Reality Bites

Well, that kinda sucked. It was hot and humid but I've ran well in those conditions before. I wasn't in shape for 3:12. I should have managed a PR but couldn't pull it together in the last few miles.

Finish time: 3:17:35

More to come later.

Congrats to all who raced today - especially John Maas who ran an awesome race to go sub-3:00 and PR by several minutes.

Are you ready?

I've only been asked about a hundred times this week. To which my response was always "We'll see..."

I've raced more than I planned this spring. I've traveled more than I planned. I've worked more hours than I planned. And I've eaten waay more than I planned. But all in all my training has probably gone as well as I could have expected it to. My training pace has definitely gotten faster and I've been happy with the races I've done. Well, for the most part. Chippewa still bugs me but I'll get over it. Someday :)

I'm going to start with the 3:15 pace group (7:26's) and see how I feel at mile 10. Hopefully good enough to kick it down to 7:20's... and downwards from there for the next 10 to 7:00 minute miles. Continue at that and I'll cross the finish line in under 3:12. If things start to go downhill I'll change strategy and try to stay strong enough to PR (sub-3:16:43). If things feel like they are still going well by mile 20, I'll try to push it a bit more for the final 10K. My goal is to feel completely spent at the finish line unlike two years ago when my immediate thought was 'damn, I could have run faster'. No, there'll be none of that on Saturday!

No doubt I'll feel a bit out of place lining up with the 3:15 group. Or any group under 3:30. I'm sure I'll be about 20lbs heavier than the rest of the females around me. At 150 I'm 15 heavier than 2007. NOT where I intended to be when I signed up in January. But then January plans never quite pan out... still, it doesn't seem to have affected the running much so far. Though I'd definitely be happier to be closer to 140 which I think is a good weight for me. Not that the donought I had for lunch would know anything about that.

GOOD LUCK to everyone running this weekend.

One more goal... that Grandma's remains my favourite race!!

The Weather

Keeps changing but I (really) like what it's telling me today (Thurs)...

Duluth, Saturday June 20, 2009

7 AM / 52F / 50% rain - 10 AM / 56F / 10% rain

The Dream

Well, I had the pre-race dream last night. It was definitely one of the weirder ones. There was nothing familiar about the setting. It was in a city but not one I've ever been to. I was sitting in the sunshine on a grassy section watching the elites go by. I had on shorts and t-shirt but not my planned race gear. I was eating chocolate cake (imagine that). Somewhere in my mind it clicked that if the elites were running I should probably make my way to the start line - I think the main race started a half hour later. I went in search of my running gear bag - I think I knew where it was but then I got distracted by the fact that I had not picked up my timing chip. In fact I think I'd by-passed packet pick-up completely. I didn't know if it was still open but figured I wouldn't have time. Next think I know the runners are coming towards me. I didn't even know where the start line was but that didn't matter now... I spotted a girl coming out of a building and joining in the race and contemplated doing that. But then I remembered I'd wanted to run a PR and what good would that be without the evidence of the timing chip! The funny thing was I wasn't even panicking...

Good Run. Bad Run. Good Race?

Well, after a good run last Thursday along old Hwy 61 I was feeling all confident about Grandma's and was even harbouring dreams of a 3:10 (one of my 'lifetime' goals). I was all ready for taper and figured I'd just run a few miles twice before the race. Originally I'd planned an easy 6-8 miles today and then a few fast miles on Tuesday. But then last night I decided to consult "Run Less. Run Faster." Even though I am a strong advocate of this approach I have only vaguely followed the training plans laid out in the book - going between the 3:10 and 3:15 plans to figure out what I should be aiming for with my goal of 3:12.

So I opened the book to the 3:10 plan to see what was suggested for the final week. Two "key runs" - the first being speed and the second an easy run. Since the were so neatly laid out at #1 and #2 I decided I'd do them in that order. Note to self - stick with your original plan and not what it says in the book. Even though I think the book tells you to do the weekly workouts in whatever order you want...

Anyway, the speed workout plan was as follows:

10-20 min warm-up, 6 x 400m @ 1:24 (400m RI), 10 min cool-down.

Helen's "speed" workout went as follows:

15 min warm-up, 6 x 400m @ 1:50, 1:36, 1:46, 1:58, 2:05, 1:59, the RI were mostly walking (and sulking), and the cool-down was in the St. Croix. For reference, 1:57 is the 400m interval time for the 4:15 marathon training plan. Excellent.

I decided to run at Afton (along the river path) since I was going as far as St. Paul to climb and I figured it would be a nice flat surface and softer than the road or track. Which if course it was - and I suppose I can attribute a few seconds of each interval to the surface. But not forty. Oh well, maybe it's a good thing to have a crap run right before a big race. Keeps me grounded.

I worked off some frustration at the climbing gym on my way home. Actually had a great climb getting a few 5.8's that I've been working on. Slow progress - especially when you see 4ft nothing 10 year olds doing it in half the time - but fun and rewarding all the same!

Rather than accept tired legs and take the rest of the day off I wanted to be outside enjoying the sunshine so I biked 25M with Pam, Susan and Nic - hadn't been on the bike for a month so it was never going to feel great even with fresh legs... and of course our great intentions for a 'casual' ride went out the window almost immediately! And this after Pam's stellar 5:00:00 half IM at Liberty yesterday - awesome job. She came in 3rd female. And it was a "B" race for her with no taper!! Despite my legs it was a good ride and great to catch up with everyone.

Afterwards I decided to go to the track to calibrate my Suunto. I have this watch a long time but never got around to calibrating it and I knew it was slightly off (there's another 2-3 seconds I can take off the morning run... I'm down to a 4:05). I wouldn't be using this watch at all only I managed to LOSE my beautiful shiny relatively new garmin 405 sometime 8pm at FANS last weekend. I remember having it at the end of the 12hr race but no idea what I did with it after that. It was in my pocket as I'd taken it off when I'd got done running earlier in the day. Have searched the car and house several times but no joy. And nothing turned in after the race. So, it's back to the foot pod Suunto. Anyway, the calibration involved running 2 laps at 'marathon' pace - even on more tired legs this felt comfortable at 3:30 for 800m.

Moving on.

Weather for next weekend keeps changing - 2 days ago it said a high of 69. Perfect. Then it was predicting 75. OK. And now rain is forecast. Bummer. Hopefully it changes just as quickly again.

SHT Vacation

I decided last week that I wanted to take my b'day (yesterday) off... not that I care to make a big deal of it but a good enough excuse to take a day off. Work has been mental and will continue to be so through the summer so I have decided to take a day here or there when I can. So what would I do for the day? Chill out? Catch up on my reading? Cut the grass? I guess I may have done all of those things but then I saw a message from Lisa on the SHT construction project. Perfect!

So I spent the last two days up north (too far to just go for one day!) working with Larry Sampson and crew on a new section heading south from the Rossini Road trailhead (about 20 mins from Hwy 61). It's a very nice section - will be about 5.5-6mi when complete. Larry and a range of volunteers, including a group of school kids who spent a week out there, have been at it since early May and are about halfway in. It was pretty tough going due to the endless tree roots. Not many rocks though. But lots of bugs... the only downside to summer in MN as far as I'm concerned!

Took a few photos...

Rossini Rd trailhead - I ran a few miles of the section north towards Lake Co Demo Forest this afternoon - nice trail, some rolling hills and a few rocky sections

About a mile in along the new trail heading south from Rossini Rd - nice wooded trail with a soft surface - reminded me of the section north of Sawbill, around the base of Britton Peak

Despite all the trees... in the interest of saving toenails... not a root in sight...

Well, except for this beauty...

Some nice overlooks...

The trail doesn't climb much in this section but the road in does so it's quite high up hence the lake view.

We had a debate over this tree - beech (which would be unusual in this area, apparently) or ironwood - I have no idea so I took a picture.

Some boardwalks...

And a beaver pond. Albeit an abandoned one...

Last big run before Grandma's...

Before heading to the trail this morning I got out for a 12mi run along the course - started at mile 15, ran to mile 9 and turned around. Started around 6:30am - it was still very cool so I wore a longsleeve over my vest. I'm assuming it will be warmer on race day but I might go with my arm-warmers. I had planned to start out at just under 7:30's as my current plan for the race is to start with the 3:15 pace group which will be a 7:26 pace - so I figured I'd simulate the first few miles of the race. Well, I hope I didn't do that since I started out with 7:05's... slowed down a bit but then everytime I started to concentrate on form, tight core, aligned pelvis, shorter stride, landing on mid-foot etc - I would automatically speed up. Good, but then, not good. Averaged 7:12 for the first 5, had taken a gel at mile 4, had water stashed at the turnaround, and then took 2 clif bloks at around mile 8. Sped up in the last few miles trying to stay close to 7:00's or below, to average 7:06 overall. With a 6:30 final mile. Which hurt. A lot. Which is EXACTLY how I want to finish the race :)

Sat in Lake Superior for a few minutes after I got done. It was f-r-r-r-e-e-z-i-n-g, my feet could only stand 10 second intervals so I held them up while trying to cool off my hamstrings. The left in particular has been really tight. I really need to get in for a massage in the next few days...

So, the training, such as it was for the past few months, is over. And now the taper. I'll run a few easy miles over the weekend and a few fast ones Monday night. And then nothing. And we shall see...

A Fan of FANS

What can I say? After watching an amazing mix of athletes from aged 13 to 80+ circle Lake Nokomis time after time, in horrible conditions throughout most of yesterday into a chilly June night, I am at a loss for words... I have taken part in a variety of mostly tough races over the past few years but there was something incredible about this event. Watching Mike Henze crush the 24hr course record to hit 147 miles and being a part of John's team as he pushed his way to 80+ miles in 12 hours was sufficient reward for putting in a few volunteer hours throughout the morning and last night.

I had an absolute ball doing the record keeping for the 7-8am hour of short laps this morning. It was awesome watching runner after runner blast up and down the 1/8 mile strip to the sound of many cheering supporters. I have never seen so many tired bodies get a second - or most accurately a tenth - wind as they rounded the cone time and again to make every second count.

Each and every person out there was an inspiration. But a few runners come to mind - Karen Gall smiled even more than Carl which says something! I was blown away by her good mood as the day wore on and right through the night as she ran her way to over 100 miles. Janine Knutson - who just ran her first ultra at Chippewa - ran a super 12hr race to hit something like 55 miles. Wow! Kim Martin never seemed to slow down - I couldn't believe her pace on the short laps - to end with ~121 miles. It was awesome to see so many trail running friends - Julie (glad to hear Topaz is on the mend), Adam (who just made me laugh with his lack of enthusiasm when he stopped by on what was to be his final lap - never before did it seem so okay to not encourage someone to keep going!), Zach (where did you disappear to?!), John Taylor, Joel (way to run those short laps!!), Wayne, Kurt and several other familiar faces including Holly who was at AS 1 with me for a few hours in the middle of the night. And the kids out there were something else - Sue Olson's son John and his friend Nick who are 13 and 14, respectively, and another Nick who is also 13 - these guys ran the 24hr and all hit over 50 miles. I think John was close to 70 by the end. And they were so humble and good natured every time they came by the aid station. Really something.

No question I will be back at FANS next year. To volunteer again? I suspect not. More than once I have said this isn't a race for me but by 8am this morning that attitude was forever changed. A year is a long time but please God I will continue to stay healthy and (relatively) injury free... and find myself toeing the line at 8am. As for when to finish... I guess I have a while to think about that one :)

In the other big race this weekend... HUGE congrats to Matt on his awesome 6th place at Kettle Moraine 100M!! What an achievement. And so very well deserved after a dedicated early season of training. Congrats to Kevin on his first 100 mile finish. To Steve on his second in 2 months!!! To Pierre for... yet another one! And to Wynn on a new 100K CR. Sweet! Looking forward to the race reports.

FANS

Nooooo I have not decided to sign up at the last minute. I do some crazy things but not this one :)

But I will be down there bright and early for the 5:30-8:00am shift and again tomorrow night for the long haul. Though nothing compared to the runners... especially with the weather forecast. I know that it can be very hot some years but I'm not sure that high 40's and rain - possibly up to 1 inch tomorrow - can be that much better. Hopefully it doesn't come down quite as heavy as that.

Planning a 10-12M tempo run after I get finished up in the morning. Aiming for sub-7:30 pace though I haven't run 3 days in a row for a while so perhaps I'm being a bit optimistic. Will run from Nokomis up the parkway to Harriet and back - or something like that - and see how the runners are doing. Myself and Val had a blast at Afton this afternoon. Work has been mental all week, including a trip to DC with a flight that took 5.5hrs instead of 2.5... via Pittsburgh to refuel... what fun. So I badly needed to get out early today. We met up with Pam who'd biked with Colin from the park up to Stillwater and back and some more... 2hrs at a good clip and that after a tough swim workout this morning (and our track session last night!). Needless to say she was a bit tired so we did the Snowshoe loop and then Pam headed home while myself and Val went back out and over to the bike singletrack. Love it! I haven't been over there since last fall. I need to do it more often... there is something about singletrack that just makes you want to go FAST. Not that we were really going that fast but it felt like it. Legs felt great. Though my right knee was a bit sore by the end. We finished up with a run up the first hill on the race course and then soaked in the river for a few minutes before heading back to the car.

Got stuck into some gardening this evening. I am the least green-fingered person in the 'hood but I'm hoping the lawn fertilizer and a few flower pots will do the trick. Of course if it rains an inch tomorrow the fertilizer will end up in the drain. Though some moisture should help the little tree I planted. It'll need help seeing as I planted it about a foot shallower than instructed and used potting mix instead of tree stuff... can't be that different right? Not for the first time I imagined my neighbours looking out their window at me shaking their heads in dismay. Pam had given me a load of Iris' from her Mum's garden last night so I put them down also. Ha, 'put them down' - most likely.

Better think about bed soon I s'pose. 4:30AM won't be long coming around.

Hopefully all the FANS and Kettle Moraine runners are sleeping soundly. Good Luck to all!!

Racing Goals

I am off to run the Burnsville Half Marathon. If you happen to be there keep your distance at the finish line. I have only one goal. To throw up at the end.

11AM Update

Well, I didn't quite achieve the puke goal but I did run a nice race to finish in 1:31:56. Thrilled with that! Ran most of it with a girl from Burnsville - it was nice to have company and she definitely kept me on good pace. Couldn't keep with her in the last 2 miles but was able to maintain sub-7:00's for the last 3 miles. Garmin read a bit longer to give me an avg pace of 6:57 but if the course is correct it was 7:01 pace. I'll take that! Great conditions - a little windy on the way out but we had that at our backs on the return. Almost completely flat course. I ran in my brand new extremely lightweight Saucony Fastwitch 3 (2009 lighter version of what I wore last weekend - which I'd also wore for Grandma's in 2007). Top of left foot is a little sore but nothing else. No problems with the knees. Not sure if I'll wear them for Grandma's.

Walked a mile or more at the finish and stretched a little though will do more later. First the ice bath... stopped on the way home for a 20lb bag of ice and then another stop for a large hot americano. Good combination.

8PM Update

I think my stomach is getting me back for even mentioning throwing up - instead of feeling queasy I am absolutely famished all day - a huge avocado/salad wrap for lunch, followed by chicken curry for late lunch, a week's worth of fruit servings throughout the day... and dinner is in the works now. And desert. Figure I deserve it today. Probably didn't yesterday. Or the day before. And a very large glass of wine. To make up for the traditional ice bath earlier Nic!

Swam this evening with Tanya - felt great. Had not been in the pool for a month but with company it went by quick. Heading to Afton in the morning for some easy trail running. Will probably be my last long run before Grandma's. Hopefully the weather stays good through the morning.

The Burren Marathon

It's been a shit week. And I really wanted to rant quite a lot tonight. But then I read THIS interview with Cynthia Brochman and thought WTF do I have to complain about? Amazing, amazing lady.

Before the week started to go downhill I had intended to post about last weekend's race. So now that I am over my feeling sorry for myself spell (at least temporarily) I'll give the download...

I was excited to be running a marathon in Ireland again. Especially this one with approx. half of it off-road. The Burren area is a huge (300 sq km - huge by Irish standards) area of wilderness. It is a karst limestone region in the north west corner of Co Clare, in Ireland and made this pretty neat list of unique destinations.

But perhaps the best way to describe it is to borrow a well worn unattributed quote...

"The Burren. Where there are no trees to hang a man. Where there is not enough water to drown him. And if you finally succeeded in killing him, it's too rocky to bury him."

Unfortunately, there was plenty of water to drown a few runners last Saturday. Or at least enough to ensure we all looked like drowned rats within a few miles. And when the drizzle did finally stop, there was more than enough on the ground to keep us nice and soggy. The again it's the West of Ireland in May. Summer - maybe a week in July or August - or more likely September when the kids are back in school - is still a long way off.

We started out from the pier in the small picturesque town of Ballyvaughan. Mum and I had travelled down the night before as it's about a 2.5hr drive from home. We met Dee about 15 mins before the start and headed over to join the crowd. Brendan Gleeson, the award winning actor, said a few rousing words to send us on our way. Apparently he'd been on hand for course set-up also...




All 3 races, the 10K, half marathon, and full marathon, started off together - on the main road out of town for about 3 miles and then turned off onto a small country road. Soon after the 10K walkers and runners - approx 500 of them - peeled off to the right as the rest of us continued. Dee and I ran together keeping a 7:40ish pace those first few miles then slowing down a bit as we found ourselves on the first of several "green roads"... where there was a lot more brown mud that green grass! There were about 700 in the half and maybe half that in the full. In only the second year running the field has doubled. Many walkers participate in all three distances as the race is organized by the local walking club and the Burren Way, which we followed for much of the race, is a very popular walking trail.

Along here Dee got chatting to Johnny Donnelly of The Sawdoctors fame but more importantly an avid marathon runner raising money for a great cause. Check out his website. Dee signed up with him to run the Dublin Marathon this October so it was cool that she got to meet him in person. Soon after the half marathoners continued along the front ridge while we headed left and up across more dirt trails and bog roads. I was running with a bunch of lads, a few others not too far ahead, assuming there were plenty more ahead out of sight. Before long the few in front of us came to a stop at a cross-roads in the middle of the bog. Hmm... after a few moments deliberation we took a left and were relieved to see the mile 7 marker soon after. Phew. I had heard quite a few got lost the year before.

The next section was really muddy so I was completely destroyed by the time we reached the paved road and the next water stop. I had to laugh - the next several water stops were basically an ould fella sitting on the boot of his car with a few large bottles of water, a stack of cups, and a box of fruit and chocolate. Great supplies to be fair but it would have been nice if the water bottles were open and maybe even a few cups filled. But we helped ourselves anyway and off we went - after being told we were the leaders! Funny... myself and Mike from Co. Mayo led off from here - we ran together for the next 10 miles - good company. Though after he told me about his recent 3:04 at Belfast I was a bit worried that I should find myself running his pace. But he'd run this last year in around 3:30 so I figured I was safe enough as that seemed to be a reasonable target when I'd signed up a few days earlier. Mind you, that was before I realized how difficult parts of the terrain might be. Not along here though - a few miles of mostly downhill on nice quiet country roads... and the rain had stopped!

At around mile 11 we turned off-road and started the longest climb of the race - about half of it runnable but not really worth pushing it so my pace for the mile was over 11 minutes. Two of the other guys decided to run it so they passed us along here - a Kiwi and a Scot. Quite the international event! Upon reaching the top we were rewarded with a nice flat mile of relatively dry green road along with amazing views out over Galway Bay all the way to the Aran Islands. More than made up for the chilly, rainy start. Before long we found ourselves back on paved road and winding our way down towards the seaside town of Fanore - a really beautiful spot. Popular with surfers. After a quick refueling - filling our own water again while the volunteers told us we were going too fast and really should take it easy :) - we had another mile on the road heading north towards Black Head with the Burren up to our right - along here we passed the Scot while the Kiwi had taken off well ahead of us. Then a detour down towards the beach for a mile - thankfully we weren't actually running on the sand!

Back on the road at mile 18 and soon after we took a right hand turn, quick break at the AS for water and a mini-chocolate bar, and back on trail just before the mile 19 mark. I was a little ways ahead of Mike at this stage and continued to run at a decent pace. The mile markers appeared to be a little closer than what my garmin was telling me but I wasn't complaining! The trail continued to climb so that soon we were a few hundred feet above the road that ran close to the coast around Black Head and then all the way back to town. This was the muddiest section of trail resulting in me losing my shoe at one stage. A deliberate soak in the next clean water puddle was actually quite refreshing. I was wearing pretty lightweight Saucony Fastwitch road shoes so they shook off the excess water easily enough. Met a few sheep along here also and saw a few cows up ahead in the distance - luckily they had made their way off the trail by the time I got there - turns out they had held up the guy in front of me as he tried to pass them several times along the narrow ridge!

I was really having fun for these few miles. On a somewhat technical trail, enjoying the beautiful views and nearing the finish... can't beat that! Then it was a steep downhill across a meadow to the road, an AS at the gate, and mile 23 marker just up ahead. Sweet!! The last few miles on the road were a blast. I mean, I felt like I was going to have a heart attack any moment and my legs were scearming at me - but apart from that it was a great feeling. The half marathon course joined back up with us along here so I was getting lots of encouragement from the walkers which was awesome. Another one or two water stops along here and before I knew it we were at the edge of town. My Mum had walked out along the pier so it was cool to see her about 500 yards before the finish. Tried to sprint the last bit but I'm not sure you'd call it that. Felt good to be done! 3:24 which given the garmin I'd say was more like a 3:27. Several of the middle miles at just over 7:00 min pace and the last few a bit under so I was happy enough with that. I have no idea what it means for Grandma's but I think at this stage there is no point worrying about it!

Thanks a million to the race organizers (photo with the RD Gerry Reidy below) and to all the volunteers, and especially to Mary for letting me enter the race late and then for sending me the pics!!

Dee was at the finish having won for the ladies in the half - nice one! I chatted to the Kiwi and a few of the other lads that came in a few minutes after me before heading down to the water with Mum and Dee. It felt so nice to stand in the cool seawater. Not quite ice-bath temperatures but I'm sure the sea minerals do some good...

It was shaping up to be a beautiful afternoon but we wanted to get on the road for home so after a quick look (and purchase of delicious cheese) at the Farmer's market, I got cleaned up and we headed off. I took the picture below a few miles north looking back across the bay. The final section of the race followed a ridge about halfway up from around Black Head on the right - towards the town of Ballyvaughan on the left.



We stopped off for a late lunch at Linnane's on the pier in New Quay. After a yummy open crab sandwich and two large coffees Mum took a picture of the winning ladies -



As crazy a week as it was over there with work spilling into the wee hours every night, it was so much fun to run this race in such a beautiful location.

Best Laid Plans...

4 weeks to Grandma's Marathon. Probably my favourite road marathon. Dublin, being my first one, will always be memorable, but the whole Grandma's experience is hard to beat. 2005 was my first US marathon and my first BQ. 2006 was a blast running with Jodee - well, the fun started once we decided her BQ was not going to happen and we'd just take it easy and enjoy it (she has qualifed for Boston pretty much every marathon since!). 2007 was my PR when I had as much fun running as I've ever had. Susan joining me for a sprint at mile 23 really spurred me on for the final few miles. I decided to skip it in 2008 given my focus on trail races. Though I actually ended up in Ireland doing a triathlon that weekend!

I decided in January that I wanted to try for a marathon PR this year and Grandma's seemed as good a chance as any. So I signed up and tried to plan my training around the race for the first 6 months of the year and then focus on trail ultras for the remainder. No triathlons at all on the calendar this year. But there was a trip to Argentina, the opportunity to run a new 50K in Virginia that I couldn't resist having loved every minute of the races I'd done there in '07/'08, and of course Chippewa take 2. So, not quite ideal preparation. Still, my grand finale of training was planned 4 weeks out - i.e. this weekend - the inaugural Stillwater Marathon includes a 20M race which seemed like an ideal test. I wasn't quite sure about splashing out $60 (or more? I don't even want to know...) but figured the pre-race 'race' experience would be good.

The past few weeks my running has been up and down. Despite a great result at Chippewa I wasn't particularly happy with my run. I say that with a fair amount of hesitation knowing that I'd personally like to strangle a race winner if I heard them say that. But I just didn't expect a 4:40 to feel as hard as it did. I had not really predicted the toll constantly rolling hills would take. Still, I recovered well and have gotten in some decent tempo runs since. A ridiculous work schedule and two trips to Ireland, where I am this week, hasn't helped but after finishing up an 8M run Tuesday night in Galway and seeing my average pace at 7:21 I decided it was a good omen for Stillwater since that was my goal pace... the extra 12 miles would just come together, right?

Somehow, it took all of 10 minutes for that plan to fall to pieces. My friend Deirdre was telling me a few weeks ago about the Burren Marathon - in a beautiful setting in Co. Clare - so I had checked it out at the time knowing that I'd likely be back over here this week - and was sort of relieved to see registration was already closed. It came up in conversation again on Tuesday as one of the guys I'm working with here is running the 10K (Dee is running the half). So I guess it was on my mind when I got back to the hotel after my run... I checked the website again and for whatever reason decided to email the RD about a late entry... sure enough I got an email back at midnight saying to call the next day "to sort it out". OK then, I guess I am running a marathon this weekend rather than a 20 miler - and not just any marathon, this one has a few nice hills and a bit of off-road action...

It ended up being a good thing since the next day work issues determined that I needed to be here through the weekend rather than travelling back so I'd end up missing Stillwater anyway. See, it's possible to make any idea sound like a good one if you try hard enough :)

There is even a "Risk Assessment" attached to the event plan on the website with the following Associated Hazards:

1. Slippery grassy route
2. Cliff ledges
3. Rocky shoreline
4. Traffic on public road

Definitely a good idea. Except for number 4 - close the roads please!

In case you're not convinced check out the views I'll get to enjoy along the way (note - in order to attempt to become a runner in Ireland one always has to assume blue skies)...

Where are the roads?

Not so fast...

That's both an appeal to time and a reflection on my current running form! Where has the first half of May gone? I couldn't wait for long evenings and 60F+ weather to arrive but I don't seem to be able to enjoy much of it. Work is completely mental. I suppose I can't complain given the state of things. But I will anyway. Not that I am one for much balance in my life but an hour here or there to just chill out would be nice. Or really to just catch up on sleep. Less than 5hrs a night is only good for 2-3 nights. Not 2 weeks. Going on three. Had to take today off to just spend some time in my house - and to pack my bag for a weekend in New York - fun, followed by a week in Ireland (again) - work. I think it is is the first time ever I have complained about going back home. Two weeks in a month is just a little much.

Anyway, running and all that... after a dismal week last week I had a decent 16 mile run in the local park near my Mum's house on Saturday evening. This is where I did a lot of my training for my first marathon so it always feels good to run there.

Got back from Ireland Sunday and ran a few easy miles to shake off the jetlag. Then on Tuesday I finally made it to the track - a reminder that I need to do this more often! We were doing 400's so I did 8 with a 200 recovery between each one. Nothing the past 2 days. Well, except 16hr work days. And then this morning got out for a long run... was aiming for 20 at 7:45 pace... was going okay until about mile 14. Got a few stomach cramps and was just feeling tired so I eased up for a few miles and decided 18 would do so I managed the last two a bit faster. Averaged 7:42. Felt way harder than it should have. It will be interesting to see how the Stillwater 20M race goes next weekend. I suspect my goal of 7:21 pace may be a stretch...

Good luck to all heading up north this weekend for the Superior Spring races!

Pilgrimage or Purgatory?

I should start with an open apology to St. Patrick. I took his name in vain more than once on today's run / scramble / crawl / suicide attempt.

Croagh Patrick is renowned as a site of pilgrimage in honour of Saint Patrick, Ireland's patron saint. It was on the summit of the mountain that Saint Patrick fasted for forty days in 441 AD and the custom has been faithfully handed down from generation to generation.

Instead of 40 days at the summit I spent the 40 seconds it took to circle the little stone church and made my way back down... 100% kamikaze style trail running all the way to the base. At one point I hit my left foot off my right calf, veered off to the right and caught myself just in the nick of time. I don't want to think what state I'd be in if I went down.

It was cruel. But, oh so much fun!!!

There were about 35 runners, maybe 8 or 9 of them women. Finished in around 1:10. First female was just under the hour, missing the course record by seconds, and then another girl between us. Not sure what the first guy finished in but he was way ahead of the pack when I met him. The best part of the day - getting passed by a 12 year old kid. He was unreal - his Dad was running it also. I ran with him for a few minutes (before he sped off up the steepest part) and we had a quick chat...

So, have you done this before?

Oh aye, a few times.

Good on you.

Aye, I run a lot of the races up around home, in the Mourne Mountains. [Co. Down in Northern Ireland]

Nice one.

Oh aye, it's not for the craic I'm down here.

Oh. Right. [I'll shut up now]

In fairness, the young lad is probably sick of people patronizing him when he's taking this mountain running business seriously.

And it is serious business. From January to October the IMRA calendar is stacked with races of all distances - from the 2.5K run up Killiney Hill to the 120K Wicklow Way relay - and many of them over rough terrain. This weekend is the Connaught Championships so many of today's runners will be taking part in the Ben Gorm race tomorrow. At one point on the ascent, while traveling at around 2 miles an hour, I swore there was no chance of me doing it. Of course, no more than 30 seconds after finishing I was chatting to some of the other runners about it and was telling them I'd see them there!!

Headed down to the sea after the finish for a dip to cool the calves and quads. Felt great. Legs are tired but no aches or pains. Not sure how they'll be in the morning. Tomorrow's race is a midday start, about a 2 hour drive from home, so I guess I'll just see how I feel in the morning. And more importantly how the weather is. It was an absolutely beautiful day today - unfortunately I couldn't exactly enjoy the views out over Clew Bay from the summit - a quick 2 second glance around and that was it. My eyes were fixed firmly on the ground at all other times.

Short and Sweet Steep

Chippewa was a tough race. But I felt good enough to run 7M the next evening. I swear by the ice bath. And another 13 yesterday - 10 @ 7:20 pace, with a few 200M sprints at the end for good measure. So I guess the legs are recovering well. Just in time to thrash them again this weekend. I fly back to Ireland tomorrow night and of course it wouldn't be enough to simply hang out with family, work crazy long days bridging the time zones and travel around the country catching up with friends. Noooooo, I had to find a race. And not just any race.

The run up and down Croagh Patrick in County Mayo is one of the many things I once thought ABSOLUTELY COMPLETELY CRAZY. Perfect, then. Check out the Irish Mountain Running Association (IMRA) website for more info on the Irish variety of trail running.

The race is not even 7K. It does climb up 800m and then right back down again. But still, a course record of around 40 mins for the men and an hour for the women doesn't seem quite right. That it, until you see the pictures...

The man himself guarding his hill

The back straight

July pilgrims. With shoes. Ah, not real pilgrims.

Crazy camera angle or crazy steep? Or just plain crazy.

Some mud. Some singletrack. And rock scree. Lots of it. I cannot wait to see my knees after this one.

I'm not comtemplating the double BUT there is a sister race up and down Ben Gorm the following day to complete the regional (Connaught) championships...

The First Ascent out of Aasleagh Falls. Photo by Rachel Walters.

More rocks. But look at that view. Photo by Paul Nolan.

Let the madness begin. I mean, continue...

Chippewa Moraine 50K - 2009 ed.

If it's possible to run the same race two years in a row but feel like you've never seen the trail before... today was the day. The inaugural Chippewa Moraine 50K was held last year, a few weeks earlier and in the middle of a snowstorm (ref. 2008 pictures and race report).

2009 promised to be a different story. And so it was...

Eric, Guy, Kami and I met at Lifetime in Plymouth at 4:30am. Delightful hour to be setting off at. At least I was feeling better than the same hour Friday morning - after a too rare tuna steak on Thursday night I spent many hours between the bathroom and my bed until finally my stomach started to settle down by lunchtime yesterday. To offset the dehydration I took several electrolyte drinks for the rest of the evening and felt like I was almost back to normal by this morning.

The drive was pretty uneventful - comapred to last year where we got lost in the snow and arrived 10 minutes before race start. This time we got there right at 7am, checked-in (since I had already signed up before earning a 'free' entry Wynn graciously allowed Kami to use it) and had plenty of time to get organized and chat with just about every trail runner I know from MN or WI! The men's field was pretty stacked - Andy Holak, Chris Gardener, John Storkamp, Adam Harmer and several other names I knew but was less familiar with. Joe Z was also there coming off a super run at Trail Mix last weekend. Steve Q was on his 3-weekend streak - great stuff! And I got to meet Nic just a few minutes before we took off. Hoping not to see him again until I finished and then he finished :)

It had rained pretty solidly for most of the drive but had eased off as we got close to Chippewa Falls and by the time we were getting ready to gather for Wynn's pre-race briefing it was actually pretty pleasant with temperatures probably in the mid-40's. So I decided to ditch the light rain jacket and just go with longsleeves over a tank top and shorts. And hat. Worked great - got a little hot at times and I could probably have taken off the hat but it wasn't really bothering me. After describing the course, markings, aid stations, etc - the cowbell was rang and off we went - down a ridiculously steep hill start. Knowing that the out and back course would end with this climb! But we weren't thinking about that right now...

The first mile or so was pretty wide grassy trail so there was plenty of space and time to figure out where to fit into the pack before we hit the singletrack. The front guys sped off into the distance and I settled into a nice pace with a few guys ahead of me and Eric behind me. We stayed pretty much that way for the first several miles until I started to pass a few people as I felt like my legs were ready to pick it up a little. I figured I'd follow the same strategy as Terrapin and just go with how my legs felt and not worry too much about heart rate. Not that I was wearing my HRM but I had a fair idea that I was hitting my threshold more than I should be! Those rolling hills really pushed me. It was hard to catch a break. Very little opportunity to relax into a smooth pace.

I refilled my water bottle at the first AS at around 5 miles and kept moving pretty quickly. I decided to stick with gels and clif blocks and water. This has worked well for me in the last several ultras. And apparently has not gone unnoticed - the guys were saying on the ride home that my race reports have become more about running and less about eating :)

If only I could translate my disciplined running eating habits to real life.

I continued to feel good through the next section, running by myself pretty much all the time. I refilled water again at the next AS but ran through the following one just a mile or two later. At that point I was focused on the turnaround. I knew it would not come as soon as I hoped but I felt like I was making good progress and was just hoping I had not gone out too fast. As I write this I am still not sure if I did or not.

The trail was in great shape. A few muddy sections here and there but nothing that lasted more than a few yards and nothing too messy. Of course that didn't stop me falling. And then there were the boardwalks. Thankfully I managed to stay upright on those. Some were very slippery on the way out. A few people did take a spill with some nice bruising to show for it. But nothing compared to Bruce's swim last year. The lakes were beautiful. Wynn reckons he's counted 55 in total along the trail and I would believe it. I would love to come back and run here again in the fall.

Just over 2 hours in I met the lead guys - John was first and his usual focused self, followed by Andy and a few others close behind including Chris, Joe and Adam. It was great to see them all running strong. Though I knew the speed they were going meant I still had some distance to cover. I hit the turnaround with 2:18 on the clock. Happy with that. Now, to just get back in around the same time. When planning my 2009 races, assuming the weather would be decent and the trail in good shape, I'd set my goal at 4:40. I figured that was still possible. It was great to see Julie B and Eve (another super run at Trail Mix last weekend) and others at the turnaround. Huge thanks to all the volunteers and supporters along the way. And to the photographers - Londell and Bryan seemed to be everywhere!

The return journey started out pretty well. I was just behind a guy that I'd almost caught at the turnaround and we ran together for the next 5 miles. When we got to the AS he 'complained' that I was torturing him but he was glad I was behind him a few minutes later when he kept going straight on the road instead of turning left onto the trail... good thing I got his attention as I don't think I was able for a sprint to catch him!

I'd met Nic a few minutes after turning around. He was telling me to slow down but I was pretty sure that even without that he'd be catching me at some point. Oh well... we couldn't have him getting chicked, right??!! A few minutes later, I met the next female, Karen S, whom I had the chance to chat to after the race. I was more focused on hitting my goal time than winning the race but no question I was happy to be out in front and seeing someone no more than 10 mins behind was a good incentive. I enjoyed the out and back course as it meant seeing so many people along the way. For the most part everyone seemed to be enjoying themselves - definitely more smiling faces than last year! I was glad to see Eric running strong, and Kami enjoying herself as always, running with Todd and Pierre when I met her. And Guy looking great on his first 50K. Good choice for your first!

My stomach had been doing pretty well most of the run but I was feeling a bit queasy soon after half way. I remembered the porta-loo at the next AS (a welcome luxury!) so held on for that. Things settled down and I continued to take either a gel or 2-3 clif blocks every 30 minutes or so. And electrolytes also though probably not enough given the layer of salt on my face at the finish. The next few miles I started to hurt and felt like I was slowing down a lot though in reality I was probably moving at about the same pace as the way out. I'd moved ahead of the guy I'd been running behind and was passed by another guy so mostly I was running by myself. I'd really enjoyed the several miles by myself on the way out but at this point I could have done with someone to follow or push me. My right knee was a little painful from time to time but nothing too severe. My foot was the main issue. The ball of my right foot has been numb since Terrapin - due to a trapped nerve along the inside of my ankle. The PT massaging and lasering it seemed to be working at first but this past week it seemed to get worse. It hasn't been bothering me too much during my runs but after a few hours out there it was bugging me. And I was also getting a blister along the side of my foot which is weird given that I was wearing my usual Asics Gel Trail Attacks - albeit a new pair which have been ungraded slightly. Still, I think it's more to do with the numbness issue rather than the shoes. At my last session the PT mentioned I may have a cyst given that it's not getting any better so I'll probably have to get it imaged next week. Anyway, no excuses. I am just not in as good a shape as I'd hoped to be at the end of April. With 7 8 weeks until Grandma's I have some work to do!

Back to the trail... I was so glad to see the final AS at mile 26.5. Karen was taking care of things and Nic's parents were also there. It wouldn't be long until they'd see him coming through. Checked the watch and started to count down the miles. I left there right at 11:45am so I'd have to say it might be a bit longer than 4.5 miles... Wynn does mention "Horton miles" in the race info and I know all about them. I knew it was about 2 miles from the section where you are right below the visitor center so I figured I'd just not think about the finish line until then. 20 minutes later Nic blew by me - he was running so strong. No chance of me staying with him. In fact, the thought didn't enter my head. I did wonder though if it had been a girl would I have tried to pick it up? I am not sure I'd have been able to. Despite all the blog commentry the past few weeks I was delighted to see how well he was running. Negative splits always feel good!

I was really counting down the minutes at this stage. Trying not to look at the watch too often but hearing shouts in the distance so I knew that the trail would pass by the visitor center before long. I had to walk a few of the hills along here. Earlier in the day I'd had grand ideas of not walking any hill... that lasted oh until about mile 8! The course might not have the same climbs as Afton but the constant rolling hills were taking their toll on me. Tried to pick it up in that final mile of singletrack before hitting the grassy section and seeing the finish area. I could make out a few guys spread out ahead of me. Just getting through it now. Knowing that delightful hill was ahead of me. As I was nearing the bottom of the climb I could see Nic heading towards the finish line. I ended up more than a minute behind him so that's how slow I was moving up that hill! A few people - including Eric and Kami - actually ran that hill. Not me. Even with Nancy taking photographs at the top!

Oh it was so nice to turn right at the top of the hill and run down the finishing chute. 4:41:20. Close enough to my goal. I would have been happier to feel stronger in the final few miles but I can't complain. Nothing good comes easy. Another beautiful finishers print from Wynn - and the fine piece of artwork that comes with being the first female across the line. As he explained later it was basically put together with 'bits of crap I picked up while out running trails'. How appropriate!

Thanks for the photo Matt!

A few bowls of chilli, my recovery drink, another recovery drink (although, the photographic evidence below would suggest I stuck with the former thus losing the second battle of the day!), and several bottles of water later I was feeling somewhat human again. It was great hanging out with everyone for a few hours while we watched all the runners finish. Sharing stories from today and other recent outings on the trails. A huge thanks to Wynn for an awesome race, and to co-RDs Adam and Matt. Congrats to all who participated in what is quickly becoming a must-do on everyone's race calendar.

(staged) Photo courtesy of Nic

A final piece of advice: when taking an ice bath (which I highly recommend after a hard run) I'd suggest reading material other than "Swimming to Antartica" - it's a wonderful book about an amazing lady - but it reads much better if you're wrapped up in a warm blanket as opposed to sitting in 20lbs of ice!

Thanks to Karen S who sent along the link to her local paper which featured the race - clearly Andy didn't have enough dirt to get photographed :)

Boston Marathon 2009

I caught the last half hour of the marathon online today. Even though it seemed inevitable for the last several miles of the race it was still heartbreaking to watch Kara Goucher being passed in the final stretch. I think she got it wrong tactically, pulling the lead pack for many miles taking the head-wind while they tucked in behind her. Despite her 10,000m speed she didn't have the kick in the end. But it was only her second marathon so I've no doubt her best races are yet to come. In her own words:

“I felt great, I knew I was going to finish strongly. The pain did not set in until I finished and my heart was totally broken. I just didn’t have it at the end.”

The men's finish was less dramatic but Ryan Hall deserves great credit for the way he refused to give up and fought his way to the 3rd place spot.

I was equally impressed by Colleen S. De Reuck - a 45yr old with a 21mth old daugher - she proved her mettle once again to finish in 8th place.

Joe Plant Memorial 5K

This morning Pam and I ran the 2nd Annual Joe Plant Memorial 5K. Joe was a regular runner at Lake Phalen who died suddenly shortly after achieving his dream of becoming a St. Paul police officer.

Last year the run was held in March so it was a little warmer this morning but unfortunately not quite the ideal running conditions of recent days. We decided to get there a little early to do a warm-up lap. I'm not sure it helped much but at least it was good to know that it got warmer on the far side of the lake and that we had to deal with a head-wind for the last mile. Not to mention a few speed bumps along the way.

We met up with Karen and Tanya just before we took off. They'd considered the 1M walk but opted for the spectator spot instead! It was a pretty small crowd and since the starter asked anyone hoping to run sub-20 to come to the front... there we were toes to the line and ready for off. Joe's friend and running partner Joel had said a few words about Joe earlier, introducing us to his family and to a kid who's benefiting from the Charities Challenge fund. And at 9am he sent us on our way.

I started out way fast and within about 300 yards felt a rush through every vein of my body quite unlike anything I've ever felt before! OK. Either I'm going to crash and burn or just push through this. Pam sped on ahead of me - I knew I wouldn't be able stay with her but would try to keep her in my sights. Two guys were up in front and another two between us. And things stayed this way to the finish. Mile 1 in 6:16, mile 2 in 6:37 and the rest in 6:14 - which makes me pretty sure the course was short but it was the same as last year so to finish in 19:07 versus 20:12 makes me pretty happy. Pam smoked it in 18:22. She'll be in great shape for her duathlon in a month's time.

After the race we feasted at my fav breakfast spot - the Egg & I - there is no pancake as good as their Kamikaze!! Shared one with Pam so I could legitimately enjoy the veggie omelet...

Good times.

Check it out

If you don't already follow Kurt's blog - check it out to see an awesome video of Ryan Hall training. It's a beautiful piece.

The week so far...

The ice bath on Saturday evening worked wonders so I was feeling pretty good Sunday morning. The calf pain was gone and while I still had numbness along the ball of my foot, overall things felt surprisingly good. One thing the (new) PT pointed out on my first visit a month ago was how much weaker my left hamstring/glute is compared to my right. No question, I always push off with my right leg when running, step forward first with the right leg in yoga, bike stronger with the right leg... and so on. However, this was never made so clear to me as after Saturday's run. While my right leg was sore and tired, the left one felt like it had done diddly-squat. So as well as the PT exercises, every time I run/bike/swim/practice yoga I am trying to focus as much as possible on using my left leg.

And you think running is just a matter of putting one foot in front of the other.

Anyway, the week so far...

Sunday: Swam in the morning - trying to focus as much as possible on my left leg with lots of kickboard. I'd planned to take it easy for the rest of the day but the weather was so beautiful I had to be outside... with my running shoes on... running... I ended up at Lake Nokomis running harder and faster than planned. 9M in about 1:08 with a final lap at 6:48 avg pace.

Monday: Yoga in the morning (new mantra: left leg, left leg, left leg) and swim after work (endless laps of kickboard powered by left leg).

I also had PT and a massage Monday night (it was a late one) with some insightful thoughts from the professionals...

Upon hearing of my new ailment* the PT asked "Am I ever going to get rid of you?" An hour later, while working on my still-new-to-rock-climbing triceps Sue commented "Well, you always give me plenty to work on"

* My internet-assisted self-diagnosis on the numb foot was confirmed by the PT as Tarsal Tunnel Syndrome - caused by repeatedly tying my shoelaces too tight at Terrapin as they kept loosening getting wet with the multiple creek crossings, and catching a nerve along the inside of my ankle. Should work itself out with some ART and ice-massage. I think REST might also have been mentioned but I am not sure...

Tuesday: Ran 12M in the late afternoon sunshine... LOVE this weather... was not quite sure how I was feeling so I started out with an 8:20 warm-up and soon found my groove... 7:20, 7:10, 7:00 etc - ended up with a few sub-7:00's plus some recovery miles to average 7:18 overall. Happy with that for a tempo run. I am not really following the "Run Less. Run Faster" program but according to the plan I seem to be close enough to my Grandma's goal. Though I will probably not get in my long runs at the correct pace for the next few weeks due to other race plans... oh well, as much as I'd like to PR for the marathon it's becoming less of a priority than just enjoying spring running and ramping up for the second half of the year of trail fun. Later, I headed over to VE for an hour on the walls - almost got a bouldering route I've been trying for a while but was a bit nervous going so high without anyone spotting me (Val couldn't make it last night so I was by myself). Did a few auto-belays downstairs - no joy on the 5.8 routes - well, I shouldn't say no joy as I am loving every moment of just trying them - but got a few 5.7's. Equally awesome was watching a 10-year old kid lead climbing one of the toughest routes in the entire place. He is something else.

Wednesday: Yoga in the morning and this evening my first visit to Hyland ski hill since last August! And I haven't exactly missed it... 10 trips up and down with Guy, Eric, Igor x 2, and Jim... followed by a few miles cooldown. Despite the pain I think it'll have to become a regular trip.

The rest of the week involves a few easier workouts, with the 5K race on Sunday morning - which will be anything but easy. My goal is sub-20, i.e. a PR... last year was 20:12 - following a 20 miler on the Saturday. So this year should be easier, right? In any case, breakfast with the girls at the Egg & I afterwards will be most enjoyable regardless of the finish time!

And then a nice taper in the lead up to Chippewa.

I am not sure if a week qualifies as a taper for a 50K.

Pacing the Pacer

That's pretty much what Valeria (the runner) was doing for me (the pacer) during the last 15 miles of her 100K!

The inaugural Zumbro 100 was a major success. Thanks to Larry, Colleen, their family, the volunteers, spectators and of course, the runners, it went down as a weekend to remember. Even the weather cooperated - quite the change from this same weekend at Chippewa last year!

Val picked me up Friday afternoon and we set off for Thielman. I'd been down there twice last year - for the early April fat-ass to run on the snow packed trails and then in June to run on the muddy trails. So I was really looking forward to seeing what the trails would be like given the recent dry weather.

And we were not to be disappointed. We arrived around 6pm, got the tent set-up and caught up with other 100K runners, 100M pacers, crew etc - hearing good reports on trail conditions and on the race in general. The 100 milers had started out at 8am that morning and for the most part things were going well.

Val slept (sort of) for a few hours while I hung out at the bonfire. Several others showed up as the midnight start drew closer - Maria, Matt, Kim and others I had not met before but some I knew from the blogosphere. The temperatures were dropping but the moon was rising which made for a picture perfect start. As Larry was giving the pre-race briefing, 100M runners were coming from either side - the 5+ mile loop in one direction and the remaining ~15 mile loop in the other. The 100K runners started out with a mile out and back to get that out of way before 3 full loops.

I hit the sack a few minutes after seeing them pass back through the start/finish area, setting the alarm for 4:45am. I was planning to run with Val from mile 22. It turned out she got done with the first loop just as I was beginning to stir so she continued to the short loop and I caught her on the way back through the start/finish area (mile ~28) just after 6am. She was in good spirits and we chatted easily for the next several miles. I could tell she was tired from lack of sleep and her knee had started to bother her, but she was making great progress.

We passed Scott between the 2nd AS on his last loop - he was moving pretty slow so Val suggested I offer to pace him which I did but he said he was doing ok and wanted some time alone. Knowing what a strong runner he is having enjoyed his company for several miles at Sawtooth I continued on with Val.

The 6 mile section between the AS on the loop started to take it's toll on both of us - Val with good reason - but me - I couldn't figure out what was going on with my leg. I've been experiencing some numbness in the sole of my right foot since Terrapin but hadn't really thought about it much as it only bothered me slightly when running. However, it was definitely spreading and my foot soon felt heavy and dead, and then my calf started to ache. Once we passed back though the start/finish area and to the relatively flat 5 mile loop I had to stop several times to stretch it. Running fast to catch back up with Val actually felt good. But that's not exactly how you pace someone! I also managed to lose my runner during one of these catch-ups - Val had taken a wrong turn and I went by as she was making her way back to the trail - so I ended up back at the start/finish area without her - to much laughter from those gathered there! A few minutes later we made it back together and got ready for the last 15 mile push.

I was a bit worried about how Val was doing - while her knees were bothering her less, her turnover had slowed a good bit on the flat section so I was thinking the hills would be tough. Not so! We took off from the start/finish and literally within yards she was running stronger than at any point while we'd been together. John also caught up with us along here as he started out on a recovery run from hill repeats the previous day. John's normal recovery pace is probably well above what we were doing but he decided to stick with us anyway. I had to stop several times along here to stretch my leg so I was glad he was there to run with Val as she was keeping a seriously good pace for the last miles of a 100K. Not only was she running the flats and downhills with no problems - she hardly walked any of the uphills in the final 10 miles! Seriously impressive.

We rolled into the final AS and Val zipped right through it and up the hill for the final push. She didn't let up the pace at all through this section and reached the finish line in a strong 14:43 for her first 100K trail finish.

Congrats to all who participated in the event. It was one tough course - and get this - next year Larry plans to make it even tougher - no 'sissy' flat section for the first 5 miles!

Key Rules of Pacing

Do offer massage at every AS...*



Don't arrive at the AS sans runner...**

* Jen Pierce Photo
** Londell Pease Photo