In the past, I have been very diligent about selecting and following a training plan before a big race, such as a half Ironman. This time I selected a plan and had high hopes of following that plan, but that didn't quite happen. Life happens, shit happens, and sometimes laziness and lack of motivation happens. All of the above is pretty true for me.
Life happens...
After Ironman Chattanooga last fall I was pretty tired, which is to be expected, and I also had a lot of catching up to do in regards to my social life and family life. I signed up for a 40K trail run in February so that I would at least stay somewhat motivated to run. I rode on the trainer about once or twice a week, and I decided to boycott the pool all together. I did enjoy quite a bit of hiking throughout the fall as well, including a trip to Cumberland Island.
Tea Cups in Disney World=Post Ironman Crazies!
Amelia Island Beach fun
Hiking on Cumberland Island
I think I was experiencing a little bit of triathlon burn out and needed a "time out" to do other things. The holidays were busy as usual and festivities continued with lots of birthdays in January and February...and 15 pounds laterrrrrr, it's really time to get serious about training more and eating less!
But first, let's go on an amazing vacation to Ecuador!
Hiking on Pichincha volcano at 4100 meters
Ziplining in Banos, Ecuador
Pululahua Crater
Hiking in a Primary rainforest in the Amazon
Hiking to and swimming in a waterfall in the rainforest
It was an amazing time, and I managed to get in lots of activity at high altitude to make up for all the food I was stuffing in my face :)
Riding bikes in the old international airport, which they converted into a huge public park in Quito
Shit happens...
And because I don't know how to take a complete "time out" from athletic things, I kept running and ended up hurting myself here and there along the way. Little nagging pains in the hip, back, glut and groin were becoming more serious and warranting more days off than planned. Then just when I thought things were getting better and I was enjoying my trail running again, I rolled and sprained my ankle during a trail race and also banged up my knee in the process.
This not-so-graceful fall down a hill occurred just a few days before my trip to Ecuador. I was really worried that I wouldn't be able to do all the hiking we had planned, but thankfully it was just a minor sprained ankle and my knee was mostly just scrapes and bruises, nothing too serious. I knew I needed to be smart about it though, so I made sure to tape it up and/or wear a brace, and took a break from running. Thankfully I know someone in Quito who is a physical therapist, and she examined my ankle and used some of her cool gadgets on me :)
Laziness and lack of motivation happens...
Sometimes I just really want to sleep. I really want to lay on the couch and have a good netflix binge while eating an entire bag of chips. I really don't want to drive across town and fight traffic to get to the pool. I don't want to squeeze into a swimsuit or be seen in public in a swimsuit. I realize these are all stupid excuses, and I should suck it up and get my butt to the gym...especially with only 4 weeks until race day...but it is easier said than done and sometimes laziness wins the battle.
The good news is that 6 weeks post-injury, my ankle is feeling a lot better, and I have built back up to running 7 miles relatively pain free, riding the bike for 3 hrs, and can kick while swimming again (ever tried kicking in the pool with a sprained ankle? Holy Youch Batman!). No more excuses! I also made a trip to the grocery store to stock my kitchen with only healthy foods. Better late than never, right? :)
A while back I talked a fellow ultra-running friend into signing up for the 40 mile option for this race, and I was so pumped and excited to get a 40 miler under my belt! Unfortunately, training did not go as planned for me for a few different reasons. Thankfully, I was able to build up enough distance to feel strong enough for the 40K option, so that's what I set out to do :)
Race Day:
My alarm went off at 2:50 a.m. and I was really confused as to why, so I hit snooze. It went off again at 3:00 a.m. and my eyes shot open, "OH WAIT, I really do need to get up this early on a Saturday!". I jumped out of bed, let the dog out, fed all the animals, got my own breakfast ready for the road, and started getting ready. I was on my way by 3:45 and cruising along I-20 enjoying the empty road...until those dreaded flashing lights appeared behind me. Oops...perhaps I was enjoying the empty road a little too much. I've been so tired of getting stuck in Atlanta traffic that I felt FREE for once! WRONG.
Thankfully (and by that I mean, THANK YOU OFFICER SO SO MUCH!!), he let me off with a warning and a very stern speech about the hazards of speeding. I honestly think he was expecting me to be someone driving home after a night of partying, but instead I turned out to be one of the most sober people on the road and on my way to a marathon. Every item in my car, including my clothing, backed up that story. I was making really good time at that point (for some reason), so I continued on my way at a slower speed.
I was a little nervous about getting lost on the smaller country roads, but I made it there with no problem. I arrived at about 6:00 a.m. It was dark and cold, but they had these amazing fire barrels to huddle around.
I got checked in and picked up my race bib, then sat in the car for a bit to stay warm. I wasn't really nervous at all, but mostly looking forward to running some new trails and meeting new like-minded people. I went into this day with the mantra "Slow and steady will get you to the finish line".
My friend, Sally, lives close to that area and she arrived around 6:30. We chatted while huddling around the fire and ended up making a new friend, Brandi, who was doing the 40 miler as her first ultra attempt. The 40 milers started first, followed by 40K runners and 40 mile relay runners 5 minutes later.
I wasn't familiar with the trails at all and the map looked confusing.
I'm very grateful that the routes were marked with clear signage for us
on race day!
Photo Credit: Linda Akutsu Motto
Photo Credit: Linda Akutsu Motto
It was a smaller race, which was nice in the beginning since people weren't jumbled up on the narrow singletrack. I pretty easily fell into a nice groove and 12 min pace with a few others for the first mile. I had heard and been warned about the "whoop-de-doos" on the course. A bunch of little up and down hills that are fun for mountain bikers, however, they can quickly tire a runner's legs out if you aren't careful. One of the tricks is to keep the flow and momentum going. Use the downhills to gain speed to carry you over the uphill. Here's an example of the trail from a mountain biking perspective:
I actually found myself really enjoying these parts...in the first few miles anyway :) They were pretty fun! After the first mile, my 12 min pace started slowing to more of a 12:40, and then hovered around 13:00. A guy I was following for the first 3-4 miles informed me that the loop we were on was known to be the toughest with the highest elevation gain of them all, so I felt somewhat justified for slowing down. It was nice having someone to chat with, but we soon parted ways after I slowed down a little more.
Photo Credit: Linda Akutsu Motto
The first aid station was at 5.5 miles. I was carrying my hydration pack and had everything I needed on me, but we were still required to check-in at every aid station for safety purposes. My plan was to eat gels and energy chews for the first half of the race, then start adding in some solid foods. Carrying most of what I needed also meant I could keep moving through the aid stations and not waste time dilly-dallying around. We had an option for a drop bag as well, but I chose to forgo that option. If I had done the 40 mile race, I for sure would have had a drop bag.
After Aid Station #1 I seemed to get into a running zone and was really enjoying the trails. It was still cold out, but by that point I was warmed up and sweating. I knew if I stopped at all I would start to get cold again, so I kept my "slow and steady" mantra going. I checked in at Aid Station #2 a little after 7 miles in, and then kept on running. It is rare for me to reach a runner's high, but I was feeling pretty high and great between miles 7-12. Aid Station #3 was a little past the halfway mark. I ate half a banana and an orange wedge, talked a little with the super nice volunteers, then was on my way.
I really started to feel the pain after mile 14. My right big toe was having shooting pains when I ran fast downhill and it also felt like a blister was forming under my outer right big toe joint. I have trained in the same socks and shoes on all my long trail runs and never had these issues. I muttered to myself "It's just a flesh wound. Blisters heal. No big deal." and tried my best to move my focus on to something more positive.
I started taking more pictures to cheer myself up. It turned into the most beautiful day!
I started to struggle and took more walking breaks. As long as I kept moving, I knew I would get there, and I have done enough long solo runs in the woods to know my pattern of ups and downs. I begin to feel like I am stuck in a time warp where 5 mins feels like 1 hour. I get frustrated with myself and my body. I start to doubt myself and question why I am out there in the first place. I start to wonder how I could ever do a 40 mile race in the future if I am struggling so much during a 40K. All of these feelings and thoughts hit me at some point during a long run when I find myself all alone in the middle of the woods. But then something amazing happens...one positive thought is all it takes to throw all the negative to the side. Just one thing positive...that's it! I imagine this world would be a pretty wonderful place if more people realized the healing effects that one positive word, feeling, action, or experience could have on someone.
When I am out on these long runs in the woods, I am forced to strip myself down to the very core. There is no hiding who I am. I am not always proud of the person I am when the layers are stripped away, but I recognize my faults and work to change for the better.
When weaker trees start to fall, the strong ones hold them up
When things start to get rough during a race, it helps me to focus on the nature that surrounds me. It truly was a beautiful day, and I was enjoying my first time on this trail system. I couldn't help but say to myself, "Wow, you are really blessed to be able to be here right now. You GET to do this...how lucky are you?".
When I made it to the last Aid Station, they told me I had 8 miles left to go. Somewhere along the line I had accidentally stopped my watch...probably when getting something out of my bag...so I had lost track of exact time and mileage. When they said 8 miles left, I got really excited because I was imagining a little more! It was good to have that encouragement from the volunteer staff and it gave me motivation to keep pushing myself to run.
Photo Credit: Linda Akutsu Motto
Photo Credit: Linda Akutsu Motto
I got a little groove going again, but that was a LONG 8 miles for me. My chronic back pain started flaring up in those last few miles. I stopped a few times to stretch it out, then kept on moving. I went into this race not really knowing what to expect for time, and was saying maybe 6 hrs or more. By my calculations, it looked like I would finish in under 6 hours even if I walked a lot of the remaining trail. I just had to keep pushing myself to run the easier sections so I could walk the more challenging ones.
Annnnd....
Photo Credit: Linda Akutsu Motto
There was the finish line! I heard the cowbells and cheers and....
I DID IT! Official time: 5:49:24 :)
I absolutely love this simple, natural, well-earned medal!
It was a great (and painful) feeling to have finished the race! I hung around for some time waiting on Sally to finish her 40 miler. The post-race food was an abundance of all kinds of chips, some homemade soup, and more. The
weather was perfect for tailgating, and I discovered the back of my
Mazda makes a decent bed with the seats folded down flat :)
Photo Credit: Linda Akutsu Motto
This was the Inaugural Rut Rogue 40's, and they did an AMAZING job planning and organizing this event. Thank you for keeping us all safe, hydrated and well-fed out there. They even had posted hilarious signs on some of the trail (see pics below), such as:
Chaffing the Dream
Run now, poop later
Run now, beer later
Overall it was just a really great event on a perfect day.
Congratulations to everyone who was out there racing. Whether you finished the full distance you set out for or not, you all deserve a huge congratulations and should be proud of every step you took!
Near the end of Ironman training, I started itching to get back to the trails. I heard about a 40 mile trail run taking place February 7th, 2015 and decided to make that my next goal. I gave myself 3 weeks to recover after IMCHOO before I started logging the long miles again.
Now it's been over a month of this new training plan, and I have spent a good portion of each weekend wandering around different trails. Last year I was injured in the fall and winter and took a long time off running, so this is the first year I am trail running through fall. I've already learned quite a few things this time around...
1) For one, the leaves are falling and cover the ground...
"Duh", you might say, "It's FALL"...the PROBLEM is that when the leaves cover the ground of a trail system, it makes it difficult to see tree roots, rocks, holes, and even where the trail is in general! It is pretty much a surprise with each step and my thoughts are on repeat "Please don't let me get injured. Please let me stay safe". Taking quick small steps seems to be safer in these situations.
2) The foliage may be thinning, but the thorns remain...just a reminder to
be careful, especially if you are going off trail...ahem...for whatever
reason that may be. :) And speaking of thinning foliage, it's a little
more difficult now for us ladies to find some privacy out there when we
need to!
3) It is colder on the shaded trails than on the sunny streets. Again, another "duh!" moment, but these are things I didn't really think about beforehand. Generally I am warm-natured and rarely need long sleeves when I run, but we recently had a cold snap here, and I found myself shivering in the middle of the woods, 8 miles from my car. The thing with long distance trail running is that I am not always running...sometimes I am hiking, sometimes I am walking, sometimes I am running so slowly I might as well be walking... and sometimes I stop to kick some rocks and have a little "moment", then realize I need food, I eat something, instantly feel better and move on. So, I need to be better at dressing appropriately and maybe bringing an extra layer in my pack just in case.
4) There aren't as many people around when it's cold, so you have more opportunities for animal sightings :) It helps if you try to blend in.
5) And when there aren't as many tourists and others around, you can get away with a little more ;)
6) With the weather being cooler, I can bring along my best trail buddy, Lupa! Only when I run under 10 miles though :( (we're working on that!)
7) It gets dark really early now...kind of depressing. During the week I run around the city streets. Unfortunately the Atlanta streets are not very safe for several reasons...crime, horrible sidewalks, unreliable street lighting, and terrible drivers who rarely stop for crosswalks. To help prevent becoming a victim of crime I have been taking Lupa with me, and once a week I run with a group in Midtown. To help prevent getting hit by cars, Lupa and I both wear our reflective vests. I'm not gonna lie, every time I run alone in the evening now I get a little nervous. There have been a lot of muggings around the park lately, at early hours...and it makes me angry that I am actually afraid to run. I know I could just go to the gym and treadmill it a few times a week...but it isn't the same.
8) I've learned to seek out and embrace the trails which offer more challenges and variety. Sweetwater Creek State Park pretty much has everything...stairs, sand, roots, rocks, boulders to climb over, logs to jump over, hills, flats...everything! And Kennessaw Mountain offers its own set of challenges as well...people go there to train for mountain stage races if that tells you anything :)
Sweetwater Creek State Park
Trail running in Fall definitely has taught me some news things...both good and bad...but mostly I am just thankful to be running this time of year! I am also thankful for having friends who put crazy ideas into my head and get me to sign up for races each year :)
Speaking of....
Yep! I'm all signed up for a half Ironman in May :)
There is a lot to be grateful for this Thanksgiving, and I wish you all a happy one!
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