Training Log Archive: vmeyerIn the 7 days ending Dec 16, 2007:
| |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| « | » |
| » now | ||||||||||
|
| ||||||||||||
| Mo | Tu | We | Th | Fr | Sa | Su | |||||||
Sunday Dec 16, 2007 #
Event: QOC: Manassas
Walking (Control pickup) 15:00 [1] ***
Picked up three controls.
Hips are sore, and shoulders from carrying the pack. Left knee very painful when I tried to jog in from picking up a control. Blisters? They are still there.
Hips are sore, and shoulders from carrying the pack. Left knee very painful when I tried to jog in from picking up a control. Blisters? They are still there.
Saturday Dec 15, 2007 #
Trail Run race (Valley Forge Marathon) 8:00:45 [3] *** 30.9 mi (15:33 / mi)
shoes: Saucony Banana 3
Measured distance covered 30.9 miles - a smidgen short of a 50K. Hmmm, I guess I don't need to train to do one of those again. :)
Barb and me at the first aid station...
Started with Barb in the dark at 6:10. She had agreed to stay with me until it got light since I am afraid of the dark. And man, was it ever dark out there.
We fumbled getting to #1. Barb thought we had reached the bend in the paved path which was our attack point, but I waved her off. So, we went too far and had to cut across the field. I commented that I wondered if we would flush out any critters, and yup, there was a deer in front of us who ran off. Saw lots of deer today.
We also lost a little time to #2 being too far off the road, but then we settled down after that. Discontinuing the chatting sure helped the concentration.
At #4, we shed some layers, used the facilities, put away the headlamps, adjusted shoes, etc.
We continued on, and kept speculating when someone from the 7 AM start would catch up. Barb thought it would earlier - at #8. I was estimating later. Finally, J-J and Clint caught up near #14. We kept them in sight for a few controls, and then we were on our own again.
The downhill from 21-22 was painful on my left knee. We wisely took the trail around from 22-23. Came into halfway aid station pretty strong with distance showing 15.5 miles. Sandy was in charge of making sure I didn't do something stupid - like going on for the second half. But, she was out getting "real" coffee (Edit: out spectating). So, off I went after a 10 minute break.
Barb stayed in sight until 26, but then the ball of my right foot started hurting pretty badly. I considered turning around, but I didn't - don't ask me why! I was already getting a pretty good blister on the inside of my right heel. Eventually, the left foot developed the same blister.
I went into mostly walking mode, though I did get some relief on my right forefoot when I sat down and took off my shoes and massaged it for a minute. After that, it was much less painful, but still there. I had to stop and take off my shoes about 4 times over the next hour.
I glimpsed Barb occasionally until #37, but then not again. Ross caught up from the 9 AM start at #35, and a few others before and after #37. Peter and Hillary went between 42 & 43. The Fatlands controls were some of my favorites.
I was sure Barb had pulled away steadily, adding a minute or two each mile, since I wasn't running much at all.
But, I was still convinced that I could do 8 hours if I walked as hard as I could. So, I kept walking, and walking, and trotting 10-20 steps, and walking again. I had a few bobbles - coming up between the 4 lanes on the way to 41, and being really confused. Also very confused how to cross the river between 46 and 47. Figured it out eventually.
Finally, I have the last control in sight, and then there is Barb coming from another angle. She got there first, about ~1 minute ahead. So, now the push was on to catch up before the finish. And I did, and we tied. Thank goodness it was a long downhill.
And, besides the other places I could have saved some time, like not taking off my shoes so much (I was a little obsessed during that period), I would have broken 8:00, if I hadn't stopped on the way to #47 to pull everything out of my pack to get the phone and see who was calling me. :)
It was such a great day - great maps and organization, no rain, not terribly cold, excellent companion for a good part of the course, and the ability to keep going when I didn't want to. Oh, and thanks to Sandy for putting me up, or is it putting up with me? :)
Barb and me at the first aid station...
Started with Barb in the dark at 6:10. She had agreed to stay with me until it got light since I am afraid of the dark. And man, was it ever dark out there.
We fumbled getting to #1. Barb thought we had reached the bend in the paved path which was our attack point, but I waved her off. So, we went too far and had to cut across the field. I commented that I wondered if we would flush out any critters, and yup, there was a deer in front of us who ran off. Saw lots of deer today.
We also lost a little time to #2 being too far off the road, but then we settled down after that. Discontinuing the chatting sure helped the concentration.
At #4, we shed some layers, used the facilities, put away the headlamps, adjusted shoes, etc.
We continued on, and kept speculating when someone from the 7 AM start would catch up. Barb thought it would earlier - at #8. I was estimating later. Finally, J-J and Clint caught up near #14. We kept them in sight for a few controls, and then we were on our own again.
The downhill from 21-22 was painful on my left knee. We wisely took the trail around from 22-23. Came into halfway aid station pretty strong with distance showing 15.5 miles. Sandy was in charge of making sure I didn't do something stupid - like going on for the second half. But, she was out getting "real" coffee (Edit: out spectating). So, off I went after a 10 minute break.
Barb stayed in sight until 26, but then the ball of my right foot started hurting pretty badly. I considered turning around, but I didn't - don't ask me why! I was already getting a pretty good blister on the inside of my right heel. Eventually, the left foot developed the same blister.
I went into mostly walking mode, though I did get some relief on my right forefoot when I sat down and took off my shoes and massaged it for a minute. After that, it was much less painful, but still there. I had to stop and take off my shoes about 4 times over the next hour.
I glimpsed Barb occasionally until #37, but then not again. Ross caught up from the 9 AM start at #35, and a few others before and after #37. Peter and Hillary went between 42 & 43. The Fatlands controls were some of my favorites.
I was sure Barb had pulled away steadily, adding a minute or two each mile, since I wasn't running much at all.
But, I was still convinced that I could do 8 hours if I walked as hard as I could. So, I kept walking, and walking, and trotting 10-20 steps, and walking again. I had a few bobbles - coming up between the 4 lanes on the way to 41, and being really confused. Also very confused how to cross the river between 46 and 47. Figured it out eventually.
Finally, I have the last control in sight, and then there is Barb coming from another angle. She got there first, about ~1 minute ahead. So, now the push was on to catch up before the finish. And I did, and we tied. Thank goodness it was a long downhill.
And, besides the other places I could have saved some time, like not taking off my shoes so much (I was a little obsessed during that period), I would have broken 8:00, if I hadn't stopped on the way to #47 to pull everything out of my pack to get the phone and see who was calling me. :)
It was such a great day - great maps and organization, no rain, not terribly cold, excellent companion for a good part of the course, and the ability to keep going when I didn't want to. Oh, and thanks to Sandy for putting me up, or is it putting up with me? :)
Monday Dec 10, 2007 #
Note
A picture of the red & green quilt and the label I finished last week. Well, I finished the quilting and made the label. I didn't piece the top...
It was a two hawk today. At lunchtime, driving through the parking lot between buildings, there was a large hawk being harassed by crows. I sat and watched for a while.
And, when I got home, there was a smaller hawk sitting on the railing in front of my house. It was hoping to snack on a wren or sparrow who sit in the holly trees. I sat and watched for about 10 minutes, then I had to go it, so it flew off. I hope it is more successful tomorrow. Those damn birds are pooping all over the steps.
It was a two hawk today. At lunchtime, driving through the parking lot between buildings, there was a large hawk being harassed by crows. I sat and watched for a while.
And, when I got home, there was a smaller hawk sitting on the railing in front of my house. It was hoping to snack on a wren or sparrow who sit in the holly trees. I sat and watched for about 10 minutes, then I had to go it, so it flew off. I hope it is more successful tomorrow. Those damn birds are pooping all over the steps.