Surf the Murph!

Hello!

I don't know just what the name is all about but the race...it's a lot of fun. It's 25K at Murphy-Hanrehan park in Dakota County. (A half-marathon is 21K for comparison.) Here's the link http://surfthemurph.org/

There are 25K, 50K and 50mile options on the day. The 25K starts at 8AM...the sun will rise after the race starts, making the first few miles gorgeous. Picture a stream of runners wearing headlamps and the light reflecting off trim on shoes and jackets. It gets warmer. There might be bits of snow. It's delightful.

The trail...the first and last few miles are hilly. Not insanely so but you will notice the hills. There are some stretches of single track in the hilly sections. The flat section is wide open. The aid stations are first-rate. All in all, it's a fun fun day!

Think about it!

Chris

Moose Mountain Marathon race report

I ran Moose Mountain Marathon last weekend. It's the "fun run" of a big weekend on the Superior Hiking Trail, along with 50- and 100-mile races.

The 100-mile race course starts at Gooseberry Falls. The 50 starts at Finland and the marathon starts at Cramer Road, near Schroeder. All the events finish at Caribou Highlands Lodge in Lutsen. If you run any of the races, or the spring 25K/50K, it's a great place to stay because you're right there for the packet pickup, pre-race briefing, watching finishers and generally hanging out.   

I felt fresh and healthy at the start. Last year I made two big mistakes: going out too fast and not drinking enough. Those mistakes cost me a lot of cramping. In fact in 2009 I had to take a "timeout" on the pine duff about 3 miles from the finish. A runner from Iowa stayed with me those last three miles and possibly saved me from having to be evac'ed. We ran into each other at the pre-race briefing. Hugs and tears! Turns out he was in difficulties also, and we really were helping each other.  Enough background. 

On to the race. As forecast, there was rain from midnight to 4AM on Saturday. Every marathoner gave a thought for the hundred-milers who were on the trail in the dark and rain, but concern turned to "Wow!" when the first finisher arrived at 6:38 for a time of 22:38 for 100 miles. It put the marathon distance into perspective.  

The bus ride from the lodge to the start is always fun--there's lots of talk and laughing. Then the bus stops out on a gravel road where there's an awning and a few people milling around, checking in. Everyone needs to confirm they are starting so that the race director knows how many people are out on the trail. If, at 10PM, the count of finishers doesn't match the count of starters and drops, it's search-party time, which no one wants!  

The start: everyone is talking and then you notice people ahead of you are moving. Touch the start button on the GPS and off you go. 

Pacing. Last year I ran the first leg in 1:45 and thought "yay" when it should have been "oh no! too fast!". This year I took 2:00. 

The first thing to notice was: mud and puddles. Although it wasn't raining and the temps were nice (low 50's) there was mud everywhere and puddles. Down the trail the water formed streams down the middle of the trail. All told there was probably about a mile where the water was over your shoes. When we hit the first big mud puddle, someone called out "yay! now we're having fun!" No irony there...it is really fun just to commit to whatever the trail throws at you. My socks were gray at the start. At then end, they were solid black. Speaking of sox, wool is a must. My feet were cold when in the water but within a minute of getting on "dry" ground they were warm again. Also, two friends recently and happily changed from their preferred road shoes to trail shoes, which are lower and firmer.  

The aid stations are my downfall. The volunteers, some of whom are on site 18-20 hours, are so nice you have to talk to them. The food is so good you have to eat some. So instead of 1-2 minutes I was spending 5-6 minutes at each of the three aid stations.   

The thought looming in my mind in the early stages was Britton Peak. As a runner said after the race, "I didn't know we'd have to BOULDER!" Britton Peak is a big lump of granite. The SHT runs up and around and down it. Getting up absolutely requires you to stop and look for handholds. It's just climbing up rocks. I was laughing all the way up. Laughing and grunting! 

Past Britton I took my first tumble. The trail has boardwalks, or very narrow bridges made of planks. Fine in dry weather, but Saturday they were quite muddy. A runner was close behind me, the trail was descending, and I thought about the other runner instead of what I should have been thinking of: staying upright. So I didn't stay upright. It was a bit of a shock to find myself on the ground. The other guy stopped, helped me up and retrieved my water bottle. There was no apparaent damage, so I set off. I resolved to start walking those boardwalks, but slipped on one later on anyway.  

I don't usually wear a watch in races but Saturday I used it to keep on track with my hydration program, which was to drink a 24-oz bottle every hour and take a salt capsule once an hour. So I was checking time frequently (thinking "it's half past, so this bottle should be half empty").  This worked out well. I had no cramping at all. As for pace, I held down in the first third, relaxed and concentrated on form in the middle and had some energy left for a "fast" last third.   

After Oberg Mountain AS, with 7+ miles to go, I passed at least 8 people and was not passed at all. My last mile was my fastest. As I left Oberg I realized I had an outside chance to finish in less than 7 hours (vs 8:06 last year). The thought just popped into my head: it hadn't even been on my dream list up to that time. There's one good climb up Oberg and then a lot of technical descent, which is probably my strongest area. I put that thought aside and focused on the trail. I think it was cloudy all day but I can't say for sure. Maybe the trees were changing colors but I don't know. I was eyes-on-the-ground.   

The GPS beeps after every mile and that 6+ hour time came back to me. At about mile 22 I started working the numbers in my head. The trail is far easier in the last few miles and I felt strong and finally let myself go as fast as I possibly could. This was so much fun: focusing on a disciplined race had put me in a position I never thought I'd be in and I crossed the line at 6:54 with a big grin on my face.   

It felt great to take 1:12 out of my time, but even better to redeem myself by staying hydrated (no cramps!) and pacing well (start out easy and finish strong).  

As I mentioned earlier, most people were anxious about the slick conditions and most people fell. Here's a friend of mine. Note the big ol' smile!  

http://picasaweb.google.com/107903963349804040950/Superior2010#5516204583275035042  

Don't worry, she finished with no problems! There are quite a few pix in that gallery to give you an idea of the conditions. Note lots and lots of smiles! 

Here are a few pix of me, having a good day:

http://picasaweb.google.com/caxcski/2010MooseMountain#

Moose Mountain Marathon is a great race!

Chris

Run Club Hats/Saturday's workouts

The COLL foundation is providing technical hats for club members this year (instead of a Tshirt). Mike from the foundation has distributed some at practices already, and will be at this Saturday's and this upcoming Monday's run with them.

If you don't make either practice and still need a hat, please send me an email. We'll likely distribute them at the Trail Loppet and then at Finn Sisu after the race.

Just two practices left! This Saturday's run should be fairly easy -- up to 50% of the length of your longest run. We'll do some striders after the run for quickness, and a little strength work if it isn't too buggy. Enjoy the taper!

Food for thought...

"Most people never run far enough on their first wind to find out if they've got a second. Give your dreams all you've got and you'll be amazed at the energy that comes out of you."

William James

Monday's workout & look ahead to labor day weekend

We'll have our last up-tempo run this Monday evening. 2 mile warm up, then 3x5 minutes at a threshold effort. 1-4 mile cool down depending on what you'd like for mileage for the day.

A reminder that we won't have practice during labor day weekend or Monday the 6th. Enjoy the holiday! I'd recommend a long run on Saturday/Sunday of 80% of your previous mileage high for the summer and a 6 mile run on Monday, with a progressivly fast last mile. Pick it up to threshold from mile 5-5.5, then to a hard interval pace, and then a finishing "kick" the last quarter of a mile.

Hopefully you're able to find good trails wherever you'll be enjoying the holiday weekend!

Great MN Race - August 28th

Even though this isn't necessarily "trail" related, I had to post info on this race. It looks like it'd be a really fun race/adventure!! Here is info from their website:

The Great Minnesota Race is a one of kind urban adventure which will take teams of two across the metro area of Minneapolis & St. Paul. Teams will perform challenging tasks that are both mental and physical in nature. Think of you and a teammate racing across the cities (by foot, by bus, or by train) solving clues at various checkpoints along the way. From the starting line teams will be given their race passport and they will be off on the 2nd Annual Great MN Race!

The Great MN Race is unlike any race in the area, combining the fun elements of racing, solving clues, and completing tasks all while exploring the urban areas of the Twin Cities.

The Star Tribune has called it "An Amazing Race." Unlike other races that have tried to mirror the 'amazing' hit reality TV show, the Great MN Race contains a number of unique elements associated with the race and its format. Even more elements will be added for our 2010 event. For more information see the Race Details page.

http://www.greatmnrace.com/

Course Preview on Saturday

John Swain, from the COLL, will be leading the group through the 1/2 marathon course at Wirth on Saturday. The team will meet at the Beach house and amble over to the race start area. Mary will also be there coaching.

This'll be our last "longer" run of the training season. Feel free to do the 13.1 miles with John and then add on at the end if you'd like to go longer. Next Saturday there isn't scheduled practice (Labor Day weekend), but I'd recommend going about 80% of the time/mileage of your longest run this season. So, if you've go 13 this Saturday and that's your longest run, go for 10 next Saturday. Starting the "taper" process!!

To keep the group together, we'll have to re-group throughout (i.e. top group circling back to catch the others). Hopefully it works out well. I asked if it'd be possible to try to navigate a little with a map, and John laughed :). Guess a map isn't very helpful on this course.

5kers: Let John know how long you'd like to run for. I'd recommend up to 7 if you're up for it. He'll be able to lead you through as much of the course as he can, and then designate a cut back to get you to the right distance.

Saturday the 11th we'll run the 5k course as part of practice.

That should be it. Get out an enjoy the BEAUTIFUL weather! Wow!!!
~Nichole

Salomon Autumn Trail Series

Salomon is putting on a fall trail series held at Hyland Hills.

It'll be held Wednesday nights: September 1, September 15, September 29, and October 13, 2010. You can register for one, two, three, or all of the races. More information can be found: http://www.autumntrailseries.com/

Register online at: www.SignMeUp.com/70405

Feel free to post info on other trail runs/races on the blog!

Lebanon Hills on Saturday

We'll meet at the Jensen lake trailhead at 8:00 on Saturday and go from there. 1/2 marathoners may want to make this one of their "long" days (we'll have another longer run next Saturday when we'll preview the course with the COLL) - 12-15 miles. I'll be going shorter: 6-7 miles, in case anyone wants to join me.

Make sure to stay hydrated and bring water. It sounds like Saturday will be a warm one :(.

http://www.co.dakota.mn.us/NR/rdonlyres/5EFC16FB-346A-4BDA-900C-D1AEB0339BD9/14864/LebanonHillsSummerTrailMap.pdf

See you Saturday!

Monday night's practice 8/9

We had originally planned to do a harder/uptempo run tonight (originally not on the schedule) with two guest runners. Because of the heat and humidity today, we're going to cancel the hard run & instead do an easy run (however long you feel comfortable going). It's just not smart to try to do something out of your comfort zone in weather like this.

We will have our two guest runners, along with a hard workout, next week - let's hope for cool and dry weather!!! :)

Just a reminder that Chrissy will be at Theodore Wirth around 7:30 to give a lecture on strength training. It should be really valuable information.

Hyland Hills on Saturday

This week's practice will start at Hyland at 8:00. We'll meet at the main entrance, off of Bush Lake road. Continue past the "diamond" mark on the map (link below), and there will be a parking lot in front of a large building (there will also be a playground nearby). It's the visitor center, and it'll be open at 9:00 -- so we'll miss the opportunity to run in for the bathroom/to fill water bottles up before practice, but it'll be nice to have it there afterwards.

Here's a link to the trail map: http://www.threeriversparks.org/~/media/Maps/PDFs/Park%20Detail/Summer/hyland_lake_summer.ashx Printing it and bringing it to practice might be a good idea. This park has a really nicely marked, long system of non-paved trails. We'll run on the green trails (grass) as much as possible. Orange trails are paved.

Half marathoners have 9 miles planned, 5kers 5.

Who wants to volunteer to bring some fun snacks for after practice? :)

Practice Monday July 26th

Just a reminder that practice on Monday will start at Finn Sisu (2436 Larpenteur Avenue in Lauderdale). The nutritionist from Endurance Athlete will be giving a talk beginning at 6:00. Bring questions!! He has a lot of information to share on race day nutrition, general daily training nutrition, hydration, etc. He's going to keep his presentation shorter (20 or so minutes), but hopes to open up the floor for questions and discussions for another 20 minutes. Take advantage of his time!

And, by request: PRACTICE WILL START FROM FINN SISU AFTER THE PRESENTATION. The route won't be as ideal -- there isn't a complete trail system close by, but we can take advantage of the University's Ag field and some other soft surface routes. It'll save everyone a lot of time driving to the shop & then back over to Theo Wirth. Adding the drive time to Theo Wirth could make for a very long Monday night practice. Hope this works for everyone -- it sounded like more than the majority of people wanted to make the switch.

Monday evening practice - July 19

Thanks to all who ran with us last night!  It was a great practice with a turnout of about 20 people! It was hot, muggy and 81 degrees.  We covered 48 minutes of trail, split into three or four groups.  Joe, Mary, Becky and myself split up between them. 

Tonight's topic was strength training.  Some things that we discussed were how often and how many.  Everyone is at different levels when it comes to strength training and it is important to note that it is important to do the training at the level that you are at.  If you are new to strength training, make sure that you are starting with lower reps and focus on form.  It is difficult for many people, including myself, to really focus on contracting those core strength muscles - transverse rectus and the erector spinae muscles of the spinal cord - while performing core activities.  At the Monday night session, we did 15 reps of each exercise to introduce the topic.  It is suggested to do 2 sets of 15 reps or 3 sets of 10 reps to build strength a few times a week.  I suggest doing strength after you are done with your workout session, whether it be running, biking or whatever you choose.

The exercises that we covered were:

-single stance lunges: step forward with one leg and bend at knee.  Come back up to standing. 15 times on each leg.

-tricep dips: using picnic benches

-Crunches (upper abs and obliques): 3 sets. One traditional with knees bent. One set with legs in the air, trying to touch toes, and one set doing a bicycle motion working on the side ab mucles.

-free squats: Stand with feet shoulder-width apart. Slowly lower your body as though you are 'sitting' in a chair until your thighs are parallel with the ground. Keeping the weight in your heels, push yourself up slowly until you're back where you started.
•Don't allow your knees to extend over your toes

-push ups (regular or on knees)

-step ups: Keeping your abs contracted and the torso upright-step ups on picnic table (can also use street curb as lower step)


Pictures to come soon!One goal is to continue strength training after each run and introduce a new exercise to add to your repitoire during the week.  Please feel free to contact us with any questions regarding any of the exercises that we did at practice or any other questions you have about strength in general.

Again, great running tonight!  See you all next Monday!

Coach Sara

Saturday's Practice (July 17th)

This Saturday we will be at WIRTH BEACH at 8AM. Please note the time and location.

This is the start/finish area of the Trail-Loppet, and should give us more options for non-paved trails, and also a chance to familarize ourselves with the area.

Remember to introduce yourself to someone new :) Also come prepared for the forcasted heat and humidity!

1st Practice

There was a lot to go over during our first practice. Hope I didn't lose anyone with all of the detail. Let me recap:

First, what to expect of the training plan:

We'll have practices every Monday evening at 6:30 and Saturdays at 8:00 AT THE WIRTH BEACH (NOTE THIS IS A CHANGE FROM THE 9:00 ON YOUR SCHEDULES, as well as a location change). We had multiple requests at today's practice to change the start time up to 1. allow you to be done by 10:30 or so (let the weekend begin!) and 2. to beat the July/August heat. The Beach works better for quicker access to dirt trails.

Mondays will generally either be a recovery distance day or an interval day. Saturdays will be our long run day. There are a couple of Mondays and Saturdays that start at different locations: Monday July 26th is the first of those, when the team will start at Finn Sisu for a 6:00 lecture on nutrition (Sports Nutritionist will be on hand) and then move to Theo Wirth afterwards for the run. Other differences in location are noted on the schedule. If the group wants, we can explore other trails on our Saturday runs. Just let the coaches know you're interested or if you'd prefer to stick to Theo Wirth. We'll do all of our Monday nights there, and the majority of the Saturdays as well -- our goal is to get to know the Trail Loppet's course as well as we can.

Workouts will change based on everyone's ability -- the schedule I'll send out via email tonight (and was passed out tonight) is just a guideline. Some expressed interested in doing more interval training & I'll work with the coaches to accomodate this. Feel free to pull the coaches aside and let us know if you need less/more than what is planned.

Second, Trail Team's "Rules":
-Run in pairs! Purpose is two-fold: getting lost with a buddy is more fun than getting lost alone. Second, a big benefit of the run club is getting to know other trail runners -- so socialize! Pick a different running buddy every week!
-Weather: we'll still meet no matter what the weather. The only way we wouldn't run is if it were lightning out. Some of your most memorable trail runs will probably come during pouring rain :)
-Running gear: It's nice to have nice-fitting trail shoes, but they're not a must. Having a way to carry water with you on the trail is also very nice, but also not a must. Sunscreen and/or a hat are nice on the hot, sunny Saturday mornings (although running on the trails is more shaded than elsewhere, you'll still get a bit of sun). Mosquito spray is also nice to have (but not necessary if you keep running :).

Other FYI items:
-The trail team gets a 20% discount on all trail items at Finn Sisu, including shoes, hydration systems, clothing, etc. You also get an additional 10% off clearance items. Coupon should be in your inboxes shortly.

That should be it! As always -- feel free to contact me if you have any questions: about the team, about trails, or about running in general! nichole(dot)porath(at)gmail(dot)com is the best way to reach me.

P.S. Team runners: please post a "comment" to this blog with your name, where you're from, what your running and/or trail experience is, what you're hoping to get out of the club, and any surprising/fun facts about you here. You just need a google account to post (which you can have with any email address). It'll take a while to get to know everyone, so the more we can put names to personal stories to faces, the better!

Welcome to the 2010 team!

Practice starts 6:30 on July 12th at Theorore Wirth. Meet at the Theo Wirth Chalet. We'll start out with introductions, go over the training plan, answer any questions, and go out for an easy first run.

See you then!
Coach Nichole