Discovery Bay 2007

KOTH Time Trial Summer Series 2007

24/6/2007, about 4.6km, 8:30am start.

It's the shortest and probabily the most interesting race I've ever run.
Detail of the race.

I've practiced the trail for 2 times, first time in May in 1:09'38 for 2 loops (Photo of the course),
and 1:12'12 for 2 loops one week before the race.
Both practise shown that the second loop will be slower due to the high steps and heat,
and a conclusion was drawn that no risk for the second loop
if I can't finish the first loop within 30 min, or I will be disqualified.
(No time will be recorded after 1 hour limit.)
Practice was also hindered by a cold and neck pain at the end of May and early June.

Start

We were eating sand behind the front runners.
As the beach is curved, the shortest distance is to run striaght across the sand,
but most of the runners ran on the pavement early.
Is it the strategy to run faster on the pavement? I followed anyway.

Start of loop 1

The out and back section was shorten.
When I reach the start of the loop, I was more than 1.5 min faster than in the practice.
At the start of the steps, some people passed me, and I was sometime slowed down by the traffic.
After climbing half of the steps, some runners had to stop.
I guess they didn't try the route before, and didn't reserved.
It's easy to overtake them.

Finishing the steps, the up hill trail is not easy to run neither.
I could only run on the more gentle slope later, and passed 1 or 2 runners.
Passing the top of the hill, I passed some 5-6 runners.
Maybe they're not familiarize with the trail and not good at down hill.
The split time to the water station was a few seconds slower than that in the practice.
The traffic maybe the cause.

After the water stop

The trail section that followed was a bit wet, I nearly fell at the end of it.
But I was still a few seconds faster than that in the practice.

In the paved down hill slope and steps, I could pass others whenever I wanted.
(I know where I can turn fast and where I can give a late brake.)
I passed some 3-4 runners there.

Once I reached the level grassland, the lady I passed at the steps before just passed me with ease.
I'm not good at level ground.

When we reached the Midvale Village, the residents on the 1st floor cheered us.
Thanks for their cheer.

Running down the little stream, I passed a lady on the up hill,
but being passed again thanks to the slippery trail.
On the level trail, We met one more lady,
we passed her with ease, but I couldn't run at full speed.
I got one red wristband near the end of the loop.
I saw many runners in front went down, but the lady that passed me before go up again.
It's 33 min into the race, good luck to her.

Running back to the finish

On the steps down to the finish, I passed one guy.
And on the way down around Beach Village, I also passed 1 or 2 runners with ease.
The runners in front of me just run on the pavement.
Considering the way on the sand is the shortest and maked on the map, I ran on the sand alone.
I was not sure whether it's faster.
After the few steps up to the Plaza, I hardly accelerated to the finish.
It was 3 min faster than my calculated practice time, it's just thanks to the shortening of the out and back trail.

I finished in 39'00 (official result),
and I was 34th in Men's Open (44 qualified in MO),
71st overall (105 qualified overall, 39 finished 2 loops, 66 finished 1 loop).

Heavy rain after the 1 hour limit, I couldn't wait for changing clothes.

See also:

Photos by Active Atoms Club

wingwingCU

梁小朋友

Official Homepage of Seyon Asia (with official photos) .