It seems no matter how well we work schedules, there is always something that will creep up and kick you in the ass.
It is official........I am not a bass bradbury racer this year. It is hard to believe as I would have bet millions that nothing could stop me from running the Breaker. I was destined to PR and quite excited.
Sunday morning, 7am, A bit lame form working on the porch roof but not too worried about the race. The phone rings.....my mom who had a tooth pulled Friday was suffering from so much pain that she felt going to the emergency was an immediate need.
Ironically, she had already gone in at 3am ( my brother took her) but there was no doctor available so they gave her a shot and sent her home. I am just guessing here but I suspect the shot helped for about 2-3 hours.
Normally if I have something important going on, I get my brother to help out. In this case, I was her only option other than an ambulance. I swallowed the notion that I would be back before the 9am start and I was right as I didn't get back home until 11:30
So.....I missed the race and I am not going to be a badass this year, I guess this means I will really have to kickass at the Bruiser .......I'll bet it was real cool shirt too!
Monday, August 15, 2011
Monday, August 8, 2011
Beach To Beacon
I honestly didn't know what to expect at this race, not only because I haven't been running that much lately, but I have not been training for 10K road speed. My original plan was to run with my wife at her pace which is much slower than mine so kind of a breeze for me.
My wife opted out of the race so it left me wondering how I should approach it. Now the pressure was on to attempt a respectable time. The one flat road run of a couple weeks ago put me at about 9 minute pace so I hoped to at least beat 9 minute.
In my head, I felt certain I should be able to find some hidden power over my body and pull off an 8 minute pace (best case scenario, beat 50 minutes, worst case, no slower than 55 minutes)......who the hell was I kidding? none the less I started at the 8 minute pace sign in the chute.
First problem of the day was the way they start this race. Once in the chute and packed in like sardines, it is impossible to relieve ones self and get back in. The wait time is over a half hour and even though I thought I timed everything perfect, I found myself looking very longingly at various trees in the distance. One tenth of a mile from the start is a portapotty and I found myself reluctantly pulling off the road and entering. The hundreds of runners passing by sounded like pouring rain.
Finally I ran back into the crowd and assumed I was probably back with the 10 minute milers. Problem with this is I wanted the 8 minute crowd to suck me into a faster pace at the beginning to hopefully get a better time. This surely was not the best way to start a race, but the was no other place in the first mile to accomplish the task.
I passed quite a few people and was glad to see 8:44 at the first mile instead of something slower. Not as fast as I wanted but it could have been worse. Each mile I ran faster and by mile four I was down to 8:06 pace. My excitement quickly turned sour as I calculated a minute lost in the first two miles and two miles of tougher uphill running ahead of me.
Though I was feeling a bit tired, mile five went surprisingly well as I only slowed to 8:37 pace. I quickly calculated that If I could maintain this pace for mile six and get a good kick going, I might be able to pull off a 8:20 pace over all.
I felt good on the hills of mile six as it seemed my pace was steady. Somehow I slowed to 9:17 pace and as I think about it now, it makes sense. I should have NOT felt good on those hills, if I was pushing then I would have felt bad...........
Rounding the corner into the park is a short steep hill that always seem to kill me. I assume my Bradbury legs took over because this time the hill was nothing as I kept to the inside and literally passed twenty people laboring up it.
From this point on I put on my race face and tried to pass as many people as I could pulling off a 6:53 pace for the last .2 to the finish. I swear I passed a hundred runners. I felt great as I passed the finish line and if not for the dilemma in mile one and the brain fart in mile six, I think I would have been quite pleased with the whole race.
As I walked up the hill after the finish, the thought of waiting in line in the hot sun for an hour to catch the bus was overwhelming so instead I decided the hour would serve better as extra training rather than suffer the muscle stiffening of a long bus ride.
I ran back to the start and turned this into more of a long run. The first couple miles, the quads were cramping and I almost wished I had not made this decision, but each mile I felt better and ran faster going from an 11:37 in the first mile to a 9:14 in the last.
Though not quite the under fifty I wanted, I was happy beating fifty five and doubling the effort with an extended run.
6.2 race 53:56 (8:41 pace)
5.5 return 56:57
My wife opted out of the race so it left me wondering how I should approach it. Now the pressure was on to attempt a respectable time. The one flat road run of a couple weeks ago put me at about 9 minute pace so I hoped to at least beat 9 minute.
In my head, I felt certain I should be able to find some hidden power over my body and pull off an 8 minute pace (best case scenario, beat 50 minutes, worst case, no slower than 55 minutes)......who the hell was I kidding? none the less I started at the 8 minute pace sign in the chute.
First problem of the day was the way they start this race. Once in the chute and packed in like sardines, it is impossible to relieve ones self and get back in. The wait time is over a half hour and even though I thought I timed everything perfect, I found myself looking very longingly at various trees in the distance. One tenth of a mile from the start is a portapotty and I found myself reluctantly pulling off the road and entering. The hundreds of runners passing by sounded like pouring rain.
Finally I ran back into the crowd and assumed I was probably back with the 10 minute milers. Problem with this is I wanted the 8 minute crowd to suck me into a faster pace at the beginning to hopefully get a better time. This surely was not the best way to start a race, but the was no other place in the first mile to accomplish the task.
I passed quite a few people and was glad to see 8:44 at the first mile instead of something slower. Not as fast as I wanted but it could have been worse. Each mile I ran faster and by mile four I was down to 8:06 pace. My excitement quickly turned sour as I calculated a minute lost in the first two miles and two miles of tougher uphill running ahead of me.
Though I was feeling a bit tired, mile five went surprisingly well as I only slowed to 8:37 pace. I quickly calculated that If I could maintain this pace for mile six and get a good kick going, I might be able to pull off a 8:20 pace over all.
I felt good on the hills of mile six as it seemed my pace was steady. Somehow I slowed to 9:17 pace and as I think about it now, it makes sense. I should have NOT felt good on those hills, if I was pushing then I would have felt bad...........
Rounding the corner into the park is a short steep hill that always seem to kill me. I assume my Bradbury legs took over because this time the hill was nothing as I kept to the inside and literally passed twenty people laboring up it.
From this point on I put on my race face and tried to pass as many people as I could pulling off a 6:53 pace for the last .2 to the finish. I swear I passed a hundred runners. I felt great as I passed the finish line and if not for the dilemma in mile one and the brain fart in mile six, I think I would have been quite pleased with the whole race.
As I walked up the hill after the finish, the thought of waiting in line in the hot sun for an hour to catch the bus was overwhelming so instead I decided the hour would serve better as extra training rather than suffer the muscle stiffening of a long bus ride.
I ran back to the start and turned this into more of a long run. The first couple miles, the quads were cramping and I almost wished I had not made this decision, but each mile I felt better and ran faster going from an 11:37 in the first mile to a 9:14 in the last.
Though not quite the under fifty I wanted, I was happy beating fifty five and doubling the effort with an extended run.
6.2 race 53:56 (8:41 pace)
5.5 return 56:57
Thursday, August 4, 2011
Not Pretty But Lots Of Character
I got married 34 years ago, the same year this jeep rolled off the assembly all shiny and new. I don't know much about the history of it as it has only been in the family for about 10 years. I got it from my son who got it from my daughter who purchased it from some guy up north........it sat in my yard as a "future" project for about 5 years. Last spring my son and I decided to put it on the road as an antique because we never seemed to get around to working on the rebuild project.
Spending many joyous hours in this simple jeep last summer and many more fun hours this summer, I have come to the conclusion that I didn't really want a spiffy new jeep after all. I have the up most respect for the character of my jeep.
I suspect, when new it was strong, responsive and quite impressive ..........now it requires a little understanding and is not expected to perform like it once did. There is obvious fatigue in its core structure yet it is still majestic in many ways.
I am proud to drive it as it does not reflect a bad image because of it's age or condition ....instead it invokes an aura of mystical memories of times gone by and happy smiles. Even with age and fatigue, it still trudges along, moving forward and offering much more good times to come.
I suspect there is a lesson to be learned here, as we grow older and our bodies fatigue, of course we can not do things of days gone by, we are not quite as strong or fast, but we can still command a certain amount of
dignity knowing that we are out there and moving forward.
Friday, July 29, 2011
NO..I'm Not Dead!
I know it's been two weeks since my last entry and honestly I couldn't say where the time went. Though I haven't been running as much as I would like, I have been working out and swimming a lot. Doesn't really take the place of running but at least guards against sliding backwards with fitness base.
Even though I promised myself and others that I was not going to sign up for the B to B, somehow I reneged and I am running it. Odd thing is, that I haven't really trained for roads (other than a short run last Monday) so I am not sure what to expect.
I suppose at worst case, it will prep me for a hard run at the Breaker the next weekend. My intent is to run the BtoB moderately and then run back to the start after, making it a long run. I was originally hoping for a PR at the Breaker, but with the lack of training lately, I will be satisfied to finish close to last years.
My last three runs:
7/20 Bradbury (first half of breaker)
4.5 miles @52:50 --11:44 pace (two mile cool down)
7/25 Road run (semi race pace)
3.5 miles @29:04 ---8:18 pace (1 mile cool down)
7/28 Bradbury (first half of Breaker)
4.5 miles @55:43---12:22 pace (1/2 mile cool down)
Swimming laps almost every day and sometimes twice a day in between the runs. The bright side is that my right ankle is feeling a lot better.
Even though I promised myself and others that I was not going to sign up for the B to B, somehow I reneged and I am running it. Odd thing is, that I haven't really trained for roads (other than a short run last Monday) so I am not sure what to expect.
I suppose at worst case, it will prep me for a hard run at the Breaker the next weekend. My intent is to run the BtoB moderately and then run back to the start after, making it a long run. I was originally hoping for a PR at the Breaker, but with the lack of training lately, I will be satisfied to finish close to last years.
My last three runs:
7/20 Bradbury (first half of breaker)
4.5 miles @52:50 --11:44 pace (two mile cool down)
7/25 Road run (semi race pace)
3.5 miles @29:04 ---8:18 pace (1 mile cool down)
7/28 Bradbury (first half of Breaker)
4.5 miles @55:43---12:22 pace (1/2 mile cool down)
Swimming laps almost every day and sometimes twice a day in between the runs. The bright side is that my right ankle is feeling a lot better.
Tuesday, July 12, 2011
Scuffle Report....Not So Bad
After all the work on the garage and having the energy sucked out of me by the sun on Saturday ( did you know shingles will just about melt if the sun is hot enough...and it was!) I was not sure how the Scuffle race would go.
I hit the sack feeling pretty spent Saturday night and just figured I would see how I felt in the morning. Sunday came and the lameness with it. I started by cleaning the pool and going for an easy relaxing swim. It is amazing how therapeutic water can be.
Though still pretty tired, I was refreshed and could not come up with a reason why not to get in a trail run........so kev and I jumped in the jeep and headed to Bradbury. I suspected it would be a rather slow race for me and kev was feeling the same.
We decided to start in the back and just do an easy run .....or at least see how we felt after settling in. Kev could have easily run much faster but elected to keep me company and promised not to out kick me at the finish.
This would be the second time in two weeks that I started about dead last in a race, sure hope this was not becoming a new trend! My second worry was that all the deer flies who could not keep up with the fast runners would enjoy us slower ones a bit more than normal. As it turned out there were not too many.
The down hill start was perfect for me and I felt darn comfortable right off. Within a half mile, I was picking off runners one by one but suddenly found a bit of a traffic jam at spots. The trail was just not wide enough to pass graciously so I waited until the snowmobile trail and first uphill to crank things up a bit and passed bunches at a time.
Mile two I was feeling good and actually got my first chuckle watching Four pass me and others by skipping the small wooden bridge and tromping almost knee deep through a small gathering of water. I was feeling fairly hot at the time and the splashing almost enticed me to join him.
Mile three brought a bit of reality and reminded my muscles just how tired I really was. The climb seemed endless but I kept reminding myself the reward was the water stop and plenty of cooling water. I decided to stop even though this was a short race. I drank a heed and dumped the water over my head......it felt great!
Mile four I was feeling strong and passed back the three people that went by me at the water stop. It felt so good to have the energy to catch back up and get by these runners, only to have them fly back by me at the next stop.
I normally wouldn't have and didn't need to stop at the 4.5 mile but we were told there was an injured runner about a half mile back and we wanted to notify Eric and crew that it looked as though she would not be able to walk out on her own. It actually felt good to speed up a bit and I took advantage of another dosing of water.
Now I was chasing the same three runners and felt adamant to recapture my spot in front of them. problem is we were in mile five and they all seemed to be enjoying the speed of the down hill. Last year I went crazy in mile five and pushed much too hard only to severely suffer at the hill in mile six.
I was much more conservative this year though I still had the pleasure of passing a few struggling runners, but not the three I was chasing. At the bottom of the hill I was barely catching the slowest of the three and had serious doubts with the mile six hill looming in front of me.
It suddenly dawned on me that I was racing after all and it felt great! Kev sensed my growing disappointment and pulled about four or five strides in front of me. He knew I would latch on and chase him, his intent was to suck me up to the runners in front and allow me the opportunity to use my kick at the end to try and pass them.
His timing was perfect and I powered up the hill catching and passing one of the runners. I caught and passed the second of the three about a hundred yards from the top. I could hear her legs speed up as I passed but by this time there was no catching me.
About a quarter mile from the finish I rounded the corner and the third runner was watching me fly by. As promised, kev stayed in stride with me for my kick and we both finished strong. It was a great run that turned into a fun and exciting race. All and all, I passed about 40 runners and ended up only about a minute slower than last year.
A quick drink of water and we hi-tailed it home to finish the plywood and Tyvec on the garage.....finally, it can rain all it wants .....the garage is water tight now! Of course I enjoyed a much deserved cool down swim first.
Wednesday, July 6, 2011
It's been a Week Already
I haven't had much time lately to write about each run and next thing you know, the week has come and gone with no entry....So, now I find myself re-capping
After a failed attempt to run Monday ......had problems with the pool and was forced to go strait home, I finally made it to Bradbury Tuesday for a much needed run. I had so much trouble deciding what route to do and finally figuring the Scuffle to make the most sense.
The closer I got to the O-trail, the more I yearned for the direction blasting craziness of the abyss that seems to completely stop time in it's tracks.....next thing I knew I was running a double loop and fully enjoying it Not quite the speed training run I planned, but at least I got to fall and cut my knee up.....so battle scars are always uplifting.
Wednesday: I only managed a few laps in the pool while I humbly suffered through the aches and pains of sparring with the O-trail.
Thursday: I hit Bradbury again, this time to run the second loop of the Breaker course. I was determined to slap myself silly every time I was temped to walk. This worked good until I only made it about one third of the way up the Summit trail and found the cement around my ankles to be too heavy for me. I was reduced to a walk for another third of the way....I finally pushed myself to a mini schuffle until I crested the mountain.
The rest of the run went well as I caught my breath pretty quick and finished with a great speed up and kick.
The real reward was a cool down swim and laps in the pool after.
Friday: .......cross training, Left work early to begin a project that I have been putting off for a couple years now. I started ripping the old roof of the garage to prep for a new one. This was equivalent to a 4 hour gym workout .....or at least it felt that way.
Saturday: Finally I was putting up a ridge pole and assembling the rafters for the new roof. This was a hot..hot...day and the toll of lifting and carrying rough cut lumber was weighing heavy on me. I finished this day with some laps in the pool. Though refreshing, the cool water seemed to do nothing for the aching muscles.
Sunday: Rolling out of bed was tough as the body was complaining about the new crosstrainning routine. As usual, a 6 am swim limbered things up a bit.....only to get ready for more punishment. Luckily the sun was not beating on as like Saturday and it was a bit more bearable.....by night fall, the roof was fully boarded and covered with tar paper......just in time for the down pour.
Monday: L L Bean 10K ......I actually thought I would wake up dreading the thought of running this race, but I hit the pool and after a bunch of laps I loosened up pretty good. The exciting thing about this race, is that we planned on pushing my granddaughter in the stroller for her first ever road race.
I found that pushing a stroller....even a nice one from Beans, was quite a bit of work and on this muggy day, I felt the full effects of the last few days. regardless, I not only had a great time but I ran about 7 minutes faster than I planned.
One thing that was cool, we started dead last ( we didn't want some over zealous runner crashing into the stroller), and we actually passed at least 200 runners by the time we finished. Rylee, the granddaughter, was fantastic and was reported to be "wiggling" her toes in excitement as we kicked to the finish.
Another dip in the pool and it was back on the roof to shingle......got one side done before the rain and lost all gumption when the sun powered back out to do anymore........just plain spent and the body needed a rest.
After a failed attempt to run Monday ......had problems with the pool and was forced to go strait home, I finally made it to Bradbury Tuesday for a much needed run. I had so much trouble deciding what route to do and finally figuring the Scuffle to make the most sense.
The closer I got to the O-trail, the more I yearned for the direction blasting craziness of the abyss that seems to completely stop time in it's tracks.....next thing I knew I was running a double loop and fully enjoying it Not quite the speed training run I planned, but at least I got to fall and cut my knee up.....so battle scars are always uplifting.
Wednesday: I only managed a few laps in the pool while I humbly suffered through the aches and pains of sparring with the O-trail.
Thursday: I hit Bradbury again, this time to run the second loop of the Breaker course. I was determined to slap myself silly every time I was temped to walk. This worked good until I only made it about one third of the way up the Summit trail and found the cement around my ankles to be too heavy for me. I was reduced to a walk for another third of the way....I finally pushed myself to a mini schuffle until I crested the mountain.
The rest of the run went well as I caught my breath pretty quick and finished with a great speed up and kick.
The real reward was a cool down swim and laps in the pool after.
Friday: .......cross training, Left work early to begin a project that I have been putting off for a couple years now. I started ripping the old roof of the garage to prep for a new one. This was equivalent to a 4 hour gym workout .....or at least it felt that way.
Saturday: Finally I was putting up a ridge pole and assembling the rafters for the new roof. This was a hot..hot...day and the toll of lifting and carrying rough cut lumber was weighing heavy on me. I finished this day with some laps in the pool. Though refreshing, the cool water seemed to do nothing for the aching muscles.
Sunday: Rolling out of bed was tough as the body was complaining about the new crosstrainning routine. As usual, a 6 am swim limbered things up a bit.....only to get ready for more punishment. Luckily the sun was not beating on as like Saturday and it was a bit more bearable.....by night fall, the roof was fully boarded and covered with tar paper......just in time for the down pour.
Monday: L L Bean 10K ......I actually thought I would wake up dreading the thought of running this race, but I hit the pool and after a bunch of laps I loosened up pretty good. The exciting thing about this race, is that we planned on pushing my granddaughter in the stroller for her first ever road race.
I found that pushing a stroller....even a nice one from Beans, was quite a bit of work and on this muggy day, I felt the full effects of the last few days. regardless, I not only had a great time but I ran about 7 minutes faster than I planned.
One thing that was cool, we started dead last ( we didn't want some over zealous runner crashing into the stroller), and we actually passed at least 200 runners by the time we finished. Rylee, the granddaughter, was fantastic and was reported to be "wiggling" her toes in excitement as we kicked to the finish.
Another dip in the pool and it was back on the roof to shingle......got one side done before the rain and lost all gumption when the sun powered back out to do anymore........just plain spent and the body needed a rest.
Monday, June 27, 2011
Babysitting..funerals...weddings and company
I would be lying if I said I didn't get a chance to run this weekend......Sunday afternoon at about 6:30, I could have suited up and finally got in my run.......I was just plain spent and had no energy to do anything but sit and watch TV.
Not that I was a couch potato or that I didn't get any exercise, but I find the running to be taking a backseat lately and I don't like it. Like a drug addict, I need a certain amount of time on the trails to keep my prospective on the fast pace of life today......just to maintain a little sanity.
I feel like buying a gun, waving it in the air and yelling....." all right you guys now look here....I am going for a run .....and you ain't gonna do anything about it........or I'll use this thing...you see.....then shooting off a couple rounds........any questions?? ( I DIDN"T THINK SO!)
It's not that I don't enjoy all the family things, it's more that I seem to have trouble with balance lately. I used to be able to find ways to schedule in the runs I wanted. Perhaps I am just not the time manager I used to be.
I am going for a run today, ( even though the lawns desperately need to be mowed ) and I am going to put some thought into what I have been doing wrong lately. The mowing will just have to wait until tomorrow.
On the bright side, I did have a great run at Bradbury on Thursday after work. I ran the mountain side and covered pretty much all the trails up and over the mountain. It was a little wet and rainy but very enjoyable.
Also yesterday I spent a good amount of time in the pool swimming so, some cross training at least.
OH....I'm not really going to get a gun, I'm just going to cry..scream and hold my breath until I turn blue...that usually works I hear.
Not that I was a couch potato or that I didn't get any exercise, but I find the running to be taking a backseat lately and I don't like it. Like a drug addict, I need a certain amount of time on the trails to keep my prospective on the fast pace of life today......just to maintain a little sanity.
I feel like buying a gun, waving it in the air and yelling....." all right you guys now look here....I am going for a run .....and you ain't gonna do anything about it........or I'll use this thing...you see.....then shooting off a couple rounds........any questions?? ( I DIDN"T THINK SO!)
It's not that I don't enjoy all the family things, it's more that I seem to have trouble with balance lately. I used to be able to find ways to schedule in the runs I wanted. Perhaps I am just not the time manager I used to be.
I am going for a run today, ( even though the lawns desperately need to be mowed ) and I am going to put some thought into what I have been doing wrong lately. The mowing will just have to wait until tomorrow.
On the bright side, I did have a great run at Bradbury on Thursday after work. I ran the mountain side and covered pretty much all the trails up and over the mountain. It was a little wet and rainy but very enjoyable.
Also yesterday I spent a good amount of time in the pool swimming so, some cross training at least.
OH....I'm not really going to get a gun, I'm just going to cry..scream and hold my breath until I turn blue...that usually works I hear.
Thursday, June 16, 2011
Falling In Love
I fantasized all day about my planned run. I wasn't really sure as to what trail I would chose until I arrived and changed clothes. I decided on the connector so I could lose myself in the run and not have to think about direction and making turns.....a good ole out and back.
I realized while running, that I seriously enjoyed this route. I thought back and out of the 10 or so times I ran the connector, I couldn't think of one time that I was disappointed. You know how sometimes it is just a bad day running? Well I have never had a bad day on this route.
I think this will be my go to route when in doubt. It seems to have a little bit of everything that makes running trails fun. Rocks..roots..breath stealing uphills, fast and dangerous downhills, twisting single track, open fields, two picturesque stream crossing and once you hit the power lines, you have endless choices of direction depending on your need for the day.
One of the best things I like when running this out and back, is the fast downhill finish that makes one feel the speed of a sprint. It was just a perfect run.....It makes me want to use "the L word"
6.8 miles @ 1:16:56
I realized while running, that I seriously enjoyed this route. I thought back and out of the 10 or so times I ran the connector, I couldn't think of one time that I was disappointed. You know how sometimes it is just a bad day running? Well I have never had a bad day on this route.
I think this will be my go to route when in doubt. It seems to have a little bit of everything that makes running trails fun. Rocks..roots..breath stealing uphills, fast and dangerous downhills, twisting single track, open fields, two picturesque stream crossing and once you hit the power lines, you have endless choices of direction depending on your need for the day.
One of the best things I like when running this out and back, is the fast downhill finish that makes one feel the speed of a sprint. It was just a perfect run.....It makes me want to use "the L word"
6.8 miles @ 1:16:56
Monday, June 13, 2011
Missing The MOJO
This has been a difficult spring for my running......I can't find my MOJO, I want to run, I plan to run.....but the interference is seemingly so severe this year. Is it really or am I just not finding the normal ways to accomplish my runs?
Is it possible that some jokester has hit the fast forward button on me? If it weren't for the pool, my base would be totally gone. I think it is time to access my duties and be a bit more adamant with my running schedule.....time to put the foot down.
I planned on running some back bay races....even have my number (71).......haven't made it there, this is the second weekend in a row that I not only didn't get in a long run, but I didn't get in a run at all (or even get the lawn mowed). I think there is some force out there plotting against me.
Not only that, but this morning was the third day in a row that I went to put on my socks and found a hole in one of them........What the ? Is some gnome sneaking into my drawer and ripping a hole in just one of my socks?
Is it possible that some jokester has hit the fast forward button on me? If it weren't for the pool, my base would be totally gone. I think it is time to access my duties and be a bit more adamant with my running schedule.....time to put the foot down.
I planned on running some back bay races....even have my number (71).......haven't made it there, this is the second weekend in a row that I not only didn't get in a long run, but I didn't get in a run at all (or even get the lawn mowed). I think there is some force out there plotting against me.
Not only that, but this morning was the third day in a row that I went to put on my socks and found a hole in one of them........What the ? Is some gnome sneaking into my drawer and ripping a hole in just one of my socks?
Wednesday, June 1, 2011
What Was I Thinking? Sprints and Distance Do Not mix..or Do They?
Thought pattern......run the barefoot 5K the day before the 25K as an easy warm up and because it is a new adventure. Couldn't possibly hurt my 25K performance too much as long as I get the training runs in during the months preceding, right?
My original plan was to train for the 50 miler, which was whittled down to the 50k when I realized that my schedule was not going to allow me the time to train properly for the 50m. As the months flew by and I not only didn't get in my normal long runs, but I realized that my training was suffering severely. My longest run one month before was only 18 slow grueling miles at Mt A.
So.......running the 25K seemed the best option and it left more room for the addition of the barefoot 5K.
New plan in place so why did it feel like a cop-out? The thought of the 50K rolled around in my head for weeks before I finally convinced myself that I really would not be able to pull it off.
It is so hard to tell one's self that a certain thing can not be done .......well of course I could attempt it and perhaps even find a way to finish, but at what cost and with nothing to prove it was a mute thought anyway.
My best bet was to PR the 25K, which I had no doubt I could do.
Don't you hate when the mind makes promises that the body can't deliver? I spent the whole week before the 5K thinking and planning the best way to enjoy the new event without compromising the 25K Pr. Seemed so simple......just running not racing .... yeah just a 5k warm up in the Minimus shoes.
It made sense as I had not trained for a 5k and my fastest run at the campus course was somewhere in the 9:50 pace area and that surely was not racing speed. A few years ago, when I was training and racing mostly 5ks, I ran a Pr on this course of 25:32 ......so my goal for the barefoot was around 30 minutes (around 9:30 pace)
It was fun telling people I was doubling up, running a race both days of the festival, but at the same time some little voice in my head kept telling me that it was not as simple as I made it sound. Who listens to those little voices anyway?
The start of the 5K was exciting and everyone took off real fast. I found myself sucked right into the excitement and ran the first mile at 7:20 (not as fast as it sounds as the first mile is mostly down hill)
I settled down some in mile two but still pulled off an 8:23 ......I was a bit winded and the hills of mile three were wearing on my mind. Had I gone out too fast, would the hills take their toll?
Actually mile three was tough but also the most fun. My paced slowed to about 9:18, which is still moving pretty good for me on the Campus hills. I was passing bunches of runners, it felt so good.
Now I don't want to lead you astray, some of the these runners were from the 5k group that started ten minutes before us, so I wasn't actually racing them ........at this point, my mind did not know nor care the difference.
The last half mile I really picked things up and finish with probably the best kick I can remember on trails. I used everything I had and actually peaked at 14.8 mph. It was exciting and fun and stupid. After the finish, the realization of what I had done hit me hard. Limping with a sore left archilles and a sore right ankle loomed heavy on the thought of running the 25K the next day.
I kept asking myself, was it worth it and answering....hell yeah. I am a believer that you race the race in front of you and worry about the next race tomorrow. OK.....so I was starting to worry but that didn't diminish the excitement of my 5k finish.
Day two at the Pineland Challenge Festival was just as electric as the first day. 50K and 50 mile runners were already plastering the trails when I arrived and the crowds were enjoying excitement. I knew my 25K race was going to be a struggle but was determined to at least finish it.
The first three miles were pretty bad (I thought). The legs were heavy, breathing labored, the archilles and ankle hurt with every step.....yet somehow I averaged 10:30 mile pace, partly because I ran the whole way.
Walking was not going to be an option.
As bad as I felt in the first three miles, they did not compare to the next two. Mile four and Five were just plain energy slapping as my pace dropped to 14:30 and running was the exception to the rule. I settled in after mile five and started enjoying the difficulty of the run much more. I guess mainly because I gave in to the failed concept of Pr-ing this race and just enjoying it instead.
The aid stations were energetic and very helpful, arguably the best of any race I have done. I did get a surprise at one station, after offering some water to dump over my head, I was soaked with a full gallon instead of the normal cup full.........that sure cooled me off.
In the end, I did exactly what I promised, I ran the race that was in me on that particular day and found a way to enjoy the experience. I ran fairly even splits with a pretty good kick at the end. I didn't PR the 25K, but that's Ok. It seems I tend to forget the reason for running the trails in the first place .....to just have fun.
It was a great weekend, the beer was fantastic, Ian and Erik out did themselves...again, and I spent some quality time with some great people......what more could I ask for.
My original plan was to train for the 50 miler, which was whittled down to the 50k when I realized that my schedule was not going to allow me the time to train properly for the 50m. As the months flew by and I not only didn't get in my normal long runs, but I realized that my training was suffering severely. My longest run one month before was only 18 slow grueling miles at Mt A.
So.......running the 25K seemed the best option and it left more room for the addition of the barefoot 5K.
New plan in place so why did it feel like a cop-out? The thought of the 50K rolled around in my head for weeks before I finally convinced myself that I really would not be able to pull it off.
It is so hard to tell one's self that a certain thing can not be done .......well of course I could attempt it and perhaps even find a way to finish, but at what cost and with nothing to prove it was a mute thought anyway.
My best bet was to PR the 25K, which I had no doubt I could do.
Don't you hate when the mind makes promises that the body can't deliver? I spent the whole week before the 5K thinking and planning the best way to enjoy the new event without compromising the 25K Pr. Seemed so simple......just running not racing .... yeah just a 5k warm up in the Minimus shoes.
It made sense as I had not trained for a 5k and my fastest run at the campus course was somewhere in the 9:50 pace area and that surely was not racing speed. A few years ago, when I was training and racing mostly 5ks, I ran a Pr on this course of 25:32 ......so my goal for the barefoot was around 30 minutes (around 9:30 pace)
It was fun telling people I was doubling up, running a race both days of the festival, but at the same time some little voice in my head kept telling me that it was not as simple as I made it sound. Who listens to those little voices anyway?
The start of the 5K was exciting and everyone took off real fast. I found myself sucked right into the excitement and ran the first mile at 7:20 (not as fast as it sounds as the first mile is mostly down hill)
I settled down some in mile two but still pulled off an 8:23 ......I was a bit winded and the hills of mile three were wearing on my mind. Had I gone out too fast, would the hills take their toll?
Actually mile three was tough but also the most fun. My paced slowed to about 9:18, which is still moving pretty good for me on the Campus hills. I was passing bunches of runners, it felt so good.
Now I don't want to lead you astray, some of the these runners were from the 5k group that started ten minutes before us, so I wasn't actually racing them ........at this point, my mind did not know nor care the difference.
The last half mile I really picked things up and finish with probably the best kick I can remember on trails. I used everything I had and actually peaked at 14.8 mph. It was exciting and fun and stupid. After the finish, the realization of what I had done hit me hard. Limping with a sore left archilles and a sore right ankle loomed heavy on the thought of running the 25K the next day.
I kept asking myself, was it worth it and answering....hell yeah. I am a believer that you race the race in front of you and worry about the next race tomorrow. OK.....so I was starting to worry but that didn't diminish the excitement of my 5k finish.
Day two at the Pineland Challenge Festival was just as electric as the first day. 50K and 50 mile runners were already plastering the trails when I arrived and the crowds were enjoying excitement. I knew my 25K race was going to be a struggle but was determined to at least finish it.
The first three miles were pretty bad (I thought). The legs were heavy, breathing labored, the archilles and ankle hurt with every step.....yet somehow I averaged 10:30 mile pace, partly because I ran the whole way.
Walking was not going to be an option.
As bad as I felt in the first three miles, they did not compare to the next two. Mile four and Five were just plain energy slapping as my pace dropped to 14:30 and running was the exception to the rule. I settled in after mile five and started enjoying the difficulty of the run much more. I guess mainly because I gave in to the failed concept of Pr-ing this race and just enjoying it instead.
The aid stations were energetic and very helpful, arguably the best of any race I have done. I did get a surprise at one station, after offering some water to dump over my head, I was soaked with a full gallon instead of the normal cup full.........that sure cooled me off.
In the end, I did exactly what I promised, I ran the race that was in me on that particular day and found a way to enjoy the experience. I ran fairly even splits with a pretty good kick at the end. I didn't PR the 25K, but that's Ok. It seems I tend to forget the reason for running the trails in the first place .....to just have fun.
It was a great weekend, the beer was fantastic, Ian and Erik out did themselves...again, and I spent some quality time with some great people......what more could I ask for.
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