Should Feel Like This

No pains, only muscles with that “slightly-used” feeling. YAY! The Trail Mix 25k Race was my long run in anticipation of an upcoming marathon, and it’s a tough race, hilly and slow. Today, wherever the trail wasn’t muddy it was soft or covered with wood chips, which borrow some energy from every step and never return it. Every runner finished with mud splattered up the backs of their thighs and shoes weighing a lot more than they did at the start, myself included. I’ve seen those trails in worse shape, but not by much.

My time, according to my watch, was 2:25:20, two and a half minutes more than last year, not particularly good, especially since the race was shortened by perhaps a mile this time on account of snow on the ski hill that we usually traverse. Results are not posted yet, but compared with the posted times of two friends, I think that my average pace was about 30 to 40 seconds per mile slower this year than last. I guess this is not too surprising, because last year I had already run two 20-milers in just the month of April, before the Trail Mix. This year I haven’t run that long since January.

First loop 1:11:25, second loop 1:13:55. Breathing three or four footfalls per full breath, mostly three I think. I took gel three times and each time it did seem to rev up the motor a bit. The temperature was 45 with a noticeable breeze. I wore three shirts, probably one too many, with shorts, gloves, and ear cover. My humidistat is my running visor - when sweat drips from the visor during the run I say that the humidity is high, and it did today.

Most important, the goal of today’s race was to finish as well as possible AND without injury. Mission accomplished. Oh, and thanks to the speedier guys who didn’t bother to show up, I took home the medal for my age group. It’s a masterpiece!



Today's post-race breakfast: Irish oatmeal with organic flame raisins and dried cranberries, the biggest blueberries I've ever seen (grown in USA - how do they do that in April?), mango, Don's nut/berry/fruit mix, pineapple, organic walnuts, banana, nonfat organic milk, organic pomegranate juice concentrate reconstituted with sparkling water.


Dinner: Organic chicken in a wonderful curry sauce by Sunshine, over a brown rice mix, with organic broccoli and shredded cheeses.