Results by Time
Prediction Race
November 24, 2011
24:42 5k+-ish
Rockford Road Runners Turkey Trot with Dad
87/684th in the overall race (6th woman) and 82nd in the prediction race (off by 46.0 seconds). Consistent.
This race is a bit of a family tradition. Crazy race director (I like those) with a Turkey hat and a difference course every year anywhere from 2.5-4mi. There has been mud, lake like mud, snow, rain, frigid temps, etc. This year was pretty mild- temps in the low 40s, overcast, and only one small mud patch.
The course designer did a phenomenal job this year. First a lap around the grass to the back of the dam and along the camber near the road to spread out the record field and then onto the trail. Around the loop (further north stretching than usual) and then out on the dam and back around to the finish. Based on the times, I'd guess the course was a minute or two longer than a 5k but I'm not all that familiar with the Rockford racers anymore. A tough hilly course for the area but pretty flat compared to my usual fare.
Its time to see a PT about my IT Band(s) since rest and my own stretching do not seem to be resolving it and I've been losing quite a bit of fitness since this all started ~8 weeks ago.
Showing posts with label Trail Races. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Trail Races. Show all posts
Monday, November 28, 2011
Sunday, November 13, 2011
Fall Series #4 2011
Results November 13, 2011
7.5mi-ish @Palmer Park (very hilly/rocky)
Series Results
Definitely not the race I was hoping for, but confirms what I already know. No more running races in 2011 except the Turkey Trot (which isn't really a race). Possible some xc ski or snowshoe races, but I need a break from the running. My training runs have been faster than my races lately. And I need to do some serious strength work and stretching focusing on my left IT Band. I'm not sure if it was a calorie shortage (I did have a few bites of oatmeal and some coffee 3 hours before) or what but I felt weak the whole way and dizzy and lightheaded for the second half and I really wasn't running very fast. I hiked up most of the hills and people I usually finish ahead of beat me by 10min in some cases.
I think this is my favorite Fall Series race. Up and down and up and down; rocks, sand, stairs, roots. You have it all. The uphills are of varying length and steepness so that they aren't totally evil like the BFNH at Bear Creek or High Drive. The downhills are technical enough that not many people can fly down.
7.5mi-ish @Palmer Park (very hilly/rocky)
Series Results
Definitely not the race I was hoping for, but confirms what I already know. No more running races in 2011 except the Turkey Trot (which isn't really a race). Possible some xc ski or snowshoe races, but I need a break from the running. My training runs have been faster than my races lately. And I need to do some serious strength work and stretching focusing on my left IT Band. I'm not sure if it was a calorie shortage (I did have a few bites of oatmeal and some coffee 3 hours before) or what but I felt weak the whole way and dizzy and lightheaded for the second half and I really wasn't running very fast. I hiked up most of the hills and people I usually finish ahead of beat me by 10min in some cases.
 |
| Credit: Jon Cornick |
I think this is my favorite Fall Series race. Up and down and up and down; rocks, sand, stairs, roots. You have it all. The uphills are of varying length and steepness so that they aren't totally evil like the BFNH at Bear Creek or High Drive. The downhills are technical enough that not many people can fly down.
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| Photo: Jon Cornick (Nicely let him beat me by enough so he could get my picture ^_^) |
Sunday, October 30, 2011
Fall Series #3 2011
Results October 30, 2011
Roughly 6mi in Ute Valley Park
48:19; 72/357 OA, 9/142F
I decided to dress up and have fun for this race. My friend lent me a cavewoman dress which is nice and easy to run in. I took it pretty conservatively for the first two miles, realized I felt pretty good, and picked it up a little bit for the rest. More people cheer for you when you dress up for sure. Its hard not to go a little faster when people are yelling "Go Cavewoman!" I definitely got a "Where's Tarzan?" cheer (heck if I know).
There were some other pretty cool costumes out there. I got beat by a giant who-knows-what (kind of like a fluorescent drag thing wearing a hot pink thong?), JT dressed as beer (go figure), and some pirate-ish thing... all of which looked much harder to run in than my costume.
Roughly 6mi in Ute Valley Park
48:19; 72/357 OA, 9/142F
I decided to dress up and have fun for this race. My friend lent me a cavewoman dress which is nice and easy to run in. I took it pretty conservatively for the first two miles, realized I felt pretty good, and picked it up a little bit for the rest. More people cheer for you when you dress up for sure. Its hard not to go a little faster when people are yelling "Go Cavewoman!" I definitely got a "Where's Tarzan?" cheer (heck if I know).
 |
| Photo: Bob Kane |
There were some other pretty cool costumes out there. I got beat by a giant who-knows-what (kind of like a fluorescent drag thing wearing a hot pink thong?), JT dressed as beer (go figure), and some pirate-ish thing... all of which looked much harder to run in than my costume.
 |
| Photo: Tim Bergsten |
Sunday, October 16, 2011
Three Race Weekend #2
Results July 9, 2011 RMOC Frisco Night Orienteering - Green Course 3/5 1:21:29
Results July 10, 2011 Summer Roundup 12k 1:08:01 193/693 OA 31/255 F
Results July 10, 2011 RMOC Frisco Orienteering - Red Course 12/13 2:16:35
Completely exhausting weekend. Spent Saturday whitewater rafting in Vail. Then 9:30pm Saturday start for night orienteering at Frisco Peninsula. I was very slow at the beginning and totally messed up control #2, but after that I realized it wasn't a particularly hard course and I could run a lot of it. So I ran and didn't mess up after that. A very good race for me.1:21:19 4.19mi +1195ft
Left Frisco at 11:30pm and made it home in less than 2 hours. There was no traffic at all.
Raced the Summer Roundup 12k at 7am. 1:08:01, about 20 seconds faster than last year. Still no good races in Bear Creek Park. 193/693 OA 31/255 F. On my Garmin 7.33mi w/ 2220ft of ascent.
Summer Roundup 12k in Colo Spgs. Was sore before that start since I ran hard for a fair amount of the night-o and my right hip stiff from holding myself in the raft. 25sec faster than last year but that isn't saying much. I've never had a good race at bear creek and I really dread races there for some reason. Everyone who beat me at the Garden 10mi beat me at the roundup and lots of women who I beat by up to 10min at the Garden 10-miler beat me today. Same thing happened last year. I wasn't particularly motivated, but I got it done.
Embarrassed to say I walked a bit on the up. But there was a lot of up and I just couldn't conjure up the motivation to suffer. Results suggest that I am a better downhill road runner than uphill trail runner. Trail races are more fun and uphills are better for me though.
Photo: Brian McCarrie
Drove back to Frisco in time to start by 11. Red Course during the day. 2:16:35 6.29mi +1716ft. Man was I tired. I took off from the start running and got to the first hill and walked the rest of the way until it started raining near the end (and then I ran in the wrong direction, twice). I made a lot of stupid navigational mistakes too. Biggest was on 3 when I blew by a trail intersection (which I did NOT miss at night-o when I was running...). There was some nearly aimless wandering in there and way too much second guessing myself when I was right. More just plain sloppy than anything else. I think I could do very well on that map in better conditions. 4h sleep + 5h driving + 7.5mi running race with lots and lots of climb + very little food in between night-o and day-o = walking and sloppy navigation.
Night-O had both faster pace and better navigation. I'm not sure I'll ever be able to say that again :-)
Results July 10, 2011 Summer Roundup 12k 1:08:01 193/693 OA 31/255 F
Results July 10, 2011 RMOC Frisco Orienteering - Red Course 12/13 2:16:35
Completely exhausting weekend. Spent Saturday whitewater rafting in Vail. Then 9:30pm Saturday start for night orienteering at Frisco Peninsula. I was very slow at the beginning and totally messed up control #2, but after that I realized it wasn't a particularly hard course and I could run a lot of it. So I ran and didn't mess up after that. A very good race for me.1:21:19 4.19mi +1195ft
Left Frisco at 11:30pm and made it home in less than 2 hours. There was no traffic at all.
Raced the Summer Roundup 12k at 7am. 1:08:01, about 20 seconds faster than last year. Still no good races in Bear Creek Park. 193/693 OA 31/255 F. On my Garmin 7.33mi w/ 2220ft of ascent.
Summer Roundup 12k in Colo Spgs. Was sore before that start since I ran hard for a fair amount of the night-o and my right hip stiff from holding myself in the raft. 25sec faster than last year but that isn't saying much. I've never had a good race at bear creek and I really dread races there for some reason. Everyone who beat me at the Garden 10mi beat me at the roundup and lots of women who I beat by up to 10min at the Garden 10-miler beat me today. Same thing happened last year. I wasn't particularly motivated, but I got it done.
Embarrassed to say I walked a bit on the up. But there was a lot of up and I just couldn't conjure up the motivation to suffer. Results suggest that I am a better downhill road runner than uphill trail runner. Trail races are more fun and uphills are better for me though.
Drove back to Frisco in time to start by 11. Red Course during the day. 2:16:35 6.29mi +1716ft. Man was I tired. I took off from the start running and got to the first hill and walked the rest of the way until it started raining near the end (and then I ran in the wrong direction, twice). I made a lot of stupid navigational mistakes too. Biggest was on 3 when I blew by a trail intersection (which I did NOT miss at night-o when I was running...). There was some nearly aimless wandering in there and way too much second guessing myself when I was right. More just plain sloppy than anything else. I think I could do very well on that map in better conditions. 4h sleep + 5h driving + 7.5mi running race with lots and lots of climb + very little food in between night-o and day-o = walking and sloppy navigation.
Night-O had both faster pace and better navigation. I'm not sure I'll ever be able to say that again :-)
Fall Series #2 2011
Results October 16, 2011
5ish miles in Bear Creek Park. I've still never had a good race there. Walked up most of the hills. Legs were feeling the 5k yesterday in a much bigger way than I expected. Feeling some sort of mental block to pushing myself.
Same pace as my Summer Roundup 12k in July. I'm pretty sure I'm in better shape now than I was then, but I guess I could be wrong.
42:41; 105/381 OA 12/142 F
5ish miles in Bear Creek Park. I've still never had a good race there. Walked up most of the hills. Legs were feeling the 5k yesterday in a much bigger way than I expected. Feeling some sort of mental block to pushing myself.
 |
| Photo: Bob Kane |
Same pace as my Summer Roundup 12k in July. I'm pretty sure I'm in better shape now than I was then, but I guess I could be wrong.
42:41; 105/381 OA 12/142 F
Monday, October 3, 2011
Fall Series #1 2011
Results October 2, 2011
I love the Pikes Peak Road Runners' Fall Series. The race director is crazy in the best of ways.
My race didn't go quite the way I had hoped this year, but it happens. I have 3 more races to move up a few positions. The first section was was 2 miles on flat nontechnical trail (13:20ish, about what I wanted but probably too fast for what I felt on that day and my lack of higher intensity training), then 0.8mi in Monument Creek, then another 0.8 miles with a couple short steep climbs in wet shoes to the finish. I bear crawled both of them.
Fighting my way through the creek in the middle of a bunch of guys.
Things fell apart a bit when I started dry heaving right after I got into the creek. It really took me by surprise and required several minutes of walking to keep things under control. The Stomach was still felt pretty iffy after I got out of the creek so I didn't run down as many people as I was hoping to. Someone told me I looked deathly pale afterward. Knee felt fine. Legs felt pretty good. Breathing was heavier than I thought it should be for the effort level. Stomach was ridiculous... Its not unusual for the Stomach to be my limiting factor, but that is usually closer to the end. I can't for the life of me figure out what it will tolerate. I was 5th woman into the creek (but only about 20sec behind 1st), 13th woman out, and 10th at the finish from my count. Placed very slightly higher than last year, but I thought I could move up more. I've been flirting with a cold for the past week, so its time to rest and recover.
93/278OA 10/146F 2/25 F25-29 3.67mi +446ft climb, 32:59
Briefly out of the creek into squishy sand.
Photo: Tim Bergsten, PikesPeakSports.US
I love the Pikes Peak Road Runners' Fall Series. The race director is crazy in the best of ways.
My race didn't go quite the way I had hoped this year, but it happens. I have 3 more races to move up a few positions. The first section was was 2 miles on flat nontechnical trail (13:20ish, about what I wanted but probably too fast for what I felt on that day and my lack of higher intensity training), then 0.8mi in Monument Creek, then another 0.8 miles with a couple short steep climbs in wet shoes to the finish. I bear crawled both of them.
Fighting my way through the creek in the middle of a bunch of guys.
Things fell apart a bit when I started dry heaving right after I got into the creek. It really took me by surprise and required several minutes of walking to keep things under control. The Stomach was still felt pretty iffy after I got out of the creek so I didn't run down as many people as I was hoping to. Someone told me I looked deathly pale afterward. Knee felt fine. Legs felt pretty good. Breathing was heavier than I thought it should be for the effort level. Stomach was ridiculous... Its not unusual for the Stomach to be my limiting factor, but that is usually closer to the end. I can't for the life of me figure out what it will tolerate. I was 5th woman into the creek (but only about 20sec behind 1st), 13th woman out, and 10th at the finish from my count. Placed very slightly higher than last year, but I thought I could move up more. I've been flirting with a cold for the past week, so its time to rest and recover.
93/278OA 10/146F 2/25 F25-29 3.67mi +446ft climb, 32:59
Briefly out of the creek into squishy sand.
Pikes Peak Ascent 2011
Results August 20, 2011
Pikes!! 21min faster than last year but I still have room for improvement. 3:47:48. 368/1707 OA, 60/531 F, 10/66 F25-29 (my birthday is 2 weeks too early).
Shorts and tri top; didn't carry anything warm. It was hot.
12oz handheld amphipod bottle. Breakfast: 1/2 banana, 1/2c almond milk, strong black tea. 10min pre-race: 1 tri-berry gu. During race: 6 raspberry powerbar gummies before Barr Camp; 2 cola flavored ones after. I didn't feel like eating in the second half and just put one in the side of my cheek and it took about an hour to get each one down. Yuck. Refilled water bottle with water and added pieces of nuun electrolyte tablets. Whatever was left in my stomach was regurgitated right after the finish line as usual for hard races for me.
A buddy of mine passed me in the flatter section between No Name and Bob's Road (Mile 5ish) and I thought that I would never see him again. He passed me when I was feeling good on the flat section that was my strong suit. However, just after the 2mi to go sign (Mile 11ish) there is a really long switchback and I thought I saw the back of his shirt on the other side 1/3mi away. I had just finished a really awful mile, but I felt better all of the sudden and started gaining. Got it with 3 switchbacks to go and finished ahead by 9 seconds. That hurt, but there is lots of room for improvement and I will be back next year. I predicted it would be a close race, but that was crazy.
I felt pretty good on the W's. I think I went a little too hard because I don't think I was running as fast as I would have liked to on the first flatter section. I didn't miss it by much since I felt much better on the second flatter section. After Barr Camp I felt gradually worse until 4-to-go when I felt horrible. I felt horrible until about 2-to-go and then I felt better. No good reason, I just don't really like that section of the course. My muscles were my speed limiter, not my lungs but they didn't cramp as badly as they did last year. My hamstrings and lower back just gradually got more and more sore as the race went on. I ran more this year than last year above treeline. I made an effort to run at least a few steps on all of the flatter switchbacks above Barr Camp except for the period where I was feeling awful when there was no running. I may have slightly improved my hiking pace over last year as well.
This year: Barr Camp 1:49; Barr Camp to A-frame :49; A-frame to top 1:09 = 3:47
Last year: Barr Camp 2:00; Barr Camp to A-frame :50; A-frame to top 1:19 = 4:09
Training on Pikes. For 2011, I didn't have much more training volume than 2010, but I did a lot more hiking at high altitude.
In preparation for next year, I will make a good effort to include more core/strength/stretching. I know it will help me a lot... I think I raced a good race for where I am. I could improve the nutrition a bit. I usually like the powerbar gummies but I really didn't want them after Barr Camp and had no other options. My water w/ nuun worked well (I think my stomach didn't cooperate at the top because I didn't drink enough above treeline). I thought about carrying a bigger water bottle this year and maybe I should have. My little one is more comfortable though. I am well aware that I would be faster if I trained more consistently...
Pikes!! 21min faster than last year but I still have room for improvement. 3:47:48. 368/1707 OA, 60/531 F, 10/66 F25-29 (my birthday is 2 weeks too early).
Shorts and tri top; didn't carry anything warm. It was hot.
12oz handheld amphipod bottle. Breakfast: 1/2 banana, 1/2c almond milk, strong black tea. 10min pre-race: 1 tri-berry gu. During race: 6 raspberry powerbar gummies before Barr Camp; 2 cola flavored ones after. I didn't feel like eating in the second half and just put one in the side of my cheek and it took about an hour to get each one down. Yuck. Refilled water bottle with water and added pieces of nuun electrolyte tablets. Whatever was left in my stomach was regurgitated right after the finish line as usual for hard races for me.
A buddy of mine passed me in the flatter section between No Name and Bob's Road (Mile 5ish) and I thought that I would never see him again. He passed me when I was feeling good on the flat section that was my strong suit. However, just after the 2mi to go sign (Mile 11ish) there is a really long switchback and I thought I saw the back of his shirt on the other side 1/3mi away. I had just finished a really awful mile, but I felt better all of the sudden and started gaining. Got it with 3 switchbacks to go and finished ahead by 9 seconds. That hurt, but there is lots of room for improvement and I will be back next year. I predicted it would be a close race, but that was crazy.
I felt pretty good on the W's. I think I went a little too hard because I don't think I was running as fast as I would have liked to on the first flatter section. I didn't miss it by much since I felt much better on the second flatter section. After Barr Camp I felt gradually worse until 4-to-go when I felt horrible. I felt horrible until about 2-to-go and then I felt better. No good reason, I just don't really like that section of the course. My muscles were my speed limiter, not my lungs but they didn't cramp as badly as they did last year. My hamstrings and lower back just gradually got more and more sore as the race went on. I ran more this year than last year above treeline. I made an effort to run at least a few steps on all of the flatter switchbacks above Barr Camp except for the period where I was feeling awful when there was no running. I may have slightly improved my hiking pace over last year as well.
This year: Barr Camp 1:49; Barr Camp to A-frame :49; A-frame to top 1:09 = 3:47
Last year: Barr Camp 2:00; Barr Camp to A-frame :50; A-frame to top 1:19 = 4:09
Training on Pikes. For 2011, I didn't have much more training volume than 2010, but I did a lot more hiking at high altitude.
In preparation for next year, I will make a good effort to include more core/strength/stretching. I know it will help me a lot... I think I raced a good race for where I am. I could improve the nutrition a bit. I usually like the powerbar gummies but I really didn't want them after Barr Camp and had no other options. My water w/ nuun worked well (I think my stomach didn't cooperate at the top because I didn't drink enough above treeline). I thought about carrying a bigger water bottle this year and maybe I should have. My little one is more comfortable though. I am well aware that I would be faster if I trained more consistently...
Breck Crest 2011
Results September 4, 2011
Labor Day Weekend was quite the adventure this year!
Friday night, I drove to Crestone, CO to camp and Saturday morning hiked about 10miles with 5k of climbing to South Crestone Lake and back. Swam to the island in the middle of the lake (cold), ate lunch, and hiked back. I had a lot of fun hanging out with some awesome super-speedy ultra-runner guys recovering from Leadville. I'd be happy to do something like that with them again if they go slowly enough for me to keep up. My right toe started to hurt on the way down.
Near the trail on the way up.
Here is South Crestone Lake with Mt Adams in the background.
Saturday after the hike, I headed to Breckenridge for the Breck Crest Half Marathon. I woke up a little later than I meant to so no time to cook anything for breakfast. No coffee :-( Sore glutes and quads from the hike yesterday. Frost on my tent/car. I just drank a liter of gatorade on the way to the start. The plan was to push myself but not too hard since I can only take that about twice a year.
The opening road section went quickly. As soon as we turned on the trail I started walking the steeper pitches even though I seemed to the be the only one doing that and a never ending procession of people passed me. By the mile 4.5 aid station I think most everyone that was going to pass me had passed me. I continued to walk all the steep pitches and then I walked everything except downhill above treeline. I enjoyed the views instead of really pushing. The top of the race was just before the mile 7 aid station. 1h49 to the aid station. Here most people turned to do the marathon. Next year. I ate an entire package of shot blocks and drank 40oz of water on the way up. From miles 7 to 11 it was steep descending on a rocky road that I would not take my car up if my life depended on it. I had a ton of fun bombing down it. I have trouble with tight switchbacks, but these rocky sweeping turns were just fine. I put 20min on the girl from New York that was with me at the top. There was at last one mile under 7min in there. I thought I had a shot at going under 2:30 until mile 11. At mile 11 the trail switched to twisty turny singletrack that was not 100% downhill so I relaxed a little bit and jogged it in.
The winning woman came in at 2:22 (13min ahead). I was 2nd in my age group and 4th women. I suppose 2:35:13 a new half marathon PR by 1h12 since the only one I've done before is Pikes. I'm thinking I could take another hour off if I run a flat course at lower altitude.
I love finding fast-guy race reports for the races I do. Here is the one I found from 2008. 29min ahead of me on the up, 2min ahead of me on the down (with a small wrong turn).
A week later I took the nail polish off the toe that was bugging me. Here is the result:
Labor Day Weekend was quite the adventure this year!
Friday night, I drove to Crestone, CO to camp and Saturday morning hiked about 10miles with 5k of climbing to South Crestone Lake and back. Swam to the island in the middle of the lake (cold), ate lunch, and hiked back. I had a lot of fun hanging out with some awesome super-speedy ultra-runner guys recovering from Leadville. I'd be happy to do something like that with them again if they go slowly enough for me to keep up. My right toe started to hurt on the way down.
Near the trail on the way up.
Here is South Crestone Lake with Mt Adams in the background.
Saturday after the hike, I headed to Breckenridge for the Breck Crest Half Marathon. I woke up a little later than I meant to so no time to cook anything for breakfast. No coffee :-( Sore glutes and quads from the hike yesterday. Frost on my tent/car. I just drank a liter of gatorade on the way to the start. The plan was to push myself but not too hard since I can only take that about twice a year.
The opening road section went quickly. As soon as we turned on the trail I started walking the steeper pitches even though I seemed to the be the only one doing that and a never ending procession of people passed me. By the mile 4.5 aid station I think most everyone that was going to pass me had passed me. I continued to walk all the steep pitches and then I walked everything except downhill above treeline. I enjoyed the views instead of really pushing. The top of the race was just before the mile 7 aid station. 1h49 to the aid station. Here most people turned to do the marathon. Next year. I ate an entire package of shot blocks and drank 40oz of water on the way up. From miles 7 to 11 it was steep descending on a rocky road that I would not take my car up if my life depended on it. I had a ton of fun bombing down it. I have trouble with tight switchbacks, but these rocky sweeping turns were just fine. I put 20min on the girl from New York that was with me at the top. There was at last one mile under 7min in there. I thought I had a shot at going under 2:30 until mile 11. At mile 11 the trail switched to twisty turny singletrack that was not 100% downhill so I relaxed a little bit and jogged it in.
The winning woman came in at 2:22 (13min ahead). I was 2nd in my age group and 4th women. I suppose 2:35:13 a new half marathon PR by 1h12 since the only one I've done before is Pikes. I'm thinking I could take another hour off if I run a flat course at lower altitude.
I love finding fast-guy race reports for the races I do. Here is the one I found from 2008. 29min ahead of me on the up, 2min ahead of me on the down (with a small wrong turn).
A week later I took the nail polish off the toe that was bugging me. Here is the result:
Saturday, October 1, 2011
Pony Express 2011
Results September 18, 2011
The Pony Express has been on my radar for a while now. My colleague is the race director. For $6, you get 15 miles of beautiful singletrack around Rampart Reservoir with views of Pikes Peak in the background. Before this year, I didn't have enough injury-free miles in my legs to be able to run that far. It was my longest run ever.
I drove up an hour early and helped with registration. Woke up too late to make coffee but I drank a large bottle of powerade before the race. The race starts with a nice downhill to get to the reservoir, so I was pretty far up front when we got to the reservoir. I made a point to make room for the guys behind me to pass as the trail started rolling. I settled into my spot around mile 3. Somebody at the aid station told me that I was second woman. Ok, good spot to be.
Around mile 6.5, the 9,000ft altitude started to get to me and I accidentally ran off course. The course was minimally marked with flour, but the main direction was to keep the reservoir on your right at all times. I took some spur trail away from the reservoir and kept on running until I realized I hadn't seen the reservoir in about 5 minutes. !%$&^! Ran back. It was fairly obvious where I should have gone and there were other runners in the area. Ran 4.5 miles at 10k effort passing people right and left. When we turned onto the dam for a brief road section, things fell apart.
At about mile 10 on the course (mile 11 for me after my mistake), my legs had had enough. Inner thighs just gave out on me. I went from hammering out 8 minute miles and catching up to groups of people to run/walking 11 minute miles. Some of the people I flown by worked their way back to me and passed me. I didn't respond. I stayed ahead of the old lady that I passed when I first got back on course and that was my only goal at that point.
I had a wonderful time, learned many things, and got in a great workout. First, I need to pay attention to where I am going. In retrospect, the trail didn't look quite right within a quarter mile, but I kept on going. Second, no 10k efforts when there are 8.5mi left to run (after already running 7.5). If I go off course, I go off course and I can't make up that time. I will be back for some redemption next year. I have about 15min of easy gains from my 10min nav error followed by 5+ minute pacing mistake.
The Pony Express has been on my radar for a while now. My colleague is the race director. For $6, you get 15 miles of beautiful singletrack around Rampart Reservoir with views of Pikes Peak in the background. Before this year, I didn't have enough injury-free miles in my legs to be able to run that far. It was my longest run ever.
| Photo: Thomas Dewane |
I drove up an hour early and helped with registration. Woke up too late to make coffee but I drank a large bottle of powerade before the race. The race starts with a nice downhill to get to the reservoir, so I was pretty far up front when we got to the reservoir. I made a point to make room for the guys behind me to pass as the trail started rolling. I settled into my spot around mile 3. Somebody at the aid station told me that I was second woman. Ok, good spot to be.
Around mile 6.5, the 9,000ft altitude started to get to me and I accidentally ran off course. The course was minimally marked with flour, but the main direction was to keep the reservoir on your right at all times. I took some spur trail away from the reservoir and kept on running until I realized I hadn't seen the reservoir in about 5 minutes. !%$&^! Ran back. It was fairly obvious where I should have gone and there were other runners in the area. Ran 4.5 miles at 10k effort passing people right and left. When we turned onto the dam for a brief road section, things fell apart.
At about mile 10 on the course (mile 11 for me after my mistake), my legs had had enough. Inner thighs just gave out on me. I went from hammering out 8 minute miles and catching up to groups of people to run/walking 11 minute miles. Some of the people I flown by worked their way back to me and passed me. I didn't respond. I stayed ahead of the old lady that I passed when I first got back on course and that was my only goal at that point.
I had a wonderful time, learned many things, and got in a great workout. First, I need to pay attention to where I am going. In retrospect, the trail didn't look quite right within a quarter mile, but I kept on going. Second, no 10k efforts when there are 8.5mi left to run (after already running 7.5). If I go off course, I go off course and I can't make up that time. I will be back for some redemption next year. I have about 15min of easy gains from my 10min nav error followed by 5+ minute pacing mistake.
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