The Maze 10k trail run 2019 race report.
Been a while since I wrote a race report! Been a while since I did a race. I guess it was IMAZ, huh? Then I took some time off running to try to make my hamstring stop hurting. Then I took time off swimming to make my hamstring stop hurting. And riding my tri bike. But my hamstring still hurt. So finally I went to the doctor, determined via MRI that I had no terrible ailment that I was going to make worse, and started PT for hamstring tendonitis, probably.
And that's where I still am. It's pretty okay, as long as I don't sit. But I do a lot of sitting. So I'm doing PT and trying to sit less, and easing back into running and swimming. I have a swimrun in mid-April. Gotta swim and run.
So I've been doing 2-3 runs a week, 3-4 miles a run. It's not Ironman training, but it's more than nothing. And since my swimrun will be trail running, I've been trying to get in a couple trail runs. And since it's the beginning of trail running season, why not do a supported trail run? And since Matt has done both my trail runs so far this season with me, why not both of us go out and do the Maze 10k?
Oh, the main reason, I suppose, would be those two 4 mile trail runs would be 2/3 of the ONLY runs Matt has done this year. Or.. since March of last year. He's just coming out of a lengthy run hiatus, and jumping up to a 10k moderately hilly trail run is asking a lot. But that's how he rolls.
He told me I could go do my own thing and we'd meet up at the end, but my only needs from this run were: get in a supported longer trail run, continue trying to break in my new trail shoes, and do a minimal amount of hamstring-angering. Which means I had no pace goals at all, which meant I was happy to just let Matt set our pace and run through the woods chatting.
Which is exactly what we did.
We were afraid that the weather was going to be super humid and in the 60s, sort of like it was for Karen last year, and were hoping that the polar front that was supposed to move through would hopefully move through during the race. It looked like it would move through later in the day. But as raceday approached, they kept moving the cold earlier and earlier until it never really got warm as they'd predicted, and race morning hit with low 40s and a stiff, cold north wind. Which was miserable as we sat around waiting to run, and pretty much perfect once we got into the woods and started running.
We started fairly far back, knowing we'd be going slow, and so we had some walking in the first mile due to congestion. I ended up leading once things broke apart a bit, and quickly moved back behind Matt so he could set our pace. Which maybe he got caught up in the excitement of being at a race again, and went out a little fast.
Things went well for the first two or so miles, then Matt's foot started to fall asleep. He was also wearing new shoes, and was very undertrained, and neither of us had done any appreciable hills, up or down. So not really surprising that some part of his body would object. And then he started having compensatory problems in his back because of running strangely because of his foot. Which meant we ended up walking more than he would have liked, but every time he'd apologize, I'd say I had no pace goals, I was just out to have fun in the woods with my best friend.
And so we trekked through the woods, we ran through the creek, we chatted about everything and nothing, and said hi to random friends out on the course.
In the last 2 miles, Matt's foot finally woke up and his back started feeling better, so we picked up the pace a lot for those miles. We finally hit our stride, and finished up strong and feeling good.
Overall it did exactly what I needed it to do. It got me a longer run without having to plan out a route. I got another run in with my new Hoka Speedgoats. I learned I need to do some more shorter runs in my new shoes, because they definitely feel different than my other various Hokas, and put more pull on my plantars. That may be where I end up being the more sore, if I get DOMS from this race. And then when that fades, I'm sure it'll be my hamstring that is the most sore. But mostly my hamstring behaved. It helped that we walked some of the hills, up and down. Much gentler on my hamstring. And I got to hang out in nature with Matt, which is one of my most favorite things to do.
Then we came home and napped with the dogs, which is another of my most favorite things to do.
I'm hoping to stay consistent with my running and do the next race in the Rogue trail series in 4 weeks.
And that's where I still am. It's pretty okay, as long as I don't sit. But I do a lot of sitting. So I'm doing PT and trying to sit less, and easing back into running and swimming. I have a swimrun in mid-April. Gotta swim and run.
So I've been doing 2-3 runs a week, 3-4 miles a run. It's not Ironman training, but it's more than nothing. And since my swimrun will be trail running, I've been trying to get in a couple trail runs. And since it's the beginning of trail running season, why not do a supported trail run? And since Matt has done both my trail runs so far this season with me, why not both of us go out and do the Maze 10k?
Oh, the main reason, I suppose, would be those two 4 mile trail runs would be 2/3 of the ONLY runs Matt has done this year. Or.. since March of last year. He's just coming out of a lengthy run hiatus, and jumping up to a 10k moderately hilly trail run is asking a lot. But that's how he rolls.
He told me I could go do my own thing and we'd meet up at the end, but my only needs from this run were: get in a supported longer trail run, continue trying to break in my new trail shoes, and do a minimal amount of hamstring-angering. Which means I had no pace goals at all, which meant I was happy to just let Matt set our pace and run through the woods chatting.
Which is exactly what we did.
We were afraid that the weather was going to be super humid and in the 60s, sort of like it was for Karen last year, and were hoping that the polar front that was supposed to move through would hopefully move through during the race. It looked like it would move through later in the day. But as raceday approached, they kept moving the cold earlier and earlier until it never really got warm as they'd predicted, and race morning hit with low 40s and a stiff, cold north wind. Which was miserable as we sat around waiting to run, and pretty much perfect once we got into the woods and started running.
We started fairly far back, knowing we'd be going slow, and so we had some walking in the first mile due to congestion. I ended up leading once things broke apart a bit, and quickly moved back behind Matt so he could set our pace. Which maybe he got caught up in the excitement of being at a race again, and went out a little fast.
Things went well for the first two or so miles, then Matt's foot started to fall asleep. He was also wearing new shoes, and was very undertrained, and neither of us had done any appreciable hills, up or down. So not really surprising that some part of his body would object. And then he started having compensatory problems in his back because of running strangely because of his foot. Which meant we ended up walking more than he would have liked, but every time he'd apologize, I'd say I had no pace goals, I was just out to have fun in the woods with my best friend.
And so we trekked through the woods, we ran through the creek, we chatted about everything and nothing, and said hi to random friends out on the course.
In the last 2 miles, Matt's foot finally woke up and his back started feeling better, so we picked up the pace a lot for those miles. We finally hit our stride, and finished up strong and feeling good.
Overall it did exactly what I needed it to do. It got me a longer run without having to plan out a route. I got another run in with my new Hoka Speedgoats. I learned I need to do some more shorter runs in my new shoes, because they definitely feel different than my other various Hokas, and put more pull on my plantars. That may be where I end up being the more sore, if I get DOMS from this race. And then when that fades, I'm sure it'll be my hamstring that is the most sore. But mostly my hamstring behaved. It helped that we walked some of the hills, up and down. Much gentler on my hamstring. And I got to hang out in nature with Matt, which is one of my most favorite things to do.
Then we came home and napped with the dogs, which is another of my most favorite things to do.
I'm hoping to stay consistent with my running and do the next race in the Rogue trail series in 4 weeks.