lesson relearned
never go running without socks. my duffel bag was missing socks one noon hour and i stood there a moment considering if i should still go running or not. eh, what me worry? i geared up and headed out for an easy five miles.
mile one, no problem. feeling fine. mile two, ditto. all systems go. mile three, hmmm…feet are sliding around in my shoes a bit more than they usually do. mile four, got whistled at by a passing car. mile five, temporary ego boost dissolves as i realize i’ve got a silver dollar sized blister on my right foot.
i guess the good news is that the damage was temporary and is well on it’s way to being healed. overall, the month of may was productive from a frequency standpoint as i only took three days off from running. i even mustered a 14 day “streak” of days run before purposely putting an end to that. (i currently have another 8 day “streak” going…but who’s counting?)
the one missing element from my training this month was the “long run.” that’s something i really need to fix for june. also for the upcoming month, i’ll ideally find a local 5K to get a read on my fitness … or be humbled by speedy high schoolers.
MTD – 159.5 miles (28 days “on”)
YTD – 589 miles
Odometer – 31,695 miles
gone streakin’
inadvertently, i’ve strung together thirteen consecutive days of running – – dressed appropriately, thank you very much. while i’m forty (plus) years away from topping the United States Running Streak Association list, it’s a positive sign that i’m getting “habitual” with my training.
MTD – 86.25 miles (15 days)
YTD – 515.75 miles
Odometer – 31,622 miles
false start
the last time i had blogged, i was prepping to race a half marathon on the first saturday in april. regrettably, i came down with an upper respiratory virus which kept me on the couch. training-wise, april came and went without much to write about as i only mustered 110 miles over 20 days. there was one cool thing that did happen while i was on the run last month. we got a stray 80 degree day and i spotted a pretty good sized tortoise sunning itself along the side of the glacial drumlin trail as i ran by.
as far as consistency, may has gotten off to a good start. i’ve been able to run on ten of the first eleven days of the month. the majority of the time, my effort is limited to a short five mile effort during lunch. i did surprise myself last week with five in 36:20. after a 8:20 opening mile, i started rolling off miles at an average of 7:00 per mile for the next four miles. to be honest, it was an unplanned effort. for whatever the reason, my legs just said “go” so i went with it. i wish i could bottle up what that felt like and cash it in during the last 10K of a marathon.
regardless, i don’t have any firm racing plans yet but am guessing i’ll find some shorter races in the coming months to see where my fitness level is at. there’s a 10K in july that i’d like to take another whirl at and i got an email about the North Face Endurance Challenge in september. if there’s any gas left in the tank, maybe i can sneak in one last long race in late october or early november.
time will tell.
MTD – 57 miles (10 days)
YTD – 486.5 miles
Odometer – 31,593 miles
reclaimation effort
ever so slowly i continue to work my way back into shape. the past six months have amounted to simply “maintenance” miles after pulling my left hamstring last fall. for the year to date, i’ve rolled just under 227 miles; some of which have been logged on snowshoes. while i am eligible for the USSSA Nationals next saturday, i’m likely going to pass on the race as my fitness level is still pretty low.
in the past three weeks, i’ve logged two 13 mile efforts. the first at 8:48 per mile average pace and today’s effort at 8:19 per mile average pace. in the next three weeks i’d like to get in a few long(er) runs and work on getting in more frequent efforts during the workweek. ideally, i’ll be racing the half marathon distance at the Trailbreaker the first saturday in april.
MTD – 30 miles
YTD – 226.9 miles
Odometer – 31,333 miles
Glacial Park Snowshoe Race
i rolled into Glacial Park (Ringwood, IL – – one hour south of Waukesha, WI) a little more than an hour before race time and had the chance to attend the pre-race briefing. summarized, the race instructions were…
- 10K runners wear yellow numbers and run two loops
- 5K runners wear white numbers and run one loop
- there is a big hill to climb near the finish line, and 10K runners get it twice
- both races start together in about 20 minutes and 10K runners get dibs on starting up front as they’re aiming to qualify for the USSSA National Snowshoe Championships (assuming they paid dues before the race – – which i did)
i had pretty much settled on what i’d be wearing for the race as the meeting ended. essentially, base layer spandex (top & bottom) with a thicker insulating top and wind/waterproof shell pants. i then headed out for a five minute run on the park roadway to warm up a bit and then grabbed my Redfeather snowshoes from the trunk of my car.
after fastening my snowshoes to the bottom of my running shoes, i made my way to the starting line and struck up a conversation with a fellow entrant in the 10K. the race director called us to the line and sounded the horn to start the race. with a flurry of activity we were off and kicking up plumes of snow around us. the course funnels down very quickly after the short uphill start. my strategy was to simply keep my line without interfering with others so i’d avoid being tangled up in the donnybrook. honestly, the start is much more tricky than a running race due to the snowshoes. you’re simply not as maneuverable.
regardless, i started aggressively without going too anaerobic in the early stages of the race. even with a few of the 5K racers passing me in the first mile, we had plenty of room on the trail. the race course was very well marked and the snow was fairly packed down. we wound our way through the woods then into an open field for a square shaped section of the course then we headed back into the woods.
shortly after returning to the woods came “the hill.” it’s a good thing the race director called this one out as i could see some of the more whiny competitors complaining about it. the race web site describes the hill as 110 meters in length with a maximum grade of 21%. my strategy was to shorten my stride a bit, keep a steady pace and lean forward into the hill. as i climbed, i could see one of the 5K runners ahead me resorting to walking up the hill. i made up some ground on him but shortly after the hill was his turn for the finish line and my turn for the second loop.
admittedly, the second loop was much quieter than the first as the 10K field was smaller than the 5K. i didn’t mind being on my own so i focused on staying upright and moving forward. the other nice thing about the second loop was that the snow was even more packed down, especially in the open field. the packed snow made it much easier to run rather than blazing a trail through powder. i climbed “the hill” a second time and made the turn towards the finish. along the way, the race director was walking parallel to the course and i shouted “nice course” to him as i passed. i rolled downhill into the finish line and got some high fives from the volunteers.
my final time was 59:20 and my Garmin had the course at 9K in distance. doing the math, that meant i averaged 10:37 per mile which is more than 2 minutes per mile faster than i had done a 7 mile snowshoe training run last saturday afternoon. after putting my snowshoes back in my car’s trunk, i went for a ten minute cool down run.
the post race event included brats & burgers plus a raffle for door prizes. i bought $5 of raffle tickets and ended up winning a Columbia fleece jacket and an XL long sleeve t-shirt from the organizer (2K Adventure Gear). the guy next to me got a thermal base layer set sized for Girls 6-8, which he didn’t seemed thrilled with. i offered to trade him the XL shirt for the thermal set since i’m sure my daughters will use it. overall, he seemed to be pretty happy with the trade.
so now i wait to hear if my effort will qualify me to run the USSSA National Snowshoe Championships up in Cable, WI this March. i guess word would come via email or on the the USSSA web site.
the other thing i’ll patiently wait for are photos from the race as there was an event photographer out on the trails. overall, i had a great time and really enjoyed this first year event. there are a few things that could be improved if the event is held next year, but overall it was a great first year event.