Best Made Plans

Dances With Dirt is a tough slog through underbrush, swamps, rivers, up and down slippery steep hills and sometimes on actual trail.  Honestly I think the trail portions are to lull us into a false sense of security.
You have to be vigilant and pay attention to flags and ribbons hanging from trees, without which you will become quickly lost.  This is not a zone out and enjoy run, this is a pay attention to your surroundings and try to plan the best way to cross this obstacle run.
We had difficulties like not finding a fifth team member and then another member with an injured ankle.  However we were determined to try and complete what we could of the race.
The morning started with just Claudia and I at the start not sure when our team mates would be able to make it to the race. 
This is when the plans of who ran what leg went right out the window.  "No battle plan survives first contact with the enemy. " So very true in this case, Claudia and I decided to take turns running the legs as best we could until others were able to make it out.   I was taking the first Lap and though I was back of the pack I was far from last.  I even had a couple runners stay with me who had missed a turn off until they spotted me in the woods.  It was a nice morning 4.5 mile romp and I was feeling really good at the end.  Claudia took the second loop and with still no sign of the others.  My plan continued to be that Claudia and I would take turns until we were tired of running and just enjoy what we could of the race.  Luckily Michelle made it out in time to run the 3rd leg.  But by the 4th leg, which I ran, we were the back of the pack and the sweeper was waiting for us to go out.
 I kept ahead of the sweeper but did not see any other runners on the course until a guy who had accidentally run the wrong loop caught up with me.  He and I hung together a bit and helped each other cross a mud pit then he took off at a faster pace and I had the course to myself until I started running into runners on another leg coming toward me.  Most of them thought I was one of the Ultra runners and cheered me on with "Good Job!" and "Way to go Ultra" I took the accolades and cheerfully returned their encouragement.  Coming into the finish of my second leg the place was nearly deserted and when Claudia started the 5th leg I could tell we were very behind.
However I was still feeling pretty good, and we were cheerfully determined to try to get through the whole course so Michelle and I headed to the next legs.

 Technically we weren't supposed to start cheating until the 7th but after waiting 40 min with Claudia was still out on the 5th I decided to start the 6th leg before she came in.  It was a good thing I did because halfway through the leg I ran into the sweeper removing the blue flags marking my leg.  He was very surprised to see me still on the course, offered to lead me to the entrance to the swamp portion, which he assured me was still marked, and also suggested we skip a couple legs and maybe I should be taking the shortcut rather than go through the swamp.
All very logical and probably good advice at this point.  After all the swamp portion is dangerous. Going out there by myself with no other runners around to see if I get hurt and need help is probably a bit stupid if not suicidal.  But this is where my stubborn "I will do this and I will get through the toughest course" kicks in. 
The swamp portion is called "This Sucks" and it truly did.  It was awful with so much water to cross that after awhile I thought I was on the wrong leg and took out a very soggy course description to make sure I was following the correct colored flag and wasn't on the "River Styx" leg.  Seriously I stepped into what I thought was a puddle and was up to my neck in water. I was crossing not just mud pits but rivers running through the swamp. That's when I found my friend Frank.  Frank was a very muddy but sturdy stick that I used to test how deep the mud went, how deep the water was, whether a branch I was stepping onto was stable...you get the picture. It reminded me of the Red Sauce commercial..."Frank, I put that stick on everything"
It was slow going but I was playing it safe and grinning every time I made it past an obstacle.  In the end I got through with only a few scratches.  Pulling myself up the ditch onto the road from the swamp I was reluctant to leave Frank behind and started running with him.  I passed a couple hikers who wouldn't look me in the eye and realized what I must have looked like.  With no other runners around me this wild muddy woman dragging herself out of the swamp with a large branch..I must have been grinning like crazy because I made it through!  It's no wonder they looked away and hurried past me!

I finished my third leg and by that point Victoria had joined us and gone out on a leg, Michelle was still out on the 8th leg having skipped the 7th.  But we were so far behind the rest of the teams that flags were being taken down and we were worried about being alone and getting lost.  We skipped several legs and Claudia decided to run the final "Glory" leg.  Bringing our team home.  The rest of us layered up from the chill and waited to run her in at the end.

It was a rough day and each of us faced challenges both in getting to the race and the race itself.

 I am so proud of our effort to get through our various challenges.  

Standing together in the end...Way To Go Team Crash!!

Running in the Dark

It's rough rolling out of bed at 4 am, an hour and half earlier than I usually get up.  The excitement of a trail run in the dark and helping to set up for Running Lab's Trail Fest is calling to me.  I signed up to double check the trail markings and signs in the predawn hours at 5 am before the race.  Yeah, I know, a little crazy, but wait it gets crazier, I planned to run the 10k race after doing the trail check.
My partner on the trail check was  fellow Running Lab ambassador Julie who I had not had the pleasure of getting to know yet. As it turned out we found we had a lot in common as we put in our miles in the dark. 

When you run through the dark on a trail...it's really dark.  No streetlights, no traffic, no houselights,  your world narrows to your perspective of the trail in your headlamp.  It's like nothing else on earth is there.  Maybe that's why night runs have some of the best conversation. Julie and I chatted about kids, careers, and self discoveries in our 40s.   It made the miles and the hours fly by while we added green ribbons to mark the course or hazards, moved branches and sticks from the path that might be trip hazards.  And checked that nobody removed any of the trail markers and signs.
My headlamp died about halfway through the course and it wasn't quite light out yet, Julie used the light from her phone to continue lighting the path but we slowed down to watch our steps more carefully in the predawn light.  At one point my hair was caught in a wild rose branch that was hanging over the trail.  It pulled me up short and was pretty comical.  It took a bit to free my hair from it's thorny clutches. We made sure to push the branch further into the brush and away from the path so no one else would be captured mid-step. 
We finished checking over the 10k just 5 min before the race began, I barely had time to get my bib, then stopping for the bathroom made me late for the start.

Too bad I didn't read the sign!
It was OK, I took my time on the second loop and ran sweeper to check on any stragglers...there weren't any.  I pretty much had the trail to myself, which in the morning sun was a different place than it had been for the last couple hours. 

Verdant green, and sun dappled paths with rising heat and humidity. 

I was good with taking my time and just enjoying the day.  I was not very successful in convincing my legs that we had just started out...there was definitely some charlie horsing and legs that could tell they had already been on the trail for 2.5 hours.  I pushed through, that's what I was there for. Helping with Trailfest and building up my miles again.  The encouragement from friends at aid stations and the high energy of the event were a tremendous help...thanks to all who helped out. You could see the Trail run spirit in full form out there today.

I was so happy to see the 5 mile mark and know I had almost made it through the second loop. Reaching the finish line I knew I wasn't up for doing the 5k as well, But I was happy and good with my miles.

Somehow I accidentally didn't save the first 6.5 miles, oh well 35,000 steps before 11 am and nearly 13 miles is a great start to the day!  

Every day and every run makes me a little stronger, and grateful for my time in the woods, the dark times and the light times!

Friends Old and New

This morning I really was not feeling it.   The combination of speed work yesterday and a late night with friends last night, made skipping out on a run and sleeping in sound very tempting.  I forced myself to get up and meet the group but if I didn't have a group run I probably would have listened to the blerch (See the Oatmeal: http://theoatmeal.com/comics/running) and skipped it.

Here's the morning huddle in the cold 23 degree morning, I'm the bandit on the end breathing through my buff to keep warm.  Everyone was stomping and swing legs and jumping up and down to keep muscles warm before the run today.  What a difference from my Tuesday's night run in Lotta Breeze Capris (Skirt Sports of course!) and a long sleeve shirt.  Today we are back to winter layers! Living in Michigan means embracing the odd seasonal yo-yo of is it warm or cold today.

Don't get me wrong, I love the snow and snow sports and living in Michigan. Winter weather can create some amazingly beautiful sunrises that I wouldn't be awake to appreciate if I were not getting up for a run..  Thank You Toni Reese for this lovely shot!

I had the good fortune to run with someone new this morning who kept me motivated to keep my pace up with good conversation about our family's love of music.  We both had our classical music education from old Bugs Bunny cartoons as most american children of our generation did.  Thank you Chuck Jones animator and director of Bugs Bunny.

Today's run was a short and sweet 4 miles to save my legs for tomorrow's long run on trails.   I said goodbye to my companion at the turn around. (Sadly I suck and don't remember his name, maybe Mike? I will need to ask at the next group run.)  As I was heading back I ran across other friends getting a later start and just heading out.  All of them waved and we shouted out encouragement.  Hi fives exchanged across the path with "I know You" shouted back and forth as we passed. 

There is a girls scout song that goes "Make new friends but keep the old, one is silver and the other gold".  Today's run was silver and gold, silver snow, golden sun, and silver friends with golden smiles!

Wet and Wonderful

Today's run is brought to you by the letter W for wet, as it rained pretty steady most the morning.  Happy to report that I stayed warm and mostly dry with my Running Lab Craft jacket, which repelled the rain nicely.  I finally sat down and took some time to check the Running Lab Half marathon training plan and adjust for the two weeks additional time until the Trail Half in April.  Looks like I am mostly still on track and this week's 7 miles was very doable.  (I was worried I needed to do 8 or 9 and my knee wasn't up for it yet.)
It was an introspective 7 miles both because I have to write a Bio for my Running Lab ambassadorship and because I was back on Island Lake Blue trail for the first time since last fall.  I found my head full of memories of times with friends at Island Lake which used to be a weekly run for me.  I admit to procrastinating on the bio.  Maybe it's impostor syndrome and comparing myself to other runners who have been running most their lives, I really don't know why I'm so nervous about writing a bio. 
There I was reaching all the familiar Landmarks of Blue trail and feeling awesome just to be on the soft trail again after months of icy, messy, ankle biting trails.  My head was full of memories of when I first started running and the friends I've made along the way.  Some cheerful, some full of advice, most of them positive that no matter how far I was planning on going I could make it.  This trail feels like home to me and even on a gloomy rainy day it is a joy to be there. 

7 Years ago when I started running I was jogging 1 min, walking 2 min through the cemetery park in Howell.  I never imagined that first mile of being able to jog without rest would turn into 3 then 4 and eventually lead to half marathons, marathons, and even a 50k.  If I went back in time and told myself how far I would eventually go, that far away me would have laughed, I would not have believed it.  Even though many of my runs are solitary and much needed "me" time.  I have found many wonderful like minded friends along the way.  I have also really enjoyed volunteering and lending support to other runners at races and other running events.  Now here I am 7 years later an Ambassador for Skirt Sports and Running Lab.  Now I just need someone to sponsor my races! 

Into the woods I go, to loose my mind and find my soul.

Lessons on The Trail

I missed running yesterday due to visiting and games with the family.  We did have a very cold and icy hike out to the lake with our new nephew puppy Elwood.  Who is quite adorable with the usual amount of troublesome that puppies can be.

You can't see the snow starting to fall in this shot, but it was snowing all afternoon and through the night bringing a fresh layer of 4 - 6 inches of powder to the trails.  Big thanks to my husband and sister Jen for shoveling the driveway so I could get out to PJ Hoffmaster for a run.  Also Huge thanks to sister Brenda for the toe warmers, without which I could not have run in the cold deep snow.

In an attempt to keep my phone battery from dying in the cold, I shoved my phone down my tights hoping it would stay warm next to my skin.  As I ran it gradually worked it's way down my thigh and settled near my calf.  I figured as long as it didn't fall out of my pants I was OK.   

The snow was deep and cold and beautiful.  All of the trees had a thick coating of snow on the branches and the whole woods was untouched and glowing white.  It is challenging running through the untouched snow, but so exciting being the first one on the trail.  I did have to backtrack a few times as it was not always easy to see where the trail is under that thick blanket.  There was a point when I doubled back and I tried the same trail a second time. I came to what looked like a bridge on it's side, then realized they were stairs, and was happy for a sign I was on the right path.  

When I finally made it to the lake I tried to take my phone out and discovered I couldn't pull it out of the bottom of my pant leg.  I had to pull my pants down to retrieve my phone and was happy there was no one else on the trail with me. Sadly I only got one shot before my battery died.

You can just barely see the lake through the trees.  Heading back it was a little easier to just follow my own footprints and I could pick up pace a bit.  I reached a trail crossing and spotted a second set of footprints headed down another trail leading away from the lake, oh crap!  I am so relieved whoever it was ran away from the lake instead of taking the lake path...I could have been caught with my pants down.  Steve says that would have been "em-Bare-assing"!  No kidding!

It was somewhat tempting to tack on the last 2 mile to make the training 6 miles, but I remembered a friend's advice on taking into account effort, this 4 miles took about the time that 6ish would take me. I was definitely feeling it was enough by the time I reached the car, and needed to sit and recover for a bit before driving home.

Lessons from the trail:

1. Pack extra foot warmers...have back ups in the car, purse, gym bag and suitcase.

2. You are never as alone or isolated as you think you are, always consider someone might be watching.

3. Keep in mind the amount of effort for colder conditions and running through deep snow.  Don't push it!  4 miles can feel like 6 or 8 in the right conditions.

Happy Trails my friends, stay safe and warm out there!

Lakelands Run

This morning's jaunt with Running Lab at Lakelands was an introspective treat.  Lakelands is a fast and flat rail trail and I found my pace was slower than midpack but faster than back of the pack; this pretty much gave me the dark predawn to myself. Also I forgot my watch today which meant I had no way to check that I was keeping a consistent pace and how far I had gone.  It all factored into the surreal feeling of being alone in the dark with no idea how how far to go.  I just tried to focus on foot falls and counting my breaths.  A lovely meditative time. 
At the turn around I passed and cheered on the back of the pack. I found myself going slower on the way back, so decided to do Fartlecks and pick up pace to reach certain goals like a downed tree ahead or the road crossing; Then let myself slow for 40 paces.  No watch makes these games more interesting.  My feet were starting to hurt from the pavement so I switched to running on the gravel at the side of the path, which helped immensely. For future reference the side of Lakelands is nice flat gravel and no cambered edge, very run-able and more comfortable than the pavement. 
As I  reached the second to last road crossing I was passed by a couple of other women and their pace was fast enough I didn't feel like pushing myself to keep up.  Then a third runner caught up to me and I was not going to let her pass.  I picked up pace, then she picked up pace, then I picked up pace and the two of us had a nicely matched stride as we approached the last road crossing.  We caught up to the other couple ahead who had slowed to a walk.  I cleared my throat and one of them jumped and yelped.  She heard my feet in the gravel and thought my throat clearing was the snort of a horse.  She thought a horse was coming up fast behind her.  I couldn't stop laughing at the startled look on her face...does this mean I can enter the Clydesdale division? 
Selfie with my Dawn Sister!