CC State Meet Site? - Page 3

Gheck10 · #21 11-06-2009, 04:23 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by westharrier60

It is every bit as challenging. Most of the guys who ran Zimmer at Adias ran faster at Rapids including Gabe Heck. No you won't break any ankles tripping in the sand on crowded downhill plunges but the course has grades(not extreme) but it makes you work and you CAN run even pace and be where you want to be at the end. There are plenty of hotels away from State street so that's really a poor excuse. If you wanted a quiet hotel in Mt. Horeb or Verona I'm sure you could get it. I know teams from 100 miles away that stay in motels 40 miles away because they are so hard to get in Rapids. We are about 2 hours from Rapids and have left the morning of the race for many years(sleep in our own beds, eat our own food, and show up fresh and ready to race.) Rapids has tradition but so did Hartford. The old Yankee stadium had tradition but look at what they have now. It's time to move on. PS- Go see Zimmer and then put in your vote.

Yes, many guys may have ran faster at Rapids...but that's because it is the STATE MEET! Coaches train their athletes to peak at state, so your argument that the course is every bit as challenging doesn't make any sense. At the Adidas Invite I wasn't running all-out and didn't have fresh legs like the state meet, and I'm sure most of the other teams were on the same boat as me. Guys will post amazing times at the Zimmer course which will never compare to the Rapids because they will be so much faster. And frankly, I enjoy comparing how I ran at state to times previously run at the Rapids.

Jbarry11 · #22 11-06-2009, 09:49 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Gheck10

Yes, many guys may have ran faster at Rapids...but that's because it is the STATE MEET! Coaches train their athletes to peak at state, so your argument that the course is every bit as challenging doesn't make any sense. At the Adidas Invite I wasn't running all-out and didn't have fresh legs like the state meet, and I'm sure most of the other teams were on the same boat as me. Guys will post amazing times at the Zimmer course which will never compare to the Rapids because they will be so much faster. And frankly, I enjoy comparing how I ran at state to times previously run at the Rapids.

I think that Zimmer was the best course I have ever run on or watched races at. Good footing, good ratio of down-hills to up-hills, a nice uphill last 200-300 meters, great spectator spots all over the course. Being a spectator on Ridges was kind of a hassle. I just got done with a tempo-minus run on the course with the Hackers, and I didn't want to sprint to part of the course to watch a part of the race and then have to immediately sprint to another part of the course to see who was leading. Truthfully, Ridges has bad footing and bad spectating spots, so I would definitely like the course to be moved to Zimmer! But, it probably won't happen...

zeeeblob · #23 11-07-2009, 12:50 AM

Well the MASTER of course measurment and accuracy is Dr. Sean Hartnett. So at least you know that the course would be spot on!!

I wish that he would measure the State Meet Course and put out a profile.

bbop08 · #24 11-07-2009, 02:31 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Jbarry11

I think that Zimmer was the best course I have ever run on or watched races at. Good footing, good ratio of down-hills to up-hills, a nice uphill last 200-300 meters, great spectator spots all over the course. Being a spectator on Ridges was kind of a hassle. I just got done with a tempo-minus run on the course with the Hackers, and I didn't want to sprint to part of the course to watch a part of the race and then have to immediately sprint to another part of the course to see who was leading. Truthfully, Ridges has bad footing and bad spectating spots, so I would definitely like the course to be moved to Zimmer! But, it probably won't happen...

Not to be hostile but please stop being a pansy. Running around from point A to point B as a spectator is half of the fun in XC. If you have ever got the chance to watch NCAA's in Terre Haute, that is exactly what is going on. If you wanted to stay in one spot at Ridges you could and you could see the runners come through a few times but if you want to see the most you can out of the race, then yes, you may have to move around a little bit. The footing isn't that bad, yes there is some sand and a slight lip that occasionally lead to kids frantically grabbing for trees to propel themselves up but that is why this is XC and not Track. And the suggestion that UW's course is more challenging than Ridges is a complete joke. That course was designed to be a Terre Haute upgrade and its a race track in terms of Midwestern XC courses.

Jbarry11 · #25 11-07-2009, 02:55 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by bbop08

Not to be hostile but please stop being a pansy. Running around from point A to point B as a spectator is half of the fun in XC. If you have ever got the chance to watch NCAA's in Terre Haute, that is exactly what is going on. If you wanted to stay in one spot at Ridges you could and you could see the runners come through a few times but if you want to see the most you can out of the race, then yes, you may have to move around a little bit. The footing isn't that bad, yes there is some sand and a slight lip that occasionally lead to kids frantically grabbing for trees to propel themselves up but that is why this is XC and not Track. And the suggestion that UW's course is more challenging than Ridges is a complete joke. That course was designed to be a Terre Haute upgrade and its a race track in terms of Midwestern XC courses.

Well does it really matter if the course is harder? If you want a HARDer course you'd move the meet to Verona and just enlarge the path there. But I don't think that's what it's all about. It's just annoying sprinting around when after a good race you just want to walk and still be able to view the race. PANSY? If I was a pansy I probably would've quit the race entirely the time at Verona Invitational where I was tripped and had no strength left to get my pace back, but I didn't. I kept going, and then I passed out about 500 meters from the finish, and eventually driven to the hospital. So, please

Don't call me a pansy.

But I see your point, more challenging courses can be more fun than fast or flat ones!

MUAlum · #26 11-07-2009, 11:01 AM

One of the most important factors to consider when deciding on the state meet location is how spectator friendly the course is. Many people don't go to cross country meets because they only get to see the runner's one or two times. In determining whether a course is spectator friendly or not, you need to base it on the majority of fans that can't sprint or run from one location to the next to see the runners. You have many parents, grandparents and young siblings that can only walk or jog slowly from point to point. At the state meet, I would think you would want as many people as possible to support the runners, and not just at the start and finish line.

With that said, I haven't been to the state meet for many years and I haven't seen the new Madison course, so I don't know which one is better for the majority of the fans, but it should definitely be a factor in determining future state meet locations. Tradition, course fairness, hotel availability and other aspects of hosting the meet obviously need to be considered as well.

westharrier60 · #27 11-07-2009, 11:21 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by zeeeblob

Well the MASTER of course measurment and accuracy is Dr. Sean Hartnett. So at least you know that the course would be spot on!!

I wish that he would measure the State Meet Course and put out a profile.

If you go to the Brookfield Central website they have a great link to the Rapids course with profile and gps measurement with aerial view. Give it a try. I don't think Rapids is a horrible spectator course considering thousands of people trying to run around and see the race. Basically unless you are a pretty good runner yourself you are going to see the race in 3 places. Mile-2 mile and finish. Zimmer is way better than that as with binoculars you can see 90% of the race and they have spectator alleys to allow easier transit to different parts of the course without running a 5K yourself to see the race. PS- nobody said Zimmer was a killer course but neither is rapids in terms of hills and such but the plunges sharp turns and bottlenecks create a different type of difficulty. Zimmer has been designed not to be a killer course so it can host regionals and perhaps NCCA's. It does have significant but more gradual climbs that eat into your pace without you realizing it. It absolutely is NOT an Arrowhead, Lake Breeze, McCarty Park, and other racetracks and it is absolutely a full 5K.

freddy 459 · #28 11-07-2009, 04:42 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by BlackPack Cap

http://all-access.cbssports.com/play...s&media=141191
Watch the video. You may have to load something. The tour starts after about 30 seconds.

I can't get this video to work for whatever reason. If there's anyone else out there also having trouble, you can check out these two videos (and the related vids) of the Wisco Invite and that should give you a pretty good idea of what the course is like.

Men's Race--Part 1: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BkypB...eature=related

Part 2: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GtiCR...eature=related

Quote:

Originally Posted by zeeeblob

Well the MASTER of course measurment and accuracy is Dr. Sean Hartnett. So at least you know that the course would be spot on!!

I wish that he would measure the State Meet Course and put out a profile.

Hartnett is the man!!

westharrier60 · #29 11-07-2009, 09:25 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Gheck10

Yes, many guys may have ran faster at Rapids...but that's because it is the STATE MEET! Coaches train their athletes to peak at state, so your argument that the course is every bit as challenging doesn't make any sense. At the Adidas Invite I wasn't running all-out and didn't have fresh legs like the state meet, and I'm sure most of the other teams were on the same boat as me. Guys will post amazing times at the Zimmer course which will never compare to the Rapids because they will be so much faster. And frankly, I enjoy comparing how I ran at state to times previously run at the Rapids.

Being trained to peak and actually doing it are two different things. I'm sure you can look at state meet results where guys cracked under pressure despite being "peaked" and ran way beneath their rested capiblity. I am glad you got to compare your times from previous years just like the guys from the 50's and early 60's when the meet was at Hartford for many years. If the course ever gets to Zimmer I'm sure guys will be comparing again. It's a natural thing for guys and teams running at state. Congrats by the way on a great season and an awesome finish. You will do well in college I am sure.

westharrier60 · #30 11-08-2009, 11:53 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by freddy 459

I can't get this video to work for whatever reason. If there's anyone else out there also having trouble, you can check out these two videos (and the related vids) of the Wisco Invite and that should give you a pretty good idea of what the course is like.

Men's Race--Part 1: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BkypB...eature=related

Part 2: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GtiCR...eature=related

Hartnett is the man!!

I believe you need microsoft silverlite to run this. I just linked in and it worked great! It says at the bottom of the link powered by microsoft silverlite.