Running Aug 3 thru Aug 9

[rocknrollgirl]

Hi guys,
I have not posted in ages, I have lurked a bit, but have not been posting. I am racing mt bikes for a team that is sponsored by a website and we have to maintain an online presence, so it has taken up a bunch of my online time.

BUT today I had such an amazing trail run and NOBODY else will listen to me as I go on and on about how great it was, so I stopped by here. We went to a mt bike race today that DH was racing and I chose not to. I have a big off road tri in two weeks and did not want to race today.

So I ran instead. After days and days of heat, it was 63 degrees and dry. I did not know the trails so it was a surprise around every corner. I felt great, nothing hurt....bliss. Everything that running should be.

I got back in time to support DH and he came in second in his ag!

Oh and I bought recovery tights by SKINS and I use them all the time. I think they work wonders.

keep up the great work ladies....

Ruth

[yellow]

BUT today I had such an amazing trail run and NOBODY else will listen to me as I go on and on about how great it was, so I stopped by here.

So I ran instead. After days and days of heat, it was 63 degrees and dry. I did not know the trails so it was a surprise around every corner. I felt great, nothing hurt....bliss. Everything that running should be.

That's all I'm sayin'!

[indigoiis]

I like trail running, too. It's addictive!

But I did 5.15 miles on the road today using some skills picked up in chapter four of Chi Running and man, what a difference. I feel awesome!

[OakLeaf]

I did a 10-mile race, not really racing, just for practice drinking water from aid stations. (And as I said before, a flat place to do my long run was nice, too.)

First station: came to a complete stop but forgot to get my breathing sorted. Even though my HR wasn't very high so early in the race, air in my stomach, water up my nose, water down my windpipe.

Second station: a little better. Walked through. But I'd taken a swig from my gel flask, hoping to wash it down with water, and didn't do it far enough in advance. Gel up my nose.

After that it was pretty much okay. I wasn't sure whether I should stop at the last station at mile 9. Should I just press on for the last mile? I stopped, but only for half a cup of water, and the rest I poured over my head and back.

I realized that I'm out of practice gulping from cups, at all. I drink water all day from my Camelbak bottle. Cycling I usually use ordinary squeeze bottles, for training runs I use a pack with a bite valve. The only beverages I drink from cups are either hot or alcoholic - both sipped. Maybe some cup-gulping practice is in order.

It was hotter than I've been training in, but since I've been tending to train in the warmest part of the day, whereas the race was first thing in the morning, I never felt overheated. Drenched, literally drenched with sweat by mile 6, but never overheated. And I must've been well enough hydrated, since sweat was dripping off me pretty profusely when I stretched afterward.

There were only 150 runners. It seemed like a light turnout for as well organized as the event was, but as my first race over 5K and my first race in this area, I have no idea what kind of turnout they usually get. I overheard someone saying the temperature might've kept people away.

I finished in 1:37:51 (@9:48), which I'm more than happy with, considering that I really wasn't intending to "race." GPS says I kicked the last mile @8:41. 11th of 29 in AG, top half overall.

Most of it was on a MUP, which wasn't closed but had very little traffic other than the race. It was a pleasant setting in the midst of suburban wasteland, with more shade than I'd expected. Coolest thing about the race: by half distance, the shiny sealant on the path surface was covered with droplets of sweat, exactly as it would be in the beginning of a light rainfall. Good fun.

[Jolt]

I like trail running, too. It's addictive!

It sure is! I did a barefoot trail run today (well, about half running, half walking). Some parts were great, others not so great. I think it's harder to stay relaxed when truly barefoot as opposed to wearing VFFs like I usually do.

[Urlea]

I found out yesterday that it is crucial to check the battery life on your point & shoot camera before you get on the trail. Imagine my supreme disappointment when I pulled it out of it's holster on my hydration belt & aimed it to take a shot only to have the camera not turn on! (Yes, 11miles toting a dead camera, boo!) Thankfully my running buddy was patient enough with me to tinker around with my phone & use the camera on that. Not the clearest images, but I figured you should see what my 11miler long run this wknd looked like!

Next time I'll have the battery charged on the real camera! Wishing I had shots of the single track sections that were nice & muddy.



It was a beautiful run!! I would've loved to have gone further, but the 50k taper has begun and I'm doing my best to "behave". We hopped in the lake immediately after finishing as our "ice bath" which worked well before the 1hr trip back home. Legs are feeling good today.

Great job getting the runs in this week ladies, you are inspirational!!

[colby]

Those pictures are great!! Looks like fun.

And, great job, OakLeaf! Good idea to practice the aid station thing.

[Jolt]

I found out yesterday that it is crucial to check the battery life on your point & shoot camera before you get on the trail. Imagine my supreme disappointment when I pulled it out of it's holster on my hydration belt & aimed it to take a shot only to have the camera not turn on! (Yes, 11miles toting a dead camera, boo!) Thankfully my running buddy was patient enough with me to tinker around with my phone & use the camera on that. Not the clearest images, but I figured you should see what my 11miler long run this wknd looked like!

Next time I'll have the battery charged on the real camera! Wishing I had shots of the single track sections that were nice & muddy.



It was a beautiful run!! I would've loved to have gone further, but the 50k taper has begun and I'm doing my best to "behave". We hopped in the lake immediately after finishing as our "ice bath" which worked well before the 1hr trip back home. Legs are feeling good today.

Great job getting the runs in this week ladies, you are inspirational!!

Nice pics--your trails look so much smoother than the rock-and root-strewn ones I usually run on! Or is that just b/c you didn't get pictures of the tougher sections?

[Urlea]

Nice pics--your trails look so much smoother than the rock-and root-strewn ones I usually run on! Or is that just b/c you didn't get pictures of the tougher sections?

It's a mix of terrain at this state park. Over the course of 11miles we ran across hill endowed prairie grass fields, wide paths in the woods & single track/rooty sections. The single track areas it just wasn't convenient to pull out the camera, I'm pretty focused on my footing at that point.