The Cystic Fibrosis Association of Ireland charity is a very worthy cause. CF is Ireland's most common genetically inherited disease.We have the highest incidence of the disease in the developed world, with 1 in 19 members of the population being carriers of the recessive CF gene. It is when two carriers of the recessive gene parent a child together, there is a 1 in 4 risk of the child having the disease. There is no cure at present for this disease. To learn more about CF and the wonderful work done by the Cystic Fibrosis Association of Ireland please check out their website. For more information on the disease click here.
In 1998 I lost my childhood friend to this disease. We were both aged 21. It is to remember Nuala, and to support the more than 1000 children and their families that live with this disease every day in Ireland, that I ask you to consider donating. Any amount no matter how small is hugely appreciated.
In the years since Nuala passed I took up running and since moving to the US in 2005 I have discovered the joys of trail running. On September 5th I will attempt my first 100 mile race, the Superior Sawtooth. It is a point-to-point race on 100% trails on a course that follows the Superior Hiking Trail in Northern Minnesota along the north shore of Lake Superior. It is a very beautiful trail with (hopefully) enough scenery to keep me sane for the 30+ hours I will be running/walking/crawling.
Having completed a number of 50K and 50M races as well as numerous long training runs I've had plenty of time to reflect on how lucky I am to enjoy the life I've been given. To be blessed with good health, a loving family and wonderful friends. To wake up every day knowing I have the capacity to live life to the fullest and that the only thing standing in my way are the limits I place on myself. But not everyone is as fortunate. So if I can add meaning to my race by fundraising for CF it will make the effort all the more worthwhile.
Please click on this link to donate.
Thursday, August 21, 2008
Taper starts here...
Well, the hard work is done now. Enough of it I hope. Finished off with a run around the Lakes this morning with Carrie for about 11 miles and then a visit to Hyland this evening for another 9. That was fun - sort of. I planned to do about 10 hill repeats, met up with Guy for the first few and then Val arrived and was planning to do 20. So of course I couldn't let her do them all alone... finished up with 21. Still, that was less than 2 hours on the hill. How on earth did Julie do 6 hour sessions out there?????
25 minute ice bath when I got home. My feet needed it they were feeling a bit tired. But I think I need to start adding more ice - it's not feeling quite as cold now that I am used to it!
Really looking forward to New Mexico. Will be great to chill out, not worry about work (though the laptop is coming with), and just hang out with my sis.
Wonder how the nerves will be this time two weeks...
end of post.
25 minute ice bath when I got home. My feet needed it they were feeling a bit tired. But I think I need to start adding more ice - it's not feeling quite as cold now that I am used to it!
Really looking forward to New Mexico. Will be great to chill out, not worry about work (though the laptop is coming with), and just hang out with my sis.
Wonder how the nerves will be this time two weeks...
end of post.
Tuesday, August 19, 2008
Feeling good again!
Great run this evening! I am so glad I took the few days to let my ankle heal. I've been icing and taping it every day. Felt no pain whatsoever in it. Took Saturday and Sunday completely off, yoga Monday morning and a nice sleep in this morning. Then met up with Cindy from work who's training for her first IM for a bike ride this evening. We got caught in the rain but just towards the end.
Got home and was feeling good so I decided I'd head for the Lakes. 9 miles. 1 warm-up, 7 @ 7min pace, 1 cool-down. It wasn't easy. But I felt strong. It was just one of those runs that make you so happy to be able to run. My left foot (problem child from a few weeks ago) felt a little tender mile 3-4 but went away after that. Similarly my right quad (odd pain that appeared Friday night) was aching a little in the middle of the run but was better by the end. Got home, stretched a little... I'm learning the hard way... then sat watching the Olympics with my feet in a basin of ice and an ice pack on my thigh!
Tomorrow will be an easy day and then more running Thursday. I'd been planning a hill workout at Afton but have decided I am better off not tempting fate on the gnarly terrain and will instead do Hyland ski hill. And then off to NM for the week. Easy runs at altitutde - it's all about increasing the red blood cell count :)
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Got home and was feeling good so I decided I'd head for the Lakes. 9 miles. 1 warm-up, 7 @ 7min pace, 1 cool-down. It wasn't easy. But I felt strong. It was just one of those runs that make you so happy to be able to run. My left foot (problem child from a few weeks ago) felt a little tender mile 3-4 but went away after that. Similarly my right quad (odd pain that appeared Friday night) was aching a little in the middle of the run but was better by the end. Got home, stretched a little... I'm learning the hard way... then sat watching the Olympics with my feet in a basin of ice and an ice pack on my thigh!
Tomorrow will be an easy day and then more running Thursday. I'd been planning a hill workout at Afton but have decided I am better off not tempting fate on the gnarly terrain and will instead do Hyland ski hill. And then off to NM for the week. Easy runs at altitutde - it's all about increasing the red blood cell count :)
end of post
Sunday, August 17, 2008
Olympic Coverage for Dummies
Or at least that's what NBC must think we are. Ok - so not everyone just wants to watch Track & Field but explain to me why I was watching a qualifying round basketball match between the US and NZ women while the men's 10,000m final was getting underway? I kept thinking they would switch coverage but No. And from what I can tell they have no plans to show the race until later this evening (same with women's 100m final which was held around 9am CDT) - so I gave in and looked up the results online...
STOP reading if you don't want to know! Sorry for those folks who already read on before I added this. Thanks Keith :)
Bekele defended his title to take gold again and no medal for Gebrselassie who faded to 6th place towards the finish. Jamacia took 1-2-2 (tie for 2nd) in the 100m so no glory for Lauren Williams et al. Amazingly the golds in the 100m men's and women's this week for Jamacia were their first despite being strong in sprinting for as long as I've been watching the Games.
The reason I am sat watching TV in the first place is that my ankle is pretty sore this morning so no running. Or biking. I guess I could have biked - Pam and Karen were setting off from Plymouth at 8am but I decided I needed the sleep instead. And also still have a pain in my right quad so biking might not have been the best idea. No clue what's up with that but hopefully a massage this week will sort it out. Anyway I finally got a great long sleep! So I think a few days rest and I should be able for my last final workout by mid-week. Last fall Kami and I did this great session in Afton starting with the first hill on the race course - up and down that one, then the next one over, and the next one, and then the gravel one. And do it in reverse. And repeat...
We'll see. I'd better take care of the ankle. It is just annoying since it didn't feel that bad when I turned it. Will bike at some point this week also since I won't be doing any more of that until after Superior. In NM from next Friday until Labor Day so will just do some light runs. Indulged in a pair of Inov-8's yesterday. I'd been meaning to stop by TC Running store for the longest time and finally made it over there after meeting the girls at Little Long Lake for an afternoon swim. Nice shop - much bigger selection of gear than I remembered from my last visit which was probably well over a year ago.
Was looking up Leadville results earlier - sounded like tough conditions out there. Everyone did well to get to where they did. Not sure made it to the finish as the online tracker is down at the moment. Looking forward to hearing all about it. And the Pikes Peak Ascent which Kami, Cathy & Igor were doing (and also I think a few of the runner from Team Ortho) - heard from the guys last night that they were turned around 3m from the finish due to bad weather - so they ended up returning to the start for 20m instead of a half marathon!! Well, I guess they now know what the ascent and descent on that course feel like :)
Olympic coverage had turned to Fencing. I think it's time to turn off the TV.
end of post.
STOP reading if you don't want to know! Sorry for those folks who already read on before I added this. Thanks Keith :)
Bekele defended his title to take gold again and no medal for Gebrselassie who faded to 6th place towards the finish. Jamacia took 1-2-2 (tie for 2nd) in the 100m so no glory for Lauren Williams et al. Amazingly the golds in the 100m men's and women's this week for Jamacia were their first despite being strong in sprinting for as long as I've been watching the Games.
The reason I am sat watching TV in the first place is that my ankle is pretty sore this morning so no running. Or biking. I guess I could have biked - Pam and Karen were setting off from Plymouth at 8am but I decided I needed the sleep instead. And also still have a pain in my right quad so biking might not have been the best idea. No clue what's up with that but hopefully a massage this week will sort it out. Anyway I finally got a great long sleep! So I think a few days rest and I should be able for my last final workout by mid-week. Last fall Kami and I did this great session in Afton starting with the first hill on the race course - up and down that one, then the next one over, and the next one, and then the gravel one. And do it in reverse. And repeat...
We'll see. I'd better take care of the ankle. It is just annoying since it didn't feel that bad when I turned it. Will bike at some point this week also since I won't be doing any more of that until after Superior. In NM from next Friday until Labor Day so will just do some light runs. Indulged in a pair of Inov-8's yesterday. I'd been meaning to stop by TC Running store for the longest time and finally made it over there after meeting the girls at Little Long Lake for an afternoon swim. Nice shop - much bigger selection of gear than I remembered from my last visit which was probably well over a year ago.
Was looking up Leadville results earlier - sounded like tough conditions out there. Everyone did well to get to where they did. Not sure made it to the finish as the online tracker is down at the moment. Looking forward to hearing all about it. And the Pikes Peak Ascent which Kami, Cathy & Igor were doing (and also I think a few of the runner from Team Ortho) - heard from the guys last night that they were turned around 3m from the finish due to bad weather - so they ended up returning to the start for 20m instead of a half marathon!! Well, I guess they now know what the ascent and descent on that course feel like :)
Olympic coverage had turned to Fencing. I think it's time to turn off the TV.
end of post.
Saturday, August 16, 2008
Full Moon at Afton
What a beautiful night for running! Earlier this week I had a half notion of heading back up to the SHT tonight for a final trot on the trail to get in some night running along the section I hope to do during the dark hours (Finland to...?) but in the end decided that logistically it would be a bit of a nightmare and that I should just stick with the original plan of an Afton run with Matt et al.
So that is what I did. And had a new running partner to share the fun - Val, whom I'd met at Voyageur, and I were emailing yesterday and I was telling her about the run so she decided to join also. Worked out good as by the time we were ready to run at 8pm Matt, Zach and Bill were just in from a loop (#2 for Matt) and were taking a break. So the pair of us set off on loop #1. I'd been hoping to run 2 full loops and the was feeling pretty good for most of the first one. We had the headlamps out after about 40 minutes - just as we were attacking a fairly technical downhill - and were covering ground at a decent pace. Val asked me a few times if we were going too slow for me - er, No - in fact we were probably running faster than I ever have out there on a training run! We met Zach and Bill along the river as they were heading the opposite direction. Matt had stomach issues and had gone back to the car. Too bad for him but he's gotten some good night runs in out there so I think he is well set for Sawtooth.
We ended up at 2:45 for the loop but I had started to feel a pretty sharp pain in the center of my right quad so wasn't too happy about that. Totally new pain. I love it - couldn't have a week go by without a new one! I recall Adam mentioning some quad pain so I will have to check in with him to see if it was anything similar. Feels good as I write this now but I expect there's a lot of build up in my quads from the week's biking and running. Good thing I'm having weekly massages at the moment...
Setting off on loop 2 just after 11pm we weren't sure if we'd do the full one but the great thing about running out there is being able to cut it short if needed. Actually, that is kind of a bad thing really as it's too easy to pack it in :) But it made sense last night as I turned on my right ankle along the Back 40 Loop and it hurt pretty bad. Many years ago I tore ligaments in this ankle (long before I started running... very high heels on a rather drunken college night out) so it has always been the weaker one and I often roll it once or twice during a race but usually nothing that I feel for very long. But I knew last night's turn was a little worse than usual and my quad pain was not going away so when we got back down to the river from the campground hill we turned right and took the path back up to the carpark. A little disappointed not to have completed the second loop but no point in pushing through pain now. There will be enough of that in a few weeks time! Wynn and Duke arrived back to the carpark just as we were packing up to go. They were planning a second loop also. Not bad after a solid night session on the SHT Thurs for Wynn - he's in great shape for the race.
So 26 for the night. Unlikely to make my goal of 70 for the week unless the ankle improves dramatically by tomorrow but it's not the end of the world. Lots of icing and elevation today. I did ice it for quite a while last night - did my usual 20 minutes in the ice bath when I got home and then had my feet and ankles in a basin of ice for another 10-15 mins. Felt good at the time so I am a little surprised by how sore it is now. Feel like I put in some good quality runs this week anyway. Wednesday night was a tempo one along the Luce Line - myself and Eric were definitely pushing it but that nice flat non-pavement surface is the place to do it. Then Thursday evening we did 20 around the lakes and Minnehaha parkway. It had been quite a while since I ran that length on the road but it felt good.
Looking forward to watching lots of the Olympics in the coming days. I got to see some of the swimming and gymnastics last week but definitely want to see more of the track & field events. I have DVR but have no clue how to use it so I should really try to figure that out...
end of post.
So that is what I did. And had a new running partner to share the fun - Val, whom I'd met at Voyageur, and I were emailing yesterday and I was telling her about the run so she decided to join also. Worked out good as by the time we were ready to run at 8pm Matt, Zach and Bill were just in from a loop (#2 for Matt) and were taking a break. So the pair of us set off on loop #1. I'd been hoping to run 2 full loops and the was feeling pretty good for most of the first one. We had the headlamps out after about 40 minutes - just as we were attacking a fairly technical downhill - and were covering ground at a decent pace. Val asked me a few times if we were going too slow for me - er, No - in fact we were probably running faster than I ever have out there on a training run! We met Zach and Bill along the river as they were heading the opposite direction. Matt had stomach issues and had gone back to the car. Too bad for him but he's gotten some good night runs in out there so I think he is well set for Sawtooth.
We ended up at 2:45 for the loop but I had started to feel a pretty sharp pain in the center of my right quad so wasn't too happy about that. Totally new pain. I love it - couldn't have a week go by without a new one! I recall Adam mentioning some quad pain so I will have to check in with him to see if it was anything similar. Feels good as I write this now but I expect there's a lot of build up in my quads from the week's biking and running. Good thing I'm having weekly massages at the moment...
Setting off on loop 2 just after 11pm we weren't sure if we'd do the full one but the great thing about running out there is being able to cut it short if needed. Actually, that is kind of a bad thing really as it's too easy to pack it in :) But it made sense last night as I turned on my right ankle along the Back 40 Loop and it hurt pretty bad. Many years ago I tore ligaments in this ankle (long before I started running... very high heels on a rather drunken college night out) so it has always been the weaker one and I often roll it once or twice during a race but usually nothing that I feel for very long. But I knew last night's turn was a little worse than usual and my quad pain was not going away so when we got back down to the river from the campground hill we turned right and took the path back up to the carpark. A little disappointed not to have completed the second loop but no point in pushing through pain now. There will be enough of that in a few weeks time! Wynn and Duke arrived back to the carpark just as we were packing up to go. They were planning a second loop also. Not bad after a solid night session on the SHT Thurs for Wynn - he's in great shape for the race.
So 26 for the night. Unlikely to make my goal of 70 for the week unless the ankle improves dramatically by tomorrow but it's not the end of the world. Lots of icing and elevation today. I did ice it for quite a while last night - did my usual 20 minutes in the ice bath when I got home and then had my feet and ankles in a basin of ice for another 10-15 mins. Felt good at the time so I am a little surprised by how sore it is now. Feel like I put in some good quality runs this week anyway. Wednesday night was a tempo one along the Luce Line - myself and Eric were definitely pushing it but that nice flat non-pavement surface is the place to do it. Then Thursday evening we did 20 around the lakes and Minnehaha parkway. It had been quite a while since I ran that length on the road but it felt good.
Looking forward to watching lots of the Olympics in the coming days. I got to see some of the swimming and gymnastics last week but definitely want to see more of the track & field events. I have DVR but have no clue how to use it so I should really try to figure that out...
end of post.
Tuesday, August 12, 2008
Last big weekend...
I haven't quite decided what or where I'll be running this weekend but it'll be the last big training session before Sawtooth. I'll bike and run next week but moderate distance/effort and the following week I'll be on vacation in New Mexico so it'll just be a few runs (at altitude...) and then it'll be The Final Countdown...
Scary s**t. But I am super excited. I don't know why because there are more tough miles than easy miles on the course but I guess I don't run ultras for the easy stuff :)
Finally getting back into my yoga routine after a week+ off. Went back yesterday morning and then Deborah's class this morning. Brutal. But in a good way. Of course. Will probably make it again tomorrow and maybe Friday. It really helps loosen up my hamstrings in particular. And it's just a good workout. The class I go to is Vinyasa flow in a room at 80F so there's some serious sweating involved!
Biked 40 miles with Igor this evening - we were thinking of going to Prescott for the hills along 35 south but we decided to stay a bit closer to home. Started out along Co. Rd 20 just east of 494 and rode out to 95 - did a big loop including the lovely hills coming out of Afton village on 21 south. Boy, did those hills slow me down. Then a detour into the park itself to get another big climb in. Legs were feeling it. Tomorrow evening will be a run (after a massage which I hope will help the shoulders - pretty tight since the weekend). Hoping for a tempo run assuming the legs are recovered from today.
Came home from the bike ride to a scrumptious steak dinner - nothing like having a sister in town to feed you :)
end of post.
Scary s**t. But I am super excited. I don't know why because there are more tough miles than easy miles on the course but I guess I don't run ultras for the easy stuff :)
Finally getting back into my yoga routine after a week+ off. Went back yesterday morning and then Deborah's class this morning. Brutal. But in a good way. Of course. Will probably make it again tomorrow and maybe Friday. It really helps loosen up my hamstrings in particular. And it's just a good workout. The class I go to is Vinyasa flow in a room at 80F so there's some serious sweating involved!
Biked 40 miles with Igor this evening - we were thinking of going to Prescott for the hills along 35 south but we decided to stay a bit closer to home. Started out along Co. Rd 20 just east of 494 and rode out to 95 - did a big loop including the lovely hills coming out of Afton village on 21 south. Boy, did those hills slow me down. Then a detour into the park itself to get another big climb in. Legs were feeling it. Tomorrow evening will be a run (after a massage which I hope will help the shoulders - pretty tight since the weekend). Hoping for a tempo run assuming the legs are recovered from today.
Came home from the bike ride to a scrumptious steak dinner - nothing like having a sister in town to feed you :)
end of post.
Sunday, August 10, 2008
100 miles on the SHT
I am hoping that come September 6th I will be able to repeat this heading and actually mean that I ran/walked all 100 miles together... but for now I am content that at least I have covered the entire course. The marathon in 2005 & 2006, Finland to Britton a few weeks ago, Split Rock to Finland yesterday, and Gooseberry to Split Rock this morning!
The knee actually felt pretty good this morning despite it looking a mess. So I got up around 7am (the start of my sleep catch-up) and drove to Split Rock, left the car there and ran the road back to Gooseberry... found the trail after meandering around on the ski trails for a while - and made my way back to Split Rock. I think about 11.5 miles in total with the various diversions. First time I have ever ran the morning after a 20+ mile run. Took a bit of warming up but it was nice to stretch it out for a bit on the road. I enjoyed the trail this morning though I'm not a big fan of ski trails - especially since they'll make our feet wet! - but at least the race starts out pretty gentle and the next several miles are runnable for the most part. Fabulous overlook of Lake Superior about half way along this section.
Got back to the cabin around 10am and sat in the lake for a bit again. Nice this morning since the sun was really warm. And then we set off for home. With a pit-stop in Duluth to check out Duluth Running Co. Nice store. I easily managed to drop a few dollars, including the 10 bucks Wynn found on the trail yesterday! Don't worry I do intend to make a donation to the SHTA but the office in Two Harbors wasn't open this morning :) It was so odd, we just saw all these dollar bills on the path a few miles into the run so I stuffed them in to my baggie with my ID. Can't be leaving litter on the trail...
Great weekend all around. And not over yet - planning to take the girls to Broader's this evening for dinner. What a fantastic spot, a huge menu of scrumptious fresh homemade pasta dishes. And a nice Italian wine menu to go with it. Not to mention the amazing deserts. Though I should probably pass given the slice of pie I devoured earlier - I'd been told I couldn't go by Betty's Pies one more time without stopping in. No kidding... I recommend the Rasberry Rhubarb Crunch!
end of post.
The knee actually felt pretty good this morning despite it looking a mess. So I got up around 7am (the start of my sleep catch-up) and drove to Split Rock, left the car there and ran the road back to Gooseberry... found the trail after meandering around on the ski trails for a while - and made my way back to Split Rock. I think about 11.5 miles in total with the various diversions. First time I have ever ran the morning after a 20+ mile run. Took a bit of warming up but it was nice to stretch it out for a bit on the road. I enjoyed the trail this morning though I'm not a big fan of ski trails - especially since they'll make our feet wet! - but at least the race starts out pretty gentle and the next several miles are runnable for the most part. Fabulous overlook of Lake Superior about half way along this section.
Got back to the cabin around 10am and sat in the lake for a bit again. Nice this morning since the sun was really warm. And then we set off for home. With a pit-stop in Duluth to check out Duluth Running Co. Nice store. I easily managed to drop a few dollars, including the 10 bucks Wynn found on the trail yesterday! Don't worry I do intend to make a donation to the SHTA but the office in Two Harbors wasn't open this morning :) It was so odd, we just saw all these dollar bills on the path a few miles into the run so I stuffed them in to my baggie with my ID. Can't be leaving litter on the trail...
Great weekend all around. And not over yet - planning to take the girls to Broader's this evening for dinner. What a fantastic spot, a huge menu of scrumptious fresh homemade pasta dishes. And a nice Italian wine menu to go with it. Not to mention the amazing deserts. Though I should probably pass given the slice of pie I devoured earlier - I'd been told I couldn't go by Betty's Pies one more time without stopping in. No kidding... I recommend the Rasberry Rhubarb Crunch!
end of post.
Saturday, August 9, 2008
SHT #2
Met Wynn at 5am this morning at Split Rock and hung out for while until it got bright before we set off for Finland. I was thinking 40 miles but before long had calulated it was going to be 45! Oh well, too late now...
I wasn't sure how I'd feel given my average 5hrs sleep a night this week and a 115 mile bike ride on Thursday but it went surprisingly well! I hope I didn't slow Wynn down too much but it was great to have company and I know I wouldn't have kept up as good a pace had I been out there by myself. This section of the course was pretty rough in places but overall I found it better than I'd been expecting. Some very runnable sections but these were interspersed with plenty of hills. Indivually the climbs were not so bad but after a few hours of continuous ups and downs it became a bit head wrecking. Still, I am glad to have a better idea of what to expect in September. Crap it's like 4 weeks yesterday!!!
Hoping to run the first 5 miles from Gooseberry to Split Rock in the morning - my OCD nature making me want to complete the 100 mile course - albeit over the course of a few days, spaced out by a few years :)
However, I bashed up my knee pretty well on my third fall of the day so will have to see how that is. Went straight off a boardwalk about 3 miles from the finish. Totally asleep. Will need to be a bit more careful on the big day. But great news on the foot - didn't feel a thing! I am really surprised as I was expecting to deal with some pain at least. But it's exactly the same as it was this morning - hurts a little when I press hard at the base of my middle toe but that's about it. No bruising. No swelling. Happy out.
Still not sure what shoes I'll go with for the race. I wore the Asics (Gel Trail Attack) today and they felt good. I'd been planning to wear the Montrails (Continental Divide) for the race as I think they do have a bit more support/cushioning but maybe I will go with the Asics for the first half anyway and see how they feel.
Anyway, we made it back to Finland just after 3:30pm, 10 hours on the move, and had time to stretch before Angela & Rosie picked us up - which was a good thing as my PT has been giving me a hard time about never stretching! Got back to our luxurious cabin (decided we deserved a treat so we're staying at the Grand Superior Lodge - neat spot) and I sat in Lake Superior for a while. Only managed about 10 minutes this time around, and that was with a mug of coffee in each hand. I must have looked a strange sight! Felt good though, especially on my ankles as they took a bit of a beating today on the gnarly terrain. After a mega hot shower we sat down to a huge feast off the grill. Thanks Ang! And a few beers to wash it down. Nice evening relaxing with the girls - complete with a very competitive game of scrabble!
Hope the night runners had a good time up here. Just as we were approaching Two Harbors yesterday evening I drove past this car... ok so I was speeding a little and doing some zigzagging through traffic... next thing the car pulled back up alongside me - I thought they were going to give out to me but then I saw Steve waving out the window!!
Seriously need to catch up on sleep this week. But a busy work week and visitors from home is not exactly conducive to early nights... but I can't complain, at least not about the visitors.
end of post.
I wasn't sure how I'd feel given my average 5hrs sleep a night this week and a 115 mile bike ride on Thursday but it went surprisingly well! I hope I didn't slow Wynn down too much but it was great to have company and I know I wouldn't have kept up as good a pace had I been out there by myself. This section of the course was pretty rough in places but overall I found it better than I'd been expecting. Some very runnable sections but these were interspersed with plenty of hills. Indivually the climbs were not so bad but after a few hours of continuous ups and downs it became a bit head wrecking. Still, I am glad to have a better idea of what to expect in September. Crap it's like 4 weeks yesterday!!!
Hoping to run the first 5 miles from Gooseberry to Split Rock in the morning - my OCD nature making me want to complete the 100 mile course - albeit over the course of a few days, spaced out by a few years :)
However, I bashed up my knee pretty well on my third fall of the day so will have to see how that is. Went straight off a boardwalk about 3 miles from the finish. Totally asleep. Will need to be a bit more careful on the big day. But great news on the foot - didn't feel a thing! I am really surprised as I was expecting to deal with some pain at least. But it's exactly the same as it was this morning - hurts a little when I press hard at the base of my middle toe but that's about it. No bruising. No swelling. Happy out.
Still not sure what shoes I'll go with for the race. I wore the Asics (Gel Trail Attack) today and they felt good. I'd been planning to wear the Montrails (Continental Divide) for the race as I think they do have a bit more support/cushioning but maybe I will go with the Asics for the first half anyway and see how they feel.
Anyway, we made it back to Finland just after 3:30pm, 10 hours on the move, and had time to stretch before Angela & Rosie picked us up - which was a good thing as my PT has been giving me a hard time about never stretching! Got back to our luxurious cabin (decided we deserved a treat so we're staying at the Grand Superior Lodge - neat spot) and I sat in Lake Superior for a while. Only managed about 10 minutes this time around, and that was with a mug of coffee in each hand. I must have looked a strange sight! Felt good though, especially on my ankles as they took a bit of a beating today on the gnarly terrain. After a mega hot shower we sat down to a huge feast off the grill. Thanks Ang! And a few beers to wash it down. Nice evening relaxing with the girls - complete with a very competitive game of scrabble!
Hope the night runners had a good time up here. Just as we were approaching Two Harbors yesterday evening I drove past this car... ok so I was speeding a little and doing some zigzagging through traffic... next thing the car pulled back up alongside me - I thought they were going to give out to me but then I saw Steve waving out the window!!
Seriously need to catch up on sleep this week. But a busy work week and visitors from home is not exactly conducive to early nights... but I can't complain, at least not about the visitors.
end of post.
Friday, August 8, 2008
Long bike - check; Long run - next up!
Heading up north later this afternoon after I meet my sister & friend at the airport (yep, more vistors - Mpls is a popular place this summer - most likely due to the dollar-euro conversion as opposed to my wonderful company!). Can't wait to see the ladies.
And I'm really looking forward to the run tomorrow. It will be interesting to see how my legs feel. I am tired today after the trip to Madison but my biggest complaint is lack of sleep. Apart from that my body feels pretty good. Though I did complain A LOT during the last 20 miles of the bike ride!! I need to change my saddle AGAIN - surely it isn't meant to hurt that much?? I was cursing every bump in the road from about mile 80 onwards...
Still, it was a great training day. I think Igor was a little surprised by the hills - though he will be well able for them in September. I had forgotten just how many there are, even before hitting the loop the road out to Verona is none too flat. And it was pretty windy yesterday. In fact it was probably very similar conditions to the race last year though maybe 5-10 degrees hotter. It got very sunny as the day wore on and of course I had missed a spot on my shoulder with the sunscreen and have a very attractive red line down my back.
Before the bike we swam for 30 mins in Lake Monona - it actually felt great, that is such a nice lake to swim in. Shoulder feels pretty good today - I am delighted the bike doesn't seem to bother them as much as last year. I'm sure being positioned better on my tri bike helps a ton. And then we ran 40 mins after we gone done with biking. Needless to say that felt great! Anything to be off the bike... oh, it's not that bad but I won't ever enjoy it as much as running :)
Missing the group run at Afton tomorrow morning but hopefully will get out to Hyland with the gang next week. And then planning on Matt's all nighter Friday night. Should be more successful than last Friday assuming no ill effects from tomorrow's run. I see Adam is planning same on the RTA Saturday night... might be an interesting schedule next weekend!
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And I'm really looking forward to the run tomorrow. It will be interesting to see how my legs feel. I am tired today after the trip to Madison but my biggest complaint is lack of sleep. Apart from that my body feels pretty good. Though I did complain A LOT during the last 20 miles of the bike ride!! I need to change my saddle AGAIN - surely it isn't meant to hurt that much?? I was cursing every bump in the road from about mile 80 onwards...
Still, it was a great training day. I think Igor was a little surprised by the hills - though he will be well able for them in September. I had forgotten just how many there are, even before hitting the loop the road out to Verona is none too flat. And it was pretty windy yesterday. In fact it was probably very similar conditions to the race last year though maybe 5-10 degrees hotter. It got very sunny as the day wore on and of course I had missed a spot on my shoulder with the sunscreen and have a very attractive red line down my back.
Before the bike we swam for 30 mins in Lake Monona - it actually felt great, that is such a nice lake to swim in. Shoulder feels pretty good today - I am delighted the bike doesn't seem to bother them as much as last year. I'm sure being positioned better on my tri bike helps a ton. And then we ran 40 mins after we gone done with biking. Needless to say that felt great! Anything to be off the bike... oh, it's not that bad but I won't ever enjoy it as much as running :)
Missing the group run at Afton tomorrow morning but hopefully will get out to Hyland with the gang next week. And then planning on Matt's all nighter Friday night. Should be more successful than last Friday assuming no ill effects from tomorrow's run. I see Adam is planning same on the RTA Saturday night... might be an interesting schedule next weekend!
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Wednesday, August 6, 2008
Return to Madison
Back in Madison for the first time since last September... looking forward (I think) to biking the IM course tomorrow. Hoping it is slightly less painful than the actual race itself last year! Well, maybe painful is the wrong word. But it was frustrating by the second loop and my shoulders ached for much of it. I wasn't a huge fan of biking last year but have definitely been enjoying it more this year. I guess that's what a new bike and good fit does for you...
Saw the PT this morning and was very happy to be told after a few minutes of ultrasound on the sole of my foot with zero pain I could be assured it was not a stress fracture. Sweet. My shoulder on the other hand seems to be worse this week and I haven't swam since last Wednesday. I guess the flights to and from DC didn't help. Dr. Pete suggested I avoid swimming for a few more days but I packed my wetsuit anyway... I know I am a terrible patient but I have to get in the water more often if I have any hope of maintaining my swim time in Arizona.
So the plan for tomorrow is ~30 min swim in Lake Monona, bike the IM course, and then ~30 min run. Having biked the course once in training last summer and then for the race I am responsible for not getting us lost. Well, I have a vague memory and a map so I guess we should be good... I'll be happy to get the century ride+ practice but don't feel the need to do any extra miles!
Was just reading Runner's World (yes, I still subscribe to the roadie mag) and enjoyed a piece on Vibram FiveFingers, must let Keith know. It was written by Peter Sagal, host of one of my fav shows on radio - NPR's Wait, Wait... Don't Tell Me!
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Saw the PT this morning and was very happy to be told after a few minutes of ultrasound on the sole of my foot with zero pain I could be assured it was not a stress fracture. Sweet. My shoulder on the other hand seems to be worse this week and I haven't swam since last Wednesday. I guess the flights to and from DC didn't help. Dr. Pete suggested I avoid swimming for a few more days but I packed my wetsuit anyway... I know I am a terrible patient but I have to get in the water more often if I have any hope of maintaining my swim time in Arizona.
So the plan for tomorrow is ~30 min swim in Lake Monona, bike the IM course, and then ~30 min run. Having biked the course once in training last summer and then for the race I am responsible for not getting us lost. Well, I have a vague memory and a map so I guess we should be good... I'll be happy to get the century ride+ practice but don't feel the need to do any extra miles!
Was just reading Runner's World (yes, I still subscribe to the roadie mag) and enjoyed a piece on Vibram FiveFingers, must let Keith know. It was written by Peter Sagal, host of one of my fav shows on radio - NPR's Wait, Wait... Don't Tell Me!
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Tuesday, August 5, 2008
Test #2: PASS
Ran approx 7mi this morning and foot felt good. Yippee. I will see Dr. Pete in the morning for my shoulder (no change - still bothering me more since swimming last week) so I'll get his take on the foot but I expect it's fine. No swelling at all. I expect it will be sore when I run for longer but will just have to see how that goes. Funnily enough my right glute started to feel a bit off... if it's not one thing it's another.
Can't wait for the weekend - my sister and friend arrive Friday afternoon so I pick them up at MSP and head straight north. We are staying (in relative luxury) in one of the lakeside cabins at Grand Superior Lodge. I get to run ~40 miles on Saturday while they sight-see... not a bad deal. Meeting Wynn at 5am at Split Rock to run (/walk/crawl) to Finland. Looking forward to seeing more of the course. I am fascinated by what I've heard of the Beaver ponds.
Block party on my street tonight. It was fun - finally got to meet all my neighbors and I've only lived here 9 months! Nice folks. Way too much good food between that and the trip to DC. But it will be all worked off in Madison. Speaking of which, time to start packing... again.
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Can't wait for the weekend - my sister and friend arrive Friday afternoon so I pick them up at MSP and head straight north. We are staying (in relative luxury) in one of the lakeside cabins at Grand Superior Lodge. I get to run ~40 miles on Saturday while they sight-see... not a bad deal. Meeting Wynn at 5am at Split Rock to run (/walk/crawl) to Finland. Looking forward to seeing more of the course. I am fascinated by what I've heard of the Beaver ponds.
Block party on my street tonight. It was fun - finally got to meet all my neighbors and I've only lived here 9 months! Nice folks. Way too much good food between that and the trip to DC. But it will be all worked off in Madison. Speaking of which, time to start packing... again.
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Monday, August 4, 2008
The Capitol
In DC for a few days with work. I love this place. You hear about it being all business and politics - and it totally is! All around you people are taking about candidates and campaigns and lobbyists etc etc. Couldn't live here but fun to visit.
So I ran this evening. I know, I shouldn't have even packed my running shoes. I don't even know why I am sharing this other than to illustrate my pig-headedness (sp?). My rationale - I wanted to check out some new sights that I missed on my last visit and it was 90 degrees and therefore too hot to simply walk! Anyway, the good news is my foot felt pretty good. Not 100% but not really painful. I am now convinced it can't be a stress fracture. I wore heels all day (rationale: all my suits are too long for flats - and it's DC so I like have to wear a suit), except while running, and my foot felt fine. Again, not 100% but...
I will run again in the morning. Rationale: same as above except it will be cooler in the morning. I like to run in cool weather too. And it will be a test run. I'm a scientist at heart so it's all about experimentation, right?? I figure by Wednesday morning when I see the chiro & PT it will either be almost perfect or a complete mess. At least I'll know...
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So I ran this evening. I know, I shouldn't have even packed my running shoes. I don't even know why I am sharing this other than to illustrate my pig-headedness (sp?). My rationale - I wanted to check out some new sights that I missed on my last visit and it was 90 degrees and therefore too hot to simply walk! Anyway, the good news is my foot felt pretty good. Not 100% but not really painful. I am now convinced it can't be a stress fracture. I wore heels all day (rationale: all my suits are too long for flats - and it's DC so I like have to wear a suit), except while running, and my foot felt fine. Again, not 100% but...
I will run again in the morning. Rationale: same as above except it will be cooler in the morning. I like to run in cool weather too. And it will be a test run. I'm a scientist at heart so it's all about experimentation, right?? I figure by Wednesday morning when I see the chiro & PT it will either be almost perfect or a complete mess. At least I'll know...
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Sunday, August 3, 2008
Or not...
So much for my optimism last week. By Thursday my foot was feeling good so I decided to do yoga Friday morning. Hmmm - maybe not quite recovered after all. It didn't hurt too bad but definitely didn't appreciate the extra pressure. I saw the chiropractor then and had my PT evaluation - mostly for my shoulder but also asked them to look at my foot. It continued to hurt a little with any sort of manipulation but they didn't seem too worried about it.
However, as I headed out to Afton Friday night I had a feeling I might be back home in bed by midnight. And I was! Still, it's Afton on a Friday night - worth the drive right? Zach Pierce and Greg Allen were there when I arrived a little before 8pm. Matt, Jim and Steve rolled in from their first loop + snowshoe loop a little later and we set off towards the meat grinder to 'continue' on the second loop. It all felt great for the first few miles but slowly the pain started in the ball of my foot, same spot as last weekend. I ran for a while longer to see if it would get worse. It didn't really but I knew there was no point in continuing since I was only doing harm. And when Steve tells you to rest it's a little worrying :)
Zach, whose stomach wasn't doing so good, and I headed back to the car park and were done by 10pm.
Oh well, at least I can bike with no pain. Short ride on Thursday, longer one Friday, 3hrs yesterday and 4 more today! All adding up to a very sore butt. Necessary build-up for Thursday - Igor decided he wanted to bike the Madison course before IM in September and knew there wouldn't be too many willing volunteers to take a vaction day to do it (everyone's weekends are too full). But he figured it was worth asking me. Needless to say I thought it was a great idea. Susan may join us also which would be cool as she knows the course very well. I might get us lost - I wasn't exactly taking in the sights during my 6h38m out there last year!
But first, I leave tonight for a work trip to DC. I might try to run Tuesday night when I get back. Assuming the foot still hurts I have a PT apt Wednesday morning and will get an MRI. I am praying it's not a stress fracture. I figure it would be more painful if it was. But what do I know I've never broken a bone. And I have a pretty high pain threshold :)
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However, as I headed out to Afton Friday night I had a feeling I might be back home in bed by midnight. And I was! Still, it's Afton on a Friday night - worth the drive right? Zach Pierce and Greg Allen were there when I arrived a little before 8pm. Matt, Jim and Steve rolled in from their first loop + snowshoe loop a little later and we set off towards the meat grinder to 'continue' on the second loop. It all felt great for the first few miles but slowly the pain started in the ball of my foot, same spot as last weekend. I ran for a while longer to see if it would get worse. It didn't really but I knew there was no point in continuing since I was only doing harm. And when Steve tells you to rest it's a little worrying :)
Zach, whose stomach wasn't doing so good, and I headed back to the car park and were done by 10pm.
Oh well, at least I can bike with no pain. Short ride on Thursday, longer one Friday, 3hrs yesterday and 4 more today! All adding up to a very sore butt. Necessary build-up for Thursday - Igor decided he wanted to bike the Madison course before IM in September and knew there wouldn't be too many willing volunteers to take a vaction day to do it (everyone's weekends are too full). But he figured it was worth asking me. Needless to say I thought it was a great idea. Susan may join us also which would be cool as she knows the course very well. I might get us lost - I wasn't exactly taking in the sights during my 6h38m out there last year!
But first, I leave tonight for a work trip to DC. I might try to run Tuesday night when I get back. Assuming the foot still hurts I have a PT apt Wednesday morning and will get an MRI. I am praying it's not a stress fracture. I figure it would be more painful if it was. But what do I know I've never broken a bone. And I have a pretty high pain threshold :)
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Thursday, July 31, 2008
On the mend...
Biked for an hour with Igor this evening and felt good. That was after a lot of rest this week with a few short swims and two sessions on the Arc Trainer. Dr. Pete was very specific: Hill Workout, Level 6, no hands, keep strides above 140/min, for 30-40 mins... here was me thinking I'm fit - 30 minutes kicked my ass!! Goes to show how mixing it up a bit can help your training. Not that I enjoy going to the gym on a glorious summer evening but throwing in a few low impact sessions (and maybe even some weight training??) wouldn't do any harm.
PT eval for my shoulder in the morning - should be interesting - I was feeling great with the few weeks of adjustments and then I hop in the pool and after 20 minutes my shoulder hurts!! Not happy. I don't really like swimming (when I have to do it) but there's a small matter of 2.4 miles in late November. I probably need to do some specific shoulder muscle strengthening to make long terms improvements. Sounds like weight training.
Anyway, as well as the shoulder I will get my foot checked out. I'm happy to report it's much improved, swelling mostly gone. In fact the pain, well, more of an ache really, now seems to be further up along the outside of my leg. I've been using The Stick to help break up any gunk in there so I think that's helping. But the leg feels sort of fatigued. And while in Target tonight (yet again, I go in for ONE thing and leave 30 minutes later with 3 bags full) I was trying on shoes (see what I mean) and as soon as I put on a pair with heels... boy, I felt that ankle. Which reminded me, again, how stupid I was to go out in heels Saturday night! Seemed like a great idea at the time. We ended up in a cool bar in Duluth enjoying cocktails and hit the dancefloor multiple times. But I would have been better off without the few inches. Live and learn.
Except I won't, of course :)
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PT eval for my shoulder in the morning - should be interesting - I was feeling great with the few weeks of adjustments and then I hop in the pool and after 20 minutes my shoulder hurts!! Not happy. I don't really like swimming (when I have to do it) but there's a small matter of 2.4 miles in late November. I probably need to do some specific shoulder muscle strengthening to make long terms improvements. Sounds like weight training.
Anyway, as well as the shoulder I will get my foot checked out. I'm happy to report it's much improved, swelling mostly gone. In fact the pain, well, more of an ache really, now seems to be further up along the outside of my leg. I've been using The Stick to help break up any gunk in there so I think that's helping. But the leg feels sort of fatigued. And while in Target tonight (yet again, I go in for ONE thing and leave 30 minutes later with 3 bags full) I was trying on shoes (see what I mean) and as soon as I put on a pair with heels... boy, I felt that ankle. Which reminded me, again, how stupid I was to go out in heels Saturday night! Seemed like a great idea at the time. We ended up in a cool bar in Duluth enjoying cocktails and hit the dancefloor multiple times. But I would have been better off without the few inches. Live and learn.
Except I won't, of course :)
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Tuesday, July 29, 2008
Tuesday Night sans Trails
Much as I would love to be heading to Hyland tonight with the gang for a few more trips up the ski hill I will instead be lying on my sofa with my foot on ice and elevated... but hopefully watching a better movie than yesterday evening - P.S. I Love You (p.p.s. How bad an Irish accent can ya do?).
Diagnosis on the foot is a relatively mild form of peripheral edema - ha, that sounds so scientific. Bascially it's swollen. A few days rest, ice and elevation should help. And I got a massage yesterday to help circulation and have another one scheduled for Thursday. Sue made the comment that all of the tendons around my ankle were very tight as if I had twisted it though I know that I didn't. Just a lot of stress built up over 50 miles I guess.
What I need to figure out though is what's causing it. Similar to the training run on the SHT a few weeks ago I felt the ball of my foot begin to hurt at around 30 miles on Saturday - I was wearing different shoes (Asics vs Montrails) so I don't think that had anything to do with it. I am wondering if my nervousness about triggering plantar faciitis - which I get in my arch - is making me run slightly differently. My foot placement could be affected resulting in more pressure on the forefoot. Just a theory. What I do know is that the top of my foot, just below the middle toes, is much more bruised than it was after the SHT run and the overall swelling is worse.
I will see how the next few days go. I have a PT evaluation for my shoulder on Friday morning so I will ask them about the foot also. I really want to be able to run Afton that night but it's more important to not do anything stupid. SS100 is 5 weeks Friday. 5 weeks holy s**t. Ok - I need to spend longer than 20 minutes in the pool tomorrow morning - yeah, that was all I managed this morning! Still, after a month vacation from it I guess it was a start...
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Diagnosis on the foot is a relatively mild form of peripheral edema - ha, that sounds so scientific. Bascially it's swollen. A few days rest, ice and elevation should help. And I got a massage yesterday to help circulation and have another one scheduled for Thursday. Sue made the comment that all of the tendons around my ankle were very tight as if I had twisted it though I know that I didn't. Just a lot of stress built up over 50 miles I guess.
What I need to figure out though is what's causing it. Similar to the training run on the SHT a few weeks ago I felt the ball of my foot begin to hurt at around 30 miles on Saturday - I was wearing different shoes (Asics vs Montrails) so I don't think that had anything to do with it. I am wondering if my nervousness about triggering plantar faciitis - which I get in my arch - is making me run slightly differently. My foot placement could be affected resulting in more pressure on the forefoot. Just a theory. What I do know is that the top of my foot, just below the middle toes, is much more bruised than it was after the SHT run and the overall swelling is worse.
I will see how the next few days go. I have a PT evaluation for my shoulder on Friday morning so I will ask them about the foot also. I really want to be able to run Afton that night but it's more important to not do anything stupid. SS100 is 5 weeks Friday. 5 weeks holy s**t. Ok - I need to spend longer than 20 minutes in the pool tomorrow morning - yeah, that was all I managed this morning! Still, after a month vacation from it I guess it was a start...
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Sunday, July 27, 2008
Minnesota Voyageur Trail Ultra
I love the sub-heading on the race website "50 Mile Foot Race" - just in case anyone wondered what mode of transport we might be using to cover the distance. 50 miles - on two feet? You're nuts! How often have we heard that?
Yesterday was another amazing part of an ultra running journey that began last year with a trip to Moab for the Red Hot 50K. Running that race with Kami and new friends we met along the way I knew that if I ever needed a reason to run I'd found it. This year has continued to bring new adventures both locally and around the country. Not to mention a few surprising results. At least surprising to me. At some point I suppose I will have to stop sounding like I never expect to do well. But for now, I'll enjoy the novelty of crossing the line first on a wonderful day in northern Minnesota...
What made the race extra special yesterday was having friends in town from Ireland. It was such a buzz seeing them along the way at several aid stations and then hanging out at the end in the sunshine. Along with Kami and Pam, and so many friends from the local trails, it felt like one big family get-together.
Yesterday was another amazing part of an ultra running journey that began last year with a trip to Moab for the Red Hot 50K. Running that race with Kami and new friends we met along the way I knew that if I ever needed a reason to run I'd found it. This year has continued to bring new adventures both locally and around the country. Not to mention a few surprising results. At least surprising to me. At some point I suppose I will have to stop sounding like I never expect to do well. But for now, I'll enjoy the novelty of crossing the line first on a wonderful day in northern Minnesota...
What made the race extra special yesterday was having friends in town from Ireland. It was such a buzz seeing them along the way at several aid stations and then hanging out at the end in the sunshine. Along with Kami and Pam, and so many friends from the local trails, it felt like one big family get-together.
And we're off! (Photo taken by Jen Pierce)
I was excited to be running this race for the first time as I love discovering new trails. Though I had an idea of what lay in store for me from listening to stories of people who'd done it several times. The infamous Power Lines were mentioned more than once. Funnily enough they were my saviour yesterday. At least on the first visit. I won't go into too much detail but let me just say that my five bathroom breaks was the least fun part of the day. I have to figure out a better pre-race diet! After 2 stops in the first 10 miles I was glad to have to walk those hills as it seemed to give my digestion system a chance to do its thing... at least for a few hours. The return journey was almost comical at one point when I had to make 3 stops in the space of 10 minutes. I didn't know whether to laugh or cry. Or throw up. Or...
Anyway, enough about that. I drove up to Carlton Friday evening with Geraldine and Clive, and got to packet pick-up just before 7pm, running into Jeffrey there. The small town of Carlton was full of life with their summer festival including a 5K race that had just finished. We headed back to the hotel and met up with Kami and Pam. We decided to just chill in our room and nibble on a variety of food (the nutritional content of which I mentally reviewed numerous time on the trail!) while Ger and Clive went for food. An early night for us as we attempted to get much needed sleep. It had been a series of late nights and some particularly long work days for the girls.
Still, 5:45am came way too soon. We got our stuff together, ate some breakfast (will not be eating flaxseed bread pre-race again...) and headed into town. I think folks were a little worried if we were going to make it as we rolled in at 6:55am. No point in adding to the pre-race nerves by getting there too early! Chatted to John and Kevin, and Julie, Steve and others. Great to see lots of the crew from the SHT run a few weeks ago. Took John's advice about starting off with people whose pace I wanted to run as it would be hard to pass on the singletrack that followed the bike path. Not that I wanted to start out too fast but it was a tricky section getting through the rocks and roots so it was good to be in a line of people running the same pace. Through this section I got chatting to Doug (Hansel - bit of a legend by all accounts) who was great company for the next several miles as we made our way to the Power Lines running with several others along the way. I found myself running beside April for a few minutes - I knew she'd had a great time here last year so I was questioning whether or not I should be running with her. Though she was saying she wasn't as well trained this year and as it turned out she ended up twisting her ankle and taking a few spills in the grassy climbs that followed. Of the varied terrain that we covered today the grassy sections on the Power Lines and even the other flatter grassy sections through the woods were my least favourite. I'm probably running the same pace on the grass but it just feels a lot slower.
The Swinging Bridge (Photo taken by Jen Pierce)
It was an incredibly scenic course, my favourite part being the trip across the swinging bridge. I don't like crossing bridges by car but running across a moving one with fabulous views to each side was very cool! I believe I even slowed down to take it all in. I managed to stay on course the whole way though several times I was convinced I had missed a turn. Many of the wooded sections were singletrack and there were long stretches without pink ribbons. At one point I was going downhill at a nice pace and realized I hadn't seen any markers for a while. I began to slow down thinking I might have to turn around and climb back up the hill but luckily I caught sight of the next ribbon. I had cause for another sigh of relief later on when I hit Spirit Mountain. I remembered something about ski slopes in the course information but didn't know if we actually had to climb one. I was following the track across the slopes until I couldn't see any markers up ahead and found myself looked nervously up the ski slope praying that I wouldn't see any in that direction. There was no one close behind me so I continued for a few steps and was very happy to spot more ribbons directly ahead and not up or down the slopes. I've only once before run an out-and-back course and I have to say I quite enjoy it. Every time I would hit an uphill on the way out I told myself how nice it will be to run down on the way back. But I was not prepared to run straight up a ski slope at that point in the race. Enough of that on Tuesday evenings at Hyland!
Back in the woods - my favourite place to be! (Photo taken by Jen Pierce)
Of course the best thing (at least for the competitive minded!) about an out-and-back course is knowing where you're placed at half way. I knew that Rochelle Wirth, last year's 2nd place woman, was running again so I expected to see her first. And sure enough after I'd gotten through the ski area I met her. A few minutes later another lady came along. Then before I knew it I was the turnaround. At 4 hours! I couldn't believe it! Obviously I knew I was doing fairly well from the mileage markers at the aid stations but I had missed the last few and I find it so hard to know what pace I'm doing, especially on a course like this where the terrain changes so much, so I was expecting it to take longer than that to reach half way. I'd met the lead men while still in the ski area. Wynn was in first place at that point, followed by Chris and then Joe. A few minutes later another guy and then John. I counted a few more guys and figured I was in about 11th spot overall at the turnaround.
Everyone was so friendly and they all looked like they were running strong. Wynn shouted to me "No water bottle. Impressive!" - Or stupid I thought to myself! I was well hydrated starting the race but I knew how hot it could get on this course so I had stashed water bottles in both drop-bags along the course. I hadn't picked any up on the way out but planned to take one from aid station 6 to get me through the power lines which I knew would be a slower journey on the way back. I would normally carry one for a 50 mile race but the longest distance between aid stations was only 3.4 miles so I figured I was safe enough. Also, I wanted to keep my shoulders as loose as possible. I'm happy to report no pain at all in my right shoulder/neck area. Dr. Pete is working wonders. Though I expect he'll tell me I'm a mess when I see him tomorrow morning!
At the turnaround I decided to change socks. I'd kept my shoes pretty dry but my left sock was beginning to catch me a bit on my heel and I knew I'd feel fresher if I changed them. Also I wanted to check the tape on my feet. I've been having a few problems with my arches recently. The increase in mileage is causing the slightest hint of Planters - which I suffered badly from in early 2006. I find that taping my feet gives that added support. I was a bit nervous the tape might cause blisters for this length of a run but it worked well. So I quickly changed socks, grabbed a few gels and a packet of clif-blocks and hit the road again. Easily worth the few minutes, my feet felt great.
At least for a few miles. Before long the ball of my left foot started to hurt and I knew I'd suffer a little for the rest of the race. I don't know what's causing it but the exact same thing happened two weeks ago during the 40+ mile training run on the SHT. I ended up with some bruising on the top of my foot at the base of my middle toes. And sure enough it's a nice purple colour again today. I'm starting PT for my shoulder this week and will ask about the foot. It's quite swollen also which means I probably won't be able to run for a few days. Other than that I don't feel so bad. Must have been the dancing in Duluth last night that worked out a few kinks! That was after my 20 minute ice-bath which I highly recommend. My left hamstring is quite tight but I have a massage tomorrow evening so hopefully that will sort it out. I was pleased that it didn't cramp yesterday as it had done at Afton. It started to hurt a little right around 35 miles but never as bad as Afton and once I'd gotten through the hilly section after the power lines it didn't bother me again.
Because my stomach wasn't feeling good all day I stuck with energy gels (vanilla) and clif-blocks (cola). I think I got through about 6 or 7 gels and 2 packets of blocks. Along with 10-12 electrolyte tablets. I munched on pretzels at the last few aid stations to balance the sweetness of the gels but knew that I was better off not trying to take in anything more substantial.
As I made my way back across the ski slopes I began to meet lots of people including many familiar faces. It was fun seeing everyone out there having a great time and even those who were struggling were happy to exchange a quick hello. Several people told me I was not far behind the next lady. Upon leaving the turnaround aid station I figured I was about 4 minutes behind number 2 and maybe another 2 minutes behind Rochelle. Then again I had no idea how they were feeling - certainly they both looked very strong when I'd met them. I was trying not to think too much about them and instead focus on how I was feeling. There was still a very long way to go. But the section of road allowed me to stretch my legs a little and I felt safe to pick up the pace. I was delighted to be told at the next aid station at mile 28.3 that I was about 2 minutes behind though I knew it was probably a rough estimate.
Refueling at Mile 28.3 AS (Photo taken by Jen Pierce)
This was also where I met Kami and Pam who were running together. Steve and Jim were there too and I think I'd met Julie, Pierre and a few others a bit before this. I continued on through the woods, really enjoying this terrain and having fun meeting people, many of whom I recognized from other races (and blogs!). Somewhere in this section I passed the girl in second place. I chatted to her later after the race - she's from California and this was her first in Minnesota. I also read in the paper this morning that she had won Angeles Crest 100 in 2006. Nice one! The next few miles passed pretty easily and then we were back on the road for the downhill to Beck's Road. It was great to see Geraldine and Clive at this aid station again! I'd also spotted Rochelle up ahead. I was nervous about passing her. It was only mile 32 and I didn't know whether or not I could keep up this pace. A few minutes later, deep in these thoughts I knocked my foot off a rock and THUMP. Down I went, skidded along the dirt on my front and ended up with a delightful amount of mud caked onto my shirt, skirt (I was wearing a running skirt for the first time in a race - dare I say there is something oddly powerful about passing guys while wearing a skirt :) sad or what?!)... cut my chin, my knee and both shoulders! And broke the watch off my wrist. At exactly 5:17 on the clock. But luckily no major damage and once I got back on two feet and dusted myself off I continued on in pursuit of the lead... about a half mile later I passed Rochelle. We exchanged a few words and I got to meet her briefly at the end.
Despite the increasing temperatures as the day went on - I think it hit 80 by the end - we were blessed with a nice breeze through many of the open sections. It did get quite humid in the wooded areas but overall I think we got lucky compared to what I'd heard from other years. All the same I was glad to have my water bottle waiting for me at the next aid station. After cleaning up a little with the help of the wonderful volunteers I headed off through Mission Creek. Before long it was time to attack the Power Lines once more! This time I had company as Matt, who I'd passed just before half way, came along behind me. He was running so strong and it was motivating to have him ahead of me on the hills that followed. I tried to keep him in my sights as we went up and down over and over again. Though he disappeared from my view pretty quickly! (p.s. Matt finished 6 minutes ahead of me which goes to show how strong he was running in the final 10 miles). I have to say, despite the heat in this open section, I do enjoy hills and because my hamstring was cooperating I felt pretty strong by the time we hit the final, seriously steep descent and the aid station at mile 39.4. Who other than Anne F was working the aid station - it was so cool to see her again. We met at Lutsen in 2006 and then again last fall at Glacial Trail. Ger and Clive were here also - they'd even heard about my fall from the radio volunteer!! I gave them my empty water bottle and continued along.
I remembered Doug saying he found the next section tougher than the power lines. A few miles of winding, grassy trail that climbs through the woods. It did seem to go on forever but I was feeling pretty strong by the time I reached the next aid station where I had my last drop-bag. I grabbed a few gels and some water and asked the volunteers how long I had left. I had sort of last track of miles as I hadn't been looking at the signs at all of the aid stations and without my watch I didn't know what time I was at. For some reason I had it in my head that this drop-bag aid station was at 6 miles... so you can imagine my reaction when I was told I still had 8.5 miles to go. Suddenly I didn't feel so strong after all!
Zach Pierce negotiating the rocks on the return trip (Photo taken by Jen Pierce)
Oh well. Nothing to do but put the head down and keep plugging away. As I neared the next aid station my stomach started to play up again. I took a few pretzels here, crossed the dam and hoped that it would pass. No such luck. A few minutes later I was off the trail and into the woods. And again about a half mile later. And again a few minutes later. Enough of that! Though all of this I knew my legs were still in good shape, my foot was no longer throbbing and I wasn't having any stomach cramping so I decided since the next section was mostly downhill I'd try to run pretty fast to make up for the stops and hopefully it would take my mind off things. This seemed to work out well and by the time I reached the final aid station everything felt back to normal. Or at least as normal as one feels after 46.6 miles. I passed one guy in this section, he looked like he might have been having a hard time with cramping. As I turned to ask him if he was ok I completely lost my balance and went flying down face first in the grass. At least I provided a little entertainment as he dealt with the misery of being sidelined so close to the finish.
I'd been looking forward to hitting the technical singletrack. It was such fun even with tired legs. But before entering that section I had to cross the swinging bridge - now full of tourists snapping pictures of the gorge! I very much appreciated the guy at one end shouting to everyone "Runner on the bridge!" I hadn't been expecting to see anyone much for the last few miles so it was a nice surprise to suddenly have strangers cheering me on! Even though I enjoyed the rough trail and all the roots I was happy to reach the rocky section as I knew it couldn't be far now until the bike path. More than once I stole a quick glance behind me. Not that I'd likely have had the energy to do anything about it if one of the ladies had found another gear. Went down one more time in this section but luckily managed to land safely and not impale myself on a root. Rocks, rocks, rocks and then the wooden planks. I laughed, sort of, as I crossed the one Doug had told me a story about earlier - he'd been running the race several years ago and had slipped on this one and landed straddled across it, legs dangling in the water. Ow.
Finally, across the noisy bridge and up the hill to the bike path. I thought I had close to a mile to run on this but before long I saw the edge of town up ahead. Sweet. Another glance back. Empty path. Right turn onto the street and down the hill to the finish line. 8:19:28. Oh My God. How did I get here?
Several hours of fun followed... catching up with everyone, congratulating Joe on his win (7:36:12), meeting new people like Chris from Duluth and Valeria, originally from Argentina and now living just a few minutes from me. Delighted to chat with Tom and Nancy again. They are cool folks. Several other old and new faces. It was really cool to share the day with friends from home. Rosie and Padraig joined us at the finish and we all enjoyed a great feast of lasagna later on, with John's wacky sense of humour for company.
The race was very well organized, with the volunteers doing a wonderful job. We had great conditions and a record number of people started and finished the race. As well as getting well fed we all went home with a lovely piece of pottery. I hope to be back in 2009 to enjoy another day on this beautiful course just a few hours drive from home. For now, time to rest, recover, and train smart for a few weeks before a vacation in New Mexico (got to increase the red blood cell count) and then the BIG ONE September 5th.
p.s. Jen Pierce again took some wonderful photos along the course, capturing Zach's and all of our races. Thank you!! Check them out at this link.
Tuesday, July 22, 2008
Hyland Hills
What a great run we had this evening! Big group of us out at Hyland for a few repeats of the ski hill. I'd run out there recently but had just run the hill twice on that occasion. Tonight - 8 times up that lovely slope! I think it was number 6 that felt kinda good. The others not so much. I guess I was warmed up by then. I should have stopped at that... but you know how it is. Felt the hamstrings get tight. Hopefully nothing to worry about for Saturday. HR got up to 184 which is about as high as it's ever been at sea level. Avg 153 for the 70 minute run. Looking forward to doing this run every week until Sawtooth. Hopefully add on a few repeats each time... maybe even do it in the morning some day next week. Towards the end of the week - I don't think the post-50 miler legs would appreciate it Monday morning!
Really looking forward to Voyageur now. I love running new trails. I've heard lots of stories about how hot and miserable it can be, the infamous powerlines etc... but I'm an optimist and fully intend to have fun up there!
end of post.
Really looking forward to Voyageur now. I love running new trails. I've heard lots of stories about how hot and miserable it can be, the infamous powerlines etc... but I'm an optimist and fully intend to have fun up there!
end of post.
The Challenge of 100...
Miles? That's in the plan alright but the idea of trying to do 100 push-ups is equally appealing... I can't remember which blog I read it on first and usually I wouldn't get caught up in chain-mail type things. But this is a worthy challenge, especially for someone who couldn't even do 1 a few years ago. Then I started taking regular Vinyasa classes at Core Power Yoga which involve plenty of Chaduranga poses, and have built up some good upper arm strength. Still, I think I could only manage around 10 right now.
Check out the link in the title. I think I'll start this weekend. That way I might make it to 100 around the same time as Sawtooth... Yeah, I'll finish the run and then drop to the ground and do 100 push-ups by the pool at Caribou Highlands! I'm kidding. Obviously.
end of post.
Check out the link in the title. I think I'll start this weekend. That way I might make it to 100 around the same time as Sawtooth... Yeah, I'll finish the run and then drop to the ground and do 100 push-ups by the pool at Caribou Highlands! I'm kidding. Obviously.
end of post.
Sunday, July 20, 2008
Do as I say, not as I do
I like to think I am pretty good at advising people when it comes to running, biking etc. I am not a qualified coach by any means but I have a good sense of where people are at and what it will take to get them to their next goal. And always, always, I stress the golden rule of not increasing mileage too quickly and to take rest days, even when you are feeling good. In fact, expecially when you are feeling good. Before you start feeling bad. And I'm a big proponent of the 3-runs-a-week program, filling in the other sessions with cross-training - biking, swimming, yoga etc.
So how is it that I am sitting here on a Sunday night after another big week, including 5 runs, on less sleep than is healthy, and zero rest days?
Following some solid mid-week workouts, I biked 50 miles on Friday, ran 22 miles that night, slept 0 hours, attended a wedding Saturday evening, biked 50 miles this morning, and ran 5 this evening. Yes, you heard me, I ran this evening. Nothing other than plain stubborness. I had a goal of 60 miles for this week and having cut Afton a little shorter than planned I decided I was going to make up for it this evening. The title of the post is beginning to make sense isn't it?
I thought I had run 52 so far this week so I headed out this evening planning to run the mile to Lake Calhoun, do 2 laps, and head home. However, by the time I got to the lake I realized I had only run 51 (only!). The few working brain cells knew than my legs did not need to do 9 miles tonight. So I settled for one lap giving me 5 miles for a total of 56. Good enough. Of course, once I had decided to do the shorter length I upped the pace immediately and got a speed workout in instead. I know, this is the point at which you want to take me by the shoulders and shake some sense into me.
Not a good idea right now. I was back at Dr. Pete on Friday morning to review my spine and shoulder X-rays. As expected they revealed some misalignment at the very bottom and top of my spine, more severe at the top. Though severe is too severe a word to use, if you get my meaning. On a 'phase' scale of 0-4 I am around a 1.5. All in all, my body is in good shape considering all the stress I put it under. Still, I need to get it corrected now. So, while I have some reservations about chiropractic therapy, I am going to make full use of my decent health insurance with a 4 week program of 3 visits a week.
I am following one important piece of advice I like to share... treating my feet to an ice-bath as I sit on the sofa. And honestly, apart from my shoulder which is more of a chronic issue and not the result of the recent increase in activity, I feel great. So I guess I should take tomorrow off? Manyana, manyana.
Goal for this week (in addition to the 60+ miles - which will be helped by Voyageur!): get more SLEEP. I like to think I can function ok on 5 hours. And maybe I can, but I can't continue to perform at the level I want to without more shut-eye. Who do I think I am - the President? I was listening to a conversation on NPR recently about how little sleep Bill and others before him claim to have survived on. Don't worry, George gets a solid 8hrs. Which I expect is why the country is in such good shape. Sorry, I know, I'm not a citizen, I can't vote, I shouldn't comment. I'll shut up now.
Ok. Time to start on that goal. But before I go I had to look up the verse from Ecclesiastes that was swirling around in my head as I circled Calhoun this evening. I am an impatient person. I wasn't always. But as I've gotten older I definitely have less tolerance for time wasting. This can be a good thing and certainly makes me a very productive person in my professional life. But life is not a straight road that gets you from A to B in the shortest possible time. It has a way of routing you down a few side roads, around the odd roundabout, up and down some hills, and every now and then it sends you the wrong way down a one-way street. Sort of like Mapquest on crack.
What started out as a rather crappy weekend on a personal level ended up being a very memorable one. For 3 years now, Afton has been my favourite place in the world to run and this weekend further cemented that. Follow that up with a beautiful wedding ceremony joining two people who believed that real love was worth waiting, and working, for. And end it with an afternoon on the lake with friends, in the glorious sunshine, trying something new... wakeboarding... and failing miserably but having a ton of fun in the process. The result is a weekend that reminded me how it's the people that surround us - in life, on the road or trail, at the table, on the other end of the phone several timezones away - that bring meaning to it all. And every now and then, having to turn around on a one-way street, while slightly embarassing, is not the worst thing in the world. Because everything happens for a reason, everything has it's time...
So how is it that I am sitting here on a Sunday night after another big week, including 5 runs, on less sleep than is healthy, and zero rest days?
Following some solid mid-week workouts, I biked 50 miles on Friday, ran 22 miles that night, slept 0 hours, attended a wedding Saturday evening, biked 50 miles this morning, and ran 5 this evening. Yes, you heard me, I ran this evening. Nothing other than plain stubborness. I had a goal of 60 miles for this week and having cut Afton a little shorter than planned I decided I was going to make up for it this evening. The title of the post is beginning to make sense isn't it?
I thought I had run 52 so far this week so I headed out this evening planning to run the mile to Lake Calhoun, do 2 laps, and head home. However, by the time I got to the lake I realized I had only run 51 (only!). The few working brain cells knew than my legs did not need to do 9 miles tonight. So I settled for one lap giving me 5 miles for a total of 56. Good enough. Of course, once I had decided to do the shorter length I upped the pace immediately and got a speed workout in instead. I know, this is the point at which you want to take me by the shoulders and shake some sense into me.
Not a good idea right now. I was back at Dr. Pete on Friday morning to review my spine and shoulder X-rays. As expected they revealed some misalignment at the very bottom and top of my spine, more severe at the top. Though severe is too severe a word to use, if you get my meaning. On a 'phase' scale of 0-4 I am around a 1.5. All in all, my body is in good shape considering all the stress I put it under. Still, I need to get it corrected now. So, while I have some reservations about chiropractic therapy, I am going to make full use of my decent health insurance with a 4 week program of 3 visits a week.
I am following one important piece of advice I like to share... treating my feet to an ice-bath as I sit on the sofa. And honestly, apart from my shoulder which is more of a chronic issue and not the result of the recent increase in activity, I feel great. So I guess I should take tomorrow off? Manyana, manyana.
Goal for this week (in addition to the 60+ miles - which will be helped by Voyageur!): get more SLEEP. I like to think I can function ok on 5 hours. And maybe I can, but I can't continue to perform at the level I want to without more shut-eye. Who do I think I am - the President? I was listening to a conversation on NPR recently about how little sleep Bill and others before him claim to have survived on. Don't worry, George gets a solid 8hrs. Which I expect is why the country is in such good shape. Sorry, I know, I'm not a citizen, I can't vote, I shouldn't comment. I'll shut up now.
Ok. Time to start on that goal. But before I go I had to look up the verse from Ecclesiastes that was swirling around in my head as I circled Calhoun this evening. I am an impatient person. I wasn't always. But as I've gotten older I definitely have less tolerance for time wasting. This can be a good thing and certainly makes me a very productive person in my professional life. But life is not a straight road that gets you from A to B in the shortest possible time. It has a way of routing you down a few side roads, around the odd roundabout, up and down some hills, and every now and then it sends you the wrong way down a one-way street. Sort of like Mapquest on crack.
What started out as a rather crappy weekend on a personal level ended up being a very memorable one. For 3 years now, Afton has been my favourite place in the world to run and this weekend further cemented that. Follow that up with a beautiful wedding ceremony joining two people who believed that real love was worth waiting, and working, for. And end it with an afternoon on the lake with friends, in the glorious sunshine, trying something new... wakeboarding... and failing miserably but having a ton of fun in the process. The result is a weekend that reminded me how it's the people that surround us - in life, on the road or trail, at the table, on the other end of the phone several timezones away - that bring meaning to it all. And every now and then, having to turn around on a one-way street, while slightly embarassing, is not the worst thing in the world. Because everything happens for a reason, everything has it's time...
Ecclesiastes 3:1-8
From The Holy Bible (King James Version)
From The Holy Bible (King James Version)
Attributed to King Solomon
To everything there is a season, and a time to every purpose under heaven:
To everything there is a season, and a time to every purpose under heaven:
A time to be born, and a time to die;
a time to plant, and a time to pluck up that which is planted;
A time to kill, and a time to heal;
a time to break down, and a time to build up;
A time to weep, and a time to laugh;
a time to mourn, and a time to dance;
A time to cast away stones, and a time to gather stones together;
a time to embrace, and a time to refrain from embracing;
A time to get, and a time to lose;
a time to keep, and a time to cast away;
A time to rend, and a time to sow;
a time to keep silence, and a time to speak;
A time to love, and a time to hate;
a time of war; and a time of peace.
Funny, no mention of a time to rest :)
end of post
Saturday, July 19, 2008
Night Run #2
Until yesterday (Thursday... I am still on Friday time despite it being 9am Saturday...) I had no intention of completing my second night run this weekend. I had thought about doing another one but was figuring I'd find a weekend in August (surely there are more weekends in August that currently listed on my calendar??). Then I saw Matt's email with his plan to run Afton starting at 5pm Friday. A few others were joining through the evening and night. That got the wheels turning... and by 7pm Friday I had both Kami and Eric signed up for it. No mention that Eric and I had just biked 50 miles and Kami had run for 90 minutes in the heat of the day. It's all about training the legs to move when tired, right?
We got to Afton just after midnight and I was delighted to see Matt, Jim, Zach and others in the carpark. Matt had already completed 2 laps and the others had gone various distances. Seven of us soon set off for a counter-clockwise loop. I was happy to have Matt leading the group as I would not have found my way on the snow-shoe loop - regardless what direction I was going. We did push on a little when we got out onto the grassy trail by the final aid station (surprisingly no sign of Nancy & Tom!... you had to be there...). And after a few wrong turns found our way around the rest of the course back to the car park in around 3:30. My feet were bothering me so I taped them up, changed socks, and after a mug of coffee courtesy of Matt (who was ready to call it a night - nice work going 40+ out there!), I was ready for off again. We decided to just head out for a shorter loop given we all have busy weekends ahead. And there's Voyageur next weekend. Taper? Never heard of it.
This time we started out along the direction of the race and followed the course for a few miles before returning to the carpark via a new route. Ended up at 22.5 miles in around 5 hours. And then the hunt for Starbucks... not terribly impressed that Woodbury doesn't open until 7am on a Saturday. What kind of service is that? But we made it back to the cities and refueled our tired bodies (and minds).
Certainly there are many ways to spend a Friday night. But how often do you get the chance to run with friends in one of the most beautiful parks in the country, starting out as the moonlight shines through thick forest, and finishing up as the sun rises over the sleeping prairie, the birds awakening it with their song? Time well spent.
Looking forward to another opportunity to move the legs when tired tonight as we dance the night away at Karen & Tim's wedding!
Goodnight.
I meant, Good Morning.
end of post.
We got to Afton just after midnight and I was delighted to see Matt, Jim, Zach and others in the carpark. Matt had already completed 2 laps and the others had gone various distances. Seven of us soon set off for a counter-clockwise loop. I was happy to have Matt leading the group as I would not have found my way on the snow-shoe loop - regardless what direction I was going. We did push on a little when we got out onto the grassy trail by the final aid station (surprisingly no sign of Nancy & Tom!... you had to be there...). And after a few wrong turns found our way around the rest of the course back to the car park in around 3:30. My feet were bothering me so I taped them up, changed socks, and after a mug of coffee courtesy of Matt (who was ready to call it a night - nice work going 40+ out there!), I was ready for off again. We decided to just head out for a shorter loop given we all have busy weekends ahead. And there's Voyageur next weekend. Taper? Never heard of it.
This time we started out along the direction of the race and followed the course for a few miles before returning to the carpark via a new route. Ended up at 22.5 miles in around 5 hours. And then the hunt for Starbucks... not terribly impressed that Woodbury doesn't open until 7am on a Saturday. What kind of service is that? But we made it back to the cities and refueled our tired bodies (and minds).
Certainly there are many ways to spend a Friday night. But how often do you get the chance to run with friends in one of the most beautiful parks in the country, starting out as the moonlight shines through thick forest, and finishing up as the sun rises over the sleeping prairie, the birds awakening it with their song? Time well spent.
Looking forward to another opportunity to move the legs when tired tonight as we dance the night away at Karen & Tim's wedding!
Goodnight.
I meant, Good Morning.
end of post.
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