The Quadruple Dipsea
The Quad Dipsea (http://quad-dipsea.com/index.html) is the Double X 2. (28.6 miles) The route is Mill Valley to Stinson beach and back. and REPEAT.
Why am I even telling you this since I wrote in my last post that doing the Quad was not something I wanted to do? Well. Things changed.
Even after running the Double, I continued to run on the trails in Muir Woods. Time passed and we got into September. I was having so much fun out here that I thought well, I’ll just see if i can still sign up. NOPE. The race was already sold out. I think they only allow 350 runners. I got on the wait list and continued to run and train on the exact trails. Specificity is everything! How lucky i am to live in such an amazing place as NorCal and run on these fantastic and wonderful trails. The beauty is simply awe-some and tremendous.
I was #34 on the wait list. Then I was #32. #29. #15. #12. #4. And then, I was IN. YES!
I had been training a lot but I was also feeling pressed on the time and miles I felt I needed to feel strong about going into the race. I did all the training i felt i could do, in a smart way, and I just had to let the chips fall where they may. The training was equally challenging and rewarding. It’s never easy on those trails. As many times as I run up the stairs or the hills, it’s never easier. I get better, faster, but it does not necessarily feel easier. I will tell you this…IT IS FUN. I was having so much fun out there…loving it even more so if we got any kind of rain or showers or mist or fog. I feel so free out there. I was encapsulated by nature and I was in heaven.
My longest training run was a double (14 miles) and this was during a week I had already run 10 miles and then 12. So a good week out there with almost 36 miles and over 11k of elevation change. Even though I felt good, there was this lingering feeling like maybe IT WASN’T ENOUGH. Maybe the longest i should have gone was 20/21. But, I had already made my decision that i could not smartly fit that in…so…
2 weeks later on Nov 26th was race day. I woke up and I was not very excited to race and I was shocked at that feeling. it was very wet and rainy out but that didn’t bother me at all…it was something else and i had a hard time shaking it. Even the night prior, I simply was not in get-race-ready-mode mentality. Anyways…i went thru my usual morning routine and headed to the race start. I became a lil more excited as I arrived and got ready to hit the trails.
In a light drizzle, we headed off and up the stairs. Super packed to begin and hard to move well. This continued on for about the first 2 miles. By mile 4, I knew something was not right with me and my body, specifically my legs. They were tight, tired and felt like I had little to no lift. NOT the way I wanted to feel especially today. My feelings ranged from surprise to anger to confusion to disappointment. Then for the next 8 miles or so, I went back and forth in my head: should i even finish this thing today? maybe i should just do half. No, you can’t do half! You can finish. You already did a half. If you don’t finish think of how disappointed you will be. Can you deal with that. No, No…i can finish. Ugh. Thinking like this ruined me mentally.
I was not having fun, i was in my freaking head!! All my work and fun on the trails was slipping from me and i was pissed off. And, my legs just had absolutely abandoned me. I had so little in them and that little bit was falling away with each mile. As I came down the stairs and into Old Mill Park at the turn around site, I saw my pal,Tim, cheerfully waiting for me.
After a few words with him, I decided I would not continue…that it simply made no sense to try. ..that today was just not my day. I told the time keepers of my decision. Tim went on with his plans for his day and i changed my clothes, got some food and went home. I was pretty damn dejected.
At the turn around point which would be my finish line today.
What's Possible... 