Run Ridge Run Race Report
As I tend to with most races these days, I decided on a whim to race CMTS Run Ridge Run.
I was 10 weeks in [6 weeks out] of my 100 miler training for an upcoming race on April 8th. Apart from tempo runs and some interval work, I hadn’t done much high intensity running, and certainly not on anything technical. I thought Run Ridge Run was a fun little test run to see how these legs were feeling on a race day simulation.
I arrived at Sasamat Lake with enough time to get a 3k warm up in and check out some of the course. It ended up being a rather warm morning and at the last minute, I decided to switch into shorts. (Thank goodness!) I scooted to the start line just in time for the race to begin. I went out with the lead ladies for the first 20 minutes, pretty much until we hit the first climb. Over the years my climbing skills have improved, but I still suck at them. As soon as I hit a grade % higher than 2, my heart rate goes through the roof and the lactate acid boils over. There’s nothing like a 1000m gain over the first 12k to give you a friendly reminder that, despite all the hill training over the last 10 weeks, you still suck.
At around 8k we finally hit a nice steep downhill. Phew, right?! Nope, this went on for 3 minutes before the group of us were told we were actually going down the wrong way. What goes down, must come up. Yikes!… I lost about 5 minutes, 7 places, my grove and uphill motivation to keep on going. Coincidentally, I realized that when I crossed the finish line, I would have run 104 miles in 8 days. Oops!
Photo Credit Brian McCurdy Photography
I know you are probably thinking: how the heck did she get lost on a course with Gary Robbins’ course marking right?
Well, long story short, a girl had just rolled her ankle and the marshal dedicated to that intersection was attending to her and missed the group of us as we headed down the wrong way.
It took nearly 45 minutes and 7k of technical downhill to recovery from that little adrenaline surge and regain the ground I had lost. Every time I saw a course marshal, it seemed I was getting closer and closer to catching lead group of ladies. I knew the final 5k was all downhill, and what I lack in uphill skills I can usually make up for in downhill skills.
Between Buntzen Lake and Sasamat Lake, I forgot about one final steep 1.5k climb. Oh dear, my legs are exhausted. Come on legs – we got this!
Finishing Run Ridge Run
Finally, I got to the top. The marshal told me I was now only 3 minutes back from 4th women and currently sitting in 6th. I ran down that final 5k as fast as I could, but couldn’t quite catch the ladies. I was still content with my finish.
Overall I had a great day. Despite my exhaustion, it felt great to move quickly through such a technical course. I also realized that I might want to consider the whole tapering thing for Chuckanut 50k in a few weeks.
Michelle Ford
Kintec Race Team
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