THOU SHALT BE A COMEBACK

one hour fight club.  ez recovery run, got cut short because i witnessed a car accident, called it in, checked every one out, gave report to the first incoming unit then had to split and shortcut it home to get Vanessa from school.

nice n easy with Prefontaine.  might jump into a little 4 mile race tomorrow.  The big bad 50k is only a week away!

meh

today I rest

am.  one hour fight club.  brutal.

pm.  6 miles.  meant to go 8 but got this sharp stitch in my ribs, tried to stretch it out, walk it off, tried everything but it was a painful little sucker and made running unbearable.

one hour fight club. It was tough, and my legs were trashed, so it was more of plod than a run.  The competition for the Psycho Wyco 50K is intense,  Abraham Kogo, a 2:19 marathoner will debut the trail, Andy Henshaw, National 100k champ and course record holder will be present, as well as more of a stacked field.  On the women's side, one and only sub-5 woman and course record holder, as well as 2:40 marathoner returns, and there is rumor of another unknown very fast woman.  It will be exciting on the trails Saturday!  I stood in front of the mirror today and looked at my abs.  I know, it's vain and weird, but thanks to fight club I have a six-pack, and I suddenly realized it today. 

ez.  trail conditions will be muddy, so its not gonna be a fast day for anyone out there saturday.  Its gonna be tough!

This is, effort wise and in performance comparison, probably the biggest win of my running career.  This is the race I have been training for, and it went better than I ever dreamed.  It is 50K/31 miles, consisting of 3 loops.

prerace:  It rained this week.  Rain is bad.  It means mud, which means none of the fast and frozen terrain we had last year.  I drove up the night before, had my customary night-before-race beer(one Corona light), and dropped into bed for 7 solid hours.  Bling and Glen drove us to the line.  I didn't bother to warm up.

Loop 1:  I lined up with the Shadow, Bling, and Prefontaine right at the front, and we were off.  I went out fast on purpose, since I knew this was the only loop with opportunity for speed before the trail was chewed up and the mudslogging began.  I felt strong.  My mantra going down was "no fear" and I am amazed I didn't break my face but I took a few falls.  A little gatorade, but mostly coca-cola, and one S-cap. Came through in 1:32, which is ridiculously way too fast of  a start for this course.  At the end of the loop I shed my hat, gloves, and long-sleeve shirt and it was shorts and trusty green tank from then out.

Loop 2:  And now the mudslog begins.  There were ropes strung on some hills but not enough, not enough.  I wiped out half a dozen times.  I have blisters on my toe tips from curling them in a desperate attempt to keep my shoes from being sucked off.  I went mud-skiing down hills.  Several times I was reduced to hands and knees scrabbling up hills(needed some ropes here).  I would smear the mud off my hands onto my shirt and then force myself to run whenever possible.  I  choked  a gu down in here, and swallowed another S-cap.  I still stuck to coca-cola(only in traile races!).  Came through in 3:15.  Still not another woman in sight and I was not looking back.

Loop 3:  Ah.  The agony begins.  The beginning of this loop is pretty muddy and sloppy, and I became acutely aware of my screaming muscles and fatigue.  I felt a little disheartened the first few miles, felt like things were just shutting down.  From here on out, I alternated wildly between fatigue and a little despair and feeling good, knowing I was in the lead, and telling myself to slog on.  I wiped out and scrambled a few more times.  The last mile was hard, a massive, muddy climb.  The very last little bit is downhill though, and I sprinted like a madwoman across the line!

Very exciting.  Second fastest time in history of the race for a woman.  Almost a sub-5(dang!) prizes:  $325, beer mug, water bottle, drop bag, free entries to two events, coffee mug, shirt, hat

A shout out to the experienced volunteers, the amazing aid stations, the incredible support, and my awesome running group, the River City Honey Badgers.

My. Body. Hurts.  I'm sure I did some major muscle damage, but no true "injuries" and should be recovered in a week so I can polish up for a half in March.  Today was a real breakthrough, I feel the fitness is beginning to really, really come back.  I bested my time from last year by 40 minutes in much, much less favorable conditions so I am pumped!!

one hour fight club.  8 ez.  legs are a little stale, but no more soreness.  feet are intact...no blisters or black toenails.  surprise.

one hour fight club.  my arms, ouch.  8 on indoor track at Y in the eve.  was feeling pretty chipper at the end

am.  one hour fight club

afternoon:  12 easy.  legs are not ready for fast stuff yet but they feel pretty good

off to surprise a little girl with flowers 

one hour fight club.  finally bought my own boxing gloves.  8 on the dining room dreadmill while doing laundry, threw in 6 x 1min on/1 min off at 6:00 pace at the end. 

with the group after work.  not totally slack, kinda brisk but still conversational.  I was underdressed for 18 degrees

7:50 ap.  last 4 in a comfortable 6:52, 6:57, 6:43, 6:40.  improvement spurt coming on.

no school today, so 8 ez on the track at the Y plus 20 minutes intense core.

all ez on the dreadful home dreadmill.  Mini me cheered me on, no school today.

am-5

pm-6

now I am going to officially register for the Ardmore half marathon.  I am sniffing around for a pr.

snowstorm run!  last two comfortably hard in 7:02, 7:08, which is acceptable for snow plow miles.

one hour fight club.  I am burpeed and boxed out.

checked out Snowmageddon.  some bunny hopping action.  helped push out a car.  the thundersnow last night was incredible.  beatiful!

6:48 AP.  dreadmill hills. 

.5 warm up 8:34 pace

2.5 up 4% 7:30 pace

5 down -2% 6:22, 6:18, 6:15, 6:11, 6:07

felt decent the whole time, almost easy.  encouraging.

circles at the y nice and easy

I have realized that a long run is not happening this week, since snopocalypse 2 is supposed to move in tomorrow, so I doubt there is school for a few days.  It is just not worth it to do it on the home mill, so I guess I will just be that much more rested for the Ardomre half in a week.  On to today.  Me and Vanessa went to the East Y, I am low on laundry and had to wear some old short.  mistake.  I rolled them 3 times but they still kept threatening to fall off, so there was a lot of self-conscious, uncomfortable hitching.  Ran easy but the last mile up 2% at 6:40 pace, which didn't feel particularly comfortable.  My conclusion:  The last 4 uphill miles at Ardmore will stink no matter what, so I might as well be downright suicidal in the beginning downhill miles and bank as much time as possible.  I would not recommend this approach for a full marathon, but for a half, might as well. 

No school.  snowpocalypse is supposed to start...so dreadmill in my dining room.  ugh.  want to run outside sooo bad.  at work now, core workout has been shoveling. and shoveling. and shoveling.  so my ambulance can get out of the garage all night.

another school cancelled and everything closed day so home dreadmill again.  6 with 10x1 minute 6:00 pace.  mini core workout. all I could take.  So ready to run outside tomorrow!!

long night at work.  one hour fight club.  serious, serious, grunting and sweating today.  Legs were trashed, staggered 8 miles.

am.  one hour fight club

afternoon:  8 ez