Happy Run at Salem Lake Trails 30k, 9/25/2010

Salem Lake, looking calm

Note: photos (with exception of the above) in this post are courtesy of  Shannon Johnstone

The alarm went off at 4:07am yesterday morning. Kitty laying on one of my feet and George a mere 2” away, sleeping soundly. I lay there considering my day: A 3:40 training run. When reviewing my training schedule last week, I decided to incorporate an 18.6 (30k) race as part of my training run this day and registered for Salem Lake Trail 30k in Winston-Salem, NC. I figured the race would take me between 2:10-2:30, I planned to drive down, run for an hour, run the event and run the rest of my due afterwards…only I wasn’t planning on not being fully recovered from last weekend hilly road marathon!

Anyway, the day was fabulous despite my heavy legs!

I had a headlamp with me ran in the dark for a couple miles, until the sun showed through the early morning fog and tree cover, I wound up with around 7 miles relaxed (great warm up) from 6:35-7:35am.

400+ runners ready to start 30k

When I arrived back at race central, the place was unrecognizable! 

Well over a thousand folks were milling around, waiting in porta-pottie lines and a general buzz of pre race excitement/stress was easily detectable. With 24 minutes to race start, I impatiently waded through bib pickup line and porta pottie line and had time to get back to my car to shed my tank top and pin my number on my sports bra. (I could already tell this would be a warm one!)

 With 6 minutes to spare, I retied my shoes. chugged some Nuun, ate a mini Clif Bar, stuck some TP in my shorts pocket and a gel in another. This was exciting for me, as except for at JFK, I have not been at a race start with as many runners! I placed myself in midpack…yet 25 seconds after “go!” was running through weeds and mud to navigate around many shuffling runners. Several minutes after the start, I found myself at what felt like an appropriate place in the mob, and bobbed along chatting easily with other runners.

Salem Lake and its trail system is part of the Parks and Recreation Dept of Winston-Salem. There is a wide-mostly flat dirt trail that skirts the lake and turns to paved greenway the links the lake with downtown Winston-Salem. I have raced here several times previously at the Salem Lake Frosty 50k, a January run, which is a “double out and back” of much of the same route.

Though I am not usually too stressed minutes before a race, this start was very low-key for me. I had no aspirations of a top finish-though I knew from history, a top 3 masters finish would be likely unless very bad things happened out there. I had projected on my entry that I could run in 2:15-yet that was before not fully recovering from last weekends run! (When will I learn that I have a healthy, normal body and not of superhero ingredients!?)

Speedy Molly Nuun

Working it!

Anyway, the run was fun and exactly as advertised! Nothing bad happened! Nothing extraordinary either. I appreciate the companionship of Shannon Johnstone who I hung out with last month after Continential Divide 10k, and Shannon Roof and Andy Shepard who put up with me as I tagged along as we ran the same natural pace for ¾ of the run! I was inspired by Olympic hopeful Molly Nuun as I saw and cheered for her on an out ‘n back section. That girl is fast! I came in 2 places behind her last month at CD and wish her well on her goals!

scene from the trail at mile 12ish

I also saw fellow Ashe County resident Jared Yelton, running strong and fast as he passed me on the backside of my out near where I saw Molly. Jarred is a strong runner, who I expect will do well at next month’s Marine Corps Marathon. Then, for some non-logical reason one of my little voices suggested I catch him!

I have many “little voices” (not really voices, ideas, really It is just how I sometimes described unregulated thought flow) which I affectionately call, “my tribe”. I was entertained by the challenge of this voice and thought I’d keep it in mind and would consider going in for a “catch” when I was less than 3 miles out.

I kept on running and was passed and passed several folks as time counted away. With 3.5 left, I knew 2:15 was unlikely, so I thought to get as close to it as possible and see if I could pass some folks. About this time, I was passed by a young woman in pink-her name I learned later was Sheena Kevorkia and all I could do was cheer her on!  I ran, fueled by love of what I was doing, desire to meet a goal (even if adjusted) and because except for sore glutes and wanting to eat…I felt really good!  With about a 1 ½  left to go, I saw Jared in the distance and passed him with what I hope was encouragement!  The joy of being an ultrarunner at heart is that “a mile left to go” seems like a relief! So, I passed 2 girls-the last being Danielle Rowland who had slowed down because her shorts were falling down…if that wasn’t the case, I’d surely have been minutes behind her!

Finishing up w/ Danielle 1 second back

After crossing the finish line and celebrating with Danielle and drinking a Gatorade, I reset my watch and headed out for 21 minutes of easy running to total up my required 3:40 this day.

Yay!!!

Fun time!  Thanks to everyone who pitched in and made this event happen!

Shannon, Danielle, Julie Mussleman and I hanging out

 My time was 2:19:41, 8th woman, 42nd overall. Full results here.

I wore Mountain Masochists, Smartwool socks, Mtn Hardware shorts and Moving Comfort Sports Bra and lot of body glide on feet, under shorts and under bra. I am also happy to say that a moderate meal of frozen homemade lasagna and romaine lettuce salad was much for kind than last week’s pre race meal!

12 days until the 3^rd Running of New River Trail 50k! Yippee!