Ice Age Trail 50

Last time I ran this race (in 2006) it was my first ever 50 mile run, and 2nd ultra. I went into it with not enough training and lots of ignorance. This time around I was much more prepared.

I drove the 1.5 hours to WI from Chicago land with my boyfriend and three friends: Jerry, an ultra and Badwater vet, Marie, a friend who will be doing her first Badwater this July, and Keith, a newer ultra runner, newer than even myself.

We all had the same plan, run under 9:00. In retrospect, that seems insane, how you can you set a time goal for 50 miles? Anything can happen during 50 miles. And anything did happen. I took a really harsh fall, but no broken bones, only broken concentration which lasted for about 3 miles of walking! The fall happened at mile 25, how opportune! Keith wound up racing exactly according to plan and finished in 8:48! Jerry and Marie took it a little easy, but they both finished in under 10:00. Marie and I both won our respective age groups!

I was way off my goal, and seven minutes off my 50 mile PR with a finish time of 9:28. I will take it. The age group hardware was a nice surprise!

Photos:

http://picasaweb.google.com/glenellynrunner/IceAge50MileTrailRaceMay2008

training update

Ok Bob here you go, I told you I stink at updating blogs! I will do so more regularly now that we have EXACTLY ONE MONTH TO GO!!!!!!!

Since the first week in April my monthly totals have looked like this:

80, 68, 76.2, 74, 81.

Planned remaining weekly mileage:

110, 70, 90, race week taper who knows.

I have a 50 mile race this Saturday. I want to place well! I hope to PR too. I will publicly state my goal as 8:50, but that seems so unrealistic.

I will of course post that race report as well as many photos.

Equestrian Connection Marathon

Results here:

http://www.racetime.info/2008Results/EC%20MARATHONO.HTM

As you can tell, I placed 4th overall. Including men. That is how I started the race, in fourth place. Not a familiar feeling to me. I had a friend to run with, thanks Steve! He was an amazingly important part of my race, I would have given up without his support. It is mostly mental afterall!

This was not a goal race, but not quite a 'training run' either. I know that I am in better shape than I have ever been, and I knew I would be able to PR. Winning the female division was just icing on the cake.

A little background, I ran a flat 50K two weeks ago, I have been doing back to back long runs on the weekends all in training for my first 100 mile race on June 7th. This is where all of the hard work will hopefully pay off.

I didn't taper for this race. Week ending April 20 (race date) included 76.2 miles.

With my posse:

With my hardware: