Running Highlights

I've been having so many running adventures lately and not enough time to write so I thought instead I would write "highlights" instead of race reports.  

Tough Mudder (February 26) Temecula, CA

Vanessa got me a free entry into this event (she's awesome!). I have been very curious about this and other obstacle races so I was very excited to check it out. The course was 11 miles long with obstacles in between such as jumping into ice water, jumping off a 12 foot platform into muddy water, crawling through tubes and the toughest for me...crawling through live wires that shocked you as you crawled along. 

The running portion of the race was awesome! They had some really steep hills and I kept thinking to myself I wanted to come back and run the trails afterward. It's the first time I passed alot of people while running. In most races it's very rare for me to pass anyone.  I run long and slow. 

 I was plugging my nose not sneezing :)

I did like that many of the obstacles pushed me outside my comfort zone. It was really hard to jump off the 12 foot platform and while I hesitated the first time I jumped the second time around.  Jumping in to ice and then having to duck under a board to get to the other side was also difficult.  Jumping in while shocking wasn't as bad as I thought it would be but ducking and trying to pull yourself out while freezing was hard because I felt like my whole body was going in slow motion.  Lastly, crawling under the live wires was way tougher than I thought it would be. I feel I have a pretty high pain tolerance but getting zapped is something totally unlike any pain I've felt before. Not only do you get the initial shock but you are temporarily immobilized and drop to the ground.  I thought I was being smart and I let Shacky go first. I figured I would follow him and if he was getting shocked I would avoid that area since not all the wires were "live" or would shock you.  Turns out, he was too fast and I couldn't' follow. At the home stretch I thought I made it out with only 2 zaps only to be zapped in succession 4 more times. Damn that hurt!

 Clearly I wasn't being zapped here

Many of the obstacles brought out the kid in me and were just fun.  Sliding down basically a huge slip and slide was so much fun.  Crawling through barrels reminded me of games I would play as a kid.  

 Overall, I had a really great time. I'm not sure if obstacle racing is my thing. Even though it was fun I think I prefer the quiet solitude of the trail and running ultras. 

Way Too Cool 50k (March 10) Cool, CA

I originally signed up for the lottery in hopes to run with my friend Krista but sadly she didn't get into the lottery.  This race was partially run on the Western States course and was known for it's beautiful views.  My previous 50k time was 8:14 and I was hoping to improve upon that time but didn't have any idea what that improvement could be. My last 50k was in October in Connecticut while this was located in Cool, CA. I had no idea what to expect as far as time.  I had also tweaked my knee and four days before the race I found it difficult to bend my knee.  The race itself was very well organized and at the first aid station they had students with registration lists cheering you on. They looked my bib number and shouted "Go Shelly! Yay Michigan!" which I thought was really cool.

The whole family came out!

This race for me was the first race I really felt I raced instead of just getting through.  I practiced really good form and I didn't have any problems with my knee. With the exception of a few hills I ran faster than I have in any other race.  I didn't waste time at the aid stations. I would quickly grab what I needed and quickly left.  I would like to say I was determined and had my eye on the prize but I can't say I had an inner urge to run fast.  In reality I felt since it wasn't as hilly as some of the other courses I had previously run that I should run when possible and only walk the hills.  Since the course was very runnable I ended up pushing myself more than I ever had prior. I finished in 6:37 surprisingly myself.  It gave me lots of food for thought on my personal running style.  I feel I'm always going between two thoughts. Running for enjoyment versus really pushing it. 

Rodeo Valley 50k (March 17)

This race was fun from start to finish! I ran it with Jason, Vanessa, Shacky, Krista, Pablo and Jon.  At the end I'm not sure if I was sore from running or from laughing.  Jason and I had decided four days prior to the race we wanted to race in costume. We had talked about doing that for some time and while we ran in costume once before it was for a Halloween 5k. We wanted to see if we could run a longer distance comfortably.  On race day we came out of the bedroom in our costumes and I'm not sure if our friends were laughing at or with us :)  Unfortunately for them there was no way of pretending they didn't know us since we had the biggest vehicle and were driving everyone there :)

We run for beer & wine!

This race came a week after Way Too Cool 50k. I was very sore from that race, more than previous races and I'm guessing it was due to running faster.  I wasn't planning on racing this but enjoying the experience and company of friends.  

I ran with Krista the entire race and ran the last 5 miles with Vanessa and Shacky. The course was very hilly, more hilly than I expected but in a very good way.  I LOVE hills. I'm not especially fast at them but I love the ability to climb them and the sense of accomplishment I get at the top is so satisfying. 

Krista and I shared many laughs over getting lost and calling Pablo to figure out which way to go.  I also fell and since I"m pretty good at falling I fell without hurting myself but also with flair made all the more amusing since I was wearing a cape.  If only I had jumped up at the end I would have impressed myself!  

We caught up with Vanessa and Shacky for the last 5 miles and came in DFL (dead fucking last)!  My second one!  I'm hoping this group can get do more races together in the future!

In order to not make this post into a novel I'll post more running highlights from the other races I've run after March 17th.