Week in Review: Base Building Week #1

Week 1 is in the books and I'm on my way :)

Here's the Week in Review:

• Monday-  2.21 miles easy
• Tuesday-  rest day
• Wednesday - 5.01 miles of trail running at Pilot Mtn with hills
• Thursday - rest day
• Friday - 20 minutes of raquetball followed by 1.07 miles on treadmill at Y
• Saturday - 3.02 miles moderate
• Sunday - 4.99 miles long run and 1 hour yoga

New this week - Cross Training at the YMCA.  I got a guest pass to check it out and did 20 min of Raquetball with hubby Friday and went back today (Sunday) to do an hour of yoga after my long run.  I forgot how awesome yoga is - getting centered, stretching, meditating.  <3!!  Plus all of the balancing positions really tested the stability muscle in my feet which are weak and why I keep getting tendonitis...

My dad called an offered to get me a 12 month YMCA membership for my birthday this month which I am super excited about.  I'm the kind of person that might not use a gym membership allll that much on my own dime, but will absolutely not waste it when someone else is paying so it is actually more motivating.  I've really enjoyed the few things I have done already and look forward to trying more classes and maybe even some swimming...

That's all for now!

So about that race...

I woke up Monday morning this week and realized that running NRT50K was pushing it if I wanted to do it right and do it healthy.  My base was nearly base-less and the training plan was too aggressive.  So before getting injured again (bonus pt - maybe I am finally learning?) I decided to scrap my plans at a 50K this fall.  Instead, I'll be setting my sights on a "Hometown" course if you will - the Salem Lake Frosty 50K held the first Saturday in January each year.

New race, new plan.  I have 10 weeks of "base building" now before the actual 50K training plan starts.  High mileage weeks fall after most of our Fall travel plans and tapering occurs right over the holidays :)  I've been apprehensive in the past about doing races at Salem lake because that is where a lot of my long run are and to be frank - 7 mile loops get boring.  But the Frosty 50K is a double out-and-back horseshoe course with some trail and some greenway.  I can roll out of bed and be at the race within 10 min rather than lugging myself across state lines and staying in a cheap motel with no sleep the night before.

KT Tape to the rescue!!

Also, to get me where I need to be (athletically) I need to be more than just a runner which means crosstraining!  I've got to work on endurance, cardio, core strength and flexibility.  Coincidentally, my dad offered to get me a YMCA membership for a year for my birthday next week.  Woot!  I've already printed out the class schedule and plan to head over today to check it out and become a card carrying member.  Those 5:15am cycle classes are going to kick my butt, but probably not as much as the sport conditioning classes (I hear they make you do wall sits!!  ahh!!!)

Oliver sporting his new trail pack!

 Hoping everyone had a great July 4th.  Being a Wednesday, we stuck around but did manage to get out the door (after a little foot taping) for a trail run at Pilot Mountain before it got too hot.  I did an enjoyable 5 miles on the Corridor Trail and Chris / Oliver went ahead to get a total of 6 miles in.  Oliver's reward was a dip in the Yadkin River to cool off afterwards.  It was his first open water adventure and after a few nervous minutes, he was running out into the middle of the river and paddling back.  <3 !  

Adventures in Trail Running

Remember this guy?  Back in August I blogged about our soon-to-come-home 8 week old puppy Oliver, a german shorthaired pointer (GSP).  He's now a leggy 65 lb goofy bundle of energy and he LOVES TO RUN.  More than I do, more than hubby does, more than all those Olympic hopefuls we'll be watching this weekend.

We spent a lot of time training Oliver this year and it's paid off tremendously.  He's super duper smart (and I'm not just saying that as a proud puppy parent) and truly likes to participate in training activities.  Our major problem is traffic in the neighborhood - it used to terrify him and we're to the point of tolerating it, but it still makes walks difficult on some days.  A healthy fear of traffic is ok though...he's gotten out of the backyard fence twice (gate left open) and he gets to the front yard and goes "Oh No!!"...we know this because he came right to the front door and barked to come back inside.  I told you he was super duper smart.

His favorite places to go have trails though.  In researching the breed as runners we were thrilled to find out that GSPs are one of the best speed or distance running breeds as well as an trail running breed and it's a trait we've embraced, especially with his discomfort near traffic.  When we get out of urban Winston and on the trails, he's in unity with it all.  As with most GSP puppies though, he's got two speeds - sleep or GO FAST!  He's learning, with our guidance, that an 8 mile run cannot be started at 6 minute miles... we will all tucker at before the end.  Pacing is getting easier and he listens much better to vocal commands on runs.  He's learning that runs are about him getting to stretch out his legs and test speed, but runs are about getting outside with us to exercise together.

Last night we headed to Tanglewood Park after work to enjoy some of the shaded singletrack mountain bike trails given the sudden jump in heat/humidity this week.  Hubby and our friend A headed off on a different trail to do a faster / longer run and I took pup down a different trail.  I packed up my Camelbak hip pack even though I planned on only doing 4 miles.  It was quite hot/humid and I knew pup would appreciate some water too.  Oliver stuck right with me loose leashed and cruised along the trails, just happy to be in his element.  I grew up horseback riding and realized that I use a lot of those techniques with Oliver on runs in terms of gentle leash taps for correction and vocal clicks to get his attention / focus.  It works very well for us.  At trail splits (or a tree in middle of trail), I can gently tap the leash in the direction to take or an intersection, Oliver will pause, turn, and wait for direction.  It's so nice not getting tangled in the leash or fight with him on directions.

About halfway through we came across the boys and Oliver was beside himself...I think he was ready to ditch me and go fast with the boys, but alas on this day it was too hot for him to go faster (at least until he gets more acclimated).  After a quick chat I let the boys go in front of us on the trail and waited a min or two for them to get out of sight.  Oliver decided that we must have been lost and had his nose to the ground tracking for Dad.  Every trail intersection he took pause and pulled to where they went.  We took pause for another minute, hit the reset button, and he was back to running with me rather than tracking Dad.  I'm sure it'll get better with more practice though.  Truthfully, I did get lost in the middle of the trail and did a loop three times before Oliver found the correct way down the trail...whew!

My favorite thing about taking Oliver out as a running partner?  It's a tie between the bond we get during that time and the aftermath of snuggles on the sofa. I swear if a dog could smile, he's smiling every time he looks at me on the trail. It has definitely been worth the time, training, and all other efforts to have such a dedicated running partner in our family!

The aftermath of runs...Pure snuggles

Big Doings

A while ago my delusional self decided a 50K was in the cards for me...and since then it's been all injury all the time.  Since completing the OBX marathon in Nov 2010 I have recovered from hip flexor tendonitis, peroneal tendonitis (outside of left foot), and most recently anterior tibialis tendonitis (inside of left foot).  It has been, to say the least....frustrating...

This spring I was finally able to start lightly running more consistently as my tibialis tendon permitted and was able to complete the Biltmore 15k with a goal of finishing of healthy.  I decided to run an easy 10-10:30 min pace with a 30 sec walk after every 4:30 of running.  This method worked extremely well as I was able to complete the race (goal #1) and coming in several minutes under what I thought I would do that day.  Furthermore, no pain during OR after the race (#winning!). It was a good bit off my mark of 2 years ago when I placed in my age group at the race, but I was able to take time to enjoy the course and be happy - something that had been missing with all of the frustration.

After Biltmore 15k, hubby and I jetted off to Seattle and Portland for a week to celebrate our 5 year anniversary.  It was a week filled with running in new, fantastic places, great food, amazing beer/wine, and about 50 miles of walking in the cities (a good bit of which included a 35# pack I was carrying).  Picture "urban backpacking" and that about sums it up.  We stayed in great neighborhoods in both cities and perhaps the highlight of the trip was the Trailfactor Half Marathon in Forest Park (Portland).  Unfortunately, the 10 miles of weighted pack walking the day before the race flared up my tendonitis and I had to make the tough decision of whether to race or not.  The morning of the race we packed our race gear and I purposefully left my gels and Gatorade at the apartment.  So there I was at the start line, race bib in hand, regretting that decision as the time to Start ticked down.  With trail shoes on and a clutch of water in hand, I decided to put on the bib and get a good run in since 13.1 miles of trail would be out of the question with my foot.  The first few miles of the course were mostly low grade climb and the trail / park was amazing.  I had put my camera in the clutch and started at the back of the pack, letting all pass me on the trail so that I wouldn't impede anyone's race.  I deployed the 4:30/0:30 strategy again and made it to the first trail turn after about 3.5 miles.  After a solid run to that point I turned around and had FUN.  I took my time going back but it was mostly because I would FLY down the trail for 5 min then see something beautiful and grab the camera for some quick shots / video.  My primary goal on the return was to grab pictures and be back to the finish before many of the elites returned (again, didn't want to ruin anyone's race).  I chatted with some trail walkers on the way back and warned them that in about 20 min they would have about 50 seriously fast people come flying around the corners followed by about 100 more.  They were all appreciative of the warning and leashed up their dogs in anticipation.  I'll post pics and videos sometime soon.

Since the trip I have been going back and forth with good weeks and bad weeks on the foot but have gotten some good solid mileage under me that it's time to get it right.  Today starts Week 1 of my 50K training.  It is also the first week of summer and first week of 90 degree days we'll be seeing here.  (Guess who's super excited about that!)  I'm targeting the New River 50K as my race - it's one that hubby did a few years ago and loved and it is very well managed.  Hubby is starting his training for the JFK50 and will likely run some of my 50k with me as a training run.  The fall is going to be busy with weddings, school reunions, and other obligations but the key to training for me is flexibility.  My goal is not speed but rather healthy running and getting back in tune with what works for my body.  It's going to be an endeavor for sure, but one that I have been looking forward to for quite some time.  Well I guess that's about it for now...117 days until I'm knocking at the Ultramarathon door...

Race Preview - Pilot Mountain Payback Half Marathon

Several months back, I decided to do a half marathon and saw this event - the Pilot Mountain Payback. It's the inaugural running, it's local, it's cheap, it's small (capped at 200 runners), and it's a cool trail run. There is a half marathon and full marathon (the full goes to the top of the summit!). So I bit and signed up for the half. The race was scheduled for February but was postponed due to all the snow we were having. So here we are on race eve - time for a quick preview.

I've been training all winter. Logging lots of mileage and lots of long runs. I've gotten some trail running on my feet, but not as much as I would have liked. The trails ranged from wide/flat packed dirt, to super technical, to a path in the woods. I wanted to check out the Pilot Mtn trails all winter but they kept closing them due to the wintry conditions. The race is predominantly run on the Corridor Trail which links the Yadkin River area of the park to the base of the Pilot Mtn summit. Sunday Chris and I were able to stop by and take a peek at the Corridor Trail. We were too warn out from our busy weekend to do a short run on the trail so we walked it for a few minutes. I'd have to say it is more difficult than I had in my mind. I thought this bridle trail would be more like Salem Lake or the New River Trail but in all reality it falls somewhere between Owl's Roost Trail and Claytor Lake Trail.

Two days ago we got an email from the race director with more detailed information. There were two shockers in the packet. First, the trail is an out and back (as expected) but there are 6 streams that cross the trail. When I signed up I knew there were a few water crossings, but 12 water crossings with "up to 6 inches of water" is more than I was bargaining for. (Any water crossing tips from trail runners welcome!!!). I figured I'd just go with the flow and see how others go across. The other shocker - the course is 14.50 miles instead of 13.1 miles. This prompted me to begin referring to the race as a "Half" - air quotes used when said aloud too. I already bought my 13.1 Euro magnet for my car - too bad they don't make 14.5 magnets :D. With the delayed race date, I was able to increase my mileage and increase my long runs to 15 miles which I'm very thankful for. I just wish the race director had posted that information earlier! I feel bad for any who are doing this as their first half but have not done runs longer than 12 miles.

With this information, I promptly threw out all paces, goal times, and strategies. There are no age group awards (there are only two 24&under females) and I'm sure I'm no contender for the overall female awards. My new goal: run hard, have fun, and enjoy it. The terrain is 1.5 miles of dirt road and 13.0 miles of trail with 12 water crossings and a 2,000 foot cumulative elevation gain/loss. With over 5 months of training for this under my belt, I'll be glad to check this off my race list and begin training for the other races we have signed up for this spring/summer. I'm curious to see how I'll like a trail race - I have enjoyed logging miles on the trail but races can be a different experience.

New River Trail

This weekend we headed up to Virginia to camp at Claytor Lake and enjoy the outdoors over the three day weekend of unseasonably warm temperatures with one of Chris' coworkers and his wife (D&R). I was desperate for this much needed vacation, although it was anything but lazy.

Thursday: arrived after dark at the campground and pitched the tents, hung out for a bit with D & R, and headed to bed

Friday: after a delicious breakfast (D & R brought an electric griddle so we had a real, hot breakfast!) we drove ~45 minutes NE of Claytor lake to do some hiking at Cascade Falls. We parked at the base of the trail and headed up and up for about 2 miles, taking the more difficult of the routes because, hey - fitness rocks! Lots of rocks, roots, and steps made it a leg-buster of a hike, but totally worth it. On the trip back down the ridge we plopped down by the creek, enjoying the cool breeze and shade, for a picnic. With the temperature in the near-90s and the trees still bare, this spring day left its mark - the first redness/sunburn of the year! We headed back to the camp site for some showers and yummy food grilled c/o Chris - salmon and asparagus - not bad for camping! It was a late night and the box of wine was empty the next morning...a good time was had by the campfire.

Saturday: We awoke on this somewhat cooler - cloudier day for a short trail run (5K) through the park. It was a nice trail through the woods along the lakeside and was very easy (hardly any roots or rocks) which was good because I'm getting paranoid about injury in this week before the PMPB. After a quick breakfast, we loaded up the bikes and headed to the New River Trail (NRT) for some more mileage on the legs. I haven't been on a trail with a bike since I did the Virginia Creeper Trail in college. I forgot how much fun and relaxing it is! The NRT goes along the New River and offers beautiful views and as part of the Rails-to-Trails program, it's a nice wide/flat trail. Some of the trestles and bridges were amazing - I forget that the New River is so vast in Virginia (in NC we go canoeing on it as it is more of a 'creek' at the start of the river there). We made it about 8 miles from Foster Falls to Ivanhoe before stopping at a picnic shelter to enjoy lunch before biking back. We kept a pretty good clip on the ride back - about 13 mph. The last few miles I could feel the lactate in my legs, but it was good because I swapped a long run for the biking that weekend and needed to do some endurance training. After the ride, we ventured down the road to West Wind Farm vineyards to top off the day with a bottle of wine amongst friends, overlooking the valley.

All in all, a busy weekend but amazingly refreshing. I have a feeling that it's going to be hard to ever have a "lazy" vacation again - especially if there's so much to do outdoors nearby! My track workout Monday was no piece of pie (I think the biking got ahold of my quads more than I thought) but overall I think it was a great way of cross-training and working some vacation into the training plan without losing much. I was glad to get some more trail running under my belt with the upcoming trail race. On our way back home Sunday we stopped off the interstate at Pilot Mountain to take a look at the Corridor Trail which the race is predominantly composed of. Ugh - it's going to be a bit tougher than I thought. It's more like a cross between Bur-Mil Park and Claytor Lake. Not too technical, as it is a bridal trail, but definitely a trail in the woods that will be more challenging than Salem Lake. More to come on the PMPB...

Spring has Sprung?

Today we hopped over to Greensboro to explore the amazing Bur-Mil Park and its trails with a small group. The planned route was a 10k with about 1 mile on the greenway, 4.5 miles on the Owl's Roost trail (very technical - rocks, roots, rolling hills), and then short hop back on the greenway before heading onto a branch of the Big Loop, finishing on a steep uphill before topping out at the field and running down and across the open field. The run was fantastic and the group was great! We did the 10k in about 59 minutes with a few stops to let bikers pass. After about a 10 min break to hit the restrooms and get some water, 3 of us headed back out to run it again! My legs were getting a bit tired and I was getting complacent right about the time I ate the trail. Full superman onto my side, hip smashing into a rock/root of some kind. But, I was able to get right back up and dust off the trail to keep going. Lesson learned (a bruise and few cuts later). The second lap took about 60-62 minutes including my tumble, so the pace was pretty even throughout the morning. It was a great 12 1/2 miles and I really enjoyed getting out on the trails - can't wait for more trail running this spring.

We took full advantage of the park and gorgeous 60-degree weather by packing a picnic early this morning. A few pics of our picnic - pb&j, clif bars, fruit and perrier from a quick stop by whole food this morning:

Enjoying our picnic basket we got for Christmas and some Perrier

Mmmm - healthy food!

Thank goodness the geese were nice to not attack us

My monster blood blister I got from trying to do trail running in my "retired" nikes now.
Yuck! Between this and the tumble, I feel more like a trail runner now...