Northeast Tennessee Spring Break

After running Forge Racing's Faint of Hear 4 miler this past Saturday, I caught a plane bound for northeast Tennessee. Maureen recently accepted a nice job up here, she is the new Nursery Crop Specialist Extension Agent for a thirty-three county area, basically the northeastern third of the state. I have been really looking forward to this trip because I would be visiting for more than just a day.

Sunday (04/13): 9 miles
Since we both had the day off we headed up to Bays Mountain Park north of Kingsport. We both planned to run for an hour or more and would be sticking together for a while before I would take off to get some extra distance in. I loved the park because it was a mix of both rough gravel roads and single track trail, don't get me wrong, I love single track but sometimes you just want to open it up. After we split I did exactly that but quickly realized I was pretty tired for yesterday's hard effort at the race. Most of the trails circle a large reservoir but some of them run the ridges of the surrounding mountains. Starting at the lake, I turned onto Fire Tower Trail to discover it went up and up, but that's what I'm here for right? It was here that I realized how tired I am and how much work I have to do before USMR Championships. Other than being completely exhausted, the gravel road on the mountain ridge was quite enjoyable with nice views on every side. Eventually, I dropped into Chestnust trail which was amazing, immaculate single track running relatively flat mid way up the mountain. The trail was just too nice to not run fast, so I dropped the hammer and started running mid to low 6s. Sometimes I just can't help myself. While tired, I was really satisfied with the afternoon. After running, we had a picnic by the lake then went hiking and did some bouldering together.

Monday (04/14): 10 miles
Maureen had to work this morning so after dropping her off, I went to Persimmon Ridge to get in a few miles. Frankly, Persimmon Ridge is pretty boring and sketchy because part of the trail runs behind a berm for a shooting range. Still, its not terrible and is a great introduction for the mountains as its a mix of gravel road and pretty easy single track. Not to mention lots of wildflowers and native orchids! I planned on three loops but was really tired, so I settled for two loops with some fartlek intervals (minute on minute rest) on the uphills and gravel roads. That afternoon we headed to Buffalo Mountain Park. I really loved the trails here because they were steep and dangerous with steep drop offs on either side. I regretted not bringing the camera to get some pictures so I'll have to go back. We found a really steep and technical mile long downhill that I just had to bomb even though we were supposed to be running together today. In the process, I tweaked the same ankle that I hurt at Faint of Heart, not a sprain or roll but just enough to make me feel it every step but the rush of running a technical downhill fast and slightly out of control is just too good to pass up!

Tuesday (04/15): Day off.

Wednesday (04/16): 12 miles
Originally, I had planned to run Roan Mt. on Tuesday as I would be in the area already but we were hit with lots of rain and really cold weather that I didn't bring gear for. The higher elevations got plenty of snow and sleet with temperatures hitting twenty-one degrees at 3000ft. After I dropped Maureen off at work, I headed to Roan. Initially, I was a little upset as there was no clear trail from bottom to summit like there is at Pikes Peak. So, I drove up to Carver's Gap (~5600ft) and got on the Appalachian Trail for some higher altitude running. It was pretty surreal running on the AT. Plus, the scenery was amazing, lots of snow and ice everywhere! Words, nor will my pictures do it justice. I choose to run in the balds to the left of the trail head as they offered better views. Balds are an interesting ecosystem, it is basically an alpine grassland with very sparse tree cover. After running the ridges on Roan, I ran a section of the AT that started dropping in elevation pretty quickly. This section of the trail was covered with thick mud, after falling on a steep downhill, I was covered in it. I continued running down for almost an hour when I realized that I had to run back up through the mud! After stopping to eat some shot blocks, I started the return. Slipping and sliding all over the place I finally made it back up in nearly the same time I went down. Today was a reminder of why I run and why I run trails, while its definitely not the highest mountain I've ever run it was still special. Every mountain is unique and challenging in different ways, but they all humble and inspire. (Note on pictures: These are but a few, I'll do a separate post with nothing but photos from Roan.)

Thursday (04/17): 6 miles
Unfortunately, it was time for us to start heading back to Louisiana so we thought a quick run in Knoxville would be appropriate. First, we stopped at the Knoxville Botanical Garden then headed to Haw Ridge to hit some trails. Haw Ridge was highly recommend to us by Jeff Beck. Maureen had previously ran there and also enjoyed it. The trails were very maintained and we initially ran around the lake which was flat and very welcoming after a long week on rugged terrain in the mountains. This section of the trail was beautiful with the trail winding along the edge of the water. After some time we turned and started running into the the interior of the park which quickly turned hilly. I was very impressed with Maureen's running, her seven weeks living and running in the mountains has turned her into a stronger and faster runner as she was able to hang with me for an hour. The only problem we had with Haw Ridge was a lack of trail markings. In Louisiana, you typically only have one option and at most of the places we ran this week you have lots of trails to choose from in one park so it can get a little confusing.

Friday (04/18): Day off

Saturday (04/19): 8 miles
Ran an easy eight miler on the flat at the sports park. My shins and legs needed a break from all the big hills and mountains. All in all really happy with the week. I would have liked to run more but I'm supposed to be creeping back into my usual mileage and some parts of my legs aren't agreeing with this; however, in due time I'll be back to where I was before. In the meantime, I will keep the mileage around 40-50 miles a week but focus on doing quality speed work.

Weekly Total: 45 miles

Training Weeks (03/31-04/12) and Forge Racing Faint of Heart 4 Miler

So things are finally returning to normal; however, I plan to keep my weekly mileage pretty low until May then I'll start hitting it hard before USMRT. Now, I'm just happy to be able to run consistently, here is my breakdown for the past two weeks with a quick review of the Faint of Heart.

Monday (03/31): 8 miles
Two mile warm-up with four mile progression (tempo) run, followed with a two mile cool-down. Struggled to hit lows 6s during the tempo. Really, felt like I lost some fitness.
Tuesday (04/01): 4 miles
Ran an easy four, followed with my barefoot drills and exercises then core workout at home.
Wednesday (04/02): 7 miles
Thought I would get some speed work in so I did a two mile warm-up then 4X800, (Average 2:39), these felt awful. Then two mile cool down. Goal was to shock my system, definitely achieved that but was a disappointment because it hurt so much and the times were so slow.
Thursday (04/03): 5 miles
Easy five, with barefoot drills, exercises, and strides with a core workout at home.
Friday (04/04): 4 miles
Only four miles and some strides. My body needed the rest.
Saturday (04/05): 12 miles
Twelve miles on the Beast in a moderate 1:52.

Weekly Total: 40 miles

Monday (04/07): 10 miles
Had speed work on the schedule but decided on a tempo instead. Ran the first mile slowly then felt good so I dropped the pace to 6:30 for the next seven miles. Two mile cool-down. Was really happy with this workout, I ran negative splits and ran very controlled. I felt like I could have run faster but figured slower was better with an upcoming race. Plus, I should be able to recover from a 6:30 pace quicker than running sub 6s. No knee pain or shin pain.
Tuesday (04/08): 4 miles
Just an easy four and some strides. No barefoot or core.
Wednesday (04/09): 10 miles
Ran two loops at Hooper with the Ales n Trails group. Noticed some shin pain, only when running slow though.
Thursday (04/10): 6 miles
Felt pretty good, so I picked the pace up a little but nothing too fast. No shin or knee pain either.
Friday (04/11): Day off, LSU Horticulture Club Crawfish Boil!!
Saturday (04/12): Short warm-up, four mile race, then three mile cool-down.

Weekly Total: 37 miles

Forge Racing Faint of Heart 4 Miler

I was really looking forward to this race because it is so close to my house. If you have never been to Clark's Creek, you really need to get out there. Not only are there gorgeous waterfalls but there is a tough primitive trail as well, boasting almost 4000 ft of elevation change in 4.5 miles! For the south that is crazy! I wasn't thrilled about the 7:30 am start but it turned out to be a good thing as we didn't have to share the trail with pedestrians or hikers. The weather was foggy and humid but wasn't really hot, basically perfect spring Louisiana weather. The start was fast as it was a long downhill on the gravel road to the trail, I used this opportunity to put space between everyone and myself because some sections of the trail I didn't want to deal with groups of people running really close. My race plan was pretty simple, just run away from everyone then try to out kick anybody left hanging on over the last long uphill finish. The latter I wouldn't have to worry about as I put plenty of distance between myself and second place. I was still running scared the whole time, as I swore I heard voices or splashing in the creek crossings because of this I continued to run hard trying to put hills between my opponents and myself. Unfortunately, about halfway through I felt like puking, which lingered for the remaining of the race. The trail was marked incredibly well for a Forge race and not once did I have to worry about getting lost. The only part I didn't enjoy was a stair set going up a waterfall, but other than that, it was great. Normally, the primitive trail dumps you out on the main gravel trail which we run back up to the parking lot; however, the race director chose to drop us back into the creek and run up the creek until we returned to the same spot where we initially entered. This was great because it was flat and skipped a few small but steep uphill sections that we normally have to run. The finish is about a half-mile long uphill that is very steep which destroys everyone, I was very thankful to have no one near me because I was on the verge of barfing. All in all, I was pleased with my time, even though I felt like I could have ran a minute or two faster if my stomach wasn't killing me. I think it was the combination of hard running and too much boiled crawfish the night before. As always Jeff and Brenton did an excellent job with this race, so far it has been my favorite one and was truly a trail race! Great job guys! I hope everyone enjoyed it and is inspired by the tough terrain to return!

Running through the creek to the finish. Photo: Cassie Cassidy

Some Thoughts on Injuries

     Well, it’s been a number of weeks since my last post and there is a reason for it. Unfortunately, I have forced myself to take a few weeks off due to my nagging knee and now I am now slowly making a return to my usual training program. What started as typical soreness slowly progressed into more serious pain, affecting my ability to walk and run. Despite the absence of swelling, the possibility of a serious tendon tear still worried me. Initially, a few days of rest provided no relief and I decided a full week off was necessary. Still, no progress. The following week, I forced myself to ride my stationary bike for at least an hour every day. However, this was incredibly boring because I've seen all the movies in my collection too many times. My knee slowly began to make progress, but was still far from feeling normal. By the first week of March, it had improved enough for me to do easy runs of twenty minutes every other day with cycling in between. Fortunately, on March 10th I was able to see an athletic trainer at LSU for free. I was shocked to hear that my flexibility was what he would expect from a sedentary person. He suggested I start stretching once per day at a minimum. He believed that my pain was originated from an aggravated pes anserine. The pes anserine is an area where all the muscles of the hamstring group form a long tendon and wrap around the front of the lower medial knee and attaches to the tibia. Lack of proper post run care had led to stiffness in my quads, hamstring complex, and calves, causing other muscle groups to overcompensate leading to injury. The trainer used a combination of pulsating ultrasound and massage immediately followed by a stretching routine. Since my initial visit, there has been significant improvement. Over the past two weeks, I have progressively increased the duration and frequency of running. Most importantly, however, I have increased my post-run activities. Immediately after running, I stretch before getting in the car while my legs are still warmed up. Once home, I use a massage ball to break up muscle stiffness followed with a more intense stretching routine. Since the tenth, I haven’t experienced any knee pain during workouts and the pain associated with stretching has greatly reduced. With this injury, I have realized it’s important to maintain a positive attitude and to use time accordingly. I recommend identifying the cause of the injury, being proactive with treatment, and preventing future occurrences. 

     Taking time to identify the cause of the injury is very important. I believe there are two types of injuries. The first is an immediate injury which is caused by a one-time event. These injuries typically have symptoms that immediately express themselves and the source can be pinpointed. For example, a fall or a misstep. The second type is a long-term injury, which results from continual overuse or muscle imbalance. These injuries typically begin as soreness and escalate into a serious pain if left unchecked. Some muscle soreness is expected from hard training; however, if it doesn't disappear after a period of lowered intensity, something else may be wrong. Long-term injuries are harder to identify. When diagnosing the source of an injury it’s important for us to be honest with ourselves since different types of injuries have different methods of treatment.     

After identifying the cause of the injury, we need to be proactive in treating it. The most important aspect is to take sufficient time off and slowly build back into a training program. If it is an immediate injury such as an ankle sprain, a few days off and some icing may do the trick. However, a long-term injury may require more than just time off and ice. In the case of my knee injury, I had to seek professional treatment. The combination of ultra-sound, massage therapy, the addition of stretching into my routine, and icing have been successful so far. Obviously, everyone is different and so are the injuries we sustain; if it’s something serious, get professional help. If the injury is a long-term one due to poor bio-mechanics or muscle imbalances, it’s important that we try to minimize future occurrences. This can be achieved by simply doing a proper warm-up before exercise and a proper cool-down with static stretching after running. Previously, I was never a fan of stretching. Now, however, I think it is more important, especially important for trail runners. Stretching increases the range of motion our muscles and tendons are able to withstand. Flexible muscles and tendons are better able to absorb the twisting and bending that we subject them to while running trails. Conversely, a tight muscle or tendon with poor flexibility, decreased range of motion, is more likely to break or tear when it twists further than it can sustain. In addition, core strength is essential for every runner. I have always done core strengthening routines in my weekly workouts but since this injury I have been giving them greater focus. I recently picked up a book by Jeff Horowitz called Quick Strength for Runners: 8 Weeks to a Better Runner's Body. What I like about the book is that it offers an eight week program including over forty exercises with explanations on each workout and how they affect the performance of our running. Currently, I'm halfway through the eight week program, doing the prescribed exercises three times a week, and sometimes modifying the amount of repetitions for each workout. Trail runners deal with a variety of terrain that is constantly changing and challenging so I personally believe that a combination of flexibility and strength will improve our ability to run trails efficiently and minimize injury. 

     While this is a personal testimony, I do feel qualified to speak about long-term injuries because I have dealt with several related to over-training throughout the years. However, professional help is usually always the best and is the most advisable. With that said, I do hope that you implement  proper warm-ups and cool downs, stretching, and core strengthening  into your training plan so that you can get the most out of your running and hopefully prevent avoidable injuries in future. Hopefully I will see you all on the trails soon!

     

Tough Training Week (2/09-2/15)

Sunday (2/09): 7 miles
Last day at Homochitto for the weekend. This morning Kyle, Grits, and I did the Mills Branch trail. It was such a great weekend with perfect weather for trail running. It was great to spend the weekend in a single track state of mind. Core strengthening at home.
Monday (2/10): 10 miles
Went up to Tunica for some hill repeats. Two mile warm up then 16X300 meter repeats. Two mile cool down. Avg: 1:36 min/repeat. These hurt, really hurt. I think my legs were exhausted from running hilly trails all weekend. After this workout, I don't want to see another hill for at least a week. This workout was particularly exhausting as it was lightly raining and about 36 degrees. This day I was really questioning what I have been doing to myself, then I realized I'm not just chasing the dream but living it.
Tuesday (2/11): Day off.
Wednesday (2/12): 12 miles
Two mile warm up. 7 mile tempo. Total time: 41:46, Avg pace: 5:57 min/mi. I was pretty happy with this workout, as I wasn't far off last week's pace. Even though I started off feeling rough, I found my stride after a few miles, which seems to be the trend with these workouts. Three mile cool down.
Thursday (2/13): 8 miles
Another grueling workout that was tough to finish. No barefoot drills as I have been having a nagging knee and the drills don't help it. Core strengthening at home.
Friday (2/14): 5 miles
Did an easy five on Hooper trails with Maureen as part of our Valentine's date. Our love of plants and running brought us together so it seemed fitting to go an trail run date since we haven't in so long. Still felt rough today, the knee was particularly sore.
Saturday (2/15): 20 miles
Today was a pretty solid run. I intended on doing three Beast loops and then some but the late start forced me to run only two loops then the remaining mileage on the flats. My knee felt decent throughout the run; however, there were some technical spots that hurt it but on the flats it was fine. Over all today, I felt really tired and didn't have my usually pep in my stride. Today also made me realize while I run a lot of flats to increase my speed, I also need to focus on maintaining my technical trail skills.

Weekly Total: 62 miles
While I'm happy with making it through another week, I'm not so happy with how my body is handling everything. This week I only had two "green" days and three "yellow" days in a row. I really think I'm breaking down which is what I want to happen, but I have some parts hurting that are borderline injuries so I think its in my best interest to back off a little. So, next weekend I may take a few days in a row off and give my body some much needed rest.

Training Week (2/01-2/08)

All in all this week was very good. It was my fourth consecutive week of training which is very rare. I usually complete three weeks and have to bike the next due to sickness, vacation, stress, or fatigue but not this week. However, I had one "red" day this week. I use a color coding system that I learned from reading a training article by Andy Jones Wilkins. Basically, you have three colors: green indicates the workout was executed perfectly, you felt great and could have ran harder. Yellow is a borderline color. It indicates you completed the workout but you were very tired and struggled to get through it. Red is a bad color. You don't want many red days. Red is for a failure to complete a workout for reasons such as: fatigue, injury, equipment malfunction, etc. I put a colored square on every calendar day, this makes it easy to distinguish any trends in my training, such as over training. It is okay to has some yellow days, as its normal to be very tired after previous hard runs; however, to many yellows days in a row can be concerning. Red days must be taken care of immediately. Thursday was a red day, so I listened to my body and took Friday off.

Sunday (2/02): 6 miles
Easy six miles on the flat. These went by fast. Every now and then you get one of those amazing runs were everything feels right and goes right. I was easily dropping low and sub sevens, feeling like I hadn't ran twenty miles the day before and sixty miles the previous week. Barefoot drills/strides and core work at home.
Monday (2/03): 10 miles
Two mile warm up. Speed workout on track, 12X400s. Averaged 71 secs/repeat. Very happy with this workout. I also think my times would have been faster had there not been a soccer game going on. I kept having to swing out into lane 5 and 6 on the back straight away dodging unaware high school kids and soccer balls. Two mile cool down.
Tuesday (2/04): Day off.
Wednesday (2/05): 11 miles
Two mile warm up. Seven mile tempo. Two mile cool down. Splits: 5:45, 5:52, 5:53, 5:55, 5:55, 5:53, 5:44, total: 41:03.97, Average Pace 5:51 min/mi. I started this workout feeling terrible, very tired and sore from Monday's effort; however, after hitting three miles only twenty seconds off my current PR, the miles started getting easier. This workout was a big break through for me, as all my miles were under six minutes especially considering the footing was sloppy from all the rain.
Thursday (2/06): 5 miles
Terrible run today, definitely a red day. I guess I ran too hard yesterday and Monday. So no core work and no drills as I was just too tired. I tried running in my new New Balance 910s, they felt fine the past few days walking in them but today around 4 miles I could feel the blisters forming on my heels. WTF?! I thought everything was healed up but I guess not. I'm really unsure about what to do at this point as I have gone through three different brands of shoes over the past two weeks and nothing is fitting properly. So, I think I'll be returning the New Balances soon.
Friday (2/07): Day off.
Today I headed up to Clear Springs, MS in the Homochitto National Forest for a weekend of trail running. I arrived early enough to get in a late evening run but after Thursday's affair, I decided to listen to my body for once and take an extra day off using my time to gather firewood while it was still daylight instead.
Saturday (2/08): 22+ miles
I couldn't decide what shoes to use this day. My old Salomon Sense Mantras fit fine with no rubbing but they are significantly worn out and offer little protection at this point. So, I used my new Scott Sports T2 Kinabulas recommend by a really fast friend, who knows what he is talking about. I was worried at first as I have only ran warm ups and cool downs in them but after two hours of running in them my feet felt great so I figured why stop there, how about another two hours of running? The first loop consisted of running from our campsite, running a small portion of trail along the lake then running Tally's Creek with Kyle Cassidy and Grits. We ran back to the campsite where I got a snack, refilled my bottles, dropped of Grits, and left Kyle and everyone else for their trail work day while I headed out for some more single track. This time I ran to Richardson Creek and completed that trail; however, I got a little lost at an intersection and ran about twenty-five minutes extra on Mill's Branch Trail. Finally 3:49.27 later I was back at camp. I'm estimating my distance to be 22 miles but in actuality it was probably a mile or few longer, but 22 seems a safe estimate. While the distance was pretty short compared to the time spent running, I still achieved my main purpose of getting some time running. I also realized that a sub 4 hour 50km here is really going to hurt! Time to start cranking those hills. Very happy with this run as I originally had 16 miles planned and was only going to do about 12 if I was having shoe issues.

Weekly Total: 54 miles

Training Week and Chicot Adventure (1/26-2/1)

This week I realized that my next race is a very hilly and tough 50km. Oh no. The plan for this week was to cut out intensity and concentrate on increased, slow mileage to hopefully allow my legs to recover. It was nice not worrying about pace or split times for a week. It allowed me to just enjoy the trails and leave behind all the stress of racing and running hard. I feel it’s important to have weeks like this to let your mind unwind, relax, and remember why you love running so much.

Sunday (1/26): 5 miles

An easy 5 miles on the flat, followed with barefoot drills and strides.

Monday (1/27): 12 miles

Easy twelve miles on the Beast.

Tuesday (1/28): Day off.

Wednesday (1/29): 12 miles

Twelve miles on the Beast through the ice. The trail was basically iced over about an inch or more thick throughout. It was very fun but exhausting. These types of runs are more about time spent running than how fast you can finish.

Thursday (1/30): 7 miles

Easy seven on flat. Still a lot of ice on the Beast and road to trailhead. Some skips and strides followed with a tough core workout at home.

Friday (1/31): 6 miles

Training runs in the AM suck!! My form is terrible and my body hurts.  I'm one runner who needs coffee and food before going out for a run. 

Saturday (2/01): 20 miles

 Went camping at Chicot State Park on Friday night. That's why I had to get my mileage done in the morning. I bought myself a new backpacking tent for my birthday so I was ready to test it out. We enjoyed some beautiful weather with a light rain that evening. Unfortunately, I made a terrible mistake and left my birthday cinnamon rolls Maureen made for me outside in a large Rubbermaid container that I keep cooking supplies in. The cinnamon rolls themselves were also in a plastic container. Around 11 pm, I heard a lot of loud noise. Raccoons were getting into all our supplies, opening the ice chest and everything else. I stuck my head out of the tent and saw that everything looked in order except for the paper towels on the ground. Remembering that I had put them away, I got up and checked everything. The lid was still on the kitchen supplies, but when I opened it, no cinnamon rolls! The whole container was gone! I found the cinnamon roll container opened in the nearby ditch. Damn you animals! These animals have had some practice! We shoot for an early start the next morning but don't hit the trails until ten. Louisiana is a crazy place; just two days before, I'm running over inches of ice and sub-freezing temperatures. Today it’s humid and I'm sweating like crazy. Murphy's Law took over today; it was just one of those days where you have to roll with the punches and get through it. I caught up with Maureen and Grits as they drove ahead to a different trailhead to pick up where she left off last time we came. Grits tried running with me and I nearly killed him with the heat. After 4 miles, I had to turn around and run him back to Meaux. Finally, he stayed with me and I was able to get into a groove. At mile 13, I took a sting from a red wasp on the shin and then things only got worse. Heels were hurting, toes were getting rubbed raw, so I had to stop and doctor my feet around mile 15. This whole run I felt terrible and could never get into a really good rhythm. At one point, I had to stop to walk for a minute. The trail was slop for the first and last 4 miles due to the melting ice from previous days. In the end, I gutted it out and got through in 2:44 for about 20 miles. It always could have been worse. Overall, it was a decent week. I think this run was particularly tough for a few reasons: the accumulated fatigue of the past weeks, lack of decent sleep this week, trail conditions, and temperature. I am happy to have completed three consistent weeks of training so far this year. The accumulated fatigue is taking its toll but making me stronger. I am also very fortunate to have a girlfriend that loves trails and camping, who is willing to spend nights in the woods so I can run different places. She also started her own blog to share her love of photography, check it out! A Photo or Few

Weekly Total: 62 miles

Birthday cinnamon rolls before the raccoons got them! Photo: Maureen Thiessen, A Photo or Few

Photo: Maureen Thiessen, A Photo or Few

Photo: Maureen Thiessen, A Photo or Few

Snow/Ice on the Beast, this past Wednesday Photo: Maureen Thiessen, A Photo or Few

Snow/Ice on the Beast Photo: Maureen Thiessen, A Photo or Few

Snow/Ice on the Beast Photo: Maureen Thiessen, A Photo or Few

Snow/Ice on the Beast Photo: Maureen Thiessen, A Photo or Few

Training Week and Forge Dirty Soles 10km (1/19-1/25)

Sunday (1/19): 7 miles
Easy seven followed with barefoot and form drills. Then core strengthening at home.
Monday (1/20): 10 miles
Hill repeats at Tunica falls. Two mile warm-up. 16X300 meter hill repeats with a 1:1 speed to recovery. Average: 1:29 a repeat. Two mile cool down.
Tuesday (1/21): Day off
Wednesday (1/22): 10 miles
Tempo run on flat at sports park. Two mile warm-up. Six mile tempo at 36:30, 6:05 min/mi pace. Followed with two mile cool down. Toned down the intensity a little.
Thursday (1/23): 8 miles
Easy eight on the Beast with Grits. No barefoot drills, too cold and too much rain. Core strengthening at home.
Friday (1/24): 6 miles
Easy six in the ice/snow on the Beast with Grits.
Saturday (1/25): ~13 miles
Ran the Forge Dirty Soles 10km, followed it with 6-7 miles.

Weekly Total: 54 miles

Forge Dirty Soles 10km Race Report
The original plans for this weekend's race never came to fruition. We had planned on camping Friday night but having spent two hours driving to Baton Rouge in messy winter weather was enough driving for one day. The race start got pushed back to 9:30 on Saturday so we left at 7:00 am hoping the interstates would be open; unfortunately, they weren't. It took two hours and forty-four minutes to make it to the Northlake Nature Center in Mandeville from Baton Rouge. I was getting really anxious sitting in the car knowing we weren't going to make the "official" start. Finally we arrived at 9:44, much to my surprise and relief people were still walking towards the start line. I quickly gave Maureen a kiss then basically ditched her (sorry dear) and ran off. My warm up consisted of running from the parking lot to the bushes to pee then running to the start where I dropped my warm-up clothes and put on my racing shoes. I managed a few strides during the pre-race meeting and we were off!

Immediately a few of us separated with me leading and not surprisingly we missed the first turn! Now we were stuck in a large pack and I quickly found an opening and ran to the front, the other two guys immediately followed. The course is mostly wide open sections that are flat throughout the woods, very similar to a cross country style course. However, there are a few technical single track sections which were the only spots I was able to open up a gap. Its pretty difficult to open up a gap on a four minute miler but I was trying and my only hope were those single track sections. Every time the trail opened up he quickly reeled me in. There were a few tight unexpected turns we quickly over ran and had to slightly back track. There were also numerous boardwalks and bridges that were extremely slick making it difficult to maneuver on at high speeds. The pace was pretty consistent and quick but at twenty-five minutes he took off, after the hard week of running I had nothing to answer with. Suddenly, I felt demoralized, tired, and sloppy. It became a difficult effort to not let him out of my sights. We hit a water crossing with approximately a mile left, we were supposed to cross, touch a specific tree covered in flagging, then head back across the water where we came from. Well, we both touched the tree but he didn't turn around. I was so focused on chasing him that I didn't turn around either. Then people started yelling at us to turn around so I quickly turned around realizing what I was doing wrong and headed back for the right trail. He was running so fast he disappeared into the woods quickly and they basically had to run after him yelling at him to turn around. After getting back on track it was a long flat straight away to the finish. This part was mentally tough as you could see the finish from way off and had to battle a head wind the whole way. As you got closer to the finish a quick dip back into the woods really pissed you off! The whole time I just imagined him catching me but I held on to come across the line first.

I love racing and the competitive aspect of running but I really don't enjoy winning this way. I was clearly beat had he not gotten lost. Winning in such a way doesn't give you the same feeling of winning out right, it felt like I didn't earn the win. I understand that a large part of trail racing tests your ability to stay on course. I made a decision today that at the time seemed right. I received mixed emotions from some and I can understand the argument. I'm sorry if that decision offended anyone, that was not my intention. I know that today I was beat. After all it was only a race and who won was of little consequence. What is most important was that despite all the bad weather and setbacks we were all able to come together to enjoy some trails and friendly competition all in the goal of having a good time. A special thanks to everyone who participated, volunteered, Forge Racing, Jeffrey Beck, Brenton Day, and Cesar Torres with Q50 races for promoting trail racing in Louisiana. Another thanks to all the runners that I've had the joy of competing against at the past few races, I'm fortunate to be able to test my abilities against some fast people.

Photo credit: Miriam Thompson

Photo credit: Miriam Thompson