2009 Douglas Trail 11 mile
The Douglas Trail Races were this weekend and I ran the 11 mile. This is a low-key local race, simple, cheap ($10 race day signup) and fun. The run is held on the Douglas Trail which is asphalt on an old railroad bed running from Rochester through Douglas to Pine Island. It's an out and back with one water stop stocked with... water. The overall and age-group awards are watermelons. Just a nice race all around.
Flashback: there's also a 2 mile race that's held after the 11 milers take off. I ran the 2 mile one year and actually took 2nd. Pretty much everyone runs the 11 mile and there were only about 10 of us. A friend of mine blew away the field and then the rest of us came in minutes later. So, they did the awards and everyone got one... except me! The winner and I were in the same age/gender group and everyone else was in their own. Crazy. Not all of the age/gender groups were represented so after the awards ceremony a woman gave me one of the left-over awards - that was a nice touch.
Races like this are kinda scary now as they are in the 'flat and fast' category. Hmmmm. Well it actually went very well. I biked there and the 8.6 miles were a good warm-up... but then my legs felt kinda thick the first mile. Eventually I settled in and then realized I had to make a pit stop. doh. I was in a good group and was able to reconnect and hang with them to the turn-around. At that point I felt good so I took off... vroom.
I passed two women soon after the turn-around and the one gave me a really strange look. Crazy how her look and my fear went hand in hand (at least in my mind): "you're going to crash and I'm going to beat you and you're going to feel stupid". Yikes. I used that as motivation and hammered the next 2.5 miles. I did fade a little bit (it didn't help that I turned around about mile 8 and she was nowhere in sight)... but I was able to settle in and finish well. I managed under 9:00s for the 11 miles so I'm very happy with that.
So about the shirt. I've done a ton of races over the years and collected a bunch of shirts, but I think yesterday might be the first time I didn't even bother bringing it home! I gave it to Andy who figured (correctly) that one of his daughters would be happy to have it. :)
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So, 2 weeks until the Pikes Peak Ascent, and 6 weeks to the Superior Trails 50! I'm jazzed to give both of these a try. Everything is feeling good right now, so I just need to remember to keep doing the 'little' things (squats, situps, adam's burpees, kel's side hip raises, etc) that seem to hold everything together.
And speaking of the Pikes Peak Ascent... just today I found a good place to train for it! Maybe just a little late. After an hour and a half at Whitewater State Park (mostly hiking, some running) I went and found the Elba Fire Tower. Turns out there are 630+ steps to get from the parking lot to the top of the hill, at which point you can climb the tower. It was pretty tough... I did it twice and I think I'll go back.
Flashback: there's also a 2 mile race that's held after the 11 milers take off. I ran the 2 mile one year and actually took 2nd. Pretty much everyone runs the 11 mile and there were only about 10 of us. A friend of mine blew away the field and then the rest of us came in minutes later. So, they did the awards and everyone got one... except me! The winner and I were in the same age/gender group and everyone else was in their own. Crazy. Not all of the age/gender groups were represented so after the awards ceremony a woman gave me one of the left-over awards - that was a nice touch.
this year's shirt |
Races like this are kinda scary now as they are in the 'flat and fast' category. Hmmmm. Well it actually went very well. I biked there and the 8.6 miles were a good warm-up... but then my legs felt kinda thick the first mile. Eventually I settled in and then realized I had to make a pit stop. doh. I was in a good group and was able to reconnect and hang with them to the turn-around. At that point I felt good so I took off... vroom.
I passed two women soon after the turn-around and the one gave me a really strange look. Crazy how her look and my fear went hand in hand (at least in my mind): "you're going to crash and I'm going to beat you and you're going to feel stupid". Yikes. I used that as motivation and hammered the next 2.5 miles. I did fade a little bit (it didn't help that I turned around about mile 8 and she was nowhere in sight)... but I was able to settle in and finish well. I managed under 9:00s for the 11 miles so I'm very happy with that.
So about the shirt. I've done a ton of races over the years and collected a bunch of shirts, but I think yesterday might be the first time I didn't even bother bringing it home! I gave it to Andy who figured (correctly) that one of his daughters would be happy to have it. :)
*******************************
So, 2 weeks until the Pikes Peak Ascent, and 6 weeks to the Superior Trails 50! I'm jazzed to give both of these a try. Everything is feeling good right now, so I just need to remember to keep doing the 'little' things (squats, situps, adam's burpees, kel's side hip raises, etc) that seem to hold everything together.
And speaking of the Pikes Peak Ascent... just today I found a good place to train for it! Maybe just a little late. After an hour and a half at Whitewater State Park (mostly hiking, some running) I went and found the Elba Fire Tower. Turns out there are 630+ steps to get from the parking lot to the top of the hill, at which point you can climb the tower. It was pretty tough... I did it twice and I think I'll go back.
posted by Wayne at 9:02 PM
8 Comments:
Real men wear pink...
Good job at the race!
Hmm - I suppose step climbing makes sense when training for a race that involves climbing and then climbing some more.
I agree, wear the shirt with Pride...
That sounds like a neat event! Love the shirt - and agree with Lise :)
So, do you think you can get the shirt back??? ;->
Blogging is great, you never know what people will react to and how they might gang up on you over some seemingly trivial matter. :)
No, I won't be getting the shirt back.
I think pink woukd make you look real pretty...should have kept it.
Ted
That IS very bright! I have such fond memories of this race - it's usually hot out, but the ones I've run in have been some of my best longer-mile times. And...as you said...it's flat!
It is interesting what catches a readers eye ;->
And how can we gang up on you?? there was no coordination of effort here ;->
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