It's Racing Season!

Ah...daylight savings, St. Patty's Day, spring...and a return to racing season for me. I really thought I would have done some of the early races this year, but it just didn't happen with the marathon training and busy life. BUT this weekend, I will officially return to racing with the HRCA St. Patrick's Day 5K. Yep, that one, with the Gay Leprechaun t-shirt.

After my last year of running longer distances and consistently running the biggest hills in Highlands Ranch, this race is going to look a lot different for me than it did last year. My memories of this race were a bit hazy, but I remember thinking that the hill toward the end was pretty nasty. Well, tonight I met up with a few other running buddies to run the race course, so that we'd all be familiar with it Saturday. (After being 65 for the last few days, it is predicted to snow 5-10 inches tonight/tomorrow, so there is no telling what that course will be like Saturday morning.) I've had a head cold for the past couple days, but popped some Dayquil this afternoon and was ready to run at 6:30. We had one novice runner with us, and all just took it easy and had a nice chatty, social run. I've gotta say, my perspective has completely changed in the last year; that hill was nothing. Like, seriously nothing. It is probably one of the easier race courses in the HRCA races. Weather permitting, I might have a speedy race Saturday...and the fugly Gay Leprechaun t-shirt to show for it.

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.

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.

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.

Wild Hair Up My...

Yeah so, I am officially signed up for the Wild West Relay team I was considering joining. My crazy, endurance-mad coworker (who I will not name, but if you know me and happen to know who he is, you know he is an awesome but crazy-ultra-man who does things like 24-hour ski-race UP mountains and such) talked me and a couple of others into it...and $133 later, I am officially running slot 12 of the 200-mile race from Ft. Collins to Steamboat Springs on August 7-8. WTF I am thinking, I don't know.

This is the little bucket of madness I have subscribed myself to filling.

Ultra running has always sounded so ridiculously ridiculous to me, yet by the time I got to the end of reading Born to Run, it had begun to sound completely and utterly natural. A measly 26.2 miles is chump change compared to 125 miles through Death Valley in the summer. Or running down a deer, you know, for dinner or a midday snack. So obviously, it was in the wake of finishing this book that I fell prey to my convincing coworker and decided that the Wild West race was small fries and that I was totally(!) up(!) for(!) it(!!).

Now after a week of 2nd, 3rd, 4th and 12th guessing my decision, I'm not so sure (too late, sister, you already paid and the team is counting on you)...I don't do well without out enough sleep...this is 24 hours in a van with 4 strangers...minimal sleep...no showers...sweaty feet...random food choices...limited bathroom facilities, and what if I don't like my van-mates? That's a lot of hours in a small metal box, with sweaty bodies, if they are annoying...

I'm sure they will be fine and it will turn out to be great fun; my slot is actually only about 13 miles total (3-5-5), it's rated a level "3" on a scale of 1-12, so it is well within my abilities. I bet I'll enjoy it in the end. And if not, hey at least I tried and I have a good excuse to get out of it next year.

Rocky steps...meh

I'm in Philly for work this week....and did a nice little recovery run yesterday after the Rocky Mountain Half Marathon I ran on Sunday. Naturally, I did the lame but obligatory run down to the Museum of Art and charged up the steps, Rocky-style. I found them to be...meh. Not nearly as steep nor long as I always imagined them to be. (And not really worthy of throwing my hands over my head champion-style and hurrahing for myself. Not that I let that stop me...) Going to head out this evening to see if my coworker and I can find/meetup with the Philly Runners, who meet at the Muesum for a free group run around Philly every Tuesday. We'll see how that goes.



Also, I finally bought Born to Run by Christopher McDougall and I have read nearly the whole thing in a day...it is an excellent read and a must for anyone who loves running. Definitely going on my Top 10 book list! Read it!

Rocky Mountain Half race report coming soon, as soon as I get some time to collect my thoughs and see if I can hunt down any of my race pictures. In case you're curious, I will front you with the nuggets that: 1-I did not get my sub-2 hour half marathon; 2-It was still fun; and 3-I was not sore/tired afterward at all, which I suppose I'll attribute to walking aimlessly around Denver International Airport for three hours while waiting for my plane to Philly.

A Run Without Gizmo is No Run At All

I did a nice 8 miles this morning with the running club folks; technically it wasn't exactly a group run, cause well, I was too tired to stay up with the folks I normally run with, so I was really running on my own.....a few hundred yards behind them. It was kind of a new route--I'd run the first half of it before but not the second--and though it was a little tough, I enjoyed it. We ran uphill for about 4 miles, then turned around and had the sweet downhill back. It was a beautiful morning and everything is so green and lush right now, I really wish I'd brought my camera. Must remember to do that on runs.

Though it was a nice day, my run simply didn't feel complete because unfortunately, gizmo is still ill. I had no way to keep track of my run--I had him alive temporarily, thanks to Lam and Jawsome's great tips on resetting him--as two miles in, he crashed again. So, I guess I have to call in backup support at the garmin tech center. Luckily, he is only a few months old, so I think the warranty will cover the deductible to get him shipshape again. Or maybe provide for gizmo^2.

The rest of the day held a picnic at Wash Park with a friend and her daughter plus my Shorties. It was a perfect day for it and we all had fun. And if my luck holds, they will crash hard for an early bedtime tonight...one can only hope.

RIP Gizmo

I am beside myself with despair. I feel on the verge of tears...a fat hole in my heart and my wrist light, empty, and longing. Yes, on this sad, sad day, my dear garmin (aka gizmo (after the gremlin)) is dead! The anguish! Sob!

I awoke this morning at the wee hour of 5:30AM (yes, I am shocked, too...I am so NOT a morning runner) as I deduced that early morning was the only slot I would have open today for a run, due to a busy work day and meeting a friend right after work for drinks/dinner. I did speedwork at the track last night with the running club, so I knew it was going to be crucial that I get a run in today to loosen up the legs in order to continue to be able to walk this week....so I reluctantly settled on a 5:30a run.

Laid out the gear on the bathroom counter last night, all ready for this morning. Managed to actually get up when the alarm went off, get dressed, shoes on, ipod on, strapped on gizmo, hit the on button....and nothing. Hit the button again, this time holding it down...nothing. Repeat steps times 3. Thought maybe I had left it on last night and battery was just dead. Plugged to charge...didn't get the little "battery charging" message...uh oh. But thought maybe it was so dead that it couldn't muster energy to display the message. I considered scrapping the whole run at that point, but decided that was just being a wuss. So, disappointed, I set out on my run wearing only my old timex ironman for companionship. (oh, he keeps the time alright, and he is so much lighter and slimmer, but I feel so lost not knowing my pace, heart rate, calories, distance, precise location, astrological sign, and bank account balance at the touch of a button)

When I got back home, gizmo still had a blank screen...no "charging" message. And he still would not power up. I fear he may not be simply comatose but dead....sob. In my cloud of despair, all I could manage to eat for breakfast was a banana and 2 oreos (courtesy of Shortie1's Safari Joe snack day). And a venti Starbucks (full caff, yikes). I think I've set myself up for a pretty coherent and productive day. Or a diabetic coma after the sugar wears off. 50/50 shot.

RIP gizmo, I'll miss you. But not for
long, cause I will definitely be sending your ass
back to garmin for a fix or replacement gremlin.

RUNNING STATS:
Wed - speedwork at the track 3.5 mi
1 mi warmup, 6x400 relays at 6:50-7:15 pace with 2 min rest in between, 1 mi cooldown

Thur - easy run
roughly 6 miles in 59:38 (pace? who knows. exact distance? can't say for sure. splits? one can only guess. calories? hopefully enough to offset those oreos...heart rate? felt racy. astrological sign? uhhhh sagitarius?)

Everybody's Kung Fu...Running

Lawdy, Running is getting into everybody's pants lately. Guess my Secret Lover is out ho-ing around...(you know that only makes him more attractive to me, though). Every which way I turn, folks is hot-and-heavy with Running.

It all started in January when we got the letter from hubs' friends who proclaimed they were a Team in Training for the Lincoln Half. Then a couple more friends joined them to do the Lincoln Full...then Cross Country Squared nudged me over the edge and I officially decided I was in for a half and full this year...I started hearing about coworkers who run, and recruited them for a "corporate" running group....and yesterday I learned about two other gals at work who have taken up the affair--one doing Team in Training for the Nike Women's Marathon in October and one just in the early "make-out" stage with Dear Running (and now I'm going to have to worry about being faster than all of those other suckers, great).

In all the years I've been with Running, I have never found this many people lusting after my man. Oh sure, he was obviously out there cavorting, getting nasty with girls and guys (he's an equal opportunity kind of soul) near and far...but always he had the good sense to keep it on the sly. I don't know if it's the economy or global warming or the Brooks Running Superfan commercials getting folks all hot-and-bothered, but something is going on out there. Running has obviously joined match.com and found some takers. Anybody else noticed this in your community?

As for last night's HR running club group workout, we did:
1 mile warmup - 9:00 pace
2x1600 repeats - 8:45, 8:15 paces
800 recovery jog after each - 9:35 pace
1 mile cooldown - 9:00 pace

Grand total: 5 miles but I didn't keep track of the total time. I should have done one more 16oo/800 repeat with the A group, but didn't since technically I am still in "race recovery" mode. Next week.

Feeling Better...Bearly

So, when last I posted I told you I was sick... (well, technically I've felt ucky for about 3 weeks but chalked it up to allergy season) and Tuesday morning I awoke with a fever, so I set up camp on the couch and called it a Sick Day. I thought if nothing else, a full day of doing absolutely nothing, with no kids or spouse to bother, might help me heal up (important, since my race is Sunday!). It did help and I do feel a little better, but still only about a 7 on a scale of 10. I have decided (what with my advanced medical degree and years, simply years, of training as an ear-nose-throat specialist...which I'm sure has a fancy latin name but I don't have the energy nor will to google it and find out) that it is a sinus infection. I get them a lot, yet every time I try to deny it because I simply hate taking medicine (esp. antibiotics) unless it's really, really, REALLY necessary. So I've got a trip to the doc scheduled, just to officially see what's what.

Since I did feel a little better than a couple of ays ago (save for the abominable ache in my entire head/face and the tenderness in my sinal regions), and had taken Sunday-Monday-Tuesday off, I decided to join the group to run last night. Glad I did, cause I think it actually made me feel a little better mentally and emotionally, if not physically.

The workout: 4 miles
1.5 warmup @ 9:15 pace
3x800 @ 8:30 pace
1 cooldown @ 9:15 pace
Stretching

Had I known about the BEAR loose in my neighborhood, I may not have ventured out, but as it happened, I didn't check voicemail when I got home from work so I missed the reverse-911 call from officials to "stay inside your home, bring pets and children indoors, and avoid open areas until further notice." Seriously, this is the kind of shiz I love about living in Colorado.

I love me The Denver Channel.

Strength = Holding Your Peep for 11 Miles

First off, let me say that I am sick. Like, I probably should be in bed not out communicating with the world...but thanks to Mucinex and Extra Strenght Tylenol, here I sit at my desk. The allergy/sinus/cold/flu/whatever that I've had going on for the past couple weeks is now genuinely illness, and not just allergy bother. Anyway, I feel like roadkill, so I'll keep it short today. Since my half marathon race is this Sunday(!), I will be doing everything in my power this week to be well by then...hmmm, perhaps I should be at home in bed afterall...well anyway.

Saturday - 12 miles in 1:52
Sunday - OFF due to sickness

Had a great 12-mile long run with 3 others from the running group Saturday morning. We were at my favorite place, the High Line Canal Trail, and I had gotten up with plenty of time for breakfast, hydration, a sinus rinse, and 15 minutes of the weekend Today Show (and wow, I am not missing anything by not watching it normally, that is one fluffy waste of the very-loosely-used-term "news anchor"). I even had time for the hydration to go through me, and got TWO pre-run potty breaks in (I am just talking #1 here, or as Shortie2 calls it, "peep"). So I figured with two preparatory peep breaks, I should be fine for the run, as there are no bathroom stops on the trail.

Unfortunately, just a mile in, I was again hit with the very strong urge to pee. And, as previously mentioned, I was with a group (2 of them men) so it was clear there would be no sneaking off into the bushes for a quick leak. And let me tell you, I have now decided that the true definition of strength is not staying up all night with a sick child, or giving birth without drugs, but is the ability to hold your peep on an 11-mile trail run (did I mention the entire trail runs next to a bubbling, gurgling, water-filled CANAL?), while making pleasant conversation all the while. At least I know my kegels are strong.

ThankyousirmayIhaveanother!

By my house, there is a massive, massive hill on the trail system. After Shortie2 was born, conquering this hill was my now-I-know-I'm-back-in-shape milestone. I spent a lot of time running and getting fit enough to run up this monster. Once I could do so, I promptly avoided it on my runs, unless I was going in the downhill direction.

Well, that hill is the start--the start--of the 10K I am doing this weekend (seriously these HRCA race organizers are total masochists). So, the past two weeks, I have gotten reacquainted with the uphill side, most recently on my long run last week. It's still tough, but now that I'm running more and actually training, as opposed to just running so that I can eat chocolate every day without gaining weight, it did seem a little bit easier than I remembered.

Last night my running group met at the base of the Hill, in order to do some hill intervals. I have been dreading it since snow cancelled the originally scheduled session last week. The workout was to do 6 reps of 90 seconds up, followed with 90 seconds of walking/jogging. We were split into our A-B-C "ability" groups and took off. We made it up, came back down, and when our Fearless Leader asked if anyone was up for a couple more reps, everyone willingly jumped right in. Astonishing! Alone, I probably would have called it good....but with the support of the group and all those other people willing to run it again, it was actually...ok. Peer pressure is a beautiful thing.

Wednesday's workout:
1 mile warmup on track, 9:00 pace
8 reps 90 seconds uphill, 90 seconds walk/jog 7:45-9:45 pace depending on steepness
1 mile cooldown, 9:00 pace