The A race for 2013

Hurray ! I think we have found the race for 2013 for us. The hubby and I talked to our coach earlier this week and I think this is becoming a reality.

But No... we are not saying which race, where or what distance at this moment till we are sure that this is what we want. We are now just starting our training for this race. It is  hard to get back to training routine and we are struggling quite a bit. Hopefully, we can get over this initial obstacle soon. Yeah.. it hard to wake up early on a weekend to run. We have been sleeping-in most weekends last 3 months when we took a break from serious running.

I can only say that we are very excited by the decision and happy that our coach thinks that this race is possible :)

Stay tune... for more

Nueces 50 KM

 

 

 

Wow... the last entry to this Blog was in Nov 2012 ! This really tells how much we have been running. We took a long break from serious running and races after the hubby's Cactus 50 Miler in Nov last year. We were still running but just not as much. The longest run I ever did in last 4 months was 16 miles and this was the week before Nueces 50km :)

And consequently... both of us went to Nueces with minimal or rather in sufficient training. We were mentally prepared to suffer on the course. (finger biting....nervous nervous). We figured that we really need a BAD race to motivate us to go back into serious running. 

Nueces is almost legendary.. at least to me. Almost every one I know claims it to be one of the prettiest course... and of course also one of the toughest course here with comparison to Cactus Rose and Bandera.  I have not done Neuces, Cactus Rose or Bandera.. and was almost curious to know how bad was bad and how tough and treacherous the hills are. ( nervous !). 

The plan was to finish between 7 to 8 hours. The goal was to use this race as a supported training run and hence we were not to race hard.

The week into Nueces was probably not the best for me. I had to go for vaccines for my visa. This means 1 MMR shot, I flu shot, 2 TB test and 4 tubes of blood for some tests. In additional, my allergy doctor wanted me to do a methacholin test for my asthma. This is a test to clinically induced asthma on patients to confirm that patient has asthma. I took the test and technically had an asthma attack in the clinic lab... which was a big boo because my lungs did not recover from the attack for the race. My body was in a big mess from all the shots and tests. I figured I could survive it as a training run :)

We arrived at Camp Eagle on Friday evening. We had a dorm just next to the start/ finish line which was a big thumb up which means minimal travel on race day.There were 12 of us in the dorm from the running group. We went for a walk around the camp after dropping our stuff. WOW ! this place is awesome  !

Pic taken by my friend Mike

We woke up at 5.30 ish on race day. Breakfast, shower, dressed .... all ready for the race at 7am. The hubby and I were probably the last person to arrive at the start line.. which was right below our dorm. It was cold and we were trying to keep warm in the dorm :)

Probably not a good idea to be the last person to arrive. The course started with a single up hill dirt track... and most people were walking up the hill. We had a hard time trying to pass people. The hubby managed to catch up with our friend Alex. I was still behind trying to catch up and pass. I had a hard time trying to focus. It was cold and breathing was hard and my body was tired. The thought of not be able to finish creep into my brain. It kept talking to me and I had a hard time fighting back the thoughts of DNF

Took me a while to catch up with them. But I was still not able to focus. But it was definitely easier to fight back by trying to keep pace with them. The first few miles were up hill dirt track and some runnable stretch of switch back... and of course many rocks in between. The three of us kept together. It was fun to have Alex around for a change... ;)

It was a relieve to see the first aid station at THE WALL. By then, I was feeling better and managed to focus better. It helped a lot that we kept to an easy conversational pace. The stretch after THE WALL was pretty much runnable sprinkled with rocks and hills. The next aid station Fiesta was about 4 miles away. The Fiesta aid station was managed by the ARB running group and it was definitely nice to see familiar faces. 

We managed to catch up with our friend Michele who was running the 25 K after the Fiesta aid station. So our group of 3 becomes a group of 4. And yeah.. Michele was a nice addition to the group. It was kinda fun to run together. 

The treacherous stretch started after the Fiesta aid station.  We reached the legendary fence line... and I looked up.... Bad decision to look up. The hill was almost vertical ! So we hiked and puff and puff up the hills. Certainly treacherous... because the hills never ends..it went up and up. and slight flat and then up and up again. ! Geezeeeee ! 

We caught up with another friend Herb on the hills and we ran together for a while. After the uphill was a stretch of steep down hill... which a great relieve and then up hill again :(

We puff and huff to the THE WALL aid station. By then, we knew that we are almost there for the first loop. THE WALL is 1.5 miles away from the start/finish. The course changed for the better,.. easy and runnable !

The four of us - Hubby, Alex and Michele and I..on the home stretch of the first loop

And we finally reach the start/finish line... time on my watch 3 hr 20 mins. One loop done and one more to go. 

Michele and Alex dropped off for the 25 km finish. The hubby and I went out for the second loop. I was not feeling too good for the second loop. The hubby, on the other hand, was feeling awesome.  He stayed with me for a while and then he told me that we could make it in less than 7 hours if we keep the same pace. Nice thoughts !

Then he suddenly realized that he had a chance for a 50K PR if he pushed the pace. I  told him to go and I would catch up. He left me and disappeared in the trail. I was alone all of a sudden. So I decided to make catching up with my hubby as my next goal. I forced myself to run all the runnable stretches and walked only the uphills. 

This new goal kept me motivated. At mile 20, I pull apart my first GU and drown it. I figured that I would take another one at mile 25 to sustain energy. The GU helped a lot... new energy.

The second loop was not that bad after all. It seemed much rockier but manageable. It went by really fast. I finally arrived at the Fiesta aid station and my friend Jazzy told me that hubby was 10 mins away. I told her that I am trying to catch up and she told me he was chasing a PR and told me not to hurt myself chasing him :)

I left the Fiesta station and entered the treacherous hills.  It was not so bad the second time. I was still passing people on the course which gave me an assurance that I was doing good. An Open Category participant caught up from behind and we talked for a while. He told me we have less than 5 miles to go. Wow.. just 5 more miles ! 

I counted mentally and knew that I have a chance to make it be before 7 hours if I keep pace. So I force myself to keep pace and go faster. 

Finally reached THE WALL.. the last aid station. I knew I have 1.5 miles to go and my watch shows 6 hr and 26 minutes. I knew I had this below 7 hrs.. Horray !!!

The last 1.5 miles was probably my best run for the second loop !

And I crossed at 6 hrs and 46 mins on my watch...and my medal :)

 

For the record, the hubby finished in 6 hrs and 29 mins.. a new PR !