The path of enlightenment is cold, wet and muddy

I learned a few things on Sunday about my level of conditioning. They weren't happy lessons but they put my fitness into perspective. The XTERRA crowd was different than the typical mix I've observed at other races. This was a purpose-driven bunch, young, lean and intense. I would have been very intimidated had I participated in this event a year ago. After six races last year I understood what to expect and that my best strategy was to start at a moderate pace and just run my race. Yesterday was both an affirmation that I can run with this crowd (I really was worried about finishing far at the back of the pack) and a reality check that, perhaps, I'm not completely recovered from my pneumonia.

I was prepared to go out for 4.75 miles of tough trails and when they said they'd cut the length to 3.7 I said "easy." I would not have allowed myself a DNF but I also wouldn't have maintained 9:20 on those trails if I'd needed to cover another mile during the race. I truly understood the sensation of lactic acid buildup in my legs as we went from hill scrambles to abrupt descents to rising switchbacks. There were times when I told myself I just couldn't make another hill but I managed to talk my way into pressing on. Sometimes I used the crowd of runners behind me as motivation and other times I told myself  "One way or another you're getting out of the woods so you might as well do it running."

I did make good decisions prior and during the race. I wore warm outer clothes as close to the race start as possible and handed them off to my wife when we assembled for the start. I wore running gloves and noticed many didn't. The gloves helped regulate my body temperature and gave me security that I had protection in the event of a fall. I refused to let the other runners intimidate me as they drafted closely behind on narrow trails and I left room on the left for those who wished to pass. I took the time to enjoy what was happening around me and took note of the course for future training. Next time I run at Stillwell I'll take on the black trail and not shy away from the tough stuff. There will be another Stillwell race in June, this one full length, so I'll need to be better prepared if I choose to participate.

XTERRA report: mud, sweat and tears

Photo finish (for a mid-pack position)

The combination of mud, ice, snow, rocks, scree, hills, drops and gnarly roots steadily transformed my state of mind from happy to miserable over the course of today's 3.7 mile race. In the end it came down to a full tilt sprint to the finish line where I was beat out by half a step (for about 70th place), much to my chagrin.

The XTERRA event at Stillwell had its challenges both on the course and in the planning. None of this was the organizer's fault. First, due to significant budget cuts affecting Long Island's state parks, we were locked out of the public bathrooms. This left us with a single Porta-Potty for the 200+ participants, race staff and spectators. Although that caused delays they weren't measurable and we started only eight minutes later than planned. The other big challenge was the amount of slick ice that remained on the course. A decision was made yesterday to cut about a mile of trails from the route for safety purposes. That said, there were still a lot of treacherous conditions and I saw at least one person limping past the finish line in obvious pain from a tumble on the course.

After a detailed description of the route that helped the runners understand the need to stay on course, they blew the air horn and the 130 or so participants made their way swiftly across the field and into the woods. I was having a blast at that point. My Helly Hansen Trail Lizards were made for conditions like this but when I hit the first of many icy, muddy, twisty trails I thought about how easily a person could trip and fall. With dozens of tightly packed runners jockeying along the singletrack, one misstep could have caused a very large accident. After a while I got used to the course and realized that the black trail is like a roller coaster that goes up or drops every 30 seconds or so. I also realized that I've consciously avoided much of this part of the trail during recreational runs because it's so tough.

With half mile to go in the race, the guy in front of me yelled back and said "we're almost there!" I was very pleased to know that and also glad that they cut the length of the course because I was really feeling exhausted at that point. When we hit the main open trail I could see the finish line but the effect of running on a thick layer of icy snow was jarring and we all stepped gingerly as we leaned in for the final 440. Once we passed the trail head and hit the field I heard a few runners behind me. When we got closer to the finish I could hear the footsteps of another runner determined to beat me over the line. We finished our sprint with a photo finish but I think I lost by a nose. I was so glad it was over and my wife and kids told me that many of those who crossed the line ahead of me had said it was a really rough, slippery course and it was the toughest race they'd ever run. I'll agree with that.

Official results have not been posted yet but I did maintain a 9:20 pace according to my Garmin. Considering that Stillwell usually costs me 30-45 seconds a mile against my road running pace I was happy with that result. Well, another race run and a tough one at that. The Marcie Mazzola  5K in April is my next competition and compared to today it seems a piece of cake. But I don't assume anything in a race so training for that race will begin soon enough.

16 hours to a cold, wet, muddy mess

Snow and ice covers the main open trail

It's less than a day until my first race of 2010, the XTERRA trail run at Stillwell Woods. This will be the seventh time I've raced competitively since returning to running in 2008. I'm looking at tomorrow's event from a few different perspectives. First, it's a race and that in itself creates excitement. Second, the action of participating in a rigorous 5 mile trail race less than two months after a week's stay in the hospital validates my recovery from severe pneumonia. Third, this race promises to be the single most challenging running experience I've ever faced due to the course and the conditions we'll be facing.

This morning my son and I stopped by the race site to see how the trails were looking. They hadn't marked the course but the website says we'll be running the "black trail." I'm not too familiar with Stillwell's trail markings (which explains why I always get lost when I run in the interior of the preserve) but I'll try to pay closer attention tomorrow. Once we arrived at Stillwell I realized that there's still quite a lot of snow on the ground. As we walked to the trail head we saw that the first 300 yards of the course are covered by a few inches of well-trod icy snow. We followed the main open trail until we came to path that broke to the right and led into the woods to the south. The path was less snow covered due to the trees but there was still enough to warrant careful footing, especially when the trails twisted and dropped.

Interior trail

Muddy singletrack

We continued our hike in the woods and as our trail rose we encountered lots of mud from the melted snow. I was imagining 100+ runners packed together, racing on a narrow trail and kicking up lots of muddy water. My friend KWL suggested that I wear goggles to protect my eyes from the spray but I'm going to have to tough it out with just a pair of glasses. Although we didn't travel too far on our hike I managed to get a little lost, but my 10 year old son navigated us successfully back to the main trail. I wish I could bring him tomorrow. The weather at 10 AM was still chilly and it's made me rethink my plan to wear only one or two light layers. I'll bring some extra clothes to the race which I can leave behind with my "crew" if I decide I don't need them. It's now exactly 16 hours to the start. I hope I can sleep tonight!

Tapering to the core

I was surprised to see snow falling this morning as I made my way to the train station. The news didn't mention it but when I reached the train I noticed a layer of white stuff on the cars that had sat overnight in the parking lot. I don't expect much accumulation but you never know. Tomorrow I'll take a drive over to Stillwell Woods to check out conditions for Sunday's race. I'm hoping that they will have the XTERRA course marked so I can get a better sense of the route. I'm still concerned that I could get lost!

Since I've finished the running portion of my taper I'd planned to rest this morning. I decided instead to do the 15 minute core workout, as I did on Monday, and I'm pleased that the work on some of the exercises is beginning to feel easier. I'm assuming I'm making some progress and soon I'll adopt the "make it harder" suggestions that accompany the Lolo core exercise descriptions and illustrations in the magazine. I always feel energized and stronger after doing this simple workout. I'm not sure if I'll do anything fitness related on Saturday or if I'll be self indulgent and rest. I really wish the race was tomorrow but Sunday will come soon enough.

Guilt gets a bad rap

The idea of running was not very appealing when I awoke at 3:45 AM this morning. I was shocked when I saw the time as I'd expected it to be around midnight by the way I felt. As I made my way to the coffee machine I thought about everything I could do rather than getting on the damn treadmill: return to bed for 30 minutes, do 15 minutes of core exercises then rest before my shower or replace today's run with a lower impact elliptical session. I have learned that the hard effort of running is nothing compared with the guilt that comes from missing a workout. When I choose to rest I enjoy the brief respite from the obligation of exercise but soon after that comes the letdown of missing the endorphic payoff and, later, the nagging sense that I failed to accomplish a conditioning goal. On the other hand, when I do my early run, I feel that if nothing else good happens in the day at least I have that accomplishement under my belt.

Of course I ended up running this morning. In the 18 months since I've been a dedicated runner I've missed very few workouts (thanks to guilt). About a year ago I adopted Mondays as my rest day and that's really been the only time off I've taken, not counting illness. I feel very good about that and if it's all due to guilt then I have to say that guilt gets an unfair rap because, in fact, its really a helpful influence. Due to guilt I had my last run before Sunday's race as a tempo this morning, starting off easy and gradually working up to the edge of discomfort. At the moment all systems seem to be in order, no aches, pains, twinges or anything else to distract me from the challenges I'll be facing. I'm getting psyched for mud and I'll try to have fun with it but I also know it will mean some real work. It will be a long five miles but when I finish I won't have any guilt to deal with.