not giving up on the comeback

Ran the 3 to track night but they had delayed it for lightning.  Ran another 3.5 while waiting.  They started it up again and I paid my $2, but then about 20 min later there was some more lightning and they canceled it.  So I took the long way home and did a few pickups on the way just to get the blood pumping. 

screwed the watch up so I don't have a pace, but it was reasonably solid. 

13.1 miles total

Looks like it is national running day, so I'd better get out there...

After work -

6 or thereabouts
ran 2 to the track - 3 on the track and 1 home - did 2 or 3 200m pickups just to kick the legs out a little
a little sore from yesterday

felt really tight - went out in the heat just to make it nice and difficult

4 @ 7:21 ave pace

4.4 after work - just lumbering along in the heat - 7:30 ave pace

My legs are really tight.  With the 50K on coming up on Sunday, I may skip today.  Although, like I told my wife, I'll probably feel guilty about that and do a few tonight after work.  I need to loosen up somehow. 

Time to start drinking lots of H₂0...

Can't decide if I want to drive up the 2.5 hrs and camp out by the starting line tomorrow night or just drive up really early Sunday morning.  I've driven up Sun morning the last two years and it works ok although 3:30AM wake-up is a bit early for me...

man it was hot and humid - lost 4 lbs of water in 6 miles. 
used the trail shoes to feel them again after a bunch of months away from them
felt ok - a little better towards the end - I hope it isn't this hard tomorrow...I can't wait to get it going.  I'm getting nervous. 

Will leave in the morning for the race rather than camp out.  I just don't need that added worry of finding a camping spot, sleeping (or not) on the ground, etc..

Been reading the books Born to Run and the legendary Once a Runner.  So far I'm enjoying both.  If you haven't tried either one, I recommend them.  They are both interesting views, albeit vastly different angles, on the world of running. 

6 @ 7:25 ave pace

I'm up at 3AM and dang it is early.  Off to my race.  :)

Yesterday I got up early and drove up 2.5 hours to The Sumter National Forest for the Chattooga 50K.  I did this race the last two years, with varying success.  I haven’t run trails in a while, but I really wanted to go back and test myself again this year.   It is a beautiful, challenging romp through the trails along the Chattooga river. 

I had a great drive up to the mountains.  I got to blast my music as loud as I wanted and I was able to see a beautiful sunrise over the mountains. 

I just wanted to pace myself and not go out crazy at the start. 

3.5 – great downhill section 1100ft drop  – got stuck behind some guy who kept going slower and slower – I should have done the same. 

3.5 – climb back up the 1100 ft – I felt good and was just chugging along.  I caught some of the guys who lost me on the downhill but I used too much energy here I think. 

.5 – Staight up Climb over the rise and down the other side to the first aid station.  I grabbed a cookie or two and moved on. 

2.7 – A very run-able section with a nice downhill section at the end. 

7.5 – This section is the Foothills trail that wanders towards the river and away from it.  Lots of trail cutbacks and elevation changes.  Plus there are lots and lots of roots and rocks to dance through and around.   Towards the end, this section has a lot of climbing that really took me out of my game.  I didn’t get lost at least.  The aid station was a big welcome.  I took part of a peanut butter sandwich and some Heed and moved along.  I was start to get wobbly and generally not good.  The deal I made with myself was to get back to the aid station and then I could drop out and have someone drive me back to the campground. 

2  - Big downhill section.  I tried to do my best to run the down hills well.  I wasn’t feeling very well and I just tried to chug along.  This was a bad stretch which shouldn’t have been.  I had to stop and collect myself a few times and got passed by a couple guys here. 

2 – I finally hit the turnaround and started climbing the mountain again.  It is a very challenging section.  I was doing a whole lot of counting of my steps.  I was doing the 100 running steps and then 25 walking steps.  This went well here last year.  This year I tried and just didn’t have as much to give it.  A few times I had to stop and collect myself.  Towards the end of this section, I decided I’d finish the race no matter how long it took.  The aid station was a welcome site.  I downed some more soda, grabbed some poweraid, a couple of electrolyte tabs, and cookies.  It took me a few minutes to get the gumption to continue, but I walked away from the volunteers and towards the trail. 

7.5 – Luckily the start of this section had a lot of decent.  It helped me get back in the flow a bit.  I got into a rhythm of running and walking that was working for me.  I started to feel a lot better.  I think it might have been the electrolyte caps.  Now that I accepted a slow race, I started to enjoy it a little and even stopped to look at the waterfalls as I passed them.  Towards the end I ran across a couple of the guys who passed me earlier.  They got lost, or at least thought they were lost.  I got them sorted out (imagine that) and we kept going. 

2.7 – I started getting a 2^nd wind in this section.  The other two guys slowed a bit for some reason so they let me go.  There is big uphill section at the start but I actually coped well with it.  Knowing the finish was near really helped. 

1 – Up and down the hill and back to the campground.  It felt good to run on the road in the campground.   FINISHED!

I ended up in 6^th place I think.  6:44:58

A few conclusions now that I'm a day removed

1. I am happy that I didn't quit.  I'd really be down if I had done that. 

2. I'm glad I found my 2nd wind there at the end.  If I had felt that well the whole time, I would have shaved a bunch of minutes off of my final time.  Once I started to get down and frustrated, I really lost it for a while. 

3.  I'm glad I didn't get lost, and was actually able to help a couple of other guys get back on the right path. 

4. I tried to eat but I don't think I had enough early enough.  Also, with the way I sweat, I need to take the electrolyte tabs early and often.  I drank alot but still lost a ton of water weight. 

5. I need to get out to the trails if I want to get better at running them.  Last year I put in more miles on them, but this year, so far, I haven't.  The pacing and the way to run is so much different than road running. 

Someone just sent the elevation profile for the race -I'm not sure it is 100% right cause of all the tree cover, but it gives an idea. 

Wow - my left foot is sore today.  That is no surprise, but it is really annoying hobbling around today. 

Foot is 95% today so I got out after work.  It felt nice to run again. 

4.4 @ 7:45 ave pace

felt pretty good -first couple were at 7:25 then a couple 7:10s, then a 6:45 or 6:50.  Then I chilled it out a bit. It was dark and I was overheated.  

It was nice to get out again after missing a bunch of days. 

8 @ 7:24 ave pace

I'm wanting to do an 8 hour race called Hot 2 Trot in August.  So I need to get in some HOT miles.  Went out mid-day today to get in a few.  My computer says it is 95, so I cooked slightly.  It went OK until about the last 1.5.  I had to run walk it unto the house.    

4.4 miles -  about 7:45 ave pace

It is the last night of track nights today but with this heat and with my 4 mile race on Saturday I think I'll just do 8 or so tonight. 

got out this AM for 4.2 @ 7:01 ave pace

PM - got lucky and got out and back just before the storm got here.

2 to the track at low 7 clip

2 on the track in about 12:15

.25 cool down lap

2 home

a nice run - I felt good today for once

storm front came through and cooled it a bit I think - a little windy. not too bad - around 85 I think just took it easy and tried not to crash - got a little hungry and drained feeling in the middle but that is something to get through mentally.

8 @ 7:29 ave pace

Don't have much of a week going and next week isn't going to be better.  I have next week off and will drive my kids up to PA to se my family and then to Hershey for the Chocolate tour and then Philly to see Independance Hall and the Liberty Bell.  I'm looking forward to it but will probably not get too many miles in there...

6 slow miles

6 slow miles - nearly forgot how to do this

got in 4 at lunch time today and I hope to get out for 6 or so tonight

it was hot so I just tried to deal with it and not slow too much on the way back.  

4 @ 7:52 ave pace

same thing tonight-- 6 at same pace

OK I got out this morning for 4.4 @ 7:24 ave pace.  It was in the mid 70's so that helped with the pace but it wasn't easy by any stretch of the imagination.  More later this evening,  

PM - 4.4 at a decent pace - 86 deg but I felt a little faster.  Maybe I'm getting it back.  Who knows.