Blog Posts From Kat Ran Antarctica Tagged With trail_running

RR: JFK50

DCtoPgh — Sun, 22 Nov 2009 22:51:16 GMT

This weekend I toed the line at the JFK50, one of the most prestigious and historical 50 mile races in the nation; if I finished it, it would be my first 50 miler. The race occurs between my current town of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania and my hometown of Potomac, Maryland and was originally designed by President Kennedy as a test of physical fitness for his military officers.

Pre Race

The days leading up to the race were awesome. My work load was low, I ate carbs like it was my job and received so much outreach and words of encouragement from my friends. One of my most supportive friends was my best friend and neighbor, Ben, who was kind enough to crew for me. Ben and I got a late start hitting the road, and had a great drive with the exception of when the GPS said “turn left in 49 miles.” I seriously almost threw up knowing we were almost an hour from our destination and I was planning to run that far in roughly 12 hours. I am proof that smart people do dumb things.

Lucas, another runner from Pittsburgh who was also running JFK, was kind enough to get my packet for me since we were late. Because he and his dad, Lou (you may remember them from Annie’s Run), are staying at the same hotel as me and Ben we all got together to swap packets, electrolyte pills and talk about the game plan for the next day before going to bed.

My bib.I'm really doing this.

Race Day

Me and Lucas before heading to the start

Lou and Lucas follow me and Ben to the start where there is a prerace meeting. The prerace meeting didn’t end in time to give most runners enough time to get to the start and I had only just said goodbye to Ben and Lou (Lucas had split off earlier) as the gun went off. We begin to run and on the sideline I see someone I recognize but can’t place. He yells my name and I immediately realize it’s my friend Ron, who I know through the Marine Corps marathon. It is so nice to see a friendly and unexpected face.

Ron caught this picture of me at the start.I'm the only one turned around

During the pre-race meeting they said something about “When you go up the mountain, stay to the right.” Did he just say “When you go up the mountain?” Seriously, why do I do this to myself? Before we get to the mountain, I see Ray, the marathoner who carried the American flag during the MCM on the sidelines waving our flag. It makes me proud and I thank him.

You guys remember Ray from MCM

The Mountain and the AT

The first three miles are effectively climbs that are unrunnable for people in my part of the pack if they want to save their legs. It’s a little frustrating to be walking the first part of the race, but I know I need to play it smart and I befriended some really nice people while we hike the hills.

A short, steep hill. Most were pretty long

We get onto the Appalachian Trail (AT) and I quickly tuck behind two girls who have the same speed and technical skill as I do on the trails. Their chatter keeps me entertained and I’m so glad I found them. Unfortunately, I lose them at the mile 9 aid station.

Getting back on the trail after the aid station

As I moved forward on the second section of the AT I got behind Jim and Dave who were not only fantastically interesting, but were incredible athletes. Dave had finished 10 JFKs and Jim was an Ironman; they worked together for years, and didn’t realize they were both running until they saw each other at the pasta dinner on Friday night. They talked about flying planes (something on my bucket list) and were going at roughly my pace so I stuck with them until mile 15.5 where we make the transition from the AT to the towpath. The AT was definitely my favorite part of the race.

Jim and Dave going down the switchbaks on the tail end of the AT. Still not as technical as Laurel.

At mile 15.5 I met up with Ben and Lou to switch from trail shoes to road shoes. What I’m not sure I’ve made clear is that Ben is brilliant. An Ivy League grad, an M.D./Ph.D. candidate, if I had to trust my life to anyone’s brain, it would be Ben’s. Knowing Ben’s brilliance, I shouldn’t have been surprised that after I explained to Ben that I’d need to switch my shoes and my chip that he would be ready for me. He had me sit in a chair, clipped my chip from one shoe and put it on the other while I changed my socks, and then, while I was putting on my shoes, he put my long-sleeve shirt on the exterior of my pack with an arm sleeve sticking out in case I wanted to reach it to pull it out later without taking off my pack. His efficiency was artful. If I would have trained Ben on how to be the best support person EVER, I couldn’t have trained him that well. He was totally the MVS (most valuable spectator). With some quick hugs for Ben and Lou, I head onto the C&O towpath part of the course, where we will run for 26.3 miles.

The Towpath

View from the towpath

I hate the towpath. People spread out so I don’t have entertainment. The path is pretty but boring. There are tons of decaying leaves and tiny pebbles which makes gaiters much more necessary here than on the AT. My legs feel good and I run for a few miles, not focusing on how far I’ve run and still have to go, but instead focusing on getting to the next aid station. Every JFK vet I’ve spoken with has told me they use a run/walk on the towpath so if for no reason other than boredom I start doing a 5:1 run:walk. Some vets run by, tell me I look great and that I have the right approach, but I’m so bored. As I come into the mile 27 aid station, I have no idea what happened, but I fell apart. Out of nowhere I felt like I wanted to cry. Again, out of nowhere, and even while keeping a good clip, I felt like I was never going to finish the race. It was so overwhelming and I walked a little to regain my composure. I kept moving forward, losing my mind because a terrible pop song was stuck in my head. It’s as though my brain, in retaliation for making it work so hard all the time, was punishing me.

As a therapist, seeing all the runners who were willing to run JFK made me confident I'll always have clients- you've gotta be crazy to run 50 miles!

At the mile 30 aid station I was bummed to see the next aid station was 4.4 miles. Not far, but I was at the point where it was getting tough to keep my head in the game. At some point I took my inhaler, which made things better, and with roughly a mile left to go (my Garmin was off by about a half mile at this point) I found a desperately need porta potty. Once I step out of the porta potty, the scene on the trail had changed entirely: instead of people running slowly or walking, people looked like they were being chased. I hadn’t seen people run that fast all day. I was totally confused but started running with them. In a stroke of brilliance that would literally save my race, Toby had suggested that I make a pace chart with goal paces and cutoffs, laminate it and keep it with me.

The pace chart.

I pulled out my pace chart and realized I had roughly one mile to cover in 12 minutes to make the next cutoff. I don’t know how I missed that there was a cutoff so close. I had been running roughly 12 minute miles but I’m not sure how far off my watch is from the race clock (I knew it was roughly a minute, but I was going to be down to seconds, here). As I run as hard as I can, I start getting so angry with myself. It was such a stupid mistake to not be thinking about the next cutoff- I had been thinking forward to 6 pm. I had been checking my pace on my Garmin, but the extra half mile had messed up my overall pace. I start thinking about all my long, hard training, all that I had sacrificed for this race, all the people who I knew were rooting for me back home. I thought of Ben coming all the way from Pittsburgh to crew for me and I knew that he would be heartbroken if I didn’t finish if only because he loves me so much and I’d be heartbroken. At this point, I’m convinced I’m going to DNF. As I came up to the aid station I see an official with a watch and I hear him yell 2:59. I had less than 60 seconds. I am terrified to run by him for fear he’s going to pull me, but as I run by he lets me keep going. I made the cutoff by seconds. I was one of the last people to cross, if not the last person; I didn’t stop to check.

I feel like I’m against a wall being against the clock: every hour until the finish there is a cutoff. I don’t know how long I can keep up the paces I need to. I hate the feeling of needing to make up time and crawling out of a hole. A small group of MoCo Road Runners is ahead of me, and I can’t remember for the life of me if the girl turned around to speak to me or someone else, but she said, “Now is not the time to run scared.” I know she’s right, but I am scared. I’m terrified. I have so much on the line, so little left and so far to go. I think to myself, “Just make it to the next aid station.” I did, banking 10 minutes. I take a seat to clear out all the debris from the C&O canal that had collected in my shoes and got back on the road. Mentally I’m feeling much more in the game knowing I have 70 minutes to run the 3.3 miles to make the next cutoff. I make the next cutoff and bank more time still. I walk out of the aid station and right as I’m about to pick it up, a guy starts running next to me like he’s out for a stroll. “Don’t make it look so easy!” I banter with him. We run together for a little bit before I realize he’s the guy from the Baltimore marathon with the Steelers jersey! What a small world! I really enjoy Breck’s company; he’s running about my pace and keeping my mind off the fact that I’ve run 40 some miles and still have 10 to go.

You remember Breck from the Baltimore Marathon

The Rolling Road to the Finish

After what really was an eternity on the towpath (~5 1/2 hours) we finally get on the rolling country roads for the final 8 miles.

The last mile marker on the towpath

I have a headlamp and Breck forgot his flashlight. I tell him to run ahead if I’m slowing him down, but he stays with me and I am thrilled. If the only reason Breck stayed with me is for my headlamp, then that was the best $50 I’ve ever spent. We walk the up hills, run the down hills and run where we can in between. The mile markers seem to be so long, but they count down. We stop by aid stations that have warm soup, which is just incredible, but don’t waste too much time. I’m perpetually checking my watch, still terrified of the cutoffs, even though we could walk 20 minute/miles and still finish.

At the second to last aid station I see two spectators who I have seen at every aid station and have cheered for me and lied to me (they told me I looked great so I knew it was BS ). I took a moment to thank them both and one of them says, “Congratulations.” I almost begin to sob but with four miles left it’s much too early for that. Breck is doing the math and he thinks we can come in under 11:30. At this point, I just want to finish, but if he wants a sub 11:30 I’ll do all I can as his running buddy to help him do it.

At the last aid station. Odd, no?

One mile left.

We run the last mile and a half, passing dozens of people, and for the last half mile the volunteers start saying “Congratulations.” I’m hugely choked up and as I start to see the lights and hear the crowd cheer, the clock comes into focus: 11:28. We can finish sub-11:30. I hear Ben call my name from the side and his voice and smile are the last push I need to get through the chute.

I cross the finish line and sob. Breck and I finish in 11:29:16 and 11:29:17.

The worst picture of me ever taken after such an epic day. I'm sun and/or windburned, my eyes are bloodshot, I'm sweaty and I'm crying. But it captures me and Breck after 50 miles.

11 ½ hours of running, almost DNFing, making friends, losing faith and then remembering to believe in myself. Volunteers are smiling and patting me on the back and I see Ben, who I embrace in an all out hug while sobbing on his shoulder. He whispers in my ear, “You did it,” which only makes me sob harder. When I sent Rick Freeman my Laurel Highlands Race Report, he told me that ultra runners are allowed to cry- in fact, they’ve been known to do much worse. You know that I’m the type to go all out, so I don’t just cry, I full out ugly cry for a little bit and try to process the enormity of the day.

Me and Ben at the finish. Finally done crying. And running.

Post-Race

Lucas had an incredible race. At his 50 mile debut, he came in under 7 hours, in the top 25 of a very competitive field and within a half hour of Scott Jurek. I am amazed and inspired by his athleticism.

I came within 5 hours of Scott Jurek I’m not fast, but I’m still pretty amazed by my athleticism. During the training for this event, I ran 670 miles, 2 official ultras (and one self-supported 50K) and three marathons. I was hit by a car and found out that my heart doesn’t always beat right. But more important than mileage, races and possible setbacks is that I realized I am strong, tough and I am a legitimate athlete. My pro runner buddy Rich once told me I was going to surprise a lot of people in the next few years. I told him the only people I would surprise were the ones who underestimated me, myself included. This year has been a trial by fire but I think with this race I finally understand my physical and mental potential and am excited to fully express that potential.

A very big thank you to all who have supported me on this crazy journey and those who will continue to support me on whatever crazy journey is up next.

There’s a new resident of Taperville

DCtoPgh — Tue, 03 Nov 2009 05:08:59 GMT

It’s official: I’m tapering for JFK. I’ve been training for 4 months and have run three marathons, two ultras, and roughly 650 miles to prepare for this event. I’ve been hit by a car and been diagnosed with a heart arrhythmia. I’ve met a lot of cool people and even got my first sponsorship (thanks, Sugoi!). This has been one heck of a training cycle and it peaked with an awesome weekend of lots of running and friends.

Friday

I started Friday with a quick 5 mile run commute where I rocked a meeting and entertained questions about ultrarunning posed by my social development professor who seems so curious about my sport. That night I carbed up with the most ridiculous penne with shrimp, arugula, and sundried tomato dish. Make it, it’s so good!!

Beautiful trees on Fifth Avenue on the way into Oakland

Saturday

I was up at 5 to meet my friend Rich at 6:30 for a 30 mile training run. Yes, I realize how crazy “30 mile training run” sounds. I’ve known Rich since before I was a runner (yes, that Kat existed not too long ago) and he must be one of my biggest cheerleaders. He’s also a professional endurance athlete with major sponsorships who has gone after world records and just a few weeks ago finished in the top 10 at the US 50 mile National Championships. I did my very best to make it very clear to Rich that I just needed to get 30 on the books and I didn’t care about speed- in fact, I wanted to intentionally go out slow. I was worried that Rich wouldn’t be able to run as slowly as I needed to run, but he stuck with me the whole way, even through the wind that stole our words and the torrential rain that filled our shoes. We caught up on mutual friends and recent races, all the while keeping our first 5 five mile loops within 45 seconds of each other. He kept commenting on what great shape I was in (based on the consistency of our splits), how much potential he saw on me, and his belief that next year I’m going to qualify for Boston. I’m not sure I believe Rich, but I sure like him! We were entertained by a costume 5K with costumes that included: a porta potty, the Pittsburgh pierogies, and three blind mice. We also spotted and befriend Eric, another runner in training for JFK who was IDed as an ultrarunner when we saw him running while eating a piece of pizza. At the end of the day we stretched our 30 miles to a 50K and for the first time in the last four months I realized that I might be able to do JFK. Having those glimmers of hope and confidence were welcomed but overwhelming.

Check out the incredible sunrise. This was the only time we saw the sun all morning. Shortly after I took this, the clouds rolled in, the temperatures dropped and the rain fell.

Sunday

I slept in on Sunday. Rich had organized a trail run with some Pittsburgh ultrarunners at Ohiopyle, a state park an hour and a half away. Even with an extra hour thanks to daylight savings time, I needed every single hour on Sunday. In place of Ohiopyle, I ran 10 miles of trails around Frick Park which was just idyllic. It was serene and I felt cloaked in the vibrant yellow leaves. I was so moved that at one point I just stopped to absorb all the beauty around me. The air was crisp, the leaves were crunchy and the sun beams found holes in the canopy to reach down and kiss me. There was never a better day for a run.

Homewood Cemetery across from Frick. You can tell what a beautiful day was from the bright sunshine and clear blue sky.

Total for the weekend: 45.75 miles. That’s a lot of running, but the miles were wonderful and I recovered well enough to wear heels on Sunday. As anyone who reads this blog knows, I value balance and people, so I can assure you that this weekend was not only about running. On Saturday night I was able to partake in Halloween festivities, on Sunday I finished my run in time to enjoy some amazing pumpkin pancakes at a brunch hosted by a friend and I spent Sunday afternoon drinking beer and eating chili with the Pittsburgh Triathlon Club.

I’m really surprised that all the hard work is behind me. It didn’t seem like work because I was so busy making it fun. I just hope that I can have as much fun at JFK as I did while training for it. Stay tuned: three weeks until my JFK race report!

Youngstown Ultra Trail Classic 50K

DCtoPgh — Mon, 21 Sep 2009 00:15:30 GMT

I signed up for the Youngstown Ultra Trail Classic 50K as part of my training for JFK. It’s crazy to think that three months ago I wasn’t sure if I could run a 50K and now they’re training runs. Just two years ago I wasn’t sure I could run my first marathon and this was my 10th endurance running event. I didn’t have any time goals for this race, not knowing how technical it would be. I also didn’t taper at all, but I thought if I could come in under 8 hours then it would be a 47 minute improvement over Laurel Highlands and that could count as a good day.

I was up at 4 am to drive to Youngstown, Ohio, for the start of the race in Mill Creek State Park. The stars were out and I was able to watch the sun rise over the rolling countryside. Surely, this would be a beautiful day. The start was cold and as I went down the trail from the parking lot to the start, I hear my name and see Rick Freeman calling me over. Rick is the Laurel Highlands Ultra RD and he has run the Iditarod “Fun Run” (350 miles for anyone who is curious) a few times. He’s well-known in local running circles and his huge grin paired with the button down shirt he’s going to run in put a smile on my face. I still think it’s crazy that people like Rick know my name (and call me over), Ray Zahab wants me to be involved with impossible2Possible (expect an update on that soon, too- we have a call on Tuesday), Runners World contacted me for an interview, and Josh Cox is a fan of my Antarctica facebook page. I don’t get it.

Steam rising off of Lake Glacier at the start.

I make a half dozen other friends at the start and again I am convinced that ultrarunners are a great breed of people. We have a pre-race “meeting” (watch when crossing the street, don’t litter) and the race begins with the RD yelling “START!”

Runners listen to the RD at the Old Log Cabin

We take off down a paved road and turn up to a steep steel staircase, across a park area with tennis courts, football fields and the like and then the fun begins. The trails on this course are moderately technical single track but there are some flat stretches where you can pick up some decent speed. There are also technical climbs that stop mortal runners (i.e. me) dead in their tracks. Descents so sharp that my knees hurt (I’m 26, my knees don’t hurt yet).

Runners run down the second part of one of the first steep hills. Photo courtesy of Joel Button.

See all those trees? That's the trail. Go to the bottom.

There were inclines so steep that my legs sometimes slip back while I climb.

Up, up, and away

Taking a breather two thirds up a hill. At the top is the "love log." One runner told me that when getting over the log: On the first pass, you get creative, on the second pass, you sit, on the third pass, you sit and contemplate life. He said this on the second pass after I sat to get over it. He bounded over it. I think he clicked his heels.

Falls on this course are frequent. I don’t know if I saw anyone who wasn’t bloodied from a fall and I witnessed some brutal wrecks. One man was going down a steep incline and all I saw through the woods was a white shirt launch forward about 5 feet and then drop about 10. I can’t believe he came back from it. A 73 year old runner (inspiration!) had duct-taped his wounds! I’m also in awe that I only fell once- and I bounced back quickly enough that the runner behind me commented: “Nice save!” No blood was spilled

The course was a figure-eight broken into 1 large top loop (7.5 miles) and 1 small bottom loop (4 miles) which allowed for aid every four miles (at the top and middle of the “8”). Course volunteers are always great, but I thought the course support was particularly enthusiastic, supportive and helpful. Both loops ran along lakes and had pretty dams with peaceful flowing water.

Pretty dam we ran by several times.

Lanterman's Mill

The weather was 70 degrees with bright sunshine and there couldn’t be a more perfect day to run. I don’t know how to describe it, but I felt in sync. I have this image of this runner floating through trails effortlessly- Lucas did this beautifully in Annie's Run. The lone runner who runs in perfect form through a serene setting and could be easily picked up and placed onto the pages of a running magazine. I felt seamless- like I was running strong and tall and I was meant to be running on this day. Around mile 29 a veteran of 90 ultramarathons commented on how consistently I was running.

I spent most of the race chatting with fellow runners, but I also enjoyed the quiet points where I was alone in the woods. Locals who I ran into were very kind and encouraging- including an older couple who watched me catch my toe on a rock and both reached out to catch me, although I’m sure I would have inadvertently tackled them both if I hadn’t righted myself first. I also ran into my ex Chris’ sister, Alyssa, and his mom, Kathy. It was around mile 24 and I was getting a little tired so it took me a minute to realize that it was really them and I wasn’t just seeing things. I haven’t seen them in the 6 months since Chris left me for another girl while we were on the ship in Antarctica (with 6 days left on the trip, and he couldn’t man up and tell me the real reason he left me… yeah, it was cold) and I had mixed feelings about them being there. On one hand, I think they found out I was running the race and came to see me and I really, truly appreciate that. They really are good people. On the other hand, seeing them really threw me for an emotional loop that I wasn’t prepared to tackle. It shook me for about 3 miles until I started to get so choked up that I couldn’t breathe and started to catch my toe on rocks because my mind wasn’t on the trail; thankfully I was able to use some of my mindfulness meditation techniques to refocus my attention and I was good from there. I finally met up with another runner for the last few miles which made them fly. When we reached the clearing to the finish I couldn’t believe we were already done!

View from the finish line

At the end of the day, I came in at 7:22, 1 hour and 25 minutes faster than Laurel Highlands! The vet of 90 ultras who commented on my form also said that he considered this a hard and technical course (I guess I’m biased by Laurel’s difficulty) and said that on another course we could finish 2 hours faster. Although there were flat parts where I could run fast (“fast” being relative, of course), my Garmin says the elevation gain over 31 miles was 12,000 feet; RunningAhead.com says it was 18,000 feet. Either way, I guess my experiences running in Pittsburgh have altered my perception of “flat.” I’m proud that I ran so strong without a taper and I’m psyched to be reaping the benefits of my training. This race didn’t hurt like shorter races have and I ran strong until the end (I realize this might mean I need to start running harder).

With new ultra runner friends at the finish. Me, Joel and Bob. I later found out it was Bob's first ultra. Congrats!!

Finishing so strong made me feel tough. I have this mental image of a woman running through the woods, getting dirty, tackling hills, roots and rocks, and being strong, beautiful and graceful all at once. I am certainly not very strong, I make no claims to being beautiful and I am surely not graceful- but floating through the woods today made me feel like I was all of the above. Today, running set me free and helped me realize that I’m becoming person I want to be. I hope there are more runs like this in store- if nothing else I’ll certainly seek it in this race next year. This was one of my favorite races and I’ve already recommended it to other runners.

Race Pros:

Great course support and accessibility
Frequent restrooms. Not porta potties, restrooms, located about every 2 miles.
Gorgeous course
Great packets, probably the best I’ve gotten. For $40 race registration, I got a fuel belt(!)* , a tech shirt, and lots of Hammer products and other goodies.

Possible Improvements:

The trails were poorly marked with ribbons and flour. The ribbons were pulled off the trees by passersby and the flour became thinned out towards the end. One runner commented that it was the poorest marked course he had run. At one place, about 10 other runners and I missed a turn the first time and I redirected runners who ran right past it the second and third times. I think this allowed two runners to cut the course because I left them in the dust on one loop, they never passed me (I didn’t make any stops and it was single track so I couldn’t have missed two runners passing me) and they somehow leapfrogged ahead of me to the next aid station. It was sketchy, but ultimately running is a race against yourself and I hope they didn’t cheat themselves out of an honest run.

My favorite course marking

No medals! Really? One of the race organizers asked: Do you really need another medal? No, I don’t. Honestly, I’m running out of room for them and I’m not sure how to display them without it being showy. But it’s nice to mark an accomplishment (and it helps me keep track of races). If I don’t need a medal, how about a diploma? I could use another one of those right about now. Could you please fast forward me to Doctor, Mr. RD?

Run Around The Square 2009

DCtoPgh — Sun, 23 Aug 2009 15:16:02 GMT

Pre-Race

I love this race. Half the reason I love this race is that it’s a trail 5K in a community that rallies around the run, and the other half is because packet pick-up is one block from my favorite bar that I never go to. D’[s Six Pax and Dogz|http://www.regentsquare.net/ds6pax.html] does just that… beer and hot dogs. And cheese fries. They have a beer cave with hundreds of brews. I clearly rounded up ten of my closest friends (okay, friends who I knew would be up for several hours of drinking) for happy hour. Beyond just being awesome because I was with friends at my favorite bar, happy hour was also cool because two guys who claim to have been motivated by my running were there:

Daniel, a former collegiate runner who signed up for Run Around the Square as his first post- hip surgery race (he was shooting for a sub-3 at Pittsburgh and tore his labrum playing soccer right before the race- ouch!).
Dave, who biked across the US and was inspired to run the Spirit of Pittsburgh half marathon in November (still not sure how I motivated him to do that).

As far as I’m concerned, I could have crawled the race backwards and happy hour bringing people together would have made this race worth it.

Race

I woke up and surely felt the effects of 6 hours of drinking, hot dogs and cheese fries. Smart people do dumb things sometimes. Or frequently if you’re me and keep signing up for ultras. That’s a separate point. I needed to run 10 miles and 20 miles this weekend so I made Saturday my 10 mile day and planned a route that would let me run a 7 mile roundtrip route to the race.

Per usual at race start I see current friends (Lisa who I coached with, Sarah who’s one of my classmates, Jen #1 with whom I’m on a treatment grant, and Justin who was my cheerleader at Drake Well) and make new friends (super fast female Pharaoh Hound, Terp Alum) at the start. I’d like to beat my course record (26:49) but I’ve been putting a lot of mileage on my body and all of my runs have been slower than normal recently. We wait for the start, which has been delayed by-- are you ready for this?-- a raccoon on the trail. Seriously? I have now had the following animals interfere with race courses: penguin, wild turkey, ground hog, and raccoon. Once the raccoon has been cleared (when did I think that phrase would make it into a race report?) we get started.

Mile 1: Brick streets and lots of spectators. I see an ambulance a half mile in and think that it is really good positioning because the streets are so treacherous. Right before the first water stop I see Sarah’s fiancé, Scott, who cheers for me like he came to cheer just for me. So awesome. Scott’s a really talented runner but he was out there to support Sarah and did a great job supporting me as well.

Brick Streets in Regent Square

Mile 2: Going into mile 2 there is the champagne stop that was there last year! But it’s better than ever because it’s manned by my friend Jen (#2) and her husband, Jon. She yells at me and holds up a cup of champagne and I consider taking it since I know today’s not going to be a PR day. I decide against it and tell her I might come back. The men in tutus from last year’s water stop were dressed as Steelers this year- including a Troy Polamalu wig ! There was also a musician playing “She’ll Be Comin’ Round the Mountain” (elevation increase for this race: 1,144 feet). As we head onto the trails there is an a capella group AND I see Scott again. Awesome. I finish mile 2 at around 19 minutes and realize that’s when Daniel wanted to finish. Man I wish I was fast sometimes! Ok, I wish I was fast all the time.

One of the only web images I could find of the Frick Trails. Of course this was a flat part that didn't exist in our course.

Mile 3: About 30% of the participants are walking since it’s such a long nasty hill but I know we’re coming up on a killer downhill so I try to encourage people to pick it up. Yelling “it’s all downhill from here!” while true, does not make friends at mile 2.5 of an uphill trail 5K. There are musicians placed at half mile intervals and I hear the bagpiper before I see him. I love this race! I finish and I hear someone yell my name but there are so many faces I can’t figure out who it might be. I’m over a minute slower than last year, and in some ways that’s disappointing, but I also think that my potential for speed would be better accessed if I was a) rested and b) training for speed and not endurance

Post Race

As I go through the chute, they clip my chip, and hand me water and a long-stemmed carnation. I almost immediately run into Sarah, Scott, Daniel and Daniel’s friend, Michael. Sarah didn’t have a strong run, but Daniel had what I would consider a pretty impressive 19 minute finish on his first race post hip-reconstruction. Vendors, dogs and kids are out in force (there were at least three 4 year olds who ran the 1.5 mile fun run- with times around 16 minutes!!) Daniel and I seek out puppies (there was a dog race so dogs abound) and befriend two ENORMOUS St. Bernards. The bandanas for the dog race matched the race t-shirts. There aren’t words for how cute it was.

We grab Rita’s Italian ice, which is the best post-race food that has ever existed in the history of the universe. That good. Panera cinnamon crunch bagels also top the list and wouldn’t you know D’s was there serving beer right next to a grill with hot dogs and hamburgers. We stuck around the after party for about an hour where I also ran into Kasey and David (who I found out was the mystery finish line cheerer) and some other friends.

Mornings like today make me wonder why people don’t run. Actually running the race was maybe 10% of what made last night and this morning so awesome, but it set the stage for everything else. As I ran home from the race I was floating and running felt good for the first time in a long time.

Readers, feel free to post in comments: What is your favorite part of racing? The competition? The spectators? PRing?

RR: Annie's Run

DCtoPgh — Mon, 20 Jul 2009 19:08:51 GMT

Pre-Race

On Wednesday I run into Lucas, a new friend I recently met at a coffee shop, who is also running JFK. He’s a 6 time Ironman and a 6 time marathoner with a personal best of 2:47. As we chat he mentions that he’s running a race called Annie’s Run on Saturday and invites me to join. It’s a 6 hour all you can run race on a 1.25 mile hilly wood chip trail a half hour south of the city. Registration is $3 and I’m scheduled to run 16 miles anyway. After consulting with my 50 mile coach and some friends, I can’t decide if I want to run for 16 miles or the full six hours. It’ll be a game day decision.

Race Day

Lucas, a Pittsburgh native, told me it would take 45 minutes to get to Upper St. Clair; it takes half that so I beat the RD to the course at 5:15 am. Lucas and his dad, Lou, aren’t far behind. I have no expectations for today, so I chat with Lou as Lucas runs around, registers, stretches, and finds out that the course record is 32 laps (40 miles). It’s interesting for me to see the game face of someone who I perceive as being very mellow and laid-back.

More people start to arrive and I befriend Mike, an electrician who has run two 50Ks (but never a marathon). I meet Kyle, who must be affiliated with Fleet Feet (he was giving out Fleet Feet tech shirts), who recognizes me from the Post-Gazette article. Kyle tells me he’s a Marine and thanks me for my efforts for the Semper Fi Fund. As I chat with Sam, the RD, I see Rick Freeman, the current Laurel Highlands RD, and he introduces me to the former Laurel RD (and former record holder). I recognize another Laurel 50Ker from this year, and I realize that this is not as casual a race as I first thought. I look more closely at the competition and I realize that at 5’8” and 135 lbs I easily outweigh the female competition by 30 pounds. The other female runners cumulatively have as much body fat as I do; they are cut and they look like they are about to crush this race. What is this race about that drew so many skilled athletes?? Maybe the 6 hour thing scared off anyone not insanely hardcore.

The clock creeps towards the start time of 6 am and Sam gathers the attention of the runners. He announces that for the past several years, his wife Annie had hosted a birthday run for him. He tearfully continues that he lost Annie to cancer in December so this year he renamed the race in her memory. Both Sam and Annie are accomplished ultrarunners and a quilt of Annie’s favorite races is hanging and some of her trophies are on the registration table. I’m simultaneously saddened by his loss and feel privileged to be part of honoring her memory and her love for the sport.

We begin running counterclockwise (three hours later we switch direction) and start by passing a sweet vegetable garden with male and female scarecrows who are dressed to the nines (tux and beautiful red party dress). Next there are cows and their calves. Along the course I’ll also see: bunnies, deer, a wild turkey, chipmunks and an enormous groundhog (comparing him to the size of my cat, I’m guessing he’s about 20 pounds). We turn a corner and there is a hill. The vets immediately start to walk- I trust their judgment. The hill is easily runnable, but running up it 20+ times would probably destroy my legs because I’m human.

Lucas, however, is not human. As the leader, he laps me three laps in and he is making it look so easy. His blond hair is waving in the wind (no, seriously, it is) and even though he’s coasting at a great clip, he makes it look effortless. The man should be a model- he makes our sport look graceful and beautiful as he bounds up the big hill and into the forest. As I clod along I simultaneously hate him and want to be him.

The loops aren’t as boring as I think they would be. Lucas laps me like a dozen times and some of the other runners lap me a few times, but everyone is exceedingly encouraging and it’s kind of nice to see people and chat with them as they run by you. Being lapped isn’t as demoralizing as I’d imagine- I’m running my own race and I’m not trying to kill myself since I have my first Olympic triathlon next weekend.

At mile 16 I take a break for a drink and chat with Lou for a minute. He’s a loyal spectator- watching us run loops over and over and over for 6 hours. He cheers for me when I see him and calls me baby which I find really endearing. At one point I run by him as he’s sitting and ask if he’s having a good time and making friends. He responds that he’s doing what he likes- being lazy. I joke that I need to pick up that hobby and he suddenly snaps into Dad mode: “Oh no you don’t! Don’t you dare!” So I run on

I decide I’ll push for 26.2 to round out a marathon- I’m feeling good and it’s a great day- why not? In my mind I’m weighing two factors:

It would be cool to shoot for 50K
I have a triathlon next weekend, I don’t want to kill my legs.

I waffle and then realize that at my pace 50K would take me 6 hours and 1 or 2 minutes. I’m not sure how strict Sam is, but I’d be livid if I missed a 50K by such a narrow margin so settle for 26.2.

I walk a lap after my marathon and Sam runs by me yelling: “Make sure to stick around! We have a prize for you!”

Me: “A prize?”

Sam: “Top three men and women get prizes,” and runs ahead like he just told me something as obvious as the sky is blue and we are running today.

But this is not insignificant news to me: I’m not even an age grouper (okay, I have one age group award that was a sham). There is no way I’m a top three female out of these thin, sinewy, muscled, insane women. I finish my lap, look at the tallies and realize two things:

I can’t count when I run. I ran 28.75 miles, not 27.5 (which also means I could have finished a 50K in time! Argh!)
I’m not just top three, I’m #2!

Lucas not only won the race, he shattered the course record with 36 laps (45 miles) on his first ultramarathon. It was inspirational to see such athleticism and the support on the course was fantastic.

This was a race I’d surely run again. It was challenging but not brutal. And my prize was a pie! Clearly my kind of race! The most incredible thing to me is that I found out about this race on Wednesday and ran 29 miles on Saturday. Saturday night I went out in 4” stilettos and Sunday morning I felt darn near 100%. I always wanted to be the type of runner who could wing a marathon, and now it looks like I am.

Trail Run

DCtoPgh — Sun, 12 Jul 2009 18:46:50 GMT

Today my running friend, Jen, and I went to Hartwood Acres to run some trails. The goal of the day was to hit double digit miles, explore (we couldn't find a trail map before leaving) and have fun. It was a perfect day to hit some single track trails. We also ran by horse stables and huge open fields- it was absolutely gorgeous!

Along our run we developed a point system:

-10 points for each fall (3 x 10= -30, all my fault)

+8 for each fall that draws blood (2 x 8 =16, all my fault, see photos below)

+1 for realizing I lost my sunglasses in fall #1 (1 point)

+5 for every almost fall turned recovery (5 x 5 = 25, 3 Jen, 2 me)

+1 for every mile (10 x 1= 10)

We definitely ended up in the positive, even though my first fall hit me kind of hard. My neighbor (a doctor) thinks I may have broken my hand (black, blue, swollen), but it doesn't hurt too badly so I'm holding out on the ER. But, check out the beating my legs took:

I can't wait to head back there for more running this summer and fall, as I prep for JFK!

JFK 50

DCtoPgh — Fri, 10 Jul 2009 19:12:01 GMT

So running has taken me some crazy places (like Antarctica for starters).

My favorite picture from Antarctica. An iceberg in Paradise Harbor.

Running hasn't just taken me far geographically, it's also taken me far in terms of pushing my phsyical and mental limits, as I learned when I ran a 50K. Now, for "real" endurance athletes- Ironmen (and women), runners who run 50 or 100 milers- a 50K isn't a big deal. But for me, a 50K was a huge deal. I've been running for about two years and when I started I struggled to run a mile. I can't believe how far I've come, particularly since the ultra I ran has a reputation for being rather challenging.

So now I can technically say that I'm an "ultra runner" but to be honest, I don't say it a lot because when I do, I feel like a bit of a sham. Okay, a HUGE sham. My 50K should not be lumped in with people who run 100 miles. I feel like I'm in a weird limbo between marathoners and "real" ultra runners and I don't like it. Now, I'm not going to go out and run a 100 miler anytime soon (I like sleep and light), but today I kind of shocked myself when I signed up for the JFK 50. Just a few weeks ago, in my Laurel Highlands race report I typed: "Right now I’d think you were crazy if you told me I was going to run a 50 miler or try an Ironman… " What a difference a few weeks can make.

Mini-Update

DCtoPgh — Sun, 07 Jun 2009 14:10:30 GMT

I haven't blogged in a while. Here's what I haven't blogged about:

I PRed at the Vermont City marathon with a time of 4:23.00. That knocked 5 minutes off my Pittsburgh time and almost 20 minutes off my Fall marathon. It was a good race and a great weekend with friends.
I bit the bullet and signed up for an ultra. Next weekend I'll be running the Laurel Highlands 50K race to celebrate my 26th birthday (yes, I realize only sick people celebrate their birthdays with a 31 mile trail run). I'm not trained for the trails and the hills, I'm really winging this, but I'm not looking to set any records and I'm pretty sure I have the finish in me.
It's not yet official, but I'm pretty sure I'm going to sign up for the Pittsburgh triathlon, an Olympic distance race. It'll be my first. Again, haven't specifically trained for it, and while my biking isnt the strongest, I swim a few miles a few times a week and my running is where it needs to be. I'm going to wait to make sure I get through the ultra uninjured before sending in the registration.

RR: Montour Trail Half Marathon

DCtoPgh — Sun, 07 Sep 2008 14:26:05 GMT

On Saturday I ran the Ikea Montour Trail Half Marathon. As always, I wasn't sure how the race was going to go. I haven't run a half marathon since a disastrous Baltimore Half Marathon in 2004. I've been having really good long runs recently, but I wasn't sure what pace I could sustain for 13.1 miles. My goal was to break 2 hours but I wasn't sure if it was a realistic goal or not.

Pre-Race

I was up at 5:45 with my best-thing-since-sliced-bread boyfriend, Chris. I got ready while he went on a coffee run and then we went to pick-up my friend, Steph, who was also racing the half. We got to the start/packet pick-up/chips around 7:15 for an 8 am start. I was pleased to see the shirt wasn't the t-shirt I was expecting, but instead a long-sleeve Brooks technical shirt. Nice, I'll take that! We hung around and stretched and met up with my friend Kasey and a friend of hers, David. I love the pre-race atmosphere... all the runners warming up and chatting and anticipating their potential. Love it.

Race

I start the run with Kasey and David because we're all hoping to break two hours. Kasey's PR is 2:04; I'm not sure of David's PR, but I think he has a 3:40 marathon time floating around somewhere. It isn't too hot of a day, but it is HUMID. At this point I'm just thankful that the forecasted rain has held off, but I'm not sure how the weather is going to factor in.

The gun fires and we're off. The first mile is a long downhill with a net elevation change of 300 feet. Everyone goes out insanely fast and our first mile is 8:03. If I were racing by myself, and not with Kasey and David, I would have gone out conservatively and tried to leave some to push at the end. Kasey and David are more even-split people. I figure I'll keep up with them and it'll be a bonus if I have some kick at the end. Miles 2 and 3 are 9:01 pace, Mile 4 goes through a 500 foot tunnel and my Garmin cries Uncle, yielding unreliable readings. This is where I start to slow down. I'm not sure if it's the humidity, but now I'm starting to second-guess myself about going out too fast. As a psychologist and a runner, I know that running is just as much a mental sport as a physical one, and I can't start psyching myself out. I use some time-tested mantras ("Who's a runner? Kat's a runner!") but I'm digging too deep for this early in the race. Around miles 5, 6, and 7 I'm starting to question my ability to meet my goal (splits: 9:08, 9:10, 9:18). To add to this, Kasey cramps and needs to stop to walk. I keep going and David stays with her but I'm really regretting my race strategy. An additional factor at this point was poorly placed water stops- no water between miles 5 and 9! Argh!

Mile 7 is the turnaround for the out-and-back course. A turnaround not just physically but mentally. At this point, I start flying and suddenly I have a bit of a kick in my step again (mile 8: 8:42). I realize at this point that the last few miles must have been a gradual uphill (my Garmin later confirms a 300-foot climb) and maybe I can make up some time on the downhill. From here on out something happens and my mind becomes focused and sharpened. My legs and breathing start to hit a rhythm. The pack has spread out and I keep finding people I can play mental games with: I just need to pass the girl in the blue; there's a rubber band between me and the guy in the black shirt and he's pulling me to the finish line.

The course has been devoid of spectators and was sparse on volunteers. It was amazing to start to see non-running humans around mile 12.75. The winners were cheering us on and I made eye contact with one guy (my race angel) who said "You've got it, girl! Finish strong!" He was wearing a JFK 50 mile shirt, an endurance race that happens in my home state of Maryland, and the realization I only had a little bit left to go, feeling a home-court connection, and finally being cheering for helped me kick it into high gear. I ran hard towards the finish and found Chris and Steph at the finish line cheering me on. Chris is one of my biggest supporters and it was so awesome to see him cheering for me and bringing me home. I finished in 1:58:06, beating my goal of coming in under 2-hours.

Post-Race

I got a medal, which I was really excited about (yay bling!). I was also excited I was able to break 2 hours on a trail run in disgusting conditions (runners looked like swimmers at the end). I found out Steph came within two minutes of breaking her PR of 1:40 and likely would have without a porta-potty break. Kasey and David came in at 2:02, a 2-minute PR for Kasey, even though she didn't meet her sub-2 goal. Overall it was a really great morning with really great people. I'm starting to realize there is no other way I'd rather spend a morning than racing with friends.

Race Report: Run Around The Square 5K AKA A Trail Run with Lots of People

DCtoPgh — Sat, 23 Aug 2008 17:18:01 GMT

Today I ran my first trail 5K and it was awesome. I got to the race early, got my chip and timed it perfectly so I could run a mile warm-up and get to the start about 10 minutes before the gun. As I was starting my warm-up I ran into two of the girls I coached Girls on the Run with, Lisa and Megan, and they told me they just finished their warm-up- an 11 mile run! As I was warming up, I saw some of the kids from the 1.5 mile walk that had finished earlier. They also had a dog race so there were lots of cute pooches- with bibs on their collars! At this point I am SO pumped for this race. It's a beautiful sunny day, but warm (for Pittsburgh, not for the month of August) and humid. I stretch a little and head to the start where I chat with other runners before the National Anthem... and we're off!

The race starts on time and we take off down residential streets that aren't paved, but brick! I can only imagine the horror that would be me tripping at this point. And for those of you who know me, the potential for me to trip is more likely than not. I'm running dead on an 8-minute pace which I'm very happy with and a third of a mile into the race Lisa hauls right by me and as we turn a corner she is gone. I stick with my pace and I'm feeling great, but my mouth is getting a bit dry- yay a water stop! Boo a kid that could be no more than 8 years old cutting me off to grab water. Option A: Steamroll kid, possibly kill us both and maybe get water in the process. Option B: Hope there's another water stop soon. I curse the kid for being so stinking fast as I pick Option B. Mile 1 highlight? Not just a spectator-manned beer stop, but a champagne stop complete with plastic champagne glasses! Pittsburghers are classy! Mile 1: 8:10.

This is where the race starts getting... fun? Is fun the word I'd use? Interesting, maybe. This is the part of the "race" where it become much less of a race and, as Lisa put it, more of a "trail run with lots of people." Highlights of this part of the race: A steep downhill hairpin turn that is so steep and so sharp that again I only envison a downward death roll and headlines of "Runners Bowls Over Human Bowling Pins: A Strike with Casualties in Regent Square." And while I mention this downhill, please do not be confused. This was not a downhill course. In mile 2, there was a 300 foot rise in elevation on trails. The elevation was a barrier to speed, but so were the multiple turns, the texture of the trail, and all the runners stopping to walk because they couldn't tackle the hills. Mile 2 highlights? The water station where the volunteers, men included, were wearing huge tutus. So awesome! My friend, Kristin, also came out to cheer, but I didn't get to see her even though she saw me. So excited I have so many wonderful friends! Mile 2: 9:40 (I swear it was the hills!)

The first part of mile 3 still had some pretty substantial uphills, 430 feet worth of hill in the first half, to be exact (in case there was any confusion, 430 feet UP). Every quarter mile or so they had a musician stationed, which was almost a little creepy to have a lone trumpeter standing in the woods on a Saturday morning. Mile 3 highlight? The bagpiper! In one 5K I had men in tutus and a bagpiper! I love this race! At mile 2.5 on the nose there is a sharp downhill to the finish. Let me repeat that: sharp downhill. Again, visions of me tripping and falling are flooding my mind and these are only made worse when a man behind me yells to his friend "Ow! My ankle! I rolled my ankle" (thankfully, he turned out to be fine). Falling while running this section at any substantial speed could result in the kind of tumble where at all once you knock out your front teeth, break your arm and sprain your ankle. And yes, if I wasn't careful, it would have happened to me. Over the 600 foot drop (yes! 600 feet in 0.6 miles!) I was fast, but reigned it in a bit for safety sake. Mile 3: 8:20

The finish came up quickly and I hammered it out at 6:42 pace for an overall finish of 26:46. Even with the challenging terrain and the "group trail run" environment, that is still 20 seconds faster than a hilly road 5K I ran in April. Awesome! At the end they did the customary things like giving you water and clipping your chip. But this race had one of the best post-race set-ups I've seen. Runners got carnations, which I loved, and they had lots of food, including a grill with hot dogs, and booths (and the dogs from the dog race were out, too!). I got to spend some time with Lisa and Megan and it was such a lovely morning for a race. Lisa and Megan raved about this race and I can see why, today I added the course to a list of favorites, and a 20 second PR (even on trails!) to the record book

Race excitement!

DCtoPgh — Sat, 23 Aug 2008 01:10:39 GMT

Tomorrow I'm running a trail 5K. I've never run a trail anything, I haven't run a 5K since April and I haven't run a race since June (10K). Back for the other races I was really nervous to get back into racing after a winter full of injury. Right now, the night before this race, I'm not nervous, I'm just excited! How cool is it that I get to run a trail 5K?! I'm not expecting to PR, but even with what sounds like a tough course (I've heard of 6-8-6 splits... guess where the hill is?!) I know after a summer full of training that I'm capable of surprising myself and that is a very exciting possibility. Tonight got me excited for tomorrow, too. The packet pick-up was two blocks from one of my favorite happy hour locations so I was able to meet up with some friends for a beer and some carbs (was it a bad idea for me to split large cheese fries as my pre-race carbs?!). And I must say that one of the things I love about races is how nice everyone is... I love being around the volunteers and other runners. And I most certainly can't wait to have a great morning tomorrow Until then, I won't ask for good luck, because I don't need it because I've already put in the hard work.

Going Strong

DCtoPgh — Tue, 29 Jul 2008 22:19:44 GMT

Training's going well and I'm feeling strong:

Saturday

6.1 mile run with a friend from out of town. Didn't push, just kept it comfortable and ran a nice 9:42 pace. My pace runs are supposed to be 9:40ish and I turned an easy run into a pace run without trying. Perfect.

Sunday

12-miles shooting for a 10:30ish pace. I couldn't reign myself in and I finished in 2:01 for an overall pace of 10:05. Two factors that should be mentioned: 1) Overall increase of elevation: 4109 feet (so not a flat course); 2) Last four miles: 9:30, 10:10, 9:44, and 9:05(!). I have never in my life felt so strong on a long run. It was incredible to know that I could have gone further or faster. I did a few things differently, but I think the important factors were getting out early when it was still cool and taking gu every 45 minutes (usually I try to stretch out the length between gu a bit more). I also focused on staying hydrated and eating well the day before. I felt so good I went to Ohio for a birthday party and was up and about all day when usually long runs really take it out of me.

Monday

Feel fantastic and it definitely doesn't feel like I ran 12 miles the day before. Calves are a little tight so I walk a mile to the pool, swim 2000 meters (get kicked in the ribs by a guy I'm sharing a lane with which I am none too happy about, especially since he didn't stop to apologize!), and walk another mile home. Took a nap Monday afternoon and had to work out some knots in my calf, but otherwise feeling great.

Tuesday

Ran the trails I ran about two weeks ago after the Bulgarian squats. Two weeks ago I ran 3.3 miles in 33:28 and today I ran a similar course (but 3.5 miles instead since I got lost) in 34:07 for a 24 second per mile increase in speed! Trails were still hard, but I just love running them and I can't wait to see how I improve on them.

So all in all a good few days for training and I'm happy to see that some combination of better nutrition, more knowledge of exercise physiology, more (and better quality) cross training and an extra mid-distance run are really paying off this season. I'm not sure what the critical factor is, but I want a fast Fall so I'm not going to stop anything to find out! Tomorrow: 5 mile trail run and 1 mile swim.

Bulgarian Split Squats

DCtoPgh — Fri, 18 Jul 2008 15:32:14 GMT

Because my training had been progressing successfully with faster and easier runs, I thought that I'd incorporate some core work into my routine. Since I was at the gym I decided to throw in some Bulgarian split squats, demonstrated in the video below:

Even though I have strong legs, these are hard. I should have known better when my boyfriend, who pushes vans in the desert for a leg workout, recommended them to me. I did two sets of 8 on each leg with 2 5-pound weights. As a result, I have been unable to walk for the last two days. I've been the kind of sore where I tripped because I couldn't lift my leg high enough to keep my stiletto from catching a crack in the sidewalk. I've been the kind of sore where the pain woke me up at night when I was sleeping. On Wednesday, after a session with a client I went to stand up and couldn't without using my arms to push me up out of the chair. Those Bulgarian split squats put me in my place and showed me who was boss (not me).

Even though I was sore, I decided to get my runs in, hoping they'd help me loosen up. My 6 miles on Wednesday night were a complete and utter disaster. I knew my legs were shot but it was hot so I wanted to run through the park because there are water fountains. One of my favorite trails (Panther Hollow in Schenley Park) has a long, steady uphill that I usually run from the bottom up. Since my legs were so dead I thought I'd take the "easy" way out and run it downhill. Nope, that didn't work at all. In fact, my slowest mile was the downhill part because my quads were already shot. My pace for this 6 mile run was slower than my marathon pace from last year! It was the first bad run I've had in well over a month so I chalked it up to a bad day and figured it was due.

That, however was just the beginning. On Thursday I went running with my friend Steph who ran XC in college and qualified for Boston on her first marathon. Steph can easily place in local races and hopes to BQ again at Chicago this year. Let's just put this in perspective by saying that her planned marathon pace is about my 5K PR pace. We ran together because a) my tempo runs could be very slow recovery runs for her) and b) she knows the trails in Frick Park, which I've never run on and wanted to learn. I made a few critical mistakes: 1) Do not plan tempo runs on trails. 2) Do not run on new, technical trails on days where you can barely get out of bed. This run was abysmal. In a 3.5 mile run I had to stop twice to walk, which is uncharacteristic of me and terribly embarrassing in front of my very accomplished runner friend (who, I should mention, is the nicest person in the world and wouldn't be the type to judge). My "tempo" run which should have been about 8:45 pace ended up at a 10 minute pace. In some ways I think I'm being hard on myself because I was recovering from a tough few sessions and the terrain was more technical than I've ever run before, but it is disappointing to not meet goals that you've set for yourself.

What I've learned:

Bulgarian split squats are a great workout, but if executed should probably be left for Thursdays so I can recover with a rest day on Friday.
I love the trails in Frick Park! They are so beautiful and I can't wait to run there more.
I love running with other people, the time goes by so much faster. Steph and I blew through mile 1.
I need to be less hard on myself and keep in mind that external factors can effect my running and that bad days will pop up. And when bad days do pop up, you can only learn from them and move forward.