Mézières 2012

I was unfamiliar with this weeks leg of the Tour du pays de Vaud in Mézières, so I read about the course here. Yet I still wasn't prepared for the race to be as hard as it was. Besides the challenging terrain, it was very hot and muggy. I was sweating just standing at the starting line with the other 900 runners. I doubt anyone had followed the advice on the Tour website suggesting runners who don't handle the heat well take this week off. I started near the front to get ahead of the bottleneck that was sure to form as we entered the woods, but so many people passed me over the first mile that I had to slow to a walk on the first steep, single-file climb. Husband, who had started farther back, caught up with me when we got to the fields. We dodged gopher holes and cow patties together until I told him to go on at his own pace. By the time I got back to the paved road I didn't care who else passed me. My goal was to make it up the last hill before the finish line without walking. At least I did managed that.

We have to skip next week's race, so by the time Saint-Prex rolls around we should be enjoying cooler weather. If not, at least there we can jump in the lake!

Gotta run...

Genolier 2012

Since I have trouble finding people in a crowd, I told my friends, "You can't miss me, I'll be wearing my florescent orange running shirt to this week's leg of the Tour du pays de Vaud." It worked; everyone found me, even the sponsor who had given me the shirt. He said, "Come by my booth, I have something for you." I went over and he handed me a pair of fancy running socks to thank me for "advertising" for him! I was a winner before the race even started!

As for the 8.5K itself, the course was just the opposite of last week's; downhill on the first half and uphill on the second. Not my cup of tea. At least most of the runners passing me seemed to be younger than I am. Even though I ran a minute slower than two years ago in Genolier, my rank didn't change; so I choose to be satisfied.

On to Mézières.

Gotta run...

Penthaz 2012

This year’s Tour du Pays de Vaud (a series of five 8.5K races held on consecutive Wednesday evenings) started off in Penthaz. I had shin splints last summer and had to forgo the Tour, so the Penthaz leg, added last year, was new to me. From the elevation profile and Husband’s description of the course, I knew the first half would be the hardest. As soon as we started running I knew the heat would slow me down too. Even though I pushed as hard as I could, I was getting steadily passed. I let up some on the flat and downhill stretches to avoid passing out. When I made the last sharp turn less than a kilometer from the finish line, I was rewarded with a magnificent view of Mont Blanc in the distance. I could also see the last steep hill to climb. I had saved just enough energy to power up it and pass a few runners. Since I had no reference time, I didn’t know whether to be satisfied with my time or not, but I was quite pleased with my rank in my age group.

On to Genolier!

Gotta run…

To each his own

I didn’t know orange was the color of this year’s camp t-shirts when I packed my florescent orange running shirt in order to be more visible on the narrow, winding, country roads of Ardèche, France, where our camp is held. I also took that particular running shirt along because orange has always been one of my favorite colors (from the time my mom first let me pick out clothes, to the color scheme chosen for my freshman dorm room).

I was excited to win the florescent shirt by placing in the tower race in May because I had given away an identical shirt, won the previous year, to a fellow orange lover. But not everyone is partial to orange. The race sponsor told me he had got complaints about the shirt, and one of my friends said she can hardly stand to look in my direction when I’m wearing it. At least drivers can't miss me!

Gotta run…

Empathy

A few weeks ago, having woke up extra early, Husband said, "lets go for a run before it gets too hot." I didn't feel like going, but to have some time together I did. I figured that after the first mile or so I would be happy to be out there. It never happened. I was miserable every step. It was a first for me. I realized that this is what my friends who only run to stay fit, or to spend time with their husband, experience all the time! Why would you do it? Fortunately, it hasn't happened again and I hope it never will.

Gotta run...

Perspective

M.W. came over recently and we ran my regular 8K route together. M. W. said she was enjoying the lovely course going out, but I said, “just wait till we head back.” Some people find out-and-back routes boring, but not me. We turned around at 4K and there were the mountains, the lake, the sequoias. Wow! They were there all along, we just couldn’t see them. It’s amazing how you can be in the same place, but have such a different perspective. Once you make an about-face, so much changes. Isn’t life like that?

Gotta run…

A travers Romanel 2012

Husband, Son 2 and I were all three signed up for last Friday evening's 10K until we realized they had a previous engagement. Two of the Oklahoma State students staying with us this month went with me instead. Neighbor gave us a ride to Romanel and we milled around with the other runners till race time. We were fortunate with the weather, just like last year. I had looked up my time from last year, so that's what I was shooting for. I ran the first of the three laps right on target, but knew it would be difficult to keep up the pace. Even though I was 30 seconds slower on the second lap, I caught up with the same young woman on the downhill portion of the course as I had passed the first time around. I told her to lean into the slope to gain ground. She followed my advice and was able to keep up with me. I didn't catch up with her on my third and slowest lap, but saw her overtake two other women in the distance. At the finish line she came up to me to thank me for the tip. For me, that made up for being so much slower than last year.

The two Okies hadn't really known what to expect and hadn't trained for the run, but were pleased with their Swiss racing experience. By the next morning I was pleased with my race too, because I realized I had looked up the wrong race results for last year. Not only was I only 6 seconds off last year's time, but I also placed second in my age group!

Gotta run...