Sierra Trailrunner

Family Affair at the Oceanside Turkey Trot

noreply@blogger.com (Catherine) — Thu, 03 Dec 2009 02:50:00 +0000

This year it was decided that instead of staying home for Thanksgiving, we would head south to our family's ranch in San Diego county. So, being the kind of person that I am, I immediately got online and started searching for near-by turkey trots. I found the Oceanside Turkey Trot and contacted my cousin (who I've run 2 1/2 marathons with) and asked her if she'd be interested in getting up really early on Thanksgiving morning, driving over an hour on dark, windy roads to the ocean, run 20-30 minutes, drive back to the ranch and then eat everything we wanted to without feeling guilty. She immediately said yes.

It wasn't long before her 8 year old son said he wanted to run it too (it would be his second 5K, not bad) so I asked my hubby if he wanted to run. Just like that, we were a group of 4, ready to have a very fun adventure together.

Pat and I and the girls left home at noon on Tuesday headed for my parents' place on the central coast. Caitlyn had her first performance of kindergarten that morning, a Friendship Feast, where the kids sang 2 songs on the stage then re-enacted the first Thanksgiving meal. I was the typical parent taking lots of video while Pat took the pictures.

Caitlyn (middle) enjoying the feast with friends

After spending the night with my parents we hit the road early and made our way down to So Cal. Traffic wasn't nearly as bad as I thought it would be on the day before turkey day and we made good time. Hung out with the family and even visited and paid our respects to those who couldn't be with us.

My parents and I paying respect to my grandparents in our family cemetary on the ranch

It was still dark and quiet on the ranch Thursday morning as the 4 of us got ready to make the drive to the ocean for our turkey trot. The time passed quickly as we all gabbed non-stop. I had feelings of guilty about dragging everyone out so early but it seemed like everyone was happy to be there. (Race started at 7am).

After a short unplanned detour (driver error) we found a parking spot halfway between the start and finish lines. We picked up our race packets and I helped Pat figure out how to attach the timing chip. It was fun to realize that this is still pretty new to him. The day before had been incredibly windy on the ranch but things seemed calmer today. Beautiful blue skies and moderate temperatures greeted us.

We had agreed earlier that we would all run our own race. Pat was dealing with some calf pain that flares up during running so he would go his own pace. Joey wanted to run with PJ (her son) so he would dictate their pace. I wanted to run fast. As fast as I possibly could. I wanted to suffer and see how long I could hold that pace without giving in to the pain. And then push it some more.

Pat and I lined up in the first wave of starters and Joey and PJ lined up in the second. I didn't get much of a warm up and that had me worried. I'm notoriously a slow starter and I was afraid I'd red-line early and never recover. The gun sounded and we were off. After about 3/4 mi I started seeing runners coming back and knew the first turn-around was close. I saw Pat as we passed each other going opposite directions but he didn't see me. He looked very focused and I just hoped his calves were doing ok.

I broke the race down like this: mile 1- get into a good, fast rhythm. Mile 2- maintain speed. Mile 3- push hard to the finish. I was a little worried when the first mile was clocked in 7:11. That's pretty fast but I felt ok. However, turns out it was a little fast when my second mile came in at 7:30. This is a fast course and I knew I'd be able to really push the last mile as there's some downhill and then a fun homestretch right next to the ocean.

I used the people right in front of me as motivation to keep pushing just a little harder. 2 ladies who had passed me earlier were right there and I was determined to finish ahead of them (no, I'm not competitive at all). I did pass them and set my sites further ahead. The finish banner was in sight so I hit it hard. Turns out I started my finishing sprint just a tad early, had to back off just a smidge and then hit it again across the line.

So it turns out my pacing needs just a bit of work but I felt really good about this race. I finished in 22:39 (5K PR) and 7th in my age group. I got my medal, some water and goodies and waited for Pat to come across the line. Only a few minutes later I saw him coming. His calves gave him some problems which slowed him down but he still did a great job. I'm so proud of him for getting out there. We hung out a bit longer and then there was Joey and PJ with big smiles on their faces. PJ said this was a 5K PR for him too. We grabbed our goodie bags and shirts and then made our way back to the truck. Time to get back to the ranch and some serious calorie ingesting.

On the drive back I treated everyone to Starbucks as a thank you for joining me on the run. It was nice to see all the big smiles and hear about how much they enjoyed this little adventure.

Back at the ranch showing off our Turkey Trot shirts

Pat, me, Joey, and PJ (front)

The rest of the day was spenting visiting and playing. The ranch is very special because there's 4 generations living there and it really takes you back in time.

Cousins hanging out together

Nothing like a man and his daughter. This is my cousin's husband and little girl.

Caitlyn wanted to visit her special place on the ranch with me so we headed to the horse barn. She loves to just watch the horses and this time she got to feed a couple. I think her older cousins will have her riding one on our next visit.

This is the only picture I got that actually had Sara smiling. Lately she doesn't like her picture taken very often (must be a 3 year old thing). She has her daddy's finishing medal around her neck.

It wasn't soon enough and we had lots of food appearing from various kitchens. Cousin Jim (the almost patriarch of the family, got the honors of carving the turkey. (My dad is now the patriarch but I don't think he's a big fan of the position).

Early Friday morning Pat and I and the girls started the long trip back home. The best part is the beautiful drive up Hwy 395. We always enjoy this drive and we got really lucky with traffic. I think everyone was staying put where they were for the weekend so we had an easy drive. That is until we hit snow in Truckee which made for a slow trip over the summit. But over-all, not a bad trip. And we're so lucky that our girls are such good travellers. 12 hours in a vehicle is tough on anyone but they're real troopers.

It was a real enjoyable trip and always nice to spend time with loved ones. Next up, Christmas!

Getting Caught Up

noreply@blogger.com (Catherine) — Sun, 08 Nov 2009 04:45:00 +0000

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

noreply@blogger.com (Catherine) — Thu, 03 Sep 2009 23:56:00 +0000

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

noreply@blogger.com (Catherine) — Tue, 25 Aug 2009 13:25:00 +0000

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

noreply@blogger.com (Catherine) — Wed, 19 Aug 2009 10:30:00 +0000

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

noreply@blogger.com (Catherine) — Mon, 03 Aug 2009 16:26:00 +0000

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.

noreply@blogger.com (Catherine) — Fri, 24 Jul 2009 20:44:00 +0000

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

noreply@blogger.com (Catherine) — Fri, 24 Jul 2009 19:40:00 +0000

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.

Stepping It Up

noreply@blogger.com (Catherine) — Sat, 06 Jun 2009 03:43:00 +0000

After recovering from my two days at the WS training camp, my coach and I decided it was time to step it up in my training. The first thing I noticed about the June training calendar is the fact that I was scheduled to run every day. Not one day off. I've never done that before. I was doing some long stretches of running before my surgery and I didn't have a problem with it so I'm looking forward to seeing how I handle this. It's actually nice to get into that solid routine of knowing that I'm going to run every day, no matter what.

Last Sunday found me running above Lake Tahoe on the historic Flume Trail with my friend Frankie. We had met early at Spooner Lake, left a car there then drove to Ponderosa Ranch to start our run. The first 3 miles found us climbing quickly up Tunnel Creek Rd for 3 miles to the intersection of the flume trail.

Frankie pointing out distant snow-covered peaks across Tahoe

Frankie is a very strong climber so I worked on staying with her while I led on the flume.

Climbing Tunnel Creek

The day was absolutely beautiful and we were the only ones on the trail. Unbelievable. Lake Tahoe was glass. It wasn't until we reached Marlette Lake before we finally started seeing other runners and backpackers.

Does it get any better? Sand Harbor far below

We circled partway around Marlette before hitting more singletrack on our way to Spooner Lake.

Marlette Lake

Descending fantastic singletrack

We determined we would run the 13 miles in about 3 hours and I wanted to get closer to 3 1/2 hours so as Frankie continued straight back to the car, I added a couple more miles by running around Spooner Lake which included the last mile of the Tahoe Rim Trail 50.

Spooner Lake peeking through the trees

I followed that up with a run on the Western States trail with my dog on Wednesday. After letting my family know where I would be since it's a pretty desolate area, I headed out to Michigan Bluff. I wanted to get some good long descents and climbs and this is the place to do it.

My plan was to run from MB, down to El Dorado Creek, up to Deadwood Cemetery and back. The first descent is about 2.6 miles with a small creek crossing about 1 mile from the start which was good for Yuba. We refreshed ourselves at the creek then headed up the 3 mile climb to Deadwood. About halfway was another spring so Yuba had plenty of water. It was a nice day, not too hot with a little overcast.

I remember this being a very long stretch from the training run so I was ready for it. There were some runnable sections with the steeper stuff being hiked as quickly as I could. After reaching the top of the singletrack I explored the cemetery a little further up the hill. What a view of the canyons. Incredible.

I turned around and started the long descent back to the creek. This part just destroyed me during camp but it was much more enjoyable with fresher, stronger legs. I pushed the pace and concentrated on just letting myself go on the downhill. We stopped once more at the creek and I was surprised to see dozens and dozens of beautiful butterflies flitting all over the rocks near the water.

I started the last climb of the day and seemed to get stronger as I got closer to the top. I had stashed a bottle on the way down and was glad I did. This run was only about 11 miles which I did in just over 3 hours but it was good to get the steep ups and downs.

Yesterday I was suppose to run 4 hours but I just wasn't feeling up to it. It was unseasonably cold and rainy and I needed to spend some time with my family. So I settled on a 4 mile run in the afternoon and the rest of the day was spent playing, making home-made chicken tortilla soup and chocolate chip cookies.

To make up for yesterday I got up real early this morning so I could get over to Reno and get a couple hours in before work. Unfortunately, it rained quite a bit yesterday so my planned run up Peavine Mtn introduced me to the infamous Peavine Shoe Sucking Mud. It caked on my shoes making it difficult to walk, let alone run. It was miserable. The first hour saw me cover just under 4 miles. As I headed to a different area of the mountain the trails got better and the second hour of running was much better.

So my running streak now stands at 13 days which is probably a record for me (I know that's nothing compared to some streakers). I'm feeling good and still real excited about the next workout.

WS100 Camp, Day 2: Thrashed Quads

noreply@blogger.com (Catherine) — Tue, 26 May 2009 03:43:00 +0000

I awoke Sunday morning for Day 2 of the WS100 training camp (you can read about Day 1 below) feeling better than I expected. The quads were sore from those killer descents into the American River canyons but at least I was still walking.

My friend Frankie woke up with swollen eyes from possible poison oak so she decided to pack it in and head home. That was a smart move.

My daughter's friend was having a birthday party at 2:00 so that was my time goal to finish by 1:00pm. Check in was at 7:30am with the run starting at 8:30. Well, I decided I didn't want to wait around. I arrived in Foresthill by 7:00, checked in by 7:10 and hit California Ave by 7:20. I knew I would need the extra time to try and catch the first shuttle at White Oak Flat back to Foresthill at noon.

Early morning on the trail

Today's run would consist of 20 miles from Foresthill to Rucky Chucky then a climb out of the canyon to White Oak Flat and the waiting school bus. Robert Mathis is the race director of the Rucky Chucky Roundabout which is the run from Foresthill to Rucky Chucky then back for 50K. For the last couple years I've tried to do this event but for various reasons I haven't been able to do it. So this would be unfamiliar territory for me.

The first few miles are downhill and my legs did fine as it was gradual. Then the steep descent started and my quads started yelling "NO!" I must have looked pretty funny with my stiff-legged, painful running style. It was not pretty.

A picture from Day 1, the funny looking tree near Michigan Bluff

The funny thing about this "downhill" run to the river, is all the uphill. Steep uphill. Not real long sections but enough to be annoying. I didn't know what was worse, the demoralizing uphill or the quad busting downhills. Plus, I didn't know where the aid stations were so I had to conserve my water a bit. Another thing about this section is at points it seemed we would never reach the river and when we finally got close, the trail would climb up and away from the water. What the heck?

I know my attitude was a little bad just because I was tired from the day before. But then that's the point of doing these big back to back runs, learn to run and keep moving forward on tired legs and spirit. So that's what I did. I ran when I could, walked when I couldn't but I always moved down the trail, getting ever closer to the Rucky Chucky aid station.

The first aid station was at Cal 2 or Peachstone, manned by none other than the Twietmeyer family and other wonderful volunteers including John Medinger. Wow, I was surrounded by ultra legends! That's one thing I absolutely love about this sport, it doesn't matter if you're a mid-packer, front-runner, or running legend, we're all the same in our love for the sport of trail running.

I was about 10 miles into the run when the fast runners finally caught me. I'd try to pick out a wide spot in the trail to let them go by but sometimes there was just no safe place to move over so I'd pick up the pace trying to keep the faster runner from having to slow down too much until I could finally move over for them. They were always very nice and would usually say something encouraging as they went by.

After what seemed like forever, I finally arrived at Rucky Chucky. We had the option of running another 1/4 mi down to the river to check out the actual river crossing area but I was on a time limit so I grabbed some food and water and started the 3 mile climb to my ride. I also met up with Mark Winkelman (from yesterday's water bottle squirting deal) and he introduced me to Jenny Capel who is an incredible runner from Reno.

I mentioned yesterday that one thing I've discovered is I'm a very slow climber so I figured this hill would be a good chance to work on my speed walking skills. I was moving right along when another female runner came up beside me and struck up a conversation. She was incredibly nice and kind of soft spoken and I asked her name. She said Rena. Holy smokes, Rena Schumann. I see her results all the time in Ultrarunner magazine and I know she's fast and yet she took the time to walk and talk to me. She almost sounded apologetic as she announced after awhile that she was going to go ahead and try to run a bit.

After climbing away from the river that I had just spent the last 15 miles trying to reach, I got to the final aid station of the day and the bus was still there. Yeah, I'd made it within my time goal. I was impressed with the layout of food, bbq, drinks and lots of folks hanging out. However, I didn't have any time to spare. Greg Soderlund announced that the bus was leaving and the next one wouldn't be for another hour. So I grabbed a hot dog, 2 oreos, and 2 pieces of red licorice (I know, my mind wasn't functioning right) and hurried to the bus. I found myself sitting behind Rena and we were able to visit on the ride back to the elementary school. She stated that after the last couple days she was really confident in her ability in the upcoming WS100. I wish her well.

The final aid station and my ride

I made it back to my car and arrived at the party just as my husband and girls got there. Perfect timing. First thing I did? Jumped into the pool with all the other 5 year olds. Ahhhh, I'd been dreaming of this moment for the last 10 miles of the run.

I worked Monday so didn't participate in the third day of running. I didn't do any running that day actually. I was impressed that I could just walk. Getting into and out of the fire engine was a feat in itself. Luckily we had a slow day. It's now been a few days and I've done a couple runs and bikram yoga and things are finally feeling better. But most important is my attitude: I'm excited about really training hard and seeing what I'm truly capable of.

Help, My Legs Have Been Murdered and I Can't Get Up

noreply@blogger.com (Catherine) — Mon, 25 May 2009 23:20:00 +0000

Or, The Weekend I Fell in Love With Payday Bars

This is the weekend of the Western States 100 Training Camp, held every Memorial Day weekend. The camp is designed as a last big mileage push for runners to familiarize themselves with the course over 3 days covering about 70 miles from Robinson Flat to Auburn.

This is my first time attending the camp (even though I didn't camp since I live less than a hour away). I was really excited about running parts of the course that I've never seen before. I participated in only 2 days since I'm working today (Monday). I was able to run today's section last February during another training run and after running 52 miles in 2 days, I'm not sorry to be at work today.

I checked in early Saturday morning and spent the hour before the buses would leave visiting with friends. It was a who's who of ultrarunning with past winner Hal Koerner, Beverly Anderson-Abbs, Scott Dunlap, and many others. I ran into my friend Frankie who would be following me home that night in her words, "like a stray dog". She wasn't set up to camp and I was able to coax her with the promise of a hot shower and soft bed.

Greg Soderlund addresses the crowd

By 8:00 we were loaded on the buses and heading to Robinson Flat, about an hour away on a narrow, twisty road. We were warned that there would be snow at RF so after unloading we should all follow Tim Twietmeyer up the road until we could get onto the trail.

We unloaded and started walking up the road, slipping and sliding on the snow a bit and getting warmed up. It was a beautiful day, not cold but also not expected to be smoking hot in the canyons.

Soon we were off the snow and onto the trail leading down through burnt over Duncan Canyon. It's a pretty rocky trail so not a lot of looking around. I found myself at the head of a line of runners which can be a little stressful because I know a lot of faster people were behind me. We got down to the logging roads and things started to work themselves out.

It wasn't long before I felt cold water being squirted on the back of my leg and Mark Winkelman, a captain I work with, laughed as he ran by. Said he wanted to make sure I didn't over-heat. Thanks for your concern, Mark. Sure hope you don't dehydrate without that water :)

Watch your step. My friend Rose

The trail is a combination of dirt roads and singletrack through remote country and soon we were in Last Chance, the beginning of the canyons section. As I started down this steep, narrow, rocky, leaf-covered, treacherous trail, I couldn't help but get chills as I thought about all the history of this area. It's hard to believe this was a major pack-train route to get supplies to all the miners.

It wasn't long before I felt my quad muscles getting sore. Uh oh. It's too early for this to be happening. After an endless descent I finally came upon the swinging bridge. What a site. I recognized the bridge from all those Western States DVD's I watch repeatedly (which I know my husband just loves). I saw runners down at the river soaking their feet but I just wanted to start the climb out the other side after taking a couple minutes for pictures.

I love this sign: Bridge Limit: 5 runners or 3 horses.

It wasn't long for me to understand why everyone calls this climb up to Devil's Thumb brutal. It is steep. It also didn't take long for me to discover a real weakness I have: I am a very slow climber. I think an old lady in a wheelchair could have passed me, everybody else did. There was a lot of shade and a nice breeze which kept me from getting too hot and I was grateful to finally reach the top where the aid station is usually located. For today's run they moved the AS about a mile further down the trail to Deadwood.

I saw my friend Gretchen taking down runners numbers then took advantage of all the good food and cold water. Now, to the subtitle of this post. It seems like every ultrarunner I know loves Payday bars and I always see them at aid stations and everybody seems to rave about how wonderful they are. So I bought some and tried them out. I wasn't impressed and have steered clear of them since.

But during the early miles I had been talking to my friend Rose about them and she also stated she loved them. So when I saw them on the table I decided to try one. Ummm, good. Really good. So I grabbed a couple and stuck them into my pocket and continued down the trail. And I continued to grab them at every aid station and am a Payday convert. Like GU's, some things just taste better 20 miles into a strenuous trail run.

The next descent into El Dorado Canyon is longer and not quite as steep. At one point I thought the trail would never get to the river. And like the descent, the climb out isn't as steep but longer than the last climb. A man came up to me and said when we get to the tree that looks like an elbow we'll be at the top. We started talking and it turns out he was Bill Hunter, President of the Sierra Trailblazers, a local running club in Nevada County that I belong to. As we arrived in Michigan Bluff he introduced me to Peggy Davidson who is a local ultrarunning legend and our Vice President. Since I have 2 young kids I don't make it to many meetings or club runs which explains why I had never met them before.

The next section from Michigan Bluff to Foresthill was a bit disappointing. You spend quite a while on a dirt road in an area that has been clear-cut and thinned and it just goes up, up, up. Finally I found myself back on a trail that descended steeply to Volcano Canyon. I reached the creek and realized there was no easy way to cross and stay dry so I forged right in. The water came up about mid-calf and it felt great.

One last climb up to Bath Rd and finally back to Foresthill where it all began about 9 hours earlier (32 miles and 8 hours of running). I was hoping to do a little better but I've had limited training the last 3 weeks and it showed. But I've got 3 months to Leadville so I'm not too worried. It will happen.

After phone calls to family letting them know we were safely off the trail, Frankie and I headed home picking up pizza and about 40 lbs of ice for those wonderful ice baths in our immediate future.

Since this post got a little long I'll be back later with Day 2: Foresthill to Rucky Chucky (and up to White Oak Flat).

Silver State Half Marathon

noreply@blogger.com (Catherine) — Tue, 19 May 2009 12:41:00 +0000

The last week has been incredibly busy with a whirlwind trip to southern California to visit family, preparations for my daughter's 5th birthday, and of course, a quick run up Peavine Mountain in Reno.

This post will be about my not so glorious run in the Silver State Half Marathon and I'll tackle the other 2 topics in future posts.

N is for Nevada of course, on Peavine Mountain

I signed up for the Half knowing that it would be tough since I had taken 2 weeks off running and only done a few runs of 3-4 miles in the week before the race. The race was on Saturday and also included 50 mile and 50 km events. I had to work Saturday so I took a few hours off and arrived at San Rafael Park just before 7:00am to watch the 50K race start. The 50 milers had started at 6:00am.

50K races milling around before the start

The day started beautiful but promised to soon turn hot. Another reason I was happy I was only going to be out there 2-3 hours. This event was created by the Silver State Striders in an effort to provide a tough ultradistance event for the local runners for training for Western States 100 and other 100's. It provides a quality race and a way for Nevadans to run on their local trails and not have to "drive over the hill" (Donner Summit).

Runners getting last minute instructions from RD Scott

And they're off!

Eventual womens winner Bev Anderson-Abbs

My race started at 8:00am so I had a bit of time to do some last minute race prep before we lined up to receive our own instructions. Our course would follow the 50/50 course for the first 7 miles, pretty much all uphill on the flanks of Peavine Mtn. At the "pond" we would make a left hand turn and after a short but brutal climb start the descent on some fun singletrack.

I've run on some of these trails during training but I was looking forward to exploring the mountain further. My fire station is right near the course and anytime there is a fire on Peavine, we respond. So you can also call this a reconnaissance run to familiarize myself with the confusing web of the many dirt roads and trails on this mountain.

We lined up for the start and I could already feel the sweat forming. I looked around and was impressed with all the fit looking women there. I swear it seemed like the women outnumbered the men for this event. (sorry there won't be any more pictures because I didn't take my camera on the run).

We started promptly at 8 and immediately we were faced with a muddy, boggy section that was created by some excess irrigation of the surrounding lawns. Some ran right through but most tried their best to skirt the mud, me included. Too early to be running in wet, muddy shoes.

I settled into a pace and tried to keep my heart-rate from sky-rocketing on the early climbs. I knew I was going to be slow and that proved correct as I was passed by many runners. I reminded myself that this was just a good, solid training run and I was in no condition to try and race it.

After climbing through the Evans Creek Canyon which was familiar to me, we started the more serious climbing onto unfamiliar trails. The course was really well marked and there was never any doubt about which way to go. The trail was real rocky in places and you had to really watch your step.

I reached the first aid station at 4 miles in relatively good shape. A quick refill of my water bottle and I was soon climbing again. I was able to continue a slow jog on some of the hills that I noticed others were walking but it was slow going. I was sluggish and my legs felt heavy, no spark in them. I continued the grind up to the pond enjoying the beautiful wildflowers where Dave Cotter personally refilled my bottle with ice and water, Thanks Dave. I told him I'd see him in a couple months at the TRT 50 mile.

After fueling myself with some delicious and refreshing watermelon and some M&M's, I headed for the final steep climb. It wasn't too long but it was the "head down, hands on the quads" kind of climb. I guess you have to earn the final 5 miles of downhill. It was definitely warm but a nice breeze kept it from getting too hot. I hit the high point of the course (for us anyway) and started down some sweet singletrack. Normally this is where I feel myself kick into over-drive and start to really push the pace. However, that extra gear just wasn't there this time and I just continued my consistent pace down the hill.

Of course it can't really be "all downhill to the finish" (is it ever?) and I found myself walking a couple of the uphills that I should have been able to run. Finally I was back down to familiar territory and through the muddy bog and onto the grass to the finish line in 2:36:48 (good enough for 61st place, UGH). It was a tough effort on a tough course but it was just what I needed to jumpstart my return to training.

I enjoyed the post-race BBQ and visited with some other runners. For one guy this was his first trail run, he's now a convert from the road! I ran into Mark Winkelman, a captain that I work with, who had spent the morning running the 50K course making sure the markings were still in place. He had recently done the very challenging Miwok 100K in tough conditions and he was feeling good in his preparation for WS100.

I had that really good achy soreness in my legs as I laid in bed that night and it felt good knowing I had worked hard. The WS training camp is this weekend and it will be a tough test of my fitness. But I know that running on those historic trails with a lot of other amazing runners will help the miles fly by. I can't wait.

Thank you Silver State Striders and all the volunteers that made this a fun run. I look forward to doing the 50K or 50M next year and seeing more of Peavine Mountain. For full results go here.

Stevens Trail

noreply@blogger.com (Catherine) — Thu, 30 Apr 2009 21:59:00 +0000

After 5 days of no exercise I was itching to get out on the trail. I'm not running yet so Pat and I decided to take our dog Yuba to the Stevens Trail in Colfax, about 20 minutes from Nevada City. We got the girls to daycare, made a stop at Starbucks then made the drive to the trailhead.

California poppies

This is the perfect time of year to hike this trail. April and May provide the best time to view the many different types of wildflowers. I don't know all their names but they are definitely plentiful.

Iowa Hill Bridge

The trail was built by Truman Allen Stevens shortly after he arrived in California in 1859. He operated a ranch in Iowa Hill and a livery stable in Colfax so he built the trail and a self-propelled cable car to transport miners and animals across the North Fork of the American River, and charged a toll. (Info courtesy of American River Canyon Hikes by Ferris, Lynch, and Toner, which is a wonderful book for people looking for a thorough guide to the trails in the Auburn State Recreation Area.)

The trail is almost 4 miles down to the river and doesn't have a single switchback in it. It follows the contour lines on a moderate grade and always travels upstream. I don't know of another single trail that does that.

Perfect lunch spot

After enjoying a leisurely lunch beside the river (and watching the antics of a heron on the opposite bank), we started back up the trail. This is a popular trail so I wasn't surprised to see some folks as we started back. Our pace down was quite leisurely but Pat set a stronger pace on the return and we both felt like we got a decent workout.

This was a stop we made at a cute waterfall that I'm sure will be dry by mid-summer. This trail is south-facing and I'm sure very hot in the summer.

So Mom, whaddya think?

Run Through The Daffodils

noreply@blogger.com (Catherine) — Thu, 23 Apr 2009 02:11:00 +0000

The best laid plans are always subject to change and this week is a perfect example. I was scheduled to race the Escape From Prison Hill Half Marathon in Carson City this Saturday which I raced a couple years ago and it's a really fun run. However, I have to have surgery on Friday that will put me out of commission (running) for a couple weeks so that race is out.

I wanted to get at least one more race in before surgery so I took the morning off work last Sunday and headed to Penn Valley for the Daffodil Run 5K. Last year I ran this the day after doing the American River 50M and I finished in about 25:35. Considering that this year there were a couple weeks between the races, I definitely wanted to run faster.

The kids started us off quickly but you had to watch out because they have a tendency to sprint for a little bit then stop suddenly in your path. They haven't learned the fine art of pacing yet.

It was a beautiful morning and quickly heating up even by the 8:45am start. I started quickly but in control, it's been a long time since I've raced a 5K and I didn't want to burn myself out in the first mile. Chris B was calling 1 mile split times and I hit it in 7:33, not bad. Everytime I felt myself slowing I just concentrated on a quicker turnover and it worked, the legs felt strong. I watched the runners pass through the turn-around point and I realized I was 3rd female. Cool. Wasn't expecting that.

I managed to stay about 30 yards behind the second female but just couldn't close the gap. As we got closer to the finish I tried to pick up my speed but so did she. I gave it everything but finished just 3 seconds behind her.

So in my first 5K race since last year I managed to finish in 23:37, 3rd female over all and 1st in my age group. I'm pretty happy.

There won't be any running for a couple weeks but it's still early in the season and I know I'll have enough time to rebuild and get myself in top shape for Leadville. Maybe the break will do my body some good, get rid of some of those aches and pains. Until then......here's a few shots from a wonderful morning spent with my family and about 500 other runners.

Larry Defeter finishing strong for second overall.

Me enjoying the finishing kick. At least it looks like I'm enjoying it. And yes, I did pass that kid before the finish :)

Pat and Caitlyn

Enjoying some post-race grub with my girls.

As a special treat at the race, we had Norm and Helen Klein speaking and handing out awards. They even ran the race and looked great doing it. Helen is officially retired but I guess you can't take the runner out of the girl........

During the award ceremony, Norm introduced Darryl Beardall from Dipsea fame. In 1985 Bruce Dern played Darryl in the movie On The Edge about the famous Dipsea race. It was quite a treat having those 3 present at our little country race. Ain't running great?

Darryl Beardall being introduced by Norm Klein. Helen was helping to hand out awards

Thank you to all the many volunteers that came out to help put on this very fun race. It's the first race in the Gold Country Grand Prix series. The next race is Saturday in Nevada City. Maybe I can be a spectator.

Results for Daffodil can be found here.

Cruising the Trails at AR50

noreply@blogger.com (Catherine) — Mon, 06 Apr 2009 18:23:00 +0000

There's nothing better than a day running on the trails near Auburn, CA in beautiful weather with hundreds of other like-minded ultra folks. And with views like this you couldn't have asked for better conditions for this year's American River 50 Miler run from Sacramento to Auburn.

My preparation for this year's race was quite different than last year considering I had a stress fracture in my shin and ran only 25 total miles for the month of March. I did a ton of road biking in and out of the river canyons which enabled me to get a 10:39 AR finish which I was thrilled with.

This year I ran closer to 200 miles in March and am not injured which is great. However, my goal race is in August so I still haven't done much interval/tempo training so I wasn't sure if I'd be able to improve upon my time from last year.

Catching the bus from the finish line to the start at 4:15 AM means an early start to the day but it was definitely made more pleasant since the ride was shared with Scott Dunlap and Gretchen Brugman and the time passed quickly as we got caught up.

The buses arrived at the start and I only had about 20 minutes to get through the porta-pottie line, put on some sunscreen, put my drop bag in the finish line trailer then head to the start. The start line was moved down the levee so I think a few people were caught off guard and had a bit of a late start but since it's chip timed it really didn't matter.

I was surprised when Scott came running up from behind me. He is definitely someone that I usually never see during a race since he's so fast. We chatted a bit then he smoothly pulled away and I never saw him again. Sounds like he had a bit of an adventurous race, you can read about it here.

I settled into a comfortable pace and the miles ticked off. Gretchen caught up to me shortly before the second aid station and we were able to run together for awhile before bio and walk breaks separated us.

Enjoying an early morning buffet

The miles passed quickly along the bike path as I tried to stay on the dirt portion next to the pavement as much as possible. Quite a few people went by me and I wondered if they knew what the second half of the race was like. This is one race that if you burn too many matches in the first half, the second part will eat you up.

Cheerleading chickens along the path

Significant mile mark just before Beals Pt. (26.2)

There's a bit of uphill as you leave Negro Bar and head to Beals Pt. and I was surprised at how tired I started to feel. But I knew my family would be waiting for me at Beals so I just kept plugging along.

Coming into Beals Point

The girls making sure my chip and race number still match

Caitlyn, one of my biggest fans

I got some more S-caps from Pat, visited the restroom, got some food and headed back out. As I rounded the park I noticed that Pat and the girls had crossed the parking lot so I got to give my girls one last hug. Suddenly I found myself very emotional. I didn't want to continue running. What was the point? I was tired, I had just run a marathon, and I was with my family. But I knew I wouldn't stop because I wasn't at the finish line and I'm not a quitter. Plus I wanted to see what this year's finishers jacket looked like!

Hard to say good-bye

As I made my way to Granite Bay I finally started finding my rhythm. I was back on trails and I was feeling strong.

Beautiful trails in Granite Bay

Last year the section from Granite Bay to Rattlesnake Bar destroyed me. Singletrack with lots of ups and downs, twists and turns, I could never get comfortable. This year I ran the uphills strong and the downhills on the edge of control. I was having so much fun and passing lots of people which only made me feel stronger after getting passed so much at the beginning. I came into Rattlesnake in 8 hours which is 25 minutes faster than last year.

I hit the bottom of the last 3 mile climb in 9:20 and started doing the math. Could I break 10 hours? On this steep section I was averaging 13-15 min/mi so I knew it would be close. I had spent over 10 minutes back at Beals Point with my family and I started wishing I had about 5 of those minutes back. But I really wanted to try and break 10 so I put my head down and started repeating to myself: never give up, never give up.

The girls watching the finishers

Finally the finish line came into view and I saw Caitlyn run towards me from the side lines. For the first time she ran with me and we crossed the finish line together. It was a wonderful experience. The clock said 10:03:36 but suddenly those lost minutes at Beals didn't matter so much.

Finishing together!

Gretchen and I sporting some nifty finishers jackets

Julie Fingar did a fabulous job putting on this race as Race Director. The volunteers were excellent, filling my hydration pack with ice water and getting me anything else I needed. We couldn't have asked for better weather and I have to applaud all the runners who chose this race to be their first ultra. I hope they all had as good a time as I did. I look forward to taking another 35 minutes off my PR next year! Results can be found here.

Sampling Rucky Chucky

noreply@blogger.com (Catherine) — Mon, 30 Mar 2009 21:27:00 +0000

Sorry this is so late. Lots going on plus a case of laziness about writing. A few people have noticed that my name isn't in the results of the Rucky Chucky 50K. That's because I only ran 8 miles of it. It's a long story so I'll make it short.

Pat's shoulder surgery was scheduled for March 20, the day before RC. I figured it wouldn't be a problem to still do my part of the relay (the second, uphill part). However, we both didn't take into account what a big deal this surgery was. The surgery was a couple hours and left Pat with the use of only one arm and on heavy duty pain meds.

I had promised Robert Mathis (RD) that I would help out with packet pick up the morning of the race. I had promised my partner that I would run but she understood completely if I had to back out. I just didn't feel right leaving Pat all day with the use of only one arm, caring for our 2 daughters and on pain meds to boot. I knew it would take me a long time to run back up from the canyon after doing Way Too Cool 50K the week before.

I came up with a compromise. After getting Pat settled in on race morning with meds and ice on his shoulder I drove to Foresthill and helped Linda Mathis with handing out packets. Then I got ready to run with my partner. She had to get back early to the Auburn Running Company where she works so she was happy just doing a short run as well. Robert yelled go and we headed down the trail with the group. It was a beautiful morning with the possibility of showers later. We ran 4 miles mostly downhill with a couple short climbs then decided to turn around. We kept an easy pace but still tried to run as much as possible but we also never stopped talking. It was a lot of fun.

We made it back up to the school and I was home soon after. Pat had done just fine, the girls had cereal and were watching cartoons. I got my shower, had a fire going in the fireplace, popcorn in our bowls as the rain started falling. I looked at the clock and realized the front-runners weren't even done yet.

I have wanted to do this run for a few years now and for one reason or another I haven't been able to do it. However, I have no misgivings about my decision. I love running but my family comes first. For a great write up and pictures from a really fast runner, Peter Lubbers has his story here. Results are here.

Next up is American River 50M this Saturday. Looks like the weather is going to be great, even a little warm. I can't wait.

Keeping Cool at Way Too Cool

noreply@blogger.com (Catherine) — Sun, 15 Mar 2009 01:22:00 +0000

It took me 4 minutes to get into Way Too Cool 50K, it took a bit longer to run it. At least running it was a lot less stressful (the race filled in about 8 minutes). After a week of sunny, warm weather, race morning dawned cloudy and a bit chilly. However, the sun did its work by drying out the course from all the rain last week making the trail conditions practically perfect.

Sunrise over Cool

On Friday I volunteered at Auburn Running Company to help with packet pick-up. I really enjoyed putting faces and names together with runners I've only read about. One definite highlight was meeting Jim Howard from early 1980's Western States 100 fame. There is a laminated copy of the newspaper article about the 1980 WS in the store and it has a picture of Jim. We talked for a bit and he mentioned he's just returning to ultrarunning, is looking forward to WTC and is also running WS100 again this year. I felt like I was meeting a pioneer of the sport and it was really exciting (I hope that doesn't make me a nerd).

I also met Devon Crosby-Helms who I only know from race reports by Scott Dunlap. She is incredibly nice and it turns out we share something in common: a running coach. A couple weeks ago I decided I was tired of reading all the training manuals/books/magazines about the best way to get fast/climb stronger/lose weight. It can just be so confusing. I wanted some help with putting a good training plan together to help me reach my goal of finishing Leadville. And I believe Howard Nippert can get me there.

Auburn Running Company, WTC Headquarters

In the days leading up to the race Pat was sick so we agreed that I'd head to the race by myself and if he felt better, he'd bring the girls to the finish line in the afternoon. My only other 50K that I've done is the Tahoe Rim Trail which I finished in 7:29. WTC has about half the climbing so I threw out 6:30 as a finish time that I'd be happy with.

I lined up way too close to the front (I'm actually right in the middle of Scott's starting line photo) but it was so crowded it was too difficult to try to move farther back. Quickly we were on our way and it felt like waves in the ocean pouring over me as hundreds of runners passed me. I haven't done any speed work so I knew I needed to go out slow and hope to have a strong second half.

The first part of the course covers part of the Olmstead loop which is the same course as 12 Hours of Cool Night Run that I did last year and it brought back some great memories. My legs were taking a long time to feel warmed up and I just couldn't seem to find a rhythm. I thought about how easy it would be to complete the loop and make the right turn back to the finish line instead of going left toward Hwy 49 and the rest of the course. Unfortunately, right at that intersection there were a lot of people cheering on all the runners and it was so inspiring that I completely forgot to quit. Before I knew it, I was crossing Hwy 49 and in a nice rhythm. Things were getting better.

Looking upriver along Quarry Rd.

Notice I'm wearing my Auburn Running Company shirt which many of us wore to show our support of Dan Moore, owner of ARC and currently fighting leukemia. He's done so much for the running community and it was wonderful to see so many shirts out there on the trails. You can read about his progress here.

The section from Browns Bar to Auburn Lake Trail is fun rolling singletrack and I kept wondering when I'd start seeing the front runners. I was about 1.5 miles from ALT when Leor Pantilat came flying by. Normally mid-packers like me don't get to see the front runners so it was a real treat seeing all the big names battle it out. Caitlin Smith came by with Bev Anderson Abbs right on her heels and I didn't envy her, that's a lot of pressure but she proved to be up to it by winning her second ultra in as many tries.

Leor Pantilat

Caitlin with Bev hot on her heels

One of my goals was to really limit my time in the aid stations so when I hit ALT the great volunteers had my bottle filled quickly, I grabbed a few chips and 1/4 pb&j sandwich and I was on my way. The next 4 miles went by really quickly and efforlessly and I was soon at Dead Truck Trail. This trail, along with the dreaded Ball Bearing climb was the only section I hadn't been able to preview before race day.

I enjoyed the descent and even saw the "dead truck" before the trail really dropped off. Ball Bearing climb proved to be a little tougher than I wanted it to be. It just seemed to climb longer than it really needed to but finally I made it back to ALT at 21.5 mi.

Now instead of hitting the wall, my early pacing really paid off. I got a sudden jolt of energy and started flying down the trail. I know it's all relative but it sure felt like flying to me! I started passing runners that had passed me in the early miles, a lot of them guys, and I got a lot of "you go girl" which just inspired me even more.

Goat Hill was tough but it helped that I'd run it before. I continued to cruise and really push the flats and downhills, not even stopping at the Hwy 49 AS. I knew it was going to be close to 6:30 so I just kept repeating "relentless forward motion". Finally I was nearing the finish line and I wasn't sure if my family was going to be there. But suddenly there was Caitlyn on the trail in front of me, cheering me on. They were all there. I was hoping the girls would run into the finish with me but they were a little intimidated by the crowds. I ran across the line in 6:27:01, very satisfied.

Caitlyn meeting me close to the finish

I think Julie Fingar did a great job putting on the race. The volunteers were wonderful and there was a ton of energy all over the place. My only regret is that we left before I went into the food tent so I didn't see the cupcakes! Damn. Maybe next year. As long as the stress of registration doesn't get to me.

Running On Fumes

noreply@blogger.com (Catherine) — Sun, 22 Feb 2009 01:09:00 +0000

Last week's theme song was Against The Wind by Bob Seger for my run at Montana de Oro 25K. More appropriate for this past Saturday was Jackson Browne's Running On Empty as I joined about 150 other runners to do the first WS100 training run that started at Green Gate and covered the last 20 miles of the Western States trail to Auburn.

We gathered at Placer High School where it was a bit chilly and some dark clouds were gathering. I met up with a new friend, Frankie, who I volunteered with at Rucky Chucky last year. At 8:00am we loaded up 3 buses and headed out for the curvy drive out past Cool. Soon we were unloading and starting the downhill run toward the Green Gate. I ran into my friend June and we were able to catch up a bit. Unlike Auburn, the start was clear and warming nicely.

There's a lot of singletrack and it's all new trails for me. Part of next month's Way Too Cool 50K will be run on these trails so I tried to really pay attention to certain landmarks. The views down canyon were incredible, especially knowing we were going to be running about 20 miles downstream.

Looking downstream at our destination

The singletrack led to a lot of "trains" of runners but everyone was polite and moved over when they could. I found myself at the "head" of one of these trains and it was stressful! I kept thinking I was going too slow but no one seemed to want to pass so I just found a good rhythm and enjoyed the beautiful day.

One of many stream crossings on the trail

At 14 miles we came to our first aid station. I had been able to keep up a pretty steady pace but I was definitely fading. After last Sunday's race and then training all week, my legs were tired. I grabbed a few snacks and some Pepsi and started the climb up to Hwy 49. Frankie and I had joined back up but I soon found she's a very strong hiker and it wasn't long before she had left me behind. I was able to catch her again on the descent to No Hands Bridge and the company gave me a boost because I was running on fumes.

Running through Cool

After another chance to refuel at No Hands Bridge at the second aid station, we started the last climb out of the canyon and into Auburn. It was hard enough to do after 20 miles, I can't even imagine doing it after 96. It seems like a cruel way to end a 100 miler but then again, 100 mile events are not for the faint of heart.

The infamous No Hands Bridge

I started getting twinges in my lower back at this point. I have a previous back injury but it usually never hurts me while running so this pain came as a surprise. Once I hit the pavement at Robie Point, every step sent pain from my lower back and down my leg. It was quite annoying. I decided to suck it up and continued my slow jog uphill until it finally turned downhill toward the stadium. As the track came into view I was excited to finally step foot on it but alas, it was not to be. All runners were stopped just short of the entrance to enjoy a great post-run buffet of pancakes, eggs, and bacon.

Frankie and I enjoying some post-run food

I was disappointed to not be able to run on the track but after thinking about it, I have to say I'm glad I didn't get to do it. That special moment should be saved only to be savored by those who have earned it by running from Squaw Valley.

As tired as I was last night, I was ready to rip up my confirmation card that I just received from Leadville Trail 100. But after spending a long night in bed and a long rainy day with my family recovering, I'm ready to hit the trails again on my long road to Leadville.

Blown Away

noreply@blogger.com (Catherine) — Tue, 17 Feb 2009 02:07:00 +0000

Against The Wind by Bob Seger greeted us in the car as we drove the 15 minutes to Los Osos for the start of the Montana de Oro 25K trail race. How appropriate. Leading up to race day the forecast was for gale force winds and 2-4 inches of rain. Luckily, by race day the rain decided to hold off and we only had the gale force winds.

To show my love and support for my crew (Pat, my husband) we made a stop at Starbucks so he could get something warm to drink. It was there that we ran into Catra Corbett and her friend Andy. Unfortunately, Catra was sick so she was going to volunteer but Andy mentioned he was doing the 50K. I enjoy following Catra's blog so it was a real pleasure meeting her in person. I also got to show her a new addition to my family that I'll mention another day.

We made our way to Spooner Cove and I picked up my number. It was definitely windy and I noticed a lot of people asking others what they were going to wear. The starting line saw a wide range of clothing options from shorts and t-shirt (brrrrr) to tights and windbreakers.

RD Wendell getting runners psyched to tackle the wind

Soon we were on our way along the Bluff Trail which provides superb scenery and a gentle warm up. I did this race 2 years ago where I did well on the first loop (Valencia Peak) but crashed and burned on the second loop (Hazard Peak). I wanted redemption. But it's early in the season and I'm still building my fitness so I really had no idea how my times would compare. I didn't feel particularly strong during the climb and it took awhile for my lower legs to get warmed up and all the aches and pains to go away.

Climbing toward the sun and Valencia Peak

The higher we climbed, the stronger the winds became, especially along the ridges. Some gusts were so strong runners were stopped in their tracks, sometimes even getting blown off the trail. They were definitely some of the strongest winds I've ever experienced. Later, some runners would tell me they were actually scared while trying to reach the peak.

Finally I found myself at the summit and I stayed low using my hands on the rocks to help me keep my balance against the wind. I was happy to get a little lower and out of the worst of the gusts. As usual, the ascending runners were very courteous to the descending runners as we passed on the narrow trail.

After 1:34 elapsed time I made it back to Spooner Cove to begin my second lap. My time was actually a couple minutes slower than last time which had me a bit concerned. I dropped off my jacket and picked up a second bottle from Pat and quickly started on the Hazard Peak loop.

It's a long, steady climb to the peak and I kept up a gentle shuffle all the way to the top. 3 mountains bikers fell in behind me and I wondered if they wanted to pass. They talked amongst themselves but never got so close to me that I felt "pushed". Having them behind me kept me motivated to keep jogging and keep my walking to a bare minimum. When we reached the top I thanked them for the "push" and they laughed, saying my pace was perfect for them and they enjoyed following me. One was kind enough to take my picture with Morro Rock in the background.

Looking down on Islay Creek Rd and Spooner cove, the finish

An advantage I had this time versus 2007 is that now I know the course. My dad and I rode our mountain bikes on this loop last fall so I knew exactly where the climbs were, and how long. Before I knew it, I was at the top of Barranca Trail and it was all downhill from there. Two years ago, the descent to Islay Creek Rd broke me. It was my first trail race and I had done no hill work and my quads were shot at this point. This time I felt great and flew down the switchbacks.

The final 3 miles on Islay Rd are LONG. 2007 found me walking/shuffling and almost in tears to not even be able to run this flat/downhill road. This time I found I had an extra gear and started pushing it. My heart rate was way too high to maintain for long so I dug deep and tried not to let anyone that I had passed pass me back. So much for this just being a training run.

Finally I found the last turn and cranked it into the finish. What a difference from last time. I managed to take almost 20 minutes off my time and it was all on that second loop. And I was all smiles.

3:16:10, A 17 minute PR

I figured a quick dip in the ocean would do wonders for my aching legs so I stripped off the tights and battled the waves. Pat asked me how it felt. I laughed because I felt nothing: my legs were numb. It was an interesting experience to have my body getting cold from the water but the hot post-race soup was keeping me warm.

After thanking RD Sarah for talking the weather gods into holding off the wind, we made our way back to Starbucks for a well-deserved hot chocolate for me. We met my parents and kids there (I didn't want to subject them to having to hang out all morning in that wind). All in all, it was a great run in some challenging conditions. I enjoy doing PCTR events for the laid back feeling but superb aid station support. My legs are sore today but not too bad. I'm happy with where I am in my training. Slow and steady gets it done. Just like a turtle.

Swimming Upstream

noreply@blogger.com (Catherine) — Tue, 10 Feb 2009 01:43:00 +0000

Today was hill work but my normal training hill was under snow. So I headed down the hill a little bit to do the "salmon ladder". It is named that after the now-defunct Salmon Run 10K race that was part of the Grand Prix race series here in Nevada County. The route consists of 2.5 miles of flat trail along a flume trail, a descent along a dirt road to the Yuba River then a nasty little climb back up to the trail.

I've started incorporating hill work into my routine once a week. This route provided a nice warmup before tackling the 0.3mi climb with 400ft of vertical gain. But I didn't do it just once. I did it 3 times with the goal being to climb it faster each time. Poor Yuba was starting to get a bit tired and worried about how many times we were going to do this crazy climb. My times for the climbs were 8:03, 7:43, and 7:33. I think I almost maxed out my heart rate that last time. I finished with a nice easy jaunt along the flume trail to cool down.

Once again I forgot my camera so here are some pictures from the same trail when my family and I hiked it last week. The only difference is last week it was warm and dry, today it was wet, with puddles, and in the high 30's.

Sara and Pat walking along the wheelchair friendly trail

Enjoying the view of the Yuba River

Caitlyn crossing Rush Creek with the footbridge just behind her.

Caitlyn tackling the nasty little climb, the "salmon ladder". She did great.

Goofing off

Montana de Oro trail run kicked my butt 2 years ago because I hadn't trained properly. I still haven't trained enough this year but it's my first event of the year and I'm treating it as a training run. I hope the little bit of hill work I've been doing will allow me to do a little better this time. I'm really looking forward to getting down there and finding out where I'm at, training wise.

Good Samaritans

noreply@blogger.com (Catherine) — Thu, 05 Feb 2009 03:54:00 +0000

Trail runners are great. Last week I was able to experience some nice trail "magic" after my short 6 mile run turned into a more interesting 11 mile adventure.

I decided to run a short loop portion of the Way Too Cool course and as I checked the trail maps, it seemed pretty straight-forward. But as you know, it's seldom that simple. I started up the Quarry Rd and quickly came to Brown's Bar which I've never climbed. I headed up this 0.8mi climb until I came across the Western States trail heading east toward Maine Bar. I knew I needed to continue a little farther to get to a trail that would take me west toward the Quarry trail and ultimately back down to the Quarry Rd.

Up until now, all the trails had been really well marked so when I passed two steep, unmarked trails that went off to the right, I didn't think they were what I was looking for. Soon I found myself much farther up the canyon facing a decision. There were 3 trails all coming together, they all had names, but none of them was what I was looking for. I took the trail that headed west thinking at least I would eventually come across Hwy 49 and could make my way back down into the canyon.

After continuing to climb and climb and climb some more, I found myself among houses and paved streets which I knew was wrong. I came across a lady who was able to direct me onto some more trails that would eventually lead me to where I wanted to go. She also informed me I was in Cool, which is NOT where I was suppose to be. I headed off onto more trails through pastures and over hills and soon I was lost again. That's when I came across the trail angels, AKA, Good Samaritans.

Two guys, both with dogs, were just beginning their trail run. When I described my predicament, they quickly invited me to join them and they would lead me to where I needed to go. I was a little concerned that I wouldn't be able to keep up, they looked fast. We set off and I was quickly enjoying myself immensely. These were some great guys, showing me some great trails that rolled along the hillsides. Only occasionally did the speed increase enough that I was trying hard to control my breathing enough so that they didn't realize how hard I was working. We talked about some of the trails in the area and it turns out I think I was suppose to take one of those unmarked trails I had seen earlier that headed off to the west. Next time I'll try it.

Soon we came to a trail junction where our paths would go separate ways. I thought about all the things that had happened during my run and the luck involved in the timing of meeting these two guys as they started their run. If I hadn't met up with Jim and Adam, I'd probably still be wandering aimlessly around the hills of the American River canyon. Thanks guys.

On another note, this has been a rest week so I've been taking it easy. It's amazing how skipping just one day of running feels like 4 or 5. I had a good tempo run over the weekend before watching the Super Bowl commercials, I mean, the football game. Today was a long, slow, trail run from the Auburn Overlook where I covered the last 5-6 miles of the American River 50 with some new running friends. Since I normally run alone, it's tough sometimes to adjust my pace to something that I don't dictate. Deep down I wanted to run faster but I soon found that enjoying the company of new running friends is more important. The day was beautiful and it was a pleasure to be running along rolling trails as they meandered along the river canyon.

I've been lazy lately about taking my camera on my runs so I'm sorry I don't have any pictures. I really regret not taking it this morning. I'll try to do better. Good luck to all those racing this weekend at Jed Smith and other races. The season is starting to get going with my own first race of the season coming up on the 15th. Can't wait.

New Distances, New Friends

noreply@blogger.com (Catherine) — Tue, 27 Jan 2009 04:03:00 +0000

Last Sunday found me enjoying some new friends while running a distance longer than I've run in months: 12 miles.

June, who works at the running store where I buy all my shoes, and her friend Cincie met me and my dog Yuba at the trailhead to Quarry Rd on a rainy, cool morning, ready to enjoy a long, easy run to Maine Bar along the American River outside of Auburn. I must admit, I'm a loner, and with my always revolving work schedule it's hard to find running partners. So when I had a chance to join these 2 ladies on a long run, I jumped at it. I wasn't disappointed.

We settled into an easy pace and started gabbing about a number of things and never stopped talking for the next 2 1/2 hours. The miles flew by and before I knew it, we were at the turn-around point. We decided to continue on a little farther so they could show me part of the Way Too Cool trail. We jumped the large puddles, didn't bother with the smaller ones and the incessant drizzle soon had us pretty wet. As long as we kept moving we stayed warm.

These trails are really popular with the endurance crowd and we saw a lot of other runners, some mountain bikers, and horseback riders. It was great to see so many people out enjoying the day, not even caring about the rain showers.

June and I got to talking about my race schedule and she expressed some concern with my plan to run WTC and Rucky Chucky 50K on back to back weekends and the fact that I wasn't running American River 50M. Rucky Chucky offers a relay and she volunteered to run it with me and that way I could sign up for AR50. I do have a concern that my only chance of qualifying for 2010 WS100 is that I absolutely have to finish Leadville, which I intend to do, but the best laid plans.......

So June's suggestions sounded pretty good to me. I ran AR50 last year and really loved it and I know if all goes well, I can qualify for WS100 with it. I'm running TRT 50M but there's no way I can finish it in under 11 hours. So as soon as I got home I registered for AR50 (not too many spots left) and I'll sign us both up for RC relay (and I get to run the "UP" portion).

We finished the run strong (even had a negative split by 2 minutes) and I felt great. I must admit, none of my runs have been completely pain free but after this run I've felt the best and that good feeling continued today. I believe all the aches and pains are just my body getting used to running longer distances again. It's hard for me to continue with this slow build up in mileage but I know it's the smart thing to do. This week will include more hill work and another short tempo run. I feel like a runner again and I love it.

Ambitious Goals

noreply@blogger.com (Catherine) — Sun, 18 Jan 2009 15:10:00 +0000

Looks like this may be my year for trying new things. Like a lot of runners I started out running a few miles a day just to get in better shape. That led to 5K and 10K races which got me thinking about marathons. After my first marathon I naturally started thinking even longer and discovered the perverted world of ultrarunning. I've run a 50K and a couple 50 milers so now my mind is turning to the 100 miler. But which one?

I would love to do Western States 100 since it's basically my back yard. I qualified but didn't get in for 2008 and now that they've discontinued the two-time loser and it's all backed up from last year's cancellation, I figure my chances of getting into WS100 are pretty slim in the next few years. Ever since I rode the Leadville Trail 100 mountain bike race, I've been in love with Leadville, Colorado. So why not try the Leadville Trail 100, the Race Across the Sky. After working out a few details with my folks to watch the girls, I officially signed up. To help my chances I also signed up for the Leadville training weekend at the end of June.

So there it is, my big, fat, hairy goal for 2009. I definitely feel like I'm behind the 8 ball coming off my stress fracture from last year (yesterday I did my long run of a whopping 8.7 miles) but I know if I take it slow and steady I'll be successful. I have some fun races lined up to help in my preparation and my family is behind me 100%. Since my husband is still off work from his fall and with shoulder surgery possibly looming in his future, it's made it easier for me to do more training and events without juggling 2 work schedules. I can't explain the importance of having the support of your family when undertaking such a huge project like this. Pat and I are truly partners and having his support means the world to me. Due to his injury he's had to put a lot of his own plans on hold and I look forward to the day when he's better and I can be there to support him as he goes after his own goals. Until then, as he's been telling me a lot lately, this is my year. And I can't wait.

Dilemma, and the perfect running weather

noreply@blogger.com (Catherine) — Tue, 13 Jan 2009 15:39:00 +0000

Yesterday I had a great day. I got off work and on my drive home over Donner Summit I stopped off at Sugarbowl Ski Resort to get in some turns. Last Thursday was my first time skiing in 5 years. Yesterday was my second. 5 years ago I had a pass to Sugarbowl but found out I was pregnant so didn't get to use it. My family threatened me with death if I dared ski while pregnant. So, 2 kids later, I finally decided to get another pass (my, how time flies).

So last Thursday, with great trepidation (and fear of falling off the lift) I strapped on my skis, boarded the lift and managed to not fall down as I disembarked at the top. The first couple turns were stiff and ugly. Once I loosened up I started feeling more comfortable. After 4-5 runs I was back in a groove, just like riding a bike.

Yesterday was extremely windy, to the point that a couple lifts had to be put on wind hold. It was sunny and clear, actually warm when you were able to get out of the wind. I like to change my blog header picture along with the seasons so it was with great effort (and almost getting blown off the mountain) that I got my new picture up top. It's looking south along the Pacific Crest Trail from Mt. Lincoln. It was so windy I had to keep my pole straps around my wrists because if I laid them down I was afraid they'd end up at the bottom of the mountain at the lodge. My body was pressed forward against the powerful force and as I struggled to get my camera out of my jacket pocket I would stand up too straight and I'd find myself getting pushed backward on my skis. But I like the picture so I guess it was worth it. If you look in the lower left hand corner you can see a thin line of white and that is the trail as it heads south towards Tinkers Knob and Squaw Valley.

So, about my dilemma. As I rode the lift up the mountain I started to think about how to record this time skiing in my training log. I skied for 2 hours so do I put 2 hours down? Even though for every 10 minutes I spend getting carried to the top of the mountain I only spend about 2 minutes skiing back down (even though I do get a pretty good quad burn). So for the 2 hours I spent up there, I only "exercised" about 25 minutes. It's not like nordic skiing where you have to ski UP the hills too. (I raced nordic skiing in high school and there was always a big rivalry amongst us and the alpine skiers as to who was better. Of course we were because we didn't wimp out and get a ride to the top of hills). This morning I was reading Darrell's blog and he has a similar dilemma. If you walk during a run do you count the distance covered walking as part of your miles run? I think in general, runners are type A personalities and really care about numbers. We like to record things (just to prove it actually happened) but we want to do it right. So do I record my time on the slopes as total time or just my actual runs down the mountain?

I got home and my hubby was out on a walk with the dog. It was an absolutely gorgeous day, one that rarely happens in mid-January: bright blue skies, about 65 degrees and no wind. I just had to get out and run. So I quick changed into my running clothes and set off up the trail. I ran 2 miles out (even through the occasional snow patch) and then turned back home. About a half mile from home I saw my dog running toward me and closely behind him was Pat. They had gotten my note about going running and headed up the trail to find me. I finished up my last 1/2 mile with the dog then enjoyed a nice walk with my husband. To top off the perfect day, we enjoyed a late lunch in town before picking up the girls from daycare. A nice way to spend the day.

2008 Recap and 2009 Goals

noreply@blogger.com (Catherine) — Sun, 11 Jan 2009 14:51:00 +0000

Well, it's halfway through January so I thought I better get a new entry on my blog so the first thing people see isn't Christmas!

2008 wasn't exactly a great year for me, it proved quite challenging dealing with my first major running injury. And typical me, I didn't handle it well. I started feeling pain in my shin last January but continued to run. I did back off the mileage and did a lot of road bike riding but due to some events I had already registered for, I didn't stop running completely on what turned out to be a stress fracture.

I did back out of a couple events when common sense prevailed and volunteered at those runs instead. It was a lot of fun to see those events from a different point of view. I always make it a point to thank volunteers and now I'm really glad I do. Our job as runners is easy compared to what volunteers do.

So, to recap 2008. I ran 586 miles despite 25 weeks of 5 miles or less. I biked 1,406 miles. April was my most interesting month considering I only ran 3 times but logged 80 miles. I did American River 50, Daffodil 5K, and the Big Sur Marathon. As fall rolled around and I finally decided that I really did need to stop running and let my leg heal I took up something new: Bikram Yoga. It's 90 minutes in 105 degrees doing 26 yoga postures and it is very challenging. I am hoping to do a post in the future about it. I started doing "hot" yoga to help me keep my strength and endurance while letting my stress fracture heal. And I managed to do it 50 times by the end of 2008.

Now on to 2009. I'm slowly building up my running mileage but mostly on the treadmill since it's easy to do that at work. I was lucky enough to get into Way Too Cool 50K so that will be my focus race for the spring. I've heard so many wonderful things about this race and I'm really looking forward to running it and seeing all the big names of ultrarunning.

As tune ups for WTC, I'm going to run PCTR's Montana de Oro 25K Feb 15. That course ate me up in 2007 because I hadn't done enough hill work. I don't have a lot of time to prepare this year so it will just be treated as a good training run. Later that week I will do the WS100 training run that covers the last 20 miles of the course from Green Gate to Auburn.

My summer focus is to do something I couldn't do last year, the Tahoe Rim Trail 50M. I've done the 50K course but really want to do the 50 Mile. I have a few more races and one major goal that I will hold off mentioning now while I work out a few details. But if it works out and I manage to stay healthy and injury free this will be a year to remember.