8K Mountain Race

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!!!!