Training Log Archive: Funderstormin

Easy little leg shakeout to clear my mind as I tried to sort out how to negotiate a campervan purchase!

C • Camper van 5

Event: Dances with Dirt
 

A few months back Hermes suggested Dances with Dirt 50K as a fall adventure. I was keen to get a longer race on the schedule and enjoy the trails in the area so said sure! Hermes needed to focus on WT next weekend and as luck would have it, all of the people I lived with in Colorado were also racing in the relay so I went down solo.

My last Michigan race in April wasn't a great one for me, so I was a bit nervous for Saturday but tried to do everything right in the days leading up to the race. Race start was 6:15 and while the 100K relay was full, the ultras (50K and 50M) were quite small. Temperatures were perfect and I ran a good chunk of the first 6 miles in the dark with a local woman who had just come back from Transalpine and was a strong runner and good company.

After the first aid station and light drop, I found myself running with a couple of guys who were at about my pace and ended up staying with them for the next 25 miles, which turned out to be a good decision for me mentally and an absolute blast! The race has adventure running like components with a couple of miles of off trail sections, a pile of river crossings, and a section of about 500m where you have to wade down the middle of the river (called Styx, river of Death). Hawkeye Ray (because he was in front and was awesome at spotting the off trail flags) and Reality Show Stan (because I told him watching the back of his shoes was more mesmerizing than a reality show) were awesome company and we were joined for quite awhile two guys we called Western States Stu and Western States Andrew. We told lots of jokes and stories which made the time fly by and staying together also kept us all motivated. I know I ran better and happier with them than I would have without.

Having not run longer than 25km since April I was waiting for the wheels to fall off the bus but much to my surprise, they never really did, for a few reasons I think. A lot of the off trail sections were in the middle of the course which meant a bit of a break from running as much when I expected to start tiring. I was diligent about my Tailwind (I did 12 servings throughout the race and added the odd gel or aid station food), and, much as I hate to admit it, I know that the strength training I've been doing has helped a lot. My legs felt a bit tired between 30-40km, but once we hit the last aid station with about 10km to go, they found new life, which doesn't often happen! I finished feeling stronger than I ever have at the end of a 50k, which I know was part mental and part physical.

The course has lots of variation, and is hilly enough (about 3000 ft of gain) to keep things interesting without ever being soul crushing. The only really steep section was aptly named "Stripper Pole."

Since it was a small race, when we came across the finish line we all ended up with age group awards, which was a nice surprise. We got beer and pizza and hung out for a bit before I bid them good-bye and joined my friends on the relay course. The costumes were hilarious as was watching runners careen into a pond in front of a large audience! Post-race we headed to the town of South Lyon for beer and a Pumpkinfest.

The night before the race as I was trying to get to sleep and convince myself I was going to be okay, I counted my previous 50ks and realized this would be my 10th so I was glad it turned out to be a good one! I've got the Bad Thing at the end of the month and this felt like a great dress rehearsal for it!

C • Sounds like you had an amaz... 9

Always fun to start a run in the dark and finish in the light! Lovely little shake out on the Grand River Trail.

Crossfit

Had an awesome few hours out on the trails as one of Virginia's pacers. Not sure how to log this as we were going through some technical sections that meant we were hiking, but when we did find a section that was runnable, boy was she running!

I was really looking forward to this day and found Virginia and Jerry, the other pacer I was with for most of the time, to be excellent company. We had perfect conditions and Virgina's spirits were very high. The hours and kms flew by...for me at least!

Can't wait to see her finish this thing off on Wednesday!

C • What a great support she ha... 2

CrossFit.

Mrs. Tiny and I met at the Hydrocut for a Friday unwind ride. Neither one of us have spent enough time on our mountain bikes lately and boy did it show!

Lovely morning trail run...but need to bring a headlamp next time. There was a bit of running by feel and hoping for the best!

Some pre-ARK running at Bechtel then chasing the kids around trying to remind them that the point of navigation was not to beat their friends to the next CP but to pay attention to the map.

Agreed many months ago to join a team of folks from Ontario breweries for the Sears Great Canadian run, a relay that started in Bolton and went to Collingwood. I've never done one of these events and it was fun but not necessarily I'd likely do again.

There were 8 of us and we all signed up for legs roughly equal to 12-13 km. I wanted my legs to be consecutive and looked for sections that were interesting. Many of the sections were a straight shot on a paved road (shoot me), so I took the last two which were mostly on the Georgian Trail through Collingwood to Blue Mountain Village. Better than running on the road for sure but it was tough sitting around all day watching others run.

One of the upsides to running on a team with a bunch of brewers is that everyone brought good beer. :-)

CrossFit. Did my first pull ups and lived to tell the tale.

C • Awesome! 3

Spent my last night in Colorado with a friend in Golden who took me on a fun brewery tour and agreed to get up early so we could get a run in before I went to the airport. He lives at the base of Lookout Mountain where there are tons of cool trails right on the doorstep. We took the Chimney Gulch trail up and back down. Even though Golden is lower than Winter Park, trying to run up that trail was still very challenging!

We didn't have a lot of time but it was cool to get a high view of Golden and the surrounding area and the trail was a ton of fun.

C • Chimney Gulch Trail 4

Rainy day in Winter Park but we still wanted to get out to explore some more trails before various people had to depart. Took a trail map with us and drove up Vasquez Rd. aways to a trailhead and did a challenging hike on the Elk Creek loop.

On and off rain was a good reminder to be prepared when hiking in the mountains as it got cold quickly!

A great way to end my stay in Winter Park but left with the haunting feeling that there was so much more to explore there...

Hideaway Half-Marathon. I was tired from a few long but fun days and had no expectations other than to enjoy the trails.

Started at 7 from Hideaway Park on a series of MTB trails that wound throughout forests with a steady climb up to the Twisted Ankle aid station. I was mentally prepared for most of this to be hiking so was pleasantly surprised with how much running I was able to do. I had started with a jacket on but was happy to take it off and refill my bladder with Tailwind when we got to the aid station. I had marked the next section of the course which was mentally helpful as I knew what was next - a few miles along a forest road with a big climb at the top. Once we left the road, I knew it was mostly downhill and loved cruising down the singletrack trails through forests and on the side of the hill as the course made its way back to Hideaway Park. Was enjoying the course so much I wasn't in any hurry for it to end and was almost a bit sad when I got to the bottom as I was feeling good and the views on the way down were spectacular.

Here's a picture of the course map: http://www.hideawayrunning.com/#!page2/cjg9

Definitely one of the most memorable runs and races of my life. Trails were just gorgeous, weather was perfect and I felt really good despite my fears about the impact of the altitude.

Had lots of friends running the 50K so spent the rest of the morning with beers, friends and pizza cheering the runners in before the course closed at around 1:30 p.m. Later that evening the runners took over the Winter Park Pub for the awards ceremony and post-race party. A practically perfect day!

C • Enjoyed reading about your adventures 3

The Hideaway 100M course featured two 50M loops. At the top of the mountain where most of the trails were located was an out and back to Rollins Pass and Roger's Pass. At Roger's Pass, racers had to pick up a bracelet to prove that they had been to the turnaround point and I had offered to go and swap out the bracelets for the second loop of the 100M. I timed it perfectly as I got up there as the last 50M runner was heading out. She was someone I'd crossed paths with before at other races but never got to know well and I thoroughly enjoyed our chat on the out section, which was about 2.5 miles with 800 ft of gain and took us up to just under 12,000 ft. This definitely featured some labored breathing!

Once we got there, we swapped the bracelets out but were so enamored by the place we kept hiking up for some gorgeous views of the James Peak Wilderness Area. There were so many cool trails and places to explore but they will have to wait for another day...

Running back from Roger's Pass. The girl I was with was hiking most of the course but the trail was so gorgeous (and now all down hill) that she wanted to run it and I was keen for a bit more running at that altitude to help myself mentally prepare for my race the next day. We had a lovely run back to the road where she kept going and I loaded up the 50M drop bags to take back to the start/finish.

Event: Hideaway 100
 

Spent a good part of the day helping with course marking for the Hideaway 100. It was so exciting to see the course in advance and especially the parts that I wouldn't get a chance to run during my race on Sunday.

Short runs in between markers were a rude awakening about what it was going to feel like running at 10,000 ft!

Arrived in Winter Park just in time for the Hideaway Beer Mile. The RD thought it would be fun punishment to put this on a side of a hill with 100ft of gain per 1/4 mile, which made an already challenging event all the more difficult!

Think there were about 15-20 of us lined up with a few in creative costumes. I was the first female off the first beer but running up a hill at 9300 ft did not cater to my strengths! Held my own on the beer part but got passed by a California and Colorado native on the runs to finish up third female. Another plastic shovel to add to my collection and a great way to start my trip to Colorado!

Crossfit.

Short spin around Bechtel Park after work.