The Shoes are Ready!

Tanya told us about the two other runners she was training for SOB with in addition to us and early on Sunday morning, we found ourselves with SOB veteran racers, Michele and Chris. Our main goal for this final long run before the race was to go easy. I ran the Headwaters trail as I usually do: run through the easier three miles at the beginning and end, and walk the tough parts. By mile three and our climb up from the Elk River, I was disappointed to find that I was still pushing hard to keep up the walking pace. I had come to realize, too late, that it is impossible to run Headwaters easy.

Since Michele and Chris are veterans of the race and knew the course well, we spent much of the run picking their brains about the hills and aid stations. It sounds like we could run the course with none of our own supplies if we wanted to, as the aid stations are about five miles apart, the most well-supported trail race I had ever heard of. But since I trained with eating and drinking as I wanted, I will be largely supported by my own goodies.

Every run I’ve done with these new running buddies has included a conversation about how slow they have become as they’ve gracefully crossed into middle age. So naturally, I go home, Athlinks stalk them and find out how slow is SLOW to them. And you know what I found? That Michele is the woman I raced to the finish at the Turkey Trot 5K last November (she beat me by a nose!).

 SRRC photo.

All the women I’ve run with recently: Cindi, Tanya, and Michele all have been either the next few people behind me in the races we’ve run or just ahead of me. I’m not sure if Tanya is following the “Keep your enemies (or this case rivals) close” strategy or she just really likes running socially and it is an accident that all her buddies are of similar speed and ability.

I dizzily ran behind the girls as they chatted along, half wishing Matt hadn’t run off with the water bottle we was sharing. For me, the worst part about morning runs is that I’m not really hydrated until mid-day and I need to drink more often. The sunshine that peeked through the Redwood trunks spun around in a kaleidoscope of lush greens and bright yellows. I shouted to the switchbacks up ahead, “Matt, come back with my water!!” He said he didn’t hear me when he appeared a minute later, it just had dawned on him that I might be thirsty. It’s like that moment when you think of a song, only to turn up the radio to an audible level and find it is playing. I think our brain registers many different sounds before we consciously notice them ourselves.

We dashed through the mud as we ran along the trail. It was much drier than my usual trips, but one spot is always, always, always muddy. I slowed to a walk, now with Matt following behind me. We navigated the mud in our usual fashion: one step forward, slide two steps back. One step almost removed my shoe. The mud is one of the reasons I love this trail. Nothing makes me feel more in tune with nature than being covered, literally, in nature.

When we returned to the parking lot, the rising temperatures and sunshine had dried most of the mud to my shoes in giant clumps. Yes, now my shoes are ready to race. How embarrassing would it be to show up to a trail race with perfectly clean shoes? Nope, we fixed that problem. Now we’re all ready for the Siskiyou Out and Back 50K. Six days. 

12 miles, 2:08. 

Even with the easier pace, I was surprised that is well within our normal time range, 1:55-2:15 (mostly dictated by how much mud the trail has on it), and I usually go all out on this trail. I’m enjoying how much stronger I’m getting from speed work and hills.