I have crossed over to the crazy side. A few months back I saw an event on facebook called Phunt 25k/50k. A small, grassroots race about two hours from my home on trails I had never adventured. Last year the race was rumored to be run in 0 degree weather with two feet of snow and ice.
So I said "yeah, that sounds awesome" and signed up???!!! Yep. I did. Besides, the post race bling was not a medal, but a pint glass. And I really wanted the pint glass. Also, it was a great deal! Only $35 for 15 or so miles, way cheaper than the Rock N Roll Half Marathon AND more miles for those dollars. Besides, it's not like I was really crazy and going to do the 50k. I was going to take the easy way out.
Yep, that's what my brain did.
So I showed up on Saturday with a six-pack of DC Brau as an offering to the race director and the trail gods. I can't even drink right now because it really messes with my training the morning after. This offering may seem like a minor detail, but it plays an important part later in the story. So remember this detail.
Many times throughout the race I felt direct benefit of the changes I put in place in my training over the past two months. First, I have a new triathlon coach helping me prepare for Ironman Maryland. She is amazing and I will have to write a whole post just about her. Short version is her name is Mo Tobin, I called her new coaching business 'Mo Better Tri.' She is a multiple IM athlete and an accomplished marathoner (including Boston of course). For me, she is the perfect combination of tough love, science and spirituality.
Her email to me the day before the race was perfect. First, she was concerned I wasn't eating enough because I had gotten lazy on my calorie logging and it looked like I was at least 500 calories a day short (beyond my current 500 a day deficit). But most importantly she said to me , "Push yourself a bit tomorrow. That's when you learn about yourself."
I had that in my head as I started the race. The weather? Weather: Feels like 27, 74% humidity.
The first mile was strong, it was mostly flat and slightly downhill, the trail was gravel and packet and not too bad. I kept my pace right where I was hoping, relaxed, slow, heart rate in zone 2, I was cruising along in the back of the pack. It was great.
Then boom. Crash. Who put that root there? Crash #1. Got up. Checked for blood - none, tights weren't even torn. Started a conversation with the runner who stopped to check on me. All good. Keep running. Slowed down slightly as I was still feeling a little unsteady. Nothing severe, but just tried to get my heart rate settled a bit. Couldn't seem to do it. The hills started to come a bit, up and down, some twists and turns and then, probably around mile two BOOM! Crash! Yep.. again. Other knee. Same thing -- no blood, no tears in clothing. Keep going. "You weren't kidding when you said you fall a lot." Said the woman who checked on me from before. Nope. That's me.
"HI. I am Karen. I am the runner who falls a lot." Maybe I am in the wrong sport? But I love this sport. I love the trails. Wait, don't I? Why do I? Crap. I am only three miles into this, have fallen twice, it's starting to spit frozen rain, the hills keep coming, more switchbacks. I have to do this for 12 more miles!! I can't do this. There is no way. What was I thinking?? Wait... push yourself Karen. That is when you learn about yourself. No mud, no lotus. Pain is the edge of truth. Let's go. And get yourself to the first aid station at mile five. It was promised to be a party.
I got there. And it was a party. A local trail group had set up a frat party themed station complete with Twister and Hootie and the Blowfish music. It was hysterical and PACKED with food - chocolate dipped pretzels, hot cocoa, Ramen, Heed, gells, cookies, candy... Food that turned my stomach the moment I saw it. For some reason, my tummy was not happy at all. I was trying out my favorite peanut butter pretzels as running nutrition since they worked so well on the bike... but no. Was just too much. I mixed in my Skratch powered into my CamelBak, ate some freeze dried mangos and carried on.
More hills. More twists and turns and a rock here and there. Particularly one right there where my left heel landed and knocked my left leg over the left side of my foot - sprained ankle. There we go. I had tweaked it a few times prior to this moment, but this was one of those sharp sharp shots of pain that went right to my brain and said "Okay crazy lady, you are DONE DONE DONE." But I was three miles out from next aid station and I was going to have to get myself there somehow. So, I started to walk on the ankle to see if the pain would fade. Push yourself, that's when you learn.
This is when I was hit by the second big change I put into my training -- crazy strength and fatigue training with the Larrys (Sr and Jr) at KAAOS Gym & Athletic Training Center. This is not a Traithlon training facility. It isn't even a running focused facility. When I am there I am generally not hooked up to any of my gadgets, looking at power ratings or heart rate or cadence or blah blah blah. I am just getting shit done. Lifting heavy things and putting them down, and mostly that heavy object is just me. I do TRX there, and that's the fanciest piece of equipment I use. The rest is straight up burpies and pushups and squats and push push push. I have yet to vomit, but Larry Sr. has his camera ready for when I do.
So what does that have to do with me and my sprained ankle with three miles to the nearest aid station? I cannot tell you the number of times during my workouts at KAAOS where I have outloud said to myself "I can't do this" only to have that same exact mouth and brain holler back, outloud again, "shut up, yes you can, get it done." It isn't always pretty, but I do. I get it done. So, while I definitely felt the new physical strength, especially in my quads/glutes when powering through some of the hills, where I really felt the gain was in my brain. "Shut up. Yes you can, get it done."
And now the beer offering to the trail gods comes in. My ankle was hurting a bit, but I wasn't quite sure if it was real pain or that fake mental pain my brain seems to give me every time I hit the wall in a long run. Happened to me at Rock Hall last spring, when I was so sure my hip wouldn't make it through all six miles of the run. But I did. So I told myself, "Make it to the aid station at mile 8.5 and there you can either get a ride or short the course."
So I kept running. Garmin said eight miles, then 8.5, then nine.. wait, what?? Maybe it was at 9.5. Maybe 10... nope. Crap. Guess I missed it. Okay. It's raining, I am soaked, it's cold. Make it to the next aid station. Make it to mile 11. Holy crap how the heck do people do this loop TWICE for a 50k??
Somehow I completely missed the second aid station. And, I believe, it was the trail gods and result of the offering. They said there is NO WAY we are letting this lady quit.
When I got myself to the last aid station I was told it was only 3.8 miles to the finish. Crap. That's like a 5K. I can't quit now. So I kept going. And I was lapped by the first 50k runner just around mile 12 -- which means I beat my first goal of not getting lapped until mile 10. And only two more passed me after that. Special shout out to runners 1 and 3 on the 50k. Both of you encouraged me as you passed and it means the world. Really does. You have no idea what it means to me to see athletes like them and know that I am even close to being in the same crew now. Makes me tear up even writing it.
I crossed the finish line, walked into the heated activity tent, gabbed the pint glass and filled it with some yummy, warm, flat Coke.
Yes, this is the ONE condition under which I will drink Coke.
I chatted with two super nice runners and who was probably one of their fathers.. I can't even remember. I was cold and sore and thrilled with myself.
So many funny after-race stories, I also probably should write a separate post just about those. Here are a few favorites in order of occurrence:
- While changing into my dry clothes in the parking lot between my two open car doors I stood up to do my best effort of pulling up my sweat pants. I was rocking a sweatshirt, sky hat, compression socks and undies when the owners of the car next to me appeared -- not usually a big deal if it's other racers, we are an immodest bunch used to various stats of extremely non-sexual undress. But these folks were clearly someone's parents and the poor dad was a bit shocked by the pantless lady standing at his car door.
- During the clothes changing incident, I neglected to change my undies. I didn't notice how wet they were from the race because I think my whole ass was numb. After about 45 min of driving home I stopped at a rest area to use the restroom and get coffee/food. I pulled myself up the stairs into the building using the railing and found the women's room. It was only then I saw the giant wet spot on my rear end. So took off the undies and threw them in my pocket. Because nothing says class like a severely limping 40 year old lady in gray sweatpants with a large wet spot on her butt and panties in her pocket.
- And then, of course, I couldn't get myself off the toilet. Thankfully the waste receptacle was solidly bolted to the stall. Lesson here: don't be ashamed to use the handicap restroom under these conditions.
Some quick lessons from the run for the future:
- Bring more easily digestible food. What I had was too heavy.
- Learn some more songs and mantras to chant. My brain was all over the place. I did pull out "You are my Sunshine" and "Rainbow Connection" several times.
- Take my medication the day after the race. Don't ask -- I somehow forgot my headmeds the day after. I think it's because I felt so crappy anyway I didn't notice the impact of not having the drugs.
- Stop more frequently while driving home. Don't be a hero and get out and move every 20-30 min.
Would I do this again? Hmmm.. that day I would have said no. Glad I did it, but wow that was hard. Day after -- hmmm, maybe. That was kinda fun. Today? Wow.. now I kinda want to do that 50k version... someday. After Ironman. No need risking injury on any more trail races between now and October.
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| sexy |
And if you really want the details, here is the garmin link for my run. You can see my true fight begin around mile 8/9. But make sure you check out that last mile split! I still had some gas to get me through the end.
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| Look ma I ran to Pennsylvania! |
And I am steeling this AWESOME video a 50k runner did where he shot a pic every 30 seconds with his Pivothead glasses. Thanks runner Jimmy Wilson for creating this!Labels: coach, fall, race report, strength training, trail running
