Monday, June 9, 2008

Weekend Warrior Runner - R2R & NODM

Photo: Autostock


The phone rang @ 5:00 AM Saturday morning. Our Y-Run Club relay team needed a runner because one of the guys had been called to investigate a crime scene. I had volunteered to be the reserve runner for the team because it looked like their team captain George wasn't going to be able to run due to some flu like symptoms. I'd gotten an email from George on Friday night telling me he was good to go so I thought I was off the hook. I ended up running leg three of the relay at a blistering pace and then the primary runner was able to show up to finish his other two legs. It was fun to participate and I got in a 5K which about the same distance I had planned to run that morning with our run club.

Michelle's 6 person team for the Rainier to Ruston 50mile Relay started the first of 12 legs at 8:00AM. Check Michelle's blog for full details and pictures.

When the relay ended and the awards were presented Margaret Barrett, Michelle, and I loaded up our car and headed to dinner. After dinner we drove to Port Angeles for the North Olympic Discovery Marathon (NODM). We met up with Abi in Port Angeles and dropped Margaret off. They were sharing a hotel room in town. Michelle and I had made our reservations eons ago and headed to our Super 8 hotel. Not the best choice of hotels but we hit the hay and tried to get as much sleep as possible before catching the shuttle bus to the start of this point to point marathon.

We picked up Abi & Margaret in the morning and caught the 7:00 AM bus. This put us at the start at about 7:40. NODM uses a nice community center to stage the runners before the event. It's large, warm, and has plenty of bathrooms and porta pottys. It's a nice time to meet some of the runners and relax before the race.

My game plan was to maintain a moderate pace for the first 20 miles and then hammer in the last 6.2. On some advice from a former participant I was told I should probably hold off on the big push until around mile 22.

The course is best described as flat with some moderate rolling sections and about four steep climbs out of some gullys. The bigger dips and valleys were between mile 18 and 22.

All went to plan and I felt really good at mile 20. I picked it up a bit but was holding back some for the next two miles. When I'm racing one of the things I like to do is pick a person in front of me to catch up with. Once I catch them I tuck in behind them for about a quarter mile to recover and then move on the the next victim. I had a young very fit looking runner pass me toward the end of mile 21. We had been playing cat and mouse the second half of the race. When he passed he looked strong and I decided to hitch on and try to keep up. Apparently he wasn't in a very cordial mood when it came to someone drafting him because he gave me a bunch of attitude and told me to get away from him. His approach shocked me and didn't sit well considering I was in full race mode and feeling just a little competitive at the time. I'm sure I had a touch of tude in my voice when I responded that I was just drafting him. Long story short, I don't think we will be drinking beers together anytime soon. Takes two to tango.... if I'd just let what I perceived as a pissy comment go I probably wouldn't be writing this right now.

The last miles were long but I pushed hard and was able to trigger the gun timer at 3:30:05. My Garmin time was 10 seconds faster than that. That's a PR for the year and I feel great today.

The runner that I had the run-in (pun intended) with walked by me a few minutes after the race. Perhaps our little incident did him some good because he got a PR with this being his second marathon. I'm glad he did well. He looked capable of running a much faster race so I'll probably see him at races in the future. Hopefully it will be before the race when we both aren't full of testosterone.

Now I have two weeks before my scheduled 36 Summits attempt. I've been giving it some long consideration and I know I will go for at least 24 Summits. I'm concerned that the 102 miles and 31,500 feet of climbing for the 36 Summit run might just be considered over training just 6 weeks out from the Canadian Death Race. Hester will probably tell me that bones heal in 6 weeks but I'd like to keep active before the race.

PEACE OUT

23 comments:

Unknown said...

Maybe I'll plan on joining you for 6 summits of it. Let me know the details when they come together. Nice job on the marathon.

wendy said...

Congrats on the PR for the year, speedy! I can't believe that guy didn't appreciate you drafting him - just so you know, tammy wouldn't mind if you wanted to draft w/ her in october. ;-)

Nice job picking up the pace for the relay team too! =)

Journey to a Centum said...

Rob - Love to have along for 6 summits if it fits into your new elaborate training plan. Looks like it's only going to be a 24 Summit attempt.

Wendy - Yeah, I know people that have issues with the space around them but I really wasn't that close to the guy. I think he was just more tired than he looked and felt like I was pushing him out of his race plan. Tammy is going to qualify for Boston in Chicago - no problemo. That should be her mantra.... Chicago BQ?, no problemo!

Laura H said...

Congrats on your marathon - you just keep getting older and faster - that's not the way it's SUPPOSED to work!! Let me know what you're eating; I want some.

Journey to a Centum said...

laura - I'd like to think it was some special diet I've perfected so I could publish it and just be able to run and not work. Since I had a cheeseburger and fries with a Mac & Jack Porter for dinner and instant oatmeal for breakfast I don't think the book deal is going to fly. I think rest and those hard miles on Tiger Mt. are the key. Hmmm... maybe I could write a book on that.

Steve S said...

oo oo aah aah aah!!!!

Mad Monkey translated as nice PR scat.

Steve S said...

You should have given him some Mad Monkey noise.

seagull junker said...

speedracer, way to run. so did mr crabby finish ahead of you or behind you?

Scott McMurtrey said...

i wish there was a way i could join you for some of those summits. i also wish that gas grew on trees. nice race. :)

Journey to a Centum said...

Tom - We were both crabby after his first remark but I did put three minutes between him and the finish line. No way was he going to beat me!

Scott - You could run over but then you wouldn't have any energy to do the summits. I'm sure you would really enjoy the first 12 if you had the opportunity to get over here. I'll be starting around 8:30PM 6/20/08 and running through the night.

Danni said...

Thanks for the visit! Congrats on your PR -- that guy sounds like he might be a tad high strung. I can't imagine telling someone to get away from me during a race.

Meghan said...

You should have given him a big ol' monkey bellow for being a grumpy monkey. Then you could have made up at the finish line by pulling ants out of each other's fur and exchanging bananas.

I don't get the connection between the last photo and the entry. What am I missing?

Meghan

PS. Congrats on a hearty annual PR!

Journey to a Centum said...

Danni - I guess it's better than getting spit on or hit with a snot rocket. "Oh I'm sorry, didn't see you there"....

Meghan - I just like flame filled NASCAR crashes. It's not like my day went like that or anything.

That exchanging bananas idea of yours kind of makes me feel uncomfortable. There I go being a bad monkey again!

Ben, aka BadBen said...

You've been Tagged!

Jon said...

I figure that boy would have appreciated that whuppin' you gave him at NODM after getting a PR. :-D

So other than next week, are you planning on doing any more 12 Summit runs or will doing three of them make you sick of looking at Tiger Mountain before the Canadian Death Race in August?

Journey to a Centum said...

Ben - Thanks, I'll check that out at your blog and do what I need to do!

jon - Yes I hope to do a 6 summit adventure with our Y Run Club and some "Traverse Runs" on Tiger before CDR. 6 summits allows you to see the course without having to back track to complete the 12. I'll post a date on my sidebar on scheduled runs if and when those will take place.

Sarah said...

A little trash talk at the races, huh? ; ) : ) Glad you were able to dust the cranky dude. : )

Ryan said...

I’m likin the pictures! All in all you couldn't ask for a better running week, congrats on the PR, sometimes you need a little attitude to get yourself across the finish line. Rest those bones for the BIG ONE.

aquaasho said...

Great that you beat the crabby runner Eric. Actions speak louder etc. etc. ;-)

wendy said...

I just saw your comment - you need to ask your delicate flower about the s-cramps. I can't take credit for that one. ;-)

Journey to a Centum said...

Ryan - Yeah but I think that's what I enjoy so much about the ultra's on trails. Seems the attitude is left home at these events. It's something I noticed on my very first trail run.

Aisling - Did I mention that I beat the guy? Oh that's right I crushed him like a dirt clod! (I need to run a trail)

Wendy - Oh, I understand, It was a Michelleism. She does that all the time.

Gotta Run..... said...

Ask me if I am surprised that you had a pr.... nope. You are an animal. Love that you were able to push someone else into a pr. That is what a good race will do for you.

Scott and I stayed at a DUMP before my last ultra earlier this year. I felt like I was smoking a carton of cigarettes from the smell in the room. NASTY stuff.

Journey to a Centum said...

Robin - You are correct! I'm a MAD MONKEY!

I love it when the hotel says "let us ionize your room for you". I swear the smokers are puffing smoke under the door.