This past weekend, I completed the Sutter Buttes Spirit Mountain Half Marathon in 2:21:54.
It's the first organized race i've done since Napa. Being saddled with injuries and an overall lack of motivation, i've been pretty listless with my running over the past year. It felt good to finally look forward to a goal, and gratifying to actually accomplish it.
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| Yes, i know i probably should have shaved. |
To be perfectly honest, i was initially appalled at my finishing time, and even moreso at my age group place. My main excuses for being so slow and low are that this was "just another long run" that i didn't really train for, and that the small field was probably comprised of seasoned runners itching to do an in-person race in the time of COVID (i.e. no weekend warriors). Probably.
One thing i had trouble comprehending is why i finished 12 minutes slower than the Modesto Half (2:10:38). Then i realized that it's really not a fair comparison: i ran Modesto close to the end of a marathon training cycle (in preparation for Big Sur), and already had 3 months worth of hills, tempo runs, and Yasso 800s under the hood. Additionally, i've been dealing with Achilles tendonitis in my left foot for close to a year now. I haven't exactly figured out the cause and cure, but now that i'm paying closer attention to my running form and stopped wearing the NB 1080s altogether, it feels a lot better.
Nutrition may also be an issue. Within few months of the pandemic hitting, i reverted to my bottom-feeder ways of old: consuming all sorts of junk, drinking soda all the time, and just on the whole not paying attention to what i ate. This had everything to do with COVID and was part of the fatalistic attitude i had adopted: since i assumed that i was going to die from COVID anyway, then i should just go ahead and eat the donuts. My mind was in a really dark place most of the time and consuming the junk provided a measure of solace. Well, after receiving the vaccine earlier this year, my outlook has brightened considerably, and i have slowly been putting my nutritional house back in order. Maybe i'll start running better once i start fueling properly again.
Speaking of fueling, i'm currently reading "Natural Born Heroes" by Christopher McDougall and am at the part where he talks about the principle of "fat-as-fuel." This seems consistent with my previous decision to not take in any calories during long runs. Since this race was basically just a long run, i carbo-loaded a bit before, but didn't consume any calories during. It seems to work, as i don't really get hungry during my long runs, never "bonked" during this race, and only noticed a little bit of lactic acid burn when i pushed the pace at mile 12. This went away during the walk break. Perhaps i should cut out the pre-race carbo-loading as well.
Despite my self-flagellation, i'm really happy that i was able to get out and run. The main reason of course for the lack of organized races is the ongoing pandemic. I was initially a little apprehensive about participating, but i figured that a) it was a small race anyway, and b) i'm already vaccinated, so the risk of contracting/transmitting the virus should be low. In addition, i haven't been exposed to any COVID cases at work this past month (yay!), so in my own mental calculus i had zero chances of being an asymptomatic carrier.
That being said, i don't know if the participants and volunteers at this event had the same thought process. There was nary a mask in sight. So out of an overabundance of caution, i wore a gaiter over my nose and mouth whenever i was in a crowd.
RACE NOTES:
1. There was no expo. Packet pickup was on the day before and the day of. Since it was such a small event (reportedly less than 200 runners for all 3 races), i basically just walked up to the desk that same morning and got my packet 30 minutes before the start. The goodie bag had the usual assortment of snacks, etc. The small field also translated into lots of available parking and no crowds to speak of.
2. The weather was ok. Mid 50s at the start, and about mid 60s at the finish. There was very little shade along the course (zero shade when we went though the little mountain range). I had a nice tailwind going out, which subsequently translated into a decent headwind coming back.
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| At the turnaround. Pretty sparse crowd, which is fine by me. |
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| The requisite selfie at the highest point of the course. |
3. The course, which goes through the "smallest mountain range in the world," was a simple out and back. There was some farmland at the beginning, but most of it goes in between the mountains and is pleasant to look at. There was only one major climb (two, because you get to do it twice) of maybe 200 feet. This was about mile 4 out and 9 back.
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| A random... zebra? I'll be honest, I did spend at least a minute trying to get a good picture of this thing. |
4. There were only four aid stations (seven since you turn around), at approximately miles 1.5, 2.5, 4, 6.2, 8.4, 9.9, and 10.9 (if i did the math right). They had water and Gatorade. Even though there were only a few to a station, the volunteers were very enthusiastic and encouraging.
5. Snacks and water were handed out that the finish. Trail mix, a bagel, cream cheese, fruit, and a granola bar. Decent, IMHO.
I'd do it again.
Next stop (maybe): Salt Lake City.
