KILLED! But I tried....:)
Dan woke me up about 4:30am this morning for coffee and breakfast. I got dressed, headed down stairs, made an egg-cheese-english muffin sandwich, and ate. We loaded the 3 kids into the car and left for CO Springs a few minutes past 5am.
At about 6:35am I checked in at the start area and then ran my warm up. I was feeling completely hesitant about running this morning. It was raining and I was so not prepared for such a short race. As I stretched at the stating line, I was wishing I was volunteering instead of racing. But alas, we were off. I started out in the 2end row of runners, and started counting how many ladies were ahead of me when we formed a line for the first narrow up around .15 miles in. I was in 16th place. I figured that was a great place for me to be. I could try to hold this spot, and if I felt good after a mile or so, I could start passing. At about .5 miles in, we hit a water station and the hill. Well, I guess it was a "climb", being this was a mountain race, and we went up for about 1.25 miles. I tried to hold my 9ish minute a mile pace. My body wouldn't let me. After running up for almost 1 mile, feeling my legs tighten and my breathing pick up, I decided it was a great time for a walk break. One lady behind me passed at my offer, but the other said "No. This is a good time to walk." I told her I was ready for some down, and she assured me it was coming soon. We turned around at the top, and I let my legs turn over fast for the 1ish mile down before the 2end loop. My GPS had me at under 6's for that stretch both times I went down it. At the turn-around and go back up area, I smiled and cheered at one of the volunteers, who said I was looking too fresh. I told him the darn hill wouldn't let me run up it, so I still had a lot of energy. He laughed, but that is truly the feeling I had. I was trying to make my legs go, and I couldn't. After the race, I learned some of what was going on. But back to the race.
It wasn't too steep of a climb and not at all technical. I would describe it as a fast mountain running course. I wasn't fast, but the course was. My GPS had the total distance at 5.68miles- not the said 5. And the park maps have it at 5.5 or more. I finished in 47:21. 17th place out of like 35 ladies. My husband said he couldn't believe there were that many ladies at this race faster then me, but this race was nothing like what I am good at. It was my first time running in the mountains, my first race in elevation, shorter then my current tempo runs, and completely non-technical trails. All considering, I am feeling like I did well to run those 5.68 miles in under 48mins!!
After the race, I went for a run. I wanted to run to the top of the little mountain I was on, and I wanted to get in at least another 8 miles. (this weeks miles are LOW!!!!) I started up the mountain on the road, b/c I didn't know the trails around this place and I didn't like the idea of running with mountain lions by myself. After going up for about 2 miles, I debated going back down. But dang, that place was beautiful! I just kept my comfy slow pace going up and enjoyed the view. Around 3 miles, the road ended. But there was a wide trail that kept going up. Up I went. At 4.13miles, I was at the top! There were clouds below me and a beautiful valley showing through beneath the clouds. It was breath taking. Running down was crazy! I just ran comfortably, but it was steep...so I was flying! It had taken me about 44mins to get up, and less then 30 to go down. The bottoms of my feet were actually getting hot, which was a bit saddening. I may need to look for a "mountain" shoe to run in.
Speaking of shoes, my Brooks T5's did great for the 8K. In fact, they were just perfect today outside of heating up on the 11mile run after. They weren't slippery on the crushed granite and they held my foot well on the long ups/ downs which kept my toes happy. And being they don't have lugs, the rain didn't slow me down.
Earlier I mentioned that I started walking b/c my breathing was getting hard. After the race and my run, I went up to congratulate the Jr. Man's winner. While talking with him and his dad, I learned a few things about running in Mountains. They said I should let my breathing get hard. I need to force my lugs to take in more oxygen then I am use to. And being this was a short race with a large down, I wish I would have tried that. Too bad, b/c I don't plan on running another short race anytime soon!!!!
Sunday, July 26, 2009
Friday, July 24, 2009
I haven't posted in awhile. Mostly b/c I lost my Mac in the move. But now I have it back!!!! Long story, but Woo-hoo for a happy ending!!!
We have been in CO for over 6 weeks now. I truly love getting to live here. The mountains are breath taking and I am just in shock over how lovely this summer is. I am actually liking summer...something new to me. Running has been wonderful, too. It is cool in the mornings and evenings and warm for most of the day, so I can run any time I get the chance and enjoy it. This weekend I'm running a race. It is an 8k mountain race. Daniel signed me up for it. I have no clue how I will do. I have never run any sort of race like this. I could see doing awesome, but I haven't been training with this race in mind, and it is sorta a top notch race. Money prizes for the top5 finishers and the top 2 earn a spot on a racing team. While I realize I could place in the top 5, I truly don't expect to. I've been focusing on a 100miler in October. Lots of long runs- some easy, some tempo stuff, hills, and fartleks. Nothing under 7 miles. BUT I have put in some awesome fast 27mile trail run... Still, this hard 8k will be just a killer. VERY different from what I am use to. No loss, though. I have enjoyed the down time and mileage drop the last 2 weeks. And I will get to meet some of Colorado's top runners.
(WARNING: Personal info to follow)
Unfortunately this is a bad time for me to race. I always run like crap the week leading up to the start of my cycle. I know this is likely too much info for some, but monthly cycles are a large part of racing, being I have a 1 in 4 chance of a race landing on a "bad" week for me. I hate that I can't run close to the same speeds the week before my cycle. I have tried changing my diet, drinking more, sleeping more, but nothing seems to help. I just can't run as fast this week. But starting on day 1 and some times a day or two before, I am back to 100%. I am hoping Sunday is close enough to day 1 for me to do well. Too bad. Luck of the draw, I guess.
On another personal note, I was happy to see that I can take Effexor XR and train and race legally under USATF rules. I wish I didn't need that med., but it makes all the deference for me. It is funny to me how people so often assume that endurance athletes have it all together. But the truth is, forcing myself to find the strength and focus to train and race ultra events has helped me deal sanely with the rest of my life. Maybe getting to be extrema in one area tames the others. Or maybe getting to prove to myself through training and racing that I am capable of doing and handling so much more then I thought I could gives me the drive to live my everyday life. I don't know exactly why, but I do know that running helps me. My running has changed me and my life in ways I never would have imagined. Unfortunately, running isn't enough. This part is hard for me. I want to be strong enough. I want to be able to pull resources and tap into unseen strength from my Father and other beings, and that be more then enough. There is a song "All of You, is more then enough for, all of me..." That song makes me cry. Oh how I wish that were true. I long for that. But I am made weak...without Effexor, I am far from the athlete, mother, person I believe I was created to be. That is the simple truth. Getting out of bed can be hard, playing with my children imposable. It is something I just don't understand. But I am grateful that God made people smart enough to create this drug and gave my doctor the wisdom to get me to try it. I wish I didn't need it, but I am grateful that I have it.
It's time to go to the park. "What?," you say. "Go to the park at 12:20pm in July?"
Yeppers. I'll get my Diet Mountain Dew, drive my kids to a park, and read while they play. It will be awesome, because the humidity is low and it is likely under 90. :)
We have been in CO for over 6 weeks now. I truly love getting to live here. The mountains are breath taking and I am just in shock over how lovely this summer is. I am actually liking summer...something new to me. Running has been wonderful, too. It is cool in the mornings and evenings and warm for most of the day, so I can run any time I get the chance and enjoy it. This weekend I'm running a race. It is an 8k mountain race. Daniel signed me up for it. I have no clue how I will do. I have never run any sort of race like this. I could see doing awesome, but I haven't been training with this race in mind, and it is sorta a top notch race. Money prizes for the top5 finishers and the top 2 earn a spot on a racing team. While I realize I could place in the top 5, I truly don't expect to. I've been focusing on a 100miler in October. Lots of long runs- some easy, some tempo stuff, hills, and fartleks. Nothing under 7 miles. BUT I have put in some awesome fast 27mile trail run... Still, this hard 8k will be just a killer. VERY different from what I am use to. No loss, though. I have enjoyed the down time and mileage drop the last 2 weeks. And I will get to meet some of Colorado's top runners.
(WARNING: Personal info to follow)
Unfortunately this is a bad time for me to race. I always run like crap the week leading up to the start of my cycle. I know this is likely too much info for some, but monthly cycles are a large part of racing, being I have a 1 in 4 chance of a race landing on a "bad" week for me. I hate that I can't run close to the same speeds the week before my cycle. I have tried changing my diet, drinking more, sleeping more, but nothing seems to help. I just can't run as fast this week. But starting on day 1 and some times a day or two before, I am back to 100%. I am hoping Sunday is close enough to day 1 for me to do well. Too bad. Luck of the draw, I guess.
On another personal note, I was happy to see that I can take Effexor XR and train and race legally under USATF rules. I wish I didn't need that med., but it makes all the deference for me. It is funny to me how people so often assume that endurance athletes have it all together. But the truth is, forcing myself to find the strength and focus to train and race ultra events has helped me deal sanely with the rest of my life. Maybe getting to be extrema in one area tames the others. Or maybe getting to prove to myself through training and racing that I am capable of doing and handling so much more then I thought I could gives me the drive to live my everyday life. I don't know exactly why, but I do know that running helps me. My running has changed me and my life in ways I never would have imagined. Unfortunately, running isn't enough. This part is hard for me. I want to be strong enough. I want to be able to pull resources and tap into unseen strength from my Father and other beings, and that be more then enough. There is a song "All of You, is more then enough for, all of me..." That song makes me cry. Oh how I wish that were true. I long for that. But I am made weak...without Effexor, I am far from the athlete, mother, person I believe I was created to be. That is the simple truth. Getting out of bed can be hard, playing with my children imposable. It is something I just don't understand. But I am grateful that God made people smart enough to create this drug and gave my doctor the wisdom to get me to try it. I wish I didn't need it, but I am grateful that I have it.
It's time to go to the park. "What?," you say. "Go to the park at 12:20pm in July?"
Yeppers. I'll get my Diet Mountain Dew, drive my kids to a park, and read while they play. It will be awesome, because the humidity is low and it is likely under 90. :)
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