March 2019 Monthly Running Challenge
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I went out for 5k this morning. Left leg was aching a bit before I went out but eased around 3k. I did the squat rockers @rheddmobile suggested and no pain since getting back - though only been an hr. I'm worried it's my shoes - the ache got worse when I out my shoes on this morning but then I've been bare feet all weekend hanging out St home. but then it's not my usual pain. It "feels" like it's in the ankle but when I massage it's definitely along the tibia with no pain on the tendon in the ankle and foot, suggesting referred pain. So I think I've just ramped up too fast, I had that 23k run/walk without training 2 weeks ago and then I've kicked into running 5 days regularly and minimum of 5k, where the few weeks prior I was doing 3-4 km with the occasional 5k.
Am I over thinking this? I really don't want it to be shoes because that means I have no choice but to make a 2hr drive to town. And these are brand new. I honestly think its overdoing it and I'll just run gentle 5ks for the next few weeks and stretch/massage to help it settle...7 -
I was supposed to do 8 miles yesterday, but I prioritized sleep > running yesterday morning and then social time with coworkers after work yesterday evening. Which I justified because to close out Feb/start March I ran 8 days in a row, covering 75 miles, so a rest day seemed 100% acceptable.
This morning I procrastinated starting my run until I absolutely had to or else find myself stuck in wintry mix/rain. I had 16 on the schedule but tacked on an extra mile because I can't do math (I thought I needed 16.6 miles to get to 50 for the week... I needed 14.6, whoops). I did the long run as a workout: 3 miles easy, 7 miles at marathon pace (~7:55/mile, or a similar effort) and then 3 miles at HM pace/effort, then 4 miles easy. I figured that doing 3 miles at HMP after 10 miles, it would be around the same time in the race that I'd get to those final miles, so I'd be about as fatigued as I will be at the end of a race, and that would give me a good idea of my closing speed at my goal HM in a few weeks. Those miles all came to about 7:27-7:30 pace. This is a bit slower than what I'm targeting for the race overall, but this gives me a realistic expectation for the last 5k on race day.
I also did this workout totally fasted. Before the run, I had a cup of black coffee (to stave off caffeine headache), and during the run I stopped at a water fountain at miles 2.5 and 13.5. Other than that: no food, no gels, no carried water. I did this sort of on purpose but also on accident: I left my stash of Clif bars at work (oops) so I didn't have any breakfast food, and I took a gel with me but there wasn't a convenient water fountain at which to take it, so I just hung on to it. Despite the fastedness, I felt really good for the whole run except a couple of steep uphills in the last cool down bit. Now that I know what gels I want to use for my spring races, I am trying to do more long runs without gels so that on race day I'm not totally reliant on them but they just give me a boost.
Overall: Good long run, good workout, good timing as I just missed the wintry mix/rainy mess. Now to stuff my face with some recovery pizza
March miles:
3/1: 10 miles
3/2: Rest day
3/3: 17 miles
March total: 27 miles
2019 Races
March 16: Four Courts Four Miler (Goal: Fun!)
March 24: Caesar Rodney Half Marathon (Goal: PR)
April 7: Cherry Blossom 10 Miler (Goal: Sub-75)
April 28: New Jersey Marathon (Goal: BQ)
July 6: Finger Lake Fifties 50k (Goal: Finish)
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I did a short run yesterday morning, but I was stuffy and had a sore throat, so i didn’t push hard so that I would hopefully feel well enough today for a longer run. I got in 7.2 this morning before the walk of nasty storms come through.
We’re going to visit my in-laws later this week in Florida, so I am trying to scope out some decent places to run near their condo.
3/2: 2.7
3/3: 7.2
Total: 9.911 -
I must be getting old. Was at a meeting today stood up at the end to leave and I think I pulled a groin muscle?!?! Whatever I did walking is really painful now, so thinking getting 10 miles in today is probably not going to happen.10
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I went out for 5k this morning. Left leg was aching a bit before I went out but eased around 3k. I did the squat rockers @rheddmobile suggested and no pain since getting back - though only been an hr. I'm worried it's my shoes - the ache got worse when I out my shoes on this morning but then I've been bare feet all weekend hanging out St home. but then it's not my usual pain. It "feels" like it's in the ankle but when I massage it's definitely along the tibia with no pain on the tendon in the ankle and foot, suggesting referred pain. So I think I've just ramped up too fast, I had that 23k run/walk without training 2 weeks ago and then I've kicked into running 5 days regularly and minimum of 5k, where the few weeks prior I was doing 3-4 km with the occasional 5k.
Am I over thinking this? I really don't want it to be shoes because that means I have no choice but to make a 2hr drive to town. And these are brand new. I honestly think its overdoing it and I'll just run gentle 5ks for the next few weeks and stretch/massage to help it settle...
The only way to know for sure would be to run in different, known good, shoes. If the problem goes away/improves then it was the shoes. If not, then it might be something else.1 -
I'm torn. I can run now carrying all the aid with me, avoiding large patches of ice, unplowed areas
Or i can wait till 130pm. Put my stuff on the bleachers and run on a track where it's 45 degrees. And all i have to do is watch out for people who don't follow the rules
I am sure you have decided by now... but I would go for where I am not running in circles nonstop over running in circles.5 -
March Running Totals (miles)
3/1 – rest day
3/2 – 20.05 paced run + solo miles
3/3 – 8.28 easy
March running total to date – 28.33
Nominal March mileage goal: 200 miles
Real Goals: Train well toward Boston. Cut back before St. Patrick’s Day weekend, run the 8K hard, use the half as a training race. Remain uninjured, even if it means cutting back on planned mileage.
Today's notes – Today's theme is listening to my body. This actually starts yesterday.
After my long runs, my hands have been cold. Saw the posted picture of Raynaud's fingers, and I looked at mine yesterday. While nowhere near as dramatic as the earlier posted pictures, there were white spots near the tips of several fingers. Made an effort to warm them up, and thought about things some. Put that into the hopper for considerations on today's run.
The porch thermometer said 31° F when I set out to run; Garmin says it was 36°F. It was quite pleasant, with clear roads everywhere I went and modest westerly wind. Bearing in mind my hands issues, I wore light gloves but put hand warmers in them. No problem on the run, no discoloration of the fingers, but they did feel cold afterward. More on that later.
The run itself . . . I'm not seeing the fake HR spike using the new HR strap with the vintage 2014 HR monitor. So I got to the top of the first rise, about a half mile in, and I see a HR of 126 (because it was warm enough to roll back the jacket sleeve and show the Vivofit with real-time HR.) Okay, that's good. Get to 1.7 miles, and it still hasn't gone above 130. Okay, let's see how well I can hold it below 130. Did pretty well. I don't think my HR went over 130 until a little uphill around mile 4. Then it went up into the high 130s on the first real hill, and into the low 140s on the second and last real hill. This was not a particular challenging course, geographically.
. . . and I see paces like my HR ought to be in the high 130s or low 140s on level ground. Hmm. Really nice running weather helps with this, but still needs some thought.
Got home at 8.28 miles. Post-run analysis say average HR 125, max HR 143. I don't know how much time was below 130, but Garmin currently says top of Zone 1 is 131 and I spent 55:26 in Z1, 5:53 in Z2, out of a total run of 1:02:34 (leaving 1:15 in Zone 0). Average pace was 7:33 per mile. Really? Either there's a glitch with measuring HR, or I'm a lot more fit than I was even a month ago. Considering how I thought I ought to be more tired than I was when I got to 1000 m from home, I'm guessing more fit. Now can I make it last to Boston? That's the big question.
The thinking I ought to be more tired spawns secondary thoughts: I get into marathon training, become accustomed to being beat up, and it feels abnormal to *not* beat on myself. I know where it leads if I just beat on myself like I want to, and I don't want to go there again. So I tell myself, cutting back worked well before Tallahassee. It's time to cut back before Virginia Beach, feel great, and have a good race. Then build a little, then taper to Boston. Got to get a feel for appropriate recovery, because recovery is what will make the race go well.
And back to the hands and possible Raynaud syndrome: Took a look at Wikipedia on Raynauds, just for general education. Clearly I don't have primary. Secondary requires a cause. Running in the cold (vibration, cold) is the obvious trigger. Potential contributing factors include lots of stuff that doesn't apply to me, hypothyroidism, and caffeine. Hmm. I have a routine physical after Boston, and the thyroid will be checked again. This is a known thing that needs to be managed. But caffeine? Not all that long ago, I moved from decaf tea to primarily decaf coffee to primarily French roast coffee. I'm drinking a pot of coffee a day, sometimes with an extra 18 oz. cup thrown in.
It might be time to go to decaf for a week or two and see if I notice a difference. Sigh. Once I got used to French roast, decaf just didn't taste as good. But I like being able to run more than I like the taste of just about anything I eat or drink so it's worth a try.
And I definitely need to talk to my doctor about the hands at the next physical. Meanwhile, manage the cold as best as I can, and don't be ashamed to use hand warmers when it's not really that cold out. Oh, and I turned the thermostat up from 68° F to 70°F about an hour ago. As I type this, my fingers are comfortably warm. I might have to adjust my idea about what is an acceptable temperature for winter heating of my house. I can always put on a sweatshirt, but gloves are downright inconvenient in the age of smart phones.
2019 Races:
January 1, 2019 Freezeroo #2 (Resolution Run 7.5 mile) (Mendon, NY) finished in 50:55
January 5, 2019 Winter Warrior Half Marathon (Gates, NY) finished in 1:30:48
January 12, 2019 Freezeroo #3 (Pineway Ponds 5 Mile) (Spencerport, NY) finished in 33:10
January 26, 2019 Freezeroo #4 (Hearnish 5 mile) (Victor, NY) 4.9 miles, finished in 32:28
February 2, 2019 USATF XC Championship, Masters 8K (Tallahassee, FL) finished in 32:53
February 9, 2019 Freezeroo #5 (Tom Brannon 8 mile) (Greece, NY) finished in 55:55
February 23, 2019 Freezeroo #6 (White House Challenge 4.4 mile) (Webster, NY) finished in 28:34
March 16, 2019 USATF Masters 8K Championship (Shamrock 8K) (Virginia Beach, VA)
March 17, 2019 Shamrock Half Marathon (Virginia Beach, VA)
April 13, 2019 BAA 5K (Boston, MA)
April 15, 2019 Boston Marathon (Hopkinton, MA to Boston, MA)
April 28, 2019 USATF Masters 10K (James Joyce Ramble) (Dedham, MA)
May 19, 2019 Lilac Run 5K (Rochester, NY)
May 19, 2019 Lilac Run 10K (Rochester, NY)
May 25, 2019 Sunset House 5K (Rochester, NY)
November 3, 2019 TCS New York City Marathon (New York, NY)9 -
Finally, my race report from last weekends race. Sorry for the delay but I blame the blizzard and work. This will be photo heavy because they had a couple of great pro photographers there. I think I need to learn how to be more concise.
Pyscho Wyco Run Toto Run
20M trail race (2 x 10 mile loops)
Kansas City, Kansas
The weather loomed dark over this race, both during and after. The area had 6+ inches of snow the weekend prior to the race and temps were forecast to be in the mid 40's F during the race. There were also forecasts of heavy rain and thunderstorms during the race. The threat was there for a mud fest even more historic than last year. The forecast which concerned me, however, was the one for Saturday night into Sunday morning. There was blizzard warnings out from Ames, Iowa to Owatonna, MN, about 150 miles of my route home, from late Saturday through 6 pm on Sunday. I wasn't sure how this would affect my trip home, but I was hoping it would just mean I'd get home later Sunday than planned. More on that later.
Kody & I headed out Friday morning for the 6+ hour drive to Kansas City, KS. It was a very easy, uneventful drive down. Packet pickup was at a motel near the race site. Last year we got a really nice, thick hoodie and I was looking forward to getting another one. I was disappointed to find that the one we got this year was a thin one, like cotton t-shirt material. I was also disappointed we didn't get as much swag as last year, such as a beer mug with the race logo and a buff with the log of the Trail Nerds, the trail running club associated with the race. In retrospect, I'm ok with all of this. I don't use the mug I got last year so another one doesn't do anything for me. I have 6 or 7 buffs already, so I don't need another one. As far as the hoodie, I decided it's nice to have one of a different weight, so I'm back to liking it. And finally, the RD was generous enough to transfer my registration for the December race, which I had to skip due to surgery, to this race so I have no reason to complain.
After that I checked into my Airbnb about 20 minutes away, then called up my daughter who lives in KCMO and told her I was on my way. We had a fabulous night. We went out to eat at an tapas restaurant, stuffed ourselves with food and drank sangria while Kody hung out at her apartment with her roommate. I made it an early night and was back to my place by 10:30. After a long day driving and good food and drink I had no trouble falling asleep.
The alarm went off at 5:30 and I made coffee, ate a couple of protein bars, upset that I forgot to buy my usual bag of Thomas mini-bagels. I lubed up my toes and nether regions, got dressed, got my hydration vest, running belt and drop box ready to go, one last stop in the bathroom and I was off. Kody was bouncing off the walls, knowing we were going running.
it had rained the night before and was sprinkling when I headed to the race but by race time it stopped. The forecast must have kept a lot of folks away because the field for the 50K and 20M was only 60% the size of last years race. I was surprised at how much snow was still on the ground.
I got to the church parking lot to get on the shuttle bus to take me to the start. It was then I realized that I still had to register Kody for the race and thankfully I keep spare cash in my running belt. Canine "pacers" were $10 with registration day of race only, which I thought about when setting my alarm but it only took an extra 5 minutes. I paid the man, got Kody's bib and went to put my drop bag (a box, actually) in the designated area.
I was mucking about with my gear when I heard the horn for the start of the race. OOPS! Not a big deal, I was treating this as a long training run, both for my sake and for Kody's sake, since his long runs before this was 20 miles, so the extra 10 to 20 seconds added to my time didn't matter.
Kody saw the big crowd start running away and he wanted in. He normally doesn't pull on his leash when we run but he was so excited about all the commotion that he was pulling for the first couple of miles before taking his usual spot right behind me. There were several other dogs in the race and, like Kody, they all seem thrilled to be out there.
I knew from last year that we were going to get our feet wet right away. We started at a park pavilion, traveled across open field, then over a small bridge, then a bigger, lower open field with standing water..well icy slush in this case. The crowd split mostly in two while trying to skirt the slushy mess but knowing me feet were going to be cold and wet regardless I splashed right up the middle. Holy *kitten* that was cold!!
Then we crossed a road and made a sharp turn on the bridle trail which made up most of the course. With Kody leading the way, we made it up the rocky trail in the conga line. We has to stop twice for poop breaks and by now if I wasn't at the back of the pack, it was very close to it. We just did our thing and our pace and enjoyed the run.
With Kody done with his typical early run stops, we were finally able to get into a rhythm. We were quickly into icy, slushy, muddy trail and my feet were soaked. We hit the first water crossing around the 2 mile mark. I could probably jump across it but with the ice and slush I didn't want to risk falling on my *kitten* on the other side, so I stepped across it. Around the corner was another stream to cross and another cold, icy foot bath.
By three miles my toes were starting to go numb. Thankfully the rain had quit and and the thunderstorm never materialized. We ran with other back of the packers, including one woman with a dog named Malcolm who was running the 50K. She let her dog off its leash soon after the start and he kept running off on his own, often running up from behind us an dive bombing Kody. He just wanted to play but every time this happened it distracted Kody and I'd have to stop and get Kody moving again.
At 3.5 miles we hit a spot called the Wyanndotte Triangle, a mile section of single track switchbacks that had your head spinning but was a blast to run. If you weren't careful you'd slide right off course on the switchbacks, which I did a few times. After that was the first aid station.
Kody was a hit at the aid stations. I'd have him sit off to the side and drop the leash while I gave him water, grabbed food and drink for myself, then give him a small banana piece. The aid station volunteers were more than happy to help me water Kody and hold his leash while they gave him plenty of attention.
At 4.5 miles we hit the section called Fall Down Hill. This was bridle trail on a steep decline with sharp switchbacks and slick as snot. I kept sliding off the trail and had to struggle to get back on it. After this you hit the bottom of the dam and run flat open field for a couple hundred yards before turning and running UP the steep slope, appropriately named Dam Hill. After that there was an steep uphill climb on the road to the second aid station which was the halfway point in the loop. I stopped and enjoyed a couple shots of Fireball, chatted with the volunteers and continued on up the road. We finally turned off the pavement after a half mile on to a flat, easy running section called Speed Demon Ridge. It was nice to open up the throttle and go for a while, but it quickly ended at Broken Leg Turn (yes, someone broke their leg here in the past) and then Misery Ridge, where we had steep drops and climbs. Some climbs were so steep that they had knotted ropes on the course so you can pull yourself up. Kody, with his 4 wheel drive did not need the rope.
The next section was called Fester's Wander, which they say was designed by the RD's dog. Maybe they put a GPS on him and let him wander? It was another beautiful section with many steep climbs and drops. In spite of the slushy mud and constantly wet, cold feet I couldn't help but love being out in these beautiful woods. Somewhere in there we were going down a steep, very slick decline and I decided it was too hard to hold on to the leash and keep myself upright so I let go of the leash and soon took it off and let him run the remaining distance off leash. He never left my side, other than to mark a tree or bush, for the rest of the race.
The last aid station had the usual ultra aid station fare, hot soup, and...a bar! Bottles of bourbon, tequila, vodka, rum, and other assorted spirits. I had two shots of bourbon, neat, while chatting with the volunteers. The hot soup really hit the spot and I had two cups of that. From there it was just over two miles to the finish, but over three big hills they call the Three Sisters.
Just before the finish of the first lap it started raining fairly heavily and I briefly contemplated ending it after one lap. My feet were numb, I was completely wet, and I could always use the excuse that I was quitting out of caution for my foot. Two things kept me from quitting. First, my daughter said she was going to be at the end when I finished. I haven't had anyone waiting for me at the finish since my first summer of racing 4 years ago and I was really looking forward to that. Second, and even more of a consideration if I'm honest, without real concern for my foot (it was doing just fine) I didn't want deal with the feelings of a DNF again. One thing nice about this race is that if you go out for 20M but quit after one loop, you still get credit for finishing the 10 mile race. The same applies for the 50K...you can drop down to 10 or 20 mile distance and still get the finishers swag. I didn't want that though. If I'm going to work my way up to a 100 mile race, I need to work on my mental toughness as much as, if not more than, my endurance. By the time I got to the end of the loop it wasn't a question. I kept going.
I did stop briefly at the start of the second loop to get under the pavilion to text my daughter. My first lap was a slow 2:45 and I was feeling pretty good so I told her to be there 2:30 after that. I knew I'd slow down somewhat, but that would give her a cushion if she was running late.
Off I went on my second lap and thankfully the rain eased up quit a bit after 15 minutes and just sprinkled the remainder of the race. The second lap was much like the first with a few exceptions. While the first lap was just a mix of slush and mud, the course continued to thaw leaving deeper slush over very uneven, frozen divots from people running in mud in days past, and having the divots freeze up. This caused my foot to twist and turn in many different ways upon landing on these. This really sucked and it took all of my attention to try to avoid these ankle twisters as much as possible. With the additional melting, now ever hill had a river of icy, muddy water to splash through.
Second, on this second loop I started passing fire fighters...about 16 in total...who were hiking the 10 mile course in FULL gear. Most even had their air tanks on their backs. They were doing it as a fundraiser to help out a firefighter who was diagnosed with cancer and was in the late stages. I have no idea how they got up and down some of those steep slippery hills with all that gear on. These guys and gals are amazing and I have much respect for them. I was moved by their efforts and donated to the cause after the run.
I stopped a couple of times to text my daughter to give her updates on the estimated finish time. The first half of the second loop was actually a faster pace than the first loop but soon cramping in my hip adductors really slowed me down. I had to stretch them out and walk off the cramp a couple of times before I could start running again. All the slipping and sliding was taking a toll on all of my support muscles.
Kody was did great. Previous to this race his longest run was 16 miles and that was just about the point in the race where I could finally see he was getting tired so for both our sakes, I slowed it down. We eased through the rest of the course, spending plenty of time at the last aid station with the bar. In the last quarter mile before the end I could here noise and music at the finish and i was relieved it was just about over. I was tired, Kody was tired, and my feet were completely numb.
Coming into the finish I looked towards the person making the most noise and sure enough, it was my daughter. It was awesome to have there!
My official finish was 5:39:36 which was about 8 minutes slower than last year, also a race where I was coming back from injury. According to Garmin I my moving time was 40 minutes less than my total time so I really wasted a lot of time on the course, but again, I didn't care.
I finished 41 out of 65 who started the 20 mile. 14 of those dropped after one loop.
I didn't realize it before hand but they ranked all dogs for their first loop (their bibs were chipped) and Kody finished 4th out 11 dogs, just 2 minutes away from a podium finish!
We took a few finish line photos, I got some of the awesome chili and beer they had on hand for racers and started changing out of my wet clothes as much as I could and put on clean, dry clothes. I started getting the chills and just wanted to get out of there. We took the shuttle back to my truck, drove to the Airbnb, I showered while Kody stayed in the truck, then went to my daughter's apartment where there's a dog spa for the residents and we gave Kody a warm bath before going out for some killer barbecue.
Sunday was time to head back and I checked the weather, hoping they were wrong about the blizzard but not only was there a blizzard on the way home, the interstate was closed for those 150 miles. I booked a motel room in Des Moines at a Ramada Inn which allowed dogs and spent the night. I set my alarm for 5am thinking I'd get up early and hit the road before the Des Moines rush hour, only to find that the interstate was still closed and would be until late morning. A half hour past the noon checkout with no indication yet when the highway would be open, I booked the room for Monday night. The highway eventually opened at 5pm Sunday but I had already paid for the room and didn't want to fight the traffic back north, in the dark, on roads of unknown condition, in wind chills around -25F. I thought about going for a run outside while I was there but much of what I'd need for an outdoor run was either wet or frozen. It finally dawned on me that I could use the treadmill in the fitness center and got about 6 miles on that.
All and all a great trip. Number one, Kody & I came out of it without injury, or aggravating old injuries. Two, this gave me confidence going into my 50 mile race in April, that my foot will hold up fairly well. I still don't know if I can't finish it within the cutoff, but I should be able to do a large portion of it. I did have some knee pain in my left knee later that day and the following day but it quickly subsided. Kody lost his appetite for a day and a half and seemed to be sore that evening but was fine the next day. Next year I hope to finally run the 50K in which case I'd leave Kody with my daughter. I think 20 miles will be the limit for Kody, particularly considering he's almost 11 years old.25 -
Finally, my race report from last weekends race. Sorry for the delay but I blame the blizzard and work. This will be photo heavy because they had a couple of great pro photographers there. I think I need to learn how to be more concise.
Pyscho Wyco Run Toto Run
20M trail race (2 x 10 mile loops)
Kansas City, Kansas
The weather loomed dark over this race, both during and after. The area had 6+ inches of snow the weekend prior to the race and temps were forecast to be in the mid 40's F during the race. There were also forecasts of heavy rain and thunderstorms during the race. The threat was there for a mud fest even more historic than last year. The forecast which concerned me, however, was the one for Saturday night into Sunday morning. There was blizzard warnings out from Ames, Iowa to Owatonna, MN, about 150 miles of my route home, from late Saturday through 6 pm on Sunday. I wasn't sure how this would affect my trip home, but I was hoping it would just mean I'd get home later Sunday than planned. More on that later.
Kody & I headed out Friday morning for the 6+ hour drive to Kansas City, KS. It was a very easy, uneventful drive down. Packet pickup was at a motel near the race site. Last year we got a really nice, thick hoodie and I was looking forward to getting another one. I was disappointed to find that the one we got this year was a thin one, like cotton t-shirt material. I was also disappointed we didn't get as much swag as last year, such as a beer mug with the race logo and a buff with the log of the Trail Nerds, the trail running club associated with the race. In retrospect, I'm ok with all of this. I don't use the mug I got last year so another one doesn't do anything for me. I have 6 or 7 buffs already, so I don't need another one. As far as the hoodie, I decided it's nice to have one of a different weight, so I'm back to liking it. And finally, the RD was generous enough to transfer my registration for the December race, which I had to skip due to surgery, to this race so I have no reason to complain.
After that I checked into my Airbnb about 20 minutes away, then called up my daughter who lives in KCMO and told her I was on my way. We had a fabulous night. We went out to eat at an tapas restaurant, stuffed ourselves with food and drank sangria while Kody hung out at her apartment with her roommate. I made it an early night and was back to my place by 10:30. After a long day driving and good food and drink I had no trouble falling asleep.
The alarm went off at 5:30 and I made coffee, ate a couple of protein bars, upset that I forgot to buy my usual bag of Thomas mini-bagels. I lubed up my toes and nether regions, got dressed, got my hydration vest, running belt and drop box ready to go, one last stop in the bathroom and I was off. Kody was bouncing off the walls, knowing we were going running.
it had rained the night before and was sprinkling when I headed to the race but by race time it stopped. The forecast must have kept a lot of folks away because the field for the 50K and 20M was only 60% the size of last years race. I was surprised at how much snow was still on the ground.
I got to the church parking lot to get on the shuttle bus to take me to the start. It was then I realized that I still had to register Kody for the race and thankfully I keep spare cash in my running belt. Canine "pacers" were $10 with registration day of race only, which I thought about when setting my alarm but it only took an extra 5 minutes. I paid the man, got Kody's bib and went to put my drop bag (a box, actually) in the designated area.
I was mucking about with my gear when I heard the horn for the start of the race. OOPS! Not a big deal, I was treating this as a long training run, both for my sake and for Kody's sake, since his long runs before this was 20 miles, so the extra 10 to 20 seconds added to my time didn't matter.
Kody saw the big crowd start running away and he wanted in. He normally doesn't pull on his leash when we run but he was so excited about all the commotion that he was pulling for the first couple of miles before taking his usual spot right behind me. There were several other dogs in the race and, like Kody, they all seem thrilled to be out there.
I knew from last year that we were going to get our feet wet right away. We started at a park pavilion, traveled across open field, then over a small bridge, then a bigger, lower open field with standing water..well icy slush in this case. The crowd split mostly in two while trying to skirt the slushy mess but knowing me feet were going to be cold and wet regardless I splashed right up the middle. Holy *kitten* that was cold!!
Then we crossed a road and made a sharp turn on the bridle trail which made up most of the course. With Kody leading the way, we made it up the rocky trail in the conga line. We has to stop twice for poop breaks and by now if I wasn't at the back of the pack, it was very close to it. We just did our thing and our pace and enjoyed the run.
With Kody done with his typical early run stops, we were finally able to get into a rhythm. We were quickly into icy, slushy, muddy trail and my feet were soaked. We hit the first water crossing around the 2 mile mark. I could probably jump across it but with the ice and slush I didn't want to risk falling on my *kitten* on the other side, so I stepped across it. Around the corner was another stream to cross and another cold, icy foot bath.
By three miles my toes were starting to go numb. Thankfully the rain had quit and and the thunderstorm never materialized. We ran with other back of the packers, including one woman with a dog named Malcolm who was running the 50K. She let her dog off its leash soon after the start and he kept running off on his own, often running up from behind us an dive bombing Kody. He just wanted to play but every time this happened it distracted Kody and I'd have to stop and get Kody moving again.
At 3.5 miles we hit a spot called the Wyanndotte Triangle, a mile section of single track switchbacks that had your head spinning but was a blast to run. If you weren't careful you'd slide right off course on the switchbacks, which I did a few times. After that was the first aid station.
Kody was a hit at the aid stations. I'd have him sit off to the side and drop the leash while I gave him water, grabbed food and drink for myself, then give him a small banana piece. The aid station volunteers were more than happy to help me water Kody and hold his leash while they gave him plenty of attention.
At 4.5 miles we hit the section called Fall Down Hill. This was bridle trail on a steep decline with sharp switchbacks and slick as snot. I kept sliding off the trail and had to struggle to get back on it. After this you hit the bottom of the dam and run flat open field for a couple hundred yards before turning and running UP the steep slope, appropriately named Dam Hill. After that there was an steep uphill climb on the road to the second aid station which was the halfway point in the loop. I stopped and enjoyed a couple shots of Fireball, chatted with the volunteers and continued on up the road. We finally turned off the pavement after a half mile on to a flat, easy running section called Speed Demon Ridge. It was nice to open up the throttle and go for a while, but it quickly ended at Broken Leg Turn (yes, someone broke their leg here in the past) and then Misery Ridge, where we had steep drops and climbs. Some climbs were so steep that they had knotted ropes on the course so you can pull yourself up. Kody, with his 4 wheel drive did not need the rope.
The next section was called Fester's Wander, which they say was designed by the RD's dog. Maybe they put a GPS on him and let him wander? It was another beautiful section with many steep climbs and drops. In spite of the slushy mud and constantly wet, cold feet I couldn't help but love being out in these beautiful woods. Somewhere in there we were going down a steep, very slick decline and I decided it was too hard to hold on to the leash and keep myself upright so I let go of the leash and soon took it off and let him run the remaining distance off leash. He never left my side, other than to mark a tree or bush, for the rest of the race.
The last aid station had the usual ultra aid station fare, hot soup, and...a bar! Bottles of bourbon, tequila, vodka, rum, and other assorted spirits. I had two shots of bourbon, neat, while chatting with the volunteers. The hot soup really hit the spot and I had two cups of that. From there it was just over two miles to the finish, but over three big hills they call the Three Sisters.
Just before the finish of the first lap it started raining fairly heavily and I briefly contemplated ending it after one lap. My feet were numb, I was completely wet, and I could always use the excuse that I was quitting out of caution for my foot. Two things kept me from quitting. First, my daughter said she was going to be at the end when I finished. I haven't had anyone waiting for me at the finish since my first summer of racing 4 years ago and I was really looking forward to that. Second, and even more of a consideration if I'm honest, without real concern for my foot (it was doing just fine) I didn't want deal with the feelings of a DNF again. One thing nice about this race is that if you go out for 20M but quit after one loop, you still get credit for finishing the 10 mile race. The same applies for the 50K...you can drop down to 10 or 20 mile distance and still get the finishers swag. I didn't want that though. If I'm going to work my way up to a 100 mile race, I need to work on my mental toughness as much as, if not more than, my endurance. By the time I got to the end of the loop it wasn't a question. I kept going.
I did stop briefly at the start of the second loop to get under the pavilion to text my daughter. My first lap was a slow 2:45 and I was feeling pretty good so I told her to be there 2:30 after that. I knew I'd slow down somewhat, but that would give her a cushion if she was running late.
Off I went on my second lap and thankfully the rain eased up quit a bit after 15 minutes and just sprinkled the remainder of the race. The second lap was much like the first with a few exceptions. While the first lap was just a mix of slush and mud, the course continued to thaw leaving deeper slush over very uneven, frozen divots from people running in mud in days past, and having the divots freeze up. This caused my foot to twist and turn in many different ways upon landing on these. This really sucked and it took all of my attention to try to avoid these ankle twisters as much as possible. With the additional melting, now ever hill had a river of icy, muddy water to splash through.
Second, on this second loop I started passing fire fighters...about 16 in total...who were hiking the 10 mile course in FULL gear. Most even had their air tanks on their backs. They were doing it as a fundraiser to help out a firefighter who was diagnosed with cancer and was in the late stages. I have no idea how they got up and down some of those steep slippery hills with all that gear on. These guys and gals are amazing and I have much respect for them. I was moved by their efforts and donated to the cause after the run.
I stopped a couple of times to text my daughter to give her updates on the estimated finish time. The first half of the second loop was actually a faster pace than the first loop but soon cramping in my hip adductors really slowed me down. I had to stretch them out and walk off the cramp a couple of times before I could start running again. All the slipping and sliding was taking a toll on all of my support muscles.
Kody was did great. Previous to this race his longest run was 16 miles and that was just about the point in the race where I could finally see he was getting tired so for both our sakes, I slowed it down. We eased through the rest of the course, spending plenty of time at the last aid station with the bar. In the last quarter mile before the end I could here noise and music at the finish and i was relieved it was just about over. I was tired, Kody was tired, and my feet were completely numb.
Coming into the finish I looked towards the person making the most noise and sure enough, it was my daughter. It was awesome to have there!
My official finish was 5:39:36 which was about 8 minutes slower than last year, also a race where I was coming back from injury. According to Garmin I my moving time was 40 minutes less than my total time so I really wasted a lot of time on the course, but again, I didn't care.
I finished 41 out of 65 who started the 20 mile. 14 of those dropped after one loop.
I didn't realize it before hand but they ranked all dogs for their first loop (their bibs were chipped) and Kody finished 4th out 11 dogs, just 2 minutes away from a podium finish!
We took a few finish line photos, I got some of the awesome chili and beer they had on hand for racers and started changing out of my wet clothes as much as I could and put on clean, dry clothes. I started getting the chills and just wanted to get out of there. We took the shuttle back to my truck, drove to the Airbnb, I showered while Kody stayed in the truck, then went to my daughter's apartment where there's a dog spa for the residents and we gave Kody a warm bath before going out for some killer barbecue.
Sunday was time to head back and I checked the weather, hoping they were wrong about the blizzard but not only was there a blizzard on the way home, the interstate was closed for those 150 miles. I booked a motel room in Des Moines at a Ramada Inn which allowed dogs and spent the night. I set my alarm for 5am thinking I'd get up early and hit the road before the Des Moines rush hour, only to find that the interstate was still closed and would be until late morning. A half hour past the noon checkout with no indication yet when the highway would be open, I booked the room for Monday night. The highway eventually opened at 5pm Sunday but I had already paid for the room and didn't want to fight the traffic back north, in the dark, on roads of unknown condition, in wind chills around -25F. I thought about going for a run outside while I was there but much of what I'd need for an outdoor run was either wet or frozen. It finally dawned on me that I could use the treadmill in the fitness center and got about 6 miles on that.
All and all a great trip. Number one, Kody & I came out of it without injury, or aggravating old injuries. Two, this gave me confidence going into my 50 mile race in April, that my foot will hold up fairly well. I still don't know if I can't finish it within the cutoff, but I should be able to do a large portion of it. I did have some knee pain in my left knee later that day and the following day but it quickly subsided. Kody lost his appetite for a day and a half and seemed to be sore that evening but was fine the next day. Next year I hope to finally run the 50K in which case I'd leave Kody with my daughter. I think 20 miles will be the limit for Kody, particularly considering he's almost 11 years old.
Sounds like a great race @7lenny7 ! Wonderful report!3 -
Finally got to get started. Not that I even pretended to jog any of it, after the heavy sunday dinner I cooked for "family day" at my grandparents, but at least I made myself get outside between thunderstorms.
3/3: 2.32 miles6 -
I went out for 5k this morning. Left leg was aching a bit before I went out but eased around 3k. I did the squat rockers @rheddmobile suggested and no pain since getting back - though only been an hr. I'm worried it's my shoes - the ache got worse when I out my shoes on this morning but then I've been bare feet all weekend hanging out St home. but then it's not my usual pain. It "feels" like it's in the ankle but when I massage it's definitely along the tibia with no pain on the tendon in the ankle and foot, suggesting referred pain. So I think I've just ramped up too fast, I had that 23k run/walk without training 2 weeks ago and then I've kicked into running 5 days regularly and minimum of 5k, where the few weeks prior I was doing 3-4 km with the occasional 5k.
Am I over thinking this? I really don't want it to be shoes because that means I have no choice but to make a 2hr drive to town. And these are brand new. I honestly think its overdoing it and I'll just run gentle 5ks for the next few weeks and stretch/massage to help it settle...
You might hate this, but I remember my coach telling me that over 80 percent of the time, shin splints are caused by shoes...2 -
@ContraryMaryMary woo hoo looks like you had a blast! I love Rotorua. I need to find ways of travelling more to do more events, we are just so far away from everything sigh
We took the entire family (and another whole family) and Friday off to make a whole, long weekend of it. Such a blast - luging, sky swing, Rainbow Springs, hot pools, the whole Rotorua thing. Was awesome.3 -
Way to go, @7lenny7 and Kody! Sorry you got stranded, but I'm glad you were able to avoid actually being on the roads during the storm. My grandparents-in-law live in KC but we've never visited in the winter, although we have been stuck between the cities and Sioux Falls visiting family more than once. One time we had the dogs with us and had a really tough time finding a place that would take them and wasn't full.1
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PastorVincent wrote: »I'm torn. I can run now carrying all the aid with me, avoiding large patches of ice, unplowed areas
Or i can wait till 130pm. Put my stuff on the bleachers and run on a track where it's 45 degrees. And all i have to do is watch out for people who don't follow the rules
I am sure you have decided by now... but I would go for where I am not running in circles nonstop over running in circles.
My stomach decided for me (autoimmune flare). I'll be shuffling a few miles later with my .02 mi laps
Long run tomorrow. Laps.
Tuesday too.
Marathon a month a way11 -
@MobyCarp
About the Raynaud syndrome, maybe the topic as been discussed here and I´m not saying anything new but while you dont manage to talk to your doctor I´ll share my tip; besides what you will already be doing, it might be good to warm your fingers in steam when you get home even if they dont feel very cold (last year I was having it 3/4 times per week for about 45min and I realised, that for me, the steam was the fastest way to relax the vessels; this year I did it everytime I felt the fingers kind of cold and had just one minor episode in one whole year).
6 -
PastorVincent wrote: »I went out for 5k this morning. Left leg was aching a bit before I went out but eased around 3k. I did the squat rockers @rheddmobile suggested and no pain since getting back - though only been an hr. I'm worried it's my shoes - the ache got worse when I out my shoes on this morning but then I've been bare feet all weekend hanging out St home. but then it's not my usual pain. It "feels" like it's in the ankle but when I massage it's definitely along the tibia with no pain on the tendon in the ankle and foot, suggesting referred pain. So I think I've just ramped up too fast, I had that 23k run/walk without training 2 weeks ago and then I've kicked into running 5 days regularly and minimum of 5k, where the few weeks prior I was doing 3-4 km with the occasional 5k.
Am I over thinking this? I really don't want it to be shoes because that means I have no choice but to make a 2hr drive to town. And these are brand new. I honestly think its overdoing it and I'll just run gentle 5ks for the next few weeks and stretch/massage to help it settle...
The only way to know for sure would be to run in different, known good, shoes. If the problem goes away/improves then it was the shoes. If not, then it might be something else.
I knew you'd say that. sigh. Its been several hours, and the pain is greatly reduced after the stretching that I did, no where near what it was this morning. so convincing me its not the shoes, but ramping up too fast, and stretching is the way to go.
PS, oww to groin pains. amazing how we can run forever but something as stupid as standing out of a chair can throw us completely.0 -
ContraryMaryMary wrote: »@ContraryMaryMary woo hoo looks like you had a blast! I love Rotorua. I need to find ways of travelling more to do more events, we are just so far away from everything sigh
We took the entire family (and another whole family) and Friday off to make a whole, long weekend of it. Such a blast - luging, sky swing, Rainbow Springs, hot pools, the whole Rotorua thing. Was awesome.
Yeah you had to say it didnt you. lol. I'm going to see out this week, stretching and massaging, see what happens, especially as I'm much better now than I was this morning before my run, it might just be that I'm tight in the calves and the stretches are doing it (I can hope). I also spent a lot of time jumping with miss 2.5 on the trampoline yesterday, that cant have helped anything, probably why I was aching this morning. If at the end of the week I'm worse, I will go to Whangarei (mutter mutter groan) and get properly fitted, and put it down to a lesson learned.
I'm going to Rotorua in August for a conference, and are taking the family, and the week before as holiday, to do the total tourist thing. Cant wait!5
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