This has been an amazing week for me. Over the last two days, I've logged about 28 miles on trail, and some of these miles were pretty brutal (think climbing a ski slope sans lift). Any climbs like this are especially beneficial when I consider what I have in store at the Hyner View Challenge in April. I ran most of these miles with a crew from the local running club after I saw a post for the run on the club's Facebook page.
Following through and actually showing up for this run was a huge accomplishment for me, something that I never would have imagined doing a few years ago, as I have struggled for as long as I can remember with varying degrees of social anxiety. At times this anxiety was so acute, I would retreat to the car during parties where I knew only a few people, insisting that my husband stay and socialize. As I contemplated this run, I realized the confidence that running has afforded me: shy me; off to run with a group of people that I probably never met before. I mustered my courage and went!
Saturday's run was on trail I had never had the opportunity to explore and I was giddy to get out there. I recognized a few faces right away, but mostly it was people I didn't recognize. Everyone was very friendly and encouraging. The trail went quickly from being pretty runnable to an icy, snow-covered downhill as we descended down the mountain. I was amazed no one ended up tumbling to the bottom.
What goes down must go back up, and what a climb! Someone clued me in that this was a pretty good preview of what I have in store in April. I felt like I was climbing a boulder-covered ski slope. We rested for a few brief minutes at the top before starting out again down a fire road. This is when it got interesting. I suddenly felt like I was treading water as the collective mass of people just pulled away. Luckily even though I kept bringing up the rear, it wasn't by a huge amount, and someone was always waiting to make sure I wasn't left behind. Initially I felt pretty sheepish for holding everyone up, but I was assured by several people I really was holding my own.
Close to 3 hours and 13 miles later, and we were back to the cars, and I was glad I took a huge leap of faith in doing something so far out of my usual comfort zone. I met some pretty cool trail runners and got to enjoy a breathtaking new trail.
Sunday was another first. Several people were going out first thing in the morning to check and run the course for the Ugly Mudder, which was happening later in the day. I signed up to run Mudder a few weeks ago, and the idea of tacking on some extra mileage by running it twice really appealed to me. Amazingly I was actually able to walk after Saturday's shenanigans, so I showed up to run both the pre-run and the race. This was a bit more of a leisurely pace than the day before, and I could feel that my legs were not exactly fresh. This was really the idea, because I was focused on the miles.
The hardest part of my day was the downtime between finishing the first run of the course and the race. I was desperate for coffee and a snack, but didn't think to bring anything with me. The amount of food I usually eat is ridiculous, so even after a large breakfast this was a big problem. Luckily the bar was open at the German club that serves as the start/finish of the race, so I grabbed two Cokes. Not ideal, but better than trying to run it again on empty.
I was surprised how well the second time went. Even though my legs were tired, I was able to run at an even effort and finished 10 minutes faster than my first attempt. This was a tough two days, but I got the mileage I was hoping to. My legs are telling me I'm going to be hurting when I wake up tomorrow, but I know the realization of how much this weekend's runs will help my overall goals will make every twinge worth it.
Sunday, January 20, 2013
Sunday, January 13, 2013
New trails and familiar stomping grounds
This has been a great week for me. Sunday I had the opportunity to explore a great trail near my parent's house at French Creek-
the Horseshoe Trail, which extends approximately 140 miles from
the middle of Pennsylvania all the way to Valley Forge.
Because I have so many races this year scheduled on trail, my aim is to run as many of my miles on trail as possible (plus the trails are just more fun). Prior to this, I have mainly restricted my trail runs to group outings due to an unfortunate mishap a few years ago where I got aimlessly lost running solo.
 |
| Another view from the Horseshoe Trail |
My training plan called for 18 miles, and I really wanted to break these beauties in. I finally bit the bullet and bought a real pair of trail shoes, rather than running in my everyday shoes. Rest assured, after my day on the trails, these shoes were definitely broken in!
I started with a loop around Hopewell Lake and caught the Horseshoe trail on the back side. I was pleasantly surprised how well-marked the trail is. The morning was brisk, with a fresh dusting of snow. I was the first to leave my footprints, and didn't see another soul until after I had made the turn-around in Warwick Park. On my way back, I saw a handful of mountain bikers, an older woman hiking, and a single trail runner. The views were breathtaking, and the background to this page is one of the photos I had to stop and capture along the way. This was a great day for me, because it gave me the confidence I need to hit the trails solo, rather than relying on others' whims to guide my running.
Fast forward to yesterday. I decided to take a brisk 9-mile run around Lake Ontelaunee, which is just a mile or so from my front door. Although this is mostly road, it is a very scenic route with little traffic, due to several bridges being closed to motorized vehicles. It was a great morning, and I was surprised at the ease I felt cruising along at a sub 9-minute pace. I quickly changed into new gear and headed up to Hamburg, where my brother was waiting to torture me with a crossfit workout. While I'm not a die-hard fan, I find these workouts a great way to incorporate some strength and conditioning into my routine.
The workout he had planned is nicknamed "filthy 50" for good reason, as it entailed 50 reps of the following:
- box jumps
- jump pull-ups
- burpees
- back extensions
- wall ball
- walking lunges
- over unders
- push press
- knees to elbows
- overhead kettle bell swings
Up next: Ugly Mudder Trail race 1/20
Saturday, January 5, 2013
Stepping into new shoes
This blog is a new endeavor for me, a way to share all my running adventures without boring my non-running friends by clogging up their Facebook feeds.
A little about me to start, for those of you that may not know me in person. I am a full-time nurse, wife, and mother of two boys, a 3-year old and a 7-month old. I am also in grad school. I started running about 8 years ago because I felt that as a nurse, I should model a healthy lifestyle. Prior to choosing this major lifestyle change, I was a fat child that then went on to struggling with both anorexia and bulimia in my late teens. I also picked up the bad habit of smoking when I was 16, and continued until the night before I graduated nursing school in 2005.
When I first started running in 2005, I just wanted some form of exercise that would keep me healthy and engaged. I had no intention of becoming a "runner", as I was equally enamored with weights and actually contemplated doing some fitness competitions. What changed was the thrill I discovered when I tackled a new distance; this is what lead me to become the runner I am today. I started with a 5k race that winter, and realized that I was a decent competitor. After that, I decided to see if I could cross off doing a marathon from my bucket list, which happened fall of 2006. It was a few years until I would tackle this distance again.
In 2009, I became a mother for the first time and needed to get back in shape after allowing myself to gain 50 pounds during the course of my pregnancy. Rather than struggling with fitting runs into my new schedule, I found that needing to schedule everything ahead of time, rather than just winging it worked wonders for my running. I found a new solace in being out by myself, recharging myself to deal with the other facets of my life.
Today, I have morphed into a hard-core mostly trail runner that relishes each new distance that I'm tackling. Prior to the birth of my second son in June of 2012, I had tackled my first two 50ks and felt very strong doing so. I actually raced a 50k very hard the beginning of October 2011, felt great, then found out 4 days later that baby number two was on the way. I made a decision at that point to stick to roads for the duration of my pregnancy, for fear of falling on trail. This is when I realized the trail was calling me more than the road. I took 9 days off after having my little guy and ramped right back up on my training, completing a marathon less than 6 months after giving birth.
2013: My training has continued to grow and improve, and I have the most demanding race schedule of my life for this year. Here are some of the highlights, although there are many shorter races that I won't bother to list:
*1/20/13: Ugly Mudder 7.2 mile trail race
*2/24/13: Chilly Cheeks 7.3 mile trail race
*4/6/13: Garden Spot Marathon
*4/20/13: Hyner View 50k
*5/26/13: Dirty German 50m
*7/6/13: Finger Lakes 50m
*8/11/13: Half Wit half marathon trail race
*9/1/13: Labor Pains 12-hour endurance race
*9/28/13: Bald Eagle Megatransect
*10/2/13: Blues Cruise 50K
*10/21/13: Hershey half marathon
*11/10/13: Harrisburg marathon
*11/17/13: Philadelphia marathon.
Some of the dates are guesses, as the registrations are not yet open, based upon when they took place in 2012.
A little about me to start, for those of you that may not know me in person. I am a full-time nurse, wife, and mother of two boys, a 3-year old and a 7-month old. I am also in grad school. I started running about 8 years ago because I felt that as a nurse, I should model a healthy lifestyle. Prior to choosing this major lifestyle change, I was a fat child that then went on to struggling with both anorexia and bulimia in my late teens. I also picked up the bad habit of smoking when I was 16, and continued until the night before I graduated nursing school in 2005.
When I first started running in 2005, I just wanted some form of exercise that would keep me healthy and engaged. I had no intention of becoming a "runner", as I was equally enamored with weights and actually contemplated doing some fitness competitions. What changed was the thrill I discovered when I tackled a new distance; this is what lead me to become the runner I am today. I started with a 5k race that winter, and realized that I was a decent competitor. After that, I decided to see if I could cross off doing a marathon from my bucket list, which happened fall of 2006. It was a few years until I would tackle this distance again.
In 2009, I became a mother for the first time and needed to get back in shape after allowing myself to gain 50 pounds during the course of my pregnancy. Rather than struggling with fitting runs into my new schedule, I found that needing to schedule everything ahead of time, rather than just winging it worked wonders for my running. I found a new solace in being out by myself, recharging myself to deal with the other facets of my life.
Today, I have morphed into a hard-core mostly trail runner that relishes each new distance that I'm tackling. Prior to the birth of my second son in June of 2012, I had tackled my first two 50ks and felt very strong doing so. I actually raced a 50k very hard the beginning of October 2011, felt great, then found out 4 days later that baby number two was on the way. I made a decision at that point to stick to roads for the duration of my pregnancy, for fear of falling on trail. This is when I realized the trail was calling me more than the road. I took 9 days off after having my little guy and ramped right back up on my training, completing a marathon less than 6 months after giving birth.
2013: My training has continued to grow and improve, and I have the most demanding race schedule of my life for this year. Here are some of the highlights, although there are many shorter races that I won't bother to list:
*1/20/13: Ugly Mudder 7.2 mile trail race
*2/24/13: Chilly Cheeks 7.3 mile trail race
*4/6/13: Garden Spot Marathon
*4/20/13: Hyner View 50k
*5/26/13: Dirty German 50m
*7/6/13: Finger Lakes 50m
*8/11/13: Half Wit half marathon trail race
*9/1/13: Labor Pains 12-hour endurance race
*9/28/13: Bald Eagle Megatransect
*10/2/13: Blues Cruise 50K
*10/21/13: Hershey half marathon
*11/10/13: Harrisburg marathon
*11/17/13: Philadelphia marathon.
Some of the dates are guesses, as the registrations are not yet open, based upon when they took place in 2012.
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