This Croom place

Several of the trail races that I have done over the past year have taken place at Croom, an area near Brooksville, FL that includes the Withlacoochee State Forest and other areas.  There is an immense amount of forest, which is why it is so popular for trail runs around there parts.  This is where I did my 50k, my half-marathon where I was first in my age group last year, and that horrid race where I was recovering from the flu and couldn't really breathe.  But you know why you still go, even when you can barely breathe?

All of these were taken this morning during the Long Play run.  This race is put on by Tampa Races, and features a 33 1/3 mile race, as well as a half-marathon and a 5-mile run.  I did it last year, when it was my introduction to Croom and I was pretty much instantly hooked (plus I finished first in my age group.  Of two.  So yeah, legit).  Today, I did the half-marathon and I took my time, enjoying the scenery and taking photos and such.  I don't even know what my time was, actually, because my Garmin was not charged.  I feel like I ran the course more strategically this year, in terms of strategic walking of hills and maintaining a slow-yet-steady pace for most of it.  This year was a little warmer than last year (although last year started at 39F, so there you go), but not enough to be an hindrance.  I enjoyed myself so much that I was a little disappointed when I realized I was almost done with the forest part.  That's right: I wanted to run longer.  That basically never happens to me and I see that as a real achievement in my development as a runner.

I also realized that every race that I have done this year with Tampa Races has put me last out of everyone.  First there was the 50k, where I am fine with my lastness.  Then there was the Flatwoods Ramble, where my lastness was a bit more embarrassing.  But today, I was not last.  I was at least second-last.  Victory.

Incidentally, when you do Long Play, you also get to see goats:

It's like they're posing

An even better bonus?  No alligators!

Long Play Race

So apparently I am only writing in this blog after races these days.  That's okay.  I have to admit that I have been more conscientious about Crossfit as of late than running. Probably you don't want to read post and post about how bad I am at all things Crossfit (mind you, if you follow this blog, then you read a lot about how bad I am at running).  Anyway, I did have a race today and I do have something to say about it.

Today's race was a trail half-marathon called the Long Play Race.  It's called the Long Play Race because there is also an ultramarathon of 33 1/3 miles, so it's like a long-play record.  And in fact, for finishing, we all got to choose a record with a distinct cover.  Mine is the 101 Strings, 'A Night in the Tropics.'

So much more awesome than a medal.

I really enjoyed this race for a number of reasons, not the least of which was the fact that we had almost perfect running conditions (in my opinion).  And I don't mean that it was almost perfect for Florida and only started at 72F with humidity in the 80% range or something.  I mean perfect.  Due to a freak dip of the jet stream, it is cold here.  As in, it was in the 40s for the entire race.  With low humidity.  I can still hardly believe it myself, so I want to preserve this graphic forever as a token of remembrance:

Best.  Racing.  Weather.  Ever.  (By Florida standards)

Compare this to Gasparilla last weekend, when I started with the second wave of runners at 9:45, at which time the temperature was 73F and the humidity was 93%.  That is totally over the threshold of ick.  DUDE.  That is almost summer weather.  At least it stayed overcast for most of the race, so we didn't all die.

Anyway, back to the Long Play.  Not only was the temperature pretty much perfect, the course was awesome.  It was in the Withlacoochee State Forest and once I separated myself from the other runners (which took, like, no time at all because the other runners were mostly pretty fast), it was so crazy quiet and peaceful.  Sure, the course was a bit too hard for me because it had hills and copious amounts of relatively loose sand, but I truly enjoyed being in the woods, pretty much by myself, and not dying of heat.  Yet it was still an eventful race in some respects:

1) Some of the forest was on fire.  Well, smoldering.  For real.  I jumped over a smoldering log at one point (then again on the way back).

2) There were hunters somewhere in the woods.  I heard them fire two shots.

So I never have to do Tough Mudder now, because I have been in a race where hunters were shooting stuff near the course and trees were on fire.  This ranks up there with the gators in the lake when I did a triathlon down here.  Ah, Florida.

I have saved the best for last, which is that I placed first in my age group.  Here is a re-creation of the conversation:

Race person: And....congratulations, you are first in the 30 and up division. [I think they meant 30-39]

Me: (stunned) No.

But I was.  And I got a hat as my reward.  And if you are curious, there were two other people in my age division, so I will take it as an achievement.

My time was pretty bad for a 1/2 marathon, even taking out the extended bathroom break (it was extended because the bathroom was being cleaned and added at least 5 minutes to my time)--which means that I totally earned my 1st place because I passed someone in my age group in the very last part of the race.  A lot was on sand, which makes running more difficult, and I am definitely not accustomed to running on this kind of surface.  Also, the course was likely longer than a 1/2 marathon according to the race director--my Garmin is typically useless on trails, although it did record more like a 13.3 instead of a 13.1 (race director thought it was more like 13.8).  People were pretty casual when they learned this news.  I guess if you hang out with ultra people, you learn to be pretty casual.

I decided a few days ago that I spend too much time thinking about bad runs that I have experienced instead of focusing on the good ones.  So I am making an effort to identify good ones and remember them, so that I remind myself that there will be benefits while I am slogging through less enjoyable runs (by which I mean, runs that are too hot).  Today's race definitely ranks as one of my favorites in a while.

Did I mention the baby goats?  No?  In the last part of the course, I passed a fenced-in area that had a goat. She (I am assuming) looked around, then two little, teeny goats came out and hung out with her.  Seriously.  So cute.  Winning my age group, perfect temperature, beautiful course, my very own 101 Strings record, and baby goats.  What more could you ask of a race?

Back to the grind (in this business, the treadmill)

Things that didn't happen:

1) I didn't fall off the face of the earth, despite the fact that my blog might have led you to believe that.
2) I didn't suffer from some catastrophic injury or other impediment that kept me from running (okay, there was a bout of tonsillitis in there).
3) I didn't quit running.  Okay, I did for a bit.

After the Philadelphia Marathon, I felt kind of lost, runner-wise, and wasn't sure what I wanted to do next.  I discovered that Concept 2 has rowing challenges that you can do on the rowing machine and decided that this would be a fun change of pace.  So I completed the 100k challenge for the holidays, meaning that I rowed 100k between Thanksgiving and Christmas break (actually a bit earlier, since I left the rowing machine on December 20).  My most proud achievement was setting a 5k personal record that also put me in the top 50th percentile of my age group.  So awesome to not suck at a sport!  So different than running!  Also, I got a certificate for finishing the challenge.

Speaking of running, I am back at it.  It took me a while but then I figured out what I wanted to do: trail racing.  And some random races that I had always wanted to do, but hadn't had the opportunity.  For instance, I am running the Ringling Bridge Run in Sarasota next weekend, then the Run with the Nuns in St. Pete the weekend after.  Mostly for the latter, I just want the t-shirt.  Other races on the calendar include Gasparilla (5k), then I am getting into the real trail runs.

I chose two: the Long Play (I am running the half-marathon) and the Croom Fools Run (16 miles).  I am not crazy enough to try the ultras for these events.  The trails, though, should be fun and something a little different to keep me motivated.  Depending on how I am feeling about life, I may also add the River'n'Rapids again.  It's the week after the Croom Fools Run, and I don't want to be.......er........foolish.

Also, I have a new dream in life, which is to do the Keys 100 Relay.  You start in Key Largo, FL and you end in Key West, FL.  It's in May and the weather will be torture, but you can do it as a team and you have a support van.  I love everything about this idea (okay, I don't love the weather part).  Unfortunately, I am already booked for that weekend this year, but I am so totally doing it next year.  That is on.  If you want to be in my relay team, let me know.  I've already talked my stepmother into this craziness.

Apart from that, looking to get back to Crossfit soon (I had a forced hiatus because I was out of town, then the tonsillitis) and I will be taking scuba lessons starting Monday.  So keeping busy, even if not keeping at the blog.  Hopefully that we go better!

By the way, I was reminded tonight with my first treadmill run that gosh darn it, it is hot when you are not acclimatized.  You would think that I would know this by now.