Pigtails 50K

Are you, dear readers, getting tired of these race reports? It's about the most exciting thing in our lives. If I didn't write about this, what would I write about? Next weekend is actually a race-free weekend , so maybe I'll have something else to report out. Until then, it's on to the race report...

The short story is this: hills, lots of them. 31 miles, time, I think, was 7:20. I had hoped to top my original time here - a 7:08. It wasn't too far into the race though, before I decided that it was more important to end it feeling good. I've had enough of races where I feel awful at the end, or even worse, sick for hours after. Instead, by letting go of that time goal, I finished feeling great. My left hip/ITB were giving me some grief for the last loop, but other than that I was good. I've been having off and on problems with my hip/ITB since the snow marathon back in December. It comes and goes, seeming to flare when I run faster than normal. I did just that at the track Thursday night, running six miles at a 10:40 average pace (including walk breaks). If I hold myself to more like an 11:40 pace, it doesn't bother me at all. Given all that, I chose to walk this morning when everyone else went out for the run - my hip actually felt fine, but I thought I should let it settle down for a day or two.

So, anyway, Pigtails 50K. Three 9.6 mile loops, mostly trail, lots of rolling hills. Then a 2.2 out and back to get to 50K. I signed up for this race thinking I'd be running it alone. Last week Jane emailed to see if I wanted a ride to the early start, and said she'd run the first loop (in the dark) with me. Cool! Now I only had two loops to do on my own. Thursday night Rick decided he'd join me for the first loop too. Then Jamal decided to run the whole thing with me. Friday night, Jenn said on Facebook that she'd be running the first loop too, Jessica posted in her blog that she was going to run, and then right before bed, Margaret called and asked about running the last two loops with me. How cool was that? Going from no running partners to six in just a few days?

The run was great - the weather stayed cool and dry, the icy mud thawed, there were lots of friends out on the course, and we were all feeling good. On the last loop we talked about how we'd just dump our stuff at the aid station and head right out to get the out-and-back done. When we came in there was quite a crowd of cheering runners, and I knew if I stopped it'd be hard to get back out, so I threw my water bottle down by the drop bags and took off. Here's the video - I guess I was quicker than the others expected!

(That's me running out, Jessica running after, Margaret hugging people and Jamal waiting for her)

I went through one of my periodic processing points yesterday. You know, the one where I worry about my speed. I think maybe because I run so many of the smaller local races with a lot of fast runners, and because in that crowd, I usually have DFL nailed, I start worrying about being too slow. I have to work my way through the same thought processes each time (and yes, Rob, I think of your lectures about speed work). It comes down to this though. I have gotten faster, but can't seem to hold the speed over the long course. I've hit the wall awfully hard more than once and consequently felt sick for hours after. I've discovered that letting go of those time goals gets me across the line ready for more, and in fact, will even let me do it multiple days in a row. So the question becomes, how important is it to be faster? Would it make a big difference if I carved a half hour off my time? And, as always, I conclude that no, it's not worth it, it wouldn't make any difference at all, and I wouldn't love it as much if I did. So there you go. Not fast, but persistent. Not fast, but the ability to endure. Not fast, but enjoying the journey. Not fast, but crossing that finish line anyway!