Foxy Half Marathon Recap

I ran the Foxy Half Marathon at Lake Hodges in Rancho Bernardo today. It was the second race in Dirt Devil Racing's Half Marathon Animal Series and it was a lot of fun. I sucked but I enjoyed the run anyway because for once NOTHING hurt. Well, except for the quarter size blister I got on my left foot for some weird reason. But my foot, my groin, and my shoulder all felt really, really good. If only I could say the same for my stomach.

I knew going into this that I wasn't going to "race" it because I hadn't been feeling that great all week and I have been so SLOW on my runs. No speed at all. And then starting on Tuesday, I had some stomach issues. It was a little hot on my run home from work that day and I felt really nauseous after and dinner didn't stick around long. Wednesday I seemed fine but then it happened again on Thursday after my run home from work. So I thought it might be the heat. But then it happened again during lunch at work on Friday and that place is on icebox so it wasn't heat related. On Saturday I woke up feeling just slightly nauseous and decided to go for a run & ride and see how I did. Both actually went really well so I had high hopes it would be okay for today. It was mostly okay but I still have a lingering bleah feeling. Anyway, that's the back story going into this morning's race.

Pre-Race

Rancho Bernardo is about 90 minutes away from me so I woke up at 3:30, ate, got ready, and packed. I headed out at 4:40 so I could be there about 6:15 to pick up my packet. Traffic was non-existent so I made good time. I did have one moment of panic when I looked in the rear view mirror and saw flashing lights but he zipped right by me. I found out why in a few miles because he was doing a break on the freeway. Luckily it didn't last long and I made it there about 6:10. I got my bib and chip and my goodie bag. It had a shirt and a hat in it for the race. I really like the logo. I was SUPPOSED to eat something before the race but I forgot. But it was too late to go back to the car so I hoped the Gu Brew I had in my little bottle would be enough.

The Race
There were 2 waves for the race: the fast people and the snails. I got in the second wave but they were still moving. It was single track at the start and I kept up with the line and went out at a 9:30 pace. I did okay in the first mile but my legs were already noodley and I decided I better back off so I could finish and not blow up. I had no energy going up the hills but only walked a very small portion of them.

It was a pretty interesting course. Some single track, some fire road, road, and bike path, lots of fishermen. Um, but they weren't running. The course took us around a portion of Lake Hodges and even across a cool suspension bridge. Since I wasn't racing, I was able to enjoy the views. It was foggy this morning and it was hanging over the hills and the lake and gave it a very peaceful feeling. Kind of reminded me of Milford Sound. Hey! A girl can dream (it's #2 on my list of dream run vacations behind Scotland). So that and all the birds made for an awesome run. I wish I had stopped to take pictures but I didn't want to get in anyone's way or step off the trail (we were warned repeatedly at the start about watching for rattlesnakes).

The only bad part of the run was that I started getting a blister on my left foot about mile 6. I wore my Peregrines because they are more protective than the WT110s and I wanted my foot to not have a setback. But I haven't worn them in forever and paid the price. :( I thought I might have to stop and take care of it at one of the aid stations but decided to wait and see. Well, I waited til the end. One thing that helped keep running was when we crossed a stream for the second time. The first time I crossed I hopped from rock to rock like everyone else. The second time I stopped and looked at the rocks and looked at the stream and debated whether getting my feet wet would hurt or help. I finally decided to go for it and plunged right in. The water was cold and felt so good! It definitely helped and I was able to finish without stopping. :)

So I just ran along at a steady pace, enjoying the morning, and happy I was going to finish my 9th Half Marathon. Then I was done and I got my medal. I WAS happy to be done but it was a little bittersweet. I wished I could have run it harder. There was a part of me in the beginning that was sad but once I let it go, I really enjoyed the run. I just bought Of Monsters and Men's new album last week and there's a song on the album which fit perfectly for today. It's called Slow and Steady and these are some of the lyrics...

My dear old friend, take me for a spin
two wolves in the dark, running in the wind
I'm letting go, but I've never felt better
passing by all the monsters in my head
I move slow and steady
but I feel like a waterfall...

Here's my medal, front and back. The saying on the back of the medal is also on the back of our shirt. I like the quote a lot. This was a fun race, the volunteers and some of the runners dressed as cats, foxes, and other animals. Everyone was very friendly and the aid stations were great. Bonus...Merrell was one of the sponsors so I got to check out their new trail shoes. I'm not sure how I walked away without buying any. I was in lust. :) Yes, I have a shoe problem! The only downside to Dirt Devil's races is no food at all at the finish. Not even a banana. What's a starving runner got to do to get some food in her! Actually, it was better that I didn't have any food before I drove home. I would have hated to get another speeding ticket because I had to hurry.

I went for a ride when I got home. No soreness at all but I just wanted to spin out my legs a little. All in all, it was a good day. I can't wait for the Cougar Half in June and then Raptor Ridge in October. I've never done a series before. If I lived closer, I'd do their Grand Slam Series too. The first one is the Coyote 5K. What do you think? Should I?

Lower Monroe Truck Trail

"Gonna keep on tryin' til I reach the highest ground." ~Red Hot Chili Peppers - Higher Ground

Today, I conquered one of my fears. I ran up a mountain. By myself! :)

I needed to do it. I had to do it. My fear was holding me back and I had to prove to myself that I could be out there on my own and be okay.

I was supposed to go to Laughlin this weekend. Today was my mom's 65th birthday and we were all going to meet there to celebrate it. But I had a message from her waiting for me when I got back from my 17miler yesterday that said the trip was cancelled because she had the flu. Poor mom. She sounded miserable and so sad that her bday trip was spoiled. :(

So, suddenly I had a chance to run the trails in our mountains this morning. I picked Lower Monroe Truck Trail in Glendora so I could visit my grandpa after (the trailhead is 15 min from his house) & take him to lunch for his birthday which is Tuesday.

I decided to take Mystic Canyon Trail (MC) to get to Lower Monroe Truck Trail (LMTT) so I parked on Big Dalton Road (the white circle at the bottom) which is the trail head for MC & Big Dalton. MC climbs up in the area of the white square on the map and meets up with LMTT (the distinct white trail). The trail to the left of the square is Poop-Out Trail (PO) which is REALLY steep. I'm not sure why it's on the map and MC isn't. Maybe because MC is mysterious? ;)

Anyway...MC was pretty steep in some places as well and I probably did 70% hiking to 30% running. It was fun though. This is one of the flatter sections:

Once I reached the meeting point for PO, MC, and LMTT, I stopped to enjoy the view...
(same view from a higher ridge later)...then headed north on LMTT and it flattened out a little so I could do more running. My run up the mountain was quiet. Just me & the birds and some other small animals I heard rustling in the bushes. I did pass one other woman hiking on MC and one mt biker coming down LMTT but other than that, I had the trail to myself. It was pretty nice. All I heard was my breathing. And the occasional souped up bike racing down the mountain on Glendora Mountain Road.

There were 2 sections where the trail had washed away/eroded and there was just a sliver of trail left. I was nervous crossing them both times going up & down but I did it without falling down the side of the mountain. I think that was my biggest worry. That I would trip and fall off the side of the trail and no one would find me. Yes, I have an overactive imagination. But it could happen. Right?

To be honest, I was a little worried about some of the bigger animals as well. There are mountain lions and bears and rattlesnakes up there. Some of my friends who ride up there have had run-ins. But I didn't see any. Thankfully.

I spent a little too much time sightseeing and taking pictures so I didn't go all the way to the top like I'd planned. I'd told my grandpa I would be at his house by 11 and I didn't want to be late and make him worry so I turned around when I got to the top of the ridge (the top white circle in the map above). It's hard to see but there is a tiny little offshoot just at that junction and there are a bunch of bee hives there. I didn't hear any bees though. These are some of the views from my summit (3280ft):


The run down was a lot more fun and took a lot less time. It was also more social as I saw a couple more runners, mt bikers, and hikers w/dogs. When I got back to the MC/LMTT/PO juncture, I stopped to take my phone off airplane mode and took a moment to figure out which trail I was going to take the rest of the way. I kind of wanted to stay on LMTT but that would have added more than a mile and I didn't think I'd have time for that. Poop-Out also would have taken me away from where I parked and meant some road running so I decided to go ahead and head down Mystic Canyon.

And then I was done! I made it back to the car! 2 1/2 hrs running/hiking for the day. I was tired & a little sore, but in one piece. It was a great feeling. 1185ft to 3280ft. ~2100ft of climbing for the day. Not bad. Didn't get lost. Didn't fall off the mountain. Did a little climbing. It was a pretty darn good morning. :)

I took it easy up there today because my quads were sore from yesterday's run and my 50K is one week away but I will definitely come back in the next few weeks. If I park on Glendora Mountain Road, I can do all of LMTT (which includes multiple stream crossings) and I'll give myself enough time to go all the way to the top.

I definitely think I'm ready to take advantage of living in the foothills of the San Gabriel Mountains! I've got my big girl panties on now!

How about you? Do you/did you have any fears when it comes to running? How did you overcome them?

A Hurricane JEM Race Report

I ran A Hurricane JEM 16.5 Mile Trail Run on Saturday, October 15th in Virgin, Utah. It was my first real trail race where I had to follow course markings and there was the possibility of getting lost! I signed up for this race for the adventure, to revisit Utah, and to mark Utah off my list of states I'd run in. As an extra bonus, my family decided to come with me to see me race and keep me company. My sister, nieces, nephew, dad & stepmom all joined me on this trip.

I always planned on having fun with this run but I have to admit that I'd hoped to do well. That all changed on October 1st when I crashed my bike. Suddenly, I wasn't sure I'd be able to even run the race at all. In the crash, I bruised the entire back and side of my left leg. There was a huge lump above my knee from fluid/blood that had settled there. Any jarring of that area was pretty painful and I tried everything to help it heal but according to the doctor, it would just take time. Time, I didn't have! I wanted to run the race, but I didn't want to risk further damage or delay the healing. Finally, on the Thursday before the race, I was able to run 3 miles, slowly and with the area wrapped by a compression sleeve to hold the jarring to a minimum. Jason felt that if I could run another 3 miles on Friday, I could go ahead and run on Saturday. Run though, not race. On Friday, I felt okay to run and I felt better on that run. I had hope that I would be able to finish on Saturday! Woo!

I probably should have stayed off my feet for the rest of the day but we were in Zion and the weather was gorgeous. We took the tram into Zion and did some exploring. We did some of the shorter hikes but nothing too technical or strenuous since my six year old nephew was with us. It was a long, long day day and I was pretty tired at the end and my leg was aching. I had to wrap it at the end but it was worth it. Zion is stunning and the views are soothing and inspiring to the soul. We got back to the hotel around 7 and my family decided to rest, change, and go out to dinner. I stayed in and just had some peanut butter and bagels for dinner so I could put my legs up and rest. I set the alarm for 4:45 and went to bed.

On Saturday, I woke up, ate breakfast, dressed, took care of business, then headed over to the race start to check in and get my bib and bag. Oh, and the map of the course. I guess there had been some confusion last year with a mountain bike race from the week before and some runners got lost. They were worried it would happen again this year so they handed out maps and made sure we knew to follow the orange markings only. I had a gel and hit the porta potty and I was as ready as I could be for this.

They sent us off just before 7:30. I felt pretty good for the first few miles. My leg wasn't hurting much and I was taking it easy. The first half of the race was a steady climb up to the halfway point with small rollers. This is my favorite profile for a run. I passed a few runners on the uphills and by the first aid station at mile 4, I was on my own. There were about 50 runners in all for both the 16.5 and the marathon so it was a small race which meant I wouldn't be able to just follow runners on the course. We were strung out enough that for big chunks of the race, I didn't see any other runners. It was nice and quiet. But if you are one of those runners who needs crowd support, this is not for you. There were a few people out at a couple of the intersections where a dirt road met up with the trail but other than that, it was just the aid station crews cheering us on.
The first half of the race was very nice. I got to watch the sun rise over the valley and it was beautiful. I took a couple of photos and then my phone went wonky and the camera wouldn't work. :( Boo! So I just tried to absorb the views. I was feeling really good when I went thru the 2nd aid station a little after mile 8 (about 90 mins) and had visions of finishing in 3 hours. I decided to have a gel and that's when things went south. I know better to run and do a gel at the same time, especially on the trail but it wasn't a technical section so I thought I would be okay. Wrong!

So…I'm running thru a relatively flat part of the course (on top of a mesa) and it's single track but not a lot of rocks so I decide it's safe for me to eat a Gu without stopping. And BAM! My foot catches on a rock and I start stumbling. I told myself to just fall and get it over with so I don't strain or break anything. I fall and roll and what do you know, I fall on my left side! My injured side. I remember thinking “couldn't you have fallen on the other side” and then I get up and start gathering up my stuff that went flying: my hat, my water bottle, my Gu. Yep, I picked up my Gu and finished it. It was the only one I had and it was another 4 miles to the next aid station. I only had water in my water bottle so I needed the calories. So I ate some dirt, figuratively and literally. But you gotta do what you gotta do.

Next, I took assessment of my body. Sore arm, scraped knee, sore calf. But otherwise, I'm good. I run a few steps and it's not bad so I just keep going. I'm mostly thankful that no one saw me fall! Right after my fall, the trail took a steep turn down from the mesa to the canyon floor and that's when my knee protested. Needless to say, I did this section very, very slowly. Of course, that's where the photographer was so he got plenty of chances to catch me with my new dusty look. And once I was away from him and I thought I was in the clear…there was his daughter taking pictures at the bottom! Why couldn't they have been around a mile earlier when I looked fresh and strong! Sheesh.

The next few miles were mostly easy single track with a few ups and downs. I couldn’t take advantage of the down hills as much as I wanted though because of my knee and a few people caught me. They would ask me if I was okay because they could see from the dirt covering me that I had fallen. One nice gentleman came up behind me and asked me if my shirt came like that or if I’d made the pattern myself. I said it came like that and I was going to tell him about the tribal design on my shirt when he said “I meant the dirt all over your back”. Ha!

When I got to aid station 3, I stopped to get some water to rinse off my hands so I would stop getting dirt and mud on face and in my eyes. Then I grabbed a half a banana and ate it, contemplated cleaning up my knee, decided it could wait, and prepared to head out. But first, I decided to look at my map since I knew that we would be splitting from the marathoners soon and I didn't want to accidentally run a marathon! But there was no map! It must have fallen out of my pocket when I fell. I had about a 10 second anxiety attack and then just started running. The course had been well marked so far so I figured I wouldn't need the map. And if worse, came to worse, I could see from the landmarks in the distance where I needed to go so I knew I’d get out eventually. By this time though, I was getting tired and didn’t relish the prospect of adding miles.

I was on my own for the rest of the race, not a soul except a few lizards and birds. I walked a few of the technical uphills and downhills in the last few miles and I could tell my time for the second half was going to be a lot slower. So I trudged on. I stopped again at aid station 4 (unmanned) to grab some cold water and there were just 2.5 miles left to go and it was all dirt road so I could relax a little. I did get a little sidetracked because I wasn't sure if I supposed to go right or left at a fork in the road. I started out going right (which was the direction I should be going to the finish) but then decided the left was the “right” way (even though it was in the opposite direction). And luckily, I was right! There were a few people cheering at the end of that section so I knew I'd picked the right way.

Now there was just one mile to go. By then, everything was aching: my leg, my arm & shoulder, my lower back. I shuffled on. Then finally, I came to the street the park & the finish were on and saw my sister and my niece waiting for me at the corner. My niece ran with me toward the finish and then I was done! My first trail race. I crossed the line and ran over to where my dad was and he gave me a hug and I just leaned against him to rest. The race director came over to give me my medal and he congratulated me and asked if I'd left any dirt on the trail! Then he had the race photographer come over and take pictures of me (one of the front and one of the left side) so I could be captured in all my trail dirt glory. ;)

I grabbed some food (they had bread, cookies, chips, grilled cheese sandwiches, and root beer floats) and some water and sat to clean up my knee. After a little bit, we went back to the hotel so I could shower and then it was time for lunch (In-N-Out!) and more sightseeing. All in all, a successful, fun-filled family vacation. Can't wait for the next one!

My time was 3 hours and 34 minutes. So the second half did take me a lot longer. It should have been easier but I guess that wasn't in the cards for me. I ended up 9th out of 11 women. Actually, I was kind of hoping I would be last! I've never been last before. It would have been nice. Um, without the fall though. Maybe, just maybe, the trail gods were reminding me that I was supposed to be taking it easy! Sigh.

My medal...

Heading For The Hills

This was a great training week for me. Mostly easy runs but they were really enjoyable and I felt relaxed after each one. I also took it easy on the bike this week so it was a pretty good week for me. And it was warmer! Woo!

Only one week until the Buffalo Run next Saturday. Am I ready? I guess as ready as I'll ever be. I've been with my coach for a month now and I think the strength, mobility, and hill sprints have made me stronger. I can really feel the changes in my body and my running and it's very, very cool. I also reviewed and adjusted my calorie intake this week and I think that helped too. I'm trying to eat more veggies and fruit. I'm doing okay on the fruit but not so much on the veggies. I'm trying though.

This week, I ran a 7 miler with 3 miles at tempo and they were 8:44, 8:46, and 8:46! The previous week they were 9:00ish and these felt even slightly easier than last week's. I did a little jig afterwards. Yes, I'm easily pleased. I run tempos by "feel". Actually, more like by how hard I'm breathing so it's based on perception not a heart rate monitor or my garmin (though I wear one) but it works for me.

Today's long run was only 10 miles. I didn't decide until this morning what route I was going to do. Should I do flat & road, flat & dirt, or hills & dirt. I ended up choosing hills & dirt and I think it was a great choice. Nice and warm this morning and for the past few days so the trails were mostly dry. I split the route up so the first half was climbing and technical and the second half was easy on smoother, rolling trails. I am not as good on the technical descents as I would like so my time was slower than I'd hoped - 1:53:38. There was 751 ft of climbing and most of that was in the 1st half.

I have to do twice that next week. The most I've ever done was 1000ft. Should be interesting! But I'm excited.

A few more things about today's run - I didn't eat any waffles or drink any Gu Brew during, just water. I had about 400 calories a couple hours before the run. I felt fine so that went okay. I also didn't push the hills (up or down). I was probably a little slower on the downhills than I needed to be but I was trying to be careful and not trip or fall. That's the last thing I need with the Buffalo Run next week! I wore my Kinvaras and they did great. They even got soaked twice because the stream had a good amount of water flowing and the crossing I picked was over my ankles. Forgot to bring extra shoes though for the drive home. Ugh.

I get a massage tomorrow. 90 minutes with Carlos. He's probably going to make me hurt. Hopefully, not to bad!