Just a little update on my training over the last month or so...I haven't raced since my February 8 50K, but I've been running more training miles than ever. In this training cycle I set a new weekly record, 83 miles, only to break it with a 90 mile week a few weeks later. I've gotten back into doing hill work, speed work, and two-a-day runs, and I've done a 50K training run and multiple back-to-back 20 milers. Most of my long runs have been with my friend Stephanie on the Mount Vernon Trail, although in bad weather I've done up to 24 miles on the treadmill. Thank goodness for books on tape- I'm halfway through book 2 of "A Song of Ice and Fire"! With all these higher mileage weeks I set a new monthly record of 310 miles in March :)
I'm now officially registered for Spartathlon in September (even bought my plane tickets!), so that's my long-term focus for 2015. I want to do well in my upcoming marathon and 100 milers, but I'm also trying to build up my mileage base so I can top out at 100+ mile weeks this summer. At the moment I'm tapering for the Boston Marathon on April 20 and C&O Canal 100 on April 25, so that's on hold for now, but May should be another high-mileage training month! After that it's Old Dominion 100 in June, then exclusively Spartathlon training all summer. A month after that I'll be running the Marine Corps Marathon for TeamRWB- that one's mainly just to do a fun race for a good cause. I don't anticipate a PR, but then again, you never know. (If you want to donate, the link is https://www.crowdrise.com/laraz)
That's about it for now...but I'll have not one, but two, race reports to write in just a few weeks :)
Wednesday, April 8, 2015
Sunday, February 22, 2015
Virginia Beach Distance Races 50K
I signed up for this race specifically because it was within reasonable driving distance, and on my birthday- this was the 3rd year in a row I raced an ultra on my birthday, and I think it brings me luck. This year was no exception- I came away with a new PR by about 20 minutes! My husband decided to race as well, making this his 4th ultra. Although his day didn't go so well, he did persevere through Achilles and stomach issues to finish with a run through the finish!
We drove about 3 1/2 hours on Saturday afternoon to get to Virginia Beach. The next morning we headed out bright and early for the race, which was on a nearby golf course. It was cold and windy before sunrise, but I knew it would warm up quickly once the sun came out and we started running. The course was USATF certified and on the paved golf cart paths- one short out-and-back, then 13 loops of about 2.3 miles each. There was a 100K option as well, which I considered switching to, as I felt like I was "wussing out" by doing the shorter distance. But with Boston Marathon coming up a nice, fast 50K seemed like better training. Plus, this would have me running 31 miles on my 31st birthday!
I really wanted to PR, but I hadn't done much speed work lately so I wasn't sure how fast I could go. I think with the right training I could do a sub-4 50K, but I knew I probably wasn't up for that at the time. I thought I could get under 4:15 though. Basically, my plan was just to go out fast and settle into a sustainable pace, whatever that might be on the day.
I probably started out too fast- 1st mile was 7:10- but I settled into the 7:20-7:30 range and felt surprisingly good! For a little while I even had the audacity to think I might get that sub-4 after all... I kept under 7:30s through the halfway point, then began to slow down a little as the miles ticked by. I knew I would still likely PR even if the sub-4 wasn't happening, so I just tried to hold on as my pace dropped into the 7:40s. That worked okay through my marathon split, but I really had trouble in the last 5 miles or so, barely keeping under an 8:30 pace. The weather was gorgeous, around high 50s, but there was a bit of a headwind which certainly didn't help my tired legs!
Around the 20 mile mark a girl zipped by me and I briefly tried to keep up, but she was at around a 7:15 pace and I knew I would burn myself out too early attempting that! I tried to just ignore it and focus on my own race, knowing I still had to be in the top 3. I chose to travel light without carrying anything, but just fueled with a gel every other lap, and drank a cup of water or gatorade on the alternate laps. I tried to pick up the pace on the last lap, especially the final mile, but I had a hard time getting good turnover with my fatigued legs- that was the lack of training really catching up with me! But I pushed as well as I could through the finish line, retching a little from my final "sprint". I clocked in with a new PR of 4:08:07, and was so glad to be done! I found out the speedy girl had beat me with an awesome 4:01 finish, but I was still 2nd lady and 3rd overall :)
I had passed my husband walking a few times, and he told me his Achilles was bothering him, but he seemed in good spirits. However, the first time I saw him after I finished, he told me he really hurting, and still had two more laps to go. I cheered him on and then decided to volunteer at the aid station, passing out water, soda, and gatorade. It took my husband a long time to finish the next lap, and when I saw him he said he had been vomiting and wanted to stop. I convinced him to keep on walking for one more lap- I knew in his place I would hate to DNF with less than 2.5 miles to go! He did end up finishing, in just under 6 hours, and managed to run in the last bit as well! I was super proud of him, as sometimes just finishing a rough race is harder than PRing on a good day.
All in all, it was a great birthday! I got a beautiful day, ran a big PR and placed for my gender and overall. I met some nice new people and got a chance to volunteer for a couple of hours, which I really enjoyed. Unfortunately, the weather since then hasn't been anywhere near as good, but I've really buckled down with my training lately, so I'm feeling good about my chances at Boston in a couple months!
We drove about 3 1/2 hours on Saturday afternoon to get to Virginia Beach. The next morning we headed out bright and early for the race, which was on a nearby golf course. It was cold and windy before sunrise, but I knew it would warm up quickly once the sun came out and we started running. The course was USATF certified and on the paved golf cart paths- one short out-and-back, then 13 loops of about 2.3 miles each. There was a 100K option as well, which I considered switching to, as I felt like I was "wussing out" by doing the shorter distance. But with Boston Marathon coming up a nice, fast 50K seemed like better training. Plus, this would have me running 31 miles on my 31st birthday!
I really wanted to PR, but I hadn't done much speed work lately so I wasn't sure how fast I could go. I think with the right training I could do a sub-4 50K, but I knew I probably wasn't up for that at the time. I thought I could get under 4:15 though. Basically, my plan was just to go out fast and settle into a sustainable pace, whatever that might be on the day.
I probably started out too fast- 1st mile was 7:10- but I settled into the 7:20-7:30 range and felt surprisingly good! For a little while I even had the audacity to think I might get that sub-4 after all... I kept under 7:30s through the halfway point, then began to slow down a little as the miles ticked by. I knew I would still likely PR even if the sub-4 wasn't happening, so I just tried to hold on as my pace dropped into the 7:40s. That worked okay through my marathon split, but I really had trouble in the last 5 miles or so, barely keeping under an 8:30 pace. The weather was gorgeous, around high 50s, but there was a bit of a headwind which certainly didn't help my tired legs!
Around the 20 mile mark a girl zipped by me and I briefly tried to keep up, but she was at around a 7:15 pace and I knew I would burn myself out too early attempting that! I tried to just ignore it and focus on my own race, knowing I still had to be in the top 3. I chose to travel light without carrying anything, but just fueled with a gel every other lap, and drank a cup of water or gatorade on the alternate laps. I tried to pick up the pace on the last lap, especially the final mile, but I had a hard time getting good turnover with my fatigued legs- that was the lack of training really catching up with me! But I pushed as well as I could through the finish line, retching a little from my final "sprint". I clocked in with a new PR of 4:08:07, and was so glad to be done! I found out the speedy girl had beat me with an awesome 4:01 finish, but I was still 2nd lady and 3rd overall :)
I had passed my husband walking a few times, and he told me his Achilles was bothering him, but he seemed in good spirits. However, the first time I saw him after I finished, he told me he really hurting, and still had two more laps to go. I cheered him on and then decided to volunteer at the aid station, passing out water, soda, and gatorade. It took my husband a long time to finish the next lap, and when I saw him he said he had been vomiting and wanted to stop. I convinced him to keep on walking for one more lap- I knew in his place I would hate to DNF with less than 2.5 miles to go! He did end up finishing, in just under 6 hours, and managed to run in the last bit as well! I was super proud of him, as sometimes just finishing a rough race is harder than PRing on a good day.
All in all, it was a great birthday! I got a beautiful day, ran a big PR and placed for my gender and overall. I met some nice new people and got a chance to volunteer for a couple of hours, which I really enjoyed. Unfortunately, the weather since then hasn't been anywhere near as good, but I've really buckled down with my training lately, so I'm feeling good about my chances at Boston in a couple months!
Thursday, January 8, 2015
Wildcat 24 Hour
Going into this race I was coming off of several days of severe sickness, so I had no idea how this race would go. The answer was...not so good. When I flew down to Florida Friday morning I was still congested and exhausted. My friend/crew chief Danielle picked me up from the airport and we drove to our hotel in Pensacola. I tried my best to rest up even more, and when I woke up I did think I might be okay.
The race started out okay, although with 100% humidity I think I should have started at a bit slower pace. I actually PR'd both my 50k and 50 mile by about 2 minutes each, but my quads kept cramping up, and I needed Danielle to keep using the "Stick" on my legs. I actually have bruises from all the pressure! Anyway, I would get in a few good laps, but then cramp up again. I've never had this issue before, and I'm not proud of how I dealt with my frustration- there was some yelling and cursing involved. Danielle was pretty much a saint for dealing with me during this race. I need to work harder at dealing with my emotions under stress.
By about 8 hours in I began to slow down, and around 10 hours/64 miles in I just couldn't get a good turnover and slowed down a lot. At 12 hours in my cramping quads started giving out- if I lost focus or tried to stop my legs would give way and I literally collapsed on the track several times, which was scary. I'm guessing it was illness related fatigue, combined with the humidity, which I really didn't take into account with my pacing.
At around the same time I noticed my urine looked pink. I'm not 100% sure but I think there was a little blood in my urine. It looked the same the next two times I went to the bathroom, and I wasn't able to maintain more than a 12:00 running pace, so after about 13 1/2 hours I switched completely to walking. At that point my walking pace was only about 1:30 slower than running, and far less painful. Since I knew I wouldn't be making my goal anyway I stuck to walking from that point. I also stopped collapsing and started having normal urine, so I think it was a good decision. My friend Chris spent a long time walking and talking with me, which was super helpful and made the time pass quicker.
I walked consistently until about 18 1/2 hours in, when the thunderstorms and torrential rain started. Around that point most people quit, and the rest of us took shelter for a while. I was close to 100 miles so i braved the rain when it settled down a bit so I could at least earn a buckle. With only a few laps to go Danielle found out I was the only lady who hadn't quit in the 24 hour yet, so if I did another 3.24 miles i would win 1st female. I would have been upset if I had so much time and chose not to take the lead, which Danielle rightly guessed! So I kept going to finish lap 418 (103.34 miles) in 21:36. Very few people were still on the course, and I was perfectly fine to stop there.
It was a rough weekend for almost everyone. Between the humidity and the storms it was not a day for PRs. Given that, I'm satisfied with the result. However, I am not satisfied with myself. Frustration is not an excuse for screaming and cursing, and I wish I had shown myself in a better light. Generally I am friendly and supportive at races, and this time I was a bit too self-centered. I've always had some trouble controlling my emotions under pressure, and this weekend made it clear I still have work to do in that area.
The race started out okay, although with 100% humidity I think I should have started at a bit slower pace. I actually PR'd both my 50k and 50 mile by about 2 minutes each, but my quads kept cramping up, and I needed Danielle to keep using the "Stick" on my legs. I actually have bruises from all the pressure! Anyway, I would get in a few good laps, but then cramp up again. I've never had this issue before, and I'm not proud of how I dealt with my frustration- there was some yelling and cursing involved. Danielle was pretty much a saint for dealing with me during this race. I need to work harder at dealing with my emotions under stress.
By about 8 hours in I began to slow down, and around 10 hours/64 miles in I just couldn't get a good turnover and slowed down a lot. At 12 hours in my cramping quads started giving out- if I lost focus or tried to stop my legs would give way and I literally collapsed on the track several times, which was scary. I'm guessing it was illness related fatigue, combined with the humidity, which I really didn't take into account with my pacing.
At around the same time I noticed my urine looked pink. I'm not 100% sure but I think there was a little blood in my urine. It looked the same the next two times I went to the bathroom, and I wasn't able to maintain more than a 12:00 running pace, so after about 13 1/2 hours I switched completely to walking. At that point my walking pace was only about 1:30 slower than running, and far less painful. Since I knew I wouldn't be making my goal anyway I stuck to walking from that point. I also stopped collapsing and started having normal urine, so I think it was a good decision. My friend Chris spent a long time walking and talking with me, which was super helpful and made the time pass quicker.
I walked consistently until about 18 1/2 hours in, when the thunderstorms and torrential rain started. Around that point most people quit, and the rest of us took shelter for a while. I was close to 100 miles so i braved the rain when it settled down a bit so I could at least earn a buckle. With only a few laps to go Danielle found out I was the only lady who hadn't quit in the 24 hour yet, so if I did another 3.24 miles i would win 1st female. I would have been upset if I had so much time and chose not to take the lead, which Danielle rightly guessed! So I kept going to finish lap 418 (103.34 miles) in 21:36. Very few people were still on the course, and I was perfectly fine to stop there.
It was a rough weekend for almost everyone. Between the humidity and the storms it was not a day for PRs. Given that, I'm satisfied with the result. However, I am not satisfied with myself. Frustration is not an excuse for screaming and cursing, and I wish I had shown myself in a better light. Generally I am friendly and supportive at races, and this time I was a bit too self-centered. I've always had some trouble controlling my emotions under pressure, and this weekend made it clear I still have work to do in that area.
Wednesday, December 3, 2014
Icarus 24 Hour
It's hard for me to write about this race, as I am still so disappointed. I've had time to process things, and I've come to terms with it. I went out exactly as planned, and that lasted well for the first 3 hours. But then severe pain built up in my medial knee. I've dealt with IT band pain before, but that's on the lateral side. This was different, and I still don't know exactly what it was or what caused it. Luckily there were two amazing massage therapists at the race, and I quickly took advantage. That allowed me to return to the race, and at that point (around 4 hours in) I was only a few laps behind schedule.
But then the pain came back. It built up over time, and with it severe low back pain as well (that I believe stemmed from tight hamstrings). Once again I was forced to stop for a massage treatment. After that point, I had lost a solid hour off the course, but I was still hopeful I could at least PR, although 140 was likely out of reach.
But once again the pain relief didn't last. At the 12 hour mark I wasn't even to 70 miles, and I knew any significant goal was impossible. I honestly thought about quitting after that realization. As I told Alec, I had come with certain goals, and what was the point of continuing when they were all out of reach? But I had also taken a 7-hour road trip, and Alec had flown down, and I couldn't just stop.
Massage treatment number 4 was with the other massage therapist, "Australian Michael" (both men were named Michael). His technique was different, but also temporarily effective. I kept going through the night, at this point just thinking maybe I could break 120 miles, which would technically be another national team qualification, although not even in the top 15 performances.
Early in the morning I needed to stop again for a treatment, at this point exhausted and highly emotional due to my disappointment. On top of everything, a very close family member had received a cancer diagnosis 3 days prior to the race, and I was hoping to run a great race "for them". I felt as though I had let them down, despite knowing they would be proud of me no matter what. I was crying pretty hard for a while, but continued running.
In the end, I did manage to complete all 24 hours- minus the 2 hours or so spent on the massage table- did not walk at all, and finished with just under 121 miles. Aly Venti, an amazingly talented runner from Florida won and made the national team with just under 141 miles. She was so encouraging to me all race, and definitely deserved her result- but I can't pretend it wasn't difficult to see someone else accomplishing what had been my goal, almost exactly.
So what's next? Well, despite the cost and stress I've entered a "last chance" 24 hour race on January 3rd- Wildcat 24 hour in Pensacola, Florida. It is USATF certified, and on a 400 meter track. My last track ultra didn't go so well but I've learned a lot since then so hopefully this time will be better! My friend Danielle from Tallahassee will be crewing me, and I have a few friends racing as well, which should hopefully help encourage me. I feel a bit guilty spending so much money to fly down, but if I don't at least try one last time for 2015 I will always wonder "what if?".
But I'm also trying to resign myself to being, at best, an alternate for the 2015 team. Once I have the financial means I will hire a coach and get serious about getting on the team for 2017. It's hard for me because I am very impatient, but I've only been running for less than 5 years, and racing 24 hours for less than one year. I'm sure I've mentioned this before, but maybe if I say it enough times it'll sink in and I'll stop being so hard on myself! In 2016 I will be turning 32- that's probably not even my peak yet as a runner, so I'm sure with the right training I can continue to improve.
Today I did a 50k training run in less than 5 hours. I'm sore but my knee pain is gone. So maybe I'll have a chance at Wildcat in 4 1/2 weeks. And maybe I'll come away disappointed again, although I will almost certainly learn something new about running or about myself. In any case, I'm trying to be grateful to have the ability God has given me, and remember the joy of running!
But then the pain came back. It built up over time, and with it severe low back pain as well (that I believe stemmed from tight hamstrings). Once again I was forced to stop for a massage treatment. After that point, I had lost a solid hour off the course, but I was still hopeful I could at least PR, although 140 was likely out of reach.
But once again the pain relief didn't last. At the 12 hour mark I wasn't even to 70 miles, and I knew any significant goal was impossible. I honestly thought about quitting after that realization. As I told Alec, I had come with certain goals, and what was the point of continuing when they were all out of reach? But I had also taken a 7-hour road trip, and Alec had flown down, and I couldn't just stop.
Massage treatment number 4 was with the other massage therapist, "Australian Michael" (both men were named Michael). His technique was different, but also temporarily effective. I kept going through the night, at this point just thinking maybe I could break 120 miles, which would technically be another national team qualification, although not even in the top 15 performances.
Early in the morning I needed to stop again for a treatment, at this point exhausted and highly emotional due to my disappointment. On top of everything, a very close family member had received a cancer diagnosis 3 days prior to the race, and I was hoping to run a great race "for them". I felt as though I had let them down, despite knowing they would be proud of me no matter what. I was crying pretty hard for a while, but continued running.
In the end, I did manage to complete all 24 hours- minus the 2 hours or so spent on the massage table- did not walk at all, and finished with just under 121 miles. Aly Venti, an amazingly talented runner from Florida won and made the national team with just under 141 miles. She was so encouraging to me all race, and definitely deserved her result- but I can't pretend it wasn't difficult to see someone else accomplishing what had been my goal, almost exactly.
So what's next? Well, despite the cost and stress I've entered a "last chance" 24 hour race on January 3rd- Wildcat 24 hour in Pensacola, Florida. It is USATF certified, and on a 400 meter track. My last track ultra didn't go so well but I've learned a lot since then so hopefully this time will be better! My friend Danielle from Tallahassee will be crewing me, and I have a few friends racing as well, which should hopefully help encourage me. I feel a bit guilty spending so much money to fly down, but if I don't at least try one last time for 2015 I will always wonder "what if?".
But I'm also trying to resign myself to being, at best, an alternate for the 2015 team. Once I have the financial means I will hire a coach and get serious about getting on the team for 2017. It's hard for me because I am very impatient, but I've only been running for less than 5 years, and racing 24 hours for less than one year. I'm sure I've mentioned this before, but maybe if I say it enough times it'll sink in and I'll stop being so hard on myself! In 2016 I will be turning 32- that's probably not even my peak yet as a runner, so I'm sure with the right training I can continue to improve.
Today I did a 50k training run in less than 5 hours. I'm sore but my knee pain is gone. So maybe I'll have a chance at Wildcat in 4 1/2 weeks. And maybe I'll come away disappointed again, although I will almost certainly learn something new about running or about myself. In any case, I'm trying to be grateful to have the ability God has given me, and remember the joy of running!
Thursday, November 13, 2014
Countdown to Race Day
I've been so busy this fall, it's hard to believe it's almost here- only 2 days until Icarus 24 Hour. I'm trying not to put too much pressure on myself, but this is such an important race to me. Right now it looks very unlikely that my 133 miles at GSEC in May will be enough for a place on the 24 team. I am going for broke and trying for 140+ miles this weekend, which is scary and intimidating but also possible. I don't feel ready, but then I never do.
After Chase the Sun I took a bit of a recovery week, then had 4 tough training weeks before tapering. I ran 65, 70, 50, and 65 miles over those weeks, the last two of which also had me on my feet for 3 12-hour clinicals each week. I had several 2-a-days, back-to-back 20 milers, and intense speedwork. I did several short night runs after all-day clinicals, which will hopefully help me to run fatigued. My last long run was on Monday October 27, and I've barely run since then. I'm generally a believer in "over resting" instead of over training! Unfortunately I haven't been sleeping well, but I hope the relaxation will be enough.
Alec will be crewing me again, and I plan on basically following the same strategy I've used in the past- eat something small every hour (real food if possible), alternate water and Tailwind, minimize aid time, start out at a moderately fast pace and slow down gradually after dark. I shouldn't have to worry much about weather- forecast is 80 and partly sunny during the day, 60s and clear overnight. I hope to reach 80 miles or close to it in the first half, to allow a decent buffer in the second half for slowing down.
I'm really, really nervous. I'm trying to remind myself that I can sign up for another 24 hour race in early January if needed, for one last shot at the 2015 team. I just hope it doesn't come to that. This is the race I've been training for for months, and I think this is my best shot. No matter what the outcome, I plan on leaving everything I have out on that course. Wish me luck everyone...let's roll!
After Chase the Sun I took a bit of a recovery week, then had 4 tough training weeks before tapering. I ran 65, 70, 50, and 65 miles over those weeks, the last two of which also had me on my feet for 3 12-hour clinicals each week. I had several 2-a-days, back-to-back 20 milers, and intense speedwork. I did several short night runs after all-day clinicals, which will hopefully help me to run fatigued. My last long run was on Monday October 27, and I've barely run since then. I'm generally a believer in "over resting" instead of over training! Unfortunately I haven't been sleeping well, but I hope the relaxation will be enough.
Alec will be crewing me again, and I plan on basically following the same strategy I've used in the past- eat something small every hour (real food if possible), alternate water and Tailwind, minimize aid time, start out at a moderately fast pace and slow down gradually after dark. I shouldn't have to worry much about weather- forecast is 80 and partly sunny during the day, 60s and clear overnight. I hope to reach 80 miles or close to it in the first half, to allow a decent buffer in the second half for slowing down.
I'm really, really nervous. I'm trying to remind myself that I can sign up for another 24 hour race in early January if needed, for one last shot at the 2015 team. I just hope it doesn't come to that. This is the race I've been training for for months, and I think this is my best shot. No matter what the outcome, I plan on leaving everything I have out on that course. Wish me luck everyone...let's roll!
Sunday, September 21, 2014
Chase the Sun 12 Hour
I went into this race wanting at least 60 miles, and preferably 100K. I had a modified 1 week taper and wasn't sure how I'd feel. Plus, the route is mainly on a rooty (although flat) trail, and forecast called for at least some rain off and on. But I ended up with 72.93 miles, an overall win, and the new course record!
I started out a bit too fast (8:00 pace) but figured I'd soon settle into whatever pace felt moderately fast that day. That turned out to be about 8:45 overall for the first 4 hours, and then I slowed down a bit over time. At the beginning I ran a few laps with Tom, the eventual male 12 hour winner. He's a really nice guy, and I definitely enjoyed running and chatting with him. After we stopped running together I didn't see him again until the finish, but we were on the same lap all day- I was just consistently a half lap ahead!
Then my friend Elizabeth came out in the morning and ran 9 miles with me at about a 9:00-9:15 pace, which was faster than her normal pace. I was worried I was going too fast for her but she did great! I hit marathon at about 3:53 and 50K at 4:41. At the 6 hour point I was actually a full lap (1.87 miles) ahead of my winning 6 hour race mileage from last year.
I took a short break at that point, since it seemed like a nice stopping point- also I realized all I'd eaten the first 6 hours was 3 gels and 2 half cups of coke, and I was feeling a bit dizzy. I drank some more soda and ate some bacon, which helped a lot. After that i still kept a sub-10:00 pace to reach 50 miles at 7:41 (a new PR). I realized by about 4 hours in that I could probably get close to 70 miles, and once I reached 50 miles and still felt good I knew I could do even more, so I went for it!
At 8 hours I took another little break, as I was starting to feel light headed again. I had a Hammer bar and some more coke, and started carrying Tailwind for the rest of the race to make sure I kept taking in calories. My friend Tina came out to do her long run with me, and we ran just under 3 hours together, which was really fun. My GPS had died around 8 hours, but I was doing around 3 laps/hour at this point, around a 10:45 pace. It was nice to have someone to whine to towards the end, when I was hitting that "I'm just sick of this" point :)
I actually slowed down a bit intentionally in the last hour, because I knew I wanted to stop at 39 laps and I didn't want to be in a position to have the time to do more! As it was, I finished with 7 minutes to spare and was told I had time to start another lap...my response was not language used in polite company! I was very happy to stop when I did.
I am very happy with this race...I would like to break 75 miles in the first half of Icarus 24 Hour in November, and if I can do 73 on a trail I should be able to do close to 80 on pavement. I still have about 4 weeks of hard training, and then a 3-week taper to make sure I go in to that race fresh. I know from experience that long tapers make me miserable, but they do work well for 24 hour races!
I started out a bit too fast (8:00 pace) but figured I'd soon settle into whatever pace felt moderately fast that day. That turned out to be about 8:45 overall for the first 4 hours, and then I slowed down a bit over time. At the beginning I ran a few laps with Tom, the eventual male 12 hour winner. He's a really nice guy, and I definitely enjoyed running and chatting with him. After we stopped running together I didn't see him again until the finish, but we were on the same lap all day- I was just consistently a half lap ahead!
Then my friend Elizabeth came out in the morning and ran 9 miles with me at about a 9:00-9:15 pace, which was faster than her normal pace. I was worried I was going too fast for her but she did great! I hit marathon at about 3:53 and 50K at 4:41. At the 6 hour point I was actually a full lap (1.87 miles) ahead of my winning 6 hour race mileage from last year.
I took a short break at that point, since it seemed like a nice stopping point- also I realized all I'd eaten the first 6 hours was 3 gels and 2 half cups of coke, and I was feeling a bit dizzy. I drank some more soda and ate some bacon, which helped a lot. After that i still kept a sub-10:00 pace to reach 50 miles at 7:41 (a new PR). I realized by about 4 hours in that I could probably get close to 70 miles, and once I reached 50 miles and still felt good I knew I could do even more, so I went for it!
At 8 hours I took another little break, as I was starting to feel light headed again. I had a Hammer bar and some more coke, and started carrying Tailwind for the rest of the race to make sure I kept taking in calories. My friend Tina came out to do her long run with me, and we ran just under 3 hours together, which was really fun. My GPS had died around 8 hours, but I was doing around 3 laps/hour at this point, around a 10:45 pace. It was nice to have someone to whine to towards the end, when I was hitting that "I'm just sick of this" point :)
I actually slowed down a bit intentionally in the last hour, because I knew I wanted to stop at 39 laps and I didn't want to be in a position to have the time to do more! As it was, I finished with 7 minutes to spare and was told I had time to start another lap...my response was not language used in polite company! I was very happy to stop when I did.
I am very happy with this race...I would like to break 75 miles in the first half of Icarus 24 Hour in November, and if I can do 73 on a trail I should be able to do close to 80 on pavement. I still have about 4 weeks of hard training, and then a 3-week taper to make sure I go in to that race fresh. I know from experience that long tapers make me miserable, but they do work well for 24 hour races!
Thursday, September 18, 2014
Summer Recap
A busy summer of racing is over! I have really slacked on posting due to a variety of factors, but I'm back, and I'll try to keep on top of things this time. After my big success at GSEC (which is now officially listed on the USATF website!), I completed 3 ultras over 6 weeks (Bad Marsh 50K, Merrill's Mile 24 Hour, and Double Cremator 50 Mile). I definitely don't think I was at my best- I think I generally need 4-6 weeks between big races to recover. But although I wasn't fully rested I still did pretty well at my summer racing. Then 5 weeks after the 3rd race I ran Homestead 10x5K, which also went well. Here are a few brief write-ups for each race:
Bad Marsh: This was the day after my 5 year wedding anniversary, so I ran it with my husband. It was his second ultra (he ran the 6 Hour at GSEC), and he did great! I may have held him back a bit at the beginning, as he's faster than me at short distances, but by lap 5 of 7 he was suffering. We had vowed to stay together, so although it was slightly frustrating- for us both, probably- I stayed with him through walk breaks at that point. He rallied in the final lap though, and we finished strong in 5:35. It was a really cool experience to finish hand in hand with my husband! And the time was good enough for 3rd female as well.
Merrill's Mile: My IT band was a bit sore after the uneven ground of Bad Marsh, and as this race was on gravel I was a bit concerned. I raced hard for the first 12 hours, managed the heat well, and ended up with about 69 miles in the first half. But overnight the uneven ground started hurting my knees and IT band. Knowing this wasn't an "A" race, and I had another race in 2 weeks, I decided to take it easy, and primarily walk. I knew I could have gotten around 120 miles had I pushed harder, but I think I made the right decision not to risk injury. I stopped after about 23 hours, with just under 111 miles- good for 1st female and a new course record. Alec did a great job crewing as always, and he was supportive of my decision to walk. He also didn't hit me when I spent hours whining that I was lazy and terrible for walking, haha!
Cremator: I was very nervous about running back-to-back races, and expected that day 2 would be much slower no matter what. So I went out pretty hard on day 1, but tried to keep a bit in the tank so day 2 wouldn't be a complete sufferfest! I felt really good throughout the day, and finished in about 8:02- 2nd female on day 1. That night I wore my compression sleeves and elevated my feet on a pillow, which I think helped a lot. Day 2 was much harder- for starters, it rained heavily at the start so I was wearing wet clothes all day (the chaffing that night literally made me sob!). Then it got super hot and humid in the 2nd half- I was refilling my water bottle every 2-3 miles just to stay hydrated. I was pretty miserable by the end, but I still managed a decent finish of about 9:18- 1st female on day 2 and 1st female overall in the double. Thank God for my crew at this race! Alec crewed/paced me on day 1, and my friend Kara crewed while Emily paced on day 2- I don't think I could have done it without them!
Homestead: This was a very unique race! There is a 5K trail loop, and you run it on the hour for 10 hours. Each lap is timed individually, and they are added up at the end for the final result. My plan was to run moderately hard but consistently, and count on people going out too fast early on to help me place high. This worked out pretty well! All my laps were within 2:30 of each other, and I was very pleased with the consistency given the brutal 102 degree heat (with a 126 heat index!). Most people did slow down more as the heat worsened, and I found my overall standing rising after every lap. I finished with around 4:22, good for 3rd female.
Next up is Chase the Sun 12 Hour this Saturday. I'm trying to just view it as a good training run with friends, and not push myself too hard. I'd still like to finish in the 60-70 mile range, but we'll see how it goes!
Bad Marsh: This was the day after my 5 year wedding anniversary, so I ran it with my husband. It was his second ultra (he ran the 6 Hour at GSEC), and he did great! I may have held him back a bit at the beginning, as he's faster than me at short distances, but by lap 5 of 7 he was suffering. We had vowed to stay together, so although it was slightly frustrating- for us both, probably- I stayed with him through walk breaks at that point. He rallied in the final lap though, and we finished strong in 5:35. It was a really cool experience to finish hand in hand with my husband! And the time was good enough for 3rd female as well.
Merrill's Mile: My IT band was a bit sore after the uneven ground of Bad Marsh, and as this race was on gravel I was a bit concerned. I raced hard for the first 12 hours, managed the heat well, and ended up with about 69 miles in the first half. But overnight the uneven ground started hurting my knees and IT band. Knowing this wasn't an "A" race, and I had another race in 2 weeks, I decided to take it easy, and primarily walk. I knew I could have gotten around 120 miles had I pushed harder, but I think I made the right decision not to risk injury. I stopped after about 23 hours, with just under 111 miles- good for 1st female and a new course record. Alec did a great job crewing as always, and he was supportive of my decision to walk. He also didn't hit me when I spent hours whining that I was lazy and terrible for walking, haha!
Cremator: I was very nervous about running back-to-back races, and expected that day 2 would be much slower no matter what. So I went out pretty hard on day 1, but tried to keep a bit in the tank so day 2 wouldn't be a complete sufferfest! I felt really good throughout the day, and finished in about 8:02- 2nd female on day 1. That night I wore my compression sleeves and elevated my feet on a pillow, which I think helped a lot. Day 2 was much harder- for starters, it rained heavily at the start so I was wearing wet clothes all day (the chaffing that night literally made me sob!). Then it got super hot and humid in the 2nd half- I was refilling my water bottle every 2-3 miles just to stay hydrated. I was pretty miserable by the end, but I still managed a decent finish of about 9:18- 1st female on day 2 and 1st female overall in the double. Thank God for my crew at this race! Alec crewed/paced me on day 1, and my friend Kara crewed while Emily paced on day 2- I don't think I could have done it without them!
Homestead: This was a very unique race! There is a 5K trail loop, and you run it on the hour for 10 hours. Each lap is timed individually, and they are added up at the end for the final result. My plan was to run moderately hard but consistently, and count on people going out too fast early on to help me place high. This worked out pretty well! All my laps were within 2:30 of each other, and I was very pleased with the consistency given the brutal 102 degree heat (with a 126 heat index!). Most people did slow down more as the heat worsened, and I found my overall standing rising after every lap. I finished with around 4:22, good for 3rd female.
Next up is Chase the Sun 12 Hour this Saturday. I'm trying to just view it as a good training run with friends, and not push myself too hard. I'd still like to finish in the 60-70 mile range, but we'll see how it goes!
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