Serious Case of the Runs

I'm a Morning Runner

2012-01-19T09:31:00.001-06:00

Last night's run sucked a**.

I know we all have 'em, it's just been so long since I've had one: a crap-filled run. I said to Geof that I couldn't remember feeling more awkward running, other than my first run back after Vermont 100 in 2009 (my first hundie).

Everything felt off. My feet felt like balloons. My ankles felt brittle and ached. My knees ached, too. My hips and hamstrings felt tight. My stomach was sour. My mind, good grief my mind, was on a rampage. The wind howled on the way out, but pushed us along nicely on the way back. We both grunted and grimaced most of the way, otherwise running in silence. At least we were in the same boat :)

Four miles never felt so long. My legs never felt so slow. The night never felt so foreboding. City noises never annoyed me so much. All I could think about was getting home to warmth...and pizza.

I am definitely a morning runner. Especially in winter.

This morning's run was infinitely better. But the bitter taste of a crappy run still sat on my tongue. Good thing it's nothing a hot cup of black tea can't snuff out!

I can't wait for tomorrow's run :)

Random Nature Note:

Last night we came home to our mini-tree/plant-that-we-are-unsure-of-what-it-is (aka "Stella") drooped at a 90 degree angle, leaves pitifully limp and dangling ominously. I never realized how attached I am to our house plants until that moment. My heart began to sink. "Stella!" I poured her a tall drink of water as we left for our run. When we came back, I hopped into a hot shower and Geof burst into the bathroom, "Stella just shot straight up!" When I finished, I stole a peek and sure enough, she was standing fully upright, leaves once again wide and firm. Stella was once again stunning :) Isn't that incredible?

Nature, my friends, is awesome.

Paige, out.

Grass-letes

2012-01-17T12:28:00.002-06:00

WARNING: Shameless Plug Follows!

It's official, Geof and I are now officially grass fed grassletes!! We've really been grass fed for well over a year now, but as of last week we are now on the Amazing Grass Athlete roster. Exciting!
(*I made up the term 'grasslete'. I must take full blame for eye roll inducing words/phrases. I felt pretty clever when I came up with that one ;))

We've been Grassheads for awhile and have really enjoyed the myriad benefits of getting a lot of our organic superfoods from Amazing Grass. When we finally decided to make a healthy balanced diet a part of an overall lifestyle change it really only made sense. Amazing Grass is a rockin' little company that makes some seriously awesome product, the benefits of which roll over nicely into our running lifestyle. Have you ever tried any of their stuff? Check it out if you haven't! They sell "sample" versions online of a lot of their drinks and bars, so it's cheap and easy to try out. I also know that Whole Foods sells Amazing Grass if you prefer the brick-and-mortar experience.

We like to nosh on the AG Green SuperFood Energy Bars after long runs, or even just on long car rides where my need to eat incessantly gets in the way of making progress (as well as my need to use the ladies' room every 30 minutes...c'mon, I have a very lady-like bladder!) :) And 2-3 scoops of the Berry Green SuperFood goes in our daily morning smoothies. It tastes so GOOD! Looks disgusting, for sure, but seriously the flavor is awesome.

So, shameless plug aside, I enjoy being able to represent completely awesome brands (see the Serious Support tab above for evidence), and when this opportunity presented itself we could not resist. We actually use the stuff daily, and love it. So I feel pretty good about plugging it all here.

For transparency's sake, there is absolutely no financial gain on our part by endorsing these guys. The only gains are warm fuzzies, knowing we get to represent a brand we love and believe in. How 'bout them apples! If you're curious, I suggest checking out Amazing Grass if you feel like getting your personal health philosophy rocked n' rolled by a completely Amazing experience.

And in other running news, we had a totally Amazing T10 this morning! Warm, windy on the way back, drizzly, and wonderful! Today marks day 20 of our running streak, a PR by about 15 days, heh :) Legs are feeling pretty good, and mind and body are very, very happy. Onward!

Paige, out.

Fastest Guns in the (Mid)West

2012-01-11T12:44:00.001-06:00

Okay, not really, but that's what popped into my head when I started dreaming up the title for this post :) But, it's not totally unrelated to the content...!

Saturday morning we're up at the crack of yeehaw dreaming up our run for the day. We were planning to head up to the Kettle Moraine since the weather was phenomenal (full sun, 30s, rockin' awesome) and began to make motions towards that goal. Some mid-winter camping had been on the agenda as well, but we scratched that idea upon waking Saturday morning. We also wanted to make our usual stop at the La Grange General Store for lunch, so that meant we needed to get the show on the road.

For as early as we got up, we didn't end up heading out the door until close to noon :) What on earth were we doing all that time? I have no idea. So, to the Nordic trail we headed! We're within 20 minutes of our final destination when I decide Facebook needs to know what we're up to, so I post a quick little status update. Almost instantly (not really, it just seemed like it) I got a reply from Brian telling me to check out a post from someone else and to "be careful out there." Ummmmm, what?

I couldn't see the post so I asked what it said and he sent me a text with the information...basically, there was a gunman on the loose on the Nordic trails and a fellow runner was greeted by 20 some odd policemen with their guns drawn when she came off the trails after her run. She ran right by the guy!

In any event, we had no idea what the trail situation would be so we started altering our plan a bit. We pulled up to the Nordic trailhead only to see that it has been blockaded and an officer steps out of his truck to speak with Geof while another officer is off to the side doing nothing out of the ordinary...you know, just strapping on a bulky bullet proof vest and tossing an enormous gun across his back. Gave me chills!

So it turns out, allegedly, some dude not wearing blaze orange (i.e. in plain clothes) shot directly at a hunter and his son, the hunter shot back, and then the dude took off. Police were on the hunt for him, choppers were called, area houses were put on lockdown, and the Nordic trails were closed off. But, according to the gent Geof spoke with, it was okay to run the trails across the street. Seriously? How was that expected to be safe? Heh.

In the end, all we could find out was that the search was "called off" later that evening. No explanation of what happened, or why it was called off, or if they caught their perp. Nothing. Isn't that strange?

We ended up driving up the road to the Highway 12 trailhead and ran to Rice Lake and back. It was AWESOME! Lots of hunters out on the trail, which is always creepy feeling, but they are always very nice to us. I love this section of the KM100. It's technical, it's hilly, it twisty-turny. Lots of rocks, a miniature pine tree alley that makes me feel extremely tall as we run beneath the stunted canopy of pine. I endeavored to run the entire way out; running every up and every down, maintaining a consistent cadence the whole way. I did it, too :) It burned on some of the steeper climbs, but I was able to keep moving at the same pace regardless. We reached the turnaround at Rice Lake and headed back the way we came. I kept the same goal in mind, but at two of the sections with railroad tie stairs (going up this time) I let myself reduce to a brisk hike for a moment, but still the same cadence. It felt so good. The weather was just fantastic, and other than the sprinkling of hunters alongside the trail near County Road P, we more or less had the trail to ourselves. Some spots were a little mucky, but for the most part it was in great shape.

I wore my La Sportiva Quantums and enjoyed a solid ride the whole way. When you step in tacky mud it sounds like peeling velcro as my foot leaves the mud. It sounds pretty funny, but it also means I'm getting great traction even on the slippy-slidey stuff.

After wrapping up our run we quickly changed and headed for the warm goodness of the General Store. We shared a hot Fajita Pita for lunch, and I enjoyed my very first kombucha tea (ummmm, holy deliciousness!). There was a specific dinner spot we had in mind on the way home, so we didn't want to spoil our appetites before we got there.

After sufficiently relaxing our legs and bellies we hopped back in the truck and headed for Woodstock, IL an hour or so away. The Woodstock Public House has the sort of charm and ambiance I think only exists in movies or made-for-TV-dramas. I'm pretty sure I mentioned it before (when we went apple picking back in the fall), but the town square is so perfectly perfect it makes me squeal with delight when I see it. We parked on the far end and walked around the Square to the Pub where we grabbed a high-top in the front room (it has the best people watching :)). I ordered the most divine pumpkin harvest soup and melted into the bowl as I drained it of every last drop.

A nearly full moon over Main Street

We walked around the Square once more on the way back to the truck, and we dreamed up Sunday's run/workout. The day wasn't even done and I was already chomping at the bit for the next day's run :)

And, in closing, I stumbled upon Joe Grant's blog yesterday (if you don't follow it you should consider it :)) and fell in love with the writing. He's got great style. He wrote a short post on his 2011 streak and I cannot get this clip from his post out of my head...it's some serious truth:

"There's something special about devoting, even the smallest amount of time, each day to something that you love. In many ways, it is no longer a question as to whether or not I will run today, but rather about the excitement and anticipation of what the run will bring."

And that is yet another reason I run...for "the excitement and anticipation of what the run will bring."

Paige, out.

The Art of Running

2012-01-11T09:09:00.000-06:00

Remember the Bumper Stickers from back in February? I'm looking into getting some more on hand so I can do another giveaway, but in the midst of my looking into this they asked me if I'd like to try out a product from their sister company, Easy Canvas Prints, in the meantime. I checked it out, played around on the site some and decided I could make it pretty running related. So, I said sure (one of my new years goals: say yes more!)!

The company name is pretty straight forward and leaves nothing to the imagination, as they are exactly that...easy canvas prints. You upload a photo you want...canvased? (is that even a word?)...select the size you want, and then fork over some moola. Pretty simple, and a great way to memorialize a favorite photo in a slightly different way than you would likely normally do. It was fun!

I picked the 8"x10" size and uploaded one of my favorite race pictures. Geof and I liked it so much that we even included it on the backside of our wedding invitations :) Here's a pic of the final product:

The lighting in the living room wasn't that great this morning, but the print looks really great in person, just like the original photo but with an artistic touch to it! I am blanking on who shot this photo originally, but it was either Kelly Gaines or Gretchen. It's from the 2010 Rio Del Lago 100. Geof is walking with me across No Hands Bridge around mile 40 of the course. It was hot, hot, hot that day and when he let go and waved me on I began troubleshooting my situation, preparing to lose my cookies for the first time in a race before pulling it together and finishing up in fine fashion. It was a fantastic day, and a great race. This photo makes me smile so much :)

If you've got a picture you want to do something special with then I definitely recommend your checking this out. I think Groupon and Living Social have a lot of deals for this sort of thing, too. So keep an eye out, or hop on over to Easy Canvas Prints to see what they can do for you.

Now who ever said running isn't an art?!

Paige, out.

NON-RUNNING CONTENT...But Still Pretty Cool

2012-01-05T12:57:00.001-06:00

Now it's at four posts in five days...amazing! :)

Here's a little peak into my non-running life (does such a thing exist?!)...My older brother, Tate, has a band called How Far to Austin and I just received their newsletter containing a link to a music video they made recently.

It's AWESOME! I got goosebumps watching it, then I wanted to dance so I watched it again! It's their version of Tina Turner's "Proud Mary" and it'll give you a pants party.

How Far to Austin - Proud Mary Video

My brother is the guitarist, in flannel (how many of you were able to pick him out??). He looks just like me so you can't miss him :) Except I have a flatter set of abs currently (shhhhhh, this'll fire him up!) and he is quite a bit funnier. I have much to learn about the written word from him.

Me and my big brother

My sister-in-law, Katie, is the female vocalist. She's got some serious chords. My niece has some big shoes to fill!

Anywho, I was just so dang proud that I wanted to share it here. I remember Tate's first electric guitar and watching him play the first few chords of some Jimmy Hendrix song over and over and over because I'm pretty sure that's all he knew how to play. Now he's a bonafide Chicago rockstar. Pretty neat. Makes my running seem so...pedestrian :)

Enjoy!

Paige, out.

Here and There

2012-01-04T17:13:00.001-06:00

Wow, three posts in the span of four days...it's like the old days of blogging, when I'd post every time I batted an eye ;)

It's been pretty cold here the last week or so...I'm talking downright arctic blast. At least for me; at this point; compared to, like, Southern California. Or maybe not. I have no idea what SoCal's weather is currently like :)

We've resolved to train through the winter, as usual, which means running in friggin' cold temps since the new year. Good thing I've learned how to dress for the cold. Except for my hands. I managed to under-think it yesterday and didn't grab my windproof mittens for our Tuesday Ten and my fingertips were in pain for far too long afterward. Lesson learned.

Another lesson learned. A really good running jacket makes the world go round. Or at least it makes the cold miles fly by. I went out on a limb and snagged a jacket that cost more than $40, and wasn't on the REI clearance rack :) I bought the Brooks Inifiniti Jacket. Me likey. This isn't a product review; I just love this jacket so much I wanted to share it with the world. It's pretty thin and very lightweight (no lining), and has really awesome windproof-ness and some waterproof-ness. I also like that it has what I'm calling 'wrist gaiters'. I don't know what they're really called, but I love them, and they have thumb holes. Which I also love, but don't use much since it's buttass cold and I'm wearing gloves anyhow. Since it's not insulated you do need to layer up underneath, which I am a big fan of. Layers, that is. I'm also a big fan of walnuts these days, but that's neither here nor there.

So, if you're in the market for a new winter running jacket, and already are a fan of layering, I recommend this jacket.

Speaking of running, Tuesday Ten was fabulous. We ran a modified route due to ice and crap covering our usual route, and due to my paralyzing fear of ice. Our runs are a fair bit slower during times of frozen stuff, but that's okay; it teaches me patience...and how to settle down quickly when my heart rate has spiked through the roof because I merely saw a patch of ice off in the distance. (Imagine what it's like when I'm actually running through ice. I get instant hot sweats and my heart pounds ferociously in my chest whilst breathing heavily. Oooo, even just thinking about it gets my heart pounding!)

In any event, we've been enjoying playing along with 31 Days of Adventures! It's so simple and fun, nothing crazy, just ways to help you see and exeperience your world a little differently. If you want to join in, it's not too late! You can do make-up work :) Today's adventure is to learn something new. I'm going to learn how to make mashed cauliflower (like mashed taters, except different :)).

Photo: www.buttermilkpress.com

See, nothing crazy, just fun. I'm documenting my 31 Adventures on Twitter, so if you want to keep up you can follow me there. My twitter name (or whatever that is called!) is @paigeruns. Fitting, no?

I've got a fun little giveaway in the works, so stay tuned for that! Oooooo, a giveaway! And it's running related, too :)

Happy First Week of 2012 (aka The Year of Woohoo!)!

Paige, out.

2011: You Were Good To Me

2012-01-02T09:18:00.001-06:00

I'm a big fan of reflection. I like glancing back at all things awesome, and I like sharing it here, whether you like it or not :) It's a new year, so that grants me a brief window of time in which to indulgently reflect on the past year and appreciate all the friggin' amazing things that happened.

We ran a LOT (for me, anyway), went to some really great places (Moab, Salt Lake, Park City, Denver, Hawai'i, Arizona, Arches National Park), did some cool things (ran slickrock, through slot canyons, through the desert; got married (!!); got to watch our good friends Brian and Kelly become parents for the first time (!!); earned some PRs; took some leaps of faith; paid off debt; earned a pair of Boston qualifying times), made some great new friends, and said yes more than no.

It was an all around magical, fantasy-sequence kind of year. If I were to do 2011 all over again I wouldn't change a single thing. And I can say that with absolute confidence. That feels awesome.

Instead of recapping some highlights of the year via the written word, I thought I'd take a card from Meghan Hicks' stack and try something a little different...explore the year via photos. You should read her recap post HERE. The music, the photography, is beautiful. Thank you for the inspiration, MH!

So, come, follow me along on a quick journey through the last year :) Thank you for being a part of it and thank you for reading. I sincerely appreciate it!

January:

Windburn Six in the Stix...brrrrrr! Photo: Kelly Gaines

February:

Moab's Red Hot 55k...holy tough course! Photo: Rob Corson

March:

Horseriders 34 Miler...oh the MUD! Photo: Kelly Gaines

April:

Crossroads of Indiana Marathon...hello Boston! Photo: Action Sports Images

Bachelorette Party!! Photo: Tilly Troelstrup

May:

Ice Age 50...my second favorite PR :) Photo: Michele Hartwig

We got married! Photo: Matt Dunmore Photography

Hawai'ian Honeymoon...ooo la la

June:

June was a whole lot of post-wedding and honeymoon rest and getting ready to start Javelina training, and apparently it was a non-photogenic month for us :)

July:

Sunburn Six in the Stix...First Female Overall! Photo: Kelly Gaines

August:

Palos Hills 32.4 Mile. Photo: Kelly Gaines

September:

I turned 30!! And, I discover a love for apricot beer via Pyramid Brewery's Apricot Ale :)

Hiking just above Nederland, Colorado with Julia, Charlie dog, and Geof

My first 50 mile PR of the year (North Face 50 - Madison): 8:35, and a photo with Dean Karnazes. I'm pretty sure his legs were more shaved than mine that day...

October:

Our second/new 50 Mile PR (Des Plaines River Trail Races): 7:44! Photo: Bill Thom

November:

My favorite PR of the year: Javelina Jundred: 22:40. What a day! Photo: Vens

December:

December was focused on finishing up Mission: 2000, and enjoying the sights and sounds of the season. We're both suckers for the holiday season :)

Our tree! Brrr, it was chilly that day, but completely wonderful

Christmas Eve with the Kings! Photo: Kevin King

And our traditional Elf Yourself skit with Brian and Kelly, and now baby Caleb, too!

But out of all the amazing things I got to do and experience this year, the absolute best thing was this:

Marrying the dude of my dreams :)
Photo: Matt Dunmore Photography

Happy New Year!

Paige, out.

Mission: 2000: Accomplished

2012-01-01T10:34:00.001-06:00

I did it! Two thousand miles, DONE! Well, 2000.6 to be exact.

I knew it could be done, but the immune systems gods tried their best to keep me down...I hacked and coughed, and blew my nose the majority of the final 22 miles this week, but I made it. And found that a temporary cure for a head cold comes in the form of running. Works better than any over-the-counter remedy out there :)

And now I'm going to get all number-y on you :)

Previous highest mileage year: 2010 - 1,341.5
2011: 2000.6 miles (659.1 miles more than 2010, bam!)
Hours running: ~311
Run entries: 244
Average run distance: ~8.2 miles
Average pace for all 244 runs: 9:18 (that's a considerable drop from 2010's average pace of 11:36, yowza!)
If I ran west from my front door for 2000 miles, I could get to: Bend, Oregon
If I ran east from my front door for 2000 miles, I could get to: Portland, Maine and still have 600+ miles to cover...but Google maps won't let me run across a glacier for some reason, so, Maine it is!
Races: 9
Race mileage: 402.6 (I liked focusing less on racing and more on high quality training...and I think it paid off pretty well. I plan to do this again in 2012: less racing, more training and loving it.)

It was a highly successful year over here, too, and I'm mostly going to outline the below items for my own personal need to document so that when I'm old I can look back and reminisce about the days of yore...and chuckle and say, "dang, I used to be so slow and lazy when I was younger!" :) So skip this brag-y part if you like.

PRs:
Marathon: 3:39 (Crossroads of Indiana)
50k: 5:12 (Ice Age)
50 Mile: 7:44 (Des Plaines River Trail Races)
100 Mile: 22:40 (Javelina Jundred)
Pairs of running shoes in my closet at one time: 12
Number of Honey Stinger Waffles before I thought I'd toss my cookies: 12 (I need to work on this)
Number of falls on the exact same spot on my right knee, drawing good blood: 2
Number of injuries: 0
Number of sissy pains that my awesome ART/chiropractor worked on: 2

And that's a wrap folks!

What a fantastic year 2011 was! I sincerely look forward to all that 2012 has to offer, and I plan to take advantage of every bit of it...and running better than ever. It doesn't get much better than running a full year injury free, faster than I have before and farther than I have before...except for being able to repeat that same formula, and then some in the following year :)

So now that I've made you gag with this post, I'm simultaneously working on a different sort of 2011 wrap-up post, with pictures this time :)

I honestly wish you all the best in the new year, and I hope that you find and/or continue to cultivate your Serious Case of the Runs. We are a lucky folk who find joy in running. Now get off your computer/phone/tablet/whatever you're reading this from and go for a RUN!!

Paige, out.

2012...I'm comin' fah YOU!

Photo credit: K. Troelstrup

I Am ALIVE!

2011-12-29T10:13:00.001-06:00

I survived the unthinkable, all out war, pure massacre on my immune system...the combination head and chest cold.

Okay, so it's really not that big a deal, but for someone who just plain does not get sick, it's a pretty big deal :)

This was the first time I've had to call in sick to work in over two years. I probably could have taken one more day today, but when I woke up and felt better than I did yesterday I was too excited! Work, oh glorious work! World, people, sun!!

I am really terrible at being sick. Really. I must have slept about 14 hours worth of naps yesterday. And in between hour and a half nap stints I would walk around our empty apartment, stare out the window, flip through an Ultrarunning magazine for about two minutes, stare at the wall for another couple minutes, boil water for a cup of tea, then crawl back into bed for another nap. I don't know how people do it. I work with people who call in "sick" every week. They must get reallllly bored ;)

In any event, I haven't run a step since Monday afternoon, and I am really looking forward to running, and wrapping up Mission: 2000. Just 18 measly miles left on the radar before I can call myself a 2000 mile runner. I will love every step; I always do.

I did ponder 2012 goals a bit, while cooking up some quinoa for dinner last night, and today I checked into Gretchen's blog and found THIS. I dig it. That's a good way to start the new year. Thirty-one days of adventure. Sounds right up my alley. I'd also like to set a higher mileage goal for the year. Those are always fun to do. And some time goals for a couple of races. But, I'll save that for a forthcoming post. 2012 is going to be another really amazing year with loads of adventure awaiting us, including a really, really big adventure. But I can't write about that until it's really set in stone :) How 'bout that for a teaser?!

For now, I'm looking forward to putting pavement to feet later this evening with my number one :)

Paige, out.

Mission: 2000...Update Ver. 2.0

2011-12-20T15:49:00.001-06:00

This is generally the time of year I enjoy E-reflecting upon the previous 330+ days and spin off into a vaguely (read: entirely) self-centered, excited ramble about all the glorious things we've seen and done over the course of the year.
(I just physically winked as I typed that, FYI.) (I also had my tongue firmly in my cheek.) (Here's a grain of salt; would you like more?)

I digress.

However, I am still hard at work on one final goal for the year, and will thus hold off on the aforementioned excited rambling. But, have no fear, it is forthcoming, in some form or another. What's a calendar running year without a blog post summing up all things awesome? Exactly.

I digress, again.

Mission: 2000 is getting close to wrapping up, ooooo-weeeeee! Today I pole-vaulted over 1,960 miles. Boom. We've been keeping things short and sweet and aiming for simple maintenance and quick recovery. Though, we have been pushing the pace pretty hard most days as a result of the short distance runs :)

Sunday, we headed back to the Little Red School House loop in Palos Forest Preserve and staged a smackdown with the 8.3 mile loop, finishing more than 2 minutes faster than we ran it the week before. And this week we had the "pleasure" of slip-slidding along the trail in what was easily the muddiest I have ever seen it. Of course, we felt pretty guilty running such a muddy trail (you're supposed to stay off the single track when it's wet). We're rebels without a cause. Please forgive us, trail gods! The trail repaid us by smothering us from mid-thigh down in thick muck, and the prickly plants alongside the trail reached out and scrapped my pale sun-starved legs. I have a few scabbed lashings to prove it.

It was totally worth it.

Despite the terrain, we still showed it who's boss and we finished up in fine time. I was sucking air so hard I thought my lungs would explode. I knew we were close on time, and Geof had been pulling me along as it were, but I unearthed a hidden reserve of power lingering in the shadows as we found ourselves in the final mile. Geof was smooth and appeared to exert almost no effort as I cranked it up alongside him, turning the legs over as fast as I could muster at that time, letting the finish reel us in. In just over 8 miles I managed to leave it all out on the trail.

That felt really, really good.

By the way, I wish you a very supremely merry Holiday! Whichever and whatever it may be, I hope you find a heaping serving of joy, love, happiness, and many, many miles :)

Paige, out.

The Trail Poet Cometh

2011-12-14T09:14:00.002-06:00

Stepping out of the warmth of the truck,
the cold nips at my cheeks and nose.
I yank at a zipper that won't come unstuck,
as a high-speed chill runs straight to my toes.

Breath comes out in big white puffs,
as we step onto the trail to begin our run.
Thankful to have remembered my gloves,
as frozen hands are just no fun.

Ah, the feel of a half frozen trail,
beneath our road weary feet.
It's sort of like the runners' holy grail,
when a wintery trail you do meet.

A thin blanket of winter layers the ground,
and the forest flora has taken its leave.
With hardly a glance and barely a sound,
we move through the forest with a bob and a weave.

The trail twists and takes a turn,
rolls up high and descends down low.
Oh for this how long I do yearn,
for winter's first run covered in snow!

The cold air burns my lungs and stings my face,
and my smile is frozen in time.
But I couldn't care less as I aim to embrace,
this loveliest of runs along a moraine spine!

We pick up the pace and push the hill,
winding down the singletrack.
With joy and excitment my heart does fill,
I savor these moments and don't look back.

A nice easy trail run
has officially become fast.
But hey, a little fartlek can be fun,
especially when you're already having a blast.

Before we know it we reach the end,
"Wow, that was fast! What time did you get?"
Oh how I've missed the trail, my dear friend.
"Lets get burrittos before this stomach does fret!"

There's little I love more than trail weary legs and Saturday's trail run was just what the body ordered. First trail run since JJ100 over a month ago. The Little Red School House loop did not disappoint :)

Paige, out.

Pocket Change

2011-12-08T17:01:00.001-06:00

I was contacted by a cute little website called PocketChange earlier this week about being included in their weekly "Best of the Web" feature. I'd never heard of these folks before, so I decided to do some research and find out what their dealio is. Pretty interesting, a complete mish-mash of pretty much everything. I like the vibe, so I obliged. I dig it, so I wanted to share it with you :)

You can find the feature (and other neat-o blogs featured this week as well) right HERE.

Hey, it's almost Friday, and, this week, that means Holiday Party!

Paige, out.

Mission: 2000...update

2011-12-07T12:43:00.002-06:00

Today's run officially pushed me over 1,900 miles. Only 100 more miles to victory! The official "start date" for Zane Grey training is also fast approaching, so hitting this milestone will be a nice way to kick off the new training season.

Goodness gracious, I sure do love running!

And now for a photo completely unrelated to Mission: 2000...one from the JJ100 course:

Photo credit: Manoj Nagalla

I can't believe it's only been 3-1/2 weeks since JJ100. Seems like a lifetime ago!

Paige, out.

Mission: 2000

2011-11-30T10:18:00.000-06:00

This morning's run marked the official start of winter running for the Serious Case of the Runs household. The mercury would only reach 27 degrees before we stepped out the door. And, as Rob C. would say, the "real feel/sissy temp" was a weak 22 degrees. This was definitely going to be a long tights sort of run. Ah well, it was going to happen sooner or later :)
That said, I do love cold weather running! As long as there's no ice I am a happy camper. Less sweating, faster turnover, fresher legs, happy lungs. It's all good.

Oh yea, I've been running :) Recovery post-JJ100 has been a whole new experience for me this time around. It's been really good! We took a full week off right after the race, then started back nice and easy the following Monday, and have taken just one day off since. I am pleasantly surprised (as is Geof) with how well recovery has gone. Legs feel fresh, and certainly not as if they ran over 100 miles less than three weeks ago. The body has bounced back like a friggin' champ. Not to mention my melon. Usually, post-100, I am mentally wiped and really looking forward to the time off from running. Not so this time! Geof and I were both ready to get back at it a mere three days later, so holding back for a week was harder than we expected. But we were good little athletes and didn't run a step that week, not even across the street. Though, I may have broken into a run if a block of manchego cheese had been waiting for me on the other side ;)

I have a new goal now. One last little thing to squeeze in before the new year :) This year has been so good to me, and I managed to achieve every single one of my goals set back in March. So I figure, I'm so close now, I may as well just go for it. I am going to place a little bit of blame on Jennifer Leslie for encouraging me ;)

I'm shooting to hit 2000 running miles by the close of December 31, 2011. Before this year, my highest yearly mileage was 1,314 miles. I'm now knocking on 1,900 miles. I can easily lay out 100+ miles in the next 4.5 weeks :) Jennifer and I plotted it out casually at the last New Leaf Ultra Runs club run two weeks ago (where Geof and I cheered everyone else on, and stuck to the sidelines). She is just as close as I am and has also never hit this high of mileage. So we're both aiming to hit or break 2000. Yeah teamwork! Yeah good bad influences! ;-)

Yesterday we managed to sleep in a little bit and were unable to get in our morning run, so I decided a night run was going to be in order. Two thousand miles don't run themselves. However, Mother Nature was P-O'd yesterday and was whipping waves over the path and onto lawns and such, in addition to blowing winds in excess of 50 mph. So, I decided it would be prudent to stay inside, especially since it was dark already and Geof had a work function to attend...and I tend to get thrown around like a rag doll in winds that strong. To the treadmills! I haven't run on the treadmill since maybe February when it was really icy outside. It went very well though. I was ready to pull the plug at 3 miles out of sheer boredom, but then I found some fun mind games to play and keep mentally occupied through 6 miles. I played with the incline (our building got new treadmills I think because now they go up to 15% incline, hellz yeah!), and did some interval work. That was fun! I almost forgot what it was like to sweat, but this run reminded me I can sweat like a dude when on the treadmill ;)

Oh, I almost forgot! Speaking of bad influences...Brian Gaines... April 21st we'll be running the Zane Grey Highline Trail 50 Mile in Pine, Arizona. It's going to be a birthday run for Brian, and Geof and I are along for the celebration and masochism. Kelly and Caleb will bear witness to the insanity. I mean really, what are we thinking? Geof and I hmm'd and haw'd about it for awhile, but Brian reminded us it was going to sell out so we made a snap decision and signed up. COMPLETELY outside our comfort zone, and for that very reason I am very excited about it! I figure, you need to do at least one big thing per year that really terrifies you. Zane Grey sorta terrifies this flatland, nontechnical Midwesterner. And the snakes give Geof the heebie jeebies. So that'll be interesting! The average finish time is 13.5 hours. The Hardrock Honey, Diana Finkel, ran it in 11.5 hours this year, holy EFF! She lives and trains in the mountains. The winner does it in about 8.5-9 hours. This could be a nice LONG day of speed hiking for us. And totally awesome :)

We're still working on our schedule for next year, and I'm mulling over new goals. I'm finding that setting reasonable but worthy goals and making them public makes a big difference. I highly recommend it! More on that later.

Paige, out.

2011 Javelina Jundred 100 Mile Run: Desert Dancing

2011-11-18T13:55:00.002-06:00

Before I get started, here's a quick peek inside the contents of my mind this past Saturday as we ran around the Arizona desert. I'd like to call it the 100 Mile Mental Montage:

You just gotta ignite, the light, and let it shine/blah-betty-blah/'Cause baby you're a firework/Come on, show 'em what you're worth/Make 'em go "Oh, oh, oh"/As you shoot across the sky-y-y
Baby, you're a fiiiiiiiiirework/blah-betty-blah-blah/Make 'em go "Oh, oh, oh"/You're gonna leave 'em all in awe, awe, awe/blah-betty-blaaaaaahhhhhh/brighter than the moon (courtesy of Katy Perry)
*record scratching*
I wish nothing but the best for youuuuuuuuu/Don't forget me, I know I re-emember you saaaaaid/Sometimes it lasts in love, but sometimes it hurts insteaaaaaaad... (Courtesy of Adele)
*record scratching*
Welcome hooo-ooooooooo-oh oh oh ooommmmme, blah blah blah blah blah blah blah (Courtesy of Radical Face)
*record scratching*
I'm too embarrassed to admit the fourth song that was stuck in my head. I don't know how it got there. What music happens in my head in the desert, stays in my head for fear of e-laughing and e-pointing. For shame!

I must admit, the segues into each of the above four songs got smoother and more creative as the day went on. It was like I had a professional mixmaster in my head. Except that the mixmaster only had four songs to work with. For 22+ hours straight. I'll also admit that the above lyrics are verbatim from my head. I don't know any lyrics beyond the above, so don't hold me accountable for any inaccuracies. And I'm convinced that "blah-betty-blah" is really in those songs. Who can understand what they're saying anyway?!

Moving on.

The 2011 Javelina Jundred 100 Mile Run (that is actually 101.4 miles) was a mindblowing success! I don't even know where to begin, so I'll just start and see where I end up :) Oh, and it's going to be realllllly long. Grab some hydration, something to snack on, and a warm fuzzy to cozy up with :)

Geof and I flew into Phoenix Friday morning and hooked up with Brian and Kelly (aka "Brelly") and baby Caleb at the airport. We hopped in our rented hoopty, Caleb between Geof and I in the back seat, and I commenced with the goo-goo ga-ga'ing with Caleb while everyone else held intelligent, adult conversation, of which I heard nothing. I was very engrossed in the insane adorableness of Caleb.

Exhibit 1 of Insane Adorableness

After checking in at the fabulous Holiday Inn Express - Fountain Hills, we decided to get lunch at Fireside Grill (which is conveniently located inside the hotel). YUM. If you plan on running/crewing/pacing JJ, ever, stay at the Holiday Inn and eat every meal you can at the Fireside.

After doing some arranging of things, doing leaps across our awkwardly large room, and sniffing the really nice hotel toiletries (coconut lime verbena Bath and Body Works products, hello!), we met back up with Brelly and headed to McDowell Mountain Park to pick up our packets, hang out, enjoy the pre-race dinner and sit in on the pre-race meeting. This year (compared to 2009) was super relaxed and laid back. I ran into lots of peeps who read my blog (which always makes me blush), and finally met JojaJogger! We gathered with other Chicago-area runners in town for the race, took some pictures, and then got in line for some grub. P.F. Chang's was catering the dinner, and it was actually quite delish. Rices, noodles, veggies, some other stuff that I didn't touch, and then three huge sheet cakes. The ratio of rice and noodles to cake was somewhat...skewed...on my part :) And oh so delicous!

After we wrapped up dinner, the five of us headed back to the hotel. We said goodnight to the Brelly family, and immediately set about organizing our one drop bag (at the midway point of the loop, Jackass Junction), and our bag for the start/finish area. JJ100 consists of six 15.4 mile loops, and a seventh loop of about 9.4 miles. You always come back to Jeadquarters and then turn around and run in the direction you just came from (called 'washing machine' loops). This means you get to see everyone throughout the day, and keep tabs on the front of the pack, which is amazingly fun to watch unfold.

I felt a little parched, so once we finished our OCD race prep, we moseyed down to the Fireside Grill to enjoy our traditional pre-race libation: Coors Light. Nothing better :)

We both slept like babies. It was amazing. I woke up really awake, and really nervous. Geof went about his bid'ness and I about mine. We met up with Brelly outside and drove the 20 minutes over to the park around 5:00 a.m. I stared out the window at the full moon, pondering such things as mortality, why I'm about to do what I'm about to do, what kind of cheese I want to eat when we're done, and things of that nature. When we arrived at the park, we made a beeline for the shelter at the start/finish to set up our bags and ensure that we'd have a dry place for our things in the event of rain, which had been forecast for Sunday morning early. While we certainly took the possibility of rain into consideration, for some reason I didn't take it very seriously. We decided to leave our rain shells in the trunk of the car, so they weren't taking up room in our bag, but still accessible if needed. The start was cool, but warmer than I thought it might be, in the low 50s I believe. But combined with nerves and not a ton of sleep, it felt cooler than that. I cuddled up to a cup of hot coffee and walked around some, in a complete daze. I was reciting some go-to positive affirmations that I've found to be beneficial when its crunch time. Settling the mind and easing the butterflies.

For the first time ever in a 100 mile race, I felt ready, determined, and completely confident in my ability to achieve what I was setting out to do. There was no way in hell we weren't finishing under 24 hours. Just no way.

Just before the start!
Photo credit: Jen Birkner

What's up Javelina Jundred, I'm gonna make you my b****! I thought that to myself as we lined up behind the start line. And suddenly, I wanted to dance. But I didn't, so I did a dance in my head :)

With a little fan fare, but an intense buzzing of excitement, 396 brave souls set out down the trail, running in the clockwise direction. Headlamps glowed in the dark morning air, bouncing up and down, side to side. I noted how very little chatter there was. Everyone folded up inside themselves, contemplating the task that lay before them. It felt very dream-like those first few minutes. Geof and I started near mid-to-back of the pack and were encased in a heavy clump of bodies, worming our way along the double-wide trail, seemingly as one entity. The soft plod of feet on loose churned sand. I was thankful for the slow start, being stuck in such a dense pack of people. Plenty of walking in those first couple of miles up to the first aid station (Coyote Camp?). After that first aid station, the trail turns rocky. It was far rockier than I recall from pacing in 2009, and a lot longer than memory served. But, runnable nonetheless.

The clump finally broke up some and we were able to bob-and-weave our way around people. Chatter began, and I pieced together numerous tidbits of passing conversations into one complete thought in my head. A humorous way to pass the time :) Geof mentioned he wasn't exactly 'keen' on my sprinting ahead of large groups of people. I just wanted to get ahead of the social peeps and settle into a nice quiet spot. I didn't want to get roped into any conversations just yet. I was still seeking out my happy place. But, I tried my best to even things out a bit and slow some :) I tried. Before long, dawn turned into morning and the headlamps were shut off for good. A guy named Dallas caught up to us, scaring the bejeezus out of me. He apologized for the rampage and said he had been trying to catch us for a long time and wanted to see what it was like to run with #16 (me)...I refrained from mentioning that I picked my bib number, it wasn't a number given to me for being a fastie :) I just smiled to myself. He was sweet and held onto us for a bit before we cut ties. I think he passed us up, but don't quite recall now.

And just like that, Lap 1 was done. I knew we should keep pretty close to 3 hours, if not a little less, at first. We finished the first lap in 2:41. Boom. A little faster than I thought it would be, but totally rockin' because I felt awesome.

Rolling into Jeadquarters, 15.4 miles down
Photo credit: Kelly Gaines

I grabbed a few more waffles for my waist pack, dropped off my headlamp, and topped off my water bottle while Geof did the same, and we were out of there in a few minutes. Quick turnaround is absolutely key.

Heading in the direction we came from (counter-clockwise this time) we started to see everyone who was behind us. This is the coolest part of the course, seeing other runners. We ran all the way into the first aid station (Rattlesnake? Not sure), stopped for a quick porto-john visit and were out in a flash. It was very overcast, but still warming up nicely. We were moving really well and I was stoked about how good I felt, but still very cautious. One hundred miles is a loooong way to go, and nothing is guaranteed. It ain't over 'til the fat lady sings.

Geof and I are pretty quiet runners, but early on we were chatty and gossipy. I could tell Geof was debating something internally, but I didn't prod. Verbalizing things sometimes makes them worse. It was somewhere in this second loop that I enlisted a saying that Marshall Ulrich mentions using in his book "Running on Empty" (which you should absolutely read if you haven't already). When something started to act like it was going to bother me, I told myself, "Not my problem." And within moments, whatever it was would be gone; proof of how powerful the mind is. I know that a lot of the time most of the things that bother me are manufactured by my mind. So, I let it know it simply wasn't my problem. That twinge in my ankle? Not my problem. That could-be-a-hotspot starting? Not my problem. All that gas? Definitely not my problem...but certainly a problem for whomever was behind me ;)

We started a habit of discussing what we were going to do at each aid station before we approached it. I'd ask, "what do you want to do here?" and Geof would list out his tasks, and then I would follow suit. This was a handy little tactic. It kept our minds occupied, and it ensured we kept on task in aid stations rather than dilly-dallying.

And, once again, just like that we were back at Jeadquarters. I decided I would change my socks here for the first time. I had a couple hot-spotty areas on my right foot, so I did a quick wipe-down of the feet, reapplied Hydropel in key areas, and put on a fresh pair of Injinjis. This would end up being the only time I changed my socks. I freakin' love Injinji liner socks. Of course, I was wearing my usual La Sportiva Wildcats, and I never once changed out of those. First time I've worn the same shoes all the way through a 100 miler.

Re-affixing my gaiters after Lap 2
Photo credit: Kelly Gaines

This stop was a touch longer, and Geof changed his socks, too. He was having some very minor stomach woes and general blahs, but we were out of there in maybe 5 or so minutes.

Lap 3 started out well, and somewhere in the middle, in the seemingly interminable section between the 2-mile aid station and Jackass Junction (a really loooooong feeling 6-6.5 mile stretch of rocky, rolling, crap) we both mentioned feeling a bit off...sorta tired, sorta not, sorta blah, sorta not...a general malaise. We determined caffeine was in order. The best way I can describe how I felt was allergies. A stuffy head feeling. Once we FINALLY reached Jackass Junction (it only felt longer as the day wore on), we both downed some Coke. Holy EFF that was good! I'm not a soda drinker generally (I'll imbibe once in awhile, at Chipotle, with a burrito), but especially not during long races. The carbonation doesn't play nice with my tummy usually. But this time it really worked for me. Coke would end up being a staple for me during this race. I was downing a cup of it at every single aid station. And boy what a difference that made! I felt like a billion bucks a few minutes later, and so did Geof. We were in the warmest part of the day, and the sun was playing hide and seek with the clouds. Each time it peeked out from the clouds it felt incredibly hot on my skin. It was uncomfortable, and enough that I thought about ripping off every last bit of clothing and dunking myself in an invisible oasis of coolness, but thought better of it, mostly because I knew that oasis of coolness was only a mirage rippling on the horizon... I kept my RecoFit Armcoolers on because there was still a very nice breeze blowing on my sweaty arms creating a really awesome cooling sensation. I also kept on my RecoFit Calf Sleeves because they make my calves so dang happy, and now I have a really sexy calf sleeve tan :)

Somewhere on this lap I noticed my stomach sloshing. Normally, I know exactly what to do when this happens, and I acknowledged that in my head, but for whatever reason I couldn't extract that information. I asked Geof about it and he noted we were running pretty fast, in the heat, with a lot of liquids going in, so blood was getting shunted to the extremities and not enough was getting to the gut to aid in digestion and fluid absorption. I married one smart cookie :) So, we slowed to a ridiculously pedestrian walk for a number of minutes. And, sure enough, my stomach got its act together. I was able to answer nature's call, then I took one S!Cap (noting the time so that I could keep track of when to take another one), a small drink of water and then we picked it back up. I ended up doing this once or twice more throughout the run, and every time it worked like freaking magic. I eased up on the salt, even though it was still hot, and went from once per hour to once per 1.25 hours. Keeping track of that timing and calculating when I need it next also keeps the mind nicely occupied. Double bam.

Photo credit: Manoj Nagalla

I decided that the heat was "Not my problem" and kept my head down and my feet moving. We tore up the remainder of the loop and pulled into Jeadquarters in fine time, slowing a bit as expected. Here we decided to grab our headlamps as we weren't sure how long the fourth loop would take and wanted to be prepared just in case it stayed cloudy or the full moon didn't make it out in time.

Per my mental plan, we were officially halfway done with the "full-time" portion of the race. The first six laps were like working a 9-5. The final, seventh, lap was going to be our "over time/party" lap. Overtime is fun because you get paid time and a half, and who cares how long it takes, you're getting paid for it! ;) That's one way I kept it fun in my head, and one way I broke things up into bite-sized chunks. These are the things I think about on the trail.

Exhibit 2 of Insane Adorableness: Caleb giving Geof a pep talk, "listen, dude, you got this, just keep following that awesome wife of yours!" ;) Photo credit: Kelly Gaines

We also decided to grab our jackets, just in case it cooled off while we were out there. Not rain jackets, just something with some wind protection. We tied those around our waists and set our headlamps on our heads...and never once touched either of these things on our fourth lap :) But, better to have what you need on the trail and not use it, than to need it and not have it I guess!

Lap 4 was great. We traded places with fellow Chicagoan, Daniel Robinson. It was his first 100 miler and he was doing awesome! He was playing a similar game as us...run to that cactus...walk to the next ribbon...run to that sticky-outty bush...walk to the top of the hill...run to that cactusfeeling it the way I normally would. I could tell I had been running for quite a while, but my legs still felt fresh and springy. I was really surprised how loose and comfortable everything was. I was just a touch tired, as expected. I was keeping my mind in the present and thinking of nothing but the next hundred yards. I rarely looked up or ahead by much; my focus was very intense compared to prior races. I felt so comfortable, and my stride effortless. My breathing was even and conversational, and my mind was positive.

I felt happy.

I consciously smiled from time to time, to remind the rest of my body how happy I felt. I would get a surge of energy each time I did this. I also made sure to recite the things I was thankful for at any given moment. Cheesy, but highly effective in times of need: "I am so thankful for this perfect running weather...for the ability to run 100 miles...for my health...for the ability to run this race with my incredible husband...thankful for the ability to burp really loudly to release all that carbonation in my belly...the ability to pee frequently so that I know I'm properly hydrating...thankful for having four not totally awful songs stuck in my head...thankful for my DNF at Leadville last year and all the lessons I learned from it, like that quitting was in no way an option, petty weaknesses are not welcome on this day..." thankful for simply being.

And then we were at Jackass Junction, lookie here! Coke!

Jackass Junction...which was a total jackass to get to...

Photo credit: Manoj Nagalla

From Jackass, we landed a cozy spot behind a gal running an amazingly comfortable pace. THE perfect pace in my opinion. We clipped in behind her and matched her stride-for-stride. I was in a zone, completely off in my own world, concentrating only on the gals feet in front of me and making sure not to run her over. I could hear Geof making noises behind me but I wasn't registering them. I didn't want to pass her because I knew she was running everything and the rolling hilly section was upon us, which we would walk. Once the rollers started, we lost her for awhile. The gal said she'd see us again soon, and Geof said we'd make sure not to tailgate her next time...oh, oops. I was totally one of those runners just then. That's what he was chirping about :) Turns out, perfect-pace-gal was Jess Mullen. Boom. That was cool. I can't believe we were running stride-for-stride with her!

The darkness began to set in fairly quickly, around 5:30 or so, maybe even before then, but we kept pushing on refusing to turn on our headlamps. Our eyes adjusted and we rolled into Jeadquarters, 100k done, at precisely 6:06 p.m. (12h:06m for 100k...that's a dandy mid-100 PR!). I was on cloud nine and ready to kick some more ass and take a few more names. We took a little time here to reset and get Geof's stomach geared up. He seemed to be doing better, but a little cautious still. It was at this time that Kelly told us that race officials announced that they were expecting "significant rain" after midnight. We asked her if she could grab our rain shells from the car and put them in our bag at Jeadquarters so they'd be ready when we got back. Kelly is the trooper of all troopers, let me just say this now! She had Caleb with her all day, but carrying around, and feeding, another human being didn't stop her from being star crew and support for anyone who needed it in our group.

I decided against changing my socks at the 100k mark, as originally planned, since we were now going to encounter rain...what's the point? I told myself I'd change them after the fifth loop. I never did end up changing them again. Once your feet are wet enough it isn't uncomfortable. I got comfortable with being uncomfortable. After swapping out my arm sleeves and wet short sleeve shirt for a dry short sleeve under my favorite Icebreaker, and deciding against re-upping my stock of Honey Stinger in my waistpack, we were outta there.

Somewhere near the end of the fourth loop I decided my waffles and chews weren't sounding appetizing anymore. I've noticed this happening around the 45 mile mark in races of late, so I wasn't surprised when it popped up this day. It came on a little later, though, which was nice. I was thrilled to pieces when I saw that aid stations were stocking CarbBOOM! energy gels. I've only had this brand of gel once before, but I loved the flavor and texture of it, and that it's made of more natural ingredients. The apple cinnamon, peach banana, and grape pomegranate became my best friends, along with cups of Coke. I grabbed a couple gels at each aid station and stocked them in my skirt pocket. Eventually the gel texture made me want to gag, but it was way easier to just pour those down my throat rather than chew a waffle, so I stuck with the gels the remainder of the race and choked them down on schedule. I normally start to shirk my eating duties in the final few hours of a race and that always makes for a not-hot feeling, so I kept on top of it this time.

We are making our way up, up, up the sandy wash section of the clockwise fifth loop, pushing hard and I'm starting to sweat now. Headlamps are on as it's full-on dark and no moon in sight. I have a handheld in my hand. I never did end up using the handheld, but I kept it in my hand or pocket all night. Just in case :) We pulled into the 2 mile aid station and grabbed some Coke, and Gatorade for our bottles. And then the rain came. I look down at my watch and see that it is 10:30 p.m. WHAT. THE. EFF. Underneath the tent of the AS it sounds like it is just coming down in buckets. We put on our rain jackets, zipped up to our chins and set out into the wet night. Not 200 yards out from the tent the rain stops. "Bring an umbrella and it won't rain...forget it at home and it'll pour."

So, back around our waists our jackets go. This happened a few times in the next couple hours. The rain couldn't make up its mind. But whatever, we had work to do, and rain certainly wasn't going to stop us. The full moon began to push its way through the clouds to boast its mighty glow. My headlamp began to flicker a touch, but was still bright. I announced I'd like to change my batteries at Jeadquarters, before lap 6. By the Rattlesnake AS the rain became steady. It sounded ferocious underneath the tent of the AS, and was puddling beneath our feet. I was thankful to only have to run, and not have to stand still in the chilly, wet night for hours and hours. Those volunteers are saints of the highest order.

Pulling into Jeadquarters after a little more than four hours, almost an even split with the fourth lap. I swapped out my batteries and wiped my face off with a wet wipe. Heaaaaavenly. We both decided to brush our teeth after slamming a Starbucks Doubleshot. I was feeling great still, and that toothbrushing made my mouth sing. I was looking forward to our sixth lap, and saying goodbye to the parts of the course we'd not see again...Rattlesnake, flat runnable non-sandy part, Jackass Junction (sweet mother of love was I glad to say goodbye to that section). The rain was really coming down now, and it was heavy enough that it was creating large puddles across entire portions of the trail. Getting around them was tricky, and eventually futile. My headlamp kept flickering so I moved it underneath my hat so that the brim protected the lamp, and suggested it to Geof as well. This helped a lot, and thanks to the almost featherweight-ness of our lamps (we were both wearing our Black Diamond Spots) it sat comfortably on our bare foreheads and never caused any bouncing issues. Score. Adapt to your environment. I pulled my hood over my head as well and from there I was completely in my own little world. I could hear nothing but the sound of my Goretex hood flapping next to my ears, and my own breathing. The beam of my headlamp spread out wide before me, rain drops gleaming in the light. My hands were exposed and wet, but not cold thankfully. The feel of my footsteps along the rocky and submerged trail. I could no longer hear Geof's footsteps behind me with my hood up so I'd glance back every so often to make sure we were still together. We pulled up to the Tonto Tank water stop and filled our bottles once more. We told the volunteer there that we'd be seeing him again soon, for the last time.

I would glance at my watch from time to time, but never absorbed the information except for at Jeadquarters, and noting when the rain began. Thus, I had no idea what sort of pace we were on, I just knew we were still on sub-24. Leaving Coyote Camp, the rain was still heavy, but I was glad to know we had less than two miles to Jeadquarters. The loose churned sand was now fully saturated and turned into some of the most ridiculous "mud" I've ever experienced. I've run McNaughton...and I thought that was bad? This stuff was super slick and glued itself to your shoes. My feet must have weighed an additional five pounds by the time we made it out of this section of trail (about a mile long). Oh well, we only had to deal with that one more time. We stamped our feet to try to remove the stuff, but it was useless. The rain began to let up enough that I removed my hood and pulled up my sleeves a little for some relief. Smiling the smile of 92.4 miles successfully covered, and still under the cover of night, we rolled into Jeadquarters for the final time during the race and finally got to that which I've been daydreaming about all race...the coveted final loop glowstick necklace. It's like being knighted, on your birthday, which is also Christmas, while eating Kyle King Carrot Cake, wrapped in fleecey warmth, surrounded by all your loved ones on top of a mountain of wildflowers. It's THAT amazing. I was smiling ear to ear. Only 9.4 miles to go!!!!

We grabbed a couple more gels from the table, refilled our bottles and grabbed some extra batteries just in case. Geof got something hot to drink and we began walking out of the station. I was now in full on inner-reflection mode. I thought about everything...all the training, all the running, all the good sleep, all the lost sleep, all the Honey Stinger Waffles and Chews, all the aches and pains, all the anxiety, the packing and unpacking, the silly-hot days, the blisters, the number crunching, mileage tracking. Logging into my running log was one of my favorite parts of the morning, entering in our miles and time for the morning's run. Getting up at 4:30 every morning to squeeze in our run. All the Tuesday Ten Milers, all the long runs in the Kettle Moraine and lunches at the General Store. The gross hot runs at Palos, and the humid and interminable Waterfall Glen runs. It was all about to be worth it. Not that I ever questioned that.

I knew I wanted to reach the Tonto Tank water stop by 22 hours. No real reason, other than that I wanted a full two hours to run it in if needed. We wound our way along the trail after Coyote Camp and caught up to Daniel and his pacer Jim O'Brien (another Chicago area fastie). It felt like this rocky crappy section wouldn't end, and Dan and Jim expressed similar sentiments. We ran behind and beside them for a bit, then the rain picked up again and I put my hood back up. I was shut out from my surroundings and resolved to just run how I felt. I put some space between me and the guys...I could smell the barn; it was strong, and I wanted nothing more than to just get there. Geof caught up to me as we made our way along the ridge that lets you know you're almost to Tonto Tank. I was being pulled in by the light of the tent. A little more water, and then we were off. Jeff Browning was pacing a guy that had been running near the front all day. They were just a touch ahead of us, but not for long. We passed them up and never saw them again. Now Geof was in front of me, pulling me along. He was putting down the hammer. But first, I needed to pee one last time. A quick pit stop and we were back at it. This section is a really smooth and wonderful downhill section and we used it to our complete advantage. I knew we hit Tonto Tank at exactly 22 hours (bam!), but after that I stopped looking at the watch. We were moving fast. I couldn't believe how well my legs were moving, so fluid and smooth still. I paid close attention to them all day and made sure to never break good form. Clearly, this was paying dividends now. It felt like Geof was upping the pace a little bit every few minutes, and his determination was now palpable. I was waitin' for that to come out :) Geof knows how to seal the deal towards the end of these things, and I was thankful we had his resolve at this late hour. I would have been content to just cruise it in comfortably at this point. But Geof, he was on a mission that I was unaware of. And I loved it. I loved feeling my legs turn over as fast as they were after 99 miles, feeling like I could go on a lot longer.

It felt like we had just left the Tonto Tank water stop, and we were already coming to the turnoff, hopping back onto the Pemberton Trail. We knew what this meant...one more mile! I still hadn't looked at my watch. It didn't matter to me. It was still pitch black out, and that meant we were still in sub-24 hour territory.

OH. MY. HEAVENS. WE ARE STILL IN SUB-24 HOUR TERRITORY!! I couldn't believe it, but at the same time I totally could. I set out to achieve this goal, did the work, and we got it done. This is what success tastes like at this moment...gel residue, Coke bubbles, and the cold desert air in my lungs. The rain had slowed considerably by this point, so I pulled up my sleeves once more, and removed the hood. The stop sign at the road crossing was in view, and that meant just a few hundred more yards. The flagging appeared, along with the torches, and people lining the chute leading us to the finish.

Then that song popped into my head one last time, for old times' sake...Come on, show 'em what you're worth/Make 'em go "Oh, oh, oh"/As you shoot across the sky-y-y/Baby, you're a fiiiiiiiiirework/blah-betty-blah-blah/Make 'em go "Oh, oh, oh"/You're gonna leave 'em all in awe, awe, awe...

And just like that, we ran it in together, glancing up at the timing clock, and crossing the timing mat for the final time...22 hours and 40 minutes after starting this journey. I wanted to scream and shout words of joy and exitement, but a smile and a thank you to Jamil as he handed me my oversized, sub-24 buckle to me was all I could muster. I didn't even feel teary. I just felt...so dang happy.

With Jamil, RD, at the finish
Photo credit: Kelly Gaines

Photo credit: Kelly Gaines

I still can't believe how good I felt ALL DAY LONG. Other than that little spell of tired/blah-ness early on, squelched by heavy intake of Coca Cola, I never felt completely off. I never fully craved a nap, and resolved early on to not take a nap (a first for me!). I made sure to not sit for very long at AS stops...mostly because it made my legs buzz and I know nausea usually follows shortly thereafter, but also because I didn't want to get comfortable or cold. I let Geof have his low points and didn't bother him with too many questions about it, and I didn't let his disposition affect mine in any way...which I tend to let happen in these races. Any discomfort that popped up I kept to myself so as to not weigh him down with my issues...and it helped reminding myself that my "issues" were "Not My Problem", and therefore they left just as quickly as they popped up. Keeping my mind on track and not letting it lose sight of our goals was key. Paying attention to the body, but not too much attention, kept me balanced and feeling overall pretty good. Humming those four songs over and over in the night while it was pouring down rain, and the only other sound was my hood against my ears. Blinking my eyes continuously and moving them around to avoid getting hypnotized by the beam of my headlamp at night helped in a big way, too. I find I get dizzy or nauseous if I focus too much on the narrow light beam, and thus generally require more than one light source. Not paying too much attention to those showing early signs of DNFing also made a difference. It's easy to get sucked in by the negative field of energy that surrounds a DNF...that sounds really cold, but it's very real. Maintaining focus on our task at hand was all I had the energy to do, that and running.

I couldn't be happier with how everything went. A 5.5 hour 100 mile PR...that's ridiculous! And in a race where less than 45% of the field finished. We missed snagging a PR for Geof by mere seconds. That's the mission Geof was on as we pounded out the final miles down Tonto Tank Trail. He knew we'd slide under 23 hours, and was looking to PR, too. I bet I could have turned the legs over a little faster if he had shared that tidbit... Guess we'll have to snag that one next time :)

Well, recovery has been amazing, best I've ever felt post-100. Today the legs feel as though nothing happened last weekend. My hardcore cankles have disappeared and I can see my ankle bones and the tendons in my feet finally. That's pretty exciting. Six pounds of water weight/gel/Coca Cola have exited my body and I'm back to pre-race shape. I earned a total of three blisters, none of which were enough to warrant messing with, so I let them be and they are nothing more than callouses now. Boom. I'm a huge lover of my Injinji toesocks these days. The tendonitis in my left ankle never bothered me once, and still has yet to bother me post-race. I did tape it up a touch with some KT Tape, and broke up some of the adhesions with my trusty golf ball before we left the hotel for the race. That hurt like a sum-bish, but clearly worked out. Everything decided to work together with me and I couldn't be more grateful to my body for that. What a rush, finishing in the dark, in less than a day.

I'm not gonna lie, I like this psuedo-fastie business! Now the question is...how fast can we get?

Almost done, just a couple more photos. I was hoping for some on-course pics, but those haven't been posted yet. Perhaps I'll update this with more photos once we get those.

Ever wondered what a post-100 mile fog looks like? Exhibit A:

Photo credit: Kelly Gaines

And now for the requisite shwag photo:

I think that's about all I've got right now. My fingertips are more sore from all this typing then my legs were from our little desert dance! ;)

You can read Geof's account of the day HERE.

Paige, out.

Gettin' It Done

2011-11-15T20:49:00.000-06:00

There is a whole lotta stuff to write, and a whole lotta pictures to post, but I wanted to let you know that things...pretty much worked out for us at JJ100 :) There was a high level of kickass-ness going on. Lots of good decisions, almost no bad decisions, and enough urination to keep the kidneys happy.

And the buckle...

...almost weighs more than me.

More to follow...but right now, I need to elevate these cankles.

Paige, out.

Jello Taper, Jappy to See You Again

2011-11-08T17:12:00.000-06:00

This is a Javelina inspired post, jence the use of "J" rather than the usual "H". Work with me jere :)

Once upon a time I crewed and paced my now jusband at the 2009 Javelina Jundred, and this year we've decided to run that little race together, pushing each other to the edge of our limits, in joly matrimony :)

Jey, it'll be our first 100 mile race as a married couple! (We are very cheesy and get a kick out of pointing out each thing we do that is our "first as a married couple"...)

I'm pretty pumped! I can't believe it jas been four months already since we decided to take this one on. Four months of jard training, long miles, short miles, mind-blowingly awesome miles, total crap-ass miles, a couple of PRs, some character building runs, some light-as-a-feather runs, some jighs, some lows, some serious cases of the runs. What a ridiculously amazing training block it jas been. I've enjoyed it all. Even the crap-ass miles :)

I feel ready. I feel strong. I feel nervous. I feel excited. I feel anxious. But mostly I feel so totally ready.

It's about damn time.

Jere are a couple shots from our adventures in the Arizona desert back in 2009. I like to think about all the fun things that jave jappened since we were last there (*enter: mental trip down memory lane*)...

I guess that's about all I've got right now :) I jave more or less exhausted myself with this taper, and it jas squelched my creative juices. My legs like to freak out in the week before a big race. They are definitely not a pair to break routine, so I'm javing mini panic attacks with every single twinge and niggle. It's a darn good thing no one else can jear my thoughts; I'd be committed for sure ;)

I jave a costume that I wore while volunteering at the race back in 2009, so I may be wearing that at the start and see how I like it through the miles. But, we'll see. It will be a game time decision.

Wooooo, I just got butterflies!

Paige, out.

Des Plaines River Trail 50 Mile: Sandbagging Ourselves

2011-10-26T11:17:00.001-05:00

Honest to goodness, we had no intention of doing anything even remotely surprising during Saturday's race, the Des Plaines River Trail Races 50 Mile. Good friends, and co-crew members at Badwater 2010, Ed Kelly and Terry Madl race direct this little shindig, in its second year now, and we were psyched to see the guys and to get in one final extra long training run before the JJ100 taper began. Once the final price break deadline came and went, we went back and forth about whether or not we run it, or volunteer. When push came to shove, we decided it would be a most excellent day on the trails and the best way to get a reading on how our training has come along.

Turns out our training has gone better than we thought (oooo, foreshadowing!).

The race starts in Lincolnshire, IL with a short little out-and-back (~2 miles) heading south, then heads north along the Des Plaines River Trail into Gurnee, IL turns around and finishes where we started. Geof and I had only ever been on the trail once before, in Libertyville (a section we did end up running through during the race), and it was on the coldest, most depressing-looking day in Illinois history. Easily. And the trail was covered in ice and wintery crap. So we didn't have a good feel for what the trail would be like or how it would look.

Turns out the DPRT is a gleaming little gem of a trail!

The race started at 7:00 a.m., just as the sun was making its first appearance. The ground was covered in a blanket of frost and our shoes squeaked as we shuffled across a grassy area to the starting line. Brrr, it was friggin' cold! But that wouldn't last long.

The 50 mile start...you can see the frost in the grass...Photo: Bill Thom

There was also a marathon and half marathon that would start later in the morning, but for the time being we had the trail all to ourselves. I'm not sure how many peeps started, but 55 fine folks finished the deed when it was all said and done. Zach Gingerich was the early (and correct) pick for the win, and he didn't disappoint with a blazing 5:37:17 finish. In case you don't want to do the math, that's an average pace of 6:44/mile...for 50 miles. That makes me want to yak just thinking about holding that pace for that long. He looked cool and comfortable both times we saw him.

Anywho, there's a short little out and back to the south that you run before heading north for the day so that the mileage comes out to a little over 50 miles. We started in back, chatting with a couple peeps, then gradually worked our way up by mile 2 or 3. Ahh, we had the trail to ourselves...and that was pretty much how it was much of the day. We passed some folks early on that we thought we'd get passed by later on but that never did come to fruition. In fact, we managed to hold onto our 8th and 9th place pretty much the entire day, and others came and went. It's cool to look at the splits and see how grossly consistent we were throughout the day. We slowed a smidge on the way back, but that was expected. Otherwise, we were like a pair of metronomes out there :)

The trail was gorgeous. Did I mention that? All the leaves were bright yellow and explosively colorful once the sun came out for good and burst through the forest canopy. The trail was probably 40% exposed, 60% forest cover. Maybe less, maybe more. The exposed sections were just as lovely and the sun felt so good on the face and arms :) It warmed up into the 60s and I was able to remove my long sleeve shirt somewhere after the turnaround. The terrain is crushed limestone, so I was very thankful for having thought to unearth my gaiters for the first time all year. The trail is also very, very, VERY flat. There were two inclines where we thought to walk, but only because we would have killed for an excuse to walk. There are a few minor road crossings, but most of the time the trail goes underneath the roads, so we were nearly uninterrupted.

We were clucking along all fine and dandy, having clipped into a comfortable pace after the first 10 miles or so. My glutes and hams felt fatigued pretty early on, but they never got any worse. It was like they just wanted to cut to the chase and settle into their low level discomfort for the day early on. So that gave me plenty of time to get comfortable with the discomfort. That's a big battle in 100 mile races...getting comfortable with being uncomfortable. Somewhere before we hit double digit miles, though, we came to an aid station that Adrian Belitu and Maria Clementi were manning. Very excited to see them, it's been awhile! Adrian announced I was second woman, to which Geof shouted behind us as we took off, "don't encourage her!" :-)

I knew I was in second, but I didn't really care this time. Like I said, I wasn't out there to do anything surprising; I was merely out for a long training run. So, I let it be. And that felt good.

There were mile markers for the first 15 or so miles, to cater to the short distances, but it was fun to use the markers to calculate splits and to otherwise occupy the mind. Somewhere near the 14-15 mile mark, we came upon the first place woman standing alongside the trail, futzing with her stuff. We said hello as we passed by, and for the few minutes that followed I let myself fantasize about running in first place :) But then she caught up to us and proceeded to do something very odd... The trail is a very wide, multi-use trail. As in, you could conceivably run four across, comfortably. But this chick decides she's gotta have some Dunmore. Geof and I run side by side, leaving plenty of room to the left to pass. She was literally so close that if either of us moved our legs or feet slightly differently she would have stepped on our heels and down we all would have gone. If there hadn't been a breeze, I probably would have been able to feel her breath on my back. Um, WTF? And she was breathing heavy, slapping her feet with each footstrike. Was this supposed to be some sort of intimidation tactic? It wasn't working; it just made me want to throw an elbow up behind me. But instead, Geof and I just held tight where we were and figured she'd pass. She wouldn't pass. We held our pace, not pushing anything. And she continued on our heels. Geof eventually stepped a little to the left and she took that moment to step between us, run a few strides beside me, then take off. She must be new to ultrarunning. That was some BS. Who does that? She was moving very strong and that was the last we saw of her until the turn around. That was bad trail etiquette on her part. But, whatev, we have much bigger fish to fry :) Even if we didn't, I'm not sure I could have kept up with her. She totally smoked us, finishing almost 40 minutes ahead of us, LOL!

In any event, we continued on our merry way, sticking to our comfortable pace and reaching the 26.4 mile turn around in 3:47. Perfect. I had "budgeted" four hours for the first half and only stocked enough fuel in my waist pack to cover that. At the turn around, we had our longest stop of the day, maybe a few minutes. I changed into my Wildcats as my La Sportiva Quantums don't breathe very well and my feet were really sweaty (I think I'll reserve the Quantums for really cold days). We pounded a Starbucks Doubleshot each, resupplied my Honey Stinger Waffles and Geof's Gu's and then headed out of there. It took a mile or so for my feet to get used to the feel of my beloved Wildcats...they are much less cushiony and have a thinner upper than the Quantums, but they felt oh so good! My feet could air out now, and they weren't rubbing the fresh blister on my right foot.

We continued on, business as usual. Taking in the beautiful fall scenary, loving the warm sun on our skin, marveling as a couple different freight trains whooshed by us...those things are HUGE when you're down below them! I giggled like a little kid, loving the rush it gave us as they flew past.

The aid station volunteers were wonderful. We only stopped at a couple stations on the way out (there were 15 total), but stopped more frequently on the way back to refill our water bottles. I was pretty thirsty and making sure to keep on top of my water. That meant I needed to pee more often :) There was an awesome bathroom just before the 50k mark that we stopped in and I relished washing my hands. It's the little things in life. We farted around a minute there so Geof could empty his shoes and I stretched my glutes. We hit the 50k mark, and I looked down at my watch...a 50k PR, sweet! We covered the first 31 miles in 4:54, and after working some fuzzy calculations in my head at that point, I realized we would likely break 8:30 for the day. But, I didn't want to get ahead of myself. That's not what we were out there for.

Much of the rest of the race was very uneventful, which is always a good thing in these races. We stayed very, very comfortable, never pushing the pace. We walked in a few spots to eat or change up the movement, stopped to refill our bottles at Adrian's aid station, and found some more awesomely familiar faces there, too. What a great day, filled with great peeps! We were now in single digits, and the next aid station we were looking forward to seeing Brian, Kelly and Caleb. I was feeling the cumulative miles and time in my legs and was now having to work a little to maintain our pace, but that was fine by me, we were almost done!

With three miles to go we pulled into Brian's aid station, goo-goo gaa-gaa'd with baby Caleb, caught up on Kelly's race (she ran the 1/2 marathon; her first race since having Caleb!), and then we were off. I noticed we were just a little over 7 hours in with only three miles to go. This was in the bag.

Apparently, my calculations had been off...we weren't just going to go sub-8:30...we were going to go sub-8:00 even if we walked the rest of it! Buy why walk when you can run :)

I started to feel really excited, and Geof was feeling the pull as well. We passed the "1 mile to go" sign and we picked it up to kick it in strong, crossing the finish line in 7h:43m:47s, in 8th and 9th place overall. I snagged 2nd woman overall, and Geof was 7th male overall. Hot Damn!

Crossing the finishline...totally bamboozled! Photo: Bill Thom

We pretty much sandbagged ourselves. Where did that come from? We didn't even really work for it, we just ran nice and easy. Bill Thom, of RunRace.net, congratulated us on our run and marveled at our finish time. "Yea, but it's a flat course..." to which Bill replied, "Yes, but you still covered the distance; 50 miles is 50 miles!" Hmmm, good point. I find myself often defaulting to that thought when considering courses and finish times. Why? I don't know, but I do know I need to change my thought process on that because it's totally lame :) It's pretty awesome to know that I can more or less run 50 miles, and run it well. That gives me a lot of confidence going into JJ100, which is now two and a half weeks away, holy smokes!

We were both pretty sore the next day in spots we aren't usually sore due to how much more running we did. By Tuesday we felt pretty fresh again, but I held off until this morning to go for a run. I was pleasantly surprised by how good everything felt today. Except for one pesky little shit of a blister on my left big toe. Nothing a little lambs wool wrapped around it can't fix :)

Picking up the September issue of Ultrarunning magazine on Monday evening, I read Tia's editorial for the first time in awhile, and boy was it timely. The topic focused on how different ultrarunning has become and how we automatically default to thinking harder courses are the "real" ultras and easier courses...don't count. She wondered why being able to RUN a fast time on what is considered an "easy" course is somehow less of an achievement than hiking/running a slower time on a "tough" course. Ultrarunning is all about being able to RUN long distances was pretty much what I took away from her short write-up. I was a little surprised by just how timely reading that article was, especially since we've had that issue since August and I'm just now getting around to reading it :)

So that was a pretty awesome experience, and one heck of a 50 mile PR for both of us...again. What a year! I was extremely content to let our 8:35 PR stand for a good long while. I had no illusions whatsoever of getting a PR on this day. It just sort of...happened. So, I'll let that 7:43 stand for a good long while :)

Sub-9 hour finisher's buckle

I'm super stoked for how everything went, and how even-keeled my mood and stomach were. I am now really, really looking forward to JJ100, and really, really happy with our training this time around. What a difference a training plan makes!!

Paige, out.

Humble Beginnings

2011-10-20T16:01:00.003-05:00

I don't know what exactly stirred up this particular trip down memory lane. Maybe it was the crisp fall air with that hint of urban leaf decay floating in the air, or the runner who whooshed past me. Fall always reminds me of it.

It was my freshman year of high school, and I finally decided to join the track team. Fall 1995. The cross country season had just ended and indoor track was about to begin. My friends convinced me to join. You didn't have to 'try out' for track at my school, you just had to show up :) Tryouts for the pom squad weren't until January, and I had some free time on my hands. So I...showed up.

I started out running with the sprinters for some reason. It was quite the sight. I was barely 5 feet tall, skinnier than a stalk of asparagus, and nearly translucent after a summer of avoiding the sun. Everyone else was exceptionally tall, muscular, healthy looking, and FAST. But, I wanted to try it. I wanted to be FAST like the others.

I hated every bleeping minute of it. And, I was so not fast.

I could not for the life of me figure out the starting blocks.

These should be called Death Blocks...

I constantly fumbled with them, tripped, fell a few times, and was always, always the last one out of their block. And trying to run fast after starting from a near-kneeling position was ridiculously hard for me. I approached them with the same level of apprehension that I approach getting off of ski lifts. Gripped with the fear of a thousand hells.

But I kept after it in that arena, and after a few weeks I found my calling. It just wasn't where I thought I needed to look.

Our warm-up was a two mile run to Taylor Park and back (one mile each way). Every single time I made it back before the rest of the sprinting team, and ready for more. All the other girls came back gasping and worn out. Coach D suggested I practice with the distance team for a couple of days and see what I thought. Coach D scared me. He was a stoic and critical man. So any way to escape his critical eye was a most welcome escape.  The next day, I was with the distance team, working with a wonderful woman of a coach. I can't believe I don't remember her name...but I remember what she looks like and how kind and welcoming she was to me. I was instantly hooked. Of course, it now meant workouts were longer, more difficult and I was never the first person back from a warm-up :) Speed workouts, fartleks (hehe, fart...lek...), hill repeats, funny stretches (which I still do to this day), striders, and best of all, no starting blocks!

I wore some chunky Reeboks with a bright purple and silver whoosh on the side. I saved up my babysitting money and allowances to purchase these coveted running shoes, and at $40 it nearly cleaned me out. My how times have changed.  I was just glad to not have to wear the godawful clumsy Asics my parents bought for me from a sidewalk sale at the Competitive Foot in downtown Oak Park. They were two sizes too big and looked geriatric.  But, all the other girls wore spikes on the track. So, I still managed to look geriatric next to them, in my Reeboks ;)

I started and finished every workout gasping for air. The cool and damp autumn air stung my lungs. My quads always itched from the wind burn, and my sides always cramped. I loved it. I often wondered why we did all our workouts outside for indoor track...

We had to set a goal for ourselves to reach by the end of the season, at the conference finals (assuming you were invited to run). I desperately wanted a six minute mile...I just wasn't very good at initiating an action plan. But, I set that incredibly arbitrary goal (I had no idea what I was even capable of at that point) in stone one afternoon as we did a core workout using playing cards off to the side of the indoor track in the field house.   It smelled heavily of rubber and sweat. The sound of squeaky shoes on the basketball court echoed around the cavernous room. The boys' track team was gathering opposite where we were, gearing up for their workout. We were running to Concordia University a few miles away, doing some 800 meter sprints around their track, and then running back for a cool down. Colleen ran beside me the entire way there. She was a senior varsity runner, and she taught me how to run softly, how to roll my foot from heel to toe, rather than slapping. I think of that conversation almost every time I run. It is funny the things that stick with us.

I worked hard during practice, but I never ran outside of practice for some reason. At least not that year. I ran the 800 and the 1600 in various conferences and track meets, garnering modest times, but never coming close to winning any. I looked on in awe at the girls running the 3200. I wished so bad that I wanted to race that far! But I didn't for some reason. I only enjoyed practicing longer distance; I didn't actually want to race those distances. Again, how times have changed :)

The conference finals rolled around and I was invited to run in the 1600 meter event. It was at Hinsdale Central. My dad showed up to watch. It was cold, and a slight drizzle came down off and on throughout the meet. Nora offered me her spikes for my event. She could tell how much I wanted a pair. She was running the 3200 and there was plenty of time between our two events. I was downright giddy! They were a size or so too small for me, but what did I know? I jammed my feet into those gorgeous Nike spikes and lined up at the start with a smile so big I could have floated out of there. There were nine other girls on either side of me, and I glanced around to see what my competition looked like. I felt like one of them.  A girl in a green uniform shook my hand and wished me luck. With the gun, we were off.

I don't recall much of the actual event, but I do remember how much it hurt. My feet ached, jammed uncomfortably into those spikes. My lungs burned as they always did running on cold days. Each time around the track I saw my dad standing there, umbrella in hand, waving and smiling.  The tank top and shorts of my uniform were sticking to my skin as the drizzle picked up into a light rain. As I rounded the final curve and eyed the finish line, the girl in the green uniform caught up to me. We ran neck-and-neck, but she nudged her head forward as we crossed the line. She totally beat me. I felt so ripped off.  But, that was quickly disbursed as I was told my finishing time. A 6:09 mile, good enough for 8th. Not quite my 6 minute mile, but considering my previous best had been an 8 minute mile, I was pretty damn happy :) I just couldn't believe I came so close.

Coach D came over and congratulated me. I was stunned to say the least. He said he wanted to tell me 'I told you so', that he knew I'd be a good distance runner. My dad walked up to us and shook Coach D's hand, "every time I watch her around the track, all I see are those blue shorts and legs for days. She's a distance runner!" boasted Coach D.  The giddiness in my dad's voice, and the look on his face made me immeasurably happy.

I never did go back to the track team after that season. I made it onto the pom squad that January and never looked back. But obviously I was bitten. I enjoyed shedding the structure and rigor of the team and just going out for runs as I pleased. I do love looking back on that season, though. I learned a lot of things that have stuck with me through the years.  Ah, such humble beginnings.

But, I still can't use a starting block properly ;)

Paige, out.

Big Mileage, No Whammies!

2011-10-12T12:30:00.000-05:00

So, I did it :)

I ran a big mileage week...and, it felt pretty good! Well, it's big mileage for me, anyway. I know I'm just hitting the tip of the big mileage iceberg, but you have to start somewhere.

I kept glancing at Week 11 on my training spreadsheet with equal parts apprehension, and giddy excited curiosity. Week 11 held me by the ankles. It forecast a 70 mile training week...no races, no group runs, just plain and simple running. Gettin' 'er done type running. No matter which side of the bed, so to speak, I woke up on, it was time to run.

I won't lie. I'm tired as all getout, but it's a cool kind of tired. Like, I did something. I like it anyhow :)

It went pretty well. I came in just under 40 miles for the week after Friday morning's run, then we headed out to Palos on Saturday morning to do our long run and finish the job. Geof cranked out his 40 miles and I did a little over 32 miles before calling it a day. That's the longest long run I've ever done (not including a race) in training for a 100 miler. And, it was at the end of a big mileage week for me. It felt pretty good getting that notch drilled into the ol' training belt :) Everything felt the same as usual, except that I noticed I was exceptionally tired, and my ankles were creakier than normal. That's about it. Saturday morning my body felt ready to tackle the task at hand, but mentally I was dangling.

Maybe that's the thing about big training miles; it's more of a mental juggernaut than it is a physical one. Which is amazingly apropos when it comes to this ultrarunning thing. But, I'm guessing one can adapt to it pretty well over time. I, however, am loving my step-back week this week, and grateful for the mental break. When I saw 50-something miles on tap I was overjoyed. Downright deliriously thrilled! Next week is one more big mileage push, so I'm going to revel in my 'baby' miles this week :)

Geof and I got 90 minute deep tissue massages last night to work out some training kinks. Um, wow. We left there completely mentally fogged and feeling as though we were literally floating. My body felt weightless and rubbery. They could have told us they were selling us into slavery when they were done and we would have been cool with it. We were THAT relaxed. "Right on, dude."

Can an amazing massage be considered a drug? It should be labeled: Warning: Mind-altering manual techniques will cause happiness and relaxation, and may be addictive. Proceed at your own risk. Okay, maybe not, but seriously it was the best massage I have EVER had. We will both be back.

Speaking of weightless, the winner of the 2011 Chicago Marathon, Moses Mosop, appeared pretty weightless on his way to a CR 2:05:35...

We rode around on our bikes catching the front fasties at as many spots as we could. It was hard to keep up, even with bikes! We caught Mosop bustin' his move in the final 800 meters here. He looked cool as a cucumber.

And now back to our regularly scheduled step-back week, Week 12...

Paige, out.

Running is My Alibi

2011-10-06T11:08:00.001-05:00

Run, run, run, work, eat, sleep, repeat as directed.

That's pretty much the skinny for the next few weeks. It's October (holy eff!) and we're in the midst of Week 11 of JJ100 training. It's coming along quite nicely. Last Saturday, we headed up to the Kettle Moraine once again for our long run, and to get some much needed kicking-around in.

It was a kickass 25 miles of...kickassness. The weather was perfect, the sun was out, the trail was semi-soft from the recent downpours, but not wet, lots of dogs towards the end of the run. Everything was clicking, and things felt great. I wore my newest trail shoes, La Sportiva Quantums, for the entire run and they totally rocked. I brought along my Sporty Cats just in case as figured I would need to change into them at the 16 mile mark (when we returned to the truck for a re-supply), but the Quantums were too busy blowing my mind! Not a single hot spot, not a single complaint. Very, very impressed. We started a little late, and, judging by the large number of vehicles in the parking lot, figured we'd see a lot of folks on the trails, but we had it pretty much to ourselves for the first 16 miles. Other than the lone hunter standing on the side of the Ice Age Trail, holding his shotgun across his chest as we ran by, staring up into the canopy above. That was a little bit creepy...

Per tradition, we headed straight for the La Grange General Store for lunch afterward. I was particularly jazzed about our run that day. My legs didn't feel like I'd run anything until about mile 21, then it just felt like it usually does after our faster T10s. Finishing up the run, and the rest of the day, I hardly felt like we had done anything. Fresh as a daisy! So that's a good thing and a bad thing...good because it means I'm adapting well and ready for more, and bad because it means I could have a) gone longer, or b) gone faster :) In any event, the run was awesome!

After we shoveled our lunch, and traditional post-run brewsky, we headed down to Woodstock, IL to play in an apple orchard, gorge on apply pie, hot apply cider and hot cider donuts at All Seasons Orchard. It was the perfect day for picking honey crisp apples. After we bagged our booty, we hiked back to the orchard kitchen for more donuts before heading out to find the adorable town square in Woodstock. Supposedly, Groundhog Day was filmed there... We are suckers for really cute town squares :) On a whim, we decided to duck into the local pub, Woodstock Public House, for some hot soup and people watching. Everyone knew everyone, and they were all so darn happy! Great way to finish off a great day.

It's Geoffrey Appleseed! I caught him mid-pick...

Anywho, it was a successful Saturday! And some of those honey crisp apples quickly became an apple crisp on Sunday. Talk about success, if I do say so myself!

This week is my highest (non-race) mileage week for JJ100 training. Last week I hit my highest weekly (non-race) mileage ever, and this week will top even that. Lots of PRs this year, heh. I'm pretty excited, and looking forward to a 32 miler on Saturday. Next week is a step back week, followed by one more high mileage week (including a 50 mile race) before the taper begins. Can you believe it, only 5.5 weeks left? Where has time gone?!

The creeky-sore muscles have become the norm, and a thin veil of exhaustion has swept over me this week. Signs of hard work :) You know you're doing something when you wake up each morning having to shake out the rigor mortis in your lower half. Next week's step-back will be welcomed with open arms, and lots of ice packs.

Paige, out.

Serious Case of Adventuring...and Shoe Envy

2011-09-30T09:53:00.000-05:00

This past weekend, it finally happened...I knew it was coming...in fact, it was a very long time coming. And the worst part? I knew exactly the day it would happen. The earth spun it's final axis, the sun set on my final day, and due to the state of my being, the moon even failed to rise as Geof, Julia and I sat inside Meade St. Station, a bar in the Highlands 'hood of Denver, noshing on some seriously good food, and drinking some seriously decent draft beer and I contemplated my mortality... No, I wasn't actually being all deep, but I was considering the existential weight of exiting my 20's and entering the unknown realm of 30-something.

What I'm trying to say is...I turned 30!!!!! And, to celebrate the milestone, we headed west for desert yellow pastures, soaring mountain peaks, thin, dry air, and sun so bright and wonderful you can't help but smile and be happy as a clam.

Naturally, we headed for even thinner air. Our hostess supreme for a couple of days, Julia, took us on a 3ish hour hike up a mountain to see some glacial lakes and we started our adventure at the trailhead for the Fourth of July Trail, a short drive outside of Nederland, Colorado. BTW, Nederland is adorably cute...and they have a bar that puts on a $2 PBR happy hour each day...hello!

With Julia, and our trail scout, Charlie

The hike was so beautiful and challenging enough for these flatlanders. We climbed from 10,000ish feet to a good ways above 12,000 feet, to Arapahoe Pass. I know we started on the Fourth of July Trail, but then followed a different trail system the rest of the way up. Julia and Geof were in charge of navigating. I was in charge of using up the camera battery, and drooling over the landscape.

Getting close!

On top! Arapahoe Pass, super chilly, super beautiful, super rocky, and there was a dude climbing DOWN to where we were after having skiied some gnarly backcountry routes higher up...that's hardcore. He was hiking down the mountain in his ski boots...

Okay, so there is some running content in here. We did a couple runs, but mostly kept it low key as I was still letting some post-50 miler blisters heal up and generally wanting to recover like a champ. We stopped over in Lakewood to watch some of the Bear Chase 50 Mile run on our way out of town. Super hot day, and peeps were looking pretty beat up from it. It appears to be an entirely exposed course with great views of how far you still have to go and plenty of demoralizing sun and cotton mouth. I felt pretty thankful to be on the spectating side of things that day :)

Oh, I have great news! Well, first I should let you know that things didn't go so well with my first date with Montrail's Rogue Racers. I mean it was fine and all, but I didn't fall in love at first footstrike. In fact, not at all. I fell in 'like' with them. My first pair were too small, so they immediately got shipped back, and I simultaneously ordered a new pair in a 1/2 size up. Couple days later, round two. This time they fit just fine, but I still only liked them. I waltzed around in them for a couple hours in the apartment, but ultimately I knew it wasn't meant to be. "It's not you, it's me." I held onto them a few days more, still stewing over them. I also tried a pair of the New Balance WT101s that peeps are hog wild over...awful. I slipped them on, stood up, and slipped them off. Definitely not the shoe for me. I'm of the mind nowadays that you shouldn't have to 'break in' a running shoe, it should work immediately if it's the right shoe for you. My Wildcats are the right shoe :) So, back to the virtual store those shoes went. Defeated and saddened by my shoexperience, I resolved to not cheat on my Sporty Cats again.

Then, we went to Boulder.

I cheated so bad on my Sporty Cats, and they were in the car the whole time it happened! ;) We skipped up to Boulder Running Company to check out their trail shoe selection Thursday afternoon and, be still, my beating heart, we were in heaven! There were so many trail shoes! So many pretty runner things! Though I only ended up trying on two pair of shoes, both of which made my heart flutter. But only one had me singing sweet melodies as soon as I laced them up. Enter: La Sportiva Quantum. Read about them HERE on iRunFar.com, and HERE. I really wanted to try its sister shoe, the Electron, but they only stocked the Quantum. They are awesome!

My new pretties, layered in Red Rocks dust :)

A little jog outside the store sealed the deal. I then wore them on our three hour hike the next day, and again on an hour run around Matthews/Winters Park, next to Red Rocks on Saturday. They handled the dry, sandy, dusty, and rocky steep stuff extremely well. They were a tad iffy on super slick/wet surfaces (rock-hopping across a waterfall-fed stream), but no worse than most of my other shoes. They fit like a sock and fail to rub any spots in the wrong way. I will put them to a real test during my long run this weekend. My only beef is that the tongue slides to the side because it's a tad long. I may cut it down because of that.

No worries, I am NOT replacing my Sporty Cats; my Quants will simply be a new addition to my running shoe line-up :)

Training is coming along quite nicely! We are about to close out Week 10, wowza! JJ100 = 6 weeks away :)

Paige, out.

The (North) Face Off: 50 Miles v. The Dunmores

2011-09-21T13:24:00.001-05:00

I've been trying to decide how to approach the topic of Saturday's North Face Endurance Challenge 50 Mile run as it was more than just another day on the trails. More than just getting in the miles. More than just a "training run" race. I struggle to find the words, sometimes, to describe stepping-stone experiences. And, the better the experience, the harder it is to describe it adequately enough to others. So, I'm just going to write and see how it comes out :)

We left work early on Friday in order to make the drive up to Brookfield, WI in time to pick up our numbers and swag, stop for dinner, and make it to Janesville in time to spend a little bit of time with family before we started our final prep for the next day and hit the sack. All day I'd had a little bit of that blech feeling you get when a cold is trying to invade, so I was sucking down even more water than usual and upping the vitamin C. Ultimately, I knew it was nothing a good long run couldn't fix :) I was right.

We woke up at 2:00 the next morning (yes, I'm serious) and were packed up and out the door by a little after 3:00. We had about an hour's drive east to Ottawa Lake Campground (the race's start), and were warned to allow plenty of time to walk from the parking lot to the race start, and we had to have our drop bag there by 4:30 a.m. Seemed a little excessively cautious on their part. It was.

It was pitch black still, obviously, when we pulled into the parking lot (the farthest parking lot possible...literally, about 1/4 to 1/2 mile away) and I immediately had to pee. Good thing it was dark out, and we were in ultra company :) We hiked it in, dropped our one bag with the drop bag peeps and then found an open heat lamp to huddle under while we waited out the next 30 minutes. I still felt a little icky, but much better than the day before, and I didn't have a good sense for the day. Ususally, I have a feeling about a race before it starts. This time, I couldn't tell what it was. I knew it was going to be good, but there was something else about the morning ahead of us that I couldn't figure out...

We were both surprised by how few people there seemed to be (~160 runners in the 50M) compared to two years ago, but it was nice to know we'd have some space on the trail. After a little speech by someone up front (was it DK?) we were off! I immediately felt great. Running has a way of doing that.

After the brief road section, we turned onto the trail and the real fun began. It was a little jarring at first running with a headlamp again (it's been awhile!), but it's like riding a bike I suppose. We were moving really, really well and moving through the pack with ease. Before long we were just behind the front fasties and enjoying the smooth and fast pace. Or, at least I was. Geof was a little more weary about moving so fast so early, but more for my sake than his (Geof's a fastie). We rolled into Scuppernong (somewhere between 6-7 miles in) while it was still completely dark out and I recalled the sun had already come up by the time I got to this point back in 2009. Score. It was here that that "something else" started to come to fruition. Volunteers shouted, "Second woman, second woman!" as we rolled in and straight through the aid station. My stomach lurched in excitement at the announcement, but at the same time I really didn't want to hear something like that so early on and get too ahead of myself.

Coming into Scuppernong, blinded by the flashing of the camera, wowza!

We kept moving through and turned back onto the trail on the other side, looking for the markers and following the direction of volunteers sending us down the trail. Enter: The Groundhog Day loop. I was busy focusing on not falling flat on my face as we worked our way through an extremely rocky section. It was like moguls, for trail runners, and super fun :) It felt like we'd been along this part of the trail before, but I let that thought enter then exit my mind. Then we got to another section that was also very familiar feeling. Huh. That's weird. Once we got to the grassy fork in the trail, we both knew it. "We've totally run this section already." Geof voiced what I was thinking. Crap. I was willing to think that maybe this was a section that gets repeated (I didn't study the course map that closely), but when the super fasties up front whizzed by us from behind, and when we came up on folks we knew were way behind us earlier, we really knew something was amiss. I can't believe this is happening, where did we go wrong?

We were talking through the course, trying to figure out what happened and what we needed to do. Geof's frustrations were mirroring my own and I let him air them while I ran quietly beside him and listened. I was waging the same war within, but knew it would do no good to let it out and have both of us freaking out. Why did they have to go and tell me I was in second? This totally makes this feel even worse! We pulled into Scuppernong...again...this time from the other side and Geof began talking to a volunteer that asked us something. I was in tunnel vision mode. I only recall that the volunteer already knew there was a course issue and he assured us they were working on it. "Yes, but now where do we go?" We were pointed out and we headed down the trail we just came from. "What the hell is going on?" We were both baffled. While Geof voiced his concerns, I was folding into myself making sure I stayed in the moment and didn't let this minor hiccup overtake my loosening grasp on my mental stability. This was something new to me. I've never gotten lost in a race before, and somehow having had no control over its occurrence made it even more frustrating. This was a new kind of mental battle, and it was exhausting! I stayed very quiet, and any words or sounds I let escape my mouth I made sure to be as upbeat-sounding as possible. I couldn't believe how much this was bothering me, and how massively we were both tetering on the brink. What a strange experience!

We finally rolled into the race's 11+ mile aid station and a volunteer outfitted in walkie talkies and maps approached us asking how many loops we had run near Scuppernong. We weren't sure, but we knew we were at least a few miles further in than we were supposed to be at that point. He showed us a map and indicated that we must have run two loops (an extra 2.4 miles) and that a handful of the front-of-the packers* had done this, having been routed incorrectly by a misinformed volunteer (but we also heard there was some tampering with course-markings by hunters...who knows what really happened). They were apparently working on 'fixing' it somehow. This provided a tiny amount of relief to me, though I didn't want to get my hopes up about anything. We grabbed some more water and charged out of there, on a mission.

*Turns out that some fasties had actually been shorted some miles, while we were given bonus miles. This caused mass confusion for some and ultimately spelled the demise of a few of the front runners shortly thereafter. What a weird day!

I began to work through things in my head as we ran along silently, letting the new information sink in. Okay, so we ran some bonus miles, who cares, this is an ultra, it happens. Maybe we readjust our goal a little. Sub-10 hours isn't entirely impossible at this point...I'll be happy with 9:59 :) Get over yourself, this is just a training run!

As the morning progressed and we continued to move along really well, the mood began to lift for us both. Having run in comtemplative silence for a time, we started to talk about how incredibly draining that first bit was. Geof had no idea how much it bothered me since I kept so quiet. I said I was just trying to work on it without losing it, a la 2010 Rocky Raccoon 100 :) I could finally turn my attention to other things, like enjoying myself! Ahhhh, bliss. Oh, lookie here, that's a whole lotta horse poop on the trail! I was taking a quick inventory on things...stomach felt great, head felt very good, mind was a little exhausted but getting better, legs felt fatigued from the hard push early on, and the ensuing adrenaline rush. A heavy mind game not only effs with your head, but also manifests in other ways. Like making your legs feel like you've got 30 miles in them, rather than 15. But that all eventually worked itself out. We even found ourselves laughing about the whole thing at points. I was holding onto the idea that they would 'fix' the situation, but also feeling very okay with them not fixing it, and just tacking on those bonus miles. I was finally just rolling with it.

Anywho, back to the action! I was running in my brand new La Sportiva Wildcats, and was thrilled that I decided to go with those shoes. My feet felt awesome. I ran with just one water bottle (filled with...water), and munched on my Honey Stinger waffles or chews about every hour. I also took an S!Cap about every hour or so. I am stoked with how well my stomach held up, and that I managed to completely avoid getting bloated at any point. Double score! So, I've at least got the nutrition thing down for 50 miles and under :) I sipped on Mt. Dew or Coke at a couple aid stations, but I think that's the only other thing I ingested.

Somewhere in the marshy section of the course, where there's a bunch of boardwalks, Geof ran ahead to make a pit stop, and I took a walk break to eat another Waffle. I had just opened up the package, taken a little bite, and BAM! I was down. It was the flattest, smoothest section of the course (other than the pavement) and I bit it hard. I hit my right knee in the same spot I smacked it last month; that's gonna be a scar. My first thought being, "where's my waffle?!" And the next thought being, "I wonder how funny that must look to someone watching me fall like that." My poor waffle fell in a dusty mud patch. Five second rule! I dusted it off, did a once over and decided that if I was going to get sick from it, it probably wouldn't happen until much later. Totally worth it. With that, I ate that dirty waffle. And it was good! The sand and dirt just gave it a little extra crunch.

As I walked off the stinging pain working its way around my knee, Eric B and a couple other guys ran past me. Geof appeared out of the woods up ahead, and I informed him of my date with the dirt, and showed him my bloody knee. Once the pain subsided, we picked it back up. Much better :) We caught back up to Eric and his crew and moved past them..."She can't make up her mind!" Geof jokes as we run by.

See my little booboo?

From here, things are a little fuzzy. There was a LOT of running. A lot of smiling. A lot of being blown away by how beautiful the day, and the course, was. Mile 21ish is McMiller AS, where we had our one drop bag. This was our "big" stop of the day and we took a couple minutes to empty our shoes, grab some more nutrition, and to use the potty. The volunteers at each aid station were taking note of our arrival each time, and kept reassuring us they were probably going to be stopping us 2.5 miles before the finish line and giving us our finish time at that point. Okay, cool. I'll get excited about that if it happens :) We still didn't know what to expect, but we were enjoying ourselves too much to worry about it much.

The McMiller loop (miles 21-35) is the most rolling and challenging part of the course, and easily the most scenic. It can tire you fast if you aren't prepared for it. This is the only part of the course description that I did manage to read in full :) You run out to Emma Carlin (mile 28) and then head back, more or less the way you came, but with some minor changes. It was a little hard to trust the markings at this point, but I decided to just go with it. It's just a race, afterall :) We were running so well, maintaining a very consistent pace. Walk breaks only came with steep uphills, otherwise we were running. We also made very short order of every aid station, except for McMiller. When we got backto McMiller, at mile 35 (our mile 37.4) we stopped once more so that I could change into a fresh pair of Injinji liner socks, making sure that I didn't take any peeks at my feet while I did so. I could tell I had a couple blisters on the outside of the balls of my feet (that had started during our long run the weekend before and never quite healed), and I didn't want to see them until we were done :)

Once out of there, we continued with our previous routine, ruuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuun, walk a steep hill, ruuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuun, walk a steep hill, etc. Geof made a couple of mentions that we would easily meet our sub-10 hour goal if we kept up the way we were, but didn't get specific at all. I had entertained the idea of a sub-9:30, but laughed that one off...until we reached the mile 40 aid station, where another walkie talkie-clad vounteer approached us and announced we would officially be stopped 2.4 miles shy of the actual finish and given our finish times at that point. I glanced down at my watch and my heart lept. Is a sub-9 hour finish possible? No. Freaking. Way. We had two and a half hours to cover ~7 miles to get under 9 hours...

Lets do this.

Heads down, we pushed it. I was noshing on my pink lemonade Honey Stinger chews (which are the sweet elixir of life, by the way) and focusing like a fiend. We're totally going to do this. Who'd of thought?!

One more aid station stop at 45 miles, and I filled up my empty water bottle. We decided we were going to continue running into the official finish after they recorded our times, so I needed something to sip on along the way :) I swear, the volunteers at this AS had glowing halos over their heads, and spoke sweet singing words. Maybe it was just my excitement over being nearly finished. But maybe they really were angels. You decide :)

We re-entered that nemesis/Groundhog Day loop, this time running in reverse, headed for some unknown spot where our official race would end. The trail was incredibly sandy here and we were flanked by soaring pine trees. It was beautiful. As the trail turned uphill for a ways, I glanced up and in the distance noticed two people sitting alongside the trail, near the top of the climb. I wonder...already? It was a little exciting to think we were really almost done, not gonna lie. There was much food and beer to be had at that finish line!

As we got closer and closer, the two people stood up and walked toward the center of the trail, shouting for our bib numbers. "45 and 46!"

"Alright, you guys are done! If you want to continue on and run through the finish line, go ahead. Or we can drive you back to the finish and you can run in the last 100 yards."

What do we look like, wussies? "We're going to run it in, thanks." And with that, she issued us our official finish times and smiled as we continued on up the trail.

HOLY FREAKING S***.

Not only did we crush my 50 mile PR (by about 1.5 hours), but we also managed to smash Geof's 50 mile PR (by a little more than 20 minutes). Who are we?

The official chip time: 8h:35m:34s.

Bam.

Fueled by our accomplishment, we high-tailed it in the rest of the way, running on such an enormous endorphin high I felt completely weightless. Wow, what a run!!

Pulling into the finish line, on cloud 9, with a couple bonus miles for the day :)

See, I told you it was going to be a good day. And we totally brought the boomshockalocka.

What a neat experience, and, perhaps moreso, what a top notch mental learning experience. To go through that mental roller coaster so early in the race, to be so present and to work through it without losing too much cool, and then to come out the other side of it is probably an even more delicious victory. I'm not gonna lie, that was tough to do and took a lot of energy. A handful of fasties dropped as a result of that problem, and I can see why. It's not easy to manage, and it totally throws you off your game. I don't wish it on any runner!

After practically inhaling a plateful of pulled pork, salad, some soup, and some delightfully refreshing beer in the beer tent, we caught up with the Brelly, and friends running the race. I ended up placing first in my age group, and 6th woman overall. This meant a handshake from Dean Karnazes himself and a picture :) Oh, and another pair of those rockin' North Face arm warmers. Those things are NICE!

Seriously, his leg muscles look like that all the time. Sick.

This was a totally refreshing experience, and one I'm still riding high from. The way the race officials handled the course routing problem was top notch. They were on it, and totally owning the responsibility, which they absolutely did not have to do. Stuff like that happens all the time in ultras and you just have to deal with it. A 'sorry' is usually about all you'd get I'm guessing. But these North Face guys went above and beyond the call of duty and took their wrong and made it right. Huge kudos to them for that. And a huge thank you to the NFEC staff for giving us such a beautiful day and well run event :)

I've probably left out a ton of stuff because my mind is still swirling, but that's the gist of it :) I'm very, very happy with how it all went, and feel really, really good about how my training has gone thus far....both physically and mentally.

The (North) Face Off: 50 Miles v. The Dunmores...v. The Headcold

50 Miles: 0

Dunmores: 1

Head cold: 0 :)

Boomshockalocka!

Paige, out.

Serious Case of the North Face Runs

2011-09-16T10:31:00.000-05:00

It's been a...BUSY...week this week.

My desk feels like this... (photo credit: www.ratracetrap.com)

But that's a very good thing...being busy has helped prevent a lot of my usual taper week crazies. And, I've managed to make it through the whole week with only one complaint of aches and pains. Usually I find 46 other aches and pains to agonize over during taper week. So I've done very well this time around. This may be due in part to finally actually being f'real trained for a race longer than 30 miles. Solid training kills the crazies. True story.

Of course, I did have the CRAZIEST dream last night. I guess it had to manifest somewhere :)

Anywho, tomorrow morning at 5:00 we line up to run the North Face Endurance Challenge Midwest Regional 50 Mile Run. That's a really long name. This will be my fifth 50 mile event, and my 14 official ultra (I don't count the fat asses or my lame DNF at Leadville). Heh, that's not a lot compared to some, but I didn't realize I was already in double digits. I'm still a freshman ultra runner, for sure! If this were high school, the seniors (aka Veteran Ultrarunners) would toss pennies at me as I walked down the hall. At least that's what they did at my high school (but since everyone knew my older brother (and his penchant for...regulating) I was saved from the penny misery, among other freshman ailments :) But, that's a hilarious story for another day!).

Tomorrow's going to be fun; I can already feel it. Geof and I will be running together as usual. That's how we roll. I'll be breaking in my newest pair of Sporty Cats, thanks to the genius amazingness of Stacy in procuring a pair of the old/my favorite version of the Cats in time for the race. I love my Cats. Does that make me a Cat lady? ;)

I feel kinda nervous for tomorrow, but not overwhelmingly so. It'll be the furthest I've run since last September, at Rio Del Lago 100M, but only by about two miles (I did manage close to 49 back in July...severely undertrained). But still. It's kinda intimidating.

Enjoy this most glorious of weekends and get outside!

Paige, out.

A First Date

2011-09-08T17:06:00.003-05:00

I have a first date tonight and I'm pretty nervous.

I've gone out on a limb on this one and really don't know what to expect. You could say it's a sort of 'blind' date I suppose. I don't know much about them. We met online.

If it doesn't work out, I'm going to blame it on Stacy. He suggested I give it a chance. I hmm'd and haw'd about it for a couple of days and then decided to just take the plunge. First dates are fun, no? You never ever know what can come of such things, so one must always be open to new adventures, right?

Did I mention I'm nervous?

Thank goodness my husband is so understanding and not being weird about my first date :)

Do you want to see a picture? It's from their online profile, so since I haven't yet seen them in person I hope they live up to their really awesome photo:

What? Did you think I meant a date date? Like with a person? Oh you silly, I'm married! Of course I'm talking about running shoes! ;) They are the Montrail Rogue Racer. Snazzy name, no?

I'm crossing my fingers that it's love at first sight. Don't worry, I spoke with my Sporty Cats already and they're prepared for the new roommate.

I'll let you know how it goes.

Paige, out.

Fall Is In The Air

2011-09-06T13:01:00.000-05:00

Photo courtesy of www.layoutsparks.com

Stepping outside the slight chill went straight to the bone, but a quick thought to the intense heat of one of the weekend's runs stops goosebumps in their tracks.

"Brrr!"

Legs are tight and tired, but ready to do this.

A weak beep from our watches and we're headed down the street. Fall is in the air and the dense blanket of last week's humidity has lifted, at least temporarily.

If my legs were made of wood, they would be the weathered, creaky type that lines the floors of weather-worn porches, or ancient attics. I can almost hear them whine with each step. I remind myself that a warm-up will have them singing shortly.

As sing they did. A brilliant mezzo soprano, on opening night, sparkling beneath the lights! Maybe that's an exaggeration, but they were feeling happy.
The wind howled at our backs, pushing us along with fantastic speed. "We are going to pay for this on the way back north," he says, turning toward me as his voice is carried off, tumbling along the shoulders of the early autumnal wind, to be caught by someone up ahead. Funny how sound travels on the wind.

Coats and even scarves are making their first appearances of the season. Sure signs of autumn. Smiles abound, thankful for the respite from the heat.

The lake is in a fury, waves crashing relentlessly against the breakwall. Rounding the corner by the museum, walls of water shoot straight up in the air, crashing down inches from our feet. "Eeee! Hahahahaha, it's beautiful!" I shout as we dodge the water walls. Timing is everything if you want to stay dry, and we manage to make it around the bend untouched. For now.

Crash! BOOM!

Another wave, this time soaking the spot we just ran across. Ksssssssssssss, as the water recedes and plunges back into the lake only to be thrown back up into the air with the next wave. The sound consumes every air particle, every nook and cranny. I can barely hear myself laughing as we make our way along the next wall of water. Climbing up one, two, three steps to avoid the commotion altogether, we marvel at the view of the city hugged in a blanket of clouds. It's a little like being in a snow globe, but with clouds.

Making our way onto the little island we wind around the path, reaching our turnaround point. "It's been nice chatting!" And we turn and head back into a fierce wind, nearly on our toes leaning into it.

Whhhhiiiiiirrrrrrr A monotone, high-pitched buzz that nearly disappears if you turn your head all the way to one side. Eyes watering, nose running. Ah, autumn, indeed.

Soon the leaves will be changing. The brisk breeze will become a blowing wind. The sun will welcome us midway through our morning runs, if at all, rather than greeting us upon waking. A day in the 60s will be a rare treat, and runny noses will become the norm once again.

It feels as though we'll never get there, but eventually we're home. Beep. And done. I didn't know if my legs had it in them after a tough long road run the day before, and a demoralizingly hot trail run two days prior. But they did.

And thus begins Week 7.

Paige, out.

Choose Your Own (Ad)Venture: Venturepax

2011-09-01T10:55:00.000-05:00

The peeps over at Venturepax e-mailed me back in July to tell me about their new site and to see what I thought of it, being a member of that outdoorsy, we-are-the-world, borderline-urban-tree-hugger crowd, they thought it sounded up my alley. Usually I ignore solicitation-y e-mails...but, this guy, Danny, knew exactly how to catch my attention: outright flattery. Flattery, and compliments on my writing, will get you everywhere.

Surely, I jest. But really, it did catch my attention ;)

So I decided to check it out, liked what I saw and decided it's a pretty good fit here since we're all outdoorsy n' stuff.

My creative juices have been slightly...lackluster of late (must be all the running!), and I haven't been able to come up with a tubular description of the site on my own, so I'll let Uber-Flatterer Danny (one of the founders) describe it for you:

"Here at Venturepax, we like to leverage technology to help people get outside. We do this by making it easy to find and share outdoor experiences and actually reward our users for getting outside and sharing their pictures, videos, stories, etc.!"

Basically, you enter your location, pick your activity (running, duh :)) and then search all the routes/locations that have been added by other users near you. Find a new awesome park/path/trail/fountain of youth? Share it on your page, upload pictures and type a quick description. Pretty cool. Very user friendly. And, I'm getting nothing out of this except for warm fuzzies, so I'm not just being nice :)

I also get a kick out of their Declaration: "Today, we declare that sitting inside staring at the television for hours on end is no longer allowed. We believe in the great outdoors and all that it inspires. That families who play together, stay together, and that fitness can come from fun."

It's pretty cool. Check out the site, play around a little, and see what you think. You never know, you might find your new favorite running spot on there! It's free and they're developing a mobile app for various devices, so you can find your next (ad)venture on the go, which is pretty sweet. Other than when posting here, I do almost all of my browsing on my phone, so I like apps :)

Back to my regularly scheduled running blather. Week 6 chatter of JJ100 training coming soon...

Paige, out.

Finding the Boomshockalocka

2011-08-24T12:56:00.000-05:00

Today's run was a mere three miles, but I can officially declare that I've re-found my boomshockalocka (BSL).

It's Week 5 in JJ100 training and that means it's an official step-back week for me. Periodization, it's a beautiful thing :) It helps you find your BSL.

Saturday's long run was run alongside the New Leaf Ultra Runs Summer Palos 32.4M run. I didn't sign up for the race so that I wouldn't be tempted to go over my goal mileage (20 miles). But, Geof was running the full distance, so we ran together for what ended up being three full loops for me...24.3 miles. It was just easier to run a full third loop (8.1) miles rather than work the math and turn back early :) Plus, it meant more trail time with Geof. Can't go wrong there. So, I ended up overshooting my weekly mileage at touch, but that's better than undercutting it I suppose.

The legs felt like bouquets of fresh daisies (only, covered in bug spray). I was really having a great day on the trail. And my feet were THRILLED to be in my Sporty Cats again! I'm pretty sure my feet are now at least a 1/2 size bigger now as my tootsies were jamming it up with the toe guard much of the run. Time to upgrade :)

Geof and I arrived just as the group headed off down the trail, so we took our time gathering our stuff from the truck and finding a spot in the start/finish shelter, catching up a bit with Kelly and baby Caleb, and then, finally getting started 15 minutes later.  We were moving at a pretty swift pace, time was flying, and everything was jiving so well. We caught up to the front of the pack by the end of the first loop, topped off the water, ate a Honey Stinger Waffle, took an S!Cap, caught up with Brian a little, kicked around for about 10 minutes, then headed out. After passing the lead pack, other than the two guys WAY out front, we locked into a pace that surprised me once I glanced down at my Garmin...the second lap we averaged between 7:40-7:55.  Neither of us could believe how good we felt.

The sky was starting to darken and we knew rain was on its way, so when we pulled into the start/finish, I changed out of my damp Injinji liner socks (umm, these socks, BTW, completely rock so far.  Love them.) and into a pair of my hot weather Drymax socks (bad idea, shoulda kept on the Injinjis...never thought I'd say that!!), refilled the bottles, ate another Waffle and then we were off once more. We locked into a more reasonable pace for this one, about 8:15s, and cruised along in what was now a torrential downpour. It was spectacular! We haven't run in rain like that for awhile and it turned out to be such a treat. It made it a little hard to see at times since it was coming down so hard and bouncing off the ground, but the cooling effect was very much welcomed, as well as keeping the bugs at bay while it came down.

We ran through the big puddles, charged up Big Bertha, walked a little bit to shake out the glutes, and generally reveled in the beauty of the rain and the surrounding forest. What a fantastic run.

After my last loop, Geof headed out for his fourth and final one, finishing strong in 5:12 I think (and 3rd overall I believe), for the 32.4 miles, woohoo! Now it was time to eat a burrito and look forward to a step-back week :)
Monday was a short run, then Tuesday was our usual T10 which ended up being a surprisingly great run. Along the way, we caught up to a runner we see out on the path most mornings and is a staple at all the Chicago Lakefront 50/50s. Usually, she's heading back from her run by the time we cross paths with her, but yesterday we shared a few miles with Cathy and had a great time getting to know her a little better...and worked on convincing her to give KM100 a go :)

We are working on incorporating more varied pacing into our runs, as in easy-medium-hard, etc.  It's hard to do at first, but I feel like maybe I'm getting the hang of it. Running the exact same pace everyday is good if you aren't trying to improve. Geof's been whispering the idea of intervals for awhile now, so we are giving it a go, albeit informally. Saturday's run was a medium-hard effort for me, Monday was easy, yesterday was a medium effort, today was a hard effort :) Maybe tomorrow will be easy, Friday medium, and our long run medium/hard. We'll see.

I love my boomshockalocka. I'm going to hold onto it this time :)

Paige, out.

Glancing Back But Moving Forward

2011-08-19T15:45:00.001-05:00

Jumping for joy...YAY for Colorado!

The road to a DNF is paved with the best of intentions...and I had had the very best of intentions going into the 2010 Leadville Trail 100.

It's so weird to think back to where I was and who I was this very day last year. We were wrapping up medical check-in at the gymnasium in downtown Leadville, awaiting the arrival of our fantastic crew, hanging out with Brian, Kelly and Deanna, heavy with anticipation for the coming day. Packing and unpacking my pack several times throughout the afternoon, organizing and then reorganizing my crew duffle over and over. Agonizing over my shoes and what shirt to start in. Gloves and a hat? Just gloves? Just a hat? Skull cap or ball cap? SO MANY DECISIONS! Thank goodness I didn't need to worry with drop bags. I hate putting together drop bags, almost as much as I hate lima beans (blech, I shiver every time I think of lima beans...I'm currently covered in goosebumps of disgust...).

Anyway, I don't mean to blabber on and on about the past, but I like to reflect on major events that, when I really think about it, have really made me who I am. An event that caused a shift in paradigm. An event that moved me so much that I am eternally a different person because of it.

That sounds so hokey and lame. But it's true.

Leadville took the wind out of my sails. It was my first DNF. It is an experience that I now look back on fondly (convenient amnesia?). I don't have a bad taste in my mouth from it, and I certainly don't feel bitter or like I need to avenge myself there. Quite the opposite. I feel good about the lessons I learned there and the person I became as a result of my breakdown on Hope Pass. I know that one day I will return, but it's fairly low on my list right now...I will require myself to spend time doing speedwork at altitude before I spend that kind of money to do it again :-)

The experience, ALL of it, was fantastic. But I especially loved the warm community we were a part of for just 5 short days, shuffling around the Leadville Hostel, sharing meals with complete strangers, hearing stories of grand adventures, the failures and triumphs of the runners, the collective buzz of excitement, anxiety, and taper crazies. Pre-race water bottles replaced by empty beer cans stacked up on the big porch as folks kicked up their sore feet, regaling others with their version of the experience...signs of recovery, sorrow, victory. I really enjoyed that place.

And, now, here I am a whole 'nother person. I lived, I learned, I moved on. I continue to work towards another finishline, continue to work on my mind, on my legs, on my desire. Nothing really comes for free in life; it always costs you something at some point. My mind decided to invoice me that day as I stood a mile up the trail on the backside of Hope Pass, agonizing over whether or not I push on, only to be pulled up top. I owed a debt, and I paid. I lumbered down that mountain, angry, resentful, deeply saddened.

But I paid my debt. And now I'm free and clear...for now :)

Whereas I questioned, "How Did I Get Here?" during my time on that trail, I no longer wonder; I now know. I can see exactly the road...and trail...I've followed to get me where I am now. The curves, and steps, undulations, weather.

And I love where I am, and the path I created to get here. Onward!

I so look forward to the next 100 mile adventure :)

Paige, out.

Turning Corners

2011-08-16T17:29:00.000-05:00

It's official, week three of JJ100 training is so far my very, very favorite, and all because of one ridiculously awesome long run on Sunday.

All week, runs got a bit better each day, but I still felt a little out of whack, which was humongously annoying. I was also humongously annoyed with the blister battle my feet have decided to wage against me. WTF feet? Since when do you decide you can change your chemistry and get all 'sensitive' on me? I have training runs to do!

Friday, I only had three miles planned, but with a single glance I was convinced to run six miles with Geof instead. A nice, brisk six later, I was feeling slightly optimistic for our long run coming up on Sunday. Generally, we like to knock out the long run on Saturday so that we can sleep in on Sunday and bask in our shared victory, but we were driving out to Iowa City early Saturday morning and thus committed ourselves to zero sleeping in and a long run Sunday morning from Running Wild in Coralville, IA.

I threw both pairs of my road shoes in my bag (my should-be-retired Ghost 3s, and my new-but-ass-sucking Ghost 4s) as I was unsure which pair to run in. I only needed to get 15 miles in since I was way over my miles for the week already, but we decided jointly that 20 miles would be more fun :) Plus, we were planning to run the old 20 mile route Geof led when he worked for Running Wild back in his college days.

We woke up nice n' early Sunday morning, greeted mightily by cicadas and crickets still burning the midnight oil outside our window (P.S. I absolutely love sleeping with the windows open, a soft breeze blowing in and the sound of crickets dancing on the windowsill. A/C is for the birds ;)). Arriving at Running Wild with a couple minutes to spare before the group set off for the run, we just took our time and headed inside to meet the owner/Geof's old boss, Joe. Joe was supremely surprised to see Geof walk through the door and greeted him with a big hug. I walked around enjoying all the pictures of Geof all over the stockroom from his days there, and ogled the wall of running shoes. Nothing like the smell of running shoes early in the morning! It was fun to finally see the store, meet Joe and put visuals to all the great stories he's told from his time working there.

The group had long since left by the time we stepped outside to start the run. Fine by us. We were looking forward to the run together through town :) One last hop-skip to make sure my shoes were okay (I decided to go with my retiree Ghost 3s afterall...oldies but goodies). After a quick loop around the block, we followed the original 'south route' down Second Street, eventually hooking up with the wonderfully shaded Iowa River Corridor Trail, which follows the river through town, winds through a park, beside some aging academic buildings, past a fire station, over some railroad tracks, down a densely wooded and shady section along the river, through Napoleon Park, and out onto a rolling country road. Then, we turned around and headed back the way we came. The running store placed water coolers at a few different spots along the way, so we had plenty to drink, but thankfully the early morning weather was downright perfect in the upper 60s/low 70s, sunny and barely any humidity.

I was feeling like a million bucks. I love Iowa City. It's a place that really knows how to take care of itself. It's clean, friendly, highly academic, has a lot of history and culture, and clearly loves its runners and cyclists judging by the number of awesome paths through and around town making getting around sans vehicle very easy.

My feet held up incredibly well...not even a hot spot. Funny, 'cuz a 4 miler was hot-spotting my feet pretty well earlier in the week. My feet must be allergic to Chicago ;-)

The run honestly could not have gone any better. The time flew by and we were really enjoying ourselves. Before we knew it, we were pulling up to the store. Another one in the books. Bagels with PB, and OJ awaited us inside the store and we noshed like kings while Geof and Joe shot the breeze a little while longer.

One of my favorite parts of the run? No soreness. Not even jimmy legs (which I usually always get after long runs). Not even during the 3.5 hour drive home later that afternoon. Not even the next day, or the day after that. I couldn't even tell we ran 20 miles. About dang time my legs got used to the distance! So, I feel like I turned a little bit of a corner with this run. And that feels pretty good.

After changing into dry clothes, we treated ourselves to iced lattes and sat outside Tierra Coffee, basking in the warm, non-humid, sunlight, while visions of new running shoes danced in my head.

Week four holds one final mileage push before a step-back week in week five (woohoo!). So far, so good.

Paige, out.

Serious Case of the Training Runs

2011-08-08T13:03:00.000-05:00

It's official: my first two weeks of JJ100 training are in the books. The verdict? Pretty darn good.

Other than my little spill on Friday, things are well, and that's a great thing to report. I actually ran a few miles over my intended mileage both weeks. That's a rare event. It just sorta happened that way. I have felt a bit like my body has reset its running clock and the last two weeks have felt kind of...awkward...though not altogether bad. It was weird, like my legs forgot how to run. My knees knocked every so often (that hasn't happened since my college running days when I was lazy and had crappy form!), I kicked my ankle bone here and there, blisters pop up out of nowhere, I tripped and fell (again, that hasn't happened in a LONG time, on pavement), and my 'easy' pace has been feeling quite labored.

What's up with that?!?!

Today's run was no different...I couldn't find my groove, my rhythm, my boom-shocka-locka. I also ran in a new pair o' kicks (Brooks Ghost 4s) in an effort to start easing them in while also easing out my close-to-retirement Brooks Ghost 3s. My feet were all slippy slide-y inside my shoes, like they were clown shoes and the insole was slick. I sort of fantasized about ripping them off, setting them on fire and then throwing them in the lake while doing a barefoot happy dance on the shore whilst watching them disintegrate. But then I decided maybe I was overreacting and that I should find solace in knowing tomorrow's run in them will totally rock the casbah.

I should now mention the degree of awesome that our Saturday long run ended up being. It was a very high degree. We started in a light drizzle, heading south. The legs felt brand new and totally rockin' for once and we flew through the first 10 miles or so. It was amazing. I wondered if I had had a leg replacement done in my sleep. We had planned initally to run south for a bit, then turn back north for a bit of a change in scenery. But after a loop around Northerly Island, we silently decided to continue south. It stayed cloudy, thankfully, so the steambath we were already running in didn't turn into a full-on wet sauna, thank goodness. Geof had 24 on the schedule and I had 17, but since we had a Cubs game to get to directly after our run, it was looking like our less-than-three-hour window for running was only going to allow my 17, so that's what we were shooting for. Geof's piece-of-crap GPS (it is SUCH a POS, and I think we've finally decided it's time to retire it and return to the trusty Garmin :)) wouldn't link up from the get go (after standing around in the rain for 15 minutes, waiting to see if it would start), so we were working off of pace to judge our turnaround point, and rough memory. Once we turned around, at what we thought was about 9 miles, I started a slow mental downward spiral. Just a general feeling of blah, and an overall feeling of wanting to be done. Instead of being a total wretch, I decided to practice my 100-mile reminders: this, too, shall pass. And, it did. It just took a little bit of patience, and dropping my very last Honey Stinger Waffle on the ground, whilst exclaiming, "oh, f**k!" in front of passing runners and cyclists. You better believe I picked that sucker up, dusted it off, and ate it. Hey, five second rule.

My legs were feeling less than jazzy towards the end, but I was mentally much more spritely knowing that baseball, beers and hotdogs awaited us! Finishing up in just enough time to allow us a whole 14 minutes to clean-up, pound a smoothie, and get downstairs to meet Richard and Tilly and head to the game.

We were both pretty sure we ran at least 18 miles, but the pacing didn't match up when Geof logged it...too slow a pace. So, when we got home later that afternoon I decided to map out our little jaunt. A solid 20 miles, on the freakin' nose. Hot damn! No wonder my legs felt like Jell-o that night :) I'm also happy to report my golfball knee didn't bother me once. It's pretty gross looking still, but that's about it. I'm getting good at 'wound dressings' :)

So, Sunday was a time-on-feet day...walking around the Museum of Science and Industry all afternoon, finally getting to see the Bodyworlds exhibit (AWESOME!!!) and the Smart Home exhibit (also AWESOME!!!).

Did I tell you about NF50? No? Well, Geof and I decided to sign up for the Wisconsin edition of the North Face Endurance Challenge - 50M. The timing with our training was just too perfect, so we'll be running that one together this time. I ran it back in 2009 and had an okay time, but I was also undertrained, overraced, and totally wiped from the season. I am really looking forward to this one this year!

One last really random thing, I tried this really good drink yesterday that I grabbed while we were in line at Whole Foods. It's called Ginger Soother and it is DELICIOUS.

Our friend Jim mentioned a ginger juice he'd used throughout Burning River 100 the week prior and when I saw this at the store I figured it may be what he was talking about. It's by the same peeps (Ginger People) that make Ginger Chews (aka stomach lifesavers). Geof and I both agreed it is quite yummy...of course we are both big, big fans of ginger and would eat it in bulk if given the chance :) So, if you see it somewhere, pick up a bottle and give it a try. I'm thinking it could be worth its weight in gold during the late miles of a 100M, when the tummy feels a bit on the fritz.

So, on to week three. Should be a good one :)

Paige, out.

Things That Go CRASH

2011-08-05T15:35:00.000-05:00

My former alter ego, Crash, made a surprise guest appearance today.

I fell. Hard.

Arrggh. That hurt. Well, surprisingly, it didn't hurt much at first, but now that my newfound scrapes and bruises have had time to settle into their new homes they sting pretty good. And by good I mean bad.

Let me paint the scene for you:

We ran a fast 5 miles in pretty decent humidity, and I was pretty much thrilled to be finishing up the run. Just one of those runs that went really well, but despite that I wasn't all that into it for whatever reason. I was sweating balls and thanking my lucky stars for being so close to home, just two short blocks to go... I wasn't looking, and I caught my toe on a lump of cement on the edge of the sidewalk. I lurched forward, turning my right side to the ground. CRUNCH went my right knee on the gravel-y sidewalk, and then SWISH as I slid to the curb on my right hip and forearm. I finally halted and rolled onto my butt, stunned, but perhaps not so much as Geof was! I was covered in fine gravel on my right side and my knee instantly started bleeding, but not too bad. Geof pulled me up and I jumped on my feet a couple times to see if it hurt, and then continued on our way home, running just a little faster :)

Ow. Falling is so jarring, especially on cement. I will say, thank goodness for that gravel-y stuff as I rolled with it, rather than fully scrapping my body on the unmoving sidewalk. I'm also super glad I didn't hit my head on anything. I have a pretty nice scrape on my knee that reminds me of being a kid, racing neighborhood kids down the block after school. I always fell when I did that, hmmm, a prelude to the future? My right forearm looks like a mini-Edward Scissor Hands had his way with my skin. Oh, and there's a large black and blue marble emerging below my knee. Graaaaavy.

Crash leave now; I was quite happy in my vertical running state of late. Crashing is for the birds.

Anywho, enough of my complaining, it's Friday!! It feels good to feel like a runner again. Two weeks of f'real training will do that for you. Update soon, but first I need to go ice my booboo and feel sorry for myself for a couple more minutes :)

Paige, out.

The Second Shift

2011-07-29T10:52:00.000-05:00

On a recent night Geof and I were talking about weekly mileage as we worked through our evening dental routine. Conversation is a funny thing with mouths full of toothpaste...

Geof quips that the next week he is getting back on the wagon, "It will be a 70 mile week!" I giggle at the random outburst and express my surprise.

I think aloud, "That would be kinda fun."

Geof asks, unable to recall, if I've done a 70 mile, non-race, week before.

"Nope...not in one week [brief pause as I ponder this question]...but I have done it in less than one day...!"

The question suddenly occurs to me...how come I'm so afraid of a big mileage week, but the idea of running 60, 70, 100 miles in a day or so makes total sense?

"I can run 100 miles in little more than a day and come away practically unscathed, outside of some blisters...yet I'm unwilling to spread that distance out over a week?"

"I know, I don't get it either," says Geof as he steps out of the bathroom.

Huh.

It's funny how things you think you've completely beat the dead horse on can get shown in a slightly different light and suddenly the entire paradigm shifts.

It's the second shift :)

So now I sit and ponder...what would it feel like to run a high mileage week/weeks? I dunno. I guess I'll be finding out as my training for JJ100 involves a couple of uncharacteristically high mileage weeks. Intrigued, I am. I think it's time for me to try it on for size.

And now, for a totally unrelated photo...

I spy...

Queen K Hwy, Hawai'i

Paige, out.

JJ100 Training: Let the Fun Begin!

2011-07-25T13:07:00.000-05:00

Today marks the very first day in a 16 week training "plan" for Javelina Jundred (JJ100), which will take place on Saturday, November 12, 2011.

I put 'plan' in quotes because I'm not a very good follower of running plans. That said, it's a pretty similar spreadsheet as I used for Leadville. Only this time, I'm upping the mileage ante. I think it's time I start working my way up, gradually. So I've got a couple weeks worked in where I will put in 70 miles (*shiver*), and those may or may not be a part of race weeks. Ideally, they would not be a part of a 50 mile race week (we are looking to do two of those as training before JJ), but we'll see how it all pans out once we pick our races and where the timing works best. I am also thinking I'll spend a little time doing some pool running once per week, just for gits and shiggles.

It's pretty exciting to have a 'plan' finally. It's also exciting to run in weather that is under 90 degrees...though the humidity was still 94% this morning.

Speaking of this morning, it was pretty strange. It started off like any other morning, but then it changed. We decided to run north for the first time in awhile during the week. As we approached North Avenue Beach, we noticed a string of police cars and SUVs lining the left side of the running path. As we got closer we could see what the hubbub was...a body, of the non-living variety. It was under a sheet, and right as we ran by one of the officers pulled the sheet off and started photographing the man and the area around him. It was weird. I haven't fully processed that whole thing; it was very TV-like...CSI: Chicago. I don't mean to make light of such things, but that's what it felt like. It didn't look like foul play or anything of that sort, it just looked like a guy passed out on the lakefront (which is not unusual around here in the summer). Anywho, so that happened.

Then, on the turnaround, after passing said police scene once more, one of my contacts popped out. That's a first. I caught it in my hand then continued to run the rest of the way home holding it between my thumb and index finger. It was time to change them out anyhow so I could have tossed it, but for some reason I was completely distracted with making sure not to drop it that I didn't toss it until we got home :) Oh well, it took my mind off of the police scene shenanigans.

What a strange morning! May the rest of the week be blissfully 'normal' :-)

Paige, out.

Beware the...Pool?

2011-07-13T12:09:00.295-05:00

This year's installment of the Sunburn 12 Hour Run has officially changed one of our fair sport's favorite sayings ("beware the chair"), and now the world of ultrarunning will never be the same.

For some, the Pool would be a race-saver. This year's champion, Shan Riggs, touted the anti-inflammatory benefits of said Pool, and insisted upon it's HVAC-like qualities as he laid down in it loop after loop. A small handful of others eventually gave in to the Pool's super-powers and went for a dunk, claiming it was ultrarunning answer to the fountain of youth...and speed.

For others the Pool would merely serve as a tease, daring us to step foot into its cooling cesspool waters where all manner of sweaty runner, messy children, cheesy puffs, and blistered feet had taken up residence. Bridget N. was already fast becoming a popular addition to the group, but when she showed up with the Pool that morning, her rank as Most Awesome Member in the Universe was firmly etched in stone. Kinda like the kid who brings cupcakes for the whole class on their birthday has instant popularity, so it goes with The Pool.

The Pool

I did not venture into the Pool, but I did dunk my 'kerchief in it once. It's my claim to Pool fame.

So basically, it was hot as balls on Saturday, and the mid-sixties starting temp was pure child's play. It has been reported in numerous places that it reached 94 degrees by mid-day in Bartlett, IL, where 50 toughies gathered to run in circles around James "Pate" Philip State Park for 6 and 12 hours. You may remember, even more of us gathered at this same spot back in January to run around for 6 hours in the blustery cold and snow for the Windburn Six in the Stix. Talk about polar opposites of days!!

Air pollution makes for lovely views in the early hours of the morning

After getting held up by a freight train a mere quarter mile from the park, and already about 5 minutes past when the race was supposed to start, we arrived in the parking lot to find that most everyone else had been held up by the same train, and Brian and Kelly (the leaders of the day's madness) weren't even able to gain access to the park until about 10 minutes to 7:00 (the park is supposed to be opened at sunrise, and the race was supposed to start at 7:00). So, it all worked out for everyone :)

The group (A.M. 6 hour runners, and 12 hour runners) set out at 7:30 a.m. Geof and I planned to run the entire day together, and after hanging back for a few minutes, we moved forward so as to get some room to stretch the legs and settle into some quiet.

This is what the course looked like all day...fully exposed to the sun

It became quickly apparent that this day was going to be a beast. We've done a few of the 6 hour events before, but never a 12 hour. It's a funny thing, not having a finish line, or knowing when you're really going to be done, mileage-wise. Pacing yourself to run continuously for 12 hours, and working towards a distance goal is hard stuff. I found this out this day. There are people who are good at fixed time events, and people who are good at fixed distance. I don't know which I would be considered 'good' at, but I do know that I much prefer fixed distance. I like to know where I'm starting and where I'm finishing, how far away it is, and from there determine how long it's going to take me. That's much more my style :)

Anywho, it was a blast giving this fixed-time thing a go. I had wanted to break 10 hours for 50 miles, but it, too, became apparent that this was not the day for it.  I went back and forth in my head about it for about 7 hours before deciding to cut it loose.  I decided I was going to be happy just being able to move for the full 12 hours given the weather. This run was a good exercise in learning how to reassess goals and make adjustments according to the day you're given. You can't plan everything, actually you can't plan most things, but you sure can be hopeful. Come race day, anything is fair game and you just have to learn to be flexible with yourself and your goals. So, that's what I did. I'll get my sub-10 hour 50 miler soon; this I know :)

For the most part, the day went very well, all things considered. I had a brief down period in maybe the third hour where I felt...off. I didn't feel bad, just not totally good. I was trying to explain it to Geof, and the only thing I came up with was that I wasn't totally comfortable. Well, duh. It was a freakin' wet sauna out there! I decided I needed the contrast of cold and hot. It was hot outside, so I really needed something cold to hold onto for that contrast. Otherwise, I just felt really uncomfortable, without hope of relief. Know what I mean? I can stand the heat pretty well, as long as I know there is something really cold coming up soon, or I'm holding onto something cold. Sounds weird, but it worked once I figured that little gem out :)

Of course, it was so hot that each time we filled our handhelds with ice, it was totally melted halfway through a loop. So, I continued to put ice in my hat, sports bra, and, eventually, in a bandana I wore around my neck.  Geof and I also began soaking our shirts in the super cold water from the water pump next to the pavilion. This was amazing! It felt like an ice shirt when you put it back on, and when we got to the section of the loop where there was a headwind, the wet shirts felt cool against our skin which was insanely refreshing, as you can imagine. This 'rinsing' also helped to keep the level of funk down.

We started out with the routine of run two loops, stop at the pavilion/aid station, run two loops, etc. That lasted maybe the first half of the day. Our stops definitely erred on this side of leisurely and obnoxiously long.  However, we needed those long breaks, bad. I kept trying to remind myself how much hotter it was for the folks at Badwater, or how barren and awful the Sahara Desert is, but eventually I lost all empathy and decided I didn't give a flying sh** how hot it was somewhere else, for someone else; it was flipping hot HERE, right NOW, for US! I was stomping my feet and pouting about it in my head.

Did I mention it was hot?

We were one ripe smelling group before long. The hot aroma of sweat, Body Glide, hyper-melted gels and chews, sticky Gatorade, defizzing Coke and watermelon boiling in the sun.

So how about I stop complaining about that heat and tell you a little about the day, eh?

I subsisted on Gatorade, ice water, Honey Stinger Waffles, S!Caps every hour, and sips of fully fizzed-up Coke. My stomach was the winner on this particular day. I am very, very pleased with how well it held up in the heat and how consistently good it felt throughout the day. My hands were never puffy, so I was definitely hydrating well and on top of the electrolytes. I stayed on schedule with the salt, and paid close attention to my fluid needs. This run was a very good lesson in problem solving, and a very good opportunity to get more in tune with things. When I had my brief low spot early on, it was very easy to tune in and see what the deal was. "How does my stomach feel? How do my hands look? When did I last take salt? When was my last Waffle? Am I stumbling at all? Do I feel tired? Do I need to pee?" etc. It was kinda fun to solve each 'mystery' as they popped up throughout the day :)

As the temperature crept up, we began to incorporate walking breaks more and more, and eventually we took to stopping at the pavilion after each loop. I could feel some gnarly blisters starting to form and I was worried about messing my feet up too much to get back to running the following Monday, so I suggested stopping early to Geof. He was quiet for a moment, then made a very strong argument for continuing for the full 12 hours. Basically, it was, "We came here to run 12 hours." That's all I needed to hear.

Around 9 hours in, Geof hit a low spot that he decided he needed to rest for. His stomach was really off and he felt generally not totally awesome, so he laid down on a picnic table bench for a short bit. I was feeling really good, and after a sock change (where I did NOT look at my feet...I didn't want to know!), I put on the iPod and headed out for a fast loop to get the legs moving and some blood pumping. That loop felt awesome! When I returned, my baby sister, Tilly, was there to greet me. Woohoo! She was all suited up and ready to go, so we set out for a loop together catching up on the day and all sorts of sisterly stuff. By the time we finished our loop together, Geof was feeling a little better and the three of us set out together to walk a loop.

Tilly peaced out after our walking loop, and Geof and I continued on for the remaining hour and a half. The sun had moved across the sky and we were fueled by the hope of dropping temperatures. Though, I'm pretty sure it was still in the low 90's by the time we wrapped up the day :)

Around 4:00 or 5:00, the sun shifted, obviously, and some glorious overgrown somethin-or-other on the back side of the loop cast a lovely shadow for about 20 yards. It was delicious.

There was just a small handful of us still remaining in the 12 hour, and three others running the P.M. 6 hour run, so it was pretty quiet in the Park. The afternoon BBQ had ended, the kids running around had all gone home, the food sat baking in the heat, the Pool sat empty of bodies, but full of gross water, and the few sitting under the pavilion waiting on us runners chatted quietly and cheered loudly whenever runners went by. Birds fluttered around chirping, the bugs stayed away, the sun baked, and a nice breeze was blowing in from the south. It was a perfect summer afternoon.

I knew I had a shot at winning the 12 hour for the women, though it was going to be close. Winning was my whisper goal for the day :) Hey, a girl can dream, right? Of course, I thought getting my 50 mile goal was going to be easier than my whisper goal, ha! All in all, I ended the day with 48.8 miles, and Geof with a little more than 44 miles. I landed first woman, and 4th overall for the day. Shan Riggs was our superstar overall winner with a disgusting 65.34 miles under his belt. That guy was movin'!!

And: scene. Very happy runners :)

With James, the Sunburn/Windburn series "Stanley Cup" trophy, and Brian

Overall champ, Shan, with James and his handmade medallion

My very own medallion for my efforts...handmade by Tracy Thomas

So the day wasn't a total bust by any means. In fact, it was pretty great. I didn't reach my original goal, actually not even close(!), but I did reach a different goal, and also learned a little more about tuning into myself on the run. My fluids and nutrition were spot on, cooling efforts worked wonders, I kept moving, and I made sure to enjoy myself. Can't argue with that! All in all a success.

My feet, however, didn't get the memo. I actually had flashbacks to Rio Del Lago when I saw my feet after taking off my shoes and socks after finishing. I even considered leaving my socks on so that I wouldn't have to deal with my feet. Okay, so they weren't Rio horrible, but for me they were pretty painful. One between my toes, and one on the inside of each big toe. Those suckers hurt because they push on the nailbed. Ah well. I mourned the pain for a few days, vocally, much to Geof's dismay :)

I am very happy to report that I had almost zero muscle soreness from this race! I only had a touch of soreness in each glute, but I'm not entirely sure it isn't from my squat/lunge day on Friday :-) Who does large quantities of squats and lunges the day before a race?! This chick.

So that's the long and short of it. And next week begins a new training cycle, yahooooo!

Paige, out.

P.S. All photos are courtesy of Kelly and Brian Gaines :)

Sunburnin' in the Stix

2011-07-08T16:46:00.000-05:00

It's that time of the year! Time for Sunburn...Sunburn Six in the Stix, that is. The "Stix" being suburban Chicago, which is totally stix-like, and a really long drive from downtown...like an hour. May as well be Canada!

This year New Leaf Ultra Runs is adding a 12 hour run to the traditional 6 hour morning run, and adding an additional 6 hour afternoon-evening run so that the 12 hour runners have some fresh company out there. There will also be a BBQ going on simultaneously at the start/finish pavilion. Mmmm, encased meat product and beans!

Geof and I are tackling the 12 hour run together and the only real goal (of mine) is to run 50 miles under 10 hours. Now, that sounds pretty simple and really doable, however, the weather is going to be a beast! Temps are forecasted for upper 80s and total sunshine. That's HOT! Plus, the course has zero shade. I mean, literally, NO shade. So, we'll see how that all goes. I do know we are going to have a great time, and I'm looking forward to that old ultra feeling...sore legs that I have to physically look at in order to know if they're still moving, and willing them to move faster, then eating to our heart's content :)

This is going to be FUN! Wish me luck...I have a very hefty whisper goal for this one ;-)

Paige, out.

I'm a WWW!

2011-07-01T11:49:00.000-05:00

I've been bloggy-happy this week :) So, last one for the week. Honest.

Check out the address bar up above. Notice anything different? C'mon, anything? The title gives it away...

Okay, I'm officially a WWW! I finally decided to get a grown-up domain name. So now you can access Serious Case of the Runs at http://www.seriouscaseoftheruns.com/, all nice and easy-like :) Of course, if you forget and type in the old Blogspot address, you'll just get redirected here anyhow, so I guess it doesn't matter afterall. And I suppose most of you are reading this from a Reader of sorts, so then this doubly doesn't matter. Okay, I'll celebrate this one on my own :)

I feel like my blog is all grown up now. They grow up so fast, you know. First it's a couple posts, then it gets its first reader comments, then there's the first official followers, the 100 post milestone, then their very own domain name, and before you know it it's off on its own making great things happen! Like this post for instance is number 201. Holy moly, that's a lot of writing! *Sigh* I love every moment of bloggerhood.

So that was a bit of a tangent. Back to the WWW business.

Seeing as I am the internet and technology equivalent of a pigeon-toed child in ballet class, I asked fellow blogger, Christian, how to go about transferring my blog to the new domain name. He took my case into his own hands and made it happen so that I wouldn't have to suffer through hours and hours (okay, lets be honest, it would have taken me months probably) of figuring out how to do it on my own. Thank you SO much CG! You should read his blog if you don't already. His race reports are unmatched anywhere. Totally fun and really hilarious.

I hope you have a great Fourth of July weekend and get out and enjoy some trails!

Paige, out.

"Excuse Me, I Have a Very Important Announcement to Make...

2011-06-30T16:40:00.000-05:00

...CANNONBALL!!!"*

Okay, but seriously, I'm super pumped because Geof and I have officially registered for our next 100 mile adventure together...!

Yes, this is an exciting thing! Running 100 miles together in a hot, dry, sandy desert a stones through from Phoenix, by the light of a very full moon on a random weekend in November. I'm sorry, does it get any better than that? Sharing in the ups and downs, stinky feet, Perpetuem burps, sweaty everything, and who can forget the gas? I can hardly wait! (But I can, 'cuz November means it's winter and I'm still waiting for summer to get here :))

For this race, you get to pick a nickname to be printed on your race number bib...and your favorite number. Hopefully my number hasn't been picked already :)

This is gonna be FUN! Lots of friends running this year so it's going to be a running party, no doubt. I'm looking forward to running our first hundo as a married couple, and breaking 26 hours on the course. That's a pretty cool milestone, no?

Okay, back to our regularly scheduled afternoon.

Paige, out.

*P.S. If you caught the Anchorman reference then you get two gold stars for the day! :) Two gold stars is way betterer than one. One gold star is lame. What can you possibly do with just ONE gold star? Nothing. Two gets you everywhere :)

Accountability and Heavy Metal

2011-06-28T17:17:00.000-05:00

In an effort to maintain accountability, I wanted to share that we did indeed venture out for yet another T10 this morning. And this one has taken the cake. Our fastest 10 miler yet, in a 7:54 pace.

The first half felt like buttah (you know, like butter, but bettah... :)). Then, my mind started to wander and I found myself thinking, "I have control over this; I can end this at any time I like."

WHOA! That is a 100 mile thought that creeps in in the wee hours of the morning, near mile 80, once you're covered in a thin layer of grit, dust, sweat, not a little bit of bodily fluids, and spilled Perpetuem, and you've become prone to tourettes-esque speech. That is not a thought that occurs at mile eight of a 10 miler. So I castigated myself in my own head and made sure that the thought was sufficiently annihilated as we moved along. My legs felt fine, but my breathing was heavy. I had no concept of our speed, but it felt similar to any other day, just a bit faster the second half.

By the time we were a mile from home I clipped back into myself and felt like buttah once more. Just a little dip there that popped up out of nowhere, and I was more than pleased that I kicked that dip in the arse.

Oh, last night I experienced Graston for the first time ever. I was observing at my favorite PT clinic here in the city, and PT Mike offered to have me try out some Graston. He was recently certified in the technique and I was very eager to try it out after I observed him use it on three patients earlier in the evening. It was really neat! I just had him use it on my right shin. I could feel lots of crackling as he moved over it with the instruments. It sort of helps you find where adhesions are based on how red the skin becomes as the heavy metal Graston tools move over your skin. Once they find some good spots, the practitioner works on those areas to break things up. My shin and ankle felt dreamy this morning! Such a simple little thing, but I can see where it would be really helpful for peeps with actual superficial tissue troubles. I know a lot of clinicians aren't too keen on the technique, but there are a zillion different schools of thought on everything. I like it. I'd try it again :)

If I were prone to such things, tonight would be a perfect night for a double. But, the grill is calling, as are some chipotle burgers we picked up at Whole Foods over the weekend. Can we say, recovery? :)

Paige, out.

Damn It Feels Good to Be a Runner

2011-06-24T12:24:00.000-05:00

This has nothing to do with anything in this post, but the sign cracks me up.
Kohala Coast, Hawai'i - Queen K Highway

So, where was I going here? Oh yes, today rocks!

Earlier in the week, as we considered our long run for the weekend, Geof suggested maybe we try to do our long run on Friday (today) before work so that we wouldn't have to worry about squeezing it in this weekend (which is packed to the gills with fun stuff already!). At first I thought, "what a crappy idea, I'll be tired all day!" But that only lasted two seconds. My next thought, out loud, was, "okay!" And so the dream was born.

Geof said to sit on it.

I sat on it, and come Thursday evening after a late night of homemade (read: from the can) Sloppy Joes, baked beans and 'tater salad with the Moffetts, I still wanted to get up at the buttcrack of dawn the next day and bang out a solid 15+ miles. You know, to start the weekend off right. Plus, there was no way I was going to let myself slack off anymore and dip below my goal of at least 40mpw each week for my base. I had in mind to do 15-18 miles, then do an easy shorter run over the weekend to round out the mileage :)

Mission: accomplished.

I think Geof thought I was either blowing smoke up his tush, or that I would change my mind. I did not change my mind :) He was a great sport! We rolled out of bed and were out the door for our run before 5:45. Perfect timing. The weather was great for a longer run (cloudy, cool, a little breeze) and we each carried a bottle. I should note here that I don't recommend Sloppy Joes the night before a long run. It makes getting out the door quickly a little...difficult. The Serious Case of the Runs household was living up to its name ;-)

There were a ton of cyclists out already, but only a few runners. We followed our favorite route and took in the really awesome views of the city. Geof was commenting on how sharp everything looked...it was such cool lighting and made everything look a little surreal. Our lack of sleep? Too many Sloppy Joes? Not enough Coors Light the night before ;)? I'm guessing it had to do with the clouds and the fact that it was so freakin' early :)

We cranked it out a little faster than last weeks long run, this time in an 8:14 pace, covering just shy of 16 miles. My legs feel it as I sit here typing it...and I love it. The last couple of miles my legs felt like lead pipes, in cement. Mmmm.

I've never done a long run NOT on the weekend, and certainly not before work. And you know what? I kinda like it.

This weekend is Geof's highschool reunion...I won't say what year reunion it is, he can tell you that :)...and we are both really looking forward to it! We are also really looking forward to stalking all Western States 100 feeds, following those getting to run the race. It's going to be a beast of a competition up front, which makes for very entertaining "viewing" for those of us at home. Can't wait!

Man, I need a good stretch right now!

Damn it feels good to be a runner.

Paige, out.

Top News

2011-06-22T11:11:00.000-05:00

"Ultras are not crazy, they are the ultimate in sanity. They bring us back to the truth of who we are." ~Alene Nitzky

The above quote came out during an interesting conversation today on the Ultra List about why we run ultras. I really dig Alene's response, obviously, and it really sums up my personal thoughts on the topic.

Anywho, I wanted to share that :)

I also want to share that the Dunmore Household (e.g. Geof and I) finally, finally went out for a long run this past weekend. Naturally, we picked one of the hottest days in weeks, at the hottest part of the day to head out. Totally makes sense, no? It was GREAT! Boy did it feel good to have some legitimately fatigued legs. We banged out almost 16 miles (hey, "long run" is a relative term at this juncture) at an 8:17 pace and I was delightfully spent afterward! The day was beautiful and we moved along really well. It was weird to carry water again. I found it a little odd carrying a water bottle and kept switching hands, but I was very glad to have it since it was balls hot. We ran a new route we've started for our Tuesday Ten Miler, and added onto it. The route seems long since you double back on it, but it's so pretty and you get to see a lot along the way so it's worth the mental anguish of feeling longer than it actually is.

Is it weird that I was excited to have chaffing? I haven't run long enough in the last five weeks to actually get chaffed, so it was a welcome annoyance given that fact! I was also excited to slip on my RecoFit Leg Compressors afterward and let the recovery begin whilst we noshed on some veggie burgers with avocado and salsa, and some sweet 'tater fries, mmmm. My legs felt like pure gold Sunday, thanks to those leg sleeves!

T10 was in full effect again yesterday and it was T-O-U-G-H! It was again balls hot, and supremely humid so I was blaming that for how difficult the run became. But, when I calculated our average pace afterward, I think I can now blame the overly fast pace for how my legs felt. Fastest T10 we've ever run. And, most likely, the sweatiest T10 we've ever had. I think half my weight was in sweat.

BTW, in past-due news, last week's T10 was actually more like T12...we didn't have a functioning GPS between the two of us, so we ran a little extra to make sure we got in at least 10. I mapped it out finally and came up with almost 12 miles...and that means we covered it in just under a 7:30 pace. Huzzah! So, technically I suppose that that run was our fastest T10 ever :-) Anyway, can't hate that news!

Given how tough yesterday was, I was pleasantly surprised to wake up with such fresh legs today! Just a little 4 mile shakeout run this morning, and we kept the pace very easy. We both commented on how we're finally getting the itch for a long race again. What to do, what to do! Voyageur 50M is top kitty right now, but the long drive is the only thing holding us back. It was a really, really long drive for us last year. We'll see :)

Western States 100 is this weekend and I am insanely excited!! It's like the Super Bowl for ultrarunners. I was reading up on all the top picks for this year and I'm sticking to my guns on Geoff Roes taking the top spot. But I also think Dave Mackey could spank everybody and take the cake out of nowhere. Killian Jornet in third. Who knows. Ellie Greenwood and Anita Ortiz for the ladies, Kami Semick in third. Tough choices, but that's my gut feeling :) I'm probably totally wrong, but we'll find out in three short days! So many friends/bloggers/etc. running this year, good luck to everyone toeing the line!

Sheesh, that's a lot of topics in one post...I should learn to pace myself ;)

Paige, out.

Nerve Flossing

2011-06-16T15:01:00.000-05:00

Sounds kinda gross, no? Gives me the willies thinking about a nerve being 'flossed', lol :) (Actually, to be specific, it conjures up the image of THAT scene in 127 Hours...you know what scene I'm talking about...it involves a nerve.)

Nerve Flossing is Fun!

Since I have a super-glamorous desk-bound job, I do a lot of sitting. As a runner, sitting is the bane of our existence. Every so often, especially when I'm running more, I get that annoying pain in the arse...piriformis pain. Earlier this year it got really annoying and I decided to Google my issue. Enter: nerve flossing. Ironically enough, the exercise is performed while sitting :)

I don't remember how I got to it, but I know I clicked a lot of links and read a lot of crap, and watched a few painfully boring Youtube vids before I came to the holy grail of pain relief for piriformis syndrome and sciatica. More than likely, if you're a runner, or an endurance sitter, you've experienced some level of piriformis or sciatic nerve pain. Next time it starts to flare up, do this exercise. Seriously, it's amazing. Don't let the simplicity of the movement fool you. It's pure magic.

Enjoy!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UoUqfOGuEOU&feature=related

And, here is another good one:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bzF9FAJ1LdA

Paige, out.

T10 You Are My Friend

2011-06-15T12:54:00.001-05:00

What do you get when you pair a random Tuesday with blurry blue skies (the kind of sky that looks sorta hazy, sorta not...just plain blurry), long legs and the Dunmores? Tuesday Ten Miler!

Huzzah, we back baby!

Yesterday's T10 felt awesome, and surprisingly quick and springy. In the aftermath, I felt every step of it, which is funny 'cuz the aftermath of my trail 50k just four weeks ago left my legs feeling fresher than before the race. How does that happen? I wore my RecoFit calf sleeves all day at work and today I am very thankful for those sleeves :)

So thankful, in fact, that we stepped out into the pouring, blowing rain this morning for a quick three miles around the Pier. Why not? Geof says the wind was gusting at 25mph, and I believe it. I was getting blown sideways and then we had a terrific tailwind on our way back. If we had been running the 2011 Boston Marathon our finish time would not have counted due to the tailwind ;-) I kid. A little.

Anywho, three groovy runs in a row this week. That's pretty sweet. You know what else is also sweet, but not too sweet? Trader Joe's non-fat Greek yogurt with honey and strawberry preserves stirred in. I could literally subsist on that stuff right now. SO GOOD!

So that's the good word this week. Hopefully there's a long run in our future. We're in need of one of those :)

Paige, out.

This and That

2011-06-07T17:11:00.000-05:00

Today's run was HOT. Like having a hot, wet rag over your face and nose, breathing thick, wet air. The sun boiling just above the horizon at just a little after 6:30 a.m. How is it so hot already?!

So humid that the sweat you manage to expel from your pores just sits there on the surface of your arms, legs, chest, your brow...just waiting to drip down into an eye. Even a hat with a built in sweatband is no match for this weather. My socks were soaked (and that just doesn't happen to me). My running clothes looked like I ran them under a faucet. I think the humidity level hovered around 162%.

But the legs felt so good. The heart and mind felt best. We were running!

And the heat, a welcome friend to the chilly tundra of Chicago! :)

Tuesday Ten Miler turned into a T8 as we got a late start. I'm pretty sure there was not a single step more left in my legs, though. So, T8 it was! We adjusted our pace a little for the heat, but we still ended up finishing pretty quick.

It's days like today that I can't even begin to fathom how people run Badwater :) But then I remember how deliciously dry it is there, like being wrapped in a fluffy down blanket, rather than a hot, wet rag.

Next week, we tackle the T10 again :) Time to remove the honeymoon legs and put back on my running legs...I have a goal to achieve in one month's time. I'm aiming to shatter that 10 hour barrier for 50 miles at the Sunburn 12 hour run. Anything beyond that will be gravy. Of note: there is a rumor that my mom and one of my sisters will be hangin' that day at the race...a momentous occasion as no one in my family has ever witnessed my ultrarunning.

Just another day in training!

Paige, out.

Eat, Drink and Be Married!

2011-06-02T13:17:00.000-05:00

I'm back, I'm back!

After a very full and very exciting last couple of weeks, we are back, we are well fed, well 'hydrated', well relaxed, sufficiently soft and quite glowy! Honeymooning is so amazing :)

Check it out, weez got hitched! Us ultrarunners clean up pretty well, no? ;)

Matt Dunmore Photography

We weren't completely lazed out on the honeymoon, we did manage to squeeze in a few runs, one of which was down the side of the crater of a volcano...

There was a lovely beach trail from the resort, through some ancient ponds, along a palm tree speckled road, and a golf course. The weather was hot and sunny everyday and it was glorious.

Friday we decided to drive down to Hawaii Volcanoes National Park to see what all the hubbub was. It's pretty cool. We both donned our favorite Chaco sandals and had no illusions of getting a run in, but once we set out on foot, playing the day by ear, and were presented with a beautiful downhill trail, leading us to the Kilauea Crater we just could not help ourselves. Glancing at the mileage posted on the trail marker, we decided it would be much faster to run the 2 miles down to the crater than it would be to walk it. When in Rome! I tied my fleece around my waist, and Geof put our phones and camera securely in the bottoned pocket of his hiking shorts...and away we went! I'm pretty sure I had a ridiculously giddy grin plastered on my face the entire time. It was beautiful and the trail was the perfect blend of switchbacking tricky technical stuff with a smooth downhill grade. Delicious. My calves paid the price the next day, but the experience and subsequent hike across the crater was totally worth it.

It's back to normal life now, so that means training resumes!!! In the last three days we've managed to run more than we have run in the previous two weeks, combined. Gross, huh? It feels good to be out running finally, but I'm having to get used to the soreness and aches and pains again...I almost forgot what it feels like to be a runner, yikes! ;)

Guess what? it's almost Friday!

Paige, out.

Ice Age Trail 50k: When Things Come Together

2011-05-17T15:59:00.000-05:00

Saturday, May 14, 2011 - the 30th annual Ice Age Trail Runs. A day where it all just...came together.

Ever have one of those days on the trail where you go, "Holy S#$@! THIS is why I love this! THIS is why I do this!" I had one of those days on Saturday. It could not have gone better in my opinion. The results speak for themselves. I went into the day with a very, very optimistic outlook. While I was still going to shoot for finishing under six hours, as was my stated goal, more than anything I just wanted to have a really good day on the trail and just plain enjoy myself.

But when you have volunteers shouting "Number two woman, way to go, keep moving!!" at every aid station for the first three hours, it's kinda hard to relax! I didn't go into the day with uber-competitive thoughts (I mean, I always have a competitive spirit, but this day I was supressing it...initially), but when you hear something like that, one can't help but think about kicking butt. All over the place. And picking up the pace, but just a little :)

Geof was running the 50 mile race and just planned to have a good day rather than worry about a time or pushing too much. Our training hasn't been of the 50 mile caliber of late, so he was just going to be happy with a finish. Geof ended up having a very nice day on the trail and finished in fine form and in much better shape than last year's race.

Hey, it's Geof! Photo courtesy of the Brelly

He even made time for some kisses at Highway 12 from our favorite pups, Britton and Mia! Photo courtesy of the Brelly

The 50k race started at 8:15, so I had two hours to kill after Geof's race started. I organized stuff in the truck and farted around some, then decided to go watch the 50 milers roll into the start/finish area, which was also their mile 9. Those front folks were burnin' it up out there, wow!! I hung out and cheered on runners and waited for Geof to come through before heading back to the truck to finish my prep and fill my Nathan pack. There was some on-and-off drizzle, but nothing to call home about. I stuck a super thin rain jacket into the cables of my pack, but I never did end up using it. Standing against the back wall of the bathroom building that was blocking the wind, I chatted with another woman before Jeff (RD) started his pre-race speech. And then, without fanfare, we were off! Oh boy, was I excited! I started out nearly all the way in back in hopes of properly pacing myself from the outset.

No dice.

People were walking in back, so I picked up my feet and moved around a large clump of people and then slowly made my up, up, up. I didn't know where the lead pack was at the time, but in retrospect that is because I was a part of it. Ha! Who does that?! Eventually, it completely thinned out and we were rolling along on our way to the Horseriders turnaround point at mile 6.7. This part of the course was totally new to me and I was loving every second of it. Gorgeous, forested singletrack amidst tall pines and short shrubbery that was brilliantly green and lush from all the recent rains. I had no idea where I stood in the line-up, nor did I care; I had yet to be told where I stood. And I was running along comfortably in blissful ignorance, soaking up all the beautiful Kettle surroundings.

The wind was light in the woods, but stiff in the wider, more open prairie sections of the course. The drizzle tapered off to nothing and wouldn't return until I was nearly finished with my run. Everything felt calm and serene and I was in this really happy place. I was listening to my iPod Shuffle and I decided to play a little game...no changing songs, I had to listen to each song that popped up, and for some reason this really entertained me... Then, I wanted to see if I could outrun the battery life of my Shuffle. Again, this deeply entertained me. By the by, no, I did not outrun the Shuffle. I win!

There was nothing remarkable about the first half marry of the race, yet at the same time everything was remarkable. Ya know what I mean? I felt so consumed by the awesome of the day. I pulled into Horseriders to the announcement of "Second Woman! Keep it moving!" Kevin Grabowski (aka Super Fast WI Dude) was volunteering and helped me open my first Honey Stinger Waffle while I pounded a glass of very watered down Heed. He handed me my waffle and sent me on my way with some words of encouragement, "Get back out there so you can laugh at all the poor souls who still have to come see us here! You're doing great!" Funny guy, that Kevin :)

Oh, my nutrition strategy was very unstrategic, but mostly because it was cold out and it was "only" 31 miles. I ran with my Nathan pack filled with water and opted not to carry any bottles. I wanted my hands free and relaxed. I decided to just suck it up and stomach the Heed available at the aid stations, and relied on either one Waffle per hour, or 5 Honey Stinger chews (the Cherry Blossom flavor are my favorite!) per hour, plus one S!Cap for electrolytes. I did nothing but take a couple sips of water the first hour. I find I don't need much of anything the first hour, even on an empty stomach. Anywho, Heed usually makes me gag and hate things like babies and butterflies, but for some reason I was willing to risk it so that my hands would be comfortable :) It's a good thing that it actually tasted really, really good for once! I drank a cup of it close to every hour.

Let's see, oh yes, leaving Horseriders you head back the same way you came, so I got to see everyone behind me, including the next few chicks. I was warmed up and feeling really awesome by this point, powering down hills, maintaining cadence and moving well up hills. People jumped to the side and I would come flying down a hill, shouting words of encouragement. Peeps were all sorts of nice and it was yet another reminder of why I so enjoy the ultra world. I caught a glimpse of the third and fourth chicks and noted the pretty big gap between us. But I still made sure to maintain and keep moving. Before long, it was just me and woods again, and my music. I hummed along to my favorite songs and kept my eyes glued to the trail before me. I would not be taking any dives on this day, no time for that! There was one guy in front of me a ways and I decided to reel him in, slowly. He was running everything and moving well, but he treated the downhills like a snakepit. Before long I was within a few paces of him and we hit a final downhill before the road crossing taking us back to the Nordic loop, and I blew by him. It felt good. But mostly because it was one of those really lovely downhill sections that make one feel as though they could fly down it effortlessly, forever.

Back on the Nordic, it's another 1.5ish miles back to the start/finish area, at which point the 50k runners head out for two full loops of the 9+ mile Nordic loop. Pulling into the aid station I am greeted by cheers and smiling volunteers. I downed a cup of Heed again, considered pulling off my right shoe to empty it of some rocks, but then decided I just wanted to keep moving. Plus my favorite Coldplay song was on and it has the perfect running beat.

MUDD Michele snapped a quick pic on my way out of the aid station

I got to the first bench on the trail, around a bend, and decided it would be a foolish, rookie, mistake to not empty out my shoe. So I stopped and unloaded the 1/4 pound of trail debris and got back on my way. I had to do this once more before I finished, but both times I made quick business of it and removed my ear buds so that I could hear if anyone was coming my way. I was starting to feel that competitive surge. I had no idea where the next chicks were behind me, and I didn't want to find out. I turned up the music a little louder to try and drown out the thoughts. I don't like thinking about that kind of stuff; I wasn't out there to win anything, I was only out there to achieve a goal, it just so happened that I was doing really freakin' well while working towards that goal. I needed to keep my mind focused on the true task at hand and not let other things muddy it up too much.

Serenity now :)

Oh, look at that, it's time for another Waffle. Nom, nom, nom. Mmmm, soooo good!

I spent lots of time solo on the trail, until the half marathoners merged trail with us. Then, there were lots of people strewn about the trail, but it was never bothersome and never got in the way as it's a wide, multi-use trail on the Nordic loop.  The first loop felt a little long to me, but that was no surprise because the Nordic loop always feels long.  And it's fraught with these really obnoxious rollers...steep down, five steps recovery, steep up. Rinse and repeat. And it comes kinda in the middle of the loop. Then, you get to the most beautiful pine forest section, where you're running down the middle of rows of soaring pine trees, and the ground is covered in a soft bed of pine needles. It is magical.  And it smells like heaven. But, just when you think you're about done with the loop and you're singing with the birds and prancing with the bunnies and thanking whomever you thank for being alive and well enough to be running, the ground turns back into big gravelly rock and grass and you get a couple more steep ups and downs, just in case you forgot what the Kettle was all about.  It's sort of like a P.S., on the trail. P.S. don't forget how trashed your legs are going to be. P.S. that pine forest? It's done, now you pay. P.S. suckfest ahead. P.S. you love this, remember?  Well, I had my own little P.S. for those final hills: P.S. kiss my grits, I own you!

Oh, I forgot to mention when I got passed. It was a moment that will forever live in infamy. No, not really, but I do remember that it was at exactly the 3 hour mark. The number three gal just blew by me out of nowhere. I made a point to never look behind me, I hate when people do that, so I never noticed her until that very moment. She said something, but my bad manners music drowned it out. Sorry about that. It was mighty impressive, her speed.  It was about mile 20 or 21 when that happened and it didn't even phase me for some reason. I actually was a little bit happy. I was running a little less scared now :)  She blew past and never let up, eventually finishing 7 minutes ahead of me. I thought the gap was going to be bigger, judging by how swift she was. So, yea, that happened.

I wrapped up that first loop, slammed another glass of Heed like a champ, and got back out for my final loop o' Nordic. But not before everyone and their mother shouted, "third woman, third woman!!!" That felt really good, and gave me another little surge. I was feeling the hills a little bit, but nothing like I thought I would. Actually, my legs felt flippin' good! I should note that nothing I thought would bother me ever did come to fruition. My IT band, hips and calves all played nice-nice. My anterior tib thingy acted like it wanted to piss and moan on some of the downhills and flats, but I found that focusing on my form kept that at bay. When I get fatigued, my mid-foot strike turns into a godawful looking heel-strike, so focus was needed to avoid that. And avoid I did. I absolutely cherished this final loop, and it helped that it just flew by. The final loop of any run is almost always the longest feeling, but for some reason that wasn't the case on Saturday.

I started to wonder if the Heed was spiked.

I was actually moving even better than the first loop, and my legs started feeling fresher (is that a word?). Now I kinda wish I had timed the two loops to see which ended up faster. I bet the second one was faster :) I don't think I walked a single step of that loop, except for that one really SUPER steep hill.  The drizzle began somewhere on this loop and it felt good. I was actually getting a little warm due to the increased effort. I could feel a smile plastered on my face. What was I smiling at? Why did I think I needed a reason to smile? I was on Cloud freakin' 9 folks!  Every pretty, happy thought imaginable entered my mind in those final 9+ miles: I pictured myself walking down the aisle to Geof all spiffed out in his tux and I in my sah-weet dress, I pictured us lounging by the beach in Hawaii with sushi and foofy cocktails and cupcakes, I felt myself blushing at the memory of when he popped the question just 6 short months ago, visions of mountains and Colorado, and Grey's Anatomy popped into my head (hey, I love Grey's Anatomy, and since I had missed the previous week's episode I was very curious about what happened :)), puppies and babies with fat rolls on their legs, and even a vision or two of actually achieving my goal...doing what I set out to do and doing it well.  I felt a little hyperventilate-y (that is definitely not a word, but work with me here) as all these wonderful thoughts danced around in my runner's high mind. Seriously, who spiked the Heed?

The pine forest came, and I marveled at its magic once more. It's like the whole world stops when you run through that section.  Cyndi Lauper was singing in my ears about love being a battlefield (love that song) as I pulled into the mile 27 aid station and tossed some garbage, announcing "Hot Damn!!" when the volunteer there said I only had four more miles. I surged up those next hills and kept on going. I grabbed a final cup of Heed at the last aid station and then busted my move. I saved up a little somethin' somethin' for those last 1.5 miles and I was excited. I checked my watch (it was exactly 5 hours in) and decided that worse case, I'd finish in 5:20. That got me even more excited. So I ran the rest of the hills, and before I knew it I was rounding the final bend and the finish area tent and bonfire came into plain view. Up the little hill and between the cones, I did a corny fist pump as I crossed under the finish line banner.

Victorious. I got to be a fastie for a day.

The final time on my watch? 5h:12m:50s. That's a PR by exactly 1 hour. The results say 5:13-something, but since I was in back when I started it took a bit getting over the timing mat.  Hey, every second makes a difference :)

I felt...awesome. Totally freaking awesome. I just wish Geof could have been there when I finished, or finishing with me, but I found comfort in knowing he was enjoying his day as well.  After chatting with MUDD Michele and a few other folks, I made short business out of changing into clean dry clothing to avoid the ultra shivers. I also slipped on my new pair of RecoFit Leg Compressors...now those babies can compress! It felt like a big bear hug on each leg, from ankle to glute. They felt sooooo good! I love that they are sleeves, so putting them on and slipping them off is a breeze and I can leave my shorts on :) Two thumbs up, give those babies a whirl!

I had a little time to kill, so I roamed around the finish area (which is very cozy and welcoming, with a huge tent, tables and chairs, a bonfire, warm food, cold beer, and front row seats for the finishline), noshing on the post-race BBQ, enjoying some local brews, and chatting with other runners and friends. The results were posted as people came through, so I checked the board after a bit and was very excited to see I came in third woman overall, first in my 18-29 age group, and 27th finisher overall. Hot Damn, indeed! The 50k awards started at 3:00, so I was still solo at that point, but it was still fun to hear my name announced as first in my age group and getting my little ice sculpture-looking trophy. I definitely was enjoying the moment.

I even got a little memento for my efforts

I really had a great time hanging at the finish area, and was pumped to see Geof rolling in for his finish smiling. The drizzle was picking up a bit so we ducked into the truck so he could change into warm clothes and then we joined the Brelly and some other friends under the tent for food, beverages and trail talk. We waited for the final 50 mile finishers to come through before hitting the road for home.

It was such a great experience and I still can't believe how much fun I had and how focused and in the moment I was throughout my run. I never experienced any dips or low points in my race, and I can't believe how good that Heed tasted... In the wake of it, I feel great, save for some good ol' fashioned leg soreness and post-race fatigue. Just a couple reminders of how hard I worked, yet how effortless it all seemed in the midst of it.

This is one of the best race experiences I've ever had. Everything just went so smoothly and without a hitch. All the training I've put in over the last 6 or 7 months paid off a little this past weekend and that makes me feel pretty darn good. It's a really amazing feeling to state outloud what your goals are and then to actually achieve them. Kinda cool, and something I highly recommend. Everything just...came together :)

And now, it's just 4 days until THE big day!! What a week!

Post-race chillaxin', GnP style

Paige, out.

Mojo A Go-Go

2011-05-13T13:19:00.000-05:00

Boy is it exhausting to be exhausted, all the time!

This just in: racing a marathon is WAY HARDER than running 100 miles. Fact. It's just plain taxing, and in a super sneaky way that you don't expect.

Oh, and this just came in over the wires, too: planning a wedding takes every last drop of energy you have and then some, especially on the days when you start out with an energy deficit. Fact. But, then, you get down to the single digits leading up to the big day and you revel in all the hard work and become so filled with excitement you can barely contain yourself. It's a good thing the mojo was restored at right about the 10-day mark :)

So, after five mojo-less weeks of post-hard marathon effort my running mojo is just about back to a normal level. Those were five long weeks of runs that were just fine, but nothing spectacular. Weeks of waning motivation, feeling exhausted, lazy, etc. No long runs happened in there, well, except for Horseriders where I got in 22ish miles, but that run was a total wash for me. Geof was suffering from the same malaise. We finally decided the only way to get back into our running and to regain our mojo was to simply...run! Wake-up has moved to 4:30 a.m., Tuesday Ten has been resurrected in earnest, and runs are everyday (except for one). It's been more than 10 days and restoration is nearly complete :) We just needed to get over that hump of despair and get our butts in gear.

I'm thinking that I'll earn a full tank of mojo after this coming weekend's Ice Age Trail 50k. It'll be my first running of this particular race. I've crewed it a couple times, but never actually ran it. A bunch of New Leaf Ultra peeps and CHUGs will be out there running as well, and Geof is running the 50 mile version again this year. We figured it would be a nice way to ring in the final straightaway to the wedding one week later. That's so ultra.

Newsflash: I've been seeing a new chiropractor for some ART treatments on the ol' glutes, IT bands and calves. My insurance changed earlier this year, and my old doc was no longered covered, so that sent me in search of a new doc recently, blah. I hate doctor hunting, but I got really lucky and found a great one on the first try. Enter: Dr. Roy Settergren. His work is fantastic, and he's more than just a back-cracking chiropractor. He's got mad ART skills and doesn't nannypant around pretending to be an ART practitioner, doing little more than a glorified massage. No, he really knows his stuff. He also does acupuncture, massage and some other stuff that I haven't utilized. The best part, Dr. Roy looks at you as the whole athlete, rather than one isolated issue. He listens to me describe my situation, then explains his theory on why I'm experiencing discomfort or pain, then gets to work with the ART, explaining what he's doing each step of the way. Did you know your hip flexors insert way up in your abs? They do, and what a release it is to have those guys loosened up! Then, instead of sending me on my way, he showed me a bunch of exercises to do to help with the muscle imbalances I have going on in the hips and glutes, then he had me perform each exercise to make sure I was doing them correctly. I was feelin' the burn! Anywho, if you're looking for an ART practitioner in the Chicago Loop area, I highly recommend him. His approach is very unique and he's very focused on each athlete as a whole. Now that is how it should be.

So, my glutes and hips are ready to rock it tomorrow. I'm not really sure what to expect from the day, but I will still be aiming to finish under 6 hours. More than anything, I aim to enjoy myself and just have a really good run out there in the woods of the Kettle Moraine...me, my mojo, and nearly 600 of my closest running buddies :-) This morning's final shakeout run turned into a really awesome 3 mile tempo run. My legs felt great!

Let's do this! Last ultra as a single chick with an end-of-the-alphabet name, holla!

Paige, out.

Chi-attle

2011-04-29T16:52:00.001-05:00

The heavy veil of a good night's sleep slowly lifts itself as I come to and realize the very loud quacking and barking are not, in fact, in my dream...but rather the sound of two alarms blaring from either side of the bed. Grabbing my phone, I turn off my quacking alarm just as Geof does the same for his barking alarm. Ah, blissful silence. (Though, I must admit there are few funnier sounds to wake up to than a quacking iPhone duck :) Talk about waking up smiling.)

My, is it bright in here.

My, what have we here?

Breaking through every crevice of the blinds are thin streams of...light. What could this be? The pall of winter/wannabe spring finally lifting? Noooooo, it couldn't be.

Pulling back the blinds, I squint but I can feel my pupils suddenly shrinking in response to the bright light. What is this light? What is that large, glowing orb hanging just above the eastern horizon? Why is it so warm on my face? Why do I suddenly feel filled with hope and promise? Why do my legs feel a rush of joy knowing they will get to feel that same warmth soon enough? What IS this mystery ball?!

c/o Google Images

The sun, you say? Nonsense. We are Seattle No. 2...Chi-attle :) We don't get no stinkin' sun here!

Oh, a happy dance, I can feel a happy dance coursing through my veins, making its way down to my feet, and then it happens...a little jig! THE SUN IS SHINING, REJOICE!

The coffee's bubbling up on the stove, the sun is pouring in through the windows, warming our hearts and warming our souls. My foam roller does a round of IT band massage, Geof is practically singing in the kitchen, and we both are nearly foaming at the mouth knowing we get to run sans rain jackets on this day!

Needless to say, the run was glorious. It was just what we needed. Light and fast, our favorite 3-mile route flies by, but not without notice of the beauty of the morning. We got a late start, hence the shorter route, but we reveled in every last possible second, squeezing out the very last drop of morning freedom before heading off to work.

What a difference the sun makes.

And what a difference a new pair of shoes makes. I'm cheating on my old Brooks Glycerins with a younger, thinner (soled) pair of Brooks Ghosts...they make me feel young again, what can I say! So far, after only two runs, I dig 'em. I like that they are a little lighter feeling, and less bulky than my Glycerins, and they are just a sniff wider in the forefoot, so hopefully that translates into less/no rubbing on the outsides of my big toe and pinkie toe during long runs :)

As I finish this post, four or five hours later, the sun is still shining. What a day!

May your weekend be magical and filled with delicious running things :)

Paige, out.

Horsing Around

2011-04-27T11:47:00.000-05:00

I almost wasn't going to write anything about this because we didn't run the entire race, but then I decided there were too many good pictures to go without a post :)

This past Saturday was the very first running the Horseriders 34M Fat Ass run, put on by Brian Gaines/New Leaf Ultra Runs. The day turned out to be BEAUTIFUL which made for fun hanging out, but the recent heavy rains left the course supremely muddy and gucky (yea, I made that word up). Think: McNaughton Park. With horse poop.

The standing water on the course was so prevalent that attempting to get around it (futile) or avoid a full on dunk was totally useless. Geof and I gave in to this immediately and reveled in running straight through all the big puddles (i.e. small lakes) that took up much of the single track loop. There was once doozy of a pond near Schaumburg Road, however, that a brief jaunt along the road allowed you to avoid, thankfully. We steered clear of that one solely for hygiene purposes...it was murky, and thick. I had no interest in tearing through a standing cesspool of equine waste. Ick! Suffice it to say, our feet were soaked within the first 1/4 mile, and stayed that way. Gotta love the essence of horse pee and rainwater on your favorite trail shoes ;)

The first couple o' loops (of 6.75 miles, run 5 times, for 34 miles) went by just fine, and pretty swiftly. We were moving well, especially considering our exceedingly slow recovery post BQ marathon. Then on the third loop, we both began to deteriorate almost out of nowhere. It was as if our bodies said, "okay, that's it!" My entire left leg began to ache and tighten up from my hip to my knee. I could literally feel my IT band turning into a knot, and pulling my kneecap outward. Owie! I'm not sure what the dilly was, but I decided it was probably a good idea to call it a day early. So when we pulled into the pavilion after our third loop, and 20+ miles, I checked out almost completely. Until, of course, Geof convinced me to try one more loop. Oooohhhhh, fiiiiiiine :) We made it a mile in when we both suddenly decided it just wasn't worth it. Not this day, not this race. We ran/walked the remainder of the brown trail (2.5 miles) and cut back to the pavilion instead of continuing onto the yellow trail. Good decision! With about 22.5 miles in the bag for the day (and longest run in three weeks by A LOT) we were very happy to change into dry clothes, pull up a chair and kick back with some cold beverages while enjoying the warm sun and awesome company.

So, that was our day. The best part was hanging out at the pavilion watching runners come and go. I think there were more of us hanging out than there were actually running :) Here are a few pics from the day (thanks to Kelly Gaines!) for your viewing excitement:

Me and Leslie, before the start

Geof and I on the black trail connector, Loop 1

Geof and Ed kickin' it

One of the gajillion pools of water to run through. That poor woman on the left...I think Geof soaked her when we passed her ;)

Hey, it's Val and Juli Aistars! Yes it's THAT Juli Aistars :)

I was so close to winning the Muddiest award (the picture doesn't quite capture it enough)...

...but then Scott appeared and TOTALLY showed me up! He wanted the Muddiest award so bad that he literally bathed in a mud puddle, LOL!! Kudos to you, man!

Chillin' like villains in the pavilion at the start/finish

Afterward, I noticed what a killer Third World Squat Scott had (on the far left) and a few of us decided to try it out and see how we did. It's very comfy, and way harder than it looks!

Ooo! Before I forget, if you're looking for a new mp3 player, or just love keeping up on techie stuff, my dear, dear Blogger friend, Gretchen, is giving away two Sony Walkman mp3 players on her blog. Check it out HERE to find out how to enter to win one of two music players!

Paige, out.

Darrin C. Has A Serious Case of the Runs!

2011-04-20T10:03:00.000-05:00

And is a "Running Freak" who likes to "Run Dirty" on "Rails to Trails". Hey, who says you can't judge a runner by their bumper stickers? ;-)

RnR

2011-04-17T16:57:00.000-05:00

The last couple of weeks have been some serious rest and recovery from the marathon and it seems as though it's paying off. I really needed some time off and to step back a bit. Playing around on my training log, I noticed I had five straight weeks of 40+ miles, and not a single one of those miles was what I would classify as "easy." Every run was really solid, even when I didn't feel all that great, I was still pulling off very decent pacing. Just for the record, I have never had a streak like that...in the past, I've only been able to pull off two weeks of 40+ miles before needing a step back. So I'm pretty psyched to know I can actually handle a little more than I thought. I'm also realizing how much potential has been left untapped all this time. Whudda thought?!

That said, I needed some rest :) I had some residual aches and pains left over from the race that I needed to give some time to work themselves out. I ended up taking a full 5 days off from running...GASP!! I've been easing back into my routine, and even got Stiletto out for a couple of rides now that the weather is getting better.

Speaking of, last weekend was the gazillionth running of the Shamrock Shuffle 8k downtown. It was forecast to be in the 80s and sunny, so Geof and I dusted off the bikes and rode around catching the front-runner fasties at major intersections before heading to the finish to watch the winner cross the line in under 23 minutes (I believe). Simply amazing, those guys are FAST! We noodled around on the bikes awhile longer, grabbed muffins and sat in the middle of Grant Park, people-watching and enjoying the sunshine on our arms and legs. The day was too awesome to be inside, so we dropped off the bikes and headed out for a run. Mmmm, delicious day!

Today was another picture perfect day, though not quite as warm. I met up with fellow CHUGs Kelly, Sarah, Deanna and Jennifer for a run along the path before heading to brunch at Orange. I ran with Sarah and I think we got about 7 or so miles in before we all reconvened and got our nosh on. I have to say, the Tijuana Benedict I had for brunch was awesome and a great post-run meal :) Hanging out, just us ladies, was a blast and it was fun to catch up and talk about upcoming races and training.

When I got home, I stood in the window observing the still-cloudless sky and decided I couldn't possibly be inside (especially when snow is expected this evening, yuck!) so I took Stiletto out for another ride. Ah, it was gorgeous! I did forget to put on my padded bikes shorts (wore my running tights) so I'm pretty sure my butt is going to fall off. I'll need to sit on a pillow for a couple days, lol ;-)

Picture perfect afternoon on the way home

Well hello there! My bike has nice pipes :)

Next weekend is the Horseriders 34M fat ass run, one of the myriad races put on by New Leaf Ultra Runs (check 'em out on Facebook). I'm not sure what I'll put in for the day, but I'll at least do a couple of loops. The beverages and friends hanging out at the pavilion/aid station may be more enticing than logging big miles that day :) But, who knows. If I'm feeling it, then I may go for it, but I want to keep my eyes on the prize; I've got goals to reach!

Looking forward to Geof getting home tonight...he's been in Moab for the last three days for his bachelor gathering (aka Mancation). Nothing but mountain biking, hiking, running, rafting, 4x4ing, and his best buds in the desert. So jealous! I love Utah :)

I'll catch you on the flipside.

Paige, out.

Crossroads of Indiana Marathon: When In Rome

2011-04-05T16:53:00.001-05:00

Oh for the love of all things good and sweet, that s*** was hard!  I would easily place this effort in the top two hardest things I've ever done. Running 100 miles being the only other thing physically harder, but equally as mentally difficult. But boy did we have a blast!

It is so insanely rewarding to set a goal (not to mention a whisper goal that I was too afraid to make widely known) and then to actually achieve it. I can't say that, in my running, I've really ever done that before. I've made loose goals that I knew would require little more than a natural disaster to keep me from achieving it; those were easy, safe goals. But, this time I stepped it up a few notches and, without any really solid supporting evidence to bolster my reasoning for setting this goal, I leaped way outside my skin. I decided to run a road marathon (my very first) at more or less the last minute and aim for a Boston qualifier (BQ). I'm pretty sure I won't get into Boston since it's become so freakin' popular and everyone and their mother wants to run it, but just to be able to say that I qualified would be an honor. For reference, as a female between the ages of 0-34, I would need to run a 3h:40m marathon (that's an 8:23 minute per mile pace, for 26.2 miles) in order to BQ.

When in Rome!

This was the inaugural running of the Crossroads of Indiana Marathon, in Lowell, IN, and I found out about it through a CHUG member that was recruiting volunteers for the April 3 race. This was less than two weeks out from race day. I checked out the website, and for some reason had the sudden intense desire to run this thing. I dunno where it came from, it certainly hasn't been something on my radar (running a marathon, that is). So before the excitement faded, I e-mailed Geof to see if he'd want to run it too and he was immediately on board! I registered us for the race that night and with that the anticipation began to build.  My line of thought was, "hey, we've got a long run to do anyhow, may as well make it a race."

Geof is a major fastie (fast runner) and has a marathon PR of something like 3:02, and this race was going to mark his 31st marathon race. It had been a few years since he ran one, and this was only going to be my second marathon (my first one was a painfully slow trail marathon a couple years ago), and first one of which run entirely on the road. I had no idea what I was shooting for, but I knew I wanted to run under 4 hours. That sounded mighty nice to me, and like a very reasonable goal, 4 hours. But as Geof and I discussed it more and more over the next couple of days, we both concluded that we'd really like to try and BQ. That meant Geof needed to run a 3:15 or faster, and I needed that 3:40 or faster. We've done no actual speedwork, and zero marathon-specific training, but our 50k/50M training has been going so well all winter and we've had such solid long training runs that we figured it was entirely possible for both of us. Easier said than done? Yes! Suddenly my goal went from sounding 'very reasonable' to 'holy crap, what am I thinking?!'

We woke up Sunday morning at 4 a.m. to make the hour or so drive down to Lowell, IN. The weather forecast was incredibly crappy with 20-30 mph winds and thunderstorms all morning. But, at least the temps were going to be in the upper 50s to lower 60s. We were warned in advance by fellow CHUG/Indiana-ite (Indianan? Indiana-ese? Hoosier?) Connie that the course was reasonably flat, but jam packed with rolling hills in the final five or so miles, and to be ready for serious wind. How true this warning was! Since it's in its first year, the race was small with only 109 Maries (marathon runners) finishing the marathon, and 381 Halfies (half marathon runners) finishing their 13.1 miles. The course wound around Cedar Lake and Lake Dale, along very quiet country roads that went on and on as far as the eye could see, rolling up and down and around sleepy residential areas near the lakes, and left the runners completely exposed to some seriously wicked wind. The good news? NO RAIN!!! The skies were fairly ominous for awhile, but eventually things started looking friendly and the sun even popped out a couple times around my mile 22/23. All in all, we were very lucky with the weather.

Now, I've never actually "raced" a distance race...meaning I've never really pushed myself to the max. I generally just go out and run on what I have in the tank, never coming close to tapping the reserves, and just aiming to finish. Not on this day. I was heading into this race with the intention of pushing it the entire time, emptying the tank, then emptying the reserve tank and finishing completely spent. I was aiming to find my true potential and see what I was made of. No more pussyfooting.

And that's exactly what I did.

It is freaking exhausting going all out like that with no hope for rest until the finish line! Physically, my body was pretty much ready for the effort, but mentally I had no clue what I was getting into. To be in the moment for every single step of the way, and keeping focused on pace was mentally exhausting. I wasn't running scared because I knew I had it in me, but I've never paid such close attention to maintaining my pace. I don't wear my GPS anymore, and I rarely look at my watch until I hit stop at the end of a run. So this was pretty new for me. And kinda stressful! I was looking down at my GPS every so often at first, and staring at it in horror when I saw that my first 6 miles were each run between 7:47 - 7:51 pace. I didn't know what to do...it was WAY too fast, but it felt totally effortless. I tried pulling back, and resolved to stay behind the gal who ended up winning it (in 3:31), but even that was something I had to work to do. For some reason, slowing down was hard.

I was listening to my iPod for pretty much the entire run, and boy am I glad I had it. I needed the musical distraction.  I wouldn't say the course was totally scenic from what I could tell, but I was barely paying attention to my surroundings as I was so grossly focused on pacing myself.

Around Mile 4...thinking happy thoughts :)

At some point, of which I couldn't tell you, it just seemed to happen suddenly, the marathon course merged with the halfie course and I found myself surrounded by swarms of people. It was bizzare and I couldn't figure out what was going on at first, but then I put two and two together :) The Halfies were very supportive and encouraging as I passed by them. It was a bit of a lift to be in the midst of that! But I needed to concentrate, so I turned up the volume and put my head back down, running into the wind as we wound around Cedar Lake. Eff, that wind was something else!

I passed a woman that had been ahead of me for some time right at the halfway mark. She stopped to do a wardrobe change and she never did catch back up to me. That was kinda fun :) I had noticed that I cruised through the half marathon point in 1:46, which is a major PR for me (my halfie PR had been 2:01, back in 2008 I think). That was pretty exciting to me and I did a little cheer outloud when I saw that :)

I read the course description a little bit, but none of it sank in so imagine my surprise when I saw Geof running towards me on an out-n-back section. Yay, my sweety! And, he looked amazingly good, moving so smoothly! We high-fived and continued on our respective paths. This gave me a much-needed lift.

Geof is all business running around Cedar Lake, looking smooth and cool :)

I noted that now I'd be able to see what the field looked like in front of me since we had this out-n-back section. I counted women as they passed in the opposite direction and counted two before hitting the aid station at the start of the lolli-pop loop. I didn't see her, but there was a third on the loop already, but in my head I was thinking, wow, top three? This lifted me a little further and for the first time I considered the possibilities that laid before me. I could actually, reasonably come in top 5 women overall. How sick is that?!

I was running with three Honey Stinger Waffles in my jacket pockets, a small baggie of S!Caps for salt, and relying on the aid stations for water and Gatorade. No bottles, no pack. The stations were close enough together (about every 1-2 miles) that carrying liquid wasn't necessary. At two hours, I ate another waffle and started day dreaming about the finish line. Man, I was getting tired.

I noticed that my splits were slowing down some, finally, to around 8:05ish or something of that nature. For some reason that worried me. After the lolli-pop loop and the return to the main road I started pushing more, though my pace wasn't changing for some reason. It just felt harder. My mind was reeling. God this sucks! I wanna walk so bad, but I can't! B-Q, B-Q I would chant in my head, followed up with sub-3:40, sub-3:40. I turned off the tunes for a bit, enjoying the serene quiet and brief break in the wind. Have I mentioned how friggin' windy it was? It was insane! Very much like the wind we experienced at the Red Hot 55k, and similar to Chicago, storm-front-moving-in wind. At least it was warm-ish wind. Somehow I managed to totally blank for a number of miles, maybe 3 or 4? When we came around a curve and there was an aid station right there. I still had another 20 or so minutes before I would need more fluid or salt, so I sailed on by, smiling at the really happy-looking volunteers. One woman was standing away from the tables and shouting numbers to someone else who was taking them down. As I passed by she yelled, "8-3-2, looking GREAT!! You're 4th woman overall, keep it UP!!" That confirmed it. And suddenly, I had new life in my legs. I felt my torso straighten more, my hip muscles contract and my chin lift. I didn't want to know the distance still so I made sure to only note my current pace as I glanced down once more at my GPS. 8:00mpm. Solid.

Then it got sunny out. And there was a dude just ahead of me that kept walking every single mole hill. I was super tempted to do the same as the miles were finally wearing down my legs a little. I found a nice little technique that worked pretty darn good. It almost always works on trails, but I've never tried it on pavement inclines before. Pull the brim of your hat down to your eyebrows so that you have to physically move your head up in order to see ahead, and look straight down at the ground in front of your feet. Run. It's not great on Hope Pass sorts of inclines, but on normal hill climbs it's great. Something about not being able to see the incline tricks your legs into thinking they're running flats. Try it, it works.

The mile 22.5 aid station appeared as I rounded another corner (this section was twisty-turny and along really quiet residential roads. I grabbed a cup of Gatorade and a cup of water and walked it out of the station as I gulped them down. Ate my third and final Waffle and took a final S!Cap as I moved back into my stride. This final waffle made me feel a little pukey for an instant. I wasn't keen on eating at that moment, but I needed to. And I needed to be running.

Eventually I passed walk-every-incline dude for good and came back out on a road we had already run in the opposite direction. Now I knew it was getting close to the end. Yesssss! Back down toward the silo, I suddenly had another pick-up in my pace and I cranked out an 8:01 for mile 24. Shazam! A left turn put the wind at my side and it pushed me around, side-to-side as I made my way along the road. It felt like it really picked up even more at that point. There was a shorter guy in front of me that had gotten a ways ahead, but I began to reel him in as he slowed in the wind. One final righthand turn, followed shortly by a lefthand turn and we were on the final straightaway to the finish line.

The wind switched directions and was now a full blown headwind, and it was intense. My eyes were watering like crazy and it felt like running in place. I kept my head down and eyes squinted to avoid anything getting in my contacts. I saw the 25 mile marker spray-painted on the ground and felt a little crestfallen knowing I still had just shy of 2 miles left to go (the course is actually 26.8 miles long, according to the website). There were a bunch of walkers up ahead, Halfies, and I picked them off one by one. I made a goal to pass up the shorter guy in front of me, and I did so with maybe a 1/2 mile left to go. It felt like a million miles away, but I could see the finish area. I looked at my GPS and noted I had just a few minutes to go to get under 3:40. Holy CRAP! I can do this, I can do this! It's a 1/2 mile, just push it! You can do anything for a 1/2 mile! The road undulated, rolling cruely along. I peeked my head up to see where the finish line turn was and saw Geof walking towards me with the camera. What a wonderful thing to see!! As I passed by him he said it's just a little ways up, and a left turn into the parking lot. I groaned very audibly and put my head back down. It hurt so much, my mind was saying walk, walk, walk! and I refused to slow even though the wind was so strong it actually made my quads ache to move forward. I remember thinking how unbelievable it was that I could even move my legs in the wind and not have them swept out from under me. I felt a little pukey again. I'd never pushed so hard in my life. So this must be what it feels like for all the fasties...painful!

The guy behind me is the one I finally passed for good. So close to the finish!!

There was a large crowd of on-lookers and the race director standing at the entrance to Freedom Park, and the finish line chute. As I rounded the corner the RD shouted my number and said, "It's your 4th place woman everyone! Congratulations Number 832!!"

I noted the timing clock as I ran through the chute and was handed a finisher's medal...3:39:23.

I did it. Holy mother-eff, I did it!

Geof hugged me and announced he made it by the exact same margin...with 37 seconds to spare. We both qualified!!

After some stretching and changing into warm, dry clothes we made our way to the shelter to get some nutrition and to check to see if we won any awards. It was very informal and the woman handling awards just took your word for it and assumed you were who you said you were. We each gave her our name and she handed Geof a 2nd place age group award, and I got a shiney 1st place age group award. Yippee!! They are supremely cheesey trophies, but we earned them and we were both pretty darn pumped.

Geof really did an incredible job out there and knocked out a 3:14 finish, good for 4th place overall (booya!), so we were like race twins with our finish times and placement :-) Awww, how cute.

We stopped for pizza at a place called Zuni's House of Pizza, in Dyer, Indiana, on the way home. It was delicious, and salty. Perfect post-run food that day :) I love pizza. I decided I didn't want to deal with DOMS again, so we picked up three bags of ice before getting home and I indulged in a 10 minute ice bath. Geof felt the peer pressure and decided to give it a try as well. It was hilarious, and totally adorable :)

In the aftermath, I'm feeling pretty great and getting around just fine. I think I can credit that with wearing my RecoFit calf sleeves throughout the race, the ice bath, then changing into full-length compression tights for the rest of the day. I will admit though, racing a marathon, in the wind, with hills, is almost more painful than just running 100 miles. Almost ;) It's a whole 'nother kind of mindset. The focus isn't on just finishing, it's on pacing, strength, form and never losing sight of the task at hand. It's not giving into the demons in your head; it's not slowing down even when it hurts ('cuz, usually, the 'hurt' is mostly just in your head anyway). I kept telling myself I could do anything for 26 miles, not the least of which was run faster than 8:23mpm. Beyond that, I'm not sure what my legs would do to me, but I knew I could at least do that much for that distance :) So I did.

Goal = achieved. And basking in it, I am.

Like I said, when in Rome!

Paige, out.

P.S. You can check out Geof's race report HERE.

The Healing Power of a Long Run

2011-03-31T16:44:00.000-05:00

I actually got a race report published in a f'real paper periodical. Heh, cool! The above is from the April, 2011 Ultrarunning Magazine. So, if you subscribe to the 'zine, you'll get to see it in person. Otherwise, this is the best I can do for you :) Maybe I'll go down in history as one of the greatest Windburn Six Race Report writers of our time. Or maybe not. It remains to be seen.

Hey, you know what? I had a seriously awesome 20 mile run on Sunday with my numero uno. It sorta came out of nowhere. I was feeling really sinus-y and allergy-ish, and headachey from it, so I didn't exactly have high hopes for the run, but I was certainly looking forward to being outside in the sun. There wasn't a cloud in the sky and the sun was begging for our arrival.

We ran north along the path and I noticed how effortless it felt pretty soon after we started. Things started clearing up and my headache was starting to throw up the white flag of defeat. But, I noticed a sensation I had not experienced in awhile, the feeling of being almost totally outside my body. Not sure if it was the allergies or what, but I felt as though I had no control over my legs, but in a good way. It was awesome!

Just shy of a couple miles into it, Geof noted we were running sub-8:20s. I logged that information into my internal calculator and held it there for awhile. It just felt too easy. Before I knew it, we were crossing Foster Avenue. Whoa, where did the last 5 miles just go? I barely had any recollection of the time already passed. Then, it happened again, we were nearly at our 10 mile turnaround and I had that same thought again...where did the last 5 milees just go?

We were running without any water or fluids (on purpose...we've gotten so spoiled not having to run with bottles or packs in the cold weather!) so we made our planned stop to pick up some Gatorade at a 7 Eleven, then continued onto the Starbucks to use the facilities and get a Double Shot. We shared the two drinks and then were on our merry way once again. I was noshing on some Honey Stinger chews for something 'solid' and noted that I felt surprisingly great. I could do this all day! It felt like we were staying pretty consistent, taking no walking breaks and for the most part just running in peaceful quiet, smiling at each other from time to time, or giggling to ourselves over some of the really odd outfits roaming along the path. We both were having a really great run, and we were both equally surprised by how well it was going as neither of us felt totally up for the task before we started. Geof commented we were running sub-BQ pace for me, and I once again logged that information into my internal calculator. Hmmm, sub-BQ pace, eh? Very well.

We pulled past our 20 mile mark, reached the stairs and ground to a cooldown walk the rest of the couple blocks to home. We were done. Hot damn, that felt awesome! We averaged out at 8:22, even with our 5 minute stop for drinks. Not bad. And my headache was gone! Long runs really do heal.

Now I need to get back to trail training as these legs are officially spoiled by the relative ease of flat pavement running! But, that can wait until after this weekend. We've got other plans in store...

Paige, out.

Third Run's the Charm

2011-03-24T16:06:00.001-05:00

Slish slosh pffffft, tip-toe tip-toe, squish, squish SLOSH
The ground beneath me slips and slunks with each fall of the foot.

Sssssssssssssssssss,crrrrrunk
The slushy sheet of ice hisses and rumbles, settling in a muffled crunch beneath the feet.

Pffft, pffft, whip, shoop
Trying to avoid the large puddle in the middle of the trail, I skirt the edge, my legs taking a lashing from the overgrowth.

Breathing in and out nearly effortlessly, I feel my legs moving wildly beneath me. I look down to make sure they're still attached. Each step is springy and filled with more energy than I've known all week. My lungs take in big gulps of fresh forest air, it's intoxicating.

Swish, swish, swish
The quiet sound of sunburned grass as we climb a short hill and make our way onto the wide open prairie section, sun warming our backs, eyes squinting behind dark lenses. "This is the section that makes you hate life in the summer because the sun is so hot, but it's the section that makes you love life in the winter because the sun is so hot," I say, smiling, as we ease up slightly to bask a little longer in the unexpected warmth.

My legs, I swear they are not my own. There is so much spring in them! I could run for days!

Shhhhhmmmmmmm, pooooooooooooof, shhhhhhmmmmmmmm, poooooooooooooof
Breathing heavier as we march up the steep rolling hills on the back half of the loop.

Zoooooooooooooosh!!! Shoooooooom!
As we fly down the other side of the roller, only to be nearly knocked backward by the next steep climb. And so it goes for the last few miles. "Uuuuughhhh! How did I forget this part!" He growls. I laugh a smile quietly ahead of him, his announcement breaking the serene quiet of the woods, but know that the tables would soon turn on the next loop. "You just take a little longer to warm up."

The trailhead is in sight, and the car just beyond it. Cold water awaits us there. I down half of it, mixed with a delicious sweet n' salty elixir, and hand it over for him to finish off. Eat a little bit, and then we're off once more, heading in the opposite direction. "Let's get the rollers over with first this time." The spring in my step is now punctuated with a slight twinge of fatigue, and I immediately know...the tables have turned.

Head down, lets get 'er done. I knew this time would come.

We finish off the planned 20 miles, quickly change and race down the road to grab a treasured bite at the general store before it closes. Turkey never tasted so good.
___________________________________________________

It's just early enough that the sun has yet to make its first ascent, but by the looks of it the sun has no intention of making an appearance on this morning. Rain and wind collide with our windows and though we try to bargain, we know there's only one thing to do...it's Tuesday, and that means Ten Miles :)

The wind whips and swooshes my bare calves as we wind along the hardened path. It's chilly, but still feels like early spring. Not all engines are firing, but still I feel decent enough to continue on. My feet already miss the soft forgiveness of the forest floor and grumble in angst over the concrete.

We run in silence, each quietly hoping the rain holds off. The effort feels higher than usual and we both show it on our faces. We promised ourselves this Tuesday tradition. We gallop on. "It'll be after 8:00 if we go the whole way." "I'm okay with that. We've gotta finish."

The turnaround comes unceremoniously, and we head back, into the wind now. The rain clouds hover above, waiting for the perfect moment to unleash. Saturated and heavy, they are ready to wring themselves out. But, still nothing. The pace picks up a little, and it feels good. Very good.

I reach over and touch the small of his back, a gesture of heart. A little smile, we're almost done.

"We must have really picked it up on the way back. The second half was much faster." Yesssssssssss.

Another one in the books.
___________________________________________________

Hoooowwwwwwl, whiiirrrrr, WOOSH!
The wind has a mind of its own today. "Holy eff, it's cold outside!" Guess we better break out the winter tights again.

The wind is in a fist fight with our windows. Ominous at best.

A day off made the legs antsy for a run, and stepping out the front door we are smacked with a stiff wind.

WOOSH!

"I'm glad I wore three layers!" Heads down, we make our way to the lakefront. Running south, we know we are going to pay for it heading home. My ponytail is playing tag with my face, whipping my eyes from either side. The tailwind is strong and urges us along the path.

Errrrralllll, errrralll, errrrrrralll...flap, flap, soooooar
Flocks of geese circle above, picking out where to land next. This inhospitable spot of water, or that one? I imagine they have a misinformed leader, one that brought them back north a little too early in the season. The leader's name is Earl :) Clearly, Earl didn't get the memo that March here is still quite wintery.

Slip, slide, whoa!
He catches a patch of ice, elegantly catching his balance mid-slide and dashing to the side of it. "I've got cat-like reflexes!" he announces.

The turnaround comes so soon, and now it's time to pay mother nature for her generous tailwind. We turn and bow our heads, the wind cutting straight through to the bone. Eyes watering like leaky faucets, we are bent nearly completely over, pushing our way forward. I imagine that if the wind were to suddenly stop, we would fall flat on our faces. Kerplunk! What little I can feel of my face I can feel a smile. It's sort of fun, this windy run.

Quads are burning from the strong resistance, my feet whipped behind me each time they lift. I feel nearly weightless. We are bullied about by the wind, our stringy figures pushed to and fro.

Across the bridge, a brief respite from the wind. We kiss, and he makes his way northward for six more, and I home.

I'm so over this wind :)

Paige, out.

"Now That's Something I've Never Heard Before!" A Palos 32.4 FA Race Report

2011-03-19T08:47:00.000-05:00

Waking up to a stomach in turmoil is never a great feeling. My stomach was making noises that could have rivaled a deep jungle in ominousness (yes, I just made that word up). Seriously, I must have made five bathroom stops before we even left home. But, we had 32.4 miles on the schedule for the day and I had high hopes for the run, the Chicago Ultrarunners Palos Spring 32.4M Fat Ass.
Arriving at the Swallow Cliff pavilion just in time to hear my name announced for a raffle prize, I looked up to notice specks of blue were peaking through the clouds...signs of a great day ahead of us :)

Plus, there was a porta-potty right there! Heaven.

Basically, here's how it goes: the pavilion was our staging area, and only "aid station". Bring your own food and bottles, and Brian and Tony supplied a big thingy of water and another big thingy of Gatorade. Thanks guys! The run is set on a crushed limestone 8.1 mile loop, run four times. This year (this is the second installment of this particular fat ass run) Brian had us running "washing machine" loops...yay! This just means that we started out running counter-clockwise, then on the second loop you run it clockwise, and so on until you're done with your loops. This makes it fun because you get to see peeps all day as you're heading in opposite directions. I love, love washing machine loops :)

I had to make one last pit stop, and Geof grabbed something from the truck, and in the midst of this we missed the start (this is nothing new for us), so we started a few minutes after everyone else had already disappeared down the trail. I could feel the competitive burn igniting in my gut...or was that last night's dinner?...as we moved along the trail, a little faster than necessary. Geof urged me back a little as he reminded me we had all day to get there. Before too long, we came upon the first clump of runners and passed by as we said our hellos and good mornings. Then the next clump, then a few scattered solo runners, then no one. We were on our own, enjoying the serene quiet of the late winter trail. Everything was dry, save for a few choice spots that seem to always be wet, no matter what. The one infamous section across from the old toboggan slides was reportedly shin-to-knee deep muddy water, so we devised a re-route as we headed towards it. Running through the parking lot was the perfect alternate route here, and eventually everyone was adopting this. Ah, dry feet, and happy Sporty Cats...they were going to live to run another trail afterall!

I was feeling good and, as always, enjoying the run with Geof. We were pushing the pace just a touch and felt great. Moving well up the inclines, hammering the downhills, smiling. My stomach was behaving and I was really getting into a groove. The first loop was done as we pulled back into the pavilion around 1:12 into the run.

We were both running without any fluid or nutrition since the loops aren't that long and the cooler weather allowed for fewer caloric needs. So at each stop in the pavilion (every 8.1 miles) I downed a half bottle or so of Gatorade, some water, an S!Cap, and a (drumroll) my new favorite delight: Honey Stinger Waffle. This was my first time trying these, and I can't believe how delicious they are! I picked up a few the night before at REI and looked forward to testing them out on the run. I brought along my usual Honey Stinger Chews just in case I didn't like the Waffles, but I never did end up eating any of the chews. So, other than my fluids and salt, I ate three of the Waffles and I was golden for the run. I was pleasantly surprised how well the Waffles held up in the ol' tummy, and how freakin' delicious they were. I would sprinkle those babies over greek yogurt and call it dessert, mmmmmmmm :)

For the second loop, Brian joined us. It was fun to catch up on the week and gab about all sorts of fun stuff with him. We took it a little easier on this loop, until the final mile where Brian and I broke out into an all out vicious sprint on a straightaway. I have no idea what we were cranking out, but it was fast and it felt great! We both sputtered back to a slow jog to recover, laughing aloud and high-fiving the push. "That'll cost me!" I can't wait to see what Brian achieves in the coming year with his new take on training. As Geof likes to say, "It's gonna be awesome!"

Pulling back into the pavilion, I down another Waffle, some Gatorade and water, and an S!Cap. Brian resumes his RD role and we take off back down the trail in the direction we just came from. "Halfway done!" I say to Geof. My stomach lurches in protest of something, most likely the pace we've been holding, and I mention I'll need to stop at the 'john after the road-crossing up ahead.

Crisis averted. 'Nuff said.

Now I'm feeling downright stupendous and we head back onto the trail. The third and fourth loops go by more or less uneventfully, just chatting and smiling, enjoying the brief bursts of sunshine that break through the clouds, the feel of fresh forest air on our faces and the smell of horse dung strewn about the trail. Spring is in the air! I can tell we are moving pretty quickly and I'm starting to feel it in my glutes and hips. I felt like I could just be happy with settling into a slower pace and throwing in some walking, but then I reminded myself that I would most likely relinquish any hopes of a PR or a now-coveted wooden medallion. So, I pushed myself forward. We really had no idea of our placement, or where anyone else stood in the standings. It was kind of fun to tinker with the idea of PRing and winning a top 3 award. Stranger things have happened!

The final loop handed us Big Bertha near the beginning of it and we just hammered the heck out of that steep, winding downhill. It's not very long, but it's steep and was the source of most of our hill training for Leadville last year. I recall thinking it was far too steep to run down at the time, but on this day we flew down it. I let 'er rip and hoped for the best as we made our way down. Steve shouted after us, "last lap, go get 'em!" That was exhilarating!

I found myself checking my watch for the first time during the run, several times in fact, at this point. My interest was piqued when I saw that it was just a few hairs over five hours..."How far does your GPS say we've run?" I asked Geof. Glancing at his Suunto, he announced it was just barely 30 miles. One can imagine my surprise at finding this out! "Whoa!" Heads down, arms pumping, trail crunching beneath our feet. The wind picks up, and the sun goes back into hiding. Now, I'm on a mission. Coming into this day, I was hoping to come under 6:30 for the 32.4 miles. I had nowhere in the recesses of my imagination conceived of coming in under 6 hours. Now, it was suddenly a very real possibility. At about 5:20ish we had already surpassed the 50k mark and I was more than happy with that.

My mind was reeling, and I was now in autopilot. My one landmark on this last loop was the old stone shelter, which signaled we were about a 1/2 mile to the finish. I kept thinking, "Where in the EFF is that dang shelter?! Are we there yet?!" Funny how excitement can cause brief moments to stretch on endlessly. We finally pass the old shelter, and round a corner, then another and another, and then suddenly BAM! we see the pavilion just up ahead. Oh glory of glories!

Pulling into the pavilion to high-fives and congratulations, I stop my watch and note my time on the handmade chart set up on the table: 5h:34m. Brian walked over and handed me my wooden medallion, announcing I was first place woman. Hot DOG! "Now that's something I've never heard before!"

Geof and I ended up in 7th and 8th places overall, of about 50 runners in all. I was pretty stoked to get another piece of wood to hang on the ol' Ultra Shelf at home (and to double as an ornament come holiday season :)), but the fact that I just completely obliterated my previous 31.1 mile (50K) PR (which was 6h:12m) in a 32.4 mile race, by about 45 minutes, had me absolutely jazzed. At some point near the end of the run, I mentioned to Geof that I was pretty sure I would be able to more than meet my goal for Ice Age 50k in May. Uh, ya!

After changing into warm clothes, we headed over to Chipotle for post-run burritos (pretty much a GnP Palos tradition) with Kelly before making it back to the pavilion to cheer on the rest of the runners and help Brian out.

I'd say that was a pretty darn good day! No encounters with DOMS in the wake of this run (yahoo!) and things managed to recover pretty quickly this time around. No soreness, just some sneaky twinges in my calves. Nothing an 8-mile run couldn't fix the following Tuesday :)

Lessons? Eat Honey Stinger Waffles. Sporty Cats are my one true faithful shoe companion. I love those guys and hopefully I can find another pair in the discontinued color...they fit way better than the new colors for some reason :) Icebreaker once again proved its sheer dominance over all things. I wore a long sleeve 150 weight top underneath a short sleeve 150. I love IB. Beanie hats with ponytail holes are awesome! This was my first experience with a ponytail compatible hat and I gotta say, it's pretty sweet. It's a chick thing, so just trust me on this one guys. And, let's see, oh yes, fact: a stomach in turmoil makes you run faster...when you've got the Runs, your Runs are faster! :-) True story!!

Paige, out.

I'm A Goal Digger

2011-03-14T12:14:00.000-05:00

No, not a gold digger...a goal digger :)
Image courtesy of www.twopeasinabucket.com

I find that in running, and perhaps in regular life, too, I don't like to proclaim my goals too loudly. Rather, I'll water them down for public consumption, whisper them when no one else is around. That's silly, I'm not seeking watery goals, and not everything is a whisper goal. It is most definitely borne of a fear of not achieving them, or falling short. Insofar as running is concerned, I fear injury, and, thus, don't like to set many running goals because I worry something will come up and I'll only be disappointed.

That is so lame.

So what if I don't achieve a goal in the timeframe I initially had in mind? It's not suddenly rendered a totally unattainable goal; it's just not attainable within the original timeframe. Reassess, regroup and set a new timeline. I love this one quote that seems to pop up all over the place, something to the effect of 'life is 90% what happens to you, and 10% how you respond to it'. It's a nice thought, and certainly holds some water.

On a recent Saturday, whilst basking in the glory of a good/tough long run, I lounged on the couch and picked up a book Geof brought home from work. It was small and thin (even better) and had a big font (bonus!): it begged me to read it. It was called No Excuses - The Power of Self-Discipline by Brian Tracy. Never heard of the guy, but Geof mentioned he liked him, so chances were I'd like him, too :) After soaking in a couple chapters, I came away with a small, yet still sizable, message: set goals, write them down, make it happen. Basically, according to this guy, 97% of people have goals, but never bother to write them down. The remaining 3% of the population have goals and actually write them down, thus setting into motion a chain of events that ultimately lead to the achievement of said goals. By the way, everyone else works for this 3%.

I was a tad overwhelmed by the approach he suggested, but figured I could do a mini-version of his suggested route and see how that felt. I decided to come up with a couple of challenging, yet still very attainable goals for my running self in 2011. Why not? I don't want to be a member of that 97% group of people who only ever talk about what they want to do (talk is so cheap), rather than actually writing out a plan and moving forward with it. So here goes (my goals, not my plan...that's still a work in progress):

1. Run a 50k PR at the 2011 Ice Age 50k in May. When I originally crafted this post, I wrote that I'd, and I quote, "go so far as to say my goal is to run a sub-6 hr. 50k there. My current PR is 6h:12m, at Glacial Trail 50k, in 2009. This, I can do."

Well, that PR changed over this past weekend (woohoo! Race report to follow later this week :)), so now I had to revise this entry, yet again :) But, that's a good thing! I have now reevaluated my goal for Ice Age 50k and aim to finish in 5h:30m. The Ice Age course is much more difficult than the course I was running this past weekend, but it's not that bad, and I truly feel this is still quite doable, but not without some work.

2. Run a 50 mile PR at the 2011 Sunburn Six in the Stix 12-hour run in July. Again, I'll be specific...my current 50 mile PR was set at the 2009 Pineland Farms 50M, in Maine, at 10h:17m. This year, I'd like to run a sub-10 hr. 50 mile. This I most definitely can do. Sunburn is the perfect course for this.

3. After letting this draft sit for a good few weeks (no, I didn't forget about it; rather, I was mulling...and I was actually a little afraid of the accountability!), I grew the balls to throw in an unexpected third goal, and this one sorta scares me because I know what it'll take to get it...a LOT of very hard work and discipline, as opposed to just maintaining my current fitness. I plan to run only one hundred miler this year, Javelina Jundred. My goal for this race is to bring some A game. I want to get a new 100 mile PR, and finally break through 28 hours. But, I actually aim to do one better than that and finish under 26 hours. Who-daddy, now that is scary!! It is not an easy course, it's a sucker-punch course...you go in thinking it's all 'whatev, anyone can run JJ', and as soon as you let your guard down for a moment it body-slams you, repeatedly. So, you can't shirk your JJ training if you want to do well. I wonder if pool running would come in handy since running in sand is a lot like running in water :)

Well, there you have it. I have some other things in mind, but first I would like to get to work on these...afterall, they will require a fair amount of work! I also have some good personal goals I'll start outlining, but that's totally un-running related so I won't bore you with that here :-) Those will take up a lot of scratch paper and a lot of different drafts to write out properly! And, lots of doodling...I like to doodle when I'm working hard :)

This was fun! I already feel well on my way to achieving my goals :-)

I think everyone should practice this. Why not? It's never too late to start either. You don't need a new year, or a new month to get to work on it.

I'm looking forward makin' it happen!

Paige, out.

Marcy B. Has a Serious Case of the Runs!

2011-03-13T17:59:00.000-05:00

True story...

Marcy B. in New York has the Runs on her rear...bumper :)

Keep 'em coming!

Paige, out.

Tuesday Ten Miler

2011-03-08T11:23:00.000-06:00

Mmmmm, Geof and I had a goooooood run this morning. I do actually have something of substance that I am drafting, but I quickly wanted to share that for the second week in a row, Geof and I have checked off a solid Tuesday Ten Miler. Spring = Tuesday Tens (TT). Duh. It's great to have those back.

Since the weather is supposed to start spitting cats and dogs this evening, and I just feel better in the morning in general, I suggested on Sunday that we maybe plan to do our TT in the morning instead of after work. Geof was on board. So, when the alarm sounded at 4:50 a.m., we dutifully silenced it and slept for another 10 minutes. That was a gift to ourselves :) Ten more minutes! Should I mention that I was in bed by 8:30 last night? Nah. But seriously, true story.

The sun came out and warmed out souls as we made our way along the lake this morning. The wind was almost negligible, which is a rare treat here. While things felt a tad heavy, it was much better than yesterdays shakeout run. I mentioned that it felt a little cheaty to be out so early, stealing some rarely seen winter sun before the weather heads south today. Like I said, mmmmmmm.

There's something about heading out and cranking out a good longer early week run, in the morning. It sets a really nice tone for the rest of the day. It's a good reminder that, if nothing else, we achieved something great today. I love that feeling.

I then got to work and achieved something else of almost equal greatness: finishing up an entire chocolate paczki on my own! It's a feat never before seen in my years at the firm. I've always been a Fat Tuesday half-of-a-paczki eater. But today, no, today was a WHOLE paczki day. I then followed it up with an apple. I learned that in order to avoid a sugar crash, you must consume some fiber. Guess what? It's true. Worked like a charm :)

Well, this weekend is the CHUG Palos 32.4 Fat Ass run and Geof and I are planning to run it together. Hopefully the weather holds for us, but right now it's looking pretty cruddy. Warmer, but cruddy. Should be a good old time!

Paige, out.

Chris M. in North Carolina has a Serious Case of the Runs!

2011-03-07T14:08:00.000-06:00

Notice the shiney new bumper sticker in the upper right corner? :-)

Hopefully everyone that slid in under the cutoff has received their bumper stickers by now (and, if not, you should have them soon). Thank you to everyone who chimed in! Now, let's see where everyone else is announcing their Serious Case of the Runs!!

Crash, out.