2019 was another enjoyable GATE River Run 15k experience.

I rode the Florida Track Club bus to Jacksonville on the morning of the race. This required an early wakeup, but it was nice not having to worry about parking. The bus takes us inside the event grounds, very close to the registration area and post-race festivities. It is nice to just hop on the bus after drinking some free beers. :)

Finish time was 1:03:17 (avg 6:49 min/mi). I earned a Top-10% finisher hat.

This is going to barely be a race report. I find myself too busy to write very much or very often.

I rode the Florida Track Club bus to Jacksonville on the day of the race which was a great way to travel so early in the morning and not have to worry about parking. The bus parked inside the event grounds, very close to the registration area and post-race festivities.

I was not in top shape for racing, still fighting with some unhappy muscles / tendons here and there, so I planned to go out conservatively to see how I felt. This strategy worked well, I was able to keep my pace consistent throughout the race, push all the way up the Hart bridge and right over the top and have a very strong final mile.

My final time was 1:01:53 (avg. 6:38 per mile) which was good enough to earn a Top 10% finisher hat.

Some pics:


photo credit: marathon-photos.com

What a wonderful day for the 1st annual Gate2Gate Trail Run back in October. I ran the 25k.

At dawn's first light, ready to go (I'm on the left wearing the Salomon S-Lab Sense Ultra Set Hydration Vest and Under Armour - The Flash compression shirt):


Photo Credit: Cathy Bester

The 50k and 25k runners started together with a real shotgun start (boom!):


Photo Credit: Cathy Bester

For the past few years I have used Nathan handheld bottles for my hydration needs. These have worked well, and carried me through my first 50k quite successfully a few years back. This summer has been especially brutal in Florida... high heat and lots of humidity, day after day, week after week. I have begun to think about running another Ultramarathon and thus started looking for ways to carry a little more water on my runs while training in the heat. Looking ahead, I might have a chance to run in the mountains this fall so I also wanted to be able to carry a little more gear with me if desired. This led me to investigate hydration vests and packs.

I am generally a minimalist runner and want to have the least amount of gear (and weight) possible.

Many runners are happy with their hydration packs and bladder systems. After asking around, there is a bit of care that needs to be taken with them to keep them clean and keep them from "growing stuff" in the drinking tube, etc. Most modern bladders seem to be fairly easy to refill (think moving through aid stations quickly), but overall it seems that bottles / flasks would be a little easier to deal with.

I did try on a few small bladder hydration packs at the local stores and they just didn't feel great to me.

Based on a number of favorable reviews and the fact that the vest was reported to be wearable shirtless, I purchased the Salomon S-Lab Sense Ultra Set Hydration Vest which comes with two soft flask bottles.


Image credit: salomon.com


Image credit: salomon.com

My first run with the vest was very short but I did test the pack running shirtless and felt confident enough to try shirtless on a longer run.

My second run with vest was on one of those hot humid Florida days where absolutely every single square millimeter on one's person becomes drenched with sweat from head-to-toe. I wore the vest shirtless for 13 miles. It was "fine" running shirtless but I did notice the roughness of the fabric a bit and was definitely more susceptible to hot spots when I wore the pack shirtless. However, it is nice having the shirtless option since this increases airflow across the midriff, chest, and lower back. After 13 miles I put on a compression shirt underneath and just felt "aaaahhhhhh" as the pack completely disappeared on my body. I stuck with the compression shirt underneath for the remainder of that run (21 miles total).

My third run was during an all-morning rain and I ran the entire way (20 miles) with an Under Armour - Alter Ego compression shirt underneath as seen here:



The Salomon vest combined with compression shirt is definitely my preferred setup for long trail runs.

The running hat pictured above is by Outdoor Research and has a nice feature of mesh across the top of the head that is a separate layer under the top of the cap.

One thing I didn't notice until after I looked at my photos is that the bottles, when completely empty and left hanging out of the pockets, gave me a "Fembot" look. Next time I will tuck the bottle tops back inside the pockets.

The 2016 Gainesville "Thursday Night Lights" track meets begin on the evening of June 30. Cone Park Track will be host to track and field events for children and adults of all ages.

The cost is $1 admission at the gate to cover the cost of Timing and Starter.

Questions?

Contact: Coach Larry Holsey of the Gainesville Striders track and field organization

Dates: June 30, 2016

Time: 6:00pm - 9:00pm

Location: Fred Cone Park - East University Ave, Gainesville, FL 32641 (Google Map)

The schedule provided by Coach Larry Holsey is available as a PDF for download here: 

https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B4BFIg0rntkSUVZaOHhkZUJ2NDA/view?usp=sharing

 

I have reproduced the schedule below for convenience (as in, I'm not an official source, I am just sharing the information I have been given)...

 

Running events

6:10pm 60 meter hurdles 10 under

6:20pm 40 Yard Dash All Ages (Football Ready)

6:30pm 600/800 meters All Ages (choose one or other to run)

6:45pm 100 meters All Ages (blocks allowed)

7:15pm 4x100 relay All Ages (mix and match is allowed)

7:45pm 1500 meters All Ages (2 heats)

8:00pm Sprint Medley All Ages

8:15pm Sprint Medley Adult Ages (Coaches/Parents)

8:20pm 300/200 meters All Ages (choose one or other to run)

8:45pm 3200 meters All Ages (1 heat)

 

Field Events

6:30pm Long Jump 8 and Up (Two Jumps)

6:30pm Shot Put All Ages (Bring your own implement)