The Healing Power of a Long Run

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

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.
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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.
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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

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

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.

Tuesday Ten Miler

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.

Moab Red Hot 55k: A Serious Case of the DOMS

And we're back!  Ahhhh, a little radio silence does the typing hands good :)

Well, Utah was amazing.  Each time I go there, I fall a little bit more in love with it :)  This time was no exception.  We headed west for what is becoming an annual trip to see friends, ski, and kick around for a week.  This time, a sweet race happened to coincide with our visit.  The Moab Red Hot 55k was held in...well, Moab, Utah...on February 19th.  We flew into Salt Lake Thursday morning, and enjoyed a relaxing hike around Park City with Rob n' Rina, warming up the legs before heading to High West Distillery (YUM!) for dinner...

At Round Valley in Park City, UT...that's Lucy in the background, checking out our jumper form

Geof and I rented a car Friday a.m. and made the 4.5 hour drive down south to the quiet (it's winter, afterall) town of Moab.  We made lots of pee stops along the way and admired all the sleepy small towns, rock formations, canyons and what not.  We went straight to Arches National Park for some hiking (checking out Delicate Arch, Balancing Rock, and The Windows)...sidenote: Arches has very rapidly climbed my list of Favorite National Parks, it is AMAZING!  Afterward, we grabbed dinner at the Moab Brewery (tasty burritos and beers!), then headed to packet pick-up.  I won't lie, I was a little bit star-struck upon seeing Anita Ortiz; she's like Superwoman for ultrarunners! :)

Everyone met up at the condos we were renting for the weekend, and swapped race strategies, caught up on general-ness, and ate cake.  We had a fantastic group together for the weekend (about 17 in all I think) and everyone was pumped for the next day.  Ben and Bethany (doctors extraordinaire and new parents to boot!) were looking forward to their first race of the season (and Bethany's first race since giving birth to baby Ada barely 5 months ago, wow!).  Terry was in town from Brooklyn, NY to tackle the 33k (eventually snagging 6th overall!), as was SLC resident speedster, Dr. Matt Vukin.  Dr. Anne was running her very first ultra ever and was equally excited and nervous about it.  What fun!  Everyone else was tagging along to watch the day unfold and offer support at the finish line.

We woke up to warmer-than-expected temps, in the 40s (heading into the 50s), and...rain.  Oh yay, raaaaaiiiiinnnnnn!  I didn't have the most optimistic outlook on the day at first, but I figured we signed up, we may as well give it our best, rain or shine :-)  We headed to the Gemini Bridges starting area to pick up our bibs and ooo and ahhh at the amazing stacked field joining us that day.

With Geof and Dr. Vukin before the race.  Handsome smiley bunch are we.

Group shot with Beth and Rina on the left...

And another with our awesome photog, Rob, on the left.

All of the photos you are witnessing on this here post are courtesy of the talented photographic eye of Dr. Robert Corson.  He got some really good shots while we were in town.  So, for that reason, I decided to make this post a little more about the pictures, with a little bit about the race.  Some pictures first :)

Ben is really, really excited about running.  He ended up taking 10th place overall in the 55k.  Ssssssmokin'!

The starting line...Duncan Callahan is in all black and I think that's Dakota Jones all the way on the right?  Not to mention all the other fast faces I don't yet know.  That's a whole lotta fast in there.

Geof and I walked in towards the front to wish Ben and Bethany good luck, and ran into Krissy Moehl!  Haven't seen her since Wasatch '09.  Sweet!  We decided to move to the very back so we didn't get caught up with all the fasties on the technical section of the start.  This ended up being a very mentally rewarding tactic :)

Geof and I making our way down, down, down from the start.  We were about to go up, up, up for a good ways!

A pretty sizable 55k field.  There were about 257 starters, but only 186 would cross the finish line.

See the little dark dots at the bottom?  Those are runners.  See the ridge way up top, in the right hand corner?  That's where we were headed.

So, the footing was incredibly variable.  It was the sort of terrain that really held your attention.  The entire time.  If you let your mind drift, or you looked up without first analyzing the next 5-10 steps, you would pay for it in the form of a mouth full of red mud, rocks, or your own teeth no longer attached to your gums.  Does that give you an idea of the technical-ness?  Well, for this wintertime pavement pounder, it was pretty technical :)  But stunningly gorgeous!  The scenery was mind-blowingly beautiful.  A fair amount of climbing, but more in the form of constant up and down, up and down.  Plenty of soft, mushy red sand/mud, and a LOT of slickrock running, which I'm pretty sure is 47,000 times more firm than pavement.  But it was beautiful to run through deep canyons, climb up jeep roads and slickrock, run along ridges overlooking Arches National Park, observing the barren, quiet solitude of a high desert in winter.  I loved it.  The altitude was never a problem but seemed to be present at times, mostly coinciding with a very steep climb :)

Geof and I ran the entire race together and enjoyed passing a lot of folks at the start.  Hence the mental reward from the beginning.  I was feeling out some aches and pains I had going into the race, but they never did materialize on race day.  My left IT band had been a little cranky of late, and this race certainly could have been the end of it for me due to all the steep climbs and even steeper descents.  But, everything held up amazingly, and I haven't a single complaint.  A lot of people dropped due to blowing out a knee, IT band seizing up, falling, etc.  We were very lucky.  I think I stubbed my toe once, that's it.  No falling!!  And, I should mention that, despite the very fine sand, and rainy conditions, I never even developed a hot spot anywhere.  My feet were supremely happy in my Drymax Max Pro socks and Sporty Cats :)  And I didn't blacken any additional toenails, phew!

We huffed it up the climbs, ran silently along the cambered slickrock, scrambled up a few semi-shear faces (one of which I was on all fours, tightening every last muscle in my body to avoid slipping backwards down the rock...talk about working up a stressful sweat!!), stopped for water at each of the five aid stations, used no drop bags, peed only once each, soaked up the small window of time that the sun actually shone, ran heads down as the rain took over throughout the day, and leaned into some of the stiffest winds I have ever experienced in my life as we made our way towards home.  I'm not kidding, the wind was out of this world.  It puts Chicago, the WINDY CITY, to shame!  We were running into the wind almost the entire time.  That is exhausting.  So we got in a good resistance workout as well :)  If I weighed any less, I would have been blown off the ridges!  

My favorite parts of the course were completely unexpected and totally unprecedented for me.  Technical downhills became what I looked forward to.  We would get passed here and there on the climbs, but then we just smoked the field around us on the downhills; it was so much fun!  I'm a cautious gal, and downhills have always given me great pause.  Not this time!  It was as if we were flying, barely touching the ground.  I don't know what was different this time.  The footing was downright treacherous on those downhills, strewn with rocks of all sizes, small boulders, mushy sand and slickrock.  My heart speeds up even thinking about it now; it was a blast!  I just let go of my worries on those sections and let my legs do the talking.  Don't overthink it, just do it.  Coordinated falling.  I've never smiled so much during a race as I did on these sections.  I was a kid in a candy store, except the candy was in the form of amazing scenery, rocks, and red sand shared with my better half :)

It took me about 15-20 miles to find my groove and feel sufficiently warmed up.  No kidding.  It was bizarre, so I was pushing through a lot at first.  But once I got comfy, it was smooth sailing.  There was a woman we were back and forth with a lot.  She was super consistent and great on the ups, but we always put a big gap between us on the downs.  Eventually she'd catch up and pass us, until the next downhill.  She was a good sport, too, so it was fun.  There was another female runner who really got in our collective craw, and I made it a goal to finish ahead of her.  Her volatile running style was irritating, running on our heels, breathing down our necks, pulling in front of us on narrow sections and then stopping in her tracks.  We were both wondering what on earth was going on.  I'd never experienced another runner like that before.  She even jumped in front of us at one point and then sat down on the trail to futz with something.  Very strange.

Judging by the elements and the course that day, I decided I'd be happy with sub-8 hours for the 34 miles, and just tickled pink with sub-7 hours.  As we rounded a corner and found ourselves on jeep road, coming across some spectators hiking towards us, we could officially smell the barn.  I didn't look at my watch at all, but kept moving forward, hoping for the best.  We picked up the pace and little and caught up to the two women we'd been back and forth with all day.  I wasn't sure if I'd be able to pass and hold them off at this point...until we were presented with one last downhill section, pouring us into the finish along the Colorado River.  It was as if angels were singing...the sun even started to peak out from the rain clouds!  We danced over the rocks and crud, passing our ladies and a couple others opting to walk the downhill, picking up the pace even more...

Meanwhile, Bethany has long since finished, absolutely creaming the women's field and taking second woman overall (second only to THE Anita Ortiz)!  Amazing!!!  She looks very pleased in this picture :)

Geof and I negotiating the downhill switchbacks, leading to the finish; we can smell the barn...and the hot potato soup bread bowls awaiting us!

Lo' and behold, Photog Rob!  He catches us as we make our way toward the finish... 

The quads were a'burning, and the heart was a'singing!  We were finishing!  And, what's that on the clock?  Not a 7 in sight!  We cruised through the line in 6h:48m:25sec.  Sweet hey-sus, that was unexpected!  I honestly felt like our effort was around 7h:15m, so color me happy :)  Rob, Ben and Billy were holding down the fort and greeted us at the finish.  We stuffed our faces with delicious soup and sourdough bread bowls, and after changing into clean, dry clothes, we waited for Anne to come in.

Oh sweet success!!

With G and 10th place Dr. Lewis...congratulations, Ben!

Ben, Ada and Terry after the awards ceremony.  I love this picture for some reason.

All in all, a truly fabulous race, with more than its fair share of tough, technical stuff.  Definitely one for the books.  And, after some thought, I've decided I would definitely return to this one.  You just can't beat the beauty of the course, and the tough terrain.  It's a really good early-season warm-up and a very good measure of where you're at heading into the spring.  

The aftershock of the race left me with a serious case of delayed onset muscle soreness (DOMS), located almost exclusively in my adductors and hip flexors...from all the downhill pounding.  Everything else felt as though I barely moved all day!  Lesson learned? always foam roll after a race like that :)  Ah well, it just made going down stairs a little interesting for the 4-5 days following.

Speaking of, what better way to shake out the legs than with a killer hike through Arches?!  

Rob, Rina, Geof and I headed back to Arches Sunday morning and hiked the Devils Garden trail before heading back to SLC.  There were some spots that gave my stomach a flip-flop (like walking across a narrow spine of slickrock, with a sizable drop on either side), but it was a thoroughly enjoyable day spent with wonderful people.  I'll let the pictures speak for themselves...

Geof being 'thoughtful' at Double O Arch (I think) :)

Doing some bouldering at Navajo Arch...there were some sick pitches ;-)  I actually had no idea what I was doing, but it looked like a good photo op.

Peek-a-boo!  Black Arch

The crew at Landscape Arch...pretty much my second favorite arch (Delicate Arch is my fave) :)  Nature is so cool.

Making our way up the trail, alongside where Wall Arch once stood (it collapsed in 2008 and lays there in a heap of slickrock along the trail now)

Utah Jumper!

This was called Sitting Arch...no, not really, but it was a good spot along the spine for us to sit and take in the view of the slotted canyons spread out below us.

And when on steep slickrock spines, one must jump!  The boys getting a little crazy..."It's about to get weird...TWO pencil jumpers!"  It's like they're just floating...

Black Arch

I love the West :)

Check out Geof's Red Hot race report HERE.  And, Ben's Red Hot race report is HERE.

Crash, out.

One Hundred!

100 is such a great number.  It's a really nice round number.

Today is an exciting day :) 

I logged into the ol' bloggy blog this afternoon only to find that I've reached my 100th subscriber: Dom, from London, England!!  Congratulations, Dom!  You are being awarded the Warm Fuzzy Feeling of Knowing That You Just Made My Day :-)  That's a pretty sweet award if you ask me.  Making someone's day, that is.  Hopefully I managed to make somebody's day today, too.

How fun!  I started this here compilation of The Runs a little over two years ago thinking only really bored family and friends who felt bad for me would check in on my blog.  That, or it would be the electronic version of talking to a wall :)

Thanks for reading, everybody.  I truly appreciate you!

By the by, I have a nice little race report in the works on this past weekend's Moab Red Hot 55k.  It was an AWESOME race!  It's great to be home, but I sure do miss the wild wild west already.

Crash, out.