With no races on the horizon since late spring due to Covid, running has more or less been about consistency and getting out the door as I work towards my goal of 2,100+ miles this year, and just enjoying the miles. I've gotten in a handful of 20 milers, but most of my "long runs" have been 15 miles, which seemed to me a reasonable amount of miles and time to be out there maintaining my endurance without just running long to run long. I don't mind long runs but I feel no need to run 20+ miles just for fun. Those runs for me have to have a real reason, and that reason tends to be a race.
So when I signed up to complete the TMR UXBBA challenge - run all three dirt races at one time, in a row - I figured that might give me the impetus to actually get in a few late summer/early fall 20 milers. Well, it worked for one run but the rest just ended up being 15 😆 I knew logically that I could complete the 27 miles, so I suppose I just couldn't fool myself into thinking I needed too much training for it 😉 That still didn't mean I wasn't anxious about it. I tried twice last weekend to get myself out the door to Brad for the run, but just couldn't quite stomach it. So I sent out a request to the ladies to see if they might want to join me for some or all of the Bruiser this Friday. Having company always makes the miles easier!
Keri and Anne were out, but both Mindy and Val agreed to meet up with me. Yay! Running is always better with friends 😃
I planned to meet them in the lot at 10:00 am, so worked backwards from there and set off right at 6:45 am to start the Scuffle. It was a nice, relatively cool morning, the sun was shining and the foliage was turning. It really was lovely, if very dry and dusty, out there on the trails. The Scuffle was uneventful. I know the course well and just ambled along. Came back through the start/finish area in 1:10. While my fastest UXBBA was 5:31 back in 2017, I am most definitely not in that kind of shape right now, so I wasn't planning on pushing the miles, just moving consistently to get them done.
Then it was off to the mountain side for the Breaker. While I love running on Tote and Northern Loop, the Boundary is most definitely not my favorite and the stretch of the course from the bottom of the lower parking lot up the Summit trail to the top definitely makes you work for it, not to mention having to do it twice! Nothing quick about these miles, but the view from the summit was nice and the trails were quiet, so I just kept on trucking. Finished up just in time, with my watch reading 15.39 miles and 3:12 by the time I got back down to the lot to meet Mindy and Val.
It was great to have company for the Bruiser miles! I was feeling pretty decent, but being able to catch up while we ran along and just follow their feet was so nice. Plus it was a lot of fun to hear about their 100 Mile Wilderness crew adventure while they followed Bucky and Brian last weekend. Mindy bowed out about 6 miles in, but Val continued on with me. She said she'd run me through the O but I was going to have to run Bat Cave by myself. Ha! I guess we all have our own nemesis trails out there 😅
We definitely slowed down in the O. It is just such a sinewy, twisty, rooty mess of a trail that it's hard to get into a rhythm. I was really grateful to have Val leading the way. Ran out of water with about a mile and a half to go, and the trail just seemed to go on and on and on. But finally, we popped back out, ran the final flat stretch to the finish area and ta da! UXBBA complete! I had earned my hoodie 😀
The watch read 27.1 miles and 5:52 moving time/6:06 total time. I'll take it!
Then it was off to Wild Oats for some food and multiple cupcakes 😂😋
If I'm counting correctly I had 8 gels and one flask full of Gu Roctane Summit Tea, so probably a bit shy on calories but I felt pretty good overall.
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