The good news: I ran fifteen miles at a pretty decent pace. I haven't run longer than 13.1 in over a month.
 |
| Fast or slow? It's all depends on your perspective! |
The you-can't-be-serious news: I am planning on running my first ultra on January 5th. It's *only* 50k, but it counts as an ultra. We can look at this in many ways. It's just about 5 miles more than a marathon. Only about 5 miles on top of 26.2. Piece of cake! (that's sarcasm) It's 18.3% of a marathon added to a marathon. Yikes. And it is also about 1/5th of a marathon to run on top of a marathon. The NJ Trail Series Watchung Winter Races is holding their 5th annual Winter Ultra. Shhh... Let's not talk about the fact that it is 5 loops. K? As long as it's not actively raining or snowing that day, I plan to run this race. (Sorry, but I'm a big wuss when it comes to cold weather. And when something cold and wet is falling from the sky, my wussified-ness increases exponentially.) During training, I plan to learn to deal with the cold air. I just can't commit to my first 50k in rain or snow.
The bad news: A shooting stopmedeadinmytracks pain came clear out of no where pretty early in this 15 mile run. It was in my lower back. I had to stop because it was that bad. My imagination proposed the idea of someone having a voodoo doll of me that they just jabbed a pin through. I had NO IDEA what to do. I'm not a back problem person. I just stopped and stood there for a minute then decided to check my range of motion. I decided that I'd rather finish the run no matter how slow, then give up since the pain seemed to dissipate. It was never totally gone, but it didn't feel like a dagger in the back after that. Has this ever happened to you?
Anyway....
So I had the random number generator thingy choose my winner.
DebsDailyLife is our Handana winner!!!!!!!
 |
Deb, please find my e-mail address in the "about" tab on this site and send me your mailing address!
We have another giveaway coming soon, of course. After all, it's the season of giving!
Anyone have any crazy goals for the 2013 race season? In addition to the ultra, think I'm shooting for 2 or 3 marathons next year. I'd like to have 10 done before I the end of 2014. These darn cute kids (I mean my man-sized teenagers and my sweet 11 year old boy) make it hard to train and travel for races on a whim! But honestly, I wouldn't have it any other way...
Congrats Deb!!! I don't have any crazy goals...just a couple 1/2's here and there I think!
ReplyDeleteI suppose crazy is a matter of perspective. Considering I just started running at the end of July, my crazy goals for the coming year are 750 total miles, an average of one race per month (of which I've chosen five so far), my first half marathon (April), and an 18-miler near my hometown (September).
ReplyDeleteCold is also a matter of perspective. I went running today in 40 degrees F and wished I could remove my long sleeve shirt less than 2 miles in. That's what happens when you grow up 30 miles from Canada where school was cancelled because kids at bus stops could get frostbite in less than 5 minutes but was still on when a foot or two of snow fell overnight. 40 feels like springtime.
I hope the weather meets your standards to compete on race day!
Congrats to the winner! My big goal for next year is a marathon in June. I also have 3 or 4 halfs that I want to do. I secretly wanted to try for a 50k in October, but it happens to fall on the same weekend as my little sister's wedding... so I guess I'll have to find a different one or wait until 2014! Rain, especially, is part of my running life. My last 6 mile run my phone was in a pocket and got so wet it died for three days and hasn't been the same since.
ReplyDeleteGood luck with your training. I've never had that kind of back pain. That would have freaked me out!
Nice! 15 miles in less time than it took me to run my hafl! Goal for 2014... a marathon. I would LOVE to do NYC, but that's a crazy long shot after the hurricane. I've had a tweak in my lower back, right side and I think it's just from bad form later in the run.
ReplyDeleteWOO HOO!! Thankyou! Email sent!
ReplyDeleteIm shooting for 13 in 2013. (For some thats not a lot, but for me, thats quite a few!)
I'll keep my fingers crossed that the weather holds up for you! (Half from a selfish standpoint bc I'd love to hear how the race goes in order to make personal decisions about how to attack an ultra - and half because it's just pretty dang awesome!!) Myself and a friend are also looking to complete 50K this coming year...specifically NJ Trail Series' Mountain Madness in Sept. So if you love it you are welcome to join us for another one!
ReplyDeleteAs for the stab in the low back? In the SI joint area perhaps? Ever since I've had hip issues, if my form breaks down and I heel strike heavy mixed with relaxing my core I will take a stab here or there.
Anyway best of luck and I can't wait to read about your experience!