The fall racing season is in full swing. Every weekend I look forward to the event on my calendar, wishing the day would last just a little bit longer. These events are the rewards for the time spent training, working, stressing. This is me time.
Since I have been without internet for the last few weeks (and therefore completely out of touch with reality) I have to go back to October to catch you up on the most recent events. My life is finally settling down and I'm adjusting to my new routine. I've always embraced change. I fully believe in spring fever. I think that it's important to take stock of things once a year and clean out the clutter that has accumulated in my house, life, job, relationships, etc. This year "spring" came a little earlier than I had anticipated and it has definitely caught me off guard. But I just have to keep rolling with the punches. What else can you do?
So today I am going to give a little contrast between the joys of trail racing (Cave Creek Thriller, October 29) and the art of road racing (The Women's Half Marathon, November 6).... I close my eyes and go back to the start line...
Cave Creek Thriller:
The morning was warm by the time our 8 AM start rolled around. I was amped up and ready to get the show on the road (or trail as it were). If you remember my post from last year, this event was my first real exposure to trail racing, and I bonked badly in the 3rd loop. I ended up walking about 4 miles and my friend who was also racing actually came back out on course looking for me when she realized she'd been done for over an hour and I was still MIA. My goal this year was to take an hour off of my time, and hopefully place in the top 3 women.
I planned to wear my hydration pack for the entire 19.6 miles. I decided that I'd rather schlep the extra weight than risk a repeat of last year. The course was slightly different this year with the first 10k being on an out and back on a rocky, technical (read: really freakin' awesome!) trail. After the 10k, the course continued on a two loop course which had some challenging hills but only one technical descent. And the final 1 1/2 miles of each loop was downhill. Fast, hold-on-tight, smokin' downhill.
I hauled ass for the first 7 miles, averaging a sub- 9 minute pace. Once I hit the loop part of the course I started working on my nutrition plan and walked the steep uphill at the start of the loop, running the rest of the loop. I succeeded in taking an hour off my time, crossing the finish line in 3:31. I missed the top 3 (I think I may have been 6th?) but there is definitely more competition this year as word has spread about how awesome the Aravaipa series is.
Afterwards I hung out and ate some pumpkin pie and tried to ease my cramping adductor. Eventually I poured my tired ass into my car and drove back to the east valley to meet a friend for pizza. We chatted about life and he helped me to gain a little perspective. After I was well fed I stopped for some ice on my way home and treated myself to an ice bath to soothe my legs.
Fast forward 7 days....
The Women's Half Marathon:
Several weeks before race day, my good friend and training partner (HP) told me she was going to run the half. She had been targeting the 5k, but wanted a bigger challenge. She met me at my house early on Sunday morning and my husband drove us to the start line.
I was ready to run a solid race, but I think I was more excited for her to have a great time. There is nothing like tackling a new challenge to boost your self esteem and make you feel like you can do anything. We did a little warm up and handed off our extra clothes. I lined up in the front row and when the gun went off I shot out of there like a bullet!
I went out way too hard for the first mile. Not intentionally I was just running on pure adrenaline. At mile one, I was in about 5th place. This should have been my first clue to slow down considering that last year I placed 90th overall. Oh well. I would slow down eventually.
I had hoped to run a 1:40, but as the miles ticked by I realized that I was holding my pace well and could potentially even PR. My husband kept popping up along the course shouting encouragement. At about mile 9 we turned into a head wind, and were running up a hill and I began to feel every ounce of effort that I had expended in the first hour of racing. I passed my friends on my way back to the finish line but barely had the energy to acknowledge them as they ran by. I was gulping Gatorade hoping to have a little burst of energy to get me to the finish. I had nothing left.
With a quarter mile to go, I saw my husband for the final time. He shouted at me to keep pushing- knowing my PR was close but not realizing how much there was left to run. I crossed the line in 1:36:45... missing my PR by 44 seconds. And I placed in the top 45 overall. I was thrilled! I had no intention of running a 1:36, and I felt even more confident that in December, when I want to run a PR, I will be able to reach that goal.
I cooled down a little and watched for HP to come around the final corner. At just over 2:10 she came by smiling. I was beyond excited. She completely smashed every expectation I had for her in this event. And her first words across the finish line? "Bring on the marathon!" By the end of the day she had signed up for her first marathon in 8 weeks from now! I can't wait to watch her complete that goal. 8 months ago she didn't run. Now she is a runner. Amazing. We celebrated with breakfast at the Gilbert House (YUM-O) and coffee and recounted our adventures. I went home a very happy girl.
So to compare: I ran the trail race at about a 10:45 pace and completely smashed myself. I was sore for days and felt great about my accomplishment. I ran the half marathon at 7:21 pace and completely smashed myself. I was sore for days and felt great about my accomplishment. How do you choose? For me, I don't. I do it all. My heart loves the trails and being out in nature with the solitude and lack of noise, crowds, traffic. My soul loves the thrill of flying and running faster that I think I possibly can, challenging myself, and achieving something that is just on the edge of impossible. I need to feed both heart and soul.
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