Still a two time loser...

Just re-confirmed my status as a two-time loser for Western States 100 miler 2009. I'll be very lucky to get in next year due to this year's cancellation and the automatic re-entry of this year's start list. Well, if I don't get in, there's always 2010 or 2011.

PNWIH

So, it's off to Goldendale, WA for Pacific North West Interhash at Brooks Memorial State Park. Being from BC, I'm guessing I'm the Pacific part. Should be decent trails in Washington, and with a quick stop to REI will get all my last minute camping essentials.

Hopefully my marathon training won't be too derailed by this weekend. And I got on a team for Haney 2 Harrison 100k http://www.bcathletics.org/H2H/! Woo-hoo! I asked for and hopefully I will get Leg 8, it's the shortest, flattest, fastest leg there is. No pressure!

WWR: Leg 23 - The beaver sleeps tonight

Quite a bit of roadkill along the highway, this little number happened to be outside the portapottie on one of the legs...so that's what that smell was....

After tagging Snatch, we got in the car to crew for him, I needed to get away from the damn bugs. So off we drove downhill, ever mindful of all the dust we were kicking out. Snatch had his best leg here, but of course he did, it's cooler and he's going downhill! It was dark when he tagged off Erik who blazed on the road. We met up with Van# 2 and picked up Guiness. We drove nonstop to where Creampuff was supposed to start his leg (21), got Bridget's tent and after assembling it, got in a 3 hour nap. All too soon, it was time for CP's leg to start, so we disassembled in an orderly fashion and wait for Amazon to tag him in.

CP had a great run down a road section, the clouds parted and he was seeing stars and constellations and meteor showers and things normally associated with a Grateful Dead concert.

Waited with Bridget at Leg 22 who confided to us that she was feeling nervous about the night run and also that she hadn't use the portapotty yet. Advised her that if her stomach is feeling like that and she hasn't use the toilet all day, then it was a pretty good sign that it wasn't nerves, it was something more pressing. She took the hint and afterwards felt way better. Bridget tagged CP and it was off to my Leg 24. By the time Bridget tagged me it was around 4:30am. I was cold standing around the handoff area so I kept my KK jacket on underneath my reflective vest. This was in addition to the longsleeve and gloves and toque. Overkill, I know. Tagged Bridget and I was off. Had my lamp pulled down to my waist so the light was closer to my feet. I had to dodge a few cars still pulling into the checkpoint, then be very careful on the cattle guard, a turned ankle would not be fun. It's cold initially but I started to warm up very quickly, around the 2 mile mark, CP gets me a drink and I take off the jacket and just run with the longsleeve. I ask that they give some more aid at the 4 mile mark. They agree or so I thought. I'm picking up speed and catch two runners on this section, I'm nearing the 4 mile mark just over the next hill and I actually see the1 mile to go mark and THEY'RE NOT HERE! My leg is 4.9 miles so knowing them they felt it was more important that the runner be there to be tagged rather than me being crewed but not having anyone to tag when I got there because they were too busy to find parking. Just don't let it happen again, 'kay? So now there's no one to aid me I use my righteous indignation to catch three more runners, and another one at the transition area. Tagged Snatch who starts to go. It's official, every member of Beaver's Gone Wild got to run in the dark! Dawn's just starting to break. Time for a cold beverage and a nap. Only 6 hours to go before my last leg. Yay!

Speed work @ the RD

Today was the start of theTuesday night clinic at the Runners Den. I got there pretty late, damn Port Moody rush hour traffic, but as it's the first night, it's usually delayed with all the new sign-ins.

It was intervals today and I slotted myself in the 8:00 min/mile group based on the fact that I ran a 47:07 at the Nike Human Race 10k last Sunday. It was my 3rd run of that day and I held off on my kick until the last kilometre which just happened to end up a slight hill. Over 5000 people ran this event.

The workout was (90 seconds hard, 60 sec easy, 60 sec hard, 30 sec easy, 30 sec hard, 60 sec easy) x 7 at 6 minute/mi pace. The first 4 were tough but manageable. After the 5th, my left shin was seizing up and I wanted to drop out, but somebody else beat me to it. The weird part was he came from the 8:30 group who were only doing 5 reps and when he saw that they had finished, he jumped ship back to that group even though he was kicked out from the 8:30's because he was sandbagging. Wimp.

The 6th and 7th reps felt better as it had cooled down and I was able to suck it up for the finish.

I was glad I didn't bail. However, I think I found my pace group for the foreseeable future.

Great.