Ouachita one....Chris zero

So I was originally planning on doing the 50k at Ouachita last weekend...however, Lt. Rob talked me into trying for the 50 mile option....I had my doubts as my longest run is just over 32 miles and I have not done anything near that far since Sylamore back in February...but I decided what the hell..I would go for it

We left Memphis for Little Rock around 2 am Saturday morning....from the very beginning of the day, I was a bit nervous about the run...the race started and we were off...I have no idea how to pace for 50 mies so we decided we were just going to go slow and make the cutoffs....the first few miles down the asphalt sailed by pretty easily, then we hit Pinnacle Mtn...this is a pretty intense climb for a race around these parts...it takes hand and footwork to make it to the summit...definitely got me sweating.....after descending the mountain is where I ran into trouble...coming off the mountain we were only at about mile 4 and I was already having stomach and eating difficulties...we pushed on and I went in and out of the zone, feeling good for a ways then feeling bad for a ways....we got to mile 16 which is where you have the option to drop to 50k and turnaround...I was really tempted but I didn't want to let Rob down so I kept on...

After mile 16 the next aid station was not until mile 24 so it was a pretty long section through some low lying swampy woods...this is where I really fell apart...it was starting to heat up pretty well and I was drinking alot of water...at least a bottle an hour...I was also popping Hammer Endurolytes...I started getting woosy and my hands started to swell really bad...apparently this is a common thing in ultras, but I have never experienced it so I was pretty freaked out....we finally got to aid station at 24 miles and had 2 more miles to go to the turnaround...at this point I really had to decide what I was going to do because I did not really want to keep on....I pushed on to 26 where I called it a day...caught a ride back to the start and waited on Rob....congrats to him, he finished his first 50 miler!

I definitely think I am capable a finishing 50, Saturday was just not my day...It was a pretty good reality check for me that I have not been getting in my long runs like I should...I have also been training in relatively cool temps and the temp on Saturday kicked my ass....

The only good part about dropping at 26 is that I was safely able to drive us home (as Rob could hardly move) and that I was actually able to walk in North Carolina this week....

North Carolina was great...it is beautiful up there...got to spend time with the Mountain Hardwear sleeping bag, tent, and pack designers....learned an incredible amount of technical info that I would not have otherwise known...also learned quite a bit about Mountain Hardwear and their goals as a company....they also provided us with great entertainment...all in all...a great week....

It's all coming together

I was off work yesterday and spent the entire day working on school work as the semester is coming to an end....I finally feel like I am on top of all my work, as I have struggled all semester long just to stay caught up....can definitely say that this semester's workload came as a huge surprise...I graduated in December with my degree in Journalism and when I decided that I wanted to teach, I needed to take some extra English classes...So, I signed up for some online classes, thinking they would be a breeze, in order to be able to work full time this semester...I can definitely say that I have put more time in my school work this semester than I ever had to in my four and a half years of regular classroom undergrad courses....so I'm super glad for this semester to be over....as I'll have the month of May off before I start CBU in June...

I have not gotten out for a run this week, as I have been nursing a sore foot...The bottom of my right foot is very tender right on the ball of it under my big toe...It's been getting much better, as I have been icing it multiple times a day and wearing my road running shoes (as they are very plush)....I'm feeling pretty confident that it will be a thing of the past come Saturday at Ouachita....

I believe tonight marks the final night of dinners being brought to my house...Since my mom had surgery last week, people have been bringing us dinner on a nightly basis...It has definitely been appreciated...as the last thing we wanted to worry about was what to eat...however, I am pasta dish and casseroled out...the thought of lasagna one more time makes me sick in my stomach...I'm also ready to get back on the healthy eating bus...I'm usually pretty healthy but I couldn't pass up already made dinners, despite what they were...

I saw that the agricenter farmer's market is now open...I haven't gotten over to check it out yet...the farmer's market is one of my favorite things about summer...I stop by there on almost a daily basis to get fresh veggies for dinner....locally grown tomatoes should be coming into season pretty soon...i can't wait!

North Carolina

Today I found out that I am going to be able to go to the Pisgah National Forest just outside of Asheville, NC next week...I'll be up there next Monday through Wednesday at a Mountain Hardwear training clinic...

We are going to get to take out and field test all their gear and we will have the opportunity to interact with some members of their design team...I'm really excited about it, as it will be a good learning experience and fun as well...

Hopefully, I won't be too sore after Ouachita to enjoy myself....I'm sure I'll be fine to walk...doing some light day hikes in the mountains will be a good way to recover after Saturday's run....the weather for next week looks great....75 and sunny everyday....hopefully it will stick...

Where is spring?

The weather as of lately has been pretty nasty. Haven't gotten in nearly what I would like to running wise this week. Monday, Lt. Rob and I popped off ten from the house on Wolf River...Wednesday got out to Shelby Farms and got in some speed work...a difficult but welcome change of pace as I have not previously been doing any speed stuff...Friday, I was able to get out of work a couple hours early and had time to get in a quick ten. Ran from the house to the end of the Wolf River Trails via the yellow and came back via blue...The yellow is starting to become grown over...lots of overhanging branches, especially after the second levee...Pretty cool run...as I began it really looked like it was going to rain hard, but soon the sun was starting to poke out through the clouds and by the time I was on my way home the rain was coming down hard and there was thunder and lighting all around...actually kinda scary running under the powerlines in the final stretch of WRT...

Saturday was an off day...should have run but the crawfish were callin' at Overton Square...though it was miserably cold down there...

Today I went out and slogged through 10....it was one of those runs where I just never could get in the groove...I tried switching tunes and everything but never could find the zone...took kind of an interesting route though...Parked at the top of the dirt road close to the red light at Walnut Bend and G'town Pkwy...ran WRT via blue and crossed under the Walnut Grove bridge and over to Shelby Farms...hit up Tour De Wolf backwards down the gravel road and through the back technical sections to the dog park...from the dog park hit the G'town Pkwy shoulder back to my car...I finally felt like picking it up for a bit on the last mile but that feeling didn't hang around too long...by the time I got back to the car I was ready to be done with it...

Brings the weekly total to around 36 miles....not what i wanted but it will do...this next week I'm gonna take it pretty easy as Saturday is the Ouachita 50k....Lt. Rob is going with me and his longest run to date is 20....Since I have not been training very hard the last month and half I'm gonna run it as a 31 mile training run...Lt. Rob and I are going to hang together the whole way, taking our time and enjoying the run....

Hopefully I'll be able to get back on the bike at some point soon....I'm itching to ride as the injury has kept me off the bike the last 3 weeks...the weather is supposed to rock the rest of the week so maybe Wed. I'll be able to get out for a ride...