tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-285762892024-03-14T09:37:54.557-05:00Ultra Run...Like a Mother!Kelly Gaineshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08691171229118535278noreply@blogger.comBlogger19125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28576289.post-69739337896318381322010-12-31T14:35:00.001-06:002010-12-31T14:35:08.464-06:002010 ~ Year in Review<p>Wow, 2010 flew by in a flash! While this blog certainly hasn't seen much activity this year, it was definitely a busy and happy one for me. I didn't clock nearly as much mileage this year as I did last year, even with training for my first 50 miler. Sometimes I wonder how I pull off running long distances with lower mileage. ;-) I ran 11 "official" races and a few <a href="http://chicagoultrarunners.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">CHUG</a> fun runs to make it a full year. Here is a 2010 recap:</p> <p></p> <p></p> <p> <br /> <br /><a href="http://lh5.ggpht.com/_SKRIFu0TS2Y/TR4-OSDVfuI/AAAAAAAAELI/zNkPaBor0ac/s1600-h/2010Bibs3.jpg"><img title="2010Bibs" style="border-top-width: 0px; display: block; border-left-width: 0px; float: none; border-bottom-width: 0px; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; border-right-width: 0px" height="117" alt="2010Bibs" src="http://lh3.ggpht.com/_SKRIFu0TS2Y/TR4-Owi9hcI/AAAAAAAAELM/lBiUK3K3eQU/2010Bibs_thumb1.jpg?imgmax=800" width="554" border="0" /></a> </p> <div style="font-size: 9px" align="center"><em>My 2010 race bibs hanging on my cubicle wall at work</em></div> <br /> <p><strong>March 21 ~ <a href="http://www.shamrockshuffle.com" target="_blank">Shamrock Shuffle 8k</a> ~ Chicago, IL</strong></p> <p></p> <p></p> <p> <br />I have run this race many times -- it's sort of a "first race of the season" tradition as it is for most of the Chicago-area road running community. It was great to have my sister, Cindy, run it. Though we didn't run together, this race was the beginning of a great year of racing for her, and a nice barometer of fitness for me. I finished in 46:25, which was under my goal of 9:30 pace. Not a PR, but I was happy with it. It was also great to have <a href="http://thechroniclesofgeof.dunmores.com" target="_blank">Geof</a> and <a href="http://seriouscaseoftheruns.blogspot.com" target="_blank">Paige</a> come out and cheer with <a href="http://www.newleafultra.com" target="_blank">Brian</a>. A fun day overall! <br /> <br /><a href="http://lh5.ggpht.com/_SKRIFu0TS2Y/TR4-PTHJmxI/AAAAAAAAELQ/GLL2xJlWqmo/s1600-h/IMG_09814.jpg"><img title="My sister, Cindy, and me" style="border-top-width: 0px; display: block; border-left-width: 0px; float: none; border-bottom-width: 0px; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; border-right-width: 0px" height="379" alt="My sister, Cindy, and me" src="http://lh5.ggpht.com/_SKRIFu0TS2Y/TR4-PpxIh9I/AAAAAAAAELU/Yezmc5GuJPc/IMG_0981_thumb2.jpg?imgmax=800" width="504" border="0" /> </a></p> <div style="font-size: 9px" align="center"><em>My sister, Cindy, and me before the race</em></div> <br /><strong>March 27 ~ <a href="http://www.secondwindrunningclub.org/Clinton/Clinton.htm" target="_blank">Clinton Lake 30 Mile Trail Run</a> ~ DeWitt, IL</strong> <br />This trail race was my second ultra. After just one loop I wished I had done more (some) hill training for this race, but I got it done and felt good the whole time -- just slow . It was great to see so many CHUGs and also fun to run the last loop with Brian. Here is <a href="http://roerunner.blogspot.com/2010/03/chugging-along-at-clinton-lake-30-mi.html" target="_blank">my detailed race report</a>. <br /> <br /><a href="http://lh6.ggpht.com/_SKRIFu0TS2Y/TR4-QIXXDKI/AAAAAAAAELY/cIr2eywpbHI/s1600-h/KellyBrianJanak2.jpg"><img title="On my last loop " style="border-top-width: 0px; display: block; border-left-width: 0px; float: none; border-bottom-width: 0px; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; border-right-width: 0px" height="379" alt="On my last loop " src="http://lh4.ggpht.com/_SKRIFu0TS2Y/TR4-Q1GqraI/AAAAAAAAELc/m42KmoRnSjE/KellyBrianJanak_thumb.jpg?imgmax=800" width="504" border="0" /></a> <div style="font-size: 9px" align="center"><em>During the last 10mi loop, still smiling</em></div> <br /><strong>May 1 ~ <a href="http://www.illinoismarathon.com" target="_blank">Illinois Marathon</a> ~ Champaign-Urbana, IL <br /></strong>I had grand plans of speeding up after Clinton and having a good showing at this marathon. Well, it didn't happen because my mind was focused on wedding planning instead of running! I still was content with the result, finishing in 4:53. If training went better, I was hoping for around 4:30. Ah well. It was a fun race (albeit a little warm and humid). Brian also ran it and decided that it would be his last road marathon. He likes the trails much better. :-)I had caught up to him around mile 20-21 and we ran most of the rest together.  <br /> <br /><a href="http://lh6.ggpht.com/_SKRIFu0TS2Y/TR4-RBxH0KI/AAAAAAAAELg/9lhHZy3Kf6o/s1600-h/ILMarathon3.jpg"><img title="ILMarathon" style="border-top-width: 0px; display: block; border-left-width: 0px; float: none; border-bottom-width: 0px; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; border-right-width: 0px" height="244" alt="ILMarathon" src="http://lh3.ggpht.com/_SKRIFu0TS2Y/TR4-RT1DhxI/AAAAAAAAELk/aAfwU-IiejY/ILMarathon_thumb1.jpg?imgmax=800" width="169" border="0" /></a> <br /><strong>May 22 ~ We got married! ~ Clearwater Beach, FL <br /></strong>I couldn't NOT put this wonderful, happy event in this recap! Nope, we didn't run any races while we were in FL, but we did have an amazing time with close family and friends as we got married on the beautiful sandy beach of Clearwater. Best, happiest moment ever! <br /> <br /><a href="http://lh5.ggpht.com/_SKRIFu0TS2Y/TR4-Rk6wDFI/AAAAAAAAELo/l9lEhpHhdhY/s1600-h/I_02612.jpg"><img title="I_0261" style="border-top-width: 0px; display: block; border-left-width: 0px; float: none; border-bottom-width: 0px; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; border-right-width: 0px" height="337" alt="I_0261" src="http://lh3.ggpht.com/_SKRIFu0TS2Y/TR4-SDvU_7I/AAAAAAAAELs/psq1HXvh9Qc/I_0261_thumb.jpg?imgmax=800" width="504" border="0" /></a> <br />  <a href="http://lh3.ggpht.com/_SKRIFu0TS2Y/TR4-SWGDezI/AAAAAAAAELw/O24SzDtf9oM/s1600-h/I_05464.jpg"><img title="I_0546" style="border-top-width: 0px; display: block; border-left-width: 0px; float: none; border-bottom-width: 0px; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; border-right-width: 0px" height="389" alt="I_0546" src="http://lh3.ggpht.com/_SKRIFu0TS2Y/TR4-S0oNa9I/AAAAAAAAEL0/igh1_nrlmfo/I_0546_thumb5.jpg?imgmax=800" width="504" border="0" /></a> <br /><strong>June 12 ~ <a href="http://www.streamwoodparkdistrict.org/" target="_blank">Streamwood Stride 5k</a> ~ Streamwood, IL</strong> <br />I enjoy running this 5k because it's where I went to high school and the organizers do a great job with this race. It's inexpensive and you get a nice pancake breakfast afterward. I've actually won AG awards at this race, but not this year. I came in at a sloooow 30:44. Ouch! This was shortly after getting back from our (runless) honeymoon, and my legs had no speed to them at all. It was nice to see <a href="http://ramblingpt.blogspot.com" target="_blank">Christie</a> and others, though, so it was worth it! <br /> <br /><a href="http://lh6.ggpht.com/_SKRIFu0TS2Y/TR4-TLd_u7I/AAAAAAAAEL4/T_XQAPIO5TE/s1600-h/IMG_13622.jpg"><img title="IMG_1362" style="border-top-width: 0px; display: block; border-left-width: 0px; float: none; border-bottom-width: 0px; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; border-right-width: 0px" height="379" alt="IMG_1362" src="http://lh3.ggpht.com/_SKRIFu0TS2Y/TR4-Tp925fI/AAAAAAAAEL8/8i_O5BkZZk4/IMG_1362_thumb.jpg?imgmax=800" width="504" border="0" /></a> <br /><strong>June 13 ~ <a href="http://www.northshorehalf.com/" target="_blank">North Shore Half Marathon</a> ~ Highland Park, IL</strong> <br />This was the day after the Streamwood Stride 5k, a fun double-race weekend! I ran with my sister, Cindy, and brother-in-law, Dominic. I hadn't run this race in a few years and the course is different and much better. I felt great the whole race and it was fun to motivate Cindy and Dom, both first timers at the distance. They did awesome out there! I'm a very proud sister. :-) <br /> <br /><a href="http://lh4.ggpht.com/_SKRIFu0TS2Y/TR4-UA3JbfI/AAAAAAAAEMA/cVHx7ltCBXM/s1600-h/709867704300072.jpg"><img title="709867-7043-0007" style="border-top-width: 0px; display: block; border-left-width: 0px; float: none; border-bottom-width: 0px; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; border-right-width: 0px" height="335" alt="709867-7043-0007" src="http://lh6.ggpht.com/_SKRIFu0TS2Y/TR4-U-aonMI/AAAAAAAAEME/k7SN_bexEew/70986770430007_thumb.jpg?imgmax=800" width="504" border="0" /></a> <div style="font-size: 9px" align="center"><em>Finish line shot with Cindy and her kids Tyler and Hannah</em></div> <p> <br /><strong>June 25-26 ~ Beer Run 100 ~ Elgin, IL to Kettle Moraine State Park - Eagle, WI <br /></strong>This was the second annual Beer Run, another CHUG fat ass event and a great way to spend my birthday! While I didn't meet my goal of running 33 miles, I had fun and got in about 22 miles. <br /> <br /><a href="http://lh5.ggpht.com/_SKRIFu0TS2Y/TR4-VLLigdI/AAAAAAAAEMI/sSj00EqUBLw/s1600-h/IMG_1429%5B2%5D.jpg"><img title="IMG_1429" style="border-top-width: 0px; display: block; border-left-width: 0px; float: none; border-bottom-width: 0px; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; border-right-width: 0px" height="379" alt="IMG_1429" src="http://lh3.ggpht.com/_SKRIFu0TS2Y/TR4-Vjzmn-I/AAAAAAAAEMM/Xct6d5UK3DM/IMG_1429_thumb.jpg?imgmax=800" width="504" border="0" /></a></p> <div style="font-size: 9px" align="center"><em>The fun is about to begin!</em></div> <br /><strong>July 17 ~ </strong><a href="http://chugfaseries.blogspot.com/2010/09/sunburn-six-details.html" target="_blank"><strong>Sunburn Six in the Stix</strong></a><strong> ~ Bartlett, IL</strong> <p></p> <p> <br />This CHUG fat ass run was super hot but it was fun to have everyone come out and suffer through some miles together. I ran with Dom for most of the run and ended up with 20ish or so miles for the day. A big congrats to my friend, Christie, who got a distance PR with over 23 miles! Someday she will kill it at the marathon distance. :-) <br /> <br /><a href="http://lh6.ggpht.com/_SKRIFu0TS2Y/TR4-WE6XXmI/AAAAAAAAEMQ/m6_poTOouyQ/s1600-h/IMG_1571%5B2%5D.jpg"><img title="IMG_1571" style="border-top-width: 0px; display: block; border-left-width: 0px; float: none; border-bottom-width: 0px; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; border-right-width: 0px" height="379" alt="IMG_1571" src="http://lh5.ggpht.com/_SKRIFu0TS2Y/TR4-Wc31gCI/AAAAAAAAEMU/MkzEhaaXlJ8/IMG_1571_thumb.jpg?imgmax=800" width="504" border="0" /></a> </p> <div style="font-size: 9px" align="center"><em>Me and my sweetie on the trail</em></div> <br /><strong>July 25 ~ </strong><a href="http://allcommunityevents.com/gfasf/chicagoland_inline_marathon.html" target="_blank"><strong>Chicagoland Inline Marathon</strong></a><strong> ~ Hoffman Estates, IL</strong> <br />Nope, not a running race, but an inline skating race! This was my first skating race, might as well make it worth it and do a marathon. :-) I didn't train much for this, but did pretty well considering my amateur-level skates. A special kudos to my friend Christie who also did the race...with two different skates, hehe. Seeing the pros skate -- wow, they are flying! My time was 2:18...which is slower than what top runners do <em>running</em> that distance. The finish times ranged from 54 minutes(!!) to 3:18.  It was such a fun experience! <br /> <br /><a href="http://lh4.ggpht.com/_SKRIFu0TS2Y/TR4-W0kmWCI/AAAAAAAAEMY/a_1JDMWUxvA/s1600-h/013.jpg"><img title="01" style="border-top-width: 0px; display: block; border-left-width: 0px; float: none; border-bottom-width: 0px; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; border-right-width: 0px" height="471" alt="01" src="http://lh5.ggpht.com/_SKRIFu0TS2Y/TR4-XZeNlQI/AAAAAAAAEMc/l-7v-sVF3t0/01_thumb1.jpg?imgmax=800" width="354" border="0" /></a> <br /><strong>July 29 ~ <a href="http://www.terrapin5k.com/" target="_blank">Terrapin 5k</a> ~ Chicago, IL</strong> <br />Another company-sponsored race (Shamrock Shuffle is the other one), it was nice to come out for this even though I was still not in good 5k racing shape. My sister, Cindy, also ran the race. Luckily I did end up running a sub-30 race, finishing with respectable (for me) 27:56. One day I'll work on getting that 25min 5k! ;-) <br /> <br /><a href="http://lh5.ggpht.com/_SKRIFu0TS2Y/TR4-X78Lx0I/AAAAAAAAEMg/QxuhxC6Cd_Q/s1600-h/38767_419355522209_557042209_4537387%5B2%5D.jpg"><img title="38767_419355522209_557042209_4537387_1088816_n" style="border-top-width: 0px; display: block; border-left-width: 0px; float: none; border-bottom-width: 0px; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; border-right-width: 0px" height="404" alt="38767_419355522209_557042209_4537387_1088816_n" src="http://lh3.ggpht.com/_SKRIFu0TS2Y/TR4-YET8z9I/AAAAAAAAEMk/WgTsD3arn80/38767_419355522209_557042209_4537387.jpg?imgmax=800" width="304" border="0" /></a> <br /><b>September 11-12 ~ <a href="http://www.desertskyadventures.com/rdl/" target="_blank">Rio Del Lago 100mi</a> (Brian) ~ Granite Bay, CA</b> <br />I was Brian's crew/pacer for this race, it was definitely a highlight for this year. It was Brian's 5th attempt at the 100-mile distance and he finished! So proud of him! We travelled with GnP, which is always fun. :-) Congrats to Paige for finishing another 100, too! <br /> <br /><a href="http://lh4.ggpht.com/_SKRIFu0TS2Y/TR4-YtpXuXI/AAAAAAAAEMo/OpNLBTHSVWM/s1600-h/IMG_47492.jpg"><img title="IMG_4749" style="border-top-width: 0px; display: block; border-left-width: 0px; float: none; border-bottom-width: 0px; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; border-right-width: 0px" height="379" alt="IMG_4749" src="http://lh3.ggpht.com/_SKRIFu0TS2Y/TR4-ZKYMeRI/AAAAAAAAEMs/Y14Uw6re0PQ/IMG_4749_thumb.jpg?imgmax=800" width="504" border="0" /></a> <p></p> <div style="font-size: 9px" align="center"><em>What a finish!</em></div> <br /><a href="http://lh6.ggpht.com/_SKRIFu0TS2Y/TR4-ZQuSMfI/AAAAAAAAEMw/zZGSsR5_7Bs/s1600-h/IMG_47613.jpg"><img title="IMG_4761" style="border-top-width: 0px; display: block; border-left-width: 0px; float: none; border-bottom-width: 0px; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; border-right-width: 0px" height="380" alt="IMG_4761" src="http://lh4.ggpht.com/_SKRIFu0TS2Y/TR4-ZmpXilI/AAAAAAAAEM0/i31PHWXL530/IMG_4761_thumb9.jpg?imgmax=800" width="500" border="0" /></a> <div style="font-size: 9px" align="center"><em>Brelly and GnP :-)</em></div> <br /><strong>September 19 ~ <a href="http://www.rockfordroadrunners.org/" target="_blank">Rock Cut Hobo 50k</a> ~ Rockford, IL</strong> <br />I never thought I would run a 50k race as a training run, but this race was just that -- a solid training run before the Lost Boys 50 mile coming up in October. It was fun to run with fellow CHUG <a href="http://denalifc.blogspot.com" target="_blank">Ian</a> the first five or so miles of the race. I ended up finishing in 6:44, not bad for what was an easy-paced run. I would definitely like to "race" this sometime as it is a pretty flat-ish course and within an hour's drive from home! <br /> <br /><a href="http://lh4.ggpht.com/_SKRIFu0TS2Y/TR4-aKsRErI/AAAAAAAAEM4/JGi9aG37xmg/s1600-h/58560_438281019770_589369770_4884677%5B1%5D.jpg"><img title="58560_438281019770_589369770_4884677_1335822_n" style="border-top-width: 0px; display: block; border-left-width: 0px; float: none; border-bottom-width: 0px; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; border-right-width: 0px" height="379" alt="58560_438281019770_589369770_4884677_1335822_n" src="http://lh6.ggpht.com/_SKRIFu0TS2Y/TR4-ar2ZdFI/AAAAAAAAEM8/pogDiAeYzZo/58560_438281019770_589369770_4884677.jpg?imgmax=800" width="504" border="0" /></a> <br /><strong>October 10 ~ <a href="http://www.chicagomarathon.com" target="_blank">Chicago Marathon</a> ~ Chicago, IL</strong> <br />This was another "training run" for me and it was a great opportunity to run with my brother-in-law, Dom, for his first marathon! I love running this race, it was my ninth time since my first in 1997. Congrats to Dom for finishing his first marathon! Now he wants to try ultra distances, too. Someone is hooked! :-) <br /> <a href="http://lh3.ggpht.com/_SKRIFu0TS2Y/TR4-bGugmaI/AAAAAAAAENA/f7r9_xk86Sw/s1600-h/IMG_27562.jpg"><img title="IMG_2756" style="border-top-width: 0px; display: block; border-left-width: 0px; float: none; border-bottom-width: 0px; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; border-right-width: 0px" height="379" alt="IMG_2756" src="http://lh6.ggpht.com/_SKRIFu0TS2Y/TR4-bwG8oYI/AAAAAAAAENE/qMRgCkT6o1I/IMG_2756_thumb.jpg?imgmax=800" width="504" border="0" /></a> <br /><strong>October 23 ~ <a href="http://www.lostboys50.com/" target="_blank">Lost Boys 50 Mile</a> ~ Pinyon Wash to Green Valley (east of San Diego), CA</strong> <br />This was definitely the highlight of my 2010 racing season - finishing my first 50 mile race! I was fortunate to be able to run with my sweetie Brian. It was a super tough race, but I loved every moment. It was a beautiful course and I'm sure I'll be back there someday! Here is my <a href="http://roerunner.blogspot.com/2010/10/lost-boys-50-mile-trail-run-my-first-50.html" target="_blank">detailed race report</a>. <br /> <br /><a href="http://lh3.ggpht.com/_SKRIFu0TS2Y/TR4-cf2jWvI/AAAAAAAAENI/18ecnPV8W_k/s1600-h/IMG_27692.jpg"><img title="IMG_2769" style="border-top-width: 0px; display: block; border-left-width: 0px; float: none; border-bottom-width: 0px; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; border-right-width: 0px" height="379" alt="IMG_2769" src="http://lh3.ggpht.com/_SKRIFu0TS2Y/TR4-c9Hh1PI/AAAAAAAAENM/-lumUojoiXU/IMG_2769_thumb.jpg?imgmax=800" width="504" border="0" /></a> <br /><strong>November 7 ~ <a href="http://www.starvedrockrunners.org/" target="_blank">Canal Connection 10k</a> ~ Utica, IL</strong> <br />This was my last official race of the year and was part of a fun couples weekend with Christie and James. I finished in 59:49, which I was very happy with considering the all the slow running I did this year. It was a fun way to cap off the 2010 season! <br /> <br /><a href="http://lh5.ggpht.com/_SKRIFu0TS2Y/TR4-dH8aSeI/AAAAAAAAENQ/36LrdOBaRu4/s1600-h/IMG_2258%5B2%5D.jpg"><img title="IMG_2258" style="border-top-width: 0px; display: block; border-left-width: 0px; float: none; border-bottom-width: 0px; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; border-right-width: 0px" height="379" alt="IMG_2258" src="http://lh5.ggpht.com/_SKRIFu0TS2Y/TR4-d7ePyMI/AAAAAAAAENU/_H8cLTkkY2Q/IMG_2258_thumb.jpg?imgmax=800" width="504" border="0" /></a> <div style="font-size: 9px" align="center"><em>With James and Christie after the race</em></div> <strong> <br />November 20 ~ <a href="http://chugfaseries.blogspot.com/2010/09/deer-grove-details.html" target="_blank">Deer Grove 32.4 FA</a> ~ Palatine, IL</strong> <br />I didn't run much at this CHUG fat ass event, but it was a fun time cheering on the rest of the runners! The CHUGs are a great group! <br /> <br /><a href="http://lh5.ggpht.com/_SKRIFu0TS2Y/TR4-eEC28LI/AAAAAAAAENY/do0hiG-8tLk/s1600-h/IMG_2319%5B2%5D.jpg"><img title="IMG_2319" style="border-top-width: 0px; display: block; border-left-width: 0px; float: none; border-bottom-width: 0px; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; border-right-width: 0px" height="379" alt="IMG_2319" src="http://lh5.ggpht.com/_SKRIFu0TS2Y/TR4-e8U37fI/AAAAAAAAENc/UtB4L9y0GII/IMG_2319_thumb.jpg?imgmax=800" width="504" border="0" /></a> <br />As for 2011...it should an even better year, focusing on health, getting out there and being active! Happy New Year, everyone! Kelly Gaineshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08691171229118535278noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28576289.post-7463960443280051822010-10-28T23:21:00.002-05:002010-10-29T08:48:07.522-05:00Lost Boys 50 Mile Trail Run - My First 50 miler!I ran my first 50 mile trail race last Saturday, the <a href="http://www.lostboys50.com/" target="_blank">Lost Boys 50 Mile Trail Run</a>. It was 50 miles of beautiful, challenging trails and I was able to run it with my husband, <a href="http://www.newleafultra.com/" target="_blank">Brian</a>. What an EPIC day! <p></p> This run is held on trails in the <a href="http://www.desertusa.com/anza_borrego/du-abpmain.html">Anza-Borrego Desert State Park</a> and <a href="http://cuyamaca.us/">Cuyamaca Rancho State Park</a>, which are east of San Diego, CA. It is a point-to-point course over rugged terrain, climbing nearly 10,000 ft and descending 7,000 ft, making it a net 3,000 ft climb to the finish. A perfect race for a first time who lives in the flatlands of the Chicago area! ;-) <br /><br />I had run my first 50k a year ago, and since then I hadn't really thought much of going farther. I figured I would stick to the 50k distance for a while. The turning point to changing my mind was when Brian and I were making "life plans" and with hopes of starting a family soon, I thought about ending my race season this year on a big note. The 50-mile distance scared me a little, and the search for my first was a thoughtful one. I used a few criteria to help with the decision -- it needed to be after the Chicago Marathon (10/10/10) since I would be pacing my brother-in-law at this race for his first marathon. I also wanted it to be a trail run, so I wasn't interested in running the Lakefront 50mi which is the most convenient and "easy" (not that 50 miles is ever easy!). <br /><br />Brian and I were planning on a vacation to San Diego, where I was tentatively planning on running the <a href="http://noblecanyon50k.com/" target="_blank">Noble Canyon 50k</a>. While looking for my first 50 mile, I saw Lost Boys 50mi on the <a href="http://www.ultrarunning.com/calendar.html" target="_blank">Ultra Running Calendar</a>. So, our vacation shifted as I decided that Lost Boys would be my goal race. Brian was planning to crew/pace me, but then as I looked at the LB course being point-to-point and that we didn't know anyone else there, logistically it would have been hard for Brian to run with me from a later point on the course. So, I suggested he should run the whole thing with me, and he was game. :-) I remember my heart racing as I clicked the "register" button...now it was time to get ready! <br /><br />I had pretty solid back-to-back long runs during the summer but unfortunately didn't do nearly as much hill/strength training as I had hoped to for Lost Boys. In reality, there isn't really any comparable trails within an hour of where we live that would fully prepare me. I focused on getting in miles and avoiding injury. My weekly mileage was lower than expected, peaking only in the mid-40's, but I felt strong and mentally ready to go. In addition to running the Chicago Marathon a couple weeks before LB, I had run <a href="http://www.rockfordroadrunners.org/" target="_blank">Rock Cut Hobo 50k</a> a few weeks before Chicago and felt like I could have run longer. That was a big confidence boost for me. <br /><br />So, fast forward to getting on a plane to San Diego...I was so nervous. We got to SD on the Tuesday before the race and spent a few days leisurely exploring the area. On Wednesday we had a fun early morning run with Keith Kirby at the <a href="http://www.sanelijo.org/trails.html" target="_blank">San Elijos Lagoon</a> and chatted with him and other area runners afterward. My legs felt great during that 10k run. A good sign. On Friday we headed to El Cajon, east of San Diego, where we would stay before and after the race. I was so glad the race was finally here! I still was so nervous and could not wait to start the race so that I wouldn't be nervous anymore. :-) <br /><br />On Saturday, the alarm went off at 2:45am...race day was finally here! I felt good in spite of the early wake-up time. We got ready and headed for the finish line where we would get shuttled to the start. It was an hour-long ride on the shuttle to the start. I think I even slept a little bit on the way. We arrived after 5:30am and headed over to get our bibs and make last minute preparations. Finally we were here, ready to run! I wasn't nervous anymore. We mingled with the other runners (nice to meet you, <a href="http://dirtyrunning.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">Dax</a>!), and then the race began at 6:00am! <br /><br /><a href="http://lh3.ggpht.com/_SKRIFu0TS2Y/TMpLkKIUwiI/AAAAAAAAEJc/CpFTVpGs4Hw/s1600-h/IMG_2761%5B4%5D.jpg"><img title="Ready to run!" style="border-width: 0px; display: block; float: none; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" alt="Ready to run!" src="http://lh5.ggpht.com/_SKRIFu0TS2Y/TMpLksyYZ_I/AAAAAAAAEJg/exrglH6T9sk/IMG_2761_thumb%5B2%5D.jpg?imgmax=800" border="0" height="379" width="504" /></a> <div style="font-size: 11px; font-style: italic;" align="center">Ready to run 50 miles!</div> <br />The first several miles of the course is in the desert (Pinyon Wash) on a wide path. Recent rains there made the sand a little bit better to run on, but my shins and calves could still tell we were running on sand. :-) Most of the runners ran ahead, while Brian and I hung in the back. I didn't look behind me at all, but Brian did and saw that we were second-to-last. I didn't care that we were in the back, 50 miles is a loooong way, and if we were dead last at the start, that was ok with me. Brian usually starts out fast during ultras, and I always take it easy as it takes a good 3-5 miles for my legs to feel good. I wasn't racing others today. I wanted to finish the distance within the cutoff (for 6am starters, that was 14 hours). That's all that mattered to me. <br /><br /><a href="http://lh3.ggpht.com/_SKRIFu0TS2Y/TMpLlIWsfWI/AAAAAAAAEJk/GUR-wGuivVo/s1600-h/IMG_2762%5B6%5D.jpg"><img title="Beautiful sunrise" style="border-width: 0px; display: block; float: none; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" alt="Beautiful sunrise" src="http://lh3.ggpht.com/_SKRIFu0TS2Y/TMpLlbPri4I/AAAAAAAAEJo/SFaLS_kDcJ4/IMG_2762_thumb%5B4%5D.jpg?imgmax=800" border="0" height="379" width="504" /></a> <div style="font-size: 11px; font-style: italic;" align="center">Colorful desert sunrise</div> <br />The desert was beautiful...the first few miles flew by and the pace was pretty good on this subtle climb. Pretty soon we were at the first aid station at 5 miles where we met Zach who was volunteering there, hanging out with his family. He snapped a picture of us on the way out. It was a quick stop, which was my goal for all of the aid stations. I didn't think I would have time to spare, so I wanted to spend the time wisely by constant forward motion. :-) <br /><br /><a href="http://lh4.ggpht.com/_SKRIFu0TS2Y/TMpLl2ya3ZI/AAAAAAAAEJs/dYdgHGfTcBg/s1600-h/LostBoys50-PhotoByZachJohnston%5B4%5D.jpg"><img title="LostBoys50-PhotoByZachJohnston" style="border-width: 0px; display: block; float: none; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" alt="LostBoys50-PhotoByZachJohnston" src="http://lh5.ggpht.com/_SKRIFu0TS2Y/TMpLmH3KPZI/AAAAAAAAEJw/1QOXDF-u7fI/LostBoys50-PhotoByZachJohnston_thumb%5B2%5D.jpg?imgmax=800" border="0" height="379" width="504" /></a> <div style="font-size: 11px; font-style: italic;" align="center">Brian and me at mile 5 (Photo by Zachary Johnston)</div> <br /><br /><a href="http://lh5.ggpht.com/_SKRIFu0TS2Y/TMpLmvfsWeI/AAAAAAAAEJ0/rY3fyqUjMOM/s1600-h/IMG_2763%5B4%5D.jpg"><img title="Hello boulders!" style="border-width: 0px; display: block; float: none; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" alt="Hello boulders!" src="http://lh3.ggpht.com/_SKRIFu0TS2Y/TMpLnJ1YfkI/AAAAAAAAEJ4/2GuppjneVp0/IMG_2763_thumb%5B2%5D.jpg?imgmax=800" border="0" height="504" width="379" /></a> <div style="font-size: 11px; font-style: italic;" align="center">Time to climb...literally!</div> <br />Just after the aid station, we got to "climbing" part of the run, a dry waterfall that we would maneuver up. Wow, I thought, what a race! After that initial dry waterfall climb we had a couple more "boulder-climbing" sections, then more "regular" uphill sections which required us to walk a while for the first time of the race. I was actually pretty happy with our pacing so far, so this was fine with me. Then, a couple miles later, as we were continuing our way through the desert washes, following the course by looking for the orange tape tied to cactus plants. We also ended up walking some of these sections even though it was pretty runnable -- it was still uphill and I could feel it. I actually felt a little doubt creep in about whether 14 hours would be enough time....and we were only 7 miles in. Yikes! I tried to ignore those feelings, knowing that it's a long race and I was just going through a little rough patch (albeit a little earlier than expected). After 10 miles of gradual climbing (3000 ft), we finally hit some downhill. Yes! It felt good to switch gears and RUN! <br /><br /><a href="http://lh4.ggpht.com/_SKRIFu0TS2Y/TMpLnhnXc-I/AAAAAAAAEJ8/EGXu2xu_aSo/s1600-h/IMG_2769%5B7%5D.jpg"><img title="Beautiful view, awesome downhill" style="border-width: 0px; display: block; float: none; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" alt="Beautiful view, awesome downhill" src="http://lh3.ggpht.com/_SKRIFu0TS2Y/TMpLoAd0PJI/AAAAAAAAEKA/58RNZkQXc5s/IMG_2769_thumb%5B3%5D.jpg?imgmax=800" border="0" height="379" width="504" /></a> <div style="font-size: 11px; font-style: italic;" align="center">Awesome views, having fun downhill after 10 miles of uphill</div> <br />The next aid station at mile 12 came by quickly. I got my pack refilled, grabbed some food and we were off for more downhill. The views during the section were awesome. I think we ran a sub-10 minute mile during this section, compared with the 13-15 minute miles we were running at the start of the race. After few miles down the jeep road, there was a turn off onto a "trail" which actually seemed more like weaving between cholla cactus plants. It was here we met Melinda, who was also doing her first 50 miler here. (Congrats, Melinda!) We ran together as a pack for a little bit, but then Brian and I let her and the other runner near us pass by. It was early and I wanted to make sure I running at a nice, easy pace at this point. <br /><br />Then came the mile 17 aid station at Blair Valley, another great group of volunteers out there to help us runners. I grabbed a few chips and m&m's and kept walking. Brian stayed back and hovered over the buffet and caught up a few minutes later. This next part was a fun, mildly rolling desert trail, and I was in a groove. We passed a couple more people during this section. <br /><br />Next the course starts to climb again towards Oriflamme. We steadily hiked up towards the aid station at mile 23. One of the volunteers there mentioned that there was a 4.5mi climb ahead followed by a nice section in a meadow for about 1.5 miles leading into the next aid station at mile 28.7. I felt great during this part, hiking well up the switchbacks and along the ridges, while admiring more awesome views. We were almost halfway! Brian was struggling a little bit on this climb -- the early 20's are usually when he goes through a rough patch during an ultra. I slowed down a little so that we stayed closer together. I was less concerned now about that cutoff...confidence was building in me. <br /><br /><a href="http://lh3.ggpht.com/_SKRIFu0TS2Y/TMpLo61xh6I/AAAAAAAAEKE/2GWan5YHmhU/s1600-h/IMG_2775%5B4%5D.jpg"><img title="IMG_2775" style="border-width: 0px; display: block; float: none; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" alt="IMG_2775" src="http://lh5.ggpht.com/_SKRIFu0TS2Y/TMpLpOPeqsI/AAAAAAAAEKI/my3FMfc-BPA/IMG_2775_thumb%5B2%5D.jpg?imgmax=800" border="0" height="379" width="504" /></a> <div style="font-size: 11px; font-style: italic;" align="center">Looking behind us in Oriflamme Canyon</div> <br /><a href="http://lh5.ggpht.com/_SKRIFu0TS2Y/TMpLprSEmPI/AAAAAAAAEKM/mULR0cyImJA/s1600-h/IMG_2777%5B4%5D.jpg"><img title="Oriflamme" style="border-width: 0px; display: block; float: none; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" alt="Oriflamme" src="http://lh5.ggpht.com/_SKRIFu0TS2Y/TMpLqC2GsuI/AAAAAAAAEKQ/5x1ztdwNynE/IMG_2777_thumb%5B2%5D.jpg?imgmax=800" border="0" height="379" width="504" /></a> <div style="font-size: 11px; font-style: italic;" align="center">Oriflamme Canyon, almost to the ridge and the end of this 4+ mile climb</div> <br />As we climbed higher, the weather started to get a little ominous - the wind was howling and the sky threatening us with rain but luckily we stayed dry. When we finally reached the top of that 4.5 mile climb, we were happy again to switch gears and start running. I was thinking about the blustery conditions here, thinking that I'd rather have 50 degrees and breezy than 85 degrees with the sun beating me up. We made it to the next aid station (where the volunteers looked like they would prefer 85 degrees!), we loaded up again and were on our way. <br /><br /><a href="http://lh5.ggpht.com/_SKRIFu0TS2Y/TMpLqVbdC3I/AAAAAAAAEKU/5pTNLQAYvpQ/s1600-h/IMG_2784%5B4%5D.jpg"><img title="IMG_2784" style="border-width: 0px; display: block; float: none; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" alt="IMG_2784" src="http://lh6.ggpht.com/_SKRIFu0TS2Y/TMpLq0SEefI/AAAAAAAAEKY/6LGKjBxV1Z8/IMG_2784_thumb%5B2%5D.jpg?imgmax=800" border="0" height="379" width="504" /></a> <div style="font-size: 11px; font-style: italic;" align="center">Fun single-track, mile 30</div> <br />This part of the run was on really fun single-track in the prairie. We entered the Cuyamaca Rancho State Park, where remnants of a large 2003 wildfire remained and gave our views a "Halloween" feel, but still beautiful. I was so happy to feel so good after the 50k point, going past this distance was new to this body. :-) Brian was still feeling a little rough but being a trooper. I think he was still in recovery mode from his 100 mile finish just 6 weeks prior. <br /><br /><a href="http://lh3.ggpht.com/_SKRIFu0TS2Y/TMpLrSsLdHI/AAAAAAAAEKc/W-YXJ77HJSs/s1600-h/IMG_2785%5B4%5D.jpg"><img title="IMG_2785" style="border-width: 0px; display: block; float: none; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" alt="IMG_2785" src="http://lh5.ggpht.com/_SKRIFu0TS2Y/TMpLr8N_0TI/AAAAAAAAEKg/qVXi_FisEV4/IMG_2785_thumb%5B2%5D.jpg?imgmax=800" border="0" height="379" width="504" /></a> <div style="font-size: 11px; font-style: italic;" align="center">30mi in, feeling good, so dang beautiful out here!</div> <br />After a few miles, things changed. Ah, gotta love the peaks and valleys of a long distance run. :-) We were anticipating the next aid station (and working bathrooms) at mile 34.5, the first cutoff point, but no aid station was in site as I looked at my GPS watch at that distance. I know that these watches can be off, but it had been spot-on all day so I started to get worried. Did we miss it? Did we make a wrong turn? The course was marked very well, so it was really just a little paranoia setting in. Physically, I was fine, but I allowed myself to get freaked out about the cutoff as I saw the time get closer to the 3:30pm cutoff. Brian started to lead the way, and gave me encouragement to help lift me out of my funk. FINALLY, we did make it to the aid station, with my GPS watch showing 36 miles. We got there with about 20 minutes to spare. I made a quick stop at the bathroom, and then switched watches and grabbed some soup on the way out of the aid station. This was our longest stop, probably a few minutes. I remember looking at the watch and seeing 3:15pm. <br /><br /><a href="http://lh3.ggpht.com/_SKRIFu0TS2Y/TMpLseX_SvI/AAAAAAAAEKk/sLkbR8yNwVQ/s1600-h/IMG_2786%5B5%5D.jpg"><img title="" style="border-width: 0px; display: block; float: none; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" alt="" src="http://lh6.ggpht.com/_SKRIFu0TS2Y/TMpLs-RwvFI/AAAAAAAAEKs/bqZSt2fffX8/IMG_2786_thumb%5B3%5D.jpg?imgmax=800" border="0" height="379" width="504" /></a> <div style="font-size: 11px; font-style: italic;" align="center">Around mile 36, eery scenery with the fog and burnt trees</div> <br />As we got higher, the weather was definitely more blustery and foggy. I was out of my funk and we were able to run a little bit before climbing to the next aid station a few miles away. After a short visit at that aid station, the course lead us in a loop around a ridge where we would return. It was slow-going on the climbing part of the loop, but we switched gears and ran well back down to the aid station again. This was the second cutoff (41.4 miles) and I was happy that we came in with an hour ahead of the cutoff. Ok, single-digit miles until the finish! Awesome! We had just one more climb, 1000 ft in about 2 miles. Piece of cake! Um...no it wasn't. ;-) It was tough and this was probably the hardest I had to push physically. My legs were getting tired and I was getting clumsy maneuvering around the large rocks that made up the trail. We clocked a blazing 29 minute mile on this part. Brian was great in providing support, telling me that he was so proud of me, and in general saying all the right things. :-) <br /><br /><a href="http://lh4.ggpht.com/_SKRIFu0TS2Y/TMpLtfDU-7I/AAAAAAAAEKw/VIVFrc_gUOI/s1600-h/LostBoys50-PhotoByBarryBaldwin%5B4%5D.jpg"><img title="LostBoys50-PhotoByBarryBaldwin" style="border-width: 0px; display: block; float: none; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" alt="LostBoys50-PhotoByBarryBaldwin" src="http://lh3.ggpht.com/_SKRIFu0TS2Y/TMpLt7sx7hI/AAAAAAAAEK0/lALS1_fLEPY/LostBoys50-PhotoByBarryBaldwin_thumb%5B2%5D.jpg?imgmax=800" border="0" height="379" width="504" /></a> <div style="font-size: 11px; font-style: italic;" align="center">Last climb, rough and slow going (Photo by Barry Baldwin)</div> <br />The course took us up a paved drive for a short time and we saw the last aid station! What a huge rush of happy energy I felt seeing that aid station! Another great group of volunteers greeted us and gave us the good news that the remaining 6-7 miles was downhill with a flat last mile. Yes! Time to run! Brian and I zoomed down the trail, I was so dang excited that we were going to finish. We zipped by some other runners whose quads were shot and were walking. There were a couple of guys walking down, and one of them patted me on the back as we were navigating around them and yelled "go get it!" which gave me a little bit of extra energy. It was now getting dark out so the going was a little slower. After a few miles of downhill, my legs were starting to feel ready to be done. :-) <br /><br />The last couple of miles felt long, and while I felt like we had plenty of time before 8pm, I wanted to see that dang finish line! During those last miles, I kicked a piece of burnt wood on the trail and felt one of my toes take the brunt. Ouch! I had to pause and take a couple deep breaths after that. (I'll be losing that nail!) Usually when I trip or fall, I like to act like it didn't happen and keep going. Not too much after I kicked that wood, my knee buckled -- probably due to tired quads -- and I fell in the grass to the side of the trail. I was very glad that we weren't in a rocky part at that point. :-) We crossed a driveway and a guy told us that there was just over a mile to go...ahhh, almost there! I kept asking Brian when he saw trail markers or glowsticks to make sure we were still going the right way. It wasn't very rational to ask since the trail really was simple to follow and was well-marked when it wasn't. <br /><br />Finally, we see lights ahead! The finish! We hear people cheering as we run towards the line, crossing it holding hands high in victory. Yes! I just finished my first 50 miler! We arrived at 7:51pm -- just 9 minutes shy of the cutoff -- after spending nearly 14 hours on a challenging and gorgeous 50.4 mile course. I hunched over, hands on my knees and mouthed "oh my gosh, that was hard" while shedding a few tears and trying to stop hyperventilating. Yep, I was that excited and overwhelmed. :-) RD Kara hugged me and gave me my finisher medal. Wow, what a great race. What an amazing experience that I got to share with my sweetie! <br /><br /><a href="http://lh6.ggpht.com/_SKRIFu0TS2Y/TMpLuU9mRhI/AAAAAAAAEK4/cBg3kGf73vs/s1600-h/IMG_2787%5B4%5D.jpg"><img title="Finished!" style="border-width: 0px; display: block; float: none; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" alt="Finished!" src="http://lh6.ggpht.com/_SKRIFu0TS2Y/TMpLu8MwlvI/AAAAAAAAEK8/nFlXfKh3Rmk/IMG_2787_thumb%5B2%5D.jpg?imgmax=800" border="0" height="379" width="504" /></a> <div style="font-size: 11px; font-style: italic;" align="center">50 miles done - so happy!</div> <br />After the race we headed back to our hotel to eat and sleep. Felt good to be off my feet! We spent a couple more nights in San Diego before returning back home. I was walking a little stiff and sore the next two days, but have recovered well since the race. I am so glad that I took on this challenge. I am quite the happy ultrarunner :-) and look forward to fun and exciting things to come!Kelly Gaineshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08691171229118535278noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28576289.post-46952350059503598592010-03-30T22:29:00.002-05:002010-03-30T22:31:32.922-05:00CHUGging Along at the Clinton Lake 30 mi Trail RaceLast Saturday I ran the <a href="http://www.secondwindrunningclub.org/Clinton/Clinton.htm" target="_blank">Clinton Lake 30 Mile Trail Race</a>, located in central Illinois near Dewitt. What a rewarding finish it was. This race has a fun, hilly course, great race organization by <a href="http://chrisultra.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">Chris Migotsky</a> and his devoted support staff, and lots of familiar faces in the race and volunteering. I would definitely recommend it! <br /> <br /><a href="http://www.newleafultra.com" target="_blank">Brian</a> and I drove the few hours' drive down after work the night before and stayed in nearby LeRoy with fellow <a href="www.chicagoultrarunners.com" target="_blank">CHUG</a>s Bill and Leslie. After an amusing conversation that night about pacing and numbers, I figured that I could muster 2.5 hour loops, a reasonable 7.5 hour goal. I still was unsure of my abilities on this hilly course -- I have only run a loop at a time here and know that the hills will be a challenge for my untrained legs. This winter has been rough for me to get motivated so I only had a few long runs and averaged about 10-15(!) miles a week. Yeah, not really the best mileage for ultra training! I modified the race plan to just enjoy the day and be ok with anything under the cutoff of 9 hours. I also had been sick with a head cold all week, so I didn't want to put too much pressure on myself. <br /> <br />We got to bed fairly early but it took me a while to get to sleep...I was starting to get nervous! I did finally fall asleep, and then a few hours later, I awoke from a dream that I had signed up for two races in a day. The races were near each other so I could run one and then walk to the start of the other one. Well, it turns out that after I run the first race, I found out that the second race (which was the target race) was an hour's drive away! Even though it was chip-timed I wouldn't be able to start late and still finish within the cutoff time, so I had to miss it. So weird and funny to have those types of pre-race dreams! <br /> <br />We awoke at 5:15 and got ready. After we left our hotel room we found that the hotel had put out breakfast items earlier than expected -- a nice bonus! We hung by there for a little while. I still ended up eating my pop tarts because my stomach was in knots and as much as I love eggs, bacon, and a bunch of other tasty breakfast items on display, I didn't want to take any chances. After breakfast, we drove over to the start. We got there with about 45 minutes to spare, and while I really wanted to chat with all the others we knew were there, I was freezing and ended up hanging out in the car until just before the 7:30 start time. <br /> <br /><a href="http://lh3.ggpht.com/_SKRIFu0TS2Y/S7LBOLOMvNI/AAAAAAAAEGs/l99n7-L7GUE/s1600-h/IMG_0996%5B4%5D.jpg"><img title="Leslie & Me" style="border-top-width: 0px; display: block; border-left-width: 0px; float: none; border-bottom-width: 0px; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; border-right-width: 0px" height="379" alt="Leslie & Me" src="http://lh4.ggpht.com/_SKRIFu0TS2Y/S7LBPnMTk9I/AAAAAAAAEGw/p_wJUjTWkTw/IMG_0996_thumb%5B2%5D.jpg?imgmax=800" width="504" border="0" /></a> <div style="font-size: 11px" align="center"><em>Leslie and me before the race</em></div> <br />We walked over to the start where RD Chris was giving a pre-race talk. I then lined myself up at the back, the race started, and we were off! The nerves faded away and were replaced with an excitement to be on this beautiful trail around Clinton Lake. <br /> <br />I tried to take it easy the first few miles on the trail, stepping aside to let other pass me so that I could just run at my own pace and not feel pressure being in a line of runners. I ended up getting a little scratched up letting a guy pass at one point – I had stepped aside and ended up backing into a thorn bush. I didn't realize it until I got back on the trail and there is a branch stuck in my leg! Ugh! I pulled it off my leg and saw that I had some lovely puncture wounds and scratches. It stung for a while, but then the pain went away and became an afterthought. Trail battle wounds! <br /> <br />Pretty soon I was alone on the trail, quite the difference from running with 30,000 people at <a href="http://www.shamrockshuffle.com" target="_blank">Shamrock Shuffle</a> last weekend! I wasn't even sure if there were any runners behind me. I didn't care much about that at this point. I just wanted to settle into a good rhythm and enjoy the day. It was a really nice day, the temps were cool but not freezing, and the trail was pretty dry with the exception of a few muddy spots. I hit the mid-loop aid station, got my bottle filled, grabbed a few peanut M&Ms, and was on my way. I made it a goal to not spend too much time at aid stations – I need to use that time being on the trail making forward progress. I regularly took S-Caps and GU chomps, too. Just past the aid station I caught up to Juli and Val Aistars and was able to run with them for a while – such great people! It made the miles fly by. <br /> <br /><a href="http://lh6.ggpht.com/_SKRIFu0TS2Y/S7LBR1xAnQI/AAAAAAAAEG0/gcLCTBlX1vA/s1600-h/IMG_1008%5B4%5D.jpg"><img title="At the aid station" style="border-top-width: 0px; display: block; border-left-width: 0px; float: none; border-bottom-width: 0px; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; border-right-width: 0px" height="379" alt="At the aid station" src="http://lh4.ggpht.com/_SKRIFu0TS2Y/S7LBTRPQPhI/AAAAAAAAEG4/K2OS_78xcYU/IMG_1008_thumb%5B2%5D.jpg?imgmax=800" width="504" border="0" /></a> <div style="font-size: 11px" align="center"><em>After 10 miles, filling my bottle at the aid station</em></div> <br />I got back to the start/finish aid station after the first loop, where Brian was volunteering. It was great to see him as always. :-) After getting my bottle filled and a "see ya later" kiss, I was on my way for loop 2. I had completed the first 10 miles in about 2:15. Not bad! I was actually starting to tire already from the uphills, so I was hoping I wouldn't slow down too much. My lack of training was starting to really show as my uphill hike pace was starting to get really pathetic. ;-) The thing about Clinton Lake is that because it's constant up and down, I couldn't really get into a decent stint of running. I start cursing myself for not having done any hill training – we have a treadmill that goes to 15% incline in our basement that I could have used, at the very least! These types of thoughts would come up every so often, but then fade as I look around and appreciate that I'm out there and pushing myself. These trail races are still out of the "comfort-zone" for me being primarily a road runner, but I am realizing that is part of what is great about them!  <br /> <br />During this second loop I came up on fellow CHUG <a href="http://samplingerror.wordpress.com" target="_blank">Jason Walz</a>, who after the first loop was going to hike the rest. He has great uphill hiking fitness so in spite of my running the downhills and flats, we were near each other for several miles. I started to get a little sloppy running the downhills, and at one point I tripped and nearly fell down the hill to the upcoming bridge. Somehow I managed to stay upright but OUCH, what a rough almost-fall! <br /> <br /><a href="http://lh6.ggpht.com/_SKRIFu0TS2Y/S7LBVs7pt5I/AAAAAAAAEG8/1ZidcR3OR5o/s1600-h/ClintonLake1-Heidi%5B8%5D.jpg"><img title="Trail" style="border-top-width: 0px; display: block; border-left-width: 0px; float: none; border-bottom-width: 0px; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; border-right-width: 0px" height="454" alt="Trail" src="http://lh6.ggpht.com/_SKRIFu0TS2Y/S7LBZnaBEWI/AAAAAAAAEHA/bNuuK9kn450/ClintonLake1-Heidi_thumb%5B4%5D.jpg?imgmax=800" width="342" border="0" /></a> <div style="font-size: 11px" align="center"><em>The trail (picture courtesy of Heidi Carpenter)</em></div> <br />I could tell I was slowing down, even walking some of the flats after a big hill where I was still out of breath and had legs feeling like jello. Luckily the miles were still going by pretty well time-wise -- I really liked the mile marker feedback even though not very typical for this type of race. :-) At this point some of the front runners were passing me, every one of them saying encouraging words as they passed. Yep, I love this sport. :-) It great to see Kevin Grabowski, after I saw him I remembered that we met at <a href="http://www.tejastrails.com/Rocky.html" target="_blank">Rocky Raccoon</a>, and also Matt Condron, who I last saw at the <a href="http://windburnsixinthestix.blogspot.com" target="_blank">Windburn Six</a> back in January. I reached the last stretch and saw Leslie up ahead and was confused by that since I thought she was far ahead of me. Then, just before getting to the road, Bill snapped a pic of me and then I saw Leslie standing there. Huh? She said she had to drop because her ITBS was flaring up. :-( It was a bummer to hear this, but a smart decision on her part. Hope you heal quickly, Leslie! <br /> <br />I ran around the parking lot to see Brian in his running clothes, all ready to run the last loop with me. Yay! I ended up finishing the second loop around 2:30, definitely slower but still around my goal. Off we went to run the last 10 miles. It was great to have Brian with me and hear his encouraging words. I lead for the first part of the loop, setting a pace that I could handle. At this point my running looked more like shuffling. My quads were starting to really feel the effects of the hilly course, so I started to grunt and swear under my breath going down some of the steeper downhills. We zipped through the mid-loop aid station (had a bite of Brian's pizza slice, yum), and in the last miles passed another runner whose knee was injured so he was walking the rest. <br /> <br /><a href="http://lh6.ggpht.com/_SKRIFu0TS2Y/S7LBdHD38UI/AAAAAAAAEHE/ikntQoKluyE/s1600-h/KellyBrian-Janak%5B4%5D.jpg"><img title="Kelly & Brian" style="border-top-width: 0px; display: block; border-left-width: 0px; float: none; border-bottom-width: 0px; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; border-right-width: 0px" height="379" alt="Kelly & Brian" src="http://lh6.ggpht.com/_SKRIFu0TS2Y/S7LBfid1CTI/AAAAAAAAEHI/6GzMsZ7eQl8/KellyBrian-Janak_thumb%5B2%5D.jpg?imgmax=800" width="504" border="0" /></a> <div style="font-size: 11px" align="center"><em>Brian and me, almost finished! (picture courtesy of Janak) <br />Thanks for running with me, Sweetie!</em></div> <br />At this point Brian was running ahead of me a little, trying to gently keep me on pace to gut out the last miles. I really didn't have much left, though, but I kept chugging along the best I could. I was definitely ready to be done! As we passed by the mile 9 marker, I was happy to see that I had a lot of time to spare to come in within my goal. Woo hoo! <br /> <br /><a href="http://lh5.ggpht.com/_SKRIFu0TS2Y/S7LBjEKOHoI/AAAAAAAAEHM/nrqS-pEAw34/s1600-h/ClintonLake2-Heidi%5B4%5D.jpg"><img title="Fun hills like this" style="border-top-width: 0px; display: block; border-left-width: 0px; float: none; border-bottom-width: 0px; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; border-right-width: 0px" height="379" alt="Fun hills like this" src="http://lh4.ggpht.com/_SKRIFu0TS2Y/S7LBmEsljFI/AAAAAAAAEHQ/nGiziInDMuA/ClintonLake2-Heidi_thumb%5B2%5D.jpg?imgmax=800" width="504" border="0" /></a> <div style="font-size: 11px" align="center"><em>Yep, here's one of the many hills on the 10 mile loop course (photo courtesy of Heidi Carpenter)</em></div> <br />After tackling the last big hill, reading that lovely "Are you lovin' the hills yet?" sign for the last time, I hopped onto the road, entered the parking lot and circled around to cross the finish line with a big ole smile on my face. Yay! I finished! I got a hand shake and hug from RD Chris, and fellow CHUG Donna Creditor gave me my finisher medal. My time was 7:21 – well within my goal I had set. My second ultra in the bag! <br /> <br /><a href="http://lh4.ggpht.com/_SKRIFu0TS2Y/S7LBpf_wnFI/AAAAAAAAEHU/DT8SokDJauo/s1600-h/ClintonLake3-Heidi%5B4%5D.jpg"><img title="Sign" style="border-top-width: 0px; display: block; border-left-width: 0px; float: none; border-bottom-width: 0px; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; border-right-width: 0px" height="379" alt="Sign" src="http://lh3.ggpht.com/_SKRIFu0TS2Y/S7LBsQ8rUHI/AAAAAAAAEHY/5PAMBu8fWnk/ClintonLake3-Heidi_thumb%5B2%5D.jpg?imgmax=800" width="504" border="0" /></a> <div style="font-size: 11px" align="center"><em>A friendly question "Are you loving the hills yet?" near the end of the loop (photo courtesy of Heidi Carpenter)</em></div> <br />Next up on my schedule is the <a href="http://www.google.com/url?sa=t&source=web&ct=res&cd=1&ved=0CAgQFjAA&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.illinoismarathon.com%2F&ei=Db-yS7mnM46INsPaoeUD&usg=AFQjCNGZOzFZWULwhjNQDrBRswvLIXeREA&sig2=qSOTah51ayjgGNG6KA7E0A" target="_blank">Illinois Marathon</a> on May 1. Totally different race but as a runner who likes both trail and road races, I'm looking forward to it!Kelly Gaineshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08691171229118535278noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28576289.post-45419544133690905852009-11-27T16:37:00.003-06:002009-11-27T16:40:36.547-06:00Sisterly Pride at the Turkey Trot 5mi<p>I ran the Turkey Trot 5 mile yesterday, which was held at Harper College in Palatine. The course consisted of 2.5 loops on the circle drive around the campus. My younger sister, Cindy, also signed up for the race. She has been running quite a few 5k races recently, and this was going to be her longest race to date.  <br /> <br />Considering all the long and slow running I've been doing this year, I didn't have too high of expectations. I figured I'd be coming in around 45-50 minutes. The weather wasn't very ideal with upper 30's temps, light rain (at least for the first part of the race), and a blustery wind.<br /> <br /><a href="http://lh5.ggpht.com/_SKRIFu0TS2Y/SxBUovxuX_I/AAAAAAAADrE/V5AMv1PbY_E/s1600-h/IMG_2607%5B4%5D.jpg"><img title="IMG_2607" style="border-right: 0px; border-top: 0px; display: block; float: none; margin-left: auto; border-left: 0px; margin-right: auto; border-bottom: 0px" height="379" alt="IMG_2607" src="http://lh6.ggpht.com/_SKRIFu0TS2Y/SxBUpJ39EdI/AAAAAAAADrI/QNziwZue7wA/IMG_2607_thumb%5B2%5D.jpg?imgmax=800" width="504" border="0" /></a> <br />I had no concept of pacing so my splits were kinda all over the place, but I did better than expected with a finish time of 45:30. My splits were 8:57, 8:58, 9:28 (yikes), 9:28 (double yikes), and then 8:38 (redemption!). I forgot how uncomfortable the 5mi/8k/10k distance is -- it's short enough that I have to run pretty fast but it's for nearly a whole dang hour. Whew! I had some "ugh, dang, I'm suffering!" moments there... <br /> <br /><a href="http://lh5.ggpht.com/_SKRIFu0TS2Y/SxBUqGosOrI/AAAAAAAADrM/gfcm2G50hcE/s1600-h/IMG_2611%20copy%5B4%5D.jpg"><img title="IMG_2611 copy" style="border-right: 0px; border-top: 0px; display: block; float: none; margin-left: auto; border-left: 0px; margin-right: auto; border-bottom: 0px" height="379" alt="IMG_2611 copy" src="http://lh4.ggpht.com/_SKRIFu0TS2Y/SxBUqkvpGjI/AAAAAAAADrQ/foGUefXLxy0/IMG_2611%20copy_thumb%5B2%5D.jpg?imgmax=800" width="504" border="0" /></a>   <br />Cindy had a great race and came in under an hour in spite of enduring the blustery conditions and a lingering chest cold. I'm so proud of her!! It was definitely a great way to start off Thanksgiving Day. :-) <br /> <br /><img title="IMG_2613" style="border-right: 0px; border-top: 0px; display: block; float: none; margin-left: auto; border-left: 0px; margin-right: auto; border-bottom: 0px" height="379" alt="IMG_2613" src="http://lh6.ggpht.com/_SKRIFu0TS2Y/SxBUrKURp_I/AAAAAAAADrU/AuDXGw0cnds/IMG_2613_thumb%5B2%5D.jpg?imgmax=800" width="504" border="0" /></p>Kelly Gaineshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08691171229118535278noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28576289.post-16188709230242787882009-11-15T23:05:00.003-06:002009-11-16T08:56:57.673-06:00My first 50k!<a href="http://www2.thenorthface.com/endurancechallenge/"><img title="nfec" style="border-right: 0px; border-top: 0px; display: inline; margin-left: 0px; border-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; border-bottom: 0px" height="119" alt="nfec" src="http://lh3.ggpht.com/_SKRIFu0TS2Y/SwDdjeJlVFI/AAAAAAAADok/q2UcB33uVbk/nfec%5B15%5D.jpg?imgmax=800" width="120" align="left" border="0" /></a> It's been three weeks since I ran the <a href="http://www2.thenorthface.com/endurancechallenge/races/2009/wi/index.html" target="_blank">North Face Endurance Challenge 50k</a> in Wisconsin, but it definitely was an experience to write about -- better late than never! This year has definitely been a different year for me in terms of my training. Training for the <a href="http://transrockies.com/transrockiesrun/news/" target="_blank">TransRockies Run</a> pushed my weekly mileage higher than it has ever been. I really feel that it made me a stronger runner, both physically and mentally. Until this year I wasn't really interested in running farther than the marathon distance. I felt like I needed to be faster at the marathon before I ran farther than that. My marathon PR is 4:17, and my wish is to run sub-4:00 someday!  <br /> <br />But...I have started to really fall in love with trail running and the laid-back nature of trail races. After a couple years of crewing and pacing <a href="http://www.newleafultra.com" target="_blank">Brian</a> at trail ultras (Miwok was so amazing!) and becoming more involved with the newly-formed <a href="http://www.chicagoultrarunners.org" target="_blank">Chicago Ultrarunners Group</a> (CHUG) this year, I had a change of heart. While I was planning my post-TransRockies race schedule, I decided to run the North Face Endurance Challenge 50k. It was held two weeks after the <a href="http://www.chicagomarathon.com" target="_blank">Chicago Marathon</a>, which I ended up running at a relatively easy pace in preparation for the 50k. The marathon was a <a href="http://roerunner.blogspot.com/2009/10/i-heart-chicago-marathon8-great.html" target="_blank">fun experience</a>, and now I was looking forward to an equally fun but totally different experience at North Face. <br /> <br />Brian and I drove up to Wisconsin the day before, picked up race stuff, and then met up with fellow CHUGs at a nearby Italian restaurant that served some killer giant soaked-in-butter garlic bread. Yum! It was great to chat with everyone and it helped calm my building nerves a little bit. Afterwards, we headed off to the hotel with <a href="http://seriouscaseoftheruns.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">Paige</a> (who was running the 50 mile) and <a href="http://thechroniclesofgeof.dunmores.com" target="_blank">Geof</a> to start getting stuff ready for the next morning. <br /> <br />After a pretty decent night of sleep, we got up around 6am to get ready for the 8am start. By then Paige and Geof had already left as the 50 mile race started at 6am. It was lightly raining and the temps were in the 30's. Brrr! Luckily the rain did stop while on our way to the race start. We got there around 7am and milled around for a while as other CHUGs showed up -- Deanna was also running the 50k. Several others were there to cheer us on -- Karen, <a href="http://toreyjones.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">Torey</a>, <a href="http://acleanpairofheels.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">Jim</a>, <a href="http://denalifc.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">Ian</a>. I was freezing and really nervous, but also ready to get going! <br /> <br /><img title="Brelly before the start" style="border-top-width: 0px; display: block; border-left-width: 0px; float: none; border-bottom-width: 0px; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; border-right-width: 0px" height="379" alt="Brelly before the start" src="http://lh5.ggpht.com/_SKRIFu0TS2Y/SwDdj6SRnMI/AAAAAAAADoo/hGtTLzorpFs/IMG_2469_thumb%5B2%5D.jpg?imgmax=800" width="504" border="0" /> <div style="font-size: 11px" align="center"><em>Me and my awesome cheerleader</em></div> <br />A few minutes before the start I turned on my GPS watch which immediately turned back off due to low battery. It must have been on in my bag or something because I had fully charged it the day before. Oops! I put my sports watch back on so that I had a little bit of an idea of elapsed time. This was going to be quite the change from knowing every mile split like I do in road marathons. It's probably good I didn't have it anyway so I didn't run as a "slave to the watch" and instead just run based on how I feel and enjoy the day. My goal was to come in within the 8 hour time cutoff and avoid coming in last. :-) I didn't really have a concept of what I could do, so I didn't want to put too much pressure on myself -- it was my first 50k after all! Crossing the finish line was the main goal. <br /> <br />It was almost time to start and I made the decision to wear my jacket because I was still freezing. I figured that if I didn't want it, I could tie it around my waist and then drop it off with Brian at the first aid station at 6.6 miles. I lined up at the back of the pack and then it was time to go! <br /> <br /><a href="http://lh6.ggpht.com/_SKRIFu0TS2Y/SwDdkGnRuKI/AAAAAAAADos/NM9Jlt_B1a0/s1600-h/IMG_2476%5B4%5D.jpg"><img title="Just starting" style="border-top-width: 0px; display: block; border-left-width: 0px; float: none; border-bottom-width: 0px; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; border-right-width: 0px" height="379" alt="Just starting" src="http://lh4.ggpht.com/_SKRIFu0TS2Y/SwDdkiSdmtI/AAAAAAAADow/hO37TvWvlb8/IMG_2476_thumb%5B2%5D.jpg?imgmax=800" width="504" border="0" /></a> <div style="font-size: 11px" align="center"><em>Time to run 50k!</em></div> <br />The first part of the course is about a mile on roads leading to the path. My legs felt good and I took it easy as we entered the trail. Ahhh, the trees were at varying stages of fall colors, so beautiful, and I was glad to be out there. This part of the trail was fairly flat, with some rolling hills here and there. To my surprise, Brian and the rest of the CHUGs were cheering just before mile 2. I was already getting warm with my jacket (as I kinda expected), so I took it off and gave it to Brian. <br /> <br /><a href="http://lh6.ggpht.com/_SKRIFu0TS2Y/SwDdlJ3hSUI/AAAAAAAADo0/Aayu_3g9J50/s1600-h/IMG_2479%5B4%5D.jpg"><img title="Here ya go" style="border-top-width: 0px; display: block; border-left-width: 0px; float: none; border-bottom-width: 0px; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; border-right-width: 0px" height="379" alt="Here ya go" src="http://lh5.ggpht.com/_SKRIFu0TS2Y/SwDdlhh-LmI/AAAAAAAADo4/bxP1i9XNH-M/IMG_2479_thumb%5B2%5D.jpg?imgmax=800" width="504" border="0" /></a> <div style="font-size: 11px" align="center"><em>Here ya go! I don't need no stinkin' jacket! ;-) </em></div> <br />Then it was time to run among the beautiful pine trees in the Scuppernong trails. At lot of this part was pretty flat and runnable, and I took it easy and just went with the flow. The trail is wide so I just ran my own pace, not dictated by those ahead or behind me.  <br /> <br />At the first aid station at mile 6.6, I waved hi to Brian, Torey, and Jim again, spent just a few seconds at the aid station, and off I went again. My goal was to avoid spending too much time at the aid stations. I had most of what I needed with me anyway. <br /> <br /><a href="http://lh4.ggpht.com/_SKRIFu0TS2Y/SwDdmFWvCnI/AAAAAAAADo8/ndf-X7rAXeg/s1600-h/IMG_2483%5B4%5D.jpg"><img title="IMG_2483" style="border-top-width: 0px; display: block; border-left-width: 0px; float: none; border-bottom-width: 0px; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; border-right-width: 0px" height="379" alt="IMG_2483" src="http://lh4.ggpht.com/_SKRIFu0TS2Y/SwDdmi5FedI/AAAAAAAADpA/Kz682kiisxw/IMG_2483_thumb%5B2%5D.jpg?imgmax=800" width="504" border="0" /></a> <div style="font-size: 11px" align="center"><em>At the first aid station, mile 6.6 </em></div> <br />The miles went by pretty well, I was walking up the hills which were more plentiful in this section, and I was taking it easy. I saw Brian again approaching the next aid station at mile 11.1, he is a great cheerleader. :-) <br /> <br />Past the aid station was a really nice winding single-track trail, some ups and downs here, and I was loving it! Being towards the back of the pack, there wasn't anyone around me, but I didn't mind. It was quite the change from two weeks earlier being in the thick of the crowds at the Chicago Marathon. Then came the prairie section of the course, which was exposed to the brisk wind but luckily offset by the sun that finally decided to come out. I tried to run as much as possible during this part as it was pretty flat. Another reason to keep it up was that I could hear several gun shots and saw a few hunters hunting in this area. I didn't want to be a potential target. At least I wasn't wearing my deer costume, hehe. ;-) Actually, I found out later that they were bird hunting. This was also where some of the trail was pretty wet from recent rains. I was hoping to keep my feet dry as I was able to skirt by some flooded parts of the trail, but my efforts turned out to be futile as there was a larger marsh-like area I couldn't avoid. Ahhh, nice cold water submersion. Luckily after a few minutes my feet warmed up again and any concern about it was gone. <br /> <br /><a href="http://lh5.ggpht.com/_SKRIFu0TS2Y/SwDdnM64R-I/AAAAAAAADpE/ACjfhNGcN2k/s1600-h/IMG_2490%5B4%5D.jpg"><img title="IMG_2490" style="border-top-width: 0px; display: block; border-left-width: 0px; float: none; border-bottom-width: 0px; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; border-right-width: 0px" height="379" alt="IMG_2490" src="http://lh4.ggpht.com/_SKRIFu0TS2Y/SwDdnhi1rLI/AAAAAAAADpI/zMDPRpBp9RE/IMG_2490_thumb%5B2%5D.jpg?imgmax=800" width="504" border="0" /></a> <div style="font-size: 11px" align="center"><em>Approaching Wilton aid station, mile 16.4 </em></div> <br />Ever the loyal spectator, Brian was at the next aid station (16.4). I was over halfway there! I still felt great and a smile was still planted on my face. I didn't know how fast or slow I was going but at this point I knew I would be finishing well within 8 hours. After some more prairie running the course went back into the woods for more horse trails. I think I was slowing down a little and might have had a little low point physically, but knew it would pass. I didn't want to let it affect me otherwise. Then I saw Brian along the course -- he had walked towards me from the aid station, and then we ran together for about a mile or so. <br /> <br />We approached the aid station at mile 21.9, I made a pit stop, and got my hydration pack filled. This was the longest break at the aid station, a couple of minutes. My legs were definitely feeling the mileage but I was still enjoying myself out there. I was past my "low" and ready to take on the last 10 miles. Piece 'o cake! :-) After I left the aid station I had passed the Vibram girl, said hi, nice job, and went on my way until I came upon a junction and wasn't sure where to go. I waited for Vibram girl just so that we could figure it out together. The course was really well marked so I was a little surprised that this part wasn't. Luckily we picked the correct route -- not that it matter as a little bit later we saw that both trails lead back into the main trail. Ah well!  <br /> <br />I saw more people on this part of the trail as some of the 50 milers were starting to pass me. It was fun to give and receive encouragement from them. Then I heard fellow CHUG Tony yell my name, who was doing the 50 mile. It was great to see him doing so well! Then we both saw Brian who was parked at a road the trail crossed. After snapping a picture, Tony ran ahead and I got another kiss from Brian. Those kisses provide a pretty good energy boost during races! :-) <br /> <br /><a href="http://lh6.ggpht.com/_SKRIFu0TS2Y/SwDdobxwW7I/AAAAAAAADpM/S8Nn_JJknss/s1600-h/IMG_2498%5B4%5D.jpg"><img title="IMG_2498" style="border-top-width: 0px; display: block; border-left-width: 0px; float: none; border-bottom-width: 0px; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; border-right-width: 0px" height="379" alt="IMG_2498" src="http://lh3.ggpht.com/_SKRIFu0TS2Y/SwDdo9rjlHI/AAAAAAAADpQ/vd1giLr3c7o/IMG_2498_thumb%5B2%5D.jpg?imgmax=800" width="504" border="0" /></a> <div style="font-size: 11px" align="center"><em>Yep, still smiling with about 8 miles to go </em></div> <br />I continued on and had a nice conversation with another runner, Jody, from Kansas. It was her first 50k as well. She was starting to slow a little (or maybe I was speeding up), so we parted ways after saying good luck to each other. In spite of some decent hilly sections, I was doing pretty well and saw from my watch unless something  crazy happened I would be finishing under 7 hours. <br /> <br /><a href="http://lh5.ggpht.com/_SKRIFu0TS2Y/SwDdpbzr9SI/AAAAAAAADpU/Y9EQhWa6og8/s1600-h/IMG_2503%5B4%5D.jpg"><img title="Approaching the last aid station" style="border-top-width: 0px; display: block; border-left-width: 0px; float: none; border-bottom-width: 0px; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; border-right-width: 0px" height="379" alt="Approaching the last aid station" src="http://lh4.ggpht.com/_SKRIFu0TS2Y/SwDdp2Z8FCI/AAAAAAAADpY/ISQmp_5U7lA/IMG_2503_thumb%5B2%5D.jpg?imgmax=800" width="504" border="0" /></a> <div style="font-size: 11px" align="center"><em>Runnin' to the hug! (mile 27.2) </em></div> <br />Pretty soon I spotted the last aid station and ran down the hill to see Brian's open arms (run to the hug!). Mile 27.2! Longest run ever! Feeling great, less than 4 miles to go! I passed through the aid station quickly and was on my way again to the finish. After a couple miles I knew I was on the trail that we started out on, on the way back to the finish. I passed by a couple of people and then once we got back onto the road I picked it up even more. My legs, though tired, still felt strong. I took the final turn into the park area, saw the finish line, took a couple of turns and then arms outstretched, crossed that finish line in 6:39!A new milestone, I am an ultramarathoner!  <br /> <br /><a href="http://lh3.ggpht.com/_SKRIFu0TS2Y/SwDdqaKx1KI/AAAAAAAADpc/2I3Jl3c20uE/s1600-h/IMG_2510%5B4%5D.jpg"><img title="IMG_2510" style="border-top-width: 0px; display: block; border-left-width: 0px; float: none; border-bottom-width: 0px; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; border-right-width: 0px" height="379" alt="IMG_2510" src="http://lh4.ggpht.com/_SKRIFu0TS2Y/SwDdq9CoiaI/AAAAAAAADpg/Pfq7axOHYSU/IMG_2510_thumb%5B2%5D.jpg?imgmax=800" width="504" border="0" /></a> <div style="font-size: 11px" align="center"><em>Winner of the dorkiest finish line picture EVER... :-) </em></div> <br />I received my medal, and then my hug and kiss from Brian, then more hugs from the CHUGs who were cheering everyone in. What a great experience! I love this sport. <br /> <br />After getting some warm clothes on, we cheered on the rest of the CHUG runners. I ate some post-race food and then after that more food was eaten with Geof, Paige, and Tony in town. Then it was time for Brian and me to head home, stopping for DQ on the way (yum!), and then finally, home. A wonderful day, my first 50k finish, sharing it with Brian and the rest of the amazing group of CHUGs. This is the life! :-)<br /><br /><a href="http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=122974&id=560003069&l=3b7845137f" target="_blank">View my 50k photos</a>Kelly Gaineshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08691171229118535278noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28576289.post-29075148929187747552009-10-28T14:41:00.004-05:002009-10-28T15:02:36.650-05:00I Heart the Chicago Marathon...#8 = Great!<p><a href="http://www.chicagomarathon.com" target="_blank"><img title="Chicago Marathon" style="border-right: 0px; border-top: 0px; display: inline; margin: 5px 5px 0px 0px; border-left: 0px; border-bottom: 0px" height="96" alt="Chicago Marathon" src="http://lh4.ggpht.com/_SKRIFu0TS2Y/SuieDjA1YQI/AAAAAAAADmk/6JHF1nGED8Y/boacmlogo%5B8%5D.jpg?imgmax=800" width="154" align="left" border="0" /></a> It's been over two weeks since I ran the <a href="http://www.chicagomarathon.com" target="_blank">Chicago Marathon</a>, and I was hoping to write about it before my first 50k at the <a href="http://www2.thenorthface.com/endurancechallenge/races/2009/wi/index.html" target="_blank">North Face Endurance Challenge</a>. Oops! Well, that has come and gone (race report is coming soon), and now I figured I'd better write about it before leaving with <a href="http://www.newleafultra.com" target="_blank">Brian</a> and the rest of the CHUGS for <a href="http://www.javelinajundred.com" target="_blank">Javelina Jundred</a> this weekend! For the marathon, I didn't have a PR expectation as it was going to be more of a training run for the 50k, but gosh darn it, I was going to have fun running it. Also, after the TransRockies Run in August, running Chicago this year was going to be somewhat anticlimactic. In reality, it wasn't at all! This would be my 8th time running Chicago (12th marathon overall), and I still love this race, big crowds and all.  <br /> <br /></p> <p></p> <p></p> <p>The day before the marathon I started to get a little nervous. Marathons, even training ones, are a pretty big deal to me. I still wanted to do well and have a good run. Perhaps I was feeling some anxiety left from the horrible experience that was Chicago Heatathon 2007, I'm not sure. Anyway, my night of sleep was fitful because of nerves, so when the alarm went off at 4:45am, I was ready to get up and get going. Unfortunately while I was getting ready I started to have stomach issues and nausea so I took some Pepto hoping it would help settle my stomach. This was definitely not normal for me, but I tried to be laid-back about it and hope for the best. <br /> <br />Brian and I left at around 5:15am to go downtown. Brian needed to be at the 4k mark by 6:30am, so we allowed ourselves plenty of time. We got to our usual parking garage and after some good luck kisses we headed off in different directions -- Brian to his course marshal post (he had to hold a 4k marker for the elites as they ran through) and myself toward the start area. With plenty of time before the start and the fact that was barely 30 degrees, I took cover at a local hotel lobby on the way. There was a large group from France in the lobby, it is neat to see all these runners from all over the world that would take a tour of our great city. <br /> <br />After a while I got antsy so I decided to head over to the start. Luckily my stomach was feeling better but I was still a little worried about how whether I would have to make pit stops during the race. I found the 10:00 pace corral area (was hoping to run somewhere in between 10 and 11 minutes per mile) and got in position around 7:00. My toes were freezing and numb and I was regretting the decision not to wear any "throwaway" pants to cover my freezing legs. Ah well, it didn't matter as we got closer to the start because more and more people started coming in and soon we crowded in enough that I was actually pretty warm for the last minutes before the start. I shed my fleece pullover, listened to the national anthem, and then the race started. Not that we moved or anything. :-) <br /> <br /><a href="http://lh4.ggpht.com/_SKRIFu0TS2Y/SuieG_jUEvI/AAAAAAAADmo/zVmT4o9TDms/s1600-h/photo%5B4%5D.jpg"><img title="Start line" style="border-right: 0px; border-top: 0px; display: block; float: none; margin-left: auto; border-left: 0px; margin-right: auto; border-bottom: 0px" height="379" alt="Start line" src="http://lh5.ggpht.com/_SKRIFu0TS2Y/SuieJlkOceI/AAAAAAAADms/phJe23uI51Y/photo_thumb%5B2%5D.jpg?imgmax=800" width="504" border="0" /> <br /></a>I finally crossed the start line about 15 minutes later and sent a text to Brian letting him know so that he could estimate when I would be passing through at different points of the course. We headed up Columbus and you could feel the excitement in the chilly air. My toes were still numb but I knew they would be fine after a mile or two. We ran under Randolph with the usual woo hoo's that make me smile. As we approached the river I actually spotted Ian and yelled hi to him as I was passing. I was glad to see him and was hoping I would see others I knew along the course. It's so crowded and bustling, though, so you don't expect to. A short while later I also saw another <a href="http://chicagoultrarunners.com" target="_blank">CHUG</a>, Greg, who was one of the many course marshal volunteers that Ian recruited. <br /> <br />During the first few miles I just went with the flow of runners. It was pretty crowded and I didn't feel the need to weave through the crowd. Before the 4k mark I texted Brian to ask which side he was on but didn't get a response so I looked on both sides of the street to find him but unfortunately missed him in this spot. Oops! I passed by the 5k mark in 33:54 (10:54mpm pace), an easy pace I was hoping to improve upon further in the race. I headed up north through Lincoln Park, enjoying the crowds and bands along the way. I picked up the pace a little, but it was still comfortable. The sun was out and I was really enjoying the race. After passing the 10k mark, a guy yells out, "only 20 miles to go!" which those around us laughed at, shaking our heads. Gotta love those comments. ;-) <br /> <br />Then we headed through Lakeview, one of my favorite spots in the course with its vibrant and spirited spectators and volunteers . I knew one of my co-workers, Jim, would be at the mile 8 water station, so as I approached, I randomly picked the left side to look for him. Shockingly I spotted him and ran over to grab the cup of water he was offering, and yelled "Hey Jim!" He was stunned I was able to find him, "Kelly, go Kelly!" he yelled and I waved goodbye and ran ahead through the rest of the aid station. Now we were heading downtown again. I hear a fellow runner say "this is one of my favorite parts of the race, look at the view!" and I look ahead and see the high-rise buildings and I agree. I work downtown every day and many times I take for granted how cool looking it really is. :-)  <br /> <br />At about mile 11, I sent Brian a text letting him know I was on my way. It was right around here where two years earlier I started hyperventilating and suffered a mini-breakdown over how the heat was really affecting me. Not this year! I was still feeling good and chugging along just fine. Past mile 12 I saw Brian, he snapped a couple pictures -- always a boost to see someone you love cheering for you along the course. :-) I slowed down a little west of Union Station because the crowds were thick and spilling out into the street. It was a fun section, lots of spectators as we passed the halfway point (2:17:50, 10:31mpm pace). I was pretty happy with that split, and that if things continued to go well, I would finish well under 5 hours. That was what I was hoping for! <br /> <br />The miles continued to fly by, passing by the United Center, then coming back eastward with Sears, er, Willis Tower, in the background. Brian was at mile 16.5 on Halsted, it was great to see him again as I ran by.   <br /> <br /><a href="http://lh4.ggpht.com/_SKRIFu0TS2Y/SuieOqaJlEI/AAAAAAAADmw/RKkJjUkJUAQ/s1600-h/IMG_24554.jpg"><img title="Mile 16.5" style="border-top-width: 0px; display: block; border-left-width: 0px; float: none; border-bottom-width: 0px; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; border-right-width: 0px" height="379" alt="Mile 16.5" src="http://lh4.ggpht.com/_SKRIFu0TS2Y/SuieSOU7_VI/AAAAAAAADm0/rWMSxIAFVpU/IMG_2455_thumb2.jpg?imgmax=800" width="504" border="0" /> <br /></a>I still was feeling good with less than 10 miles to go. I ran through the Little Italy neighborhood and then Pilsen, which was lively with mariachi music blaring and enthusiastic spectators. My splits were pretty even, my legs felt great, and I was really enjoying the day. I could tell some around me were slowing down in this later part of the race. <br /></p> <p>Now we were approaching another favorite part of the course -- Chinatown. Crowds were in the streets again so my pace slowed a little from crowding, but I was having fun and I didn't mind. Every year I've run Chicago I always get the chills turning right onto Wentworth and under the Chinatown Gate. The excitement is like an electrical charge in the air, such a great feeling! I got a surge of energy and then as the crowds thinned out along the Dan Ryan, I felt more energy. This part of the race is probably the most desolate. It's strange to go from such a high through Chinatown to this. I didn't affect my pace, though. I kept chugging along, passing people regularly as we approached 33rd street and Sox Park. <br /> <br />By now I'm starting to speed up as there are only 3 miles left and I'm feeling great. I think about my upcoming 50k and how I could definitely run longer than 3 miles left based on how I felt that moment. The course brings us through the IIT campus and free beer, which I almost took but decided to pass on as I was on a mission now. :-) My mile splits are closer to 10:00 and I can't believe I'm almost done! <br /> <br />I'm getting really excited as I turn northbound onto Michigan. The final stretch, just 2.5 miles to go now. Even after getting "gator-splashed" by a guy who dropped his half-full cup of Gatorade on the ground in front of me, I still had a smile plastered on my face. (Ok, maybe I did a little eye roll at his lack of awareness of those around him. ;-)) At about mile 24 I saw Tina and Tom from the St. Charles CARA marathon training group that I had run with in the past. It was great to see them! They had both run great races at the Lakefront Marathon so they were out to cheer for the others in the program. I saw the "1 mile to go" sign and felt a rush of excitement. I did the math and knew I wouldn't be able to get under 4:30, but for sure would make it under 4:35. Not too shabby! <br /> <br />I take the right turn onto Roosevelt and the marathon's only "hill" on the course (an overpass above the south shore trains), and then left onto Columbus and the finish line. Instead of sprinting to the finish, I pulled out my phone to take a quick finish line shot and then ran in, taking in the glory of a marathon finish. :-) <br /> <br /><a href="http://lh3.ggpht.com/_SKRIFu0TS2Y/SuieVb0hrWI/AAAAAAAADm4/Tm8OgbFAuv0/s1600-h/photo24.jpg"><img title="Almost finished!" style="border-top-width: 0px; display: block; border-left-width: 0px; float: none; border-bottom-width: 0px; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; border-right-width: 0px" height="379" alt="Almost finished!" src="http://lh3.ggpht.com/_SKRIFu0TS2Y/SuieYfr1uxI/AAAAAAAADm8/vdlsuhcW6eA/photo2_thumb2.jpg?imgmax=800" width="504" border="0" /></a> <br />What an awesome, fun race! I crossed the finish line in 4:33:24, which, while not a PR, was definitely one of the most enjoyable marathon experiences I've had. It was my third fastest time -- can't complain about that! Oh, and it was a 2-minute negative split, too. Woo hoo!  <br /> <br />What made it even more special was that Brian was also volunteering at the finish and gave me my finisher's medal and a congratulatory kiss. :-) An excellent way to cap off a great marathon finish, that's for sure! <br /> <br /><img title="Finish line" style="border-top-width: 0px; display: block; border-left-width: 0px; float: none; border-bottom-width: 0px; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; border-right-width: 0px" height="379" alt="Finish line" src="http://lh5.ggpht.com/_SKRIFu0TS2Y/SuiebHFUmkI/AAAAAAAADnA/hGJHI-DhffI/IMG_2456_thumb3.jpg?imgmax=800" width="504" border="0" /> <br /><a href="http://www.runningahead.com/logs/9175d3b406754ceeacfb4c1c1abda8aa/workouts/97ad1e19e6cc422091caf8647bb3f140" target="_blank">My Marathon Splits (RunningAhead Log)</a></p>Kelly Gaineshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08691171229118535278noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28576289.post-17661207656162360422009-10-09T08:25:00.004-05:002009-10-09T08:32:41.334-05:00Tri-ing to be Pleasant in Pleasant PrairieI did the <a href="http://www.danskinwomenstri.com/" target="_blank">Danskin Triathlon</a> in Pleasant Prairie, WI, a couple of weeks ago. I decided to do this race because my sister, Cindy, signed up, and also because I thought it would be a good way to help curb a post-TransRockies slump. I thought by having a different type of goal, adding in swimming and cycling, would be a good idea to help me recover from the run. Well, as the weeks passed by, the slump was in full force and while I was running a little, I just didn't feel like getting to a spin class (my main form of bike training) and blew off swimming, too. So, aside from doing recovery (slow) runs, I had just one swim and one spin class under my belt for preparation. Niiiiiiiice. <br /> <br />Needless to say, I had very low expectations for this race, and instead of being excited about it, I was downright crabby about it -- like having that full-on dread, annoyance, and the feelings of a kid stomping his feet on the ground screaming "I don't wanna!!!" The only good thing was that Cindy was doing well in her training and I was looking forward to seeing her cross the finish line. I'm so proud of her getting back into running, post-baby, and reaching all sorts of new milestones. <br /> <br />On Saturday, we went to packet pickup, racked our bikes so we wouldn't have to worry about them in the morning, and then grabbed a bite to eat before heading back to Cindy's to spend the night. That night turned out to be a rough one because of noisy neighbors and the fact that I was pretty nervous about my lack of preparation. When the alarm went off at 4:15am, my crabby mood had not changed at all. Ugh. <br /> <br />We left Cindy and Mike's as a convoy to make the 40min drive to the race. We had to take a couple of detours because of blocked-off roads, but we finally made it to the parking area where they were shuttling everyone to the start area over a mile away. Cindy and I got on a shuttle and we left Brian, Cindy's husband, Mike, and their three kids there to take a later shuttle as time was getting a little tight. Cindy and I got our stuff set up in transition and then we headed over to the start to meet up with our cheerleaders. <br /> <br />The elite race started at 7:00am. My wave was scheduled for 7:37, and Cindy's was 7:43. The time flew by and pretty soon I was zipping up my wetsuit, putting on my swimcap and goggles, and walking over to line up with my wave, near the back. Alright, let's get this sucker done! I spotted Brian just outside the start area, waved and smiled, and tried to psych myself up a little bit. :-) After some encouraging words from the announcer, off we went! <br /> <br /><a href="http://lh3.ggpht.com/_SKRIFu0TS2Y/Ss85dp8N9kI/AAAAAAAADl4/d25IZvIxai4/s1600-h/IMG_2438%5B2%5D.jpg"><img title="Before the swim" style="border-top-width: 0px; display: block; border-left-width: 0px; float: none; border-bottom-width: 0px; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; border-right-width: 0px" height="379" alt="Before the swim" src="http://lh5.ggpht.com/_SKRIFu0TS2Y/Ss85e6RSsCI/AAAAAAAADl8/d86cA2RPFqc/IMG_2438_thumb%5B1%5D.jpg?imgmax=800" width="504" border="0" /></a> <div style="font-size: 10px; text-align: center"><em>Waving to Brian before the start</em></div> <br />Swim - 800m, 17:32 <br /> <br />The water was not nearly as cold as I remember it being a few weeks back. Still, I had to do a bit of breaststroke until I could get my breathing under control. Ugh, breathing! The wetsuit, which I haven't worn since 2004, fits just fine but I am not used to the compression feeling. I try to calm down and just move forward, towards the single tree at the swim finish that I use as a visual guide. I start going into freestyle, and I can only manage a handful of strokes before I lift my head fully above the water to swim the "freestyle with head above water" way of swimming (ick, bad freestyle). Oh well, whatever works. I alternate between decent freestyle and bad freestyle, making sure I stay ahead of the noodle swimmers. Yes, being a feel-good type of triathlon, there are "swim angels" and floaty noodles that racers can use to help with the swim. Luckily, in spite of my total lack of training, I didn't need these aids. :-) Finally, I get to the swim finish, run out onto the sand, hit my watch split and am seriously stunned that I swam under 20min. I thought it would be a lot slower! <br /> <br />T1 - 4:28 <a href="http://lh3.ggpht.com/_SKRIFu0TS2Y/Ss85f0EwY5I/AAAAAAAADmA/CEzHsyhycno/s1600-h/stefunkc-daddyhairtied%5B4%5D.jpg"><img title="There I Fixed It" style="border-top-width: 0px; display: inline; border-left-width: 0px; border-bottom-width: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; border-right-width: 0px" height="154" alt="There I Fixed It" src="http://lh3.ggpht.com/_SKRIFu0TS2Y/Ss85g7gIuQI/AAAAAAAADmE/GLK2tZi2wcs/stefunkc-daddyhairtied_thumb%5B2%5D.jpg?imgmax=800" width="204" align="right" border="0" /></a> <br />Now thankfully done with the swim, I ran to the aisle I thought my bike was in...only to be off by one aisle. Doh! Luckily I only lost a few seconds as I scrambled to get to my bike. Off with the swim gear, put on the socks, shoes, shirt, adjust my ponytail...SNAP!...goes my hair band. (Too bad I didn't have a twist tie like <a href="http://thereifixedit.com/2009/10/08/hair-tie-zip-tie-same-thing/" target="_blank">this gal</a>, LOL!) Oops! Hmm, ok, I frantically twist my hair and stuff it haphazardly in my helmet. I then grabbed my bike and ran to the bike start.  <br /> <br />Bike - 20k (12.4mi), 48:48 - 13.5mph <br />I haven't ridden my bike since my last triathlon back in June 2007. A couple of days before the race I dug the bike out of the basement, filled the tires (luckily the tires remained at correct pressure), and replaced the battery in the bike computer. I knew that I would be slower and more cautious on the bike, so I just went based on feel and trying to aim for a certain range of speed using feedback from the computer. I was also fumbling with my helmet at times because of the way I stuffed my hair into it. The bike course was different from the last time I rode it, but mostly nice smooth roads. There were some inclines here and there but not too bad. I felt like I was going a pretty decent pace and passing pretty frequently. Little did I know that I would later find out that I should have re-calibrated the bike computer as it was off a bit and gave me a faster reading. I ended up finishing about 5 minutes slower than back in 2003, which was a bit slower than I expected. In spite of this, I was starting to enjoy myself a bit more and was definitely looking forward to starting the run. <br /> <br /><img title="IMG_2445" style="border-top-width: 0px; display: block; border-left-width: 0px; float: none; border-bottom-width: 0px; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; border-right-width: 0px" height="379" alt="IMG_2445" src="http://lh3.ggpht.com/_SKRIFu0TS2Y/Ss85ig5Z9WI/AAAAAAAADmI/YJhq4M96raU/IMG_2445_thumb%5B1%5D.jpg?imgmax=800" width="504" border="0" /> <div style="font-size: 10px; text-align: center"><em>Almost finished with the bike</em></div> <br />T2 - 2:19 <br />I dismounted and ran back to my stuff in transition -- this time going down the correct aisle of bikes. :-) I put on my hat (stuffed my hair inside), replaced my bike shoes for running shoes and then was off to the run start -- a quicker transition this time around. <br /> <br />Run - 5k (3.1mi), 28:00 - 9:02mpm pace <br />I felt a little stiff-legged starting the run but really happy to be doing my favorite part of a triathlon. :-) I passed by Brian (thanks for being an awesome cheerleader, sweetie!) along the path and gradually the stiffness lessened. Though I was passing people pretty regularly, I still felt like I was going pretty slow. As I passed by Mile 1, I was surprised to find my first split to be 9:12. Wow! I was expecting something over 10, so I was really happy to see that split. As I am going along, I notice that there are many women walking now, and I'm having a great time "blazing" past them. I get to the turnaround to go back toward the finish, approach Mile 2 in 9:16. Nice, steady pace. The lake is pretty and there is a nice breeze off of it which feels great. Just one more mile to go, and time is really flying by. I guess it would considering my last race was 6 days for a total of 30 hours. ;-) I pass by a older woman who is looking strong, and notice the number "73" on her leg, which was her age. Wow! I want to be as fit as she looked when I'm that age! <br /> <br /><a href="http://lh6.ggpht.com/_SKRIFu0TS2Y/Ss85kEVaTcI/AAAAAAAADmM/tadgHiBT0Nw/s1600-h/IMG_2448%5B4%5D.jpg"><img title="The final stretch" style="border-top-width: 0px; display: block; border-left-width: 0px; float: none; border-bottom-width: 0px; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; border-right-width: 0px" height="379" alt="The final stretch" src="http://lh3.ggpht.com/_SKRIFu0TS2Y/Ss85mqL9bjI/AAAAAAAADmQ/xi2dDNk2x6I/IMG_2448_thumb%5B2%5D.jpg?imgmax=800" width="504" border="0" /></a> <div style="font-size: 10px; text-align: center"><em>The final stretch, yay!</em></div> <br />My legs feel great and I start to quicken my pace a bit more. Now it's time for the final stretch, the spectators are cheering for us triathletes along the path. I have forgotten about the crappy mood I was in prior to the race. I hear my name being called over the loudspeaker and sprint to the finish, the race is in the bag, finish time of 1:41:08 (last 1.1mi was 9:35), which was good for 536 of 1711 overall! Not too shabby for this back-of-the-packer. :-) I check later on and find that this year's time is only a minute and a half slower than back in 2003 when I actually trained for it. Not too bad! Having a great run and a decent swim definitely made up for a slower bike portion. <br /> <br /><a href="http://lh3.ggpht.com/_SKRIFu0TS2Y/Ss85oAY3ciI/AAAAAAAADmU/ZtrbePhnuSE/s1600-h/IMG_2447%5B4%5D.jpg"><img title="Loyal spectator" style="border-top-width: 0px; display: block; border-left-width: 0px; float: none; border-bottom-width: 0px; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; border-right-width: 0px" height="379" alt="Loyal spectator" src="http://lh3.ggpht.com/_SKRIFu0TS2Y/Ss85qGI_KHI/AAAAAAAADmY/NvQt38VdPFY/IMG_2447_thumb%5B2%5D.jpg?imgmax=800" width="504" border="0" /></a> <div style="font-size: 10px; text-align: center"><em>A very loyal spectator/cheerleader, my niece, Megan :-)</em></div> <br />Once I walked out of the finish area, I met back up with Brian and my sister's husband and kids to wait for Cindy along the path. We cheered for her as she passed by onto the finish, coming in at just over two hours. It was great to see her finish strong! Afterwards, we got our stuff from transition and made our way back to the parking area, and then went out for a celebratory lunch. All in all it turned out to be a great day. I'm very proud of Cindy for doing so well, congrats to you little sis!! She Swims, She Bikes, She Runs, She ROX! :-) <br /> <br /><a href="http://lh5.ggpht.com/_SKRIFu0TS2Y/Ss85rqYXiAI/AAAAAAAADmc/upAW2xr7afg/s1600-h/IMG_2449%5B4%5D.jpg"><img title="Me and my lil sis" style="border-top-width: 0px; display: block; border-left-width: 0px; float: none; border-bottom-width: 0px; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; border-right-width: 0px" height="379" alt="Me and my lil sis" src="http://lh4.ggpht.com/_SKRIFu0TS2Y/Ss85tJ5AaaI/AAAAAAAADmg/d34Ns2raozk/IMG_2449_thumb%5B2%5D.jpg?imgmax=800" width="504" border="0" /></a> <div style="font-size: 10px; text-align: center"><em>Me and my lil sis, Cindy -- so proud of you, girlie!</em></div>Kelly Gaineshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08691171229118535278noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28576289.post-72569218423433671532009-09-01T13:13:00.011-05:002009-09-01T15:39:59.402-05:00TransRockies Run 2009: We Rocked It!<a href="http://www.newleafultra.com" target="_blank">Brian</a> and I ran the <a href="http://www.transrockies.com/transrockiesrun/news/" target="_blank">TransRockies Run</a> (TRR) last week, and I can honestly say it was by far the most physically and mentally challenging thing I have ever done -- but it was such a rewarding and amazing experience. We crossed that finish line hand-in-hand, with smiles on our faces, and then came the tears streaming down my face as the emotion overflowed from the last six days of learning more about myself and experiencing all the highs and lows -- I would not trade that exhilarating feeling for anything. It is something I will never forget. 6 days, 113+ miles up and down the mountains of beautiful Colorado, taking on this challenge with the love of my life as my teammate...just WOW. Here goes the long story... <br /> <br /><strong>Pre-Race</strong> <br />After spending a fun and relaxing five days with Brian's sister, Trish, and her family near Colorado Springs, we made our way to Buena Vista to get our race packet and go to the pre-race dinner. On the shuttle there, we rode with other TRR teams (Ashley and Fumi, Sarah and Elisa, Peter and Jeff, and Dan and Noel), which was fun and made the ride go by pretty quickly, filled with conversation about where we were from, our training, and our expectations for the race. <br /> <br />We walked to the race check-in from our hotel, and then began the swagfest, which would continue throughout the race, too. After we left check-in, we had our big duffle bags which we would be using for the race, a nice Windstopper jacket, 75-lap Timex watch, aluminum drink bottle, Nathan handheld bottle, race t-shirt, race hat, trail socks and a few nutrition goodies as well. <br /> <br /><img title="Race Swag" style="border-top-width: 0px; display: block; border-left-width: 0px; float: none; border-bottom-width: 0px; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; border-right-width: 0px" height="379" alt="Race Swag" src="http://lh4.ggpht.com/_SKRIFu0TS2Y/Sp1gV7gvBiI/AAAAAAAADQU/B6AaLaban5E/Day0Swag_thumb20.jpg?imgmax=800" width="504" border="0" /> <div style="text-align: center"><em>Race Swag = awesome!</em></div> <br />Then, throughout the race we received Windstopper mittens, a metal Salomon mug, a cozy Windstopper scarf, lip balm and first-aid kit. They also gave out lots of swag to stage winners, middle-of-the-pack awards (sorry Team Perky dudes Dan and Noel , was really hoping you guys would win one of those days!! Loved the snarky Dan comments each day, though. ;-)), picture-taking prizes, free beer after each stage, and then some. This race has some pretty awesome sponsors and they really did take care of us. <br /> <br />A while later we returned to downtown Buena Vista to attend the pre-race dinner. Everything was really organized and the opening ceremony set the tone for all the rest of the nights -- very regimented with sponsor shout-outs, athlete recognition, and a course preview for each stage. <br /> <br /><a href="http://lh4.ggpht.com/_SKRIFu0TS2Y/Sp1gbd95NYI/AAAAAAAADQY/mrrJIGoVA1M/s1600-h/Day0KellyBrian4.jpg"><img title="Day0-KellyBrian" style="border-top-width: 0px; display: block; border-left-width: 0px; float: none; border-bottom-width: 0px; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; border-right-width: 0px" height="379" alt="Day0-KellyBrian" src="http://lh5.ggpht.com/_SKRIFu0TS2Y/Sp1gfTpKnaI/AAAAAAAADQc/7m-ZqIU3ThQ/Day0KellyBrian_thumb2.jpg?imgmax=800" width="504" border="0" /></a> <div style="text-align: center"><em>Brian and me at Pre-Race Dinner</em></div> <br />Afterwards, Brian and I walked back to our hotel, got our stuff ready for the next morning, and then tried to sleep in spite of nerves. <br /> <br /><strong>Stage 1, Buena Vista to Railroad Bridge - 20.8 miles, 5hr 13min <br /></strong>One could definitely feel the nervous energy in the air on this first stage. The weather was starting to get warm and with a 10:00am start, we knew it would be a hot one today. The race organizers did not require us to have the safety items (jacket, hat, gloves, etc.) because the course was more desert-like and at a lower elevation (8000-9300ft), thus less likely to have extreme weather conditions. The starting gun goes off and off we go down Main Street, Buena Vista. We started out slow and then once we hit the trails, there was a little crowding but then we got into a decent rhythm. It was tough, though, right off the bat. I was hoping my legs would feel more fresh but then I realized that my legs normally don't feel "warmed up" until after few miles. The uphill section at the beginning was definitely an eye-opener and generated feelings of "holy @$&*!, what did we get ourselves into?!" much earlier than expected. <br /> <br /><a href="http://lh6.ggpht.com/_SKRIFu0TS2Y/Sp1gipP-09I/AAAAAAAADQg/FZxtwxU_xmo/s1600-h/Day1Uphill5.jpg"><img title="Stage 1 - CHUGging uphill" style="border-top-width: 0px; display: block; border-left-width: 0px; float: none; border-bottom-width: 0px; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; border-right-width: 0px" height="384" alt="Stage 1 - CHUGging uphill" src="http://lh3.ggpht.com/_SKRIFu0TS2Y/Sp1glYiEcMI/AAAAAAAADQk/w_oTt0DDBvQ/Day1Uphill_thumb3.jpg?imgmax=800" width="504" border="0" /></a> <div style="text-align: center"><em>CHUGgin' uphill :-)</em></div> <br />As the day progressed, the temperature went up, probably into the mid-80's. The sun felt HOT, and it was definitely affecting our progress. I started feeling better after about halfway, but then Brian felt worse because of the heat. <br /> <br /><a href="http://lh4.ggpht.com/_SKRIFu0TS2Y/Sp1gn6cfjVI/AAAAAAAADQo/S7GQHs0s4dA/s1600-h/Day1GoingDown4.jpg"><img title="Stage 1 - Going downhill" style="border-top-width: 0px; display: block; border-left-width: 0px; float: none; border-bottom-width: 0px; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; border-right-width: 0px" height="379" alt="Stage 1 - Going downhill" src="http://lh5.ggpht.com/_SKRIFu0TS2Y/Sp1guz6wPiI/AAAAAAAADQs/4XRChuep6Lk/Day1GoingDown_thumb2.jpg?imgmax=800" width="504" border="0" /></a> <div style="text-align: center"><em>Goin' downhill, beautiful clouds!</em></div> <br />We took more walking breaks approaching Checkpoint #2 (14mi), making sure to get fluids in us for the remaining ~7 miles. During the last stretch of 3+ miles, which was basically pavement, we alternated between walking and running. Brian was struggling while I felt ok, which was a stark contrast to earlier in the day. Finally we saw the finish line and ran across, hand in hand. Stage 1 = Done! After the stage, we were shuttled to our camp at Arrowhead Point, where the tents were all set up. We chatted with other teams about our day, showered, were fed a great dinner, followed by a race recap, awards, and course review for the next stage -- this was our routine throughout the rest of the stages. We actually sleep pretty well each night, getting at least 8 hours, and then waking up to zipper noises around 6am from people getting out of their sleeping bags and tents. <br /> <br /><strong>Stage 2, Vicksburg to Twin Lakes - 10 miles, 3hr 22min <br /></strong>So, we woke up around 6am for Stage 2, and my body definitely felt like it had run a hard marathon the previous day. This was the theme for the rest of the stages -- varying levels of soreness, mostly in my quads. But you learn how to deal with it and keep moving, however slow. I mentioned my soreness to Brian and he said he felt fine. Seriously?! This guy is not human. ;-) After breakfast we were shuttled to the Stage 2 start in Vicksburg. It was much colder than the previous day, and we ended up wearing our jackets (now required to have with us for the rest of the stages) for the beginning of the stage. After a flat-ish couple of miles to get the legs warmed up, we then started our ascent up to Hope Pass (12,538 ft). This trail is also part of the Leadville 100mi that occurred just a couple days prior. It blows my mind that the 100 milers (Ben, you rocked it!) run this part TWICE after 40 miles and I was struggling right off the bat! It was during this portion that we clocked a blazing 51min for mile 3. Nope, that is not a typo! Luckily we didn't have too many of those types of miles. :-) <br /> <br /><a href="http://lh5.ggpht.com/_SKRIFu0TS2Y/Sp1g0WgCoUI/AAAAAAAADQw/GfPhZiRA70Q/s1600-h/Day2SteepAscent4.jpg"><img title="Day2-SteepAscent" style="border-top-width: 0px; display: block; border-left-width: 0px; float: none; border-bottom-width: 0px; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; border-right-width: 0px" height="379" alt="Day2-SteepAscent" src="http://lh6.ggpht.com/_SKRIFu0TS2Y/Sp1g3aMrfHI/AAAAAAAADQ0/511fnbCI1tc/Day2SteepAscent_thumb2.jpg?imgmax=800" width="504" border="0" /></a> <div style="text-align: center"><em>Fun times UP ahead...</em></div> <br />We and other teams took turns "leading" up the single-track trail, and it was during this part where we began our friendly "rivalry" with Team Rubicon (Jen and Nic), whom we affectionately called "Idaho" and they called us "Chicago." :-) They were fun to chat with during the race and we would see them several times during this and the rest of the stages. Towards the top we were leapfrogging with Team 101+ (Shelly and Dennis), another nice couple that we saw during some of the stages and around camp. While taking "breathing" breaks here and there going up, I made sure to look around and take in the beauty. It was just awesome! <br /> <br /><a href="http://lh5.ggpht.com/_SKRIFu0TS2Y/Sp1g7Ce_iwI/AAAAAAAADQ4/D8-J-dPkN0k/s1600-h/Day2185.jpg"><img title="Day2 (18)" style="border-top-width: 0px; display: block; border-left-width: 0px; float: none; border-bottom-width: 0px; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; border-right-width: 0px" height="381" alt="Day2 (18)" src="http://lh6.ggpht.com/_SKRIFu0TS2Y/Sp1g92kdyfI/AAAAAAAADQ8/7Jy-jGc39fI/Day218_thumb13.jpg?imgmax=800" width="504" border="0" /></a> <div style="text-align: center"><em>Almost to Hope Pass (located near the center of this picture)</em></div> <br />While the altitude definitely was a factor getting up to Hope Pass, as I was definitely breathing harder and could feel my heart beating rapidly in my chest, I felt pretty good -- I didn't feel dizzy or nauseous. I was definitely looking forward to some downhill, though! <br /> <br /><a href="http://lh5.ggpht.com/_SKRIFu0TS2Y/Sp1hA_4Q3gI/AAAAAAAADRA/eAOHukXQOm8/s1600-h/Day2214.jpg"><img title="Day2 (21)" style="border-top-width: 0px; display: block; border-left-width: 0px; float: none; border-bottom-width: 0px; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; border-right-width: 0px" height="379" alt="Day2 (21)" src="http://lh5.ggpht.com/_SKRIFu0TS2Y/Sp1hDiG90XI/AAAAAAAADRE/hzgddPyCHwM/Day221_thumb2.jpg?imgmax=800" width="504" border="0" /></a> <div style="text-align: center"><em>Woo hoo! We made it to Hope Pass, now it's all downhill from here</em></div><br />Now it was time for some serious downhill running. The first section was actually pretty scary for me as it was pretty steep and I hadn't quite gotten comfortable navigating the loose rocks on the trail. Brian just flew down as I took my time trying to avoid falling and rolling down the mountain. :-) Past the checkpoint (5mi) we had some really great miles, running with Idaho for a few miles. I just loved running in the pines. :-) After the descent, we ran in grassy fields and had fun with a few water crossings in the last mile. That water was COLD but felt good! <br /> <br /><a href="http://lh4.ggpht.com/_SKRIFu0TS2Y/Sp1hISIF-uI/AAAAAAAADRI/4qm_jbbEtuA/s1600-h/Day2284.jpg"><img title="Day2 (28)" style="border-top-width: 0px; display: block; border-left-width: 0px; float: none; border-bottom-width: 0px; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; border-right-width: 0px" height="379" alt="Day2 (28)" src="http://lh3.ggpht.com/_SKRIFu0TS2Y/Sp1hLrnPluI/AAAAAAAADRM/Gle5BJ-hxqU/Day228_thumb2.jpg?imgmax=800" width="504" border="0" /></a><div style="text-align: center"><em>Brian navigating the first of a few stream crossings this stage</em></div><br />It started to rain a little bit as we were finishing up the last mile, running across the finish line in Twin Lakes. We luckily didn't have to wait too long in the rain to catch the shuttle to Leadville, where we would be staying that night. During the shuttle ride we met Team GORE/City Sports (Chrissy and Martin), a super cute couple from Boston. This was turning out to be such a great experience, made even better by the people we were meeting along the way.<br /><br />That afternoon the middle toes on my left foot felt a bit strange and thought I might have a blister under one of the nails, so I made a quick visit to the medical tent. After waiting for the other two people get treated for massive blisters on their feet, I felt a little wussy getting my super small blister taken care of. ;-) That was my first ever "blister under the toenail" -- which I am not surprised about considering how many rocks I kicked with my left foot. That also was a recurring theme for the rest of the stages -- my left foot really took a beating with all that rock-kicking but it luckily didn't slow me down too much! <br /> <br />At dinner that night I finally was able to meet Deb Russell, who is on Team Pine Line with her brother. We've kept tabs on each other via our blogs and Facebook and it was great to chat in person with her. She and her brother did really well each stage, finishing near the front of the pack and ended up third overall in the Open Mixed division -- awesome! <br /> <br /><strong>Stage 3, Leadville to Nova Guides - 24.3 miles, 5hr 46min</strong> <br />We were up and at 'em again for Stage 3, climbing out of our tents at the Leadville high school football field. I had a slight sense of dread of starting this day since it was the longest leg. On the other hand, after this stage, we'd be at the halfway point, which was a nice feeling. The race started promptly at 8am and we were off through downtown Leadville and then onto the shoulder Hwy. 24, a pretty big stretch of pavement for the first few miles. <br /> <br />Then we got to the first big ascent of the day which lasted for a couple miles followed by a descent with a couple of stream crossings, which, while early in the stage, didn't not cause too much of an issue. I think Brian was actually able to avoid getting his feet wet at all -- not only do the descents not affect his quads as they do mine, but he also happens to be a good rock jumper/navigator. :-) <br /> <br /><a href="http://lh5.ggpht.com/_SKRIFu0TS2Y/Sp1hPBBfJqI/AAAAAAAADRQ/QxX6B8p40l8/s1600-h/Day3FirstClimb4.jpg"><img title="Day3-FirstClimb" style="border-top-width: 0px; display: block; border-left-width: 0px; float: none; border-bottom-width: 0px; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; border-right-width: 0px" height="379" alt="Day3-FirstClimb" src="http://lh6.ggpht.com/_SKRIFu0TS2Y/Sp1hRmsCvYI/AAAAAAAADRU/X1vaJOqWikU/Day3FirstClimb_thumb2.jpg?imgmax=800" width="504" border="0" /></a><div style="text-align: center"><em>Looking behind us - first climb of the stage</em></div> <br />It was on the second ascent, near halfway, that I had a really low point. Our strategy, for the most part, was for Brian to lead us on the trail. We noticed that if we ran side-by-side, I would slow down, but would maintain pace or speed up if he was a little ahead. I pretended that were was an invisible tether between us, but unfortunately I was really struggling up this second ascent and Brian got further ahead, to the point that was no way I could catch up. I started to feel pissed that he wasn't looking back and frustrated at myself for not being able to maintain a good pace up this hill. I just felt....overwhelmed by it all. The emotions started to rush in, and I started hyperventilating. I stopped, hunched over, and tried to calm myself down and BREATHE. Chrissy and Martin were nearby and saw me, asking if I was ok. Chrissy said some really supportive words (thank you!!) while Martin caught up to Brian to let him know what was going on. After a few tears and calming down, I felt better and told Brian that we needed to stay closer together, even if that meant that he would have to stop and look back more often to make sure we weren't too far apart. We were a team after all, and we knew that going in to this race that we are at different levels physically, and that Brian would have to be patient. We got into a good rhythm with this, but it was a learning process that was really highlighted during this short moment, midway through Stage 3. <br /> <br />My meltdown was a turning point during this stage, and thereafter we did really well on the downhill towards Nova Guides. I felt really good past the second checkpoint, on the Colorado Trail crossing the Continental Divide. The trail was pretty smooth and really runable during this part and we had good momentum. I was in a happy place again. :-) <br /> <br /><a href="http://lh5.ggpht.com/_SKRIFu0TS2Y/Sp1hX27g3tI/AAAAAAAADRY/ON8tRxNn1hI/s1600-h/Day3184.jpg"><img title="Day3 (18)" style="border-top-width: 0px; display: block; border-left-width: 0px; float: none; border-bottom-width: 0px; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; border-right-width: 0px" height="379" alt="Day3 (18)" src="http://lh4.ggpht.com/_SKRIFu0TS2Y/Sp1hb0APCYI/AAAAAAAADRc/IW3FuFCMm5E/Day318_thumb2.jpg?imgmax=800" width="504" border="0" /></a><div style="text-align: center"><em>Fun downhill single track trail...weeeeeeee!</em></div> <br />After we ran down the fun single track, the last part of the stage was on gravel road and for a couple miles we could see the finish area. We passed a couple of teams as we made the final turn and ran the final stretch to the finish. <br /> <br /><a href="http://lh5.ggpht.com/_SKRIFu0TS2Y/Sp1her09y3I/AAAAAAAADRg/2pYDex50LiU/s1600-h/Day3244.jpg"><img title="Day3 (24)" style="border-top-width: 0px; display: block; border-left-width: 0px; float: none; border-bottom-width: 0px; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; border-right-width: 0px" height="379" alt="Day3 (24)" src="http://lh3.ggpht.com/_SKRIFu0TS2Y/Sp1hhEQ5TvI/AAAAAAAADRk/mQiAQdfRw1I/Day324_thumb2.jpg?imgmax=800" width="504" border="0" /></a> <div style="text-align: center"><em>Finish is in sight, the final stretch</em></div> <br />Whew! That was a big one, but we did it! Afterwards we had a beer (so refreshing!) at the Salomon tent and took a much-needed leg dip in a nearby pond. It was good to be done with this stage! <br /> <br /><strong>Stage 4, Nova Guides to Red Cliff - 14.2 miles, 3hr 56min</strong> <br />Stage 4 was a "short" stage, but definitely not easy. This stage had us climbing up Hornsilver Mountain into Red Cliff. I woke up this morning to the worst quad soreness of the race, but after a few miles in I loosened up. It was sloooooow going as we neared the summit of the mountain, where the road seemed to have inclines near 45%. I can't imagine non-ATV vehicles getting up those roads, and ironically one of the TRR jeeps carrying supplies to checkpoint #1 broke down, so we had a mini-checkpoint there to fill our water bottles. We finally got past the really steep part in the woods and the trail opened up to awesome views as we approached checkpoint #1.   <br /> <br /><a href="http://lh6.ggpht.com/_SKRIFu0TS2Y/Sp1hl8bJ2II/AAAAAAAADRo/d8S4zEcwLYs/s1600-h/Day494.jpg"><img title="Day4 (9)" style="border-top-width: 0px; display: block; border-left-width: 0px; float: none; border-bottom-width: 0px; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; border-right-width: 0px" height="379" alt="Day4 (9)" src="http://lh4.ggpht.com/_SKRIFu0TS2Y/Sp1ht9Fr5kI/AAAAAAAADRs/Oa7DT2veZe0/Day49_thumb2.jpg?imgmax=800" width="504" border="0" /></a> <div style="text-align: center"><em>A little downhill before some more uphill to the checkpoint</em></div> <br />The views were just awesome here at 11600 ft. We filled our bottles once we got to the checkpoint and then continued on along the ridge, admiring what we were seeing. I just loved this part of the course! <br /> <br /><a href="http://lh4.ggpht.com/_SKRIFu0TS2Y/Sp1hxHIuH3I/AAAAAAAADRw/zObftqa47Ko/s1600-h/Day4124.jpg"><img title="Day4 (12)" style="border-top-width: 0px; display: block; border-left-width: 0px; float: none; border-bottom-width: 0px; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; border-right-width: 0px" height="379" alt="Day4 (12)" src="http://lh6.ggpht.com/_SKRIFu0TS2Y/Sp1hzvBqhsI/AAAAAAAADR0/zrerV2jttAA/Day412_thumb2.jpg?imgmax=800" width="504" border="0" /></a> <div style="text-align: center"><em>Brian and me on Hornsilver Mountain</em></div> <br />Pretty soon we were on our way back down the mountain toward Red Cliff. This section went well for us and while my quads were screaming on the downhill, I got some good momentum going and we passed many teams on the way down. We then hit the fun part of this stage -- where the trail is actually a stream! A little treacherous but I felt like a kid splashing around in the water. :-)  <br /> <br /><a href="http://lh6.ggpht.com/_SKRIFu0TS2Y/Sp1h4l5eHHI/AAAAAAAADR4/-0PY9txSq94/s1600-h/Day4206.jpg"><img title="Day4 (20)" style="border-top-width: 0px; display: block; border-left-width: 0px; float: none; border-bottom-width: 0px; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; border-right-width: 0px" height="379" alt="Day4 (20)" src="http://lh6.ggpht.com/_SKRIFu0TS2Y/Sp1h8k6C_dI/AAAAAAAADR8/STo9mDJlLrA/Day420_thumb7.jpg?imgmax=800" width="504" border="0" /></a> <div style="text-align: center"><em>Running down the stream on the way to Red Cliff</em></div> <br />Once we were out of the stream, we made a quick stop at the last checkpoint and ran strong in the last few miles to the finish into downtown Red Cliff. From the finish we went to a nearby stream (freezing!) for a nice post-stage ice bath which really helped my sore legs. After a verrrrrry long lunch (lots of hungry runners but the restaurant was woefully short on staff) we were shuttled back to the Nova Guides camp as we were going to spend a second night there. <br /> <br />Now that we were finished with Stage 4, I felt a little relief that we "only" had two more stages (44 miles total) to go. I was getting used to my legs being sore and somehow still being able to run anyway, but it was nice to know that in a few days I would be able to rest. :-) <br /> <br /><strong>Stage 5, Red Cliff to Vail - 23.4 miles, 5hr 55min</strong> <br />We awoke on Stage 5 morning and it was REALLY cold getting out of our warm sleeping bags to get ready. Luckily we were strategic with our stage preparation and we always slept in our running clothes to make the morning easier. This morning it was probably in the low 30's, but the day would warm up to the upper 60's by midday. After breakfast we got on a shuttle to go back to Red Cliff for the start. We hung out in the nearby restaurant and waited until a few minutes before the start to get back out into the cold and line up.  <br /> <br />The race began and we re-traced our route from the previous stage for a couple miles, then went the opposite direction towards Vail this time. <br /> <br /><a href="http://lh6.ggpht.com/_SKRIFu0TS2Y/Sp1iBcOb0AI/AAAAAAAADSA/gizPRjUn4Eo/s1600-h/Day5044.jpg"><img title="Day5 (04)" style="border-top-width: 0px; display: block; border-left-width: 0px; float: none; border-bottom-width: 0px; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; border-right-width: 0px" height="379" alt="Day5 (04)" src="http://lh3.ggpht.com/_SKRIFu0TS2Y/Sp1iFwNmcsI/AAAAAAAADSE/h7b8BPeX_6Y/Day504_thumb2.jpg?imgmax=800" width="504" border="0" /></a> <div style="text-align: center"><em>Having a great time on Stage 5</em></div> <br />Another beautiful day in the mountains, I felt pretty good and had a good feeling about this stage. After the first checkpoint we entered onto a lovely single track trail that would lead up Benchmark Mountain. <br /> <br /><a href="http://lh5.ggpht.com/_SKRIFu0TS2Y/Sp1iPx0EMMI/AAAAAAAADSI/ggu706mfkSE/s1600-h/Day5104.jpg"><img title="Day5 (10)" style="border-top-width: 0px; display: block; border-left-width: 0px; float: none; border-bottom-width: 0px; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; border-right-width: 0px" height="379" alt="Day5 (10)" src="http://lh6.ggpht.com/_SKRIFu0TS2Y/Sp1iTd4n7sI/AAAAAAAADSQ/WsahMzSm5xY/Day510_thumb2.jpg?imgmax=800" width="504" border="0" /></a> <div style="text-align: center"><em>On Benchmark Mountain, enjoying the panoramic views</em></div> <br />Then began many switchbacks to the top. We were moving along pretty well, and it was at this point when Brian would be further ahead, he'd stop, outstretch his arms and yell out "run to the hug!" which of course was pretty decent motivation to speed up a little. :-) I was really enjoying this trail and was looking forward to summiting (11555 ft) and then picking up speed going back down.  <br /> <br /><a href="http://lh6.ggpht.com/_SKRIFu0TS2Y/Sp1iX2uBBuI/AAAAAAAADSU/sdkrvutsIcw/s1600-h/Day5124.jpg"><img title="Day5 (12)" style="border-top-width: 0px; display: block; border-left-width: 0px; float: none; border-bottom-width: 0px; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; border-right-width: 0px" height="379" alt="Day5 (12)" src="http://lh4.ggpht.com/_SKRIFu0TS2Y/Sp1iasv01lI/AAAAAAAADSY/LnZqviIv0uo/Day512_thumb2.jpg?imgmax=800" width="504" border="0" /></a> <div style="text-align: center"><em>Switch-backing single track to the summit...run to the hug!</em></div> <br />Once we got to the summit, which was the second checkpoint, we got our bottles filled by the awesome volunteers, watched a few teams getting their "dance" on, and then started on our 10-mile descent into Vail. <br /> <br /><a href="http://lh4.ggpht.com/_SKRIFu0TS2Y/Sp1ieWa1kXI/AAAAAAAADSc/zi_8ZZ4y0oQ/s1600-h/Day5154.jpg"><img title="Day5 (15)" style="border-top-width: 0px; display: block; border-left-width: 0px; float: none; border-bottom-width: 0px; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; border-right-width: 0px" height="379" alt="Day5 (15)" src="http://lh6.ggpht.com/_SKRIFu0TS2Y/Sp1ihE0kUHI/AAAAAAAADSg/nuLb_NqAjm4/Day515_thumb2.jpg?imgmax=800" width="504" border="0" /></a> <div style="text-align: center"><em>All smiles at the summit of Benchmark Mountain</em></div> <br />My legs took a little while to get into the groove of the downhill. My quads were still pretty sore but eventually they warmed up. The miles flew by quite well at this point and we were passing teams who were encouraging and supportive along the way. Since we were running among the same teams each day, there was definitely a rapport built -- not one of rivalry but almost of teamwork in a way. Good, positive vibes in the back of the pack. :-) <br /> <br />The last four miles were really blazing (relatively speaking, of course!), we were going on 90+ miles for the week, so 9 min/mile pace was pretty good. :-) We passed more teams in the last couple miles as Brian was really pushing the pace, and luckily I was able to respond pretty well. I felt GOOD! Then we got to the last part which was a little rocky twisty single track and we were still doing pretty well until I turn around a bend and see Brian lying on the ground. Oops! Luckily his trail tumble wasn't too bad! I helped him up, he brushed himself off, and we ran the last quarter mile into the finish chute in beautiful Vail, hand in hand, so happy to have run such a strong stage! <br /> <br />After another "ice bath" in a nearby stream and an amazing post-stage cheeseburger and Blue Moon (heaven!), we hopped on a shuttle to the nicest campsite in Ford Park. The only downside was that it was along I-70 so it was a little noisier than the other sites. TRR organizers got creative and actually positioned all the tents to form the letters "TRR" -- very cool!<br /><br /><a href="http://lh3.ggpht.com/_SKRIFu0TS2Y/Sp1ixv2PDOI/AAAAAAAADSk/dpnR5D61zoE/s1600-h/FordParkTentTRR4.png"><img title="FordParkTentTRR" style="border-top-width: 0px; display: block; border-left-width: 0px; float: none; border-bottom-width: 0px; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; border-right-width: 0px" height="346" alt="FordParkTentTRR" src="http://lh5.ggpht.com/_SKRIFu0TS2Y/Sp1jAk2lZmI/AAAAAAAADSo/GNzd50IWD34/FordParkTentTRR_thumb2.png?imgmax=800" width="504" border="0" /></a> <div style="text-align: center"><em>TRR Tent Camp in Vail (photo by <a href="http://www.danhudson.ca/" target="_blank">Dan Hudson</a>)</em></div> <br />It felt good knowing that this night would be the last night sleeping in a tent. While we slept pretty well during these stages, I was definitely looking forward to sleeping in a warm bed! After a great steak and potato dinner and then the awards ceremony, we went to sleep that night happy to know we had just one more stage to go! My legs were actually less sore and my left foot was ready to do some more rock kickin' on the last day. ;-) <br /> <br /><strong>Stage 6, Vail to Beaver Creek TRR Finish! - 21.2 miles, 5hr 41min</strong>  <br />The last stage! We rolled out of our tent on the last night feeling ready to run...it was almost hard to believe this was the last day! We headed back into downtown Vail and were on our way at 8am. <br /> <br /><a href="http://lh5.ggpht.com/_SKRIFu0TS2Y/Sp1jEs2hC9I/AAAAAAAADSs/zG8Si_0prDs/s1600-h/Day654.jpg"><img title="Day6 (5)" style="border-top-width: 0px; display: block; border-left-width: 0px; float: none; border-bottom-width: 0px; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; border-right-width: 0px" height="379" alt="Day6 (5)" src="http://lh4.ggpht.com/_SKRIFu0TS2Y/Sp1jHoSojMI/AAAAAAAADSw/_p6VyXkbAX4/Day65_thumb2.jpg?imgmax=800" width="504" border="0" /></a> <div style="text-align: center"><em>Running in Vail at beginning of Stage 6</em></div> <br />The first part of the course is on pavement until we hit the single-track trailhead. We had a good start on this trail but then I started slowing down a bit as we got closer to the high point of this run at 10511 ft. I was definitely looking forward to making up some time on the downhill which started at around mile 10 and would last about 6 miles. <br /> <br /><a href="http://lh6.ggpht.com/_SKRIFu0TS2Y/Sp1jMZPv51I/AAAAAAAADS0/w1eGbgemtg0/s1600-h/Day6810.jpg"><img title="Day6 (8)" style="border-top-width: 0px; display: block; border-left-width: 0px; float: none; border-bottom-width: 0px; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; border-right-width: 0px" height="421" alt="Day6 (8)" src="http://lh6.ggpht.com/_SKRIFu0TS2Y/Sp1jRsiCajI/AAAAAAAADS4/Z3xlUesj8xs/Day68_thumb27.jpg?imgmax=800" width="482" border="0" /></a> <div style="text-align: center"><em>Loving this single track and the trees</em></div> <br />Now on the descent, we were really doing well, with Brian passing several people on the somewhat treacherous rocky single track and I was happy to be able to do the same! I had a good rhythm and was navigating the trail pretty well. <br /> <br /><a href="http://lh4.ggpht.com/_SKRIFu0TS2Y/Sp1jVtnQ2CI/AAAAAAAADS8/DdN5dNPiqlI/s1600-h/Day6104.jpg"><img title="Day6 (10)" style="border-top-width: 0px; display: block; border-left-width: 0px; float: none; border-bottom-width: 0px; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; border-right-width: 0px" height="379" alt="Day6 (10)" src="http://lh6.ggpht.com/_SKRIFu0TS2Y/Sp1jYjz2_8I/AAAAAAAADTA/Ew4-nz-ZJfU/Day610_thumb2.jpg?imgmax=800" width="504" border="0" /></a> <div style="text-align: center"><em>Time to descend into the town of Avon</em></div> <br />We made it into Avon, through town, quickly stopped at the last checkpoint, and then began another 3-4 mile climb towards Beaver Creek. This climb was ROUGH for me. It was starting to get hot and I was moving at a snail's pace. One of the volunteers was running from the last checkpoint to the finish and he goes "need a little push?" and actually pushed me a little (more of a symbolic gesture, hehe) up the hill bringing a smile to my face and I thanked him. I think this was the same volunteer who during an earlier stage actually ran up to us from a checkpoint to grab our bottles and fill them. The TRR volunteers were awesome! <br /> <br /><a href="http://lh4.ggpht.com/_SKRIFu0TS2Y/Sp1jcac5zxI/AAAAAAAADTE/5tHXs4CvPnE/s1600-h/Day6124.jpg"><img title="Day6 (12)" style="border-top-width: 0px; display: block; border-left-width: 0px; float: none; border-bottom-width: 0px; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; border-right-width: 0px" height="379" alt="Day6 (12)" src="http://lh5.ggpht.com/_SKRIFu0TS2Y/Sp1jg1a8e9I/AAAAAAAADTI/ThMa_T6wl60/Day612_thumb2.jpg?imgmax=800" width="504" border="0" /></a> <div style="text-align: center"><em>Up ahead is some brutal switch-backing uphill...</em></div><br />Once we finally hit the top of the trail, I was so happy to get some speed going again on the downhill for the next couple of miles. Things were going really well, switch-backing down the mountain until we came screeching to a halt to the sound of a woman yelling from above about seeing black bears on the trail. Seriously?! A half mile to the finish?! Then suddenly, I stop on the trail, look at a lower switchback to Chrissy and Martin standing, frozen, watching a young black bear ambling across the field. <br /> <br /><a href="http://lh6.ggpht.com/_SKRIFu0TS2Y/Sp1jmEQISmI/AAAAAAAADTM/GobAjMUPV24/s1600-h/Day6155.jpg"><img title="Day6 (15)" style="border-top-width: 0px; display: block; border-left-width: 0px; float: none; border-bottom-width: 0px; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; border-right-width: 0px" height="379" alt="Day6 (15)" src="http://lh6.ggpht.com/_SKRIFu0TS2Y/Sp1jpzqNWlI/AAAAAAAADTQ/WNqf5XHnY5g/Day615_thumb3.jpg?imgmax=800" width="504" border="0" /></a> <div style="text-align: center"><em>Eeek! A bear delay in the last stretch of the race!</em></div> <br />Woah! None of us knew what to do, so we just waited until he was in the trees again before moving on. After some more warnings but then assurances there were no bears in the direction we were going, Brian continued on and I followed. During this time some of the other teams made the decision to cut the switchbacks for fear of encountering more bears, a decision I totally respect even if it meant that those teams were now ahead of us. At this point we could see the finish area, it was so close....then yet another warning about bears! We decided to cut the last switchback (maybe cutting .1mi), holding hands for support down the steep hill, I slipped on my butt once, got up, and awkwardly made our way down to the road to the finish. <br /> <br />After we crossed the bridge, grabbed each other's hands, and ran over that finish line with a huge rush of emotion, smiles, tears, and awe of what we accomplished. What an amazing feeling! <br /> <br /><a href="http://lh6.ggpht.com/_SKRIFu0TS2Y/Sp1jt2TN1LI/AAAAAAAADTU/MIkFRuDgDXA/s1600-h/Day6%20%2819%29.jpg"><img title="Day6 (19)" style="border-top-width: 0px; display: block; border-left-width: 0px; float: none; border-bottom-width: 0px; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; border-right-width: 0px" height="424" alt="Day6 (19)" src="http://lh6.ggpht.com/_SKRIFu0TS2Y/Sp1jxjlSFyI/AAAAAAAADTY/xSJjlEeRlnU/Day6%20%2819%29_thumb.jpg?imgmax=800" width="427" border="0" /></a> <div style="text-align: center"><em>We are so happy to be TRR finishers!</em></div> <br /><strong>Team New Leaf Ultra, 6 stages - 113 miles, 29:56...Party Time!</strong> <br />After taking more pictures and congratulating those who finished around us, we made our way to our hotel for check-in. During our walk, we just looked at each other and cried, then laughed...I was still feeling overwhelmed about the last six days. Wow. We did it! I felt so happy to share this experience with Brian. He is a great partner, and this event was further validation of that! Now it was time for us to rest and celebrate. :-)  <br /> <br /><a href="http://lh3.ggpht.com/_SKRIFu0TS2Y/Sp1j0UP0j1I/AAAAAAAADTc/EXqcCzULbeU/s1600-h/Day7%20%2802%29%5B1%5D.jpg"><img title="Day7 (02)" style="border-top-width: 0px; display: block; border-left-width: 0px; float: none; border-bottom-width: 0px; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; border-right-width: 0px" height="379" alt="Day7 (02)" src="http://lh4.ggpht.com/_SKRIFu0TS2Y/Sp1j2oYABSI/AAAAAAAADTg/F1LBvtAQ8f8/Day7%20%2802%29_thumb%5B1%5D.jpg?imgmax=800" width="504" border="0" /></a> <div style="text-align: center"><em>Yay for Team New Leaf Ultra :-)</em></div> <br />The TRR awards banquet started at 6pm and it was a great time to eat good food, talk about bear sightings and our overall TRR experiences. The energy levels were high, especially as more free beers were passed out. ;-) After watching the awards being handed out, TRR staff recognitions, photo slideshow, and video, we mingled a bit more, saying goodbye to those we hung out with over the last 6 days.  <br /> <br /><a href="http://lh4.ggpht.com/_SKRIFu0TS2Y/Sp1kLpPAovI/AAAAAAAADTk/LUk7ebBS9bw/s1600-h/Day7014.jpg"><img title="Day7 (01)" style="border-top-width: 0px; display: block; border-left-width: 0px; float: none; border-bottom-width: 0px; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; border-right-width: 0px" height="379" alt="Day7 (01)" src="http://lh4.ggpht.com/_SKRIFu0TS2Y/Sp1kQHEmzgI/AAAAAAAADTo/Ky1dfVA8vYo/Day701_thumb2.jpg?imgmax=800" width="504" border="0" /></a> <div style="text-align: center"><em>Brian was really attached to his sleeping bag, hehe</em></div> <br />The next morning we got up leisurely, had breakfast, and then began the long commute home -- first by shuttle to the airport, waiting at the airport where we were able to chat with Team Hot Chicks, Darcy and Amy, and then finally getting back home at 10:30pm. Ahhh, so good to be home! <br /> <br /><strong>Now what?</strong> <br />Recovery is going well and I'll be back running this weekend. My legs feel surprisingly good and my left foot is still a little sore but not too bad. I've got a sprint triathlon on September 27 that will give me an opportunity to do some cross-training and mix things up a little bit. Then October will be a big month! I'll be running the <a href="http://www.chicagomarathon.com" target="_blank">Chicago Marathon</a> on October 11, then my first 50k at the <a href="http://www2.thenorthface.com/endurancechallenge/races/2009/wi/index.html" target="_blank">North Face Endurance Challenge (Wisconsin)</a> on October 24, followed by pacing Brian at the <a href="http://www.javelinajundred.com/" target="_blank">Javelina Jundred</a>. It's going be a great fall season of running and I'm pumped about it!<br /><br /><a href="http://picasaweb.google.com/kellyaroe/TransRockiesRun2009" target="_blank">View our TransRockies Photos</a><br><br><a href="http://www.newleafultra.com" target="_blank">Brian's TransRockies Run Report</a>Kelly Gaineshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08691171229118535278noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28576289.post-20907099241016485962009-08-16T22:00:00.008-05:002009-08-16T22:16:39.556-05:00Reaching New Heights…As I was running on the treadmill yesterday, I watched the documentary movie called Spirit of the Marathon. This film chronicles a handful of runners that are training for the <a href="http://www.chicagomarathon.com/" target="_blank">Chicago Marathon</a>. I love that race. It made me think of my very first marathon, which was Chicago, back in 1997. I recall passing by the mile 26 marker, then around the corner with the finish line in view, I started hyperventilating. Um, yeah, can’t really “sprint” in for the finish if I can’t breathe! I was just so….excited, overwhelmed, and so full of accomplishment and pride that I did it! As I calmed down enough to breathe, I crossed the finish line with my arms in the air in victory and a big smile plastered on my face with tears of happiness starting to flow. Yesterday, I ended up having a great 10 mile run on the treadmill, thinking about that amazing moment back in 1997, and how I will feel crossing the finish line on Day 6 of <a href="http://transrockies.com/transrockiesrun/news/" target="_blank">TransRockies</a>, with <a href="http://www.newleafultra.com/" target="_blank">Brian</a>, my best friend and love, at my side. I suspect that I will channel those feelings from my first marathon...it is going to be epic and amazing!<br /><br />So, what is the <a href="http://transrockies.com/transrockiesrun/news/" target="_blank">TransRockies Run</a>? Well, it is quite a bump up from a single day marathon. It is a stage run that is held in the Rocky Mountains of Colorado. There are six point-to-point stages of varying distances on each of the six days. Brian and I run the race together as a team. The race organizers feed us breakfast and dinner, with the race in between. At night, we'll be sleeping in race-provided tents. We will take showers via a shower truck, dry our wet shoes with provided shoe driers, even stay "connected" by having charging stations for our techie devices. Granted, there may be a few stages where having a cell phone won't matter much! Here is the breakdown of each stage:<br /><br /><strong>Sunday, August 23 - Stage 1</strong><br />Buena Vista to Railroad Bridge<br />Distance: 20.4 miles<br />Climbing: 2721 feet / Descending: -2398 feet<br />Min/Max Elevation: 7919/9329<strong><br /><br />Monday, August 24 - Stage 2</strong><br />Vicksburg to Twin Lakes<br />Distance: 10 miles<br />Climbing: 3098 feet / Descending: -3570 feet<br />Min/Max Elevation: 9203/12538<strong><br /><br />Tuesday, August 25 - Stage 3</strong><br />Leadville to Nova Guides at Camp Hale<br />Distance: 24.3 miles<br />Climbing: 2930 feet / Descending: -3833 feet<br />Min/Max Elevation: 9200/10945<strong><br /><br />Wednesday, August 26 - Stage 4</strong><br />Nova Guides at Camp Hale to Red Cliff<br />Distance: 14.2 miles<br />Climbing: 3009 feet / Descending: -3580 feet<br />Min/Max Elevation: 8650/11668<br /><br /><strong>Thursday, August 27 - Stage 5</strong><br />Red Cliff to Vail<br />Distance: 23.4 miles<br />Climbing: 4407 feet / Descending: -4868 feet<br />Min/Max Elevation: 8191/11787<br /><br /><strong>Friday, August 28 - Stage 6</strong><br />Vail to Beaver Creek<br />Distance: 20.2 miles<br />Climbing: 4623 feet / Descending: -4718 feet<br />Min/Max: 7420/10512<br /><br /><strong>Total Miles - 113.5</strong><br /><br /><a href="http://transrockies.com/transrockiesrun/transrockies/documents/TRR09-fullprofile.pdf" target="_blank">View Elevation Profile</a> (PDF)<p></p>Gosh, I look at that elevation profile and I still can't believe that I'm about to run it! I've been training for this event since about mid-May. Unfortunately, after the Elgin Valley Fox Trot 10mi on Memorial Day, I started to feel quad pain. I went to a sports med doc and he diagnosed a mild quad strain. I believe it was from going down that nasty, steep downhill around mile 5 without using proper form. I had to modify my training by reducing my mileage and doing physical therapy for until July. Luckily I managed to run the long runs on the weekend, but we unfortunately had to avoid hilly trails because my quad could not handle too much downhill. Ugh, talk about demoralizing -- training for a mountain race and having to avoid hills during training!<br /><br />So, training brought ups and downs. The quad injury was definitely a down moment, but I'm grateful that it was minor and I was able to continue to run. I witnessed my body being able to handle bigger weekly mileage -- 40 miles, 60 miles, topping out at 72 miles. Quite a bit more than my 20-30 average over the last 12 years!<br /><br />I recall a "character-building" 17 mile run, long run #3 of the weekend, and just feeling completely burnt out early in the run. I was near tears, feeling sorry for myself and really hating every step, wishing the miles would go by faster. Thankfully Brian was there, patient and supportive, to get me out of that nasty rough patch. It wasn't pretty that day, but we got it done!<br /><br />There were many more highlights. I ran most of the long runs with Brian, my awesome training partner. :-) Most of the runs flew by, especially my 27-mile run at <a href="http://sunburnsixinthestix.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">Sunburn Six in the Stix</a>, which was part of the penultimate weekend of TransRockies training. That day, long run #2 of 3 for the weekend, had only 20 miles on the schedule, but it was so much fun to run with other CHUGs that I ran until the six hours was up, earning a mileage PR! I felt so strong and really acknowledged the results of the last few months of training. I know that TransRockies will bring much more challenging terrain at much higher elevations than where I've been training here in Chicagoland, but we will finish!<br /><br />Our bags are all packed now and we are leaving to go to Colorado tomorrow morning. The first week we'll be getting used to the altitude and relaxing near Colorado Springs, staying with Brian's sister and her family. I'm looking forward to spending time with them, getting to know them! Then, on Saturday, we'll be hopping on a shuttle for Buena Vista for the race start on the following morning.<br /><br />After these last couple of weeks of much-needed and much-enjoyed taper :-), I am excited and nervous. With this race, I am reaching new heights both figuratively and quite literally! I am going to enjoy every moment, with Brian, as we experience this amazing adventure. I predict some hyperventilation, a healthy dose of tears, and some major smiles, hugs, and kisses when we cross that finish line on Day 6, August 28! Go Team New Leaf Ultra! :-)</p> <p></p> <p></p> <p></p> <p></p> <p></p> <p></p> <p></p> <p></p> <p> <a href="http://lh5.ggpht.com/_SKRIFu0TS2Y/SojH2HvQZHI/AAAAAAAADP0/KErXfKkRTV0/s1600-h/IMG_1641%5B3%5D.jpg"><img title="IMG_1641" style="border-width: 0px; display: block; float: none; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" alt="IMG_1641" src="http://lh4.ggpht.com/_SKRIFu0TS2Y/SojH2gZJmFI/AAAAAAAADP4/7X4Bnt1uKT0/IMG_1641_thumb%5B1%5D.jpg?imgmax=800" width="402" border="0" height="302" /></a> If you'd like to follow our progress throughout the race, Brian will be carrying the SPOT device with him:<br /><br /><a href="http://briangaines.blogspot.com/2009/07/spot-share-page.html" target="_blank">Track Team New Leaf Ultra via SPOT</a>Kelly Gaineshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08691171229118535278noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28576289.post-75455779291567814372009-08-04T14:02:00.018-05:002009-08-04T15:10:08.459-05:00Triple at Tri-County for TransRockies = Training Triumph!I survived <a href="http://transrockies.com/transrockiesrun/news/" target="_blank">TransRockies</a> training "peak" week! Back in May I looked at this schedule and thought, oh my, 72 miles in one week?! Woah, that's a lot! I've run marathons almost every year since 1997, but my weekly mileage always hovered around 20-30 miles a week. This past weekend called for three solid days of long runs. It would be a big mileage weekend, but I also knew that everything is relative -- thinking waaaaay back years ago when a 10 mile run seemed long, with the progression of mileage during these last few months, I was ready to do it! <br /><br /><b>Friday, Long Run #1 - 18 miles before work</b><br />I wanted to run these 18 miles on Friday morning instead of after work in the evening, so I got my manager's blessing to start late on Friday and work from home (avoiding a lengthy commute downtown on a non-express train). At 5:30am I rolled out of bed and was out the door on my way to James "Pate" Phillip State Park (formerly Tri-County State Park, which is how I usually refer to it). Brian decided to sleep in and would run his miles later, so I brought music with me to pass the time by and wake me up a bit when I got on the trail. I decided to run the 4 miles to the park to save time. On my way there I left the back pocket of my hydration pack wide open and lost my bandanna that I have found to be quite the useful piece of fabric during warmer weather runs. Luckily later in the day Brian found it while he was running his long run in the afternoon. :-) <br /><br />I got to the park and started listening to music. I kept the pace conservative knowing the next two days would be even longer runs. Lots of cute bunnies popping out from the prairie grasses to say hi. :-) The time really did fly by, 10 miles done, and then I was on my way back home. I got home in time to take an ice bath and then start work at 10am. #1 long run done!<br /><br /><b>Saturday, Long Run #2 - 27 fun miles at <a href="http://sunburnsixinthestix.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">Sunburn Six in the Stix</a></b><br />The training schedule called for 20 miles for long run #2. I figured I might aim for 10 loops of the Sunburn Six course (2.28 mi for each loop) for 22.8 miles and then do a slightly shorter long run for #3. <a href="http://www.newleafultra.com" target="_blank">Brian Gaines</a> dreamed up the idea of having a timed run in the Chicago area, considering the lack of Chicago area ultra races, so the <a href="" target="_blank">Sunburn Six in the Stix</a> was born. This run was a "fat ass" event which means it's no-frills, no entry fee -- just a group of runners coming together to run and support each other. Of course Brian added some great techie perks that made it feel more organized than some "official" events -- live results and a web cam. Very cool! <br /><div style="text-align:center;font-size:10px;padding-top:5px;padding-bottom:5px"><img src="http://lh6.ggpht.com/_SKRIFu0TS2Y/SnXD2GtYJwI/AAAAAAAADJ4/ZeNp9j9XRO8/s400/SunburnSix2009%20%286%29.JPG"><br />Before the start</div>The run started casually at 7:35am and would last for six hours until 1:35pm. I lingered around the start area and chatted since I wasn't planning on running the whole six hours. About 10 minutes later I decided to get going on my first loop. I ran the official clockwise direction of the main loop, so I didn't see anyone until later on when I passed by Connie and Ian. I snapped a few pictures with them and then went on my way back to the out-and-back part near the bridge where I saw runners starting their second loop. It was fun waving hi and taking pictures along the way.<div style="text-align:center;font-size:10px;padding-top:5px;padding-bottom:5px"><img src="http://lh3.ggpht.com/_SKRIFu0TS2Y/SnXESQvIZRI/AAAAAAAADL8/pzTmbfX77kU/s400/SunburnSix2009%20%2837%29.JPG"><br />Jerret and Louise</div><div style="text-align:center;font-size:10px;padding-top:5px;padding-bottom:5px"><img src="http://lh6.ggpht.com/_SKRIFu0TS2Y/SnXELYbfE6I/AAAAAAAADLc/UfuddpLt_Kc/s400/SunburnSix2009%20%2829%29.JPG"><br />Torey, Deanna, and Jason</div><div style="text-align:center;font-size:10px;padding-top:5px;padding-bottom:5px"><img src="http://lh4.ggpht.com/_SKRIFu0TS2Y/SnXEaONSorI/AAAAAAAADMk/9-HTWjpyHr8/s400/SunburnSix2009%20%2846%29.JPG"><br />Amit, Leslie, and Bill</div><div style="text-align:center;font-size:10px;padding-top:5px;padding-bottom:5px"><img src="http://lh5.ggpht.com/_SKRIFu0TS2Y/SnXEcHc7qWI/AAAAAAAADMs/fJAyk3X9iTU/s400/SunburnSix2009%20%2848%29.JPG"><br />Pack 'o fast dudes - Ben, Geof, Matt, Jim, and Craig</div>The subsequent loops are kind of a blur. It was great to run full loops with <a href="http://toreyjones.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">Torey Jones</a>, <a href="http://denalifc.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">Ian Stevens</a>, Rich Breaux, Leslie Lewinski, and of course Brian :-). <div style="text-align:center;font-size:10px;padding-top:5px;padding-bottom:5px"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEifMDY4PgsfqAxJhAX3BSNq_skyGVcfZWsl6Z63tcB2_6wmBzM1KVV_s1y3UeoYxrYv6DoJlrPDFfWXFXN6qeW4v8zzA-Dw6fay5PQgcYKj3jx2oyVQXdlKOJvtGty3THZ3yir7/s400/KellyandRich.jpg"><br />Me and Rich - Photo by Jim "Boombox" Simmons</div>I ran the big loop in the opposite direction a couple of times so that I could take more pictures of everyone. By the time I was on my 10th loop, about 22 miles, I was still feeling great and figured, why not run until time runs out? I did another loop (11 total), then switched to the small loop (.5mi) for the rest of the time. Right at 26.22mi I entered uncharted "ultra" territory and my smile that was planted on my face the whole day got a little bigger. :-D<div style="text-align:center;font-size:10px;padding-top:5px;padding-bottom:5px"><img src="http://lh5.ggpht.com/_SKRIFu0TS2Y/SnXEhK4Ty-I/AAAAAAAADNE/xfBlUF9tZxo/s400/SunburnSix2009%20%2855%29.JPG"><br />One happy runner!</div>I had time for another small loop (4 total) and ran a total of 27 miles. I felt great in spite of running 18 miles the day before. Just crazy! Something that I could not really imagine, running these miles, became reality. Woo hoo! After hanging out at the pavilion for post-run cleanup, a group of us went to Nest Cafe for a hearty lunch. Yum! Such a fun day!<br /><div style="text-align:center;font-size:10px;"><img src="http://lh3.ggpht.com/_SKRIFu0TS2Y/SnXEdLC9tEI/AAAAAAAADMw/HFxH8D_cmB0/s400/SunburnSix2009%20%2849%29.JPG"><br />Brian "rocking out" during the run :-)</div><br />Here are some other Sunburn Six highlights/kudos:<br /><ul><br /><li>Congrats to Matt Condron for being the first overall with 43.82 miles. Awesome! Thanks for the encouragement along the way, too!<br /><li>Congrats to Sarah Jurgaitis for logging some major ultra mileage with 34.2 miles (and first female!). You rock, girl! <br /><li>Thanks to Tony for bringing his son, Nick, to help out. Tony, you had a great mileage day, too, nice job!<br /><li>GnP - You guys are always a highlight of any event. Great job on 35+ miles for the day, <a href="http://thechroniclesofgeof.dunmores.com" target="_blank">Geof</a>, and thanks for being our cheerleader/photographer, <a href="http://seriouscaseoftheruns.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">Paige</a>! Go Team Schmoopie! ;-)<br /><li>Congrats to Leslie Lewinski for winning the prize for most rockin' tan lines! ;-) Sorry you weren't able to even out the tan with all the cloudiness Saturday! Great running with you, though, and awesome job on running 30+ miles.<br /><li>Thanks again to Torey for starting the <a href="http://www.chicagoultrarunners.com/" target="_blank">CHUGs</a> (it cannot be said enough!), for the cool patch, and for running with me - that loop flew by! <br /><li>It was great seeing many fellow CHUGs again and meeting new faces on the trails. Waving hi and exchanging woo-hoos with all of you kept my energy levels high and made me want to keep on running until the end, past my goal!<div style="text-align:center;font-size:10px;"><img src="http://lh4.ggpht.com/_SKRIFu0TS2Y/SnXEtLSquiI/AAAAAAAADN4/jtd-wta4h2Y/s400/SunburnSix2009%20%2867%29.JPG"><br />Brian and me after the run</div><br /><li>And of course, thank you, Brian, for organizing this event, being my training partner, inspiration, and my love. You inspire me to push myself to heights I never thought about reaching before. Go TransRockies Team New Leaf Ultra! <br /></ul><div style="text-align:center"><a href="http://picasaweb.google.com/kellyaroe/SunburnSixInTheStix2009" target="_blank">My Sunburn Six Photos</a><br /><embed type="application/x-shockwave-flash" src="http://picasaweb.google.com/s/c/bin/slideshow.swf" width="400" height="267" flashvars="host=picasaweb.google.com&captions=1&noautoplay=1&hl=en_US&feat=flashalbum&RGB=0x000000&feed=http%3A%2F%2Fpicasaweb.google.com%2Fdata%2Ffeed%2Fapi%2Fuser%2Fkellyaroe%2Falbumid%2F5365409754856201777%3Falt%3Drss%26kind%3Dphoto%26hl%3Den_US" pluginspage="http://www.macromedia.com/go/getflashplayer"></embed><br /></div><br /><b>Sunday, Long Run #3 - 15 afternoon miles</b><br />How does one follow an amazing day of running at Sunburn Six? Well, after a fun-filled rest of the day on Saturday, Brian and I slept in on Sunday with plans to go back out to Tri-County in the early afternoon. We were in "get 'er done" mode and that's what we did. The sun was back out and while the first few miles were a little stiff, I was able to warm up and the miles went by. We ran the 4-mile loop four times, and I shortened the last loop to run 3 miles instead to make it 15 miles total for the day. As we crossed our training run "finish line" we held each other's hand in the air and celebrated the end of an epic week of training! Life is good! Now, it's taper time until TransRockies! :-)Kelly Gaineshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08691171229118535278noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28576289.post-27653533246111944062009-06-17T09:27:00.056-05:002009-06-17T16:22:33.265-05:00Sea Legs, Kettles, and Slap Bracelets - Three Mini Race Reports in One Big Blog PostWow, it has been a busy month! I'm officially in training for the <a href="http://www.transrockies.com/transrockiesrun/" target="_blank">TransRockies Run</a>, even though it doesn't quite feel like it yet since I'm a little injured. Luckily it's not severe, but I have had to cut down my runs and really listen to my body so that things don't get any worse (and hopefully I can get back 100% soon!) I figured I would play a little catch-up and post about the past few running events in which I've been involved. Here is what has been going on the last month, chock full of fun:<br /><br /><b>Elgin Valley Fox Trot 10 Mile (May 25 - Memorial Day)</b><br />This race is one of my favorites, one I've done the last four years in a row (six times total). After my <a href="http://roerunner.blogspot.com/2009/05/2009-seven-bridges-season-starters-10.html">Seven Bridges 10 Mile PR performance</a>, the pressure was lifted for this race. Aside from that, I didn't realize I'd be getting home from a 7-day cruise the day before the race -- Memorial Day was earlier this year. I doubted I could PR, but was pretty proud of my performance for this one and came in at 1:37:25 (9:44mpm) in spite of having "<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sea_legs" target="_blank">sea legs</a>." :-) Here were some other highlights:<br /><ul><li>Some people don't like the long out-and-back section on Duncan, but I love it because I get to see everyone in the race. I was able to say hi to lots of people -- Tom, Katie, TonyG, Dave, Phil, Scott, Christie, Sarah, and Paul. It kept me honest by making sure I looked strong while we ran past each other in spite of the ground feeling like it was moving a bit. :-)<br /><br /></li><li>Congrats to Christie for running her first 10-miler! She did awesome, too!! This was her longest distance race so far. I think I heard her mention something about running a half marathon...and even her husband James was inspired by the watching her race to start running again. Very cool!<br /><div style="padding: 10px 0pt; font-size: 12px; font-style: italic; text-align: center;"><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRDjTuQOthWStal8auwJHjWFYfpA7meKUKtzhbSkchPXut84viJSH2UHtsR435Nn3Lmzj0AvTALTmDGtw0EVh1euTG-IomQFdKHYDmghDgfq4md5yWCPl3zxuLtWOS1F4Lkgjj/s1600-h/FoxTrot-KellyChristie.jpg"><img style="display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 500px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRDjTuQOthWStal8auwJHjWFYfpA7meKUKtzhbSkchPXut84viJSH2UHtsR435Nn3Lmzj0AvTALTmDGtw0EVh1euTG-IomQFdKHYDmghDgfq4md5yWCPl3zxuLtWOS1F4Lkgjj/s1600/FoxTrot-KellyChristie.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5348347210784321186" border="0" /></a>Christie and me at the finish<br /></div></li><li>Many thanks to <a href="http://www.newleafultra.com/" target="_blank">Brian</a> for being my "crew" and cheering for me at several parts of the course. It always gave bit a little boost every time I saw him during the race, which is pretty typical in general actually. :-)<br /><br /></li><li>It was nice running through the my old 'hood (I lived near mile 9) and seeing some former neighbors. Go NENA!<br /><div style="padding: 10px 0pt; font-size: 12px; font-style: italic; text-align: center;"><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCol2RD3tCw-ZTOEkOubRY6qKX8Edqpuk4h1TX229un5dHNP8ysbiBfVkSJvj61NtYNZcX8ttlIcCah8bq-jLN2dJ5zI00yGhSIU7Qewumu6Hn1f_nWpz4nRxpuYKytb-OfSLP/s1600-h/FoxTrot-LastMile.jpg"><img style="display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 500px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCol2RD3tCw-ZTOEkOubRY6qKX8Edqpuk4h1TX229un5dHNP8ysbiBfVkSJvj61NtYNZcX8ttlIcCah8bq-jLN2dJ5zI00yGhSIU7Qewumu6Hn1f_nWpz4nRxpuYKytb-OfSLP/s400/FoxTrot-LastMile.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5348347209741738290" border="0" /></a>Running the last mile with Hulk Hogan ;-)<br /></div></li><li>There was one lowlight. While I was running like a crazy woman down the big steep hill around mile 4 I did something to my inner quad or surrounding tendon which had me hobbling a little bit but then it went away after about a quarter mile. Since then I have had problems (luckily minor, but still there!) with it and am hopeful it goes away completely soon!<br /><br /></li><li>Just for the heck, here are my mile splits: 10:05, 10:01, 9:38, 9:54, 9:26, 9:50, 19:56 (missed mile 7 marker), 9:41, 8:55. Not too shabby!<br /></li></ul>After finishing, we hung out for a little bit and then I enjoyed a lovely post-race nap in the afternoon as I was still tired from the previous day of traveling home from the cruise. Ahhhh, I love my post-run naps!<br /><br />Two weeks later, Brian and I drove to Wisconsin for his 100k race:<br /><br /><b><a href="http://www.kettle100.com/" target="_blank">Kettle Moraine 100</a> (June 6-7)</b><br /><br />I crewed Brian and cheered for lots of <a href="http://www.chicagoultrarunners.com/" target="_blank">Chicago Ultrarunners</a> (CHUGs) during the 100k/100mi trail race in the Kettle Moraine State Forest. It's so beautiful out there! Here are some highlights:<br /><ul><li>It was great to meet more CHUGs before the start, and of course chat with those I have met recently on group runs and at the Ice Age Trail race last month. Such a fun group we have!<br /><div style="padding: 10px 0pt; font-size: 12px; font-style: italic; text-align: center;"><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgr84ECZHelzQzUAaxEbA-VCyUJM2eqo9moRjLtKG9El-2u5S93RtfirTY-rL6jpaQ5qk9Fr1VB9WxNVLAB-0iLoAz1JXwcVnkmVWb_xkkk971zVxnqpIoFDev6BaRenE5b4Evq/s1600-h/Kettle-CHUGs.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 500px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgr84ECZHelzQzUAaxEbA-VCyUJM2eqo9moRjLtKG9El-2u5S93RtfirTY-rL6jpaQ5qk9Fr1VB9WxNVLAB-0iLoAz1JXwcVnkmVWb_xkkk971zVxnqpIoFDev6BaRenE5b4Evq/s400/Kettle-CHUGs.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5348354551588479058" border="0" /></a>A few of us CHUGs<br /></div></li><li>I was glad to be able to hang out and cheer with Torey (who would later pace Geof) and Geof's stepmom, Andrea, for much of the beginning of the race. It made the time really fly by. Fun people to be with for so many hours!<br /><br /></li><li>In the later part of the race, I was able to cheer with Jonathon's wife, Jen, and their family and friends. Jen is such a doll, and her friend, Jen, is one of the loudest, awesomest cheerleaders around. Brian, coming into Emma Carlin towards the end of the race, was probably wondering how all the crazy people were cheering for him, hehe! Thanks to Friend Jen for offering to drive my car to the finish from Bluff Road. One of the many reasons why I love this ultra community. :-)<br /><br /></li><li>While I was waiting to run with Brian (thanks for the bug spray, Michelle!), a runner came up to me and said, "Christine, did you win the race?!" I knew he was talking about Christine Crawford, and I was shocked I was mistaken for such an elite runner. :-) I replied back, "Sorry, I'm not Christine, but I sure wish I could run like she does!!" I heard that Christine actually had gotten injured during the race, hope she recovers quickly and gets back to tearing up those trails!<br /><br /></li><li>Pacing Brian is always a highlight and it was good to be moving after many hours of standing and cheering. I got my first experience running in the dark on trails. Fun and different!<br /><br /></li><li>We got to say hi to Master Volunteer Ian at Tamarack after a couple miles. It is a requirement that I must give a big bear hug to Ian every time I see him -- this night was no exception. :-) Ian was part of a great aid station and I can see why so many have mentioned it as a highlight during their race.<br /><br /></li><li>Seeing Brian kick it in to high gear in the last half mile, dang! I had to sprint ahead so I could take a picture of him crossing the finish line! Congrats on the finish and earning your kettle, Sweetie! Awesome!<br /><div style="padding: 10px 0pt; font-size: 12px; font-style: italic; text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8A7KBFkQ45nW_77EFXI3fDr38illwA1V871xfdeTgPgY_L8TyVJXOCcbjg7HbkHzf1AP-EUIb6wPQN75_SSLqAY6xAGOygOUbowqQ3YQSaMzIWo-ME-PhWeLsVpgF-V57b0G-/s1600-h/Kettle-BrianFinish.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 500px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8A7KBFkQ45nW_77EFXI3fDr38illwA1V871xfdeTgPgY_L8TyVJXOCcbjg7HbkHzf1AP-EUIb6wPQN75_SSLqAY6xAGOygOUbowqQ3YQSaMzIWo-ME-PhWeLsVpgF-V57b0G-/s400/Kettle-BrianFinish.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5348356075904296722" border="0" /></a>Brian crossing the finish line</div><br /><div style="padding: 10px 0pt; font-size: 12px; font-style: italic; text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwmbVRYFMd_6k_Sir7gX7Sga_6-_Un3AmyDs9g_RltehGIBD134RpSPkK-9WP4ISX5-5nAlyqoFd-UVMW6OgslvpLKOiY76st848WuYK_XrCY4TgqvRoVuwUKfXQQsR6JGm5Ht/s1600-h/Kettle-KellyBrian.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; height: 500px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwmbVRYFMd_6k_Sir7gX7Sga_6-_Un3AmyDs9g_RltehGIBD134RpSPkK-9WP4ISX5-5nAlyqoFd-UVMW6OgslvpLKOiY76st848WuYK_XrCY4TgqvRoVuwUKfXQQsR6JGm5Ht/s400/Kettle-KellyBrian.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5348347212908287522" border="0" /></a>Brian, his kettle, and me after he finished 100k<br /></div></li><li>Another big congrats to first-time 100-mile CHUG finishers Geof, Vishal, and Dominic. What a huge accomplishment! You guys did great out there!<br /><br /></li><li>Kudos to über-volunteer Paige and über-pacer Gary for being at the race and helping out. Rock stars!</li></ul>After finally getting home at 2am Sunday morning, we crashed and had a lovely lazy Sunday to rest and recuperate. I'm not sure who was more tired! ;-)<br /><br />Most recently was the Madison to Chicago Relay (MC200) that was held on Friday and Saturday last weekend:<br /><br /><b><a href="http://www.mc200.com/" target="_blank">Madison - Chicago Relay</a> (June 12-13)</b><br />I was part of the <a href="http://chiadeads.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">Chicago Area Dead Runners Society</a> (ChiADeads) 12-person team for this 200-mile relay that started at the Sheraton Hotel in Madison, WI, and ended at Montrose Harbor in Chicago. Our team finished in 27 hours and 46 minutes (8:13mpm average pace), placing 38/115 overall and 14/61 in the Mixed Open division. Nice! It was such a fun time! Here are some details/highlights:<br /><ul><li>I was runner #9 and ran legs 9 (6.20mi), 21 (6.27mi), and 33 (5.86mi). Being a little injured I needed to be careful so I maintained a manageable 9:45mpm-ish pace.<br /></li><br /><li>On leg 9 (5:30pm), I ran down a rolling country road, said hi to (and smelled) some cows chillin' in a field near the road, and then ran the last 4 miles on the lovely Glacial Drumlin bike trail.<div style="padding: 10px 0pt; font-size: 12px; font-style: italic; text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRCb4MwxHUqPYECBgIvNcEnoO0MJY4k31LvgnA6ZNJ_5dQhYsb2ozOcqjOPMZ6syFEwglTvAZBNf4NBk-XLGv4pCPRXRmK7279LCQ-mdLtK7fpyMl5M-u2HF5-Vlfp2NPibC_l/s1600-h/MC200-KellyBrianKiss.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 500px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRCb4MwxHUqPYECBgIvNcEnoO0MJY4k31LvgnA6ZNJ_5dQhYsb2ozOcqjOPMZ6syFEwglTvAZBNf4NBk-XLGv4pCPRXRmK7279LCQ-mdLtK7fpyMl5M-u2HF5-Vlfp2NPibC_l/s400/MC200-KellyBrianKiss.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5348347758781502674" border="0" /></a>The perfect relay transition! Handing off the slap bracelet, fanny pack, and a kiss. :-)<br /></div></li><li>It started raining later on in the evening while were were waiting for Debbie to come in so that Maggie could leg 19. Luckily the rain was not torrential!<br /></li><br /><li>I started leg 21 at 3:00am, got a little confused on where to go initially but then was okay after that. I loved running in the dark in the middle of the night, with a little bit of rain thrown in for fun. ;-) I even had a couple of spectators out on their front porch cheer me on -- that was unexpected!<br /></li><br /><li>My last leg (33) was mostly on the McClory bike path starting in Lake Bluff and finishing in Highwood. While on the path I was actually attacked by a red-winged blackbird -- it landed on my head and then luckily flew away without pecking my eyes out. 8-} After I was finished, I removed my shoe to find a bloody sock! Apparently my little toenail had a blister under it, I think. It didn't hurt at all. Weird!<br /><div style="padding: 10px 0pt; font-size: 12px; font-style: italic; text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjoM1ZFMBktscPg9HNIgGX763ARjUmJG1msrfffN40C2xaJ4LimJFvPh9D0eVDUXjmB4t7nZPxoXtEMsEdQFBnuAU26WqpVRp2n9quPbovtKJEzBfyOEHH9IPpSgy_IONK0pOD9/s1600-h/MC200-Foot.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 500px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjoM1ZFMBktscPg9HNIgGX763ARjUmJG1msrfffN40C2xaJ4LimJFvPh9D0eVDUXjmB4t7nZPxoXtEMsEdQFBnuAU26WqpVRp2n9quPbovtKJEzBfyOEHH9IPpSgy_IONK0pOD9/s400/MC200-Foot.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5348347217649907362" border="0" /></a>After my last run, I took off my shoe to discover this! I didn't feel any pain...there must have been a blister under my pinky toenail...<br /></div></li><li>It was great that last year's team members, Russ and Matt, came to watch us finish. Nice to see you guys!<br /></li><br /><li>I really struggled to just include a handful of things here, there were so many fun times over the course of the 30+ hours we were together. :-) The pictures we took don't even do it justice!</li></ul><br /><div style="padding: 10px 0pt; font-size: 12px; font-style: italic; text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEttdf9FzcrlNGfPwTS-p7IZaAhlcdCiNoFOEBEPSDPrO0mp5XBZLejAEAGL8AnNz0uU-NgisTZ7fWasfKBlXEaWwzlqIJMrAbVle3WIzkkr-Q3Q2_ErAqSgRSpSzMZWCdHvQg/s1600-h/MC200-TeamFinish.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 500px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEttdf9FzcrlNGfPwTS-p7IZaAhlcdCiNoFOEBEPSDPrO0mp5XBZLejAEAGL8AnNz0uU-NgisTZ7fWasfKBlXEaWwzlqIJMrAbVle3WIzkkr-Q3Q2_ErAqSgRSpSzMZWCdHvQg/s400/MC200-TeamFinish.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5348347762892884642" border="0" /></a>Team ChiADeads - Ken, Angela, Eric, Paul, Gerry, Debbie, Maggie, Katie, Kelly, Brian, Janeth, Nathanael</div><br /><div style="padding: 10px 0pt; font-size: 12px; font-style: italic; text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDexaDT2lWpgpRoIwMHiWD4NN3TeTH-Yh3RVxngX2vnu5OyQKxu5IXNzkzSJrOrvNV7KnWcI3_NVeJslMSGDv3_qEFsnkQUnI_4BM59YTfog-LRVF3j-c0XKqIICu-N8U2ffF4/s1600-h/MC200-KellyBrian.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 500px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDexaDT2lWpgpRoIwMHiWD4NN3TeTH-Yh3RVxngX2vnu5OyQKxu5IXNzkzSJrOrvNV7KnWcI3_NVeJslMSGDv3_qEFsnkQUnI_4BM59YTfog-LRVF3j-c0XKqIICu-N8U2ffF4/s400/MC200-KellyBrian.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5348347224475883026" border="0" /></a>Team Captain Brian and Team Turtle Kelly ;-)</div><br /><a href="http://www.blogger.com/post-edit.g?blogID=28576289&postID=2765353324611194406" target="_blank">ChiADead MC200 Team Site</a><br /><a href="http://picasaweb.google.com/newleafultra1/MC200Relay2009" target="_blank">MC200 Photos</a><br /><br />Next up is hanging out with some CHUGs at the <a href="http://www.beerrun100.com/" target="_blank">Beer Run 100</a> this weekend, a group fun run which starts at Goose Island Brewery in Chicago and ends nearly 100 miles later in Milwaukee. I'll be doing about 25 miles total and crewing the rest of the time. Oh yeah, I should also mention that we'll be wearing COSTUMES. Oy! Should be crazy and fun!8-)Kelly Gaineshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08691171229118535278noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28576289.post-12874576113110019442009-05-06T20:28:00.020-05:002009-05-06T23:25:38.090-05:002009 Seven Bridges Season Starters 10 Mile<a href="http://www.sevenbridgesseasonstarters.org/home.html" target="_blank"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 0px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 180px; height: 187px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3iDIpj1odyn1y0h-eIkCUP300Dq6oAAiG1McU4AlkqvmExlKyMDL03FtH0A0jNYn2_xBDKcY1VEqb3iL9juuW_42729kfFpmjJJhmLEJE_RZXdwF5Ujj0pR2TKCM9C04HpozS/s200/SevenBridges.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5332888502655022018" border="0" /></a>Seven Bridges Season Starters 10 Mile<br />Woodridge, IL<br />May 3, 2009<br /><br />Last Sunday I ran the Seven Bridges Season Starters 10 Mile race, a well-organized, small CARA race that I’ll definitely run again…especially since it’s now home to my 10-mile PR! For this race, my goal was to have something to aim for in between the March Madness Half, which was back in mid-March, and the Elgin Valley Fox Trot 10 mile on Memorial Day. I wasn’t expecting a PR, which was last set at 2006’s Park Forest Scenic 10 (1:35:48), but I was hoping to get under 1:40. I thought this was pretty doable, in spite of a bad 9 mile long run the previous weekend (on Saturday) at Poplar Creek. That day it was warm, so I was hoping my lack of warm weather acclimatization was at fault.<br /><br />The day before the race I was feeling a little nervous and excited. Brian and I had fun with my dad and his girlfriend talking about our upcoming cruise vacation in a couple of weeks and ate a prime pre-race meal of pizza followed by cake and ice cream. Perfect! We got home early and were able to get to bed early, too. Unfortunately it wasn’t the best night of sleep…I actually had a nightmare that King Kong was standing over our house trying to get into our bedroom, through the window. He ended up getting into our attic and was trying to stick his arm through the attic hatch in my closet…weird dream!<br /><br />Luckily the sound of the 5:30am alarm interrupted the King Kong attack. I got up, feeling pretty rested. I was glad that the day was sunny and supposed to be in the 50’s for the race. Brian and I got to the race start pretty early, which allowed for us to take our time getting my race packet, which was a nice reusable bag, tech shirt, water bottle, and about a million flyers from sponsors and other races. I made an early stop at the portajohns and picked the wobbliest one on the end…I seriously thought King Kong from my dreams came to knock it over (ugh!). All of them were in a row, butted up against the curb which caused them to tilt forward a little bit. Ironically enough, while waiting in line for a final pit stop, the same exact one (out of the 10 that were there) freed up for me to use. Lucky odds. ;-)<br /><br />After warming up a little, we headed to the start of the race. With a little over 150 people for the 10 mile race (5k race started 15 minutes later), it was a pretty laid-back start.<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWEiM7c7hvuuHJM3j_1i4SFCWHXSqNjJc6O4r0MUJHPYFP7TWDaSbJkvHgWXTRfuv0nUzzdwMKZuItt1OixkpYtVw2iHw-LXqM9qIz7gca0ARAmKs9Bwpyiqo73TWIKSgG9qMD/s1600-h/IMG_1570.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 0px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWEiM7c7hvuuHJM3j_1i4SFCWHXSqNjJc6O4r0MUJHPYFP7TWDaSbJkvHgWXTRfuv0nUzzdwMKZuItt1OixkpYtVw2iHw-LXqM9qIz7gca0ARAmKs9Bwpyiqo73TWIKSgG9qMD/s400/IMG_1570.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5332892045674027602" border="0" /></a><span style="font-size:78%;"><span style="font-style: italic;">Start line</span></span><br /></div><br />My strategy was to start the first 2-3 miles at 10:00-10:15 pace and then try to go under 10:00 pace for the rest of the miles. My March Madness Half Marathon average page was 9:42, so I figured I could run 9:30-9:45. The first mile went by pretty fast, and my legs felt pretty good, which is rare since it usually takes me a couple of miles for my legs to warm up. I looked at my watch and it said 9:27. Woah! A bit faster than I expected but the pace felt ok so I decided to continue at that level. The first part of the course is on paved streets, which leads to the Greene Valley Forest Preserve trails, where most of the race was held. Brian was at the trail entrance, cheering me on and taking pictures. I didn’t expect to see him at that point, but it was a nice surprise!<br /><br />The trail was a nicely groomed, wide crushed limestone trail and with the smaller number of participants, I didn’t have any issue with crowding, which was nice. I was able to maintain my pace and passed by mile 2 in 9:26, wow! I felt great and was really enjoying the trail, which was relatively flat and curvy during this segment. I cut the tangents as often as possible, in full-on racecar mode. ;-) I saw the omnipresent Brian again when I got back onto Greene Road and then to the trail on the other side of the street. This section had a couple of nice hills, but it didn’t seem to affect my pace too much as Mile 3 and 4 were 9:31 and 9:40. I was actually passing people here and there, enjoying the sunny day on the prairie trail. The volunteers at some of the trail junctions were the only spectators, but they were great and cheered us on. Mile 5 was a beautiful wooded section and mostly downhill. At the marker, Brian was there again, happy to see me hit the halfway at 47:07 with a split of 9:02! I still felt good and while this pace was pretty speedy for me, I felt I could hold it. I figured that even if I had to slow down in the last couple of miles, I would still make it under 1:40.<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgk3Pecaxjv3FDKkSnSSpshFS_mt8pwpewAuBbee72DRG2JQ42MZmpBwaz0tDliAW42ZUvBqS1PwYVEpuoWPb0D9ZyE-nghP5h1_U6GnUOUgdt00lJUxrIAIa2EOeFlJrA4gVAY/s1600-h/IMG_1576.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 0px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgk3Pecaxjv3FDKkSnSSpshFS_mt8pwpewAuBbee72DRG2JQ42MZmpBwaz0tDliAW42ZUvBqS1PwYVEpuoWPb0D9ZyE-nghP5h1_U6GnUOUgdt00lJUxrIAIa2EOeFlJrA4gVAY/s400/IMG_1576.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5332893102604243714" border="0" /></a><span style="font-size:78%;"><span style="font-style: italic;">Mile 5</span><br /></span></div><br />The course then led back to Greene Road for about a mile. I didn’t mind because the view was surprisingly pretty, looking toward Greene Hill, which is actually a former landfill. I think I’ll come back here and actually run up and down the hill (I think it’s maybe 300-400 ft high?) for TransRockies training -- there’s a road with a scenic overlook at the top. This was a nice downhill mile and I passed mile 6 in 9:10. From Greene Road we hopped back onto another part of the trail, and there were more rolling hills on this segment. I was thinking how well this day was going and how much I was enjoying this course. Brian, super spectator, was standing near mile 7, which was a 9:30 split, and he ran with me to get back to the car and cheered me on for the next mile or so, being the encouraging, wonderful boyfriend that he is. :-) I was definitely in the zone by then, trying to maintain pace, feeling really excited that barring any issues, I was on my way to not only sub 1:40, but a PR!<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVen9wpnrs2QglZoLcfGCANq6MZXNjtdmNN1j-d_f0oaNRj2o-eQW9HvHgwo1Wl7WJSvjmYsj0hvVw0W-o-TpMl0M_8Phz0c_T0nmfmGWBz_HwTTjXlUnV5XAVJJIV20BAOh2G/s1600-h/IMG_1581.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 0px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVen9wpnrs2QglZoLcfGCANq6MZXNjtdmNN1j-d_f0oaNRj2o-eQW9HvHgwo1Wl7WJSvjmYsj0hvVw0W-o-TpMl0M_8Phz0c_T0nmfmGWBz_HwTTjXlUnV5XAVJJIV20BAOh2G/s400/IMG_1581.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5332893731230433890" border="0" /></a><span style="font-size:78%;"><span style="font-style: italic;">Just past mile 7</span></span><br /></div><br />My mile 8 split was 9:17 (still holding!), and then shortly afterward Brian wished me well and told me he’d see me at the finish. Less than two miles to go! Mile 9 was pretty flat and curvy, my stomach was a little upset, maybe because I was nervous and excited about how well things were going, and my split was 9:23. Now we were back on the road and a nice downhill, I kept pushing, passing a couple more people before turning onto the final stretch, a little over half mile left! Ugh, keep pushing! I was starting to feel a little nauseous, but focused my attention to my legs, willing them to go faster…I passed a guy and then set my sights on a man and woman running together who were ahead of me. I pushed a little harder, and moved past them with less than a minute to go, ahhh, the finish line, Brian cheering, keep pushing! Then a few steps before the finish, I began to retch and nearly gave up my pre-race bagel to the pavement, but luckily the feeling passed and then I crossed the finish line. Whew! Last mile was 8:56, total time…1:33:23!! A new PR by over 2 minutes!! I walked through the chute, hunched over, out of breath, but SOOOO happy that I ran a great race. What an awesome feeling!<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjh_Dnqf12BvO7p99LAcP8IIcGK9ryxu-m5VbQXgZHZW7LgkNq3iMk_LgJedeRKTeOugHtKbS630mXTpLFCIVPbw3Ctq1YnY1QhCyGoYlkx5f1IyouArr6NPZtZRjh418d8werp/s1600-h/IMG_1588.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 0px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjh_Dnqf12BvO7p99LAcP8IIcGK9ryxu-m5VbQXgZHZW7LgkNq3iMk_LgJedeRKTeOugHtKbS630mXTpLFCIVPbw3Ctq1YnY1QhCyGoYlkx5f1IyouArr6NPZtZRjh418d8werp/s400/IMG_1588.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5332894521081868674" border="0" /></a><span style="font-size:78%;"><span style="font-style: italic;">Heading for the finish</span></span><br /></div><br />We hung out a little bit afterward and then headed home, stopping on the way to have breakfast, which was excellent. All in all, a great morning! After we got home, instead of taking the obligatory post-race nap, I had a date with my friend Christie to go rollerblading at Busse Woods. We ended up going for a leisurely 8 miles. In spite of racing hard in the morning, the rollerblading felt good and it was fun to be outside in the nice spring weather. Then later, I finally took my post-race nap. No dreams about King Kong attacks this time! ;-)<br /><br />Brian's Photos:<br /><embed type="application/x-shockwave-flash" src="http://picasaweb.google.com/s/c/bin/slideshow.swf" flashvars="host=picasaweb.google.com&captions=1&noautoplay=1&RGB=0x000000&feed=http%3A%2F%2Fpicasaweb.google.com%2Fdata%2Ffeed%2Fapi%2Fuser%2Fnewleafultra1%2Falbumid%2F5331661868636067585%3Fkind%3Dphoto%26alt%3Drss" pluginspage="http://www.macromedia.com/go/getflashplayer" width="600" height="400"></embed><br /><br /><a href="http://briangaines.blogspot.com/2009/05/seven-bridges-10-mile-congratulate.html" target="_blank">Brian's Blog Post</a><br /><br /><a href="http://www.runningahead.com/logs/9175d3b406754ceeacfb4c1c1abda8aa/workouts/5779ae6ff0e34b0f88b40ab236558b11" target="_blank">Mile Splits and Course Map from my RunningAhead Log</a><br /><br /><a href="http://www.sevenbridgesseasonstarters.org/home.html" target="_blank">Race Website</a><br /><br /><a href="http://www.racetime.info/2009RESULTS/WOODRIDGE10O.HTM" target="_blank">Results</a>Kelly Gaineshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08691171229118535278noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28576289.post-79454933076301026472009-04-23T08:56:00.004-05:002009-04-25T09:12:19.055-05:00Nike's Believe in the Run Contest - Vote for Janeth!A good friend and runner, Janeth Salazar-Ohst, and her friend, Wendy, made a video for Nike's Believe in the Run contest. This well-made and inspirational video shows us what it means to be runner among all the other life roles -- woman, daughter, sister, wife, mother...it gave me chills watching it. If you like it, too, please vote! You can vote every day until April 28. As of today, April 23, the video is ranked 9th! <br /><br /><i>Update - April 25 - Janeth and Wendy's entry is now 5th overall, 1st video, and most viral video!!! KEEP THOSE VOTES COMING!</i> <br /><br /><table cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" border="0"><tr><td align="left"><div style="background-color:rgb(134, 134, 134);padding:1px"><div style="background-color:rgb(185, 185, 185);padding:1px"><div style="background-color:rgb(221, 221, 221);padding:1px"><div style="background-color:rgb(255, 255, 255);padding:1px"><table cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" border="0" style="text-decoration:none;font-family:Verdana,Arial,Sans-Serif;font-size:10px;font-style:normal;color:black"><tr><td colspan="2" align="right"><div style="float:right"><a href="http://www.brickfish.com?=PP_BFLogo_418" style="text-decoration:none;font-family:Verdana,Arial,Sans-Serif;font-size:12px;background-color:white;font-style:normal" target="_blank"><img src="http://www.brickfish.com/Media/Images/Propagation/6.0/pbb.jpg" border="0" /></a></div></td></tr><tr><td colspan="2" align="center" valign="middle" style="background-color:rgb(255, 255, 255);padding:0px"><center><object width="330" height="340" id="PropShell" align="middle"><param name="movie" value="http://www.brickfish.com/FlashServices/GetPropSWF.frss?contentcode=3_4092602_51409243_105_-1_418&swfv=6&isfull=0&forlabel=0&htid=12600135-a80f-4391-882c-ba8b54718603&ispreview=0&phtid=00000000-0000-0000-0000-000000000000&pbapi=2239961&pbvi=70934847&stgw=330&stgh=340&sitedom=www.brickfish.com&autoplay=0&lcid=1033" /><param name="quality" value="high" /><param name="bgcolor" value="#FFFFFF" /><param name="WMode" value="Transparent" /><embed src="http://www.brickfish.com/FlashServices/GetPropSWF.frss?contentcode=3_4092602_51409243_105_-1_418&swfv=6&isfull=0&forlabel=0&htid=12600135-a80f-4391-882c-ba8b54718603&ispreview=0&phtid=00000000-0000-0000-0000-000000000000&pbapi=2239961&pbvi=70934847&stgw=330&stgh=340&sitedom=www.brickfish.com&autoplay=0&lcid=1033" quality="high" width="330" height="340" name="PropShell" align="middle" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" wmode="transparent" pluginspage="http://www.macromedia.com/go/getflashplayer" bgcolor="#FFFFFF" ></embed></object></center></td></tr><tr><td colspan="2"><a href="http://www.brickfish.com/Sports/NIKE?=EP_418&tab=1" style="text-decoration:none;font-family:Verdana,Arial,Sans-Serif;font-size:12px;background-color:white;font-style:normal" target="_blank">BELIEVE IN THE RUN</a><br /><br />Sponsored by <a href="http://www.nike.com/nikeos/p/nike/en_US/" style="text-decoration:none;font-family:Verdana,Arial,Sans-Serif;font-size:12px;background-color:white;font-style:normal" target="_blank">Visit NIKE USA</a></td></tr><tr><td><table cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" border="0"><tr><td><a href="http://www.brickfish.com/Pages/Contests/VoteConfirmation.aspx?qsi=10667593" style="text-decoration:none;font-family:Verdana,Arial,Sans-Serif;font-size:12px;background-color:white;font-style:normal" target="_blank"><img src="http://www.brickfish.com/Media/Images/Propagation/6.0/vote.jpg" border="0"></a></td><td><a href="http://www.brickfish.com/Pages/PropagationMain.frss?qsi=10667592" style="text-decoration:none;font-family:Verdana,Arial,Sans-Serif;font-size:12px;background-color:white;font-style:normal" target="_blank"><img src="http://www.brickfish.com/Media/Images/Propagation/6.0/share.jpg" border="0"></a></td><td><a href="http://www.brickfish.com/FlashServices/ClickToContent.frss?qsi=10667591" style="text-decoration:none;font-family:Verdana,Arial,Sans-Serif;font-size:12px;background-color:white;font-style:normal" target="_blank"><img src="http://www.brickfish.com/Media/Images/Propagation/6.0/details.jpg" border="0"></a></td></tr></table></td><td align="right" valign="bottom"><a href="http://www.nike.com/nikeos/p/nike/en_US/" target="_blank"><img src="http://www.brickfish.com/Media/Images/SponsorLogos/87_31270551.jpg" border="0"></a></td></tr></table></div></div></div></div></td></tr></table><br /><br />Save this link in your bookmarks and vote every day if you can!<br /><br /><a href="http://www.brickfish.com/Pages/VideosSeries/VideoView.aspx?vid=8813_51409243&=PPIMEMAIL&isep=1&pbapi=2239961&pbvi=70934847">Vote for Janeth - "The Run has always been in me"</a>Kelly Gaineshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08691171229118535278noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28576289.post-47119504779035508922009-04-03T12:19:00.013-05:002009-04-03T12:52:43.081-05:00Brian featured in "Road Killers" ultramarathon article<a href="http://newleafultra.com" target="_blank">Brian</a> was featured in a good ultramarathon article called "<a href="http://redeye.chicagotribune.com/red-040309-extreme-runners-main,0,5456797.story" target="_blank">Road Killers</a>" that was published in the <a href="http://redeye.chicagotribune.com/" target="_blank">Chicago RedEye</a> today. While I'm not an ultramarathoner myself, I can definitely appreciate why people do run them. It's the same reason why I run (one of many). It's all relative -- 5k, 10 mile, marathon, 150 mile, though things do get a bit more involved the higher up the mileage scale you go. :-) <br /><br />I love the ultramarathon scene, especially its laid-back atmosphere. The ultrapeople just rock. There's a lot of camaraderie even though it's an individual sport. I have a blast crewing Brian and cheering for people at these races. I look forward to doing that next week at the <a href="http://www.mcnaughtonparktrailruns.com/index2.htm" target="_blank">McNaughton Park Trail Runs</a>, where Brian is running the 50 mile (there's also a 100 mile and 150 mile race). Party time!<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzRnNPXX6sn9pmnTAaAqHnXJsQ7E5aDTG8CdBiffQYiD3POAtxtpX3TN5jPIMlBIpWAn0M4LiV_HdgH8w8Gw925p2PJ-ya5fc6bo2iL9WjEbsiPDoROB7SejufchH_AUeGfy9Y/s1600-h/RedEyeBrian1.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzRnNPXX6sn9pmnTAaAqHnXJsQ7E5aDTG8CdBiffQYiD3POAtxtpX3TN5jPIMlBIpWAn0M4LiV_HdgH8w8Gw925p2PJ-ya5fc6bo2iL9WjEbsiPDoROB7SejufchH_AUeGfy9Y/s400/RedEyeBrian1.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5320521299092437698" /></a><br />The picture from the article was taken right before last Sunday's Shamrock Shuffle 8k. The photographer was definitely a trooper for following us around in the blizzard-like conditions before the race.<br /><br />As I was freezing from standing outside in the snow for so long before the race, I thought about ultras that Brian has run...if he can survive those, I can certainly survive only 5 miles in slush with numb feet!<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKRqKj8rqv3R2rpFnv0lVpKvcAD7X2PCWycc_YwAOs-eCa2dTl7Kkz_Vt62AovRDA-9vaEeLwtZ6ezwSZ4Cy4QtUdCRaIfSFnkXxjH0nt7fzRls2QLEJSe4GAfvZ84Jd-G9PdT/s1600-h/ShamrockShuffleKelly.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKRqKj8rqv3R2rpFnv0lVpKvcAD7X2PCWycc_YwAOs-eCa2dTl7Kkz_Vt62AovRDA-9vaEeLwtZ6ezwSZ4Cy4QtUdCRaIfSFnkXxjH0nt7fzRls2QLEJSe4GAfvZ84Jd-G9PdT/s400/ShamrockShuffleKelly.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5320522392192503234" /></a><span style="font-style:italic;font-size:10px;">Photo taken by <a href="http://runswithcamera.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">Russ Foster</a> right before the start of the Shamrock "Shushle" 8k</span><br /><br />Check out Brian's blog posting about the article:<br /><br /><a href="http://briangaines.blogspot.com/2009/04/chicago-tribune-redeye-article.html">Brian's Blog Post</a><br /><br />Who knows? Maybe I'll join the ranks at some point...though I suppose the <a href="http://transrockies.com/transrockiesrun/news/" target="_blank">TransRockies Run</a> (113 miles in 6 days) that Brian and I will be running together in August sorta qualifies, doesn't it? :-)<br><br>Kelly Gaineshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08691171229118535278noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28576289.post-52962542234133461832009-03-01T17:37:00.011-06:002009-03-01T23:56:29.026-06:002009 Running GoalsIt's already March, but I think it's better late than never to make an official 2009 Goals blog posting. It also gives me a reason to actually post to my blog! After a <a href="http://roerunner.blogspot.com/2008/10/2008-milwaukee-lakefront-marathon.html" target="_blank">fun time at the Milwaukee Marathon</a>, I got a bit lazy in November, and even lazier in December. Luckily I bounced back a little in January, but this winter had really zapped my motivation, so I was still slacking on my training. As February started, being that it's a short month and still in the dead of winter, I decided to run every day of the month. In the nearly 13 years I've been running, I have never done a "running streak" before. I think I have only run about 5-6 days in a row, so this would definitely be a challenge. The rules were that I needed to run at least 2 miles each day and that if I ever felt any pain other than sore muscles that I would stop the streak, knowing that it's just plain dumb to get injured doing this when I have other, bigger goals this year!<br /><br />I am happy to report that I was able to complete my 28-day February running streak and impressed with how my body held up. Yay!<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh05AQjZ3otnsVtRXjkMddqgf_uqYsxm2coWq4WM0E15FLhhKfq2jl190Ate-qjz8L5ScmsznJdYIfTLxQO56VZRtSgYPWxF92oaL26K6uLuPtvjyhhoRsWMFF5KQuBOxmutjix/s1600-h/FebruaryStreak.png"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 293px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh05AQjZ3otnsVtRXjkMddqgf_uqYsxm2coWq4WM0E15FLhhKfq2jl190Ate-qjz8L5ScmsznJdYIfTLxQO56VZRtSgYPWxF92oaL26K6uLuPtvjyhhoRsWMFF5KQuBOxmutjix/s400/FebruaryStreak.png" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5308376719104686818" /></a><br />It involved a lot of treadmill running (I have turned into a winter wimp), but also a <a href="http://briangaines.blogspot.com/2009/02/arizona-vacation-trail-running-photos.html" target="_blank">fun week of trail running in Arizona</a>. I liked that I dismissed any excuse I've had in the past and just RAN. After all, 2 miles -- 20 minutes -- is not that much of a commitment. I am so glad I did it! <br /><br />Now it's time to resume a normal training schedule and incorporate more formal, quality workouts. I have the <a href="http://web.mac.com/dellinger55/Site/March_Madness_Half_Marathon.html" target="_blank"><b>March Madness Half Marathon</b></a> coming up in a couple of weeks. While I don't expect a PR, I now feel prepared for it. This month I'd like to just run consistently (not that hard now that I ran every day last month!), lose 5 lbs, and try for a new 8k PR at the <a href="http://www.shamrockshuffle.com/cms400min/" target="_blank"><b>Shamrock Shuffle</b></a> at the end of the month. It will be crowded and I unfortunately don't have a seeded number in the first wave this year, but I am in "Corral D" of the second wave, so hopefully I will be able to maintain my goal pace. We'll see!<br /><br />Here is what the rest of the year looks like so far:<br /><br />May 25 - <b>Elgin Valley Fox Trot 10 Mile</b><br />I just love this race. This will be the 7th time I've run it. It's too early to tell if I will be able to PR here. By then I will have started a new training schedule so this may just be more for training and fun purposes. <br /><br />June 12-13 - <b><a href="http://www.mc200.com/" target="_blank">Madison to Chicago Relay</a></b><br />It was such a fun race last year, I am sure this year will be as fun! Hopefully without massive downpours and tornado warnings. ;-) Last year I ran 10-11 mpm average. I am hoping this year to run 9-10 mpm.<br /><br />July 9 - <b><a href="http://www.chicagoevents.com/event.cfm?eid=100" target="_blank">Bastille Day 5k</a></b><br />Maybe a 5k PR? This race is sponsored by my company -- I organize a corporate team. Hopefully the weather will be better than it was last year and that the course is marked properly (2007 was .2mi short and it would have been a PR for me). <br /><br />August 23-28 - <b><a href="http://transrockies.com/transrockiesrun/news/" target="_blank">TransRockies Run</a></b><br />This is the BIG ONE of this year...it's the BIG ONE of my 13 years of running! It is a 6-day stage race -- running in the mountains anywhere from 12-25 miles each day, from Buena Vista, CO, to Beaver Creek, CO, for a total of 113 miles(!!!). <a href="http://www.newleafultra.com" target="_blank">Brian</a> and I will be running this together as Team New Leaf Ultra. We start training in May. I am excited and a little terrified at the same time... :-) After running marathons almost every year for the last 12 years, now is as good of a time as any to up the ante a bit!<br /><br />October 11 - <b><a href="http://www.chicagomarathon.com/cms400min/chicago_marathon/" target="_blank">Chicago Marathon</a></b><br />I should be recovered from TransRockies to run well at Chicago. Running Chicago is always a party (well, maybe not Heathathon 2007...), I figured, why not? After all the TransRockies training, maybe I'll PR!<br /><br />There may be other races I decide to do, but that's all for now. Aside from that, I'll continue having a blast crewing Brian at his races this year, I just love the trail ultra scene. :-) <br /><br />Here's to a fun 2009!Kelly Gaineshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08691171229118535278noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28576289.post-85449125623631706492008-10-07T10:03:00.009-05:002008-10-07T10:19:06.662-05:002008 Milwaukee Lakefront Marathon<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTPvT3pdkvWDPXbSU3fnM2kmVqJw0XqujQFMqeum9OEcYraRuyIBsmu-YFrD1VRcH5lMWK0kgvsPr9nzWm_cVNEvK3AAPY0LnS11P_pi47G6dM7dn5V4VAfSQVZitR2M5FJavE/s1600-h/mlm.jpg"><img style="margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTPvT3pdkvWDPXbSU3fnM2kmVqJw0XqujQFMqeum9OEcYraRuyIBsmu-YFrD1VRcH5lMWK0kgvsPr9nzWm_cVNEvK3AAPY0LnS11P_pi47G6dM7dn5V4VAfSQVZitR2M5FJavE/s320/mlm.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5254431444106864738" /></a><br />Lakefront Marathon<br />Milwaukee, WI<br />October 5, 2008<br /><br />I ran the Lakefront Marathon in Milwaukee last Sunday, which was my 11th marathon finish. I wasn’t expecting to have a PR race this year as my training hasn’t been the best, but I was thinking that I could realistically get sub-4:45 or definitely under 5:00. I also wanted to enjoy myself and experience a new marathon course considering that this was the first time I have run this marathon.<br /><br />On Saturday, Brian and I showed up at the expo and picked up our race packets. The expo was fairly small, though probably typical for this size of marathon, which is limited to about 2700 participants. After that we headed to our hotel to drop off our stuff before heading out again to have an early dinner. The first restaurant we tried was right across the street from the official marathon hotel, so there was already a long wait. Not wanting to stand around for very long, we decided to walk around and find something else. We settled on going to a Rock Bottom Brewery, which we assumed would have some good pre-race carbo-loading dinner options. After a very filling meal, we got back to our hotel and I ended up having a great night of sleep in spite of pre-race nerves.<br /><br />The alarm went off at 5am and then Brian and I got ready and left our hotel at 6am to drive to the finish. Since this marathon is a point-to-point course, there were shuttle buses for runners to take to the start, which was at Grafton High School. We got onto a bus at about 6:30am, and were wondering whether our bus driver actually knew where she was going. Luckily those toward the front of the bus helped her, along with a radio call to verify our destination. After some confusion once we finally got to the high school, and we were able to stay within the warm confines of the school to await the start and do any last-minute preparations.<br /><br />The rain that had been forecast was not present – yay! It its place was a beautiful sunny sky and the temps perfectly in the upper 40’s – ideal running conditions. With about 10 minutes before the start, we lined up in between the 4.5 and 5 hour expected finish time signs.<br /><a href="http://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/Z1vA1j6WP_MloW7WrbmNAg"><img src="http://lh4.ggpht.com/kellyaroe/SOpAdLs1ZtI/AAAAAAAABjw/jPNW9CVOMS4/s400/LakefrontMarathon2008%20%289%29.JPG" /></a><br />After listening to the national anthem being sung and a tribute to fallen runners by the race director, the gun went off to begin the race.<br /><br />It only took Brian and me a little over a minute to cross the start line. I brought my camera with me and planned on taking pictures and video during the race. As for race strategy, I wanted to stay within a 10:30-11:00mpm pace for the first half, and then see what I could do in the second half. I wasn’t sure if Brian would be running with me the whole time, but we agreed at the start to run at least the first few miles together.<br /><a href="http://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/pVXEyOBo1qroAAcqpyjsSg"><img src="http://lh3.ggpht.com/kellyaroe/SOpB_tz6mYI/AAAAAAAABkg/AxbzD4lcFDs/s400/LakefrontMarathon2008%20%2815%29.JPG" /></a><br />The first several miles of the course are run on rural roads with farms and a house here and there. It was rolling but not too challenging. Running with Brian made the time go by really fast. The last time we ran a marathon together was the Chicago Marathon last year, the “Heatathon” that zapped me both physically and mentally. This was a much happier, more laid-back experience.<br /><a href="http://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/g3fSUTjHoc8Dn2mX4iPIVA"><img src="http://lh6.ggpht.com/kellyaroe/SOpCWO6P9WI/AAAAAAAABlM/M5Q7aTrh7nk/s400/LakefrontMarathon2008%20%2820%29.JPG" /></a><br />My legs were actually feeling a bit heavy closing in on the halfway point, and I told Brian that I didn’t think I was going to speed up any faster at this point. I also told him to go ahead if he felt good, and that I would meet him at the finish. As we passed the halfway point, though, he decided that he wanted to stay with me and help me achieve my goal. We ran the first half in 2:19, so I felt that sub-4:45 was still within reach.<br /><a href="http://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/unLR-VPxT7EzktKVUfOq2Q"><img src="http://lh5.ggpht.com/kellyaroe/SOpEcyPb1BI/AAAAAAAABos/VucqQD4uXnQ/s400/LakefrontMarathon2008%20%2826%29.jpg" /></a><br />The miles were going by pretty well for me even as the course became more rolling. Then Brian said that his stomach wasn’t feeling very well at about mile 14-15. As we approached the aid station near mile 16, he said he was going to make a pit stop and that he would catch up with me. I decided to walk until he did. At this point fellow ChiADead Paul caught up to me and we chatted a little bit. A minute or two later around mile 17, Brian caught up and then we were off running again. Brian’s stomach felt better, but now the effort of continuous running on pavement was starting to take its toll on his legs. He has mostly done trail ultras which is different training than running a road marathon. I myself felt pretty good in spite of a little leg stiffness, so I tried to keep a steady pace. So now it seemed like the roles were reversed…that I was pulling Brian along. He told me to go on ahead if I wanted, but I said that I wanted to run this race with him. I was having fun and since it wasn’t going to be a PR race for me, I wanted to experience the joy of finishing a marathon together with him.<br /><a href="http://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/LS4fUO-YTl4wpY3y7ZGsZg"><img src="http://lh3.ggpht.com/kellyaroe/SOpDVBMM7sI/AAAAAAAABmc/oWB6JmT_dqs/s400/LakefrontMarathon2008%20%2831%29.JPG" /></a><br />The miles continued to go by, and then we were running in a really beautiful section of Milwaukee right near the lakefront. The sprawling historic homes were a treat to look at, for sure. As we passed Mile 22, I was doing the math in my head and realized that we had about 50 minutes or so to finish the last 4.2 miles to get under 5 hours. I didn’t tell Brian that at the time, I just tried to keep us running a decent pace. After we passed Mile 23, I did tell him that we had about 39 minutes to run the last 3.2 miles to get under the 5 hour mark, which was still very doable. It gave us something to aim for and to keep going in spite of seeing a lot of people around us walking a bit here and there (it can be infectious :-)).<br /><br />There was a nice downhill around Mile 23-24, so Brian says “time to take advantage of some free speed!” and barrels down the hill leaving me to eat his dust. ;-) Even a nice downhill won’t make my legs much faster than they were already going.<br /><a href="http://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/XZBi9_pk9XduMXtQ3nXYmw"><img src="http://lh5.ggpht.com/kellyaroe/SOpDhMpOTwI/AAAAAAAABmw/CDJUteUp-rE/s400/LakefrontMarathon2008%20%2833%29.JPG" /></a><br />After the hill it is mostly flat until the finish, and I was able to catch up. Now we were contending with some lakefront breezes which didn’t matter much because we were almost finished! I was getting excited about being able to hold hands with Brian, crossing the finish line together. :-)<br /><br />Right after we passed by Mile 25, I nearly did a face plant after tripping over a curb as I was crossing the street. I think I was a little distracted after taking the last picture with my camera, not to mention that I was probably dragging my feet a little bit at this point. ;-) I took two huge, leg-straining steps to prevent my fall…OUCH. That got my heart rate up a bit! We continue on, getting closer and closer to the finish area. The Mile 26 sign was now visible…wow, only a few minutes left! I took some more pictures and video and then put it away so that we could focus on the finishing stretch.<br /><a href="http://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/20Op2bKYCXKprdMVin_4vw"><img src="http://lh3.ggpht.com/kellyaroe/SOpEDdTL-YI/AAAAAAAABoQ/xRxARbpaRf4/s400/LakefrontMarathon2008%20%2842%29.JPG" /></a><br />We clasped our hands together with about 10 feet to go and stretched them in victory to cross the finish line! Awesome! Our final time was 4:58, which I was really happy about. It’s one of my slower marathons, but one of the most enjoyable. I am so glad that I was able to run this race with Brian. We helped each other make this a great experience.<br /><a href="http://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/eCND4uYTdVEpIXUbDJZqWw"><img src="http://lh5.ggpht.com/kellyaroe/SOpEbv1coCI/AAAAAAAABok/lOuOTAKSQp4/s400/LakefrontMarathon2008%20%2844%29.JPG" /></a><br />After some post-race photos and food, we started to head back to the car. As we were walking back, it started to lightly rain, which turned into more of a moderate rain once we got in the car. I’m so glad the rain waited until we were finished. :-) On the way home we indulged in some post-marathon pizza and then of course, a post-marathon nap. The best way to cap off what was an awesome Sunday!<br /><br /><a href="http://www.newleafultra.com/">Brian's Report is here</a><br /><br />Links:<br /><a href="http://www.badgerlandstriders.org/lfm/index.html">Race Website</a><br /><a href="http://www.badgerlandstriders.org/player/mplayer.html?PageID=35">Race Profile Map</a><br /><br />Results:<br /><a href="http://onlineraceresults.com/event/view_event.php?event_id=3059">Overall Race Results</a><br /><a href="http://tinyurl.com/lfmkroeresults">Kelly</a> and <a href="http://tinyurl.com/lfmbgainesresults">Brian</a><br /><br />Photos:<br /><a href="http://picasaweb.google.com/kellyaroe/LakefrontMilwaukeeMarathon2008">Link to Photos</a><br /><br /><embed type="application/x-shockwave-flash" src="http://picasaweb.google.com/s/c/bin/slideshow.swf" flashvars="host=picasaweb.google.com&captions=1&noautoplay=1&RGB=0x000000&feed=http%3A%2F%2Fpicasaweb.google.com%2Fdata%2Ffeed%2Fapi%2Fuser%2Fkellyaroe%2Falbumid%2F5254082229719351809%3Fkind%3Dphoto%26alt%3Drss" pluginspage="http://www.macromedia.com/go/getflashplayer" width="400" height="267"></embed>Kelly Gaineshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08691171229118535278noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28576289.post-15944934532741670132008-05-09T17:56:00.025-05:002008-05-11T23:33:24.278-05:002008 Miwok 100k Crew/Pacer Report<div align="left"><a href="http://www.run100s.com/miwok" target="_blank"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5199218843580230306" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjD_SOXLNcgNWUyF98RWxhSDVXMYsT_F3_1GsYj-XCUh8vgcMLwGh4q1FGb_pIkxqX25YM8gF99DXry1xqpxNyNJbDE__tCAhthJytM4UL0Bs7GdalehbU5djWNUGkaHqshJLN1/s400/miwoklogo.png" border="0" /></a><br /></div><br /><div align="left"></div><div align="left">Miwok 100k Crew/Pacer Report<br />Marin Headlands, CA<br />May 3, 2008<br /><br />I had the amazing experience of crewing and pacing <a href="http://briangaines.blogspot.com/">Brian</a> at the Miwok 100k trail race last Saturday. Earlier this spring we decided after Brian registered for the race that we would make a vacation out of it, so we decided to arrive in the San Francisco area the Tuesday prior and spend time being a tourist. We were able to tour the Miwok course aid stations and also go on a <a href="http://briangaines.blogspot.com/2008/05/miwok-run-from-tennessee-valley-to-muir.html">training run from Tennessee Valley to Muir Beach</a>. Doing this really helped me know where I would be going as crew on race day.<br /><br />The alarm went off on Saturday morning at 3:30am and we both got up and started to get ready. We left our hotel in Mill Valley as planned at 4:15am. Once we parked at race start at Rodeo Beach, Brian checked in with race officials and chatted with <a href="http://mtnrunr.blogspot.com/">Tom Riley</a>, a runner he paced last year at the Kettle Morraine 100 mile, and other fellow runners. I got our finish line drop bags ready and dropped them on the appropriate tarp. Pretty soon the race director announced that we would be walking over to the start line on the beach. Brian was excited, mixed with a little nervousness, as we approached the beach. I felt the same, and I could really sense the energy coming from all of the participants.<br /></div><br /><div align="left"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiL_CCJjnSINlusAoeZzBtdlKsgazQI7F8h3wqG9TdlQ7CiboqNcNwpgDEaqJhnTIdSe35XR_o5Vp-wRXEignJL0DyhsrJPnJ26xEM__NXOhDkt-bE6cRukWHtGvPBEIOedpUTY/s1600-h/Miwok01-Start.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5199223731253013186" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiL_CCJjnSINlusAoeZzBtdlKsgazQI7F8h3wqG9TdlQ7CiboqNcNwpgDEaqJhnTIdSe35XR_o5Vp-wRXEignJL0DyhsrJPnJ26xEM__NXOhDkt-bE6cRukWHtGvPBEIOedpUTY/s400/Miwok01-Start.jpg" border="0" /></a>The race actually started about 15 minutes late because of the delay with carpooling people in from a lot over a mile away to help with the issue of severely limited parking at Rodeo Beach. At about 5:55am, the race began and off went the 300+ runners to begin their 62.4 mile trek. I saw them snake their way up the hill, single file.<br /><br />After a few minutes, I returned back to my car and made my way to the Tennessee Valley aid station, which is about 11.9 miles into the race. On the way I stopped at a gas station to top off the tank (paranoia about running out of gas still lingered from the previous day’s scare) and to get some coffee and hopefully some sort of breakfast item. Unfortunately there weren’t many options, so I ended up getting some animal crackers and goldfish crackers that would end up being my only crew food for the day…something I will have to plan a little better for next time! I got to Tennessee Valley, parked, and was able to snap a couple pictures of the lead runners while getting Brian’s two bottles (water and Gatorade) and other items together.<br /><br />I updated Brian’s pace chart he created in Excel with the new 5:55am start time (instead of 5:40am, when it was supposed to start) so that <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXS3yWd4M68ag3uEUgtVMIpiy1YE1RbCDHTjwa_ECkqAlcvtmL-REkMVqhMFM_r8QVEgoV8OK178Q8uG4oxVwZPZP6haF-Ewej4ehaiX8zfFEJClAKMSzb7zIk-MlXJ9QW6UyA/s1600-h/Miwok03-TenValley.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5199224504347126482" style="FLOAT: right; MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; CURSOR: hand" height="212" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXS3yWd4M68ag3uEUgtVMIpiy1YE1RbCDHTjwa_ECkqAlcvtmL-REkMVqhMFM_r8QVEgoV8OK178Q8uG4oxVwZPZP6haF-Ewej4ehaiX8zfFEJClAKMSzb7zIk-MlXJ9QW6UyA/s320/Miwok03-TenValley.jpg" width="269" border="0" /></a>I could get accurate time ranges of when he would be coming in. His goal finish time for this race was 14 hours, which is the cutoff qualifying time for the Western States 100 lottery. Knowing that he usually goes out a bit fast, I made sure I was in position for taking pictures and getting him his supplies. Sure enough, I see Brian run down the hill coming into the aid station at 7:58am, which is actually not in his pace chart range of 12-15 hours. It’s a 10:45 (h:m) protected finish time. Woah! Brian tells me he feels good. We exchange bottles, I give him a GU, ask him if he took his S!Caps, tell him he’s going at a very fast 10:45 pace, tell him good luck and that I’ll see him at Muir Beach.<br /><br />Then I got back to my car and drive straight to Muir Beach, which is only 4 miles from Tennessee Valley, so I have to hurry up, get there, park, and ready to do another bottle swap. It took about 10-15 minutes to get to Muir Beach. I parked in the beach parking lot and walked back to where the aid station was located, near the entrance to the beach park area. I stand along the trail and cheer runners on as they go past, still fresh-looking and in good spirits 16 miles into the race. </div><div align="left"><br /></div><p><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5199225135707319010" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhV8FKIFAcC1Dzy7eCrpEdLnJEqHEEHUwxJNQvAbytuml9BZkdIryOnIia64SqypkrW6kb7df6JANdQjYE09BNX8x_KRGyuls8lY3SgCUHiyDdNdz3xjVL3LCg8WsfZ_-dfKZZk/s400/Miwok04-MuirBeach.jpg" border="0" /><br />Brian approaches at about 8:53am, 3 hours into the race. He is still “off the charts” with an overall protected time of a little over 11:30. He looks great. I hand him his stuff, tell him his pace and that it’s 5.7 miles to the next aid station (Pan Toll). I walk with him a little bit as he takes his GU. After a few minutes I wish him well and run back to my car, fill the exchanged bottles, and make my way to Pan Toll, which is a longer trek up Muir Woods Road, then onto Panoramic Hwy. I pulled into the Pan Toll full-looking parking lot, hoping to get a parking spot quickly. Luckily I was able to get one without waiting. Phew! I went over to the ranger station to pay my $6 fee and then got organized for Brian’s arrival.<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWuVUO2xIfhNFWwDetPS0VTty_oSl1TfsE81Kg_dWif_zkANRDRT9R6WQoVQqbO5VF_lLPeZuYqtShFgBYDhl8kRlzhIDjfxyU_pGR1Kx0BUc5W8YuzNCtXt7HCYBV522zRu2t/s1600-h/Miwok05-PanToll.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5199334932251273986" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; CURSOR: hand" height="207" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWuVUO2xIfhNFWwDetPS0VTty_oSl1TfsE81Kg_dWif_zkANRDRT9R6WQoVQqbO5VF_lLPeZuYqtShFgBYDhl8kRlzhIDjfxyU_pGR1Kx0BUc5W8YuzNCtXt7HCYBV522zRu2t/s320/Miwok05-PanToll.jpg" width="275" border="0" /></a>At around 10:13am Brian came down from the Old Mine Trail into the Pan Toll aid station (21.7 miles) parking lot looking a little tired. Miles 20-24 always seem to be rough for him, and the fact that the miles from Muir Beach to Pan Toll were mostly uphill didn’t help matters. He took a little bit longer here, and I got him some food and GU for him to take for more energy. I told him that he was now at a 12:30 projected finish time, slowing but still ahead of schedule. I walk with him through the parking lot and wish him well on his way up to Bolinas Ridge, the next aid station, in 6.7 miles.<br /><br />I get back to my car and drive up to Bolinas Ridge, another 15 minute drive on twisty roads, through the beautiful redwoods. There are a lot of cyclists on this stretch. I also see runners that are running on the Coastal Trail on their way to Bolinas. I knew that parking would be a challenge at Bolinas, as there is a parking lot that fits only about four cars and then cars are parked along the road. Seeing the parking lot, which is pretty deep, I asked a volunteer if I could just park behind one of the cars here. He said I could pull behind his, which was one of the four cars. Since his wasn’t parked as far back as the one next to it, I decided to just pull behind that one, figuring that the car probably belonged to a volunteer who would be sticking around for a while. It was a great spot because I could see runners coming into the aid station and cheer them on while sitting in my car.<br /><br />A short time later I got Brian’s stuff together and stood on the other side of the trail from where the car was parked to get a better view from the top of the hill of runners coming down. At about 11:50am, I saw him at the top of the hill and was able to get a video of him running down. He still looked great after running 28.4 miles and seemed to have gotten out of the slump he was in approaching Pan Toll. I told him he was on a 13:00 pace now, still ahead of schedule. I walked with him a bit down the trail past the aid station and told him to be careful of the big downhill to the Randall Trail aid station.<br /><br />After we parted ways and I returned back to the aid station. I figured I had about 3 hours to kill before I saw him again at this same aid station, so I decided to go back towards Pan Toll (no restroom facilities at Bolinas Ridge) for a little while. There was a parking lot/restroom in between at Rock Spring, so I decided to park there and get myself ready for pacing duties that would begin in Pan Toll a little later on. Since I wouldn’t have much time after I saw him again at Bolinas Ridge to get to Pan Toll, find parking, and get ready, now was my chance. I taped my foot where I had reopened a blister during our training run two days prior and got my bottle filled and what I wanted to take with me on the run ready to go. It seemed a little crazy to be getting prepared 2+ hours in advance, but I figured it would be good to do it and get it out of the way so that I can cheer runners in back at Bolinas.<br /><br />I made my way back up to Bolinas Ridge and parked my car in the same spot, and cheered for the runners coming in. Lots of curious cyclists asked what event was going on, most were amazed at the distance these runners were travelling. One of the race course marshals controlling traffic would tell runners on their way back to Pan Toll that the uphill ahead was actually an optical illusion. That got a few chuckles out of the tired but still high-spirited runners. I was truly amazed at how well people were doing after nearly 43 miles of running. It definitely takes a special type of person after so many miles to show a big smile and have the energy to thank volunteers for being out here.<br /><br /><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5199344187905796994" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2I5WvBxqPawSs350LAepnxoMNQOUBezCk3hYRyJjp1itLd3Tpqa_yAwYExv0sBNzMca5U5aFecVkFIIri4LoBmBDwrx7Zf3XFika3MPw72D9ujbHk3ya0CNXBpxMOL8ECYJ67/s400/IMG_0558.jpg" border="0" /><br />After a while I decided to get out of the car and stand near the aid station to await Brian’s arrival. I saw a few runners taking a break here, one of whom was debating on whether or not to continue. I think I had heard him mention that he had pulled his groin and was going to try to walk to Pan Toll and would decide there on whether he should continue (shortly after leaving the aid station, he came back and made the smart decision to DNF). I also was watching in amusement some of the kids who were water/GU2O volunteers. It’s funny what kids will do to pass the time during this time of event. :-) One of the girls was saying “only 20 miles to go” which got a few sarcastic smiles from the runners. ONLY 20 miles to go! 8-) She later switched her comment to “you’ve gone 43 miles, yay!” which I’m not sure is any better!<br /><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5199335318798330642" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJqPbIsIyw7xkInmitEwT6Zjji_YJAnKqk7AjW3fytPp5fxRMl5mHLineuljLV4MPOeIYS5feyATmKyVVT4geivnjoXLLkMO4A9sHPY7nUnT1bg0-76MS80qbEZ8JmNLtLMHWU/s400/Miwok06-BolinasFromRandall.jpg" border="0" /><br />At about 3:06pm I see Brian approaching the aid station. He looks a little tired and mentions that he’s got bad blisters which have been bothering him for a while. He debated on whether or not to tend to them but then decided against it, not knowing if it would help matters at this point. He found a tree stump to sit on and I got him a couple cups of Coke and some salty snacks from the table, and then I reapplied sunscreen (looked like his neck was getting a bit of sun). He gave me his phone so that I could charge it in the car before we both head out at Pan Toll. At this point he was at a 13:30 projected finish time, still ahead of schedule. I urge him off the stump and out of the aid station and walk with him until we get to where my car is parked. I told him that I looked forward to pacing him at Pan Toll soon.<br /><br />I got in my car and I drove down to Pan Toll, hoping that I would be as lucky as before and get a parking spot. Unfortunately when I pulled into the lot, there was a pickup truck already waiting for an open spot. He decides to park in a 15 minute parking spot, and then I see a car coming from the opposite direction (presumably from a parking spot). Sure enough, I drove around the one-way parking lot and pulled in to an open spot. Phew! I lucked out again. Now it was time to get prepared to start pacing. I went to the aid station and grabbed a GU for Brian, then walked around the parking lot a bit, stretched, and then stood ahead of the aid station to cheer on the runners and wait for Brian. My pacing stuff was ready to go, including Brian’s headlamp and my flashlight (just in case).<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSQNwsVb7nyzM-sbyxmVm195tmgS6xsDhtQB7ppIxz7vCvnskPFTtXb3VuA1pmef9ZDuBTry___VSpdDja7muE4PMXsMqglIQjfp-274xbgHm_oFzqVMt8PypxW-mIakwf6tAH/s1600-h/Miwok07-PanTollPacerTime.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5199334399675329266" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; CURSOR: hand" height="188" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSQNwsVb7nyzM-sbyxmVm195tmgS6xsDhtQB7ppIxz7vCvnskPFTtXb3VuA1pmef9ZDuBTry___VSpdDja7muE4PMXsMqglIQjfp-274xbgHm_oFzqVMt8PypxW-mIakwf6tAH/s320/Miwok07-PanTollPacerTime.jpg" width="265" border="0" /></a>Familiar runners started to pass by so I knew that Brian would be coming through shortly. Finally, I see him start to come down the stairs at about 4:55pm, which is now slightly faster than his goal time of 14 hours. I mention this to him when he approaches and he responds, “Dang! We’d better get moving then!” We stopped at the aid station to get some more Coke for him and I grabbed some salty potato chips to stuff in my mouth to stave off hunger I was starting to feel.<br /><br />Off we went – it was nice to start moving after sitting or standing for most of the day. The trail from Pan Toll to Highway 1 is mostly downhill, which I welcomed even though it caused a little bit of shin tightness at first. Sometimes I ran ahead so that I could take “front pictures” of Brian. So many times when we run together I take pictures of his back, so I wanted to balance it out a bit. :-) It was also good to run ahead, especially to make sure we were still going the right direction, since it seemed that this segment of the course had less pink ribbons marking the course. I encouraged Brian and noted that he was past his longest distance run of 50 miles. I could tell he was a in a bit of pain with the constant downhill – it’s ironic when the flat and uphill parts are welcomed since they hurt less to get through. </p><p><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5199335894323948322" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHwHsN1UXzxymShbF_paWNQYvua_OAhWWJER6mofNiXSFb7I4WGWatI7HN5IMj22TTM0HBuJtqOGExmMhyphenhyphen_etfzDnduK6HAGbiSnUN2MTk8Kzh5k-zI4r-FVKRYjFxf16G9sRD/s400/Miwok08-OutOfMuirWoods.jpg" border="0" /><br />Once we were out of the woods, we crossed Muir Woods Road and we started an uphill portion of the race up to Highway 1. We were approaching the point at which the RD had noted that every year some people make a wrong turn but we knew it was coming after studying and tracing the maps prior to the race. A guy up ahead called back to us and asked if we were still in the right direction and we said yeah, it shouldn’t be too long before the hard left from this Redwood Creek Trail to the Miwok Trail. This part is pretty narrow as we brush past tall wildflowers and other plants, maybe some poison oak, but apparently I am not allergic. We walked most of this part as it was consisted of many uphill switchbacks. As we got to the more open area of the trail I made sure to look around me and take in the beautiful views. I was really glad to be out here, with Brian, on this beautiful trail.<br /><br />We arrived at the Highway 1 aid station and I checked the time against Brian’s pace chart and told him he was now at about a 14.25 hour finish time now. <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhB58PXBNstl_xFtVKzkR_9arJw1Hug27QBCdlDEkDxkVc3bIMIvkeGXyqmcZ8g2z_G9nzGr7tCUxDxsgLGAb1DYAQPmJDuWFFxZH_fx-_r9LT1PCaxsQjjygdk2DD_jik7krzj/s1600-h/Miwok09a-Hwy1.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5199336456964664114" style="FLOAT: right; MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; WIDTH: 265px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 200px" height="217" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhB58PXBNstl_xFtVKzkR_9arJw1Hug27QBCdlDEkDxkVc3bIMIvkeGXyqmcZ8g2z_G9nzGr7tCUxDxsgLGAb1DYAQPmJDuWFFxZH_fx-_r9LT1PCaxsQjjygdk2DD_jik7krzj/s320/Miwok09a-Hwy1.jpg" width="292" border="0" /></a>I saw a quick look of disappointment which very quickly switched to a smile and he says, “that’s ok, I’m going to have fun the rest of this race.” I got him some Coke and when I turned around to give it to him he was sitting in a lawn chair. I smile, and say “What the heck are you doing sitting down?!” and shake my head. He asked me for a slice of pizza (yum!) and then I took a little video of him as he gave his feet a little break and had a few bites of pizza. He handed me the rest his slice which I gladly accepted, and then we thanked the volunteers on our way out of the aid station.<br /><br />It was time for more uphill on the Miwok Trail. Brian knew that the downhill to Tennessee Valley would be coming soon enough. I knew from our training run the prior Thursday that this portion was pretty punishing. We continued to chug along, running occasionally when we could. We reached Coyote Ridge Trail and went up some more before going down, down, down the trail, then onto the Fox Trail. Brian is wincing every so often during this point, but trying to keep running to take advantage of the downhill as much as possible. I continued to run ahead at times to take pictures and videos. </p><p><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5199337242943679298" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhlOVGX6bBpWL7t6Rx7DJR5-vLcahonJonbYelsQ2j6FSm6qVVRtAspDjqzjVtMcC0N7funTv2tREHfI7gmVYvQewRch6GtZJmxumPURnO_YMStx-MPZ2N1WD5Z4DpqsD4GF6l8/s400/Miwok10-TenValley.jpg" border="0" /></p><p>We finally made it to the bottom of the hill, onto the pavement leading to the aid station. Just before the aid station, Brian pointed out this woman who had been cheering at different points on the course. When we approached her, he asked her name, which was Susie, and he thanked her for cheering him on during the race.<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3Lcs2JR0xBvhe9RHAGFc_6lm6nPkMyvEKREsEqyI0uC9vaeoI6OIYJG4lHdMZs6IC_5fx8BsB1ueHN5r8TFn-1C38ov1XgHHarYvCnhTSbrrB_earRy5HIKkxtZqZ0fZA3V5O/s1600-h/Miwok11-Sunset.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5199338325275437906" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 301px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 200px" height="215" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3Lcs2JR0xBvhe9RHAGFc_6lm6nPkMyvEKREsEqyI0uC9vaeoI6OIYJG4lHdMZs6IC_5fx8BsB1ueHN5r8TFn-1C38ov1XgHHarYvCnhTSbrrB_earRy5HIKkxtZqZ0fZA3V5O/s320/Miwok11-Sunset.jpg" width="294" border="0" /></a>Now we were at the aid station, quickly got our bottles filled, and then headed up the trail past the stables for uphill segment on the Old Springs Trail. Only four miles to go! For me, the miles had gone by really fast. I was constantly in awe of our surroundings as well as Brian’s perseverance. The sun was starting to set as we continued on the trail. Brian was in great spirits knowing that we were almost there. A spectator mentioned we had only a couple of miles to go. We made it up the last hill, turned onto the paved trail and started the long downhill to the finish. It was the home stretch!<br /><br />Brian actually welcomed the pavement as it seemed to be less painful to run on. I continued to run ahead to take pictures, and was able to look around at the views more because I could pay less attention to where my feet were landing. We could see the finish down below, definitely a welcome sight for Brian after over 14 hours and over 62 miles. </p><br /><p><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5199339033945041762" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhS6upqIqSmiY611EGDfHsaOtijqE8a_v6BYJ-QgdDprZDchhSaoGFZYiZpWuRhck-sHGlcE0WVxitxTj-0VMvVTxaIuTcLqE0eENFpz19_JMM0frQzGHinsc1JZfxaSBepbNr-/s400/Miwok12-AlmostThere.jpg" border="0" /></p><br /><p>It was now twilight and the sky getting a little darker, but we luckily never needed the headlamp and flashlight I had carried with me attached to my water bottle. We made it to the bottom of the hill and while I tried to keep a steady hand with the camera to take video, Brian kicked it in and crossed the finish line in 14:27:33. Awesome! I was so happy for him. I caught up to him after the finish line and gave him a congratulatory hug and kiss, and then asked guy nearby to take our picture. What a great finish on a great day! </p><p><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5199339042534976370" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiR4xYPdJA46mgp3908l76rHM7JvNvAS8gxeH6cfVPKJjblPUJ7e-7HvarlMsYflJ5SGUBKC2BbmM6abml6onOe0ZP1FiDafXUZo6qwGWeWe4Rk1z36YH9iY8-4eO20LizwtIHe/s400/Miwok13-KellyBrian.jpg" border="0" /><br />Brian found Tom, who was waiting for his friends to finish, and they chatted while I retrieved our drop bags so that we could put on some warm clothes. By now it was getting pretty dark and chilly. We then went over to the tent to get some post-race food and Brian’s race goodie bag. Luckily it was warm in the tent near the portable heater so we sat there while we ate and chatted with other runners. We then met back up with Tom and were introduced to his friends who had just come in. They graciously drove us back to Pan Toll where our car was parked. Thank you so much!!<br /><br />Once we got back to the hotel, Brian vetoed his typical post-run ritual of an ice bath and substituted it with a nice, hot bath followed by very carefully taking off the tape from his severely blistered feet. It was really difficult for him to walk, so I pulled him around in his “wheelchair” – the office chair with wheels we had in the room. It was hard not to giggle while I was pulling him around in this chair, which continued the next day while he recovered. As for myself, I was a little sore from the 13 miles, mostly my shins and calves from the uphill/downhill running and uneven parts of trail. Luckily I was fortunate that my pre-existing blister did not reopen (I think taping it helped), and I didn’t get any new ones, either. We both got massages on Monday, which felt great. Definitely a nice way to end our weeklong vacation!<br /><br />Now it’s back to mostly road running and getting myself ready for the upcoming marathon training season. I will definitely continue to crew and pace (when possible) Brian at his upcoming races. I really enjoy it and it adds variety to my own training. The ultrarunning scene is fun and interesting to me…I’m sure someday I’ll take the plunge and do one myself. :-)<br /><br /><a href="http://briangaines.blogspot.com/2008/05/2008-miwok-100k-race-report.html">Brian's Race Report</a><br /><br /><a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hVevvbLzljE">Race Video</a><br /><br /><a href="http://picasaweb.google.com/newleafultra/Miwok100KMay32008">Race Pictures</a> </p>Kelly Gaineshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08691171229118535278noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28576289.post-14542189861867827782008-03-25T16:23:00.007-05:002008-03-25T16:45:03.951-05:002008 March Madness Half Marathon<div>March Madness Half Marathon<br />March 16, 2008<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivs9gBwGVwJLFTk56JYkAMsP8FWWH4dojMSXPYiY9JtvharkcHORWOvGIH-yNVgUstuN6AhCot3R6Gz9bcfH1gH_lLwgWrnNwZypDnTot6PdDw_VJIHJ53WfA6afCkou-rkddA/s1600-h/mmhalf.jpg"></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMcGEYpIs2pX5G5qKAwWItNeLz6uDmHzwIeLP3Po6aOKFz1p9oNtlgXyScvtbvTPy_x4e-1kJ_TUNz8i24rJYlbLDs-XnPfEzNYyjEk4ML_5CCzIDr2rPpsZcT4GHVClZ4Esvu/s1600-h/mmhalf.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5181798264503787266" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMcGEYpIs2pX5G5qKAwWItNeLz6uDmHzwIeLP3Po6aOKFz1p9oNtlgXyScvtbvTPy_x4e-1kJ_TUNz8i24rJYlbLDs-XnPfEzNYyjEk4ML_5CCzIDr2rPpsZcT4GHVClZ4Esvu/s320/mmhalf.jpg" border="0" /></a>I ran my sixth <a href="http://web.mac.com/dellinger55/Site/March_Madness_Half_Marathon.html">March Madness Half Marathon</a> a little over a week ago. My training has been pretty sporadic since the <a href="http://www.chicagomarathon.com/">Chicago Marathon</a>, mostly due to injury, as I finally decided to take the time to treat my sciatica problems (aka PITA) that have been plaguing me for the better part of a year. So, my goal for this race was to have fun and get out there to see others running the race. </div><br /><div>I arrived to the race about an hour ahead of time with <a href="http://briangaines.blogspot.com/">Brian</a> and <a href="http://velcroerunner.blogspot.com/">Paul</a> (thanks for the ride, Paul!). We walked over to the gym to pick up our packets and then went back to the car to keep warm. The temps were in the upper 20’s and breezy. After a little bit we went back to the gym and looked around for others. Kevin stopped to say hi and to say Janeth was warming up, and then we spotted Jim, whom Paul was planning on running with. We headed over to the start line with about 10 minutes to spare. Brian and I were planning on running together and we lined up towards the back. Brian had <a href="http://briangaines.blogspot.com/2008/03/clinton-lake-training-run.html">run 20 muddy miles at Clinton Lake</a> the day before, so he was treating this as an easy recovery run for him. We then saw Michael, exchanged good luck wishes with him, and waited as the race started shortly thereafter.<br /><br />After about 40 seconds, Brian and I crossed the starting line and began our race. I warned him that this race is a “fast runner” race, and that crowds are pretty sparse in the 10-11mpm range. My plan was to make sure that we didn’t run too fast in the early miles, which is tempting as we saw the mass of runners leaving us in the dust ahead. Brian looked behind us and noted that there were maybe about 10-15 runners there. I knew that there would be plenty more behind us once we warmed up and sped up a little in the later miles. The first two went by in 10:56 and 10:58.<br /><br />Once we turned onto Hickory Nut Grove, Brian mentioned that he wanted to hit the restroom at mile 2.5, so he decided to run ahead and would catch up with me after that point. My legs weren’t quite warmed up yet so I was a little concerned he would run too far ahead, stop at the restroom, and then run ahead before I even got there, so I decided to speed up a little and keep an eye on him to make sure that I didn’t lose him. Mile 3 passed by a bit faster in 10:36, and Brian caught up with me just after the bend. On this stretch there was another runner who was doing a very frequent walk/run sequence and was leap-frogging with us every minute or two, which was actually a bit distracting. I told Brian that we should speed up to pass her. I think she slowed a little, since we didn’t do much to lose her in the next mile. Miles 4 and 5 went by in 11:00 and 10:28. Mile 6 at 11:27 was a bit slower but there was also a pretty sizable hill and I think we were trying to adjust for the faster previous mile.<br /><br />It was around this time that I started to feel foot pain that I actually experienced on and off since our <a href="http://chiadeads.blogspot.com/">ChiADeads</a> training run on that same course on February 23. It was a dull ache that started on the outside of the foot and radiated towards the inside, all in the mid-foot area. It wasn’t bad enough to stop running, so I kept going and tried to focus on other things. Overall I was having a fun time running with Brian and enjoying the sunny (albeit still chilly) day. We started to speed a bit and were passing quite a few people, especially on the uphills. Miles 7, 8, and 9 went by in 10:33, 10:16, and 9:55, respectively. Not bad!<br /><br />In spite of the lingering foot pain, I was still feeling pretty good. Then we got to the big hill at 9.5 and powered up that, leaving about 10-15 runners (all except one of whom were walking) in the dust. :-) With that hill and the water station (Shot Blok break for me), the split was slower at 10:54. The next mile was 10:34…and only two miles to go!<br /><br />As we turned onto Mink from Rawson Bridge, my foot felt a bit worse and took me a little by surprise. Ugh! We had to slow down a little on this stretch and saw mile 12 with a 10:43 split. By then I was in the zone and wanted the race to be done at that point because of the foot pain (didn’t want to make things worse), so we sped up and the pain stabilized as the endorphins kicked in. ;-) We got back onto Three Oaks and pushed harder, see mile 13’s 9:57 (good!) and push towards the finish. Brian, always the gentleman :-), let me go through the finish chute first -- one of the very few times I have/will finish ahead of him in a race! -- with a finish time of 2:19:12 (officially 2:19:52). Not a PR, but a solid, well-executed effort nonetheless! We met up with Paul and Jim near the finish and congratulated them on their PR performances. It looks like everyone had a great race, as later on in the gym, I found out that <a href="http://chirunner.vox.com/">Michael</a> got a PR and that <a href="http://runnergirljaneth.blogspot.com/">Janeth</a> won overall female! Great job, guys!<br /><br />Afterwards we met up at Panera Bread for a post-race lunch. Then Paul drove me and Brian home. After the race I was limping a bit, so I iced my foot, took some ibuprofen and then took a nice, long nap. :-)<br /><br />My next race is the <a href="http://www.shamrockshuffle.com/">Shamrock Shuffle</a>, but I won’t be racing it. Since I’ll be running with Brian in the last 10 miles of the <a href="http://www.secondwindrunningclub.org/Clinton/Clinton.htm">Clinton Lake 30 miler</a> the day before, I have a hunch my legs will be a bit sore from all the hills. It should be a fun-filled weekend! </div>Kelly Gaineshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08691171229118535278noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28576289.post-58291209339750088672008-01-15T01:35:00.000-06:002008-01-31T13:37:35.756-06:002008 P.F. Chang's Rock 'n' Roll Arizona Marathon<p>PF Chang's Rock 'n' Roll Arizona Marathon<br />Phoenix/Scottsdale/Tempe, AZ<br />January 13, 2008<br /><br />I ran the Rock 'n' Roll Arizona Marathon on Sunday. I didn't have any PR expectations for this race since I got really, REALLY lazy over the holidays with my training. In the 14 weeks since the Chicago Heatathon, here are my training stats:<br /></p><ul><li>I ran 23 times with an average of 11 miles per week<br /><li>I ran 10 long runs, with only 1 run over 12 miles – the 20-miler with Paul a few weeks back<br /><li>There was just one week where I actually ran 4 times and stuck to my schedule</li></ul><p>I contemplated switching to the half marathon instead, but because I had a pretty decent long run with Paul, I figured I would give it a shot. It would be a low-pressure, “walk-if-I-need-to” race. I decided that I would be happy with a sub-5 hour finish. I wanted to start out a little aggressively with the pace to bank a little time, and then see how things went later on. I don’t usually like to run a race like this (my marathon PR was a 1:xx minute negative split), but I knew I would be slowing down towards the end.<br /><br />Saturday night came, and I actually started getting pretty nervous about the race. Luckily I had been at my dad’s house for a couple of days and had gotten plenty of sleep on the two nights before. I woke up every hour until the alarm went off at 4:30am. My dad and his girlfriend, <a href="http://lh3.google.com/kellyaroe/R4xX8PkaNWI/AAAAAAAAAh8/xMeI9Gisfjo/IMG_1358.JPG?imgmax=512"><img style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 268px; CURSOR: hand" height="199" alt="" src="http://lh3.google.com/kellyaroe/R4xX8PkaNWI/AAAAAAAAAh8/xMeI9Gisfjo/IMG_1358.JPG?imgmax=512" border="0" /></a>Jane, and I left at 5:15am to get to the race start in downtown Phoenix. They live in Sun City West, so it took about 50 minutes to get there. We parked and killed time by walking around and then when it was time we headed over to the start corrals. They wished me luck and I made my way into the corral and stood next to a guy dressed as Elvis. Of course I had to get a picture taken of him and me. ;-)<br /><br />At 7:40am the race started and off we went. Unlike Chicago, it only took a couple of minutes to cross the start line (only 6500 runners in the marathon compared to the 20,000 half marathoners). We headed north on 7th Ave. after about a half mile and we would stay on this road until mile 5. During these miles my legs felt a little stiff and my shins felt tight. I know it usually takes about 3 miles for my body to get warmed up, so I wasn’t worried about it. This time it took 4 miles. My splits were 10:40, 10:54, 10:34, and 10:55.<br /><br />Then things started to feel smooth and I passed by mile 5 in 9:51. Nice! I actually surprised myself with a sub-10:00 split. We turned right onto Missouri, which carried us through the next few miles. I felt pretty good, I was in good spirits, and I was actually closing in on the 4:30 pace group. The bands and the cheer squads that were out there made it fun, too. My pace hovered around 10mpm in middle part of the race. I felt like I was in cruise control. It was fun seeing Camelback Mountain in the distance, too, knowing that I would be hiking there in a few days. I also eventually passed the 4:30 pace group. I still assumed that they would eventually pass me later on, but I figured I could push a little harder and try to delay that passing. ;-) Miles 6-13 were clocked at 10:06, 10:12, 10:13, 9:55, 10:31, 10:10, 9:46, and 10:04. The only negative thing at this point was that my PITA (sciatica) started hurting, just a little, at around mile 8. Luckily it wasn’t a big issue and didn’t affect my stride or slow me down too much.<br /><br />I pass the halfway point at 2:14:52, which I was ecstatic about, to say the least! The time flew by and I was still on cruise control. Miles 14 and 15 were still at a pretty good pace, 10:00 and 10:07. Then my race changed…it wasn’t really a wall. I guess my lack of training finally had caught up with me. I was starting to hurt a little, but I tried to run as much as I could. I still was only walking at the aid stations, just a little longer this time. My dad and Jane had found themselves near the mile 21 marker, so I had that to look forward to over the next miles while I passed through Scottsdale. Miles 16-20 splits were 11:06, 10:42, 10:43, 10:21, and <a href="http://lh3.google.com/kellyaroe/R4xYlPkaNuI/AAAAAAAAAlA/V-nU9R17tRI/IMG_1386.JPG?imgmax=512"><img style="FLOAT: right; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 268px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="http://lh3.google.com/kellyaroe/R4xYlPkaNuI/AAAAAAAAAlA/V-nU9R17tRI/IMG_1386.JPG?imgmax=512" border="0" /></a>10:43. During this stretch the 4:30 group passed by me for good, which I was fine with. I didn’t even try to speed up to hang onto them. As I was turning left onto McDowell from Scottsdale Road, I saw my dad and Jane, who were all smiles. I stopped briefly for hugs and a picture and then continued on. At this point I was doing the math to estimate how much I could slow down and still come in under 4:45 – a time I thought was a really optimistic but unrealistic goal I had in mind in the days leading up to the race. It’s amazing how much number crunching make the miles pass by and you don’t even realize it. ;-) Miles 21-24 were 11:31, 10:44, 11:19, and 11:30.<br /><br />Yep, I was definitely slowing down. Strangely, though, I was fine with it. I knew at this point I would definitely come in under 4:45, so I took time to take pictures and enjoy the bands I was passing by. Turning onto University Drive, now in Tempe, I passed mile 25 in 11:42 -- my slowest mile but still under 12! – and then finally mile 26 in 11:26. Only .2 to go! I pulled out my camera to take more pictures, and then this woman, a fellow marathon participant, offers to take a picture of me with my camera. At first I declined because I felt guilty for slowing her down, but she insisted. I handed her my camera and then she ran up ahead and snapped a picture, gave the camera back, we exchanged congrats, and then she headed to the finish. I took a few more pictures in the final stretch and then crossed the finish line with a time of 4:38:04! (Last .2mi was 2:19)<br /><br />After I finished, I called my dad and told him where to find me and then we headed back to Sun City West to shower and nap before heading back out to see Kool and the Gang at the post-race concert. :-)<br /><br />Of the 10 marathons I’ve run, I believe this is the 4th fastest marathon. Needless to say, I am very happy (and amazed) with the result. This race was a lot of fun -- perfect weather, really flat, and different scenery than I usually see living in the Midwest. It was great getting supportive GO KELLY text messages from Paul (thanks, Paul!), along with a couple of phone calls from Brian (thanks, Brian!). I am also glad that my dad and Jane were a part of it, too. They enjoyed cheering for all of the runners and their day passed by just as quickly as mine. </p><p><a href="http://lh3.google.com/kellyaroe/R4xY9PkaN4I/AAAAAAAAAmU/ZM3NVhELq_A/IMG_1397.JPG?imgmax=512"><img style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 300px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://lh3.google.com/kellyaroe/R4xY9PkaN4I/AAAAAAAAAmU/ZM3NVhELq_A/IMG_1397.JPG?imgmax=512" border="0" /></a>Having a race like this definitely gets 2008 off to a good start! My next target race is the March Madness Half…once I get back in town I’ll need to climb back on the consistency bandwagon and do some real training to get myself back in PR shape!<br /><br />Here are some pictures I took during the race:<br /><a href="http://picasaweb.google.com/kellyaroe/PFChangSRockNRollArizonaMarathon">Kelly's Marathon Photos</a></li> </p>Kelly Gaineshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08691171229118535278noreply@blogger.com2