Wednesday, October 21, 2009

Looking back and looking ahead...

It has been a ... different... race season for me this year.

MOMAR was my last race of the season and I have been enjoying a couple of weeks of unorganized play...which helps my mind more than my body I think.

Being as competitive as I am, I couldn't pass up a little cross-training competition last weekend, however. So, I dug deep and entered new territory in my first 'Pie Making Contest' at the Cumberland Harvest Fair.

Although I had only made 1 pie before considering this competition I had 2 weeks and an Obsessive Compulsive Disorder on my side.

Seems my off season is leading me to even bigger purse prizes than my racing season did this year... Cause I managed to snake 2nd place at the Pie of the Year contest!!! Woot woot!


Hideous but memorable...

Mmmmmm just like moms apple pie with a cinnamon sugar top:)
But SERIOUSLY I have been thinking about 2009 and starting to plan for 2010...cause what would I do if I didn't have a goal to reach for? Probably sit on the couch and eat pie...HA!
2009 started with high hopes for new PR's and all that jazz.
I began the season focussed on improving my running speed and hill climbing strength. Weeks and months of interval training showed me that I was getting faster. Yippee!
Then I signed up for the Full Moon in June 36hour adventure race and the volume of our training sessions ramped up to full weekends of back to back 8 hour days.
I raced MOMAR in Squamish and snagged first place after an epic climb up the Chief. This was a great training weekend for FMIJ and I was feeling super fit and fresh after the MOMAR.
FMIJ did not go as planned but we had a great time DNFing:)
Then I got careless.
I ran too fast and too hard after FMIJ and didn't get the recovery time I should have.
I flared up my compartment syndrome and it lasted a full 3 weeks. Really, it has been under the surface since then...late June.
I ran out of healing time and sadly had to pull out of KUSAM- my A race for 2009.
After accepting my fate I kinda rebelled and then I decided to just have fun and do the things I wanted to do!
I raced the 12 hours of Cumberland bike race...
I ran/trekked the JDF trail...
I rode my bike megga...
I went for hikes...
Ended up PRing in the Log Train Trail Race in August somehow... but reflared up my legs and strained both my calves in the process...
So I kinda stopped training for the run...cause my legs were always sore or needing rest.
After holidays on the beach it was MOMAR and time for a rude awakening on the trek...my legs were not keen or trained to run UP or DOWN steep mountains. But I made them anyways. And they were not happy.
So, I was less fit at the end of my race season then I was at the start it seems.
My mom always said you can't cry over spilt milk and now I say 'it is what it is' which is pretty much the same thing.
There are always lessons to be learned...and as you very well know the farther you fall the more you learn:)
2010...what awaits? More bike races and running races...probably not any multi-day adventure races but more individuals events... More races to keep me fit and fast and to keep things fun.
Let's start with the Yeti in January shall we?
Stay tuned!
SS


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