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Rocky's Run Cross Country (8K) November 4, 2007 As the multisport and cycling season have ended for me, I really wanted to keep racing, and what better way than a cross country race? Well, for November in Minnesota it could not have been better. Weather was perfect, high 40s or low 50s and pretty clear. While I do a lot of trail running, I haven't raced a truly cross country event in quite awhile. I also was not real sure of my cycling fitness so this race was all about having fun and getting a better sense for where my fitness stood. When I arrived at the race site, it was immediately obvious that this was not a triathlon as the vibe was totally different, in a good way. I enjoyed hanging out there waiting for my race. Soon enough it was time to warm up and get ready to race. I then saw a friend and we finished our last few minutes of running together before lining up for the race. It was obvious that there were some serious runners here. I believe the event was part of a running club cross country series as there appeared to be several clusters of runners in the same singlets. Yes, singlets in Minnesota in November. Anyway, like many cross country events, the start was quite wide. I was near the center but several rows back. It turned out to be a great position as I started the race at a pace that felt pretty good but I didn't have to fight for position or come into too close contact with anyone. I had pretty modest goals for this race. I really only wanted to race the event well for my current fitness. That basically meant I wanted to run as hard as I could but I didn't want to fade over the last part of the run. This cross country race was 8K over the grounds of the University of Minnesota golf course. It was all soft surfaces and had a good amount of undulation. There weren't too many hills per se, but the whole course was up a little, down a little, turn, and repeat that in a multitude of different variations. It was not "hard" in a dramatic way but it was not easy either. Certainly not a course in which you felt like you got in a rhythm, it was a workman's kind of event. And I was ready to punch the time clock and get after it. The course included markings at the kilometers. As I started the run, I did the math required to figure out what kind of pace I would want for the Ks. I was not sure I'd done the math right but then I rolled past the first K mark at about the time I anticipated. Soon enough the first mile was over and my Garmin beeped for the mile split at the exact point I past their marker. I opened in 6:37, a good pace for me. I kept working and running hard. I was marshalling my efforts pretty well as I hit the Ks and miles in a pretty consistent fashion. From 4 to 5 kilometers I seemed to have picked up the pace a bit, not really intentionally. I was pretty happy with how things were going until right about the 5K point. This was the hardest part of the course and going up one of the little rises, I felt as though something heavy had jumped on my back. I was not immediately sure if it was a monkey or something larger but it was here that I had my most difficult moment. I slowed down a little in an effort to recover and while I was not super happy to have begun to tire like I had, I knew that I was doing pretty well. The slight decrease in pace worked and at the 6k point I was feeling a bit better and ready for the last bit of the race. I don't really remember a lot about this part of the race aside from the fact that I was pretty tired and I felt like I was going pretty well as I had a serious case of tunnel vision going. As I past the 7K point, I knew I was doing pretty well. I had picked up the pace a bit after my low patch and was moving along pretty well and even past a few people in the last half a mile. I hit the line in 33:57 on a course my GPS measured at 5:07. I was pleased with the time and the effort as I had paced pretty well. My miles were consistent within 5 seconds with the exception of the one from mile 3 to mile 4 but much of that was the course as it was the hardest of the course for sure. I could have mentally packed it in at that point but my last mile was actually one of my fastest by a few seconds which shows that I used my fitness successfully. Post race
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November 9 The Dig It crew is a hearty one and Michael was our latest example. He did his first cross race on a cold for Minnesota day today. Not only did he race well, he had fun too.
Nice job Michael! October 25-26 Jason was in New Jersey for the PhysFarm Level II seminar on Training Plan Design and Periodization. Jason learned a lot to pass onto his athletes. October 19 RuthAnn and Beth kick it at the Duke City Half Marathon in Albuquerque. Beth won her age group and RuthAnn came in 3rd, both with PR performances. Impressive runs for sure! October 12 Dig It's Jill shows she's one tough cookie as she runs a PR at the Chicago Marathon just 5 weeks after IM Wisconsin. Nice run Jill. October 11 Justin Hurd, who Coach Jason advises, shows shows his strength at IM Hawaii. On a challenging day, for the big island no less, Justin did great in his first attempt at the World Championships as a pro. October 5 The Team Dig It at the Twin Cities Marathon. We setup and monitored the 5K pace clock on a rainy and chilly day. Nice job to all finishers. Dig It's Clifford showed great form in the 10 Mile race and took minutes off his time from the year before. Nice run Clifford.
September 28 Jason in racing mode at the ITU World Duathlon Championships in Italy. It was a fun day of action.
Here the bike awaiting its trusted rider.
September 27 Jason serves as Assistant Coach with the elite athletes of Team USA at the ITU World Duathlon Championships in Rimini, Italy. It was a fun day filled with great competition for Team USA.
Here is the women's team poses for photos immediately after their finish.
September 7 Dig It athlete Jill has a great day at Ironman Wisconsin. Jill exceeded all her goals and finished strong and could smile too. Hard work and dedication sure paid off, nice job Jill!
August 31 At Ironman Louisville, Noelle does a great job on a hot and windy day in Kentucky. Noelle backed up a good swim and bike with solid run. Crossing the finish line with a smile on her face, Noelle showed how to get it done. Nice job, Noelle.
August 10 At the ITU Long Course Duathlon World Championships in Geel, Belgium, pro Justin Hurd, who Jason consults with on training, put in a great performance to finish 5th overall. In a perfect job of pacing, Justin ran, biked and ran with the best in the world. Way to go Justin!
Coach Jason was in action at the Town Hall Team Time Trial with 3 others from his bike racing club. The Birchwood Aged team might not have won, but we had fun.
August 2 At the Full Vineman in California, Dig It athlete Scott completes his Ironman dream with a solid debut race on a hot day. Awesome performance Scott! July 6 At the Lake Steven's 70.3, Jill continued her great long course progress with a PR. Way to go Jill! Dig It was a sponsor of the Duluth Duathlon. Coach Jason was there along with Todd enjoying a steamy day of running, biking and running again on the shores of Lake Superior. Here Team Dig It poses for a picture at the official Dig It Triathlon water station.
June 14 A great day at the Liberty Triathlon today as Noelle, Jill, Scott and Josh show their on track for long course success later this summer. Way to go guys!
Here Coach Jason and Jill hang out after the race.
April 27 At the US National Duathlon Champs, Francois culminated his spring campaign with a 3rd place in the 35-39 age group. On a rainy and tough day in Richmond, Francois was solid across the board, yeah baby!
The 35-39 podium, with Francois on the right.
April 5 Coach Jason joins the USA Triathlon National Duathlon Committee. January 1 Coach Jason joins the PhysFarm coaching consortium. This group is dedicated to applying cutting edge exercise physiology and training software to use for all athletes. The newest software developed by PhysFarm, RaceDay, proves itself as a great tool for multisport athletes.
December 12 Coach Jason now a USA Cycling Level 2 coach. Clinic in November was great and Jason learned some cool stuff and is ready to bring it to use with you. November 25 Check out the newest edition of Midwest Events magazine for Coach Jason's article, "Spending for Speed."
October 6 Coach Jason wins the inaugural Kickin' Leaves Duathlon in Grand Rapids, Minnesota. The new race had a small field but a great course. Hope everyone can make it there next year.
Jason poses with bike and trophy at home after the race.
2007 Dig It News A full account of Dig It news from 2007 and early 2008 can be accessed on our latest news page, with archived links at the bottom.
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