Conquer the Castle 25K Race Report & Training Update

I'm finally getting around to my race report for the Conquer the Castle 25K, which is a trail race that takes place in North Chagrin Reservation in Willoughby. Steve and I used to run there all the time when we lived in Mentor and Concord Township and of course we did the inaugural race, which was a 100K (for him) and a DNF for me since I only completed 50K.

Since I am just rebuilding my endurance I did not want to take on the 50k or more this year. The 25K was a good distance for me to race because it pushed me a little farther than I had gone recently but not so much I would hurt myself. I had done a trail 1/2 marathon a week before and a road half marathon a few weeks before that so this 25K was my longest run since summer I think as I have had lingering tendonitis in booth feet.

This was a tough course for Northeast Ohio standards anyways and it was a very wet course! I think my feet were wet pretty much the whole race. Luckily it was cold but not freezing. Temps were around 35-40 degrees so still warm enough for a skirt and I actually overheated and lost my armwarmers and rolled up my shirt sleeves once we got warmed up.

For the first 8 or 9 miles I just tried to keep up with Amanda Debevec, she is a strong runner and I figured she was in better shape them me right now so I held on as long as I could and it was nice chatting with her for a bit about races. Once we got to the bigger hills she took off as I ran/walked the steep sections. At that point it was back to my own race. I ended up pacing about the same as a guy in front of me for the last 4-5 miles so that worked out pretty well because I mentally just tried to stick with him.

post race with my Sir runs a lot medal!

My time goal was 2:30 and I ended up with 2:25 and change so I was happy with that and came in second female. I was also pleased to hear that Steve had a decent race, finishing in around 2:13 and third male. I like the course - the beginning 1/2 of the loop is flatter and less technical than the second half I think but it's a great loop. The 50kers do it 2 x and the 100k 4x. I was glad to have been a 25Ker this time around!

After the race Steve and I got changed and went back to pavillion to say hi to race director Eddie and some of the other people we knew. We couldn't resist the post race pizza and of course we ended up stopping by Willoughby Brewing for a peanut butter cup porter on the way home!

We were originally planning to race the Made in America 1/2 marathon again the week after Conquer the Castle but to be honest my body needed a break. I have been  rebuilding my mileage to 30-40 miles week but have been struggling with GI troubles since early October and will soon be going to visit the gastroenterologist for a colonoscopy to see what the issue is (doctor thinks it is some form of IBS but won't know exactly what it is until after the testing). I've been training as much as I can and resting or going easier on days that I feel yucky.

This week has been a little better because I have been vegan/vegetarian (no meat besides eggs and no dairy) to see how I feel and it has been an improvement. Next up it's the Akron Turkey Trot 4 miler next week - hopefully my GI cooperates (fingers crossed). Then we will probably do some sort of holiday races TBD.

Run With Scissors Trail 1/2 Marathon Race Report

I love the Run With Scissors trail race! And of course the people involved with the race. A couple of years ago I did the marathon and this year since I am rebuilding after an injury I opted for the 1/2 marathon. I think a trail half is almost the perfect distance to race on the trails because you get in a great workout but you are not totally cooked for the rest of the day/week with recovery.

Because RWS is always around Halloween a lot of people like to dress up in costumes and run including me and my husband. I dressed up as a Unicorn and he went as a creepy clown so that added to the fun and challenge of the race.

As far as the race itself I wasn't sure how it would go. I had been doing Sand Run quite a bit this fall so my hill work was certainly there but I really do not feel too speedy since I have not been doing much speedwork lately. Of course trail speed and road speed are not the same and what I really like about the trails is that you have to slow down to navigate the terrain and it's very zen because you have to pay attention and be engaged the whole time. Often in road or Towpath type races I just zone out and lock into one speed. Trails force you to fartlek and stay mentally in the race.

I enjoyed most of the course except the really muddy sections (haha) but that's part of the challenge! And of course running Pine Hollow and Ledges on the way back to the finish were challenging as well. I was pleased to finish first female in 2:11 and change - was hoping for a little faster time but on the trails on any given day you never can predict what your time will be. My husband Steve finished first as well with a time of 1:54. We celebrated afterwards with a beer at Winking Lizard of course!

Next up is Conquer the Castle 25K, also a trail race at North Chagrin Reservation this Saturday! Then we have a road 1/2 marathon the next week and will probably do the Akron Turkey Trot and maybe some kind of Christmas/New Years race to round out the year before starting the Boston Marathon training cycle!

Has fun being a Skirt Sports Unicorn this year!