Monday, May 10, 2010

Summer Schedule

I love this time of year, mileage increases, races that seem like they mean something on the calendar, track meets at Hayward field and warm weather!!!!

I just went past 12,000 miles last Thursday. Ironically, that milestone came on an 18 mile run that I cut short at 11. I wasn't feeling well all last week, but I think that's behind me now. So now, I can set my sights on some big events! I added a list of upcoming events on the right side of the blog page, I think my running calendar for the Summer ish is complete.

May 30th is the Forest Park 50k in Portland, OR. I don't have a lot of trail running experience and this will easily be the furthest I've run on trails.

It seems strange not to have any events in the month of June. I originally left it wide open hoping to get into Western States. I will, hopefully, be getting some huge miles in this month though. I'll also be attending all 4 days of the NCAA Track and Field Championships at Hayward!

July will be busy! July 7 through 10, I'll be continuing last years Run the Gorge adventure, with this years Sisters to Sisters. Last years journey ended at Sorosis park in The Dalles. Sorosis is loosely "sister" in Latin, don't trifle me with details that start with the word "actually" on this, so this Summer I'm running from Sorosis Park to Sisters, Oregon. Sisters to Sisters will be somewhere between 128 and 133 miles, I still have the details of the last day to work through, in 4 days. Eastern Oregon in July, yes it will be HOT!

July 24th I'll run the PCT 50 miler, on trails, at altitudes between 3,000 and 5,000 feet.

All of this should lead me to.......the Lean Horse 100 miler in South Dakota, August 28th.

Absolutely NOTHING on my schedule after that. Except maybe........

Tuesday, May 4, 2010

Things observed by slowing down.

I ran Eugene Marathon on Sunday. While I have had several races that didn't turn out to be much of a race, this was the first time I've ever put on a number with no intention of running my fastest. I've heard 'other people' say, "relax, enjoy the process, enjoy the scenery" etc. So.....I decided to give it a whirl.

I spent the majority of the race a little under 4:00 marathon pace and there is a LOT of frantic neurosis around that pace, somewhere between the Toys R Us on Christmas week and Costco....well, any day. I thought I looked at my watch a lot. I've never heard more references to garmin pace, and I'm not talking about their average garmin pace, I'm talking about their current garmin pace!!!

I was really touched watching some older guys, 60's maybe even 70's, that were obviously damn good runners in their day, busting their ass to get under 4:00, I imagined they had
come to peace with the fact they once could break 3:00 and were now wondering how many more times they'll be able to break 4:00.....it was really touching and humbling to watch.

People get angry with themselves when they don't perform as well as they want to, I've done it, and I swear like a longshoreman but nothing I've ever said compares to what I heard at mile 21. I've screamed and swore at my legs before, demanding to know why they won't work, I've called myself a f*cking p*ssy. But Sunday, I'm runnin' along, minding every bodies business and I hear, from slightly behind me and to the right, a woman's voice say, "goddammit you f*cking c*nt, get going". My head snapped around and the only person anywhere nearby was 40 year old ish woman hitting the wall. Whew, maybe she had tourrets, maybe she's just waaaay more badass than I'll ever be. But I wasn't going to be within mental shrapnel range when she exploded.

The highlight of the day was finishing on Hayward Field. Coming right through the main gate and onto the track, coming out of Bowerman Curve and down the Main Stretch, just like I've heard announced hundreds of times. Looking up and to the left to see myself on the Jumbotron and catch my time. It wasn't anywhere close to my fastest time, but it was unbelievably cool to see it on the Hayward board.