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Our friend Adam Engst had this to say after running the 2006 Virgil Mountain Madness: I've run the Madness 12K each of the 4 years it has existed so far, and although this wasn't the most memorable (the sodden first year takes that cake), it was a fun race. Well, apart from the horde of mosquitos who were undoubtedly thinking "What did we do to deserve this feast!" at the start/finish, and who had sent out all points bulletin to other mosquitos in the area to share the wealth. I'm pleased to report that although he eventually sprinted by me to win the race and set a new course record, I held Nate Locket off for quite a while, approximately 0.7 miles down the first hill. And he managed that even while flunking Steeplechase 101 by going down over a log such that he hit his upper thigh and hit the ground chest-first. As it was, I think he won in 49:54, to my 52:08, marking the third 5-8 mile race in a row where he's beaten me by more than 2 minutes. Going up the big hill to the power line was where all the distance and speed that Randy and Eric have been putting me through paid off - I didn't feel as though I was going full speed, but I didn't get tired at all. I thought I heard people talking behind me for quite a while - possibly the Mansfield guys - but Eric said that Jason Clark and Alan Evans were chatting much of the time too, so perhaps it was them. The hardest part of the course may have been the pine woods, which aren't hilly but whose roots and streams are becoming ever harder to run through at a decent pace. The streams in particular have become tricky jumps - they're just slightly too wide now. I refused to look back on the power line cut or on the up-down-up-downhill back toward the start, but after I crossed the stream I couldn't help but see what must have been Alan's bright purple jersey on the other side. I didn't know it was him at the time, so I freaked and worked the last mile until my legs rebelled, only to discover upon finishing that it was indeed Alan and he was running the 30K, so I had nothing to fear the entire time. Gill was yelling that I had a PR when I popped out on the road for the last 100 meters into the finish, but it wasn't until I got home that I was able to check and realized that I'd not only set a PR, but I'd destroyed my previous times. In 2003 I won in 54:45 (completely unopposed in soggy conditions), in 2004 Garret Wagner ran away from me instantly but I ran a 53:37 in good conditions, and in 2005 I again won an unopposed race in 53:45. So this year's 52:08 was 1:29 faster than my previous best, and once again came in a second-place finish. Maybe I run faster in second. :-) I was also pleased that none of the 30K people were ever ahead of me, since I think that's a first for me in this race. Having Nate whomp me once again has made me think more about the concept of the PV (personal victory). It's of course one of those fuzzy things where you just know that you would have won if the fast people hadn't shown up, but I think there are some additional variables that can be added for additional certainty. To wit: * You have to beat the people who are normally right around you in the results. * Setting a PR for the course helps enormously. * Having the people who beat you run more than 15 seconds per mile faster than you do. cheers... -Adam
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