M'kay

5 miles in 42:26,  8:29/mi, HR 167.

Low-key 5 mile trail race in Ashford, WA at the Rainier Mountain Festival.  Starts at the base camp area, up a short gravel road segment and onto soft single and double-track trails for 4 450' elevation gain laps, then back to the start.  Only 30-40 runners participating, a shame since the cost was only $15 ($10 if registered before day-of-race) and includes a $12 t-shirt.  The uphills were pretty steep and the downhills a series of switch-backs.  Dropped back to about 5th place at the start, climbed into 3rd place by the middle of the first uphill segment and stayed there through the first two laps.  Ran the entire first lap, and took short power-hike breaks on the next 3 on the steepest of the uphills to conserve strength.  The first place guy gapped us pretty good on the first lap, but I managed to stay within about 10-15 seconds of the 2nd place guy until lap three, where I finally closed and passed him on the uphill segment.  My strength was on the uphills, his the downhills, so I was pushing hard on the next downhill segment so I didn't get caught, which was tricky with the switchbacks.  Guess I haven't yet figured out how to cruise through switchbacks without either nearly completely stopping to make the turn or nearly missing the turn and careening over the side.  On the fourth uphill, I was pushing to put him away and gapped him by about 20 seconds or so, and actually nearly caught the 1st place guy without knowing it.  Guess I should've paid more attention, because I saw a fit-looking guy about 10 seconds ahead of me and I was gaining on him, but I didn't chase after him because I thought it was someone on an earlier loop than I.  Oops.  Pushed the last downhill segment (nearly missing a couple of turns) to stay ahead of #3 but still lost sight of #1 quickly.  Pushed into the finish for second overall.  Believe the #1 guy was only about 12 seconds ahead, but then again he was only 24, and I believe a guide for one of the climbing services, so I don't feel too badly.  The 3rd place guy was 50-something, so thank goodness I managed to put him away.  Garmin recorded the route at 4.14 miles, but with the switchbacks, tree canopy and climbs/descents, I'm go on faith that it was close to 5 miles.

Waited around for the awards and was rewarded with some nice Black Diamond Trekking poles.  Not sure when/if I'll ever use them, but they're $90 poles, which is a pretty sweet prize for a $15 race.   Next up is the Northwest Trek Run Wild next weekend.

LM warmup (10 reps), 6.07 miles in 49:13, 8:06/mi, HR 154, w/ 10 x 12 sec Hill Sprints & stretching.

Sunny and warm (68F).  Some soreness on the outside of both hips from Sunday's race.  Into the 2 mile warmup I'd planned, I realized a hard workout today wasn't a good idea, so I decided 6 miles with some steep hill sprints was probably smarter.  Left hip and hamstring almost derailed the hill sprints but I managed to hold off the spasms and got through everything unscathed.  Hopefully tomorrow will be a bit cooler and everything will feel better. 

LM warmup (10 reps), 8.66 miles in 1:08:51, 7:57/mi, HR 158, w/ 2 mile warmup, 2 x Drills, 6 x Strides, Ladder 1,2,3,2,1,2,3 minutes with equal rest (5:52/mi uphill, 5:46/mi rolling, 6:13/mi uphill, 6:06/mi uphill, 5:34/mi flat, 6:04/mi uphill, 7:08/mi steep uphill), 3.3 mile cooldown, PU/SU/Leg ladder (6/6/3) & stretching.

Cloudy & rain showers (mid 60s).   Hamstrings tights and left hip/groin pain returned.  Struggled to get loose during warmup.  Drills were 'meh.  The start of the rains didn't help.  The pain of the repeats helped tune out the rain.  Shorter intervals were good but as always, felt like a prolonged death during the longer ones.  The last 3 minute repeat was particularly nasty as it went up a steeper part of the road when I was already on my last legs.  All this hard uphill running better be good for my soul or something.  

LM warmup (10 reps), 6.11 miles in 48:47, 7:59/mi, HR 150 & stretching.

Overcast (62F).  Felt like I was carrying a big rock in my stomach today.  Leg muscles were firing at random.  Glad to be done. 

LM warmup (10 reps), 6.06 miles in 48:11, 7:57/mi, HR 154, & stretching.

Cloudy & humid (63F).  Another felt-like-I-need-to-puke run.  Tomorrow might not be too fun.

4th time running my favorite local hometown race.  Unfortunately, the first time without a PR, unless you count running the exact same time as last year.  Yup, to the second.

Another overcast and wet but warm year in the mid 60s.  Was well drenched after my 2 mile warmup, not because of rain but because I was sweating like I was in a sauna.  As has been the norm the past week, felt like crap too, like I mistakenly left a rock in my stomach.  

Settled into 7th at the start, but hard to tell with the simultaneous 5K/8K start.  At least the put the 5K walkers on a different course (and started them 5 minutes earlier) this year, so less bobbing and weaving in miles 3 and 4 ahead this year.  One runner peeled off at the 5K split and I set my sights on the 5th place guy.  Recognized him from other races and knew he was a fast starter that I *should* eventually catch, and finally did at about the 2 mile mark IIRC.  He and another guy stayed on my heels for a couple of miles, so I had some fear in me about getting passed, which helped spur me on because my body wasn't helping much.  Legs getting tired, breathing getting away from me, a side stitch developed, and that wonderful rock-in-stomach feeling....waaaaa.  Pushed as much as I could on the gently downhill 4th mile, knowing that the last mile was narrow, chock full of twists and turns, and likely crowded with 5K runners, making keeping speed up difficult.  As expected.  Pushed the last quarter-mile and quite gladly finished.

Placing was better this year but I'd chalk that up to reduced competition.  Once again, came up empty in the raffle drawing.  All in all, a bleah race, but they can't all be PRs, I suppose.