Running into the ground

I have done quite a bit of running this spring, I think I am finally paying for my exuberance.  Yakima was a tough race that definitely has me re-considering my fitness level.  Since that race my knees have been bothering me quite a bit.  That coupled with travel has kept me from putting in any mileage the past couple of weeks.  

My running buddy

Yesterday was a beautiful day so Jacks and I took full advantage and headed out for a trail run.  Next Saturday is my first 50 miler and I wanted to get some time on my feet before then.  Wow, did I ever have a bad day.  On the upside my knees didn't feel too bad, however, I had about zero energy.  It was like my body hadn't received the message that it was supposed to be running.  I spent two hours vacillating between running and a slow shuffle.  Hopefully I got this out of the way and next weekend goes better!

Spring is here, the trillium are out!

Sun!

Boston Harbor Bike Ride

Generally my knees dislike me, the past few days they have been protesting more than usual. So, instead of going for my run today I got the trucker out and went for a bike ride to Boston Harbor.

Mural alongside bike trail

Keg o' rum and fish

Suck it up buttercup - Yakima 50k

Starting area

What's an adventure without poor planning?  Last Saturday Matt and I loaded up the blue beast and hit the road, we were headed to Ellensburg, WA.  Weather was nasty going over the pass and windy once we reached our campsite.   When we went to set-up the tent there was  an unwelcome realization, we didn't bring tent stakes.  Thankfully there were a lot of rocks around and we were able to tie ourselves off so we didn't fly away. 

photo credit: Matt Hagen

Sunday morning brought with it the Yakima Skyline 50k.  James (Rainshadow Running) was very clear to all who signed-up that this would be a difficult race.  Knowing this I considered taking the early start, but, it was cold in the morning and my sleeping bag was warm.  This was a decision I would later question.

During the pre-race briefing James reiterated just how hard the course would be "This course is a Varner course, so you can assume it is hard, however, this one is REALLY hard.  There is 10,000' of elevation on technical trails.  There is a strict cut-off of 4:15 at the 25k and a number of people won't make it."  Hearing this was the first (of many) times I thought 'gee, I should've taken the early start'.

The race was fantastic and fantastically hard. Words cannot properly convey what the course was like, instead I will leave you with a graph and some pictures.

p.s.  I am down to 6 toenails...

See, I wasn't kidding.  Hard...

Distance	31.00 mile
Average speed	3.62 mph (16'34 min/mile)
Highest point	3445 ft
Lowest point	1217 ft
Ascent	9534 ft
Descent	9517 ft
Ascent time	4:43'50
Descent time	2:40'40
Flat time	1:09'00

Race Start

Run ultras, eat candy!

Shaking in my Brooks

I am running a race this weekend in Yakima, below is an excerpt from an email received from the RD:

Speaking of reality... the reality of the difficulty of this course probably has not sunk in yet for you-- that's ok it will eventually one way or another. These races with all the elevation gain and rocky trails are super hard, possibly the hardest of these distances in the Northwest, but I sure hope you lift your head up from time to time to soak in the nearly continuous 360 degree views.

So there you have it, my weekend plans.  Matt is hoping to fish while I spend the better part of a day running, sadly that may not be a reality for him.  Washington has gotten quite a bit of rain lately and the river levels are really high.

Have a good weekend!

Of all the times I forget my camera...

Warning: graphic picture below.

As of lately I have taken an 'impulse purchase' approach to signing-up for races.  It seems I have found myself toeing the line to more races then I would have imagined in a very short time.  What started with an under-trained freak out leading up to Orcas has continued as I work towards my upcoming 50 mile.  In the past 2 months I have run the following:

• Capitol Peak 17 mi Fat Ass
• Pigtail 20mi
• Orcas 50k
• Gorge 50k

In the next few weeks I will add:

• Yakima Skyline 50k (this weekend)
• Capitol Peak 50 mi (first 50!)

Now for the kicker, my training has been less than stellar.  I recently read another blog stating 'everyone has a sob story at the start of a race'.  I couldn't agree more, it is true - under trained, over trained, sick, you name it - someone is suffering from it.  So, going into this weekends race I am opting to have a pma: I have had quite a bit of experience with the 50k distance lately so I am definitely mentally prepared.

Now it is just a matter of figuring out how to deal with my toes.  I have been hoping that my toenail would eject itself from the grips of my toe bed prior to my next race, so far, no luck.  Matt is pretty sure my toe needs to be amputated, what do you think?

The picture doesn't do it justice.

Now for the my missed photo opt.  This evening I went for a 6 mile run on our local bike path.  The path connects Lacey to Olympia and runs along the expressway for a number of miles.  It isn't what I would consider a rural location.  What should I see as I was tooling along - three sheep grazing along the side of the path.  I wonder where they came from??