Busy Weekend

It's one of the best races in the area at a time when there is not much else going on.  Nookachamps Winter Runs has a race distance for everyone from a 5k, a 10k and a Half marathon.  The Half is the big draw and I've run it the past couple of years.  This year, I wanted a shorter harder effort and K was going to be back to an organized running event after 3.5 years.  Wow! 

Quite a few friends were running in the events so it was fun to see everyone and we got a good group together to go for the obligatory lunch and beer stop at Skagit Brewery in Mount Vernon.  That hamburger after the race always hits the spot. 

The weather was amazing again this year.  It's been pouring but for that morning, the rain stopped.  It is unseasonably warm around 50 degrees and the day of the race, we had some pretty good wind which was noticeable.  Actually, since it was so warm, I welcomed the wind to cool myself off when I was running. 

The race itself?  I feel like I ran a great 5 mile race.  The only problem was that the course was 6 miles.  What happened?  It's a hilly course. I got out at just the right pace (8:17) and felt relaxed and comfortable.  Mile two has a long downhill which I used but didn't push on (7:50).  Mile 3 is a pretty good climb.  I stayed focused on form and kept it in control (8:42).  I did manage to pass one gal but got passed by two others.  Hey, that's better on hills than I have been.  This is an amusing mile also because you go a by a dairy farm.  All the cows are right next to the road staring at you in bemusement.  The urge to "moo" is great. 

Mile 4 is rolling and like usual for a race, I had to stay focused in the middle to keep pace up (8:24).  Mile 5?  It drops for half a mile and then climbs culminating in a short sharp uphill ((8:44).  I managed to stay with my little group on the uphill which I was pleased about.  I'd normally get dropped. And then?  I knew this race went onto a woodchipped trail for almost the entire last mile.  The last half mile is a gradual grind uphill.  All in all, the worst possible combination for me.  The short sharp uphill followed by a downhill on an uneven surface messed me up!  Almost immediately I got a side stitch which got worse and worse.  No good.  I had to walk and was really, really mad about it. 

Oh well.  So it goes.  I'm used to trails but I didn't apply that knowledge when I hit the trails after that hard uphill when I was tired.  My form fell apart, I probably was leaning back and not running with correct form and it does not surprise me that I got such a side stitch.  Ouch!  I used to get those a lot and still can with the right circumstances. 

Lots of other people had very good races and I was happy about that.  K got his nookachamps hoody after two years!   We all got showers (best part of this race) and hoptailed to the brewery.  Tasty!  This race is certainly something to think about and reminds me yet again that I really do need to race more often.  Even train a bit harder I think.  I'd been thinking this before the race and still believe that I never really get out of my comfort level for key workouts.  How do I expect to handle that when racing?  Something to ponder a bit more obviously.