goofyguy1958
My son the dinoboy!!
- Joined
- Aug 8, 2003
- Messages
- 594
A bit late on the report but DW and I went to a basketball game at the Palestra yesterday (St. Joes vs LaSalle our alma maters, mine (LaSalle) won, fitting as this was a 50th bday present for me) then we picked up DD and DS along with niece and nephew for a sleep over.
The event was a prediction run where you ran either 2.5 miles or 5 miles. How it works is the one who is closest to their predicted time, which you write down on the entry form when you select your distance prior to the race, wins. It is not about who is the fastest but who has the best internal clock no watches, Garmins, etc. allowed on the course.
As I posted on Wednesday, my predicted time for the 5 mile run was going to be 36:58 with very little analysis and forethought I reached up in the air and pulled the number down. Some were predicting times that would be close to their training times and some were predicting PRs on this familiar local course; me, I pulled a number out of my backside. There ended up being about 40 runners entering the race ranging in age from 13 (a member of the XC and Track teams I coach) to me and one other guy of 50 hey, where are all the older heads who are always running on this trail.
I went out for a 2 mile warm up jog to get the legs loose and then deposited my Garmin back in the car. A lot of familiar faces showed up: my co-coach (he actually got me into the coaching thing and has since passed on the reigns to me), a bunch of members of the running club, and people who you just always see on the run; the familiarly led to a lot of friendly banter and self deprecation but mostly a lot of fun. However, it was obvious that a lot of scheming (I guess I was guilty a bit too) was going on with all of the questioning on what is your predicted time and such. I found out that one of the ladies (Mary) was predicting a time about 30 seconds slower than mine and, knowing her from all of the club workouts, noted she would be a good one to keep in site.
Instructions, pat downs for those who were of the suspicious type (not really but it was suggested by more than one participant), and then the command to go. And were off. On this course I always start out nice and easy and pound myself on the return and that was my plan for today. At the quarter mile mark I felt like I was moving at just under 8 mpm pace, Mary comes up beside me and we run together for a bit. After about another half mile I tell Mary she is moving faster than I anticipated and way faster than her predicted time of 37:30 but she says she isnt sure and doesnt want to slow so we bid good run and she is off. Another runner (Kevin), who is really huffing and puffing, comes up beside me and we strike up a conversation. He is going for a 49 minute finish and I advise that I am going for under 37 minutes so he is going to be way off his prediction but he says he really just wants to finish his second 5 miler in a good time, so I say come along.
In the interest of time here is the abbreviated version of the rest of the race: there goes the 2.5 milers; Kevin bids me good run as he drops off the pace; Mary remains about 200 meters ahead of me; the turnaround; pick up the pace; Mary is around 50 meters ahead; now she is 100 meters ahead (she is going to fast I tell myself); there is the finish with Mary being around 50 meters ahead; I cross the finish line, proclaim that I think I am waaaay off my predicted time, grab a drink of water, and join another club member for a 2 mile cool down and back to the running store we go for the awards. (Theres a run on sentence if there ever was one.)
The award for the winner was a really nice Brooks running jacket and the next 9 closest runners were awarded with socks, water bottles and shirts. As our race director (another Kevin) announces the awards from 1st runner up through 9th runner up he states that there is something that is very odd the happened today and asks if we think it is harder to predict a 2.5 mile run or a 5 mile run. Everyone says the 5 mile would be harder because of the double distance. Well, as the director goes though the individual awards, Mike (the co coach) turns to me and says he thinks he won after the guy who finished just in front of him has a time of 15:11 (Mike predicted a time of 15:15 for the 2.5 miles). At the 7th runner up Marys time is announced and it is, as I predicted, fast by 49 seconds. Wait a minute that would make my time real close.
All the runners up are awarded and now the announcement for the actual winner and Kevin drags it out to paraphrase, this is the first time I have ever seen a tie in a prediction run. The winners were off their times by one second, there was a 2.5 mile runner and a 5 mile runner (so there goes the 5 is harder than 2.5 theory), they have the same first name, they are both coaches, they coach the same team, one has more hair than the other (I am the balding one), they are Mike B. (the other MB) who predicted a 2.5 mile time of 15:15 and came in at 15:14 and, another oddity here, Mike B. (me) who predicted a 5 mile time of 36:58 and ran 36:57. Since Brooks was sponsoring the race we got matching jackets that we can wear now when coaching and, I am sure, endure some teasing by all of the kids on the team.
Mike "GG" B
The event was a prediction run where you ran either 2.5 miles or 5 miles. How it works is the one who is closest to their predicted time, which you write down on the entry form when you select your distance prior to the race, wins. It is not about who is the fastest but who has the best internal clock no watches, Garmins, etc. allowed on the course.
As I posted on Wednesday, my predicted time for the 5 mile run was going to be 36:58 with very little analysis and forethought I reached up in the air and pulled the number down. Some were predicting times that would be close to their training times and some were predicting PRs on this familiar local course; me, I pulled a number out of my backside. There ended up being about 40 runners entering the race ranging in age from 13 (a member of the XC and Track teams I coach) to me and one other guy of 50 hey, where are all the older heads who are always running on this trail.
I went out for a 2 mile warm up jog to get the legs loose and then deposited my Garmin back in the car. A lot of familiar faces showed up: my co-coach (he actually got me into the coaching thing and has since passed on the reigns to me), a bunch of members of the running club, and people who you just always see on the run; the familiarly led to a lot of friendly banter and self deprecation but mostly a lot of fun. However, it was obvious that a lot of scheming (I guess I was guilty a bit too) was going on with all of the questioning on what is your predicted time and such. I found out that one of the ladies (Mary) was predicting a time about 30 seconds slower than mine and, knowing her from all of the club workouts, noted she would be a good one to keep in site.
Instructions, pat downs for those who were of the suspicious type (not really but it was suggested by more than one participant), and then the command to go. And were off. On this course I always start out nice and easy and pound myself on the return and that was my plan for today. At the quarter mile mark I felt like I was moving at just under 8 mpm pace, Mary comes up beside me and we run together for a bit. After about another half mile I tell Mary she is moving faster than I anticipated and way faster than her predicted time of 37:30 but she says she isnt sure and doesnt want to slow so we bid good run and she is off. Another runner (Kevin), who is really huffing and puffing, comes up beside me and we strike up a conversation. He is going for a 49 minute finish and I advise that I am going for under 37 minutes so he is going to be way off his prediction but he says he really just wants to finish his second 5 miler in a good time, so I say come along.
In the interest of time here is the abbreviated version of the rest of the race: there goes the 2.5 milers; Kevin bids me good run as he drops off the pace; Mary remains about 200 meters ahead of me; the turnaround; pick up the pace; Mary is around 50 meters ahead; now she is 100 meters ahead (she is going to fast I tell myself); there is the finish with Mary being around 50 meters ahead; I cross the finish line, proclaim that I think I am waaaay off my predicted time, grab a drink of water, and join another club member for a 2 mile cool down and back to the running store we go for the awards. (Theres a run on sentence if there ever was one.)
The award for the winner was a really nice Brooks running jacket and the next 9 closest runners were awarded with socks, water bottles and shirts. As our race director (another Kevin) announces the awards from 1st runner up through 9th runner up he states that there is something that is very odd the happened today and asks if we think it is harder to predict a 2.5 mile run or a 5 mile run. Everyone says the 5 mile would be harder because of the double distance. Well, as the director goes though the individual awards, Mike (the co coach) turns to me and says he thinks he won after the guy who finished just in front of him has a time of 15:11 (Mike predicted a time of 15:15 for the 2.5 miles). At the 7th runner up Marys time is announced and it is, as I predicted, fast by 49 seconds. Wait a minute that would make my time real close.
All the runners up are awarded and now the announcement for the actual winner and Kevin drags it out to paraphrase, this is the first time I have ever seen a tie in a prediction run. The winners were off their times by one second, there was a 2.5 mile runner and a 5 mile runner (so there goes the 5 is harder than 2.5 theory), they have the same first name, they are both coaches, they coach the same team, one has more hair than the other (I am the balding one), they are Mike B. (the other MB) who predicted a 2.5 mile time of 15:15 and came in at 15:14 and, another oddity here, Mike B. (me) who predicted a 5 mile time of 36:58 and ran 36:57. Since Brooks was sponsoring the race we got matching jackets that we can wear now when coaching and, I am sure, endure some teasing by all of the kids on the team.
Mike "GG" B
Anne
