Posted by Leif Irgens on November 22, 2004 at 08:04:28:
In Reply to: Runners depend on Runners posted by Joey Warner on November 21, 2004 at 20:08:54:
"We feel like the Tanner Williams course is flat because the overall visual appears to be but there are some inclines that cause a disturbance in our ability to drive forward more rapidly as we keep waiting for that final turn . . . "
Saturday, for the first time, I ran the Turkey 10 with a heart rate monitor that has an altimeter (The Polar S710, the one Jeff Pollack wrote about in a Paceletter article sometime last summer - it does indeed record more data that anyone but a data-driven analytical chemist would want).
Anyway, a download of the altimeter readings shows that the course does indeed loose about 100 feet of elevation on the way out. It's mostly steady slight downhill all the way to the turnaround. Of course, that makes it mostly steady uphill all the way back to the start line before the downhill by the church to the finish.
Now, 100 feet of elevation isn't exactly a mountain pass but, for those of you who have been debating that it seems like it's uphill all the way back, you're right - it is.
Leif
P.S. I agree with Joey that the miles near the turnaround are the most inspiring. Not only is the forrested area a peaceful setting but it is inspiring to trade encouraging words with the leaders as they come back toward you, then with the followers after one makes the turn for the return trip.