Interclub Relay Race

So much has happened since my last entry, some of it good and some of it pretty heartbreaking, but somehow I came out the other side walking and yep, running again.

After the accident, I found I wanted to try running since my knee was only holding up to so much climbing on the bike, so I signed myself up for Run for Regis in January and hit the trails.  Somewhere, somehow and God willing I love them now, on the bike or on foot, muddy and full of bugs bring 'em on (I just keep baby wipes and clean clothes in the car now for after - HA!).

So our unofficial team leader, Daisy talked 6 of us from Team Bicycle Hub into signing up for the Northeast Running Clubs: Interclub Relay Race and still unable to say "No Daisy, that's a bad idea for me."  I replied "IN."  I was thankfully given the 3 mile leg.  My other teammates (MarSassy and Ghost) would run the 5 and 8 mile legs (no sense in leaving the slowpoke out there any longer than need be).  Team: Felonious Jogger Floggers was born.

It was low 30's and sunny.  I ended up changing into capris and road shoes after I pre-ran part of the bridle trail and started cooking during my warm-up and saw it was fairly dry.   It had been a few weeks since I had hungout with my teammates but we picked up right where we left off taking silly pics and joking around before sufferfest began. 

Ghost took off at 9am with the 8 mile group and then MarSassy left 3 minutes later for the 5 mile route and then I would leave 3 minutes after that with the 3 milers.  I started with B-Dizzle who was talking trash about the OSU vs. WI game and how he was gonna beat me, just like my Badgers had gotten beat.  I had nothing good to say to his truths so I just wrapped my arms around him and hugged him until the race started so I could stay warm. 

I detest 3 mile races.  It's always balls out from the start, blow-up around the 1.5-2 mile mark and then curse my way to the finish for the last mile or so.  I was in the second row and true to form the race started like there was a hole shot, ugh!  I ripped through the first half mile before I finally convinced myself to back off.  I was running comfortable not sure how much climbing I would have to do.  I even felt good enough to yell at B-Dizzle as I passed him to quit goofing around because he had stopped to tie his shoe.  He was up and past me before the first mile.  The course was rolling and mile 1 clipped off at 8:20.

E-Gad!!!  That was the slowest first mile in a race I had probably run in 4 years, not counting a marathon or half iron.  Well, my pride was damaged and I started picking it up.  I dropped a few people and passed a few more.  Mile 2 was pretty flat and maybe a little more downhill.  Downhills on a mountain bike or on foot --- SOLD!!!  Mile 2 - 7:49. 

The last mile was rolling (upish) and had 2 steep, albeit short climbs.  I walked both briskly since hills tend to make my knee swell and I was moving as fast as the guy in front of me was jogging, hahaha!  E-speed had once told me "walking uphill with a purpose is just as fast as running sometimes."  The walking also allowed me a little bit of recovery so I started closing on the downhills on the guy in front of me and eventually got him before the finish.  Mile 3 - 8:05. 

Time: 24:14. 

Thank goodness for the guys, they ran fast enough to put us in 5th place overall for the co-ed teams, with MarSassy running a 42:03 for 5 miles and Ghost ripping off 1:00:13 for 8 miles. 

Total Time: 2:06:13

Our other Team: Two Roses and a Thorn (very fitting if you know Cash) finished 3rd overall for the co-ed teams even with Crash taking a wrong turn and ending up with a 5 minute detour.  They still got him his wood after all.

Twilight Trail 8K Race (My Eleanor)

For those of you that have seen the movie "Gone in 60 Seconds" you know what I am referring to when I call this race my Eleanor.

Every year that I have run this race, I have barely made it up th big hill only to blow up.  Hell, I have even thrown-up throughout the race sometimes and always at the end.

This year I hoped it would be different.  I wanted a PR, but more importantly I wanted to do the course like a progression run with each mile getting faster, until I was at all out effort coming into the finish (not the first mile).

I had only been running about 10-15 mpw and knew I needed to get back into the groove of things, work or no work, this couch potaot/lazy ass BS had to come to an end (I'm not really lazy, work just sucks up a minimum of 48 hours/week now). 

I jumped on the treadmill a little before noon and did 3 easy miles, then did some upper body and core training for about 20 minutes.  I ate and waited for 5:00 pm to come, trying to get caught up on laundry, blogging and cleaning up in general.  I almost chickened out, but somehow made the drive, 2 detours and all to the start.  I was really early, hoping the race had not filled up and I could still get in.  I even donated an extra $5, since the race proceeds go for such a great cause (Cleveland Rape Crisis Center).

I decided to run an easy 3 mile warm-up 1/2 road, 1/2 trails with my headphones on full blast.  I felt a little warm with my shirt on, but my legs didn't feel dead as per there usual at this race.  E-speed passed me on my warm-up pointing to her ears, later telling me that she had been screaming at me, but I hadn't even heard her (I know IMPOSSIBLE right?).

Almost forgot to spray myself with bug spray before the start, but caught my mistake with about 5 minutes to go before the start.  I lined up in the middle of my age group.  I also had my headphones on.  I felt I needed to be able to drown out everything around me and get it done today.  I know 'phones are a sin in some groups and I never wear them when I race, but today I was going to break the rules.  I had every intention of going out nice and easy, too slow if need be.  Nothing mattered but keeping my heart rate low and surviving the first 2 miles. 

God, I was so nervous I was going to mess this race up like every other year that when the horn sounded I almost didn't move.  I trotted through the grass, trying not to pass people and go out too hard.  We hit the woods and before I knew it, we were crossing the stream me, daisy, twizzle (and of course e-speed too) had foolishly jumped in, on an all girls Halloween run a few years ago.  It was much shallower and I opted to ford it in a different spot than most of the racers (didn't even get my feet wet). 

The big hill was next.  I was going slow enough still.  I was breathing easy, but just the thought of the hill stressed me out as I ran.  I started up the hill nice and easy, slowing as the effort increased until I felt I was working too hard and then I WALKED.  To hell with this hill I thought.  I have run it before and it kills me.  I watched person after person pass me on the steepest part and kept wondering what the hell was wrong with me, why couldn't I do that.  I got to the top and started running again and then it happened.  Many of those people that had run up the hill started coming back to me and I FELT GREAT!!  I felt like I had just started running.  I upped my effort a little for the second mile, but not too much as it is rolling but a little uphill.  Mile 2 came and went and now it was time to up the effort even more.

I was getting passed by guys but no women.  I was the one passing other women today.  My form felt relaxed and I was picking up my feet, no shuffling yet.  My tunes just kept me jamming along and before I knew it the big hill I normally run up was in my sights.  I went down it quickly but safely, EE caught me and went careening down it a little wrecklessly with his hands flailing in the air trying to slow himself down and overcorrect for taking the first turn too wide. 

I grabbed some water at the aid station and worked my way up to Squire's Castle and could feel my right calf turning to what felt like cement.  Oh No!!  I had less than a mile and I was running out of gas.  My legs had covered 10 miles today and had, had enough.  Blah!  It had been awhile since my mental self had pulled out a can of whoop ass on my physical self and with a 5+ minute PR looming within my grasp, I let the beating commence.  I mentally told myself to keep at it and to not back down (I used a lot of obscenities at this point) and I thought e-speed may be somewhere up ahead to drag me along, ensuring my inability to back down.  Lo' and behold a little after mile 4 there she was.  I let her pull and push me along, trying to give it a little gas on the downhills.  She was talking to me, but I couldn't hear a thing.  It didn't matter I was glad to have some human lightning at my side.  She pulled off right before I exited the woods and I gave her a thumbs-up as I pulled away from her.

There was a girl about 200 meters ahead and I was able to close the gap a little, but the legs were so tired and for the first time in a long time I ran with everything I had through the grass, cursing in my head the whole way.  I felt slower than ever and there seemed to be a hundred cones between me and the damn STOP line.  I told myself somewhere deep in that pansy ass was one more gear and I could go faster.  I did and it got me to the line.  I staggered through.  Spit on the ground and thought "Hell Yeah!!"  I finally completed this race successfully.  My time was still weak, but I finally knew I had defeated my Eleanor.  I had beaten the course today.  It had hurt me, but I had run it as planned. 

Splits via my Garmin: (I even tried to cut the corners and run the tangents and still ran over 5 miles!!)
Mile 1: 9:37
Mile 2: 8:29
Mile 3: 8:11
Mile 4: 7:59
Mile 5: 8:05
189 ft. 0:16

Total Time: 42:39, Pace 8:19 (I like what my Garmin says much better)

OFFICIAL TIME: 42:37, Pace 8:42 (6 min 4 second PR)

I am a very weak trail runner as you can see.  I just don't have overalll good general strength to handle that type of terrain, but I am committing myself to run trails more often and learn.  I may never be a mountain goat, but here goes nothing.  I got you now Eleanor!!!!