Wednesday, December 28, 2011
VNR WNR VNC
So that's: Valerie not Rick, Wednesday Night Run, Very Nice Conditions. The ground could have been really muddy, but the temperature had crept just below freezing for long enough to have it just starting to firm up. The clumps of grass in the fields were not so hard that they hurt or caused weird foot falls. The odd, cloudless snow was happening again. I'm thinking it's the humidity freezing out. Whatever, it makes the night a little magical.
Monday, December 26, 2011
Bradbury Triple Play
Though a good-sized Trail Monster contingent was running Blackstrap Hell on Saturday morning, Rick and I chose to head to Bradbury. Ian and NJ Dave were also running there and waiting for us; I had forgotten my shoes, luckily I realized it before we'd gotten too far, but it made us a little late. I asked what was the plan for the run. Ian had the Connector in mind. Very good. When we reached the branch that we'd normally take for the Boundary, Ian said, "Lets mix it up." So we went up the Ski Trail, onto the Tote Rd, and then onto the branch that connects the Tote to the Boundary. I said something like, "We're doing the reverse of last week with Mindy." However, Ian then ran past the trail that branches off and crosses the mountain. I yelled something about aren't we doing the reverse Mindy? Ian was agreeable and came back to head down that way. Once we got to the Boundary, Dave asked what trail we were on and which one were we just left. I said I didn't think that one had a name. Ian? He immediately responded, "The Reverse Mindy." I love(d) it!!! I looked on the "official" map; it doesn't even show the trail. It starts midway between markers 16 amd 17 then parallels the Boundary till it meets back up with the Boundary (I know, I know...if it parallels it, it can't meet back up with it; just look at the map) between 12 and 13.
It was a beautiful run: The dusting of snow, the cold, crisp air, the good company, everything I love about the trails. Then Ian ran past the little single track detour that we'd done the previous week (or what I thought was said detour). I called up to him. How about he and Dave go his way and Rick and I would take the detour? We'd see who got to the "Quarry" sign (where they meet back up) first. And we were off! It didn't even take a minute for me to realize that it was a different trail. Did that make Rick and I turn around? Nope. I sort of figured it would connect back in somewhere. When we found ourselves approaching the back of a house, we turned back a bit, but kept going the way we thought would bring us back to the connector. We needed to bushwhack a bit, but we got back on track. Of course, Dave and Ian weren't at the sign when we got there. We ran the actual single track as well as the part of the trail they would have run. I yelled for them. We waited on the trail. Hmmm....We left a leafy branch on the Quarry sign. I wrote something in the snow with my Nuun. Then Rick and I headed for the power line.
When we got back to the Quarry sign again, I put a stick arrow crossing the entrance to the single track. I also put one on the other end of the single track and the head of the trail we shouldn't have run out on.
I fretted that they were still looking for us. Rick was with me, though and he said they'd know to go on. I hope they'd know I would be fine with that even if I was on my own. That's probably not the case in other places, but, I'm good there. We got back to the parking lot with 8.5 on the Garmins. I left a long note for Ian.
Sunday, Christmas morning, Rick and I headed back to Bradbury. The temperature was a couple degrees colder than the day before even though we were starting almost 2 hours later. We ran the Scuffle. While we ran a lot faster, it took us nearly as long as last week's shuffle; I took lots of pictures along the way.
Today, we were back to the Brad and back to the Connector. There was more snow and more ice. It made the going a little slower, but we had fun. It also made the going much more beautiful. Again, I had my camera. I tried to capture what I saw, but only a couple we any good...and then only hinted at what we enjoyed. I made sure to pick a few red berries out at the power lines, knowing there were none at the summit. I wanted to make a snowman to honor the run last week with Dora, Mindy and Tim.
It was a beautiful run: The dusting of snow, the cold, crisp air, the good company, everything I love about the trails. Then Ian ran past the little single track detour that we'd done the previous week (or what I thought was said detour). I called up to him. How about he and Dave go his way and Rick and I would take the detour? We'd see who got to the "Quarry" sign (where they meet back up) first. And we were off! It didn't even take a minute for me to realize that it was a different trail. Did that make Rick and I turn around? Nope. I sort of figured it would connect back in somewhere. When we found ourselves approaching the back of a house, we turned back a bit, but kept going the way we thought would bring us back to the connector. We needed to bushwhack a bit, but we got back on track. Of course, Dave and Ian weren't at the sign when we got there. We ran the actual single track as well as the part of the trail they would have run. I yelled for them. We waited on the trail. Hmmm....We left a leafy branch on the Quarry sign. I wrote something in the snow with my Nuun. Then Rick and I headed for the power line.
When we got back to the Quarry sign again, I put a stick arrow crossing the entrance to the single track. I also put one on the other end of the single track and the head of the trail we shouldn't have run out on.
 |
| The arrow two days later, dusted with snow |
Sunday, Christmas morning, Rick and I headed back to Bradbury. The temperature was a couple degrees colder than the day before even though we were starting almost 2 hours later. We ran the Scuffle. While we ran a lot faster, it took us nearly as long as last week's shuffle; I took lots of pictures along the way.
Today, we were back to the Brad and back to the Connector. There was more snow and more ice. It made the going a little slower, but we had fun. It also made the going much more beautiful. Again, I had my camera. I tried to capture what I saw, but only a couple we any good...and then only hinted at what we enjoyed. I made sure to pick a few red berries out at the power lines, knowing there were none at the summit. I wanted to make a snowman to honor the run last week with Dora, Mindy and Tim.
Thursday, December 22, 2011
VNR ThNR
I'm very tempted to copy and paste Tuesday's run here. About the only thing different was the temperature. It was slightly warmer this night.
Wednesday, December 21, 2011
VNR TNR
Instead of running at work, Rick waited and ran with me when I got home from work. I didn't feel like I had the time to do the TMR TNR, but did I use the extra time for any Christmas stuff as planned? Of course not.
Still, it was very nice running at night with Rick. We caught up on our days and got to have someone to comment on the cold, the lumpy frozen ground, and the weird snowflakes that seemed to be falling even though the stars were out uncovered by any clouds.
My knee was only a little stiff. I really feared a fall on the frozen lumps, but I stayed upright.
So, of course, VNR is Valerie 'n Rick.
Still, it was very nice running at night with Rick. We caught up on our days and got to have someone to comment on the cold, the lumpy frozen ground, and the weird snowflakes that seemed to be falling even though the stars were out uncovered by any clouds.
My knee was only a little stiff. I really feared a fall on the frozen lumps, but I stayed upright.
So, of course, VNR is Valerie 'n Rick.
Monday, December 19, 2011
Scuffle Shuffle
Rick and I were a little slow to get ourselves to the Brad on Sunday. It was so cold. My knee was really stiff. Rick was really tired. I knew the run would do us good. We decided to keep it light, just running the Scuffle. The first 1/4 mile probably couldn't be considered running. I thought I was going to have to say I couldn't run after all and feel rotten for dragging Rick out. Slowly, it began to loosen up. I'd say it was about two miles before it wasn't really even painful.
At one point, two mountain bikers appeared seemingly out of nowhere. The were very nice and pulled off to the side. I said to Rick it was amazing that they could get that close without us hearing. That's when Rick pointed out to me just how crunchy the leaves were, even suggesting the title for my post could be "Corn Flakes". Looking at the snow dusting the ground, I said maybe "Frosted Flakes".
The run began to work its magic on us. We'd warmed up, loosened up, and could enjoy the experience. Fortunately, the Scuffle ended just in time; my knee started to complain again with just 10ths to go. I'd like to say I iced immediately, but I needed to get to the store before the Giants' game started. I did ice during the game.
Today was a day off. Though the knee feels much better and can flex more, there is more inflammation. It's swollen and hard well down my shin. Not sure what that means. I can say I like the less pain part.
At one point, two mountain bikers appeared seemingly out of nowhere. The were very nice and pulled off to the side. I said to Rick it was amazing that they could get that close without us hearing. That's when Rick pointed out to me just how crunchy the leaves were, even suggesting the title for my post could be "Corn Flakes". Looking at the snow dusting the ground, I said maybe "Frosted Flakes".
The run began to work its magic on us. We'd warmed up, loosened up, and could enjoy the experience. Fortunately, the Scuffle ended just in time; my knee started to complain again with just 10ths to go. I'd like to say I iced immediately, but I needed to get to the store before the Giants' game started. I did ice during the game.
Today was a day off. Though the knee feels much better and can flex more, there is more inflammation. It's swollen and hard well down my shin. Not sure what that means. I can say I like the less pain part.
Saturday, December 17, 2011
The Good, the Bad, and the Beautiful
I had a hard time with the title because it was such a diverse and spectacular run. I think Tim said it was more like a field trip. We did a lot of playing. We had Highland Cows, pigs, a super-friendly border collie, snowmen, snowball fights, trail exploring, and blood.
Mindy and Tim were waiting in the parking lot when I pulled in. All of a sudden Alan was there. It took me a second to realize he had run there from his home. I was getting my gear together feeling a little slow (Rick and I had a fun, late night out in Portland on Friday), when Dora pulled in. The conversation was mostly about the unexpected snow we were experiencing. The roads had started to get slick. We weren't worried about the trails, but that is would switch over to rain.
The group set off at an easy pace; we planned on running long. I had 18 in mind. It was our typical chatter. Crossing the first bridge on the Connector, Alan commented on the beauty. That's when we learned he'd never run the Connector to the power lines before. It's fun to see it through fresh eyes, although we usually do a good job appreciating the scenery.
The power line "road" was frozen. It was much easier running than the mud the previous weeks. We were bopping along just fine till all of sudden I was down. The snow hid some ice. My left leg went out straight ahead of me while my right leg folded under me resulting in my knee hitting the ice really hard. It hurt. A lot. Crap. Everyone was very patient while I needed to walk for a while. I think it was right around the bridge before crossing Elmwood Rd. After a short walk, I was able to run again. It was still pretty painful, but Alan said if I needed to I could jump off the run with him at the next road. He was heading back to his house; it would be shorter than running back from where we were. It was good to know I had options, but by the time we got to W. Pownal Rd, my knee was runnable. However, talking with Alan about where that road went, we realized it was part of the Animal Loop. We were very close to the Highland Coos!!! We were all on the same page and up for a short branch off our trail to visit the wonderful beasts.
We were rewarded with the owner being out and more than willing to allow us to visit and share with us lots of knowledge about her animals. Not only did we get to check in on Maisy, Errol, and Iona (the cows), we met a very handsome, friendly pig named Rory. All the while there was a super happy border collie getting Tim to throw a tennis ball for her. We were meeting the second pig when Ian, Zak, and Daren (was there another person? I'm not sure) came running up the driveway. They'd followed our footprints. Ian said, when they saw we'd turned off onto the road, he knew exactly where we were going.
By then we'd spent so much time visiting the animals, we were all cold. It was time to get moving. Alan parted ways heading off with Ian's group who were doing a shorter route. Mindy, Dora, Tim and I headed back to the power lines to resume our journey to Pineland. When we reached the railroad tracks, we had a choice: head down the tracks to Pineland as planned or continue on the powerlines. None of us really liked the idea of the tracks, so we opted to explore new ground. While very pretty for power lines, it was also very marshy. Much of the "run" was bog jumping. We decided on our turnaround when we came across a swampy area that looked like it would require us getting pretty we to cross. By now, my knee was starting to get pretty stiff. The hills hurt both up and down.
It wasn't too far after we turned around that Tim discovered that the snow was packy. The first few snowballs were thrown. And a very little, very evil snowman was born. Tim gave him red berries for eyes. Yikes! He also had a little snowdog. The knee was even stiffer for the stop.
After we crossed Elmwood, and were maybe 1/3 of the way down the final stretch of power line, one of us noticed a trail going into the woods. We were still in the mood for exploring. It was probably a well-traveled snowmobile trail in winter, not single track at all. It was pretty straight. It was way better than power line running. I correctly guessed that it would be the very "road" that is briefly on our regular Connector trail right where the TMs made the little rock "bridge" when we were helping work on the trail. Nice.
When we got back to the Boundary Trail, I (my knee) required walking which gave us more opportunity for snowball fights! The biggest fight was, fittingly, on the summit. We also built another, non-evil, snowman. From there it was down the Switchback, kinda skipping a lot of the switching back. Now how do you cap off a run/adventure like that? Edna and Lucy's, of course!
Mindy and Tim were waiting in the parking lot when I pulled in. All of a sudden Alan was there. It took me a second to realize he had run there from his home. I was getting my gear together feeling a little slow (Rick and I had a fun, late night out in Portland on Friday), when Dora pulled in. The conversation was mostly about the unexpected snow we were experiencing. The roads had started to get slick. We weren't worried about the trails, but that is would switch over to rain.
The group set off at an easy pace; we planned on running long. I had 18 in mind. It was our typical chatter. Crossing the first bridge on the Connector, Alan commented on the beauty. That's when we learned he'd never run the Connector to the power lines before. It's fun to see it through fresh eyes, although we usually do a good job appreciating the scenery.
The power line "road" was frozen. It was much easier running than the mud the previous weeks. We were bopping along just fine till all of sudden I was down. The snow hid some ice. My left leg went out straight ahead of me while my right leg folded under me resulting in my knee hitting the ice really hard. It hurt. A lot. Crap. Everyone was very patient while I needed to walk for a while. I think it was right around the bridge before crossing Elmwood Rd. After a short walk, I was able to run again. It was still pretty painful, but Alan said if I needed to I could jump off the run with him at the next road. He was heading back to his house; it would be shorter than running back from where we were. It was good to know I had options, but by the time we got to W. Pownal Rd, my knee was runnable. However, talking with Alan about where that road went, we realized it was part of the Animal Loop. We were very close to the Highland Coos!!! We were all on the same page and up for a short branch off our trail to visit the wonderful beasts.
We were rewarded with the owner being out and more than willing to allow us to visit and share with us lots of knowledge about her animals. Not only did we get to check in on Maisy, Errol, and Iona (the cows), we met a very handsome, friendly pig named Rory. All the while there was a super happy border collie getting Tim to throw a tennis ball for her. We were meeting the second pig when Ian, Zak, and Daren (was there another person? I'm not sure) came running up the driveway. They'd followed our footprints. Ian said, when they saw we'd turned off onto the road, he knew exactly where we were going.
By then we'd spent so much time visiting the animals, we were all cold. It was time to get moving. Alan parted ways heading off with Ian's group who were doing a shorter route. Mindy, Dora, Tim and I headed back to the power lines to resume our journey to Pineland. When we reached the railroad tracks, we had a choice: head down the tracks to Pineland as planned or continue on the powerlines. None of us really liked the idea of the tracks, so we opted to explore new ground. While very pretty for power lines, it was also very marshy. Much of the "run" was bog jumping. We decided on our turnaround when we came across a swampy area that looked like it would require us getting pretty we to cross. By now, my knee was starting to get pretty stiff. The hills hurt both up and down.
It wasn't too far after we turned around that Tim discovered that the snow was packy. The first few snowballs were thrown. And a very little, very evil snowman was born. Tim gave him red berries for eyes. Yikes! He also had a little snowdog. The knee was even stiffer for the stop.
After we crossed Elmwood, and were maybe 1/3 of the way down the final stretch of power line, one of us noticed a trail going into the woods. We were still in the mood for exploring. It was probably a well-traveled snowmobile trail in winter, not single track at all. It was pretty straight. It was way better than power line running. I correctly guessed that it would be the very "road" that is briefly on our regular Connector trail right where the TMs made the little rock "bridge" when we were helping work on the trail. Nice.
When we got back to the Boundary Trail, I (my knee) required walking which gave us more opportunity for snowball fights! The biggest fight was, fittingly, on the summit. We also built another, non-evil, snowman. From there it was down the Switchback, kinda skipping a lot of the switching back. Now how do you cap off a run/adventure like that? Edna and Lucy's, of course!
 |
| very swollen, the color just developing |
 |
| 14.5 miles of fun |
Wednesday, December 14, 2011
Slipping
After winning the first ever TM award for best blog, I'm feeling a little guilty for not keeping up with my runs. I've had a few good ones even. Lets see, Saturday Mindy and Ian started early at Pineland. They were planning running the start of the Pineland races, jumping off just after the steep hill on Gloucester Hill Trail to head to Bradbury. Mindy dubbed it the "Pinebuy" : )
I felt like I didn't have that much time. Hmmm...did I not have the time or did I not want to run the Pine portion of Pinebury? It's not like I finished before them; I just started later. I ran from the Brad towards them. It was fun meeting them seemingly in the middle of nowhere. It was kind of the best of both worlds. I got have my piece of solo run on the beautiful trails and then I got to share those trails with two of the best people in the world to run with. How's that for a run?!
By the time the end of the run, I'd gotten in 11.5 miles. I didn't even head to E&Ls with them because I wanted to get to Thorncrag to nail down the course for Sunday's Till We Meet In Hell 2 event. Rick and I found a pretty good loop, but it didn't show off the variety that Thorncrag has. So we tried again. The 2nd loop had just a slightly less long first climb, but had more in terms of trail variety. Yup, it was Red, Orange, then Yellow. The nerd in me liked the pattern.
Sunday, Rick and I headed to Thorncrag early to set out the flags to mark the course. We didn't really need a lot, but we also needed to put out the tenth markers. There was a good turnout; we had 27 runners. Not everyone really raced it, but everyone got to enjoy the effort of those that did. I felt that I pushed harder than I would normally run at the bird santuary. I'm not sure I had much more in there, but I didn't have anyone pushing me either. It was a blast to be lapped by Andy and Jeremy. They were working hard, pushing and pulling each other. Jeff was also pushing the pace. I'm not sure exactly where Jeremy overtook Andy, but he ended up winning. The first three were Jeremy, Andy and Jeff. The funny part was that, even though it was a handicapped race, the first three actual finishers were also the first three after the handicap was applied. That meant they really earned it. Congrats guys! It was a lot of fun to witness.
Of course, the post-race party with the first annual TM awards was also a lot of fun. We even learned there would be a new TM in June. Congratulations Erin and Blaine!!!!!
Monday was a day off, more just cause of logistics than need of rest. I did make TNR. Now that I know where to go, PBR is better for me than TB. It was a smaller crew than normal, but Emma was able to make it. I wouldn't be able to find my way at all, but I did recognize a few spots. The trails were less wet, but did have a few stretches of slippery ice. It's not long till screw shoes will be needed.
Tonight I just got in 3.5 miles. My stomach felt pretty rotten after 2 miles. I couldn't tell if it really was my GI tract being grumpy or if I hurt some ab muscles when I hung up my treads on a clump of frozen turf. Still, it was good to get out no matter.
Thursday, December 8, 2011
Just Get Out
I think my exact words to Rick when I walked in the door were, "I'm going for a run; I just don't feel like going out there." It really is just getting out the door that's unappealing. My run was pretty great. I enjoyed the cold, crisp air, the fact that I almost didn't need my headlamp, and that the ground was crunching beneath my feet. Even the places were I was getting wet were kinda cool cause I first had to break a think layer of ice.
I ran just under 4.5 miles. I might have run longer if food wasn't an issue.
I ran just under 4.5 miles. I might have run longer if food wasn't an issue.
TNR PBR
From Google maps, I thought I was actually going to get to TNR with some time to spare. I'd get to eat a snack and socialize before the run. Instead, I found myself driving back and forth on a section of North Rd wondering how long the TMs would wait before they headed out on the run. If I arrived after they left, would I just set out on the trails hoping to run into them and/or just hoping to get some miles in and still make it back to the car? I pulled into someone's driveway and struggled to see my cell phone's contacts, pretty sure I found Mindy's name. Turns out she was also driving back and forth on North Rd. We met up and formed a mini-caravan. Finally, Mindy spotted the sign. Sometimes you think, "How could I have missed that?!" This time, it was more like, "How could someone be expected to notice that, especially in the dark!" Fortunately, the group was still there waiting for us.
Ian brought a headlamp for Mindy to run with. Fortunately, he usually runs with a head and belly lamp because I couldn't find mine. Next day, I found it in the front seat instead of in with my running gear like I expected. Lets see, the group consisted of Blaine, Jim, Zak, Nathan, Ian, Mindy, and me. I think that was all. The trails were fine. Some were very sloppy, some were pretty rooty, and some were almost like bike paths. Running unknown trails in the dark is interesting. As far as I knew, we just ran a 1/2 mile loop. It sort of is all the same as far as scenery, especially since I am even more hyper-focused on the trail than usual.
Mindy and I did a little catching up, while being slightly worried that it looked like the big kids were pulling away (of course, they didn't). When we all regrouped, Mindy and I ended up right behind Ian in the lead. We were hashing out the plans for Till We Meet in Hell 2. After a mass pee (lights doused), we sort of shuffled the order. Mindy ran with Zak and I ran with Blaine. At the finish everyone was very muddy - and hot. I neglected to say it was really warm. The NWS's hourly weather report had misled me. I was dressed for low 30s not 50s.
Well, now I know where to find it. I think I'd like to go back during the day to see what it actually looks like.
Ian brought a headlamp for Mindy to run with. Fortunately, he usually runs with a head and belly lamp because I couldn't find mine. Next day, I found it in the front seat instead of in with my running gear like I expected. Lets see, the group consisted of Blaine, Jim, Zak, Nathan, Ian, Mindy, and me. I think that was all. The trails were fine. Some were very sloppy, some were pretty rooty, and some were almost like bike paths. Running unknown trails in the dark is interesting. As far as I knew, we just ran a 1/2 mile loop. It sort of is all the same as far as scenery, especially since I am even more hyper-focused on the trail than usual.
Mindy and I did a little catching up, while being slightly worried that it looked like the big kids were pulling away (of course, they didn't). When we all regrouped, Mindy and I ended up right behind Ian in the lead. We were hashing out the plans for Till We Meet in Hell 2. After a mass pee (lights doused), we sort of shuffled the order. Mindy ran with Zak and I ran with Blaine. At the finish everyone was very muddy - and hot. I neglected to say it was really warm. The NWS's hourly weather report had misled me. I was dressed for low 30s not 50s.
Well, now I know where to find it. I think I'd like to go back during the day to see what it actually looks like.
Sunday, December 4, 2011
What Is Happy, Baby...
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ii8Ca9B2_3Q
(The title should link to that video)
I love this song (okay, I was, like, twelve when I first heard it). It sort of could have been my theme song for the day with the small change of run for walk ("what is happy, baby? To me, it's running (sic) in the park when I'm alone with you..."). Rick and I headed to the Brad for an easy-paced run. It was a nice recovery for me after yesterday's longer miles. We ran what my Garmin knows I call a mishmash. I just took us on any random trail that I felt like.
The first few trails left me thinking that the new TNR spot must be super soggy cause they weren't wet at all. Then there'd be a very wet, muddy trail. Rick and I covered a lot of the worlds ills, but still were able to stay happy enjoying the magic that is Brad.
After our run, we stopped in for a yummy brunch at E&Ls.
(The title should link to that video)
I love this song (okay, I was, like, twelve when I first heard it). It sort of could have been my theme song for the day with the small change of run for walk ("what is happy, baby? To me, it's running (sic) in the park when I'm alone with you..."). Rick and I headed to the Brad for an easy-paced run. It was a nice recovery for me after yesterday's longer miles. We ran what my Garmin knows I call a mishmash. I just took us on any random trail that I felt like.
The first few trails left me thinking that the new TNR spot must be super soggy cause they weren't wet at all. Then there'd be a very wet, muddy trail. Rick and I covered a lot of the worlds ills, but still were able to stay happy enjoying the magic that is Brad.
After our run, we stopped in for a yummy brunch at E&Ls.
Saturday, December 3, 2011
Connecting with Friends
There was a pretty huge contingency of TMs assembled when I pulled into the Bradbury parking lot. I hope they weren't waiting just for me. I was a couple minutes late. Ian lead the main group across the street to the east side trails. Mindy, Tim, Dora and I had planned to go long on the Connector. It was Tim's first time.
Of course there was lots of chatter as we went. The trail was beautiful as usual, but in a new way. We haven't seen it on the way to winter before. The stream crossing was easy. Amazingly, on the way back, Mindy mentioned feeling like taking a dip. I think we were all sort of feeling like that.
We'd all planned to go long, but had sort of planned to go back to the car to refuel after 10ish miles. However, as we got further out the power lines, the idea of actually connecting to Pineland became the plan. None of us had ever gone all the way. Running down the railroad tracks, Mindy kept talking about the drop off (we'd run part of the Beautiful Loop with the TMs in early April when there was still snow). Tim feigned being worried with her interest in the drop off, perhaps picturing a cliff. Really it was just where Emma had stepped down off the RR tracks into waste deep snow and water. It was also the place Mindy, Rick and I turned around that day.
We found the spot. We were all wondering if we were looking up at one of the Pineland trails, but we thought that it didn't connect directly onto the trails. Then I noticed someone walking. "Are you at Pineland?" She said yes. "What trail are you on?" She said the Gloucester hill. We were all so excited. She must have wondered where we came from. We ran a little loop of the before heading back. Tim sounded like he wanted to all of Pineland before returning.
On the return. we took a slight detour to see the quarry on Tryon Mountain. It was a good group to do that sort of thing with. You could point out interesting things and everyone would stop to look. It was about the trail and the run.
Back on the summit of the Brad, we debated the descent. I voted for the switchback, but would have taken a longer route if anyone was serious about more mileage. I think we were all happy with the run. My Garmin showed 15.7+; Mindy's had 15.3+. SportTracks said it was more like 15.95. Yay us!
Of course there was lots of chatter as we went. The trail was beautiful as usual, but in a new way. We haven't seen it on the way to winter before. The stream crossing was easy. Amazingly, on the way back, Mindy mentioned feeling like taking a dip. I think we were all sort of feeling like that.
We'd all planned to go long, but had sort of planned to go back to the car to refuel after 10ish miles. However, as we got further out the power lines, the idea of actually connecting to Pineland became the plan. None of us had ever gone all the way. Running down the railroad tracks, Mindy kept talking about the drop off (we'd run part of the Beautiful Loop with the TMs in early April when there was still snow). Tim feigned being worried with her interest in the drop off, perhaps picturing a cliff. Really it was just where Emma had stepped down off the RR tracks into waste deep snow and water. It was also the place Mindy, Rick and I turned around that day.
We found the spot. We were all wondering if we were looking up at one of the Pineland trails, but we thought that it didn't connect directly onto the trails. Then I noticed someone walking. "Are you at Pineland?" She said yes. "What trail are you on?" She said the Gloucester hill. We were all so excited. She must have wondered where we came from. We ran a little loop of the before heading back. Tim sounded like he wanted to all of Pineland before returning.
On the return. we took a slight detour to see the quarry on Tryon Mountain. It was a good group to do that sort of thing with. You could point out interesting things and everyone would stop to look. It was about the trail and the run.
Wednesday, November 30, 2011
Two of a Kind
Today I got in two treadmill runs. That way I wasn't so rushed in the morning and had more time to have breakfast before my first class. Tri-guy was there for the a.m. run. He ran just as fast as yesterday, but not as long. I recognized a few others. It was not as crowded as the first morning. Maybe the free beer and wine from the night before had something to do with that.
If I run tomorrow, I've decided it'll be outside. I didn't even take one step out of doors today. I understand it was 70 and sunny.
If I run tomorrow, I've decided it'll be outside. I didn't even take one step out of doors today. I understand it was 70 and sunny.
Full House
I was surprised to find others waiting for the Spa to open this morning at 6am. In fact, I was glad to be one of the first. Even though there are at least 12 treadmills in the room I was in, along with nearly as many ellipticals, AND there is another, bigger (according to the Spa people) workout room, there were people waiting.
I did some people watching. I definitely identified the cliche of the Tri-Guy. He ran very fast on the treadmill...how does that Carol King song go..."you had one eye on the mirror as you watched yourself gavotte..." He didn't last long on the treadmill, but was equally interested in watching himself on other apparatus. Then there were a couple people dressed in what I'd wear in 30 degree weather, people who looked like they were going to be runners who just walked on the machines, and people in non-workout gear who were good runners.
Unfortunately, I didn't get to run as long as I'd like cause I had events to get to and I was determined to get some food first. I did finish five miles, got to grab an egg-mcmuffin-type sandwich on the way to my first event.
I did some people watching. I definitely identified the cliche of the Tri-Guy. He ran very fast on the treadmill...how does that Carol King song go..."you had one eye on the mirror as you watched yourself gavotte..." He didn't last long on the treadmill, but was equally interested in watching himself on other apparatus. Then there were a couple people dressed in what I'd wear in 30 degree weather, people who looked like they were going to be runners who just walked on the machines, and people in non-workout gear who were good runners.
Unfortunately, I didn't get to run as long as I'd like cause I had events to get to and I was determined to get some food first. I did finish five miles, got to grab an egg-mcmuffin-type sandwich on the way to my first event.
Monday, November 28, 2011
Vegas Strip
The Vegas strip I'm referring to is the belt of the treadmill. I woke early (2:45am) today. I had planned to get 30 extra minutes of sleep, but Spot decided to wake me earlier and then it didn't make sense to go back to sleep.
I thought I'd have a chance to grab some food at the Portland airport, but I got to the gate just in time to board. We were a little late getting in to Newark so I didn't get food before I boarded the plane for the long flight to Vegas. Luckily, I packed a few little granola packs. I got to the hotel just before noon (3pm EST). It took me a bit to get settled in; it's an incredibly huge place. I decided I'd get in my run before eating or checking in to my event.
It wasn't your typical hotel workout room. It was one of four in the country Canyon Spa locations. All I took advantage of was the treadmill. A few minutes after I got started (running around 9:10s with a rise of 3- 3.5), a guy started on the machine a few down from me. I had to coach him in how to get it running. I almost wished I hadn't; he was one of those really annoying breathers. No problem, I just outlasted him. I ran 6 miles and then walked the rest of the time to get to a full hour. The best part was the luxurious shower after. The shower head is about perfect. Yum.
The worst part was that I had to register and then attend "Freshman Orientation". Those were fine, but I hadn't gotten a chance to eat...Yikes!
I thought I'd have a chance to grab some food at the Portland airport, but I got to the gate just in time to board. We were a little late getting in to Newark so I didn't get food before I boarded the plane for the long flight to Vegas. Luckily, I packed a few little granola packs. I got to the hotel just before noon (3pm EST). It took me a bit to get settled in; it's an incredibly huge place. I decided I'd get in my run before eating or checking in to my event.
It wasn't your typical hotel workout room. It was one of four in the country Canyon Spa locations. All I took advantage of was the treadmill. A few minutes after I got started (running around 9:10s with a rise of 3- 3.5), a guy started on the machine a few down from me. I had to coach him in how to get it running. I almost wished I hadn't; he was one of those really annoying breathers. No problem, I just outlasted him. I ran 6 miles and then walked the rest of the time to get to a full hour. The best part was the luxurious shower after. The shower head is about perfect. Yum.
The worst part was that I had to register and then attend "Freshman Orientation". Those were fine, but I hadn't gotten a chance to eat...Yikes!
Sunday, November 27, 2011
Kiss and Tell
You know how you go along knowing that you love someone, but, something happens and it's like you have the butterflies all over again? I fell in love with Brad all over again. (oh, yeah, I ran Stone Cat, felt fine after, yadda, yadda, yadda and we're all caught up).
I wanted to be running by 9, 9:30 at the latest, but Sam and his friend weren't even out of the house till 9. After I said bye, I dressed hurriedly knowing that I had to be home by noon to bring Nori (Ryan's girlfriend) to the bus station. I drove in to the parking lot just a few minutes before 10. I didn't recognize any of the cars. I was really fine with a solo run; lots of thinking to do.
I knew I wasn't going to get in the miles I was looking for, but thought I might squeeze in a few extra by sticking to the east side. OK, Mindy's loop would even be pushing my time limit, but that's what I opted for. Earlier, I almost felt tired of that course. I wonder how many times Mindy and I ran it this year. No matter, Brad changed things up for me. The trail was full of slushy puddles. The trees still had some snow adorning them. Now, I didn't need to see the animals to know who was about; I got to see their tracks. I started to chastise myself for not bringing my camera, but that would have just slowed me down more.
Then I noticed another runner's tracks. They belong to a guy, but the tread looked like it might have been a road shoe. I'm not sure which brand has triangular lugs now, but that's what they had. I wondered if it was someone I knew. Then I'd forget all about the tracks where there were long stretches of nearly bare trail. I would become absorbed in the run, the beauty, the Brad. Yup, my heart and body were both restored. The little twinges that were building from my field and road runs disappeared.
The only thing I was a bit sad about was my pace. The wet leaves, snow, and very slippery bridges made me go extra cautiously. Don't get me wrong; I don't mind taking my time with Brad. It's just that I had some mileage in mind. As soon as I let that go, I was good.
Then I picked up the tracks again. It seemed like whoever it was was also running Mindy's loop. Hmmm...
I wonder how many other people would run that particular course. This happened on and off throughout my run. Whenever there was snow on the trail, I was reminded of the other runner. However, I was enjoying the run so much, that, as soon as they were out of sight, I forgot all about the other guy. I didn't actually see any body on the run.
Even though my run wasn't as long as I wanted, I felt like I was filled back up. I love you Brad.
I wanted to be running by 9, 9:30 at the latest, but Sam and his friend weren't even out of the house till 9. After I said bye, I dressed hurriedly knowing that I had to be home by noon to bring Nori (Ryan's girlfriend) to the bus station. I drove in to the parking lot just a few minutes before 10. I didn't recognize any of the cars. I was really fine with a solo run; lots of thinking to do.
I knew I wasn't going to get in the miles I was looking for, but thought I might squeeze in a few extra by sticking to the east side. OK, Mindy's loop would even be pushing my time limit, but that's what I opted for. Earlier, I almost felt tired of that course. I wonder how many times Mindy and I ran it this year. No matter, Brad changed things up for me. The trail was full of slushy puddles. The trees still had some snow adorning them. Now, I didn't need to see the animals to know who was about; I got to see their tracks. I started to chastise myself for not bringing my camera, but that would have just slowed me down more.
Then I noticed another runner's tracks. They belong to a guy, but the tread looked like it might have been a road shoe. I'm not sure which brand has triangular lugs now, but that's what they had. I wondered if it was someone I knew. Then I'd forget all about the tracks where there were long stretches of nearly bare trail. I would become absorbed in the run, the beauty, the Brad. Yup, my heart and body were both restored. The little twinges that were building from my field and road runs disappeared.
The only thing I was a bit sad about was my pace. The wet leaves, snow, and very slippery bridges made me go extra cautiously. Don't get me wrong; I don't mind taking my time with Brad. It's just that I had some mileage in mind. As soon as I let that go, I was good.
Then I picked up the tracks again. It seemed like whoever it was was also running Mindy's loop. Hmmm...
I wonder how many other people would run that particular course. This happened on and off throughout my run. Whenever there was snow on the trail, I was reminded of the other runner. However, I was enjoying the run so much, that, as soon as they were out of sight, I forgot all about the other guy. I didn't actually see any body on the run.
Even though my run wasn't as long as I wanted, I felt like I was filled back up. I love you Brad.
Stone Cat Marathon - Race Repot (finally!)
I think a good deal of this report will actually be pre-race stuff. I didn't need too much Stone-Cat-specific training because I'd kept my mileage up throughout the summer training with Mindy for her 40 at 40. I think I did a couple 18s and a 19 after her event, but felt pretty there all along. My problem came with the start of work and the stop of sleep. In the three weeks leading up to the race, I slept very little. There may have been a few nights where the sleep totaled four hours, but not many. I think the worst was just under two hours with none after 2:15 a.m. Ugh! I don't need a lot of sleep, am accustomed to bouts of insomnia, but nothing has come close to this since the kids were babies - when I was a lot younger.
I really hate it when people say, "you'll sleep when you're tired enough." Ha! It seems, for me, that it works the other way; the more I don't sleep, the more I don't sleep. My normal (non-baby) insomnia bout typically ends as mysteriously as it starts, leaving me with no clues as to how to help end one. Sometimes, I do know why they start. This is one of those times; I've started a job after 23 years of being out of the workforce. That is a big change to our schedule, but not the problem. The problem is I'm not anywhere near where I want to be in terms of mastering my position yet. My mind just races at night. Still I am able to fall asleep, but, (OK, another TMI alert (you may say, "another? there haven't been any", but I just reread last year's race report); feel free to skip down to the part sub-titled "the race". The one nice thing about this TMI is that it ruled out the problem that I had in last year's Stone Cat!), I have been having hot flashes that wake me up...once I'm awake, I find that my mind really hasn't shut off at all. If I'm lucky enough to fall back to sleep, it's probably just in time for the next heat wave. Shampoo, rinse, repeat.
So, what do I normally do when feeling stressed? I run. I realized that my TNR and, maybe, one other mid-week run was just not cutting it. So what if we were eating supper just in time for Rick to turn in, I needed to add more running! I may not have slept more, but I started feeling better when I got back to at least three runs during the week to support my longer runs on the weekend. Running makes everything better.
Since I was meeting Rick in Portland after work on Friday to head down to the race, I had to have everything packed on Thursday night (by the way, it is so good to have Linda and Jerry for neighbors and not have to worry (too much...I'll always worry about my Spotted dog) about the pets. Spot and Ally were in very capable, loving hands). I packed both Inov8s, my Garmin (no way was I going to forget that this year!), tights, shorts, a long-sleeved shirt, my short-sleeved TM shirt, a vest, two pairs of running socks, 3 GUs, a Honey Stinger Waffle, 6 Fuelbelt bottles, NUUN, my Fuelbelt, the headlamp,a sports bra, and gloves. I was sure I had everything covered.
Of course, I was already hungry on the drive down. I was looking forward to meeting up with all the other TMs for a dinner at the Italian place right near the hotel. I hoped we'd make it there to eat with them. Just when we were pulling into the hotel parking lot, we saw a big TM contingent heading out. We said we'd park and join them. Yay!!! The event began here for me.
After a very yummy, slow-paced meal we all headed back to our rooms. I changed out of work clothes, put out the clothes options for the run, and crawled into bed. There was nothing good on TV; I can't even remember what we ended up with. It wasn't long before I was asleep, any way. From there things got weird. Somehow, my bed was the workspace of my model. I went to sleep with the covers pulled out on the right side; I like to have that foot out from under the covers otherwise I tend to point the toes and my calf/achilles/pf get grumpy. So when I woke up, I was surprised to find my covers all tucked and my feet under. I realized that I must have clicked too high on the model browser. I was probably in the assembly level. So I looked for the place in the browser that highlighted the right bed configuration. This went on all night. I was actually happy to have the alarm go off. I was done with my weird work/sleep/dream mess.
Rick and I dressed to go to breakfast. It was then that I discovered that I packed the wrong sports bra. Crap! Not only was it not the one I meant to bring, it was one that I wouldn't even use to run 5 miles...It's a cheapy that has very rough seams. I knew I'd be very raw after 26 miles.
The hotel, Comfort Inn of Danvers, gives a great discount on the rooms for runners AND opens for breakfast at 4:30am so that Stone Catters can get their breakfast buffet before the race. Rick and I were one of the first in the lobby waiting for the buffet to open. I chose 1 1/2 English muffins with PBJ and, of course, coffee. It wasn't long before Kate and Jamie were down. I think Blaine and Erin were next. I was complaining to Kate about my sports bra. She said she brought an extra. Now, that was a funny thought. I could have left my Fuelbelt behind; I would have had lots of storage space! When I pointed that out to her, she suggested I ask Erin, a much better fit. I am going to look for that brand from now on. After the entire 26.2 miles, I didn't even have a red line, let alone any raw spots. I ended up deciding on shorts, my TM tee with a micro-fleece vest, and gloves.
The drive to the race venue was uneventful this year (yay!). Rick even got a parking spot at the school instead of the satellite lot. I already had my race number, 1; Kate had picked up most of ours the day before. So I used the ladies room (one of the only places where the men's room line is substantially longer!) and debated on which shoes to run. Soon our TM ranks grew to full strength.
George ended up beating my not bringing the right sports bra; he forgot his running shoes! Erik went all the way back to his car to see if his size 10 Invov8s would fit George. Nope. So George would set out on his 50 with his old road shoes. I put on my older Inov8s, figuring I'd go with tried and true. For some reason, they were bothering the top of my left foot. I switched into my newer Inov8s, a slightly lighter, lower shoe. They felt good. I didn't choose them to begin with since I never had run more than 12ish in them. I could always switch mid-race if needed.
the race:
Right when we all were to head out to start the race, I realized I needed to hit the bathroom again. Crap! By the time I got out there, I couldn't find any of my people. So, I just tried to place myself intelligently in the marathon field. This was the first year they thought to have the marathoners to go in the opposite direction on our little 1.2 mile loop before heading off onto the full 12.5 mile loop. It was to prevent the bottle neck that always occurred when all the runners, 50 milers and marathoners, squeezed through the narrow opening at the end of the field. By sending us in reverse order, the marathoners would hit the opening later. I thought it a good idea, but figured there's still be the bottleneck when we reached the single track like there was last year. Well, either the lack of bottleneck at the start allowed the runners to get farther and more spread out or the 50 milers were a lot faster this year. There were no places where I needed to walk due to a long stretch of slow runners on a stretch of single-track.
It felt good to get running in the crisp air. I went out a bit fast. I formulated my race plan right then. I would try to keep the pace up for as long as I could. If it were too fast, I felt I could recover and still finish. I didn't have any trouble with the dark trail; the headlamp was working fine. It also seemed like the trail was more traveled or maybe more recently raked and easier to follow than last year. When I reached the single track, I was leading a short line (two or three?) of runners. They appeared to know each other and talked easily. I was the one concentrating on the path; they just needed to follow. This was the only stretch where I had any difficulty at all picking my way and (yay!) it was because I was running pretty fast for the conditions (dark and unfamiliar single track with fall leaves).
We were promised there was no way to avoid running through water this year. The trail goes between two beaver ponds (I would have just said bogs, but I heard a couple different people refer to it as the beaver pond area), but the water spills over the trail between them. Last year, if runners tip-toed along the edges of the trail, they could keep their feet pretty dry. Danielle and I passed a long line of runners doing just that. This year, there was no dry edge. The water was flowing pretty fast over the trail. Everyone had to run through. It was also way colder than last year. It took a while for my toes to get their feeling back and, when they did, it was that burning, painful thawing feeling.
It was somewhere after that, Nathan passed me for the first time. He must have started way more conservatively. Funny thing, he passed me two more time before we finished the first lap and I don't remember going by him anywhere! I didn't stop at any of the aid stations, maybe he did.
Somewhere around the seven mile mark, a woman pulled up pretty close over my right shoulder. She said, "You're slowing down, you know." No, I didn't know. The she asked how old I was. 51. "Oh, I'm 52." She might have said one or two more things, but nothing that I took as particularly friendly. I picked up my pace a little more. She might have fallen back a few paces, but I got the feeling she was hanging on. I didn't like her at all.
Then some guy I'd passed back and forth was behind me. We talked a little bit. I smiled to myself, thinking that woman must have dropped back a bit. I was very psyched to see the junk car; it meant there was about two miles left in the lap. I kinda hated the "Cat" that was out there. Someone dressed in a StoneCat costume and another volunteer were cheering us along - but VERY, VERY nosily with some type of horn/siren. I hope they were wearing hearing protection. I know I ran with my hands over my ears for a good stretch.
Just passed the din, I felt someone right on my heels. It was too close for my comfort; I definitely like some space. I don't want someone to take me out if they trip or even step on my heels. Finally, I stepped off the trail (though, still running) and said something like, "It's all yours." Well, it was that woman again. Instead of taking the lead, she ran right beside me, leaving me running in deeper grass. When I realized she was staying like that, I said something and found some more speed. I could tell she wasn't far behind. She and another woman she seemed to know, hung with me. I tried to keep picking up my pace where I could. Finally, we were coming to the field signifying the end of the first lap. I ran a little harder. She said, "I think that's all I have" or something. Rick ran out to meet me, took two of my FuelBelt bottles for refilling, and met me just after the turnaround with new bottles. I didn't take any other time. I wanted to make sure that woman was not going to get ahead. I know she said she was pretty well beat, but I thought that might be some kind of ploy. I would still use her as my motivation to push the pace (at least not let it drop too much) for the rest of the race.
I was very surprised at how quickly the first aid station came. I guess that's because during the first lap, the marathoners have run the extra 1.2 miles before reaching it. Got a nice bit of encouragement from Erik and the other volunteers. It was sometime just after there that my calves and shins began to be pretty sore. I was worried that my right calf was going to go BOING. I think it was the lack of time in those shoes - certainly lack of time in them with any kind of speed (relative). So the pain was more of a nuisance and a worry than anything too painful.
Nathan went passed me again! WTH? We talked for a little before he pulled away. I was going to try to use him to pull me along, but I realized I was going to have to find a spot for a bio-break (17 or so miles in). UGH! I was sure that woman was dropped, but not totally. I hoped she wouldn't go by while I was indisposed. I don't think I took too much time. The calf tighted a little more during my stop. Hang in there.
Two miles later, I had the same feeling. WTF?! Another bio-break? Perhaps that really big, cheesy pasta dish wasn't the perfect pre-race meal. Whatever, it meant another stop. I looked at my Garmin. Was I still on pace to beat last year's time? I wasn't sure. Here, I didn't need anyone telling me my pace was dropping; I felt it. I hadn't walked yet. Those two pit-stops were my only not running. I had even managed to take my three GUs on the fly. RUN. The noisy cat!!! I think I might of even high-fived him this time. The noise was not unwelcomed. Two miles, keep moving! The kids' book Madeline popped into my head, "...afraid of a disaster, Miss Clavel ran fast, then faster."
I did try to remember to cheer on the 50 milers heading back out on their laps, but it was hard when pushing here. The field! I think I could see 4:2x:xx. Run! Rick was running with me. I could hear Jamie and Jeremy. My breathing was going wacky. As I crossed the line, I thought I was going to hyperventilate. The calves started to cramp. My head was going light, then lighter. I was tended to by the sweetest trio. Jamie gave me a very effected calf massage. Rick brought liquids, Jeremy clothes. I was a mess for a bit, but a happy mess. I beat last year's time by 5 full minutes! Soon, Nathan was in there helping in my recovery. He'd gone on to put 9 minutes on me in those last few mile! What a great finish!
My post-run consisted of trying to put enough clothes on to get warm
enough to stay to cheer on the other TMs. At one point, a random person
added her blanket to what I had piled on me. I also couldn't stop
coughing (still haven't, really). We did get to see all the marathoners
finish: Mary, Brenda (oh!!! I loved when I congratulated her and
found out she had much to be congratulated for...Erik proposed to her at
the aid station he was volunteering at!!! Her first marathon well run
and an engagement all at the same time :), George (dropped down to
marathon - his 6 week post-100 miler body didn't quite feel like the 50 -
imagine!), Christine, and Ann. I felt bad that I didn't know how to cheer up/comfort Emma when she dropped somewhere in her 3rd lap. We also saw Ian, Blaine, and Zak after
their 3rd laps. I wish I stayed for their finishes, but...I just
couldn't get warm. What a day for TMs!!!
Back at the hotel, I had a hot shower then got under multiple covers on the bed. I pretty much stayed like that till our friends came to go out to dinner. I love the StoneCat.
No proof-reading. I'm just, finally, getting this out.
I really hate it when people say, "you'll sleep when you're tired enough." Ha! It seems, for me, that it works the other way; the more I don't sleep, the more I don't sleep. My normal (non-baby) insomnia bout typically ends as mysteriously as it starts, leaving me with no clues as to how to help end one. Sometimes, I do know why they start. This is one of those times; I've started a job after 23 years of being out of the workforce. That is a big change to our schedule, but not the problem. The problem is I'm not anywhere near where I want to be in terms of mastering my position yet. My mind just races at night. Still I am able to fall asleep, but, (OK, another TMI alert (you may say, "another? there haven't been any", but I just reread last year's race report); feel free to skip down to the part sub-titled "the race". The one nice thing about this TMI is that it ruled out the problem that I had in last year's Stone Cat!), I have been having hot flashes that wake me up...once I'm awake, I find that my mind really hasn't shut off at all. If I'm lucky enough to fall back to sleep, it's probably just in time for the next heat wave. Shampoo, rinse, repeat.
So, what do I normally do when feeling stressed? I run. I realized that my TNR and, maybe, one other mid-week run was just not cutting it. So what if we were eating supper just in time for Rick to turn in, I needed to add more running! I may not have slept more, but I started feeling better when I got back to at least three runs during the week to support my longer runs on the weekend. Running makes everything better.
Since I was meeting Rick in Portland after work on Friday to head down to the race, I had to have everything packed on Thursday night (by the way, it is so good to have Linda and Jerry for neighbors and not have to worry (too much...I'll always worry about my Spotted dog) about the pets. Spot and Ally were in very capable, loving hands). I packed both Inov8s, my Garmin (no way was I going to forget that this year!), tights, shorts, a long-sleeved shirt, my short-sleeved TM shirt, a vest, two pairs of running socks, 3 GUs, a Honey Stinger Waffle, 6 Fuelbelt bottles, NUUN, my Fuelbelt, the headlamp,a sports bra, and gloves. I was sure I had everything covered.
Of course, I was already hungry on the drive down. I was looking forward to meeting up with all the other TMs for a dinner at the Italian place right near the hotel. I hoped we'd make it there to eat with them. Just when we were pulling into the hotel parking lot, we saw a big TM contingent heading out. We said we'd park and join them. Yay!!! The event began here for me.
 |
| Trail Monsters - Roar! |
Rick and I dressed to go to breakfast. It was then that I discovered that I packed the wrong sports bra. Crap! Not only was it not the one I meant to bring, it was one that I wouldn't even use to run 5 miles...It's a cheapy that has very rough seams. I knew I'd be very raw after 26 miles.
The hotel, Comfort Inn of Danvers, gives a great discount on the rooms for runners AND opens for breakfast at 4:30am so that Stone Catters can get their breakfast buffet before the race. Rick and I were one of the first in the lobby waiting for the buffet to open. I chose 1 1/2 English muffins with PBJ and, of course, coffee. It wasn't long before Kate and Jamie were down. I think Blaine and Erin were next. I was complaining to Kate about my sports bra. She said she brought an extra. Now, that was a funny thought. I could have left my Fuelbelt behind; I would have had lots of storage space! When I pointed that out to her, she suggested I ask Erin, a much better fit. I am going to look for that brand from now on. After the entire 26.2 miles, I didn't even have a red line, let alone any raw spots. I ended up deciding on shorts, my TM tee with a micro-fleece vest, and gloves.
The drive to the race venue was uneventful this year (yay!). Rick even got a parking spot at the school instead of the satellite lot. I already had my race number, 1; Kate had picked up most of ours the day before. So I used the ladies room (one of the only places where the men's room line is substantially longer!) and debated on which shoes to run. Soon our TM ranks grew to full strength.
George ended up beating my not bringing the right sports bra; he forgot his running shoes! Erik went all the way back to his car to see if his size 10 Invov8s would fit George. Nope. So George would set out on his 50 with his old road shoes. I put on my older Inov8s, figuring I'd go with tried and true. For some reason, they were bothering the top of my left foot. I switched into my newer Inov8s, a slightly lighter, lower shoe. They felt good. I didn't choose them to begin with since I never had run more than 12ish in them. I could always switch mid-race if needed.
the race:
Right when we all were to head out to start the race, I realized I needed to hit the bathroom again. Crap! By the time I got out there, I couldn't find any of my people. So, I just tried to place myself intelligently in the marathon field. This was the first year they thought to have the marathoners to go in the opposite direction on our little 1.2 mile loop before heading off onto the full 12.5 mile loop. It was to prevent the bottle neck that always occurred when all the runners, 50 milers and marathoners, squeezed through the narrow opening at the end of the field. By sending us in reverse order, the marathoners would hit the opening later. I thought it a good idea, but figured there's still be the bottleneck when we reached the single track like there was last year. Well, either the lack of bottleneck at the start allowed the runners to get farther and more spread out or the 50 milers were a lot faster this year. There were no places where I needed to walk due to a long stretch of slow runners on a stretch of single-track.
It felt good to get running in the crisp air. I went out a bit fast. I formulated my race plan right then. I would try to keep the pace up for as long as I could. If it were too fast, I felt I could recover and still finish. I didn't have any trouble with the dark trail; the headlamp was working fine. It also seemed like the trail was more traveled or maybe more recently raked and easier to follow than last year. When I reached the single track, I was leading a short line (two or three?) of runners. They appeared to know each other and talked easily. I was the one concentrating on the path; they just needed to follow. This was the only stretch where I had any difficulty at all picking my way and (yay!) it was because I was running pretty fast for the conditions (dark and unfamiliar single track with fall leaves).
We were promised there was no way to avoid running through water this year. The trail goes between two beaver ponds (I would have just said bogs, but I heard a couple different people refer to it as the beaver pond area), but the water spills over the trail between them. Last year, if runners tip-toed along the edges of the trail, they could keep their feet pretty dry. Danielle and I passed a long line of runners doing just that. This year, there was no dry edge. The water was flowing pretty fast over the trail. Everyone had to run through. It was also way colder than last year. It took a while for my toes to get their feeling back and, when they did, it was that burning, painful thawing feeling.
It was somewhere after that, Nathan passed me for the first time. He must have started way more conservatively. Funny thing, he passed me two more time before we finished the first lap and I don't remember going by him anywhere! I didn't stop at any of the aid stations, maybe he did.
Somewhere around the seven mile mark, a woman pulled up pretty close over my right shoulder. She said, "You're slowing down, you know." No, I didn't know. The she asked how old I was. 51. "Oh, I'm 52." She might have said one or two more things, but nothing that I took as particularly friendly. I picked up my pace a little more. She might have fallen back a few paces, but I got the feeling she was hanging on. I didn't like her at all.
Then some guy I'd passed back and forth was behind me. We talked a little bit. I smiled to myself, thinking that woman must have dropped back a bit. I was very psyched to see the junk car; it meant there was about two miles left in the lap. I kinda hated the "Cat" that was out there. Someone dressed in a StoneCat costume and another volunteer were cheering us along - but VERY, VERY nosily with some type of horn/siren. I hope they were wearing hearing protection. I know I ran with my hands over my ears for a good stretch.
Just passed the din, I felt someone right on my heels. It was too close for my comfort; I definitely like some space. I don't want someone to take me out if they trip or even step on my heels. Finally, I stepped off the trail (though, still running) and said something like, "It's all yours." Well, it was that woman again. Instead of taking the lead, she ran right beside me, leaving me running in deeper grass. When I realized she was staying like that, I said something and found some more speed. I could tell she wasn't far behind. She and another woman she seemed to know, hung with me. I tried to keep picking up my pace where I could. Finally, we were coming to the field signifying the end of the first lap. I ran a little harder. She said, "I think that's all I have" or something. Rick ran out to meet me, took two of my FuelBelt bottles for refilling, and met me just after the turnaround with new bottles. I didn't take any other time. I wanted to make sure that woman was not going to get ahead. I know she said she was pretty well beat, but I thought that might be some kind of ploy. I would still use her as my motivation to push the pace (at least not let it drop too much) for the rest of the race.
I was very surprised at how quickly the first aid station came. I guess that's because during the first lap, the marathoners have run the extra 1.2 miles before reaching it. Got a nice bit of encouragement from Erik and the other volunteers. It was sometime just after there that my calves and shins began to be pretty sore. I was worried that my right calf was going to go BOING. I think it was the lack of time in those shoes - certainly lack of time in them with any kind of speed (relative). So the pain was more of a nuisance and a worry than anything too painful.
Nathan went passed me again! WTH? We talked for a little before he pulled away. I was going to try to use him to pull me along, but I realized I was going to have to find a spot for a bio-break (17 or so miles in). UGH! I was sure that woman was dropped, but not totally. I hoped she wouldn't go by while I was indisposed. I don't think I took too much time. The calf tighted a little more during my stop. Hang in there.
Two miles later, I had the same feeling. WTF?! Another bio-break? Perhaps that really big, cheesy pasta dish wasn't the perfect pre-race meal. Whatever, it meant another stop. I looked at my Garmin. Was I still on pace to beat last year's time? I wasn't sure. Here, I didn't need anyone telling me my pace was dropping; I felt it. I hadn't walked yet. Those two pit-stops were my only not running. I had even managed to take my three GUs on the fly. RUN. The noisy cat!!! I think I might of even high-fived him this time. The noise was not unwelcomed. Two miles, keep moving! The kids' book Madeline popped into my head, "...afraid of a disaster, Miss Clavel ran fast, then faster."
I did try to remember to cheer on the 50 milers heading back out on their laps, but it was hard when pushing here. The field! I think I could see 4:2x:xx. Run! Rick was running with me. I could hear Jamie and Jeremy. My breathing was going wacky. As I crossed the line, I thought I was going to hyperventilate. The calves started to cramp. My head was going light, then lighter. I was tended to by the sweetest trio. Jamie gave me a very effected calf massage. Rick brought liquids, Jeremy clothes. I was a mess for a bit, but a happy mess. I beat last year's time by 5 full minutes! Soon, Nathan was in there helping in my recovery. He'd gone on to put 9 minutes on me in those last few mile! What a great finish!
Back at the hotel, I had a hot shower then got under multiple covers on the bed. I pretty much stayed like that till our friends came to go out to dinner. I love the StoneCat.
No proof-reading. I'm just, finally, getting this out.
Monday, November 7, 2011
Catch-up Before Stone Cat Report
Okay, so I'm still adjusting to the job and getting stuff done here. I'll quickly review the runs I left off before doing my Stone Cat Marathon race report.
Saturday, October 29th: I got in six miles in the fields. Well, I stuck just to the moto-cross track and the neighbors hill across the street (he's not allowing hunting this year) and dressed in bright orange. I pushed the pace a little because I wanted to have showered before Rick got home from work (some problems there had him working the weekend) so we could make it to Mindy's party at a decent hour (it was a great party!).
Sunday, October 30th: Not only was I disappointed that the snow storm wrecked meeting up with Danielle and Mindy for a Bradbury run, I was sitting alone in the cold with no power. Well, I wasn't totally alone; Spot was making sure I knew she was happy to have me home. I was all wrapped up in blankets on the couch, a little more than a little pouty, when I got a text from Mindy. We decided to meet at Bradbury after all!!! Some how (probably my lack of texting skills) we got our signals crossed. I came dressed for the trails and Mindy for the roads. Being the TM she is, we started out on the trails anyway. I could tell that it was going to be no fun for her with shorts and road shoes on the 8 inches of cold slush and mud. We settled on running the animal loop. We weren't disappointed at all. In fact, besides all our catching up, we were rewarded with lots of animals. I felt so much better for having run. Unfortunately, I had to shower at work the next day because we didn't get our power back till mid-day Monday.
Tues, Wed, Thur (Nov 1,2, and 3rd): I ran with the headlamp in the fields after work. I got in 4, 4, and 3.2 miles respectively. Nothing really special, but I felt better for having gotten in more runs during the week.
Friday, November 4th: I left work just before 5pm to meet up with Rick to head down to Danvers. We were meeting up with a good group of TMs to have our pre-race dinner.
Saturday, October 29th: I got in six miles in the fields. Well, I stuck just to the moto-cross track and the neighbors hill across the street (he's not allowing hunting this year) and dressed in bright orange. I pushed the pace a little because I wanted to have showered before Rick got home from work (some problems there had him working the weekend) so we could make it to Mindy's party at a decent hour (it was a great party!).
Sunday, October 30th: Not only was I disappointed that the snow storm wrecked meeting up with Danielle and Mindy for a Bradbury run, I was sitting alone in the cold with no power. Well, I wasn't totally alone; Spot was making sure I knew she was happy to have me home. I was all wrapped up in blankets on the couch, a little more than a little pouty, when I got a text from Mindy. We decided to meet at Bradbury after all!!! Some how (probably my lack of texting skills) we got our signals crossed. I came dressed for the trails and Mindy for the roads. Being the TM she is, we started out on the trails anyway. I could tell that it was going to be no fun for her with shorts and road shoes on the 8 inches of cold slush and mud. We settled on running the animal loop. We weren't disappointed at all. In fact, besides all our catching up, we were rewarded with lots of animals. I felt so much better for having run. Unfortunately, I had to shower at work the next day because we didn't get our power back till mid-day Monday.
Tues, Wed, Thur (Nov 1,2, and 3rd): I ran with the headlamp in the fields after work. I got in 4, 4, and 3.2 miles respectively. Nothing really special, but I felt better for having gotten in more runs during the week.
Friday, November 4th: I left work just before 5pm to meet up with Rick to head down to Danvers. We were meeting up with a good group of TMs to have our pre-race dinner.
Friday, October 28, 2011
Needs Work
I bought a number belt yesterday to make a bellylamp. Well, I tried it out on a short 3-mile run in the fields. Right now, I'd choose putting it back on the original strap and running with a headlamp. We'll see if I can get it right before Stone Cat. It's not like I'll need it very long, but I'd still like to get it right.
Thursday, October 27, 2011
WNR
I couldn't make TNR; Because of work problems, Rick couldn't get home to let Spot out. She didn't know her dog walk was at the cost of my run. I could have gone out after, but she also deserves some company. I put out a message on the TMR forum asking if anyone was interested in a run at Fore River Sanctuary or Twin Brooks after work. Emma was the first to say she could make TB. I had to tell Zak that I already was headed there; he could have run Fore River, but now I know there are options during the week!
Emma had planned on six miles. I thought maybe I could squeeze in six, but definitely the usual five. Emma had Kip along. It was obvious that he was very happy to be included; I think he had more enthusiasm than on TNR. We covered the upcoming Stone Cat first. I think there are at least five TMs doing the 50 and seven or eight running the marathon, a pretty strong group. Then we caught up on all different topics.
The trails were their normal muddy fun. I swear that mud almost becomes a part of your skin. I scrubbed with a pretty firm brush to get it off and it never really washed out of my toes completely. I did stop after 5.3 miles, but Emma headed on to finish all her six. Thanks, Emma and Kip, for a great WNR!
Emma had planned on six miles. I thought maybe I could squeeze in six, but definitely the usual five. Emma had Kip along. It was obvious that he was very happy to be included; I think he had more enthusiasm than on TNR. We covered the upcoming Stone Cat first. I think there are at least five TMs doing the 50 and seven or eight running the marathon, a pretty strong group. Then we caught up on all different topics.
The trails were their normal muddy fun. I swear that mud almost becomes a part of your skin. I scrubbed with a pretty firm brush to get it off and it never really washed out of my toes completely. I did stop after 5.3 miles, but Emma headed on to finish all her six. Thanks, Emma and Kip, for a great WNR!
Monday, October 24, 2011
Behind Three
So. I'm more behind on other stuff...Here's my last three runs:
Thursday, Oct. 20th:
I still don't really have the night running down. It is better than not running. Last night I ran the road for a bit; I had to take care of an up-the-street neighbor's kitty so I incorporated that into the run. The headlamp still disorients me. I realized that, even without the light, it is easy to follow our road. It's especially nice since it was just repaved last summer. Any time there were no cars, I'd turn off the light. That was also weird; I felt like I wasn't moving forward at all. That weird was a fun weird.
It didn't take long before I decided I didn't care that I had my road shoes on (really, really old road shoes); I headed into the fields. Well, not 1/4 mile in, I let out a loud scream. Some sort of winged creature took off right in front of me. In the darkness, I felt like it was a pterodactyl. More likely, it was a dove. Adrenaline pumping, I picked up the pace and finished up with 3.6 miles.
Saturday, Oct. 22nd:
I planned on running 18-20 miles. I hadn't planned on waking up with a pretty sore back. The nerve was causing pain in my ankle, calf, and knee. The spasmed muscle was painful in my right-side lower back. I hoped it would loosen up.
I had just pulled into the parking lot (of course, at the Brad!)at 7:30am, when Jeremy came running in from the mountain side. Yay! I don't think I'd gotten to run with Jeremy since Mindy's 40-4-40. We headed out for the connector. All our chatter helped keep my mind off my back.
When we ran back into the parking lot, many of the TMs were finishing up their runs. I had fun visiting, but soon was starting to get a chill and asked if anyone else was looking for more miles. Blaine was up for a little more. Then it dawned on me to ask the actual time cause I was meeting Mindy and Dora at 9:30. Only 8 minutes...might as well just wait.
Mindy and Dora arrived within seconds of each other, right on time. We also picked up Steve T who was looking for just over 2 hours of running. Mindy was thinking 10 miles, her longest since the post-40 LLL troubles. Dora had the same mileage in mind. We opted for the east side. For the first few miles, Mindy and I caught up (I have been in SoA withdrawal) while Dora and Steve conversed. Somewhere along the way, maybe with a pee break, the order of the runners got shuffled. So I talked with Steve and Mindy with Dora for the last miles on the east side. Oh! It was also fun to cross paths with TMs, Kate and Christine (with ? ...crap. someone I'm sure I should know :( ) on their run. Mindy was feeling her lack of miles. My back was getting grumpier. My calf was both burning and stabbing. The lower back pain was starting to include the left side as well. I suggested that we head back to the parking lot and then reassess our plans.
Kate and Christine were in the lot when we arrived. Steve decided to head out on the mountain. Us girls chatted a bit while Kate massaged her sore pieces on the bumper of her Fit. Mindy decided to join Kate on her remaining 2.5 miles. Dora was going to stay with me for another 5 to bring my total to 20. Dora and I went back out on the connector, again filling the air with non-stop chatter. By the time we reached the quarry on Tyron Mountain, my back was more than grumpy. The climbs were definitely more of a problem than the flats or even the downs (usually it's the downs that bother my back/pf, but this was a new issue). Dora was very supportive and more than willing to walk when I needed to. She told me about the Thera Bear that she had won at a seminar she'd attended the day before and offered it to me. I may have made some attempt to turn it down, but, the back won out. Smart back. It ended up really making a difference. Thankfully, that meant it was just muscular and not the disk.
Mindy and Kate were done when we got back. Mindy was able to do her planned 10 after all. I like how that works. You think you're done, but you give yourself a chance, telling yourself you can drop if you need to; then you don't. I was at 19.4. I had no interest in getting in that extra 0.6 to bring it to 20. I had no interest in anything but my shower. I spent most of the rest of the day nuking Bradly Bear and getting warm bear hugs. He even came to bed with me.
Sunday, Oct. 23rd:
Rick and I went to the Brad to get in 10 miles. My back was stiff, but not painful. We opted for running the east side. I took any path that I felt like it, trying to avoid running a race course. Of course, in order to get in any kind of miles, we had to include trails that races covered, but not in the same order and we included trails not in any Bradbury dirt series.
By the time we'd run 7 miles, by back felt like it did at the start of Saturday's run. I was glad to finish without feeling any worse. We even got in a little extra mileage for 10.8 (and that was without the Island or O). We drove Sam back to WPI almost immediately after showers. I wore a Theracare wrap for the trip. It worked, but not with as much love as the bear.
Thursday, Oct. 20th:
I still don't really have the night running down. It is better than not running. Last night I ran the road for a bit; I had to take care of an up-the-street neighbor's kitty so I incorporated that into the run. The headlamp still disorients me. I realized that, even without the light, it is easy to follow our road. It's especially nice since it was just repaved last summer. Any time there were no cars, I'd turn off the light. That was also weird; I felt like I wasn't moving forward at all. That weird was a fun weird.
It didn't take long before I decided I didn't care that I had my road shoes on (really, really old road shoes); I headed into the fields. Well, not 1/4 mile in, I let out a loud scream. Some sort of winged creature took off right in front of me. In the darkness, I felt like it was a pterodactyl. More likely, it was a dove. Adrenaline pumping, I picked up the pace and finished up with 3.6 miles.
Saturday, Oct. 22nd:
I planned on running 18-20 miles. I hadn't planned on waking up with a pretty sore back. The nerve was causing pain in my ankle, calf, and knee. The spasmed muscle was painful in my right-side lower back. I hoped it would loosen up.
I had just pulled into the parking lot (of course, at the Brad!)at 7:30am, when Jeremy came running in from the mountain side. Yay! I don't think I'd gotten to run with Jeremy since Mindy's 40-4-40. We headed out for the connector. All our chatter helped keep my mind off my back.
When we ran back into the parking lot, many of the TMs were finishing up their runs. I had fun visiting, but soon was starting to get a chill and asked if anyone else was looking for more miles. Blaine was up for a little more. Then it dawned on me to ask the actual time cause I was meeting Mindy and Dora at 9:30. Only 8 minutes...might as well just wait.
 |
| Great smile :D |
 |
| Blaine stepping in front of Jeremy |
 |
| The intended shot |
 |
| Nate A, Four's cousin, George, and Four |
Mindy and Dora arrived within seconds of each other, right on time. We also picked up Steve T who was looking for just over 2 hours of running. Mindy was thinking 10 miles, her longest since the post-40 LLL troubles. Dora had the same mileage in mind. We opted for the east side. For the first few miles, Mindy and I caught up (I have been in SoA withdrawal) while Dora and Steve conversed. Somewhere along the way, maybe with a pee break, the order of the runners got shuffled. So I talked with Steve and Mindy with Dora for the last miles on the east side. Oh! It was also fun to cross paths with TMs, Kate and Christine (with ? ...crap. someone I'm sure I should know :( ) on their run. Mindy was feeling her lack of miles. My back was getting grumpier. My calf was both burning and stabbing. The lower back pain was starting to include the left side as well. I suggested that we head back to the parking lot and then reassess our plans.
Kate and Christine were in the lot when we arrived. Steve decided to head out on the mountain. Us girls chatted a bit while Kate massaged her sore pieces on the bumper of her Fit. Mindy decided to join Kate on her remaining 2.5 miles. Dora was going to stay with me for another 5 to bring my total to 20. Dora and I went back out on the connector, again filling the air with non-stop chatter. By the time we reached the quarry on Tyron Mountain, my back was more than grumpy. The climbs were definitely more of a problem than the flats or even the downs (usually it's the downs that bother my back/pf, but this was a new issue). Dora was very supportive and more than willing to walk when I needed to. She told me about the Thera Bear that she had won at a seminar she'd attended the day before and offered it to me. I may have made some attempt to turn it down, but, the back won out. Smart back. It ended up really making a difference. Thankfully, that meant it was just muscular and not the disk.
Mindy and Kate were done when we got back. Mindy was able to do her planned 10 after all. I like how that works. You think you're done, but you give yourself a chance, telling yourself you can drop if you need to; then you don't. I was at 19.4. I had no interest in getting in that extra 0.6 to bring it to 20. I had no interest in anything but my shower. I spent most of the rest of the day nuking Bradly Bear and getting warm bear hugs. He even came to bed with me.
Sunday, Oct. 23rd:
Rick and I went to the Brad to get in 10 miles. My back was stiff, but not painful. We opted for running the east side. I took any path that I felt like it, trying to avoid running a race course. Of course, in order to get in any kind of miles, we had to include trails that races covered, but not in the same order and we included trails not in any Bradbury dirt series.
By the time we'd run 7 miles, by back felt like it did at the start of Saturday's run. I was glad to finish without feeling any worse. We even got in a little extra mileage for 10.8 (and that was without the Island or O). We drove Sam back to WPI almost immediately after showers. I wore a Theracare wrap for the trip. It worked, but not with as much love as the bear.
Wednesday, October 19, 2011
2nd TNR
It seems, from my big two night sample, that TNR gets a good turn
out. I know for certain that Ian, Jeff, Nate A, Four's cousin
(George?), Erik, Christine, Erin, and Blaine ran. There may have been
more. Again, I started out with the front runners. I was happy to
stick with them for 3.5 miles, almost a mile more than last week. Ian
was going to drop with me, but I saw headlights not far behind and
assured him I'd be okay. I didn't run very long by myself before Erik
and Blaine picked me up at an intersection where I stood pondering left
or right (it was right and I would have been, too). Blaine was just off
his stellar performance at MDI, but you'd never know it. So we ran
together the rest of the way.
Though I stuck with the first group longer than last week, turns out I didn't run any faster overall. The pace had been slightly slower than last week. In fact, the average pace was 8 sec/mile slower. Oh well.
Karen and Allen were with the finishers when we got in. Karen was trying out teen little Inov8s from the back of Ian's Honda. This time people seemed to have hung around a little longer. I would have too, but I needed to get back to drive with Sam, who has a driving test Thursday. We never did get out; I fell asleep after dinner. Mmmmm...sleep. I haven't been able to do that in a while. Felt very good.
Though I stuck with the first group longer than last week, turns out I didn't run any faster overall. The pace had been slightly slower than last week. In fact, the average pace was 8 sec/mile slower. Oh well.
Karen and Allen were with the finishers when we got in. Karen was trying out teen little Inov8s from the back of Ian's Honda. This time people seemed to have hung around a little longer. I would have too, but I needed to get back to drive with Sam, who has a driving test Thursday. We never did get out; I fell asleep after dinner. Mmmmm...sleep. I haven't been able to do that in a while. Felt very good.
Sunday, October 16, 2011
Connector Ambassador
I love this title bestowed upon me by Mindy. I take it quasi-seriously (ok, I take it with lots of jocularity). I just love showing the path to people that haven't run it yet. So far, I've introduced George, Mindy, Rick, Julia, Danielle (with Ian's help), and, now, Dora.
After my last 36 hours, I really needed to run. It was a big plus to get to share that run with Dora. We met up with the goal of running 10 -12 miles at the Brad. I had already warned her I needed to bitch a lot. She willingly lent her ear and gave me creative control of the run. Since she hadn't done the Connector and we could easily get our mileage that way, we decided that would be our run.
The trails were very wet. We kept the pace pretty easy. She let me vent till I was done, offered all the welcomed sympathy, and then caught me up on her three weekends of pretty awesome events. The connector required some degree of attention since it was pretty leaf covered, but we had no wrong turns.
We got back to the parking lot with the Garmin reading 10.8 miles. I knew when the data was adjusted, we'd probably have at least 11, but we extended the run to make the Garmin read exactly 11. Yay! So good to have a great friend share with.
After my last 36 hours, I really needed to run. It was a big plus to get to share that run with Dora. We met up with the goal of running 10 -12 miles at the Brad. I had already warned her I needed to bitch a lot. She willingly lent her ear and gave me creative control of the run. Since she hadn't done the Connector and we could easily get our mileage that way, we decided that would be our run.
The trails were very wet. We kept the pace pretty easy. She let me vent till I was done, offered all the welcomed sympathy, and then caught me up on her three weekends of pretty awesome events. The connector required some degree of attention since it was pretty leaf covered, but we had no wrong turns.
We got back to the parking lot with the Garmin reading 10.8 miles. I knew when the data was adjusted, we'd probably have at least 11, but we extended the run to make the Garmin read exactly 11. Yay! So good to have a great friend share with.
Hotel Dreadmill
I was able to leave a few hours early from my last day of my first week of work so that Rick and I could make it to his niece's soccer game in R.I. She's starting as a freshman for LaSalle and were playing URI. The plan was to pick up Ryan and Nori on the way. Well, the drive to Brown should take 3.5 to 3.75 hrs, but we were thinking 4 or maybe a little over given the rain and rush hour traffic. It ended up being more like 5.5. Since we were so late, we didn't stop for food, only to pick up the kids. The drive to Kingston (where URI is) wasn't much better. The forecast had been for the rain to lighten then stop. It never did. In fact, instead of lightening we had lightning!
We met up with Rick's dad and sister. The game had gotten underway, but they pulled the teams off the field to wait out the storm. It never happened. So, instead, we all went out to dinner. Rick and I drove Nori and Ryan back to school. We then had to get back on the highway to get a hotel; Brown and RISD were both having parents weekend. I think we were in our rooms by 11:30pm.
Oh, yeah, this is about running. After a hotel breakfast, I hit the hotel treadmill. It was the typical workout room: treadmill, elliptical, stairclimber, and some free weights. An older man, a grandpa visiting his granddaughter at RSDI, was just finishing up on the treadmill. When it was my turn, I quickly ramped up the speed and elevation and then quickly turned it off. It was soooo noisy. The control console and bottle-holding assembly was not put together very well and the vibration was surprisingly loud. I tried to see if it could be put together more tightly or if the bottle-holder could be removed. Nope. OK, I'd just bump the volume of the TV. I couldn't make it loud enough without being obnoxious. I settled for holding the assembly with one hand to dampen the vibration. I did this on and off as my tolerance for the noise would run out or my arm would get tired. I got in 4.5 miles before I was done of the set up.
From there is was up 146 to pick up Sam from WPI. They finished finals this past week for their first term. The ride was so much better than Friday's. What we were greeted with when we arrived home....I'll just say Spot's GI track was extremely messed up. UGH! My run at the Brad today is very necessary.
We met up with Rick's dad and sister. The game had gotten underway, but they pulled the teams off the field to wait out the storm. It never happened. So, instead, we all went out to dinner. Rick and I drove Nori and Ryan back to school. We then had to get back on the highway to get a hotel; Brown and RISD were both having parents weekend. I think we were in our rooms by 11:30pm.
Oh, yeah, this is about running. After a hotel breakfast, I hit the hotel treadmill. It was the typical workout room: treadmill, elliptical, stairclimber, and some free weights. An older man, a grandpa visiting his granddaughter at RSDI, was just finishing up on the treadmill. When it was my turn, I quickly ramped up the speed and elevation and then quickly turned it off. It was soooo noisy. The control console and bottle-holding assembly was not put together very well and the vibration was surprisingly loud. I tried to see if it could be put together more tightly or if the bottle-holder could be removed. Nope. OK, I'd just bump the volume of the TV. I couldn't make it loud enough without being obnoxious. I settled for holding the assembly with one hand to dampen the vibration. I did this on and off as my tolerance for the noise would run out or my arm would get tired. I got in 4.5 miles before I was done of the set up.
From there is was up 146 to pick up Sam from WPI. They finished finals this past week for their first term. The ride was so much better than Friday's. What we were greeted with when we arrived home....I'll just say Spot's GI track was extremely messed up. UGH! My run at the Brad today is very necessary.
Friday, October 14, 2011
Adjusting
I'm still adjusting to running with the headlamp, but you throw in some misty rain...Weird. My eyes kept wanting to close from the bright objects coming at them. The fields around the house looked pretty funny. The clover, which there's a lot of, looked like some strange aluminum (that's aluminium to some) space plant.
I was running out the farmer's field, after the little stream crossing, when some type of animal made some type of noise. I'm pretty sure it wasn't anything too big, but, not being able to see it, I decided that was a good turn around. I had time for a just a bit over 5K.
On another animal front, I saw two separate groups of three deer on the way home. One was safely in the field; the other threatened to run across in front of me, but turned back and ambled off.
I was running out the farmer's field, after the little stream crossing, when some type of animal made some type of noise. I'm pretty sure it wasn't anything too big, but, not being able to see it, I decided that was a good turn around. I had time for a just a bit over 5K.
On another animal front, I saw two separate groups of three deer on the way home. One was safely in the field; the other threatened to run across in front of me, but turned back and ambled off.
Tuesday, October 11, 2011
TMR TNR
So I run Tuesday nights now. I was always a little jealous of the TMR TNR group. I'm glad I get to join, but I have a lot to learn; I have to eat more on Tuesdays. Fortunately for me, Ian had brought some cookies for post-run and let me have one pre.
I had fun going out with the big dogs - Ian, Jeff, Blaine, Jim, Zak, Nate, and Scott (oh, and the real dog, Kip!). I was going to try to stick with them for the whole run, but started to get a stitch. Fortunately for me, Erik, Brenda, and Django were right where I dropped off. There pace was pretty crisp, too, but slow enough I could recover from the stitch. It was probably the longest I'd gotten to chat with Brenda before. Luckily for her, I'd gotten all my Dr. Seuss recitation out of my system by then!
I'd bought a new headlamp at lunch. It worked well. I didn't start to get disoriented by it till near the end, about the same time I realized I had the strap on too tight. When I find my garmin, I'll update with the actual data, but I think I saw at least 5.3 miles in about 50 minutes.
I had fun going out with the big dogs - Ian, Jeff, Blaine, Jim, Zak, Nate, and Scott (oh, and the real dog, Kip!). I was going to try to stick with them for the whole run, but started to get a stitch. Fortunately for me, Erik, Brenda, and Django were right where I dropped off. There pace was pretty crisp, too, but slow enough I could recover from the stitch. It was probably the longest I'd gotten to chat with Brenda before. Luckily for her, I'd gotten all my Dr. Seuss recitation out of my system by then!
I'd bought a new headlamp at lunch. It worked well. I didn't start to get disoriented by it till near the end, about the same time I realized I had the strap on too tight. When I find my garmin, I'll update with the actual data, but I think I saw at least 5.3 miles in about 50 minutes.
Monday, October 10, 2011
Three Days Worth
I better get caught up...Friday, I headed to the Brad to get in a long one. Normally that's a Saturday activity, but I knew I'd be volunteering at the Craig Cup and wanted to get the miles in without taking up all of our weekend.
I think it was 9:45 before I hit the trails. I planned to run another 4 hours, hoping to get in more miles than last week's 4 hour run since I wouldn't take as much time at the car in between laps. I guess I shouldn't have brought the camera if I really wanted to run farther. I even remember thinking I should drop the camera off so I wouldn't be tempted to take any more. Everything seemed either beautiful, interesting, or of concern. I ended up taking 48 pics. Last Saturday I ran 18.4 miles in 4:02:XX. Friday I ran 18.43 miles in 4:06:XX.
I started with a Mindy's Loop. It was way noisy on the backside near the boundary of the park and along Ginn East. I don't know what construction was being done on the road behind the park, but there seemed to be some big vehicle backing up the entire time. I was happy to get out of earshot. Leaving Fox East onto the Snowmobile Trail, I was struck by how torn up the trail was. There were big bulldozer-type tracks going up. When I reached the bridge, there was a huge pile of dirt. Then a tractor with a bucket appeared to take a load. I ran past. The smell of diesel hung in the air for most of the snowmobile trail. I was happy to turn off onto Ginn West.
On Fox West, where it is right next to the Snowmobile and Fox East trails, I heard an extremely loud vehicle. A dump truck, made for trail environments, emerged. I was torn between loving the design and engineering of the vehicle and resenting it was there. I worried about the reconstructive surgery Brad was undergoing. I hope the scars they make are more than offset by the good they do. I love the patient.
After that loop, I had a GU, refilled my Fuelbelt bottles with Nuun (cola flavored), and set off on the mountain side. From the Boundary Trail, I took my new route on the trail that heads toward the Tote, but took the right onto the single track that pops back onto the Boundary by the big bench. I went from the Boundary to the summit, to the Tote, including Krista's Loop, and back down the Ski Trail. Back at the car, I ate a Honey Stinger Waffle and a few sips of Coke.
Then I ran a mishmash of trails on the east side to get in the rest of the time. I'd gone into the run with a sore back. I kept expecting it to get better. I do always brag how the Brad fixes me. My back was actually pretty tender by the time I was done. I did too much shoveling of wet mulch the day before. Sabrina, of E&L fame, offered me ibuprofen with my soup. I was sore, but happy I stuck it out.
Oh, and here are some of the pictures from the run:
Saturday, Rick and I volunteered at the Craig Cup. It was a great day for a great event and always fun to see all our fellow TMs! After, Rick and I were joined by Mindy and Pete for our own 5K loop. We ran through mud, got bitten by nasty bugs, and had fun. It was Mindy's first run in a while, but you'd never know it.
Sunday, Rick and I were back at the Brad. We ran the connector out for four miles and added some extra mountain side miles to bring it to an even 9 when we finished up. It was getting hot, but there were pockets of real cool in the shade and dampness of the mountain side. Rick is on a steady improvement track and can push me up some hills now : )
I think it was 9:45 before I hit the trails. I planned to run another 4 hours, hoping to get in more miles than last week's 4 hour run since I wouldn't take as much time at the car in between laps. I guess I shouldn't have brought the camera if I really wanted to run farther. I even remember thinking I should drop the camera off so I wouldn't be tempted to take any more. Everything seemed either beautiful, interesting, or of concern. I ended up taking 48 pics. Last Saturday I ran 18.4 miles in 4:02:XX. Friday I ran 18.43 miles in 4:06:XX.
I started with a Mindy's Loop. It was way noisy on the backside near the boundary of the park and along Ginn East. I don't know what construction was being done on the road behind the park, but there seemed to be some big vehicle backing up the entire time. I was happy to get out of earshot. Leaving Fox East onto the Snowmobile Trail, I was struck by how torn up the trail was. There were big bulldozer-type tracks going up. When I reached the bridge, there was a huge pile of dirt. Then a tractor with a bucket appeared to take a load. I ran past. The smell of diesel hung in the air for most of the snowmobile trail. I was happy to turn off onto Ginn West.
On Fox West, where it is right next to the Snowmobile and Fox East trails, I heard an extremely loud vehicle. A dump truck, made for trail environments, emerged. I was torn between loving the design and engineering of the vehicle and resenting it was there. I worried about the reconstructive surgery Brad was undergoing. I hope the scars they make are more than offset by the good they do. I love the patient.
After that loop, I had a GU, refilled my Fuelbelt bottles with Nuun (cola flavored), and set off on the mountain side. From the Boundary Trail, I took my new route on the trail that heads toward the Tote, but took the right onto the single track that pops back onto the Boundary by the big bench. I went from the Boundary to the summit, to the Tote, including Krista's Loop, and back down the Ski Trail. Back at the car, I ate a Honey Stinger Waffle and a few sips of Coke.
Then I ran a mishmash of trails on the east side to get in the rest of the time. I'd gone into the run with a sore back. I kept expecting it to get better. I do always brag how the Brad fixes me. My back was actually pretty tender by the time I was done. I did too much shoveling of wet mulch the day before. Sabrina, of E&L fame, offered me ibuprofen with my soup. I was sore, but happy I stuck it out.
Oh, and here are some of the pictures from the run:
 |
| leaves covering the trail |
 |
| innocent mushrooms |
 |
| I took the old path for a change |
 |
| Snowmobile Trail |
 |
| dirt piles all over the place |
 |
| the tractor |
 |
| Brad seems to be decorating for Xmas early |
 |
| the weird dump truck |
 |
| again |
 |
| Boundary |
 |
| tenuous bridge |
 |
| muddy goodness |
Saturday, Rick and I volunteered at the Craig Cup. It was a great day for a great event and always fun to see all our fellow TMs! After, Rick and I were joined by Mindy and Pete for our own 5K loop. We ran through mud, got bitten by nasty bugs, and had fun. It was Mindy's first run in a while, but you'd never know it.
Sunday, Rick and I were back at the Brad. We ran the connector out for four miles and added some extra mountain side miles to bring it to an even 9 when we finished up. It was getting hot, but there were pockets of real cool in the shade and dampness of the mountain side. Rick is on a steady improvement track and can push me up some hills now : )
Friday, October 7, 2011
Thorncrag Intensity
I ran out of time for the run I intended, but Thorncrag saw to it that I packed an intense run into a short time. What a nice way to do hill repeats with no choice.
Thursday, October 6, 2011
Fall Feeling
I was going to run early at Bradbury, but ended up needing to go to S.Portland to turn in some paperwork and get my computer set up for work. What I expected to take an hour or so took most of the day. So, it was a late-day run instead. There was a definite chill in the air when I started. The ground was definitely saturated, but oh-so less wet than the last time I was there.
For about 5 minutes, I wished I'd worn long sleeves. Then, even though a wind picked up and brought weird rain and sun for the rest of the run, I was happy in shorts and short sleeves. It felt like fall. Much of the trail was covered in golden pine needles. It was quite beautiful. I took pictures, but they don't do it justice. The air was crisp and my running seemed to match it. Yay! I could have run for hours, but I only had one.
 |
| Filling his cheeks |
 |
| fearless or oblivious |
 |
| little 'shrooms |
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| fun fungi |
 |
| very cool |
 |
| loved the moss-covered rock wall |
 |
| missed the little chipmunk looking through the whole |
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| new downed tree - on little loop off Ginn West |
Sunday, October 2, 2011
Running Water
Running water was everywhere and we were running through it. I do believe that's the wettest I've ever seen the trails at the Brad. Rick and I sat in the car for a few minutes trying get enthused about getting out there. The rain was coming down pretty hard. I'm pretty sure it's the first time I'd worn a long sleeve shirt this fall. I'm sure I yelled as we started out.
The Link, leading to Lanzo, was one big puddle. Lanzo was a river. Every time I asked if it could rain harder, it did. Still, about 10 minutes in, I was warm. The run became fun. I laughed a lot. I almost fell a lot, but neither Rick or I did. Besides being fairly cautious, going was slow just cause running through water is slower than not.
We got in eight miles, very happy with ourselves for getting out of the car. Of course, warming up with Tuna Melts at E&Ls was a great way to reward us.
The Link, leading to Lanzo, was one big puddle. Lanzo was a river. Every time I asked if it could rain harder, it did. Still, about 10 minutes in, I was warm. The run became fun. I laughed a lot. I almost fell a lot, but neither Rick or I did. Besides being fairly cautious, going was slow just cause running through water is slower than not.
We got in eight miles, very happy with ourselves for getting out of the car. Of course, warming up with Tuna Melts at E&Ls was a great way to reward us.
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