The Groundhog Run 10k

For a change I got to get up at a normal time instead of before the rest of the house since the 10k race waves started at 10am.  The boys were my alarm clock and as usual they got up and dropped every toy in their beds on the floor precisely at 7am (we have wood floors so it reverberates through the whole house and scares me to death).  After hearing two Millennium Falcons, a Y-wing, a book (not sure which one), and a rescue bot hit the floor I figured it was time to get up.

Sweet husband took the dogs for a walk quickly while I tried to get dressed and managed the demands of the just woken up children (never an easy task, less easy when you REALLY need to get somewhere).  My friend Kris was meeting me at my house and we were planning to ride over together so I got dressed as quickly as I could.  It was a bit difficult to dress for two seasons (30-40 degrees on the walk from the car to the race start, 60-70 degrees in the caves during the race).  I ended up in a skirtsports skirt, my badass mother runner short sleeve with a long sleeved hoodie over the top, and my brooks adrenaline road shoes).  I drank half a cup of coffee, kisses the boys and sweet husband, and headed off with Kris.

I was familiar with the route to get there since we were supposed to part in the Ameristar casino parking lot (I don't gamble, but I used to work for a sign company and we did all the signs for the casino).  I realized about half way there I would have to stop for gas and Kris mentioned wanting coffee so we found a QT and did both (and stocked up on pretzel M&M's for after the race).  We got to the race, parked on the access road (instead of in the Ameristar parking lot), and walked accross the street to the caves...well...I keep calling them caves and they technically are, but they are not at all like the caves you think of when somebody says "cave".  They are paved, lit, the pillars are painted in reflective (think road signs) paint and the ceiling is painted in white.  It's really like an underground city down there.

We got there really early so we did a photo, walked around, and found the potties, found the start line and waited.  We saw this gal with really cute running skirt (periwinkle and white with pleats...adorable) so I had to go tell her so and we ended up chatting and talking to her until the race started (as much as I don't really like crowds I sure do love to meet new people).  Due to the nature of the course, they started the race in waves spaced 5 minutes apart.  We were in the last wave.  Once we got started we held a comfortable pass (able to chat easily).  Until the second water station at about 2.5 miles.  The road was all wet and slick so we walked carefully through the water station and then started running again.  I didn't start hurting until about mile 3, and I noticed it in the turns first (I'm guessing the extra muscles involved in keeping everything in-line through a turn just started to pull).  After mile 3 (it was two loops of the same course, which I didn't know before the race), I started to wish I'd dropped to the 5k.  It wasn't hurting that bad, but I knew I wasn't doing myself any favors either.  I ran what I could walked all the turns and water stations and about a mile out from the finish I told Kris to go on and run her own race.  She took off and bested her 10k time by 2+ minutes (YAY!!).  I took my time and tried not to further injure myself and finished 3 minutes slower than my previous 10k time.

I finished.  Not so happily, but I finished.

 

Kris and I at the the opening of the "caves".

The "caves" in case you were wondering what they looked like.  

Now for PT (my appt is this afternoon wish me luck...I have to take the 3yr old with me...wish me LOTS of luck).

Pictures from FlatRock-WinterRock & Coleen's Frozen Fatass

Since the post about WinterRock & Coleen's Frozen Fatass was ridiculously long I thought I'd do a separate post for the pictures.  Sadly I don't have many from Coleen's.  It was dark, dark, dark by the time I made it there so I only got a couple.  At any rate the pictures mostly speak for themselves.  Enjoy.

FlatRock-WinterRock:

Shelter & Race Start

Through a divide in the rocks.

The top of the first hill.
You're climbing, climbing over the rocks through the trees and then you get rewarded with this beautiful view of the lake.  

Over the rocks through the blue blazes.  One hell of a trail.

Somebody built this little Christmas tree out of rocks.
It was sitting on top of a 4 foot high rock wall just waiting to cheer me up.

Can you find the trail?  Follow the blue blazes.

This is one of those pictures that does no justice to how steep this really was.
I literally stood there for a minute trying to figure out the best way down.

See the blue mark on the tree at the top?
Yep, the trail goes up through the crevice   Rock climbing and trail running all in one!  

A beautiful path through the giant rocks.

Evidently it's always 5 o'clock at FlatRock.

At the end/beginning of the trail there is this giant stone tunnel to go through which is what you see behind me.

Coleen's Frozen Fatass

The outdoor hydration & fuel station.  The house was also full of food and drink.

After two laps at Coleen's.  Nine miles for Kris, 13 for me. 

WinterRock Fatass & Coleen's Frozen Fatass RR

This is a ridiculously long report about the WinterRock Fatass & Coleen's Frozen Fatass from last Saturday.

FlatRock - WinterRock
I got up way too early, got dressed, snuck out of the house magically without waking up the kids or the dogs thinking only about how crazy I was to be heading out for a three hour drive just to run a trail.  Tossed everything in the car and headed out after a quick stop for gas and coffee.  The drive was thankfully uneventful.  I got to Independence a bit early and stopped for breakfast at a little coffee shop while waiting for Mish to get there (she had kindly agreed to meet me in Indy and let me follow her to the race start).  A 5-10 minute drive later we pull into the parking lot I'd seen in several FlatRock photos and videos.

After a trip to the bathroom, a few pictures of the grounds, and some chatting with Mish and some of the other runners the RD called us all around for the rules and tips about the trail.  Mainly...follow the blue and don't complain.  We lined up on the gravel road and took off up the black top for the start.  I ran with Mish and let all the fast people pass me.  It was freezing on the road thanks to the wind, but the second we dropped down into the grass and started the trail I had to start peeling layers off (the sleeves of my jacket/vest, gloves and buff all came off with in minutes).  Once the actual trail started I think I said something to the effect of, "Holy crap Mish" and that was about the end of running with Mish.  I had to slow to remove layers and climb a rock/moss/rain slick hill at the same time and Mish just powered on which was totally fine as I didn't expect her to hang with slow flatrock newbie picture taking me.

I think I hiked most of the first section trying to run where I felt I could safely and trying to not fall too far back.  However when I came up into the huge rock formations and the vista views I slowed considerably to take pictures.  If I remember correctly the first 2 miles were pretty much up and down rocks with small bits of trail that are runable-ish.  Most of the rocks at on the trail move and they were covered in a thick layer of leaves so I had a hard time telling which rocks were sturdy and which ones would roll my ankles...again.  Not so amusingly at one point I rolled a rock over with the toe of my right shoe and it hit the inside of my left ankle.  My left ankle is more of a purple Cankle now, but unless I hit it on something it doesn't hurt.  All the bad stuff being said, the trail is incredibly beautiful.  Anytime I felt safe looking up I was rewarded with a beautiful view of the lake or a rock formation or just a giant rock wall 5-6 times as high as I am tall, and the next thing I knew I was at the turn around for the 12k.  I actually stood there for a few minutes talking to the volunteer and debating about heading on through for the 25k.  In the end I decided that I, A: really shouldn't do 15 miles on that trail that day, and B: really still wanted to go to Coleen's Frozen Fatass later that day (slightly influenced by the fact that I had posted I was doing both on FB) so I headed back.  Most of the return trip was spent by myself on the trail and again it was just beautiful.  I saw things on the way back that I missed on the way out and took even more pictures (I literally probably lost 15 mins of time just taking pictures of the trail).

In the end I got back to the shelter in 2:14...something with a total mileage of 7.38.  Not bad for my first trip on a trail with sometimes precarious footing.

After I got done I had some fabulous chicken noodle soup & probably 4-5 cups of hot chocolate while waiting for Mish.  I really wanted to see her finish and it was fun cheering in all the other people (cowbells and all!).  Plus I got to hang out with the RD's and chat with them about their adventures.  After Mish got back and we chatted a few minutes she was kind enough to drive me back to the highway so I could head off to Coleen's.  Thank you Mish!!

Coleen's Frozen Fatass:

The drive from Independence to Olathe for Coleen's Frozen Fatass took FOREVER.  Or at least it felt that way.  I had to stop about 15 times to pee and walk around.  It probably didn't help that it was dark, and I got lost twice.  The getting lost is not a surprise so much since I do that on a fairly regular basis anyway, and the first time it wasn't a big deal at all, only lost 15 min going down the wrong highway.  The second was FAR more annoying as I was lost about a mile from where I needed to be and google kept telling me different ways to get there.  Thankfully I was only a little bit late and the run was a 12 hr thing more about running however many loops you wanted instead of running a prescribed distance.

I got there, got signed in, got my number and chatted with some friends while trying to figure out when or if my friend Kris had gotten there.  For the record, at this point nearly the only reason I went was because I told Kris I was going to.  Ah, the benefit of friends.  Magically Kris came in from her first loop just as I was about to head out for mine.  She needed a breather and some food so we hung out in the little house there for a bit and then headed out.  The run here was SO completely different than at FlatRock.  Continuous running felt good and not having to run over moving rocks and climb stuff was nice.  Picking our way through the icy patches and water crossings not so much.  Chatting with Kris made the first lap go by quickly and we got back to the house in 34 something (it was a 3 mile loop). More food for Kris (I was a bit off food at that point) and we headed back out for our last loop which I only did because Kris needed someone to make her do it.  I am far more motivated to do something if it will help somebody else get it done too.  Thanks for letting me be "drill sargent" Kris!!

About half way through the last loop I realized that I would do a half marathon that day.  This was totally unintentional and honestly a bit surprising.  I kept shaking my head like it couldn't really be 13 some odd miles for the day (admittedly I'm not good at math when I'm running so I was also trying to make sure I didn't screw up carrying a number over or whatever).  I felt okay at that point, but the half marathon realization made me feel wonderful/strange/crazy/amazingly badass all at once which helped me finish that loop.  Admittedly the hills where difficult on the last lap and I walked to the "finish line".

Total miles at Coleen's 5.86.  Total time 1:21 something.

Total miles for the day 13.28.  Total time for the day 3:35 something

It was a pretty awesome day, that I'm still recovering from.  I spent most of today trying to do as little as possible and to drink as much water as possible.  I think I was pretty close to dehydration after the last loop at coleen's, and spending Sunday in the car and at my FIL's house didn't help.  In the end though not bad for my first trail half total mileage 13.24 and a total time of 3:35 something.  The road half I did was 3:18 so I'm super happy with that time...especially given that I didn't really plan on doing a half marathon Saturday and I sure as heck didn't fuel for one.

First Run of the New Year

Opted out of my Speedy Wednesday morning run this morning as it was 9 degrees...actually I opted out last night out of fear of ice on the roads. The fact that it was 9 degrees when I woke up this morning and I didn't have to get up and go run in it was a bonus. So...to get my miles in for today I went out to Clinton lake for the Hawks Wednesday night run. It's usually a 4.5-5 mile traipse through the woods, but tonight Gary (the run leader, and awesome guy) wanted to take it easy on Lambchop (his dog and unofficial Hawk mascot). He just learned today that Lambchop has arthritis (she's only 3, poor sweet girl) and so we ran shorter and slower than normal....well they did. I ran about as fast as I always do.

Kris, Gary, Craig and I chatted about food, running, races, & books as the miles flew by.  I kind of got lost in the conversation until Gary said," There's only about one mile left.  Soak it up, enjoy it."   Wonderful point well said Gary.  I have a tendency to kind of wish away runs, but tonight I just soaked it all up and embraced it.  

The run ended up about 3.5 miles and was truly beautiful in the snow. The trail wasn't slick and was still totally covered in snow. Just gorgeous. The sound of our shoes crunch, crunch, crunch through the woods was like a song or mantra. To top it off at the end we got rewarded with a beautifully clear view of the stars & Jupiter. It was just one of those runs you want to bottle and uncork later after a crappy run (or series of them as I'm prone to).