Started my carbo-loading today. Or at least my calorie-loading. One of the ladies in my department at work is retiring this week so we had lunch at Rush Creek Golf Club. Very nice indeed! The food was relatively healthy – salad, chicken, pasta and tons of asparagus. Yum. Followed up by not so healthy chocolate cake. Did I stop at one slice? Hardly…
Yoga again this morning which felt good. But my right hamstring’s been bugging me all day. Maybe it’s in my head. I’m getting the pre-race despondent feeling. But I know that as soon as I get on the plane Friday it’ll be quickly replaced by butterflies.
I ran a very easy loop of Lake Harriet this evening – I wanted to try the new shorts and top and also my Montrails to make sure they didn’t rub my heel where there is still signs of a blister. I know I can’t really tell from 2.75 miles but at least that much felt good! I think I’ll sleep in tomorrow morning and then I have a massage in the evening – hopefully that will loosen everything out nicely and I’ll be all set…
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Wednesday, May 14, 2008
Tuesday, May 13, 2008
Taper - Day 2
Well, I managed not to run or bike today... but I did make 2 yoga classes and a 2200 yards easy swim! One of the yoga classes was a hot one and felt really good. Then I spent an hour in Dick's trying to find something to wear on Saturday... I know, I know I shouldn't be thinking of wearing new gear for a race. But it will be such a mix of conditions that I can't figure out what I should wear. It will be cold at the 5am start, but will warm up quick, and be sunny and hot for much of it - but then the 10,000ft peaks might get a little chilly... at least I have 3 drop bags along the way so I'll have lots of supplies and some spare gear.
Very light run tomorrow evening - I want to see how the Montrails are because I got 2 blisters at Promise Land and that's the last thing I want this weekend. I think it was due to my overheating a little that day and also my socks were a little rough.
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Very light run tomorrow evening - I want to see how the Montrails are because I got 2 blisters at Promise Land and that's the last thing I want this weekend. I think it was due to my overheating a little that day and also my socks were a little rough.
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Monday, May 12, 2008
Taper - Day 1
Not terribly successful today since my easy run turned in 7:30's around the lakes! HR spiked at 178. Whoa. But my hamstrings felt good. More use of 'the stick' tonight (I must confess, while watching The Batchelor finale). Did yoga this morning also, which felt pretty good.
Got my road bike fitting this evening in Grand Performance. I've had the bike 3 years but of course I haven't looked at it never mind sat on it since I got the Orbea. But I would like to use it for some training - especially in crappy weather etc. I must have changed the way I position myself over the years - or else it was just a real bad fitting to begin with as Jeff made loads of changes to the set-up!! And I got new bars since I've gotten very comfy with the tri bike set up. It's an aluminum frame, way heavier than the Orbea so it will be harder work... so that when it comes to the racing it will be like a breeze! Or at least that's the plan.
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Got my road bike fitting this evening in Grand Performance. I've had the bike 3 years but of course I haven't looked at it never mind sat on it since I got the Orbea. But I would like to use it for some training - especially in crappy weather etc. I must have changed the way I position myself over the years - or else it was just a real bad fitting to begin with as Jeff made loads of changes to the set-up!! And I got new bars since I've gotten very comfy with the tri bike set up. It's an aluminum frame, way heavier than the Orbea so it will be harder work... so that when it comes to the racing it will be like a breeze! Or at least that's the plan.
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SUNday...
Finally we got to bike in the sunshine yesterday. It was a little windy, and I got another flat, but it was still a great day to be out and Carrie, Tanya and I were happy to get in a solid 50 miles. It ended up being a pretty full day as I'd taken a yoga class in the morning and then swam 2800 yards before the bike ride. Which we followed up with a nice easy 20 minute run. My first brick session this season!
Now for the taper... yoga and swimming is all that's allowed this week. Possibly an easy run tomorrow morning if the rain holds off.
Thankfully my hamstrings felt better this morning than they have in days. I've been using 'the stick' for 15-20 minutes every night so I think it is working...
CONGRATS to all who ran Ice Age yesterday - I've heard a few reports so far and it sounds like a great day out there.
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Now for the taper... yoga and swimming is all that's allowed this week. Possibly an easy run tomorrow morning if the rain holds off.
Thankfully my hamstrings felt better this morning than they have in days. I've been using 'the stick' for 15-20 minutes every night so I think it is working...
CONGRATS to all who ran Ice Age yesterday - I've heard a few reports so far and it sounds like a great day out there.
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Sunday, May 11, 2008
The things that keep me awake at night...
I was lying in bed last night thinking about next Saturday’s race when I had quite the revelation… there is a new 100 miler in Virginia this October called The Grindstone. It is part of the BEAST series which incorporates the two races I’m familiar with (Promise Land 50K and Masochist 50M). Assuming I survive Sawtooth, I was thinking I'd love to try it next year but I'd like to see this year's times before deciding. It is being hailed as the toughest 100 miler in the east, with good reason, there is 23,000ft elevation gain/loss over the out and back course. Twenty Three Thousand. Sounds brutal right? The revelation – that would be equivalent to 11,500ft over 50 miles – which is EXACTLY what the Jemez Mountains race promises!!
What have I got myself into?
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What have I got myself into?
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Saturday, May 10, 2008
Rain, rain, rain...
After an enjoyable 10 miles this morning with the run club - great to catch up with Jodee, meet some new people, AND be treated to a yummy breakfast courtesy of Debbie & Brad - I met up with Susan and Tanya for a bike ride...
The girls had been out for an hour already and Susan actually made the smart decision to head home and finish her ride on her trainer (she did THREE hours on it - never!), while the pair of us headed north on 116. Ah, it all seemed like a great idea at the time. But the clear skies did not stay that way for long. About 40 minutes later the rain started, and looking at the sky (and remembering the weather forecast) we knew it was not likely to stop immediately so we found a diner in Rogers and hung out for a while - chatting, reading the paper and sipping hot tea. When it finally cleared we headed back out - only to find a flat in my back tire! 10 minutes and 3 CO2 cartridges later we were back on the road. By the time we reached St. Michael the rain had started again and eventually after about 90 minutes on the road we decided to call it a day. We rang Susan who very kindly came to our rescue! Thank you Susan!!
I was glad to get in a yoga class this evening - my hamstrings are really really tight so I think it did them good. Looking forward, sort of, to a massage this week. Will be taking it easy in the run up to Jemez, mostly swimming and yoga. Well, that is after tomorrow - assuming the rain clears we're hoping to get in a nice long ride down in Scott county.
I spoke briefly to Kami & Pam this evening - they were scouting for coffee shops in Madison enroute home from Ice Age. A very enjoyable run by all accounts. I can't wait to hear the detailed accounts of Pam's first and Kami's 3rd (since January!) 50 miler. It was also Todd's first one and I know several others who ran it so hopefully they all had a good day.
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The girls had been out for an hour already and Susan actually made the smart decision to head home and finish her ride on her trainer (she did THREE hours on it - never!), while the pair of us headed north on 116. Ah, it all seemed like a great idea at the time. But the clear skies did not stay that way for long. About 40 minutes later the rain started, and looking at the sky (and remembering the weather forecast) we knew it was not likely to stop immediately so we found a diner in Rogers and hung out for a while - chatting, reading the paper and sipping hot tea. When it finally cleared we headed back out - only to find a flat in my back tire! 10 minutes and 3 CO2 cartridges later we were back on the road. By the time we reached St. Michael the rain had started again and eventually after about 90 minutes on the road we decided to call it a day. We rang Susan who very kindly came to our rescue! Thank you Susan!!
I was glad to get in a yoga class this evening - my hamstrings are really really tight so I think it did them good. Looking forward, sort of, to a massage this week. Will be taking it easy in the run up to Jemez, mostly swimming and yoga. Well, that is after tomorrow - assuming the rain clears we're hoping to get in a nice long ride down in Scott county.
I spoke briefly to Kami & Pam this evening - they were scouting for coffee shops in Madison enroute home from Ice Age. A very enjoyable run by all accounts. I can't wait to hear the detailed accounts of Pam's first and Kami's 3rd (since January!) 50 miler. It was also Todd's first one and I know several others who ran it so hopefully they all had a good day.
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Thursday, May 8, 2008
Running at sunrise...
The joys of early morning runs...
I'd arranged to meet Bronwyn at 5:30am at Lake Harriet so I was out the door at 5:15am - after 4.5 hrs of sleep with the concert last night - I'm not sure I would have dragged my ass out of bed had I not made arrangements to meet but I am very glad I did. It was a glorious morning for running. About 50F - perfect for shorts and longsleeves. I had my hand-held water bottle as I wanted to go for about 10 miles or so. We looped around Harriet and over to Calhoun and then peeled off onto 36th and down along Kings Highway, over to Minnehaha parkway for a bit and back to Harriet - it was a nice route, different from just circling the lakes. After Brownyn turned off at Sheridan I ran back over to Calhoun and did a few extra miles to get just over 12 in total (12.4mi, HR 149). I kept the pace pretty consistent around 8:20s and it felt really good. I think I need to start doing more of these longish mid-week runs as I probably can't fit in more than 3 runs a week but need to be keeping my mileage up at the same time.
I was home by 7am which a few years ago is probably the earliest hour I would ever have thought of setting my alarm for. Spent a bit of time stretching and using "the stick" on my hamstrings and quads, while watching the morning news and then off to work... via s'bucks of course - where my friendly barista had my triple venti nf latte ready before I even paid for it :)
A great way to start any day. And I ended it with a run also - the TC1mile event was downtown this evening so myself and Pam met at Loring Park and sauntered through downtown for probably the slowest mile we'll run this year (well, at least on the road - I have a feeling some of the miles next weekend will take twice as long...). It was a great atmosphere around town. Normally I would stay around to watch the elites but I had some work to do last night so we just jogged easy for a few miles along Kenwood Parkway so Pam could stretch her legs before her big adventure this Saturday - Ice Age 50M!
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I'd arranged to meet Bronwyn at 5:30am at Lake Harriet so I was out the door at 5:15am - after 4.5 hrs of sleep with the concert last night - I'm not sure I would have dragged my ass out of bed had I not made arrangements to meet but I am very glad I did. It was a glorious morning for running. About 50F - perfect for shorts and longsleeves. I had my hand-held water bottle as I wanted to go for about 10 miles or so. We looped around Harriet and over to Calhoun and then peeled off onto 36th and down along Kings Highway, over to Minnehaha parkway for a bit and back to Harriet - it was a nice route, different from just circling the lakes. After Brownyn turned off at Sheridan I ran back over to Calhoun and did a few extra miles to get just over 12 in total (12.4mi, HR 149). I kept the pace pretty consistent around 8:20s and it felt really good. I think I need to start doing more of these longish mid-week runs as I probably can't fit in more than 3 runs a week but need to be keeping my mileage up at the same time.
I was home by 7am which a few years ago is probably the earliest hour I would ever have thought of setting my alarm for. Spent a bit of time stretching and using "the stick" on my hamstrings and quads, while watching the morning news and then off to work... via s'bucks of course - where my friendly barista had my triple venti nf latte ready before I even paid for it :)
A great way to start any day. And I ended it with a run also - the TC1mile event was downtown this evening so myself and Pam met at Loring Park and sauntered through downtown for probably the slowest mile we'll run this year (well, at least on the road - I have a feeling some of the miles next weekend will take twice as long...). It was a great atmosphere around town. Normally I would stay around to watch the elites but I had some work to do last night so we just jogged easy for a few miles along Kenwood Parkway so Pam could stretch her legs before her big adventure this Saturday - Ice Age 50M!
Good Luck to everyone running out there this weekend!!
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The Swell Season
Excellent concert last night. Glen & Marketa really lived up to expectations with this gig. And Damien Dempsey supporting was a nice bonus. Glen went a little overboard with some of the story telling but he was pretty entertaining and given that they stayed on stage until 11:30pm he didn't take away from the music time with his winding tales about the head and the heart, not to mention "those people who cannot be seen"...!
I loved his performances of the The Frames songs. He can sing me to sleep any night with "I will write you letters...". And their performance of Falling Slowly was incredible. There's a song that rightly deserves the limelight as much as sometimes might want to sometimes "take it back".
Check out the music and interviews on NPR where you can even download a podcast of one of their concerts!!
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I loved his performances of the The Frames songs. He can sing me to sleep any night with "I will write you letters...". And their performance of Falling Slowly was incredible. There's a song that rightly deserves the limelight as much as sometimes might want to sometimes "take it back".
Check out the music and interviews on NPR where you can even download a podcast of one of their concerts!!
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Tuesday, May 6, 2008
Swimming - TWO days in a row!!
Although it wasn't intentional... I headed out on the bike around 4pm thinking I'd avoided the rain. Yeah, right! Twenty minutes later I was soaked. I had arranged to meet Tanya at Lifetime at 4:45pm so was just doing a short loop to begin with. But decided to call it a day as the skies were just getting darker and darker. (11mi, HR 122)
So we headed into the pool instead - which was empty for once - the synchronized swimmers from Wayzata high school might be fun to watch but not when they decide to take up ALL 8 lanes in the pool! But no sign of them this evening so we got a little over an hour in. 2600 yards. I was really tired at first but soon warmed up and I guess I enjoyed it. Sort of.
I'd ran this morning (7.5mi, HR 156) so it ended up being a mini-reverse-tri! Had a great run. My right hamstring, down towards the back of my knee, felt a bit tight in the first few yards but seemed to go away almost immediately. I am loving my morning runs around the lakes, either by myself or with others. No better way to start the day.
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So we headed into the pool instead - which was empty for once - the synchronized swimmers from Wayzata high school might be fun to watch but not when they decide to take up ALL 8 lanes in the pool! But no sign of them this evening so we got a little over an hour in. 2600 yards. I was really tired at first but soon warmed up and I guess I enjoyed it. Sort of.
I'd ran this morning (7.5mi, HR 156) so it ended up being a mini-reverse-tri! Had a great run. My right hamstring, down towards the back of my knee, felt a bit tight in the first few yards but seemed to go away almost immediately. I am loving my morning runs around the lakes, either by myself or with others. No better way to start the day.
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Monday, May 5, 2008
Swimming - always worth the struggle...
The only time I don't struggle with getting to the pool is when I've arranged to meet Tanya there at 5:30am and I get out of bed at 4:45am and make it all the way to Plymouth while still half asleep... before realizing I have to swim... (thankfully the nice policeman down the road from Lifetime decided I wasn't worth the hassle of a ticket on the one occasion he caught me rolling through the stop sign).
But getting up before 5am became a bit too much so we've recently been swimming in the evenings - which is okay when I am sticking to a routine but otherwise I tend to find an excuse not to swim. It's my weakest tri event but also the one I am least likely to improve on even with dedicated training. Still, I do want to make another 1:20 swim at Ironman this year so I've been trying to make it to the pool at least twice a week since January. Mostly I've made it but this evening after my massage I was definitely planning on heading straight home until I saw a text from Tanya and decided since I was just down the road from the gym and had my gear in the car I really had no excuse!
And as always, once I got in the water and got moving I was glad I'd made it... ended up doing 3200 yards which is the most I've done since Madison last Sept! I was taking it quite easy - with regular chat breaks to catch up with Tanya and Karen - and I actually enjoyed it...
Speaking of Ironman I decided on a goal for Arizona. I like symmetrical numbers so 11:22 it is! Quite a leap from the 12hrs in Madison and mostly it means improving my bike time as well as a few minutes off my run. Here's how it breaks down:
1:20 swim
0:10 T1
6:00 bike
0:10 T2
3:42 run
It's a wee bit ambitious but sure that's never stopped me before! I think I can make the run but it depends how hard I push it on the bike. I expect to be in much better biking shape this year and the course is more forgiving than Madison. And obviously having paid a pretty price for my fancy new tri bike I fully expect to have a great ride :)
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But getting up before 5am became a bit too much so we've recently been swimming in the evenings - which is okay when I am sticking to a routine but otherwise I tend to find an excuse not to swim. It's my weakest tri event but also the one I am least likely to improve on even with dedicated training. Still, I do want to make another 1:20 swim at Ironman this year so I've been trying to make it to the pool at least twice a week since January. Mostly I've made it but this evening after my massage I was definitely planning on heading straight home until I saw a text from Tanya and decided since I was just down the road from the gym and had my gear in the car I really had no excuse!
And as always, once I got in the water and got moving I was glad I'd made it... ended up doing 3200 yards which is the most I've done since Madison last Sept! I was taking it quite easy - with regular chat breaks to catch up with Tanya and Karen - and I actually enjoyed it...
Speaking of Ironman I decided on a goal for Arizona. I like symmetrical numbers so 11:22 it is! Quite a leap from the 12hrs in Madison and mostly it means improving my bike time as well as a few minutes off my run. Here's how it breaks down:
1:20 swim
0:10 T1
6:00 bike
0:10 T2
3:42 run
It's a wee bit ambitious but sure that's never stopped me before! I think I can make the run but it depends how hard I push it on the bike. I expect to be in much better biking shape this year and the course is more forgiving than Madison. And obviously having paid a pretty price for my fancy new tri bike I fully expect to have a great ride :)
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Concert Tickets for Sale!!
Really looking forward to the Swell Season concert on Wednesday night but despite a mad scramble for tickets when they went on sale over a month ago I now have 2 extra due to conflicts - minor things like closing on a house etc...
Glen Hansard is frontman for the Irish rock band The Frames, while the Czech-born Marketa Irglová is a classically trained singer, and their music serves as the centerpiece of the surprise hit film Once (Oscar Winner for Best Original Song). The movie, which also stars Hansard and Irglová, tells a guy-meets-girl love story largely through song. Before making the film, Hansard and Irglová recorded a collection of songs together titled The Swell Season - and that wonderful music is what's on offer Wednesday night!
Orpheum Theatre, May 7, 8pm
2 Balcony seats (not together)
$47 each
Let me know if you are interested!
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Glen Hansard is frontman for the Irish rock band The Frames, while the Czech-born Marketa Irglová is a classically trained singer, and their music serves as the centerpiece of the surprise hit film Once (Oscar Winner for Best Original Song). The movie, which also stars Hansard and Irglová, tells a guy-meets-girl love story largely through song. Before making the film, Hansard and Irglová recorded a collection of songs together titled The Swell Season - and that wonderful music is what's on offer Wednesday night!
Orpheum Theatre, May 7, 8pm
2 Balcony seats (not together)
$47 each
Let me know if you are interested!
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Sunday, May 4, 2008
Lake Minnetonka Half
What a glorious day for running!! It was near perfect conditions the whole way around - a little chilly at the start so of course I overdressed - again! And a little windy right by the water - but given that it snowed the first time I ran this in 2005 I couldn't complain. Pam and I were both a little tired so we were planning a fairly easy pace - I was thinking 1:45. I'd run the past 2 days on not yet fully recovered quads and was planning to bike this afternoon so I figured just get out and run it and have fun. And Pam had blasted a 5k in 21mins yesterday - and is supposed to be tapering for Ice Age 50! But of course we started out at sub-8 min miles and never really backed off. But boy it felt pretty tough. Not helped by a bad stomach from mile 6 to mile 9 - I was glad to see the biffy at the aid station! My quads felt heavy but the good thing was they felt pretty much the same at mile 2 and and mile 12 so I don't think I was risking any damage. Still, I'm looking forward to a massage tomorrow night. We finished up at 1:41 which was a minute slower than last year which was a minute slower than the year before - I guess that's what happens when you keep adding ultras in the preceeding weeks...
Saw quite a few people from the run club and had a cheer from Adam as Pam and I were getting ready to sprint the last 300 yards... fantastic 4th place finish for him!! And Todd (thanks for the photo!) was at the finish also aswell as a few others I have not seen in ages so it was nice to hang out in the sunshine for a while. And despite the warm conditions no run would be complete without a nice big coffee afterwards... headed over to Caribou with Pam and Paula and caught up with more of the run club folks including Debbie, Eric and Jen who are all running Fargo in 2 weeks. Good Luck!!
Saw quite a few people from the run club and had a cheer from Adam as Pam and I were getting ready to sprint the last 300 yards... fantastic 4th place finish for him!! And Todd (thanks for the photo!) was at the finish also aswell as a few others I have not seen in ages so it was nice to hang out in the sunshine for a while. And despite the warm conditions no run would be complete without a nice big coffee afterwards... headed over to Caribou with Pam and Paula and caught up with more of the run club folks including Debbie, Eric and Jen who are all running Fargo in 2 weeks. Good Luck!!
Met the girls at 1pm for a ride out from Lake Independence to Watertown - and finished up with that killer hill on rt. 201 to get back onto 24 - I did not need that!! But it was such a lovely day for biking and I had not seen Carrie in months so it was great to catch up. Caught a bit too much sun though - time to crack open the sunscreen again... roll on summer!
Run: 1hr41m, HR 159
Bike: 2hr, HR 130
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Saturday, May 3, 2008
Active Recovery...
My legs were finally feeling up to a run by yesterday so Pam & I hit the loop around Rice Lake in Maple Grove after work, managing to avoid the rain. We kept a pretty good pace for the 6.5mi with an avg HR of 160. Everything felt great except my quads were a little tired by around halfway. So I looked up my training log from this time last year and it turns out I didn't run for a full 7 days after the 50K - until the Wells Fargo half - but instead did 7 classes of yoga!! I didn't get back in town this week until Wednesday and slept in the past few mornings so I haven't actually made 1 class! But I think I'll try to hit a Vinyasa one later - great for stretching the quads.
And I need it after this morning's run - I should of course have rested but the weather was so lovely by the time I got up at 8:30am that I decided to head out to the RTA. A trip I will have to take more often - I love running in Afton but it is quite a hike for anything less than a 2hr run whereas it's only 25 mins out to Eden Prairie. I didn't really know how much I felt like doing but ended up at 4 loops which my watch recorded as 10.8mi (though I haven't yet calibrated it...) with an avg HR of 153. It was just gorgeous being out there especially getting to the top of the big climb and standing in the breeze looking south. Not to mention the wonderful sight of the 3 young deer I had disturbed. It never fails to bring back memories of my earliest running days when I come across deer while out on the trails. There is a park near my home where I used to train which has a large herd of deer. It frightened the life out of me the first few times I was running there alone and suddenly a deer would run across the trail in front of me. But it soon became part of the experience and something I looked forward to.
Tomorrow morning will be a nice easy pace around Lake Minnetonka. It's the only race I've done every year since moving here so while it may be a bit cracked to run 3 days in a row when not fully recovered I just can't quite say no...
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And I need it after this morning's run - I should of course have rested but the weather was so lovely by the time I got up at 8:30am that I decided to head out to the RTA. A trip I will have to take more often - I love running in Afton but it is quite a hike for anything less than a 2hr run whereas it's only 25 mins out to Eden Prairie. I didn't really know how much I felt like doing but ended up at 4 loops which my watch recorded as 10.8mi (though I haven't yet calibrated it...) with an avg HR of 153. It was just gorgeous being out there especially getting to the top of the big climb and standing in the breeze looking south. Not to mention the wonderful sight of the 3 young deer I had disturbed. It never fails to bring back memories of my earliest running days when I come across deer while out on the trails. There is a park near my home where I used to train which has a large herd of deer. It frightened the life out of me the first few times I was running there alone and suddenly a deer would run across the trail in front of me. But it soon became part of the experience and something I looked forward to.
Tomorrow morning will be a nice easy pace around Lake Minnetonka. It's the only race I've done every year since moving here so while it may be a bit cracked to run 3 days in a row when not fully recovered I just can't quite say no...
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Thursday, May 1, 2008
Biking
Legs were not quite ready to run today but they felt great out biking! Pam & I covered something over 40 miles this evening heading out from Plymouth LTF on the Liberty course around Lake Independence and then out Rt 6. Thankfully the rain held off and apart from a little wind it was perfect biking conditions. We were taking it pretty easy for the most part so I kept my HR below 140 with an average of 119 over the 2.5hrs. I am so happy with the Orbea - JJ's spin classes are definitely paying off, trying to concentrate on high cadence and feeling really comfortable in the aero position. Looking forward to building up the long weekend rides over the coming months. Great cross-training and of course I'm hoping to take a nice chunk off my bike time at Arizona...
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Wednesday, April 30, 2008
New Month's Resolutions...
May 1st tomorrow - can you believe it! I've been enjoying my recovery since Promise Land. Plenty of sleep, no workouts until an easy swim this evening and a sickening amount of crap food (Dunkin' Donuts really does make great coffee. And yes, great donuts too...). So, my new month's resolution is to have at least 1 full DAY OFF from working out a week. And that means nothing, no easy swim, or light yoga class. It won't be easy. I feel like I should be in better shape when I compare my training to last year but I know that from everything I've read - and from listening to my body and to my training partners - what I need more than additional workouts is in fact more rest. And I need to get more sleep... I function fine with 6 hours but I know 7 would be better! And I need to eat better... no more donuts!
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Monday, April 28, 2008
Promise Land 50K
According to the website this race is “The Toughest 50K You Will Ever Love!!”
Is it ever... I crossed the finish line after a horrific 5 miles of downhill (2000ft elevation loss) swearing I’d never run it again. But by the time I was saying goodbye to r.d. David Horton a few hours later, wishing him well on his Continental Divide adventure this summer, I knew I’d be making my way back here again as soon as the opportunity arose! The Blue Ridge Mountains are an incredible setting for trail running. And the group of friendly local and regional runners, seasoned veterans alongside an increasing number of students from LU and VT, together with Dr. Horton’s unique blend of charm, quirkiness and absolute devotion to this sport, combine to make this race one of my favourite...
Having run my first ultra just over a year ago this is the only one I’ve ran twice. I hadn’t planned on returning to Virginia this year given my slightly hectic schedule of races. But the week before Chippewa I was running by myself in Afton thinking through plans for an upcoming business trip to DC when it hit me that Promise Land was around that time. Sure enough when I got home that afternoon and looked up the website it fit perfectly with the trip. Entry form was in the mail the next morning.
There was a small matter of two 50K’s in the intervening two weekends. Up first was Chippewa which was a lot of fun (in retrospect). Then Trail Mix which turned into more of a social event chatting to Kami for the first 25K and drinking coffee with friends in place of running the second 25K! My legs had felt very tired during the second loop of that race so as I set off on the road south from Regan airport last Friday afternoon, I wasn’t quite sure what I had let myself in for. But I felt better rested - unlike the week after Chippewa where I had worked out everyday including 2 bike rides, this previous week I had taken it much easier and gotten plenty of sleep. Still, I was considering the race as a training run for an upcoming 50 miler at altitude in New Mexico. Or at least that’s what I was telling myself. After some more thought, knowing full well that I am completely incapable of not racing a race, I decided it would be a test race. I’d try a few things just to see how it impacted my race. I didn’t really know what but as it turned out the list went as follows - being way over-dressed for the conditions to see how the heat would affect me (it didn’t, but it was damn uncomfortable); getting my feet soaked at every water crossing to see if they would blister (they did); and falling sideways off a water crossing onto the rocks getting a bruised ankle, knee and hip around the half way mark (not recommended).
Once out of the DC traffic, the drive was pretty non-eventful. Until a few hours later when I missed an exit or two and hit the by-passes around Lynchburg and ended up at EXACTLY the same spot I’d been at 30 minutes earlier. Bad and all as Mapquest directions can be I wished I had remembered to actually bring the printout with me… eventually I made my way to Bedford and north to the campground. I got the tent up in record time between thunderstorms and then grabbed some food I’d picked up at a grocery store along the way and headed over to the pavilion where about 60 or so runners were gathering to sign in and listen to David’s frequent flurries of advice – most of which are designed to scare first timers but are generally pretty accurate. The one story I wasn’t likely to forget was about the local runner who had recently been training on the nearby Mt. Masochist course and happened upon 3 cubs, mama and papa bear!! I’m happy to just enjoy the scenic views thanks all the same.
I was delighted to meet up with Dorothy from NC who I’d gotten to know while running the 50 miler last November. I think Dorothy has run all 8 years of this race, or at least a good number of them, so when I decided to sign up I emailed her to let her know. It was great to catch up and talk about our recent races and plans for the year ahead. Dorothy was just coming off her first 100 miler 3 weeks earlier – which made my 50K series pale into insignificance! Her legs feeling strong and her feet just about recovered she was looking forward to completing the second race of the Lynchburg series, the first being Holiday Lake 50K in February. Around 8:30pm I headed back to the tent and got settled in for the night. I dozed off around 9pm and even though I woke several times I fell back to sleep straight away and felt pretty rested when David’s voice came booming over the loudspeaker at 4:30am. Race start was 5:30am so I rolled out of the tent with about ten minutes to go, grabbed my runners from the car, quick toilet trip and was all set for off. Dorothy and I ran together for about the first hour. Well, the first 45 minutes was mostly walking. It was still dark but it was road as far as the first aid station at 2.6 miles and by the time we hit the trail it was light. Single track for most of the next section so I settled in a fairly easy pace. We hit the fire roads and some decent climbs over the next hour followed by a steady downhill towards the second aid station at approx 8.5 miles which I reached with just under 2 hours on the clock. I was wearing my HRM trying to keep an eye on how the hills were affecting me this early in the race. I thought I’d try to keep it below 160 – that soon fell by the wayside as we started climbing again with about 2800ft over the next 2.5 miles! We crossed the Blue Ridge Parkway at the highest point of this section and took a dirt road mostly downhill towards aid station 3 at 12 miles and 2h50m. This aid station at Sunset Fields is the busiest spot with lots of crew filling the small parking lot. I was looking forward to the next section of technical downhill which I remembered clearly from last year. I felt like I was doing pretty well at this stage but couldn’t really remember my aid station times from last year. I love the challenge of running downhill fast knowing a wrong step could be the end of your race. Not to mention the end of your season if a tree got in the way! I was running by myself for most of this section just passing a few people further down the trail as we neared the next aid station at Cornelius Creek. This was just a little further than half way so I was pleased to see 3:30 on the clock as I knew if I maintained my pace I could pick up a little time on the last downhill section (knowing my quads would be paying dearly for it over the next several days). We would be coming back to this aid station after a loop of approx 8 miles. After a quick double take as I realized the guy beside me was actually at the aid station for his second time – he was in 2nd place – off I went along the mile long section of road. It felt good to be running on the flat and steady surface – a welcome break from the serious concentration required for much of this race. I passed quite a few runners along here before hitting the trail again with a little gentler climbing for the next few miles to aid station 5 – before which I had my encounter with the slippery water crossing and ended up splayed across the rocks. It was not pretty. But thankfully no lasting damage – just a little disappointed that I didn’t even have a bloody knee to show for it considering the nice laptop bag that was going for “Best Blood” award!
Aid station 5 was serving ice-cream which looked rather appealing in the bright sunshine but I had to decline considering I was already having a hard time juggling my water bottle, a handful of grapes and the obligatory stash of gummi bears. My nutrition worked out pretty well for this race with the exception of downing 2 cups of coke way too quickly at aid station 3 and feeling like I was going to throw up a half mile later. But things had settled down again and I went through the race mostly munching of fruit and pretzels at the aid stations and filling up on water. I was carrying 3 power gels but didn’t use them. I did take the 6 electrolyte tablets though – definitely needed them with the heat. Ah yes, the heat… I don’t know what I was thinking when it came to packing clothes for the race. I decided to wear what I had worn the previous Wednesday morning for a training run around the Lakes at 5:30am and 40 degrees! Even having failed miserably to check the weather forecast you’d think I would have known it would not be anywhere near as cold. And driving south in the sunshine on Friday didn’t make me question my choice of clothing. I even stopped in at the Charlottesville Running Company to buy a cap as I had forgotten to pack one! Granted, I didn’t wear it. But I got a lot of strange looks throughout the day in my long sleeve icebreaker top and lightweight NF vest! I would have shed a layer except I really like both garments and was worried I wouldn’t get them back again… I couldn’t do much about the vest – no arms making it a little hard to tie around my waist. I did think about taking off the long sleeve and just wearing the vest but that seemed like altogether too much hard work. In any case, I don’t seem to do so bad in the heat which is just as well seeing as it got to around 80 and there was very little relief from the wind even at the higher points.
I ran mostly by myself for the journey back to Cornelius Creek which doubled as aid station 6 at around 24 miles. I was getting a little fed up along here as I vaguely remembered reaching the aid station at around 5 hours last year and had though I’d be a lot further ahead as I felt like I had gained more ground early on today. But as the minutes ticked away and the trail seemed to go on forever I was getting more and more despondent - until I met up with a pair of entertaining guys, one of whom had actually been to Sligo! They lifted my spirits as we continued along towards the aid station getting there at 4:50. Now for the fun part... after a half mile of relatively easy climbing the Apple Orchard Falls Trail kicks in and it is one-long-climb… for some reason I had it in my head that it took me 45 minutes last year so I was mentally prepared for that. Well, I guess I had looked at my watch a little further along last year as 50 minutes later I still hadn’t reached the falls – which weren’t even at the top of the climb! But my hiking pace wasn’t so bad despite the tight feeling in my hamstrings, especially my right one, all the way down into the back on my knee. There was a slight reprieve passing the waterfall along the boardwalk and being able to run for all of 60 seconds – just enough for the photographer to snap us with the scenic backdrop. About ten minutes later I finally reached the top, back at the Sunset Fields aid station with 5 miles to go. Phew – so glad to be through that section. Now I just had to figure out if my legs still knew how to run… thankfully we started out on a nice soft grassy trail for about a half mile. A brief climb and then we were back onto the early section of the course. I ran with a few people along here but took off once we hit the steeper downhill section of trail leading out onto the road at the last (and first) aid station. I saw 6:17 on my watch and took off like a bat out of hell on the ridiculously steep downhill. I knew from last year how much this hurt but I also knew that I really wanted to beat my time! This section on the road was just over 2.6 miles long so I figured I would finish under the 6:42 but I knew that as it flattened out towards the end my quads would really be screaming at me. I searched for that 1-mile orange marker painted on the road that we’d joked about as we passed it hours earlier. At one point the light filtering through the trees appeared as a cruel mirage up ahead... but finally there it was in reality. I glanced at my watch and funnily enough the time didn’t even register as I was mesmerized by my heart rate of 184 - how about that – hitting my max heart rate in the finishing stretch!
I crossed the finish line in a little over 6:36 to the congratulations of Dr. Horton and any hint of disappointment at not cutting more time off last year quickly faded as he told me I’d finished 5th female (after first noting how completely overdressed I was…). Sweet! I’d come 9th last year and even though a few of the top women were missing this year I felt really good to have placed well. The next few hours were spent soaking in the creek – which felt at least 10 degrees warmer than last year, relaxing in the sunshine - interspersed with a few torrential downpours, and sharing stories with the other runners – it’s always comforting to know I’m not the only demented person around. As the race director’s follow up email confirms we ultra runners are a breed apart...
"Please consider writing an article about your Promise Land experience especially if this was your first ultra or you had a memorable experience. I and other runners really like reading stories about events that we participate in. I’ll try not to bug you again today... but don’t count on it. I have definitely bugged Rachel, my secretary who’s typing this email, she says I’m weird... I probably am... and so are you! You run ultras!"
Is it ever... I crossed the finish line after a horrific 5 miles of downhill (2000ft elevation loss) swearing I’d never run it again. But by the time I was saying goodbye to r.d. David Horton a few hours later, wishing him well on his Continental Divide adventure this summer, I knew I’d be making my way back here again as soon as the opportunity arose! The Blue Ridge Mountains are an incredible setting for trail running. And the group of friendly local and regional runners, seasoned veterans alongside an increasing number of students from LU and VT, together with Dr. Horton’s unique blend of charm, quirkiness and absolute devotion to this sport, combine to make this race one of my favourite...
Having run my first ultra just over a year ago this is the only one I’ve ran twice. I hadn’t planned on returning to Virginia this year given my slightly hectic schedule of races. But the week before Chippewa I was running by myself in Afton thinking through plans for an upcoming business trip to DC when it hit me that Promise Land was around that time. Sure enough when I got home that afternoon and looked up the website it fit perfectly with the trip. Entry form was in the mail the next morning.
There was a small matter of two 50K’s in the intervening two weekends. Up first was Chippewa which was a lot of fun (in retrospect). Then Trail Mix which turned into more of a social event chatting to Kami for the first 25K and drinking coffee with friends in place of running the second 25K! My legs had felt very tired during the second loop of that race so as I set off on the road south from Regan airport last Friday afternoon, I wasn’t quite sure what I had let myself in for. But I felt better rested - unlike the week after Chippewa where I had worked out everyday including 2 bike rides, this previous week I had taken it much easier and gotten plenty of sleep. Still, I was considering the race as a training run for an upcoming 50 miler at altitude in New Mexico. Or at least that’s what I was telling myself. After some more thought, knowing full well that I am completely incapable of not racing a race, I decided it would be a test race. I’d try a few things just to see how it impacted my race. I didn’t really know what but as it turned out the list went as follows - being way over-dressed for the conditions to see how the heat would affect me (it didn’t, but it was damn uncomfortable); getting my feet soaked at every water crossing to see if they would blister (they did); and falling sideways off a water crossing onto the rocks getting a bruised ankle, knee and hip around the half way mark (not recommended).
Once out of the DC traffic, the drive was pretty non-eventful. Until a few hours later when I missed an exit or two and hit the by-passes around Lynchburg and ended up at EXACTLY the same spot I’d been at 30 minutes earlier. Bad and all as Mapquest directions can be I wished I had remembered to actually bring the printout with me… eventually I made my way to Bedford and north to the campground. I got the tent up in record time between thunderstorms and then grabbed some food I’d picked up at a grocery store along the way and headed over to the pavilion where about 60 or so runners were gathering to sign in and listen to David’s frequent flurries of advice – most of which are designed to scare first timers but are generally pretty accurate. The one story I wasn’t likely to forget was about the local runner who had recently been training on the nearby Mt. Masochist course and happened upon 3 cubs, mama and papa bear!! I’m happy to just enjoy the scenic views thanks all the same.
I was delighted to meet up with Dorothy from NC who I’d gotten to know while running the 50 miler last November. I think Dorothy has run all 8 years of this race, or at least a good number of them, so when I decided to sign up I emailed her to let her know. It was great to catch up and talk about our recent races and plans for the year ahead. Dorothy was just coming off her first 100 miler 3 weeks earlier – which made my 50K series pale into insignificance! Her legs feeling strong and her feet just about recovered she was looking forward to completing the second race of the Lynchburg series, the first being Holiday Lake 50K in February. Around 8:30pm I headed back to the tent and got settled in for the night. I dozed off around 9pm and even though I woke several times I fell back to sleep straight away and felt pretty rested when David’s voice came booming over the loudspeaker at 4:30am. Race start was 5:30am so I rolled out of the tent with about ten minutes to go, grabbed my runners from the car, quick toilet trip and was all set for off. Dorothy and I ran together for about the first hour. Well, the first 45 minutes was mostly walking. It was still dark but it was road as far as the first aid station at 2.6 miles and by the time we hit the trail it was light. Single track for most of the next section so I settled in a fairly easy pace. We hit the fire roads and some decent climbs over the next hour followed by a steady downhill towards the second aid station at approx 8.5 miles which I reached with just under 2 hours on the clock. I was wearing my HRM trying to keep an eye on how the hills were affecting me this early in the race. I thought I’d try to keep it below 160 – that soon fell by the wayside as we started climbing again with about 2800ft over the next 2.5 miles! We crossed the Blue Ridge Parkway at the highest point of this section and took a dirt road mostly downhill towards aid station 3 at 12 miles and 2h50m. This aid station at Sunset Fields is the busiest spot with lots of crew filling the small parking lot. I was looking forward to the next section of technical downhill which I remembered clearly from last year. I felt like I was doing pretty well at this stage but couldn’t really remember my aid station times from last year. I love the challenge of running downhill fast knowing a wrong step could be the end of your race. Not to mention the end of your season if a tree got in the way! I was running by myself for most of this section just passing a few people further down the trail as we neared the next aid station at Cornelius Creek. This was just a little further than half way so I was pleased to see 3:30 on the clock as I knew if I maintained my pace I could pick up a little time on the last downhill section (knowing my quads would be paying dearly for it over the next several days). We would be coming back to this aid station after a loop of approx 8 miles. After a quick double take as I realized the guy beside me was actually at the aid station for his second time – he was in 2nd place – off I went along the mile long section of road. It felt good to be running on the flat and steady surface – a welcome break from the serious concentration required for much of this race. I passed quite a few runners along here before hitting the trail again with a little gentler climbing for the next few miles to aid station 5 – before which I had my encounter with the slippery water crossing and ended up splayed across the rocks. It was not pretty. But thankfully no lasting damage – just a little disappointed that I didn’t even have a bloody knee to show for it considering the nice laptop bag that was going for “Best Blood” award!
Aid station 5 was serving ice-cream which looked rather appealing in the bright sunshine but I had to decline considering I was already having a hard time juggling my water bottle, a handful of grapes and the obligatory stash of gummi bears. My nutrition worked out pretty well for this race with the exception of downing 2 cups of coke way too quickly at aid station 3 and feeling like I was going to throw up a half mile later. But things had settled down again and I went through the race mostly munching of fruit and pretzels at the aid stations and filling up on water. I was carrying 3 power gels but didn’t use them. I did take the 6 electrolyte tablets though – definitely needed them with the heat. Ah yes, the heat… I don’t know what I was thinking when it came to packing clothes for the race. I decided to wear what I had worn the previous Wednesday morning for a training run around the Lakes at 5:30am and 40 degrees! Even having failed miserably to check the weather forecast you’d think I would have known it would not be anywhere near as cold. And driving south in the sunshine on Friday didn’t make me question my choice of clothing. I even stopped in at the Charlottesville Running Company to buy a cap as I had forgotten to pack one! Granted, I didn’t wear it. But I got a lot of strange looks throughout the day in my long sleeve icebreaker top and lightweight NF vest! I would have shed a layer except I really like both garments and was worried I wouldn’t get them back again… I couldn’t do much about the vest – no arms making it a little hard to tie around my waist. I did think about taking off the long sleeve and just wearing the vest but that seemed like altogether too much hard work. In any case, I don’t seem to do so bad in the heat which is just as well seeing as it got to around 80 and there was very little relief from the wind even at the higher points.
I ran mostly by myself for the journey back to Cornelius Creek which doubled as aid station 6 at around 24 miles. I was getting a little fed up along here as I vaguely remembered reaching the aid station at around 5 hours last year and had though I’d be a lot further ahead as I felt like I had gained more ground early on today. But as the minutes ticked away and the trail seemed to go on forever I was getting more and more despondent - until I met up with a pair of entertaining guys, one of whom had actually been to Sligo! They lifted my spirits as we continued along towards the aid station getting there at 4:50. Now for the fun part... after a half mile of relatively easy climbing the Apple Orchard Falls Trail kicks in and it is one-long-climb… for some reason I had it in my head that it took me 45 minutes last year so I was mentally prepared for that. Well, I guess I had looked at my watch a little further along last year as 50 minutes later I still hadn’t reached the falls – which weren’t even at the top of the climb! But my hiking pace wasn’t so bad despite the tight feeling in my hamstrings, especially my right one, all the way down into the back on my knee. There was a slight reprieve passing the waterfall along the boardwalk and being able to run for all of 60 seconds – just enough for the photographer to snap us with the scenic backdrop. About ten minutes later I finally reached the top, back at the Sunset Fields aid station with 5 miles to go. Phew – so glad to be through that section. Now I just had to figure out if my legs still knew how to run… thankfully we started out on a nice soft grassy trail for about a half mile. A brief climb and then we were back onto the early section of the course. I ran with a few people along here but took off once we hit the steeper downhill section of trail leading out onto the road at the last (and first) aid station. I saw 6:17 on my watch and took off like a bat out of hell on the ridiculously steep downhill. I knew from last year how much this hurt but I also knew that I really wanted to beat my time! This section on the road was just over 2.6 miles long so I figured I would finish under the 6:42 but I knew that as it flattened out towards the end my quads would really be screaming at me. I searched for that 1-mile orange marker painted on the road that we’d joked about as we passed it hours earlier. At one point the light filtering through the trees appeared as a cruel mirage up ahead... but finally there it was in reality. I glanced at my watch and funnily enough the time didn’t even register as I was mesmerized by my heart rate of 184 - how about that – hitting my max heart rate in the finishing stretch!
I crossed the finish line in a little over 6:36 to the congratulations of Dr. Horton and any hint of disappointment at not cutting more time off last year quickly faded as he told me I’d finished 5th female (after first noting how completely overdressed I was…). Sweet! I’d come 9th last year and even though a few of the top women were missing this year I felt really good to have placed well. The next few hours were spent soaking in the creek – which felt at least 10 degrees warmer than last year, relaxing in the sunshine - interspersed with a few torrential downpours, and sharing stories with the other runners – it’s always comforting to know I’m not the only demented person around. As the race director’s follow up email confirms we ultra runners are a breed apart...
"Please consider writing an article about your Promise Land experience especially if this was your first ultra or you had a memorable experience. I and other runners really like reading stories about events that we participate in. I’ll try not to bug you again today... but don’t count on it. I have definitely bugged Rachel, my secretary who’s typing this email, she says I’m weird... I probably am... and so are you! You run ultras!"
Helen's HRM data: Overall avg 153 (1st half 149/2nd half 157)
A little bit of climbing in the Blue Ridge Mountains...
Sunday, April 27, 2008
Gephyrophobia
A little known fact about me is that bridges scare the s**t out of me. By f
oot or on a bike isn’t so bad - my mind tells me I have some level of control should things go terribly wrong; by train or as a passenger in a car is ok - I have no control but I can close my eyes and pretend I’m somewhere else; but driving across a bridge gets my heart beating pretty fast – I should be in control but I never feel like I am. It’s not a particularly debilitating phobia, I don’t go out my way to avoid crossing bridges. But the shorter the better as far as I’m concerned...
So this morning, after standing on the beach for several minutes staring at the Chesapeake Bay Bridge-Tunnel, I scanned the map I’d pulled from a visitor's guide in search of an alternate route north. I wouldn’t mind but I’d been feeling so chilled out. I'd just had the best nights sleep in about a month, followed by a lovely stroll along the oceanfront (I miss the ocean!). But now I was telling myself to take deep breaths. Oh I knew I was going to take the bridge - it had been part of my plan for making my way leisurely from Lynchburg, after the race yesterday, to DC, in time for a work related dinner Monday evening. But for some reason despite the obvious scale of the map I’d looked at when vaguely planning the route last week, it just hadn’t hit me quite how long this bridge-tunnel combination was. I had pictured the Golden Gate Bridge, not The-Longest-Bridge-Tunnel-in-The-World.
oot or on a bike isn’t so bad - my mind tells me I have some level of control should things go terribly wrong; by train or as a passenger in a car is ok - I have no control but I can close my eyes and pretend I’m somewhere else; but driving across a bridge gets my heart beating pretty fast – I should be in control but I never feel like I am. It’s not a particularly debilitating phobia, I don’t go out my way to avoid crossing bridges. But the shorter the better as far as I’m concerned...So this morning, after standing on the beach for several minutes staring at the Chesapeake Bay Bridge-Tunnel, I scanned the map I’d pulled from a visitor's guide in search of an alternate route north. I wouldn’t mind but I’d been feeling so chilled out. I'd just had the best nights sleep in about a month, followed by a lovely stroll along the oceanfront (I miss the ocean!). But now I was telling myself to take deep breaths. Oh I knew I was going to take the bridge - it had been part of my plan for making my way leisurely from Lynchburg, after the race yesterday, to DC, in time for a work related dinner Monday evening. But for some reason despite the obvious scale of the map I’d looked at when vaguely planning the route last week, it just hadn’t hit me quite how long this bridge-tunnel combination was. I had pictured the Golden Gate Bridge, not The-Longest-Bridge-Tunnel-in-The-World.
This is a bad idea...
It's quite the engineering feat. Initially constructed as a 2-lane series of bridges, each a couple of miles long, linked by two mile-long tunnels, it opened to traffic in the mid 1960's. Thirty years later a series of parallel bridges were constructed to accommodate the ever-increasing traffic. I think that was the most unsettling part of it, being able to see the bridges alongside. Not only did I feel like I was wobbling along 60 feet above the sea, but every so often I would glance across to the south-bound lane and all I could see was swaying concrete piles supporting the trestles. The fact that I was travelling north on the older bridges just added to the fun.In case I hadn't enough excitement for one day - I ended it by travelling across the Bay Bridge into Annapolis. Even though it was a fraction of the distance it was every bit as nervewracking given the heavy rain and numerous warning signs reading “uneven pavement” and “steel plates”.
Give me 8000ft of elevation gain and loss on two feet any day!
Promise Land 50K
I am sat in a coffee shop in Virgina Beach plotting how I can possibly fit in another race in the Blue Ridge Mountains later this year!! Yesterday's race was such a great experience. Ok, it was incredibly tough and I crossed the finish line swearing I'd never run it again. But a few seconds later when r.d. David Horton told me I'd "ran a great race" and finished 5th female the burning in my quads faded ever so slightly and I knew I'd be back for more :)
Part 2 will follow shortly...
end of post
Part 2 will follow shortly...
end of post
Thursday, April 24, 2008
More Snow??
Boy am I glad to be getting on a plane tomorrow morning to the mild southeast... I know, it's not at all unheard of to get snow in late April and into May - we had hail for the Wells Fargo Half the first year I ran it in 2005 - but seriously, hasn't winter been long enough this year?
Anyway, I am off to DC in the morning, then driving approx 200 miles south to a campground north of Lynchburg where I'll set up camp along with over 100 other runners in anticipation of the race director's alarm horn at 4:30am Saturday! Anyone who has run a race directed by David Horton knows that his events are never without some interesting twist. And the Promise Land 50K is no different. I believe the race is actually just 50K - no "Horton miles" like the Masochist 50M in Nov which is closer to 54M - but instead we get to camp the night before and set off up the side of a mountain in the dark. Well, it was a blast last year and knowing the beautiful trail and scenery ahead of me I am excited to be taking part again. And I am looking forward to meeting up with the great group of local runners that run the Lynchburg series of races.
I am hoping to feel a little more energized than last weekend at Trail Mix. I am better rested for sure - due to a crazy week at work I haven't had the chance to work out much. Though I did get in a nice run early yesterday morning around the lakes. And in an effort to start analyzing my 'data' I wore my fancy new HRM...
no warm up (need to work on that)
7m tempo
avg speed 8.5mph
avg HR 159
1m cool down
Now, time to pack - tent, sleeping bag, running gear, hiking gear, and suit for conf. in DC... did I hear they charge for extra bags on northwest these days??
end of post
Anyway, I am off to DC in the morning, then driving approx 200 miles south to a campground north of Lynchburg where I'll set up camp along with over 100 other runners in anticipation of the race director's alarm horn at 4:30am Saturday! Anyone who has run a race directed by David Horton knows that his events are never without some interesting twist. And the Promise Land 50K is no different. I believe the race is actually just 50K - no "Horton miles" like the Masochist 50M in Nov which is closer to 54M - but instead we get to camp the night before and set off up the side of a mountain in the dark. Well, it was a blast last year and knowing the beautiful trail and scenery ahead of me I am excited to be taking part again. And I am looking forward to meeting up with the great group of local runners that run the Lynchburg series of races.
I am hoping to feel a little more energized than last weekend at Trail Mix. I am better rested for sure - due to a crazy week at work I haven't had the chance to work out much. Though I did get in a nice run early yesterday morning around the lakes. And in an effort to start analyzing my 'data' I wore my fancy new HRM...
no warm up (need to work on that)
7m tempo
avg speed 8.5mph
avg HR 159
1m cool down
Now, time to pack - tent, sleeping bag, running gear, hiking gear, and suit for conf. in DC... did I hear they charge for extra bags on northwest these days??
end of post
Sunday, April 20, 2008
Promise Land 50K (2007)
No, this is not a premonition. Yes, the 50K is next weekend. But I ran it last year and in preparation for next weekend I looked up my race report to remind myself what I am getting into... it is kind of funny to re-read the first paragraph. Only a year ago I thought it was nuts to run 3 longs races 3 months in a row... who knew a year later I'd be attempting 3 in 3 weeks. Though after yesterday I already know the folly of my plans!
Never say Never
So you hear about the crazy guy who runs a marathon every month and you think you’ll never be like that no matter how much you enjoy running. And then one day you find yourself writing a race report only a month after the last one, which came about a month after the last one… and the calendar says the next one is only a few weeks away. I’m claiming temporary insanity...
Back in February I ran my first 50K on the rock and sand trails in Utah, then it was home to Ireland for a road marathon in beautiful (and hilly) Connemara, and then four weeks later, at the end of April, Kami and I headed back to the trails for another 50K, this time in south western Virginia. But to be fair, this one wasn’t in the original plan. After Utah I began to think I was ready for a 50 miler so I dug up an old copy of Trail Runner magazine to find an article I had read last year about a race in Virginia. I knew the race was in November so I was just thinking I’d read up on it and maybe enter in a few months.
Turns out there’s a series of races in the same general area and the Promise Land 50K in April sounded like the ideal way to check if I’d be able for a real ultra at the end of the year. Kami didn’t take much convincing and so we started to plan the trip - with just one requirement – that it would be less stressful that the 20 hour journey to Moab (Utah). But of course we couldn’t make it too easy. So while we had the option of booking flights to Lynchburg, approximately 20 miles from race start, we decided to fly to Washington DC instead… 200 miles away and 200 dollars cheaper!
We landed in Dulles International Airport on the Friday afternoon and set off in a very smooth Mazda 3 (upgraded due to a mix of charm - Irish accent - and sympathy – race elevation chart) for the trip south.
Once we got rid of the dreaded DC traffic, the scenery was lovely, much greener than I expected, with lots of farmland and forested mountains as we drove through the Shenandoah Valley. We stopped enroute to get food for the weekend – did I mention we’d be camping? Yes, an added sense of adventure on this trip was the recommendation by the race director that everyone camp the night before at the race start since it was sort of in the middle of nowhere and the race started at 5:30am. Didn’t sound so bad until an email on the Thursday told us the bathrooms and showers at the campsite weren’t working… but there was a stream nearby. Great. We arrived at the campsite around 6:30pm and got the tent up surprisingly quick. Then the dilemma of the mattress. We had packed a blow-up mattress complete with electric pump. But we were at a campsite without toilets so would we find a plug? We did, and at the risk of being laughed at by the hard core trail running contingent we got the mattress inflated and squeezed it into the tent.
After a bite to eat it was time for bed. I felt very nervous about the next day and was not really looking forward to it. I had the usual feeling of pre-race un-preparedness but was also more anxious than normal. However, I dozed off quickly and luckily a major transformation occurred in my brain over the next few hours as I woke at 1:30am ready to rock! It would be another few hours before our wake-up call but there was no getting back to sleep. I was ready to go and the excitement continued to build so that by the time we set off I was really charged up for the day ahead… a completely irrational feeling which I blame on lack of sleep. As for the irrationality of being there in the first place, more on that later.
It was still dark when we started out from the campsite along with the 300 or so other runners, about 70 of whom were female, a fairly high ratio for a trail race.
The first few miles were on a road and were straight uphill so there was a lot of walking and just trying to settle into it. By the time we reached the aid station at mile 3 it was light and then we turned off the road and onto the trail. And up and up we went, starting from an elevation of just over 1000ft we climbed to 3,000ft in the first 5 miles! But as soon as we hit level ground the fun started… with a few miles of flat and downhill on mostly wooded trails and then some lovely stretches of grass covered forest roads. We chatted to a few people along this section and found that a lot of the runners were local and ran the series of races every year so they had some good advice for the day ahead. The views from these grassy stretches along the side of the hills were breathtaking in the early morning sunshine. Aid station 3 was at around mile 9 and unlike every other trail race aid station was rather poorly stocked – but with good reason. The unfortunate volunteers had run into problems with their truck and had to hand-carry all of the drinks and food in from the road so they were probably more tired than us! Luckily it was only another 3 miles to the next aid station so we took what refills we could and continued along. We then climbed to the highest point of the race at just under 4000ft and after a short downhill on a gravel road we arrived at aid station 4 at Sunset Fields which is a popular picnic area with an overlook across much of the valley. Given the easy road access there were quite a few supporters here which makes a nice change for this type of race.
We filled up on salty crackers, bananas, M&Ms and coke and set off on the most fun/nerve wracking/ankle twisting section of the course. The terrain was mostly packed earth with plenty of rocks and tree roots to keep us awake and a few stream crossings. We were flying down here loving every minute of it knowing that all too soon we’d be climbing again. Because it was quite a narrow path there was a little congestion every now and then as we came across small groups of runners who were a little more cautious than us. It’s always difficult to find the right balance between going all out on the downhill since it’s so much fun while also needing to save your legs for the next fifteen miles… but we were feeling good and figured we had to enjoy it while we could.
After a section of gentle downhill alongside a stream which we crossed a few times trying desperately not to get soaked, we arrived at aid station 5 – our first visit to Cornelius Creek – with around three and a half hours on the clock. We would be back here again after a loop which took us on a gravel road for about a mile followed by a relatively easy section in terms of climbs. But it was also the section of these longer races that I find most difficult – when you know that if you just stuck with road marathons you’d be done by now! Having said that the stretch of gravel road just didn’t feel as good as the uneven softer surface of the trails. It was only about 30 minutes to the next aid station at Colon Hollow (where do they get these names?) where the volunteers had t-shirts with the elevation map printed on so they reassured we still had about five easy miles before the BIG climb.
After filling up on the usual mix of sweet and savory carbs washed down with flat coke, we continued on and met a few people along the next section. Just when I was beginning to feel quite tired we came across two college students who were running together and the guy was suffering with IT-band pain so that stopped me feeling sorry for myself pretty quickly… thankfully I’ve only had one experience of getting injured during a race and it’s something I ever what to experience again. It must be especially bad when you really don’t have any choice but to keep going – no medical tent at mile 20 of this race!
We reached Cornelius Creek for the second time at just under 5 hours. I was feeling really good again and continued to run most of the next section before the trail started to climb back up towards the highest point. The next hour was spent mostly walking but I guess I was doing a decent pace and passed a lot of guys on this section. I credit this to regular yoga practice which has helped me finally develop core strength that helps a lot in the latter stages of longer races.
My first trail marathon a few years ago took me over six hours and even though it was a wonderful experience one of the things I remember most clearly is that despite feeling strong in my legs over the final stages of the race my lower back and stomach muscles just weren’t up to the task, resulting in a general feeling of breakdown. But on this day, I was delighted to still feel good as the six hour mark approached. And because of this I managed a big smile as one of the race photographers captured each of us passing a stunning waterfall just before the top of the climb. Which was just as well since despite my love of trail running being largely due to the scenery I was definitely in competitive rather than contemplative mode at this point so instead of enjoying the view I passed the 2 guys who had stopped for a bit of sightseeing! Finally, after an hour of climbing we emerged from the trees at aid station 8 to be told by a volunteer that the worst was over and we had just flat and downhill left with one little uphill. Not quite believing it someone beside me asked the guy what his idea of a “little” hill was… but we were reassured it was nothing compared to what we’d just covered.
So, with a little left in the tank I set out along a nice flat grassy section and enjoyed being able to run upright again. About 25 minutes later we emerged from the trail and arrived at aid station 2 which also served as number 9 and after a very quick stop for a drink of coke, I set off on what was now a serious downhill. While this might seem ideal after all that climbing my quads were definitely not in the mood for speeding down a hill. But knowing that it was only about 20 minutes to the finish I figured I didn’t have much choice. About halfway down the hill I passed a guy who then caught up again and we ended up running the last 2 miles together. I was glad of the company as several times I wanted to stop and walk but at the same time wanted this to be over with! We hit the flat road about 200 meters from the campsite entrance and both cheered – my legs didn’t know what to do with themselves after flying down the hill but we managed to race each other to the finish line and crossed it together in 6:42 and 84th place (12th female). I was so happy to be done and thrilled to have finished strong. Kami finished a few minutes later with the very same feeling. After a few minutes chatting to people – and most importantly getting our pictures taken – we cooled off in the stream and got cleaned up, even managing to wash our hair! I know, blow-up mattress, washing the hair… not exactly hardcore but it worked.
We relaxed in the sunshine for the next few hours, enjoying the BBQ and watching people finish. The look of pure satisfaction on (almost) everyone’s face was a reflection of what we were feeling. It’s not everyone who would chose to spend half a Saturday running/walking through the woods in an unknown corner of the country but all we could think about was coming back in November for the real one!
Other than the fact that at some level we are all designed to run (or at least I think that’s what Darwin said), I don’t believe I have any natural running talent. But I remember reading, after a year or so of shuffling along on a treadmill, that the only difference between jogging and running is determination. Well, that’s something I never been short of so I thought what the hell. Four years and many miles later, sometimes I still need determination to get me out the door but mostly I run because for me, it has become one of the most natural and rewarding things I can do. This feeling is captured much more eloquently in a book I’m reading by John Bingham (he writes the "Penguin Chronicles" in the US edition of Runners' World):
"I recall running once in rural northern Carolina. I was waddling along with a sense of urgency when an elderly man pulled alongside me in his car. He stopped to ask me what I was doing. Astonished at his ignorance, I announced with measured indignity that I was running. Obviously unconvinced, he looked at me with suspicion and asked: 'Running? From what?'
I didn't have time to tell him from what. I didn't have time to tell him that I was simply running to run. That I was running because on that day, on that road, the thought of not running never occurred to me. I didn't have time to tell him that I was running for no more important reason than because I could. I didn't have time to describe the emotional rush that overwhelmed me when I realized that I could."
And three weeks ago, running on the beautiful trails in south western Virginia, that’s exactly how I felt.
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