Race Recap – Brazen Racing: Diablo Trails Challenge

Race Recap – Brazen Racing: Diablo Trails Challenge

04.20.14, 11:56
Filed under: Brazen Racing, horribly awesome photos, Race Recap, running | Tags: 5k, brazen racing, Lucille's BBQ, mount diablo, mt. diablo, race, race day, running, save mt. diablo, selfies, trail running

My 7th Brazen Race for this year was the Diablo Trails Challenge 5k. I have nineteen races left until I’m an Official Brazen Streaker! Twenty, if they have the New Event on 10/18. Anyway, Brazen teams up with Save Mount Diablo twice a year (Diablo Trails Challenge and Diablo Trail Adventure) to bring awareness to the Mountain and also proceeds go to the Save Mt. Diablo fund which helps preserve the beauty of it….and by George! It is a beauty!

Diablo is pretty much in my backyard so I got to “sleep in” (4:45 count as sleeping in?) since Jwas coming out my way. Brazen doesn’t have very many events in my neck of the woods but when they do I try to take full advantage the extra hour and a half I would get….but its race day and who can sleep?

J arrived a little early because she was an excited race day speed demon (She did say she drove fast!), so I made her wait because I had to finish cooking my breakfast. I can’t tackle a Mountain (even though the 5k was pretty much just at the base of the mountain and only a 588′ gain/loss) without a hardy breakfast, now can I? After I was all fueled up we left my house and drive a few miles down the road, saw a rainbow peeking through the clouds…..

I knew it was going to be a great day! and arrived at Castle Rock just in time to get one of the few remaining spots in the parking lot. It’s a lot easier to park at Castle Rock rather than 2-3 miles down the road at the school and catch the shuttle.

I figured we had at least an hour and a half until race start, so we casually walked over to the staging area to get our bibs. Boy! Was it windy!

I could blame my slow time on the wind? Ya know..going against the wind and it caused resistance and all? But alas…I’ll own up to my slowness. I just get to enjoy the scenery longer than the rest of you. Are you jealous? J decided that she wanted to upgrade to the 10k since her Dipsea training plan called for 5 miles, so we did that and walked backed to the car to get our stuff ready.

On our way back to the car, a few people were loading up a car with some supplies for one of the aid stations. I glance over and see that it was Big D!

I stopped and asked, “So you guys ready to volunteer?” Big D turns around and it was one of those priceless moments. The one where he doesn’t realize whose talking and then it clicks and its like…”OH HEY!! WHAT’S UP!” I gave him a handshake and hug then introduced him to J. Which, I also just realized that I officially introduced him to J (Her real name rather than the safety purposes name of “J”) but I never officially introduced myself to him. As far as I know, he just knows me as Attempted Runner. That’s a little weird. Big D, look out for an email from me…get a few formalities out of the way. Ha Ha. He was volunteering for the 50k (at mile 28), so he was pretty much going to be out there ALL DAY! I give him big props for that. I would get so hungry. I’d have like 4 lunches packed just for myself. But then I’d also have to pee at some point. Anyway…even though I didn’t run the 50k, I still wanted to say Thanks Big D for all your help! I know the runners appreciated you being out there whole heartedly!

We get back to the car and get our stuff together and notice we only have 1/2 hour to start. Rather than staying out of the crazy wind, we trek it back to the staging area with enough time for J to prepare and line up. I wished her luck (She was nervous for some reason to go 6.2 miles on Mt. Diablo. I laughed and said, “You just did 10.5 on Dipsea! THIS IS NOTHING!”. I went over to hang out by the Sheriff’s Department S&R team…

THANKS FOR BEING OUT THERE TOO!!! Just glad we didn’t have to use you at all!

…and waited to take a few photos of J. She usually runs the same distance and finishes befor me, so we always have my finish line photos but nothing of her…This time I took care of it.

Normally, the gap between each race group is about 15 minutes or so but I think with the course they stretched us out to every 30 minutes. I had PLENTY of time. I went and sat in the sun, did a few stretches and gave my bag to the ladies at Bag Check. I enjoyed the sun..

…did a few more stretches since everything still was sore from the Cross Country Skiers Lunge, the Squats and the bicycle ride I did the day’s prior. Never do leg work within 48 hours of a race. Not ideal. I people watched for a bit and found the “goal maker.”

It may be bad of me to do, but I usually pick someone out of the crowd that I make as my “goal maker.” The Goal……to finish the race before that person.:::shrugs:: What can I say? I’m a mean horrible person for doing it? Eh…We all have our flaws and Goals are meant to be accomplished. If it keeps me moving…I’ll continue to do it!

It was about 5 minutes to start time and I went and lined up towards the back of the “middle” section. Around 60% of the way back maybe? I noticed Goal Maker was standing in the same area that I was and I gave the “GAME ON!” face. Mr. Brazen told us the course record was 20 minutes, but suggested we take our time and get our monies worth and double it for 40 minutes. I laugh every time he says that. He then said, “SHOOT! Triple it! Go for an hour!” I really laughed at that. Mr. Brazen is so funny.

I started up Garfield and got GPS relatively quickly, started dancing a little because Flogging Molly was playing on my Ipod but to also get my blood flowing. Mrs. Brazen sounded the horn and off I went. I didn’t go out quickly or anything. I usually get stuck behind people so I just took it easy. That and my sore legs didn’t help a whole lot. I saw that Goal Maker was a little ahead of me and thought…”Oooooh! I picked a good one!”

I reached the first bend in the course about .18 miles in when Goal Maker started walking. I kept on going because I knew the hill was coming up and that was what would slow me down because of the DOMS. I ran up it the hill and eventually stopped to walk the last 25% of it up because I had to fix my shorts. I planned on wearing the shorts at Dipsea, but after finding out that they ride up there is no way in hell that’s gonna happen! Party Fail!  My legs began to hurt (muscles, not chaffing from my shorts, just so we’re clear) and I was certain that I was at least to the first mile. I looked at Garfield, .45 miles. I wasn’t even at a 1/2 mile yet!!

I figured it was going to be a tough one.

The course flattened out with a few very small rolling hills. I continued to run those and stopped to walk for 10-20 seconds. I don’t remember if I hit the aid station first or if I hit the creek first, but the aid station, I passed up. The Creek, everyone was waiting to go walk along the rocks or the dirt path but I just ran obnoxiously through the middle of it. I may have splashed people. There goes me being a horrible person again. HAHA.

I made it to the turn around and my legs FINALLY felt warmed up. I kinda went into my own little world for a bit before I snapped back to reality when I heard, “WATER, SPORTS DRINK, WATER, SPORTS DRINK!” I grabbed the sports drink, gulped it down then carried on my merry way. I went splashing through the creek again (The creek came before the aid station, in case you didn’t get that).

As I was running back, I passed Goal Maker as she was still going in. I guess she ended up walking the entire thing….She wasn’t a good Goal Maker to pick…but at least I came in before her. Oh and J, based on the photos and math, you passed Goal Maker too.

About 2.5 miles in, I was doing well. I only had a little ways to go and I still had enough time to make it under 40 minutes.

Then my right knee started to tingle. REALLY? I mean COME ON!! Can’t I catch a break? Although, my Hip Flexor didn’t hurt not one bit during the whole run!!! I still pushed through and had about 1/4 mile to go and thought I could make it. But then what I dubbed, Billy Goats Gruff, came up and I slowed down. The terrain became rocky. Its not really gravelly or dirt, its just rock. I ran up a little bit but eventually walked. I didn’t want to slip. Then on the down hill, it gets gravelly so although I ran it, I went slow cause I didn’t want to fall and have my arms/legs all scratched up. Scars are pretty awesome, but i wasn’t feeling it.
I don’t know about you, but I don’t want to die without any scars. – Tyler.

I got back down to that flat part and reached the first bend, heard the music playing and picked up the pace! I didn’t make it under 40 minutes (time of 42:03 for 3.13 miles).

It’s starting to really upset me that after all these years, I’m still around the 12:30 minute miles. J did remind me that I haven’t been running for pretty much three months because of my Hip Flexor Strain, so to come out and run Mt. Diablo around the same finishing time I have for the flat, less hilly courses was something to be proud of.  I mean it is something to look at, but I just hoped I would be somewhere completely different by now. I was doing great and in August hit my fastest 5k at 38 minutes. I was expecting to just continue to go faster! At least to 35-36 minutes. I’m not trying to be Pre, Bolt, Dr. Awesome or anything.. but ugh! It’s just Frustrating. I’ll stop bitching though.

Anyway…I finished my run, grabbed my medal and picked up my bag from sweat check. I drank my Chocolate milk (because I don’t “race” without one…its like my victory drink) then plopped down waiting for J and sulking in my own self pity for not doing better. I saw J’s neon pants, so I got up to take her finish line photos. I was proud of her. 

We went over to get her some salt and fluids, took a phew post race photos, talked with SC & AG (AG’s already a streaker, but SC is attempting it too!). I also did my #sweataday challenege on the basketball court. J also took a “sexy” photo of me…..

Slow Hand BBQ was out catering the event (50k runners got free lunch, everyone else had to buy tickets) but since it wasn’t gluten free, we left Mt. Diablo and went over to Lucille’s BBQ for lunch. I seriously love that place. Top 4 favorite places to eat!

Pretend this is a picture of my lunch. I always forget to take those photos. It’s only after I scarf it down that I remember. By then…it’s too late.

When we finished up our meals and after giving our waiter a hard time, J drove me home. I was still a little bummed out (can you tell I give myself a hard time about things?) but I couldn’t dwell on it. I had another BBQ to plan for (In Laws where coming over for dinner).

I did end up chatting (Can you use the term chatting if it was via text?) with a friend which made me feel a little better because I got the giggle fits. Then I ended up feeling even more better when it made me come up with the bloody brilliant idea of Selfie Bombs.

That cracked me up, like no other and then I let all the hard feelings about my run disappear. I can’t help be erase the bad when I’m giggling now can I?

For Selfie Bombs, I decided that when strangers people ask me to take a picture of them with there phone….this happens a lot on race days and at Disneyland and such…..I’ll fully comply with their request but I’ll take two photos for them. The first, I’ll switch the camera to front facing, snap a photo with something similar to this…..

 

…Then switch it back to forward facing camera and say…”ok let me take one at this angle” (turn the… phone) and then take their picture. That way, when I say, “You want to check it to make sure its ok?” They’ll see the normal photo of them. The fun doesn’t begin until later on when they scroll through their photo feed and see me….and say….”What The…..?” Maybe they’ll laugh too….maybe they won’t. Maybe it’s just a lot funnier in my head.

So anyone reading this from Brazen Runs…you’ve been warned!

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