This week was my first week back at work, after a nice week
and a half long vacation. I enjoyed doing nothing, sleeping in (till 6), and
not being on a timeframe or a routine. Back at work, I welcomed my morning
routine but I didn’t welcome the stress that came to being back. It is always
nice to get away, but even harder to go back.
This week my runs have been scattered, I haven’t had too
much motivation to run especially since it has been really warm here and that
always makes it hard to get any sort of run in, plus what am I training for? Nothing,
I don’t have a race lined up. But I did manage to get a small 4 miler in the
heat on Tuesday and then on Thursday I did 6 miles in the morning as it was my
day off with little Toby. He enjoyed the distance and was pretty much content
just sleeping the rest of the day away. Friday
I hit the parkway for a very warm 4 miler, but my body actually felt pretty
good out there. Must be all the heat training I do; no air conditioner in my
car as it went out back in June.
This morning I headed up to Cool with Anthony who is the RD
for a new race in town, That Damn Run. If you haven’t signed up I suggest you
do as this course is on trails that are hardly ever used plus the nice damn
hill which we ran today in his free training runs he has been putting on!
We arrived in Cool and headed out with orange ribbon to mark
the 7 (I think) mile course. We headed out on the paved road and then made a
right turn onto a dirt fire road which would start our 3 mile descent. This
descent is bit technically because there really isn’t a good line to follow and
it is a bit technical with loose rocks that could easily roll ones ankle right,
Trailmomma? But the fire road is wide enough that there won’t be any worries
about not being able to pass. It is a real quad buster but I didn’t notice it
while running down, but I am sure tomorrow my quads will be feeling it as I ran
it twice!
After the descent it is level for a bit before the climb up begins.
This climb kind of reminds me of Tahoe, with the constant switch backs and how
at the beginning it is steep but as I kept climbing it levels out and is run
able, which of course I ran. Then it get’s rather steep again, but it is run
able. As I climbed, it was nice to look down and see where I had come from and
the view was really gorgeous!
As the climb continued and arrived at the pavement I was
surprised that the climbing wasn’t done. Now it had been a few months since the
last time I have been on this course and I had forgotten that once I arrived at
the pavement it continues to climb. But soon enough it rolls nicely.
This was only a small portion of the half marathon, but a
really great damn hill to see. I think it is always easier on my mind if I see
the toughest part of a course before the actual event.
Like I said the first time I went out I was helping mark and
the second time I headed out I was just enjoying the trail with trailmomma. I
always enjoy running with her, because she is always positive, always smiling and
no matter what it automatically puts any one in a good positive mode or even
able to temporarily forget about some nagging pain; like the one I was having.
I had to walk some of the descent and she was nice enough to slow down until I
was able to run again. It is weird how the pain comes and goes but when it
comes, it comes in waves and is hard to manage/handle. I just keep telling myself when
it happens “Just keep running; just keep running, running, running!”
We only walked a short bit of the descent and quickly got
under way. We hit the climb and I transitioned into a power hike and enjoyed
making my way up, knowing where I could run and where I needed to keep it
mellow. The second time my legs felt stronger or more powerful as the first
time they were loaded pretty quickly. We made our way to paved road and it is
here that I finally gave in and asked if she had any Tylenol, which she did!!!
Thank you Trailmomma.
We enjoyed run walking it in to where we parked. It was
great to catch up and it was even greater that so many runners showed up, at
least 25 I think!
All in all even with the pain it was a great day on the
trails, well I should say that any day on the trails is a great day, and better
yet any day running with friends is great. Can’t wait for the next training
run, which I hear will be the entire half course!
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