From HoverCloud

Jungle Run 2005

Arrival

Mile 1	6:34
Mile 2	5:57
Mile 3	7:12
Mile 4	6:48
Mile 5	7:13
Mile 6.2	8:46
Total	42:30
Pace	6:51

On Sunday 7/10/05 I ran the 10K Jungle Run (http://www.firstwave-events.com/jungle_run/) in Los Gatos (course description, pdf). My times are on the right. The race was scheduled to begin at 7am. I arrived at 6:30am and registered. Very well organized event, starting and finishing at the track (newly re-surfaced!) behind the Los Gatos High School. Plenty of parking still available when I arrived. There were hundreds of people there, and the Dammit Run is usually similarly attended (perhaps a few more people at the Dammit Run each year). I felt pretty good before the race. I had eaten breakfast at home at 5:45am. Next time I think I plan for a slightly longer interval between breakfast and the beginning of the run, because this felt like a little too soon. Instead of and hour and 15 minutes, I think I would want to leave at least an hour and 45 minutes between eating and the start of the run. My breakfast was a light one, orange juice and a half a bowl of cereal.

The Race

I felt great throughout the race, a little tired in the middle, however. I started out too fast in the first 100 yards, but slowed down to what I thought was a 7 minute mile pace and let some people pass (about 15). I found I was still running faster than I thought when I reached the first mile marker and my pace was 6:34 for that first mile. At around 2 and a half miles, the course divided and the 1/2 marathoners went a different way. About 10 of the people ahead of me went that way, leaving 7 or 8 ahead of me, which I never caught, as we were spaced quite far apart at that point. The guy ahead of me was the only one I could see and I could not see anyone behind me (which might have made me run a little slower than I really could.) I believe I finished around 8th or 9th, but I'm going to have to wait until they post the results to be sure.

The run itself went through some beautiful portions of Vasona Creek Park (somewhat jungle-like I suppose), I enjoyed the wooden bridges that went through heavily vegetated areas, and the finish line was well-decorated in jungle style with loud upbeat music playing. The after race snacks were great, although I really couldn't eat anything at first because I had run pretty hard. I'm not in the best shape I've ever been in but I was pleased with today's result, as it was better than I expected. My best in the past was a 6:25 pace held for 12 miles on a flat course near Sacramento about 6 years ago. I'd be excited to be able to train back to that as my race pace for a 6 mile race.