Good morning folks!
Just got in from my weekly long run, which started pretty late last night and went into the early morning.
11.5 with 1200-1300 feet of gain.
Hope everyone is having a great Saturday.
QOTD: What did you do right or wish you had done differently before your first "big" trail race?
I have completely selfish reasons for asking and I've posed a similar question over in the Ultra Forum
I am trying to do much, much better at my next trail race and I am looking to see what others have done that led them to success.
To answer my own question: I wish I had more miles and vertical feet under my belt.
Trail and Ultra Running User Group
Occasional Runner
I had planned to run with Michael Wardian this morning but he wanted to wait too late so I headed out with Jo at sunrise. We ran the beach for 5 EASY miles. It's another beautiful morning in Durban.
I have to be up at 1:00 AM to get fed and hop on the bus for the race start. Comrades is a point to point race and we're staying at the finish line so we have a long ride in the morning with a 5:30 AM start. I'm feeling good and am well rested, so I think I'll have a good day.
QOTD: I showed up to my first ultra with a minor injury that blew up into a major injury. I underestimated the damaging effects of the distance and I paid a heavy price for it. On a positive note, that's the last time I've been injured, so I must have learned a lot from the experience.
Are we there, yet?
Getting ready for my first 24-hour race which is on a 400m track.
QOTD: Just ran my first big trail race 3 weeks ago. For preparation I wish I'd run more hills on trails. I guess that would translate into running more vertical feet. During the race I needed to handle heat related issues better.
2024 Races:
03/09 - Livingston Oval Ultra 6-Hour, 22.88 miles
05/11 - D3 50K 05/25 - What the Duck 12-Hour
06/17 - 6 Days in the Dome 12-Hour.
I am planning a long run later. I should be out now...but instead I am drinking coffee and being nonproductive. I'll be out in the garden pretty soon.
Good luck to Lace, Crunner and other racers!
Qotd: I need to know the character of the course. I run wooded single track in training. I ran a race on Grand Island some years ago. The course was not well described (or maybe not well interpreted by me) and it had long stretches of two track in open fields. It mentally kicked my ass. I finished with nothing but 300 yards between me and the sweeps.
January , 2022 Yankee Springs Winter Challenge 25k
Tim
Planning on 8-10 on some technical sections. I'm sure I'll be breaking cobwebs as the trail I'm using doesn't see too many humans anymore.
Kelly and George - Good luck, hope you both have a great race day.
QOTD: My first trail race was the very first time I had every run on trails. My mistake was not knowing how fast the race would hit the single track and I ended up walking the first 1/3 because I started too far back and there was a large conga line. I was hating the race until things cleared out and I cold run the rest and then I was hooked on trail running.
My first "big" trail race, I didn't study any elevation maps, and ran the early hills too aggressively (not knowing what was coming up) and trashed my quads. Now, I study the course and elevation and plan my race strategy, and I've become a map nerd.
“Paralysis-to-50k” training plan is underway!
running under the BigSky
Morning Trailers! I'm headed out for my longest run in 2.5 months, 13 miles- very much looking forward to this run
qotd: I severely underestimated my first trail race, it was 20 miles and while I had several 20 mile training runs under my belt- nothing that even came close to approximate the sheer vertical and also the effect of 9000'+ elevation. I don't underestimate courses anymore
2023 goal 2023 miles √
2022 goal- 2022 miles √
2021 goal- 2021 miles √
flashlight and sidewalk
Morning trailers,
The plan is to get out for 25ish miles around Palisades Park during the heat of the day. I will need to set out some H20 along the way before the run.
QOTD: My training has never been great before a big race, but I think you can make up for some of that with very good attention to detail and planning.
Good luck on the gerbil wheel George!
Good luck Kelly!
**Ask me about streaking**
20 miles on the state park trails this morning. We've had a lot of rain this week (maybe 6" or so), the trail was fine but it was like running in a tropical rain forest. Our typical heat and humidity.... just kicked up a notch and there was no wind. Lots of wild growth encroaching on the sides of the trail, which was nice. The deer flies were not so nice though.
qotd: my first 100 miler actually went pretty well, I learned some lessens about not battling against the heat of the afternoon and after bonking you can come back. It was Rocky Raccoon, which is flat and at sea level, and is still my 100 mile PR, 22:35.
tbd.
Eat to run, Run to eat
15.5 today, 0.7 with the dog, 6.6 with a group and 8.2 more solo. Flat easy single track, so of course I tripped and fell a mile into my solo run.
QOTD: I organized my drop bag so I could get in and out quickly by swapping ziplock baggies. Everything I need for the next section goes in the ziplock so drop off the old one, pick up the new one and gone. I'm a fan of checklists also.
Stone Mill 50m 11/16/13 12:42
Febapple Frozen 50k 2/22/14 9:20:55
DIrty German 50m 5/18/14 12:06:16
Faster Than Your Couch!
Run for fun.