I went into the bruiser race this year fully knowing I was not in the shape I wanted or planned to be. How does one let this happen? The mind makes plans, such elaborate plans, A big timeless vacuum happens, then race day comes and I find myself wondering what went wrong.
Last year I prepared by running the 12 mile course many times and actually doing O-trail repeats 3 and 4 laps at a time. This year I ran the east side only a few times and the O-trail only once ......I guess I can say I was not very prepared. On top of all that, I ran the 40 for 40 last week (well 16 miles of it) and put some serious hurt on my knees and elbows (note to self, sliding on the elbows and knees down a gravel path really hurts!)
I went into this race knowing full well I was not going to be a Badass this year (takes a bit of the excitement out of it) knowing that I wasn't in that great of running shape and hoping like hell that I didn't fall onto the sore knees.......please not the knees.
So..........why did I have such a great race? I started mid pack to have a conservative start and to my surprise, there really was not much of a bottleneck for the first mile. The pace was quick but manageable and only a few runners trying to get by. One of which was Jeremy.....I thought what the hell? He should have been way up front. (second note to self, you can start in the back and still finish top ten if you run super human fast like Jeremy)
My goal of running steady, careful and not walking .....all without falling and still not being too slow seemed unreachable, yet I accomplished it with ease. I felt pretty comfortable with only a few moments of fatigue strong enough to cause concern. Just as sudden as the fatigue came, it went away. I can only assume I was running very smart and balancing on the edge of my conditioning.
The whole race was very manageable, my two worries, the knights hill..hill and the O-trail posed very little trouble as I was not reduced to walking either one. Though not a PR, this race was my second best time on this course and I didn't fall once.
I felt really good at the end of this race and perhaps I left a little on the table, but with no injuries, it felt good to realize I enjoyed the whole event. Of course Ian and Ryan ( and all the volunteers) did an outstanding job (as usual) I did however hear a person on the trail mention that Ian's description of a relatively flat course equalled moderately hilly to the average runner......it's all a matter of perspective I guess.
In the end I feel the Bruiser is a great training start for the Stone cat marathon and can only hope to feel and do as well running it.
Monday, September 12, 2011
Tuesday, September 6, 2011
16 Miles running, 30 Feet Skidding On Elbows And Knees
How can it be that I run a fairly difficult trail for 8 miles with zero tripping issues and then somehow land on my knees and elbows on a flat gravel path just before finishing the loop?
I was discussing with Joe his amazing finish of the Wilderness 100 and felt certain that little or no effort was needed to watch my footing as we were just finishing our first loop of Mindy's 40 to 40 and the trail was not really a trail at all because the last 400 yards was a wide open gravel path......a wide open gravel path...and I was feeling so good up to that point.
As I landed, the sound of crunching gravel and the hot pain of skin being ripped off was not part of my plans today and while limping back to the start area I contemplated aborting my next lap. Jeremy offered to amputate and someone else commented on how colorful I was. Yes red is quite colorful and amputation would be a damn good excuse not to run a second lap.
When every single muscle in your body jumps into action to counteract the process of falling to the ground, it tends to zap all the energy right out leaving a hollow shell trying drastically to move forward. So, when I stopped to write my first loop time in and eat a couple brownies, the body was saying no to any more running.
My only hope to getting another lap in was to head out onto the trails and get the body moving before the problem areas stiffened up. The first quarter mile was a little limpy but this got better once I started concentrating on foot placement instead of the pain.
My hope was, that moving would help alleviate swelling and I think it did. After about a mile I stopped and used the water from the Nathan pack to wash off the dried blood (which was pulling at the skin while running) Now all I had to do was not fall again as the knees and elbows would surely not appreciate it.
Though quite a bit slower, I was able to finish my second lap, ( breezed right over the gravel this time and with no falling issues) I was quite happy with the 16 miles as I have not run much for distance in the last few weeks. Mindy put on a heck of an event and I was glad to hear she made the whole distance ( I knew she would)
First loop 1:34:30....... 11:48 pace
Second loop 1:47:03....13:22 pace
Overall 3:21:54.......12:37 pace
I was discussing with Joe his amazing finish of the Wilderness 100 and felt certain that little or no effort was needed to watch my footing as we were just finishing our first loop of Mindy's 40 to 40 and the trail was not really a trail at all because the last 400 yards was a wide open gravel path......a wide open gravel path...and I was feeling so good up to that point.
As I landed, the sound of crunching gravel and the hot pain of skin being ripped off was not part of my plans today and while limping back to the start area I contemplated aborting my next lap. Jeremy offered to amputate and someone else commented on how colorful I was. Yes red is quite colorful and amputation would be a damn good excuse not to run a second lap.
When every single muscle in your body jumps into action to counteract the process of falling to the ground, it tends to zap all the energy right out leaving a hollow shell trying drastically to move forward. So, when I stopped to write my first loop time in and eat a couple brownies, the body was saying no to any more running.
My only hope to getting another lap in was to head out onto the trails and get the body moving before the problem areas stiffened up. The first quarter mile was a little limpy but this got better once I started concentrating on foot placement instead of the pain.
My hope was, that moving would help alleviate swelling and I think it did. After about a mile I stopped and used the water from the Nathan pack to wash off the dried blood (which was pulling at the skin while running) Now all I had to do was not fall again as the knees and elbows would surely not appreciate it.
Though quite a bit slower, I was able to finish my second lap, ( breezed right over the gravel this time and with no falling issues) I was quite happy with the 16 miles as I have not run much for distance in the last few weeks. Mindy put on a heck of an event and I was glad to hear she made the whole distance ( I knew she would)
First loop 1:34:30....... 11:48 pace
Second loop 1:47:03....13:22 pace
Overall 3:21:54.......12:37 pace
Wednesday, August 24, 2011
Passed Inspection--Company leaving
Don't get me wrong, I really do enjoy building things and it was great to have a project with the boys, but somehow everything mushroomed up at the same time, my mom, my mother inlaw,vehicle repairs and having company almost continuously for a month, there just wasn't much time left for me, the wife and a little running.
Of course I still have to close up the porch walls and finish the storage floor in the garage, but these things can be done alone and at a slower more comfortable pace.......as long as I beat the winter.
I know, I said the " W" word and we are only in the middle of August, but I am actually looking forward to the fall, I think it is the best season for trail running.
Thursday, August 18, 2011
Time Make The Donuts (or base running)
Now that the Breaker is behind me(even though I didn't actually run it), I am starting my quest to gear up for StoneCat....pretty darn excited and hope to do well. SO, distance is on my mind and I have cleansed my mind of anything sounding like speed.
Last night I hit Bradbury East and planned on 6-8 fairly easy miles. It didn't take long before I was pushing a bit faster than I planned. That was OK because I felt great. Perhaps my unplanned taper has given my legs a bit more pep.
I fully expected to start fatiguing by 8 miles but was surprisingly comfortable and so zoned in to running that I somehow took a wrong turn and ended up way off course. By the time I got back to the start I had run 11 miles and honestly I felt pretty darn good. Easily could have run a few more.
This was odd because I didn't bring the normal implements needed when running past an hour, no gels, no water, just me running and enjoying the trails.
I started at somewhere around 12 minute pace but ran the last two miles at 9:30 pace. My average was in the high tens and actually I think a PR for 11 miles on the East trail. Anyway, it sure felt good and was a good first run for my training.
11 miles @1:53:47
Last night I hit Bradbury East and planned on 6-8 fairly easy miles. It didn't take long before I was pushing a bit faster than I planned. That was OK because I felt great. Perhaps my unplanned taper has given my legs a bit more pep.
I fully expected to start fatiguing by 8 miles but was surprisingly comfortable and so zoned in to running that I somehow took a wrong turn and ended up way off course. By the time I got back to the start I had run 11 miles and honestly I felt pretty darn good. Easily could have run a few more.
This was odd because I didn't bring the normal implements needed when running past an hour, no gels, no water, just me running and enjoying the trails.
I started at somewhere around 12 minute pace but ran the last two miles at 9:30 pace. My average was in the high tens and actually I think a PR for 11 miles on the East trail. Anyway, it sure felt good and was a good first run for my training.
11 miles @1:53:47
Monday, August 15, 2011
Bradbury Breaker no race, race report.
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!
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 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.
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