I've been mostly back to the grindstone in July upping the volume and getting in tough workouts. So, three days before the 2 mile xc series run, I nailed 15x800 in the mid 2.50s temp at the track read 32C-RUDE! 27C when we arrived 32 by midworkout. The next morning, I woke up and felt like hell. I had the poops most of the morning. I tried a wimpy 10k loop and the best I could do was a very wimpy nearly 7 min/km pace. Realizing this was useless, I went home. I intended to go to my evening lesson but I just got more nauseous and I couldn't be without a toilet very long so I called in sick which I very rarely ever do. I also could not eat. Black tea went down and stayed but nothing else did. I also felt like my head wanted to explode. No temperature-just feeling super crappy(no pun intended). The next morning, my headache was gone but I still wasn't up to eating much yet. I got a little oatmeal down and tried a 5k ez run. That went a little better....down to 6 min/km pace-yeah just go home and rest. I made rice and eeked down a few bites. My stomach didn't want anything so I gave up and went to my evening lesson. I was still tired now from not having had anything to eat since Wednesday(it was now Friday). I was ok when I met my student and during the lesson. About an hour after I came home, it was throw up time AGAIN;( Holy hell how am I supposed to race in the morning if I'm puking non stop and have not eaten in almost 3 days? If I sit out, yeah I could ultimately lose my lead in the series. I tried to get some juice down then just gave up and went to bed. Midnight- I woke up for one final puke session. Lovely! Back to sleep...
Saturday morning- just black tea and a few candies for "breakfast". I was afraid to try and put anything down. I also skipped the caffeine since I didn't need to invite more poop sessions. No caff, no food, and almost 4kg down left me feeling like sh!t!
Warming up before the start, I could still feel fatigue from no food for three days though my stomach seemed to be settling finally. My legs were heavy as bricks. Off we were. Some really fast girls showed up too. Anna I. was back from the winter when we took turnd beating each other. Masha was back too and we had also taken turns beating each other. First km-4 min....yeah that's craptastic and I'm also running in 6th behind 2 ppl I usually beat. First mile 6.20! WEAK SAUCE! Next km-3.51. Ok waking up a little but still feeling generally sh!tty. 4th and 5th woman were now in striking distance instead of over 100-150m ahead. With 1k to go I caught 5th and passed with 800 to go. I then gassed it as much as my dead legs could and passed 4th with about 500 to go and then hammered up the last hill ....next km 3.41...I'm not effing around now I needed the extra points for those 2 passes-eyeballs out to the finish I thought maybe 12.20 ish best case scenario-nope 12.13 and I chicked a few guys along the way! Mile 1- 6.20 mile 2 -5.53. I ended up behing Anna and Masha :-( but with another big xc PR. I was shocked since I was obviously far from 100%. OK next time it's time to think about going as close to sub 12 on dirt as I can.
Seven days later on the 14th, I did Belochka only not the marathon but the 10k. I had no plans to even make top 10 here because some seriously fast people seem to show up for the 10. I did not want to do the marathon despite the decent weather this year. After last year's disaster Coach and I decided it would be best to save my legs and my sanity and do the 10. Plus I need to have fast legs for the Zelenograd Half on the 22nd. The marathon, even run nice and snail slow, can dull my speed for 7-10 days. Luba Denisova was back for this one as were a couple other top ladies and Oksana B, the Luzhniki Half winner. Lena M who usually kicks my butt in shorter races ie the mile was here as was Anna I and Masha M. (who kicked my ass in the 2 mile last week).
This is NOT a fast course. it's a combo of dirt, paved trail, more dirt, and singletrack before you hit the stadium for the finish. You also have to go out fast to avoid getting boxed in because nearly 300 people have to squeeze through a narrow gate exiting the stadium after the start and you do not want to be caught up in the clusterf#ck. I do not like going out fast but I had to and I pushed to maintain that which was a hell of a lot harder than going out easier and building. I knew Luba 2 other girls and Oksana were up there but wasn't sure where Lena and Anna or others were. 5km in I passed masha who dropped back only a little. I figured Anna had to be up there too somewhere. I ran with a group of guys and they pulled me along. with about 800 to go I hit the singletrack heading for the stadium knowing masha was not far back at all I needed to get to the stadium first and go all out to open that gap or she'd get me. 200 to go and I hit the stadium first with Masha close behind. All out final 200 37 sec....I finished with Masha a second behind. As we were walking it off, we saw Anna enter the stadium (really?! are you kidding me I thought she had finished). I asked her where Lena was as I figured she had already finished...no Anna told me she was still out there( seriously? how could that be?). I was actually waiting for her to catch up to me and outkick me in the last K or so that's why I thought she was further up since I never saw her. She finished almost 2 min behind Masha and I. I ended up 5th overall and 2nd to Oksana in our age group. Oksana was 4th. Masha asked me if I was 20 yet thinking I was at the low end of her age group...A+ for humor, girl. She wanted to know if she'd placed in the 20-34 group. I said, "Well Luba won and she's 41, 2 and 3 are early 20 smthgs, Oksana is 37 and a few months my junior, so I think you got 3rd!" Yes, I run better when I can keep food down!
Side note- the course was well marked this yr. I think the organizers got tons of complaints last yr and did a better job this time around.
pic- Masha Shalneva
finish coming off singletrack
Saturday morning- just black tea and a few candies for "breakfast". I was afraid to try and put anything down. I also skipped the caffeine since I didn't need to invite more poop sessions. No caff, no food, and almost 4kg down left me feeling like sh!t!
Warming up before the start, I could still feel fatigue from no food for three days though my stomach seemed to be settling finally. My legs were heavy as bricks. Off we were. Some really fast girls showed up too. Anna I. was back from the winter when we took turnd beating each other. Masha was back too and we had also taken turns beating each other. First km-4 min....yeah that's craptastic and I'm also running in 6th behind 2 ppl I usually beat. First mile 6.20! WEAK SAUCE! Next km-3.51. Ok waking up a little but still feeling generally sh!tty. 4th and 5th woman were now in striking distance instead of over 100-150m ahead. With 1k to go I caught 5th and passed with 800 to go. I then gassed it as much as my dead legs could and passed 4th with about 500 to go and then hammered up the last hill ....next km 3.41...I'm not effing around now I needed the extra points for those 2 passes-eyeballs out to the finish I thought maybe 12.20 ish best case scenario-nope 12.13 and I chicked a few guys along the way! Mile 1- 6.20 mile 2 -5.53. I ended up behing Anna and Masha :-( but with another big xc PR. I was shocked since I was obviously far from 100%. OK next time it's time to think about going as close to sub 12 on dirt as I can.
Seven days later on the 14th, I did Belochka only not the marathon but the 10k. I had no plans to even make top 10 here because some seriously fast people seem to show up for the 10. I did not want to do the marathon despite the decent weather this year. After last year's disaster Coach and I decided it would be best to save my legs and my sanity and do the 10. Plus I need to have fast legs for the Zelenograd Half on the 22nd. The marathon, even run nice and snail slow, can dull my speed for 7-10 days. Luba Denisova was back for this one as were a couple other top ladies and Oksana B, the Luzhniki Half winner. Lena M who usually kicks my butt in shorter races ie the mile was here as was Anna I and Masha M. (who kicked my ass in the 2 mile last week).
This is NOT a fast course. it's a combo of dirt, paved trail, more dirt, and singletrack before you hit the stadium for the finish. You also have to go out fast to avoid getting boxed in because nearly 300 people have to squeeze through a narrow gate exiting the stadium after the start and you do not want to be caught up in the clusterf#ck. I do not like going out fast but I had to and I pushed to maintain that which was a hell of a lot harder than going out easier and building. I knew Luba 2 other girls and Oksana were up there but wasn't sure where Lena and Anna or others were. 5km in I passed masha who dropped back only a little. I figured Anna had to be up there too somewhere. I ran with a group of guys and they pulled me along. with about 800 to go I hit the singletrack heading for the stadium knowing masha was not far back at all I needed to get to the stadium first and go all out to open that gap or she'd get me. 200 to go and I hit the stadium first with Masha close behind. All out final 200 37 sec....I finished with Masha a second behind. As we were walking it off, we saw Anna enter the stadium (really?! are you kidding me I thought she had finished). I asked her where Lena was as I figured she had already finished...no Anna told me she was still out there( seriously? how could that be?). I was actually waiting for her to catch up to me and outkick me in the last K or so that's why I thought she was further up since I never saw her. She finished almost 2 min behind Masha and I. I ended up 5th overall and 2nd to Oksana in our age group. Oksana was 4th. Masha asked me if I was 20 yet thinking I was at the low end of her age group...A+ for humor, girl. She wanted to know if she'd placed in the 20-34 group. I said, "Well Luba won and she's 41, 2 and 3 are early 20 smthgs, Oksana is 37 and a few months my junior, so I think you got 3rd!" Yes, I run better when I can keep food down!
Side note- the course was well marked this yr. I think the organizers got tons of complaints last yr and did a better job this time around.
pic- Masha Shalneva
