Ahhh Spring

Good riddance, Winter. Oh how you sucked--on so many levels. But no need to elaborate, because the 2 or 3 people who read this blog probably don't want to relive it. These pics along my usual running routes pretty much sum it up:

Had it all to myself! (The other Zs are all up ahead)

Well HELLO SPRING! Bring on the warmer temps, sunny skies, clear trails, green trees...give us the full treatment! We deserve nice weather, finally.  2014 owes us that much.

What better way to celebrate Spring than with a run? Or maybe a few runs.  Carderock was my first official Team Z run of the year. We ran north on the tow path.

I was thinking--why haven't I run from Carderock before? Plenty of parking, lots of trees, a nice, soft path. I love it!


Three miles up the path is Great Falls...and that's where the trail got busier.

You can't beat the scenery!

Past the falls I had the path all to myself again.

Helpful fact:  if your Garmin crashes, this building is exactly two miles north of the falls.

And that's where I turned around. Five miles out, 5 miles back. The best part of the year starts now!

Two Rivers Race Report

March 15th

The Two Rivers Race Festival in Lackawaxen, PA had lots of options, from a 5K up to marathon distances. What a perfect weekend:  running and more running with back-to-back races over two days! My plan was to run the 5K followed by the 10K on Saturday and run the half marathon on Sunday. The goal? Just see how fast I could go! And soak up the scenery...

I hit the road Friday after work, drove 4.5 hours to the Poconos and stayed overnight at a random hotel. Lackawaxen (I just love saying that name) is a tiny town off the main highway, down a two lane road and through the woods at the point where two rivers converge. So pretty!

You run on a road next to a rushing river with "mountains" on either side. Hard to believe it was mid-March with all the snow and extra cold temps!

I parked my car at the general store, picked up my packet and asked where the start line was. No one seemed to know....not even the volunteers! Let's just say this race was WAY laid back.

Finally some random guy yelled out, "If you're doing the 5K, follow me." So we followed him about 30 yards or so down the road to an orange line painted on the road. "Alright. Ready? Go!"
The course is described as flat, so I was a bit surprised by the annoying false flat/hill we were running up. We had a head wind going up, but a nice tail wind coming back. Finish time for the 5K:  32:30/10:27 pace.

A few minutes later the race director called for the 10Kers to head to the orange line, same drill. I was still out of breath from the 5K but hey, this is what I signed up for! I really tried to push my pace and it hurt! But it hurt so good. Finish time:  1:10:38/11:22 pace.

Being the only one in my age group for the 5K I came in first! And with only two of us in the 10K, I got 2nd in my age group. Winning is fun, even if you didn't have any competition.


Adding to my pint and sock collections- cheers!

I never made it to the half marathon the next day. A couple of hours after the 10K I had to rush home because Boudreaux had taken a turn for the worse. I drove like a maniac and cried the whole way. It was the longest drive ever - 4 hours fighting traffic, trying to hurry up and get home before he died. I miss my sweet boy. He had been part of my life for 15 years.

How do you cope with the loss of a best friend? You go for a run. And that's exactly what I did the next day.

It's Hard. So What? Do It!

I LOVE this!

19 Hard Things You Need To Do To Be Successful

By  Dan Waldschmidt, international business strategist, speaker, author, and extreme athlete.  His consulting firm solves complex marketing and business strategy problems for savvy companies all over the world. Dow Jones calls his Edgy Conversations blog one of the top sales sites on the internet

You have to do the hard things.
You have to make the call you’re afraid to make.
You have to get up earlier than you want to get up.
You have to give more than you get in return right away.
You have to care more about others than they care about you.
You have to fight when you are already injured, bloody, and sore.
You have to feel unsure and insecure when playing it safe seems smarter.
You have to lead when no one else is following you yet.
You have to invest in yourself even though no one else is.
You have to look like a fool while you’re looking for answers you don’t have.
You have to grind out the details when it’s easier to shrug them off.
You have to deliver results when making excuses is an option.
You have to search for your own explanations even when you’re told to accept the “facts.”
You have to make mistakes and look like an idiot.
You have to try and fail and try again.
You have to run faster even though you’re out of breath.
You have to be kind to people who have been cruel to you.
You have to meet deadlines that are unreasonable and deliver results that are unparalleled.
You have to be accountable for your actions even when things go wrong.
You have to keep moving towards where you want to be no matter what’s in front of you.

You have to do the hard things. The things that no one else is doing. The things that scare you. The things that make you wonder how much longer you can hold on.

Those are the things that define you. Those are the things that make the difference between living a life of mediocrity or outrageous success.

The hard things are the easiest things to avoid. To excuse away. To pretend like they don’t apply to you.

The simple truth about how ordinary people accomplish outrageous feats of success is that they do the hard things that smarter, wealthier, more qualified people don’t have the courage — or desperation — to do.

Do the hard things. You might be surprised at how amazing you really are.

 Bring on the hard things, 2014!  I'm game.

Hello 2014!

What better way to start the new year than with a race-- the Resolution 5K in Leesburg. It was a cold but pretty run on the Movren Estate, with a few hills thrown in to keep us on our toes. My ankle tendon cooperated and I managed to average an 11:48 pace.

Speaking of pace....These first few months of 2014 will be all about getting faster. I signed up for the MCRRC's speed development program, which consists of track practice during the week and a long run on the weekend. Last winter's trail running program was a blast, but not a good option for someone working on speed.

I'm not big on making New Year's resolutions, but this being a new year and all, I suppose a few goals are in order. So, here goes:

1. Run a sub 31:00 5K by April
2. Bay Swim Redemption!
3. Be able to do 3 pull ups by June
4. Can Lake 50K-- finish while the sun is still shining!

In keeping with all the miles of suffering ahead, I'll wrap this up with a quote from Ultramarathon Man Dean Karnazes: 
 
"Our ultimate calling is not to arrive at the finish line in a composed state, but rather to stagger in breathlessly, totally annihilated and on the verge of collapse, proudly knowing in our hearts that we have run our race, and it was glorious. Whether you end up with a medal being placed around your neck or an IV line being placed in your arm, the inner bliss is the same. You have waged your war and you have emerged victorious. You are content. If you are never to take another step, you will forever remain satisfied. The job is done.  That is, until the next one..."
                                                                                                     
And there will always be a next one.  Cheers to 2014!!

So Long, 2013

At the start of 2013 I was trail running and training for the Phunt 50K ---seems like forever ago!  Well, without a doubt, completing my first 50 mile ultra was the highlight of my year.  

Can Lake was an epic 14 hour day that I will never forget. No, I didn't make the 13 hour cutoff, but just being able to go the distance was a nice surprise. It's a beautiful place, and I will be back in 2014 for the 50K. It'll be nice to finish while the sun is still shining!

 

2013 was also the year I DNF'd the Bay Swim. No worries, I'll be back for redemption in 2014!

 

Hoping Team Rabbit gets in this year!

So farewell, 2013. It's been fun, but there are even better days ahead in 2014. Let the endless lap swimming begin!

What's Next?

The weeks following Can Lake have followed the typical pattern of post-big-race mania: I spend my days surfing the internet for my next big race -- like, maybe there's a marathon I could knock out in December? Or how about a 50K trail run?  So predictable, I know.  But why let this year of epic training go to waste? 

So, I cave to the mania and engage in a full-on flurry of  breathless email exchanges with peeps that usually begin this way:  "Check it out! What about this one?!! Maybe I'll do the 50.....and there's bling!!"  As the frenzy kicks into overdrive, the insanity level keeps jacking up a notch-or five- until pretty soon I'm talking myself into driving hither and yon in the next week or two for anything that looks interesting. 

Of course, reality soon intrudes (to save me from myself) and a foot tendon issue brings me crashing back to Earth. Okay, fine. Maybe a two week recovery period after a 50 miler is being a bit optimistic. Maybe I'll have to actually....slow down a bit. Ugh. I hate how that sounds.

I rarely get injured (knock on wood), so having to take it easy for a while is new territory for me. But look at it this way,  this is perfect timing!  If you have to be sidelined I suppose winter is the best time for it.  Could be the Universe telling me to start swimming again.

Which brings me to next year. The Great Chesapeake Bay Swim will, once again, be my first big "A" race of the year. Can Lake is also a "must do" for 2014. So what about the rest of my race calendar? Here's how it's shaping up, so far:

March:  Two Rivers Marathon
April:    ?
May:    Nanticoke 3 Mile Swim
June:   Great Chesapeake Bay Swim
July:    Mad Marathon, VT & Colonial Sprint
August: ?
September:  Woodstock 50K
October:  Can Lake 50K 

Still surfing...
 

Can Lake 50 Miler!

Standing there in the dark morning chill waiting for the Can Lake 50 to start, it was too overwhelming to think about the full journey, the 50 miles of asphalt ahead of me. I couldn't wrap my mind around the fact that I was about to run 50 miles. How would this turn out? Would I be able to go the distance? It was something I had attempted last year at Tussey but failed to accomplish. It was a roll of the dice.

Awesome photo of Can Lake by Natalie Werner

I knew, though, that I had done everything I could to set myself up for success this year:  higher running volumes, heavy-duty strength training, lots of mental preparation. Race selection was key. I found a "beginner friendly" race that offered an early start, with a race director who prided himself on getting first-timers across the finish line. I knew it was the perfect race for me. 



Photo by Natalie Werner

My biggest concern was making the cutoffs, so my strategy was to minimize stops at aid stations by wearing a hydration backpack that would enable me to carry enough water and nutrition to last 13 miles. My awesome handler Priscilla, AKA P-Diddy, would be waiting to swap out my water pack and replenish my nutrition at certain points on the course.

And we're off!

Repeat after me: Hills are my friend!

I ran with some of the other early starters for the first few miles and enjoyed the company. Soon enough everyone pulled ahead and I was in familiar territory--running alone, just me and the road. That's how I had expected it would be, so on my long training runs I had learned to embrace the solitude.

The sun was just starting to come up over the lake and I was pumped! I felt so filled with joy and gratitude--- here I was, taking on this huge challenge that I had been training for all year.  I thought about how, if all goes as planned, I would be on the opposite side of the lake as the sun was going down some 13 hours later. Finish line redemption! Oh happy thought. 

But for the moment, the focus was on getting up the first two big climbs.

 

Coye and Bopple

Photo by Debra Wyspianski

By the time I started up Coye, the lead runners from the 7am start began blowing past me. Over the next few hours, the entire field of 7am starters would pass me, many offering words of encouragement as they flew by.

Bopple Hill, how I loathed you in the 24 minutes of quality time we had together. I was in awe of the racers passing me, just cruising up this monster like it was nothing! I want to be like them when I grow up.

I had actually budgeted 30 minutes for Bopple, so walking it in 24 gave me a good boost. From there I enjoyed the long downhill and the run through Woodville and down to Monica's Pies. 

 

P-Diddy has many talents, including photographer

The Heat is On!

 Turning on Parrish Road is when I first began to notice the heat. I was heading to the side of the lake where shade would be sparse. I had worked out a spreadsheet with multiple pace scenarios and knew that I was in good shape for making the cutoff at 28.7 miles, but I didn't want to take things for granted.

West Drive seemed to go on forever. I was really feeling the heat at this point. Maybe I should've grabbed a Gatorade at that last aid station. I knew I was slowing down. 

 

 

 

 

Obligatory Diet Coke Pic

Making The Cutoff

P-Diddy was waiting for me at the 28.7 cutoff so I could swap out my near-empty water pack and replenish my nutrition. I had made the cutoff with about 15 minutes to spare, cutting it closer than I had hoped but hey, I'll take it! I took a few swigs of Diet Coke, reapplied sunscreen, and motored on.

Heading up the annoying hill out of Middlesex toward Vine Valley is the first time my mental strength showed signs of cracking. It was almost 1:30 in the afternoon and hot, the sun beating down with no shade, and negative thoughts began creeping in. I was slowing down in the heat and my hopes of finishing by the 7pm cutoff were slipping away.

I've always had a good mental game and had prepared for just this kind of moment.  I allowed myself 1 minute to go negative. During this 1 minute I could think whatever terrible thoughts I wanted to think. I checked my watch and let it roll:

Why can't I be faster? 
Forget fast, just being an average runner would be nice. 
So, why can't I be average? WTH?? 
I have no answers for you, Sally. You suck.
Why can't you just pick up the damn pace?! It would be nice to finish while the sun is still shining. 
Ugh, this bites. Maybe I'm just not cut out for this ultra thing. 

At the end of one minute I forced myself to snap out of it. Dammit, Sally, you've got this! Quit whining and get your @ss in gear!  You'll either make the cutoff or you won't, but you WILL go the distance. You are UNSTOPPABLE!  

I said that last part out loud, then quickly  looked around to make sure nobody saw me talking to myself like a crazy woman. LOL 

Vine Valley and Beyond

Look P-Diddy, I'm unstoppable!

I cruised into Vine Valley with renewed determination and announced to P-Diddy that I was unstoppable!  As I turned onto S. Lake Road I heard people calling my name. It was the volunteers at the Vine Valley aid station!! I recognized some of them from the pre-race dinner. They gave me ice and poured water on my hat and cheered me on my way. I was so happy.

The Vine Valley out-and-back was the last time I had any contact with other runners. I exchanged waves and words of encouragement with the few runners who were on their way back. At that point, around 34 miles, I knew I was dead last.  

Running back toward the aid station, I saw a group of kids in bright orange Can Lake shirts walking toward me. They waited on the side of the road until I reached them and then jumped into a cheerleader pose and started shouting for me to keep going!! How cool is that? I couldn't believe it!! 

Next up, a couple of race staffers passing by in a truck gave me a high five. Then I noticed that the volunteers at the Vine Valley aid station, who were probably overdue for their shift to end, had waited for me to come back by.They poured cold water on my head and cheered me on-- that felt great!

Cheers, people. I'm going to finish this!

P-Diddy and I did the final water pack exchange and she drove ahead to check on Team Rabbit as I settled in for the long climbs up Vine Valley Rd. and Bare Hill. I was completely renewed and in the best frame of mind. Yes, it was hot. No, I probably wouldn't make the 7pm cutoff.  But I had less than 15 miles to go and I was pumped! 

Race staffers/volunteers repeatedly drove by to check on me. Did I need anything? Ice, ginger ale, water, snacks? My spirits were buoyed with each encounter. When I got to the turn at Arnold, the aid station was still there, stocked with everything under the sun! It could've been packed up long ago but these volunteers had stayed on the job, making sure I had what I needed to keep going. I was in tears as I thanked them and continued on. 

Daylight was fading and it was clear that I would be finishing in the dark. 

More volunteers came to my aid; one gave me her reflective vest, others decorated me like a Christmas tree with glow sticks. I had glow stick bracelets, a glow stick necklace, glow stick hoops hanging from my vest, even a glow stick hula hoop around my waist! I was cracking up as I trudged on down the road, all bedazzled and ready for sunset! 

All blinged up for the final miles

I wish I could say I picked up my pace and breezed on to the finish, but all I could manage was a very slow jog. I kept trying to go faster, but I was stuck in one gear. My legs felt heavy, but my mental state was good. I celebrated passing the 42 mile mark---that's the farthest I had gotten at Tussey. I was in new territory now, this was the farthest I had ever run in my life! 

For the last 8 miles or so, P-Diddy would drive ahead about 100 yards, wait for me to run by, then drive up another 100 yards, and wait again. She did this over and over, making sure I was okay. 

I turned onto Middle Road for the final stretch. It seemed to go on forever. Cars were speeding at me in the dark. I told myself to stay alert--it would suck  to have run all this way and get hit by a car! I finally made it to Kipp and lo and behold, the aid station goodies were still there! 

Thanks for waiting, Bill and Andy!

For the last few miles, the co-race director, Gil, and volunteer Andy ran with me. Actually, I was "running" and they were walking at a leisurely pace! No problem keeping up with me. LOL 

Andy had given me a blinking red light to put on my vest so the cars could see me. It was awesome to have some company out there the dark. 

Rock Star Finish!

As we approached the dead end barricades on Lincoln Rd. I could see some headlights up ahead, shining light on the grassy hill I was running down. I heard singing and saw people jumping up and down cheering! We got closer and I realized it was What's Up Doc, Energizer Bunny and Silly Rabbit from Team Rabbit! They had run the 50K and must have been wiped, but came back out to watch me finish. 

That's when I really started to get choked up. I thought about my friends and family who had supported me on this long journey. I thought about the race crew and volunteers who went above and beyond to make sure I had everything I needed to go the distance. And I thought about my fellow racers, all  of whom had finished long ago but whose words of encouragement stayed with me all these miles.

Gil pointed to some red lights in the distance and said that's where the finish line is. I assumed the red  lights were car tail lights or something, but as I got closer it became clear that it was the time clock. THE CLOCK WAS STILL THERE!!!  What the what??!! I never expected any of the race crew to wait for me to finish! I was finishing well past the 7pm cutoff and the race director, Tom Perry, the Yellow Jacket Racing crew and others were still there! Not to mention my best buds P-Diddy and Team Rabbit, all screaming and cheering me in.

I couldn't believe it. I felt like a rock star as I broke out in a "sprint" and ran for the finish line!! What an epic day! I was in tears as I hugged everyone in sight. Another 50 miler, Dave Farrands, was there offering to get me a "sammich" so I wouldn't have to walk up the stairs to get one. I somehow wound up with a sammich and an entire grape pie from Monica's! 

This is my "am I really DONE?!" look

Then, Race Director Tom Perry walked over with a finisher medal. What the what?! I get a medal? But I didn't make the cutoff!

He said something like, "a medal can also be given for having the most heart. You went the distance."  Yes. I. Did.

Thanks, Tom!

It took me 14 hours and 18 minutes, but with the help, support, and encouragement of the race directors, volunteers, fellow racers, friends, and even strangers I did it, I FINISHED the Can Lake 50!! 

THANK YOU....

THE BEST "handler", P-Diddy!

Team Rabbit rocks!

Co-race director Gil, who escorted me to finish

A hug for Andy, who also ran the final stretch with me