Headed to Hennepin Week 5 and WFG Xtreme 10 Recap

Week 5 of training for the Hennepin Hundred also coincided with the Waterfall Glen Xtreme 10 race I run yearly. I haven't missed the race in 5 years, and while each July I always worry about my fitness level, I keep coming back. Not only did I have a solid week of training, but I also had a great race.

My coach kept things easy for me, so my mileage this week was low again. I ran some easy miles on Monday, which was a fun firefly sunset run with friends, and then a fartlek workout to get my legs moving and generate some leg speed. I was experiencing some tight hamstrings this week, so I switched out my core and strength workouts for yoga, and I could feel a huge difference.

WFG Xtreme 10 Recap

Long time readers of my blog know I run this race every year, and you can read a few of my recaps here. I always enjoy running this race because it's fun to race on a course I train on all year long, and I like to see how I compare to previous years. This was the first trail race I ever ran, and over the years I have taken 14 minutes off my time. While I never run this with a specific time in mind, rather run it by feel, I take pride in the fact that this race more than any others shows my growth as a runner. While July is typically not a month where most are in peak racing performance, I usually am not running much more than 10 miles again after a spring race and training for a fall race. Yet I still seem to pull out a strong performance and surprise myself each year. This year was no different.

What was different this year was the weather. Usually it is really hot, really humid, or both. Last year was probably the best year, with weather in the high 70's at the start. This year it rained the entire race. It was also extremely humid. When I started to run, I felt really overheated, despite being soaked within the first mile.

Waiting at the start in the rain
The first few miles flew by literally. I was running much faster than I felt, and I was worried I would pay for it and slowed down a little. I stuck with my usual hydration and fueling strategies and despite the humidity, I was not feeling thirsty. I had to force myself to drink. I was initially worried I would be sucking down the water and Nuun like a fiend and need to refuel my flasks, but I never did. 

Once I was sufficiently soaked, it was mildly uncomfortable to run with soggy shorts and a tank that was suctioned to my body, but it was an afterthought as I focused on holding to a steady pace, running the downhills and flats fast, and walking the larger uphills quickly. Somehow I managed to not have any chafing or blisters, so clearly the Squirrel's Nut Butter I had used all over my body and my Injinji socks lived up to everything they claimed.

Most of the largest hills occurred during Mile 8, which is usually Mile 2 when I train on this course in the opposite direction, and what is normally a fun downhill for me was a slow tiring uphill during this race. While I knew I had run strong up until that point, I could feel myself getting really fatigued during this mile, and I lost some of the intensity I had the last two miles of the race. I really left it all out there and had nothing in the tank, and mentally I had to focus myself to push hard to get to the finish. When I rounded the corner to the line I saw one of my Oiselle IL teammates cheering me on and that gave me an extra kick. I finished with a 5 minute course personal best. 


I was really pleased with my performance, not only because I have continually "bested" my own time each year, but because I really can tell a difference in where I am as a runner now vs where I was the first time I ran this race and was just starting to run trails. This change is natural and comes with time and experience, but I really enjoy reflecting on who I am as a runner, what makes me stronger, and what I can endure. Five years ago I probably would have freaked out at the fact that I would run 10 miles in the rain, and now all I can think about is how I ran this course with several inches of snow on the ground last December and January and that was much more challenging. Races like these make me appreciate why I train in the rain, snow, heat, and cold so that I always have something that reminds me of how I can push and rise above the weather conditions. Mentally I know I am stronger than a little bit of rain and it just becomes an afterthought. 

Realizations such as these are why I keep coming back to this race. Connecting with friends and teammates is another. When you recognize more than half of the people at the race, it feels like one big party. Of course there are things I could do better and improve. I mentioned a few of the struggles I had to my coach, but these do not take away from the race and what I achieved. That 5 minute PR is something I fought for, and it wasn't easy, even if I didn't do everything perfectly or if I could have pushed a bit more. I am just thankful that even at 36, I am still improving, learning, and growing as a runner.

 
My coach told me to run easy and listen to my body early on this week as I am still recovering from the race. I still have a few more weeks of the Introductory phase before I head into the 50 mile specific training phase, but having a great race like this gives me the confidence in trusting the training and process, and in myself.

Monday: 30-40 min easy run
Tuesday: Rest
Wednesday: XT
Thursday: Fartlek run
Friday: Rest
Saturday: 10 mile race
Sunday: 20-30 min recovery run
Total: 20.63 miles

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