Wissahickon Wanderers Track Meet

Tonight I ran track at Roxborough High at the meet the Wissahickon Wanderers put on every August. Its usually a series of two meets but this year for some reason its down to one. The only track meet I know of where there is all the brisket and pulled pork that you can eat. But eat it at your own risk, for to quote Ian, "there's a good reason why pulled pork is not on the USATF list of performance enhancing substances." The races are low key events that are as much social as they are athletic. The meet is also a good barometer for in gauging the fitness gained by a summer of training.

Before I get to that I just want to write down, for the record, that I ran a Franklin Field loop with 6 track laps this morning for 5 miles in 43:55. Mellow run.

eds. note - for those of you wanting a more balanced and less long-winded account of the meet, go to the Wissahickon Wanderers site. They also got a bunch of pictures.

First event I ran this evening was the mile. I am not a miler - I have little idea of how to run this race and don't have the footspeed to do well at this short a distance. But that's why this meet is fun, I can do it for shits and giggles. I line up on the inside lane behind KJ, who somehow got the post position, and immediately get boxed in and almost knock over Kevin F. I feel like an idiot, take a deep breath, and wait for the crowd to thin and go outside and around. When the dust settles I'm in third place, with Kevin F and another guy I don't know ahead of me. First lap in 1:12, on pace to break 5 minutes, which I've never done before. Can I hang on?

Second lap and its 2:26. Still on pace. Now #2 is fading and I overtake him. I give a little burst when I pass him to discourage any thoughts he may have of keeping up with me, and take note that I feel okay. Lap 3 in 3:44 and I'm gratified to find a kick. I seem to gain a little on Kevin, who is a good bit ahead of me, but he finds a kick of his own and I just concentrate on finishing under 5. My mind drifts a bit on the backstretch and I then hammer it home. 4:55! I am now, for what its worth, a sub 5 miler. Kevin also pr'd at 4:45. He says he pulled me along with him, I say that my footsteps pushed him to finish strong.

5000 meters was the other event I ran. A bunch of other Philly Runners ran this - Stevus, Craig, KJ, & John W - as well as 2 others and Tony. I hung with this pack for the first lap, which came in at 1:28, and slowly picked up the pace in the second lap, continuing to accelerate and opening a wider and wider lead. From here on out it became a track workout. Mile 1 in 5:22, mile 2 in 5:19, and the last 1.1 miles in 5:58 (5:25 pace). 16:41 total time. This is a solid performance.

So I'm ready. So ready. Ready for Sunday. Lots of other little things to fill in, as the meet is really a fun event. Tony got a cramp/stomach ache during the 5000 and ended up walking for four laps. Thanks to Kevin G. for walking with him, and kudos to Kevin for his own mile pr. KJ I know pr'd in the 5000 and I suspect a few more folks did as well. The only disappointment was that Chuck opted to run the 3000, as I was looking forward to going up against him in the 5000.

All total it was 10.5 miles for the day. If you've made it this far your reward are some pics that I took. They might help fill in some of the stuff that got exerpted due to my self-absorbed blathering about my racing. But hey, that's what blogs are all about.

The formatting here will likely not be pretty

pic 1 - the Philly Runners contingent - Kevin G, Craig, John Dubs, me, Stevus & KJ

pic 2 - the blurriness of this pic is because I'm just going so damn fast!

pic 3 - Kevin F. in the homestretch

pic 4 - Tony in the bleachers

pic 5 - Jeff facing stiff competition (actually he's lapping the girl)

pic 6 - Tony, Silas, Christine and another woman I don't know.