Hog's Hunt 2009!

What a day, what a day! Today was my second running of the Hog's Hunt 50K and I had intended to attempt to PR, however with the heat I was expecting, this morning I made the decision to go out slow and relaxed and see how it went. If I could maintain the same time as last year, I would be happy with that.



The first loop started a few minutes late which was nice because I didn't need to carry my light with me. I tossed it back into my bag and realized that I didn't have my Garmin on. I looked and looked for it, but was not able to find it. Hopefully, I'll get some good news from Paul Stone, the RD, about one being turned in, but if not, all is well.

Coach Bill met Tiffany and I at the park and set up TWRC tent. It means so much to have a friendly, smiling face cheering us on. Pat, Sarah, Barbara, Susan, and others were there as well. Always great to see such wonderful folks enjoying the day in the same way.

We started on the 1st loop and for the first 2.5 miles, my calves felt as though they were cement. I've noticed on my last few runs, they have been especially tight and no amount of stretching seems to help. The only thing that loosens them up is a brisk walk/jog combination. Once they are warm, everything else seems to be working well. We settled into a nice run, walking the uphills and running the down and straight-aways. We ran into Norman along the way and he helped keep our minds off of the heat by talking to us as we traversed the trails. I noticed that Tiffany was struggling a bit, and we walked more to help her catch her breath. It was very hot, and getting hotter, not to mention the humidity. We would really have appreciated a little rain out there to things off.

We had the pleasure of seeing Adrienne sail past us on her way to claim 1st female, 3rd overall, AND PR her 25K time by 6 mins! This woman is amazing! Way to go Adrienne!

After the 3rd aid station (all of which were fantabulous!) I got too far ahead of Norman and Tiffany and finished the first loop in 3:10. I waited for them to come in because I wanted to be sure that Tiffany was ok. They came in and Tiffany told me to go on without her. I only agreed to do so because Norman said that he would stay with her. I NEVER want to leave anyone out there on their own. Thankfully, Norman stuck with Tiffany all the way through and they both finished a very tough race!

My second loop was interesting as I have never really run a race on my own. I felt horribly guilty for about 5 or 6 miles and then I saw Norman and Tiffany on the out and back and they looked good. From that point on, I ran the rest of my race, calling on the reserves that I had tucked away.

After the second aid station (7 Hills!!!) I felt a slump hitting me. I began walking all up hills again and slammed down a double dose of S-caps and Gu. It seemed to do the trick as I was able to make it to the 3rd aid station feeling good.

As I hit the Nature Center, the kind gentleman reminded me that I had only 9/10ths of a mile left. That 9/10ths felt like 10 miles! Again, I walked the uphills and then sprinted in for a strong finish. I came in at 6:34 which was a PR for me by 5 minutes!



As I cooled down, I had the pleasure of meeting Richard in person, talking with Robin K, and Coach Bill. I also visited a short while with the WF Trail folks. They were enjoying a well-deserved picnic after they finished their race.

It was a great day to be out there, albeit a bit warm. I truly believe I felt as good as I did because of a few factors.

1. I made sure I slept no less than 6 or 7 hours every night this week. For those of you who really know me, you know that this is a feat unto itself!

2. I ate well, especially yesterday. I find that I do well with a balanced protein/carb dinner the night before. Not too many carbs as that tends to make me feel sluggish.

3. Consistently taking in the Succeed caps every 30 mins. Not being afraid to double up when I could tell I needed it. I also Gu'd at about every 5 - 6 mile interval. Without the watch this was hard to really track, but I used the aid stations as a guide.

I had a great motivator for today's race. My friend Kelly who is still battling cancer. At every moment when I thought it was "too tough" I prayed for Kelly. I can't tell you how much this simple act of offering up my tiny struggle helps get me through the next mile, the next minute.

Up next is possibly Hell's Hills aka Revenge of the Trail Nerds. Then I'll be focusing on more intensive training to get ready for the fall season. Life is good!