Training Log Archive: FunRun

Queen Street Yoga, open class. Recovery from last week needed, so using the time to build good habits. The class was 1:15 but I'm not counting the unwind or a few positions I skipped because my legs are deeply tired.

Complete rest day. A recovery bike ride was planned, but cheering on my teammates at the Endurrun Marathon, and subsequent hangout / food / and final awards caused that plan to get bumped. Great to see all the outstanding performances and determination / commitment required to complete this event.

And there is something special about this small family run event - the great "racing family" atmosphere between the organizers, all levels of racers, and volunteers; the support and comradery during the races, the high ratio of volunteers to racers; the outstanding quality of the post race food (even a BBQ at the race directors home, lol).

It's hard to say what it will be like as the event grows, but it was great to experience it! Incidentally, registration is already open for next year :-)

I created an AP race event just in case someone wants to keep track of this race for future consideration... Biggest issue are all the other cool races that go on at the same time, lol.

Event: Wilderness Traverse
 

Legs felt great after Chicopee, much better than after Bechtel (really no pain or stiffness). Perhaps it was the post race assisted stretching, or the long walk after that really helped.

Incidentally, after taking time to go cheer at the 10km time trial, and get other errands done, I found myself rushed to get to the Farmers market - and I still hadn't fixed my right bike cleat (the likely source of my issues)...

And in one short rushed ride to the market, my IT band, quads, achiles, calves... all quite mad at me in one short 20min ride, all that good feeling gone, lol.

[OK, bike cleat is now repositioned. Should have done that a while ago / Also the right pedal float needs to be corrected, the left pedal is so much wider... but I'll sort that out once I fix the frame]

100 kms of running this week (screw you 10% rule, lol). That must be an all time high for me.

Endurrun Chicopee, 25.6km mountain stage (5 km loops on the ski hills and trails of Chicopee, 200m climbing per lap)



Didn't know what I still had after Bechtel, had various sore points, and frankly this is a lot of mileage for me. First few laps went for conservatively strong, get a feel for it. I obviously wasn't fully recovered as I just wasn't attacking the downhills and single track like I normally do, but the pace was solid.

my main competition was definitely stronger today, a minute faster per lap. he lost some time at one point but easily passed me again. I just focused on my race and picking of people here and there... one guy was clearly faster on the downhill so I just hung out behind him on the last climb and descent, which seemed to be enough mental pressure, that at the bottom when I passed him I was able to put the drop on. (of course I then had to run a little in fear of him coming back, lol)

Was shocked to have caught up to a strong teammate who had bonked so I yelled and pushed him (not physically, lol) in the last trail section and to the top of the last hill...perhaps good for him but then I forgot to pay attention and as I was running into the finish it was only people yelling that tipped me off to Tiny making the attack... he would have had me, fortunately a little kick left to save my ass. Good times.

interestingly my last 2-3 laps felt stronger than my first few... still strong enough and good mental focus and control. Great way to end my contribution to the relay team. 3rd relay person, 6ish overall across the line, just 10ish mins back from the lead pack, and felt really good after, so a solid race for me. I think we moved up to 4th now.

Literally the best post race food, highly recommended race for atmosphere, people, and food (and no, you don't have to run the full 180 km).

[Laps 28:48, 29:48, 29:42, 31:20, 31:05, unanalyzed]

C • Great racing! 4

Errands and meetings / recovery day walk (time not exactly known)

C • "time not exactly know... 2

it's only Tuesday, and Race day... who knew!? Say Yes to life and teammates, right :-)

C • What race? 2

So, what is the response when you are called at 8:30pm and asked if you want to run a 30km race the next morning (because a teammate is injured)!? Yes of course :-) [better go eat a bit more and try to get to bed at a decent time...]

One of my running groups put together a couple relay teams for the Endurrun, a tour de france of running, 7 different races over 8 days. While I'm supposedly tapering for Chicopee (26kms +1000m "mountain" trail loop course) Friday, I agreed to fill in (my long runs are there-ish, and that's 3 days to recover).

Stage 3 of Endurrun is a 30km Cross Country course. 5 laps of Bechtel park; a mix of rolling double track of grass and woodchip, with some gravel and pavement connecting sections. Much smoother than the trails I've been running or racing on lately.

That said, I really wasn't sure how to pace myself, I have never run this distance in a race of just straight running (where are the maps, or bikes, or...); I knew I could cover the distance but wasn't sure how fast. I have tended to go out a bit too hard, and didn't have anyone to pace myself off of. So after running some numbers and borrowing a GPS watch, I figured I'd just settle into a 5:30 pace and go from there...

It was windy and cool, but it was really quite perfect... not hot and the wind was to our favour. I settled into a pace that seemed comfortable, around 4:30/km (as accurate as a GPS watch might be), and I fought the urge to join the slightly faster lead pack. I didn't think I'd ever enjoy a loop course (6 laps), but with each section of the trail and each hill being a little bit different, it was both interesting and I could set a pace in my mind for each section, and I believe I stuck to it pretty well for the first 3-4 laps (and not going out to hard, felt great).



It was also great to see your friends and competitors throughout the race, cheer them on or keep an eye on things; and also to know exactly where the aid stations were (which were in great spots, 2+ per loop) [it was also my first time not carrying anything more than my next gel, strange feeling]. Somewhere in the 4th lap (after 20ish kms) I started to notice my pace start stall, and by the final lap (the last 5kms) I really just focused on keeping a decent pace and maximizing the downhill sections, but I was happy in that I wasn't dragging myself across the line. A decent finish, I think I raced my own race well.

So I finished in 2:22-ish, well ahead of my 2:30 conservative goal, that was 6th across the line and was 3rd place for our relay team for that stage. [The lead "group" of 3-4 guys was in somewhere around 2:13-2:15 so I wasn't too far back; although the winner was 1:56, lol... but he didn't lap me! Supposedly, others consider this the toughest of the races, I enjoyed it... but I'm not running all week]

Ate lots (although couldn't fully indulge as I stupidly drank the gatorade after the finish, which my stomach doesn't like)... it was an AMAZING SPREAD, better than any potluck I've been too (they even made me a smoothy and were all good with me adding MMs and other treats into it). Had lots of great conversations, the racers and volunteers were great. And took the massage/chiro guys up on some post-race partner assisted stretching... have to start recovering for Friday :-)

Was surprised to bump into Tiny, great to see a familiar face. I guess we'll be "running" Chicopee together Friday... I'm thinking all his hill training will result in him schooling me on that course :-)

[Splits: 23:09, 23:13, 23:21, 23:36, 24:25, 24:37. Didn't slow down as much as I thought in the last couple of laps]

C • Very nice!! 12