Cloudland Canyon 50k Training (Week 14 of 18)

It's Sky to Summit 25k race week! Really just treating it like another training run but looking forward to the new scenery.

Monday
Planned: strength
Did: 47 min strength
A little bit lacking in energy despite getting nearly 9 hours of sleep last night (thanks, daylight savings, for making me tired enough to go to bed at 8pm!). Probably hungry. Anyway, did an OK lift session (first one in a couple of weeks) and could tell it had been that long since my last real strength session. Stretching at the end felt good though.

Tuesday
Planned: 10-ish mile Tuesday
Did:3.2 mi + 3.41 mi + 3.07 mi = 9.68 mi 
A run in three parts due to Scott traveling. I'd decided to do the Pint & Pie pub run at Sidewall, plus some miles beforehand in TR and at work before leaving. Decided it was easiest/quickest to get in a few miles at the end of the workday before leaving to pick up D. That way at least I only had to pack one set of running clothes!

Part 1 = 3.2 mi @ 8:46/mi treadmill at work. Thought I'd have more time, but ended up having to answer a few emails while on the treadmill so I had to slow to a walk while I typed.
Part 2 = 3.41 mi @ 9:03/mi stroller run. Felt pretty good, enjoyed the slight chill in the air as the sun went down.
Part 3 = 3.07 mi @ 8:56/mi Pint & Pie Pub Run. Got to run with Megan for the first time in forever! 😁 We chatted as we ran with the group in the dark (man, it was dark!). I had D hold the head lamp for me during the last bit. Could tell I was getting hungry by the end and I ate a half a pizza at dinner.

Wednesday
Planned: lunch trail run or treadmill speedwork
Did: 6.02 mi lunch trail run
Beautiful day on the trails - sunny, cool but comfortable, perfect.

Thursday
Planned: whichever not done on Wednesday
Did: 6.03 mi @ 8:17/mi avg
Downhill treadmill ladder for today. Got it done first thing in the morning so that was good.

Friday
Planned: rest or yoga
Did: rest

Saturday
Planned: shake-out run
Did: rest

Sunday
Planned: Sky to Summit 25k
Did: Sky to Summit 25k
Race report here

Race Report: Sky to Summit 25k

Last minute logistics changes (and some awesome running friends) enabled me to stay the night up in Sky Valley near the race start instead of driving up on the morning of the race. The other folks in the cabin did the 50k on Saturday, so we met for dinner in Clayton before heading back for a good night's sleep. 

I had the loft all to myself!

I slept pretty well until about 3AM, then was up and down every hour or so until I got up at 7. Had a leisurely breakfast then headed over to the race start. It was cold but not too cold since the race didn't start until 9 (a couple hours of sunlight warmed things up a bit). 

At the start

Went through the pre-race instructions, one of which included "Don't run up that first hill... it's not worth it", said farewell to my cabinmates who had come to see me off at the start, and then we were running! But not for long... because almost immediately we began the first big climb. Started off on the road...

Everybody walking

... and continued to singletrack that climbed and climbed. Gain of 1100ft in less than 2 miles until we reached the first overlook. My calves were ON FIRE after that climb. 

What a view!

A little more climbing but some parts that were runnable, and we finally reached the top of Rabun Bald and the overlook tower. 

Trail markers

Signs

We had 360-degree views from the observation tower, and the race director, Sean, even made his way up to cheer on the runners and take photos. So cool.

3.25 miles in, 1600 ft climbed so far

Those views though

And then... we went down. WAY down. Like... 2,700 ft down over the next 3ish miles. 

Going down.

There were some gorgeous views on the way down, though, and after the steep part I actually (finally) got to do some extended periods of running!

  

Of course the colors on the trees were perfection. Eventually the course emerged into a clearing and we had Aid Station #1 (with oreos, oh yes). They were full of energy, cheering everybody on, and serving up fresh grilled cheeses as well. So awesome!

The next portion, after crossing the bottom of a beautiful cascading waterfall... was to climb UP next to the waterfall. 

It was STEEP and hard, definitely no running here, but tried to keep a good steady pace knowing it would end eventually. 

Did I mention steep??

Eventually, the climb did end and the top of the cascading rushing waterfall turned into little more than a small creek winding its way through the mountainside. Next was more climbing on a forest service road (gravel) that I'd been warned would seem as though it never ends. It actually wasn't too bad, and I ran some parts of it that weren't too steep. I tried to just enjoy the colorful leaves and got to chat with a few fellow runners as we made our way up.

The hill had a name

  

Finally back onto the trail

I was happy to be back on singletrack after the gravel climb, and I knew it meant that a few rolling hills and one steep section more would mean the end was near. 

Little waterfalls

I ran a decent bit of the last section, only walking when it got steep since my legs were quite tired at this point. I wasn't sure exactly how long the race was since the announcements at the beginning went something like, "I dunno, it could be like anywhere from 13 to 17 miles... I don't run with a watch... so just go have fun!" 

I could hear cheering as I was trudging up a particularly steep section, so I knew the final aid station was getting close and that meant it was alllll downhill to the finish! I'll admit, I was actually a little disappointed to get there because, even though I was tired, I wasn't quite ready for it to be over. The last section was mostly gravel road or paved road, and it was pretty steep downhill. It felt good to run though, and I tried to soak up the last minutes of the run as much as possible. 

I felt great coming into the finish area, lots of people cheering, and the race director at the finish line high-fiving everyone as they crossed. So cool.

  

Finished!

29th overall, 9th female - woohoo!

Overall, a great day with some hard efforts and all smiles. 😄

Cloudland Canyon 50k Training (Week 13 of 18)

Week beginning thoughts: I'm feeling good and strong and basically have a plan for the rest of my training. eeeek!

Week 13 = 21 mi long run
Week 14 = 13 mi + 25k Sky to Summit
Week 15 = 25 mi long run
Week 16 = 16 + 16
Week 17 (Thanksgiving) = long run Sunday? depends how I feel...
Week 18 = RACE WEEK... Saturday race day.

So yeah... it's getting real.

This week:
- 50 mpw
- 21 mi long run (Saturday)

Monday
Planned: strength
Did: rest
Busy Monday at work and just didn't have the energy for it. Doubling up on double-digit weekend runs really takes it out of me!

Tuesday
Planned: 10 mi (with Track Tuesday)
Did: 10.03 mi @ 8:50/mi avg
Did not do track workout today but got in 10 miles before dawn despite sleeping 30 mins past when I'd planned to wake up. Ran with a group and was awesome to chat and catch up with everyone (which doesn't happen very easily on the track). Felt tired by the end but only having a stinger waffle to eat prior, it's understandable. Coffee on the way to work was enjoyed.

Wednesday
Planned: lunch trail run
Did: 6.02 mi treadmill progression run, 8:19/mi avg
Rain rain all day = treadmill run at lunch. Nothing too exciting, just kept bumping up the speed and did my last mile at 7:00/mi pace. Didn't push to the max because I plan to do some more intentional speedwork tomorrow.

Thursday
Planned: morning treadmill
Did: 3x3x400, 5.0 mi @ 8:52/mi avg
I had absolutely no energy for this run and almost stopped after 2 miles. Made it through but did not feel great. Going to enjoy a rest day on Friday!

Friday
Planned: rest
Did: rest

Saturday
Planned: 21 mi trail run
Did: 21.01 mi trail run 
Started out with a 6AM wake-up and planned to leave the house around 7 to get to Dupont by 8.

Breakfast!

As the morning went along, I pondered my plan for the day and thinking about needing to 25 miles in a couple of weeks decided to save Dupont for that long run and opted for Paris Mountain today instead. Whee, last-minute changing of plans! I got to Paris Mtn a little after 8 and the mist over the lake was beautiful in the early morning sun.

  

I started out with a loop around the lake at the bottom. I stopped for a lot of pictures because the fog and the sunlight just made all of the fall colors pop.

  

Next I headed up the Sulphur Springs switchbacks, onto Brissy Ridge > Kanuga > Firetower.

That Brissy view

Firetower Ruins from 1938

Headed down the hikers-only Sulphur Springs for the first time in years. Forgot how lovely this part of the trail is!

  

Lovely and STEEP!

Little waterfalls

Made it to the bottom and sat on the large boulders to enjoy a snack. This was around mile 7... a third of the way through! Feeling great so far.

Atop the boulder

The view above my head was incredible.

I finished my snack and trucked it back to the park entrance, around the lake again, and this time retraced my steps to go UP the hikers-only Sulphur Springs trail. 

Passed by the dam

Saw this dude on a tree

Pretty cascades next to STEEP trails.

The number of people I passed who had comments of "omg you're running this??" were pretty encouraging. Some people I'd seen on the way down and now I was going back up... they were also kind of stunned. Heh.

I headed up the Firetower trail to the steep section of Kanuga leading to North Lake. Stopped here for another snack, around mile 14. 

Water like a mirror

Still smiling :)

Fall colors reflected

I looped the entire lake, almost started heading UP the steep Kanuga section, but decided to backtrack to Pipsissewa then onto the hikers-only part of Brissy. I've only done this section in reverse recently and I knew there were STAIRS... today's direction would take me up those stairs.

Stairs.

By the time I got to the top of Brissy, my calves, quads, glutes, hamstrings were all DONE. Thankfully I only had downhill remaining (and about 4 miles to go to reach my total). 

This was a looonnngggg run but honestly wasn't "over it" until about mile 19.5 when I was back at my car (ugh, miscalculation) and had to do another loop around the lake. Not terrible but mentally tough.

5 hours total elapsed time, 4:44 moving time, 2,656 ft elevation gain.


Bonus! Halloween Freak Bike 
10.22 mi biking
I wasn't sure if I would be able to handle a bike ride after the day's adventures but the easy pace was manageable and I think it was actually a good thing to get my legs moving a little bit so they didn't tighten up. I did immensely enjoy the plate of nachos at the end of the ride.

Sunday
Planned: maybe rest?
Did: definitely rest



Week-ending thoughts: While I did hit the 50 mpw target, I got 42 miles and a kick-ass long run. I'm good with it.

Cloudland Canyon 50k Training (Week 12 of 18)

Weekly goals:
- Split long run weekend 13+13
- 45+ mileage

Monday
Planned: strength
Did: 35 min strength
I had to do a morning strength session due to an all-day class at work... not my favorite, and I was limited on time. I did a lot of stretching because my legs are tiiireeeddd. Better than nothin'.

Tuesday
Planned: 8+ mi track Tuesday
Did: 7.0 mi treadmill speedwork
Rainnnnny morning (although not as thunderstorm-y as predicted so probably could have braved the mist to run the track... but eh) so I headed into work early and hopped on the treadmill.
2x1mi/2min recovery @ 7:30/mi
2x1000m/2min recovery @ 7:00/mi
2x600m/90s recovery @ 6:40/mi
2x400m/75s recovery @ 6:15/mi
Holllllerrrrrrr and these paces felt easy until the last 400... even though the miles are supposed to be at my 10k pace, the 7:30 is sub-PR pace.

Wednesday
Planned: early morning run
Did: 8.27 mi @ 8:21/mi avg
Ran with the early group this morning, got a few miles done before meeting up at 5:30 to run the West Side 6 route. Got ahead of the group and turns out the lead pack didn't actually know the route (oops!) so we didn't quite do a full 6 miles. Still, was wonderfully chilly this morning and last night, a sign of the seasons changing, I got this notification for the first time since spring!

Thursday
Planned: trail run
Did: 6.43 mi work trail run
This ended up being an afternoon/end of workday run. In honor of October being breast cancer awareness month, work organized a 5k run/walk to raise money and awareness. I did not buy a pink t-shirt, but I participated in the 5k. I guess my competitive edge got the best of me, because I did the 5k in less than 24 minutes! Then, I ran the course in reverse to get in the miles I needed.

Friday
Planned: rest
Did: rest

Saturday
Planned: 13 mi trail
Did: 13.2 mi @ 9:32/mi avg
Ended up doing a road run Saturday, decided to climb Altamont to get in some hills. It was a slow climb but I didn't walk any, so I count that as a win.

Not much to say about the run... legs were tired by the end but not bad.

Sunday
Planned: 13 mi stroller
Did: 13.04 mi trail run
Hit the trails at Paris Mountain for a midday run. I thought it would only take me ~2.5 hours to do 13 miles, but I underestimated the slowness of climbing Sulphur Springs, plus I decided to do the "hikers only" section of Brissy Ridge (it's steep and rooty). So yeah, slow going there. It was also WARM today... ugh, bring back my cool fall temps. Still, it was a beautiful day in the woods.

North Lake

Reflections

View from Brissy

Week-ending thoughts:
47.94 miles total
Aw yes, high mileage. Feeling good but man, back-to-back half marathons on the weekend is tough. Still, grateful to be feeling good and strong.

Cloudland Canyon 50k Training (Week 11 of 18)

Week Beginning thoughts: Hoping the rain doesn't affect run plans for the week. Also getting any kind of miles on Saturday is going to be difficult.

Goals: 45+ mpw, 18mi trail run

Monday
Planned: strength
Did: 55 min strength
Good lift today. I think I'm going to be sore tomorrow... increased weight on chest & back, did deadlifts a little differently. I think my suspended calf raises have been helping because I get fewer cramps/tightness when I'm running lately. Hopefully that means I'm doing something right!

Tuesday
Planned: 8+ @ Track #10kTuesday
Did: 9.34 mi @ 8:29/mi avg
Oh yes, another 9+ mile morning and first run in sub-60F temps! Hooray fall running!
Got out early and did 2.7 miles before meeting up with track buddy Angela. Once we got to the track I decided on 2x1000, 2x800, 2x600, 2x400 - only had time for one of the 400s at the end, but everything else was amazingly consistent and decently fast!
2x1000 = 4:26, 4:25
2x800 = 3:23, 3:18
2x600 = 2:28, 2:25
1x400 = 1:29

Wednesday
Planned: lunch trail run
Did: nothing
Ugh... rain and work and meetings...

Thursday
Planned: treadmill tempo
Did: 2x2mi treadmill = 6.03 mi @ 8:01/mi avg
Got this done early to avoid getting overrun with meetings and such. Felt pretty easy again, pushed the pace on the second repeat and only really started feeling the fatigue in the last ~ quarter mile or so.

Friday
Planned: yoga or rest
Did: 5.77 mi @ 8:51/mi avg
Made up Wednesday's run today and it was beautiful outside! Felt easy and free to just run in the cool air and sunshine. So nice!

Saturday
Planned: afternoon Altamont run maybe?
Did: nothing
Rain and being busy = nada.

Sunday
Planned: 18 mi trail run
Did: 18.13 mi / 2,558 ft elevation gain
YES. This was a great run even though it didn't go as planned. My original thoughts were to follow this route minus the 4th loop. I drove up to Dupont and got parked at Corn Mill Shoals by about 9:30 and set out. First loop was the Burnt Mtn loop - trails were pretty quiet but squishy from all the rain Saturday.

Wet trails

Quiet morning

Rocky downhill of Burnt Mtn

First loop went well - some climbing, and some steep rocky downhill. Good practice for technical footwork.

Morning sunlight

I set out for the second loop, which would take me through Reasonover and to Lake Julia... but the first thing I would have to do is cross the shoals. Normally this is a crossing with just a few inches of water running calmly over it.

The shoals

That's the trail on the other side

The rain had made this a deep and swift section... so I had to plan an alternate with most of the forest now inaccessible to me. I took a second loop around Burnt Mtn then headed towards Little River trail, which would take me to Cedar Rock & Big Rock trails.

There was still some water to cross

The trails were a bit flooded in some places

I got a little lost at one point... the trail goes out onto an open rock face and it looks like you're supposed to just go across and enter the woods on the other side... but I got there to a NO TRESPASSING / TRAIL CLOSED sign and thought... crap, now what?? Thank goodness for the MTB Project app that showed me I was actually off the trail I thought I was on... I was supposed to follow the tree line UP the rock face, not across it. Whew. I found my way the rest of the way on the slick rock trail... lots of up up up, and finally reached the top!

Summit #1

I'd decided that I would do two loops of this trail, too, so I didn't stop to take as many photos the first time through. I made the next loop my lunch break and of course felt much better about my navigation.

Just.... ahhhhh!

😍

I could have sat there for hours... but I kept on, and then did the final loop on Longside > Pine Tree > Cascade and had to add just a tiny out-and-back on Twixt. Then I was done and felt AMAZING. Mentally, I could have done it all a second time... physically, though, I was tired. Not totally depleted, but it was time to stop and eat LOTS OF FOOD. There was definitely a Cook Out milkshake obtained immediately after I got home.

Miles: 39.27

Short on the weekly mileage but felt so good about the long trail run, nothing else matters.