Day 123: 5/3: Run #109: 6.58mi, 59:27, Bear Mountain NY

The North Face Endurance Challenge 2013:  Marathon Relay

This is the race I've visualized on all of the 108 runs before today.  This is what I thought of when I was dragging myself out of the house at 5am in the middle of winter.  This is what got me through countless workouts.  This was my 4th shot at The Bear.

Kia and I arrived around 10:00am for the 11am start and Joe showed up a few minutes later.  I would be running leadoff and Joe would be running second for our team "Nice Calves".  Funny, Joe and I have been running on relays since we were 16 or so and so have Chris and Matt - our 3rd and 4th legs.  It was about 10 degrees hotter than I would have liked, and definitely one of the hottest days of the year so far.  After some dynamic stretching, I lined up with the 47 other people running the first leg and we were off.

With the beginning of the race being on pavement, people tend to start this race too fast.  I settled into about 8:00 pace, which would be fine for the opening section, before the uphills started.  I entered the trail around 20th place or so, and the climbing would begin.  I hadn't been on the trail more than a few minutes when my calf started tightening.  When my calf tightens up, it doesn't get better, it gets worse.  Thoughts of the dreaded three letters "DNF" entered my mind for the first time since my only half marathon a few years ago.  Running uphill for three miles seemed impossible. 

Somehow I climbed the 700 feet in those 3 miles and was actually passing people.  My legs (calf notwithstanding) were strong from training and lifting and I was pacing myself nicely up the hills, taking short strides and completing this section of the race without walking for the first time. I couldn't have been happier with my first three splits, staying under 10:00 for miles 2 and 3 was a huge win:

Mile 1:  8:41
Mile 2:  9:46
Mile 3:  9:51

Miles 4 and 5 aren't my concern - they're my strength.  Strangely enough, I passed enough people on the uphill that I ran these miles pretty much alone, bombing down the hills with reckless abandon as usual. I definitely would have picked up another full minute here if I was running healthy.

Mile 4:  7:28
Mile 5:  8:07

At this point, I'm at 43:53 for 5 miles and while the pace is great, my leg is almost completely shot.  In addition, my Inov8 shoes that I wore to combat the rough terrain are causing me to blister badly.  This next 1.5+ miles was going to be a battle and it is probably the deepest I've dug in any race I've ever run.

Everything hurts and I've caught a guy who looks like he should be crushing me.  We battle back and forth along a thin stretch of cliff side and navigate down a shelf that would rip you to pieces if you fell.  I am hopping with two feet from place to place and it's just taking everything out of my legs.  This 400ft descent in less than a mile is not gradual, there is no bombing on this decline.  With about a mile to go, I'm pretty much limping and when we hit the 200ft climb over about .25mi, my legs simply don't work.  I alternate between hobbling and walking as another runner comes in from the adjacent trail.  Is she cheating?  Was she lost?  The anger that I just climbed this brutal stretch covered in grapefruit-sized rocks has me really steamed. 

I somehow turn my hobble into some sort of a run and it feels like there's a knife in my leg.  I emptied the empty tank the best I could and came across in 12th place, but just 4 seconds behind 9th place and 1 second behind 10th and 11th.  As Joe took off after our rivals, I looked at my watch and realized that somehow I had run a PR on one leg.

Mile 6:  10:24
Mile 6.58:  5:14

My official time was 58:26, almost two minutes faster than my previous best.  I'm not sure how I could have been so far off with my watch but I was pretty delirious when I finished and I know I stopped it a little late.  Our team finished in 4:07, a respectable 8th overall; as Matt blazed our anchor leg in a crazy 52 minutes. 

I spent the rest of the weekend limping and dressing my blisters (4 big deep ones on each foot).  And I wondered what I could be if I could just stay healthy.  Just 3 weeks off of a 2-week layoff from my PRP treatment and I ran under 59 on a bum leg.  If my calf hadn't acted up, I put myself in the 57's and if I could train how I wanted to?  It's frustrating that every time I get fast, I get hurt.  So here I am hurt again, searching for answers and yearning for punishment.

Day 122: 5/3: Rest Day

Day before North Face, calf still not feeling great.  Since I'm not a slave to the streak anymore, I thought this was the best move. 

Day 121: 5/2: Run #108: 3.33mi, 29:19, Clifton NJ

Today was supposed to be a nice easy 3-4mi on Garrett Mountain but my calf got tight and I immediately started walking.  Two days till North Face and this is definitely concerning. 

Day 120: 5/1: Run #107: 3.00mi, 22:30, Weehawkin NJ

Finally caught up on my posts.  Did 0.25mi intervals today at approximately 7:30 pace.  Legs still not feeling too snappy.  Trying an easy trail run tomorrow and then a "rest" day Friday before getting eaten alive by the Bear on Saturday.

Day 119: 4/30: Run #106: 2.73mi, 20:20, Jersey City NJ

Quick workout and then a run home from the gym.  My schedule has been killing me lately.

Splits
8:23
7:59
3:58

The Workout
Pullups:  3x7
Pushups: 3x15
Ab Straps: 3x12

Day 118: 4/29: Run #105: 1.25mi, 10:00, Hoboken NJ

If it seems like the 5am runs are getting old it's because they are.

Day 117: 4/28: Run #104: 6.76mi, 1:03:00, Bear Mountain NY

Matt and I went on our scouting run today.  Unfortunately we didn't find the right trail till we were almost done.  We did about 600ft of climbing rather than the 800+ that we'll do next weekend.  My body just felt awful after not sleeping much in the last few days.  Hopefully I can run faster next weekend, the climbs will be more extended and the course will be more difficult.  Running leadoff I'll have to deal with a crowded trail too.  This run definitely didn't instill confidence in me for breaking the 1-hour mark but it was good to get the miles in.  Hopefully I feel fresher 6 days from now.

Splits
10:30
10:05
9:50
8:28
8:39
5:52

Day 117: 4/27: Run #103: 3.00mi, 22:53, Weehawkin NJ

Interval workout on the track, extremely hungover.  0.25mi warmup, 12 laps of intervals, slow 0.25mi cooldown (effected the final split).

Splits
7:38
7:17
7:59

Day 116: 4/26: Run #102: 1.25mi, 10:00, Hoboken NJ

More busyness meant another 5am run today - don't mind cutting the distance with a long run on Wednesday and Sunday.

Day 115: 4/25: Run #101: 1.25mi, 10:00, Hoboken NJ

Another fun 5am run.  Felt a little sore from the trails yesterday but kept a decent pace.

Day 114: 4/24: Run #100: 6.50mi, 1:03:00, Millburn NJ

Today I hit mile #200 at the beginning of my run.  This was a lot of technical trails and hills so I wasn't too concerned about time.  Felt pretty strong, especially going uphill. 

Splits
9:42
10:04
10:57
9:02
7:57
9:23
4:30