The End of a Season

This past weekend I wrapped up my last official race of the year - Autumn Leaves 10k put on by the ORRC at Champoeg Park.  I had originally signed up for the 50 miler, but after much internal (and external) debate, I opted for the shorter distance and a morning of volunteering.  After this event, the rest of 2010 is all fun (Hot Buttered Run!) and the beginnings of another round of Ironman training.  It's time to focus on a bit of recovery, nailing down a healthy nutrition plan, and gearing up for an already overbooked 2011.

Here's the race report from Autumn Leaves:

I arrived at 5:30am to a misty fog and pitch black darkness.  Headlamps dotted the horizon as the early-starters for the 50 miler were milling around nervously chatting, filling water bottles, organizing drop bags, and trying to keep warm.  I studied their actions, hoping to glean insider information into the ultramarathon world.

I spent the next 4 hours helping hand out packets and running miscellaneous errands.  The regular start for the 50mi/50k went off, and some of the early starters were finishing up their first laps.  Just as the sun started to peek out and the fog lifted, the 10k-ers began arriving.  There was a bit of warming up, a quick pre-race briefing, and then the race directer yelled "GO".

The first part of the course was on a smooth multi-use path and wound through the forest, along the Willamette River, and up over a (very slippery) wooden bridge.  Leaves covered the ground, but the trees were still brilliant shades of red, orange, and yellow.  Everything smelled like fresh rain.  It was one of the most peaceful races I can remember.

The second part of the course was single-track trail.  Despite the now constant rain, it was only mildly muddy.  And surprisingly not crowded.  Like my last trail race, I found my earphones to be an annoyance and quickly stuffed them away.  I remember asking myself why it had been so long since my last trail run.  And being amused that I could feel so much pain and so much peace at the same time.

Moments before the start, I decided to turn the run into a max heart race test.  The plan was to use the first 3 miles as warmup, go hard for 2 miles, and then cool down for the last mile.  About 1.25 miles into the "hard" part, my vision blurred, my ears started buzzing, and there was nothing I could do to get enough oxygen RIGHT NOW.  So I started my cooldown a bit early...but that was far preferable than an embarrassing visit with the paramedics.

  

The 10k course proved to be a bit longer than 6.2 miles (admitted long by the race director, and logged as 6.72 miles by my Garmin).  Even so, it was a decent PR and a satisfying way to end the season.  Garmin data:

Distance - 6.72 miles

Time - 1:07:13 (pace = 9:59/mile)

Fastest single mile - 7:39

A Public Poll

People of the interwebs, I need your help!  Here is my problem.  I am signed up for a wee little run at the end of the month.  A 50 miler.  I can't recall quite what I was thinking when I hit "submit", but it was likely that I had either just finished a good run and was feeling full of myself, or I had just polished off a strong mug of homebrew.  And it's also likely that my free time was a bit larger in volume than it has been these last couple of months.  Given my average running pace and minimal training this summer, I'm pretty sure that I can't run the entire 50 miles within the 11 hour cutoff (barely over 13 min miles). However, I just knocked out a marathon and half marathon on back-to-back weekends with no injuries, almost as fast as my PRs, and feeling pretty fresh a couple days later. So internet, what should I do?  Don't be shy...

1) Stay with the 50 miler and see what I can do in 11 hours. Stop if I feel an injury. If by some miracle I can finish, I get a really awesome belt buckle and big bragging rights.

2) Stay with the 50 miler, but drop at 50k if it truly truly sucks. I will get a DNF, but I would still know that I did 50k.

3) Switch to the 50k, assuming they let me. No belt buckle, but still an awesome accomplishment.

4) Switch to the 10k.

5) Go pumpkin hunting. Consider my season officially over as of Sunday and get rested up for Ironman training, which starts Nov 29.

Girlfriends Half Marathon

This past weekend I did the coolest thing ever -- I ran a half marathon with my Mom!  The same Mom who just a year ago:

- weighed 45 pounds more than she does now.

- had never EVER ran more than a mile.

- called me to proudly announce that she had ran "5 WHOLE STRAIGHT MINUTES ON THE TREADMILL!!!"

Race Info:

Girlfriends Half Marathon

10/17/2010

All women, all proceeds go towards a cure for breast cancer, and there are hot fireman/policemen handing out necklaces at the finish line.

Our final time?  2:28:14 for an 11:19 pace!  Seriously!  My 53 year old mother ran just 4 minutes shy of my PR.  I'm slow.  I know.  Get over it.

It was a gorgeous fall morning - cold, crisp, and sunny.  Red and orange leaves starting to cover the sidewalks.  Steam rising from the Columbia River and the tip of Mt. Hood peeking out above the clouds.  Perfect running weather.  A sea of pink ladies, with husbands/brothers/children lined up along the streets to cheer.  I love this event!

Some photos from the day:

Portland Marathon - Race Report

Portland Marathon

10/10/10

Time = 5:17:38 (pace - 12:07/mile)

If you were anywhere near the Portland/Vancouver area this weekend, then you know how very un-dry it was on marathon day.  Of course now, a day later, it is sunny and crisp and wonderful outside.  Of course.  The weather really didn't get anyone down too much, but it did provide a bit of discomfort.  Soggy socks/shoes + 26.2 miles = fugly ugly feet.

I'll spare you the details of what happens when the rains removes all traces of Body Glide and you swish around with wet clothes for 5 hours.  I'll just say that a running skirt was not my wisest choice of the day.  Another poor choice -- the 16oz starbucks energy drink that I consumed about 15 minutes prior to the start.  It got things moving a little too nicely, and an emergency evacuation at a mile 5 porta-potty ended up costing me a PR.  At least I was well caffeinated for the first half of the race.

Here is the very soggy starting line.  Photo courtesy of Julie Unruly.

Rather than write a full boring race report, I'll list the highlights:

• The new corral system worked well...with the not-so-minor exception of actually getting into your designated corral.  Seriously, Portland Marathon, would it kill you to place a few signs at the entrances?  Despite having a map in hand, we still couldn't figure it out.  In the rainy darkness, we had to ask almost every volunteer that we saw (which was like 2) how to get where we needed to go.  I hope they figure this out for next year.
• The Syncopated Drummers at the starting line kicked ass.  I wish they could have followed me along the course.  I first saw them a few years ago at a roller derby bout.  And then again at a cyclocross race.  And then again at the 2008 Portland Marathon.  Every time I hear them I become insanely happy and want to just dance around.  What a great way to start a marathon!
• The first few miles always feel soooooo easy.  This marathon was no exception.  Although my HR tells another story.  My average HR for the whole event was 171 bpm.  I'm normally in the low 160 range while running.  This may be a very simple explanation for why my stomach shut down.  Again.  I took in all of 400 calories over the 5+ hours of running.  I need to figure this out.
• Ken kept popping up in random places all over the course.  It was fun to see him when I wasn't expecting it.  Thanks honey!  Here's a photo that he took of me around mile 12:

And one from around mile 14 heading out towards Hwy 30:

• Portland residents are superior spectators.  Hundreds of people were out there cheering in the rain, keeping us all going.  The volunteers rock too!
• My phone got drenched and completely malfunctioned.  I'm sorry to anyone who received random texts and phone calls.  It totally died at mile 15, so I ran the rest without music.  Thankfully there were so many awesome entertainment groups and spectators, that I really didn't miss the tunes.
• The hill leading up to St. Johns bridge didn't seem that bad this year.  Thank you, TRX.  Also, I was able to appreciate the views this time.  Spectacular course!  Here is me crossing over the bridge:
• My no-slip headband didn't slip at all!  Yay!
• Why didn't I train for this thing?!?  Ouch!  The wheels completely fell off around mile 20.  Really, I'm impressed that I hung on for that long.  But my oh my, this was a painful lesson.  My post-race pain was much increased compared to my past races.  Even the Ironman didn't hurt this much.  Seriously.  I'm very thankful for ice baths. (This one was brutal though...my core body temp was already pretty low.  I gutted this one out for 20 minutes, much to the amusement of the hubby.)
• Congrats to all the people who rocked the marathon -- Jenn, Julie, Lisa, Chris, Tabetha, Kevin, both Rachels, and anyone else I forgot.
• The finishers shirts don't say 10-10-10!  Are you kidding me???  It's the only reason I did the damn thing!

I'm aware that I have a flare for the melodramatic sometimes.  At a minimum, I am animated when the mood strikes.  Apparently, the mood struck yesterday.  Some embarrassing evidence:

Oh Good

No I'm Not Bipolar

Even though I could use a big ol' heap of motivation, it's not all mopey-dopey around here.  See, I had a FUN time at packet pickup tonight (no sarcasm either!):

Hubby of the Year, and me.

Julie and I with our bibs.  She's fast.  I tried to swap our timing chips when she wasn't looking.

They had the funniest shirts at the expo.  This one says "I'm only doing this so I can post a picture on facebook."

Some other favorites:

"This IS my race pace."

"My race strategy - start slow and then go slower."

"I know it.  I'm slow.  Get over it."

Our bags!  Inside are our short-sleeve tshirts (long-sleeve ones are at the finish line I think), commemorative coin, pendant, and poster.  See my new non-slip headband?  If it slips, I'm gonna be very angry.

Wrist-bands with pace charts printed on them!  Ingenious!  Yes, I know.  I'm slow.  Get over it.  However, my PR (while actually properly trained) is 5:16:11.  A whopping 12:05 pace.  So, I think both of these are beyond optimistic.  But they don't make them any slower.  I can pretend for a few miles though!

It Looms

10-10-10

It's looming over me like a big, ummm...... like something really big.  The Portland Marathon!  Yippee!  Woohoo!!  I'm so excited!  See?

About as enthusiastic as when I have a dentist appointment.  Sigh...  You see, I didn't train.  Again.  My longest run was 15.5 miles.  My longest week was, well, 15.5 miles.

To make myself feel better, let's take a trip down memory lane, shall we?

March 24, 2007 - my first 5k:

"I finished and I didn't have to walk.  ...all I really wanted to do was finish in under an hour.  I was silently hoping for somewhere around 45 minutes.  39 minutes...isn't so bad...  Yay!!!"

So, yeah.  I was ecstatic to finish 3.1 miles in around 40 minutes.  I should be thrilled that I can even attempt 26.2 miles off the couch now.

August 3, 2008 - my first hangover triathlon:

"...glasses and glasses of wine prior to a race does not suit me.  Especially since I don't really drink anymore...  After arriving about 45 minutes later than planned..."

I ended up with a PR and a 3rd place age group finish.  Is there a lesson here?  Perhaps I should go on a bender Saturday night and then roll into downtown at 6:55am?

October 6, 2008 - my first marathon:

"But I trained anyway.  Sort of.  My plan was to poll runners each Monday morning to see what their week looked like.  I would pick...the shortest...and do that.  Whatever, it worked.  I finished."

Being undertrained is nothing new to me.  I finished that one (although I was slightly better trained), and I'll finish this one too.

November 24, 2009 - I Am An Ironman:

"I am an IRONMAN!"
I can do anything if I really want to.

February 20, 2010 - my first trail run, Hagg Lake 25k:

"I went into this race knowing that I was unprepared...HUGE understatement.  Thankfully, I was having too much fun to really notice."

Again, I am no stranger to being undertrained.  And I still managed to have the time of my life.  I shall do the same on Sunday.

May 8, 2010 - Eugene Marathon:

"Cross through, get a medal, get a space blanket, get your chip off, and then pancakes.  Yes, pancakes.  They were awesome..."

So even if life sucks donkey tail on Sunday, I can reward myself with pancakes afterwards.

TRX - Beginner Style

If you haven't heard of TRX, it's basically a set of fancy cam straps where you use your own body weight for resistance.  Go here for more info.  It sounds simple, but it most definitely is not.  I remember prior to my first TRX workout (despite hearing how dang hard it is!), I showered and did my hair and makeup.  Because, really it's just a set of straps, it can't possibly be that difficult.  I seriously didn't think I would work up a sweat.  40 minutes later I was using every ounce of will power to keep from puking all over Jenn's driveway.

I was sold on the system and after a handful additional workouts, I'm starting to get the hang of it.  Sort of.  I still feel super awkward during some of the moves, but I'm able to figure it out faster.  I can do more reps on some of the exercises, or I'm able to modify them to be more challenging.  That's the awesome thing about TRX.  You can make it as easy (hah!) or as difficult as you want.  No doubt about it though, I am still very much in "beginner territory".  I finally got my own set today.  Since I don't have the anchor set up in the house yet, I attached it to one of our trees.  Unfortunately, the only suitable one is in the front yard.  So I was the entertainment for the neighborhood this evening.

Here is me doing a plank:

And here is me attempting a pike, although I'm pretty sure it's supposed to look like something entirely different:

I owe a special shout-out for Jenn, who has been working with me a couple of times a week.  She's been awesome, and I can't think of a better person to routinely embarrass myself in front of.  Thanks, girlfriend!

Hanging On

Yikes, a week has passed already?  Despite all my motivation and vigor last Monday, not much transpired over the week as far as training goes.  Except for managing to squeak out 2 big girl pushups during a TRX workout with Jenn.  Here are my dismal totals:

Swim = 0 meters
Bike = 0 miles
Run = 5.25 miles
Strength = 1.25 hours
Total = 2.37 hours

Those of you who know me outside of the interwebs probably notice the glaringly obvious absence of my long run here.  And most of the short runs too.  And, well, anything else really.  Life.  Whatcha gonna do.

I'll cash in my chips next year for Ironman when training trumps all.  Until then, my focus is elsewhere.  Yes, it will show up on race day, on my results, and sadly, on my hips/thighs/stomach.  But I just can't figure out a way to fit it all in right now.  Maybe in a few weeks things will get easier and I'll have a different story to tell.  Until then, I'll be doing what I can.  And maybe you can say a prayer or two for me on October 10.  Because I think it will be the most undertrained event for me since I started doing this sort of thing.  Good times.

And not surprisingly...
Weight - no change
Body fat - no change
Measurements - no change
I'll just be thankful that nothing increased this week.  Small miracles.

And so it begins again...

November 28, 2010 marks the start of training for Ironman number 2.  Which begins with a rest day.  WOOT!  Yes, I'll be following Don Fink's "Be Iron Fit" 30 week program again.  Likely, a hybrid of the "intermediate" and "competitive" programs.  It worked great for me last year (when I bothered to follow the plan), because it is geared to the time crunched athlete and the workouts/days fit well with my current schedule (when I bother to follow the plan).  A lot of people say to not use the same plan twice, but I'm going to ignore those people.  And actually resolve to follow the plan this time!

In less than 3 months my life will once again be turned upside down and all around.  I had "the talk" with Ken this weekend.  You know, the one where I apologize profusely in advance.  And make sure he's on board, strapped in, and ready to roll.  So, I have less than 11 weeks to build a proper base so that my body is ready to take on the stress of Ironman training.  I suppose that means dusting off my swim cap and goggles and dragging my ass to the pool.  It also means that I need to get through the Portland Marathon (in less than 4 weeks) and the Autumn Leaves Ultramarathon (less than 7 weeks) injury free.  I've been battling a few injuries lately, so that will be a bigger challenge than I'm really comfortable with.  But...I'm ready for the structure again.  I actually like obsessing about Ironman.  I dig thinking and breathing all things Ironman.  People around me may hate me during this time (yes, I am very much aware of the eye-rolls and such going on behind my back, and it's all good), but I really enjoy going off the deep end for 30 weeks.  I know that all of you other type A peeps totally get where I'm coming from here.

Now that I'm back on the wagon, it's time to resume my weekly training summary.  This week was pretty weak.  It can only get better from here...

Swim = 0 meters

Bike = 0 miles

Run = 21.86 miles

Strength = 1.92 hours

Other = 1 hour (hiking and such)

Total = 7.82 hours

You do the math.  I'm a slow runner.  However, about 5 of those 21+ miles was walking.  But on the positive side of things, my injury has made itself mostly silent and I was able to knock out a 15 miler on Sunday with hardly a whimper out of my calf muscle.  Win!

And for the body composition bit...

Weight = baseline (no, I'm not putting it out there just yet)

Body fat = baseline (nope, not that either)

Measurements = baseline

*The weekly sports bra/tri shorts photos will resume when the 30 week program begins.  How's that for motivation over the next 11 weeks!

Ode to the Ice Bath

While sitting in you, I hate you.
But afterwards I sort of like you.
The next day, I love you so very very much.
The end.

Quick Recap: 2010 Hood-to-Coast

It was another successful Hood-to-Coast this year!  This was my 3rd time participating in the relay, the 2nd year with my company team, and my first time as team captain.  Thankfully, thinks went really smooth and better than expected.  There were no injuries, no one got lost, no one cried (that I know of), and there were tons of tired smiles at the beach in Seaside.  I, personally, went into the event on the under trained side of things.  But that seems to be the theme for me this year.  I would hate to break my streak, you know.

My legs:

Leg 6 - ranked hard, 7.42 miles

Leg 18 - ranked hard, 4.15 miles

Leg 30 - ranked moderate, 5.35 miles

Total mileage = 16.92 miles

Trying to stuff everything into the van at 05:30.  And we had a HUGE van!

Van 1 runners at Timberline, getting ready to start the relay.

Kicking off the relay with an 08:45 start time.

First leg

7.42 miles, 01:19:00, 10:39/mile

(*times are from my watch b/c I'm too lazy to look up the official times from our team score sheet)

This leg was ranked as difficult, although I think it was one of the easier ones I've ran so far.  The mileage is high, but the terrain is moderate.  There are 2 or 3 slight hills, but there is an overall elevation decrease.  The bummer about this leg is that it is entirely along Highway 26 in the bike lane, with tons of loud traffic and semi-trucks buzzing by.  However, it was fun to run through the town of Sandy and wave to the confused onlookers, wondering what the heck was going on with all of these crazy runners and decorated vans.

Somewhere on my first leg.  I think I'm coming into Sandy here. 

Second leg

4.15 miles, 00:47, 11:20/mile

This was my "night-time run".  It was just before 1:00 am and I was jazzed up on one of those enormous canned Starbucks drinks.  Which was great while I was running, but not so great when I was done and it was time for our van to sleep at an exchange station.  I stargazed for about 4 hours, slept for about 20 minutes, and then it was time to hit the road again.  Awesomeness.  But back to the run...

Even though I was over-caffeinated, I ran much slower than anticipated.  I chalk that up to a couple of things.  One, this leg was entirely uphill.  It wasn't steep, but it was all uphill.  All of it.  Second, I dropped my flashlight (turned off at the time) into the bushes and had to get on my hands and knees and scrounge through the brush for it.  That was fun.  All-in-all, not my favorite leg so far.

Our luxurious accommodations between legs 2 and 3. 

Third leg

5.35 miles, 00:55, 10:17/mile

As you get closer to Seaside, traffic becomes an utter nightmare.  Which means that sometimes, the runner beats the van to the next exchange station.  Which means that the next runner gets to hop out of the van early, and run ahead.  Lucky me, I got to tack on an extra half mile or mile ahead of my last run.  It turned out to be a great warm-up though!

I was on a mission here.  A mission to finish and drink beer.  Sometimes, beer is the ultimate motivator.  This was one of those times.  I hauled as fast as I could, which admittedly is not very fast, and finished up my third leg with my best pace of the weekend.  It's sweet to end on a high note.

A sampling of the views from our third legs.  I LOVE costumes.  I wish we had costumes! 

Team RFB crossing the finish line in Seaside!

We had an agreement that what happens in the van, stays in the van.  So I'll skip over all of the fun details, and just say that we had another awesome year.  And just like before, my cheeks were far more sore than my legs.  Which means that everything went just as it should have!

Race Report: Portland Century Ride

The Scene: Wednesday night dinner with corporate executives.  Less than 3 days to the event.  Several glasses of wine into the evening.

Manager who shall remain nameless: "Sarah, what are you doing on Sunday?"

Me: "Running or biking maybe.  At least, I should.  Maybe I'll do nothing."

Him: "Want to do the Portland Century?"

Me: "Okay."

Him: "So-and-so (another manager who shall remain nameless) can't make it and I don't want to ride by myself."
Me: "Okay."

Him: "I think it's flat.  A couple of hills in the middle, but mostly flat."

Me: "Okay."

Him: "Seriously?"

Me: "Sure."

[Stunned looks all around.  I smile and nod and take another sip of wine.]

The scene: 05:00 on Thursday morning.  In bed.  With a slightly throbbing head and a very parched mouth.

Me: "Uh oh."

Husband: "Are you okay honey?"

Me: "I have to ride 100 miles on Sunday."

Husband: "This Sunday?"

Me: "Yep."

[Cackles of laughter fill the room.  I pull up the website and check out the course.]

Me: "Uh oh."

Husband: "Are you okay honey?"

Me: "There is 6000 feet of climbing."

[More cackles.]

Event: Portland Century

Date: August 22, 2010

Course Description (from race site):

This is the route that sparked the ride: a century that's all about Portland, from start to finish. For the most part it's a flat loop but the hills, and some of the greatest parts of the ride, come around Bull Run (Portland's drinking water source). This is extreme climbing with fast descents on narrow, winding roads. You'll want to take those descents slowly, even if you're an experienced rider, for the sake of safety.

Fast forward to Sunday morning...  I wake up at 04:30, because I have to be downtown by 06:00 and I have yet to get my bike ready, mix bottles, or even determine if I have clean tri shorts and sports bra.  I grimace when I realize that I haven't been on my bike since Vineman.  Race stickers and crusted gel drippings are all over everything.  I enlist Ken to help me clean the bike, pump tires, and load the car.  He's not amused.  I try on a few outfits, but everything seems to have shrunk in the wash.  Uh huh.  I settle on head-to-toe Ironman garb.  I might as well look the part.

I meet up with Mr. Nameless at the starting line.  It's still pretty dark, so we hang out with a cup of coffee and small chatter.  I keep hoping that a tornado or some other natural disaster will hit Portland and the ride will be called off.  No such luck.  Shortly after 06:00 we roll out.  At like 19-20 mph.  Oh dang.  This is going to hurt.  The first few miles are fast and furious.  But Mr. Nameless has only ridden 45 miles in one shot.  Ever.  I know that if I can just hang on for the first half, the second half will be easier.  Once we get out of town, we hit a bit of a headwind.  And a slight, but very steady, incline.  My bike computer wasn't working.  Which was a good thing, because it turns out that we were working incredibly hard to muster all of 14 mph.  Push, push, push for the next 20 miles.  We come into the first aid station and I'm wiped out.  I eat 3 or 4 cookies.  But I turn down one of these awesome looking pound cake delights:

Shortly after the stop, we hit a big climb.  Mr. Nameless turns out to be a good climber and dusts me.  I think how cool it would be to grab onto the side of a passing car and get pulled up the hill.  Like they do in New York city.  Unfortunately, there is no traffic out by Estacada early on a Sunday morning.  I take a breather at the top and pull out the course map, expecting to see that I've conquered the first big hill.  In reality I had just huffed and puffed my way up a tiny blip on the elevation profile.  My heart sinks.  I mentally kick my own ass for getting so out of shape in such a short time frame.

The middle part of the ride is sort of a blur.  There were more rest stops with more cookies.  And a lot more hills.  Big hills.  I had to take a lot of breaks, and then had to frantically try to clip in when I got going again.  I zig-zagged when I could.  I never walked though.  And I cried once.  But only once.  And then Jenn sent me a motivational text message and inspired me to put on the big-girl panties.  I finally made it to the top of the last hill, let out a whoop, and then flew down the most awesome of awesome downhills.  At like 50+ mph.  I passed dozens of people.  Some tried to hang on behind me, but nobody could.  This is why I ride!  (And this is why I need to switch up my gearing before IMCdA...)  I made it to the aid station outside of Troutdale at Blue Lake park and was reunited with Mr. Nameless GoodClimber.  I ate a huge slice of greasy pepperoni pizza.  It turned out to be magic pizza.

We hit Marine Drive and were smacked in the face with a typical Marine Drive headwind.  The wheels fell off my partner, but I got my second (fifth?) wind.  Bring it on!  I was able to pull my weight on this stretch, and gladly took the lead.  The course had merged with the 50-mile route, and there were a lot more riders on the road.  A lot more riders to hunt down.  The last rest stop was around mile 90, just off Marine Drive next to Smith and Bybee Lakes.  Almost there!

The last 11 miles pretty much followed the Portland Marathon route.  It was fun to reminisce and think back on the memories of my first marathon.  And know I would be running these same streets in less than two months.  Whoops!  Snapped back to reality!  I better start training...  We cross over the Steel Bridge back into downtown, weave through the city streets, and FINALLY climb back up to PSU.  Out of nowhere the finish line appears and we're done.  Yeah!!!

A few beers and lots of traffic later, I'm home and ready for a bath and my jammies.  It's all I've been thinking about for the last few hours.  I climb out of the car, walk up the front door, and go to stick the key in the lock.  Except there is no house key on my key chain.  And Ken is in Hood River for the day.  And we don't have a spare key hidden anywhere.  I do, however, have a garage door opener.  And homebrew on tap in the garage.  So I pour a fourth beer, which is about 3 over my limit, and fall asleep in the patio chair.  I wake up to Ken coming home, with crusted drool on the side of my face, and a horrible kink in my neck.  Less than an hour later I'm clean and cozied up in my jammies.  And feeling very accomplished for the day.

Race Report: Haulin' Aspen Half Marathon

A few weeks ago, but seemingly months ago, I headed to Bend, OR with my home girl Angie for a little running and a whole lotta shopping and relaxing.  The pseudo-destination was a trail marathon put on by Fresh Air Sports, 99% on dirt trails through the high-desert manzanita brush, old growth forests, and refreshing creek beds.  The real destination was a girls-only weekend far away from reality.

Race: Haulin' Aspen Trail Half Marathon

Date: August 8, 2010

Time: I don't even know!  Or care!  Somewhere north of 3 hours.

Pre-race routine:

We headed over to Bend on the morning before the event (about a 2.5 hour drive), and then spent about 6 hours shopping and hanging out in downtown.  Cute boots, yummy meals, coffee stops, and tons of laughter filled our day.  In the evening we checked out beach cruiser bikes from our hotel (The Oxford, awesome place and highly recommended!), cruised around the neighborhoods, ate more yummy food, and got caught in a weird classic car show in the middle of town.  We topped off the day with a soak in the jacuzzi and indulging in reality television.  It might not sound like it, but it was the perfect day.

Race morning:

We went down to the hotel restaurant and consumed enough food for like six people.  No joke.  Clearly we weren't all that nervous about the run.  And there was no reason to be.  We had already decided that we weren't out there to race.  Or even to really run all that much.

Once at the race site, we did the typical routine of standing in porta-potty lines and trying to stay warm.  The full marathon start went off and then we mosied on over to the start line.  When the horn sounded, we sauntered on over the trail and took off at like a 15 minute mile.  Nice and easy.

The race:

Dust!  Elevation!  I was so out of breath in the first few miles that I was wondering if we should maybe switch to the 7-mile course.  I'm glad that we didn't, because it was a beautiful trail that I never would have seen otherwise.  And we had twice the time to catch up on months of back-logged girl talk.  I think we probably walked about half the course, often forgetting that we were in a race and not out on a leisurely Sunday hike.  Fun!

Too much time has gone by, so I'm having a tough time recalling all of the details.  The majority was single-track with moderate climbs and some tricky descents.  A few miles were uphill on an old fire road.  And I managed to find every single hidden rock and root on the path.  I should seriously consider investing in a mouth guard, face mask, and padding for trail running.

As is common with a trail race, the aid stations were spaced pretty far apart.  But they were well stocked and the volunteers were awesome.  The trail was very well marked, but it would be nice to have a few more mile markers along the way.  Overall, I have no real complaints.

The finish:

Sweet after party!  My limited experience with trail marathons is that they are low-key, no frills, and more about the experience of running instead of the glory of the finish line.  Almost to the point of being a let down when you're done.  Haulin' Aspen strikes a nice balance between that and the sensory overload of road races.  There was good looking food (I'm sure it tasted good too, but we weren't hungry yet), tasty beer, music, and an ice-cold creek for rinsing off in.  Since this is a point-to-point race, you need to take a shuttle back to the starting line to retrieve your car.  The shuttle vans were running regularly and we didn't have to wait at all to catch a ride.  I think they have the logistics nailed down now.

Yeah, I would do this one again.  In fact, I think we already set a date to be there again next year.  Can't wait!