Ultris runneri, as seen in the red rock wilderness, circa 2011
I have now had two wonderfully speedy runs in a row (I was worried my legs forgot how to turn over), and have enjoyed some fantastic running in general since my last post. And amen to that; Geof was on the verge of removing my Best Running Partner Ever title ;)
Saturday we headed to Palos to get in a short trail run, and some hills. The trails were in bad shape so we stuck to the gentler yellow trail, hoping to avoid causing too much damage to the soggy terrain. It was pretty nasty. Palos always feels gross as it is (on account of the horse manure, mostly), and Saturday was no exception, but after a couple miles, and knowing it was my last run in the shoes I was wearing, I allowed myself to fully embrace the gross. Soupy mud, soggy horse poop, sticky clay, and the moldy scent of a half-thawed winter combined with humidity. Ahhhh, Midwestern trail running at its finest! We ran clockwise so that we could have the good hills for climbing (rather than descending), and running all the way up Big Bertha was quite a treat! A couple of muscles in my right glute that had been on an extended leave of absence since Javelina 100 decided to wake up and join the fun finally. Breathing not nearly as hard as I have in the past pushing up that hill, we reached the top and both agreed we needed to do some more hill work before spring racing begins :)
Geof found out he got into the Wasatch 100 on Saturday evening, and immediately set about formulating a race strategy/plan on Sunday morning. I am so pumped to get to head back there and get in another round of pacing and crewing, especially because it's for my rockin' husband. It's a truly awesome experience and the course is disgustingly beautiful. So, we've got that on tap for September, and lots of awesome training to do before then!
I still need to figure out what my big race will be this year, but I've got other fish to fry before I make that decision. I look forward to having some supremely good news to share in the next couple of months; fingers, toes, legs and eyes crossed!
I've recently culled a pair of really great road shoes. I like to try out lots of different road shoes, different brands, different styles. But I always, always find myself coming back to Brooks roadies. This time I picked up a pair of the Brooks Launch. They're pretty wonderful. Cushy, light, and downright comfortable. The Mizuno Wave Riders I was trying so hard to like are now out of the rotation. The ankle collar was too stiff and annoying. I dreaded running in them. In my opinion, you shouldn't have to work at liking your running shoes. You should LOVE them the moment you slip them on and prance around for the first time. There are rare exceptions, of course, but for the most part that's how it should be :)
It's great to feel like an ultris runneris again and I'm finally starting to look forward to Zane Grey in April. I'm sure there will be days where I'm cursing it, but for the most part I am really excited for a new challenge (and what a challenge it will be!). After a little vacation getaway this weekend we'll really crank it up again. On on!
Paige, out.
5 comments:
This is such a happy post. Yay!
Don't get weirded out, but I had a dream about you recently. I wonder if the plans you allude to here are the same ones I dreamed about for you? I can't wait to hear about the stuff for which you're crossing all appendages!
Ooooo, I'm curious about said dream!
It's something I've been working towards since 2009 :) I've done all my work, now it's a hurry up and wait game until late March through possibly June! At least now I can relax, a little, until then :)
Rest is a good thing. I'm coming to this realization a little late in life. Cheers to your recovery and return to great running. Pacing Hardrock and Wasatch: Heaven!
Awesome to be feeling alive - nothing better!!! And congrats to Geoff - that is one of the BIG daddy runs :)
Hi Paige,
I love the term "ultri runneris". Our local Thurs night running group is having the second annual "Chocolatis Festivus" next Thursday. Seems to me the terms are related somehow.
Gene
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