race report: dances with dirt

Okay, I know its been way too long since my last post - especially since I promised to do a race report. Much to my surprise someone is actually reading this blog and is asking for a recap of dances with dirt, so this one's for you Barb... The morning started out early. I was up by 4:30 am to get ready, grab some breakfast and meet Jason and Mark at 6am. I arrive about 5 minutes early and no one was there. Jason arrives about 10 minutes after and Mark 5 minutes that. We throw everything into my car and I thought we were ready, but nature calls for Mark, so we wait. Finally get on the road and I am thinking that it will be close. We will probably arrive just as the relay gets started, which is fine since Jason runs the 2nd leg and Mark runs the 3rd. I have the feeling of impending doom in the pit of my stomach about the race - could be the fact that I do not feel well trained, but am taking some comfort in the fact that I am running the same legs as last year. At about 1/2 hour away, nature called for Jason, so we hit a rest stop and then continued on. The last 20 minutes is on winding two lane road that is next to impossible to pass anyone on and as luck would have it, we were behind a slow driver. Somehow, we managed to pull in right as the relay started, remarkably we grab an awesome parking spot, then transfer gear to the team vehicle. It was a cool, crisp morning, with a slight hint of humidity in the air, but it felt good. with me being fourth in line to run, I had plenty of time to "relax", but I kept getting more and more nervous. I usually do at races anyway. Between the 3rd and 4th legs we had to drive to the exchange point inside the state park. It was here that I would start me leg of the race. I had to wait on Mark to arrive though and this was his first time running this race. We weren't sure how he'd run on this, since it is quite different than most terrain anyone runs on, but he managed a decent time and then it was my turn to head out. I remembered this leg being straight down for the first 1/4 mile then around a lake and then up and down hills to the end - a short 5k leg. What I forgot was, there were stairs half way down the trail and like and idiot I tried to go down them (when what I should have done is run along side them). The steps were to small for my big feet and very wet and slippery from the early morning dew. I ended up walking down (like most people were doing). I caught up to a couple of people at the bottom and followed for awhile. Once we got around the lake, it was up a hill, across a road and down a hill. So far, not too bad. It seemed better than last year, but then it seemed it was all up hill from there... the hills were kick my ass, but I pushed on and then had to take a walk break up one of them, then another walk break on another, then finally it "flatten out"to were it went across a series of hills, which was becoming painful for my ankles to run at an angle like that. Just when I thought I couldn't take anymore, the "trail" pops out of the woods and then along a road to the next exchange point. I was a little sore and glad my first leg was over. My second leg ended up not being the same one I had run last year. I was somewhat disappointed because that leg had me finishing up by jumping in a drainage ditch that is filled up to about waist height with water. Instead Mark ran that leg and I ran the one that followed - which had me jumping in the ditch first then running straight up a hill (for what seemed like forever) and then through the woods, up and down, through briars - all that fun stuff. The nickname for this leg was "Stupid" and I understand why. With the obvious jump into the drainage ditch and crossing a creek and the up hill running, some through briars (my legs were a little bloody by the end) it at one point had us running in the middle of stream - flags tied to branches overhead. I think we ran about a 1/4 mile in the stream then back into the woods and briars to an almost vertical hill. No. Seriously. It was one step up, slide two steps back. It was a nice layer of slippery mud under all the fallen leaves. I finally made it up the hill, and then ran some more hills. I could finally hear the traffic from the road ahead an knew I was getting close. Then it was downhill to the road (hard to slow down as I kept picking up speed) and then the final 1/4 mile was along side the road. I thought I could pick up the pace then, but my legs started to tighten up with each stride. I hobbled in, glad that "stupid" leg was over with - and it was only 3 miles! My final leg was a 5.8 mile leg that I was hoping to redeem myself on. Last year it was so muddy that it zapped a lot of energy out of me and I did a lot of walking. This year I vowed to run as much as possible, but I was feeling exhausted... uninspired even. I waited and waited for Mark, but it was way passed the time it should have taken him to run the leg. We weren't sure if he was lost or injured, but I headed out so we could make sure we finished in the daylight. I felt slow and was sure my pace was somewhere between a slow jog and a fast walk. The first mile was on paved surface and then it heads into the woods, then onto some horse trails. The horse trail were the muddy part last year and surprisingly with all the rain we got the week leading up tot he race they seemed okay. They were okay until I rounded a corner and it was what I had imagined it to be., but I plowed through it and kept going. I got passed by one guy not too long after that and I couldn't keep up, but I kept up my slow run as best I could. I came across him not too long after that - he lost his shoe in some deep mud. I passed him by and kept trying to pick the best spot in the trial for footing. I came up to a hill and had to walk it. It was a rather small hill, but I needed the break. I had forgotten to set the timer on my watch to keep track of time and I had only a slight idea of what time it was when I started. I estimated I was a little over half way done. This leg was changed slightly from last year and had me going up to the top of a ridge and then straight down a double black diamond ski slope... it was full of ruts and wash-outs - lots of fun to run down after your legs are trashed! There was a small gathering of people at the exchange point, so I had to make sure I didn't fall and roll down the hill. Luckily I made it, legs feeling tight and heavy. I was happy to be done and more happy to have survived. We stuck around for the BBQ, drank some beer and shared our stories of our runs. Then we all decided to do it again next year... yep we're crazy...

i survived, again

I survived Dances With Dirt. It was more fun this year, but more painful than last year. More to follow, but for now I am resting and mending. Will definitely need to train better if I do this next year...

a streak of sorts

I had a nice run on Sunday with Brooke and John. 5 miles on the trail, with an easy recovery walk at the end. The weather was a little cool, but not bad in the woods.

Since Sunday I have run three days in a row. The streak was broken this morning, but I decided it best not to push it for a couple of reasons: I was feeling a little tired and I didn't want to increase my mileage too quickly since I have been so inconsistent. Ironically, it was actually above freezing this morning, so my run would have been kind of nice. Well, there's always tomorrow (plus I am taking a vacation day so I might try to run during the daylight... *insert big smile here*). I am hoping to get my mileage up around 20 - 25 miles / week by mid-March as I stretch my long runs a little further. Currently, the only race I am training for is Dances with Dirt, so there is some time yet, but I'd like to get to at least a 10 mile trail run before then.

Not much else to report - shoes are feeling good. A nice, comfortable ride. I have a mid-test feedback report to complete around March 11th so I'll have a few more miles on them by then.

Race Report: Dances With Dirt 100k Team Relay

It was a cool, crisp, foggy morning. We loaded up the van and headed to the start/finish area. We arrive to a sea of vehicles with people milling about, getting ready for the long day. We walked over to the start line and sized up the other teams. We saw a few serious teams, and quite a few not as serious teams wearing some interesting costumes.

It was finally time for the start. Our first team member headed out - a quick 2.5 mile loop with incredible hills. He returned well ahead of the majority of the other runners. Then our second runner headed out on the second leg - a 2.75 mile loop with more hills and plenty of water. She gets back and our third runner heads out for a 6.5 mile point to point leg. The rest of us clambered into the van and headed to the next exchange point where I would be the next runner.

Leg 4 Description: "Shoot Me Now (They shoot horses don’t they?) – 3.2 Miles – Follow Blue - Nature Center to Hoosiers Nest – Reverse of Stairway to Heaven (Leg 13), you go … down a ton of steps to shatter your quads, a quick view of the lake then bushwhack up and down a serious hill to a mucked up horse trail filled with horse remnants, muddy hoof prints and several creek crossings (rivers if it rains). You will leave this trail onto a poorly maintained trail that goes … straight up! At the top you will roll along up and down through some nice pines but tricky footing to the exchange. If you end up lame, the team might have to put you down!"

My adrenaline level was at a high point when it was my turn to run. As he description says, I took off going down a trail that led right to a set of steps that seemed to keep going down. When I got to the bottom I ran along the edge of a beautiful lake only to head back into the woods for rolling hills. I didn't keep track of my pace during this run, but I felt good until I hit my second hill that seemed to go straight up. It was then I decided to walk up it -- a strategy I thought would prove to keep me from fading too much at the end. I soon learned that no trail run I had done to date had come close to preparing me for this race. At the end of my leg, I ran from the woods out into an open field where I became slightly disoriented from the change in scenery and had to focus on where I needed to go. I made the exchange and then headed over to the van to change my socks and dry out my shoes.

We ran two more legs from this exchange point and then it was time to head to the next exchange where we ran two more legs. It was once again time for my second run.

Leg 9 Description: "Gnaw Boned – 3.1 Miles - Follow White - North Gate To Opry – 1.5 miles of good trail then right into a bushwhack. Some of it’s very runnable and all of it is beautiful, some hills. You will run along a thorny ridge before plunging down to the highway and the exchange to the left. May of may not be a river to cross at the exchange"

This started out as a great trail run - just as described - beautiful, some hills. Then it turned into the woods where it had me going through briers down a hill and then onto a trail with rolling hills until it turned once again into the woods where it headed straight down a hill through more briers (and with runners coming up the hill on a different leg of the race) only to kick me out onto the road side about a 1/ mile form the exchange point. I turn on the speed and head to the exchange point. A runner heading out on the next leg shouts out to me as I approach the exchange: "it's not that deep". I wasn't sure exactly what he meant, but soon saw what he was talking about. The exchange had me crossing a river that didn't quite come up to my waste, but nonetheless had me going through it and up the other side of the bank to tag my team member. He, unfortunately, had to start his leg going through it, while I was lucky enough to finish on it. It actually felt pretty good.

We end up at a couple of more exchange points and run our other legs and then end up back at an exchange point we had been earlier in the day -- in fact the one where I started out on my first leg, but this time I was running a 6.2 mile point to point leg back to the start/finish.

Leg 14 Description: "Boned Again – 6.2 Miles - Follow Blue – Billy’s 2, down the road behind the Dance Barn. The reverse of Leg 3, start with ½ mile of road then left on to funky horse trails all the way to “The Plunge”, deadly downhill and finish in the field a ¼ mile behind the Dance Barn."

I was still pretty anxious to run my final leg - and all of a sudden they call out "legal cheat!" Which allowed the remainder of us still waiting for our runner to tag us to go ahead and leave now so we could finish up the relay around 6:00 pm. So I take off, this time armed with my GPS so I could track my pace and distance. I look down once I started and saw a 6:34/mile pace... what? I couldn't possibly have done that... I calmed down and settled into a rhythm - about a 8:30/mile. The other thing? I was running on road. I was getting comfortable with this thought until about 1.5 miles into my run it headed onto a trail, but it was an well maintained trail, so it wasn't bad. But that didn't last long... after two miles, I was once again going through briers, but my legs no longer felt the scratches I was on a mission to finish. After surviving the briers, I was back on a trail - a horse trail. It looked familiar... in fact it was the horse trail John and I had ended up on when we over shot our turn around point a few weeks back when we tried to run the first leg. Unfortunately it didn't help me much to be on familiar ground because it had rained two days prior to the race, there was almost nothing but mud on the trail. It was next to impossible to actually run through most of it, and I had to walk through these patches so I could keep my footing. One runner had lost his shoe to the mud just as I was passing him. I was actually catching up to some of the other runners when we were going through the mud. We finally got past the "bad spots" and turn onto a quasi-logging road filled with ruts and roots. I followed this out of the woods make a turn and find myself looking down a 250' drop down to a field. At this point my calves are balling up into knots, but I take off down the hill and get to the bottom pretty quickly and felt a surge of energy as I ran across the field. I caught up with the last two runners I had been following and pass them on the road and then turn back into the field to the exchange zone to finish my final leg. As I approached the end my calves were on the verge of seizing up. I finally made it and it was all I could do to not just fall down -- 12.5 miles completed and it felt like a lot more.

It was tough, at times painful, but wow it was sure fun. I think I would do it again, but I would definitely train more and differently.

Dances With Dirt Photos

Here are just a few photos... plenty more and the race report will follow soon...

The Schwag

Umm, Slight disclaimer...

Cool Nike Race shirts

Team Shirts

Team "We've Got The Runs" (L-R): Ben, John, Dave, Paula and Jason

Some more running

With less than three weeks until Dances With Dirt, I went out for another run, but this time it was with the specific goal of running steep hills and ravines - or as many as we could find. Anything that seemed outrageous enough to resemble what we will be be encountering...

Wow... it had our hearts racing as we climb up these hills and then back down the other side only to have to go over the next hill. Quite a workout. We have quite a challenge ahead of us... can't wait...