Weekend Bling Report
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Resort to Rock 32K, 11th overall, 1st in age group. The first 17 miles went pretty well, then came a pretty rough climb, calves and feet were getting all cramped up. Managed to get through that and the rest was downhill to the finish line. Overall I fell pretty good. 50K coming up in a month.
Congratulations! Good to hear you made it through the rough patch relatively unscathed.1 -
Last Sunday was the East Farm Frolic, a new event in the calendar this year from White Star Running. A 12 hour event on trails in Dorset, around dairy farming land and a bit of forestry. The farmer hosts the Dorset Invader Marathon and Half Marathon event, and having done the Invader Half last year I knew what it was like.
I booked my place about 6 months ago, although don't think I appreciated that it was only 8 weeks after the Giants Head Marathon, so it was always going to be a bit of a challenge. Notwithstanding that I set myself the goal of 50K minimum.
So an early start, with the car boot full of kit and food, and my partner to provide some support. A 90 minute drive to get down in time to register for an 0800 start.
The route started with a shallow climb, before a flat stretch, then into a fairly steep hill. So 750 metres in and walking for almost everyone. Then about another km of shallow climb before a sharp, steep, descent a long climb and then another sharp descent over a very rocky path. Another climb up to the aid station, that was about 4km out, followed. As ever with White Star well provisioned with flapjack, shortbread, fruit, jelly beans, flat coke, cider and beer. A cider each time round was bound to help dull the pain. That was followed by about 2.5km of descent down to the timing mats, and changeover point for the relay runners. A second aid station set up with Tailwind was at the bottom.
There were about 80 solo runners and a total of about 400 relay runners in teams of two, three or four. So out onto the second session meant a few fresh pairs of legs being introduced to the course. That was both disheartening and quite motivating. Someone romping past was bound to frustrate, and it was an effort not to get caught up in it. Equally the teams all had to carry a baton, a rubber squeaky chicken. Most of the relay runners ended up squeaking their way round and were all very supportive as they passed the soloists.
Four times round gave just over a half marathon, and seven gave just over a full marathon, with many soloists pulling out at that stage. Once I'd started running I talked myself into aiming for one and a half marathons, because that's a good idea eight weeks after your first marathon. I'd also planned to stop each circuit for a few minutes, which helped to maintain my endurance.
It was wet all day, and fairly warm for much of the time. I was fairly surprised that I managed to fairly comfortably finish the seven laps for a marathon without the emotional barrier I'd hit at the Giants Head, and the fueling crash I'd experienced then as well. I'm not sure what to put that down to, but I'm thinking a few cups of Tailwind probably contributed, as well as the cider and cake
Eight times was getting hard and I was slowing a bit, and by this time the field had noticeably thinned as both soloists and some smaller teams were winding up. As a result it was more challenging, although everyone still out was extremely supportive.
By the end of the ninth I was suffering a bit, sore feet, moderate shin pain front the stony descent and hitting the final reserves of energy. I'd twisted my ankle about three weeks before and was starting to feel that, so chatting to someone on her first marathon distance, motivated me to wok through that. Having avoided the wall at Mile 20, it hit me badly at mile 32 and I walked to the car at the end of circuit 9 close to tears, leading my partner to stick a coffee in my hand and tell me to sit down. A banana, and a second coffee, led to a bit of a recovery, and a realisation that I'd burst through my initial goal of 50km and I was close to my aspirational goal. So once more round.
I shuffled off, feeling the pain in my feet. I'd worn my Inov-8 Race Ultras but had Saucony X0dus and my Ino-8 Road Claws with me as alternatives. The Race Ultras have limited forefoot cushioning and the balls of my feet were feeling everything by this time, so it was a struggle. But I managed to finish the tenth circuit and come in after 9:23 with a distance of 62km. One km short of my one and a half marathons, but I really didn't think I had another 6km in my legs to do an eleventh.
A really good event, challenging and a test of my capacity. I wasn't the only one that pushed through. One runner came to do her first half marathon, and kept going for seven loops. Another, whose longest distance had been marathon kept going for 62 miles. The success of the weekend means that WSR are adding a couple of other 12 hour events to their programme, and I'm looking forward to the Woodland Frolic, although I've now got another marathon in 5 weeks and a half in December.
Also, epic bling. The pendant was different for solo, pairs, trios or fours.
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Harrisburg Half official time 1:50:06. I finished 125th out of 871 (14th in my age group). The humidity wasn't quite as bad as I thought it would be but still not quite Fall like. Even though this was a 'training run' and I did 20 miles 6 days earlier, I still gave it pretty much all I had.0
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Ran a one mile race on Thursday evening. It was just for fun with my son's middle school cross country team making up a bulk of the entrants. I was first female at 5:48. I was ok with my time since I am NOT in one mile racing shape, but I still got beaten by 3-4 8th grade boys. One of our boys ran a 5:14 mile. At age 13. Wow, I was impressed!
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I ran a 6k cross country race today in 21:30. Pretty happy with the race as it's my 4th course PR of the year!2
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5K 28:18 (PB) second in age/gender group.3
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No bling for me this weekend. On a brutally humid day, a mile from the finish line of the Rochester Marathon, both calves cramped up bad. I was able to control my descent to the sidewalk, so at least I didn't hit my head. Stopped the Garmin at 3:40:08, after help arrived and I admitted I'd have to take a DNF.
The guy who won the M 60-64 age group ran a 4 hour marathon. If I'd just been able to walk another mile, I would have won the age group for both the race and the Four Seasons Challenge.
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Finished the Air Force Marathon in 4:29:01 on Saturday. Nowhere near a PR (didn't really expect one considering the warm humid weather), but I did get a cool finisher's medal.
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No bling for me this weekend. On a brutally humid day, a mile from the finish line of the Rochester Marathon, both calves cramped up bad. I was able to control my descent to the sidewalk, so at least I didn't hit my head. Stopped the Garmin at 3:40:08, after help arrived and I admitted I'd have to take a DNF.
The guy who won the M 60-64 age group ran a 4 hour marathon. If I'd just been able to walk another mile, I would have won the age group for both the race and the Four Seasons Challenge.
That's a bummer! When will it finally cool off for us?0 -
I met (beat!) my 10K goal on Saturday, setting a PR. 1:02. Came in 5th in my division.7
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Saturday I ran a local 5K and smashed my previous PR, set just 3 months ago, by 2 min, 15 sec, coming in this time at 23:45. I haven't even put many miles on this summer but I did get a good nights sleep the night before. I had lost interest in 5K's but this may have sparked it again.5
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Race Report -
10km Roots and Ruts Trail Race.
On some Deliciously Insane - Muddy - Swampy - Narrow Single Track.
Yea I had Fun - even though I did not have a spectacular run.
This is some of the Sweetest-Gnarliest trails I have Ever ran on. That's saying a lot since I did a Run this summer on the Emperors Challenge HM the week before the official race. Emperors Challege pdf map.
Knowing that it turns into nasty ( Twisty Fun Muddy ) single track and that I Finished 23/109 last year I lined about where 4-5 rows of runners would fit in front of me at the start - about 30-40 runners. Except for the local - elite's everyone went behind me. This was probably why I did not have as good a run as expected as I went out a little faster than planned. But when I looked at the data I see a lot of 5:30/km avg runners doing 6-6:10/km so the Wicked Terrain slowed down almost everyone except for the Elites. One of the ladies I know who won the HM 2 weeks ago came in 13th at this event. Of course she did lose her shoes in a "Wet Spot" stopped, dug them out, scrapped the mud out, scrapped off her socks, put them back on and zoom zoom for a 13th finish OA, 3rd lady and AG 2nd.
0-1 Km started on a Twisty Paved Trail that then crossed a 200m bridge, made a hard 130 degree turn and started down hill - it was still about 6ft wide. After 1 km of twists and turns it narrowed down to single track and started crossing fallen trees, creeks, brooks, springs, and mini Bogs dropping to the bottom of the valley. Then it turned and what goes down must go up. More roots, ruts, swampy bits. In some places I had to twist my torso side ways passing between trees or I would have left clothes and skin behind. This is where more of the elites who had started deep in the field starting coming up on me. I would see a wide spot coming and yell GO over my shoulder at them. I did get very wet feet from the bog sections. With all the Twists, turns, little hills, sways, bogs etc I didn't really feel like I had a rhythm until about km 6. By this time no one was catching up to me anymore and I could not see anyone in front of me. Powered it through to the finish. 64/137 so in the top 50%
JOHNSON B -1092 - 01:12:39.49 - 10K50-59M - 64/137 - ( Men 29/38 ) - Pace - 07:16/km
My normal Avg pace is sub 6:00/km so a big drop to 7:16/km.
A decent Finisher metal as they had an image of a runner on it.3 -
9/25 Franklin Lakes NJ Half Marathon Finishers Medal. 2:17:10 from a goal of 2:30 Personal Best as it was my first Half Marathon.3
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Awesome job @pondee629 on your first half - great time.
@juliet3455 - you are a crazy person! Sounds like you had a great time on a seriously insane course.
Great job on your PRs @JeepHair77 and @7lenny70 -
I ran a 5K yesterday, just a local race for a very good cause--Sophie's Angel Run. This was the 10th year of this race but my first time doing it--I have always had other races this weekend. Also, it starts at 1 pm which isn't my ideal race time. I finished first female and 6th runner overall (out of 1300 or so). My time was 19:31 which isn't brag worthy, but I do need to point out that I ran a little further. I missed a turn half way into the race (hello, course people where are you?). There was the lead pack of 3 men in front of me. I was following them. As I went around a corner I heard yelling and looked back to where I should have turned. I actually stopped for a few seconds. Then I backtracked to where we should have turned. By this time, there was another woman in front of me. I hung to her like glue and then passed her with 1/3 mile to go.
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2:01:09 Looks like I might be able to run a sub 2 next summer if I can avoid taking walk breaks!
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@Wendy98 Great Result. I understand your " (hello, course people where are you?) " comment. We have one local race which is held at the local Nordic Ski center ( Cross Country skiing ) and everyone now un-officially calls it Don't Get Lost in The Woods as every year it seems like a number of people miss a turn because of poor/missing flagging/paint arrows or course marshals and end up getting "Lost in the Woods. Three years ago close to 30% of the participants did not officially finish as they had all missed one corner and went for a Long Detour into an adjoining Catholic Summer camp property. 1 person misses the corner, 2-3 others follow and a few more follow and pretty soon you have a party.
This year at the junction point where the Outbound Trail meets the In-bound Trail the Flagging got damaged by runners and it caused in-bound runners who should have been turning Right ( with 1 km left to the finish ) to go straight through the cross over corner and start heading outbound from the Start - Finish line. Most quickly realized that they had already been through the area so turned around and headed back. Un-fortunately because of Terrain and Pedestrian Bridges it is the only way to have a common start/finish line. Considering that they had to re-route 4 parts of the course due to Flooding this year its hard to be too critical and easy to understand how this flagging was a little lite.
@MNLittleFinn Dang that is some Decent Bling. I especially like the 13.1 Window/Bumper sticker.
Nothing wrong with that time.
Once thing I have come to realize is that I ( any runner/athlete) can have what feels like a horrible event and be shocked at the end with a fantastic time/result ( 5:29/km PB ). On the other side of the coin we can have what feels like an amazing event and be unpleasantly surprised by what seems like a very poor result (7:13/km).
Ultimately the question is Did you have fun Pre Event, Post Event and during the event?
If the answer is yes to 2/3
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Ran my first 50k today. I was hoping for a sub 12 min pace but came in just a little over 12:13. Happy with my results, and just the fact that I finished without any major issues. Already signed up for another in January ☺.6
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