Last night Barry and I traveled to Pocahontas State Park in Richmond, where we will be camping for the weekend. My dad and his girlfriend are here, too, and we are all making a weekend out of it. The main point of the trip is because I’m running a Ragnar Trail relay here. Barry, Dad, and R will be hanging out for the weekend while I run through the night on the trails in the park.

My past Ragnar experiences have included an extreme lack of sleep, pouring rain, a flooded tent, and copious amounts of mud that ruined some of my running socks. So why on earth would I do another one? Because they’re fun, duh!

Ragnar DC and Ragnar Trails Appalachians were both a blast. I came away from each of those weekends exhausted, elated, and with unforgettable memories and experiences. Running an overnight relay with friends is totally different from any other running event I’ve done. It’s challenging and I’m always up for a challenge.

So this weekend, I’m back for more. This time it’s the Ragnar Trails Relay in Richmond. It’s the first year for this location and I hope all goes smoothly! I’m running on an ultra team (team of 4 instead of the traditional 8). There are two ultra teams with my group so that we can buddy up. Debbie is on the other team and we will be running buddies for the weekend! I’m excited we get to run together all weekend. I wouldn’t have done my past two Ragnar relays if it weren’t for Debbie inviting me along. 🙂 My most recent one – Ragnar Trail Appalachians – was with her Moms Run This Town chapter. I’ll be joining them again and we will have a total of four teams here (two ultra, two regular).

It was a wild, wet, and muddy ride last time. I was so exhausted at the end but I also had a really great time. I’m looking forward to a weekend on the trails! I’m also crossing my fingers and toes we have a dry and mostly mud-free weekend! A little sleep wouldn’t be too bad, either. Maybe the third time is the charm.

Our team starts running today at 2:00 PM and we will hopefully be done around dinnertime tomorrow.

As an ultra team we will be running double loops each time we run, so Deb and I will run:

• 11.9 miles on leg 1 (roughly 6:30 PM tonight)
• 10.8 miles on leg 2 (roughly 4 AM tomorrow morning)
• 10.3 miles on leg 3 (roughly 1:30 PM tomorrow afternoon)

Off to the trails!

Have you ever done a running relay?
How do you deal with bad weather when camping?

I’m linking up today Debbie for her Wednesday Word link up. Be sure to click on the button below to join in and see who else is linking up!

Today’s word is dreamer. I think a lot of people may write about their hopes and dreams, and maybe their big goals. I thought about that, but instead I’m choosing to take this in a different direction and write about dreams themselves.

I seldom remember my dreams. The only ones I seem to remember are those weird ones I have after falling back asleep when I first hit the snooze. Leading up to the Anthem Star 10K I had the strangest dream. But first I should give you some background.

Have you heard of the Barkley Marathons? It’s probably the toughest ultra race in existence, consisting of a 100+ mile run and a 60 mile “fun run.” The course changes yearly, but it’s roughly five 20 mile loops through Frozen Head State Park in Tennessee, although many say each loop is closer to 26 miles for a total of 130 miles. The total elevation gain in the race is equivalent to climbing Mt. Everest from sea level – twice. Since the race began in 1986, only 14 runners have finished the race a total of 17 times (some have finished it two or three times). The course itself is unmarked and does not follow actual trails, for the most part. It is up to participants to mark their own map by one master map shared among runners before race day, and then navigate their own way in the woods. Runners prove they have completed the actual loop by retrieving pages out of nine books hidden throughout the course. Their bib number determines what page number they pull, and runners get a new bib for each loop. (That’s the most important fact for the purpose of this post)

So back to this dream. I dreamt that during the Blue Ridge race we had to find these various small foam pieces that when put all together formed a telephone. Weird, right?

When we got to the top of Mill Mountain if we hadn’t found them all we had to turn around and go back to find the pieces we had missed. Once we presented a full, foam telephone we were allowed to continue on down the other side of the mountain.

Who wants to psychoanalyze that one??

Do you remember your dreams? If so, what weird dreams have you had?

On April 16, I participated in my fifth Blue Ridge Marathon event in Roanoke. For the past four years, I have run the half marathon distance at this race. It’s a doozy of a road race, packing nearly 3,800 feet in total elevation change in just 13 miles. This year, having just run my first ultra, I opted for the 10K option which ‘only’ has 2,000 feet in elevation change.

I went into the race with one main goal: have fun! And have fun I certainly did. It was a blast, and honestly I had more fun running the 10K than I have running the half in the past. Sure, you get some major bragging rights and you feel very accomplished at the finish line after running America’s Toughest Road Half Marathon. But for me it just isn’t as fun as the 10K was. Race day was simple: run up the mountain, say hello to the Roanoke star, run back down the mountain, and then head to the finish.

Race morning started early, since the race began at 7:35 AM and it’s about an hour drive to Roanoke. It was a smooth trip until Barry and I got to downtown Roanoke. We sat in some of the worst traffic I’ve ever been in for Blue Ridge waiting to get off of the interstate and into a parking garage near the start/finish. This usually goes smoothly, but the race has continued to grow and we did get there a bit later than we have in years past. By 7:15 we were parked on our our way to the start area. We hit the porta johns and then lined up with less than 10 minutes until go time.

As luck would have it, I ran into my Sole Sisters running group buddies. I’m not officially part of their group, but I am friends with all of them and we see each other at nearly every local race. I often end up running with them, too, which is always fun! They had the singing of the national anthem, and just after 7:35 we were on our way.

The race starts off running through downtown as you make your way towards the base of Mill Mountain. We ran over a bridge where we got a nice view of the star and where we were headed. It was a gorgeous day for a race – sunny and in the upper 40’s (it would later warm up to the 70’s by the afternoon). I was in capris, a long sleeve, and gloves, and honestly I was already feeling a bit warm during mile 1.

Barry took off right away, chasing a course PR for the half, and I stuck with my Sole Sister group (they were all also running the half). We were running easy and happily chatting away. Just before mile 1 we started a climb up a steep hill. You hit this hill before you actually start climbing up Mill Mountain. I could definitely feel it in my legs, but I still felt good. Our group split up a bit, and I continued on with Anita and Kim as we began the ascent up Mill Mountain.

Mile 1 – 11:11
Mile 2 – 12:02

After we passed mile 2, the climbing got steeper. I said goodbye to Anita and Kim as I decided to start mixing in some short walk breaks. I kept each walk break less than a tenth of a mile in length and focused on working on my power hiking. I was happy to find I was passing others who were walking – I guess I’m getting better at hiking quickly on inclines!

Just before mile 3, we reached the split where the full marathoners continue on to climb Roanoke Mountain and the half and 10K turn right to finish climbing Mill Mountain.

Mile 3 – 14:56

My legs were burning now and my walk breaks were becoming more frequent. I knew we were close and just before we hit mile 3.5 I got my first peek of the back of the Roanoke Star – a sure sign our climb was nearly complete!

We caught a little trail action before we found ourselves in front of the towering 90-foot-tall Roanoke Star at the top of Mill Mountain. It’s fun to look out at the overlook and see the valley floor, where we started just over 3 miles ago.

Then it was time to begin the screaming descent back to the valley floor! You would think the climbs in this race are what beat you up, but it’s actually the descents. When running the half in the past I have both trashed my legs and become physically ill during the run down Mill Mountain. After four previous Blue Ridge races, I have learned not to drink or eat anything until I’m off of Mill Mountain (my stomach gets upset from the sloshing) and I have learned how to run down a steep descent. The trick for me is to stay upright over my feet with my hips forward and allow gravity to push me. I don’t try to hold back a lot and I don’t try to push that hard.

Mile 4 – 11:33

On our way down the mountain we passed one of my favorite parts of the course: the folks who stand outside of their house to hand out “moo-mosas.” They have a cow statue at the front of their driveway, hence the cow theme.

 

From there we continued down the winding ‘old road’ on Mill Mountain, running through an old toll booth as we careened back to the valley floor.

Before I knew it we had made it back to the valley and we were on our way back towards the finish. My legs were ready to be done! We had to climb back over the bridge on Jefferson (I swear that thing is steeper on the backside!) and then up another hill. From there it was a smooth downhill to the finish.

Mile 5 – 8:33
Mile 6 – 9:13
Last 0.2 – 1:41

I cruised through the finish line in 1:09:08, meeting my unofficial time goal of sub-1:10. I had thrown that number out to Barry the night before, and I was happy to meet it. My other secret goal was to finish before the first half marathoner came through. I accomplished that as well, as the winner came in at 1:21:57 (which is insane on this course!).

After finishing I collected my medal and a bottle of water and walked back up towards the final stretch before the finish line to wait for Barry. Blue Ridge had a great app this year for tacking athletes, so I was able to keep tabs on him. Finally, I saw him coming down the road and cheered my head off for him! He ended up having a lot of cramping after the second mountain (Peakwood, mile 7-10). But he still finished in 1:55:56 – no course PR but still an excellent time on such a tough course. Not to mention he didn’t train for the race 🙂

Once Barry was done we got some post-race food, hung out in the shade for a bit, and then made our way over to the amphitheater area for some post-race refreshments. I had a smooth Belgian white – my favorite!

All in all, a great day and another Blue Ridge in the books.

This race report is part of the Weekly Wrap link up, hosted by the awesome MissSippiPiddlin’ and HoHo Runs. Be sure to click on over to their blogs and check out who else is joining in today!

Who else has raced recently?
Do you run the same races over and over again?

I know, I know. How can I possible have anything else to write about after that novel of a race report, right? Well, there’s a lot more because there was a lot that went into this race and hey, it was a long race. But most of those stories are going to stay on the trail. Here are a few extra details from race day that did not make it into my race report.

Fuel – I always think it’s interesting to read what people eat during long races

About two hours before the start I had my usual cup of coffee and two packets of apples & cinnamon instant oatmeal with milk. After arriving at the race I ate a banana (about 45 minutes before the start).

I had a fueling plan going into the race. I was going to consume 100-200 calories per hour, which had worked well for me during training. My plan was to drink plain water when consuming fuel and then drink Tailwind from my hydration pack in between. But I did a really bad job of fueling during the race. Time kept sneaking by and I forgot to eat as planned. Luckily, I got away with it somehow (probably thanks to my potatoes and salt).

It was hard to remember to eat and drink because I just never felt thirsty or hungry the entire race. I know that part of the problem was the weather. I never feel like eating or drinking when it’s cold and raining – that’s just the way it goes for me. Next time I definitely need to pay attention to fueling, because it’s important.

In total during the race I ate:

• 3 boiled potatoes with salt (they were those little white ones that come from a can)
• 3 orange slices
• 4 packs of Pro Bar chews
• 2 saltine crackers
• water and Tailwind

My appetite the day after the race was voracious, and I definitely made up for my lack of hunger on race day.

Random Race Stuff

Going into the race I had a plan to put a lot of emphasis on my heart rate and staying in the aerobic zone. This worked really well for me during my final long runs in training. However, despite my best efforts, my heart rate was never really where I wanted it to be. I think it stayed higher because of the extra effort running through the insane mud. So I ended up having to run mostly on perceived effort, and luckily it worked out.

A lot of people worry about getting lost in trail races. I wasn’t too worried about that going into this race, for whatever reason. During the race, I was happy to find the course was really well marked. Never once did I worry I was not on course. There were ribbons in the trees (the color corresponded to your race distance) and there were signs at trail intersections letting you know where to go.

The longest trail run I’ve ever done was a little over 4 hours, and the longest run I’ve ever done was just shy of 5 and a half. I think it’s pretty cool I could keep going for over 8 hours and still be running at the end.

I did not have any chaffing or blisters. That’s pretty good since it rained a few times and my feet were soaked for basically the entire race. Thank goodness for Vaseline!

This is a little thing, but my Fitbit broke the week of the race! It was a bummer, because I was looking forward to seeing how many steps I took during a 50K. Customer service has since replaced it with a new one. All the more reason to run another one!

Recovery

After my race I was pretty sore the next day, but that’s to be expected right? All of those little stabilizer muscles in my core, hips, and ankles were particularly sore from slipping and sliding in the mud for hours on end. However, I found that the more I moved the better I felt. By Wednesday (four days post-race) I pretty much felt back to normal. My recovery from a trail ultra was quicker than my recovery from either of my road marathons has been.

I’m An Ultrarunner

Before the race and during training I quietly worried to myself about being a slower runner. I worried that I didn’t belong out there if I couldn’t run faster. But being out at the North Face race showed me that it’s okay to be slower and still want to accomplish this type of distance. The ultrarunning and trail running community welcomed me with open arms.

I truly feel like I belong and I can’t wait to venture further into this crazy world.

What’s your typical pre-race/pre-long run breakfast?
Do you train by heart rate?
Roads or trails?

This post is part of the Wednesday Word link up, hosted by Debbie. Each week we get a word prompt to write about and this week’s word is energetic. Click on the button below to join in, too, and to see who else is linking up today!

Running gives me energy, which I’ve always thought was an odd phenomenon. I also all get my energy from sleep as my body recharges for the next day.

I like my sleep. I am not a morning person. I loathe getting up early. Or really, I loathe getting up at a time that requires me to use an alarm clock. Yet I chose a sport that often requires me to be up earlier on the weekends than during the work week. What?

When my alarm harshly pulls me out of my peaceful sleep, I’m quick to hit the snooze. I don’t like climbing out of my comfortable bed. I don’t want to come out from under my warm covers. But here’s the thing. Once I’m up, I kind of like it. The world is dark and quiet and I like that feeling of seeming to be the only one awake. The only one that can’t stop.

I don’t like being woken up early. But I do like being up early once I’m out of bed. Maybe that does make me a morning person after all.

Are you a morning person?