Mt. Penn Mudfest - Race Report

One of the things that continually amuses me is how easy it is to prepare, day before, for a race or tri.  This, compared to what it was like day before a horse show of any type, even a relatively informal one.  Even at the base level, there was a horse to clean, tack to clean, clothes to organize, a trailer to pack… add multiple events, and you added multiples of gear; add questionable weather, add another layer of gear.  And yet, even given the vagaries of the weather yesterday, it took me all of 15 minutes to pack a gear bag for the trail race. 

And there were vagaries to the weather.  With a couple of fronts meandering around the area, it was forcast to be BOTH cold and rainy and warm with thunderstorms.  So I packed both shorts and ¾ tights, and went with a long sleeve shirt (because I truly didn’t believe it would hit the forecast high of 70 while we were out there) and sleeveless wind/rain breaker vest up top. 

It rained the entire drive out to the race site, and it was pouring when I arrived.  Yay.  It was also 43 degrees, so I opted to go with the 3/4 tights.  Miraculously the rain stopped about 20 minutes before the race started, so we were dry, at least, while waiting for the race start.  This is a quirky event, as all of the events put on by this club seem to be.  It has a Clydesdale/Clydette division for people meeting certain height/weight requirements (they have their own formula: for women, weight in pounds divide by height in inches must be over 2.15; for men, 2.7).  Also, you can volunteer to carry a raw egg with you on the course.  If the egg makes it back in one piece, you can win something like 70# of Godiva chocolate.  I actually thought about doing that one, but considering I bit the dust a few times during my last race, I thought it might be a good idea to try to make it around a course without buying real estate once before adding raw eggs to the picture.  Maybe next year!

Also: The starting gun consisted of a stuffed pig (the fluffy kid’s toy kind of stuffed pig, not a pig stuffed like a turkey) that was fired from the end of an air gun.  When the pig hit the ground, we were off!  The first ¼ mile or so was on roads; I started about mid pack and as we worked our way to the trail head I looked down the road at the mass of people and was briefly reminded of running Broad Street in Philly, where you have wall to wall people heading down this one road, as far down as you can see.  Granted, in this case, the road was not nearly as wide, the crowd was more than an order of magnitude smaller, and it was low lying clouds, not buildings, that obscured the view, but it still made me laugh.

We turned off on to the trail and immediately started up hill.  The path was alternately rocky and muddy and slick, and while I’m sure some more sure-footed people galloped up the slope, I sure didn’t, nor did anyone near me.  The first 1/3 of the course was a series of steep, but not brutal ups and downs, followed by a long own hill that lead into a fallen tree obstacle course-type section.  From chatting with someone near me, I learned the course has always been routed this way, and the downed trees are a mainstay.  After another overlong downhill section (those sections leave one thinking, “rut ro” because for ever downhill, there is an equal uphill coming), we hit mid course, and the stream crossings. 

We were warned at the start that the course might be wetter than usual due to all of the rain we’ve been having lately.  Having never seen the course before, this meant nothing to me, since I had no idea what “usual” was.  We got to the first one and all I could think was, “Oh.  OK.  We’re getting wet.”  The stream was high and very fast, and at that point maybe 25 feet wide, give or take, with a rocky creek bottom.  There was no splashing through, just plowing through water that was up past my knees.  And COLD!  I got out and my legs felt numb and about 10# heavier.  And then, of course, there was a steep, rocky, muddy uphill that was mostly single track, so it was rather slow going.  At the top of the hill (I think it was this hill!), there was a series of tires set up, agility-drill style, a fun little surprise.  Then we came down to a slightly narrower but much deeper crossing; here, the water was almost to my waist.  I was definitely numb coming out of that one, but fortunately the path was flatter for a while, then up and down, and we hit the final crossing, which was narrower but must faster than the others.  And that was it for the water (except for the rain, which had started up again in earnest); what was left, though, were the steepest hills. 

In keeping with the Easter theme; there were some unusual aid stations along the way.  Instead of gus, they handed out marshmallow peeps at the water stops.  I can’t recall ever having a peep that tasted like anything other than cardboard before, but those really hit the spot and it was TOO funny seeing aid station people handing out these yellow and pink and purple things at the stops.  At the top of the next steep hill, which felt more like climbing a staircase than a hill, they had an alternate beverage station, where they handed out beer and margaritas, if one was so inclined, along with water.  Next up was a pretty fast down hill, followed by the last ugly uphill of the day.  By now people in my area were either walking or alternating walking and running these hills; the trails were pretty much single track, though, so if too many people got to walking, you were walking whether or not it was your choice.  It wasn’t always my preference to be walking, but truly? It was probably all for the best that I did anyway. 

Finally we hit the last section.  I knew this only because I had someone behind me who had run the race before and knew the course well; we were still in the clouds (for you aviation buffs, the weather was low IFR all the way) so it was impossible to see more than 50 yards or so ahead.  I had some gas left in the tank, but it was difficult to stop on the accelerator because the track was so muddy, you just slipped.  So my pace was what it was until I broke out of the woods on to a grassy field, and from there it was a straight shot to the finish.

In the end I finished about five minutes faster than my last 15K trail; it’s hard to tell if it’s a true improvement or if this was an easier course – although it didn’t SEEM any easier, overall, so I’ll go with improvement.  (Until I run that other course again, and take the ego hit.) 

My goodies – race shirt and finisher mug – are pictured below.  Also, I took a picture of my feet that I took as soon as I got back to my car, shown below as well.  I couldn’t quite get the back of my legs, which were crusted with mud, but you get the idea.  And yes, that is blood by my shoes, not cause by anything dramatic, just by the tongue of my shoes rubbing against my ankles.  I had never before run in those shoes in anything less than ankle socks, and I ran in ped socks yesterday.  I just randomly looked down and saw the left one was bleeding not 15 minutes into the race; I tried to rearrange things a little but it was a hopeless case so I just forgot about it until the race was over and I had a chance to clean up.  Oh well.  As my dad is fond of saying, the job is never done until some bit of blood is shed.

Kitteh photo layout/composition consult.

T-shirt and finisher mug.

 

 

Lovely, eh?  Probably would have been worse without the rain and water crossings.

Hip report:  No. Pain.  Nada, not a twinge on the course and none today, and no more than what I’d call an ordinary (at this point) amount of tightness.  Today I feel I did something yesterday, but have no unusual twinges anywhere.  Which is a good thing.  I have some ideas about where I want to go from here, but for today, I’m going to just enjoy the sunshine and the afterglow of a challenging race well done.

What is it about spring

That brings looneys into my life?   Last year, it was the now nearly forgotten Drama Girl; this year, it's the currently MIA Presentation Partner. 

PP is in my abnormal psych class.  She was also in my basic psych class last semester, which is essentially how she became my PP.  Backing up a bit, both last semester in basic and this semester in abnormal, we have had to do presentations for the class on some disorder or other.  I'm not sure exactly why they have to be partnered presentations, but they do.  Last semester I just stumbled into my partner and things worked out really well.  I'd have been happy to work with her again, but she's not in my class.  In fact, I hardly knew anyone in the class when we were forced to pick partners and declare our topics, which made me pretty uneasy.  My mindset was, I was happy to work with anyone, assuming their goal was the same mine: to get an A on the project.  However, not knowing anyone made it hard to figure who might share my agenda.  PP, whom I hadn't even noticed was in the class, saw me and proposed we work together.  I didn't recall her, really, from basic, but I didn't recall her totally f-ing up her presentation in that class, so I thought, why not? 

Well, long story short - PP's work ethic is, shall we say - lacking.  She avoided the issue of meeting up to work on the presentation until the final weekend (this, after assuring me she didn't want to be scrambling to finish things last minute); then it became one excuse after another for not keeping appointments/having things done.  (Meanwhile, I'm sending her drafts for my sections of the presentation, my research, etc.)  Sister in the hospital.  Has to bring sister home from the hospital.  Parents away.  Can we just email, or do we have to meet?  Blah blah blah.  All of this done via text, which while I realize essentially equals conversation for early 20 somethings these days is also very easy to hide behind.   Finally I insisted we meet, two days before everything is due.  I am basically done at that point, minus some last minute polishing.  She has barely begun. 

More bullshit that is scarcely worth getting into ensues over the next 48 hours, but the thing does get turned in on time, barely.  I am at this point wondering if I have done enough to pull our grade to at least a B.  (I can live with a B on this - I aced my solo project and have A's on all the tests so far.)  We are supposed to be prepared to present the day we hand everything in, but as it happens, we don't go until a week later.  On that day, PP informs me that she may have trouble speaking because her wisdom teeth hurt.  Uh huh.  She did fine, however, as did I; I figure it's over, we lived, I'm done with her.  She misses the next couple of classes - why, I don't know or care - then texts me last night to see if we have a test today, and what it's on.  She's been out because her sister was in a car accident.  Uh HUH.  I tell her yes, we have a test.  She texts back, do I think she'll be OK if she just studies the book?  I text back in so many words, how the fuck do I know?  I don't know specifically what's on the test, nor how well she studies.

She skips class, and therefore the test.  (Prof gives no make up tests for any reason, although she will drop your lowest grade test - she gives 8 a semester - so presumably you can miss/completely fuck one up without penalty, but that's a card I wouldn't play unless it was a huge emergency.)

Anyway, part of me wants to call and see if anything is seriously wrong with this girl.  The pattern of excuses/lies, procrastination, absences, job loss, and this general aura she carries makes me wonder if there's a bigger picture thing going on here.  On the one hand, I feel as if I should be a good fellow student and see if she's OK, and OTOH, that I should mind my own business.  MYOB is currently winning, but that may be subject to change.

On to more interesting stuff.  I did finish NROL/Abs, Phase 1 last week, and started Phase 2 yesterday.  I am really, truly liking this program, and I have to say it's the first book program I've done in a long time that I can see myself doing again in short order.  Usually, I'm happy to go on to the next thing, but there's enough flexibility in this program - enough options and progressions - that I can see doing it again without getting bored.  Which is a lovely thing. 

The trail race is this Saturday, so I'm taking it a little bit easy this week.  I haven't decided which I'm going to do yet, but I'll either run easy tomorrow and lift Thursday, or vice versa, then take it easy on Friday.  Sunday is a planned DOR and presumably a good time to reflect on how the race goes, in terms of how the hip feels.  It has its good and its bad days; generally "bad" equals tightness and not pain, but I don't think tightness is a good thing.  What is good is that it doesn't hurt when I run - although that is also BAD, because it makes me feel like running is OK.  LOL.  I'm a mess.  Hope springs eternal that this race will make it clear to me whether I should push on or rein back; realistically, I suspect it will reveal nothing of the kind and I'll have to sort this out for myself.

Playoffs

'Bout a year ago, My long time favorite team, the Philadelphia Flyers, tortured me by not only leaving their playoff hopes riding on the last game of the season - they got their victory in a shoot out (I. DETEST. the shoot out).  This year, they were coasting into the last month of the season with an awesome record.  All they really needed to do was play a respectable final month, and they would in fact practically be assured home ice advantage through and possibly IN the finals, should they go that far.

Instead, they crapped all over the place, losing games they should have won (I consider a shoot out loss, a LOSS, not a tie, as it's recorded in the standings - just one of the many reasons I DETEST the shootout) and generally looking like a bunch of people who just wanted the season to be over.  A sentiment in which, frankly, I joined them, because trying to watch them play was downright nauseating.  So now they're in the playoffs and are only guaranteed home ice for two rounds, should they wake the fuck up and make it that far, and I'm in a surly mood.  I guess it shows that I care - if I didn't, I'd be indifferent rather than agitated - but that's not much consolation.  Still, it was good to get that off my chest.

Today was another run of 9+ miles; fortunately it seems to have gone better than last week's.  That leaves me pretty optimistic about Mt. Penn, but that'll be a test in and of itself; we'll see how the hip likes all that crazy terrain.  At least I'll have real trail shoes this time out, so hopefully no bloody ripped off calluses at the end due to excessive shoe movement.   In other exciting news, I finish up the first phase of NROL/Abs this week, and plan to do the workouts on a M - F schedule, subbing in a run on Wednesday instead of the lifting, mostly just because I can.  Heh.  The following week will be a short lifting week, too, as I'll probably make Friday (day before the race) a total rest day.  I've enjoyed Phase I, but as usual am looking forward to moving on to the next phase.

Speaking of which, Phase 2 comes in two sizes: regular and extra strength.  Right now, I'm being optimistic about my running prospects (meaning that post-15K, I'll start looking at a trail half) and am just planning to do the regular option.  This is subject to reevaluation post-race, of course.  I frankly am liking this program well enough that I can see myself doing it again, and at that point I may be in a situation that favors the extra strength option (which really just amounts to four extra sets of a heavy strength move, but it's probably a good extra 8 - 10 minutes per workout, and taxing minutes, at that - great if it fits your overall plan, not necessarily great if it doesn't).

We had a grand opening party at the dojo last night.  We've actually been in the new location since December, but it's spring, more people are out and about, and it seemed like a good idea to have a party.  The place has really taken off, which I knew it would, given its location.  We now have some sort of classes every day of the week, with more stuff coming.  We have a pretty cool guy coming in to offer bootcamp classes.  I talked to him at length last night.  He has a BS in ex. science and is now a CSCS, and has some very interesting sub specialities.  He's going to take the RKC course soon, so obviously we talked kettlebells for a while.  His classes don't fit my schedule at all, but it's cool to have him around.  I definitely plan to pick his brain whenever I can!

Rainy Friday

During my time off running, I started doing a lot of walking.   I tend to go out later in the afternoon and tool around, listening to a podcast or two.  I've really been enjoying some stuff I pulled (free!) off iTunesU; right now I have a series going on Autism, and another on American history.  Anyway... at first the walks were basically just to keep me from going stir crazy, as I can get really batshit crazy when I don't get in enough activity, but they have evolved into their own little enjoyable thing, a sort of bonus land, if you will, and despite having put in a morning workout at the dojo AND having hit the gym, I am missing my walk right now.  I do have some great raingear, but I think perhaps it might not be a bad idea to give things a break for a day.

I'm still feeling ambivalent about running on this hip.  I AM stiffer than I'd like to be, stiffer than normal for me.  And come to think of it - it's possible that all the walking, on top of the resumption of normal activities, isn't helping matters...  which kind of sucks.

But - my topic du jour is something that has been on my mind for a while, and that is my state's IDIOTIC pedestrian crossing law.  The law, which seems simple enough, states that cars must stop for pedestrians in a crosswalk, including, apparently, invisible crosswalks.  As a runner and frequent pedestrian, I am all for not getting hit by a car, so in principle, I am all for this law.  However, it seems to have bred some incredibly stupid behaviour on the part of both drivers and pedestrians alike.

My personal view of crossing the road breaks down very simply.  In the pedestrian vs. car equation - if the two collide, the result will nearly inevitably be, Car - 1, Pedestrian - 0.  That simple equation underlies all of my dealings with roadways and cars.  I don't assume a driver is going to do anything; I act on what they actually do in a manner I believe will best preserve my own ass, period.  I don't assume they will stop at lights, stop signs, or even the holy crosswalk.  However, some people apparently DO expect cars to stop at crosswalks, even if they (the pedestrian) are essentially walking out into traffic.  Hello?

And then there are the cars that stop for pedestrians, even if they DO have the right of way.  Yesterday morning I was walking to the train to go to school.  I cross one road that has a traffic light.  When I got there, my direction had a red light, so I stood waiting by the curb to cross at the appropriate time.  Well, some GENIUS driving through the intersection stopped to let me go, despite the fact that he had a green light.  He's lucky no one rear ended him.

I don't really blame drivers for any of this; I blame "officials" who seem to give conflicting information as to how the law is to be enforced, right down to where a crosswalk officially begins.  So I try my best, as a PEDESTRIAN, not to confuse drivers, but some of them still like to stop when I'm on the freaking SIDE WALK waiting for a safe time to cross.  Never mind that, as alluded to above, some officials imply that a crosswalk de facto exists wherever a pedestrian is trying to cross a road; I have seen drivers do what I consider really, really stupid and unsafe things in the name of trying to comply with a set of nebulous guidelines.  (I say that, because I presume the law is pretty explicit, but I've never SEEN the actual law, I've just heard media discussion about it, and I assume most people are in the same boat.)

So, I'll continue to operate under my Guiding Principle (thou art responsible for thine own ass)and who knows - maybe one day there will be Clarity for All on this issue.

Sorta back

Argh.  Lots to say, not much time at the moment.  Seems that's been a bit of an issue lately!

I'm still alive, & have lots on my mind.  I find in a way that STOPS me from starting a post, as I don't know that I'll ever get through it all.  Of course I get through nothing if I post nothing...  so briefly -

I've been running again for about three weeks, now.  It was all going pretty well until Sunday, when I churned out my longest run since restarting.  Felt fine during the run, but as soon as I stopped, I could tell the IT band wasn't happy.  It did the same thing today: fine during the run, stiff almost immediately afterwards.  I'm wondering if karate is a good idea tonight.  For the most part it doesn't bother me there, so I'm leaning toward yes, but I'm not really thrilled about this setback and am back to questioning my immediate running future.  The plan since I restarted has been to do the trail 15K and take things from there.  If this gets no worse, that will still be the plan.  But somehow, I'm not betting on it not getting worse, which is kind of a bummer.

Oh well.  I'll ramble more about this tomorrow!