Last week I'd wanted to post a few upcoming races. I procrastinated and now two of those races have come and gone. I figure I'll post them anyway along with race reports.
1. So the Taos Up-and-Over 10K Trail Run was run Saturday. Kind of a new race, in its third year and really tough. The race is a good lead in to the major Fall trail events including Pikes Peak, Imogene, and Big Tesuque. Waltz was up there repping Santa Fe, and bettered his previous year finish with a fifth overall placing (his race report). Nicely done sir.(Update 8/22) Looks like my pal Herman ran the race as well, finishing 18th, 10min back of Jacob. Herman tells me he ran off course at mile 4, had to climb back up to the junction, and ended up five places back. That pretty much bites on a course as tough as that one.
2. Sunday was the inaugural running of the Pecos Giddy-Up. The folks out there put on a half-marathon, 10K, and 5K. I was excited about the half but apparently not excited enough to properly set my alarm. Race report follows below.
3. Coming up this weekend, Sat. Aug 20th is the 37th Annual Los Alamos Triathlon. I thought maybe I'd sneak into this since I didn't run the Santa Fe Triathlon in July, but it's not going to happen for me, (this might as well be my mantra for this summer's racing season).
4. The Old Santa Fe Trail Run 10K/5K is scheduled for Labor Day Weekend,
5. The inaugural Buffalo Thunder Half Marathon, 10K/5K is scheduled for Sun. Sep. 18th. This race ought to be great, a legitimate destination event right here in town. Top area runner Antonio Lopez, Joseph Karnes ('96 Olympic Marathon Trials Qualifier, and former Big Sur Marathon board member), and Pojoaque's Abraham Kosgei, have put this race together with a large budget, corporate sponsors, cash awards, billboard advertising, and the works. How can you not jump into this race just to say you ran the first year? I need this half-marathon as a tune-up for November so I'm in. Sign-up is $50 through 8/30. $60 afterward to race day. 
6. The 26th Annual Big Tesuque Trail Run is Sat. Oct. 1st. This race is awesome and is Santa Fe's home trail running course. I will be there rocking face, re-telling unsubstantiated tales of glory, and re-living questionable brushes with death. This year my goal will be not to get beat down by 48yr old dudes from Los Alamos.
7. Lastly, Pajarito Trail Fest in Los Alamos. I don't know whether this race is planned to be on this year or not with the surrounding fire damage from Los Conchas. But if it's a go it is scheduled for the 8th and 9th of October.Alright, regarding the above mentioned Pecos Giddy-Up: I had planned to run the half, but woke up about thirty minutes late (or like an hour late). In a huff, I drove out there and managed to *just* get myself into the 10K. I actually missed the start by a couple minutes and watched everyone run by as I pinned my bib onto my shorts. Then, because I primarily wanted to know what kind of shape I'm in, I ran 300m back to the starting line, clicked the timer on my watch, and one-eighty-ed back onto the course to chase everyone down. I've been running tempos on the track so the speed and turnover over the first couple miles felt not-too-bad. Usually these things hurt like hell. I caught all but the top four guys by the turn-around at 5K. I had to involuntarily cut the turn-around short by about 20m because of a couple pissed off Pecos dogs that had determined that that extra 20m was to be invite only.
The pace up till then felt hard but controlled and I eventually caught my friend Chris Chavez and chatted with him about next week's Pikes Peak Marathon. Chris is a regular on both the Sat. Pikes Ascent and the Sun. PPMarathon - which means he is a stone-cold badass. I was telling Chris that I don't know how he completes that annual double without getting hurt, let alone on the marathon descent itself. That thing is treacherous. As I was saying this I put my foot through the loop of my other set of shoelaces and abruptly disappeared from the conversation (poof!), eating pavement on a perfectly level, paved road. Well I recovered from that hiccup, fixed my damn laces, and then eventually hammered home the last mile for a 40min 5sec finish. That's five seconds short of my first sub 40min 10K in probably 10 years, (plus or minus 40meters).
What grated on me was that because I slept-in I was going to have to get out and put in another 12miles later in the afternoon to get in the equivalent of my Sunday long run. Thankfully Nunez agreed to swing by the house and tow me along for part of his long run. I don't know if a weird double like that is a smart or acceptable way to get in your weekly long run, but I can tell you that it made me reeeeally sore.
And with that, my current block of marathon training is in full effect.
Weekly training mileage:
61mi, with 3 workouts (including the 10K), 3 doubles, 1 rest day, and a long run of 12mi.
Previous week's mileage was; 69mi, with 2 workouts, 2 doubles, long runs of 12mi and 17mi.
Related Post: Fall Marathon Training I
don't forget your buddy Agoyo who also put up a solid time at taos
ReplyDeletedoubles FTW
Right, I've got to get Herman's time up. Don't think they had the results listed at the time I posted this.
ReplyDeleteDoubles rock for building strength, but only if you're not thrashed. I kind of thrashed myself a week ago and had to cut back. Increased mileage, plus workouts, plus doubles is a not-so-good combo.