This year has been my first year trail running. I fell in love immediately. There were so many articles I had read that said how much better trail running was for your body and it honestly, just seemed more appealing. I had been planning on giving it a try for some time and just never did, until this spring. I finally decided now was the time.
Last winter, I had just completed my first half marathon and I felt like I could accomplish anything. I had been thinking about trying another half or upgrading to a full marathon in February or March, so after a 2 week rest, I made sure to get back into running. My times were great. I was moving well. Then, one Saturday I was out on the levee by myself for a long-ish run (10 miles) and it happened. Damn IT band! I was out at mile 6 and it started to get a little achy. I stopped and stretched a bit and then started running again. I hit mile 7 and it was really getting very painful. It was like someone was stabbing my in the outside of the leg next to my knee and the pain was shooting up my leg. So, it probably wasn't the smartest idea to keep going, but you know how it goes. You think, "Oh, if I can just get through this run, I'll be able to do more stretching and exercises at home and I'll be fine." Well, I apparently wasn't going to make it through this run. Just past mile 8, my whole IT band and leg cramped up completely and I toppled over sideways. Here I was expecting my foot to hit the ground, and just like that I'm scrambling up off the ground and looking around to see if there was anyone that might have seen me fall over like a big goober. Nope. Got lucky. No one saw that. And so I hobbled and limped the remainder of the 2 miles back to my car. Did I mention that it was winter? And windy? And I was already sweaty. Yeah, that was a sucky 2 mile walk.
I waited a couple weeks before I tried running again and it still killed me within the first quarter mile. I gave up and went to a physical therapist who has me do lots of stretches, foam rolling (grrrrr....love it....grrr), and a couple strength exercises. Around the end of March I was able to start running again. I started just doing a half mile at a time and increasing it a half mile each week. Slow. Slow.
In May I finished doing the P90X program (whew!) and decided to try trail running. I looked online and found a group in Kansas City that had a beginner run night. I was planning on going, but a big storm came in and it got cancelled. Luckily, the group leader for that run (one Danny Miller) clued me in to the Lawrence Trail Hawks and mentioned their all girl group run (Gal Gallop) on Thursday nights. Thanks Danny! I was nervous to join a group run because I thought I'd be too slow and not keep up. I joined the Gal Gallop for my first ever trail run and had an absolute BLAST! The girls were all so fun and friendly. They went at a pace to make sure everyone could keep up. It seemed to all be about sharing your love of running with others. No pressure. You couldn't help but have fun. Thanks Colleen and other Hawk Ladies!!
So now I'm hooked. I'd rather run on the trails than anywhere else. I try to plan my work hours around when I can get to the trail. I have a lot to learn but there is so much support from the Trail Hawks, you can't help but succeed.
I ran my first trail race (Summer Psycho 5K) a couple weeks after my first trail run. It was a super hilly course with lots of rocks and MUD! Tons of MUD. I went with a few girls from the Trails Hawks (Karen, Kristie, and Whitney). It was my longest 5K time ever, but probably the most fun. We slipped and slided everywhere. Mud spattered up on our faces, in our eyes, and other places I won't mention.
Anyway, this is how I fell in love with trail running and I would also like to thank all the trail runners in the area who have provided support, encouragement, education, and above all, a great time on the trails. Happy trails to you all!!
Tuesday, January 11, 2011
Friday, December 3, 2010
History: Following his Footsteps
I've been running for the last 4 years, however, I didn't really appreciate or enjoy it until last summer (2009). For me, running consisted of a few miles here or there, mainly on a treadmill, but occasionally outside on the sidewalks and through neighborhoods. Last summer, my boyfriend, Craig, was training for the Chicago Marathon. I joined him for a few of his runs and pretty soon I began attacking early Saturday morning long runs with him.
At this point I was only doing 3-4 miles at a time and my greatest mileage in one day was 6 miles split into two workouts. On my first long run morning, our goal was to hit the levee at 5:30 am, but I don't think we ended up making it out there until sometime after 6 am. Since, I'd never done a long enough run to warrant owning a hand held water bottle, he loaned me one of the many that are spilling out of cabinets in the kitchen and packed it with a couple of Espresso Love flavored GUs. Craig has a Garmin (305 I think?) and inspects it frequently on his runs. I was used to running at whatever speed felt "good". He was out to do 14 miles and I was only going to do 7 miles and then read my book while I waited for him to finish. I kept up for the first 5.5 miles and then dropped behind, but finished my first ever 7 mile run while Craig cheered for me and told me how great I did. What a guy! Even though I hurt, I felt so alive and thoroughly worn out and happy! Gotta love endorphins!! I'd just accomplished something I never would have expected. That feeling alone was fantastic. He took off for his second half while I stretched, grabbed my book and walked about mile down the levee to await his return. When he came back, I jogged the last mile in with him trying to encourage him on that last rough mile. So began our Saturday morning ritual. As he increased his mileage for his marathon training, I increased mine. A couple weeks into it, he convinced me that I should try a half marathon. "You're almost there anyway. You should just do it." I'd done a few 5Ks, but never anything more. It was kinda scary, but even more exciting to think that I could do it. Two days later, I signed up for the Mahaffie Half Marathon in Olathe, KS in Nov.
Even with the totally unexpected, massive amount of hills at the Mahaffie that I hadn't properly trained for, I finished in 2:11. In the last 2 miles, I was really bonking. There was a 70 year old man in front of me and I was just getting more frustrated and depressed that I couldn't pass him. I hope I'll be in as good shape as he is when I'm that age. I had to walk the steep inclines and everything hurt. I wasn't sure if I'd make it and even thinking that was pissing me off. And then, there was Craig. Waiting for me at the 12 mile mark. It was like our Saturday morning long runs reversed. He appeared as I came around a corner and I couldn't help but get that goofy smile. He'll never realize how happy I was to see him, even though when he asked how I was doing, I think my reply was, "Shitty. I've never hurt this much." We ran the last mile together and as I got close to the finish line, his presence gave me that extra boost to put whatever I had left into "sprinting" across the finish. I'm sure it wasn't a sprint, but it was the most I could do, and it sure felt like it to me.
And this is how I got hooked.
At this point I was only doing 3-4 miles at a time and my greatest mileage in one day was 6 miles split into two workouts. On my first long run morning, our goal was to hit the levee at 5:30 am, but I don't think we ended up making it out there until sometime after 6 am. Since, I'd never done a long enough run to warrant owning a hand held water bottle, he loaned me one of the many that are spilling out of cabinets in the kitchen and packed it with a couple of Espresso Love flavored GUs. Craig has a Garmin (305 I think?) and inspects it frequently on his runs. I was used to running at whatever speed felt "good". He was out to do 14 miles and I was only going to do 7 miles and then read my book while I waited for him to finish. I kept up for the first 5.5 miles and then dropped behind, but finished my first ever 7 mile run while Craig cheered for me and told me how great I did. What a guy! Even though I hurt, I felt so alive and thoroughly worn out and happy! Gotta love endorphins!! I'd just accomplished something I never would have expected. That feeling alone was fantastic. He took off for his second half while I stretched, grabbed my book and walked about mile down the levee to await his return. When he came back, I jogged the last mile in with him trying to encourage him on that last rough mile. So began our Saturday morning ritual. As he increased his mileage for his marathon training, I increased mine. A couple weeks into it, he convinced me that I should try a half marathon. "You're almost there anyway. You should just do it." I'd done a few 5Ks, but never anything more. It was kinda scary, but even more exciting to think that I could do it. Two days later, I signed up for the Mahaffie Half Marathon in Olathe, KS in Nov.
Even with the totally unexpected, massive amount of hills at the Mahaffie that I hadn't properly trained for, I finished in 2:11. In the last 2 miles, I was really bonking. There was a 70 year old man in front of me and I was just getting more frustrated and depressed that I couldn't pass him. I hope I'll be in as good shape as he is when I'm that age. I had to walk the steep inclines and everything hurt. I wasn't sure if I'd make it and even thinking that was pissing me off. And then, there was Craig. Waiting for me at the 12 mile mark. It was like our Saturday morning long runs reversed. He appeared as I came around a corner and I couldn't help but get that goofy smile. He'll never realize how happy I was to see him, even though when he asked how I was doing, I think my reply was, "Shitty. I've never hurt this much." We ran the last mile together and as I got close to the finish line, his presence gave me that extra boost to put whatever I had left into "sprinting" across the finish. I'm sure it wasn't a sprint, but it was the most I could do, and it sure felt like it to me.
And this is how I got hooked.
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