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Spikes in Snow

15 Saturday Nov 2014

Posted by Ed Mahoney in Running

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colorado cross country championships, Cross Country, New Balance Leadville 2010, race results, Sushi Hapa

XC RaceAnd now, for something totally different.  A cross country race in the snow.  I’m not expecting to run very fast this morning.  Grass is considerably slower than paved roads.  Not that there is much grass visible on today’s course.  The course is buried under a few inches of ice and snow.  The weather isn’t too bad.  It’s snowing and under 20°, but there is very little wind.  Cold air is fine for running – without wind.

I studied my previous two runs on this course at Harlow Platts Park from January and last November.  I was in similar shape but only averaged a 7:22 and 7:38 pace respectively.  I find it difficult to believe I couldn’t manage a sub-7 minute pace for such a short distance.  My thought is the course cannot possibly impact my pace that much.  I suspect the race scenario results in too much of a sprint at the start.  My first mile isn’t too fast, but my first quarter mile is.  Probably, simply my first 100 yards.  So my race strategy this morning will be to crawl off the starting line.  This might have implications later trying to pass other runners, but I’ll take the risk.  It will be a good experiment if not a winning strategy.  Not that I’m going to win anything today.  I can’t place in cross country without a team.  And a large number of these runners are fairly elite.  But it’s not about winning.  I get a kick out of lining up with these hotshot harriers.

I realize any thoughts on running fast or race strategy is moot once I begin my warmup.  Running over this snow is hard.  I was hoping for a snowpack but this is loose powder.  Traction is poor.  The course has been snow-plowed.  This helps to follow the path but does little to help with footing. I talk with another runner who tells me his spikes don’t help because the snow is too powdery.  I’m running in my New Balance trail flats.  Wish I had spikes.  Long ones.  This is going to be a slow race.  My new strategy is to simply avoid being lapped by the elites before I complete my second loop.  It’s a three loop race over four miles.

I line up in the back with a few older guys.  The field looks like about 50 runners of various ages.  There’s a team of 70 year olds and a couple of 80 year old runners.  I would tell you I run to plan by starting off slow, but it’s impossible to run fast in these conditions.  The hills are made exceedingly difficult by the snow.  I count five hills, all short in length but extremely taxing.  Kids are sledding down the largest hill.  Traction is so poor I actually can’t tell you how I manage to climb it.  I think I will myself to the top on each loop.  Spikes would really help for this hill.  If these conditions are not bad enough, bales of hay are stacked at one spot on the course.  Apparently positioned just before the race start because I didn’t see these during my warmup.  This is insane.

I complete my first mile in 7:53 and feel strong with my breathing but still can’t run any faster.  I run mile two similarly in 7:56.  Nice even pace.  This gives me the energy to push my third mile.  Running hard on the third quarter of any race, regardless of distance, is my typical race tactic.  We’re so spread out, I only pass one runner.  I do run faster though in 7:45.  I finish my final mile in 7:57 for an average 7:52 pace for the 6K.  I feel good afterward but not sure this qualifies as a race.  Still, glad I got out.  And the elites didn’t come any where close to lapping me.  Always good to not get lapped.  I meet up afterward with Brit and Ellie, and Brit’s boyfriend Forrest, for lunch at Sushi Hapa.  We follow that up with some browsing at the Boulder Bookstore.  Not a bad snow day.

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Milestone

10 Saturday May 2014

Posted by Ed Mahoney in Running

≈ 5 Comments

Tags

Boulder Bookstore, Chautauqua, groin pain, Mesa Trail, Prostatectomy, Sushi Hapa


Running has never felt so good.  After over five weeks convalescing and walking, I ran three miles today.  My expectations were set for July, but my Urologist did tell me I might be back within a month.  I ran the same trail along Left Hand Creek that I’ve been walking everyday.  I don’t know if I can express how much reaching this milestone means to me emotionally.  I had a silly grin on my face the entire run.  Running means more to me for my mental health than physical.  I feel like this could be the end of the health-related distractions and lack of focus.  I’m back.

My groin began to hurt half way through the run.  That was less than ideal, and a bit of a surprise.  I was monitoring my abdominal pain, breathing and dizziness.  My stomach didn’t hurt until after I stopped running.  While walking a quarter mile cool down, my scars tightened.  My PT yesterday taught me how to massage my incisions in a circular fashion to break up the scar tissue.  I’ll put some emphasis on doing that.  I was mostly nervous over my breathing and dizziness because I’m still somewhat freaked out by the impact from four hours of anaesthesia.  Thankfully I was fine.

My groin pain wasn’t extreme by any means but it did help me confirm my commitment to not exceed three miles.  Pushing myself to the point of injury doesn’t buy me anything.  A one or two mile run would have provided me the same level of satisfaction and confidence that I am progressing.  I’m not in a race, I just need to demonstrate forward progress.  There are times when you need to run through some discomfort.  There are times when you need to train through injury.  This is not one of those times.  I emailed my PT to ask about what I should think about the groin pain.  She responded within a few hours, on a Saturday, with advice.  She’s a keeper.  I describe Jenn in more detail on my prostate blog.

photo removed
Feeling totally stoked, I wasn’t done for the day.  Ellie and I went for a two mile hike on Mesa Trail in Chautauqua Park.  Such perfect weather to be outside.  Hard to imagine the forecast for snow and sub-freezing conditions the next two days.  We followed up the hike with lunch at Sushi Hapa, a browse through the Boulder Bookstore, and some light shopping at the Farmer’s Market.  Ellie bought the next three books in The Maze Runner series at the bookstore.  I bought some bread and two tomato plants at the farmer’s market.  Wow, today is only half over.  What’s next?

40.137598 -105.107652

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