Day 42: Plan: 8 x 800 | Actual: 10.01 miles
Wow! This was a cold morning! I work up dark and early, and was at the Lake by 7:30am. The temps read around 29 degrees with a windchill of... 12 degrees! I want to say that this was my coldest run yet! I layered a tank top, a fleece lined long sleeve, and a quarter-zip shell with fleece. It was just enough to keep me warm, but not hot. HC and I mixed things up and started our run in a different spot, and it was great. The wind wasn't bad, even though we ran into it towards the end of the run. My hamstring was tight but not as bad as it could me. After the run we had tacos, which is starting to be our tradition now, which I love. Back in the day before our first marathon training we ran on Sundays a lot and we would eat tacos at another little place near by. I'm so happy to be doing this again!
Day 43: Plan: XT | Actual: 40 minutes Yoga
Woke up before the Hubs and got a yoga session in. I did Yoga by Adriene video: Yoga for Beginners - The Basics, and I'm glad to say that I could do this one. I think I'll keep with this video for a few more times before trying another one. So far, I really like the Yoga by Adriene sequences so far (which says a lot!)! I could feel some stretches going on, which is great! The rest of the day we dong errands with a lunch at Snappy Salads, a place I'm starting to like again. Mmmm! Salads! For dinner Hubby made an awesome lasagna! So good! I made a salad to go with it. Since I'm trying to watch my portions and not over eat I only had one slice of lasagna with my bowl of salad. It was rough not being able to go back for seconds cause it was so good!
Day 44: Plan: 45 min run (or a 5k run) | Actual: 3.14 miles
I forgot to mention that yesterday I bought some Balega Enduro V Tech low cut socks. I ended up with a men's white pair cause they didn't have my size in Women's, which were a cool pink color. Anyway, I bought them cause I needed a sock to go over my ankle for the Cross Timbers Trail Run that is happening this Saturday. The reason I'm mentioning them... I wore them this morning for a quick 5k to test them out. Pretty much... they feel like my Balega Hidden Comfort, which makes me happy. Even though the white throws me off a little... they probably won't be white for long, especially if rain is still in the forecast. Blech! I wanted to run a 4 miler, but I got up late (despite my alarms) and I wanted to be home before MS left for work.
Day 45: Plan: XT | Actual: 15 mins XT
Happy Valentine's Day! We didn't do anything special together since we both had to work. I brought some rice crispy treats for my work people. Then after work, I drove down to M's restaurant and delivered some cookies for all of the back-of-house staff. I got there right before the rush started, which was good. I got home and made dinner (steak and potatoes). While things finished off in oven I did a 15 minute workout. M got home a lot sooner than I was expecting, which was nice. We were able to eat a couple of cookies together (after he ate dinner) before I feel asleep watching Netflix.
Day 46: Plan: 45 min (or 5k run) | Actual: 3.11 miles
I really, really, really wanted to run 4 miles today. But due to the fact that I snoozed my alarm too long, misreading my husband's works schedule, and wanting to be home with him before he left for work, I only had time for a 5k. Or so I thought. I got home and he was still in PJs working in the office. He didn't have to go in until later in the day. Damn it! I was so PO'd at myself and for missing another mile in a good run. But I got over it. The run I did have was good. I felt strong. The weather was nuts! A temperature of 66 with strong winds! I was layer in fleece pullovers! Nuts!
In other news... I'm starting to keep track of the weather for the Cross Timbers Trail Run on Saturday Looks like it's going to be chilly and rainy that morning. Damn. I sure hope this is going to be fun!
Day 47: Plan: XT | Actual: 0 minutes XT
Quite a busy day at work, and I was so glad to be off to get ready for the race the next morning. When I finally got home from work I prepped dinner, and while it cooked I staged all of my gear for the run tomorrow. Clothes and old shoes to wear. Hydration vest and bladder. Plastic baggy for my phone and toilet paper. Poncho. Change of clothes for afterwards. Set so many alarms to make so I wake up. Then I ate my very tasty dinner. By 9pm I was in bed with some calming tea. The Hubs got home a little while later and I forced myself to not get out of bed so that I could stay sleepy. It worked...
Day 48: Plan: Rest Day | Actual: 5.20 Miles
Cross Timbers Trail Run! Aaaaaaaaaahhhh!
My alarm went off at 3am. By 3:09am... I was up and moving. By 4:05am I was in my car waiting for HC and KM to come up from their spot. 4:20am we were on the road heading out to pick up MW. By 5am or so we were on the way north to the Texas-Oklahoma border to get to Lake Texoma and the Juniper Point Trailhead. We were they right around 6am and got a parking spot. I liked that they parked you according to the distance you were running. It was sooo dark still, I wish I had packed my head lamp (something I thought about, but forgot to pack). We picked up our packet in the cold rain then sat back in the car for about an hour or so. Then we got ready. Thankfully by the time got out of the car and were gear up and ready to use the bathroom, the rain had stopped. We used the chemical toilet instead of the porta potties (trick is to have a friend stand guard. If you don't have one hum while you're in there so people can hear you so they don't walk in).
The 5 miler race started in stages due to the size of the participants (despite many not being able to make it due to the rain). We first ran around a loop to break up the group a little before hitting the trail. Immediately we ran into mud. Lots and lots of mud. I feel down on my leg while going to down Monkey Butt hill. Overall it wasn't a bad course even though it is considered the hardest trail run course. I made it through the mud and all the hills. I found that I'm not the most graceful (my husband says it's cause I inherited my dad traits, which is probably true) on the trail because the ground is so uneven but I do well enough in some areas. I did find that my foot wasn't steady and I would bounce around all over at times. The hiking part wasn't bad, but the sport of trail running is hard. I was worried that I would face plant or fall and hurt something, which would jeopardize future plans (running a full marathon, for example) - even though I understood the risks when I signed up. I think having trail shoes would work better, especially if it wasn't muddy, but I didn't do too badly with my old pair of road running shoes.
Some people got a little thrown off, especially those who were knew like me to the race (but I didn't care) was that the turnaround aid station at Cedar Bayou is just beyond 2.5 miles (it's more like 2.77) before you split (to the left for 5 miles or to the tight for Half Marathon). There was a good supply of different fuel and fluids at the check in (I went with a couple of dill pickles, pretzels and an orange slice) before going back in. On the way back I did pick up a support stick from a section of the trail that I remembered having strong loose branches on the ground. I broke off little branches from it and used it for support on muddy areas and hills. I did scrap myself with it pretty hard on my under arm to the point that I had nice scrap and bruise afterwards, which looked pretty awesome. The stick helped cause during the second half I could tell I was getting a little tired, and would be asking "How much further do I have to go?". I had my Garmin and it was working, but I wasn't 100% how accurate it was going to be in the trees. Turns out it was just fine.
At one point I ended taking off my top long sleeve layer (leaving a tank and a short sleeve). A combo of the two layers and my Nathan hydration pack kept me warm from any wind that made it through the trees. I was able to stuff the long sleeve, my arm warmers and ear warmer into the big pocket of my pack. At the very end, Monkey Butt hill was hard and slippery, but I managed. as I was going down the last little bit after Monkey Butt I slipped and landed right on my butt... in the mud. But I got up and kept going. Thankfully the finish line was right there.
My official finish time was 02:09:16, which is about double my 5 mile pace, but you know... that's OK! My finish time is about 10 mins slower than I expected, but still ok. I was far from finishing last (which there is no shame of, but I always try to not be... again). So, it was all good!
I got my wooden medal, which was so earned. I had prepaid for a burger at the end, and all I had to do was give them my name and they made it for me. Mmmmm! HC was already there and had finished about 6 minutes ahead of me. Tummies full and getting cold we both headed to the car to change clothes. By the time we walked back to the Finisher Tent MW and KM were there eating. After were all changed and warm, we got back into the car and reversed our trip home with completely different weather (on the way up it was dark and down pouring. On the way back, it was dry with blue sunshine skies). I was tired, but overly. Since I had the whole day off, I took an awesome shower. Made some tea and a snack. Got into bed and turned on Hulu (I'm an ER junky right now). I pretty much stayed there watching TV and taking a nap until it was dinner time.
Overall I had fun. I would think I'd try the trail again (even though I grumbled to myself that this was hard while I was doing it). People on the trail were nice, especially if you were nice to them and stepped aside to let them pass. If you're not a natural trial runner (which is me) you may not fly up and down the hills and mud like the men, ladies, and even kids that passed me after the turnaround. I was happy that I was able to run on some of the flat parts of the trail that weren't muddy. I was glad that I never got stuck trying to go up a hill. I have to say having the hydration pack with a bladder instead of a belt with bottles, which is what I typically train with, was the best way to go.In the end, it was hard. That is for sure. But I'm super happy to say that I did it without getting hurt. Yet another thing to say that I can do so much more than I thought I'd ever do.
Total Running Miles this week: 21.46 Miles
Total Time Cross-training this week: 55 Minutes
Total Miles Cross-training this week: 0 Miles
Total Running Miles to Date: 99.54 Miles
Total Time & Miles Cross-Training to Date: 03:35:00 | 0 Miles
Have you ever ventured into trail running even
though you prefer road running?
though you prefer road running?
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