Race Report: Colfax Marathon Relay

Team Jviatiors A (me, Scary, C-dog, Utah, Little Italy), aka 4 people faster
than me that may have gotten me the only sub-4 marathon finish I'll ever have.

Well since I ran the Colorado Marathon just a week before this race, I wisely realized that it probably wouldn't be my smartest move to try and run the Colfax Half again this year. Though I really enjoyed it last year and kind of wanted to try and beat my 2009 time, over my last several months of "running smarter," I did actually learn something. I learned to keep the big picture in mind, and not sacrifice my lifelong running "career" for one measly race. So, I didn't register for the Colfax Half. However, if you paid attention to the title of this post, you see that instead, I got myself¹ onto a relay team. I ran the anchor leg of the relay, which in my opinion was the best part of the race, for several reasons.

One: the race started at 6am. However, I only had to show up for the final 5.3 miles...which meant sleeping in and rolling into my relay exchange point about 8:30. Lovely!

Two: My leg was through the lovely LoDo, then past all three of my former work office buildings, along a short piece of Colfax, then through City Park. Splendid!

Three: I got spectators and finish line goodness. Delightful!

Four: Plenty of paparazzi race pics due to photos positioned near the start/finish of the race. Fabulous!

Five: I got to encourage all those full marathon runners around me in those last 5 miles, when I knew they were feeling it. My team finished in 3:51:06, so those were my fellow middle of the pack peeps I was boosting. Just one short week after my own full marathon, I knew first-hand how helpful that support can be. Fulfilling! Rewarding! Memorable!

Six: It was only 5.3 miles. Cake!²

One of the paparazzi shots where I don't look tired.
There were very few of those.

Seven: I spotted my HRRC running buddies, who were there to help support fellow HRRC first-time marathoner Massud, just as I came into the park for the last couple of miles. Marvelous!

Highlands Ranch Running Club Gang: Coach PBuck; Fastie Roxane;
Me; Marathoner Massud; Flying Frenchman Carol; Climbing Anne

So, it was a great, fun relay event for me. Our team ran well, had fun, and spent some quality time outside of the office. It was fun to hang around after the race and just chat and relax (usually I have hubs and the shorties there, and they are anxious to go but this time I was alone). I enjoyed this race last year, and it was my first half marathon so I really didn't have much experience to measure it against. But this year, older, wiser and with more long races under my belt....I still enjoyed the race. And I think it was much better organized than last year. Plus they finally got with the program and had tech tees for the race shirts. (Thanks Kaiser Permanente!)

The brave Jviation crew: Kristin; Timmy; Alex; Me; Scott; Leah;
Christy; Anna; Brooklyn

______________________________________

¹ - what I really did was convince 9 of my colleagues to join ME in forming two teams, so that I could participate in this race
² - Less "cake" more "dry, stale, bran muffin"; I can't lie, my legs were tired one week post-marathon, even only doing 5 miles

Race Report: HRCA St. Patrick's Day 5K

Well, the short story is that I was a minute slower than my PR. But the long story is that it was only because of weather and cautious running on the ice, rather than decreased running ability. I felt good the whole way, never reached the puke threshold, and had plenty of gas left at the end of the race* to sprint the finish.

Yep, the temp on the dash of my car say 16 degrees, and that is a snowflake
to let me know that duh, snow is possible at 16 degrees. Thanks Volkswagen.

It snowed Friday about 10 inches. It was 16 degrees when I arrived at the race at 8:15. The sun did come out in time for the start, but it was still only 20 degrees, icy, and cold. They had plowed the paved course, but there was a lot of icy patches the whole way. I did mile 1 pretty reasonably (8:34) considering the conditions, but never could pick it up as fast I would on dry ground. A couple of speedier runners had fallen and ended up bleeding or with jacked up limbs, and quite frankly a PR wasn't really worth it to me on this race. Yeah, I'm fair-weather tough like that.

The icy start...

...and the icy finish. That's HRRC runner Super Fast All-American Kyle.

It was super-fun to run with all the Highlands Ranch Running Club (HRRC) members that were there, and unfortunately the Flying Frenchman is on the DL and couldn't run...but the upside benefit of that is that we had our own personal running club photographer there. Score! So, without further delay, here are my momentous race photos.

Trying not to fall on the ice, coming into the last quarter mile at the finish.
*Please note Red Guy behind me.

Uh oh, I do NOT like Red Guy passing me...

Better not slow downn now Red Guy, I am coming for you...

Oh, so sorry Red Guy, but your immasculation is of no concern of mine!

Red Guy, you just got chicked! By ONE second!
Yes, I count the small victories.

RACE STATS
Net Time: 27:30, 8:53 pace
10 in my age division
16 female
64 overall finisher out of 238
But most importantly, one second faster than Red Guy who thought he could dude me at the end; not so, buddy!

And oh yeah, RIP Gay Leprechaun; never thought I'd miss you but now that you are gone, I do.

This year's St. Patrick's Day 5k race shirt, which is sublimely blah.
I feel a bit of loss where the Fugly used to be....
(Sorry, I am too lazy to open it in photoshop and rotate it.
It's easier to require you to turn your head to the left instead.)

Back to the Track

Tonight was my first official track workout since, like September (pre-break). HRRC met at the outdoor track. Some new faces, plenty of the old gang. Minor problem: it was 30 degrees. It was dark. It was snowing. We ran anyway.

Ladder workout - 5.8 miles in 56min
1200 meter warm up
2000 @ 9:10 pace
400 easy jog
1600 @ 8:50
400 easy jog
1200 @ 9:00
400 easy jog
800 @8:20 pace
800 cool down

Despite it being dark, cold, snowing, and very windy by the end, this was actually a pretty good workout for me. I kept it even on the pace for the entire workout and actually did my last 800 faster. Felt good and strong the whole time and was glad I went, despite the weather. It's running in this kind of weather that make you stronger. And appreciative of the daylight. And sun. And temps above 40.

Home is Where the, uh, Dump Is

Friday I took the day off and spent it skiing up in Keystone with the hubs. It was a great day--new snow, not crowded, not too cold--and I finally got to break in the new skis I got for Christmas. I felt like Lindsey Vonn racing down the hill in 'em--suckers are FAST!

So after a day of downhill and somewhat tired quads, I wasn't sure what to expect for Saturday's long run. The HRRC group was meeting to run over at the Platte River trail, which I like very much. It is very flat, and runs along the gurgling river the whole way; I could literally follow the trail all the way to downtown Denver. What it lacks in beutificous mountain vistas, it makes up for in flatness and cute little wood pedestrian bridges. And geese (which also means geese poop). The thing is covered with geese. Which is ok, as long as they don't park their feathery assess on the trail and just glare at you when you approach, refusing to move out of your way. (If you yell and curse at them, it usually does the trick and they will slowly waddle just out of the way enough for you to pass; hoping that one day they don't decide to take a peck out of my leg just for spite, though I'm sure it's imminent.)

It was a bit cool and had snowed a tad Friday night, but the trail was plowed pretty clean and the light flakes that fell actually felt kind of nice on my face, especially once we got going. I ran the first 4 miles with the HRRC running group. They stopped to turn around and head back at 4 miles, and I opted to keep going a little further before heading back, knowing I had to get in at least 14 miles.

Overall it was a great run, I kept a good pace (faster than my plan requested of me but not blazing fast, all praise the Running Gods) and enjoyed it. I think my favorite part of the trail is the bit that goes right by the Waste Management transfer station and dump. Though I've never noticed before, today I noticed the apartment complex that sits LITERALLY right next door to WM. And they have the balls to put up this banner....

Please enjoy my panoramic photos skillz, above.

Ah, trail or no, I think I'm happy that's not home for me.

PS: the only thing worse than goose poop all over the trail, is goose diarrhea all over the trail.

The Downhill Whore Lives

I know I have said it before, but on Saturday's run I re-discovered that I am indeed, still a downhill whore. The group run took the fun trek up to Daniel's Park. Depending on how far you go (all the way up to the Park, vs. stopping short at some point along the way; being the whore I am, you know I like to go. all. the. way.) it is 2-4 miles of uphill.

elevation profile the run up to Daniel's Park

I started the morning by running from my house to the rec center where we all met--1.3 miles. The air was cold and I have been trying not to use my inhaler anymore, so when we set out my lungs were feeling those hills a little. I set off at a slow pace as we started climbing. I had a few patches of run/walk (yeah, did you notice the 5% grade patches in that little map above?), but I always picked it back up to run. Why? Because I knew what was coming after the turnaround of the out-and-back, and I needed my legs and body to be warm for the hardcore downhill boning I planned on doing. I refused to stop and quite frankly, I would have clawed, crawled or even done the Snake up that hill if it meant I could run back down it. Indeed, a tried-and-true Downhill Whore.

Run totals: 8.53 miles, 1:35
To illustrate the downhill whoriness of it all, my splits:
Mile 1 - 11:08 (big uphill at the start, took it slow warming up)
Mile 2 - 9:40, best pace of 6:19 (oh crap, I better hurry up or I'll be late...followed by, oh crap maybe I shouldn't have sprinted)
Mile 3 - 12:04 (fu%k that's a big hill)
Mile 4 - 10:55 (fu%kedy fu%ck this hill SUX)
Mile 5 - 9:48 , best pace 7:50 (almost there...turning arond...and now...GIVE IT TO ME BABY)
Mile 6 - 8:33, best pace 7:10 (wheeeeeee!)
Mile 7 - 8:50, best 7:32 (oh yeah oh yeah oh yeah, I love the downhill)

**hourlong break while we meet/eat/listen to Muscle Max presentation**

Mile 8 - 15:33 (walking back home, carrying newly-acquired Muscle Max papers and water bottle)
Mile .53 - 8:30 (damn these papers are a pain, I could be home already if I didn't have to carry these stupid things; curse you Muscle Max!)


On another note, now that I've got myself calmed back down from my Downhill daydreams, Lam had a great post about resolutions--for those of you that set them this time of year and those of you that don't, I suggest reading his take on the power and reason for resolutions. Whether you set them in January or continuously throughout the year, here's to getting going...especially if it's downhill.

The Non-Blogging Blogger

Yeah, yeah, I've been all anti-bloggy lately, I know. I've just been like, doing a lot of stuff¹ in the real world and the thought of blogging made my eyebrows twitch, so I basically abstained. But now I am twitching TO blog again, so la-dee-dah here I am again, alighting like a little peanut butter-encrusted² fairy back upon blogland.

I have been running, more or less, the last month. Though I definitely wouldn't call what I am doing training by any stretch of the imagination, I have mainly been running for fun (hey, it's above 30 degrees! I should go outside and enjoy it! I think I will!) and friendship (running group) and occasionally to purge myself of the peanut butter coating (horrid indoor track punishment sessions). It's been working out well. My foot has held strong and all traces of the Evil Stress Fracture are gone. I would like to think that I've been much more aware in my running since that horrid event, but I am not sure of the reality of that. But I will say that I haven't done any stupid things like two-a-days or going longer than I am ready for, or heck, even going sub-8 minute miles (I know, sloth). But I am calling this my "off season" in preparation for what is definitely going to be on my plate next spring: the Colorado Colfax Marathon on May 16. Depending on how the early spring goes, I may also visit my BFF in Louisiana and tackle the Mardi Gras Marathon on February 28, just for fun and for the experience. But Colfax is definitely ON.

And finally, the Highlands Ranch Running Club (HRRC-yo) is finally legit with a blog of its very own....perhaps we can spice it up with some guest bloggers?! Any volunteers?

The holidays are just around the corner, and with it New Years Resolutions (I suppose this year will be Year of the Marathon Redux) and I am already thinking about what else 2010 will hold...the last couple of years have been big goal getters for me...what will I do with 2010? Hmmm....

¹One large task that has had me blog-averse has been a curricular book-writing project. After writing all day for work, writing for blog didn't appeal. Plus I haven't been racing or doing anything runningly-interesting so I didn't see the point. Sue me.

²I have had the most insanely ridiculous obsession with peanut butter the past month, that I have completely given up trying to curb it. I am all-peanut-butter, all-the-time (and NOT just the m&m's folks). Which is really only inconvenient for my Shortie1, who is deathly allergic. Whatev.

Pseudo-Race Report: Wildcat Mountain 1/6 Marathon

On Saturday, I ran my first pseudo-race. It was a certified* 1/6 marathon course of 4.4 miles.

The first HRCA Wildcat Mountain 1/2 Marathon was held on Saturday. The HRRC running group had 6 members who were planning to race; the rest of us non-racers met near the course start and ran a portion of the course before turning back to cheer our fellow clubmates on during the race.

In true Colorado fashion, the weather was iffy. (The race had 235 racers, but as of late afternoon on Thursday, just 42 people had registered for the race--guess no one was too motivated to lose $50 on the race fee if it ended up being snowy weather.) It was kind of chilly and damp and we had a bit of snow Friday night. The course was mostly cross-country style dirt and grass trail through the backcountry around Highlands Ranch. But, miraculously, it wasn't nearly as muddy as I figured it would be.

Us non-racers ran out a couple of miles and decided to come back along the course, passing the racers as they started the first 2 miles. It was kind of fun to be going the wrong direction on the course, and I could see the wheels turning in each racers head as we passed, "Why are they running the wrong way on the course? Why are they smiling? Who are these strange runners on the course, clearly not racing but out here in this marginal-ass, chilly, damp weather nonetheless? Did they do the whole course already? Is is that easy? Are they that good?" (While I can only wish I was indeed THAT good, we actually DID have a running star in our midst, a real pro runner: one Cassie Slade. Athlink HER ass, she is GOOD.)

We got to cheer on our running group mates, which was cool. And we got back to the start in time to chat a bit (heck, I even had time to go inside the Rec center and do a core workout) and still see the winners finish. Even though it was cold, it was a good time. The HRRC runners had a good showing, with one of our own winning the race (yay Kyle!).

*It's important to remember that the certifying body may have permanent peanut butter M&M-induced brain damage and be slightly lacking in exact math skillz--yeah I know 4.4 is more than 1/6, but it is close enough and I don't really care that much about precision anyway.

Early TG Spirit

Because Thanksgiving is fast approaching, because it is my favorite holiday, and because I am in a dang thankful frame of mind this week, I am going to bandwagon it and do a gratitude list today, too. Here is what I am presently thankful for:

1. The Healing Power of the Human Body - Healed (praise Jebus I'm healed and whole-ish) and able to run again.

2. Mad Men - Don Draper, nom-nom-nom. By GOD I love that show. Full stop.

3. Comcast OnDemand - so I can watch the entire season of Mad Men over and over and over and over again, until the next new episodes start...Don Draper, nom-nom-nom.

4. HRRC* runners - what a great group of folks that I am so glad to have met and gotten to know.

5. Peanut Butter M&Ms - because nothing says, "I defeat you, stress!" like saying it with your mouse raised and a mouthful (and I do mean FULL) of peanut butter M&M's.

6. New Running Shoes - Asic's 2140's I love you! I resisted giving up my 2130's but so far the 40's are a decent replacement. Plus they are pink. Yay/yay.

My week so far has involved high amounts of stress...which I am now *smartly* managing with small doses of low-mileage running, meditation, and peanut butter. I have worked up to 3-4 miles, and am *smartly* running every other day and gradually adding distance. Emphasis on gradually. I got to run with the running group again last Saturday, and turned in a nice, foot pain-free run of 3.64 miles. Then did about 3 miles at the track with a couple of other running buddies on Monday. Planing to do a *smart* run of 2 miles or so tonight. And the fact that I can once again say that, is all I need to be thankful. Well, that and the M&Ms. And maybe a bit of soft porn (i.e. Mad Men) here and there...but that's all I really need. Really.

*Highlands Ranch Running Club, for the uninitiated