When I first started trail running and discovered trail races, my only goal was to finish a race. I was always so afraid of not finishing that I would be super conservative with my pace and then just stay solidly in the back of the pack.
I am thrilled that for this last 50K race, I finally made it to the middle of the pack. I had no idea where I was while racing. I went off with one of the later waves, so even though I was passing people, I really didn't know. I think the best part about the race was that of course I enjoyed it and that the views and the people were amazing. However, the cherry on top was learning that I exceeded my expectations of where I would end up in the standings (not that it really matters) and that I did this without "trying". Of course, I was trying my best. I had a solid training block and I really pushed the power hiking on the climbs and the last couple of miles to have a strong finish.
Anyway, in a field of 300 runners, here's where I landed.
Super excited to now be a middle of the pack runner! At least with this race. Turns out we passed about 35 people while out on the course too. I'm happy with where I landed in my age group as well, almost smack dab in the middle. Here's a great video that I found of the race.
With Thanksgiving just 5 days after this trail race, I thought I would really just take the Turkey Trot easy. I was thinking 11 min/miles would be impressive after having a 50K and a tough Dipsea Trail hike on my legs. There are 1400 people who do the Turkey Trot in Princeton and it was so awesome to have it in person. My son's school's cross country team had a group set up so it was super fun to see him and his friends run the Turkey Trot together. For the first mile or so, there are so many people that it's hard to pass anyone. Plus, I wasn't concerned about going fast, so I just locked into a nice easy pace and enjoyed the perfect running weather. I saw my son and his running buddy pass me early on which was cool. After the long uphill on Springdale, I looked down at my watch and saw that I could finish in less than 30 minutes. That lit a fire under me and I pushed the last part of the course. Man, it hurt pretty bad, but it was worth it. Turns out, I passed my son and his friend, but I'm not sure where. It was funny to see that I PRed the course, again without having that as a goal to start, but being able to push at the end. I also ended up in the front third of the pack and did very well for my age group placing 19 out of 120. I wonder if next year, I should actually try to run fast the entire time. My legs felt pretty good afterwards. I did feel a bit of pain in my right calf, so I have not run since then. Trying to really rest up now.
Currently, I'm in the opposite of race mode. With the colder weather and work travel, it's been nice to chill and eat a lot. I've definitely replenished all calories lost during that big race effort. It was really nice to be able to eat all of the Thanksgiving goodies, over and over again. A couple of firsts- my daughter helped me make a vegan pumpkin pie, which turned out so delicious. Had several compliments about the pie. I also made turkey gravy (not vegan) for the first time and it was very tasty. I can still feel my arteries coated in turkey fat, so I think at some point I will need to eat cleanly to feel a bit healthier. For now, I'm excited to start some cycling. I ordered a pair of cycling shoes and clips last week and we now have the bike set up on a trainer inside. I'll still continue to run a bit, but I'm going to keep the volume low. Planning on adding another day of climbing per week if possible. I definitely feel like I'm getting stronger. Finger strength and overall technique is improving. If the schedule allows it, I'll plan a climbing trip out to Red Rocks in February. Also, the best part about December is all of the fun checking out which races I'm going to try to do next year. UTMB finally announced the lottery registration date, so I'm planning on putting in for OCC. Very unlikely I'll get it, but it would be so cool if I did. I'm thinking an ultra in May/early June might be fun, then OCC if it's in the cards and a winter ultra somewhere in the West. I've been looking at the Aravaipa races and a winter ultra in Arizona would be super fun. Heading back to Princeton from TN this morning. Excited to be heading home. As always, it's great to explore new places. This time, I stayed in an Airbnb overlooking Lake Cherokee and the sunrises were beautiful.
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