The BoSho has become a rite of passage to spring for me and a good assessment of overall fitness before the running season kicks into gear. This year marked the 14th edition and saw more trail enthusiasts than any prior edition.
I'll be posting more statistics in the following week over at: Wasalpstriders.
Like many others I spend a great deal of time on these trails through the winter and having the opportunity to spend a few hours with friends on the same trails brings a smile to my face every year. Perhaps the biggest smile of the day came when John and Carol Maack crossed the line together. Great to see you back John!
Like many others I spend a great deal of time on these trails through the winter and having the opportunity to spend a few hours with friends on the same trails brings a smile to my face every year. Perhaps the biggest smile of the day came when John and Carol Maack crossed the line together. Great to see you back John!
As the title says this will be a report as well as a look into the all-time stats of this run that started in 2000. My love of the BoSho came back in 2006 (the overall slowest race to date) when a late winter storm brought two feet of snow the Thursday before. Of course it was a mess on race day but I had so much fun I couldn't resist coming back for more.
The 2013 edition of the BoSho snuck up on me a little bit this year with my late start to the running season and a one week earlier start. Given the circumstances I adjusted my expectations and decided to dial the pace back a bit from the previous two years. The new goal would be to stay under 4hrs 30mins and not injure myself in the process. Easier said than done, as I stayed with the lead group from the start through the first 5 miles or so, fully aware that I was running too fast for the pace I had committed to.
Slowly I succumbed to my current fitness level and let Ben, Collin, Drew, Robert and Kevin go. The rest of the day I tried in vain to keep a steady pace but unless I was climbing I didn't feel like I was moving very efficiently, obviously feeling the effects of ski touring all winter and not running. Every once and a while I would get passed by someone doing a much better job at pacing themselves and occasionally I would catch an early starter, always giving and receiving encouragement which kept it fun throughout the day. Eventually I crossed the line 4:25 and other than some tight hamstrings reached my goal for the day.
Overall I was pleased and of course had a great time hanging out at the finish catching up with everyone. But there was one thing that got me thinking and that was the fact I had taken 9th place. There is no denying it, this run is getting fast. In year's past a time under 4.5 hours would guarantee you a spot in the top 5. This year breaking the 4.5 barrier had Mick Jurynec and Bryce Astill finishing in 11th, still a very respectable time but just outside the top 10. So I decided to dig into the data a bit and look at the progression of what has become the most competitive bandit run along the Wasatch front.
Over the next week or so I'll highlight a particular statistic dealing with the BoSho over at the Wasalpstriders blog, including participation, who has the most finishes, the top 20 fastest times (both male and female) and the progression of faster times over the years.
The 2013 edition of the BoSho snuck up on me a little bit this year with my late start to the running season and a one week earlier start. Given the circumstances I adjusted my expectations and decided to dial the pace back a bit from the previous two years. The new goal would be to stay under 4hrs 30mins and not injure myself in the process. Easier said than done, as I stayed with the lead group from the start through the first 5 miles or so, fully aware that I was running too fast for the pace I had committed to.
Slowly I succumbed to my current fitness level and let Ben, Collin, Drew, Robert and Kevin go. The rest of the day I tried in vain to keep a steady pace but unless I was climbing I didn't feel like I was moving very efficiently, obviously feeling the effects of ski touring all winter and not running. Every once and a while I would get passed by someone doing a much better job at pacing themselves and occasionally I would catch an early starter, always giving and receiving encouragement which kept it fun throughout the day. Eventually I crossed the line 4:25 and other than some tight hamstrings reached my goal for the day.
Overall I was pleased and of course had a great time hanging out at the finish catching up with everyone. But there was one thing that got me thinking and that was the fact I had taken 9th place. There is no denying it, this run is getting fast. In year's past a time under 4.5 hours would guarantee you a spot in the top 5. This year breaking the 4.5 barrier had Mick Jurynec and Bryce Astill finishing in 11th, still a very respectable time but just outside the top 10. So I decided to dig into the data a bit and look at the progression of what has become the most competitive bandit run along the Wasatch front.
Over the next week or so I'll highlight a particular statistic dealing with the BoSho over at the Wasalpstriders blog, including participation, who has the most finishes, the top 20 fastest times (both male and female) and the progression of faster times over the years.
3 comments:
:-)
That's going to take some work. Very much appreciated!
That graph is really interesting. Look at that huge jump in female runners. Neat!
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