First 2 weeks of May recap

We're still not in full blown Spring, believe it or not. I think I at some point posted this meme before, but it's worth a repeat, because, boy, is it true! Every week, I swear, we get into 70's (and even 80's) - and somewhere in the week we get cold blast, snow - at least snow in the mountains. The swing effect is in full show. My Incline #21 (Tuesday after the 50k) was all dry and nice. I even got an extra bonus. Well, 2 bonuses, random things that made it kind of different. One was that I found a rental car key chain stack - I carried it all the way down on Barr, pondering what to do with it, and lucky for me, at the parking lot was some official woman putting orange cones, so I gave the item to her. She actually said she heard someone was looking. Off my headache! The second part is, shortly after, as I was running towards Manitou downtown on asphalt, I heard 2 girl chit-chat and running far (much) faster, passing me like nothing. There's only one...and she touched my shoulder. It was Tina Mascarenas, our real star here, whom Larry and I met at the top of Cheyenne Mountain back on Thanksgiving and introduced ourselves/chatted. She remembered my name! Not only that, when we all got to the cars, she introduced me to her friend - and recited all MY "accolades"  and even upcoming goals and plans (like I had anything close to what she's done)! I felt so honored! All's good in this world, as even new elites in ultrarunning are still down to Earth nicest people in the world.

The following Tuesday's Incline #22 was a whole different picture...after a weekend of splendid sunshine, the rain and slit and something else returned, what of course meant a new 4 inches of snow. White stuff on Incline and cold air, just for spice of life!

I continued my twice-a-week hikes with a 35 lbs backpack (probably time to increase). Once a week is a local flat hike and bike, and once - that High Drive up & over, which by this Wednesday finally stopped giving me sore gluts and cramps. I guess I am adjusting, good thing! Gosh, I love walking.

Which is not to say about running. I've been really thinking (and talking to my massage clients who asks) how different I feel about 2 of my, oh, so different, goals for this summer. Man, I wasn't a real runner to begin with, though with diligent specific training, much younger age, and trying harder, I was not bad at all. Now, I rather be doing long miles in the mountains involving huge "vert" than some flat-to-rolling terrain. It means I actually have to run! And in the upcoming 100 miler I signed up for (for the first time in 8 years) - I will have to pretend to run/jog/shuffle for a good half of it! Damn! I am scared. I rather hike forever...

Which is exactly how my 25 miles went the week after the 30k - on Santa Fe trail, "pretending to run". It hurt! Plus, we got another crazy summer blast suddenly, and I wasn't able to get away on 40 oz anymore - I got dry by mile 18. To my horrid realization, all this pandemic shit made people scared and not very human (well, businesses, at least ones I was able to make extra venturing to off the trail). Hotels, stores...nobody had an open bathroom or water fountain. I mean, employees have to piss somewhere, right? I, literally, begged random people on the street, once I was desperate - one older couple shared their bottle, then one guy (who worked at one big box store) gave me a full water bottle. Somehow, I made it home, burnt up and heaving dry.

On a different note, the trail looked different without the snow, and the views, as always, worth suffering for. The airforce was having lots of training going on in the air, which gave me something to stop for a couple of times and take a break, watching them fly.

Saturday after that Friday's long run, Larry and I got on our staple 12 mile mountain loop (which I managed to survive in fine form), and chased it down with Rudy's tacos. The rest of the weekend, I am not lying, I sat in the backyard with a book (a thriller that still makes my mind shiver) and tanned my body. Plus, Larry had his work friend with family visiting the town, so they had a great time socializing.

Sunday had an added benefit of being Russian Orthodox Easter, so Larry lucked out on crepes. Plus, I befriended a woman from the gym I go to, and we have been meeting for morning coffee dates every couple of weeks or so. A real COS human friend, at last!

Before I knew it, it was time to check out the email for my upcoming race - and drive to Fort Collins. We left relatively early, before noon, and on our agenda was a stop at La Sportiva headquarters' store. Having being sponsored in the past by the company, we lately have been utilizing other brands of shoes, though we each always have a pair of Sportiva's as well. The store had each and every shoe on their market, and after trying a pair, we both settled on something that felt right. I got me a Kaptiva. Never heard of before, yet it felt so damn good, I quickly decided I am wearing it during a race instead of a different shoe I brought with me.

As we drove up North Front Range, we mused how, for quite a number of years, we strongly considered it be our "final home place". We visited Longmont and Loveland so many times, picking neighborhoods and telling ourselves how awesome it would be...only to, literally, accidentally drive on one street in Colorado Springs and have a complete turn of fate. No, we didn't give up on those original destinations without a thought, re-visiting twice more. But, man, between the "plus/minus" lists and a sheer feeling of home, emotional attachment, Springs won by a huge landslide. Now, on our first (for real) trip back up there, north of Denver, we looked around in disbelieve. Why on Earth did we ever consider living here? The mountains (the real ones) are far away, good 40 min drive, the traffic is horrendous, the amount of cars and people and new houses developments is insane, the cuteness factor of old neighborhood is so tiny...man, oh, man. We live in a complete paradise bubble. What a stroke of fate. We did make a drive through  both of those towns, Loveland and Longmont, and exhaled our "thank God it's not home". Anyhow, we checked into a hotel, and went to a local Fort Collins running store to get my packet with bib number. I briefly chatted with Nick Clark, the person behind GNAR and an old school guy (we met in 2010, and kept in contact loosely throughout the years). On a funny note, our hotel was under construction (well, this was not funny), and the team working there was of Russians. I spooked them by speaking the native language. 

The morning came, and as I was in a 25 mile version of a Quadrock, I got to wake up at my normal 4:45 am. We drove 30 min to the start and set in the car for an hour. I was trying to remember the course - this year was 10th anniversary of the race, and Larry and I did an inaugural rendition of it back in 2012. To think that I did a 50 mile back then! Coming from flat land of Austin with no altitude! Well, I am no longer what I was. This race was in full force as damn pandemic rules are lessening, and the fields had 500 total runners in both distances (279 for 25 miler). We also had a normal mass start, no waves! Exciting! Oh, how little we need to be smiling. Brenda, my Austin friend who moved the area a year before us, found me, and soon enough off we went. Larry was my start and finish line photographer. The first mile and half got us all sorted out on a dirt road, and from there on, it's a sweet single track (suns 2 more miles of dirt road total connecting in the middle in 2 different pieces).

The single track was winding more or less flat to rolling for another mile and half, though by mile 2 I found a "hill" to walk up. Tons - seemingly vast majority of the field - of runners past me. I didn't mind. I was doing my thing. I don't get sucked in to those things (which is exactly the phrase I heard behind me by some girl about me, as we leapfrogged for many miles). The first climb hit, and man, it was a climb...as I power-hiked, I began to over-take a handful of people one by one. Not really going crazy here, but that's where my hiking ability and love shine. 

I got to mile 7.1 AS Towers 1 at 1:32, didn't stop, and drop on the other side's downhill. Sweet mother of Jesus. While by my standards my downhill technical trail running is in such a disastrous state these years, after a long hiatus, getting older and much more fearful of falling (which I do often), apparently in my new "group" of peers (a.k.a. space in a running field/pace group) I still rock it. I began overtaking some peeps here and there, and came to mile 10.4 Horsetooth AS with a new appreciation of my body. I filled one of my soft flaks (sadly, I didn't drink enough in those 2 hrs 11 min), and we got to another huge climb back up to Towers. It was getting hot, a bit windy, and dry. I was settling in a grove. There were so many photographers on the course, once they get photos posted, I'll make sure to update the post. 

But by 14.5 miles I was in great spirits - and in a great position, slowly but surely moving ahead in the field. Another downhill in front, all in a forest, under canopy of trees, with soft trail spattered by roots and rock - and I was trying to not trip, watching intently my every step. Getting injured at this time of the game, in this race, and in my training for main event, was not desirable at all. Truly, I was also getting a bit tired, yet somehow still picking runners. Last AS at 17.4 miles, and I tried to make sure to fill both soft flasks and picked 2 gels. I was definitely getting dehydrated and not taking enough fuel. That part of my racing has gotten forgotten. And - we were facing another long steep climb. Damn, how did I do a 50 miler here just 9 years ago?!? At the first creek crossing, I washed my face - and it felt so good. So, at the next 2 crossings, as I kept on climbing, I dunk my bandana in the water, washed my face, and wore it wet and cold on my head. Some old skills were coming back to me, slowly. Once we reached the top, the climb wasn't over - it had "teeth". I was nursing my water, when a volunteer met us at some random point with 3 miles to go with a few big jags of water. Life saver! I got one flask filled, and decided to pick up a pace, whatever that meant at this point. The downhill was flowing well, but then, don't believe the graph, we had flats, some tiny inclines, flats...all on open hill side terrain. I really, really dislike that kind of running. Can't we just either hike up or run down? No, that was our final 2 miles. Dusty and hot. I sucked my water at 24.5 miles, thinking I can make last half a mile. Only it wasn't half. 25 came and went, we finally were descending to a parking, yet made another out-back, crossed a dirt road, another trail, another turn...at 25.65 miles on my watch (and with 5,600 ft of elevation gain) my race was finally done. 

5:40 - man, I am really good at predicting times, still! My aim was 5:45 (I said, 5:30 would be freaking dreamy, 6 would be a cut off for me). Larry was waiting for me, because he knows how exact I get in those time assessments:) I was so parched, I couldn't talk until I gulped 2 full cups of cold water. And then - we had a real after-race BBQ! With people, food, and good conversations! While we didn't know a single soul, it was still fun (well, we did know Nick, and Brenda's husband John). While we never ever want to live here, one thing for sure - Nick and his friends have built an amazing running community here. That is our one and only draw. If the drive (and Denver traffic) didn't suck so badly, I'd be coming for training runs with his group.

Here's on a great - and surprising - part of my finish. Having seen the field's number and seriousness of 132 females, all eager short-er distance speedsters, I wasn't betting on cracking 35. I ended up being #23 (25 counting 50M drop off), # 85 (98) overall of 314 finishers, and first 50+. In fact, it was the first time the word "Grandmaster" applied to me officially. Nice. Plus, their tracking system had an awesome analyzing feature, and, despite being not nearly as fast-footed as I once was, I still am a master in consistency - and in picking up through the field in a second half. If it was only another 5 miles longer...I also carried my new Spot tracking, and it worked great.

While I am thrilled, and feeling ok today, I have to say, I am totally in a terror mode for my upcoming 100 miler. I will have to do this kind of thing 3 more times! I mean, just to think, when I did Quadrock 50, I ran my first 25 in 5:20, then turned around and ran a second 25 in 5:43. Now, I ran only one - and I gave it all I had for the day, regardless that there was no taper or whatever (I never do) - and my time was 5:40. I will have to do this thing 4 times that, for a 101 miles and 22,500 ft of gain! How in the world am I going to make it happen? Despite a good span of "training miles" for exactly a year now, I feel completely and utterly unprepared. Well, I don't have a way out of it. Sigh.

Today, May 9th, is a biggest holiday in my homeland of Russia. Victory Day. On May 9th, 1945, the Russian Army solders have put a Soviet flag on Reichstag, and the World War II as we knew it was over. Yes, the Japan was still doing a thing, yes, the nuclear bombing by USA happened in September...but the Nazi part, and the part that terrorized Europe, especially Russia, was over with. I know what transpired after, and I am aware of the coalition and great help of US and Great Britain. However, US citizens will never ever understand the meaning of that war - and the victory - the way Russians do. (here are photos from my 2017 trip during that holiday). Anyway...not to boggle the post, but I'd like to share a couple of photos my sister emailed me today - she went to one of oh, so many, war museums in Moscow, and found information on one of our grandfather, my mom's dad, who died in a battle under Leningrad. What an honor. 

Our 100 years old apple tree (from the original apple orchard before this neighborhood got built) is blooming. Maybe it's finally Spring. One would hope. Right after a fresh 10 inches of snow tomorrow evening on Pikes Peak. Which is right before my next ascend. Ha. Colorado:)

p.s. my highlight for the day, absolutely unexpected: a wonderful human and runner Annie Hughes had an interview for the website I frequent, and accidently I actually listened through it - because I do like this girl so. Well, turn to 22:22 for a minute, and then about Collegiate loop FKT min 29-31, then 35:30 for Mace 100. I am so touched.💓