Run for Regis 50k Race Report

Chris and I drove over to OH on Saturday and made it in time to see the awesome Colts game. Here is my corny celebration dance the morning of the race:



So as you know, I've averaged a total of about 20miles/month since last September. I thought that registering for the race back in October would have encouraged me to run but it didn't happen.

The OH trails were still covered in snow/ice/mud unlike the IN roads (I don't know about our trails since I haven't been out in awhile); similar to running in sand. I made the mistake of not wearing trail shoes, "screw-shoes", YakTrax, or even some nice socks (which, btw, I finally purchased some Injinji socks since my old $5 pair of socks are disintegrating).

I saw Dr. T at the beginning of the race. I had run with him at the first Buckeye race in 1/08 but he finished at least an hour before me this year. After mile 5 I finally got to meet Rob and we ran together for about 6 miles. Then I met up with Shannon, whom I had seen at a few races in the past, and I stayed 2 feet behind her for about 18 miles. After the marathon I was tempted to stop but she kept me going and I'm glad I did.

So anyway, the course itself wasn't too difficult. There were a handful of climbs that we walked up but for the most part, it was fine. I think I prefer the old Buckeye Trail because it's a little prettier and a little more challenging (from what I recall). (Regarding the "pretty" aspect, I actually couldn't tell too much how pretty this new course was because I was focused on my feet for literally the entire time, trying not to fall. Back hurts a little bit from trying to balance so much.)

I finished in 7 hrs 10 minutes; a very slow race! I now realize that I shouldn't keep this style of training up anymore. My knee hurt pretty bad afterwards and was swollen and made me empathize for those that have bad knee problems. Thankfully it's all better now but I don't want to ruin myself completely.

(Ignore my hair wings. I just ran 31-33miles (discrepancy exists))

Thanks to Dr. T for the pics! Go Colts!!!!!

Below's a beautiful video of my nasty feet. I had to post it because they're just so gross and uncurable.

I believe the next race for me will be Dances With Dirt- Gnawbone 50mi in May. This is too hard of a course to not be prepared for so I'll start training in 1-2 months. :)

Recap of Races

In order to keep up with the tradition from 05/08 and 11/08, here's this year's "Recap of Races":

Land Between the Lakes 60k- 3/14/09- I always enjoy this race and will most likely do it again in March. I had intended on running the 50 miles but I wasn't having too much fun sliding around in the snow so I got lazy and quit at the 60k. After reading my race recap again, I realized I ate way too much post-race. Oh well.

Boston Marathon- 4/20/09- Very happy to have completed this race. It was a lot of fun seeing the city and spending time with my friends. I probably won't run it again...just a one-time thing. I lost the bet at work but I had a good time running a consistent race.

Dance With Dirt- Gnawbone 50m- 5/9/09- This race reminded me that the course is very hard and challenging. I had actually trained well beforehand and felt strong the majority of the time; achieving a PR and 1st female.

Geist Half Marathon- 5/16/09- One week after DWD and also the day of Chris and Jamie's wedding!! This was the first time I had run this race. The course consisted of rolling hills throughout rich people's neighborhoods. It was fun but I probably won't run it again. I had an official half-marathon PR.

Mohican 82.5/100m- 6/20/09- Ahhh, the race that burnt me out. My first 100 miler attempt and a DNF at 80 miles on the course; stopping at 24 hours. Crazy you can stay awake that long. I really enjoyed the first 50 miles but my feet blisters were too terrible to make it much longer after that. I'll just have to invest in some expensive socks that work better. Who knows if I'll try this race again; probably shoot for an easier course next time.

Dances With Dirt- Hell 50m- 9/12/09- I basically stopped all running after Mohican so I was very unprepared for this race...but finished the 50 miles because the course was so fun. I love this race and was happy Señor Bill helped me get through it; mud and all.

Well I hate being one of those people who waits until the new year to start getting back on track but that's the way I'm playing it this year. By looking at my monthly mileage from this past year, I was averaging around 140 miles/mth for the first half of the year. Not bad. It'd be great to have a goal to maintain 120/mth for all of 2010 but that would take a lot of discipline and motivation. Who knows. I have a race coming up on 1/17/10 and I need to get back in shape!

Merry Christmas/Happy New Year everyone!

Sprints

Yesterday I made myself stay after work to run sprints on the treadmill. I ran a total of about 3.5 miles in .2-.5 increments. Baby steps.

November Miles!!!

I have finally run a total of three times since my last race in September:
Thursday: 3 miles
Friday: 25 minutes of random running; some hills
Monday: 3 miles

Since my relapse I've lost 1/7 of my whoopty whoop followers. Sowwwwy. Slowly but surely I'll get back into the groove. Maybe I'll get 5 miles in today. I'll leave you with this nice photo in the meantime.

Winter Run for Regis 50k----Bye Bye Winter Buckeye

*Ignore this post. I've learned from Nick's comment that the course won't be like the ole Winter Buckeye that I remember. :(

In order to maintain my "completed races" tab, I signed up for another race: Winter Buckeye 50k. It's on January 17 and fills up super quickly. I ran it in January '08 (race report here) and I believe it was my third ultra. It's a very fun course that consists of a five mile portion and then an eight mile portion that you repeat. However, if it didn't offer such a cute shirt I don't know if I'd drive 4+ hours to run it (and no, I don't like the color "Happi"). Anyway, I might start running in a month or something to prepare. Who knows.

DWD- Hell 50M Race Report

Welp...with the help of Señor Bill, I finished the 50 mile race. Woohoo! This was the second race that I entered not knowing if I would finish; Mohican being number one. It was a weird feeling.

Since I was already wingin it with the whole race, I decided to wing it even more and not carry my CamelBak for the first time during an ultra. Instead I carried my Nathan Vest with a handheld bottled water and a smaller bottle in it. It worked out perfectly and was awesome not having an extra 7-8 pounds on me.

At the start line, I met Nick for the first time and then saw Dorn and Michele too. Bill and I ran last year's race together and decided to do it again. We literally started out at the very back of the pack and that pace even felt too fast. After mile 8 or so, I started having more fun with all of the nasty trail path and so the miles came more easily.

This year they let the ultras run through an awesome mud bog section early on instead of just the relay runners and it was a great change. It felt like you were sloshing through some nasty, thick swamp-gunk and you could feel a million little pieces of crap getting all over you.

Here's a random video from last year's race. It's hilarious. I know this guy had to have gotten hurt even though he said he didn't.



Around mile 22 my legs were feeling tired but the combination of salt, ibuprofen, and an interesting course improved it all. Around mile 31 I got an 8th wind and felt surprisingly good and we finished strong together in 11:57. I looked in the mirror afterwards and looked like someone from Lord of the Flies; dirt all over my nose, cheeks, hat, shirt, legs, bloddy heels from too low of socks...

I saw Greg on the trails (from DWD-Gnawbone) and he sped off to finish in 11hrs. I found out that he drove to MI by himself from C'ville, 30 minutes away from me. Dangit! Why didn't we carpool?

Speaking of driving...the ride home sucked. I was tired after the race but thought I could drive a little, stop to sleep for an hour if I needed to, and then head home that night. Nope.

• Drove for 1 hr, stopped at a Bob Evans to sleep for 1 hr
• 20 minutes later, slept at McDonalds parking lot for 1 hr
• 1 hr later, went to cluster of hotels at midnight: lowest was $60, didn't want to pay that price for 4 hours of sleep; Slept in hotel parking lot for 2 hours
• 1 hr later, slept in another hotel parking lot for 3 hrs
• Got home at 8:45am on Sunday...full of swampy, foul stankness and unable to walk. Trifling.

That drive home was a hot mess! Yes, I would have camped out another night or paid the hotel price upfront had I predicted I'd be so tired. Caca.

I don't think I would have made the whole run if it wasn't such a fun, diverse course. I'll have to break 11 hrs next year and try to gain on some of these girls who pass me.

DWD- Hell 50M Attempt/ Awesome Training

Welp...I thought that signing up for a race would motivate me to start running but nope, it hasn't. DWD-Hell is this Saturday and I'm hoping to make 5 out of the 50 miles. I don't really care, actually, how I do...finish or not finish; just gonna wing it. I'm still lovin my sabbatical right now. Anyway, I'm looking forward to the awesome mud bogs and such like last year and mainly just laughing at Señor Bill again as he gets stuck.

I ran 6 miles last Saturday with Tim and it was pretty tough (that makes 22 miles since June. nice.). We didn't bring any water and it was kinda hot so I'll blame it on the rain, yeahhh yeeahh. huh?

I've been playing tennis about once a week and I swear that during the first 20 seconds of it, my heart beats faster than it ever has in my life. No joke. That's sad. ANDDD, I have realized even more so that I'm in no way a sprinter. I can't even run up and hit the net shots because that means I have to run faster. It's funny; I am just not used to it. How do pros run up and do it all the time? Am I some slow machine that can't move?

Why did I have to halfway follow the Weight Watchers diet in order to lose 7 pounds? I told you that running doesn't make me lose weight (or change dress sizes)...it doesn't do jack for me. And don't say that I'm just gaining muscle and muscle weighs more. I run (ran) a million miles and it takes stupid Weight Watchers to lose 7 pounds. Now watch me run this race this weekend, think I'm healthy again for running, eat a crapload of frostys and what not, and then gain back my 7 pounds. Aww.

Alright...wish me luck this weekend!

Lazy Summer Bum

Do I ever want to start to run again? Not running is so great. I love coming home and not feeling pressured to run and then shower and then have no life left after work.

I'm in a dilemma though because one of my favorite races, DWD Hell, is coming up in six weeks or so and I've run about 15 miles total since my last race at Mohican. Dangit. I could opt for the 50k instead of the 50m but who wants to do that? Me divertí demasiado la última vez con Señor Bill.

So anyway, I was at camp last week and as a counselor who sometimes likes to run, I was asked to lead the group of kids for a 20 minute run each morning. So, I ran about 2.5 miles four days last week and that's about the extent of my running. Whoop whoop.

Am I the only lazy one around here? What is your motivation for running right now? Help me out now.

Pretty Feet

I finally went to get a pedicure yesterday for the first time. Ahhhhh, why haven't I done that sooner? You go in and sit in a huge king-like chair that massages you, and then you put your feet in a warm bubbly thing of water...AND you get to read those good gossip magazines that you never buy for yourself. Nice.

I felt so bad for the poor guy who had to touch and stare at my nasty feet. I literally had about 10 places where my skin was torn off from old blisters. Gross. I gave him a good amount of disclaimers before he started.

When he first took off my nail polish, half of my big toe was black and he said it was nail fungus. I thought it was just a bruise from running but he said nope. Well that's even grosser then- I have some funky stuff growing in there.

So after my feet felt all soft and nice and free of the majority of the calluses, I went to Walmart and headed to the feet aisle. It totally felt like a Seinfeld episode or something...the only items in the aisle where I was for fungus treatment. There were these two guys behind me talking and they were probably wondering what kind of disease I have. Hmm.

Anyway, I may just get away without wearing my fake toenails this summer. We'll see.

Burnt Out!

Ahhhhhh!!!! I've been such a bad blogger lately. Thank you all very much for your comments; I'm sorry I haven't responded to them! I have not run once since the race and I've been lovin it. I've been anti-running-everything...so no blog, no running-related emails, nothing. I think I'm just burnt out from all of the race training and such (I know, I didn't ever really train...but there was still the exhausting guilt from it).

So who knows...maybe after another 2 week break, I'll be up and running again. No DWD Devil's Lake 50miler for me. I hope to be up and going for the Fall races.

I played tennis a couple of times last week and I swear that my heartbeat was faster in the first 15 minutes than it ever was after running 20+ miles. It was good to do little sprints and switch it up a little bit.

We'll keep in touch...just taking a little break for now.