Tuesday, August 26, 2008
I am bummed. My leg just isn't back to its self yet. and I am tiered of this mileage cut. I want to run as much as I feel like running!! Gurrr. I think I will go running again tonight, even though I ran my (short) tempo this morning before yoga. Maybe I will feel better if I run more. Maybe My leg has tapper pains, not injury pains. Guess there's only one way to find out. I will go for a run!!
Monday, August 18, 2008
Pedernales Race
It was a great evening for a race. The rain we were getting off and on through out the day Saturday had the temperature down in the 80s, and there was a great chance of more cooling rain through out the night. Daniel and I left Chucky Cheese about 4pm, dropped our 3 treasures off with my mom, and headed out to Pedernales. We stopped at Target for sandwiches and Starbucks on the way. I had my favorite- Turkey with Brie on a roll and the biggest Carmel Frappuccino Light Starbucks makes. The race started at 7pm. Dan and I had plenty of time to get our tent set up, check in, change in to our running gear, and drop our bags off at the start/ turnaround before beginning our run.
I ran the first 5ish miles with my teammate Dalton. We were both thrilled with the weather and excited about the rain that poured on us for about 5mins after the first 1/2 hour. The midway aid station was 5miles from the start going clock wise, 3.5 from the counter clockwise direction. I dropped one bottle at this station and kept going, leaving the group I had been with behind. This next section of the course was the trickiest. Going clockwise, it was a great section to pick up the pace for a bit. If you felt like it, there were some good down hills to run hard. But this section was also very muddy for a large part. Not the slippery mud they have out west. This mud was true Texas mud. The kind that can suck your shoes off or make you several inches taller if your shoes stay on. The kind that has you jumping up in the air and doing strange leg kicks to hopefully knock a few pounds off your feet. Going up hill in on this part was a mind tackler. But running down it was a blast.
The first 23ish mile passed quickly. I was having a great time running in what was unbelievably cool weather for August in Texas. The rain clouds covered the moon at this point, but my lights were working great. And I was thrilled with how well I felt. No puckish feelings, my mind was strong, and I felt great. Aside from having had to back track a minute or so after starting lap 2 to get my lights I had forgotten, things was going well. I could tell my electrolytes were a bit low, though, because my quads were feeling tighter then they should. No one I asked had electrolyte tablets, so I drank my Gatorade E instead of water at the turnarounds and ate ShotBlocks and Hammer Gels for more electrolytes.
About mile 24, when I was taking advantage of how great I felt on a down hill stretch, I landed on a rock. It felt like my foot was shoved into my ankle. Like the space between my ankle and my foot ceased to exist. I am use to rolling my ankles on the trail. Normally I roll an ankle and just keep going. It might hurt a little for a few minutes, but I'm back to 100% quickly. When I reached the turnaround at 25.5 miles, I got what I needed and headed out again- counter clockwise for lap 4. My ankle was still hurting. This had me worried. But I figured there was a good chance I could run it out. So I kept running.
As the miles added on, my ankle felt no better. I tried slowing down in hopes that an easier pace would help me feel better. No such luck. I finished lap 4 with pain radiating from my hip down to my ankle.
At the turn around Brad fixed me a bucket of ice water to stick my foot in and gave me some Alive (?) to keep the swelling down. I iced my foot off and on for about 15mins. My ankle truly felt better, but the rest of my leg didn't. But I really didn't want to stop. Deep down I knew doing another lap could be be a bad idea. But I wanted to do 3 more laps-not stop after 4. I decided to do another lap easy to see how I felt. If I still had leg pain after lap 5, I would call it a night.
I finished lap five feeling at least as injured as I did after lap 4. :( What a bummer. I finished 5 laps for 42.5 miles in 8ish hours. And that needed to be it. I didn't want to stop. But I didn't want to hurt my body long term either. I needed to stop before I was hurting even worse.
Stopping after 8hrs was tough. But I know it was the right decision. I still don't like it, but I needed to stop. I owe a big thank you to Joe (my coach) and Rochelle (fellow ultra runner) for their encouragement to stop. Left solely to me, I might be hobbling around the house for a few weeks instead of actively recovering from this. It is funny how I can be so stupid about some things. Though I have a feeling that same stupidity is largely responsible for much of my success. What irony.
I ran the first 5ish miles with my teammate Dalton. We were both thrilled with the weather and excited about the rain that poured on us for about 5mins after the first 1/2 hour. The midway aid station was 5miles from the start going clock wise, 3.5 from the counter clockwise direction. I dropped one bottle at this station and kept going, leaving the group I had been with behind. This next section of the course was the trickiest. Going clockwise, it was a great section to pick up the pace for a bit. If you felt like it, there were some good down hills to run hard. But this section was also very muddy for a large part. Not the slippery mud they have out west. This mud was true Texas mud. The kind that can suck your shoes off or make you several inches taller if your shoes stay on. The kind that has you jumping up in the air and doing strange leg kicks to hopefully knock a few pounds off your feet. Going up hill in on this part was a mind tackler. But running down it was a blast.
The first 23ish mile passed quickly. I was having a great time running in what was unbelievably cool weather for August in Texas. The rain clouds covered the moon at this point, but my lights were working great. And I was thrilled with how well I felt. No puckish feelings, my mind was strong, and I felt great. Aside from having had to back track a minute or so after starting lap 2 to get my lights I had forgotten, things was going well. I could tell my electrolytes were a bit low, though, because my quads were feeling tighter then they should. No one I asked had electrolyte tablets, so I drank my Gatorade E instead of water at the turnarounds and ate ShotBlocks and Hammer Gels for more electrolytes.
About mile 24, when I was taking advantage of how great I felt on a down hill stretch, I landed on a rock. It felt like my foot was shoved into my ankle. Like the space between my ankle and my foot ceased to exist. I am use to rolling my ankles on the trail. Normally I roll an ankle and just keep going. It might hurt a little for a few minutes, but I'm back to 100% quickly. When I reached the turnaround at 25.5 miles, I got what I needed and headed out again- counter clockwise for lap 4. My ankle was still hurting. This had me worried. But I figured there was a good chance I could run it out. So I kept running.
As the miles added on, my ankle felt no better. I tried slowing down in hopes that an easier pace would help me feel better. No such luck. I finished lap 4 with pain radiating from my hip down to my ankle.
At the turn around Brad fixed me a bucket of ice water to stick my foot in and gave me some Alive (?) to keep the swelling down. I iced my foot off and on for about 15mins. My ankle truly felt better, but the rest of my leg didn't. But I really didn't want to stop. Deep down I knew doing another lap could be be a bad idea. But I wanted to do 3 more laps-not stop after 4. I decided to do another lap easy to see how I felt. If I still had leg pain after lap 5, I would call it a night.
I finished lap five feeling at least as injured as I did after lap 4. :( What a bummer. I finished 5 laps for 42.5 miles in 8ish hours. And that needed to be it. I didn't want to stop. But I didn't want to hurt my body long term either. I needed to stop before I was hurting even worse.
Stopping after 8hrs was tough. But I know it was the right decision. I still don't like it, but I needed to stop. I owe a big thank you to Joe (my coach) and Rochelle (fellow ultra runner) for their encouragement to stop. Left solely to me, I might be hobbling around the house for a few weeks instead of actively recovering from this. It is funny how I can be so stupid about some things. Though I have a feeling that same stupidity is largely responsible for much of my success. What irony.
Monday, July 28, 2008
I am having a boring day today. It isn't that there is nothing to do today. I just don't feel like doing any of the things I could do. Currently the dish washer is running, the wash machine going,workout cloths are cleaned and hanging to dry, all 3 of the kids have put up 15 toys a piece (in increments of 5), and I am sitting on the couch in my PJs (maybe I shouldn't admit that). There are more toys to put away, floors to sweep, the kids bathroom to clean, and laundry to finish. I wish I needed to go shopping today. I like that part of my job best.
It's back to work I go. But first I'll check my email.
It's back to work I go. But first I'll check my email.
Monday, July 21, 2008
12 hour night trail run
Saturday night I ran my first timed event. This was also my first night run. And the first time in my life I stayed up past 4am with out falling asleep at some point earlier in the night. My biggest feeling after doing this? Whoa. That was tough.
Disclaimer: My memories of this event are fuzzy. The following is an "as best as I can remember it" account.
The race started at 7pm Saturday evening. It was a hot and humid 98 degrees at the start. My tummy was feeling over full from the 44oz of Power Aid I had drunk over the last hour and the yummy Marble Slab waffle cone I ate around 3:20. Who would have thought coconut ice cream with blueberries could take that long to digest?? I planed on running the first 7.o mile lap a little hard to get in some miles before sunset. But I was making sure to still keep it in the easy range. My sour stomach made it easy to stay in the right range.
The course was rockier and hiller then expected, but I finished loop 1 in 1:01, with a guy named Matt. We had run together some at the Bandera 100k back in January, and I figured we might be able to run most of this race together. About half a mile into lap two, I realized I hadn't grabbed my head lamp at the start area. I politely explained my predicament to Matt, who let me lead the way through lap 2 faster then either of us wanted. But I almost made it! I was only stuck running blind for a half mile or so.
During the first 3 laps my tummy (on up to my mouth) was feeling awful b/c of reflux. That ice cream was not tasting so great now. I kept toying with the idea of walking off the trail and leaving that ice cream behind. But I was scared of getting my electrolytes out of whack. So I tried hard to keep what was in my tummy in my body. I was also scared to add anything to the mix. So I only ate 1 pack of Shot Blocks and drank ice water for those first 3 laps (and 1 electrolyte tab.). After lap 3, I drank a Red Bull. A bold move- given the state of my tummy. But it seemed to help. I stuck another package of Shot Blocks in my pocket and headed out for lap 4.
Running lap 4 was super hard. My thoughts were full of the enjoyment of stopping after 6hrs. They had beer and pizza back at the loop head. And my tummy was still not 100%. But I knew if I stopped after 5 laps (6 hrs- which was still over 2 hrs away), I would still be considered a 12hr runner. Blah. Maybe 3 miles in to this lap I decided to let myself slow down. I ditched the "how far can I go" goal and focused on how much I love running and being out doors. It was cooling off some now. There was a light breeze that smelled just divine. And the sky looked amazing. The peacefulness of being alone with my own thoughts on the dark trail was more of an enjoyment then I expected. I turned off my hand-held LED, stuck it in my pocket, and power walked for the next mile. What a change. What a refreshing change. After that mile, I was ready to run some more. But I decided to keep my hand-held off and run by head light alone. I know this slowed me down, but that is what I wanted.
Before starting lap 5, I switched my hand held light for a hand held water bottle. My tummy was finally feeling better, and I was ready to give some highly iced Gatorade a shot. I had eaten a whole pack of Shot Blocks on that last lap, so I grabbed 2 more electrolyte tablets, drunk some water and stuck a package of Hammer Gel in my pocket. Focusing on enjoying the night and not thinking about pace was feeling wonderful. I did a lot of fast walking and a little fast running. As well as some slow running. All told, I was having a great time.
The last 6 hrs of this race were, in most every way, easier than the first six. It was cooler out, my tummy was feeling better, and I was enjoying myself. I was also pleased with the fact that my legs weren't cramping up at all (Thank you to my friend Meredith!). I say my tummy was better, but not good enough to eat real food. I stuck with gels, Gatorade, electrolyte tablets, and water for the rest of the race.
The only things worse off during the last half? My pace and my toes. I took it slow through the start/ finish area every time- maybe slower the last half. And I made a couple port-o-potty stops (I didn't want to be bitten by an unseen creature in the dark). But I don't remember the details. At one point during the first 6 hrs, I had grabbed a handful of ice. I stuck a few in my mouth to eat and was rubbing some on my face and neck to cool of. When I had eaten the ones in my mouth, I looked at the ones in my hand, thought of the gnats and dirt all over my body and likely on the ice, and said what the hay. And ate the ice.
One other thing. I had my first real wipe out. It didn't hurt much. And I had my hand held light strapped to my wrist to keep from losing it. So I was able to get up and go right away. Mostly I was worried about the dirt on my hands finding its way into my eyes (darn contacts). But I was able to wipe them off at the aid station.
My husband said I left out the part were I won. :) So here it is.
Disclaimer: My memories of this event are fuzzy. The following is an "as best as I can remember it" account.
The race started at 7pm Saturday evening. It was a hot and humid 98 degrees at the start. My tummy was feeling over full from the 44oz of Power Aid I had drunk over the last hour and the yummy Marble Slab waffle cone I ate around 3:20. Who would have thought coconut ice cream with blueberries could take that long to digest?? I planed on running the first 7.o mile lap a little hard to get in some miles before sunset. But I was making sure to still keep it in the easy range. My sour stomach made it easy to stay in the right range.
The course was rockier and hiller then expected, but I finished loop 1 in 1:01, with a guy named Matt. We had run together some at the Bandera 100k back in January, and I figured we might be able to run most of this race together. About half a mile into lap two, I realized I hadn't grabbed my head lamp at the start area. I politely explained my predicament to Matt, who let me lead the way through lap 2 faster then either of us wanted. But I almost made it! I was only stuck running blind for a half mile or so.
During the first 3 laps my tummy (on up to my mouth) was feeling awful b/c of reflux. That ice cream was not tasting so great now. I kept toying with the idea of walking off the trail and leaving that ice cream behind. But I was scared of getting my electrolytes out of whack. So I tried hard to keep what was in my tummy in my body. I was also scared to add anything to the mix. So I only ate 1 pack of Shot Blocks and drank ice water for those first 3 laps (and 1 electrolyte tab.). After lap 3, I drank a Red Bull. A bold move- given the state of my tummy. But it seemed to help. I stuck another package of Shot Blocks in my pocket and headed out for lap 4.
Running lap 4 was super hard. My thoughts were full of the enjoyment of stopping after 6hrs. They had beer and pizza back at the loop head. And my tummy was still not 100%. But I knew if I stopped after 5 laps (6 hrs- which was still over 2 hrs away), I would still be considered a 12hr runner. Blah. Maybe 3 miles in to this lap I decided to let myself slow down. I ditched the "how far can I go" goal and focused on how much I love running and being out doors. It was cooling off some now. There was a light breeze that smelled just divine. And the sky looked amazing. The peacefulness of being alone with my own thoughts on the dark trail was more of an enjoyment then I expected. I turned off my hand-held LED, stuck it in my pocket, and power walked for the next mile. What a change. What a refreshing change. After that mile, I was ready to run some more. But I decided to keep my hand-held off and run by head light alone. I know this slowed me down, but that is what I wanted.
Before starting lap 5, I switched my hand held light for a hand held water bottle. My tummy was finally feeling better, and I was ready to give some highly iced Gatorade a shot. I had eaten a whole pack of Shot Blocks on that last lap, so I grabbed 2 more electrolyte tablets, drunk some water and stuck a package of Hammer Gel in my pocket. Focusing on enjoying the night and not thinking about pace was feeling wonderful. I did a lot of fast walking and a little fast running. As well as some slow running. All told, I was having a great time.
The last 6 hrs of this race were, in most every way, easier than the first six. It was cooler out, my tummy was feeling better, and I was enjoying myself. I was also pleased with the fact that my legs weren't cramping up at all (Thank you to my friend Meredith!). I say my tummy was better, but not good enough to eat real food. I stuck with gels, Gatorade, electrolyte tablets, and water for the rest of the race.
The only things worse off during the last half? My pace and my toes. I took it slow through the start/ finish area every time- maybe slower the last half. And I made a couple port-o-potty stops (I didn't want to be bitten by an unseen creature in the dark). But I don't remember the details. At one point during the first 6 hrs, I had grabbed a handful of ice. I stuck a few in my mouth to eat and was rubbing some on my face and neck to cool of. When I had eaten the ones in my mouth, I looked at the ones in my hand, thought of the gnats and dirt all over my body and likely on the ice, and said what the hay. And ate the ice.
One other thing. I had my first real wipe out. It didn't hurt much. And I had my hand held light strapped to my wrist to keep from losing it. So I was able to get up and go right away. Mostly I was worried about the dirt on my hands finding its way into my eyes (darn contacts). But I was able to wipe them off at the aid station.
My husband said I left out the part were I won. :) So here it is.
Sunday, July 6, 2008
I love running. And I am really starting to feel like an ultra runner. Last night I decided to run 30 miles. I know I am a bit crazy, b/c I ran it on a treadmill.....it was raining (thunder and lightning) and very muggy out. I wanted to run, and I figured using a treadmill would give me a better mental workout. I think my mental game is down right now. I need to work on mental strength maybe even more then I need to work on endurance or speed at this point. So off to the gym I went. I forced my self to go slow for the first hour- taking 1:01:21 to get to 7.5miles. The treadmill I was running on only let me run up to 1:02 at a time, so I had to restart about every hour. After the second hour (7.75 in 1:01:39- still slower then I felt like going), I refilled my water bottles and started again. I think it took me maybe 2mins total stopping to do this. When I run on a treadmill, I keep the incline at 1% (higher if I want hills, duh). I started into the third hour-ish set feeling even better then I had the 1st hour. This sorts puzzled me. Why do I feel looser and stronger after running over 15 miles???? At this point, I told myself if I run at lest 25miles I could have a cold beer with my dinner at home. After running 23 miles (last 7.75 in 1:00:08), I wanted to run a few hard miles. Really, I wanted to run harder then I did. But I don't want to push a long run like a race, so I didn't let myself run under 7min miles. When I got to 29miles, I told myself I HAD to run the next mile easy to cool down. If I was racing I would have pushed hard for 2 more miles, but this was a workout. I finished the last 7 miles in 52:22, feeling ready to stop but knowing I hadn't pushed my limits.
I think I will try to race my next ultra this way. Taking it super easy at first and then kicking hard at the end. I have a lot of leg strength, and I think kicking it in will work for me. I know treadmills are tons easier then running trails. But I still feel like I can run much better in a race then I have yet. I want to figure out how to get everything in line to race well. Maybe I just need more experience. But I do plan on getting this all figured out.
Oh how I love running.
I think I will try to race my next ultra this way. Taking it super easy at first and then kicking hard at the end. I have a lot of leg strength, and I think kicking it in will work for me. I know treadmills are tons easier then running trails. But I still feel like I can run much better in a race then I have yet. I want to figure out how to get everything in line to race well. Maybe I just need more experience. But I do plan on getting this all figured out.
Oh how I love running.
Tuesday, July 1, 2008
This morning my husband was almost killed by a drunk driver. The guy swerved no more then 2 feet from hitting Daniel (as reported by Dan), and hit the median, blowing out 2 of his tires. Daniel was shaken to the max. He went over to the guy, who got out of his car, and Dan asked the guy if he was ok. The guy kept apologizing, saying, "I just didn't see you," and, "you came out of no where." Daniel assured the guy the he had been in that lane for about 10mins, and was well let up- 3 lights visible from the back. The guy smelt strongly of alcohol. Dan kept telling the guy to promise not to drive drunk again. But the guy only would say sorry. After a couple of minutes, the guy said he had a cell phone, got into his car, and speed off- on his flat tires. Daniel called 911 at this point, but was too shaken to have the plate numbers or make of the guys car.
I am just glad Daniel wasn't hit! I do hope the guy gets cought before he kills someone- if that is what it takes to stop him. I am praying he gets help before that point. Daniel has desided he will no onger take his bike out before 4:30am. I had been pushing for this all along. Praise God he made this dession with out being hurt!
I am just glad Daniel wasn't hit! I do hope the guy gets cought before he kills someone- if that is what it takes to stop him. I am praying he gets help before that point. Daniel has desided he will no onger take his bike out before 4:30am. I had been pushing for this all along. Praise God he made this dession with out being hurt!
Wednesday, May 28, 2008
Forest Park 50k was such a blast! A big thunder storm blow in Saturday night, and there was a light-moderate rain during almost the whole race on Sunday. The course was muddy the whole way and slippery in spots. It was just a perfect almost cold morning for a trail race. Daniel and I showed up at the start an hour or more before hand. But being Portland time is 2 hours behind Texas, we had already had a long leisurely morning. The day before we walked all over Portland trying to figure out the best way to get to the Lower Macleay trail head. Turned out we could walk 3 blocks from out hotel to the #15 bus stop, which runs every 15 minutes. That bus dropped us off 2 blocks from the start of the race. Just perfect. So on race morning we grabbed Starbucks (Mocha Soy latte and a turkey pesto sandwich) and headed to the bus stop.
The race started at 8:30am. Wendel (one of the RD's) went over the course directions and how to read the markings before we took off. The first 10k went by at just the right pace. Running through Forest Park was like running in a fairy-tale land. The trees were tall and dense, and there was a light fog in parts. The trails were the perfect kind of muddy for running on, and the few rocks on the course didn't even move when stepped on. Everything around us was lush.
I reached the first aid station (10k) in 55 minutes. Shortly after leaving that aid station, I came to an odd intersection. There where orange streamers to the right, but they weren't stripped. Wendel was very clear in saying all turns were marked with stripped streamers. While I stood there, course directions in hand, 3 guys and 1 girl rounded the corner. We all decided the streamers were likely moved, and headed in a diffrent (and the right) direction. This happened a few more times during the second 10k. In fact, I was just sure we were off course before we came upon aid station 2 (20k-1:51 after the start).
I left the 20k running hard, b/c my legs were feeling good and I wanted to try and finish fast. As it turned out, there was a giant muddy down hill that evened out the hard running I was doing on the other parts of this section. That muddy down hill was great! At first I was sorta shuffling down the side, keeping my feet partly on grass and grabbing hold of trees. But I took an awesome roll, and decided to change my approach. The guy in front of me had been skiing on his feet. I gave that a try. And I wiped out. To prevent farther injury to myself, I decided the sledding approach would be best. So I sat down and slid.
I made it to the 30k aid station in 2:46. Another 55 minute 10k. My legs were still feeling good, so I tried to keep pushing. When I reached the 40k, my watch said 3:42. I left my totally soaked shirt and my waist pack at that aid station and headed out for the finale 10k. I was running hard and extremely excited to be doing well. I hit a few miss marked intersections, but the guy in front of me helped me out. One time I was about to turn the wrong way when a guy came from that direction and said, "Go that way." Apparently he had taken a wrong turn and was back tracking. With maybe 2 or 3 miles to go, I took a wrong turn. I realized it when the down hill section I had just pounded out opened up into a neighborhood. I looked back the way I came, and said forget it. This is my biggest regret through this race. I should have booked it back up that hill and gone the right way. But I didn't. I was too mad at myself for having been careless. So I followed the course markings for what ever course I was now on. Truthfully I hopped it would lead me back to the start and I could get a DNF and some food. Instead it lead me back up the hill and onto the 50k course. Only now I was getting to back track. Oh joy. Being in a rotten mood, I was walking and wishing for a helicopter. If I could have walked off the course at this point I would have. But I had no choice in the matter. I had to follow the 50k course through the finish.
Shortly before reaching the finish line, I was feeling much better. Sure I had blown the race and made a classic rookie mistake in not turning around. But I AM a rookie. This was my 4th ultra and 6th trail race ever. I still have much to learn. And I learned a lot at this race. Plus I had a blast. I run trails because I LOVE running trails. Not because I'm fast and not to win. I love running fast, and I do want to try to win. But those aren't the reasons I'm out there running. I run because I love to run. I am sorta glad I didn't win. If I had, I might have lost sight of why I'm a runner.
Not only that, but I am super glad I was able to learn:
1. Know your course. Course markings are to help, not lead.
2. Turnaround as soon as you realize you are off course.
I am now on a racing team. And it feels good to know I will be a better runner for my team and our sponsor's in the future, having learned what I have now, before I am running for them.
The race started at 8:30am. Wendel (one of the RD's) went over the course directions and how to read the markings before we took off. The first 10k went by at just the right pace. Running through Forest Park was like running in a fairy-tale land. The trees were tall and dense, and there was a light fog in parts. The trails were the perfect kind of muddy for running on, and the few rocks on the course didn't even move when stepped on. Everything around us was lush.
I reached the first aid station (10k) in 55 minutes. Shortly after leaving that aid station, I came to an odd intersection. There where orange streamers to the right, but they weren't stripped. Wendel was very clear in saying all turns were marked with stripped streamers. While I stood there, course directions in hand, 3 guys and 1 girl rounded the corner. We all decided the streamers were likely moved, and headed in a diffrent (and the right) direction. This happened a few more times during the second 10k. In fact, I was just sure we were off course before we came upon aid station 2 (20k-1:51 after the start).
I left the 20k running hard, b/c my legs were feeling good and I wanted to try and finish fast. As it turned out, there was a giant muddy down hill that evened out the hard running I was doing on the other parts of this section. That muddy down hill was great! At first I was sorta shuffling down the side, keeping my feet partly on grass and grabbing hold of trees. But I took an awesome roll, and decided to change my approach. The guy in front of me had been skiing on his feet. I gave that a try. And I wiped out. To prevent farther injury to myself, I decided the sledding approach would be best. So I sat down and slid.
I made it to the 30k aid station in 2:46. Another 55 minute 10k. My legs were still feeling good, so I tried to keep pushing. When I reached the 40k, my watch said 3:42. I left my totally soaked shirt and my waist pack at that aid station and headed out for the finale 10k. I was running hard and extremely excited to be doing well. I hit a few miss marked intersections, but the guy in front of me helped me out. One time I was about to turn the wrong way when a guy came from that direction and said, "Go that way." Apparently he had taken a wrong turn and was back tracking. With maybe 2 or 3 miles to go, I took a wrong turn. I realized it when the down hill section I had just pounded out opened up into a neighborhood. I looked back the way I came, and said forget it. This is my biggest regret through this race. I should have booked it back up that hill and gone the right way. But I didn't. I was too mad at myself for having been careless. So I followed the course markings for what ever course I was now on. Truthfully I hopped it would lead me back to the start and I could get a DNF and some food. Instead it lead me back up the hill and onto the 50k course. Only now I was getting to back track. Oh joy. Being in a rotten mood, I was walking and wishing for a helicopter. If I could have walked off the course at this point I would have. But I had no choice in the matter. I had to follow the 50k course through the finish.
Shortly before reaching the finish line, I was feeling much better. Sure I had blown the race and made a classic rookie mistake in not turning around. But I AM a rookie. This was my 4th ultra and 6th trail race ever. I still have much to learn. And I learned a lot at this race. Plus I had a blast. I run trails because I LOVE running trails. Not because I'm fast and not to win. I love running fast, and I do want to try to win. But those aren't the reasons I'm out there running. I run because I love to run. I am sorta glad I didn't win. If I had, I might have lost sight of why I'm a runner.
Not only that, but I am super glad I was able to learn:
1. Know your course. Course markings are to help, not lead.
2. Turnaround as soon as you realize you are off course.
I am now on a racing team. And it feels good to know I will be a better runner for my team and our sponsor's in the future, having learned what I have now, before I am running for them.
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