31 is just a number.......

..... of miles I ran for my 31st birthday. Conrad was out of town, so I was on my own to make all the crazy plans I wanted. Before my stress fracture I had been planning on running the 50/50 race in Reno. I had been planning on the 50 mile version, but post injury I settled on the 50 kilometer version. The 50k runs up and over Peavine Mountain with 5800 feet of climbing.  The race is put on by the local running group, and the best part is that I can walk to the race start from my house.  The race started with a water crossing (they are flooding the dog park at Rancho again) and there was no way to keep my feet dry. I was stoked that quickly my new Avia Avi Stoltz felt dry. I was even more impressed that at the end of 50k with all that climbing and descending my feet felt great. I brought the camera along on the run, but didn't take as many pictures as I had at previous events. I'd been on nearly every trail on the east side of Peavine on both bike and foot over the past 6 years, and nothing exciting happened to capture on film. The mountain is in full spring bloom with wildflowers dotting the hillsides. I got slightly lost twice and probably ran an extra half mile total, but other than that the race went great. A lot of people started off hard, and I passed most of them on the climb up Peavine. It is 13 miles of climbing to get there, and then we went straight down the other side. As I was running down I was thinking about the long climb back up. Strangely my legs felt really good. I've only been back running for about a month, and I had a non existent taper week that included a 2 hour run and a 5 hour ride in the two days leading up to the event. I felt a little fatigued starting the day, but the longer I ran the better I felt...... until the last 2 or so miles. The last little bit is all down hill and by then the sun was baking down. I ended up finishing in a respectable 5:15 and 3rd female overall. Not bad for not really training. I did a post run ice back at the finish and headed home for some serious napping. Naps are the best. I don't know why I didn't enjoy napping as a kid because it sure is a treat now. 


The long climb back up Peavine. No one in my rear view mirror. :)

This is why I shouldn't take picture while running.