Training Log Archive: expresso

Event: Big Blues Ramble 2007
 

Up early and out to meet site to help set up and get registration going. A couple of Swedes on a short visit to Chicago were jogging through the FP and saw a control and found us. Chris wanted to register so we obliged and he ended with great time both days. He seemed genuinely happy to be included (and with his runs). This is one of the parts of being a host that is very rewarding.

Jogging around before the sprint. What gorgeous weather.

Fun little sprint. I would like to have made some different route choices and been more careful with my bearing to 7. Oh well, I'm almost top 10 in the 2008 SS rankings though.

After packing up Busse and running an errand in Oak Park, I headed for the meet hotel and had just enough time to get cleaned up and head out to the Kerry Piper for our meet dinner. Shaw and I put together poster-sized maps of the day's courses and then folks started to arrive. It was good to get a chance to meet new folks talk & laugh with the CAOC gang. I really enjoyed myself.

Sprint - Splits

First time in a spin class. Next time I will bring my shoes because there are SPD clips. This was pretty hard for 5:15 a.m. Although I am an early riser, I usually leave my interval workouts until after cocktail hour.
Good variety & tunes. I think I could become a regular to these.
Hard to log this because it varied a lot in the high intensity zones. A perfect use of the mixed intensity AP feature.

Another round of this. Much easier on the tib. ants. after loosening-up in the spin class. No aquasocks today because my old one are delaminating. Need the traction though; maybe I'll try my scuba booties next time. Jury is still out on the value of these workouts.

Easy swim to warmdown after prior stuff. Worked a little on technique and did some pwp5.

Spent the afternoon and evening sitting around the lobby of the meet hotel talking to folks and handing out packets. Enjoyed the conversations but had to head home right before they all went out to dinner.

Extended circuit. Still a weakling.

Decided to try this for the first time. It's a workout for the calves and tib anteriors. I tried all sorts of paces and strides to see what works. Nothing felt like running be I'm sure it has some cross-training and strength benefit. I'll try to keep it up and increase my workout over time.

Easy swim (& some pwp). Felt better and smoother than Monday.

Rode up to lunch with Jill and then included a detour on the way back. Kept the pace easy and legs felt pretty good.

Easy circuit - pretty wimpy.

Easy swim to loosen-up and remind myself how to do it. Stroke was pathetic but it will return in time.

Whoo Hoo !!! Another fun long race, although this one was quite a bit more grueling than the Lake Geneva lap in May. I exceeded all of my hopes and goals, what else can I say? ... quite a bit actually. This will include those tedious details for my future reading enjoyment so feel free to stop now.
I drove up to Fond Du Lac in the evening and stayed over to make it a quick trip to the 7 a.m. start. I had difficulty getting to sleep and, although I set it, I did not turn the alarm on. Yikes!! I had just enough time for a quick breakfast, prep and to bolt to the start at the Greenbush firehouse. I arrived 15 minutes before the start and was in a flurry of activity so I had no time to get nervous. I've found that I do well with an easy start in these long races so I set an easy pace. I decided to count the people in front of me and there were 15 as we headed into the woods after about 1k. It was just beautiful forest and the early trail was wide and smooth so I got to soak up the scenery briefly because this changed quickly. As we connected to the Ice Age Trail the hills started and the abundant rocks and roots were covered with camoflaging leaves. Just so I don't have to say it over and over to make my point, the footing was TREACHEROUS and lasted the whole race. Fortunately I was wearing my ankle braces and these saved me many times.
I walked most of the early uphills and ran the flats and downhills to get the engine going. I finally hit my stride and ran more of the uphills and started to pick off someone every mile or so. I found a guy who was moving pretty well and we cooperated for a while but I finally lost him at an aid station because his wife or girlfriend was there to make quick transitions. Although I was not hungry, I ate a good amount of food - gu, bananas, cookies and drank a lot of fluids - propel, gatorade even though the weather was in the 50s. I think this paid off for me in the late race.
The really big hills came at miles 12-14. Just as I started up a big one, two guys came screaming down the hill with abandon. It looked like the leaders were running a 5k instead of 10 times that. Impressive. I was in 8th at this point and ran alone to the turn-around. Two guys came the other way right before I got there (including the guy I'd run with earlier) so I was close to them and as I started back I saw the stretched-out "pack of hounds" on my tail. Wow were they close. I was feeling good now so I ratcheted up my pace to try to keep them back. I did get passed by one guy at the aid station but he stopped to "tie his shoe" and I never saw him again. I finally got a long range glimpse of my friend from the first half and a mile later was on his tail and blasted right by him fast to try to shake him off and I never saw him again.
It was about mile 20 at this point and the next 10 became the doldrums. There was no one to chase but I had to keep pushing because I could feel the pack behind me. I ran almost every uphill with a technique that I developed "on the fly" (not worth describing here) and really nailed the flats and downhills. Yes, my legs were screaming the whole time but they held up so I kept pushing. As I left the last aid station (with 7 miles to the finish) I heard them cheering for another arrival behind me. Arrgghh, I just couldn't get separation so I pushed even harder.
Finally I came to one of my favorite orienteering maps in the midwest - the Cat's Meow map. I knew I had less than four miles to go and I knew I was going to make it. Unbelievably, as I was crossing a road, I saw another guy ahead of me who I recognized as being just ahead of me at the turn-around. He was struggling and didn't even try to hold on as I went by. So that's sixth now and no one in sight behind me. Cool, this'll be a respectable first 50k. But I finished in seventh and almost slipped to eighth. Don't ask about my wrong turn in the town nearly in sight of the finish - the stupidity wound is still pretty raw.
I had a two hour drive home and got to reflect on ultramarathons. I've learned a little about them in preparing for this race. After doing one, I am extremely impressed by folks who can go 50, 100 or more miles in even worse conditions. It's good to have an idea of what they endure but I think I'll leave it at that for a while. I really enjoy looking at a map and terrain while I run instead of the trail in front of me trying pick out the next safe footfall. Nevertheless, I do enjoy the training and revel in the competition so who knows...

C • good run... 3