Yesterday I did one of the hardest things I have ever done...
The Frozen Gnome 10K in Sternes Woods
Last time I wrote, I talked about the two times in December that I hijacked my way into the MUDD runners weekly Saturday run in the woods. I was totally hooked and loved every minute of those runs with the group. Those runs were just challenging enough to be fun the entire time I was out there. The same could not be said for yesterday's race...no, yesterday's experience was something that you don't really fully appreciate until after it's over...
The two times I went out with the MUDD runners, the weather was in the 30's or 40's and the ground was dry; MUCH different than the weather for the race. The three days leading up to the Frozen Gnome were bitterly cold. In fact, my schools were closed because of the low low temps on Wednesday and Thursday! AND, by the time Saturday rolled around, there was quite a bit of snow on the ground. So, going into this race, I knew I was going to have to be extra diligent about my wardrobe. I borrowed my dear husband's super nice winter running jacket (good thing I had the foresight to have Santa bring that for him this year!) AND his balaclava face/neck mask. I also borrowed a pair of yaktrax that attach to your shoes for extra traction from a coworker. That and two pairs of gloves and plastic Meijer bags over my CPI compression sleeves and my extremities and core were totally protected... at least I had hoped
Last time I wrote, I talked about the two times in December that I hijacked my way into the MUDD runners weekly Saturday run in the woods. I was totally hooked and loved every minute of those runs with the group. Those runs were just challenging enough to be fun the entire time I was out there. The same could not be said for yesterday's race...no, yesterday's experience was something that you don't really fully appreciate until after it's over...
The two times I went out with the MUDD runners, the weather was in the 30's or 40's and the ground was dry; MUCH different than the weather for the race. The three days leading up to the Frozen Gnome were bitterly cold. In fact, my schools were closed because of the low low temps on Wednesday and Thursday! AND, by the time Saturday rolled around, there was quite a bit of snow on the ground. So, going into this race, I knew I was going to have to be extra diligent about my wardrobe. I borrowed my dear husband's super nice winter running jacket (good thing I had the foresight to have Santa bring that for him this year!) AND his balaclava face/neck mask. I also borrowed a pair of yaktrax that attach to your shoes for extra traction from a coworker. That and two pairs of gloves and plastic Meijer bags over my CPI compression sleeves and my extremities and core were totally protected... at least I had hoped
The morning of the race, I got up at 5:45, dressed, ate my typical banana, coffee and mini-bagel with peanut butter and stretched. When my friend, Kathy and I pulled up to Veteran's Acres to park, it was hard to get out of the car. Just sitting in my seat with the car door open trying to get the yaktrax on my shoes without gloves on made my fingers turn to throbbing icicles! We made our way to the heated bathroom quickly as we didn't have a lot of time before the race started. Thankfully, we hooked up with our fellow Moms on the Run buddies, Christine and Jessica.
After a few words from a couple of people in charge, everyone started running and I followed. Races that don't have wave starts can always be pretty congested for a bit, especially for those of us towards the back. This was even moreso as the trails are quite narrow. That was fine at first because that meant everyone ahead of me was packing snow down for the rest of us! However, it became clear after a bit that I wanted to go faster than I was and I knew I needed to get ahead of some of the crowd I was with. I looked behind me to Kathy and, it was cool because without a pause, she said, "I'll follow you." So ahead we went.
About a mile later, I could see two different groups of runners stopped and talking. The two groups were not far from each other, but at different parts of the path. It didn't take long to figure out that somehow, we all got off of the course and we all then had to turn around. That was a bit jarring and since it was unclear how much extra we did, a little unsettling to a newbie like me. Thankfully it happened less than 2 miles into the race, so it didn't shoot me down mentally as much as it would have later, I would find out.
The next couple of miles went well. I caught up to Jessica and then Christine and chatted with them a bit, which helped to keep my spirits high and energy leveled out. Here's a view that I still was able to enjoy at this point:
About a mile later, I could see two different groups of runners stopped and talking. The two groups were not far from each other, but at different parts of the path. It didn't take long to figure out that somehow, we all got off of the course and we all then had to turn around. That was a bit jarring and since it was unclear how much extra we did, a little unsettling to a newbie like me. Thankfully it happened less than 2 miles into the race, so it didn't shoot me down mentally as much as it would have later, I would find out.
The next couple of miles went well. I caught up to Jessica and then Christine and chatted with them a bit, which helped to keep my spirits high and energy leveled out. Here's a view that I still was able to enjoy at this point:
Soon, though, I would say around mile 4, I really started to hit a wall. I even said that outloud. The near foot of snow on the trail was making it more and more difficult to get myself up each humongous hill that I had to climb and there are A LOT of hills to climb on these trails. I was trudging up each hill slower and slower. Then I got to butt-slide hill. A hill so steep and crazy that most people slide right down it on their backside
The thrill of going down this hill gave me some renewed energy! Unfortunately, it didn't last long. The last two miles were the hardest two miles of my life. I would put them right up there with the last two miles of my marathon last May. I had to really dig deep to get through them. I had to will myself to slow down a bit and to rest at the top, even in the middle of the last few hills.
Maybe it was because I went Into the Woods for this race, but the line from Little Red's song kept wafting in and out of my mind the entire race:
I know things now...
I knew this race wasn't going to be easy. I knew I was going to be a whole new experience. But if I had known that it was going to be as hard as it was, I can honestly say that I don't think I would have signed up for it.
Three years ago, I didn't do much that scared me. I didn't challenge myself often. I was happy to sit contently in the safe zone where I was unhappily comfortable. When I thought about the close to 100lbs I knew I wanted to (and needed to) lose, I thought to myself, "That's impossible."
I know things now...
I NEED to do things that scare me. The marathon, the Run for the Hills, the March Madness, entering the contest to be the Running Depot ambassador, starting to blog, starting the Couch to 5K. These things all scared me. But the rewards have been great. I'm so thankful for every one of these experiences and I know they have shaped me in significant ways.
At some point, I recognized the landscape and could hear the sounds of traffic and I knew that the finish line back on Walkup Rd. was getting closer. Still, I had to muster the energy to finish. I did NOT sail through that finish line by any means. But I made it and I'm damn proud of it!
Maybe it was because I went Into the Woods for this race, but the line from Little Red's song kept wafting in and out of my mind the entire race:
I know things now...
I knew this race wasn't going to be easy. I knew I was going to be a whole new experience. But if I had known that it was going to be as hard as it was, I can honestly say that I don't think I would have signed up for it.
Three years ago, I didn't do much that scared me. I didn't challenge myself often. I was happy to sit contently in the safe zone where I was unhappily comfortable. When I thought about the close to 100lbs I knew I wanted to (and needed to) lose, I thought to myself, "That's impossible."
I know things now...
I NEED to do things that scare me. The marathon, the Run for the Hills, the March Madness, entering the contest to be the Running Depot ambassador, starting to blog, starting the Couch to 5K. These things all scared me. But the rewards have been great. I'm so thankful for every one of these experiences and I know they have shaped me in significant ways.
At some point, I recognized the landscape and could hear the sounds of traffic and I knew that the finish line back on Walkup Rd. was getting closer. Still, I had to muster the energy to finish. I did NOT sail through that finish line by any means. But I made it and I'm damn proud of it!
At the end I was mostly happy just to have finished! By the afternoon, I was convinced that I would be signing up again next year. Because I know things now, many valuable things, that I hadn't known before.