This morning was the Barr Trail Mountain Race. Last year I ran 2:30:03 and so even though I haven’t been running as much, I had in my mind that sub 2:30 would be a nice reasonable goal. I reviewed my splits from last year just to have them in my mind.

The day started out well – I didn’t start as far back to avoid getting caught behind walkers. The sun peaked out a bit around 7:30 but thankfully then hid behind some light cloud cover. I haven’t done much trail running this year but I fell into what seems to be my safe spot: jogging the slight inclines to open up my lungs and avoid putting my heel downs. As a result, I passed a lot of people on the inclines who then would pass me again shortly.

I had a goal, but it wasn’t too firm. I wanted to have a good run and finish feeling good.

They check your time at 5 different spots- 4 on the way up and then at the finish. I did mental checks as I hit them.

Spot 1: last year 29.xx, this year it was 30.xx
Spot 2: didn’t remember, hit it at 51.xx (looking back, I hit it at 50.25)
Spot 3: last year 1:13, this year 1:13
Spot 4: last year 1:38, this year 1:38

So, I was feeling pretty good at the turn around point. now I just had to head for home!

The downhill was ok, but I suspect the fact I haven’t been running on this trail recently came into play from a confidence perspective. As well, I’d taped my feet for arch support and I was developing a nice little blister right on the edge of the tape. I chugged and chugged but the finish line just wasn’t where I felt it should be. Finally we were on hydro and I put on the gas at the finish. Still, in the final section I managed to slow down dramatically for a 2:34 finish. (Final results not yet available).

I’m bummed: I’d have expected the uphill would have been worse than the downhill! But as I watched all the bleeding runners head to the first aid station after wiping out careening down the mountain, I realized the importance of “no fear”. My extra 5 minutes (yuck, 10% slower than last year for the down!) went to safety.

The numbers tell the story (garmin mile by mile):

Yikes, that’s crazy to see. I have to (of course, because I’m me) wonder if I pushed too hard for the first half and then paid for it. But despite the slower times in the descent, I didn’t feel pooped.

Who knows – maybe I could just stand to do a bit more speedwork (as well as agility) to make a difference. All I know looking at this is that I think I may look forward to the Ascent in August

This Sunday is the Barr Trail Mountain Race. I haven’t been training as hard this year, but I am eager to find out how experience will come into play.

Last year’s results:
Female place: 36
Age group place: 6/17
Splits:
1 0:29:59
2 0:50:25
3 1:13:21
4 1:38:07
5 0:51:56
End: 2:30:03

Last year my goal was to finish in less than three hours. So, obviously I did that well. Arbitrarily this year I’d like to finish in less than 2:30.
It looks like I hit Barr Camp at 1:13, and so it took me a bit longer to come back down. Another goal may be to get to the top in 1:10 or less.Not necessarily because I feel stronger than last year, but just because it seems an easy milestone. We’ll see!

I got a comment a couple days ago from a member of the Incline Club asking when I was going to head on down to the Springs to run with them again. That was all the nudge I needed to get up at 5am and drive to Manitou!

I arrived at the park planning to run to Barr Camp, but some of the folks were doing to do a 3-2-1 from the top (drive to the summit, go down-and-up 3, then down-and-up 2, then down-and-up 1). I decided that if I’m going to get altitude, I may as well get a LOT, so I went with them.

I haven’t been running much, and haven’t been above 10K feet this year, so I told Tracey before we started that I was going to do down-and-up 3, and then have french fries at the top. So that’s what I did

The rocks at the top are pretty bad, I wouldn’t really call it running. Tracey and Darrell left me pretty quickly, but I caught up with them shortly before 2 miles. I passed them, and told them they’d catch me on the way back up. I hit the turn-around point (A-frame) in 43 minutes. I turned around and WHOOSH the climb hit me. They caught up with me with about a mile and a half to go. I was definitely struggling. With a half mile to go, I stopped just to breathe. I looked at my watch, it read 1:37. I reasoned that I could do a half mile in 8 minutes to finish in 1:45.

HAHAHAHAHHAH.

It’s pretty humbling when you can’t even pull off a 16 minute mile for a half mile, but I couldn’t. I reached the summit again at 1:50.

I went inside, not feeling too bad. I got my french fries and a soda, and met up with another runner from the club. He’d run from the bottom (just shy of 13 miles) in 3:37 – his second-best time ever.

We hung out at the top while I patiently waited for the rest of the group. Eventually Mike finished – he completed the whole 3-2-1 for the first time ever – and we reminisced about the time I cut my hand open on the trail. It was crazy to think about all the snow there’d been that day – we saw none today. Then we decided to get our blood oxygen levels checked. Mine was at 80, which didn’t excite the EMT. I’d actually be interested to know what it is normally in Denver.

Eventually the whole gang met up and we headed down the mountain. I feel a little out of sorts today, but I figured that was a hard workout and I’m really glad I did it. I love the comradery of the group – honestly, the riding up to the top is great as everyone is sharing stories, etc, and you can’t beat the scenery.

It’s been a long time since I went to Manitou on a Sunday – I’ll admit twisting my ankle in the winter made me a bit nervous, so I taped my ankles today – but I definitely know I need to get back to making it a priority!

So I did one of those things you’re not supposed to last week.

You know how marathon training plans call for long runs, often up to 20 miles? Last week I ran my first marathon of 2010 (late in the year for me!) and when I looked back at my training log, realized the longest run I’d done this year so far was the half marathon back in Jan.

Yup, in 2010 I’ve run one half marathon and one marathon, and everything else has been 10 miles or shorter.

The fortunate part is that I took it conservatively and it wasn’t too bad. I have a race report to come but this whole lack of training thing seemed worthy of a post of its own.

The fact is, I’m getting time on my feet, it’s just not running. This Wed I had a three hour roller derby practice, including 2 hours of scrimmage. I’ll tell ya, my legs weren’t particularly happy with that, three days after a marathon!

I also decided I want to try to get back into my old habits of at least a short run every day. So today I did 3, and I’m going to try to get in at least a mile daily. When I did this a few years ago, I made it 8 months. Let’s see how it goes this time!

Last night I was reading an excerpt of “Thrive” by vegan Canadian athlete Brendan Brazier, and in it he mentions that our cells regenerate every 7 years. We all know that. But how do they regenerate? It’s directly tied to what we put in them. We literally are what we eat.

I take a few supplements in the morning to ensure I’m getting what I need. A few quick tablespoons and shots, and I’m ready to start my day!

Bazi:
Vitamin A – 100%
Vitamin C – 230%
Vitamin D – 100%
Vitamin E – 200%
Thiamin – 35%
Riboflavin – 30%
Vitamin B6 – 40%
Folate – 100%
VItamin B12 – 25%
Biotin – 100%
Pantothenic Acid – 25%

Hemp Oil (I’ve been tested for low essential fatty acids before)
Omega-3 Polyunsaturates – 2.5g
Omega-6 Polyunsaturates – 8g
Omega-9 Monounsaturates – 2g

Blackstrap Molasses
Potassium – 12%
Calcium – 8%
Vitamin B6 – 10%
Iron – 20%
Magnesium – 8%

I’ll admit, I’m not as good about taking vitamin capsules as I am about these. But I have a one-a-day, a calcium/magnesium supplement, vitamin d, iron and glucosamine I try to remember to take as well. Obviously I try to eat well too but this just helps me be confident that I’m getting what I need.

I failed the first test of Canadian childhood: my ankles were too weak to ice skate! I was okay with roller skates, however, and grew to love the more stable quads, which may have contributed to my new life as a roller derby star.

Years later, however, my weak ankles have come back to haunt me. I twisted my left ankle on a trail run, and a week or so later (after taking time off from skating and running), I twisted my right ankle skating. Again, a forced hiatus from sports. It’s now been a couple weeks of icing and riding the trainer, but I’m going stir-crazy. My chiropractor finally did something where he realigned my heels (it’s been noticed I flare my feet out a bit while I run, he may have done something to counter that?) but I want to do more to ensure my ankles stay strong. So? I got a bosu ball!

Yes, I have an uninflated swiss ball in the closet. And an unused kettle ball. But everyone loves sports equipment because of the hope they instill!

The DVD of exercises won’t work in my DVD player, so I’m stuck with the little booklet to work on exercises. Some of what I want is just balance, so I’m actually standing on it now as I type this on my breakfast bar. Hopefully, though, especially while I’m low on my impact sports, I can at least keep from feeling like a total slob..

This was a good month:

I hit over 100 miles, which I hadn’t done since May. I ran 19/31 days, and of course scored a big 3 min half marathon PR in Phoenix.

I liked how I’ve started mixing it up a bit, running some shorter harder days on the treadmill. I think it helps from a time as well a training standpoint. In February I’d like to continue to do this, but extend the distance.

I’ve really liked having the weekend groups to run with, it helps keep me motivated. However, I’m not a huge fan of the trails when they’re snowy.

Another metric to keep track of: my Mom gave me a scale for Christmas so I’ve been weighing myself nearly daily. I started the month at 118.3 and fluctuated up to 122.1 until settling at 117.7, where I am now.

This week saw a series of setbacks, but thankfully they seem to be more or less over. A week after twisting my ankle last Sunday, there is still some swelling there, although it feels fine. It did cause me to take it easy this week, however. Then I caught a bug that knocked me out on Thursday. Still, it was a decent week and I managed to meet my monthly (somewhat soft) goal!

Mon: day off

Tues: easy run around the neighbourhood: 1.25 miles. AvgHR 149, MaxHR 171

Wed: Good treadmill run in the am: 2 miles @ 7:35 pace. AvgHR 166, MaxHR 188

Thurs: sick! Left work at noon, slept all afternoon

Fri: headache subsided, but still sniffly and weak

Sat: got up to meet the BRC/Runners Edge group, decided it was too gorgeous a day to run with a pack. Ran close to home: 6 miles @ 9:53 pace. AvgHR 151, MaxHR 162

Sun: again, woke up and considered driving to Colo Springs; decided against it. Found a new trail in my Run the Rockies book and went and did Carpenter Peak. Covered the snowy 6.5 miles in 1:18:49. AvgHR 148 MaxHR 173.

Total weekly miles: 15.75 miles
Monthly mileage: 103.56 (note: last week was off! Hurray!)

I still have plans to get in those 20 miles per weekend.. just not this weekend

This week reality (read: roller derby) set in, and running took a bit of a backseat.

Mon: off (but that’s ok; it was the day after a race!)

Tues: Good morning run, 3 miles in 28:31. AvgHR 152, MaxHR 173.

Wed: 1.3 miles at an 8:38 pace before work; AvgHR 152, MaxHR 175; roller derby after work

Thurs: off; had roller derby after work

Fri: off; had a roller derby meeting after work!

Sat: planned to go long with the Boulder Running Company, but my running buddy was recovering from the flu and only wanted to do 6. So we did; at an 8:05 pace! AvgHR 170, MaxHR 181.

Sun: woke up to go to Manitou Springs; felt a bit under the weather. Did the Incline and then was starting to head to Barr Camp, but decided to cut it short. Twisted my ankle heading back, which was scary but not particularly serious. Did a walk/jog back to the car. Probably only did ~7 miles in total.

(A day later, my ankle is still swollen, although it doesn’t hurt to walk on. I had considered going to roller derby practice last night, but decided not to push it).

So I didn’t even crest 20 miles this week, which is dramatically lower than my goal of 20 miles on weekends, in addition to weekday miles. At least it’s not from lack of motivation on my part… !

Weekly mileage: 17.25
Monthly mileage: 69.95

Today was our first scrimmage of the new derby season. Scrimmage practices are held every Wednesday. We get into our teams (everyone cleared for scrimmage is drafted to one of three home teams) and play three periods of derby just like a real game, with refs calling points and penalites. Often, our announcers are on hand as well. The last half hour is the toughest, where our nationally-ranked travel team plays against everyone else!

Because the season just started up again, the turnout was a bit low. I was one of two primary jammers for most of the night. I actually felt great! Quick on my feet and pretty strong. I got quite a few complements from folks as well, so it’s not just my ego talking. I shrugged it off, saying my skates and new wheels were making the difference.

But really, the last two blog posts I’ve had have been about great athletic achievements: feeling strong and powerful with plenty of energy. Even when I go for a short run around my neighborhood, I have more energy and pickup than I have since I arrived in Colorado. It’s like I’ve hit a whole new level.

I could look for explanations, sure. but why? There are a few changes I’ve made, and any or all of the may account for the success I’m feeling these days. Or I could just give myself some credit, and appreciate how things are going.