ultra running

18 miles of thoughts

October 14, 2012 by Kristy 14 Comments

What I love about long runs is the uninterrupted time to think and sort through “stuff”. I took Friday off from work (the key to the best day ever) and started off my day with a 18-miler. I got to “sleep” in, not run in the dark, and had the trail all to myself. Perfection.

I thought a lot about my running “progress” over the past year. I can pretty much divide the past year into pre-50K and post-50K training.

I was extremely discouraged while training for Boston. Dropping my MP from 8:30 to 8:20 seemed impossible and so did that sub-3:40. Turns out, it didn’t matter much come race day.

so happy. so hot.

Then I spent the summer running lots of long, slow miles. I ran myself silly and loved every mile of it. A month after my 50K, I shaved 2 minutes off my half marathon PR. It was a mix of ultra training “magic” and having absolutely no expectations.

It occurred to me on Friday that my lack of (speedy) progress while training for Boston was because my endurance plateaued. It didn’t matter how many mile repeats I did or how many MP long runs I ran. Your speed is limited by your aerobic capacity.

Training for a 50K unlocked speed I never thought I had. I will run a 3:30 marathon some day. I just need to keep running ultras too Winking smile

It’s difficult to analyze your training and progress when you are nose deep in it. It’s hard to be objective when you are consumed with training. That’s why running coaches are so great (shameless plug)!

Do you sort through thoughts during long runs?

Ever had an epiphany about your training that would otherwise be obvious if you weren’t so consumed with your own running? Did that question make any sense?!

Mandatory Rest Week

August 28, 2012 by Kristy 14 Comments

8 days, no running
I always take a week off from running after a marathon. I highly recommend it. It’s obviously a much needed mental and physical break but an added perk is you begin to crave and miss running again. That generally happens around Day 5 for me and I force myself to hold on for 2 more days.

This time around 7 days turned into 8 because I stayed up late Sunday night to watch the True Blood season finale. This season was a little strange, no? Thank god for Eric and Alcide or I may have stopped watching.

Looking ahead…
Today I eased back into running with 6 miles. I felt great, aside from the humidity. I may do a 5K soon (what?!) to see where I am speed-wise. My last speed workout was Broad Street back in May. I do have 2 HMs this Fall – Philly RnR in September and Philly HM in November. I’m toying with the idea of doing the Runner’s World HM in October. I haven’t pulled the trigger yet though. Bottom line – if I want to PR in any of these HMs, I need to get back on board with speed work. Sigh.

Final thoughts on the 50K and ultra running in general
Official results were finally posted and I came in 14 out of 25 overall and 3rd out of 6 females.

I think it’s always good to wait a few days after a race to assess how you really feel about it. That way, you know you’re not making rash conclusions and your judgment isn’t clouded. So what did I think?

It’s such a different experience than the marathon but I liked it. Really liked it. As long as there is no grass running.

I train by myself so the whole running-in-the-woods-by-yourself-with-no-spectators was OK by me. I’m used to it. It was like a very long training run.

I love that walking is completely acceptable as is eating actual food.

I love the low-key atmosphere. Think of how much mental energy you expend before lining up for a big race. The logistics of getting there, parking, bag check, waiting in line for the porta potties, and getting to your corral…it’s exhausting. And don’t get me started on the expos. For the 50K I waited in my car until 7:50 and walked about 50 feet to to start line.

The girl that finished 2nd came in at 5:15. I didn’t show up until 5:54. Where else can you have that much lag time between runners? Side note on the girl that finished 2nd: I did some stalking and found out she has a blog. She’s a 3:15 marathoner and a cancer survivor. She’s only 36. WOW.

I definitely can’t wait for my next ultra (already planning on a 50-miler!). But it won’t be this year. I want to relax a bit and just run HMs for a few months…and give my legs a break.

If you watch True Blood, what did you think of this season?

Do you like big races? I do Broad Street (a logistical nightmare) and Philly RnR every year. It’s tradition…I have to do them even though every year I say never again…

inal ultra thoughts 2nd place girl

Turkey Swamp 50K Recap

August 20, 2012 by Kristy 27 Comments

Remember how I said a 50K isn’t a real ultramarathon and I felt silly calling it that? Well, forget that, I’m an ultramarathoner!

Let’s start at the beginning and I promise to get to the good stuff quickly.

The weather was perfect. At the start temps were in the high 50s! Talk about luck being on my side. 50s in August?!

The course…oh my god, the course. I ran 12.5 x 2.5 mile loops, with the first loop being 3 miles. That’s already over 31 miles. And the 2.5 mile loop wasn’t so much 2.5 miles. I knew going into this race that there was a strong possibility of running over 31 miles. Turns out all the 50Kers ran about 32.4 miles.

The course consisted of…

1. a dirt road – no issues there

2. trail running through the woods – I was OK with this too; everything was well marked so my fears of getting lost were put to rest. The trail had some tree stumps in areas which required some fancy footwork. Bonus – I didn’t fall once!

3. grass running – about 50% of the loop was grass running (a la Laura Ingalls on Little House on the Prairie, although I wasn’t nearly having that much fun). The grass was long, the ground was uneven, and it was slow going…like running in sand. I detested this part of the loop.

After each loop you had to cross over the timing mat in order to count your loops. More on this later…

After the first loop I knew it was going to take me awhile to finish.

loop 2 or 3, heading towards the timing mat

The race for the most part was uneventful. Loop after loop passed and I felt alright. My legs were more tired than normal because of all the extra effort on the grass portions. There was just so. much. grass.

Around Mile 24 or 25 (?) I asked Matt (my awesome 1-man support team) to find out from the race timers how many loops I had left. Doing the math from my Garmin, I figured 2 full loops and then the 1/2 loop to the finish line.

I already knew the course measured long. The guy that won the 50K told me (as he lapped me again) that I should “be prepared” to run at least 32 miles.

So imagine my surprise when I find out that I only have 1.5 loops left (after mentally preparing for 2.5 loops). OK, well I guess my Garmin is measuring short? While everyone else’s Garmin is measuring long?

Me: “Really?! Are you sure? Oh my god, that is the best news I ever heard!!!”
Matt: “Yes, that’s what the race timers told me” (not sure of his exact words but it went something like that).

I cannot tell you how happy I was. I bid adieu to the grass and finished my last full loop with a huge smile on my face.

As I neared the timing mat (about to start my 1/2 loop to the finish) Matt’s face didn’t look so happy. Turns out the race timers were counting wrong and everyone got the awful news that they had to run 1 more FULL loop.

I wish I could say I handled this well. I was pissed. F-bombs flew. How could they mess up? Mentally it was a HUGE blow. 1 more FULL loop + the 1/2 loop to the finish. F$%k!

I was exhausted and I was starting to get hungry. I walked for a bit to regain some composure and forged onward for some more grass running.

Somewhere out in the grass field my Garmin clocked 31 miles in 5:38.

I crossed the finish line in 5:54, running 32.4 miles, 10:57 average pace (Garmin stats). I’m slightly annoyed that 5:54 will be associated with a 50K even though it wasn’t a 50K. But that’s how these races go and I need to get used to it.

so happy to finally stop running

After I crossed the finish line the race official shoved a small trophy in my hand and says “you were 3rd female, congratulations”. What?! It was hard to tell where everyone was but I thought I was bringing up the rear of the 50K for sure. There were some speedy men and women out there.

Full disclosure: the field was very small (see pic below) and I counted 7 women total, including myself. Official results haven’t been posted yet but I do know 1 woman dropped down to the marathon distance (there were 3 other races besides the 50K). So 3rd place out of 6 isn’t so impressive but I’ll take it!

the 50K was a lonely race

ultramarathoner

with my 1-man support crew – thanks Matt!

This race was definitely my toughest – tougher than Boston in the heat. I completely underestimated how much trail (and grass) running slows you down. I definitely need a lot more experience running “real” trails before my next trail race… which isn’t anytime soon. For now, I am going to savor my mandatory rest week and enjoy the post-race high!

Monday Updates

July 23, 2012 by Kristy 10 Comments

Blogging lately has been sporadic at best. Either I don’t have much to say or don’t have enough time to string it together in a post (which is usually the case these days).

So annoying and so true…so I will just stop right now with the OMG sooo busy!

Booty shorts
Last weekend I bought these:

lululemon groove short

Normally I shun away from anything that may make my thighs look like sausages. I was surprised with how flattering these look and how comfortable they feel. So they are not technically booty shorts (compared to these), but I was a tad self conscious the first time I wore them (I’m already over that). During the summer my shorts are stuck to me anyway because of sweat, so why not wear shorts that stick to you to begin with? Makes more sense to me…

Olympics
OMG sooo excited! The women’s marathon is Sunday, August 5 while the poor men have to wait until the very last day – Sunday, August 12. That sucks.

50K training
This is my last big mileage week before the taper, which will be a 3-week taper this time around…as opposed to my 2-week marathon tapers. I’m feeling really good and my legs are holding up just fine.

Last week’s training…

MON: 7 miles
TUE: 10 miles
WED: 6 miles
THU: 5 miles
FRI: 9 miles (9:27 pace)
SAT: 17 miles (9:32 pace)
SUN: rest

54 miles total with most of my runs Garmin-free. This weekend I’m attempting 26.2 as a training run.

Do you run in booty shorts (i.e., spandex)?

Which Olympic event(s) are you most looking forward to?

Laid Back

June 21, 2012 by Kristy 11 Comments

That’s my approach to training for this 50K. More miles at a relaxed pace…no muss, no fuss. Physically, it has been smooth sailing. Mentally, it takes some getting used to.

Hawk, perfecting the art of laid back

I figure out my training for the upcoming week on Sunday, so my plan is created on a week-by-week basis. This allows me to adjust if my legs are feeling especially tired and work my runs around whatever I have going on that week.

The 3 most important things I’m focusing on for 50K training…

Pace
Mentally, this is what I struggle with the most. Compared to my last few training cycles I feel as if someone flipped the switch entirely pace-wise. To put it into perspective for all you numbers people like me, last summer I ran a 22-miler at 8:30 pace and my 17-miler last weekend was done at 9:39 pace. One minute and 10 seconds slower per mile! I have the best intentions at the beginning of a run but find it hard to remain slow once I zone out and autopilot kicks in.

I know I should probably go even slower – no faster than 10:00 pace – but it’s a work in progress. The more I slow down, the more beneficial it will be for me come race day.

Back-to-back long runs
I’m doing a long run on Saturday followed by (at least) a 10-miler on Sunday. My weekend mornings are almost consumed with running, which is OK in my book.

Saturday’s LR is done on the same hilly route I use for marathon training. Sunday’s LR is done on trails.

Volume
I hope to max out hopefully in the 60s for mileage. This will all depend on how my body adapts though. Doing no harsh speed work definitely helps, as this was the reason I never went over 55 miles per week during marathon training.

Here’s what my training looked like last week.

MON: 5 miles, Garmin-free
TUE: 8 miles, 9:22 pace
WED: rest
THU: 5 miles, Garmin-free
FRI: barre rest, I just couldn’t get out of bed!
SAT: 17 miles, 9:39 pace
SUN: 10 miles, 9:42 pace

I see plenty of this in my future, just much slower Smile

And, no, I don’t miss track workouts one bit! Slow and steady wins the race this summer.

I might be crazy…

June 18, 2012 by Kristy 13 Comments

Signing up for a 50K in central NJ in the middle of August. Are you crazy? Yes, I might be.

What I neglected to mention in my last post was the course description…

Multiple ~ 2.5 mile loops on dirt roads, flat single track trails, and open fields (+ 1 additional mile on dirt roads for 50k) – per the Turkey Swamp 50K website.

That’s a lot of loops. You’re off your rocker. Perhaps.

I did research 50Ks in the area and I did voluntarily chose this one. I read some blog recaps and watched YouTube videos (yes, people have YouTubed parts of the course).

My reasons for choosing this 50K, in no particular order:

– I get to sleep in my own bed the night before the race. I really didn’t want to travel anywhere.
– I wanted to capitalize on my Boston base.
– After running 1 loop, I can pretty much memorize where every root and stump are, which greatly decreases my chances of tripping.
– The Turkey Swamp 50K is part of a festival of races (10-Miler, 25K, and 20-Miler). So if it’s ungodly hot, I can always drop down to a shorter distance.

So you’re probably thinking that last bullet sounds like a cop-out. It’s not, I am committed to training for the 50K but I like having options. In August. In 100% humidity.

My approach to training is extremely laid back, which is a first for me…to say the least. Maybe it’s the relaxed pace or the whole laid back ultra environment?

I plan to do another post on my training this week, so stay tuned if you care Smile

Ever do a race with a crazy multiple loop course? This will be my first!

Is location a huge factor when picking a race? I’ve never signed up for a marathon that I couldn’t drive to, as crazy as that sounds.