen!!! I managed to continue my upward progression in the race realizing I had started to slowly to catch the leaders. I fought through the last mile where I could hardly feel my legs or arms and my head pounded with the freezing cold.

I finished 5th overall and 2nd in the Male 20-29 Age group with a finish time of 1:10:10 beating my goal time in these conditions. Yet the time was nowhere near my high school time of 59 minutes but then again I don’t just run anymore. I will be back on June 18th to finish the second leg of the Whiteface Mountain Challenge Double. The uphill bike race, on the very same course hopefully conditions will be a bit better.

I have to say I was totally “stoked” on all of my new sponsored gear this year. The Recover – Ease has made a notable difference in my racing and training allowing to race and train harder and recover faster, sweat deal! I am also totally happy with all my Rudy Project gear the glasses were superb in the rain. I loved my CW-X pro top it regulated my temperature oh so well; it worked great as my base layer for the race. I also loved racing in the Brooks singlet it added just enough warmth to help fit the cold and it was super light weight my favorite thing in any piece of gear!


Full Results and information can be found at http://www.whitefacerace.com/

Please visit my blog while I continue to update it with racing information… and bear with me as I just started it one month ago J

http://mattydracing.blogspot.com/