Week 13 Recap – Tahqua Trail Run

"Flat Lisa" ready for the race

Notes for the week:

1. I took the week easy, a slight "taper" for Saturday's run. While I didn't run my scheduled long run of 16 miles, I did a few "easy" runs during the week as well as an 8 miler on Tuesday followed by Saturday's 6 at race pace.

2. THE RACE: 

A) First thought…LOVED IT! 

B) The trail was very technical. There wasn't a flat stretch anywhere along the six mile route. Roots, steep climbs, sudden drops. My idea of soaking in the scenery while I raced quickly went out of my head. Instead, eyes on the terrain in front of me the entire time. 

C) So…that "Race Plan" with slowly increasing heart rate zones? Didn't happen. I tried SO HARD the first twenty minutes or so to keep in under the 165bpm, but I felt really good with my heart rate around 170. Plus, with so much climbing for the first mile or so, I would have been at a walk pace if I ran any slower. My average heart rate for the race was 185. And guess what? I felt great! Strong legs, strong heart, strong mind. Not once did my brain tell me to slow down to catch my breath. I did walk up the last two flights of stairs at the climb towards the end, but so did everyone around me. Our poor quads needed a break from the climbing.

D) Making the choice to drop down to the 10K was the right one. After heading back to the campsite with my husband and girls, we swam for an hour or so in the river, then hiked the 5 mile trail from Lower to Upper Falls. If I'd run the 25K, there's no way I could have done that. Family time = more important, for sure.

The numbers: My best "easy" pace the past weeks was at 13:13. My race pace? 13:50 for butt-kicking miles. 9th in my age group (out of 19…my typical "middle of the pack" placing!)  :)