KalHaven Trail Run 2011

This week was a break from Run Camp to take part in a 33.5 mile relay race along the KalHaven Trail. There were a couple options to this race, one was run the whole damn thing. What better way to train for my first marathon than running a 33.5 ultra for a warm up? That's not even funny, but it was an option. The second option was doing the race as a two person team, CT running half and me running the other half. According to our training schedule, distance wise, this would work out fairly well. What fun is running by yourself though and the more the merrier right? That was my theory and the reason the Superstars were recruited to for a five person team. Why sign up for a six person relay race with five people? What's the record for most questions in a blog entry? The answer is easy, we are Superstars dammit!

The first leg of the race was given to "Downhill". Prior to starting, she didn't have a name and was only known as CT's sister. Downhill is coming off an injury from running the half marathon last year and she's been working her way back into running form. CT had been doing some running with her at about a 10:30 minute mile pace. Heading into the event, CT told me in secret she was going to push her sister to run a 10:00 mile pace for our race. Our plan going into the even was that we'd run with each other, for company, and to help each other out. Bang goes the gun (okay there wasn't a gun), CT and Downhill start on the first leg. Myself and the two other Superstars get in the vehicle and drive to where the exchange is going to take place. The first leg was 3.9 miles and I fully expect to see the two of them in about forty minutes, instead CT came in smiling in about thirty-two minutes with Downhill right behind her....but there was no smile. I actually thought, I'm going to have to rush Downhill to the emergency room, she looks like death, I can't believe this but CT actually killed her sister! It's here I'm going to admit to being somewhat selfish, because the thought actually crossed my mind "if CT is willing to kill her own sister for a race, what the hell am I doing training with her? I'm of no relation to her, what chance do I have?" Downhill did recover, she began breathing again instead of gasping, the color came back.....and that's when I reminded her her leg of the race really was the easiest, hence Downhill! (Hey, at least I take no prisoners when it comes to naming people and we all know that names never hurt people, unlike CT making people run 8 minute miles).

The tag was made and our next two runners when out to run their legs, Fashion and The Doctor. The names get much less creative as I go. Fashion got her name because for three weeks in a row I she had a new pair of shoes. This week was a purple pair of minimalist shoes. The Doctor got her name from her fascination for taping her foot before each run and she also seems to have a constant prescription to ibuprofen. The first leg they ran went very good. By the second though, Fashion was starting to hurt from her minimalist shoes. Why don't we run races in shoes are unknowns? There is a lesson here. Anyway, CT jumped in to keep the Doctor company for the remaining leg and Fashion called it a day.

Bathrooms are in short supply along the trail. The next leg started in an actual town and since I was up next, figured I'd use the facilities. Twenty minutes later, I was still in line! Luckily, the woman in front of me asked me if I was running this leg since she wasn't and let me go first. I ran out just in time to see frantic waving that our runners were coming and I almost missed them.

I have never run as hard, as fast, for as long as I did. My best 5K race time is 22:29, I clocked a 21:28. I've never officially run a 10K, but think my best training time sits around 48:00, I did it in 44:22. To put it in some perspective, Troy Aikman, the NFL MVP Super Bowl Quarterback ran a half marathon the same weekend and he finished 1:48:00 something, I did mine in 1:40:00 for the same distance and I still did 3 more miles to finish at 16.1 miles in 2:06:00. All told, I passed 33 people it wasn't until the final few tenths before one person passed me. The final leg CT joined me to finish the race out and those last three miles I had next to nothing left and was so glad to see her.

We didn't win anything, but it was a blast. All the fun was riding in the vehicle between legs and getting out to cheer other runners and our own. The running was hard work, but I'm very proud of myself how I ran. I have no idea how this marathon is going to go, but this was my best race to date. On a side note, this shirt is instantly retired. I ran so hard that my nipples were bleeding and there's blood on this shirt to prove it, instant trophy!

Week 13 - Teammates

This is going to be a quick entry this week. The Superstar's are all nursing injuries, hopefully everything is minor and will heal quickly. Even though that's the case, not one has given up on doing a run. I'm not sure if that's determination, heart, guilt, or stupidity but they all did it. Again, this week I ended up running at my own pace which left me by myself for most of the miles. This week was different from last week though, all the adrenaline was gone and for whatever reason I felt very alone this week. The aches and pains probably weren't any worse than last week, but they felt much worse. I felt slow. It was a hard run for me this week and I found myself needing the companionship of my teammates.

I look forward to next week, it's going to be less miles and I think sticking together will be my plan.

Week 12 - Superman Isn't Dead

This week's goal was to run 18 miles. 18! I'm not sure what it is about 18, but this is the first time in Run Camp that I've been nervous before a run. The distances have been slowly been incrementing, so it's never seemed like a big jump. But, with not doing the weeks where we were suppose to do 15 and 16 miles, this seemed like a daunting task. With these distances, I'm also starting to get my meals planned out prior to race day. It's now tradition for pasta the night before.

Two miles in CT told me she wasn't feeling it and I think she could tell I was itching to go. It's strange, but I think running slower is harder on my body, so with the green light to take off and knowing she'd have plenty of company with our Superstar friends, I was off. Little did I know there was an secret plan brewing, but more on that later. It is much easier for me running with people in front of me, not sure if it's purely competitive, it gives me a goal, or simply keeps my mind more focused. I chased everybody down, all the people in our group, another group that started ahead of us, and almost everybody in the fastest group in Run Camp. After six miles, the head games started and all I could think to myself was you are Superman. I felt fast, strong, and able to run through walls. At mile fifteen I started to feel some hip pain, it did slow me down some, but the adrenaline rush of knowing that I not only would easily be able to finish eighteen miles, but I crushed my previous best times for a half marathon time made it easy to finish.

Back at the finish, I grabbed a bagel, then I got to thinking that I felt so good, I really wanted to experience finishing with my run partners because I knew it was going to be a record run for them as well. I could run, but I thought I would walk out, meet them, then run with them back. Well, I walked and I walked, still no sign of them. I reached the first (and what is also the last) water station and finally saw somebody from our group. She confirmed my Superstar's were coming. Pretty soon a lone Superstar showed up and gave me the news that my two missing Superstar's decided to go an extra mile out, planning on ending the day at twenty miles! The master plan got foiled! No sooner did the words leave her mouth, then she asked you're going to meet them aren't you....of course! So, I jogged out and found my two trouble makers, who weren't very trilled to see me, because it basically guaranteed I would end with more miles than them, but I also caught them in the act!

In the end, finished with 22, caught some trouble makers, and feel very confident I can finish this marathon. Superman isn't dead, I felt him inside me today and it was a great feeling.