Terrible Tyler 9.3 Miles

Never has a race been so appropriately named as the Terrible Tyler 9.3M.  The fact that it is run on paved paths through Tyler State Park in Newtown, PA would lead most not familiar with the park to think that it is a beautiful and scenic run through a lush and magical forest (maybe lush and magical is really pouring it on, but you get the point).  Anyone who has run in Tyler knows that there are few easy trails and most border on extremely hilly and steep.  Well, Sunday was the day of the race and I thought I was ready for it...I thought I was ready.

I had a good nights sleep, close to eight hours which is unheard of for me.  I hopped out of bed around 7:15AM and headed to the kitchen to fix myself a bagel with jelly, which would serve as my pre-race meal.  My wife came down shortly after and around 7:45AM my two little ones finally emerged from their bedrooms.  My wife and I couldn't believe that the whole house had made it past 7:00AM, especially the girls.  Anyway, after finishing breakfast, I threw on my cold running gear since the temperature outside was still in the teens, and it wasn't likely to warm up anytime soon.

Wow!  My one mile warm-up was COLD!  Everything was freezing, I mean literally freezing.....snot, spit, drool, tears....all of it was freezing on contact.  It was going to be one cold race today.   9:30AM came all too quickly, I had found a spot near the fire to warm-up and BAMN, time to head to the start. 

I felt surprisingly good for the first 2.5 miles (for the most part all uphill), the whole time I kept reminding myself to leave some fuel in the tank for the second loop, which starts out with a one mile long steep uphill climb (thus where the name "Terrible Tyler" derives from).  After getting to the top the next 2.8 miles was mostly downhill and I was able to cruise for a bit, preparing myself for the BIG hill. 

At the 5.3 mile mark (the Start/Finish location), I grabbed a cup of very strong Gatorade, downed it quickly, cleared my sinuses and took a couple of deep breathes.  I knew what lay before me and it deserved all of the respect that I could give it.  I thought that I had prepared myself, I thought that I was ready to go strong up the hill and pass some people, I thought I would be able to just crush that hill.  I was hurting. I was weak. I was wrong.   Despite how badly I was feeling, I made a promise to myself that I would not walk one step up that friggin' hill; no matter how tired or dejected I felt, I wouldn't allow myself to walk.  I kept trudging along, keeping my head up and pushing.  It felt like the longest mile I had ever run, but I made it to the top and then it was time to start making up time.

My legs were feeling heavy and I didn't think that I was going to be able to come close to my PR I set two year prior.  I was at the point where I needed to make a decsion, do I push on and run as hard as I could to try and get close to 1:07 or 1:08 or do I just coast in and chalk it up as a good training run?  I opted to push on hard and see how fast I could run it.  My Garmin was a bit off mileage wise (lots of tree cover that skews the mileage, usually cutting corners, etc.) so it was tough for me to gauge how well or badly I was really doing, so I really had no clue how far I had left.  

The last three miles is probably 80% downhill, but it still was tough going.   With my quads feeling as sore as they were, what should have an easy cruise down the mountain was more like jack-hammer pounding session.  I pushed on.  About a half mile from the finish I had some one in my sights that I thought I could catch, he would be my target, the one that would pull me along.  (there I am about 50 yds behind my target)

About 200 yards from the finish I was able to catch and pass him (Thank God!) and held him off to finish in 1:07:10 (7:13/mile).  I was surprised that I was able to do so well considering how slow and heavy I felt the last loop.  I was happy with the result even though I didn't beat my time of 2008 (1:06:35).  It was a bitterly cold day and I ran as hard as I could.

I would spend the rest of the day laying around the house.  I was tired!

Monday
As for today, I was up bright and early to get in a swim at HealthQuest.  I think I was in the pool by 5:50AM, sore legs and all.  I managed 1,450M in 30:27, which consisted of a 400M warm up, a 50 - 200M ladder (up and down) and then a 250M cool down.  I didn't realize until I was adding it all up in my head on my way to work that I should have just done and extra 50M at the end to make 1,500M....but that is really just a number and I shouldn't be too concerned about it.

I would like to get out at lunch today and do an easy 4 miles, but I think I have lunch plans.  I am thinking about skipping out on the lunch though since I don't know when I am going to fit work outs in over the next few days.  I have an all day Leadership Meeting both Tuesday and Wednesday, which happen to also include dinners.  Looks like no swimming those days, but I will have to get up early and get on my bike before getting the kids to school and then off to work.

Time to build some web pages....Peace out!