Race week!

Decisions were tough this week.  The weather forecast changed constantly from cooler temps and no humidity to higher temps and 100 percent humidity to just higher temps.  I only got 2 runs plus the race thanks to horrible heat and humidity yet again.  It's September weather, get with it!

Here are some highlights from the week and then a race report.

Crazy storms that stayed south

Lots of football including 3 practices, 1 high school game, and the KSU game.  Got to meet Big Andrew who is a senior on the Red Raider football team.  

Big andrew and little andrew.  Both lineman!

He was not feeling jersey Friday because his jeans were too tight.  Whoops.  Guess we need to go jean shopping.  

couldn't get him to smile for love nor money

Got to go sit at club level at the KSU game and tailgate with several of his football buddies.  This is our second time getting to go to a college football game and sit club, and now I am ruined don't think I can ever go back to regular seating.

Had 2 runs both at night post football.  A four and a three.  I am SOOOOO ready for fall/winter running.   I am also ready for the gnats to be dead.  I need to run with a mask and safety glasses on at night to try and not swallow a million of them.

Okay now for a race review.  If you remember, I did this exact course in the spring as a 50K. Midwest Endurance puts on a great race and I love the trail, so after I did the 50K in the spring, I had to sign up for Ultrapoolza (their fall race). They offered a half marathon distance which was something I thought I could commit to training for during the horrible summer heat and humidity.  

Plus, I just love the logo and all of  the swag that goes with this race.  Spoiler alert, having a shorter distance and a goal race did not in fact cause me to train very well, but most weeks I got at least 3 runs with one being a tempo run, one being an easy run, and one being a long run.  

Way to early to be this chipper

While I do love this trail, it is 2 hours away and that means a super duper early leave time.  I wish Boom traveled better and didn't pee everywhere as we would just stay at a hotel closer the night before.  Anyways, I got up at 3:45 am and got ready to go.  Of course the night before we were up late at the football game and then I was wide awake till past 11.  Yeah for 4ish hours of sleep!!!!!  Robin volunteered to drive thankfully so I could sit and slowly wake up.    The problem with me getting up super duper early is I have trained my body to eat as soon as I get up and when I need to hold off till closer till race start time, my body gets very angry and sometimes makes me super nauseous effecting my fueling pre race.   I was able to sip on a diet Dr. Pepper and then finally ate around 5:30 am without getting sick this time.  I like to eat an hour before start time, but something is better than nothing. 

Was looking at the start/finish then refused to once the camera came out

We had honestly talked about either not running with the dogs at all or us not running either due to the humidity.  We had hoped with the temps being cooler than we might be okay even with higher humidity.  We were totally wrong.  There were not too many people running the half, a lot less than I anticipated for sure.  The trail is very flat but very scenic and much like what we train/run on at home.  

We fought the dogs wanting to pull and race everyone at the beginning.  We were super worried that they would gas too quickly with the humidity.  At that point humidity was at 100 percent and it was basically misting with all of the moisture in the air.  Surprisingly, I wasn't having issues breathing, but we were having a hard time getting the dogs to calm down.  A lot of people were doing intervals  like us, which made finding out own little spot difficult.  Once the speedier people were out of sight, the dogs calmed down quite a bit and settled in.  We never really plan stops, we mainly just let the dogs tell us when they need water, and we stick to our walk/run intervals.    

I'm use to seeing these bikes when a biker has died.  I was a little disconcerted at first seeing these all over the place and then realized that they were just decorations.  Whew.  

Luckily for us, the clouds stuck around and the leaves were still mostly on the trees  even with the drought we have been in, making it nice and shaded for us.  There were only a few parts with open access to sun and those parts were super short.  We both remarked if the sun had been out we would have thrown in the towel or walked the whole thing.  We had to be super careful with the dogs the entire race with lots of water breaks and lots of time at the one aid station.  I almost ran out of water in both of my bottles and was down to the last drop at one point.  The last race on this course had water jugs on the course for non manned aid stations and there were none this time.  We just didn't pay attention to the race booklet I guess as far as where aid was, but we did fill completely up at the one manned aid station so maybe we were just sucking down the water?

I did it mom!

It wasn't long till we were turned around and headed back.  I think worrying about the dogs the entire race made the miles fly by.  Before we knew it, we had 2 miles to go to finish.  We both were suffering a little from lack of the best training, but we got it done!

I am not sure if we got an official time because our bibs didn't have timing chips, but for the amount of stopping we had to do for the dogs, I think we finished in around 2 hours and  36 minutes.  I can't wait for the photographs as Kristi from Mile 90 was on the course at the start and at the finish when we crossed.

 

Pre race and pre sweaty messes

 I do feel that this cements the fact that September races are not for me.  I have tried numerous times in years past and they have all still been super humid and not fun.  Next year Sanders Saunter may be it for me and fall or maybe a late October race.  Definitely not any ultras or anything over a 25K.  The races themselves are amazing, but the conditions are not and it's not fair for Boom or Miss Kitty.  I may not get to race Sanders this year due to football if we go to the tournament, but I am not making a decision till closer to time.  I hate summer training and running and I don't want to hate running.  I think I can stay motivated without paying for a race to be in.  I do love the races that Midwest Endurance puts on. Like I said, the swag is amazing, the race director is amazing, it's a me not you kind of situation.  

it's a belt buckle!

Back at it next week just in case I do get to race Sanders Saunter.  Hoping for cooler weather and some fall like conditions!