100k WC 2011

100k WC 2011

Gagarin Half Finish

Gagarin Half Finish
Gagarin Half Finish

Awards Gagarin Half

Awards Gagarin Half
Awards Gagarin Half

Cosmonauts give out the awards:)

Cosmonauts give out the awards:)
Cosmonauts give out the awards

snowshoe

snowshoe

Sunday, February 24, 2013

Never Give Up!Indoor Mile Series Final 17 Feb


Never give up, yes that would describe the outcome of the indoor winter cup this year. I skipped the 1500 at the masters meet the night before to run this on fresh legs -FAST. Sitting out that 1500 turned out the be a feather in my cap. Oh, yes, and I deliberately picked lucky number 13! Last time, I got it by chance, this time you could pick a number if you registered early online and paid an extra 5 bucks that would go to helping buy sweets for the kids when they finish. Last time I got 13 and thought it funny and then kicked ass. I guess it is "lucky" indeed! I was also feeling rather PINK. I decided to go with pink and some serious flower power for fun. I came into this knowing all I had to do was show up and run so as not to give up my 2nd place overall ranking in the series. Sitting out was still risky if by chance Nadya were to beat Lena for the win this time she would knock me back to 3rd so I decided to run on fresh legs just in case. Nadya is fast as we saw back in December, but Lena is a tough cookie and has the Monster Kick From Hell. The only way I have a chance with her is to do what Coach says and pound the pace from the get go and then it's whoever can hang on. My mistake was farting around running with the ladies til 400 or so to go and then Lena would get me. If I raced these ladies in a 200 or 400 I think I'd be toast, but I can go just a tad wee bit slower and keep pounding in hopes they will drop off. 

Ok no farting around, stick to the plan go out no slower than 85-6 this time and PARK and or slightly pick up. That's just what I did. Nadya went out wicked crazy fast in 83 and I just let her. Lena was on my heels but at 300m I decided to just go and pull away. That's exactly what I did the only problem is that when I get out front, I no longer have any kind of rabbit up ahead. That's tough if you want to run a solid time. SO I just parked out in the 85/84 range on the 400s more like I was doing a workout. I was ordered not to look back this time Coach would be my eyes. After moving ahead in the first 400 he told me to surge just a little again and that did it-they dropped off. I lapped some folks along the way. I just ran the rest on autopilot to finish 8 seconds ahead of the next lady and 9 ahead of 3rd. 

Here's the shocker I never would have predicted in a million years. Nadya ran most of the race in 3rd and after looking at midrace photos, she had dropped off of Lena quite a bit too. I just assumed Lena was 2nd. Even if she's feeling like crap, she won't give in without a fight. She has a serious finishing kick. Well, Nadya also has a kick. Hell, she nearly got me back in December after Lena and I farted around way too long until practically the final 200! Nadya clipped Lena at the finish! I definitely did the right thing sitting out that 1500. They were fresh too but I don't think I could have pulled away enough from them so as not to get swallowed in the final lap had my legs been tired from an evening race the night before as I did last yr. So, now this is interesting. Lena and I both have two wins,one 2nd, and one 3rd. It's a complete tie in the standings!!! I never would have expected that! In 2010, Anna and I split 3rd place when our points were dead even. The only possible tie breaking factor would be if they looked at our 4 times from each race and gave it to whoever posted the better times. That would lean in my favor without question. Both my winning times were faster than hers were. Actually, 3 of my 4 times were faster than hers. I only had one lazy lazy run in the opening race December 1st and Lena's winning time was slower than usual because we all ran super tactical. I seriously think they will just call a tie though since that's what has happened before. Seems fair to me. The awards banquet is in 3 weeks so we shall see. 

I started running in this series in 2008 and I was still in the midst of that damn hole I had been in at the time for over a yr following a serious bronchial infection and other crap that took me out for a good year and a half. I struggled but, couldn't even break 6 at the time which for someone who without much preparation could always up and at least run a mid 5 was extremely frustrating and downright depressing. I got lapped and I got my ass kicked and handed to me on a silver platter on a regular basis. Lena used to lap me back then too. Still, Coach stuck me in these winter miles to try and get some of my speed back that was so far gone. I started moving up and even managed to finish 3rd in the standings in 2010. In the 2010-11 season I was out by default because the first race was super early in November that year-the DAY of 100K WORLDS IN GIBRALTAR!!! So, it was just going through the motions that winter and finishing behind ladies I may have challenged for a spot on the podium had I not missed the first race in the series. Last winter, I finished a solid 2nd as Lena and I spent the winter duking it out til the finish in each race. I never would have expected to continue getting faster this yr and tie for the win. Plus, this series has always been quite competitive in all the divisions.This is NOT my distance it's just a way to keep my speed from going all to hell while training for 100K Euros in April. Lena is a good middle distance runner, it's her strong spot where mine lies in the looooooooooong stuff. So there you have it, ultrarunners too have a need for speed! 




                                                                         passing Nadya at the 300  
                                                                            medals for January/February
                                              PINK ladies on the podium...and one orange:)
                                                                     lapping
                                                                   first 200 Nadya is up ahead Lena is behind me
                                                       napping and lapping just before the first 800
                                                               January medal- backside
                                                                start

                                                                 Feb medal backside



                                                        PINK!!!!!The speedy socks made me do it!


Monday, February 18, 2013

2 miXC 2-02

I've been busy as a bee with training, work, class and haven't been keeping up here too well. Anyhow, here are some pics from the 2 mi xc I won on the 2nd. I decided to go with BLUE this time and temps were just a little below freezing so I only needed the arm sleeves. Pics courtesy of SriChinmoy Russia.

The winter indoor mile cup finished on the 17th. I will post soon, but the ending was a huge surprise...
                         I love turtles and collect them.Hell, I run like one:) The organizers have a drawing     contest and this little boy made this awesome turtle!
                                                        on Coach's heels:-)




                                                          lapping....




                                                     sleeping/lapping







Monday, February 4, 2013

Indoor Mile 20 Jan-Really?!

lucky 13 ...


                                                        striped socks baby!(December run)


Yeah- no farting around this time. I don't know what got into me but I ran the first 300 with the ladies this time and saw my first 400 was going to be 87 ish(aka too slow) and just took off and ran my own pace. First 800 was not barn burning because I ran the first 300 slower (2.53) but then just dropped the hammer picking up the pace on every lap to drop the 2nd half in 2.48. Lena hung on until about 800 and she and the rest of the pack dropped off ...A LOT. I ended up winning by 14 seconds! FINALLY, I wasn't afraid to lead and just run my own damn pace with no one to hold me back. My mistake is hanging with Lena tactically all the time but getting nailed in the end because she has a better kick. Coach told me to just pound the pace from the get go and they should drop off...well that ALMOST worked in December. I moved later and Lena was able to answer. Oh, and the really cool part was I had the top time of the day across the board. Running with the 29 and under youngsters would not have helped me as top lady was only 5.46. That's not allowed anyways. Soooo the plan for the final in February is to not mess around and just run my pace from the get go. If someone goes with me, fine, but at least I will run a far better time by not sitting back and sandbagging on someone's heels. I think I just finally got sick of finishing 2nd all the time in the mile even though it's totally not my distance. I seem to be on a mission to prove ultrarunners can still be speedy too and break the stereotype that we have no leg speed for the shorter races.

Oh, and yes, it has taken me forever to find time to post because my underemployment is over and I have now picked up a couple more kiddies, so I am booked now in my afternoon/eve time and am waitlisting the rest or referring them to other teachers. I suddenly just got bombarded with requests after the holidays. Careful what you wish for:) So my routine is now,eat,sleep, work, run study,repeat (yeah still doing correspondence classes via Uof Alaska Fairbanks). 

snowshoe

snowshoe