« A few more runs | Main | Tempo Run »
August 20, 2004
Another Update...
The last week has been so busy. School (I'm a teacher, dean & coach) is starting up again-- so I've been busy talking to our xc captains, going on our big senior retreat, meeting with colleagues to talk about curriculum for the upcoming year, etc.!
Friday
I drove up to Portland, OR last Friday. It was a super long trip, but I made it with an old college friend, teammate and we ended up talking nearly the entire time. We had Cosmo, my whippet, with us and we were hoping we might be able to stop in Eugene and show Cosmo the Prefontaine trail...but alas it was too late by the time we made it that far north.
Saturday
I got up super early on Saturday (4:45 am) so that I could surprise my husband and come back early to the bay area. The traffic really wasn't too bad. I stopped a lot for cold water and to use the restrooms. A few times I would get off an exit and then I'd have to drive a few extra miles to find the correct on ramp that was going South! I ended up getting back to the bay area around 3:30 or so. I was so tired but happy to be back. As soon as I got home I realized that I had to drop something off at the mailbox downtown. I decided to talk the puppies with me and run down with the dogs and my package! This turned out to be quite an adventure. The post office wasn't open by the time I got there so I had to run back home with this heavy package...luckily by this point the puppies weren't pulling as much...but I still must have looked funny with 2 dogs dragging me around town and a huge package under my right arm! Once I got home I dropped off the puppies and package and decided to run ~3 more miles easy to prepare for Sunday's "workout"/"fun run/race". I ran the 3 miles really easy...the night was cool and it felt nice to be free and running after being in the car so long.
Sunday
Today I ran a hilly hilly 4.8 or so mile club run. These club runs are once a month. Some people race them every month, some people run them for fun and others just go out to ensure they beat their rivals.
I decided to use the run as a warm up for the xc season. I wanted to see where I was at and my secondary goal was to make sure I beat my brother in law. We run together quite a bit and he can be very competitive ( I guess I can be too). But I really wanted to beat him.
The run is flat for the first mile. Then you climb up a 600 -700 meter hill. Then there is a very steep down hill...it's at least 800 meters long... and then you have to climb up two more hills. One that is very gradual, but long. The other that is very steep and pretty long especially if you hate hills. The final mile of the race returns on the first flat mile we started off on.
As soon as the run started my legs felt so tired. I wondered if I was tired from all of the driving I had done or from the workouts I had done the last few days. For the first mile my brother in law ran right behind me. Once we hit the first hill, I felt better. I didn't want to go up too fast, because I knew we still had at least 1 mile up of hill left later in the course. On the big downhill at least 6 men passed me. They were just flying! No brakes on them. Finally we hit the mile up hill and I just felt great. I gradually started to pick guys off and by the top of the steep hill I had caught the main pack...we were running in the top 5 -10 overall. Unfortunately on the final mile stretch the guys pulled away from me...and I had to just try to hang on. No one passed me, so that was good. I finished in 11th place overall. First woman overall. & over a minute in front of my brother in law. I think I have a lot of strength right now, not much speed but that doesn't need to come along until November...!
I ran 31:46
Monday
Today I ran 8.1 miles with my brother in law. We ran on the mountain down to the ocean. It was a beautiful run. We ran the first half at a good clip and the second half pretty easy (it was all up hill and my brother in law wanted to start his taper for a 50k he's doing this weekend!).
In the afternoon I ran 3.5 more miles with some athletes that I coach. We ran easy around a lake. It was great.
Tuesday
Today I really wanted to get into the city to do a hill workout with a women's team that I compete with. Unfortunately my husband and I had to finish up a Postering job that we are working on for a friend of ours. We ended up driving around the county for 3+ hours between 5-9 to finish up the job. After working a full day and driving around town I really wasn't up for a run at all-- so today was a day off!
Wednesday
Today I was up in the country. I was involved with the Senior retreat at the school I teach at. My job was to lead the hike. Over the two days I led four groups of students on a 2 mile hike that took the students to a peak of about 900 feet... the view was awesome ; not everyone got to see the view however because in the morning the fog was incredibly thick. In between hikes I decided to take adventure of the "hike route" and I ran some hill/mountain repeats. I ran 3 x ~ 1 mile ish reps. I didn't bother timing myself because I just wanted to go entirely on effort. I decided to pick up the pace on each rep. The workout was awesome. I began the workout as the fog was rolling in. As soon as I was done, my legs were absolutely beat. (but i felt great!!!) I think hill workouts are my favorite types of runs. The challenge is so concrete and obvious. It really is action in the line of the greatest resistance. No matter how you feel you are always getting a good workout in and when you are done you just feel great!
Thursday
Today I got up early and ran with some students. We ran about 2.5 to 3 miles. I led a few more of those 2 mile hikes and then in the evening I ran with some club friends over by the lake. We ran about 6.5 to 7 miles. The route included a hill that's about 1000 feet. We started the run around 5:15 and the temperature and atmosphere was just perfect. By the time the run was finishing up the colors were just starting to hit the sky and the lake was started to pick up the colors too...it was just beautiful. I was a bit tired on this run. My legs were pretty beat from the hill repeats and all of the hiking. All in all it was a good day...being outside so much was just Great!!!!
Posted by liz at August 20, 2004 10:11 AM
Comments
Hi Liz! Thanks for the update. Sounds like you have been very busy. Good job at the TCRS. Which course were you running? How did Neal feel after the race? Your effort sounds really good. I am glad you were able to get in that race. I know you will have an awesome cross country season. Hope to talk to you soon. I am going to try to do a long run on Monday. I'll fill you in. Take care, Mary
Posted by: Mary at August 20, 2004 02:32 PM