Short version: Run Through Redlands HM

1:40:53 7:42 avg. pace

OA: 43/369

M: 34/185

AG: 3/16

Slightly longer version:

I signed up for this HM as a tune-up race for a marathon. DW and I are running the Avenue of the Giants on May 3^rd. I was hoping to PR but an injury has slowed me down some the last two weeks and I had to take some time off. Said injury turned out to be some tendonitis around the ankle and lower tibia. After a few easy runs, I felt good enough to run and besides, I wanted to get my tech race shirt that came with the signup fee.

Pre-race: It was about a 50 minute drive to Redlands from my place and with the time change it was still very dark and deserted on the roads. I took Baboon’s advice and listened to Ozzy’s Boneyard on the radio to get pumped up. It worked. When I went to get my bib and shirt, there were no shirts in my size. “We had a computer glitch and we’ll mail you one,” I was told. Whatever.

Race: I wanted to take it easy and not re-aggravate my ankle thing so I thought I would go for an 8:45 pace but I just can’t do it. When the horn sounds I want to run. When I settled in I was at a 7:35 pace and it felt ok. I thought I would stay there and try to hold on. Then the hill. The never-ending hill. The hill that had no end. You get the idea. See if you can guess where it is on the elevation chart. See it? That's about a 500 foot elevation gain.

Now, I run hills in my neighborhood, but not like this. Compared to this thing, the hills I am used to are small upgrades. In any case, my pace slowed, of course, and the hill crested at mile 7.1. The course was a loop so there was no turnabout. There were some flatter, rolling parts and then it went down and it was just as steep going doing. Running “hills” in my hood has made me appreciate the benefits of running them, but I really can’t stand steep downhills. This hurt. Around mile 9 I was starting to feel some pain in my right knee and left hip. It had to be the steep uphill and the constant pounding coming down. My pace quickened and I even had one mile that was sub 7:00 but I was in distress. It evened out at mile 11 and I was thinking “Let’s kick it home right now!” But no, look at mile 12 on the elevation chart! A mile long uphill to the finish! This was cruel and unusual punishment! I was seriously in pain now. In my three marathons I did not feel pain like this. The good news is that my ankle was fine. I considered walking for a bit because it really hurt like hell. My breathing was ok, that was good, but I just wanted to walk and/or quit.

Two things kept me going: a) I thought of TJ and all the crap he has to put up with everyday and if he could put up with that then I could put up with 8 or 9 more minutes of this, and 2) DD2 had a swim meet soon and if I was late I would definitely feel her wrath. There is no way I could be late getting home! I pushed on to the finish, slowing to an 8:12 mile, but I finished in 1:40:53.

Post race: The only thing the race had to offer at the finish was orange wedges and cups of water. I got some, stretched a bit, chatted up some people and saw the results. I was happy to see I got third in my AG. My 3rd place prize was another race medal! Lol...The guy who won my group ran a 1:22 for 5^th overall! Smokin’ fast!

I was very happy with my effort and now I am pretty sore from it. I think if I ran a flat course I would have come pretty close to a PR. We’ll see how the rest of marathon training goes. Thanks for reading.

My second race medal. One just wasn't enough.

WTG Jack!

What a monstrous hill! You did great, Jack, congratulations!

Yeah, that "I'll just take it easy" thing doesn't usually work out very well for me, either.  But hey, you got an AG award out of it, so it's all good!

Niiiiiiice.  Screw that hill.    That is a solid pace you had going up it though.

That hill looks intense! Great job and congrats on the AG win.  Too bad they didn't spring for a true award, you earned it!

Wow!  Excellent job :-)

Congrats again.   Considering the course and PTT you should be very happy with that performance.