Bandera, we finally meet...

On Saturday, I finally got to run the infamous "Bandera." I was eager to see for myself what all the fuss was about, especially since I wasn't able to run the 50k there in January when I got sick.

K and I drove out to Boerne on Friday after work then made the short drive over to Bandera on Saturday morning. We arrived a few minutes late though and everyone else had already headed out. Since the course was marked for us, I didn't really mind because I generally prefer to enjoy the solitude of running by myself. Solitude seems to be a pervasive theme for me lately, but that is for another post...

Joe had marked an 11-mile loop for us - 1/2 marathoners ran 1 loop (K), 50kers ran 2 loops (me), and 50 milers ran 3 loops. It was pretty chilly and windy that morning, and it took a little bit for my legs to get going but once they did they were definitely going. Overall, I had a really good run, which was another good mental boost to know that I could run 22 miles comfortably on that difficult terrain. I never really had any bad mental stretches either, which is just about unheard of for me. I kept waiting for my legs to fatigue or ache, but that never really happened. My Garmin pooped out on me before the run (which is seeming to be a frequent occurrence lately), so I had no sense of pace or distance. At first I thought that would stress me out because I really like having that immediate feedback, but then I tried to just embrace it and purely run. I know I had a strong finish, especially since it was on a flat straight-away. I still didn't take in enough fuel during my run, but I didn't really feel the negative effect like I did at Rocky Hill a couple of weekends ago. I did have some DP in between loops, and I could definitely feel the caffeine boost - definitely need to incorporate that into my long runs!

Oh, and I saw a snake! It was a small black snake with orange and yellow stripes that was positioned across the trail during my 2nd loop. I came really close to stepping on it, but thankfully my mind registered what it was at the last minute and I was able to step off the side of the trail to go around it.

On Sunday, I invited K to join me for a run on the Greenbelt. Note to self, do not do that again. He ended up going a different way than I was planning, and I ended up running considerably faster than I would have on my own on the day after a long run. At one point, I reminded him that I had run 22 miles the day before. Overall though, I was surprised at how good my legs felt.

So, what's ahead for the week - tempo run for our PR quality workout tomorrow night, hills for Jemez quality workout Thursday night, and 26 miles for the long run this weekend.

Back on track...

Tonight was my first track workout in over a year. Not kidding. When we arrived at the track, I even commented to K how big the track seemed - much bigger than I remembered and pretty far to go at the paces that I was supposed to hit.

This was our third workout in the PR 5k/10k program, and yes, only our first track workout. The previous two quality workouts had been a tempo and steady state run on a loop course on the road. I was definitely running at a much faster pace than I have been since I have been running on trail so much, but it wasn't necessarily anything too challenging. Having specific goal paces to hit tonight, especially the ones I chose to shoot for, was a bit intimidating for me especially just getting back into this. I end up with the whole fear of failure negative self-talk going through my head. I've got to slay those demons somehow...

Back to tonight's workout. The workout consisted of 1.75 mile warm-up to the East Side track; 2000 at 15k pace x 1 with 600 recovery; 1000 at 10k pace x 2 with 400 recovery; 400 at mile pace x 4 with 400 recovery (which I changed to 200 recovery); 1.75 mile cool-down back to Rogue. I decided to be way too ambitious for my own good and go with the paces for my BQ goal of a 3:40 marathon (8:24 MGP). So, here's how it went down...

2000 = 9:39 (9:42 goal) - this got me in a good place mentally to know I made this!
1000 = 4:48 (4:41 goal)
1000 = 4:50
400 = 1:48 (1:38 goal) - I knew I would not make that goal time (6:30 pace!)
400 = 1:44
400 = 1:42
400 = 1:39 - YEAH for starting conservatively, getting faster with each repeat, and coming pretty damn close to goal pace on the last one!

Much needed confidence booster to remind myself that I CAN run fast again and WILL run faster as I start training again.

Another weekend on the road...

We had a good weekend, despite the gloomy weather. We kicked things off with a yummy, early dinner at Botticelli's on Friday evening. We have been there a handful of times and have never been disappointed in the food. I had a delicious lasagne to carb up for Saturday's long run. After dinner, we stopped in at Sugar Mama's to pick up cupcakes for dessert. Then, we finally got around to watching "Iron Man" via Netflix. I know, so last summer. But, still pretty good.

Our long run on Saturday was out at Rocky Hill Ranch in Smithville, about an hour east of Austin. I had never been out there before, and I was eager to get a sneak preview of the course for next month's race out there...until the alarm clock went off at 6am that is. Kurt dragged me out of bed and off we went. Thankfully, the temps weren't below 40 and it wasn't raining, those were my prerequisites for going. :) I really enjoyed the course, other than the mud that weighed down my feet! It reminded me a lot of Bastrop and Huntsville, which I both love. It felt like getting to run out there was my reward for running Waco the weekend before. My shins/calves didn't act up too much, although I did stop once or twice in the first few miles to stretch them. I managed my nutrition horribly - I give myself an F in that area during the run. All that I ate during the 3 hours that I was out there was 1 gel and 1 shot block (not 1 package of blocks, just 1 block). I could barely choke those down too. I had even brought a PB&J sandwich to eat in between loops, but it was in the car because I thought that I'd be coming back in to refuel sooner than I did. I was supposed to run one full loop then go back out for a shorter loop for 21 miles total, but by then I was already in the hole. I think that I would have done much better all around if I had done 2 of the 10 mile loops so that I could have come back in to refuel sooner then head back out. Yet another lesson learned. I guess that's why we do these training runs, right?

After a shower and a nap in the afternoon, we headed West this time out to Dripping Springs for a concert at my boss' house on Saturday night. We were very fortunate to see Slaid Cleves in a very intimate venue. We had a great time!
So, where will we be this weekend? Well, we're headed to San Antonio for the Spurs vs. Celtics game on Friday night. But, it's a scheduled "off" weekend for Jemez training, which I am going to happily take this time! (I say that now...) Seriously though, I have 3 quality workouts in a row this week between the PR and Jemez groups, so I'm sure I will welcome the down time, especially since Bandera is next weekend. I think we're going to venture out for the free SXSW show at Auditorium Shores on Saturday night to see Explosions in the Sky. Never a dull moment around here that's for sure.

"You don't always do what's smart..."

I knew last Thursday that I wasn't feeling 100%. I attributed it to just a general run down feeling from having such a busy week (on top of busy week after busy week). I definitely wasn't eating or sleeping the way that I should be. For example, I didn't have dinner last Wednesday until 9pm because my day and evening was jam-packed with work, running, and a massage. I know. My body started telling me that it wasn't happy with me the next day. I had to work late on Thursday and I missed our group workout that evening as a result, so I was able to get in some extra zzz's until K got home from the workout with dinner. Then, Friday was off to Waco after work for the race on Saturday. I had a sore throat on Friday and started taking throat lozenges with mild relief. I still wasn't feeling 100% on Saturday, but I didn't feel bad enough not to run either. But, afterwards, I was even more exhausted than usual after running 20 miles. I laid down around 6pm for a nap and didn't really get up until late Sunday morning. We were heading to San Antonio in the afternoon for the Spurs vs. Suns game, and I started having flashbacks of the last time we were there for a basketball game during Bandera race weekend when I had to make a visit to the urgent care clinic because I had been sick for days. I started popping different meds on Sunday hoping that one of them would be the magic bullet. We were still able to enjoy the game, although I knew that things were getting worse rather than getting better. I went to work yesterday and made it through the day, still hopped up on OTC meds. But, today was a different story. I went in to work, but called it quits shortly before noon. My head felt like it weighed 50 pounds, I had no energy, my ears were popping because of fluid drainage, and I couldn't focus so it was a waste of time when I really should be home in bed. So, I'm proud that I did just that.

Tonight was our first group workout of the PR for the 5k/10k group. I had accepted the fact that I was going to have to miss it...until right at 5pm. I don't know what came over me, but I started getting ready to go. The workout was a steady state run, so no track work. Somehow I rationalized that I could do the workout even if I had to slow my pace considerably to compensate for feeling like crap. Makes sense, right? K was surprised to see me in running clothes when he got home a few minutes later. You see when he asked me if I was going to run yesterday, I inquired "Would that be the smart thing to do?" He replied, "No, but you don't always do what's smart when it comes to running." Ah, he got me there. So, that's what I reminded him when he wanted to know why I was going to the workout.

The workout was a 1-mile warm-up with drills followed by a 2, 3, or 4 mile steady-state run with a 1-mile cool-down. My Garmin wasn't working so I did not have a clue as to my splits or pace while running. I asked a guy how fast we went through the first mile when we hit the 1-mile marker and he replied "7:50." Oh, crap. I have no business going that fast right now. But, it was nice to know that I could. I've done less than 5 runs on the road all year thus far. I need to remind myself what it feels like to run at a faster pace again. I do love the trails, but I also need to reconnect with my road speed again if I want to try to qualify for Boston at St. George this year. It's a long "road" ahead...

The good, the bad, and the ugly...

So often running is a combination of all that. I was originally going to just write about today's race (which ultimately had a little of all 3), but I decided that I should also write about last weekend's race to remind myself of the good stuff too. I think I focus too much on the negatives, but the successes also deserve attention to - if nothing else than to remind myself of them when the going gets tough (like it did today).

So before I get to today's race let's back up to last Saturday. Last weekend was actually scheduled to be an "off" weekend in our Jemez training plan. But, you know me, I don't know what to do with myself when we're not running, especially driving all over Texas to run. So, about the middle of the week, I started checking out the race calendar for the weekend to see if there were any good options available. And, sure enough there was. I checked in with Cheri and found out that her and Jeff were planning to run Doogie's Run in Warda, and I talked it over with K who was not enthusiastic about (a) me running when I wasn't supposed to be, and (b) me dragging him along with me, especially on a rare weekend that didn't involve travel. I think K knew that ultimately I was going to do what I wanted anyway, and he wasn't surprised when I called him at work to tell him that I had registered for the 25k.

So, last Saturday morning we headed out to Warda, about an hour east of Austin. It was a pretty easy drive, which was definitely made better by the fact that the 25k didn't start until 10am so we got to sleep in a bit before heading out. The race is held at Bluff Creek Ranch, which is home to a member of HCTR. His hospitality is really what set this race apart and made me happy that I decided to run. He opened his home to the runners, allowing us to get in out of the brutal winds while waiting for the race to start. Once we got there, I automatically started comparing myself to the other runners thinking that everyone is so much fitter and more experienced than me. It was a pretty small race, with the women actually outnumbering the men for the 25k. So, at 10am, the race director sent us on our way. I settled in with the first group of 5 runners for the first few miles until I had to stop to stretch my calves a couple of times. They loosened up quickly and I didn't have any more problems throughout the run. I was able to catch up to the other runners ahead of me about halfway through the first loop, in part due to some flat straightaways in a couple of open fields. I was amazed at how great I felt! I finished the first loop in 2nd place and was 3rd to head back out of the aid station but quickly regained the 2nd position. It was interesting to actually be running aware of where I was compared to the other runners, and Marcia definitely had me running scared for the second loop. I knew she was behind me somewhere, and I kept looking over my shoulder but never really saw her. I slowed down a few minutes overall on the second loop, but not significantly. Even though it wasn't a PR for me at this distance, it was good enough for 2nd overall and 1st female. With a larger field of runners, I probably would have been decidedly Average, but on that day, on that course, with that field of runners, those were the results. And, I will happily take them. I got a very unique award made of wood, and I also got to enjoy a yummy Longhorn burger after the race. Again, the hospitality of the RD made this race great, and I'm happy that I decided to run it.

So, everything that last Saturday was, today was the total opposite. The Toughest 'N Texas Trail Run in Cameron Park in Waco was on our training schedule for Jemez (50milers running the 50k, 50kers running 20 miles, half-marathoners running 10 miles). I have not been looking forward to this race since we got the training schedule, in part because it seemed like a jump in distance from the previous long runs (although I had actually been running slightly more in my long runs than I was scheduled for so that I would be better prepared for the increase to 20 today). I knew that today's race would be hilly, which made it a good training run for Jemez (as opposed to Prickly Pear in San Antonio which I had previously hoped to run). But, other than that, I didn't really know what to expect, which proved to be critical during my first loop.

With my race scheduled to start at 7am, we opted to drive up to Waco after work yesterday rather than head up early this morning as some of our training buddies did. Traffic on a Friday afternoon is never a good thing, even considering that we took the tollway to avoid going through Austin-Round Rock-Georgetown. I was hoping that we'd make it in time to pick up our packets so that we could save a few minutes this morning, but no such luck. We got there just as they were loading everything up and getting ready to head out. Alright, fine. So we headed over to Olive Garden for the requisite pre-long run pasta dinner then called it an early night. I have been feeling pretty run down for the past couple of days due to some jam-packed days and not enough down time, so I was eager for an early bedtime to see if the extra sleep would make a difference. The wake-up call at 6am still came early, and we quickly got ready and headed downstairs to see if the hotel already had breakfast out a little early. No such luck again, so we had to stop at a nearby gas station on the way to the race site to pick up something to eat. Note to self - don't count on breakfast from the hotel next time and make sure to bring what I want to eat with me. Once we arrived at the race start a little before 7am, I was surprised to find the 50kers still there because they were supposed to start at 6:30. Apparently their race had been delayed because the water had not arrived yet. Okay, well, that gave me a few minutes to chill then. There was supposed to be a 30 minute difference in the start time for each race, which turned out to be cut down to 15 minutes because of the race delay (this would prove significant for me during the first loop).

I was not in a good place mentally when we started the race. I was really oozing negativity, and as we know, the mental aspect of running is so, so critical. The first 3 miles of the course were really the hardest in my opinion, and I wish I had known that ahead of time because I got really overwhelmed with the negative self-talk telling myself there's no way I can do this for 20 miles, especially once I realized how long it had taken me to cover those first few miles. My shins and calves were talking to me during the first few miles as usual, so I had to stop to stretch several times. Normally, this doesn't bother me at all because I know it's necessary and that it will resolve soon. In a race setting though, it really had a negative impact on me mentally because it meant that the majority of the runners pulled away from me, especially during those first few HARD miles. Just to give you an idea of what I am talking about, there was a short uphill section through bamboo trees where the incline was so steep at a couple of points that I was nearly on all fours trying to get myself up and had to actually use the bamboo to pull me up a couple of times. Again, since I didn't know the course, I had no idea how much of the course would actually be like this.

I was essentially in meltdown mode for the majority of the first loop. Seriously. To top it off, the lead 10 miler guys passed me at mile 2 (remember, I had a 15 minute head start on them and they were already passing me so early on the course). K was in 3rd place and he passed me a few minutes later. Then, more of the fasties passed me, but what really exacerbated the meltdown was that the middle of the packer 10milers were also passing me. Yes, I know they were not running as far as I was so they could maintain a faster pace, but there is no excuse for me to have been in that position. I didn't want to be out there. I wasn't having fun. I wanted to quit.

And, then I hit the second aid station after mile 7. I drank some DP (I drank coke for the first time during a trail race during Palo Duro last year and I think it really helped), and I was like a new runner at that point. I made a huge attitude adjustment and got myself through the first loop. I checked in with K, told him about the horrible part of my first loop, and informed him and myself that I was in a much better place now and would be okay. Quitting didn't even enter my mind again at that point. I knew what was to come and was much better prepared to handle it. My legs never really felt heavy or too tired, and I was happy that I was able to run so many of the hills during the second loop. I even passed several other 20 mile runners on that loop, so that was good. I finished feeling strong, but the important part is that I finished which seemed impossible for awhile there.

So, there ya have it. The good, the bad, and ugly as promised. And, lessons learned.

Where have I been?

I haven't been blogging much lately. 4 posts in February? I'm not entirely sure what to attribute the decrease to. We've certainly been busy as usual and had our fair share of happenings lately (heck, I even won a trail race this weekend so you'd think that would warrant a post of it's own on a blog about running!). But, a lot of our life is the same old stuff too - work, run, repeat. Not to imply that any of that is boring or repetitive. Well, work can be. I guess I just haven't felt like taking the time to blog in my already seemingly over scheduled life.

So, let's start back with an update...

Running...I have still been running exclusively on the trails (other than a short slip back to the road for the sake of convenience once a couple of weeks ago) and am still loving it. I think K and I are both curious to see if I can really go back to road running this summer for training for St. George (which I confirmed my guaranteed entry for this year). The 5k/10k PR group starts up next week, so that will be a preliminary test of how I feel to be back on the track in well over a year now. I've been having some tightness in my shins again lately which is related to the tightness of my calves. It is apparent during the first couple of miles during my runs, but then dissipates once I stretch a few times. I have been trying to do better about rolling out my calves and have continued with my regular massages, but it's definitely something to continue to monitor. We have a hilly race in Waco on tap for this weekend (K is running 10, I am running 20).

Work...This week will mark a huge shift in my primary job responsibilities at work which should allow me to get back to doing what I enjoy - seeing kids. I will be handing off a lot of the managerial aspects of my job to another one of my staff members who has been promoted into a new position (which was created to compensate for the fact that we lost the other psychologist position to a different unit). This is the part of my job that I liked the least and that took up the majority of my time, so I am really hopeful that my morale will improve once I get back to doing clinical work again! I was invited for the second year in a row to speak to the UT law students in the juvenile justice clinic today, and I had such a good time! I really enjoyed sharing my knowledge with them and helping them become better attorneys in some small way. I am fortunate that I get to do a relatively good bit of training in my job, which I enjoy. Long-term, I got info this week about our retirement plan at work. If I maintain employment with the County, then I will be eligible for retirement at 52. That sounds so good! Although it means 20 more years...that doesn't sound so good.

Travel...We are definitely on the go. We have a lot of weekend trips planned for running - training runs and races - over the next few months. In terms of non-running trips, we are also getting ready to book our trip to Singapore at the end of May/beginning of June. K is going to take the remainder of his sabbatical (1 month) and I got approval from my boss today to take the 2 weeks off that I was hoping. K's best man moved out there shortly after our wedding last year and will be there until September, so we are going to take advantage of knowing someone there and going to visit. We're also hoping to go to Malaysia and Thailand while we're out there as well, although his friend mentioned that there has been some political unrest in Thailand so it might not be the best time to go.

K & m...It's amazing to me to realize that we have been married for 6 months now. I cannot believe that time has passed so quickly! We also recently had the 3-year anniversary of when we first met. What a great 3 years it has been!

So, that should catch you up a little bit.