Finding My Groove at Cool

Results can be found here

I was a little nervous as I joined about 85 runners at the Cool 12 Hour Night Run Saturday evening. I watched the sun get closer to the horizon and it felt weird to be lining up to start a race. Never the less, after Nancy's pre-race speech, we headed off down the dusty trail.

Nancy giving the pre race briefing

Robert and Linda Mathis waiting to count laps for runners

This race date fell on one of my shift days but I decided to work until 4:00 then head over the summit down to Cool. I gave a lot of thought to what Gretchen wrote about last year regarding pre-race meals. It's a little harder to manage when the race starts at 7:00pm. But since this race (and I use that term loosely) was to be so low key for me, I decided to not sweat it and picked up some McDonalds on my way out of Reno. I figured I'd be running so slow that I wouldn't have any tummy troubles and I was right. Besides I'm with Steve, I try to eat right but I'm no purist. I eat my fair share of junk food so I would hate to shock my system by eating too healthy :)

Runners getting lined up for the start

Now with the disclaimers. After Big Sur, I didn't run the entire month of May and June. July saw only a few runs, nothing over a few miles. So my expectations for Cool were pretty low. My leg would hurt sometimes but didn't seem to get better when I didn't run and wasn't getting much worse when I did. So I figured what the heck, may as well run. I thought about my goals and first of all, I just wanted the experience of running in the dark, at least halfway thru the night. I wanted to test hydration systems and lights. Mileage-wise, I thought it would be great to do 4 laps for 36 miles but didn't know if that would be realistic. I would be happy with 3 laps, disappointed with just 2.

An old burn from earlier this

On the first lap, I brought 2 bottles and my lights, just in case I couldn't finish the first lap before dark. It was warm, as expected in that area in August. The trail was loose dust and it didn't take long before everyone's legs were covered in thick dirt. Before the start I saw Peter Lubbers and the Abbs (I'm still working on recognizing people and putting faces and names together). One thing nice about this format is I knew I'd be seeing the front runners again as they lapped me; I just hoped it wouldn't be before I finished my first loop!

My leg felt pretty good right from the start. I kept my pace slow but was surprised to find my heart rate climbing much higher then it should. Wow, it hit me just how out of running shape I am. I walked the hills and ran the flats and downhills easy. It was an enjoyable pace but tough for the competitor in me. It didn't take me long to realize 4 laps probably wasn't going to happen.

3.2 down, 5.8 to go, Lap 1

I reached the 5.5 mile aid station just as the sun was setting. This is the aid station where Norm and Helen Klein commit themselves to taking care of runners all night long. What amazing people and we're lucky to have them in the ultrarunning world.

Say Goodnight

Norm and Helen ready the aid station

I started on the last 3.5 miles back to the start and was surprised at all the uphill that I had to walk. It was more than I expected but then we got back up into the rollers and it was a great run back to the start/finish. The sun had set and it was getting dark but my eyes were adjusting and I didn't need my lights yet. Some other people were using theirs but I was able to (stubbornly) complete the first loop sans light.

I announced my number to Robert and Linda Mathis then some wonderful volunteers filled my bottles and made sure I had everything I wanted to eat. One thing I had heard about Nancy Warren's event was how wonderful the food is and I wasn't disappointed. I changed out my hydration pack for a fuel belt with 2 smaller bottles and one hand held bottle so I could use my other hand for my flashlight. It was completely dark when I headed out for lap 2 and I was feeling great. I wasn't sure how I would deal with the dark because strange noises and things that go bump in the night make me a bit nervous. Ok, I can be a scaredycat. But I was exhilarated running the trails in the dark, listening to the mysterious night creatures moving about. At one point a large mouse ran out on the trail in front of me. I think he was confused with my light so he kept running in front of me, looking back occasionally. Finally he got off the trail to see what had been following him. He was the only "wild animal" I saw but I heard plenty more rustling in the bushes, nothing big tho. No wild goats or skunks, thankfully.

Things started to get tough physically the second part of lap 2. The downhills were a killer and my right knee was bothering me a bit. I wasn't looking forward to the third lap. I check in with Robert and Linda again just before midnight and headed for my drop bag near the aid station. I've never done a race with a drop bag before and I had to laugh and what I did. After the first lap I had put my drop bag on a chair and got what I needed. It wasn't until I was a mile or so into my second loop that I realized I had walked away from my bag without putting it back with the others. I couldn't even remember if I had put my stuff back into it and closed it up. Brain fart. I was pleased to see I had zipped it back up and it was still sitting on the chair right where I had left it.

After getting more food and drink (and 500mg Tylenol) I headed out for my 3rd loop. My body was definitely feeling the miles but I was really enjoying myself. The second and third loop were run pretty much by myself. On the second loop, I was lapped by a handful of front runners who were already on their third loop including Bev Abbs (currently third overall) and Peter Lubbers. Everyone said something encouraging and I tried to reciprocate. I had my MP3 on by this time but I always made sure to pause the music when another runner went by. Everyone was so friendly and I didn't want to separate myself from that. I also stopped the music occasionally just to listen to the night sounds.

The Tylenol took the edge off the aches and pains and I was able to run quite a bit of the third loop. The downhills were painful but I was still enjoying myself. And I guess this is where I admit to everyone what I was listening to. I saw Mamma Mia a couple weeks ago and love it. I've already seen it 3 times and will see it again Wed with my mom. I got the soundtrack to the movie which is all ABBA tunes plus ABBA Gold and downloaded it. So, at 2:00 in the morning, pounding out the last mile of a 27 mile night run, Meryl Streep belting out "Winner Takes All" had me racing to the finish line. It was fantastic. I know, dorky. And I wasn't even 10 years old when ABBA debuted so all this music is new to me.

I was happy to finish up my third and final loop. I could have completed a fourth loop but I had already accomplished what I came here for. I had run my first ultra since the beginning of April and was feeling pretty good. The leg had held up and I was sore but not destroyed. It was a good time to stop. I visited with some other runners then had to change into warmer clothes. The temperature stayed warm while running but quickly cooled if you stopped. I stopped the shivering with some hot chocolate I had brought in a thermos. Finally, around 3:45am I headed home. Luckily, it's only about a 40 minute drive so it wasn't long before I was showered and tucked into bed.

Pat had to go on shift in the morning and I never heard him leave. Next thing I'm aware of is my 4 year old gently combing my hair. She then brought me breakfast in bed, 5 strawberries on a plate. My 2 year old was kind enough to play quietly in her crib so I was able to get a solid 4 hours of sleep. Luxury.

It's now been 2 days and I'm feeling pretty good. I did an hour long open water swim this morning and I'm feeling more comfortable with my swimming (that's good for my upcoming triathlon). I think the slow pace and running on trails helped me feel better than I did after running the Big Sur marathon. I'm also taking Hammer Nutrition supplements and I followed the regime for ultra events and recovery and I think that also helped.

I'm looking forward to getting on a running routine again. I have some events coming up this fall that I really want to do. If my leg continues to hold up I should be good to go. The results from Cool aren't up yet but when they are I'll add a link. I want to thank Nancy Warren and her merry band of volunteers for putting on a fun, low key, but very organized event. I would definitely like to push my limits a little further next year.

Anyone interested in stats:

Loop 1: 1:57:26

S/F Aid: 15:43

Loop 2: 2:17:43

S/F Aid: 20:43

Loop 3: 2:22:16

Total time: 7:13:44

Volunteering at TRT

Ed note: results for the TRT can be found here


Last week I finally made the decision to drop out of the 50 mile version of the TRT and sign up to volunteer instead. I guess in the back of my mind I kept hoping for a last minute miracle. It didn't happen.


I was signed up to help at the finish line so I didn't need to get up there until about 8am. I woke up at 4am and decided to head up to the lake early. I arrived just before 6am, quickly headed down the hill to the start line and had about 30 seconds to spare before the 50 milers and 50 km were sent off down the trail.

Mark Tanaka and Thomas Reiss in gold (center)

I had some time to kill so I checked in with the volunteer coordinator then changed into running clothes and headed out for an easy 2.5 mile trip around Spooner Lake. (Yes, I'm running, I'll have more about that later in the post). It was a beautiful early morning run but I could tell that I'm not in great running shape and I was also noticing the altitude. I was happy that I had dropped out of the run. I would have destroyed my body trying to do even the 50K. One thing I've discovered this year is that running gets you in good shape for cycling but cycling doesn't get you in shape for running. Only running gets you in shape for running.

Sunrise over Spooner Lake

After cooling down I helped set up the finish line chute, putting out cones and hanging sponsor banners, figuring out who will do what as the runners finish. I was selected to tear the tags off the numbers. A note to runners: I know it's nice to fold up your number but please don't pin that bottom tear off tag. You can still fold your number to make it smaller without pinning that tag. It sure makes it easier and faster if the finish line volunteers don't have to unpin your # to get to that tag. Thanks.



Race day turned out to be beautiful with no smoke in the air which sure made everyone happy. But it soon became apparent that times were going to be slower than last year due to higher temperatures. Peter Fain was the first male 50K finisher in 4:48:39 saying it was really difficult this year. He also mentioned that there was smoky air down in the Red House loop which probably accounted for some of the slower times. Maureen Shaheen was first female in 5:48:14.

Peter Fain finishes before lunch time. Wow

My husband and daughters showed up and set up a little picnic area near by. I was able to sit with them and eat lunch, getting up each time a runner came through. There was never a large group of runners, they seemed pretty well spaced out. It was great to see all the other families there supporting their runners.

My family enjoying lunch

The 100 milers started an hour ahead of the second group and the first 100 miler to come through the half way point was Jon Olsen in just under 8 hours. He was moving and looked great. Thomas Reiss was the first 50 mile finisher in 7:52, about the same time as Olsen came through and he still had another lap to do. Incredible.

Thomas Reiss stops his watch as he crosses the line

Jon Olsen coming through halfway point

Only 1 or 2 more 50 milers finished and only half the 50k runners had finished when I decided to head home about 3pm with my family. About 10-12 100 milers came through the half way point by that time as well including Nikki Kimball and Bev Abbs.

Nikki Kimball

Bev Anderson-Abbs

It was a great way to spend the day supporting a sport that I love.



Injury update: Some of you may have noticed in my training log that I've been running 1-2 miles here and there. Bottom line is I'm not convinced my doctor was correct in his diagnosis of a stress fracture. I've reviewed the test results and talked to other doctors and there is no evidence of a stress fracture in any of the tests. And earlier in the year I had ultrasound done on the sore spot and I've been told if you have a stress fracture, ultrasound will "light you up" with intense pain. That didn't happen to me. I believe I did have an over-use injury, perhaps even a partial stress fracture but that it's healed in the last 2 months of no running. I ran in San Francisco but I know I did too much too soon and it started hurting again. Well, that pain went away quickly and now I'm running 1 mile on the treadmill 1-2 times a week. Yesterday was my first trail run over 1.5 miles and it felt fine. I can feel the different tendons, ligaments, and muscles getting used to running again which creates a little soreness but there is no more pin-point pain on my shin. So bottom line is, I'm back to running if you can call it that. I'm taking it very slow and as soon as there is discomfort, I stop. So far so good.


I'm signed up to do 12 Hours of Cool but I'm still undecided about it. I would like to get some experience of being out there in the dark so I may do it and just walk most of it and quit when I don't want to do anymore. I know Peter and Gretchen really enjoyed doing it last year. It will probably be a last minute decision. Keep you posted.

Nope, Not Running Again

Well, it's official. I've been diagnosed with a stress fracture in the front part of my lower left shin. That means all of the running I did this spring (AR50, Daffodil 5K, Big Sur Marathon) was all done with a stress fracture. Wow. What a dummy. But I guess this is as good a time as any to take some time off running. With all the fires in the area the smoky skies are terrible.

I told the doctor about running in San Francisco because the leg had stopped hurting and he said that's a good sign. It's healing. However, 15 miles in 3 days is not the way to stage a come back. He thinks more along the lines of 1-2 miles on a treadmill would be more appropriate. Sounds boring to me. Last summer I had a torn calf and was much smarter about the recovery and easy come back and ended up doing some great runs in the fall. I'll work on doing that strategy again. But from the sounds of it I won't be doing any running for another 4-6 weeks, or longer. It's all based on pain: if it hurts, don't run on it. Ok.

It's been so long since I ran (end of April) that I've kind of gotten used to it. I still miss it, the simplicity of putting on a pair of shoes and heading out the door for an hour or so. But my focus has switched to the bike and that's not a bad thing. It was my original passion, starting with centuries and double centuries and moving up to 300K and 400K Brevets, even a couple 24 hour Fleche rides. My dad got me into bike riding so I don't have many memories of bike rides that don't include him. We've spent hours following and leading each other up mountain passes, across deserts, and along rivers, exploring the beautiful areas of this country. We don't ride much together anymore and I miss that very much. Life gets so busy, we live 6 hours apart, I'm busy with work and 2 little kids, and he's busy living the wonderful life of the retired with lots of travelling (and double knee surgery). But it's always there, in the back of my mind, the hope that our days of riding together will happen again. There are a few more roads left to explore.

Running Again?

First off, I just have to say how sorry I am to all of you who were suppose to run Western States 100 this weekend. But from what I've been reading in blogs, it looks like people are accepting the things you can't change and moving forward, looking for that next challenge. Ultrarunners are an amazing group of people.

Some of you may have noticed from my daily workouts on the right side of this blog that I did some running over the weekend. While in San Francisco for Pat's Sharkfest swim from Alcatraz, I decided to test the leg. Did an easy 4 miler along the Embarcadero Thursday afternoon and it felt great. No pain. So naturally I got up early Friday morning to enjoy another run along the Embarcadero. This time I headed towards the Golden Gate Bridge and reached Crissy Field at the 4 mile mark. I wanted to run to the bridge but that would add another 1/2 mile and I still had the return trip to do. That would be close to 9 miles total and is way too much to do this soon. But it was so beautiful and I just didn't want to stop. I love running in SF in the morning. But common sense prevailed and I turned around. After hitting the 8 mile mark my leg was bothering me so I decided to walk the last mile to the hotel.

Saturday was Pat's swim and then we headed home. My leg was bothering me a bit so I was happy to rest it. This morning I headed out for an easy 3 miler along a water canal so the dog could get some exercise too and was disappointed that the leg pain was back. I guess I'm not surprised. I did over-do it a bit. So I iced it real good and I'll rest it. I see my orthopedic specialist on Tuesday to review the results of the tests taken the last couple weeks.

Sorry I can't post pictures but our computer died and I'm on my husband's computer at work. Hopefully we can salvage the computer. We'll know more tomorrow. We have been in the market for a new laptop tho..........

Racing Scared

My re-introduction into road bike racing last night was trial by fire, literally. The skies were filled with smoke from the hundreds of fires burning in northern California but that didn't stop many crazy bike racers from suiting up and hitting the roads around Boca and Stampede Reservoirs just east of Truckee, Ca.

My last bike race was June 2003 at the Nevada City Classic, a brutal circuit race up and down the hills of Nevada City. Since then I've taken up running but since being side-lined with this shin injury, I've been back on the bike. So why not jump into a little race?


The Reno Wheelmen put on a fun series of bike races through the spring and summer in and around Reno. I raced with them in 2002 to get myself into shape for the Leadville 100 mountain bike race. I've been doing some good riding lately, however, nothing real high end. Like racing. And it showed.


Pat is doing the Alcatraz Sharkfest swim in San Francisco this Sat and he wanted to get a dip into Donner Lake just to get some cold water exposure. We found a public dock that was perfect for the kids to swim a bit and Pat could work on that "cold water face immersion/hyperventilation/mild anxiety" bit. Good practice for SF.


After the swimming and a bit of dinner we headed to Boca for registration. I signed up with the C's and started warming up. It was fun seeing and visiting with old friends that I hadn't seen in awhile. The race started and I found myself mid-pack of about 15 riders. The pace started really slow and my confidence grew. Then we hit the first hill. Actually, hill is an over-statement. It's more like a small bump in the road but I found myself being passed by riders. I glanced back to see who was behind me and was shocked at what I saw: nothing but open, empty road. I had been dropped off the back and we hadn't even got to the big climbs yet. Uh oh. This isn't good I thought. Well, at least I knew what the title of my next blog entry would be: DFL.

I was able to reintegrate the group after the small bump but I knew I'd be off the back again at the next hill. And I was. I worked really hard to stay close and was able to bridge back up to a girl who was being paced by a much stronger guy on the flats. It soon became apparent that I was stronger on the downhills and flats and she was stronger on the hills. At the first turn around the 3 of us were together. I was able to recover a bit but the pace was slower than I wanted. So I decided to drop the hammer and see what happened. I figured if I could get a gap on the girl then maybe I could hold her off on the last 2 big climbs and stay ahead for the finish.

At the second turn-around point I had about 10 seconds on her. On the second to last hill her friend passed me like I was standing still. I guess she had told him to go ahead and do his own race. So it was down to me and her (I still don't know her name, just #660).

I hit the last hill and focused my eyes 2 feet in front of my front wheel. I told myself to keep up the hardest effort I could until I either 1: got to the top of the hill, or 2: threw up. Finally I was on the last few miles of flats and I just hammered as hard as I could. It was my own time trial, my own suffer-fest. I kept glancing behind me and didn't see #660. I finally told myself to quit looking back. Even if I looked back and she was suddenly there, there was nothing I could do about it. I was red-lined. It was a little demoralizing to know I was pushing as hard as I could and the best I could hope for was second from last. I really thought I'd be able to hang with the group a little longer but I guess my lack of racing really showed itself.

I crested the last small hill to see the finish line guys packing up. Wait, wait for me. And there's one more behind me. So I guess my title for this blog entry had to change. It would no longer be DFL.

And the smokey skies actually weren't too bad. Maybe I was just suffering too much to even notice my lungs getting scorched. During the last mile I did finally lift my head a bit to take in the view. It was a beautiful sunset through the smoke as the sun sank into Boca Reservoir and I even noticed the puple lupine along the road. It was all a very beautiful, eerie scene.

Tomorrow we head to San Francisco and hopefully get out of this terrible smoke. We have 2 fires totaling about 1700 acres burning about 15 miles from my house. Then I come to work in Reno and all the smoke from California is now over here. Maybe if we head as far West as we can, we can escape it.

On the running front, I had all my tests done (MRI, CT scan, bone scan) and am now just waiting to get in to see the doctor which won't be until July 1st. I ran about 100 feet today and there was no pain. Don't laugh, that's actually a really good sign. Normally the pain started with the first running step. So this weekend I'm taking my running gear to the City and do a bit of running. That has to be one of my favorite things to do: an early morning run along the Embarcadero. There's nothing more peaceful. And if all goes well, my leg won't hurt.

I'll try to post a few pictures after we get back. And for those who don't know, DFL stands for, you guessed it, Dead F'ing Last.

Update

Sorry for the delay, busy camping this weekend. I got in to talk to my doctor and the verdict is this: the MRI is inconclusive. Surprise, surprise. It does show inflammation in the bone marrow which we don't know the cause of. Perhaps over-use, perhaps something else. I just had a CT scan done last Friday and am scheduled to get a bone scan this Friday. Hopefully these new tests will be more forthcoming with some answers.

Overall, it does feel better except when I run. So I don't run. It doesn't hurt when I ride my bike so I've been doing a lot of that and having a lot of fun. Yesterday we watched the Nevada City Bike Classic, a 1.1 mile circuit race through downtown and it got my competitive juices flowing. I raced this race in 2003 and it was the second hardest thing I've done (behind Leadville 100 the year before). I'm even contemplating trying to get back into bike racing shape. We'll see.

Hope everyone is getting out and enjoying this wonderful weather (at least on the West coast). Hope the taper is going well for those going to the Big Show on the 28th (Western States 100). Hope to be at the finish line to cheer you on.

Enjoying Lake Tahoe

I've spent almost my entire life exploring the Sierra Nevada mountains. Hiking, backpacking, and camping. Since having kids I've wanted to share those experiences with them and I figure it's never too early to start.

Ahhhh, relaxing at Lake Tahoe (this lasted about 10 seconds)

I never camp over Memorial Day weekend because of the crowds and besides, the weather was terrible this year. So we decided to head to Lake Tahoe last Sunday-Tuesday. We stayed at DL Bliss State Park at a perfect site. Growing up we were hard core, we didn't stay in campgrounds, we didn't even have a tent (that made for some soggy nights). I must say I've become a little wimpy because the conveniences of running water and bathrooms are sure nice while the kids are this young. However, after this trip, I'm not partial to state parks, too many rules.

"Where are my feet?"

The weather was perfect and we loved exploring the beach and trails. Pat did a run on the Rubicon trail towards Emerald Bay while the girls and I explored the wonderful rocks along the trail. He was only going to do 2-3 miles but ended up doing 5, he just didn't want to turn back. He got into that running mode where it almost feels effortless and you can't wait to see what's around that next corner. He insists that we come back to run this trail when I'm running again. I can't wait.

Caitlyn enjoying her new Camelback after climbing a big rock

Getting the next generation running

We had a blast roasting hot dogs and marshmallows over the fire. Caitlyn kept saying how much she loves camping which made me feel so good. Sunday night was pretty cold, high 30's and the next morning was only mid 40's so it took awhile to get warmed up. Around 10:00 we loaded up in the truck to find an area more conducive to dogs and Sara instantly fell asleep so we decided to drive around and explore. We headed over Luther Pass to Hope Valley then up to Blue Lake. The campground was still pretty snowed in as well as around the lake. Sara woke up by then so we were able to get out and throw some snowballs for the dog. He also loved playing in the lake, I know it had to be cold though.

Pat and Sara enjoying a moment at Blue lake

Blue Lake

PCT at Tamarack Trailhead

We headed back down to Hope Valley and played along a creek and in a beautiful meadow filled with granite boulders and wildflowers. It was so nice to just relax and enjoy the afternoon without any crowds.

Sara taking Yuba for a walk

Getting tired

Monday night was a bit warmer and we woke to a few clouds as we made our last camp breakfast. That has to be my favorite meal, especially while camping. Nothing like the smell of bacon in the morning. We packed up and were on the road by 10:00. Home with enough time to unpack, clean up, and do laundry. Next camping trip is scheduled for the 13th but this time it will be closer to home at Scott's Flat Lake. It will be the 4th Annual Kiddie Kamp, a camping trip I started with my Mom's Group after we all had our first kids.

On the way to Mt Tallac trailhead

So this weekend was the best camping trip we've had with the girls so far. I know it will only get better as they get older but like I said, it's never too early to start. As my mom likes to say, I learned to walk in a campground.

PS. My doctor has my MRI results locked safely at his office. He doesn't believe in giving patients their results over the phone, he likes to see them in his office to discuss things. Unfortunately, he can't see me until next Tuesday, another whole friggin' week to wait. Needless to say, I'm not happy.