(update -- I finished second in my AG! 6th woman)
By way of background, for those of you who are not familiar with this 50 miler that runs along the Hungry Horse Resevoir in northwest Montana, Le Grizz takes you along 50 miles of twisting and turning gravel and eventually paved road. There are rolling hills throughout the race, but the course is gentle and pleasant and, above all, gorgeous with views of the mountains and changing fall colors.
The race director is Pat Caffrey, who is a very funny and neat guy. He seems to enjoy firing the starting rifle. I guess I probably would enjoy that as well.
Last year when I ran this race it was the first 50 I completed and I was stressed out for much of the race and finished in 10:19. This year, I felt relaxed the whole day and did nothing more than enjoy music on my iPod, chat with the occassional runner and zone out. I ran whatever pace I could run without pushing too hard, and enjoyed each moment while in the moment. I finished in 8:53, which is about an hour and a half improvement. And, considering my "A" goal was 9:30, I'm thrilled that I was able to sneak in under 9 hours.
Leanne crewed for me, and Deb and Ruth came out and cheered and crewed for me later in the race. I love my friends! And these pictures were all taken by Leanne by the way. I have to admit I get by with a little help from my friends.
I've decided that solo road trips and ultra running compliment each other very well. Both utilize the same "zen" ability to relax and enjoy the moment without worrying about when one will arrive at their destination. It makes driving and running both infinitely more pleasant and relaxing. I've always been good about this on shorter runs, but typically on longer runs I'm ready to be done after a couple hours. It was really refreshing to do a run where I wasn't counting down the mileage until after many hours (I was totally ready to be done by mile 45 though, I can't lie). I think doing a 100 miler forever changed my perspective of how many hours are too many to be out on a race course. 32+ hours are too many! 9 hours, just fine.
Also, I've decided that music is downright delicious on a long long long run. Tired ears and brains get to hear music a little differently. Maybe a little like drunk ears and brains? :p The best music for Le Grizz, though incongruous, was "the Outsider" by a Perfect Circle (I sang out loud and yelled accusatory lyrics at trees and a narcissistic drama queen chipmunk), "Cold Black Water" by the Doobie Brothers ("I wanna hear some funky dixie land. . .") and NO! SLEEP! TILL BROOKLYN! by the Beastie Boys. I had a good time yesterday, yes I did. :-)
P.S. I attribute my huge increase in performance this year to 1) more running this year (duh!) and 2) crossfit :-)
12 comments:
It's a good feeling isn't it? To come under your target goal. Yeah it's great how a 100-miler will put all the other distances in perspective. Congratulations, what a big improvement from your first time.
You did a great job! Great report -- it was relaxing to read, too. I loved the part about the narcissistic drama queen chipmunk. Congrats on smashing last year's time!
You never fail to impress me, Danni! Thanks for being an inspiration to me.
You look great! How fun to get a great time. Now I can't get the Doobie Brothers out of my head.
Wise, wise words...is that what 100 mile finish does to people? :) Such huge congratulation on running an awesome time at a relaxed state!
Well Done Danni, that is a huge improvement in time - you da Man!! Well, the girly-man (to borrow a Californian expression).
Cheers, Paul
Danni, I keep thinking about how much you beat your last time and your goal by. That's amazing. So was it better training? Weight loss? Better pacing? Or was it simply your state of mind?
Great race & race report. It looks like it was absolutely beautiful there.
Rick, it is SUCH a good feeling and not one I'm accustomed to. Thanks!
Thanks Rose. Chipmunks are complex :p
Thanks Allie. You're sweet.
Thanks Joanna. That song is infectious. But I love it.
Thank Olga -- I'm not used to relaxing in races! And yeah, 100 milers changes one forever!
Paul, that made me laugh. Thanks :-)
SeaLegsGirlie -- thank you! Weight-wise, I am embarassed to admit I keep pretty good records and on race day I was only a few pounds lighter than the previous year -- although I think most of that was PMS bloat and "carb loading" (i.e. excuse for binge eating) -- I think the improvement was mostly because I was in such better shape. From December 2007 until August 2008 I consistently ran 50-80 mpw whereas before Le Grizz last year I ran 30-50 mpw. Also, recently I've been doing Crossfit and I honestly can feel a difference already in my overall strength -- in a way that helps my running. Maybe it's psychosomatic (sp?) but I feel stronger. Also, I've gained a lot more experience this year as an ultrarunner. Finally, I didn't really care that much how it turned out so I didn't hesitate to "go out too fast" which ended up not being "too fast." Which taught me a HUGE lesson about maybe underestimating what my body is capable of.
Yeah long answer. . . sorry!
Congratulations on a fine race Danni. Your perspective is forever changed, isn't cool. Sounds like you had some very relaxed fun.
Hey! When did you get so fast? I'm very very impressed Danni!
JR
rooster, it is cool and I'm so happy!
Joe the Runner, don't call it a comeback! :p
Doooooood! You smoked it! Girlie, that's awesome, and I'm so sorry in being remiss in the happenings of your life! Next year, another 90 minutes faster? How about a 7:30? Hah! Kidding, at least a little bit! I hope you're recovering well!
Meghan
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