Race Report: Rattlesnake Run

This morning was the 33rd annual Rattlesnake Run in San Antonio.  For those of you who are unfamiliar with San Antonio, it's pretty hilly.  Actually, really hilly.  Most runners and bikers train in the hills in San Antonio because it doesn't get much hillier in Pasco county.  And every year there is a Rattlesnake Festival (read more about it here: http://rattlesnakefestival.com/)

I have to be honest, I wasn't really expecting very much for this race.  I've been training distance for the past few months, and not focusing on speed.  Combine that with a super-hilly course, and my goal was to finish and maintain at least a 10 minute mile throughout the run.

This is the third year in a row that Benjamin and I have ran the Rattlesnake Run, so I pretty much know what to expect from the course.  There are a few hills right at the start and then most are on the back end.  The weather was perfect this morning and I was feeling pretty good.  My legs were freshly Biofreezed, my stomach was full with a CHOMP, and I was ready to start running.

The first mile was a little faster than I thought it was going to be, but the 2nd mile was full of hills!  My pace slowed to about 9:44 for that mile and the 192 feet of elevation was a challenge.  The third and fourth miles really started to feel good and I realized that I was capable of getting a PR today.  With a mile left to go, i just took a deep breath and started around the last neighborhood corner.  The best thing about this race is that the finish is on a really steep downhill.  As you round the final corner you can see the finish clock and no more hills!

My final time was 44:43.  Complete results can be found here: http://www.coolrunning.com/results/11/fl/Oct15_33rdAn_set1.shtml

The time was a personal best.  Almost TWO FULL MINUTES better than last year's time.  Those results can be found here: http://www.coolrunning.com/results/10/fl/Oct16_32ndAn_set1.shtml

Here's a picture of me bringing it home (thank you, Chris!)

Here are the splits ( forgot to stop my watch at the end):

Split	Time	Distance	Avg Pace
Summary	44:52.0	4.99	8:59.8
1	8:38.8	1.00	8:38.7
2	9:22.7	1.00	9:22.7
3	9:06.0	1.00	9:06.0
4	9:12.4	1.00	9:12.4
5	8:30.8	0.99	8:37.8

Here are some of the most interesting stats, especially the elevation gain (Woah, baby!):

Distance: 4.99 mi Time: 44:52 Avg Pace 8:60 min/mi Activity Type: Running

Calories: 590 C Elevation Gain: 201 ft

Overall, it was AWESOME!  I even got 4th place in my age group (up from #10 last year).   Next up, the swim leg of the Longleaf Tri tomorrow morning.  Hopefully I will come off of cloud nine by then.