Running: The Tour de France of Running - Endurrun

Wednesday, August 13, 2008 - 07:52 PM

Is that Melanie or April???

ENDURrun Stage One Recap

Yes, it is that time of year again – ENDURrun week. Stage one went off today. There are lots of runners to get to know this year. Here is a funny coincidence. Earlier in the year when people had registered and put their bios on the ENDURrun website, www.endurrun.com I swore to April that I had met one of the foreign contenders before – in Boston at the 7/11 across from the Y where I stayed. Well I finally re-met him and yes indeed, it was the same guy. Actually the same two guys that I had a lovely chat with in Boston and here they were in Waterloo...

The pre-race meeting on Saturday night was cold and very rainy and we huddled under the Saucony tents in a field at Rim Park. We met people we had only read posts from on the ENDURrun forum and met some new faces. Then it was back to WLU to get ready for Sunday’s first race.

First race day morning was cool and cloudy but no rain thankfully. Perfect running conditions actually. I warmed up and gave videographer Brad my one word that described how I was feeling (motivated) and headed for the start line. And we were off.

April and I ran together for the first 7K before she started to fade. But by that point, I had connected with the other two top women so we ran together for another couple of kilometers. I think we all were trying to figure out who was fittest and who was going to push the pace for the initial win and possibly the gold jersey for the whole event. That turned out to be Joanne and Jackie and they gradually pulled away from me as we entered the path that went around the golf course. I checked my watch and decided that I was running at a pace that I wanted to run and let them go. I know it is important in this race to run your own race and not to get drawn into running too fast too soon. At least that is what I hope and make up some of my lost time today in later stages.

I continued to run at a good pace and passed a few runners along the way. One notable guy was Justin Pozin. I swear I have followed him through almost every race I have run this year, but I have not officially met him. I commented on that fact as I passed him and pushed hard for the last few Ks. One last hard effort up the one steep hill and I passed one more guy. But unfortunately, I started to feel my right hamstring tighten up. Drat… well I went through my little mantra of QLSR (you figure out what it stands for J ) in my head and still managed a fairly strong finish. My final time was 1.30.14 which turns out to be my fastest ENDURrun ½ marathon to date. So although I am about 3min behind leader Joanne and 2min behind Jackie, I am satisfied with my start of the week. Next up tomorrow, the 15K time trial where I will try to keep my one minute head start and finish well ahead of Jackie and Joanne who start behind me because they finished ahead of me today.



ENDURrun 2008 Stage Two Recap


Another ENDURrun stage and another ENDURrun stage PB. I wonder if I can keep this up the whole race? Maybe that should be my goal. Only time will tell.

We were blessed with another great running day--Sunny and not too hot. The time trial felt quite different this year because of all the Ultimate competitors, guest runners and relay runners. I had to wait quite some time before I lined up at the start line and had a few words with Race Director Lloyd ( a time trial tradition) before I headed off in pursuit of those ahead of me. I also had to think that my two main competitors were starting right behind me and I had to stay ahead of them.

Around the park I went and then headed up the initial big hill. This course runs through an industrial area in the opening kilometers so I kept my ears open for approaching big trucks behind me. I had to run around one but I was ok with trucks for most of the rest of the course. Today, I felt great and pushed myself hard. Soon enough between 5 and 6K I caught up to another runner. That always spurs me on and I continued to push myself. Up,down and around I went before finally making the hard left into the best section of the course – the trail that runs under the 401. It is an out and back section which is great for meeting all your fellow competitors and gauging how you are doing. I flew through the big puddle at the entrance of the trail and made it my goal to keep picking off runners ahead. I could see many of them ahead of me and focused on making each pass. Under the 401 on a boardwalk I went. Wow, keep it under control I thought to myself as I swung around one bend too fast and too wide and nearly headed into the swamp rather than staying on the boardwalk. I quickly regrouped and continued on.

I soon saw runners starting to run towards me and knew that the turn around could not be far ahead. And neither was April apparently, as one competitor told me to “go get her, she is not too far ahead.” And she had started 5 min ahead of me. Great. My next obvious goal was to catch her. I hit the turn around manned as usual by Grandpa, and gunned it for April . She knew that I was not far behind and by 11K I had caught her.

She said I was looking good as I tried to pass and told me that she thought I still had a minute on 2nd place Jackie. That was good news. Joanne and Jackie had run strongly yesterday and I was worried that they might actually make up the time difference on me.

Then April suddenly upped her pace by a long shot and offered to pull me along for the last 4K. No way was I going to turn that offer down and off we went, side by side down the rest of the trail. April occasionally offered a few words of encouragement and kept the pace at what felt like a blistering pace. We finally exited the path, turned a hard right with the squeal of big truck brakes behind us giving us an extra burst of speed. A final turn to the left and we re-entered Riverside Park where we started. Only 2K to the finish and we could see Steve P ahead of us. Although neither of us said anything, we both knew the final goal of the day was to catch him. We pushed hard in those last 2K and he ever so gradually got closer. I was running out of real estate though. I almost gave up on the pass, but then I got passed by a fast closing Steve F and that spurred me on. I sprinted for all I was worth in the final meters and caught and passed him just before entering the finishing chute, Meanwhile April had managed to outsprint me to the finish by a couple of seconds.

It was a fine finish- 1:01:43 for me to April’s 1:06:42. Then we turned and waited to see when Joanne and Jackie would finish. Joanne came in first and therefore retained her yellow jersey with Jackie behind her. When Lloyd finally announced results of the day, I had run the 2nd fastest time of the girls. Yay! I am not sure how the overall standings will play out but it is going to be close between Jackie and me. Now the question is, will either of us be able to run down Joanne in the trail legs.

Stay tuned to find out.


Mel-----------



ENDURrun 2008 Stage 3 Recap



Today dawned with plenty of fog which meant that the grass part of the 30 K course was going to be wet. And it turned out to not be a good day for me. Bechtel beat me up. I had a rather sleepless night as I worried about my sore left quad handling the hills today. Bechtel is 6 loops of a 5K cross country course with a total of 48 hills. It is a pretty course, but it is not an easy course. Everyone was in good spirits at the start line, including me. I was hoping to run as well as I did in the previous 2 days despite the soreness. After all, I have done this race twice before. Experience should count for something.

I started out well and led Joanne and Jackie through the first 3 misty loops. We were not on course record pace but we were running quite strongly. I gamely ignored the pain of the steep and uneven downhills and pushed up those few steep uphills quite well in the opening loops. Due to the foggy morning, I was soon soaking wet, and felt hot due to exertion and yet cold at the same time. It was weird weather to be sure. Around and around the loop we went. I always enjoy the trails through the forest section and focused on relaxing and maintaining form throughout this part. I kept trying to use the downhills to gain some time while trying not to lose time on the uphills. This year the course seemed a tiny bit tougher because the trails seemed more washed out and rougher than in previous years.

As we headed into the start finish area for the 3rd time, the inevitable happened and J and J slowly eased ahead of me. ½ the race was done, and I was starting to hurt. My legs hurt; my lungs hurt. I tried to maintain a semblance of pace and not let the other two gals get too far ahead of me. But it was definitely feeling tough. Those downhills were starting to really kill my quads, especially the left. Nevertheless, I keep going as best I could. Videographer Brad was out in the trails and he commented that I looked good and the other two were not that far ahead. I wasn’t feeling particularly good at that point and replied that I thought I was done. Not the race, the event….

But I kept going. It was barely over two laps to go. Surely I could finish. It wouldn’t be my best finish but hopefully not my worst (which was last year). Things really started to fall apart in the final 2 laps. As I finished my 4th lap April asked me how I was doing; she was finished running for the day. I said I needed new legs. And I did. I started walking sections. I found it tough to run a full K before having a little break. Now the mental games started. Just run to the end of X, then take a little break. She met me at the top of one steep hill and asked if I needed my inhaler but I declined. I should have said yes as I did feel that it was hard to breathe. Down into the trails I went again. Finally I made it to the final lap. More and more walking breaks occurred. But I made myself run in the final K with no walking breaks. It’s the little things you have to be proud of on a day like today.

Thank goodness that was over. My left quad hurt like the dickens. But after some time to reflect, I decided to try to keep going. I was considering calling it a day and not finishing the race, but this is ENDURrun. It takes one tough runner to finish it, and I believe I am one tough runner. I will toe the line tomorrow night with the confidence that I can finish yet another stage. Even if it is the hilliest one of the bunch. Horror Hill. Oh no..


Mel-----------