Fun stuff to come

You can tell by the way I walk...
First things first, I did my first set of running drills last night. Alone, hidden away in the dark in a place where no street lights reached, I did the "Funky Walk", some kinds of funny skips, and marched bringing first one knee high for a length, then the other, then both. I had one minor heart attack when I thought I saw someone stretching in the blackness, but it turned out to be just the sleds that football players use to practice tackling. (Not that that's a clue as to where the undisclosed location of my Speedy Laboratories is. Maybe I made that detail up to throw you off the scent.) I learned a few things as I hopped, marched and skipped:

• First: I do not have the coordination to be a prima ballerina. No surprise there.
• Second: Doing Silly Walks is hard work! My hip flexors were burning, I was out of breath after half-marching less than the length of a swimming pool, and I was even sweating a bit in the thirty-something degree weather.
• Third: Have I mentioned I will never be a prima ballerina?
• Fourth: I was more sore after 20 minutes of drills than I usually am after running an hour and a half of hard intervals.
  

After about 15 or 20 minutes of drills I went for a 3-mile easy run. I tried shifting my focus from one aspect of my running form to another throughout the run. I thought about keeping my hips under me (a chronic problem of mine), driving the knee up (something necessary if you plan on picking your legs up off the ground for sexy race photos), and cocking the foot on the recovery leg. I could tell my form was better because my foot turnover picked up, I spent less time on the ground, and I was striking the ground mid-foot rather than heel first. I tried to imagine how sexy I looked while running, which took a LOT of imagination when I was wearing 3 layers and a geeky head lamp. While I was sexy running I noticed that it took about 10 seconds per mile off my pace, but while my breathing (and probably heartrate) stayed the same, I felt like I was spending a lot more energy keeping myself in this sexy pose with my knees bent and abs tight. This had better help me get a 6-pack and a Tour de France ass by summer!

What's next?
As you may have noticed, I've curtailed my racing recently in order to save money to go to France in May. As a result, my weekends have been more boring, my blog posts have been shorter, and I haven't been taking advantage of the gas prices being lower than they have been since my first year of college. In order for me to show up, the event is going to have to be pretty damned special. Still, I have three events on my horizon before Disney.

1. The first is the Wild Turkey 5 Mile Road Race in Salem on Thanksgiving day. I did this race last year, and ran uncharacteristically hard. I want to see how my times this year will compare to last year. Also, they have a good t-shirt, and I need more long-sleeved tech tees.

2. The second race, held the Saturday after Thanksgiving, is slightly more exciting to the general public. I know everyone's told me to quit running 50K's if I want to get faster, but this one I just couldn't resist. First off, it's in the woods less than a mile from my house, and I know the trails relatively well. The terrain will be far, far more challenging than any trail race I've done so far, with lots of roots, rocks, slippery surfaces, and at least one spot where you have to jump off a 5-foot rock face. (To read a description of one of my runs on this trail with pictures, read here).

Knowing the trail, I would never consider signing up to run more than once around this 8ish-mile course, but it seemed pretty low-key, with the "ultra" option being "either" 24, 32, or 40 miles. Also, when I started poking around the web site, it was the funniest race web site I've ever read. I just had to sign up.

First of all, there's the course description:

1. basically you go 0.5 miles straight till you get on the white loop ( Skyline trail)

2. the single one place where you get on and off the white blaze loop will be VERY well marked

3. You do the loop in any direction you want ( 7 miles)

4. After every loop you MUST get back to the car ( another 0.5 miles)

c. "Complaints of getting lost will be laughed at"

"Complaints of getting lost will be laughed at." This is my kind of race, even though I DO have a penchant for getting lost.

And then there's the exclusivity of the event. The race is capped at 50 participants, and to keep extra people from showing up, this is their plan:
because we can not accommodate too many racers, start location will be disclosed the night before the race - that is why you need to be on the email list.

And then the rules:
Rules:

a. Runners MUST GO back to start area after every loop and write down your name and approximate time

b. honor system -- there are about 2 possible shortcuts -- people caught off the white Skyline trail ( on shortcuts) will be posted on this website ( in disgrace , of course :-) (Yes!!! I love this punishment, no DQ. Instead you will be put in the stocks of the web site for people to throw rotten fruit in your face and pinch your bottom! It makes me want to cheat just to be put on the web site in disgrace.)

c. Absolutely no dogs, we have no permits, we don't know who does not like dogs (Claire doesn't like dogs!!!), no dog medical history ... and so forth (Thank god, I have a dog phobia and HATE running into dogs on this trail. They're supposed to be on a leash, but no one pays attention and I always wind up getting scared shitless by a dog running at me with a nasty snarl, or having a whole parade of pooches chasing after me.)

d. warn hikers and bikers and other people well before you pass them ...

e. Runners MUST HAVE trail running shoes, NO road running shoes - trail will likely be wet and slippery

f. The point in and out of the loop will be very well marked

And just when I thought it couldn't get any better, I went to sign up and read the waiver:
RELEASE OF LIABILITY Also known as ASSUMPTION OF RISKS -- Trail running can cause or lead to injury, mental or emotional trauma, illness, paralysis, disability, death. -- Weather (usually cruel wet and cold), elevation, length, not paying attention and getting lost will make this a painful DNF for many ... many ... many MANY racers. -- You can break something -like a hand, a leg, both hands and/or legs, hip bones. -- You can break your neck or your spine and be paralyzed. -- You can fell [sic], get wounded and bleed to death. -- You can lose one or both eyes, become paralyzed or disabled. -- You can get dehydrated if you do not drink water and electrolyte drinks. -- Bad things can also happen when you train for this race, when you drive towards this race or after you leave the race. So you know that trail or mountain running is not safe. And you do this voluntarily and knowing all these risks. And you are physically fit and mentally fit and you trained properly for this race. And you know that because of the remote location the medical care will be very limited or non existent. You agree not to hold liable or sue 1. Bogie (Bogdan Dumitrescu) or any of the people or entities or companies that helped me and that are involved 2. in regard to all claims, liabilities or for any injury, damage, death or other loss. Also you are aware that if you drop out you have to have enough cash with you to be able to call a cab. Volunteers will happily give me a ride AFTER the aid stations are closed ( if this is the case). I HAVE CAREFULLY READ, UNDERSTAND AND VOLUNTARILY SIGN THIS DOCUMENT AND ACKNOWLEDGE THAT IT SHALL BE EFFECTIVE AND BINDING UPON ME, MY MINOR CHILDREN AND OTHER FAMILY MEMBERS, AND MY HEIRS, EXECUTORS, REPRESENTATIVES AND ESTATE.
3. And finally, the Santa Speedo Run in Boston in December. Need I say more?