trail running

Race Report: Chippewa Moraine 50K

Official Results:
Time: 8:57:29
Pace: 17:18 (the course is 31.1 miles, not 31)
Placing:
Overall: 172/174
Gender: 61/63
AG (F 30-39): 18/19

Watch Results:
Time: 8:57:31
Pace: 16:42/mi
Distance: 32.19 mi
Heart Rate: N/A (still haven’t fixed this)

Goals:
A: 8:00
B: 8:30
C: 8:59:59

Food:
What I ate the night before: bagel and cream cheese, bagel and Nutella, Ruffles, birthday cake Chips Ahoy. So, garbage.
What I ate on race morning: bagel and cream cheese, part of a vanilla Coke, Clif bar.
What I carried with me: Clif bars, 6 Gu packets, Strawberry Lemonade Gu tablets (one pre-mixed, plus the container)

Gear:
What I wore: t-shirt, shorts, ball cap, buff, arm warmers (I didn’t wear the buff or the arm warmers the whole time)
Gadgets: GPS watch, fitness tracker

Discussion: Another difficult race, but I am pretty pleased with my result. I went into this knowing I would either get a personal best time, or I would be swept. I can now say with conviction that I do not like chasing cutoffs. It worked out ok this time, but only because the intermediate cutoffs weren’t hard cutoffs, and in fact were very lenient. Which of course I didn’t know until I was already freaking out.

I drove down from Duluth on Friday afternoon, stopping at the interpretive center serving as the race headquarters to pick up my packet on my way, since I was staying further south in Chippewa Falls, about 30 minutes’ drive from the start. It took like 3 seconds, which was nice, and then I went outside to look at the start/finish. The view from the interpretive center was lovely. It’s up on a hill (more on that later), so I could see quite a way (there’s a pic in my race goals post). It must be gorgeous in fall. Apparently it’s quite buggy in summer, so I was thankful we missed that part.

I slept terribly, which was unsurprising. I was tired most of the day, but of course that didn’t translate into sleepiness. Too much adrenaline. I got probably 3 hours or so, which I’ll take. I think I only slept about an hour before Wild Duluth. I set my alarm for 5:40, got up around 6, and farted around aimlessly, trying to pull things together in a disorderly manner, and left around 6:45, since I wanted to make sure to get a decently close parking spot. I did! I sat in my car for a little while, doing a few final preparatory things and trying to keep myself from getting too amped (fail). Then I milled about awkwardly in the interpretive center – I don’t know a lot of runners, and everyone there seemed to be with either a running buddy or a large group of friends. I did talk with my friend Jay, who I know from Runner’s World’s forum. He is running the Ice Age 50 in a few weeks and used this as a training run. That’s on the a different moraine, BTW. They’re really into glacial debris in Wisconsin, I guess.

Start to AS 1: 3.3 mi, 0:48:20, 14:39 section pace (on pace for 4 hr cutoff)
The start is at the top of a rather steep, grassy hill. And the race is an out and back. So put that together and remember it for later. The first (and therefore also last) 5 miles of the race have markers (for the 7 mile runners), which was nice for calibrating my GPS error. The first mile+ of the race is on grass, so it’s more like a cross-country start. I was zipping along, feeling confident, but also feeling hungry. Big mistake not to deal with that sooner, but I was so focused on staying on top of my pace. The race is all rolling hills, few of which are super challenging, but they’re still hills. So many hills. Anyway, I was dumb and was worried about nausea pre-race so I didn’t eat enough. I shouldn’t be feeling physical hunger so early in a race. I could also tell my body was too amped up – I wasn’t going out at too hard a pace, but the adrenaline and excitement made me feel like a low-level electrical current was buzzing through my body. I mean, besides the currents that normally occur. A couple miles in, we passed behind the interpretive center again, which was kind of depressing. A small part of me wanted to turn off. A very small part of me, but still. I didn’t stop at the aid station because I wanted to keep moving, and I was already snacking slowly on my Clif bar. Ugh, swallowing food during ultras is THE WORST.

AS 1 – 2: 6.5 mi, 1:41:47 (kind of, I forgot to hit the lap button til I was out of the aid station), 15:40 section pace (Off pace, but still cumulatively on track for 4 hr cutoff)
This section was ok. I am trying to remember stuff about it, but my brain is a bit fried. I had to reapply sunscreen on the go because the sun was getting a bit warm. Also a couple of women running together caught up to just behind me, which was fine except they used me to pace off of for longer than I’d like, and when they slowed a bit to let someone pass and to take a quick breather, they didn’t get far enough behind, so I could hear them chattering to each other for miles and miles. This is my own personal problem, but I run alone. I like running alone. I like running in quiet. So it annoyed me to hear them talking, even though they had every right to talk. (On another side note, this race banned external music, which I found amazing. I do not need to hear someone else’s iPhone blaring their walk/run interval mix app.) There were a lot of glacial lakes, which I enjoyed – we even crossed a few, on bridges of varying levels of stability. One such bridge, which I walked across due to its dubiousness, was cobbled together from various chunks of other bridges, planks, and other miscellany. Another bridge seemed to be on the verge of submergence. There were lots of runnable sections, and I ran most of them. There was a short section in grass again (ugh), and then I ran on the road for a bit, back into the woods, and then back onto a road down into the second aid station, which again, I bypassed. I think I started eating a gel during this section, but I can’t remember.

AS 2 – turnaround: 5.75 mi, 1:40:56 (actually longer, see above), 17:33 section pace (no longer on track for 4 hr cutoff)
Ugh. I looked at the elevation profile for this section and confirmed it is mostly uphill. I thought maybe it just seemed that way but I was correct. I really struggled through this section, probably because I was behind on my nutrition from the get-go, and because I was getting a little warm. (I wet my hat and my buff at one point, which didn’t help much. Should have dunked them in the lake.) Just past the aid station, I saw the leader (who set a course record) cruising in. So, I kind of hate out and backs for this reason. Not because I have to see the leaders, but because I have to see everyone. Sometimes in groups. Usually looking better than me. And we all have to greet each other and say nice job! Which, I like to hear, and I like to say, but I don’t necessarily like to say it 171 times. Especially when I’m chasing a cutoff and the returning runners get the right of way, so I’m constantly running to the side of the trail. Once I got close to the aid station (maybe a mile), I was in full on panic mode. I knew I couldn’t make the cutoff. The runners I was passing were encouraging as I wildly tossed out my worries about getting cut, reassuring me I wouldn’t, but I was freaking out. I was questioning signing up for FANS, questioning my goals to eventually move up to longer distances, and questioning my decision to run ultras at all. For a few strides, I’d be resigned to being cut. Then I’d shake myself out of that, and fight for it. I really hustled when I could, though I tried to make sure there was something left in the tank if I did get allowed to continue. And I did! Even though I made it there about 8 minutes after the 4 hour mark. I felt kind of dumb, but at the same time, how was I to know? I’ve seen people get cut, first hand, when I volunteered. I also saw a guy get spared the axe, but he wasn’t allowed to stop at the aid station, he had to continue through. So I was prepared for that, too, even though I desperately wanted pop. They did let me stay, so I chugged some Coke and ginger ale, mixed up another bottle of with a Gu tablet with the help of a volunteer (ok they did most of the work, and someone even offered to open the tablet bottle for me, because they were so amazing and I was so clumsy), grabbed some cookies to go (I didn’t feel like I could eat right at the moment, since I was feeling a bit queasy from hoofing it in), sprayed myself down with sunscreen, and left.

Turnaround – AS 2: 5.75 mi, 1:47:50, 18:45 section pace
I walked for quite awhile once I left the aid station to settle my stomach and recover a bit for the trail to come. Once I ate a few cookies, I picked up the pace again. I wanted to make the secondary cutoff at the 6 hour mark (which was only announced in an email sent this week! yikes!) to get back on track. I knew if I was over, I wouldn’t be over by much, and would mostly likely be allowed to continue, but I wanted to make it on principle. I ran when I could, power hiked when I could, and took it slow on the really steep climbs. I got into more of a rhythm, since I wasn’t passing runners in the opposite direction (I didn’t see another runner for the entire second half of the race), and since it was more downhill than up on this section. It did seem to take an extremely long time. I was having some trouble with my eyes – the sunscreen (I did a 3rd application during this section) or the salt from my sweat was getting into my eyes, and when I got wind to my face, my eyes started stinging. I had to do a makeshift eyewash with some of the water from my pack, cupped in my hand. That worked ok, but I guess it washed off some of the sunscreen (duh) because I have a bit of a sunburn on my face, despite 4 applications (one pre-race, 3 in-race) and a hat. My nose was in tough shape, too. Since it’s always running when I am (ha!), it was getting chapped, and the salt/sunscreen combo was irritating it further. I ate another gel during this section, although it took awhile because I was averse to swallowing. My stomach wasn’t super upset, but I felt like I was going to gag on anything I tried to swallow. (I didn’t, but it felt that way.) At the aid station I drank some pop, grabbed some cookies to go, and headed off at a trot.

AS 2 – AS 1: 6.5 mi, 2:00:01, 18:28 section pace
This section started out ok – I felt pretty strong, rolled through the grassy areas, and then things started to go really badly with my eyes. They were stinging and burning so badly I had to stop and clean them out again, and then I had to get my buff out of my pack pocket and wet it down so I could wipe them as needed. It was a big pain to get my glasses off and on for some reason (they kept getting caught in my hair), and they were filthy (probably from sweat and salt), and cleaning them only helped marginally. Instead of being spotty, they were smeary. Ew. I lost a lot of time and energy dealing with my eyes. Every tenth of a mile seemed like it took forever, even when I was moving at a decent clip. I was itching to hit the 5 mile marker, to begin the real countdown and to figure out where I really was in regard to time left. My GPS was off by about a mile at this point, so I kept having to do Race Math to figure out approximately what distance I had left. I’m an engineer and I’m really good at math, but Race Math is still a problem for my poor, scrambled brain 20+ miles into a race. Just when I thought they had taken down the countdown markers, I finally hit the 5 mile marker. And then eventually the 4 mile marker, and then I knew the aid station would be somewhere along there. I got to re-cross the bridges, re-circumnavigate the glacial lakes, and cruise along on the runnable sections on this stretch. If not for the issue with my eyes, I would have had a much better time on this section. I got more cookies and pop at the aid station, and then marched off, knowing there was nothing else between me and the finish line.

AS 1 – finish: 3.3 mi, 0:58:34, 17:45 pace
I didn’t remember much about this section from all the way back at the beginning of the section, other than that there were a couple climbs. Well, there were 3… but they came in stages, so it felt like more than three. I tried to hustle up because I knew it was going to be close. I really wanted to finish under the 9:00 mark, to meet my goal and to meet the official time on the site (note: they will recognize a finish over the limit but before the sweeps – I thought I was last, but there were 2 women who came in, I think with the sweep, and they received official times even though they were over the “limit.” I’m so glad that’s treated as just a guideline.), and I knew I was going to get slowed down by the steep sections, so I hustled as much as I could. I started to get a side stitch, and kept having to slow down to manage that. It didn’t fully develop, so I was glad of that, but it slowed me down enough. I came around behind the interpretive center, wishing as I had 2 miles in that I could peel off, but kept shuffling along. I finally reached the grassy section, then the road crossing, and then I was winding my way along the hillside below the finish. Even that seemed to take longer than it should have; there were way more twists and turns in that last half mile than I remembered. And then I was mounting the hill. And it felt as steep as a cliff. There was a sign out that said “No Walk Hill,” but there was no way I was going to run it. Another sign followed that said “Don’t Quit,” and that one kept me moving, even when I wanted to stop to catch my breath. A third sign said “Empty the Tank,” which I found amusing because I felt a bit like I was going to empty my tank all over the grass. I didn’t, whew, but that climb really made me feel nauseated. Finally, I reached the flags leading up to the finish, and was able to run the last 100m or so. There was hardly anyone around, and I got a few half-hearted cheers (which was really awkward, why sit around at the finish line if you’re not going to cheer! And I heard people cheering loudly for other people once I was within earshot of the finish, so I felt kinda crappy that I didn’t get at least a bit of that reception.), which I returned with a smile of “appreciation” that was equally lukewarm.

I sat down in the grass and took my pack off, which felt amazing. It had been killing my back and shoulders all day. Too much stuff, not enough core strength. I lay down for a few minutes with my hat over my face, and then sat back up again, thinking about what to do. I saw the Superior/Zumbro race director and he asked me how it went. I talked for him a little bit about how I was pretty happy with the result, but pushing for that cutoff was hard. The other fellow he was talking to told me it was pretty great for me to run it in like that, just before the time limit, and that he tied for last in his first 50 mi. I said he should be jealous, because I didn’t have to share the honor. I was kind of enjoying my first DFL finish, only to find out later that 2 people finished about 10 minutes after me!

This race was tough for me, but it was also a great result. I set a personal record by over an hour! And my average pace was almost 3 minutes faster than my first 50K! And I didn’t give up! I would definitely run it again, and not just because the bib has a woolly mammoth on it.

I didn’t like chasing the cutoffs. I didn’t mind coming in near last place, but I minded that my chances of an official finish eroded as the race went on. I also wonder if I had not had that intermediate cutoff, if I’d have been able to pace myself better. Or would I have slacked and done even worse? I don’t know. Maybe it was a good thing and I just don’t know. I did feel triumphant that I beat the clock, just barely. There was something very satisfying about coming in at the last minute, that maybe I wouldn’t have felt if I had finished in 8:40 or 7:50. Of course I would have felt some other kind of triumph, but I don’t know. There was something enjoyable about facing down those time constraints and beating them.

Chippewa Moraine 50K Goals

First trail race in over 6 months! I’m both excited and terrified.

CM50K start

I took a picture of the start when I went to pick up my race packet this afternoon. This course looks lovely. I’m just sad the trees don’t have leaves yet.

Goals:
A Standard: 8:00:00
B Standard: 8:30:00
C Standard: 8:59:59 (cutoff is 9 hours)

Hah, wouldn’t that be something, to have my 50K PR be better than my marathon PR? I need to hit the turnaround in 4 hours, so I’ve got to front-load my effort, which is contrary to my typical race plan.

I’m worried because I’m not feeling very well, and actually haven’t been feeling well since about Tuesday. Maybe Wednesday. All the days are running together. The good thing is, I haven’t actually gotten sicker, so maybe it’s just a combination of a cold front and race anxiety. I haven’t run since Monday, though I have done yoga. I had a vitamin C drink and a zinc tablet every day. I’ve avoided caffeine today (other than a latte this morning), and I’m trying to stay hydrated and relaxed.

I’m staying about 40 minutes away from the race start, which means an early morning for me. I’m hoping I’ll get more sleep than I did before Wild Duluth — anything more than an hour should guarantee that. Gotta stem the onrush of adrenaline through my system somehow, though.

Of course I want to finish this race without injury and without spewing bodily fluids from any of my orifices. I also want to rise to the challenge. All of my trail races to date have been companions to longer races, and I’ve had no worries about missing cutoffs. This is going to be a big challenge for me. This trail is also “easier,” in that it doesn’t have the big climbs that Superior and Wild Duluth both boast, so I will be able to see what I can do with a runnable trail. I was so tired when I was running Wild Duluth that there was no chance to push myself. I don’t want that to be true this time around. I want to run fast. Maybe not the whole time, but I want to run the flats and downhills with some speed! I would like to be less cautious. I’m such a conservative racer, always waiting for the blowup that never comes (or comes anyway, like in Superior Spring 25K last year when the heat got to me), and then I wonder if I could have found a little bit more inside my legs, or my gut, or my head.

Whatever happens, I made it to the start healthy, happy, and in a good position to PR (of course, with a PR of 10:25, I’ll either PR or tap out of this race), and I’m happy about that. Now I’m ready to go out and tear up this course!

Chippewa Moraine 50K Training: Week 11

Last real week of training. Gulp.

Monday: 5.5 mi, trail (Bagley)
Tuesday: rest
Wednesday: 6.6 mi, road
Thursday: 4.2 mi, road
Friday: 8.5 mi, road
Saturday: 10 mi, road
Sunday: 4 mi, trail (Hartley)
Total: 38.8 mi

I survived the week! It was rough. I was in a really low mood (as I wrote last week), and really didn’t enjoy any of my runs last week. Even the gorgeous weather on Saturday didn’t help my mood, since I knew cold weather was coming. It was really nice to run in just a t-shirt and shorts on Friday and Saturday, though.

I treated myself to a couple of trail runs. I’ve not been running a whole lot of trails, partially due to trail conditions, and partially due to a desire to get my freaking runs over with. This is sort of stupid because I am running a trail race, but I have done enough running on trails throughout this training cycle that I feel like I’ll be able to stay on my feet.

I’m also not really “tapering” the way a traditional training plan would dictate. I don’t know if this is a smart idea or not, I won’t find out until after the race, I guess, but I chose not to for several reasons. I had some low mileage weeks (weeks 9 and 7) recently, so I felt like those cutback weeks were a good substitute for a taper. I haven’t had super high mileage overall, although I have run 2, 50 mile weeks. I will have to run the numbers on my average mileage to see if it’s higher than I think. I don’t feel run down, and I don’t have any major injuries. Mentally I’m having a bit of a tough time lately, but a few days off can solve that. I’m also running a 24 hour race 6 weeks after CM50K, so I want to build off this training cycle for that race.

This week was tough mentally, but I did manage to get my butt out the door, even if it was almost 7 PM before I started, even if I had to wait out a rainstorm, even if I felt kind of crummy. That’s one of the things that has stood out for me this training cycle: I have taken very few unscheduled rest days just because I didn’t feel like running. (I have taken a lot of unscheduled rest days for hockey, though! A much better reason.) I am going to pat myself on the back for that. Guilt is a powerful motivator, it appears!

This upcoming week, I’m going to take things as they come. If it’s nice enough, I’ll run. If it’s raining or snowing or sleeting, I won’t run. I’m focused on the logistical preparations I need to do, on resting (sleeping well, I hope) and relaxing (yoga every day!), and on giving myself a mental break from running.

Chippewa Moraine 50K Training: Week 8

 

Big week!

Monday: 6.4 mi, road
Tuesday: rest
Wednesday: 5 mi, paved trail (Lakewalk)
Thursday: 8.6 mi, road
Friday: 4.1 mi, trail (Bagley)
Saturday: 20.2 mi, trail/paved trail (Western Waterfront Trail/Munger Trail)
Sunday: 6.1 mi, trail (Hartley)
Total: 50.4 mi

Pretty pumped. 50 miles! I’m not sure I’ve hit that in a week (as defined as Mon-Sun) ever, will have to look through my spreadsheet to be certain.

I felt pretty good this week. The weather has been better, so it’s been easier to get out of the house, and the streets are mostly clear of snow and ice, so I’ve had additional routes open up for me. Now I only have to run the Lakewalk when I’m feeling exceptionally lazy.

Of course, if I run the Lakewalk, I’m treated to things like this:

That was well-earned, because it was incredibly windy.

My weekday runs were pretty basic. Procrastinate, finally get my butt out there, feel like a goddess for doing so. Repeat. I was determined to have a good training week. No hockey to schedule around, and pleasant weather for the most part!

Saturday, oof. It was a tough one. It was a lot warmer than I thought, and I was wearing black heavier-knit tights when I should have been wearing shorts. I did the first nearly 7 miles on the Western Waterfront Trail, which was good because it broke up the run a bit, and bad because it was gravel, and I now hate gravel. It’s hard to get good footing, and I hate kicking loose rocks (not picking my feet up enough + the tread on my shoes = kicking lots of rocks). My stomach also went sour fairly quickly. I wasn’t feeling like I was going to hurl (for the most part), but I had some reflux issues and some lower abdominal cramping and knew I had hours of running to go. I handled it ok – I grabbed my vanilla Coke and some mints in the parking lot before heading out on the Munger Trail, and at mile 9, started doing a walk/run combo to give myself a break, up until the last 2.5 miles, which I was able to run without breaks. It was good practice for my upcoming 24 hour race, if nothing else, and definitely a good exercise in problem-solving on the go and working through some mental issues. I still completed the run with a 14:02 average pace, well ahead of where I need to be for the first half of CM50K. So, hooray for that.

Sunday was almost worse. Hartley was muddy, and I was over it. I quit looking at my watch, walked when I needed to (uphill and over slippery spots), and just tried to survive mentally. I think I need to stop running at Hartley for awhile, not just because the trails need a chance to recover & dry out, but also because it’s messing with my mind. The trails are shorter now due to the flooding (I assume), and I have not adjusted my expectations accordingly. I ended up having to piece together 2.5 miles to even get to 6 miles, and it was really frustrating to do so. I used to be able easily pry a 5-6 mile run out of a single loop (without even going on the ski trails section). I got it done, I made it to 50 miles, that’s the important thing.

I’m kind of tired now (writing this Sunday night), thanks to a long running week and the damp, chilly weather that came over the city right after I was done with my run (there was some light rain during the run, but nothing noticeable). This upcoming week is yet another step back week, thanks to my trip to Chicago to attend the Frozen Four. I will probably only be able to run Monday & Tuesday (v. short run, thanks to class – last one, then I have to actually register for the stupid FE exam) before leaving for Chicago on Wednesday. If I can either run before we leave (hahahahahahahha) or run at the hotel (maybe), then I can run Wednesday, and if I can run Thursday before we check out (hmm, maybe), then maybe I’ll be able to salvage the week. We are staying in a VRBO the rest of the weekend, which naturally does not have a gym. The good news is, I’ll be walking a lot, and of course elevating my heart rate through hockey stress.

Chippewa Moraine 50K Training: Week 2

Monday: 5.6 mi, trail (Bagley + one loop around campus)
Tuesday: rest (FE prep course)
Wednesday: rest (hockey)
Thursday: 7.2 mi, paved trail (Lakewalk + Minnesota Point)
Friday: 6.4 mi, road + trail (to/from Bagley, one short loop)
Saturday: 8.1 mi, paved trail (Lakewalk)
Sunday: 11.9 mi, road + trail (to/from Hartley, Guardrail + Root Canal + SHT to Arrowhead Rd)
Total: 39.1 mi

A great week of training! I ended up with 2 days off last week again, since I made plans on Wednesday, but was still able to hit the mileage I wanted to. 2 rest days is kind of nice, although I wouldn’t mind having some time to myself on one of them. That might happen this week, if it rains as much as it says it’s going to today.

The weather was mild all week, and I took full advantage of it. I was grinning, just grinning, during most of my runs. I was happy to get in some trail running during the week. I still need a headlamp, but it’s staying lighter later & later, which I enjoy.

Thursday I actually ran without a headlamp, which I did not intend. I forgot it, and I was already halfway to the parking lot at the Rose Garden, so I didn’t turn around. I survived, although I had to slow down a bit due to uncertain terrain. There are still so many icy patches.

Friday, even with the headlamp, I ended up having to walk a lot during the last couple of miles due to icy sidewalks. The sidewalk drainage in Duluth is not the best. I was late to the hockey game (like, I arrived at the start of the second period) on Friday due to a late start running, and then ended up freezing cold at the game. I get a bit chilled after a run, and sitting in a cool rink, holding a cold pop, doesn’t help.

Saturday was so warm I ran in a tank top and shorts. I warmed up with a jacket on, but realized after only a mile or so that I’d be too hot if I kept it on, so I ended up running with it tied around my waist like a dork. I started later than planned (I went to a town hall meeting in the morning, and needed to get to a hockey game by 4, which I did not, but came close), so I ended up turning it into a tempo-ish run. I didn’t have a lot of jump in my legs, but I did end up with an average pace of 11:39. For me, that’s pretty good, especially since I had to dodge tourists and Pokemon Go players.

Sunday was warm again, though not as warm as Saturday. I wore tights, but ended up with the jacket around my waist again. I had a t-shirt on and wore my lightweight gloves, and only felt a bit cool. The snow was soft, so it was kind of slow going, and there was one point where I had to break trail (when I left Woodland to get on the Superior Hiking Trail segment that links in to Hartley) which wore on my legs a bit. I finished the whole run at a pace of 14:32, which is fantastic. I need to finish the first half of CM50K in 4 hours, which is a 15:2X pace, so I am feeling pretty confident about that right now. I realize it won’t be on the road, but it also won’t be in snow.

My focus last week was to work on getting more sleep, and I did a great job, I think. I registered about 7 hours of sleep each night (although some of that wasn’t actually sleep, just me lying in bed trying to ignore my cats or my husband’s snoring, but my fitness tracker thought I was sleeping). I’ll pat myself on the back, and try to keep that up while I focus on something new this week: strength training.

I say this every training cycle. I think I’m at “definition of insanity” levels of repetition here. I don’t know what my freaking problem is. Well, one of the problems is that I’m always procrastinating and starting my runs so late that I’m out of time to do a strength routine before dinner/hockey/whatever. That’ll be a focus next week, maybe, but I need to get back to strength training RIGHT AWAY. I do not know why this is so hard for me. Do some freaking push-ups, lady. I plan to do a lot more running this year than I did last year, so I need to take care of my core. My back was a bit sore after my fast-ish run on Saturday, which was a wake-up call. So, if I do any strength at all (that includes like, 3 sets of pushups or something), that’s a win for the day.

Race Calendar: Chippewa Moraine 50K

Today after my WD50K running partner signed up for Zumbro 50, I decided it was time to register for my new spring goal race, Chippewa Moraine 50K.

This will be my first out of state race (but will actually be closer than Zumbro), and will be the first race where I’ll be legitimately chasing cutoffs. The cutoff is 9 hours, with an intermediate cutoff of 4 hours at the turnaround. That means I need to run the first 25K in 4 hours. When I raced Superior 25K last May, I finished that in 4:51. So uhhh… there’s work to do.

It’s not really as bad as all that. During Zumbro 17, I probably ran 25K about half an hour faster than that. (It’s hard to tell, my GPS data was off and added about a mile extra.) And I’m a better runner now than I was then. Probably. Definitely. I just have to run the first 25K at a pace of 15:27 or faster. If the course isn’t extremely challenging, I can do that. And if the course is extremely challenging, maybe I won’t do it, and maybe I’ll get swept.

This had to immediately be elevated to goal race status, due to the length as well as the cutoff issue. Superior 25K is still somewhat of a goal race, since I really want to get redemption on that darn course, but since it is less than a month after CM50K and I’ll be running Be The Match the weekend before, I’m not going to be at peak fitness. (I also may or may not do a timed race in June. We’ll see.)

I’m pretty excited for this race, and to take a risk. One of my racing goals for the year (which I haven’t spelled out yet) is to run a race where I have a chance to DNF. Even though I don’t think I’m really at that point with this race, I don’t know the course and I could underestimate the toll that it takes on me (it sounds like it’s a bit technical and has lots of little hills), the cut-off is still an hour and 20-some minutes faster than my current 50K PR. And my training has not been superb, though I still have 12 weeks (11.5 at this writing, I guess) to go.

My spring race calendar is now:
4/29: Chippewa Moraine 50K
5/13: Be the Match Minneapolis 5K
5/20: Superior 25K

I might add a race in March while I am down in the Twin Cities, simply because I’m bored of not racing and apparently just want to spend lots of money, and also I guess to gauge my fitness.

Zumbro 50 Training: Week 4

Monday: 8 mi, road (Minnesota Point)
Tuesday: 6 mi, road (UMD campus)
Wednesday: 6.1 mi, paved trail (Lakewalk)
Thursday: 5.1 mi, paved trail (Lakewalk)
Friday: rest
Saturday: 7.2 mi, paved trail (Lakewalk)
Sunday: 8 mi, trail (Hartley)
Total: 40.5 mi

Well, another week below the 50 mile mark. This was an unintentional cutback week, but things happen.

I suffered through several bitterly cold days before a milder weekend. I am pretty proud of myself for getting my butt out there and running when it was super cold. Tuesday it snowed about 3 inches, and I still went out and ran on UMD’s campus (the only place I was certain was plowed) in a biting wind. Wednesday I ended up covered in ice pellets and had to scrape my car off. Thursday I just gritted my teeth and ran what I could stand to run, so that I wouldn’t have to run before Friday’s hockey game.

Saturday and Sunday, I got late starts. I really need to stop doing that. I had hockey games on Saturday and a movie (Hidden Figures) to see on Sunday, so I had hard deadlines to finish running. I wasn’t on time to Saturday’s hockey game, though. Sunday I had no problem getting to the movie on time, because my planned 18 mile run turned into an 8 mile run. My heart was not in the run, almost from the beginning. Running at Hartley has become somewhat frustrating as the trails are much shorter than they used to be (most likely due to the storms this summer) and I was trying to piece together a loop. After an off-leash dog (actually, a dog wearing a leash allowed to run free) jumped on me without an apology from its owner, and a group of probably 12 bikers stopped on the trail while they each very slowly went over one of the wooden footbridges, forcing me to pass them all on the side of the trail in shin-deep snow, I was done. I forced myself to make it to 8 miles (which would give me 40 miles for the week), and even that was rough.

It turned out to be best to cap the run at 8 miles, as I’m down for the count with a cold. (Yes, just as the temps warmed up, I’ve come down with a chest cold.) But this is not a good sign – 4 weeks in, I still haven’t run 50 miles in a week, but yet I still want to run 50 miles in a day. Yikes.