Glen-alicious

Today, I took to the trail for my first run since the LBL 60k last weekend. I took a full seven days off, totally running-free. And you know, it wasn't all that bad. It is humbling, in a good way, to feel so meh and spent after a race, enough that you know you need some time off. Even though a week isn't all that much, it was a lot for me. The last two races, I was running after four days. Probably not the best idea, but I felt fine those times and was ready for more. This time, I just wanted to relax (and eat! Which I did more than enough of...I'm pretty sure the amount of food I consumed in the last week could have nourished a small third-world country for a month). Interestingly enough, this time I had no post-race soreness. Zip. I think I owe that to the huge amount of water I consumed after the race, all the icing I did in the 48 hours afterwards, doing lots of post-race walking around to get the junk out of my muscles, elevating my legs much of the night while I watched TV, and I also wrapped both lower legs in Ace bandages for the 7-hour carride home the following day. So I think those things really made all the difference. All I had to deal with today was that heavy, lead-like feeling you get after a hard effort.

My favorite, convenient trail around here is:
Super easy to get to, and it's a perfect central meeting point for me and for running partner Gary. I got there a tad before him and got situated. It was tough deciding whether or not I'd wear my Nathan vest, but in the end I went with it so I could carry my camera. It was in that gray area between slightly chilly and slightly warm so I wore my giraffe Moebens to start...they are so comfortable, and silly enough looking that I'm pretty sure I'm smirking the entire time I have them on. I also decided to trail test the CW-X Ventilator tights I got recently. I thought I'd see if they live up to all the hype (and price!), and who knows, maybe they'll make my knees smile a little more :) Oh, and I of course had on my fav short sleeve 4R's Atayne top on, as well as my Cascadia 4's (heaven on feet). Naturally, I was a little sad they didn't make the 4's in neon green, but I think I enjoy the turquoise just as much :)

The day turned out freakin' gorgeous! I would venture almost so far as to say "a tad on the warm side". Not five minutes into the run I peeled off the Moebens and my Buff and stuffed them in my vest (glad I decided to wear it!). The sun was out, no clouds to speak of and there were people galore! Mostly cyclists (who served only to muck up the gravel trail and turn it into a rutted mess), and birdwatchers, but a few other runners here and there. I just can't believe how beautiful it ended up being. Once we got towards the west-most section of the loop, there's a swampy area. We actually stopped to look around because there was this deafening loud chorus of frog chirping (or whatever it is they're doing) coming from the swamp area. It was so cool! I've never heard anything like that before. It sounded as if there were hundreds of frogs all singing together. Love it. Love spring. Love trails.

Then I remembered I had my camera so I snapped some shots. There's an old un-used (I believe) rail bed that runs along parts of the main loop's perimeter, and on the other side is a pond. My favorite section for some reason...


The abandoned rail...

"Gary, look like you're deep in thought." Okay, so much for that, but that's running partner Gary. Fellow Beer Runner dude, and he's training for the Wasatch Front 100. Yikes! That's hardcore, and quite a race to choose for one's first 100-miler. Maybe I'll get to pace...mu hahaha ;)

Today was tough for me. My body felt ready for the run, but my legs and feet were objecting quietly most of the run. It felt like we were running uphill the entire time, and then on the two downhill sections (which are really not that bad) my right knee was singing acapella. In a very high-pitched tone. Incessantly. So then I felt the damn thing the rest of the time. Then my right shin pitched in a little. But these are hardly anything new these days and I expected to feel these aches. I just felt so darn taxed and I was huffing like it was my first run, ever. Gary was doing great, especially considering he knocked out a nice little 24-miler on Friday, on his own. I downed most of my Nuun in the hour and a half we were out, and a couple Mixed Berry Clif Shot Bloks (yum! Love the flavor). I kept thinking about the cold chocolate milk chug I had in my car, and banana. I came better post-run prepared this time.

In all, we cranked out the full loop, which is 9.5 miles to the parking lot. I initially wanted to do 10, but we both opted to cut it at 9.5. Our cars were beckoning us. Good, tough run. Beautiful weather. Lovely day. This was another one of those character-building runs that my legs are so fond of these days. I walked more than usual, but I needed it today. Afterwards, I lollygagged at my car which had a nice patch of grass next to it and I stretched for awhile and practically inhaled my chocolate milk. Does a body good :)

Happy legs...done for the day!

Paige, out.

A Funny Thing Happened On the Way To...

I figured that since I always write about my running, perhaps I should write about something somewhat non-running related, just to keep it interesting, and to keep you guessing :)

I've noticed a couple of things this week that sort of stuck with me for some reason. For starters, I was walking down Wabash, heading back to the office after a gym session on Tuesday when a woman coming out of a high-rise crossed in front of me carrying a bunch of bulky boxes. She seemed a bit wobbly and looked to be at least twice my age on first glance. Then I looked down at her shoes (I have a thing for shoes, it's usually one of the first things I notice about a person). Good gracious, the woman had on 4 1/2" heels in shocking red patent leather! No wonder she looked like a complete idiot walking. She was taking bird-like steps and sort of clomping down...very unbecoming, and made it glaringly obvious how uncomfortable she was. I looked down at my cute little Keen flats and smiled. Happy feet :)

Not so long ago, I was a high heel touting femme fatale...haha, not exactly, but you'd have been hard pressed to find me not in high heels. Well, other than when I was running. Then, my sports doc had a good old fashioned "sittin' down" with me when I kept showing up at his office with shin complaints. He told me I really needed to reconsider my current footwear, while glancing down at my beautiful deep red stiletto heels on the floor. "But they're so cute!" Yea, well, cute only does you so much good. Naturally, I was stubborn at first, but all Doc needed to do was tell me that I could run into some serious foot/ankle/knee problems down the line that could really put a wrench in my running if I didn't take better care of my lower extremities. FINE. That was about nine months ago. So, as I finally unpacked all my shoes a couple of weekends ago, I tried on each of my former faves and waltzed around the house for a bit. And you know what? My ankles and knees kinda hurt afterwards! Too bad...I have a pair of hot pink patent leather ones I wore once, on a dare (because they're so ridiculous looking), and a pair of ankle-busting black patent sling-backs that I just look longingly at now. *Sigh* The things we do for the love of running :)

Today, I decided I should go to the bank at lunch and deposit some checks I'd forgotten about, then I thought it was so nice to actually see the sun (even though it's fripping cold out) so I walked up Michigan Avenue to a store I haven't been in since this time last year. I've shrunk in the last year, considerably (due to the running), so none of my dress pants fit me and I decided it was high time to get a pair that actually fits. I walked into the store and was immediately assaulted by the door greeter. For the love! I hate that kind of thing. Yes, I get that they want to give the perception of great customer service, but that in-your-face stuff is so obnoxious. I thought I was done with the greeter dude, but no, there was a flamboyant greeter for every square foot of the store, and it has three floors! I'm one of those customers who prefers to be left alone when shopping, and if I need help, I'll ask for it. I really had to work hard at not being rude, and I succeeded, but their antics were almost enough to walk me right out the door. Except that I found the most perfect pair of black pants.

In the dressing room there was a girl shouting (over the already blaring bollywood music, and yapping customers) about some swimwear deal on the second floor. I was in there all of 5 minutes and she must have said the same damn speal 10 times. No joke. The place was bumpin', too. Packed with people shopping, and young kids toting their own Starbucks drinks. Ah, capitalism.

Needless to say, I considered dropping to the ground and kissing it once I got outside. I just don't enjoy shopping the way I used to. I'm more of the online shopper these days, and I so rarely spend money on things that have nothing to do with running :)

When I got back to the office, there were brownies in the kitchen. What a day, a sweet pair of pants and brownies?! Even better, it's an informal Beer Runner event tonight at a bar I haven't been to before in L Square. Should be fun! And a great way to round out my recovery week. Beer. Sunday I plan to hit the trail for a slow easy one.

ORN: I've been icing my right knee like a madwoman, and have been working on the suggested strengthening exercises for PFPS. Good ol' runner's knee. No hills this weekend, and I've been walking sideways down stairs to avoid aggravating it further. The achilles is much better now, too. I think I'm too the point in my mileage that I need to pay better attention to that area and be more diligent about my stretching of it. Done and done. Oh, and I've been absolutely ravenous this week. My keyboard has begun to look appetizing. I keep having to remind myself that I had a pretty long run last weekend at LBL :) A prelude to what's to come post-McNaughton!

I've been scouring race postings for a trail marathon for this year. It's one of my goals for the year and it's tough deciding on which one. It also depends a lot on what other races I sign up for. Everything is contingent on everything else. Decisions, decisions.

Paige, out.

"Never take life [too] seriously; nobody gets out alive anyway." ~ Unknown

Ultra Mud Wrestling

Well, my first go-round on Kentucky trails obviously wasn't enough for me and I decided (even before the pain and soreness of LLTH 50k dissolved) to sign up for something a tad longer, and just a few inches west (on the map, haha) of good ol' Louey. Enter: Land Between the Lakes Trail Runs.

I distinctly recall Mike mentioning this race to me way back in September when I was contemplating entering into the realm of longer distances. Of course, I scoffed at the idea of traveling "all the way down to Kentucky" for a half marathon. *Sigh* Little did I know it would become my third in the ultra distance :) The 60k became my next goal, and was exactly four weeks after Louisville, and three to four weeks prior to McNaughton Park 50M. Gorgeous. I packed up my running suitcase, made sure I had my AAA with me (!), some tunes for the road and then set out on the longest solo roadtrip I've ever done.

So I took a picture of it :) Naturally. I made it in 7.5 hours, and I only stopped twice the whole time. A miracle considering I'm a gal and I have a teeny weeny bladder, lol. I checked into the lovely Kentucky Barkley Lakes Inn just off Hwy. 24, and a mere 3 miles from the start line. Since I had 3 hours to burn until dinner, I took a nap, walked some laps around the hotel grounds, made some decaf, watched some TV, took another nap, then decided I should use my time a little wiser and get everything ready for the morning.

Almost everything, still needed my bib number

Since I was making record time getting ready, and still had an hour until dinner, I made my way into town to pick up my packet and check out the area.

Grand Rivers is one of those "Ye Old" type towns...picturesque, old fashioned, time warp-y and totally touristy. I loved it. I wandered into an antiques store and felt immediately as if I were in another era. So cool. I was meeting Norm and Joyce Yarger, and Meg W. for dinner at the hot spot in town, Patti's 1880's Settlement. It's an honest to goodness campus of old fashioned-ness. The grounds were just beautiful, swarming with kittens, daffodils, knick-knack shops, a mini-golf course, a couple other restaurants, and then the main attraction, Patti's Restaurant. Just outside the main entrance was this...thought it was just so fitting! (The sign below it says "Heaven".)

Dinner was delicious! I had such a great time getting to know the Yarger duo and their running adventures, and along with Meg they all had a number of very cool stories and tons of ultra experience. I was in heaven! Norm has got to be one of the sweetest and most adorably funny guys I've met in my adventures thus far. Thanks for hangin' with a newbie, Norm! After dinner, I headed back to the hotel, double-checked my stuff and then hit the hay. Start time was going to be 7:00a.m.

I slept great! Grabbed a bowl of oatmeal, a biscuit, banana, and some decaf from the hotel lobby, and then headed out. Somehow I managed to drag ass in all this (not sure where I did that), and when I hopped up on the Community Center steps to drop off my drop bag, I only had two minutes until start. Whoa! No potty break for me, and I didn't even have any water in my handheld yet! It was raining, as it had been since late the night before. It was one of those annoying heavy drizzle rains, but thankfully not a downpour. It was a tad chilly, but I knew it wouldn't be all that bad once we got moving. I decided to wear shorts this time since I figured the mud might be an issue and I didn't want muddy wet tights suctioning on my legs all day. I am so glad I went with the shorts :) I also had a hat on to keep the rain off my glasses, this came in super handy.

I ran into Ed at the start, and recognized a few other peeps, but everyone was pretty much in their zone, so I kept to myself and instead agonized over my need to pee really badly, and that I had an empty water bottle. "3-2-1 (BANG!) GO!" The first 1.75 miles were on paved road, leading up to the trailhead. I went out fast with the front of the pack, but it felt pretty good. One guy caught up to me and said hello, and asked how I was doing. I didn't look at him at first because I was concentrating on my feet, but as he kept talking I looked over and recognized him as my rabbit from LLTH. Ha, duh, that's why he was talking to me like he knew me :) I told him I had no water and he said the main aid station is at the trailhead and the water is probably set up already. It was! So I said good luck as he went on and I stopped to fill up my handheld.

As expected, the trail was muddy, only to get muddier as the day went on and as almost 400 pairs of feet pounded it for 1-2-3-4 loops. It was going to get interesting! The first loop wasn't as congested as I thought it might be, but maybe that's because I kept to the front at first. An older man dressed (literally) in a body-length garbage bag caught up to me. I recognized the LLTH Buff he had on as he passed by on a downhill section. When we got to an uphill, he began walking and I zipped by him. About halfway around the first loop (11.3 miles/loop) he caught me again and then stayed with me up to the North Welcome Station AS. He complimented me on my form and kept saying I was doing so great on uphill sections (which, to be honest, were nothing compared to LLTH or Stone Steps...mere bumps). He asked me for my "secret", and I said, "training on flat pavement!" He thought that was funny. We swapped running stories for a short bit, then he thanked me for forcing him to pick up the pace so that we could chat and then said he needed a breather. He was running the marathon distance so I knew I wouldn't see him again, so I said goodbye and headed on my way. Sweet old feller, I tell ya!

So basically, the first two loops (of three, for the 60k) went by in a flash. I ran a lot more than I anticipated and felt pretty good. I had a few flashes of really bad stomach pains after eating a bean and cheese burrito at an aid station...yea, won't do that again. So I stuck to my Nuun and three Clif Shot Bloks/hour, and twice I had a Gu instead of the Bloks. I also had some peanut M&M's and peanut butter pretzels since I knew I could handle those just fine. I had thrown a pack of cola flavored Bloks in my vest, and decided to give them a try on my second loop. I usually only have the cran razz Bloks, but I went out on a limb and gave the cola flavor a shot. BAD IDEA. If there's one thing to remember in distance racing nutrition, it's that consistency is key. Truly, don't try something new on race day. The cola flavor was awful. I took one and thought, "hmm, that tasted funny, maybe I need a drink." So I gulped some Nuun, and tossed another Blok in my mouth. "Hmmm, it still tastes like throw-up." Now, I had put just enough Bloks in to cover me for 8 hours, so I couldn't just toss something based on flavor. I needed the electrolytes, bad! So I put the third one in my mouth, the second one was still only half chewed in my mouth and I held them in there like a two-year old holds their vegetables in their mouth because they're too grossed out to swallow them. Ugh! I wanted to spit them out, but couldn't in my right mind waste them. So I used the old "no taste" technique and held my nose as I choked them down. Blech! I let the guy behind me know how awful they were as he was there through the whole ordeal. He laughed and agreed, said he did the same thing when he tried that flavor.

Anywho! I digress. I zipped through those first two loops, a few stomach probs here and there, but nothing that would stop me. I had some trouble letting myself relax into the race, but I'm thinking it was mostly because of the weather. I knew I needed to walk more, so I told myself my third loop would be my lolly-gagging loop, and then I'd take some pictures. I checked my GPS at the 50k mark, and I did a blazing (for me) 50k split of 6:28...whoa! I wasn't expecting that. That gave me the mental boost that I needed for the final loop. In this race, I learned why it is that loop courses tend to have such high drop rates. Wow, it was realllllllly tempting to just take a right at the main AS, at the trailhead, and just head for the car, especially since the course was so horrifically muddy and I was starting to feel every single muscle ache and scream at me. But, luckily, I was really good and never hung around any of the aid stations, especially the main one. I filled up water and that was about it.

On the final loop, I pulled my camera out and snapped a few pics. I knew there wasn't going to be a way for me to put into words how muddy it was, so I needed to document it. Here's a pic of the trail...

And, of course a pic of my shoes which are actually neon green but you can't tell that here...they match the mud!

I was starting to get a little anxious as I was over 25 miles into the race and I still hadn't fallen, but I did run into a briar that cut my left knee up a bit when I went to pass someone on the narrow trail. I was wondering when the ball was going to drop. There were so many muddy bodies throughout the day, people who had bitten it early on and were just caked in the stuff. And this was no ordinary, whatevs mud. This was some hardcore, clay mixture that when wet turned a funky orange/yellow/mud color and it was THICK. We're talking shoe-sucking! The sound of my feet squishing in the stuff cracked me up and I caught myself laughing outloud at it more than once :) There were a couple of close calls, but not enough that I lost count: I stubbed my toe three times (thank goodness for toe guards!), and rolled each ankle once, but even those weren't bad because I didn't even cuss :)

Huffin' it

At about mile 28, I began to notice aching in my arches that was beginning to feel more painful than achy, so I switched up my gait a little. Then, I got that old sensation back...my right shin was dropping in to say, "Hi!" How nice. So I reduced movement to a brisk walk. Wow, that felt great! I guess I'll take some more pictures...

A Marine-looking dude who I had been going back and forth with on the trail most of the day, along with two chicks in tow, came by at this point and he said hey and asked if I was okay. I said I was just going to lolly-gag for a bit and shake out the legs...I didn't want my wheels coming off so close to the end of a race :)

At about mile 32, I saw Marine-looking dude up ahead and he was walking, looking pretty beat. I slowed up as I came upon and asked him how he was doing, he said, "My wheels came off at mile 29. I have nothin' left!" I said I didn't want to say I told you so and he just laughed at me and said, "Ponytail, I'll see ya at the finish!" And I took off, feeling really good again. Ponytail is what people started calling me throughout the day. It was actually pretty amusing.

Cara, that I ran with for awhile at LLTH, caught up to me towards the end and we chatted for a bit and finally introduced ourselves (I never did get her name at LLTH). Tanya also caught me somewhere near the end, so that was cool to finally meet her in person! I thought she was Juli at first. Tanya was truckin' along and she shot up ahead of me. What a trooper! When I finally reached the main aid station and was steered to the right to head towards the finish line, I wanted to drop to the pavement and kiss it. Only 1.75 miles left to go!! Since my drop bag was still there, and I didn't want to worry about finding it later, I went ahead and grabbed it and threw it on my back. I thanked the volunteers and then hit the road. This final section was all pavement and a lot of it was uphill which my legs hated at this point. I was so tired, every muscle in me ached, and my piriformis (of all things) was screaming at me to stop, but I didn't. I was so happy to be almost done that I took a pic...it even hurt to smile, lol...

I saw one dude up ahead of me, well way ahead of me, and I knew there was no way I was going to catch up to, let alone pass him. So I thought this was funny and quite apropos...
Of course, literally, as soon as I snapped this picture, a guy came out of nowhere and passed me. I shouted, "Hey, this is a No Passing Zone!" He turned back to me, laughing, and said he just couldn't resist passing when he saw I took a picture of the sign. Good stuff. I approached the J.H. O'Bryan street sign and saw a volunteer up ahead directing me to turn. And then I could see the FINISH LINE!! I was going to finish, f'real! About 20 yards to the line and someone comes up alongside me and I recognized him...he had been ahead of me most of the race and I didn't even remember passing him. He said he couldn't let "ponytail" beat him, but that he wanted to cross the line with me. So we finished together at exactly 7h:30m! Woohoo! The volunteers at the finish said I didn't look like I had been running in mud all day, "she doesn't even have anything on her hamstrings! And she's got pearls on!" Of course I do, it's pretty much my thing :)

I hobbled to the car to toss my stuff in and before I went to get some hot post-race grub, I snapped a pic of my feet. I guess they don't look that bad here...
I holed up in the Community Center with other finishers, inhaling some absolutely divine veggie lasagna, chili, brownies, soup, fruit salad, and everything else I could fit in my stomach. I wanted to see if I could catch Norm or Ed but after an hour or so I started getting those post-race shivers so I decided I needed to get cleaned up and into some clean, dry clothing. I went back to the Inn and luckily they had rooms left so I had no problem getting another night. Phew! There was just no way I was going to drive 8 hours at this point (in the rain, tired, sore, tired, hungry, sore...). When I finally peeled off my shoes and socks (which were so corroded and crusty that I tossed them in a plastic bag to deal with later) you could really see how muddy it was!
I looks like I have running tights on...made of mud! Gross, that's so unbecoming... Yes, my feet really are that white; this pic was taken without flash :)

So all in all, a freakin' fabulous race! Steve Durbin and company put on a great event and I have every intention of returning. The trails were challenging with all the rain and mud, but that just served to make it even more fun and exhilarating in a very youthful "playing in the mud" kind of way. Plus, all the ultrarunners got a sweet belt buckle for their achievement. It's some serious hardware, too. And you know what I'm most psyched about through all this? I never fell! Not once! This was my first ultra without one of my signature spills. I almost felt...dare I say...that I missed it? I thought, what am I going to report back to Mike...that I had a good race? *Gasp!*

The Goods...

And then I passed out! Hehe

Paige, out.

Let each become all that he was created capable of being. ~ Thomas Carlyle

Two for One Deal

Today may go down in Serious Case of the Runs blogging history...two posts in one day! This one will be short(er) though :)

I was sitting at my desk, typing out a document while simultaneously trying to figure out how to squeeze in my 6-miler today, be able to enjoy the glorious weather, and get home at a reasonable hour. The only way: run outside at lunch...no treadmilling today. I gave myself an extra 15 minutes I usually don't get when I go to the gym, and just changed at work and took off from my building. Since I forgot my Garmin, I mapped out my run ahead of time. I would run the mile up from my building to the lakefront path, and then head north until Fullerton, my turnaround. It was slightly more than planned...7.02 to be exact. It was glorious outside!!

Okay, so it wasn't this gorgeous, but it sure felt like it :)

It looked more like this today:

I wish I had my camera with me today, but I didn't, so I Googled. Anywho, I had a great little run up and down the path. I was the only chick, too, the whole time. Starting at North Avenue Beach, up to Fullerton, there's a little "trail" up alongside Lake Shore Drive that I like to run on. It's completely open and only about as wide as my two feet side by side, but it's dirt and I love it (so do my joints). I even found some wet mud to glide through and splash the calves with. I had on my snobby road running shoes, and they didn't appreciate the mud, but I sure did :)

Heading back south towards the Loop, the wind picked up (as it always does on the way to home base). I was actually hot! I wore shorts, a long sleeve shirt with my Atayne 4R's short sleeve top, a light jacket and my new Headsweats hat (which may be elevated to my grouping of Most Favorite Running Gear). After the first mile, I tied my jacket around my waist, and hiked up my long sleeves. The sun felt amazing on my skin. My legs were so happy to see the sun. I rival copier paper for whiteness, and I got so much wonderful vitamin D from the ball o' light that my skin looked splotchy when I got back (almost like I got...gasp...color!).

This was no character building run, it was a fun go-outside-smell-the-roses-and-forget-everything-else run. I'm so glad I went out at lunch, because now it's cloudy and threatening to rain :)

Run along.

Paige, out.

Dialing It In

I like that phrase for some reason. I got it as a response to something I said last night while wrapping up the final quarter of my 6-miler with my running group (Chicago Beer Runners). Something like, "up until that point, you're just dialing it in." Or roundabouts that. We were talking about how, for new runners, getting over the 5-mile mark is a huge hurdle. For some reason, when you're just starting out, five miles may as well be 10, 15, 20 miles! Gary and I were discussing one of my goals for the year (to turn a non-runner into a runner), and that's how we came to this section of the conversation. Once you've done the 5-miler, it's all pretty much the same until you start getting into the double digits, then you have whole new hurdles to climb over.

**Sidenote: the run last night was amazing! We have a three-mile loop everyone runs together, more or less, and then a two-mile loop for us over-achievers to add on for five. Gary was the only other hearty soul in the group last night, so we just ran the three-mile loop once more for six. The first three were at a great clip...easily nearing sub-8's...and I felt incredible. I took two days off after my double this past weekend, and it paid off. The weather was perfect, in the upper 40's, and hardly any wind to speak of.**

I can distinctly recall my very first 5-miler. It was the Nike Run Hit Wonder 5-miler downtown, in August 2006. Up until that point, I had never ventured beyond the 5k. My friend Dave (a seasoned marathoner), his girlfriend and I ventured down to Grant Park on a super-hot and glorious summer evening for the run. I remember not being entirely intimidated by it, but I also remember feeling like five miles was an almost unthinkable distance for one to run. It wound up being the single most exciting short distance race I've run (even though it was sponsored by Nike...). Strobe lights, bands every mile, disco lights and a smoke machine in the McCormick Place tunnel. Plus I got my first ever finisher's medal. I felt great afterwards, but the next day, I was a useless piece of motionless flesh. I could barely move. Ha! However, in the aftermath, I had this feeling of having overcome this insurmountable obstacle...I was now a 5-mile runner!

In retrospect, I find it pretty amusing, but totally rewarding. It was the beginning of a trend of breaking through barriers and just going for it. Oddly enough, when I was at the Nike Human Race 10k this past August, 2008, doing a marketing stunt for Atayne, I was standing at the back of the pack trying to get to the other side of the street and I ran into Dave. I hadn't seen him since a little after that first 5-miler when life just got in the way. Funny that we ran into each other at the "sister" version of that one race. But, I digress.

I have a friend from high school who has asked me about helping her get into a running 'routine', so perhaps she will be my non-runner-turned-runner for the year :)

It's so strange looking back at my running "career". I just kind of jumped in head first in the last 10 months or so. I was going to hang out in the 10k for a while, and then had hopes to finish a half marthon before 2008 was up. A marathon, however, was completely out of the question. Oh, if I only knew! Of course, then I met Mike and we just kind of fed off each other with distance and now I'm just stuck; I love long distance. It doesn't feel like I'm just 'dialing it in' when I run long. I feel accomplished, and tired (and generally bruised because I kind of have a thing for falling when I run).

Dialing it in...

That brings me to another slightly less related thought. As in, not running-related. Ever feel like you're just kinda dialing it in day-to-day? I know I'm not alone :) In an effort to step gingerly out of the vicious cycle, I sold my condo and moved out to the suburbs, GASP! I know, I know. I only owned it for a year, so I'm sure I'll take some sort of slap on the wrist in the form of taxes next year, but at least now I'm free. I'm just glad I am concious enough to see things for what they are and to not be one of those people who sits back and just waits for stuff to happen. I like to make it happen. So I'm living for much cheaper now so that I can save up for phase two. Haha, that sounds so corny, "phase"... In any event, I do have a purpose for making such a drastic decision and essentially committing social suicide. It's been a week since I moved, and so far so good. However, that will have to wait for explaining :)

Prior to the discussion about getting over the 5-mile hurdle, I voiced my worry about taking this leap as I'm not getting the kind of support I need right now. I am, typically, an eternal optimist, but it's hard when everyone around you is a friggin' negative nelly! Hello, shit happens, we'll get through all this economy/unemployment/mortgage mess. Everything can't be perfect all the time; we have to go through these tough times every so often. It's a part of the cycle of being a member of a high-consumption/greedy society. But, again, I digress. I need some positive reinforcement! And, thank goodness, I got it last night. The speech I got was basically that if I wait another 3, 4, 5 years to do what I want to do, perhaps I won't have time anymore and then I'll look back and think, "why didn't I do it back in my 20's when I had nothing holding me back?" Who knows where I'll be in 3-5 years and who knows if I'll ever have another chance. It's scary though, really scary, but in a good way. Good talk, good talk :)

The winds of change these days are more like hurricane force winds, rather than a leisurely breeze on a tropical beach. And nothing changes one at a time, it's always in big clumps. I hate clumps. But, I am dealing with the clumps because I have to.

Today, I plan to do another six miles, outside hopefully since it's already in the mid-50's! It's T minus 9 days until LBL 60k and I am so ready to get out of town.

Paige, out.

"Duct tape is like the force. It has a light side, a dark side, and it holds the world together." ~Unknown

Character Building

That was the theme of the weekend for me, in terms of running. I seem to have a lot of these types of runs lately. It's kind of annoying, but at the same time I know it's making me tougher :)

So basically, I had my first ever "double" planned for this past weekend. My only double planned for my current training. I am now very glad for that. Honestly, my body hates me; it's not really made for recurrent torture. Then again, it wasn't all that bad...but still.

Let's see, I needed to drive into the city on Saturday to return my cable box and internet modem to the cable company, so I decided I'd hit the lakefront path for my long run. I parked along Montrose, outside my old condo (which I miss so much now), and ran what has become my "routine" 12-mile route: down the path to Navy Pier, refill water bottle, use the facilities, stretch, eat 3 Shot Bloks, and then turn around and head back north. It wasn't horrid, as I've run in far less ideal conditions, but my goodness my body did not want to deal with the cold this day! On Friday, the City blocked off the path from Grand (pretty much Navy Pier) up to North Ave. because of high waves crashing on the path, which then froze over to a nice sheet of solid ice the entire stretch. When I got the e-mail about it, I thought it was fake for some reason, so I didn't change my plan...until I got to North Avenue and a Park District fella yelled at me to stop and use Inner Drive the rest of the way. Ugh, fiiiiiiiiiiine. Inner Drive (of Lake Shore Drive) is one ginormous wind tunnel, just in case you've never had the pleasure of running down it. It blows...ha! literally. So I rerouted and ended up tacking on an extra 3/10 of a mile, no biggie, but the wind, oh my God! It was unreal! Navy Pier was a beacon of hope and life; I think it had a halo over it on this day. I was that happy to reach it.

After a quick 2-minute stop at the Pier, I headed back. As soon as I stopped I began sweating, which is no fun at all in this weather. I knew I was kind of in for it now. Heading back north, the wind is unrelenting, much worse than heading south for some reason. My hands began to go numb around mile 8 or 9 and I kept switching my bottle between hands so that I could wiggle my fingers and get some blood flowing into them. It got to be incredibly uncomfortable and I really regretted not opting for the second pair of gloves. Once back on the path, I had the sun on my left side which felt amazing, but still not enough to thaw anything out. Other than my hands and face, everything felt pretty good and I was still chugging along. I had only planned on doing 10, but since I really needed the warming station that is Navy Pier I opted for 12. When I got back to my car, I was so cold and my hands so frozen that I couldn't even turn the key in the lock of my trunk to get my bag out. I had to use the lever up front to pop it. I had to look at my hands to make them move, no joke! I changed into dry clothes and had the heat blasting on me for an hour on the drive home and I was still shivering and my fingers were painful. Obviously, not good stuff. But when I got home I was fine. So fine, I went and ate two racks of ribs with my mom and Richard! Yum!!

Lesson learned: wear two pair of gloves when the temp drops below 20 degrees.

Round two: Sunday I met Gary from my running group at Waterfall Glen to do what we had planned on being 14-16 miles, but towards the end of the first loop, we amended that to 10 :) Here's why. It was flipping cold!!

The trail is great: crushed gravel, rolling, more or less deserted at this time of year, and wide open sky. Beautiful. However, it was flipping cold! I was a tad off from my run the day before, but Gary was fresh. We took off and immediately encountered the first of many stretches that were pure solid ice. Hmmm, I should have heeded my own intuition and stuck to the grass on the sides. But I made it through the first few icy patches just fine. Then around mile 4-ish, I was chugging along when suddenly I lost it, BAM! I was down for the count! I fell square on my right knee, then slipped backwards onto my left elbow and was laid out completely. My head banged the ice too, and actually bounced, which really freaked Gary out. I sat up and instantly felt like I just got my ass kicked. Everything hurt. But I was laughing because I know it looked hilarious! I scooted over to the grass so I could get my footing and stand back up. Then we were off again. I knew there was going to be a melon-sized bruise on my knee for sure. I said to let me know if I start slurring or not making any sense (more than usual!) because that could mean some serious stuff. Luckily, all was well.

At about the halfway point we encountered a sign that said something about flooding up ahead, but naturally ignored it. Well, the trail was flooded up ahead. Ha! We approached it slowly and immediately shot up the banks to the railroad tracks alongside the flooded section and ran on the ties until we cleared the area...it was so Stand By Me! I was beginning to feel the effects of my nasty spill and everything was pretty achy, so when we got to just about mile 8 it didn't shock me that I bit it again. This time, I had halted completely and was gingerly negotiating an icy spot to get to the grass and I just went straight down, this time on my right side, but at least I avoided hitting my head again. I sat there, this time not laughing, and huffed and puffed quite a bit. Gary was checking for blood. I smacked the ground like a two-year old and shouted inappropriately. I was pissed! It hurt so much, and now I banged up both knees. Once I finally got up, it was slow going from there. We decided to cut it at 10 miles and call it a day. I probably could have made it another 4-6, but I knew it wouldn't have been a good idea.

My first non-race 22-mile weekend ever! Afterwards, I stopped off in Naperville to check out the prized Naperville Running Company. They always win awards for stuff, so I wanted to see what all the hype was, and I needed to fill up on more Gu, Nuun and Shot Bloks. Really nice people, great selection, but it didn't feel all that different from a Fleet Feet. They had all the stuff I wanted, but none of the flavors, ugh. That meant I needed to be 'open-minded' and try new flavors. Ah well.

Back home, I wrapped four ice packs around my shins and knees, popped some Advil, and continued unpacking. Today, I feel alright, but know that I should take the next couple of days off. My shins feel odd, much in the way they do after a long race. I know I probably won't do another double again for awhile, but I'm glad I tried it out. Even if it was relatively low mileage for a double, it still got the job done. And I built some serious character. Gotta toughen up for the really hard stuff! After weather like this weekend, I may be breaking out the shorts once we hit the 30's!

Lesson(s) learned: Don't run on thick sheets of ice. Two pair of gloves makes all the difference. Monster Trail Mix from Target saves lives. The toliet seats of outhouses, even in sub-20 degree weather, are surprisingly warm. My shins hate doubles.

Recovery the next couple of days/short taper for LBL 60k. Even though I'm a low-mileage-training runner, I still enjoy a good taper :) I might try for a good 12-miler on a trail down in Bloomington this coming weekend, before celebrating my sister's birthday.

Paige, out.

“There are times in our lives when we are drawn uncontrollably to

some dangerous source of misery.”

~Suzi Thibeault, in a letter to David Horton during his conquest of the AT

When in...Kentucky?

Perhaps I am a glutton for punishment. Or, maybe I'm just stubborn? Bored? Perhaps. But, I'm going to go with...determined! Motivated! Prepared :) Ok, so maybe the latter is a bit of a stretch.

Who's Coming to the 6th Annual LBL Trail Runs

60k
Name State Age
Paige Troelstrup IL 27

That's me!! So, yes, I will be pickin' up and headin' down for another taste of some good ol' boy country on March 14th. Hopefully this time I can avoid some of the 'drama' I experienced the last time I ventured down to Kentucky (LLTH 50k), haha. I have taken some preemptive measures...I've asked to borrow my mom's butt-kickin' pickup truck for the weekend, and (Ed will be pleased to know) I purchased a AAA membership! I'm hoping I have myself covered this time :) Now all I need to do is take care of my legs.

I decided to go for the 60k since it's only a hop and a skip up from the 50k and perfect timing in my McNaughton Park 50M training plan. If nothing more, it will be a distance PR for me. No harm in that!

I had been stalking the Western Kentucky Runners Club for a couple of weeks and then while I was running LLTH on Valentine's Day, one of the gals I met was talking up Land Between the Lakes and going on and on about how much fun it is and how beautiful the course is. So that pretty much sealed the deal. It's also great timing for me personally because with all that's going on right now, I could certainly see myself waivering in training if I didn't find another race to work on before April.

The website is nice n' simple and after I registered, Steve, the RD, e-mailed me directly to welcome me and thank me for registering. How cool is that?

From what I've been told, it's a pretty 'easy' course, compared to the two other 50k's I've completed (Stone Steps and LLTH) so I'm very happy about that. It's a 11 mile + change loop run three times (for the 60k) and about 3.5 miles total out-and-back from the start to the Canal Loop, and then to the finish after the final loop. Not too much elevation at all. My right knee is pleased with that.

Here's the course map:
It'll be nice to see some familiar faces at LBL. From the registered runners list, I recognize a number of people that were also at LLTH, so I'm excited about that. It will also be a great distraction for a weekend. Running, trails, fresh air, new place; these things always put the soul at ease :) Plus I totally want a buckle to show off at my running club!

Time to brush off the moving dust (more on this soon!) from my pearls and get them ready to hit the trail again.

Onward!

Paige, out.

"Do not go where the path may lead, go instead where there is no path and leave a trail."

~Ralph Waldo Emerson