Dig Deep

wet and muddy spring

It's about now that I'd like to pick some sun and warmth.  It's been just a miserably cold and wet spring.  The fuzzy spring green trees are late this year.  The forsythia bloomed late march/early april and often it can bloom late February.  It's late.  fortunately all the weeds are doing just fine.  Sigh.

It's getting pretty close to May and Eugene.  There is still some good training that has to happen.  I signed up on the spur of the moment for a 10k this past weekend.  I know I needed a good hard effort of a race and still wanted to get a medium long run in and it went really well.

I've done the 2-mile Winter Grand Prix Series which takes place at Magnuson Park.  They also put on a low-key monthly series with either a 5k, 10k, 15k and sometimes a half marathon to choose from.  The course is about what you'd expect at Magnuson with lots of turns, a small hill and some odd conditions but for $15 and a pretty good turn out, it's perfect.

I was feeling pretty good for lots of reasons and was hoping to come in under 50 minutes.  I planned to start around 8 flat.  Mainly I just wanted a hard, solid effort and knew the race environment would help me with that.  And, of course, with these little races it is easier to get sucked out faster.  I clocked 7:40 for that first mile even with the hill.

Uh oops.

Slow down or you will die a horrible death, my brain said.  But the body was thinking different and hit the next mile at the same pace.  And I was feeling good. I was with a few guys around me and could see some other women ahead but thought they were probably running the 5k.  The last mile of the course had some really ankle deep mucky section.  It was very short but very surprising.  I nearly lost a shoe and watched those around me mince about and practically stop.  This is where PuddleThumper shines through and puts that trail running to use.  I just charged through.  After a nasty and narrow hair pin turn, we were back at the 5k finish and onto the next loop.  I'd lost some time with that muck.

No worries.  i stayed with it and even stayed strong on the next round of the kite hill.  I was dreading the next round through the muck though.  Surprisingly, they'd rerouted the course onto some grass which was just as mucky.  this really took it out of me here at the end of the race and I could feel myself really fighting my form trying to hold on.  That last hair pin turn?  I nearly fell over.

As I approached the clock, I could see i was solidly in the 48:XX and was delighted to come in under well under 49 minutes.  Woohoo!  Sub 8. I waited and watched AR and GY and then K come in.  the sun even came out although by that time we were all hoping it would stay in for the run as what runner here in Seattle is used to sun now?  

Various runners planting saplings after the race.

As this was the Earth Day Run, we were given little saplings at the end of the race.  We could take them home if we wished but there was also the option to plant them in an area just off the finish/start line.  We were given a little trowel and quick tree planting instructions and just like that, a sapling was in the ground.  How nifty is that?  considering all the races I do at magnuson, I hope to watch that little tree grow for some time.