Getting Caught Up

Hello again. I thought I better get a new blog entry up before people started to think I dropped off the face of the earth. In a way, I did. I was pretty discouraged after Leadville and I quit running for 6 weeks. Started physical therapy on the ITB with some good results. It's been awhile since I haven't run for that long and I needed something to fill the time usually spent running and to take my mind off not being able to run. So I discovered P90X with Tony Horton.


P90X has become more popular among firefighters lately and that's how I discovered it. Seems firefighters are commited either to Cross-Fit or P90X (ultrarunner Catra Corbett is hooked on Cross-fit). For those who don't know, P90X is a 90 day workout system incorporating a lot of old fashioned exercises like pull ups and push ups, free weights, and cardio. It's made up of 12 DVD's, each lasting about 1 hour and you just follow the plan and do the prescribed workout on the right day and at the end of 90 days you'll be "ripped" (according to Tony).


I'm on Week 9 and although I'll never show "before" and "after" pictures (plus I still have 3 weeks to go), I know I'm getting into better shape. The push ups and pull ups have been great since I've always been weak in my upper body. I use pull up assist bands and I've been able to progressively use thinner bands as I've gotten stronger. You just put the band in a clove hitch around the pull up bar and stick your foot or knee into the band and the elastic helps "assist" you.


In addition to the P90X, I've gotten back on my road and mountain bikes to help keep up my fitness since the San Francisco Nike Womens marathon was looming on the horizon. Every year my cousin and I run a marathon together and this was to be our third year. However, she just had a baby in the spring and is dealing with some slight injuries and with my ITB problems we made the prudent decision to run the half marathon instead.


So my build up to the half marathon consisted of 7 weeks of no running, P90X, and bike riding. I finally decided to test myself before the race by running 2 miles the Friday before the race and 1 mile the day before and I was delighted to be pain free.


The hubby had to work all weekend so it was an all girls weekend in SF (plus my cousin's husband who would be on kid duty while we ran. How cool is that?) We had adjoining rooms at the hotel so we could open the door between them and the girls loved running back and forth. We decided to help them burn off some more energy by walking the mile to the expo to pick up our race packets.

Meeting a new friend who also likes books

Luckily, Joey had run the half the year before so she knew the layout of the expo which helped get us through a little quicker. It had been a long day already of plane rides and driving so we decided to head straight back to the hotel. Plus we're not that thrilled with large crowds (it's a Davis thing).

Kids love small spaces

We had an early dinner then got our stuff ready for the next morning. It was such a relief knowing that it would be an easy walk to the start.

Sara helps Mommy get her stuff ready. Note the creative placement of the bottle tops

The next morning Joey and I headed out on our short walk to the start. As we got close we noticed a few people looking up into the dark sky saying "there's money falling from the sky". Yeah, right. But of course we looked up and holy smoke, there WAS money falling from the sky. Dollar bills floated down with the currents and we each caught one. We quickly decided that we are now elite runners since we got paid to race!

Money from the sky

20,000 women await the start

We found our pace group (at least a rough estimate of what we would be running). I enjoyed looking around at all the other runners, reading t-shirts, and wondering about all of their individual stories and what got them there on this beautiful SF morning. Finally the large group started moving and little did I know that eventual marathon winner Caitlin Smith (also incredible ultrarunner) would be almost 3 miles down the road before I even crossed the start line.

Over 17 minutes would pass before I got to the start line

Joey and I fell into an easy pace and soon we were on the Embarcadero. This is what I had been looking forward to the most. I love early morning runs along this route and into Fort Baker and Crissy Field whenever we visit the city. However, this morning the runners would own the roads and it was great. I was enjoying the sights and smells so much that I didn't take any pictures until we were almost to Ft. Baker.

We kept an easy pace, walked when we needed to, and I even e-mailed and texted my husband and mom on my phone to let them know the race had started and all was going well. My initial instinct is always to push myself as hard as I can but I quickly put those desires on hold and told myself that this isn't the race to do that. Today was about spending time with my cousin and enjoy a beautiful run together. But I was pretty happy with how good I felt. We'd hit an uphill and I literally felt like I was bounding up it effortlessly. I guess 6 weeks off running but good strong cross training can really keep the fitness up.

Descending to the Great Highway

After taking advantage of every aid station and its goodies (oranges, Luna Moons, Luna bars, Ghirardelli chocolate; I think we weighed more after the race then before) we found ourselves running the last couple miles through the forest of Golden Gate park. I was happy to turn right when the half marathon made its split because I had started feeling a little tightness in my ITB since mile 8. Nothing serious, just happy not to be running 26 miles.


We crossed the finish line together in 2:38:09. I could hear the announcer saying they were expecting the marathon winner shortly. Caitlin Smith won in 2:48. So she ran twice as far as we did and it only took her 10 minutes longer!!! Wow.

We made our way through the finishers chute, collecting lots of goodies, shirt, food, chocolate milk (yeah, my favorite) and mylar blanket. It was still sunny but the wind was chilly, especially as we cooled off from running.

3 years, 2.5 marathons (San Diego, Big Sur, SF half)

We caught the bus back to the start line and enjoyed the quick walk back to the hotel. Showers, packing, and we finally went our separate ways, already planning next years marathon. After 3 years on the California coast we may make our way to Utah next fall. I think that's the best part of this sport, always planning the next event. Thanks, Joey, for another great run. And thanks Andy for taking such good care of "all" your girls. You're the best.


And now just a final note about what life is like with a 5 year old. This is a conversation I had with Caitlyn just the other day. I was doing my P90X Kenpo workout while the girls were watching me. Since I can't see myself I'm not always positive I'm doing the moves correctly so I asked Caitlyn:

Me: Caitlyn, do I look like the people on tv?

Caitlyn: You look better than them.

Me: (feeling pretty smug)

Caitlyn: Mommy, you sure work out a lot.

Me: Why yes I do.

Caitlyn: Is that so you can get rid of the fat in your belly?

Me: (ego deflates). Yes, honey.

Racing Across the Sky in Leadville

Well, it's about time I get this report written. It's not going to get any easier. Writing about my experience at Leadville may help me get some closure and be able to move on. Don't get me wrong, it was a wonderful adventure with some great friends (including my wonderful husband) but it just didn't turn out the way I wanted.

Leading up to Leadville, the big news in our house was Caitlyn's first day of kindergarten. All summer she's been looking forward to going to the same school her mother went to many years ago. We were all up early for the first day of school. My mom came to town to watch the girls while we would be in Colorado and she brought with her a whole bunch of new school outfits so it was no problem getting Caitlyn dressed.

We got Caitlyn settled into her new classroom, figured out where to put her backpack and lunch box, and talked a bit with her teacher then it was time to leave my little girl. Wow, kindergarten.

A tender goodbye

Now that my little girl was safely tucked away in her class, it was time to start concentrating on my own great adventure. Pat and I hit the road and 16 hours later we pulled into our friends house in Crested Butte, Colorado, 1:30 AM. We were met with a warm cozy bed, fresh baked chocolate chip cookies, a couple Nalgene bottles full of water (gotta stay hydrated) and a sweet note welcoming us. Thank you Dan and Mary.







We spent Thursday exploring the wonderful little town of Crested Butte. I had run very little since my injury on Aug 1 so I decided to take a little run in the hills right near town. I met a lady who would be pacing one of Dan's neighbors at Leadville so we hit the trail together and that was a real treat. The leg still hurt but it wasn't debilitating. I had hope for Saturday.

BBQing fresh halibut flown in from Seattle

A little wine with your fish?

Early Friday morning we loaded up and headed across Cottonwood Pass to Leadville for medical check in and to get settled into the Delaware Hotel. I was surprised to find that my oxygen saturation was 91%. If I had a patient with that sat I would put them on an oxygen mask. Things are different at 10,200 ft.

The STEEP stairs at the historic Delaware hotel

Getting weighed in

Once again Ken whipped everyone into a frenzy declaring we would "commit, don't quit". I just wanted to get on the trail. The waiting was killing me. The not knowing if my leg would hold up, if I would be able to cross that finish line. I knew I was physically fit enough to do it and I just wanted a fair chance to prove it.

Merilee and Ken, the founders of this grand adventure

I spent the evening getting my stuff organized and ready for the next day. Pat and Dan would be crewing/pacing me so I didn't use drop bags. They would be at each aid station except Pipeline. Two days before, a military helicopter doing training operations crashed on Mt. Massive causing the Halfmoon area to be closed by the military. The race would be re-routed onto part of the bike race course before re-joining the Colorado Trail. I appreciate the military working with the race organizers in order to make this race happen. Running through this area the next day, my thoughts were on the 4 crew members who lost their lives.

After a few hours of sleep, race morning came early. I was surprised at how warm (relatively) it was. A sign of things to come. As I headed toward the start line I heard someone call my name. It was Jael, a new friend that I met at training camp. It was so good to see her. We snapped a picture, wished each other luck and after a countdown from 10, the infamous shotgun sounded that started over 500 runners on their way down the road.

Me and Jael at the start

The first few miles are a gradual downhill and I settled into a rhythm, if a bit painful. Right before getting to Turquoise Lake there's a nasty little powerline climb that I hadn't seen before and it was pretty amazing to see all the headlights spread out ahead and above me. I continued an easy pace around the lake thinking there was no way I would make my time split to May Queen at the slow pace I was going. So I was quite surprised to pull into the campground right on time. So far so good.

Dan joining me the last few feet to the aid station. Goofy guy.

I dropped my lights and was going to shed my long sleeve shirt but May Queen was COLD so I kept it on for the climb to Hagerman Pass Rd. I made good time over Powerline but the trouble started when I started the descent. My right leg/knee/ITB was hurting and I found myself favoring the leg which put more pressure on my left quad. It was already whining to me. I hit the pavement and did a run/walk to the Fish Hatchery aid station. I told Pat that I would finish but it probably wouldn't be pretty. I still had quite a bit of confidence in my ability to just keep moving forward. Plus I hit my second time split right on the money. 5 hours.

Looking back down at Turquoise Lake from Hagerman

My awesome pit stop crew got my hydration bladder filled, handed me a Nutella/Honey/Banana sandwich, and I was on my way for the dreaded road section. I told the guys I would be fine and they could just meet me at Twin Lakes. I planned to be there at 1pm.

Enjoying my sandwich. Thanks Pat!

This next section is long, hot, and exposed. It's level so it should be run easily but I just couldn't do it. I would pick phone poles and run past a couple then walk a bit. Run, then walk. It was all I could do and I noticed a lot of other people doing it too. It was here that I started seeing military helicopters flying through the valley and my thoughts turned to the crash. Made me grateful I could be in this beautiful place, doing something I love with great friends and family.


I passed through the unofficial Pipeline aid station without stopping, except to confirm with Merilee that there would be another aid station before Twin Lakes. She confirmed that there was one at Box Canyon just a few miles up the road. The road continued to be hot and exposed and it undulated allowing me to run occasionally. But I knew I was walking way too much. At this rate I would never reach Twin Lakes on time. But everytime I ran pain would shoot through my leg causing me to limp, putting more pressure on that left quad.

I finally made it to Box Canyon and after spending a little more time than I wanted to there (in an outhouse) I finally got back on the trail feeling a bit better. More undulating road then a final climb up to the Colorado Trail and familiar territory (from the training camp). It was so wonderful to be back on smooth singletrack in the canopy of aspens. The descent to Twin Lakes was just as long and annoying as it was at camp but I finally flung myself down the last steep pitch to the aid station. It was 1:03 PM. Right on time. I couldn't believe it. 40 miles in and I was feeling better and better. I was going to finish this thing!

Twin Lakes from the Colorado Trail

All smiles coming into Twin Lakes

I left TL ready to tackle Hope Pass. I almost ran race leader Anton Krupicka off the trail as I made my way to the river crossing. I looked down for a second right as he ran by and didn't see him so I couldn't get off the trail in time. He said excuse me very politely and kept right on running.


The cold water of Lake Creek felt great on the feet. It wasn't long after this little oasis that the real climbing began. And it is steep. I got into a slow rhythm that I knew I could sustain but it just felt too slow. At training camp I ran from TL to Winfield in 3:20 so I was giving myself 3:30-4:00 today. At this point the heat of the day was really beating down. Bikram yoga has given me an edge when it comes to heat but I know it was having an effect on me. That and the altitude. Turns out today would break records for Leadville, the hottest day of the year.

After an eternity I finally reached Hopeless Aid Station just below the summit. I had only heard of this AS and really looked forward to seeing it. To me it takes on a mystical quality considering it's so high and they use llamas to carry all the supplies up and camp up there in the preceeding days.

Hopeless AS but not hopeless yet

Llamas

I finally reached the summit at 4pm. 4pm?! I was suppose to be at Winfield right now. How did that happen? I downed a Tylenol to help dull the pain in my legs and I started a very choppy, ugly descent to Winfield Rd. I knew Pat and Dan would start worrying about me since I was well behind my target time now. I checked my little paper with cut off times on it and was dismayed to see that Winfield was 6pm. I knew I could cover the last 5 miles in 2 hours but how was I suppose to get back in time? My dream started to fade.


After a long, painful trip down 3,000 ft I faced an annoying 2.5 miles of dirt road that climbed slightly to Winfield. I saw Jael coming the other way and I threw up my hands saying "cut-off". She yelled at me that I could still do it but I need to RUN! So I ran. Well, if you can call it that. I really wanted Pat to be able to pace me back to Twin Lakes so I forced myself to keep moving forward and beat that cut off. And I did. By 20 minutes.

Trying to hide the tears

I went through the aid station, got weighed (showed I was down 8 lbs) and checked out. I think I mentally gave up here. I know people have finished the race in time after leaving Winfield this late but I knew I would have trouble making the cut off at Twin Lakes since I could no longer run down steep hills. I was surprised to see Pat and Dan so adamant that I could still do it. My race wasn't over yet. They hadn't cut my wrist band off so let's GO!

Pat anxious to get me back over Hope

Pat threw on my hydration pack and we hit the trail. I would have 4 hours to get back to TL. Any other day that would have been plenty of time. But it took me over 4 hours to get to Winfield. So despite the odds, I was game to give it a try. We ran the whole section of road back to the trailhead where I had stashed my trekking poles. We started up the trail with Pat encouraging me every step of the way. I wouldn't stop. I wouldn't complain. I would try to stay positive for him......and for me. But it was hard. So hard to know that I was bringing up the rear of the pack. That my chances were getting slimmer by the minute.

The sun was setting and it made for a beautiful sky. We even saw a rainbow. We passed runners sitting beside the trail with head in hands, pacers fervantly trying to encourage them to get up and keep moving. Pat would offer his encouragement, tell them to keep moving forward and eventually they would. More than one would thank Pat for his words.






It was incredibly important to me that Pat get to pace me back to TL. That he get to see part of what I had been through. Where the wheels came off. I sacrificed so much during the year, time with my family because I needed to "get in a long run". So even though the dream had gone so terribly wrong, I was right where I wanted to be, doing exactly what I wanted to do, with exactly the right person. I was standing on 12,600 foot Hope Pass, watching the sun set over the Rocky Mountains, with the man that I love.


The first few steps down from the pass were excrutiating and it didn't get much better over the next 5 miles. Every step would cause me to whimper and there was nothing I could do about it. I had heard of runners dropping out of Western States because they "blew their quads in the canyons" and I can honestly understand that now. But I kept going back to the fact that I had an untimely injury that caused me to stop running 3 weeks before the biggest race of my life. My legs just lost the ability to take a pounding.


As we descended, I noticed the TL cut off time come....and go. The pressure was off. There was no longer a reason to push it, as I had been still trying to do. We reached the creek and I gloried in the cold water on sore feet.







Pat and I made it back to TL where we met up with Dan who was dressed and ready to take me to the next aid station if I had made the time cut. Their enthusiasm and positive attitude was amazing. I know under different circumstances they would have gotten me to the finish. Thank you both so much. I got my wrist band cut off (something I NEVER want to have happen again) and I crawled into the front seat of the truck.

My faithful Mule

Dan, ready to run but nowhere to run

Pat was all the talk in my spare heart gaiters

We made it back to the Delaware where the stairs were as bad as I thought they would be (and would be worse in the morning coming down). I fell into a troubled sleep thinking of all the things I could have done different that would have had a more favorable outcome. But the bottom line is, there really is nothing I could have done different. But after putting so much time, effort, and money toward a singular goal, it was incredibly hard to walk away empty handed, knowing that I had failed.

Now I know that's a strong word, and many people would disagree with me. They would tell me to try and see all the successful things I did this year, all the races I ran, new friends I made, and the great shape I got into. Plus I just ran 60 tough miles, a personal best for me. And I do see that. It was an incredible year. I did things I've never done before. And I will be back. I have unfinished business in Leadville.

The next morning we got a bite to eat at Provin' Grounds before watching the last of the finishers cross that line. I needed to see the end of the race and be there for the last runner.

Merilee with the finishers medals, Ken with the shotgun

And that's it. 30 hours. Race over.

Running Out of Time at Leadville 100

Just wanted to give folks an update on my run at Leadville this last Saturday while I collect my thoughts for a more thorough report later. The bottom line is I had a great race for the first 40 miles. I was hitting every split at the aid stations despite my knee giving me problems. Then I hit Hope Pass. That was where the wheels came off. I climbed slower then I expected and when I finally did hit the top, I found I could no longer run downhill. My left quad was shot due to compensating for the painful right knee.

I got to Winfield (50 miles) 20 minutes before the cut off time. My crew fully believed in me so I quickly hit the trail with my husband/pacer for the return climb over Hope. I think deep down I knew I wasn't going to make the cut off to Twin Lakes but Pat and Dan had so much faith in me that I knew I had to give it my best shot. But when we reached the top of Hope and I tried to run down the other side, it was just too painful. I had to walk and therefore I missed the cut off to continue past Twin Lakes.

So my race ended at 60 miles which is still a personal best distance for me. I hate to make excuses but I know the fact that I couldn't run these last 3 weeks really hurt me. My legs lost the ability to take a pounding, especially on the long downhills. It was still a wonderful experience and I love the fact that my husband got to pace me for the first time and see part of the course that is the most beautiful and challenging. I'll try to get a full report up in the next couple days.

Many thanks to everyone who had such positive comments and belief in me.

Cool and Not So Cool

It's Tuesday night and tomorrow is going to be an exciting day. It's my daughter's first day of kindergarten. It's hard to believe I've had her in my life for 5 years and now she's starting school. Today we got to go by the school and meet her teacher, see her classroom, and fill out mounds of paperwork. Her class is absolutely adorable and I've heard nothing but wonderful things about her teacher. And I must say, what makes this even more special, is the fact that I went to this same school in second grade in 1978. I never thought that 31 years later I would be taking my own daughter there.


The other exciting thing that will happen on Wednesday is Pat and I will head to Colorado for the Leadville 100 this weekend. After we drop Caitlyn off we will hit the road. My mom is in town and will pick her up and probably do something special like go out to lunch at McDonald's and then have ice cream. I'm excited about this weekend but I must say, I'll be lining up on that start line at less than 100% healthy. Cool was my downfall. And new shoes. Here's the story.



Running at night is cool. I guess that's why the 12 Hours at Cool Night Run is really cool. Last year was my first time doing this event and it was also my first night run. I was running on an injury so I decided to just do 3 9 mile laps for 27 miles. The first lap is done in the daylight giving you a chance to get to know the course then you gently enter the darkness as the sun sets over the golden hills.

RD Nancy Warren giving last minute instructions

This year would be different. I had a strong run at TRT 2 weeks before and wanted to have another strong run at Cool. My coach wanted me to do a 4 hour run on Sat and another 4 hour run on Sunday. Instead I ran 9 hours on Sat and 1:30 on Sunday. Sometimes I don't follow directions so well.

My plan was to do 4 laps for 36 miles. I figured that would be a good solid run without taxing myself too much. Plus I was having a periformis issue that was causing pain down the back of my right leg. One thing I didn't mention in my last post was that I did TRT in a brand new pair of shoes. Now, you might ask yourself, why would someone do such a thing. Because sometimes I'm stupid. I figured they were the same exact shoe I've been training in so why not do a long run in them. I didn't figure in the fact that my other pair has a couple hundred miles on them and the new ones had, well, zero. That could cause a problem. Since I didn't put together the connection of 50 miles in a brand new pair of shoes and the periformis pain, I decided to do another long run in the new shoes as well. Yeah, like I said, stupid.

Nancy Warren got us started right at 7pm and I quickly settled into a nice pace and was happy that my leg felt pretty good. It wasn't long before I started thinking about doing an extra lap. I must say that the majority of time was spent debating whether to run 4 or 5 laps. Last year's run was magical. It was my first night run and since I was injured I was happy just to be out there. I didn't care about time or distance, I spent 15-20 minutes at the aid station at the end of each lap just relaxing and having a good time. This year was different. I was thinking about time, distance, and a certain 100 mile race looming on the horizon. Needless to say, it wasn't nearly as relaxed but the further I ran, the stronger I felt. My lap times were very consistent and I kept my time at the aid stations very short.

Running through the golden foothills at sunset is an amazing experience. As the sun sinks and the shadows grow long through the black oaks, the temperatures cool and you can feel your energy increase. The course is mostly rolling dirt roads with only a couple steeper hills that I had to walk. I also started thinking maybe I could place in the top 3. I didn't recognize a lot of big names at the beginning so I let my ego start rolling.

I was getting a bit faituged by the end of the 4th lap but decided to push on to lap 5. On the backside of the course at Norm and Helen's aid station, a woman showed up shortly after I did. Hmmm, where did she come from? And how many laps has she done? I decided to hit the trail. She was not far behind and I noticed she was slowly gaining on me as we walked the hill. Now, I didn't run over 40 miles just to get passed in the last 3. So I started running where I had been walking and discovered I could put some distance on my pursuer. I was also surprised to find that I was still climbing strong. The legs felt great.

Horses make way for the runners

I reached the top of the hill and decided I wouldn't stop running until I crossed the finish line. I would treat this like it was the end of Leadville and push myself harder then I wanted to. If that lady wanted to pass me, she would have to work at it. When I got to 1 mile to go, I knew I had it. I continued to push and crossed the finish line in 9:07:10. I debated about doing the extra 5.5 miles to the back side aid station but I already had my Western States 50 mile qualifier so I called it a night. The lady behind me came into the finish laughing that I must have really wanted to stay ahead of her because she really ate my dust. Turns out she did 4 laps so I was ahead of her by a full lap. Oh well, it was good to push myself. However, after seeing the results I was a bit disappointed. I finished 4th female but if I had run that extra 5.5 miles, I would have finished 2nd.

I got cleaned up, visited a bit, then headed home. The sun was rising. I had to pull over about 25 minutes from home and take a quick cat nap so I didn't fall asleep while driving. I got home, crashed on the couch for another hour before the family woke up and we headed to Incline Village. I wanted to get in another run but I noticed my right knee was pretty sore. So while my family played at the park, I ran up Tunnel Creek to the flume trail and back down. It was only 6.5 miles but it was a strong 3.25 mile climb with a painful descent.

We had a nice lunch at Steamers in Kings Beach then headed home. By Monday, my knee was really hurting. It felt like a very tight ITB. I got a foam roller and rolled it, iced it, and started the Ibuprofen routine. I ran easy on Monday and Tuesday but it was very painful. So I stopped running. My coach asked if I had done anything different and I told him about running 100 miles in a brand new pair of shoes (TRT and Cool). He ordered me back into my older shoes and I finally tried running again on the 14th. I ran 1 painful mile. Things were not looking good for Leadville but we went on with preparations to go.

I finally seemed to turn the corner on this past Sunday. I ran 4 miles but in a type of pain that I can work through. I've also been seeing my chiropractor trying to get my periformis taken care of. Things seem to be better in that department as well. So here's how things stand 4 days before my first 100 mile run: my leg/knee still hurts but I think/hope it's something I'll be able to work through on race day. I've run about 13 miles in the last 3 weeks (since Aug 5) but I'm hoping my fitness hasn't disappeared (notice a lot of "hoping" here?)

So my diagnosis is this: an over-use injury from running 2 50 mile races within 2 weeks of each other (one with 10,000 ft of climbing) in brand new shoes which aggravated my ITB and periformis. I'm hoping (there's that word again) that I was able to rest long enough that it will be fine on race day. At least I'll be well rested :) It's definitely not the type of taper I was shooting for.

I'm pretty convinced that if I had run the schedule my coach wanted me to, and was smarter about breaking in a new pair of shoes, this wouldn't have happened. But I let my ego get the better of me at Cool and I ran more than I should have. Will I ever learn? I'm sure nobody else has ever done anyting like this before.

I'm headed to Leadville with the intention of finishing. But I'll be smart. There's a difference between pushing through pain and pushing through an injury. I hope I will know the difference.

Tahoe Rim Trail 50 Miler

July 18 I ran the Tahoe Rim Trail 50 Miler. 2 years ago I did the TRT 50KM as my very first ultra event and fell in love with the course. It's incredibly scenic and challenging and the next morning I felt like I had been run over by a truck. Did I mention that it's tough?





Last year I was hoping to run the 50 miler but was injured and volunteered at the finish line instead. That just served to fuel my desire this year. The timing couldn't have been better in my build up to the Leadville 100.


I drove up to Tahoe by myself allowing my family to sleep in and come up later. They would meet me at the halfway point at Mt. Rose Hwy and again at the finish line.

Milling around the start line

The first thing I noticed when I arrived was how comfortable the temperature was. Would this be a precursor to how warm it would get later? I checked in and discovered that my coach was volunteering behind the table. Finally, after 7 months, I got to meet him. After getting my stuff together I made my way down to the start line where I ran into Gretchen. She's been having a great season but I had no idea how well she'd do in this race.

We started promptly at 6am after being reminded by Dave Cotter to only do the Red House Loop ONCE. After sorting ourselves out on the dirt road we hit the wonderful singletrack that would take us to Marlette Lake. I did a walk/run on the uphills, feeling pretty good but saving myself for a long day.




Marlette is beautiful this time of day. It's a magical feeling to be making your way up into the high sierra knowing that you will run 50 miles before the day is over. It's a peaceful time of day with the flowers just opening up with the first rays of sunshine.






I made my way toward the first aid station only to discover it wasn't there! I kept running and finally it appeared through the trees. I wondered why they had moved it. I didn't need to fill my hydration pack and moved on quickly. I really wanted to work on keeping my AS times short.




After leaving Hobart AS you come across one of the best views on the course. I was still feeling good but I knew my pace was very controlled.

Marlette Lake with Tahoe behind

The section from Hobart to Twin Lakes is one of the most enjoyable for me and I started to push it a little. Once again, as I came into where the AS was suppose to be, it wasn't there. It was now up in the saddle with Tunnel Creek Rd. I filled up with water and a little food and started the descent into "hell". This 6.5 mi section has the reputation of being extremely tough but I actually don't mind it too much. I descended quickly and moved through the AS to the flume road. This road seems to go on forever so it became my goal to just keep running and I managed to pass a couple people here. As I hit the steep, sandy hill I was reduced to a walk.

About a month before, I had done a training run from Mt. Rose hwy to Twin Lakes, the Red House loop, and back to Mt. Rose. I was happy to see that today's Red House loop split was only 5 minutes slower than my training run, considering I was going to be running twice as far. After another quick stop at Tunnel Creek I made the split with the 50K runners (who headed back toward the start) and made my way north to Mt. Rose.






















Meanwhile, Pat and the girls were also making their way to the halfway point of the race and getting things set up for my arrival. The job of a crew is pretty thankless though. You spend hours waiting patiently for your runner, only to spend a couple minutes them him/her before they're headed back down the trail. Even though a runner may not always show it, the support they receive from their crew is priceless and always appreciated.

The girls find ways to pass the time

The 9 mile section between Twin Lakes and Mt. Rose includes some wonderful rolling singletrack as it follows the ridgeline with the Tahoe Basin to the west and Washoe Valley to the east.




It was on this section that I passed a lot of 100 mile runners as well as the front pack of 50 mile runners heading south. I was impressed to see Gretchen so soon and as I checked my watch I remember thinking "wow, she may break 10 hours". Very nice.

Washoe Lake to the east

Gretchen on her way to a 9:57 finish

Coming into Mt. Rose aid station

I made it into the Mt. Rose AS in 6:15. I really wanted to be there in 6 hours but I was happy to see that my split time from Tunnel Creek was only 1 minute slower than my earlier training run. After getting my water refilled and enjoying an Otter Pop, I spent a few minutes visiting with my family. Back in April at the American River 50 Mile, my family once again met me at the halfway point to support me. However, I found myself getting very emotional when it was time to head down the trail and I just didn't want to leave. I spent some valuable extra minutes giving more hugs and kisses. As it turns out, I missed breaking 10 hours at the finish by 3 minutes. As much as I enjoyed spending that extra time with everyone, I didn't want to lose any more time than I had to.

So after getting a new full gel flask and replenishing my S Caps, I gave out a few quick hugs and kisses and got back on the trail. If I wanted to finish in 12 hours, I needed to pick it up a bit.

Caitlyn giving out helpful advice

During my training run I really enjoyed this section heading south. But I was fresh then, having already run 25 miles made it a bit more challenging now. I ran as much as I could but the last couple miles just seemed to take forever. It was along this section that I ran into Catra and Andy. We visited a bit and I asked about the aid stations being in different locations. Andy said it's because the new sites provided better cell site coverage. I made it back to Tunnel Creek with a split that was 9 minutes slower than my training run. I spent a few extra minutes here eating watermelon. Lots of watermelon. It just tasted so dang good. I finally tore myself away from the table to start the home stretch. This section is predominantly downhill heading north so I knew it would be quite a bit slower heading south. Looking back, I wish I had pushed harder on this section. I know there are areas where I could have jogged that I continued to walk. But I had already run 35 miles and with another 15 to go I didn't really know how much I had left in the tank. I'm still learning the art of pacing in the world of ultrarunning.

I made it through the Hobart AS and got ready to tackle my favorite challenge of the course, the climb to Snow Valley. I loved this section 2 years ago and it was no different this time. I found myself feeling and running very strong. I tackled the uphills like they were flat. I've never felt so strong before. I was in a groove. I passed quite a few people and they were full of encouragement. It was super windy at the aid station (is it ever not windy?) so I moved straight through after grabbing some M&M's and tackled the next 6 miles of downhill. I had 1:15 to cover this last section if I was going to beat 12 hours. But I kind of dreaded it knowing that it lasts FOREVER. By now my Garmin 305 battery had died so I was in the dark as to the time or distance.

Snow Valley Aid Station

I ran hard and soon my quads were protesting quite loudly. I starting catching up to the tail end of 50K runners and they were all very courteous about moving to the side of the trail as I ran by. I was running as fast as I could but I knew it wasn't going to be enough. My legs hurt so bad I really didn't know how I was still running. But I kept struggling, pushing my body to the limit. I knew there was light at the end of the tunnel and the faster I could cover that distance, the sooner the pain would end. But it was a euphoric pain, the kind of pain you feel when you push a strong body.



After leaving Mt. Rose, my family headed to Reno to get Caitlyn a pair of running shoes. She wasn't happy with her slipper type shoes and she wanted something that she could run across the finish line with her mom. Not only did she end up with a genuine pair of running shoes, they had laces!

The girls right before the finish line

As I came out of the trees and into the meadow, I could hear my girls calling me. There's nothing like having your family cheering you on to give you one last strong push.

Caitlyn fell into step with me and then immediately went into a full sprint. I just laughed as I watched her go, there was no way I could keep up with her. Finally she slowed down and I caught up and she said "Mommy, running this fast makes my chest hurt". We fell back into step together and crossed the line together. I glanced at the timer and it read 12:10:41. Not the 12 hours I was hoping for but I was happy none-the-less. Results are here.

Sara finishing at her speed

Checking out Caitlyn's new shoes

After resting for a bit, I started making my way back up the hill when I ran into my coach, Howard Nippert. We hadn't been able to visit in the morning so it was good to finally get to talk to him and discuss plans for the next 5 weeks until Leadville.

Howard and I discuss running

Suddenly, without warning, I started feeling pretty queasy and light headed. I guess running for 12 hours and then suddenly stopping can do strange things to your body. After sitting for about 10 minutes I was able to walk up the hill to where the cars were parked.

Once again, this proved to be a wonderful event. The weather was perfect. Some people complained about the heat but I never thought it got too hot. I think all the Bikram yoga (hot yoga) I've been doing has been really helpful to getting acclimatized to the heat. Thank you Dave and all the wonderful volunteers. I've now done the 50K and 50M so maybe the 100M is on the horizon. But let's see how Leadville goes first.

Breathing Thin Air at 10,200 ft.

In order to help improve my chances of finishing my first 100 miler next month, I signed up for the Leadville training camp which took place the last weekend of June. Unfortunately, that was the same weekend as Western States so I didn't get to be there. But the 5 days I spent running on the Leadville 100 course was very beneficial.



I left Reno as soon as my relief showed up at work and hit the road with a full tank of gas and lots of snack food. My first solo road trip in quite awhile and I was excited. Pat was suppose to be going with me but due to some unforeseen circumstances, he had to stay behind.



I drove non-stop and after about 16 hours I pulled into the parking lot of Safeway in Leadville at 11:30 pm. I found a dark corner, snuggled into my sleeping bag, put the seatback down and slept fitfully for about 4-5 hours. The front seat of a 1991 Toyota Corolla is not the most comfortable place to bivy.



I awoke and made my way to Halfmoon Rd where I set up camp next to Elbert Creek. This is where I camped for 2 weeks prior to my 2002 Leadville 100 Mountain Bike race. No amenities but it's free, my kind of deal.

Home Sweet Home

My view and my future ice baths

After getting set up I made my way to the Turquoise Lake dam to run to Mayqueen campground and back, about 13 miles. I immediately felt sluggish and slow, an effect of the altitude (and maybe driving an insane amount of miles the day before). I decided not to sweat it and just enjoy the gorgeous views. I haven't been to Leadville this early in the season and I loved all the water, every river was running full.

Mayqueen Campground is straight ahead and the trail follows the right shore.

I finished my run and took a dip in the lake before making my way back to town and checking things out. I just love Leadville and it was great to be back.




The next day I set out early to drive to Winfield, the turn-around point of the race. It's at the end of a long dirt road in a gorgeous valley. Everything was so green and lush. I tried to imagine what it would look like on race day. All the crews, runners, pacers. I walked around a bit before heading to Twin Lakes.

The old ghost town of Winfield

I drove through Twin Lakes to the Willis Gulch trailhead. Normally we would cross Lake Creek near TL but right now the river is running way too high so this alternate trailhead offers a bridge crossing. I wanted to just do a short easy run and scout out the beginnings of Hope Pass. I found where we will probably cross the creek and the river is raging. I felt good on this run, the legs not nearly as sluggish as yesterday.

Where we cross, hopefully it will be lower on Aug 22.

The bridge crossing Lake Creek

So those were the 2 days before the camp even started. I visited the LT100 store and met up with Ken and Merilee and got myself volunteered to stuff the race (camp) bags Thursday evening and then help hand out the bags to runners on Friday at packet pick up. It was really great meeting so many runners from so many places. There was one guy who was in the middle of a bike tour and Sat would be a layover day for them. He decided to do one day of the camp but didn't have transportation so I offered to pick him up where he was camped and drive him to the start on Saturday morning.


Saturday started at a reasonable hour with breakfast served to us at the National Mining Museum before we boarded buses to the start of this 26 mile day at Mayqueen campground. There were quite a few experience Leadville runners there and they wore the pink with black striped flagging used for course markings to identify that they had done at least 10 Leadville 100 runs. Very impressive. They were a wealth of information and advice the entire weekend.


The course leaves Mayqueen and immediately gets on the Colorado Trail and goes uphill. I was working way too hard and none too happy with how I felt. Not going to be a good day. Things got better when we got on Hagerman Pass Rd and made the climb over Sugarloaf but even the run down powerline was painfully slow

The infamous Powerline

The 7 miles to Halfmoon was tortuous and slow. It was the third day I had been at altitude and I've heard that that's when it can really hit you. The only highlight of this section was when Anton Krupicka ran by us like we were standing still (were we?). I could only get a shot of his back. I did get a chance to talk to him more at Provin' Grounds, the coffehouse where he works but I never did get a better picture.

Anton disappears up the road. I wouldn't see him again until the finish at Twin Lakes

After Halfmoon you get on the Colorado trail again for a very enjoyable 9 miles of rolling, sweet singletrack. At least it should have been enjoyable, for me it was just tough. Finally I started the descent to TL but the trail just seemed to go on forever. It would deteriorate before popping out on a rocky jeep road and after an eternity, I was in Twin Lakes. 26 miles in 5:45. As tough as this run was, I was really happy to have pre-run this section so I wouldn't have any surprises on race day. I understand this is a tough section mentally.

Part of the beautiful Colorado Trail

The bus took us back to Leadville where my evening continued to deteriorate. I sat in the creek by my camp for a bit to cool the legs off and wash some dirt off. I had no appetite but knew I had to eat something. I snacked a bit and laid in my tent in a fetal position fighting a headache and nausea for a couple hours. It finally started getting dark so I got up to get my stuff ready for the next day's assault on Hope Pass and was surprised that moving around made me feel a bit better. Maybe I would survive to run another day.


Sunday dawned beautiful (each day the clouds would threaten and we'd get some scattered rain but nothing serious, typical Colorado weather). I had no idea what to expect. I ate a bit for breakfast before boarding the bus once again for Twin Lakes. We would do the double crossing of Hope to Winfield and back, 21 miles.

Merilee checking runners in before heading up Hope

After checking in (safety was a huge issue for this very exposed climb) we hit some rollers before hitting the main climb. As the trail headed up, I asked a guy nearby if this was the official Hope climb. He said yes. All uphill from here. And it was sure steep in places but I managed to not stop which was my goal. I wasn't the fastest but I didn't lose any time by resting. There was only one bit of snow that had to be traversed but Ken and some volunteers had shovelled a path through it a couple days before.

The good news is that this was going to be a good day. I knew it right away and I was excited about doing a big run over a 12,600 ft mountain. I bounced back from the day before feeling strong, both mentally and physically. Yesterday I was doubting my ability to run 5 miles, let alone 100. Today I knew I had made the right decision to sign up for Leadville.

Top of Hope looking north

I barreled down the other side only to find that the trail gets steeper as it re-enters the trees. I'll have to remember that coming back. They had set up an aid station at the bottom of the trail as it hits Winfield Rd so I grabbed some munchies and started walking toward Winfield. I tried to get caught up on some calories and walked/ran the 2.5 miles to the turn-around. I spent a short time in Winfield because I didn't need to refill my hydration pack until I got back to the AS before the final climb up Hope.


Boy does that trail start out steep. I just kept putting one foot in front of the other and as I broke out of the trees I could see runners up on the switchbacks near the pass, some of them silhouetted against the darkening sky. The clouds were moving in and the thunder reverberated against the surrounding mountains. Maybe I'd have to use that rain jacket I'd been carrying after-all. It wasn't very cold and as I neared the top I noticed it wasn't very windy either. I must be in the eye of the storm where it's calm. After talking to other runners who had passed over the summit before me, they said it was extremely windy and cold. I guess I just got lucky.

I took a quick picture before racing down the trail. I was feeling great and I really pushed the pace, passing quite a few runners in the process. I came into the finish in 6:33, half an hour faster than what I hope to do race day.

A very well marked trail junction

That evening Ken and Merilee put on a nice dinner at the Mining Museum then we were treated to a question and answer period with the experienced runners. It was pretty informative and motivating. My husband and I have done a lot of endurance events, both racing and crewing so I have a pretty good grasp of what to expect. But even I know to expect the unexpected. I'm going to go through ups and downs that I can't even imagine right now.



The next day we were free to do what we wanted before the 12 mile night run from Twin Lakes back to treeline on Halfmoon Rd. I chose to sleep in, have a huge breakfast of biscuits and gravy at The Burro, then walk the town, buying a few things for my girls. I met up with Jael, from camp, and we drove out to the bottom of Powerline to hike a few miles up the trail so she could get an idea of what to expect. I have fond (and not so fond) memories of this hike a bike section from the 100 mile bike race.


We headed back to town to listen to a lecture about crewing before grabbing a burger and onion rings at Wild Bill's. I talked Jael into picking me up at treeline this evening so I could leave my car at the finish spot so I wouldn't have to shuttle back to town, pick up my car, then drive right back to my campground since the finish is only a mile from my camp.


We caught the last bus of the weekend to Twin Lakes where it was just getting dark. Finally, about 9:15 we were headed north on the part of the Colorado trail that I was dreading because I had had such a bad run on this section on Saturday. It's amazing what a couple more days at altitude and switching on the headlamps can do for you. It was an amazing run. The group stayed pretty compact for the initial climb but then things got spread out along the rollers. I was surprised at how well I had this section memorized from only running it once. I was having the time of my life, enjoying the quiet, dark, stars, and thin ribbon of trail that my eyes were focused on.


The last 5 miles were run completely solo. I started having this weird time-warp feeling like I'd been running for many hours and I started wondering if anyone would be at the finish. Thankfully, as I rounded the last bend, there was Merilee serving hot chocolate and burritos. The feeling was light as the runners compared stories about the weekend. I know we will be watching out for each other come race day. We had experienced a lot over the 3 days and will be pulling for each other.


I changed into some dry clothes (I was so glad to have my car right there), had some hot chocolate and just a bit of a burrito before driving back up the road the 1 mile to my home away from home. I was able to sleep about 4 hours before waking up, packing up camp quickly and getting on my way back to California. It would be another marathon of driving that would get me home about 9:30pm.


This camp was definitely worth it in boosting my confidence. I have now run almost every mile of the course so there shouldn't be any surprises in that department. Only 3 1/2 weeks to go. Thank you Ken and Merilee and the wonderful volunteers for putting on another wonderful event. See you in August.


Next up: race report for the TRT 50 miler.

Angel Island

Sorry for the long delay between posts. I haven't disappeared. Just busy running and got a little lazy about blogging. I want to start with a recap of my run on Angel Island (near San Francisco) and my training camp weekend in Leadville. Then I can get to my big run at the TRT 50 Mile.

Life started getting really busy mid-June when we headed to San Francisco to meet my folks to celebrate my birthday. We always love visiting "The City", it never gets old. So many great places to eat and visit. And low and behold, there happened to be a trail race happening that very weekend. How lucky could I get. PCTR put on the Angel Island trail race with distances ranging from 8K to 50K. I chose the 25K because it consisted of 3 loops (perimeter, middle and summit) which would allow me to see most of the island but wouldn't make my family have to hang out for 6+ hours if I did the 50K.

Caitlyn and Sara enjoying ferry with Nana and Papa

We took the ferry from Tiburon to Ayala Cove. Wendell and Sarah (race directors) have developed a very smart way of moving supplies: every runner grabs something as they get on the boat and then they take it off the boat as they head to the start line. A very efficient way to move a large amount of food and equipment.












We couldn't have asked for better weather. Blue skies and comfortable temperatures, made to order. It wasn't long before we were on the start line and Wendell sent us on our way. I had decided that despite PCTR's logo (runs that aren't races in beautiful places), I was going to "race" this race. I needed to put in a good effort over a medium distance to build my confidence.

At the start line, gorgeous day

However, I always start slow and we were faced with a pretty steep uphill right off the bat. It wasn't long before we were on a paved road that would take us around the perimeter of the island. I was surprised at all the buildings on the backside and I quickly settled into a rhythm. I would use this first 5 mile loop to get warmed up.









I came through the start/finish area (and aid station) where my family was waiting for me and cheering enthusiastically in about 54 min, happy with that. The middle loop consisted of more singletrack and I found myself running and pushing a lot of it, even the uphills. It felt good to stretch it out and push my abilities. I fell into a rhythm with a guy with a Big Sur Marathon shirt and we found ourselves passing quite a few people who were running shorter distances and started a bit behind us but didn't do the perimeter loop.

Evidence of last fall's wildfire

I finished loop 2 in 51 min and after having a speedy volunteer refill my bottles, I quickly set off on the last loop. My 5 year old has recently taken to running across the finish line with me so I told her that the next time she saw me, she could run across the line with me. I ran the beginning of the next loop with "Big Sur" (I was "Auburn" based on my shirt) and we congratulated each other on a strong, fast finish to the last loop. I settled into a quick pace up the singletrack of the summit loop. There were a few steeper areas so I worked on my fast hiking but tried to run most of it.

Beautiful singletrack

Soon I was at the top and I decided to take a moment to enjoy the view because I know these clear days are rare and I wanted to soak it in. Now for the fun part: downhill to the finish and it was trail that I was now familiar with, having travelled most of it a couple times already.

Golden Gate Bridge from the top of Angel Island

Looking down on Ayala Cove (S/F) and Tiburon across the water

I put it into gear and ran as hard as I could to the finish. What a blast. The singletrack is smooth and I felt like a kid just screaming down the hill. As I rounded the last corner I saw Caitlyn and we ran across the line together in 2:38:02, good enough for 44th overall (out of 131) and 4th in my AG.

It was a great day out on the trails and I thanked Sarah later for ordering up the perfect weather. My family and I enjoyed a picnic afterwards before catching the ferry back to Tiburon.

Thank you Wendell and Sarah for another wonderful event and the volunteers were great. I would love to do this race again. Full results are here. I'll be back next with my report on the Leadville Training Camp.