TT Running Club

“Damn BowlderMan, you sure that isn't your DNA spectrum and you are looking for someone to replicate you?

OK Dunadan, You just spurned me to register for the Chicago Marathon. I've committed with cash now. AllRight!! Let'sRun!!!

birch, I hope you'll be fine. Have you ever met Hal Higdon? He is a very entertaining speaker.”

“Hubcap, I would love to meet Hal. But havent as of yet. Does he do speaking engagements?”

“OK Birch, how ya feelin' today?! Marathon on Sunday, right? Go for it, dude!!

I decided to put the pedal to the metal a little on my run yesterday, so I chose one of my favorite regular runs, my 10k "Hills of Severe Pain" course. I didn't go all out, but definitely tried to push it somewhat throughout. Lately I've been clocking about 47 minutes or so on the course. Yesterday I cranked it out in 44:15! That's about 7:10 pace; not my fastest, but definitely showing that I'm getting into shape. I can tell it's Spring, though - it felt like I inhaled about 3 pounds of pollen, AHCHOO!”

“Le Subtil's running too, right? Good luck!! Anybody else?

BTW, guys, which marathon is it?”

“LeSubtil and I are both running the half, Birch is doing the full. here's the race”

“Wow, looks like a FUN event. Especially when they have to have this as part of the instructions:

"Nude bathing is not permitted at the start or finish. (nor during the race)"”

“No tolerance for quitters at that race. "Crawl, if you have to." Gotta love that.
Bowlder, your times are obscene. I order you to slow down so I can catch up.
Hubcap, way to go! Nothing like cash to make a person commit. See you there.
Sass, Birch, and LeSubtil...GO FOR THE GLORY!!! The TT Running Club will expect a full trip report on Monday. I can't wait.”

“Ha, Dun! I almost quoted the same line!!

You wanna see some obscene times, bring aero back onto this thread....

Had an interesting 3+ mile jog at lunch. Saw some of the baby Canada geese - they're in what I call their "teenager" age now. Getting big, but still kind of awkward. Then there was the minivan on its roof on the street near the lake. Couldn't quite tell how it happened, but it didn't look like anyone was seriously hurt. Beautiful day here today, in the 70's with plenty of sun!”

“Phoenix Lake?”

“Sass, Birch and Le Subtil good luck to all of you Sunday.

Nashville is having its annual Country Music Marathon and 1/2 marathon tomorrow. I usually get up when it is over with :)

This yrs race has 5300 people doing the full marathon and 11,000 doing the half marathon. It will be a mad house tomorrow downtown.

The race has 27 stages where bands will be playing every so many miles along the route. They have high school cheerleaders out giving support to the runners along with all he people in the neighborhoods that the race goes through.

The last 4 yrs a Kenyan has won the event. ”

“Dun - Lake Merritt in Oakland....”

“ewker, that sounds like a very fun run. I would much rather do a run like that then just a plain ole road run.

Bowlderman, I still feel like crap. Worse then yesterday,I am pretty tired I skipped my 4 mile trot tonite and will pass on my 2 mile stretch run tomorrow. My voice is cracking badly and it hurts to talk,which is good for my co-workers but bad for me.

Thanks for the well wishes and for all the encouragement. This is by far my favorite thread. I love to read about all of your experiences and get some great advise. Thanks again! And at 961 post we are still on topic.That must be a TT record.

I already started figuring out what to wear. Its supposed to be a high of 59 and rain (t-storms) which will make a cold morn.I dont mind running in the rain at all,I actually like it. But if its cold its really gonna be a challenge. I spent sometime time talking with my running "mentor" at work today. Got somegreat advise on pacing through my first 13.1 and the working on a mild speed up form 13.1 to about 18 or so and then really picking up the pace. If I recal the last few miles are fairly flat for the course. I am not worried about the dreaded wall around mile 20. I "eat" loads of gel and honey/peanut butter mix when I run so I never really feel tapped. I have before but have been eating extra good this week. My pre-race dinner is gonna be fresh baked pita bread,hummous,salmon and a large salad with a huge glass of water.

I am super-geeked up if it wasnt too obvious!”

“Can't wait to hear about it, Birch. I hope you run the race you want to. Just remember to have fun, and the faster you run, the sooner you're done.
Bowlder, sorry, I will quit living vicariously through you...........maybe. So many of your posts remind me of the old stompin' grounds though.....”

“fresh baked pita bread,hummous,salmon and a large salad

birch
06:32:10 PM
04/23/04


mmmm, sounds good.

Remember, toenails are really overrated.”

“My bro and I are running the Draft Day Dash this morning (sponsored by the Bucs). At the end, you run across the field and the finish line is on the far end-zone, while the Buccaneer cheerleaders are, well, cheerleading. It's a fun, silly little race.”

“Enjoy yourself Artex.

I have decided that I run faster in the morning.
Ran last night w/ my dad on the rail trail which is fairly flat. 3.5 miles. Couldn't keep up w/ him at all. I was running somewhere around 9:30 min miles. This morning, bright and early, we ran in the nature center which is hilly and I managed to keep up w/ him and his 9 min miles (which is still slow for him). I've been concentrating on my breathing more and finding it's helped me run faster.

MMers - Have fun on Sunday. Good luck to all of you.”

“Your plans sound great, I look forward to reading the report.

My brother and I finished the 5k this morning at 25:34. I let him set the pace, and he did great. He's recently just gotten back in shape, and even still, he has a naturally large frame (he's 6'4", weighs about 210), so for him to set that kind of pace is impressive.”

“Well, the race was run. LeSubtil did awesome with a 2:23, I believe (I may be off a bit). I ran well enough. I finished in 2:35. The course was gorgeous, full of wild flowers, birdsong and mud. LeSubtil and I saw two deer dash across the trail just at the start of the half marathon. We got alittle wet but the rain was nice. Joe did great too but I can't remember his time off hand and he's asleep.

Funny thing, I thought I knew this trail well from hiking it several times. I really got to know it today, it was tough. It was a great time though. I know I could've gone faster but I was comfortable the whole time, didn't hurt and wanted to keep it that way. My goal was to finish and have fun and I met it. I definately want to do this race again and can't wait for the road half marathon on June 6th.

The shirt we all got is neat, it's coolmax, has a bunch of triangles across the chest that have different grades on 'em from 8% to 48% and then says below them "All of the above" and goes on to say the date and name of the race.

Thanks for all the well wishes and encouragement everyone, you all are the best.”

“Well, my short lived nap is over. My leg are sore and they kept waking me up LOL!

Got to the race early,about 720am. Got our shirts and time chips visited with a co-worker and her sister. We bumped into LeSubtil about 15 min later. We hung out and chatted. I got ready and decided to leave before the official start (the chip is so cool you can leave whenever you want). I headed out at 738am.

The first 6.5 miles are pretty much all up and down, very little flats. I watched my heart rate monitor carefullt trying to keep by rate in the low 140's. It spiked on the hills but settled back down quickly. I had the course pretty much to myself for an hour or so but then the real runners showed up. Holy cow they were moving!!! Like gazelles they were...

Felt pretty good, no aches or pains yet. It began to rain and would continue for maybe 90 minutes, not too hard but pretty steady. It was good running weather. The trail wasnt too slippery as not many runners had been through yet.

About mile 10 my right hip-flexor began to tighten. I didnt like that much with 16 to go but it wasnt too bad. Lots of great down hills really long and fast and a few killer ups that were gonna be walked, running em woulda been a killer, especially with a second lap coming up. Saw a sign for Ernies Diner on a tree, I wondered what it was. Turns out it was an aid station. I carried my camelbak so I didnt need water but the gatorade was good.

I made it through lap one with a split of about 2:23. I knew at that point setting a PR was not on the docket for the day. My quads were really getting tight and the next 6 miles worked me over good. I walked pretty much every after the 1/2 way point. It wasnt all that much easier but it kept my HR from spiking wildly. Plus it made the pain a bit different, noy gone, just different. My lungs felt good, never got winded but even with all the hill training I did,my quads were hammered. Mile 19.5 found me back at Ernies diner happily enjoying more gatorade and some aspirin for my legs. It didnt help. I was feeling pretty rough and the 6 plus miles to go seemed a long haul. I ran when I could, walked when I needed to. Got to see a nice big hawk while doing part of the walk. The hills mellowed out on the last six (excluding a couple big mothers) so I was able to run quite a bit more. My pace was slow and my feet were achy but I was making progress.

While looking for mile 22 I found mile 23. What a shot in the arm! It was like a time warp or something. The last 5k was long but I was excited about finishing and getting off of my feet. Again, my erradic sprints down hill,trot on flats and limp up hills style carried me through. I hit the 26.1 mark and sprinted the final .1 in to the gate. LeSubtil and His wife and Sass were there waiting. We hung out for 15 minutes or so, said our congrats and tiredly drove home.

My time was 4hrs 52 minutes. About 52 minutes slower then I was hoping, but I WAAAYYY underestimated the difficulty of the hills and the affect they'd have. To say I was humbled would be an understatement.

Congrats to LeSubtil! It was great to see you guys again. You did awesome. Maybe we can make this a tradition?

And a big tip of the cap to my wife Sass!! She jsut started running in january and her first race ever was an extremely tough 13.1 miler. She trained hard and had a blast. Her finishing today is far more rewarding to me then my entire race was! Seeing her smile with pride at the accomplishment is a truly wonderful thing!

Thnaks again you all for the encouragement!”

“Sass, Birch and LeSubtil congrats to all of you.”

“Congrats. Glad everyone had fun.”

“Thanks Ewker and Tarabull.

Woke up to some wonderful footbed pain. I think there is some bruising below the surface. I took a sick day, the cold I am fighting is heading south. I want to have the doc see whats up before my lungs are filled up.”

“We started our day pretty early; had to leave home by 5 AM to get to the trailhead, allowing a little extra time as I wasn't sure of the place. It rained most of the drive down, sometimes very hard, making me nervous. My wife came along to cheer and take pictures and help at the aid stations. She has started running too, but wisely wouldn't do this one yet.
I was excited beyond belief. I had barely slept, and drank too much coffee on the drive. My hands were shaking like a leaf.
Got registered and changed. Found my friends Sass and Birch, who had brought me into this little adventure. (Great to see you two again!)
I think it was in the 40's and drizzling; and I was unsure of what to wear. I ended up in shorts and a long sleeved top and I got very chilled waiting for the start. They ended up being the right choice.

I chose the half marathon, 13.1 miles, but that's the longest I've ever raced, and my first trail race (as opposed to asphalt road). They specifically chose a very hilly section of trail, and to great effect! I live where it's almost completely flat, so I didn't get much hill training in.
I had gotten a cold earlier in the week. I was very very sick Wednesday and when it moved into my chest I was worried that I couldn't even run. Thanks to the suggestion of a friend for echinacea & zinc lozenges, and a vaporizer, I got to the start feeling pretty good.
It was raining at the beginning of the race and about 45 degrees(?). The rain gradually tapered off and it warmed up to the mid fifties.

It's a lot greener down there, 100 miles south of where I live. I saw many, many wildflowers, including one patch of Trilliums. The trees are leafing out and the woods floor is becoming green. I found this very refreshing.
I did get a chance to see some wildlife close up. As my group started, within 1/4 mile of the start (which was the beach at Silver Lake St. Park) two seemingly huge deer, spooked by something or someone, were bolting across the grass full speed directly towards us. At this point were still pretty tightly grouped, and they passed behind me and in front of the next person. As if the start of a race isn't enough of an adrenaline rush already!

The hills were challenging, but I had been warned and expected as much or worse. I was surprised that the trail was in as good as shape as it was; I started after the full marathoners and towards the back of the half runners. There were very few slippery sections; lots of places had had gravel added. I though they had done great preparation of the trail to accommodate 1000+ runners. Even so I managed to find a slippery root 3 miles into the race and fell. Luckily (not intentionally) I rolled with it and only scraped a knee a little.

My body felt great but my lungs were straining, so I just settled into my long run pace and tried to enjoy the race. The other runners were quite friendly and talkative. I ran most of the second half in front of a guy and behind a girl who had the same pace and didn't want to walk the hills. Sadly, I lost her at the finish and never did get to see who he was...

I did realize my only goal, which was to run the entire race without walking. Finished in 2 hr. 23 minutes.

I had a little left to sprint to the finish but boy, was I wasted for a few minutes after!!! Took a walk into the lake to cool my legs off and decided to just jump in to rinse the grime off. Ate more bagels than I could count, got a picture of Birch finishing, and decided to get on the road home before rigor mortis set in.

I have to say it was the most fun run I've ever done. The other racers were as friendly as can be and the volunteers were fantastic.

The people involved in this race do a very nice job, and get my thanks. I had a fantastic time!

Thanks for inviting me to this run, Birch. It was one I'll always remember!

Pics tomorrow...only a few...”

“...and thanks to everyone here, for both the encouragement, and the congratulations.”

“Okay, I have three new heroes now.
Birch, thanks for the detailed report. Congratulations on a good and tough run. The reward comes at a cost, doesn't it?
Sass, I can't believe this is your first race. You did very well, and began your career at a distance that most runners never attempt. Way to go.
LeSubtil, non-stop congratulations to you, also. Thanks to your wonderful reporting, I'm going to do a trail run. It's been all pavement for me up to now. But you three convinced me that I have to try this. Anyway, the deer at the start was a good omen for you, I can tell.
My next foray into racing will be on the 31st of May, (unless a 5K pops up that I don't know about yet). I will be running an odd distance- an 8K. It's a hilly course in Kansas City and ends going uphill. (What kind of meany designs these courses?)
Don't forget to get out and loosen up those muscles with some easy runs, you three.”

“yo GO peeps! i'm very impressed.”

“Way to go, gang! Sounds like a "fun" time was had by all - after reading your reports, I am very envious. Sounds like a course that was challenging enough to make you proud to have finished it, but not so much that it was miserable (or impossible!). Try to get out and jog and/or walk a little over the next few days....”

“when i run, i get this stabbing pain in my left shoulder. well, maybe "stabbing" isn't the right word...it isn't THAT bad, but it ain't pleasant either! it feels sorta like a stich in your side does, except it's in my shoulder joint. i'm not like flailing my arms or anything when i run, not that i'm aware of or anything.
;-)”

“...oh yeah, i guess the "question" part would be, "whazzup wit dat?"”

“I think it's terminal. Might as well just take the black capsule now, and save yourself the trouble....”

“I tried to jog a bit at the gym today. My knee (left one I smashed up at the mtn biking clinic two weeks ago) said "NO!", so I rode the bike for 40 minutes. I'll try again tomorrow.

Five weeks until the next race. I'll go faster for that one. ;)”

“grrrrrrrr. ;-P”

“Did you take it yet, lyra?”

“Lyra, My shoulders hurt when I run sometimes too. I try and keep my arms totally relaxed, not swinging back and forth hardly at all, just held up and still sort of, hands floppy. It helps.”

“5 points for identifying the "black capsule" reference....



Seriously, where do you mean in the shoulder area?”

“my, we're a little eager about the death-caplet, aren't we, Bowlder?? LOL!”

“in the joint region. i try to keep my arms pretty relaxed, too, Sass...weird.”

“I can see lyra jogging down the trail now. Arms being flung side to side in some weird a$$ motion...LMAO”

“yeah, that's a riot! ;-D actually, i do have the sneaking suspicion i may run like an idiot, but that would fit in well with the overall theme, so i'm not worried.”

“Gee, I dunno. Maybe try a little stretching before you start your run? I would guess you have a tendency to subconsciously tense up your shoulders while running - pretty common. Just watch other runners; you'll see that a lot.”

“yeah, i guess i must. i was trying to keep my arms still, i think, to see if it was because i was moving them too much that made them hurt. i just have to concentrate on relaxing them! is that like trying not to think of a pink elephant? ;-)”

“My daughter, who ran cross-country in high school, used to have bad neck and shoulder pains. Her's were easily alleviated by learning to relax her upper body. I hope your remedy is as easy, Lyra. Smooth strides are the best.

Ten last night, and I felt quite good. It's getting better all the time, better, better, better. (Cue the Beatles)”

“you cute little ray of sunshine!”

“big time smooches being transported to the DC area....”

“I've had that pain, lyra. It's like a cramp and it just pops up sometimes. I've heard that it's like a side stitch from gas (really!) and puts pressure on a nerve that you can feel in your shoulder blade.”

“Aero, I think most of Lyra's gas pains are limited to her cranial area.”

“Is this helping at all, lyra?”

“hot air, what hot air?

well, i'll be hornswaggled, Aero! gas pains in my shoulder...wow. well, at least some of you people know what i'm talking about!”

“Another sick day today. My cold is worsening. Hopefully it'll go soon. I am sure sick of coughing.”

“I'm still sore from our big Peaks to Prairie relay race this weekend.
It started up in the mountains with a 9 mile run down the Beartooth Highway, then a 42 mile bike leg and a 21 mile canoe or kayak down the Yellowstone River. My quads are trashed-- I just did the running leg! We ended up first in the Masters Racing category(old guys 40+). The Yellowstone was really low and there was a strong headwind so our canoers really pulled one out! If I could only do one race per year (and I'm probably limited to that anymore the way my knees feel) I'd do this one.”