Bobcat Trail Marathon

In the last four years I have trained for two ironmans and two marathons and haven't completed any of them.  Besides being pregnant last year and not doing the marathon I was training for, I haven't been able to complete these events because my head's been all messed up from the DNF at Ironman Louisville.  I knew sometime I was going to have to get the 'marathon monkey' off my back.

And this was the year.

I had trained pretty well for this marathon.  I had done four 20 milers, three of which were on the trails.  I had also done an 18 and a 17 miler on the trails.  I had done some races on trails.  I was feeling comfortable.

I had no idea what I was in for.

This race was so hard.  For the majority of the race I wasn't even sure we were actually running on trails.  I think we were just traipsing through the forest.  There were roots and rocks and mud and river crossings.  Within the first mile and a half I had already fallen once.  I had forgotten to start my watch.  My food and hydration were already off.  I had planned on running with Megan and Bridget and within the first mile they were gone.  I was not having fun.  Dave told me after the race that he could tell I was not having fun. 

But after 10 miles things started to get better.  I had been trailing a girl that was going a little too slow for my liking and I was able to get around her finally.  I was by myself and feeling comfortable for the first time. I was gaining time and was feeling better about getting this done.

Around 13 miles was another rest stop.  I took a bathroom break and found Megan.  Yay!  I had someone to run with. Although the path was not big enough for us to run side by side, she ran in front of me and we were still able to talk.  We were able to hunt blazes together and keep each other going.  The course was relentless - full of steep climbs and descents.  It was good to have to someone there to keep me company and to keep the spirits high. 

At the 18 mile rest stop we found Bridget.  She had rolled her ankle badly, the ankle she broke earlier this year, and needed to drop out.  Too bad.  She was in the top 5 when it happened.  My stomach was a little indifferent at this time so I took some Coke at the rest stop.  It was the best tasting thing ever and certainly helped settle the stomach.

Mile 21 was our last rest stop before the finish.  Megan and I had been catching quite a few people at this point and this rest stop was no different.  I was amazed how long people spent at the stops.  I mean, we were all carrying our own supplies, why do you need to stop so long?  Anyway, we got out of there quickly and it was a long 5 miles to the finish.  We had been told that the last part of the race was really tough and that was no lie.  The climbs may not have been any different than the rest of the race but because you had already done 21 miles, they were tough.  We mostly hiked the hills and I got to the point where I was using my hands on my knees to push my legs up the hills.  I took two more falls in those last 5 miles and Megan took one really bad spill.  By the end I was toast and Megan got ahead of me.  Finally we broke out of the forest and onto paved road and it was only about 1/4 mile to the finish. 

In the end I went 5:39:01.  The time, to me, is irrelevant.  The good part is I got the marathon monkey off my back and I can move on to better things.  Like getting fast....

Decisions....ugh, I hate them

I have two more races on the calendar this year: a 4 mile fun run with the family on Thanksgiving and the big giant 50K in December.  I have been internally debating the 50K every day for weeks.  During the marathon and immediately afterward I said absolutely NO WAY!  That shit was hard!  But a few days later I thought, it can't be any harder right?  What's 5 more miles?  Sure, I can do it. 

But really what's holding me back is my shin.  Ugh!  That damn shin!  I have babied the heck out of it - icing, PTing, moving most of my workouts to the elliptical.  Then when it's feeling good I do one run on the treadmill or the trails and BAM! It hurts again.

I threw it out to Facebook a while ago about deferring to next year as that was an option for this race.  Every single person who responded said to defer.  I didn't want to defer, though.  Who knows what I'd be doing next year?  Plus, I'm already registered and already trained.  So, I didn't defer.  The money's already spent.

This is my last big week of training I could put in before the 50K.  I had hoped to put in a solid week of training including another 20+ miler on the trails this coming weekend.  Right now, though, I'm hanging out on the elliptical and doing some pool running. 

Truthfully, I'm really torn about this race.  I guess I'll just see how this week unfolds.

Hocking Hills Indian Run 40K 2013

We watched the weather all week.  It looked like it was going to rain overnight on Friday and maybe on Saturday morning.  What should we do with the baby?  Sure the race started at the lodge, but what fun would that be for either Dave or Anderson to be stuck inside the lodge during my race?  We would have to leave for the race around 6:00am; could we get Anderson over to my parents' house before we needed to leave?  Could we make a morning decision?

The day before the race I checked the weather one last time and it said 70% chance of rain race morning.  All morning.  Crap!  I called my mom and before I even asked her anything, she giggled.  She already knew that she and Dad would be watching the baby all night long.  We were leaving the baby all night at Grandma's and Grandpa's.  This was a big step for us and I wasn't sure I was ready, but it was really, the choice we needed to make.

And what a good decision it was.  I was awoken that night by POURING rain.  It didn't stop either.  I woke up and it was raining.  We drove to the race site and it was raining.  I lined up for the race and it was raining.  And it kept raining the ENTIRE race.

I mean, if you're going to do a trail race it should be in the mud, right?

 

 This wasn't a big race, maybe 40ish people, so I started conservatively in the middle of the pack.  But not a mile into the race I discovered I was running second female with first place right in front of me.  For the next couple of miles we traded places until we struck up a conversation around mile 5 or so.  And she was nice and I thought, "you know Meredith, you haven't made a whole lot of friends being super-competitive".  So we talked and we ran and talked and ran.  And before we knew it we were done with the first lap, refueling our packs, heading back out for our second loop, and sharing first place.

As I mentioned before it rained this entire race.  The ENTIRE race.  There were several races going on too: 60K, 40K, 20K, 10K, 5K, all of them sharing the same course.  So the second loop was more congested and more muddy.  This course had a lot of road running, something I was not expecting.  Mile 3 and 15 go down, down, down, down, down to the point it hurts and you'd rather walk downhill.  Then you make a left onto Steel Hill which goes up and up and up.  I hiked this hill both times.  You stay on the trails for a while which are fire trails, nice a wide, and my new friend and I could run beside each other and talk.  The last part of the loop is pretty technical with lots of single track and roots and switchbacks.  The second time around this was messy and around mile 21 I just kept sliding down a hill until I fell.  Thank goodness it wasn't a hard fall this time and my new running friend waited on me.

We ran the whole 24+ miles minus two uphills two times.  We crossed the finish line together in a time of 4:05:19 (9:54 pace) for first and second place females and 6th and 7th overall.  I asked if they could give us a tie, but they said no.  In the end I guess my time was a fraction faster, so I won the race.  But, really we tied. 

With the win in this race I set one of my "super secret running goals" from my 13 in '13 list, which was to win a race.  I'm kinda liking this trail running stuff.  It really suits my running style.  I'm looking forward to a few more longer trail races this year.

Chippewa Creek Trail Challenge 10 Miler 2013

This was a real trail run: roots, rocks, mud, single track, sharp downhills, steep uphills, and horse poop.  :)

The Chippewa Creek Challenge was held in Dave's hometown, so I decided to do this race so Dave's family could visit with the baby and I could get in some trail training.  Dave's family, though, is on vacation in Alaska so I kind of felt dumb driving all the way to Cleveland for a 10 mile race.  On Friday I had a rough day and basically threw a fit.  Idon'twanttogo!  Idon'twanttogo! Idon'twanttogo!!!  But I did.  And surprisingly slept really well the night before.  The morning of, though, I was nervous.  Trail running is all new to me and it freaks me out.  I do not like new things.  Bah humbug!!!

I ate a bagel for breakfast (yay, for actually being able to eat something despite being nervous) and then we headed over to the park WAY to early.  I picked up my packet (t-shirt and number - just how it should be) and waited it out in the car.  It was chilly and I didn't have anything long sleeved.  Finally, I came out, took my finally bathroom break, and got ready to race.

 It was cold at the start.

What a mixture of people.  Everyone was talking about their fancy trail shoes.  Some had backpacks, some handhelds, and I went with my water belt.  I saw people wearing gaiters. And funny enough, lots and lots of running skirts were worn.  To my surprise, it was about 50/50 men to women.

They told us about the course beforehand.  Follow the Burning River arrows or orange flags.  Don't follow the orange streamers in the trees.  Challenging.  Dry (yeah right!).  Good luck.

And we were off.  There was a little section on the paved path and then we turned left onto the trail.  From there it seemed we were uphill, uphill, uphill. I was doing pretty well on the uphills.  And then we went downhill.  Steep downhill, on very narrow trails, with lots of roots.  I found myself grabbing trees just to slow down and stay upright.  Because I suck so bad on the descents I fell back of the people I was following.  Suddenly I was alone in a valley with several switchbacks.  And I thought I was lost.  I yelled at the people behind me, "Am I going the right way?"  They said, "I don't know.  We're following you."  Great.

 This was a tame downhill, comparatively.

I didn't wear a Garmin so I have no idea what I was pacing.  I felt fast on the flatter surfaces and did okay other places.  Some of the downhills were so sharp I was basically walking.  And there were two uphills that were so steep I had to hike instead of run.  By the end of the race I was gaining confidence and then BOOM!  I was down.  I guess I had tripped over a root or a rock, but I came down hard on both knees and skidded on my hands and left side.  I was up in a flash and without even dusting myself off I continued running.

 

This is what I looked like after the fall: lots of dirt and blood.

And this is what my knees looked like all cleaned up.  I also have scrapes on my upper left thigh and a huge bruise on my left thigh.  I must have landed on a rock.

When I finished I was a little disappointed with my time, 1:37:31, which is a 9:45 pace.  But the overall female winner only averaged 8:30s so I guess it's all relative.  With trail running you have to throw pacing out the window.  I had a lot of fun and found it difficult.  Not difficult like I'm going to puke my lungs out, but difficult on the mind.  You always had to be thinking about where you were going to step next and be willing to change anything in an instant.  I'm really looking forward to continuing with trail racing and seeing the results get better.  But first I need to let my wounds heal....

Week in Review

The miles are starting to catch up with me....

Monday - Off

Tuesday - 5 miles, 0.25 hours strength training
Strength training was 4 rounds of 10 snatches (45 pounds), 10 side crunches (10 pounds), 10 BOSU crunches (10 pounds), 10 oblique crunches (10 pounds).

Wednesday - 12 miles
Started this run with Dave and the baby.  We did 4 miles together and then I did the remaining 8 by myself.  It was HOT and HUMID outside and I could only manage to average 9:00/miles for the entire 12.

Thursday - Off

Friday - Off

Lazy much???

Saturday - 20 miles trails
I hit the trails early knowing this was going to take me a while.  The running group was meeting at 8:00am so I started at 7:00 to get in about 6 miles before anyone else showed up.  I started REALLY conservatively, nearly 11:00/miles.  Around the 3 mile mark I ran into a friend running the opposite direction who was also starting early as she wanted to get in three loops of the course.  I turned around and ran with her.  She was running quite a bit faster and I was already suffering.  It's a long day, Meredith.  Chill out!  So, I told her I needed to slow down and she slowed with me.  We met the group at 8:00 and there were some fastiest there and others who might be running about what I was.  We started out and almost immediately I got dropped by everyone.  For the next 15+ miles, I ran alone.  I just kept running and chugging along.  I finished the run in 3:17:07 for a 9:51 pace.  This was tough.  I can't believe I have 4 more 20 milers to go.

Sunday - Off

Totals:
Running - 37 miles (in only three days!!!)
Strength - 0.25 hours

Week in Review

So. Many. Miles.

Monday - 5.5 miles, track workout
You can read about this workout here.

Tuesday - 10 miles, treadmill
Why do I keep torturing myself with these long runs on the treadmill??

Wednesday - off

Thursday - 2.25 miles treadmill, 0.25 hours strength training
We started this as a much longer run on the roads, but then my parents called and asked if we wanted dinner so we stopped the run 0.25 miles into it.  After dinner and dessert, though, I felt like I needed more working out, so I ran two miles on the treadmill and did 5 rounds of 5 shoulder presses at 55 pounds and 100 jump ropes.

Friday - 7 miles, tempo run; 0.25 hours strength training
I started this run on the treadmill because I had the baby (he was in the swing) and Dave was working.  But Dave finished up work and took the boy, so I finished this out on the roads.  I also did 15 minutes of core work which just about killed me.

Saturday - off

Sunday - 17 miles, trail
I was barely a mile into this run when I ran into some women I knew.  They asked me to join them and of course I was totally down for running with others.  They were running a little slower than I had planned, but so what.  A mile is a mile is a mile.  I wound up running about 9-1/2 miles with them before they called it quits.  Then I was on my own for the rest.  And it went well.  I saw a snake at 14-1/2 miles that was stretched clear across the path.  I jumped as high as Michael Jordan to get over the snake and let out a loud shriek!  I hate snakes!  I did the total run in just under 3 hours.  A little slower than I should probably be going and am capable, but who cares.  I got the run done and feel pretty good about my distance and trail running right now.

Totals:
Running - 41.75 miles
Strength Training - 0.5 hours

Surviving

Admission: I do not handle weekly high mileage very well.  And by high mileage, I mean anything beyond 30 miles in a week.  My body and my mind fatigue very easily.  Having just done 53 days in a row of run streaking, I'm feeling a little burnt out.  There are races on the schedule, though, which means I've got to power through.  This means the current training I am doing is more about surviving than actual training.

Sunday marked my first "official" training run towards my trail marathon and 50K.  There are only a few trails around town and most of them require a 1/2 hour drive or more.  So, although the one closest to my house is probably the shortest of all the trails, I decided to do the run there and not waste time in the car.  Dave had a long ride to do and I needed to be done quickly.

It has pretty much rained the entire summer and Saturday was no exception, which means the trails were kinda messy Sunday morning.  I start my run on a two mile loop on a trail that is not maintained.  Part of the trail is a grassy area which was completely under water yesterday.  Then the other trails had big ruts in them due to rain run off.  There was a lot of quick stepping around on the trail.  Thank goodness for all that jump rope I've been doing.

I'm not gonna lie, this run was hard.  It was humid as balls and I was sweating bullets.  I was soaked before the first two miles ended.  And the bugs.  Oh the bugs!  Every time I stopped to eat a gel or take a bathroom break, I got swarmed and eaten alive.  This is what I looked like today:

I got through it, though and ended up with 13 trail miles and a lovely souvenir from my new hydration pack.

Sometimes I wonder if I'm making the right decision by tackling trail running.  To be honest, I don't exactly love the trails.  I love the roads.  I don't like running the trails alone and I don't have a training partner.  The thought of doing another marathon or longer is daunting to me.  I haven't done a marathon since 2009.  I certainly haven't done one on trails either.  For now, I'm going to keep at it and just see what comes of it.

FLIP Darby Creek Trail 10K

My comeback 5Ks are over and now it's time for some fun.  From here until the end of the year, except for one race, everything else currently scheduled is a trail race. Why?  I thought I would try something new.  I've reached happiness and I'm content with my running.  Sure I still want to go out and beat people, but I don't have anything to prove in terms of running a marathon in X amount of time or qualify for Boston at every race or whatnot.  I have always thought my running style might translate well to trail running, so I thought I'd give it a try this year.  Why not?!

This race was at a metropark I had never been to: Darby Creek.  I had read some reviews from last year's race saying it was hilly and that you had to climb a tough flight of stairs right at the end of the race.  I was pretty relaxed going into this race.  I had zero expectations.  I didn't know if there would be mile markers or water stops or how big the race would be, what the terrain would be, etc.  I lined up, the horn blew, and I was off.

The race started in the parking lot.  You ran to the end of the parking lot, made a sharp 180 degree turn onto a paved path, and then made a sharp left onto the trail.  Then we went downdowndowndown all the way to the creek.

Side note, I don't like to run downhill and I suck at it.  You do not want to be behind me when we go downhill as I slow to almost a walk.  I'd much rather run uphill.

Things go rolling (literally) and I noticed there were no mile markers.  That's cool.  I wasn't wearing a Garmin, just a watch, and I was carrying my own water.  So, I just decided to drink every 9:00 minutes.  I was moving pretty well so I figured I was not doing any slower than a 9:00 mile. I had settled in nicely right behind another woman and I felt like we were feeding off each other pretty well.  Until, there was a water stop and then she stopped to take in water.  At this point we had entered a field clearing, which was all grass and roots.  I was able to catch up and pass two more people in front of me including another woman.  The grass pathway was probably just over a mile and looped.  It then dumped us back to the same trail we came from.  At this point I maybe could see one person in front of me, but felt very alone.  The trail was mostly well marked but there were times I would come to a fork in the path and had no idea which way to go.  I didn't like that I had to slow up at each intersection and figure it out.  I felt like I was flying back and before I knew it I was headed up those daggone stairs.  They were steep!  Up the stairs and then bursting out of the forest back to the parking lot from where we started. 

Only at the top of the trail could I see there was another woman in front of me.  Despite feeling great and having a kick to the finish, I still wasn't able to catch her.  Dave said I finished, maybe, 7th overall female.

 

The race organizers arranged an after-race party at a local restaurant where there would be food, door prizes, and the awards.  The race results were up immediately on the website (I knew on the drive home!!!), so I knew I had placed 2nd in my age group.  I took the world's fastest shower and we headed out again for the after-party.  I didn't win any door prizes, but my loot for winning second in my age group was a t-shirt, a wristband, and a sticker.  Not anything I'll actually use or put on my trophy stand, but a nice gesture nonetheless.

Next trail race: a 10 miler in Dave's hometown.  I haven't actually signed up for this race yet, and hopefully I won't get closed out of it.

Trail Running: I Need Your Help

As I've noted before, I've decided to venture into trail running this year.  And I know absolutely nothing about it!  Starting next week I've got a series of races planned for the remainder of the year that start at a 10K and will eventually work up to a 50K.  Here are a few things for which I need help.  If you know anything about trail/ultra running, can you help out?

Shoes
There are only two or three trails around these parts to train on and they're not very technical.  They are metro parks that have gravel, maintained trails.  I only run on trail once a week and the remainder of time on the roads.  However, the races I am planning may have more technical trails with roots, rocks, grass, etc.  Right now I am doing all my training, including my trail training, in a pair of road-specific running shoes.  After messing up my ankle in high school during tennis camp, I have really weak ankles, and roll it every single time I run on the trails.  Should I invest in a pair of trail shoes?  Do they really make that much of a difference on the trails? Can it help my weak ankles?  One of the trail races I am doing has about 10% off the race on paved roads.  Is it bad to wear trail shoes on pavement?

Hydration
I am a little OCD about hydrating while racing long.  I only drink water and I must, must, must drink every mile.  Obviously with trail racing there is not a water stop at every single mile.  I will need to carry water with me.  I see a lot of trail runner's wearing the hydration backpacks or using handhelds.  I don't particularly like carrying a handheld.  I know it can break your fall if you trip without messing up your hands, but I find them annoying and heavy.  My max distance for carrying one is about 6 miles.  I have a Nathan water belt which I wear on all my long runs.  Wouldn't it be easier to refill the water bottles in this pack than having to take the bladder out of a backpack?  Is there a reason to wear one of the hydration backpacks as opposed to a water belt? 

Nutrition
This may be the most interesting topic for me when it comes to ultra running?  Why do people eat all that real food during an ultra?  I'm talking potato chips and PBJ and whatnot.  Especially for a 50K, it really confuses me.  A 50K is *only* 6 miles than a marathon.  I've always only eat gels during a marathon.  I would only need to eat 1-2 more gels during a 50K.  What's the reason behind eating real food as opposed to gels?

Pacing
I have been road racing now for 12 years and I know exactly what to expect to pace during a race.  My body has been fine-tuned to realize even slight deviations in pace.  I do not wear a Garmin during racing yet I can hit consistent time intervals mile after mile after mile.  But when it comes to trail racing, I have no idea what I'm doing.  I know I have to slow down.  It's just not the same - the terrain, the hills - can really change things.  But what kind of pacing should I expect?  Do I intentionally practice at 9:00, 10:00, 11:00, 12:00/miles or do I just run freely and see what comes of it?  And I read a lot of race reports that say it's easier/faster to walk up some hills as oppose to run up them.  How do I determine that?  Do you practice that?

Internet, I need your help!  Any insight is helpful.  Please leave me a comment if you know ANYTHING about trail racing.