RUN: 9.3 miles in 1:23:31 for an 8:58 pace.
4th out of 22 in F35-39AG
18th out of 135 OA in F
I was hoping for better. Of course I was. You don't race hard without hoping for the best. If you know you have no chance of placing, then you don't race to place. Sometimes I have a goal of just doing good, sometimes I want a PR, sometimes I want a podium. And those goals dictate the "mentality" of the race. Today I wanted a podium. And even though I didn't get one, I'm pretty damned happy. I ran a sub-9, didn't walk any of the hills, and gave it all I had. So yeah, I'm pretty happy with my effort!! :)
Sometimes I think I'm starting to take this all too casually. I sort of rested coming into the race, I didn't prepare much at all beforehand, and I certainly didn't spend time warming up. I just woke up, packed, left, bounced around a little bit, then ran. Is this good or bad? It's good in that I don't get all anxiety-freaked before a B/C race. It's maybe bad in that I don't get really psyched up and take it more seriously. Maybe.
Breakfast was hard to plan since I wake up at 5am and don't have to run until 10am. So I ate mostly light protein and carbs (which set me up for some blood sugar bumps later, I think). DH rode out with me and we spent part of the morning together. It was cold--low 40's at start--but had all the promise of warming up fast. I was in the 2nd wave, and for some reason seeded myself more towards the back. Why? I certainly don't like having to pass people right at the start.
The first half mile or so was a loop on flat grass. It helped stretch runners out before the major hill of the race over the bluff to the river. In this first stretch, I kept getting passed! This messed with me a bit. Usually I'm passing people because I'm seeded too far back. But this all changed at the hill, when all those peeps dropped out and walked. :) Hill Carnage. I ate it up and kept running.
This set me up for a fast pace on the down hill. I pretty much bombed my way down it, smiling the whole way. I love my 'trail-ception'--the ability to look 7-8 feet ahead of me on the trail and have my steps calculated without having to look down right at the ground in front of me. It takes practice, confidence, and some fast mental calculations. And I'm not even all that good at it yet.
Down the hill, around some flats, and back up another hill. Again Hill Carnage. The race continued like this with me picking off one female at a time. The males I didn't worry so much about, but I did remind myself that although I was moving fast (or so it seemed) there were many, many people ahead of me yet.
At one point I was following a runner who I was running slightly slower than I was, but couldn't pass her on the single track. So I hung off her shoulder. She offered to let me go by, but I declined cuz I wasn't sure I could stay well enough ahead of her. Running tight behind someone in a trail race is risky, you can't see the trail with them in the way and the potential for them to trip up and get under you is high. As I found out soon enough! She tripped and I nearly ran right over her. I stopped, pulled her up, and let her get back ahead of me. I likened it to the No Passing in the Feed Zone rule in biking. She was OK but shook up, and let me go by while she recovered. If you let me go by, that's different, I'll pass ya.
Soon enough I had no females in front of me. This messed with my head a bit. Was I close to the front? Was I deluding myself? Was I in podium for my AG? I tried to push all this aside and just run. Quit worrying about position and worry about the next minute of race.
Then my own trip-and-near-fall happened. I hit something and rolled the right ankle about 2.5 miles out. It was one of those rolls that makes all the tendons and bones stretch out of place, sort of a grinding/crushing feeling. With runners right on my tail I had to keep going until space cleared to stop, but my the time that happened I realized I might be OK. Besides, swelling won't happen until later, right? So I'm ok to run now, right? I kept going, and even got a little more aggressive over the next mile with the adrenaline rush.
We hit the erosion-area, passed volunteer EK, and headed out to the last 1.5 miles of flats. Then I was passed by the same runner who fell earlier! Good for her, but damn it! She had a great pace cooking, no chance for me to catch her. Then we crossed the creek--not too deep or too cold--and one mile to go! Once again we did a loop on the half-mile grassy flat to the finish line. And I was passed again! Arg! Couldn't catch her even though she was seconds ahead of me.
Those fartleks we do on Tuesdays? Yeah, gotta work on those.
In the end, a great race. I gave full effort and don't think I really could have run any faster. I look at the other top times in the field in amazement, how do they go that fast on trails?!?!?
Nutrition wise--took no drinks or food during this race. I know I'm OK without food for a 1.5hr run, but I probably could have at least sipped some water!
After the race, I knelt down to pick up a bag and a small muscle in my quads above my left knee seized up. I could stand and walk, but not bend my knee! Luckily (?) I was within limping distance of the PHG tent. I've never tested ART before and had always wondered what it was like. Now's my chance, I guess, since more walking and movement didn't improve anything for the knee. He worked only a few minutes, but by the time he was done I was moving again. Turns out hill descents work the quads more, and a tired muscle was being affected by a cramped-up/impinged/whatever nerve in the hammy. Oh, and they call him Dr Pain for good reason!
Great race, will definitely do it again!
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