Catch Up

Wow, I've been a lazy blogger lately.  The truth is, I was a lazy runner for most of June.  After the relay I got in one of those funks where I had no energy.  No energy for cooking so I ate junk which compounded the problem.  No energy for running, so I didn't run when a run was the one thing that would help get me out of my funk.

The past two weeks, I've been back on the bandwagon.  I met with a running buddy for a Monday morning run, and that was all it took to get back into a routine.  This past week I was at a conference in Vancouver, with days starting at 7:30am, and going until well after my usual 10pm bedtime.  Still, I managed to fit in early morning runs 3 days in Stanley Park, and a long run this weekend, marking week 1 of my fall 1/2 training plan.

It is great to have a plan again, and I am feeling pretty determined to stick to it.

BRR: Race Recap Part 2

Read the first part of the recap here:  BRR: Race Recap Part 1

A few of my team mates met me at the finish of my stage, and then I waited with the mixed team stage 3 runner while the others went back to catch our other runner on stage 2 as she neared the finish line.  They had oranges, bananas, cookies and water at the end of the stage.  I grabbed a couple of oranges and chatted with a few other runners that I knew.  It was sunny, but still probably only 12C, so I cooled off quickly in my shorts and t-shirt.  There were showers available in the park where I ended, but I hadn't brought a towel or soap.  I had brought wet wipes and a change of clothes, and felt better as soon as I was out of my sweaty running clothes.

I did not think to bring an extra pair of shoes.  Lesson learned.

As soon as I was changed, we were off to cheer on our runners on stage 3.  Stage 3 is TOUGH.  It is nearly all up hill, and makes my stage look like a breeze.  Both of the runners on this stage were going strong and making it look easy.  The stage 4 runners were both feeling a bit nervous so we got them to the start of their leg with time to spare.  At this point, I was really glad I was done early.  You could feel that the anxiety of other runners was feeding the others and even very experienced runners were starting to feel nervous about their stages later in the day.

The second stage 3 runner had nearly caught up to the first, so our stage 4 runners ran together most of the way.  This made cheering them on easier!  Unfortunately, I think one of them had a bad race, while the other was ready to rock it.  It took awhile to convince her to go on ahead and run her own race over the last 5K.

Because the race goes over 100km, and runners get so spread out, they have a second mass start at the start of stage 5 at noon.  One car went ahead, but I didn't even see the stage 5 runners, and we just jumped ahead to stage 6.

I was riding with our stage 7 runner, so after we stopped a couple of times to cheer on the stage 6 runners, we went ahead again so that she could get ready to run at the start of her leg.

During stage 7, the runners head into Barkerville, and then onto trails, so there's no cheering them on.  We waited at the entrance to Barkerville, chatted with other runners and volunteers and waited.  It was a beautiful, sunny day, perfect for running.  They had a person with a walky talky (no cell service in these parts), calling down to the entrance to let us know when the runners hit the turn around at Summit Rock.

I admit, at this point, the day started to feel very long.  If I'd had my own vehicle, I probably would have snuck away and taken a nap.  It was the opening weekend for Barkerville, so during this time you could go in and walk around the historic site.  Many runners were heading to the bakery or the restaurants for a snack.

Our two runners came out a few minutes apart, so we were off again cheering on the final stage.  Apparently, on this leg (and on stage 6) in previous years, the RCMP have had to position themselves between grizzlies and runners, but we did not see any bears on Sunday.  Soon, we were at the finish line, and both of our teams were done, minutes apart!

The first of the two 100K runners had already crossed the finish line and the second (who ran my marathon running clinic 2 years ago), was approaching.  We waited to cheer her on as she crossed the line (hello, inspirational?), and saw the final runners finish.  Then it was time to eat!

As I mentioned, there were snacks at the end of each leg, but at the end of the race, each runner got a full meal during the awards ceremony, served up in the Wells Community Hall.  We had salads, veggies, lasagne, potatoes, chicken, roast beef, and gravy, plus fruit and squares for dessert.  Yum!  The local ski club was also selling beer, so of course, I had to support them!

The MC introduced the new sponsor from the Running Room, and then called out the awards.  I knew there were 14 teams, plus the solo runners, but didn't know the break down of categories.  It turns out there were two 8-member ladies teams, and ours came in first!  Wells is an artistic community, so mugs made by a local potter replaced the traditional medal.  The other category prizes were awarded, and then the fastest runner on each leg (male and female) all got mugs as well.  There were also door prizes that were bought from local businesses in Quesnel, mostly on a running theme.  There was at least one for every team.  To end the night, they had a door prize for a gold nugget! (Barkerville was a gold rush town).

On the drive home, we saw a bear and three cubs, 5 more black bears, and two moose.  I picked up my car at the start of stage 2, and headed home.

Overall, this race was a fantastic event.  I had wanted to run it for the past few years, but because it's on a long weekend, the timing had never worked.  I would make it work in the future.  The volunteers were awesome, it was a great way to meet some new runners, and everyone, on every team was friendly and supportive.  There is a stage for everyone, from very hilly, to very, very hilly, to long, steady climbs, to trail, and almost flat.  There are 3 stages that are over 17K, and 3 that are 10K or less, and if you want, you can split any of the 17K stages between 2 runners.  There were runners of all ages, some running their first race, and some running the 10th anniversary of this race for the 10th time.

I absolutely recommend this race to anyone with 7 running friends.  It is a great time of year to visit the Cariboo!  For more info, go here:  BRR

BRR: Race Recap Part 1

Yesterday, I ran my very first relay.  We had an 8 person team to run an 8 leg, 100 km race.  Some teams had two runners split the longer legs, so up to 11 people could be on each team.  In previous years, there were some 4 person teams, but this year, two people ran the whole 100 km solo, and finished.  The race is mostly on paved road, with a small section on dirt road, and stage 7 on trail (which is still covered in snow).  I was running stage 2, 17.1 hilly kilometres.

This winter and spring, I have been running with a group from our local running store, and the store owner, Candace, put together a mixed team and a ladies team. I was on the ladies team. We had a brief team meeting on Saturday, got our bibs, store t-shirts, and discussed who would have cars to shuttle runners to their stage.  Because of frequent bear sightings along the route, teams are asked to keep a vehicle in sight of their runner at all times.

The starting line was about 20 minutes away from my house, so I set my alarm for 5:45, got up and had my typical pre-race breakfast of a bagel and peanut butter, and a cup of tea, got dressed in shorts and a t-shirt (it was supposed to be 9C and sunny by my estimated start time), and put a couple of layers on top because it was only 4C as I headed to meet my team at the start line at 6:30.

At this point, my stomach was not feeling good.  I was fearing a repeat of the 2011 Vancouver marathon.  I hadn't eaten anything funky, and I wasn't feeling nervous (I ran my stage the week before and felt comfortable), but my stomach was not happy.  We took a few pictures at the start, saw our runners off, and then I drove straight to the start of my stage.  Stage 1 is 8.5K, and very hilly.  I had ran it as a practice run 2 weeks ago and it took me 51 minutes, so I figured I had at least 45 minutes until I started, and I wanted to take that time to try to relax and get my stomach to settle down.

After about 10 minutes, a few other runners started to show up, and my stomach felt better.  I knew a few people so we were chatting while we waited for our runners to come in.  The first runner through was one that was running the full 100 km!  There were a few more, and then my runner was racing in with another girl so two of us were starting at about the same time.  I had been sorta hoping our stage one runner would come in solo so that I would be starting out on my own, but there was nothing I could do soI was off!

The run started with a big down hill, but soon we were climbing.  The first hill is big one, and then the climbing continues for the first 4km.  The other runner that started at the same time as me, passed me on that first uphill.  I caught up to the next runner, passed her, and then got a horrible, can't take a proper breath, cramp under my rib.  I had to walk, and that runner passed me.  I had taken the hill too fast. After about 10 seconds, I ran again, passed her again, and proceeded to have the best run I've had in a looooong time.

After the first doozy of a hill, the rest of the climbing is broken up with just-in-time down dips and short flat stints for a welcome break. I did not worry about my pace at all, because I knew it would be slow going up the hills and I would make up for it on the down hill later.  I just knew after the first 4K, it was going to get easier and I was counting down to that, but feeling good.

5:11 (downhill start)
7:03 (I told you,  it's a doozy)
6:50 (still climbing)
6:04 (almost there!)

The runner on our other team had started after me, so our vehicles would drive ahead of me, check in, wait for the other runner, then drive ahead again.  This was perfect for me.  I'm used to running on my own, so I didn't feel like I needed anyone cheering me on any more frequently, but it was nice to know that they were never too far away so I didn't worry about running out of water (there were no aid stations).   There were also other vehicles around because that runner that passed me on the first hill was always just ahead of me, and I was pretty sure they would warn me if there was a bear.

At about the 5K mark, I was passed by three runners that came out of nowhere.  They were fast.  I felt a little demoralized for about a minute, but I could see that these were strong runners.  I was not trying to win the stage, our team was not competing to win the race, I just wanted to run my own best race.  I was feeling good, my legs felt strong, and I just kept going.  At this point there is a bit of downhill which was a nice break before another 2K of climbing.  I just kept that first runner that had passed me in my sight, and felt sure I could pass her.

5:28 (ahh, flat)
5:09 (heading down!)
5:35 (feeling good)
5:16 (nearly halfway)

At 9K, I took a gel, just before the last big hill of the stage.  Halfway up the hill, that runner switched off with another runner.  Again, I felt low for about a minute as the new runner would have fresh legs with only 7K too go, but I quickly realized I was closing in.  I passed going up the hill and still felt strong.  I knew after this I had 6K of glorious downhill.  The other three runners that had passed me were long gone, and with nobody  in sight in front of me, it was easy to just feel like I was out for a long run on my own.  I felt great.  I kept waiting for my hip flexor to tense up or my legs to tire out as they had the week before, but I still felt strong, and just kept pushing.  I wasn't paying attention to pace on my Garmin, but as I went into the downhill, I knew I was on course to finish faster than I had during the practice run the week before, and that gave me another boost.

5:13 (going strong)
6:56 (gel and up the big hill)
5:39 (down hill is in sight!)

As I was heading downhill, and our runner on the other team was still climbing, and I was no longer near another runner, I went for quite a while without seeing a vehicle.  I pushed thoughts of bears out of my head, tried not to pay attention to sounds coming from the bushes, and just kept running.  4000m to go, 3200m to go, 2000m to go.  The downhill ends and there is another giant uphill.  No, not really.  It is fairly flat, with slight uphill, but at this point it felt like the giant uphill from the beginning.  I knew I was almost done, and wanted a strong finish.  Just as the hill started to get a little steeper, it was time to turn off and into Cottonwood park where I would tag the next runner.  Down a little dirt road, along a gravel path, across a wooden bridge....how much farther?  I wasn't racing another runner, but I wanted to come in strong!  Pass the general store, there's the timer's table, and finally the pylons and the next runner!  Phew!

5:11 (down)
5:11 (down)
5:10 (down)
4:52 (down, and woah!?)
5:53 (flattening out and got a little carried away - 20 second walk)

I was so happy with my race, I forgot to stop my watch.  Race results won't be posted until Tuesday, so I won't know my official time until then.  I figure it took me over a minute to stop my watch at 1:39:51, and the last time I looked at my watch as I turned onto the dirt road I was at 1:36:xx, so I think my time was probably around 1:38, 3 minutes faster than I ran last weekend.

5:32
?:??

For the record, my Garmin also says I went 17.44 km, rather than 17.1.

I wish I had photos to share, but I didn't take any until the car ride home.  More on the whole race day experience to come...

Three Things Thursday: Pre-relay

1. I have my first race in almost 2 years this weekend, and my first ever relay.  I am running leg 2:

2.  At the end of my practise run this past Sunday, my right hip flexor was very tight.  By the time I got home, I practically had to use my arms to lift my leg up the stairs.  After a bit of stretching, and ice, I tried an easy run on Monday morning to shake it out.  It felt fine until I got to work and had to climb the stairs.  Rest and ice, Tuesday and Wednesday, and my run today felt fine.  Lets hope it was just a little blip and won't haunt me THIS Sunday.

3.  I am excited!  I haven't run a race since the Calgary half in June 2011, when I put way too much pressure on myself and hated the race.  This weekend is all about fun.  I have a personal goal in mind, but our team is just in it for fun.  I know quite a few people that are running on different teams, so it should be a good day along the Barkerville Hwy.

Week in Review: May 6-12

It's time to get back on board with my weekly training posts.  And posting in general.

Last week, summer arrived.  It had snowed the week before, so we literally skipped spring and went straight into summer, without giving my body any time to adjust.  Despite the heat, I had some decent runs.

Monday - Rest
I had done a tough run the day before and had not hydrated well afterwards.  Despite plans to start the week with a 5K in the morning, I slept in.

Tuesday - 7K
In high heat, and poor air quality, I went out and did the river walk loop from the rec centre.  I had left my Garmin at work by accident, but I don't think I want to know how long this one took me.  It was very hot, and despite the short distance, I found myself needing a little walk break part way through and thankful for the stoplight for a break.

Wednesday - Rest

Thursday - 8.5K
Our local running store is putting two teams into a local relay race next weekend.  I'm on one of the teams, and a group of us wanted to go out to practice some stages before hand.  Only 3 of us ended up running, and our injured store owner went on bear patrol/pick up duty so that we didn't have to drop a car at the end.  The race is on a very hilly route, and stage one, our practice stage for Thursday night, gets things rolling right from the start (so punny, ha ha).  This was the longest 8.5K I've ever run with the combined hills and heat.  One of those runs that makes you feel like if you can do that, you can do any course.

Friday - Rest
I planned to go out Friday morning...it just didn't happen.  No excuses.  I was lazy.

Saturday - Stretching

Sunday - 17.1K
Two of us met up on Sunday to practice stage 2 of the relay.  This will be my stage next weekend.  I can only hope I have the same kind of day next Sunday as I did this Sunday.  I got off to a slower start, but then again, the first 4K are pretty steady climbing.  I felt stronger as I went.  The rolling hills in the middle were easier than I thought, and I felt confident running, rather than plodding up some of the shorter ones.  The stage ends with 6K of fairly steady downhill, so I flew to the finish.

It was a perfect day.  Warm, but with a nice breeze, some clouds for an occasional break from the sun, and we were out early enough that we still had a bit of shade as we did the toughest climbing at the beginning.  My goal for next weekend was to finish in 1:42, but since I finished just a bit faster than that this Sunday, I think I'm going to really race to the finish and see what I can do.  My team is not competitive, so there is no pressure except for what I put on myself.  I was a bit nervous when I signed up for this race, but now I'm excited!

Have a great week!

March and April in Review

Has it really been over a month since my last post?

This is not going to be a typical monthly recap.

Without going into details, it has been a busy and stressful couple of months.  There is a lot going on right now and I don't think I want to write about it.

On the bright side, I have fit in most of my runs, which has mostly kept me sane, and am on track with building mileage.

Here are some highlights:

• Group runs every Thursday
• Getting back to the track for some speedy 400s
• Finding new long run routes and climbing the Bouchie Lake hill
• The last snowshoe trek of the year, out at Stanley in the sun
• Sunshine in the morning making it easier to get up
• Finding a relay team for the race to Barkerville

My goal for May is to get back to yoga, and fit in 4 runs each week.  If I get healthy meals in, that's a bonus.

Week in review: March 25-31

This was a great week running wise, though not a great week for much else.  I have completely fallen off the yoga wagon despite good intentions togeter back on.  A beautiful walk on Sunday means that yoga was the only workout I missed this week.

Monday - rest

Tuesday - 5K after work
I brought my running clothes to work but forgot my shoes and Garmin. Luckily, I keep an old pair of shoes in my car for running emergencies and we have a trail around town that is exactly 5K.  I didn't sooty about pace and just ran a relaxed run around the loop.  My first run in shorts this year!

Wednesday - rest

Thursday - 11K group run
This was an ok run, but more good than bad.  The bad was that we headed into trails that were still pretty icy so we did a fair amount of walking uphill rather than running for the first half of the run.  The good parts were that even though we were running on snow, it was warm enough to go out in shorts and a tshirt, once off the snow I hit a nice rhythm and had a great run back into town, and the overall distance was longer than planned so even if we walked a whole km, the distance ran was still 10K.

Friday - 5.4km
I took Cookie with me on this run which served  as a good reminder that I need to hydrate after an evening run if I want to run the next morning. Not my best run, but got it done.

Saturday - long run - 13.9km
Because I am hoping to run a very hilly relay in May, I've decided to keep looking for hilly long run routes. This is not a problem where I live.  We have LOTS of hills.  I headed out from town on Pinnacles Rd.  With a little flat section to warm up, once you start climbing this road goes up, up, up for almost 5K with little relief.  It is a challenge, but a strength and confidence builder as well.  I took a short walk break after the steepest section and another short break to get Cookie a drink.  I also stopped at the top to stretch out my calf that was feeling tight, before the 5k back into town.  I was just short of my planned 14km, but decided I had spent enough time on my feet with the slow climb up and called it a day at 13.9km.

Sunday - hike in the snow
We took the dogs out for 90minutes on some snow covered trails.  There was snow on the ground but the sun was shining bright and I had my sleeves and pants rolled up.  The car said it was only 14C, but it definitely felt warmer.

Running this week:  35.3 km
Yoga-ing this week:  None, but I did stretch more before and after (and during) my runs which seems to be keeping my feet from falling asleep on me!
Phone a friend:  Auntie Holly and Ali
Highlights of the week:  4 day weekend!