Race Result: 2013 Yukon Mile Run

Event: 2013 Yukon Mile Run
Date: Saturday January 19, 2013
Location: White Bear Lake, Minnesota
Hotel: Home, sweet home
Weather: 31F, moderate winds at10 MPH from W
Official Results: 2013 Overall Results for Yukon One Mile; for Yukon 3-Mile Snowshoe; for Yukon 3-Mile

Personal Results

Goal: Win Age Group
Actual: 6:42
Overall: 2nd (41 total); 1st in 50-59 AG (4 total)


Well Kept Wife Results

Actual: 8:45
Overall: 15th (41 total); 2nd overall Females (19 total); 1st in 40-49 AG (6 total)

Well Kept Wife and Myself Post Event

Garmin: Garmin Site Summary Link

Splits

Elevation and Heart Rate

GoPro Video

Here is a video of the race that I hope you enjoy. You can see the icy conditions very well. And check out who flew in for the start of the race, as if on cue.


2013 Yukon Mile from Brian Maas on Vimeo.

Race Recap

This was another very nice race event by FrontRunner. Race Director Randy Fulton does a very nice job and makes everyone feel welcome and appreciated. The Yukon Mile was the first even in the 10-event White Bear Grand Prix.  A runner may compete in as few or as many as they choose. Results from up to 7 races will count. Anyone running in seven or fewer races will have all his/her scores included. Anyone running every race will be scored on the best seven places.

Scores are tallied by overall men's and women's finishers and within age group division for each sex. Runners do not change age group divisions during the year. A runner’s division is set according to his division on the day of his/her first Grand Prix score.

Age Groups for both males and females are 15 – under, 16 – 19, 20 – 29, 30 – 39, 40 – 49, 50 – 59, 60 – 69 and 70 – over. In order for an age group to exist, it must have at least 3 participants..

Grand Prix standing information will be available at www.frontrunnerusa.com. In addition, if you would like a copy of the standings, please send a self addressed, stamped envelop to the address below. Standings will be sent as soon as they are available.

Awards for the top 3 in each age group and for overall winners in both men and womens divisions. Age group awards are:

• 1st place – 5 free grand prix races for 2013
• 2nd place – 3 free grand prix races for 2013
• 3rd place – 1 free grand prix race for 2013

Awards will be presented after the Great Pumpkin Chase in October. 

My goal was to start off with an age group win, which I was able to accomplish. While I won't be racing on all ten of the grand prix events, I have already signed up for seven of them. It is one of my year goals to finish in the top three of the male 50-59 age group.

I knew going in that the footing would be a big issue, and it was. There was very minimal snow cover, as you can see in the video. Even with Yaktrax on the racing flats, it was very tricky going. Let's break down the two half-mile segments.

First Half Mile (3:04.9)

While I would have liked to have gone sub-6 minutes, the footing conditions just wasn't going to allow that. Even with the Yaktrax, my foot slid on each foot plant. For the first 200 yards, I was basically trying to find the right foot plant to use, have minimal slippage, and good push off. Front toe was not doing it, so I settled in by having more of a mid-foot plant. Almost flat-footed.

I was surprised to find myself in the lead for the start of the race, and I kept it well past the halfway mark. I was happy to be as close to 3 minutes at the turn as I was, considering I had roughly 50% traction. I almost went down at the turn but was able to catch myself. The Well Kept Wife was not as lucky, and fell at the turn as did a few other people.

A quick glance told me I had about a 5-second advantage. The question now became, could I keep the overall lead.

Second Half Mile & Finish (3:26.1/6:31)

It seemed the bare ice was worse on the return, but I was also tiring. Let's face facts: I'm still way overweight and still massively out-of-shape as I get back into the swing of things post my tibial stress fracture from last year. 2013 will be a building year to get back into national quality shape and have a much better race season in 2014. 2013 will have very slow times to begin with and my expectations are lowered. I'm just happy to be back racing. 10-months away from the trace circuit in 2012 was not very enjoyable.

I was not surprised to hear footsteps about 200-300 yards from the finish. I was finally passed and it didn't bother me a bit as it was totally down to fatigue at that point. With my low run mileage thus far, I just was not able to respond. Hopefully by mid-year, I will have my typical closing speed back in form. I was happy to see that my speed didn't fall off all that much compared to the first half-mile split. So, all in all, a good race.

And the Well Kept Wife, who had no expectations, ran to second place overall for the females. She has been having a very good winter training season on the treadmill while Podium Boy (who was away on a Boy Scout ski outing) practices for the Life Time Swim Team. This will give her some additional confidence for the upcoming race season.

Awards

Awards were given for top 3 in each age group, 10 year increments. Nice sized medals. Top 2 finishers overall for men and women also received coffee mugs.

Well Kept Wife & I both won our AG's and both took 2nd overall for the sexes

Very good quality heavy hooded sweatshirts were part of sign-up

Next Race

Feb 3 - 10th Annual Super Bowl Freeze Your Buns 5K in Hamel