Trail Ready!

Meanwhile, something is going right.  I've been feeling really good lately.

Ah yes, iron supplementing.  Hmm.  I can't say for sure but overall I think it might be helping.  the low of the cycle was much easier this time and that was even with marathon recovery in there.  I'm looking forward to getting in longer runs to see what that is like.  As is usual with adding in a lot of bike commuting suddenly and lots of gardening, my low back has been talking to me a bit.  But the usual hip/leg issues aren't there.  And before I get too cocky, I do have an appointment scheduled with the voodoo physical therapist to help sort out the low back thing.

Nice!

So more formal run training restarted this week and I was really pleased that I felt fast and strong.  I did a track workout on Tuesday.  Now I did that track workout with the intention of keeping it fun and relatively easy but still tiring out the legs a bit in preparation for a mid-week trail race.  Yep.  How brilliant is that?  Evergreen Trail Runs put on a mid-week trail race celebrating National Running Day and the solstice with our really long days. 

Grand Ridge Park is an easily accessible trail system off of I-90 or the Issaquah Highlands.  I've done various runs there over the years and always enjoyed the trails.  This was a 5 mile or 10 mile lollipop type of course with some pretty good elevation changes.  RPD was, of course, game and he picked me up after work and we were off.  We'd had some pretty good rain that day but it stopped in time for the race.  It felt a balmy 55-60 degrees as we picked up our bibs and hung out waiting for the race to start.

I'm not in trail shape.  I'm not in trail shape.  I just did a track workout.  I just did a track workout.  That was my mantra as we started.  And it did help.  It's a narrow start for half mile on the graveled service road to the straight up trail.  Once on the trail, every one was polite and it was easy enough to pass with a continual "on your left."  I felt like I kept it steady and I kept it moving.  Once to the top we started a loop.  I'd been on a section of the loop but not the whole thing.  After all that climbing, we went down and down and down.  It was a very runnable trail which meant that unlike usual, I couldn't quite easily pass people.  I had to work at it but pass people I did.

And then, we were climbing again.  We followed one section of trail under power lines which was super mucky.  I had to stop to tie both (BOTH!) shoes as the muck had untied them and threatened to suck them off. I was practically giggling because I was having so much.  It was glorious out there.

I got back to the turn off to the 5 miler and back down and just felt great!  Really?  I'm not in trail shape and I did a track workout.  On the last hill back down, I got behind a small group which were going at a good pace.  It was going to be pretty difficult to pass them all on that terrain so I sat back and enjoyed myself.  Of course the trail looked completely different going down than coming back up.  We got to the last flat (but gradually uphill actually) trail and I just went.  I passed about 5 people in here who looked done in.  Sure, I was working but it was GREAT to have so much in the tank.  Done!

Not too much longer, RPD comes in with just as big a grin on his face as I had on mine.  What a wonderful way to spend an evening.  I really hope Evergreen puts on some more of these mid-week races.  It was like having a little vacation mid-week.

And I'm delighted that I came in 30th overall (about 100 total) and 11th female.  It was great to get the feet and legs ready for some more trail running.  I'm not sure when but I can't wait.