Training Log Archive: Wyatt

Event: Chilly Cheeks, 7 mile trail run
 

Over 400 people had gathered to run the inaugural Chilly Cheeks 7 mile trail run in Reading, PA. Ahead of this race I was hoping for a top 5% finish - about top 20, as a reasonable goal. I've finished 8th of 500 & 25th of 600 in similar races, but I wasn't coming off a year injured back then.

It was in the mid-20's and overcast, but with very little wind. After a breakfast of 1 packet of oatmeal, 2 servings of cream-of-wheat, some Diet Coke and water, I taped my ankles & got in the car. An hour later, I pulled in with 30 minutes to go, and was directed to the overflow parking lot.

With already taped ankles & warmup layers on, I jogged to the building where registration was taking place, and was suprised to see a few DVOAers there. My email out to DVOAers only got one response - from Sandy Ahlswede saying she wouldn't be there. And then she (and family) were the only ones there. Greg was there, but wasn't running to to hip flexor issues. It's too bad because based on a recent head to head Sprint race, I think he could've done much better than me in this race.

A little more warmup took me past Mt. Mud, a >50% grade earthbank with about 15m climb just 100m before the end. With the ground frozen this looked rather like big sandpaper - with 2cm sharp 'grains' of rock sticking out of frozen earth.

I jogged back to the car, then back the finish where I tied my jacket to a pole then jogged the remaining 400m to the start area. Happy to see Greg there, because I decided to shed a layer. One thin DVOA long-sleeve top would be enough (plus thin spandex, gloves & and ear-band.) Felt surprisingly nervous in the warmup area, but warm.

After announcments and an on-the-mark set go, we were off down a paved, then dirt road. I was probably about 30th at the 300m mark, where we turned off the trail to 'bushwhack' (white forest) up to a field. Pulled up about 10-15 places in that forested sidehill (including the top 3 women at that point), and a few more on a slight downhill. Couldn't quite count, but thought I was about 15th at that point. Passed one more on a downhill road, and 1 more on a windy trail. As we started cruising along a flat wide road (below the Pagoda), I realized I could be turning my legs over a little harder (HR was still under 170), and in doing so I passed one more guy just as we crossed the mile mark at about 7:45 - about 12th by my guess. Saw two more guys ahead, and my burst of speed on the flat road continued to pass one guy who was clearly fading. 11th.

About 50m ahead, #10 turned off the main trail and dropped out of sight to the left. On getting there I see it's down a narrow trail with 1 foot of leaves covering rocks. Rough, but that's good - with O' shoes, taped ankles and years of O' behind me, I've got to be able to do this better than anyone here. The zag down ends up on a rocky, but flat road, and continues to do zigs and zags up and down, and occasionally some 'trail' sections that appear to be nothing more than streamers through the forest. And I'm not closing the gap on #10.

For those who've been to Mt. Penn, most of this course was on the west side of Mt. Penn. The rocky side of a rocky area. And I'm losing ground to yellow shirted #10 and a few others far ahead with them. Who are these people?

At the water stop at ~2.5 miles, I can see there is about a 30-second gap to a group of about 4 runners ahead, and a 15-second gap to an endless line of runners behind - I'm by myself between two packs. One cup of water and I'm off, now zig-zagging uphill.

The uphill makes it look like I'm closer to the pack of 4 runners ahead, but yellow shirted #10 stays far away. At about 3.5 miles, in a particularly steep climb, they seem within reach. But then cresting that for a diagonal downhill, there's no one in sight. I hammer along this narrow sidehill trail, trying to catch up, and trying to push while staying upright - finally catching glimpses of them up ahead.

A few zags later, and we're at the 4.5 mile water stop. Two (~8oz) cups here, having difficultly with the second shot. It helps though, because I can finally get rid of some really sticky/dry saliva.

The trail flattens out a bit as we run back along the sidehill. But there's only an occasional sign of the 4-pack I'm hunting. The 4.5 mile water stop turns out to be a near-U-turn, and I'm running back on a parallel trail, that, 2 minute laters, gets close to the out-bound runners. They're about 5-meters apart. And I've got over 100m still between me & my target #10 place. A little bit of swearing about the bastard with my #10 spot helps me push along this stretch of the trail, but with no avail, they're still far ahead. Then wait, they're closer - oh, the trail hairpins left up ahead going diagonally up rather steep. They're closer on this climb than on the flat, but still far enough away that I can't see them the whole time.

But wait. As they turn back right onto a flattish trail, I see a new #10. A red-white shirt guy has dropped back - maybe he's fading on the uphills! We've got a new target and one that looks passable!

After this steep uphill is another sidehill segement that looks like someone took a leaf blower along a completely random segment of steep rocky sidehill. There's nothing flat to put your feet on. After 5 mintues of this, I've gained zero ground on the non-orienteering crowd ahead of me. So much for my off-trail skills.

But around the next bend is another uphill, and I can see all 4 of them walking. Here's my chance. Turning into the hill, I keep running. No walking for me if I'm going to catch this pack. 50m climb over 300m. Getting steeper by the end. Running is working. Burning quads, but with just a mile to go, it's worth it. I'm gaining ground. Esp. on the Red/Blue guy who's fallen even further behind the other 3. But the hill is just too steep by the end for me to keep running - 25m up in the last 100m forces me to a walk - but I'm digging in for it to be a faster walk than the guy ahead. My heart-rate hits a race-max 183 at the top of this, and I succeed in cresting the wall at the top of this hill just 10m behind red/blue guy.

The other 3 are about 50m ahead in a tight pack down the ~100m road segment here. I hold right onto the red/blue guy on the downhill road. Then we enter the forest, and continue dropping down on a rocky, roling trail with crazy 2-5 ft. bike jumps(?) to drop off of. And the red-blue guy is getting away. I try to wipe sweat out of my eyes, but it's kind of a semi-frozen film and I just tear up a bit. When I finally see again, I've lost even more ground - now ~25m behind red-blue guy in this zig-zag decent. But wait, he's passing the Yellow guy. I can't catch Red/Blue, but I'm gaining ground on the Yellow guy on this rugged downhill. He seems to be sprinting out of every turn, but I'm still gaining.

As we get to the parking lot that ends this rugged section, I'm 2 steps behind. As we run across the parking lot, then mowed grass, I pull out to pass.

But he won't have it. We've only got 400m to go, and, with the pavement he likes, he's kicking. I'm just trying to hang onto the back. If I can only do that, I've got a chance to pass him up Mt. Mud. But he's too strong, and I start to drop. "Watch out for the ice" calls a volunteer at a turn. He runs around. I skirt between a bush and the ice-slick on the inside of the corner, metal O' spikes ready - but there's a few inches of ice free pavement so I lose no speed. Back on him 5m. Another 100m down a road, and I've got to let go by the end again. He's too fast.

But wait, there's 100m to go before Mt. Mud. I've got to get my gloves back on (removed due to heat at ~ mile 4). I can't climb that frozen earthbank with barehands if I want to keep the skin on them. Pulling my gloves on I'm not even looking for trail signs, just the heels of Yellow-guy. He's pulling away, as I can't watch my footing well since I'm putting on gloves. But we're off trail now as we approach the base of Mt. Mud, and I can catch back up while he searches for footing, and I just dog him. At the base of frozen Mt. Mud (15m up in <30m horizontal) he gets the best line. But I've got O' shoes, and massive determination to out-climb him. A crowd of 30 people is leaning out over the edge to see us climb, screaming. Halfway up, I've got him, but not by much. His head is still near my feet as I scramble over the edge. On wobbly legs, I push on though the last 100m, quite aware that he can run flats well - and it's enough! 10th place by less than 10 steps, after nearly an hour of racing.

Awesome to place that high, and to be able to slowly but surely climb place by place for almost the entire race. Winners were around 51. Maybe next year... :)

C • Great Race! 8

Painting roads (trying to efficiently cover as many streets as possible) near home.

If you live in a grid network neighborhood, with, say, 10 streets per mile (e.g. urban), then there are over 60 miles of streets within 1 mile of your house? Lots of running possibilities with street painting...

Hill intervals, Cannon sign to top of Mt. Joy. Parking lot edge still perceptible, but there were tractors actively trying to erase all traces of that road. Not sure how I'll find the 'end' of the run then. 10m beyond the last tree won't be a very distinct end point. I guess I have a lot of GPS end-points now.... 3:41, 3:44, 3:38, 3:35 (Angelica bailed at 3x, so I aimed for 3:30 as a target that if I hit I could quit at 4x instead of 8x (which had already become 6x)), 4:01 (slacked bad), 3:54 (pushed harder, I thought - maybe I was actually tired.)

It's going to be hard to run hill intervals 'with' Angelica when she plans to only run 3, and me 8.. I'd almost rather run 8 alone, so her bailing early isn't so demorizing... Maybe I just need to read O-sport some more.

Trails, mostly

VF-Joy Cannon Sign to Hilltop Lot - Splits

Before this run, after blowing yesterdays, I have 3 days level before the trail race. Which isn't really enough to get in two quality workouts (a hill intervals & an 8x400m were on plan.) Angelica offered to run hills with me on Friday, so I just did loops with Angelica, Jackie & Tom. I took them on some sketchy trails, and even a bit of clean white forest. They seemed to really like the off trail bit, but then Tom clipped his shin on a guy wire holding up a pine tree and the excitement dimmed a bit. But then Jackie led us on a narrow (but visible) trail through a field because "don't you like this so much better" than the nearby paved trail. I have to agree, but amazed to see the conversion. :)

PHL-SAN, 11am-3:15p, SWA

Started off on the treadmill a few minutes before midnight so I'd do _something_ today, after missing the planned hill intervals (busy buying a Honda Odyssey)

Horseshoe trail @ Whitehorse pike to PA TP Valley Forge rest area (east-bound), got a 32-oz Dr.Pepper/Coke, drank that on the way back. A little straighter on the way back, but it still took 2 minutes longer thanks to the climb up Mt. Misery.

Twice past the quintuple-dog surround-sound attack zone (just west of Diamond Rock.) Carried a stick through there both ways and managed to hold them off at about 10 feet while spinning, but without having to slow to a walk... And all those folks are proud enough of their 'horseshoe trial' address to have fancy wooden address signs, yet they can't keep their dogs from chasing runners on the the dirt-road 'trail'...

Really slow start. Various muscles, incl. inside L-groin are sore from yesterday's tempo run. I guess that means I ran it reasonable well. It probably also means that wet-leaf-covered rocky hills are a tough workout on a variety of muscles...