Don't stop surprising yourself - Timp Trail Marathon

I'll go into the race report from Timp Trail, but want to address something more important that's been on my mind since the race yesterday.  Despite how well I did, I had a really good time and feeling coming away from the race because I surprised myself.  I had a good goal in mind and wouldn't have been crushed had it not happened, but when it did and in a big way, I was just so surprised and excited!  I didn't care what place I was, I was on a high from being surprised by what I did - for me.
Whether someone enjoys athletics or any other hobby or activity -crafts, organizing, cooking, reading, an instrument, anything - it's good for the soul to reach achievements sometimes, whatever that achievement is.  I thought of reading first when trying to figure out how to make my feelings relatable to someone who doesn't enjoy what I do.  Maybe you have a goal of how many books you want to read a year, or how long you want it to take.  It will be a good feeling just to read, to enjoy that book, but it's even more exciting when maybe you read more than you expected.  Maybe as a cook you try a new recipe and it turns out so great, better than you were hoping - that's exciting!  I hope that makes sense.  I just think it's important we never stop setting goals and surprising ourselves.  
The other thing before the race report I wanted to mention was how important I think it is that we support each other in whatever it is we do, and not feel less because of the good things they do.  So often we compare ourselves to others and figure that we're only good if we're as good or better than someone else at something.  That we're not good at something if someone else is better.  It isn't true and is a great way to be depressed and always reaching for happiness rather than enjoying life along the way.
I heard a quote that I loved-

Now and then it's good to pause in our pursuit of happiness and just be happy.

-Guillaume Apollinaire

 I've heard the "I hate you" line for being thin after my kids.  I know they're kidding, but it's hurtful still.  I don't think myself any better than someone bigger or smaller than me.  I don't hate those than have more than my 1/2 an A cup now after carrying and nursing 4 babies.  I used to post more to a FB running group of moms, but felt like the level of my achievements garnered too many comments that made me feel like I was above their level as a person and therefore not relatable.  Like I didn't need support and encouragement too.  Or maybe someone thinks what I do is easy because I go faster and that they "could never do that".  It really hurts me and is the completely opposite of what I would want when someone is saddened or discouraged by what I do.  I do it for me, I've been doing it a long time, work hard, and am grateful for it, but it doesn't make me better!  I happily cheer anyone on in what ever makes them happy no matter their achievement level, and I don't feel bad if it's better than me.  Well ok, maybe when I see someone's always impeccably clean home, because mine definitely isn't :) It's something I struggle to do well, or at all sometimes, but I wouldn't tell them that their success in keeping such a lovely home isn't great and that it makes me feel bad or belittles my home.  We all have different strengths and weaknesses and don't need to match each other, we need to be happy for and cheer each other on!  I'm not perfect at it, but I believe strongly in the principle.  Everyone deserves to be happy!

Maybe premature in the post to show a picture with 1 mile to go, but I was just talking about being happy,
and happy I was here!  Thank you Lori Murray Burlison for the photo!

 Ok, onto Timp Trail.  I have done the half marathon several times and the marathon once, last year.  I remember it being HARD!  Lots of climbing, descending, technical, mud, rain, but beautiful.  Why not sign up to do it again?  :)  I had the opportunity to race, get some more good quality miles before Bryce 100 in 3 weeks, and truth be told, I do actually like the race, the trails it's on, it's views, and the people that put it on and attend.  Woke up a little late and stressed over eating closer to a race than I usually do especially since my stomach hasn't been quite happy this week.  I ran out the door to discover it had been and was raining and kind of laughed.  I have never done this race without rain.  Classic.  Made my decision to stick with the Altra Lone Peak 2.0, a good choice.   Got to the race just in time to grab my bib, a bathroom stop and load my Ultraspire Quantum belt up with Vfuel gel and filled my 8oz soft flask to hold in my hand (easy to hold and collapses tiny and can be stuffed in my pack or bra till the next aid station).  Walked up to the group with about 1 minute to start but was ready.  I wanted to run a good race, more than training pace, but not all out as I didn't want any injuries or nagging issues leading into Bryce.  My goal was to PR, go faster than the 5:18 I did the year before.
I listened to my breathing and tried to keep it quiet.  I did push it a bit more than that in places but overall did well.  Around 1/4 of the race is on hilly foothill trails and I wanted to run more of them.  Not because it would be fun, because truthfully I'm not in quite as good of hill running shape as I'd like as I am quick to get into a good power hike, but looking back at a race like Sonoma, I would need to be able to run more of the smaller hills to finish faster.  So I pushed these hills when my legs were a little grumpy about it mostly because it wasn't a 50 mile or longer race, I could keep enough energy for a 5 hours race not power hiking as much.  The race started out misty and I was hopeful for good weather; a long stretch of dirt road we run turns in to a giant mud slog when it's saturated.  It did rain on us for a couple hours but never too hard and the winds were light.  Great running weather!  Anyway, we got to mile 12 or so and it was time to get off the foothills and head straight up this beastly little climb called the Green Monster I believe.  Truly a straight up the mountain 'trail' I'm pretty sure was carved in only for this race....or a widow maker dirt bike hill climb ;)  Got into good power hike mode and it actually wasn't as bad as I remember last year.  Mental note - I hit the top about 2:30 because I recall taking a gel and thinking this was halfway through the course.  Figured I was on track to run about 5 hours, good to go.  We headed toward Grove Creek which I knew was another long climb that I planned to power hike.  I did run a little which was nice, felt good.  Toward the very top before the Indian Springs aid station the running was much less and was harder.  That's a lot of climbing!  Love the meadow up there heading toward Battle Creek and was able to open up the legs and turn on the speed for a bit while it rained steadily.  The downhill in Battle Creek was probably my weakest point on the course.  It was longer than I thought and was wet, steep, rocky and rutty and when one isn't a crazy downhiller lightly bounding off everything around you, you'll slip in the mud a little.  Had a few heart rate jumping slips and a few 'ankle stretches'  but thankfully didn't go down.  Crossed the river and headed uphill again toward Dry Creek.  This was a the very slippery wet section I remember from last year, clinging onto anything I could to get up.  It wasn't as bad this year, but defiantly wet, slick, and work to ascend.  I can't imagine how much worse it was for those behind me.  Once we finally got to the top it had stopped raining and the trails were tacky and generally downhill and it was fun to run!  I did run into a very strong stomach cramp of some kind that halted me still for a minute but I was able to continue on soon.  I could hear the cheering of the next and last aid station at Dry Canyon far before I could see it, just like last year, they are great!

Up till this point I really had no idea how I was doing time wise, all I was watching was for the :30 and :00's to take calories and electrolytes in.  While I usually write out a plan of when to expect being at aid stations, I didn't for this race, I didn't want to take it too seriously and was too lazy to figure out paces for all the up and down on this course.  I knew this last aid station was about mile 21, so I calculated 5 more miles at 12 minute mile pace since there was still uphill to go before the last 3-4 that are all downhill or flat.  I was at 3:40 so figured excitedly I could run a 4:45.  That would be a 30 minute PR!  I had hoped to maybe go sub 5, but not that low!  I pushed the uphills and downhills strong but felt good.  I wasn't putting out 100%, probably 90%.  I was however staying right on top of nutrition, hydration, and electrolytes, I think that's so important.  I was really working now to run the downhills fast, mostly to build skill there.  I navigated around people pretty well trying to be polite and encouraging.  The flat 3/4 of a mile or so we run before the last descent went better and faster than last year, and thankfully that road had not turned into a slop fest.  Kept the legs open and moving and the feet up so I didn't trip and it was finally that last turn to get off trail and onto the 1/2 mile of dirt road to the finish.  Don't believe I looked at my watch again until that dirt road and I couldn't believe it.  SO much faster than I expected.  I flew down the road to the finish and jumped across it feeling great in a 4:22!!  What the what??  I get that the conditions were better this year although not perfect, and I did struggle last year, but I had a reasonable race. That time was just beyond anything I considered.  I almost had to go over the course in my head and make sure I did it all.  I did, don't worry. :) Despite running alone for much of the race, I know these trails and the flagging was great, and I definitely did every last fun bit of this course :)
Not only was this almost an hour faster than last year, but under course record time!  I don't think I've ever run under a course record time!  The sweet and incredibly talented and strong Britta Trepp who finished 8 minutes in front of me bested her own previous course record, but I was honored to have gone under the old one with her.

I was very happy with how my body felt immediately after finishing.  Not pukey, not crazy sore or tight, lungs weren't tight.  Grateful that the upset stomach I've had all week didn't come back to bite me during the race either.  Man I'm excited and happy for how I raced and I can't wait to see how Bryce pans out.  This marathon-50k distance is fun.  You run faster through the trails and woods which can make you feel like a little kid frolicking around, and there's not enough time for the longer races low points and big bonks and exhaustion.  So while this doesn't necessarily equal a great 100 mile performance, it was a good confidence booster.  I'm looking forward to a couple more weeks of training in which I hope to get a few overnight runs in.  I want to get a few massages, keep up on the vitamins and good nutrition, foam rolling, lots of committed core work (I've been slacking big time and this abdominal separation of mine is kicking my butt physically and mentally) and even a family camping trip to Yellowstone to encourage a good taper.  Bring on Bryce!

Ironman thoughts and reflections

I completed a full Ironman 4 years ago today.  Hard to believe it's been that long.  I'd consider it my entrance into real longer endurance.  I had only raced 5 hours up till that point, so to ponder 12 was a lot more. 
It was an incredible training journey.  My friend Charity wrote me a training program and I was diligent with it, probably the most diligent I've been to any program.  I'm really proud of it.  I was so fit and prepared. I think back on it now and marvel at how dedicated I was and hope I could do that much again swimming and biking again when I do another Ironman sometime.  I ran into a calf injury 3 weeks before race day and was really worried about it, but I put a lot of work into healing it and amazingly I was able to run the whole challenging run course and really in a time I would have expected pre injury.  I completed the original Ironman St George, a course that was hard and I loved it for that.  It was such a big experience for me, my whole family was there. I felt so accomplished and like it was a really big deal.  I wish I'd been able to do it one more time before it went down to a 70.3. 
I haven't been able to do another Ironman since IMSG 2010 mainly due to their cost. Yes I wanted to venture into ultra running, but after Ironman St George in 2010, throughout that year and in 2011 before I got and stayed pregnant I was really motivated to do another.  WTC races cost almost $700 and there are cheaper races out there about half that cost through Rev3 and HITS, but even $100 was a stretch as we were starting Altra around 2010.  And let me tell you, starting a company is a great way to not make money.  The next several years were probably the hardest in our whole married life.  They were so hard. We're still recovering. There was in no way an extra $300 plus travel for me to go have fun for 12 hours.  And that's ok. I did race a fair amount in those years, but it was mainly races I volunteered with and got an entry to or races we sponsored and we worked the expos of (Ironman doesn't work that way).  I am very grateful for all the opportunities I've had to race and realize what a privilege it's been. 

So now that we're at least in a position to save up for it, doing another Ironman in the next 2 years is on my mind.  Every time I see friends do it and report back, and especially every time I go back down to St George and watch, I'm sucked in.  I'm not worried about the running, can fake the swim if need be since I came from a swimming background and it's such a short part of the race anyway, but I would need to focus a lot on the bike to do as well as I'd like. So we'll see what life's like the next few years and if another 140.6 will be possible. For now I'm thankful for my healthy body, the running I'm enjoying and the occasional swim and trainer ride I get in. But triathlon is calling me back ever so quietly 

My 2010 IMSG post and a reflection 1 year later

Some post Sonoma thoughts and what's next

• Recovery has been tough.  It took me till Thursday to walk without any limp.  Friday I could go down stairs with no gait change for my sore left calf.  But Saturday's 5 or 6 mile road run, my first run since the race, did not feel good.  Left calf hurt basically the whole time, quads felt strained the last few miles, just not a great run.  Into the next week Monday didn't feel much better.  Hiking up was ok, but the run down was not.  Tuesday somehow though I didn't feel my calf at all really, but right hamstring was tight most of the way, too tight.  Had a massage Wednesday that helped and Thursday I ran 5 mile on the treadmill between classes at the pool and nothing hurt, but that hamstring still felt a little tight.  It's coming along, but definitely slower than other races.  I attribute it to the constant rolling nature of the course, me consciously pushing through a calf that hurt during the race, the fast pace I held for most of the 50 miles, definitely a faster pace than in my 100k's last year since this course was more runnable than they were, yet still hilly so even more I asked from my body.  Add some heat exhaustion (the gal that finished 10th mentioned in her post how bad I looked at mile 45, very pale and suffering) and probable dehydration and I just simply asked a lot of my body.  I said I wanted to leave it all out there and be willing to have to recover for a while and have and am apparently accomplishing both.  This week I will get back to more regular training
• I am very happy with my 8th place finish.  Granted there were a fair amount of ladies that didn't show up for the race that were ranked ahead of me going in, I really wanted to see how I'd do against Rory Bosio for one, but I moved up places still and finished in front of ladies ranked ahead of me.  No one passed me after mile 13, and the ladies that did before that I passed.  I am overall happy with how I handled the race.
• I've been asked how to have a good, fast 50 mile race since Sonoma.  I don't think there's any magic answer.  Train well, rest well, eat well, sleep well, think well.  Race smart.  Be conservative the first half and don't get caught up in other people's races.  Be happy out there and believe in yourself.  Stay on top of nutrition and hydration and electrolytes. Set a watch timer if needed.  Keep it simple - supplies, stops, race planning.  Believe you can do what you want.   

So what's next?  Well today is my 3rd child Kaitlyn's 6th birthday to start!  She's such a cute blonde, blue eyed beauty and is the child running beside me in my blog header pic.  I live for my children and husband and these 2 weeks 'off' have been good to focus more on them and my home.

I am getting itchy for a triathlon, it's true.  I feel like my running that I want to do this year, and I do want to focus on it, are kind of blocking out any time to race a tri.  I don't even have to be well trained for it, I just want to fit a couple in if possible.

I mentioned a couple weeks/months ago I believe, a big change coming for me soon.  It is not a baby, it is nursing school.  I have been on a waiting list for 3 or so years and figured I'd see what life was like when it got here.  Well, it got here and is really in my hands for the taking.  If I don't say yes to it I'll have to apply to another program which means re-taking prereq classes to up my GPA and working more in the field for work experience to be chosen to attend a program.  There are no more waiting lists in my state.  Nursing in my blood, my mom has been a RN and Nurse Practitioner for 30 years and my sister an RN for almost 10 so I find it interesting, but I have never had a passion to be a nurse, never aspired to it as others have.  I LOVE being at home with my kids and do not lack any sense of fulfillment being at home with them.  Some women may and that's ok, but I am perfectly happy here.  I have however always felt an inspiration to be prepared to support my family should the need ever arise.  And so after much prayer and talk with my husband and others, I am going for it.  4 semesters, summer off and an associates RN degree.  I start the end of August.  My mom thinks I won't be able to train and compete like I do now which is somewhat true, but I'll still need and use it for stress relief.

And finally, the next big races on my agenda.  Timp Trail Marathon on May 24th, a race I did last year that beat me down a bit.  Muddy rainy conditions like the last few years I've done the half (you'd think I'd learn by now), but I know I could have done better regardless.  I will race it but not 100%....because....I'm doing my first 100 mile race, the Bryce 100 June 14th.  I'm ready to get this body 100% healthy again, get some more training in, and get down to this race!  I waited till this year to do my first 100 to be sure I was healthy and prepared.  7 weeks!  Counting down the days now!

Lake Sonoma 50!

Long post here, lots of details, pics, and thoughts.  The actual race report starts halfway down. 
My kids had spring break the week of Sonoma but weren't coming out with my husband and I, so my mom guilt had me pack a whole bunch of fun into the two days before we left including a trip to the zoo.

Love these monkeys

Dropped the youngest three off with Grandma and headed to the airport with our oldest child who saved the money to buy a plane ticket to fly alone to Michigan to see my twin sister and husband and their 5 month old baby.  She saved for a year and I'm really proud of her!  I have been excited for her for weeks and not nervous at all, but man did I cry when she boarded the plane! We stuck around her gate until I couldn't see the plane any longer then headed to our own gate.  Uneventful flight to San Francisco until the end when a woman sitting behind us asked if I was Leslie.  It was Meghan Hicks from I Run Far, a big ultrarunning website.  I was flattered she knew who I was.  I enjoyed our conversation as we walked through the airport and was a little giddy for a while.  It got the race excitement going a bit :)
Surprised, I replied yes and she explained she turned her phone on at landing and Facebook suggested we be friends.  That along with my husband and I both wearing Altra's, she put it together - small world eh?  She also remembered my cute purple butterfly compression socks from Katchina. Love those socks

Jeremy and I spent the rest of the day walking around San Francisco and stayed in a great hotel with a wonderful view of the Bay Bridge I woke up several times to look at, despite the wonderful bed.  The next day we both happened to wake up early so headed out on a run to explore more of the city.  Enjoyed the trolley and cable cars some and ran some, keeping my taper happy.  We saw all the classic sights, it was great!  Jeremy travels a lot for work with Altra so he's a good travel companion to have.
Later that day we picked up the rental car and I realized I was going to be out of Elete soon, the electrolyte additive I use religiously Wed, Thur, Fri before a race, in everything I drink.  I don't carbo-load, but I do basically water load, being sure I'm always drinking, and this Elete helps the water absorb well and prime my body to race.  It was a big deal to me, we really needed to find some.  I was expecting a package before we left, but turns out it showed up after we left for the airport.  After making a million phone calls and throwing a bit of a tantrum to my poor husband, I found some - at a women's fertility acupuncturist office of all places, Wu's Healing Center.  The woman there was so kind and had a great spirit about her.  I have a passion for fertility and women's health too and consider it a pleasure to have made this connection. 

Let the pre-race Zen resume

Anyway, moving on up the coast, we stopped and said hi at San Francisco Running Company, a great store.  Then headed up to the Muir Woods and camped overnight below Mt Tam.  I loved it, I love camping, and it's easy when there aren't babies with you to keep quiet and warm :)  Jeremy headed out on a 15 mile run through the forest and down to Stinson Beach while I packed up and made the drive down.  What a drive it was!  I was so jealous of his run.  I LOVE forests and green and ferns and fog.

Thursday evening drive to the top of Mt Tam.  Fog over the ocean and beautiful green grass and flower covered hills.  Even saw 3 turkeys on this hill, a tom all feathered up to impress the hens. They're the dark spot on the center hill.  A trail ran across the hillside too, took serious self restraint to not jump out of the car.

The beautiful 4 mile road down to Stinson Beach Friday morning.  I love fog and ferns

 So lovely.  Drove up the Hwy 1 another hour or two enjoying the sights and smells (seals, sea air, BBQ oysters) until finally getting into Healdsburg.  Checked into the host hotel (beautiful rooms and wine country design, so beautiful that from the pictures on their website I was totally shocked the hotel was right off the freeway on a busy street, not in a vineyard) and we drove up to Lake Sonoma to check the trails out.  I brought 3 pair of shoes with me to decide between (new One^2, Lone Peak 2.0, Torin 1.5) and I really needed to see the trails for myself to decide.  Really any of the 3 would have been fine, but I went with the Torin 1.5 for it's lighter weight and added cushion that would hopefully cushion the quads a little.  The road sole would do fine since the trails weren't rocky or technical except in a few sections.  Back for dinner and off to bed before I even did any gear packing.

Woke up at the abnormal hour of 3:30am to eat.  It's crazy to get up that early, but I

wanted to get my gut moving before the race, not during.  It was nice though, to sit in the quiet on the floor sorting through my nutrition and gear and packing my drop bags.  I felt peaceful.  I brought only enough nutrition for what I knew I'd need so I could pack light, I like that plan.  Usually I bring 7 of everything, nutrition, gear and clothing :)  I was going to be using 3 drop bags on this out and back course and don't use GPS but did calculate what time I would be to each drop bag aid station based on my goal time of 8:15, and then packed exactly what gels and any pills I would need to pick up at that aid station for the next segment in a ziplock bag inside the drop bag that also had a few extra pair of socks.  But I really liked having the labeled zip lock bags that I didn't have to think what to take out of it, Jeremy and I knew that whatever was in those bags I would take, no questions.  Planned for my typical mainly Vfuel gel diet with a few caffeinated Gu's sprinkled in too.  And of course Coke at aid stations, love coke in racing.  Also decided to go with the UltrAspire Quantum belt with two 5oz water flasks (great deal on it at TAUR) and would hold a collapsible 8oz soft flask, also with water.  I showered, got dressed, and off we went.

The Actual Race Report

Only arrived 15 minutes before the start but it was enough.  Ditched the ironically-at-a-trail-race long potty line and ran off to the bushes, pinned the number on, tied the shoes again and we were off!  The first several miles are on a rolling paved road.  Was fun to see cars pass us and cheer including Jeremy.  The mood was light, the fog was heavy and lovely and this day was starting!  I hung back away from the lead ladies, probably in about 15th place.  No big deal, we had ALL day.  Got onto the trail and got to work.  My body felt a little like we were working a little harder than we should have and I was conscious not to push too much, but it took at least an hour or so to really get into a groove where my breathing was finally quiet, a big indicator I use to tell me if I'm being conservative.  It was all very rolling and I power hiked a lot, even if the hills weren't long, and that took patience, but I believed it would pay off.  I also didn't feel great on the first few hours of downhill for some reason and tried to hold those back a little too while others around me were audibly slamming down them.  Patience.  Had to exercise patience.  And while there were lots of hills, there were a few flat-ish sections that were easy to run too.  Made a quick potty stop behind a tree, the only one of the day thankfully.  Crossed our first water crossing I was looking forward to, a beautiful almost knee deep pool of water below a moss and fern covered black rock waterfall.  And with the foggy misty morning under a canopy of green?  So picturesque.  I just smiled and laughed as a I jumped right in with a lady next to me gingerly stepped in.  The shoes were soggy for a few minutes but I didn't notice them after that.  One more small crossing after that.  Crossed the big river I'd seen pictures of and just smiled.  It was fun!  My husband was on the other side waiting to bring me into that 11.6 Warm Springs aid station.  He got a picture then sprinted up the hill to be ready to help me.  We got me in and out of there quick.  Came into that first drop bag aid at mile 11.6 at 1:47, the fastest split I'd written (I wrote splits for a 4:00, 4:10, and 4:15 25.2 turnaround, 4:10 was an even split 8:15).  I was on 4:00 pace.  This was at least comforting knowing if it felt like I was working hard at least I was ahead of schedule.  Didn't want to go too hard though, it was time to quiet the breathing.

From there we stayed in shady forest, I got a little confused which way to go at a fork and stopped for 30 seconds or so before thankfully choosing the right way.  Crossed another wider river and started more climbing.  I never thought the climbing that bad really.  There were 1 or 2 climbs the first half that were leg burners when hiking, but not horrible.  The forest opened up more into exposed grassy trails.  Came up to an aid station I wasn't planning on stopping at and stopped for whatever reason, Coke probably.  They had jelly beans so I looked real quick for a buttered popcorn flavor, no go, so I grabbed just one and left, and they laughed at me and my 1 jelly bean.  Saw Bryon from IRF at the top of  a hill and teased him about doing interviews up there, he hollered back asking how I liked zero drop shoes.  He got me.
I had been running in 13th place most of the race and staying right at those faster 4:00 split goals.  About mile 23 or so I started coming up on another lady, Caroline. The first time all day. She wasn't keen to let me go but was friendly.  This really was the first time I'd talked to another racer all day.  Not that they weren't friendly (I'd spend the next hour saying hi and good job while facing runners heading toward the turnaround), I was just mostly in my own head and on my own. She would pull ahead on the downs pounding them harder than I was willing to but I'd catch her while power hiking back up another.  Meghan from IRF told us we were in 11th and 12th.  I did eventually pull clear ahead about half a mile from the aid station and that's when I started running faster.  I was proud of my body for feeling this way 25 miles into a faster and hilly race and I told it that.  I told my legs and stomach and feet and head each how well we were all doing.  May sound cooky but I believe strongly in positive thinking.  My body and mind and heart were working together well and they deserved praise.  I ran into the aid station happy and feeling good and left quickly.  Was going to go from my Quantum belt to the Spry pack, but was perfectly content with what I had so I stayed with it.  Came into No Name Flat, mile 25.2 at 4:01 and left at 4:03.  Perfect.  I was happy that if I did fade I had some wiggle room to work with to get to 8:15.

Caroline and I after No Name AS I believe

Leaving the aid station I saw Caroline back in front of me.  I think I said "Crap!" out loud.  I complemented her on fast aid station and wished her a good race.  She said something about not letting me go just yet, but I pulled ahead for the last time.  Got to go down the big long dirt road we'd been up recently and I was feeling great.  That downhill was awesome and my legs really let me run it fast.  Approached the next aid station and yelled out "1 jelly bean please" and again they laughed :) I didn't stop this time but told them I'd love a buttered popcorn.  Rounded a corner and switchback onto the trail running past and under the aid station to a volunteer that had scrambled down the side of the hill with - you guessed it - 1 buttered popcorn jelly bean!  I gave her a hug and thanked her very much.  That was neat service.  Thank you Madrone Point Aid Station volunteers!
 This was about mile 30.  Pretty sure I PR'd my 50k time.  I put my music on at this point and ran fast and feeling great but not feeling like I was pushing too hard for the next 8 miles.  During those next 8 I would spot a lady or two ahead of me and get excited.  I wanted to be conservative the first half, but I did have my doubts about anyone in this very talented field tiring out for me to catch.  It was definitely a confidence booster when I did catch them.  I ran into that Warm Springs aid station again at mile 38 in 8th place.  I was a bit more tired but still felt good.  Ran across that river happy and motivated, still on track to run 8:15. I only had 12 miles left! In fact, I was still under pace.  I wondered if I could get under 8:15 and maybe even catch a girl or two.  6 is my favourite number, maybe I could get there.

Feeling good and strong

I ran across the river again and things started getting hard.  The sun was out, the fog and mist gone, and my effortless pace from 22-38 wasn't there.  It was time to work.  I knew I was slowing down so I focused on keeping up on nutrition.  I told myself I would take a gel 10 minutes before finishing if I had to, none of this "I'm almost there I'll be fine" business.  It seemed all the landmarks I was looking for that I had placed in my head from the morning were taking much longer to get to me.  The two small crossings, wider trail, bridge, where were they?  I wasn't stopping, but I was walking a lot more.  Ironically the downhill was fine, my legs felt heavy enough that nothing hurt and at least I could let gravity help me there.  But my head was starting to feel like it was full of pressure, I was just waiting to see spots, there were times a hiker would pass me and I thought maybe I should ask them to walk beside me for a minute.  It was kind of scary.  I knew it was going to take longer to get to the last aid station at 45 but I hoped I'd be reasonably within my splits, simply for water reasons.  I am confident in the 18oz at a time I chose to carry, but this one 7 mile stretch I could have used a little more.  We were 2.3 miles from that last aid station and I was about to go through the last water crossing.  Moving behind schedule I had just finished off the last of my water so decided to fill that flask in the stream.  Don't like doing that but I would surely drink it before passing out.  I knew my other flask was empty so don't know why I even thought to check it, but right before drinking the stream water I did check it - and it was full.  A true heaven sent blessing.  I thanked the Lord and drank it and poured the stream water on my head and chest.

Not sure where this is, it wasn't in the current suffer zone of 40-50,
but my face reflects the harder work there - the running legs, not so much ;)

 We did eventually get to the turnoff for the 1/4 mile down to the 45 mile aid station and it was such a sense of relief.  I should have gotten there 7:20-7:25 based on my mile 38 split (and every one before that) but arrived 10 minutes late at 7:35.  Doesn't sound that bad in retrospect, but in that heat and where I really haven't run in any heat this year, it was quite the delay.  I saw the gal in yellow that had been ahead of me and in sight and at one point as close as 30 seconds away.  She looked good and now had several minutes on me.  The volunteers asked what they could get me and I replied "a finish line".  Filled all my water, downed a cup of coke, cooled off with their water and left.  The sooner I got moving again the sooner I could be done and deal with this heat exhaustion I knew was an issue for me and could get worse.  I saw 9th and 10th place 1/2 mile behind me as I got back on the trail.  They were moving well and I was sure it was a matter of time before they caught me. 
I maybe felt a little better knowing the volunteers said I had 4.7 left.  I was going to walk the whole darn thing if I had to, I just had to keep moving.  I used more motivating self talk than I probably ever have.  My legs didn't particularly hurt, they were tired and heavy and my energy levels were ok, but the heat was brutal for me.  When I walked I walked as quickly as I could but walked fairly slow up hills and I really tried to run if it was flat and made myself run if it was downhill.  As much as I wanted to keep my position in the top 10, I mostly just wanted to be done.  Those last 5 are brutal.  You know you have to finish up high, on top of all the other hills, so when you head down a hill after going up one, it's tough.  That happened several times.  We'd head up for almost a mile only to plunge back down and you knew you'd simply have to go right back up.  A few hikers were out and one said I had 3 mile to go. I thought surely he doesn't know what he's talking about.  I did the math for my 4.7 left and figured I'd be in by 8:25, and yet I was still going with no end in sight.  Later on someone else said just under 2 miles and I don't even think I was relieved, more like "crap, that first hiker was right".  I ran as much as I could and knew it had to end sometime and reached my neck around every corner hoping that was it and boy does this course lead you on.  You truly can't see the finish until 49.5 and then you still don't go directly there :)  I was finally running down the chute and was so happy I'd hung on to 8th, even thought I'd gotten under 8:30 as the

clock said 8:28 (turned out the clock had frozen there I guess, what luck), and I was even more happy to be done, not have to run any more, and to be able to cool down.  My finish picture from IRF reflects that, blah.  I really should have put on my happy face and smiled, and next time I will.
8:34, 8th place woman, 50th place overall out of 300 finishers.   I did what I wanted, came in ranked 24th, ran 13th most of the day, and finished top 10! I really am ok with my time too.  It was only 19 minutes slower than I planned, and I know I could have run that had I run more hills and dealt with the heat better. I think I could have moved up a spot or two as well but am going to own my results and be very happy with how I did, it's just nice knowing I can do better in the future.  And I'm pleased that my first and second half splits are pretty much the same difference in time as the top ladies.  That said, don't let me fool you and sound like it was no big deal.  I think Lake Sonoma 50 was probably one of the two or three hardest races I've ever done.  Oh, and I AM SMASHED today.  More than either of my 100k's.  I wanted to leave it all out there and have to recover and boy did I and am I.  I seriously got pity looks in the airport as I looked crippled and after we picked my daughter up from her flight she asked what was wrong with me, why did I have to hold onto her to walk :)  I had to have 2 different neighbours run after my 2 year old who was taking off for the park as I knew there was no way I could catch her.  I had a massage from Heber at Body Worx and I hope things will start improving soon, but I am really hammered.  And I am so glad!

What a pleasure to race on such a beautiful course. 
I just loved the fog and mist of the first hours of the race. I believe this is the men's leader

I Run Far wrote a summary article about the race that I saw after someone else pointed it out.  I am more than flattered to have a paragraph written about me including "She’s the biggest breakout story in the women’s race, for certain."  Wow.  I am so happy with this race and my body and family and friends and support system.  It's good to be alive!

Here is a video another athlete made that shows pretty much the whole course including 1 of 2 dogs I stopped to pet at 8:45 and myself around 10:15. Good hilly times http://m.youtube.com/watch?feature=youtu.be&v=TiMh8xM3810 

 

What I can improve:
Be willing to switch to a vest or do whatever necessary to carry more water as it heats up.  You never know if you'll slow down.
Run more hills within reason.  I wanted to be conservative but I probably could have run a few more than I did

Don't stop at the aid stations I wasn't planning on.  If I have enough fluid and calories on me, no stopping. 

Stick around after the race and socialize a little longer if not feeling like death.

Smile at the end - I do this because it's fun.  Even when it hurts it's a privilege

What I did well:

Hydration system worked well, had just enough water except 1 section.  Soft flask was easier to carry than a hand-held and was nice to collapse and store in the front pocket when empty.

Ziplock food packing was perfect, no wondering what I should grab

Gel every 30 min.  Could have maybe even moved it up to every 25 minutes in the last two hours.  Maybe.

Didn't mess with the ipod.  Let the music shuffle and had Yurbud cord behind me rather than in front and had it in place before the race started even though I didn't turn it on till hour 5.

Ran my own race.  Power hiked a lot more than others, didn't slam the downs, but it aided me in the end.

Sonoma training and goals

Well, my big race for the spring is in 5 days.  The Lake Sonoma 50 mile.  A cool old school feeling race.  The race director says go.  No arch, no balloons, no big sound system.  300 people, no pacers.  A very rolling relentless up and down, out and back course around the edges of Lake Sonoma (90 min north of San Francisco) with 3 larger climbs in the middle.  10,500 feet of climbing and an equal amount of descent.  Smooth buffed out trails and 12 creek crossings that could be anything from dry to knee deep.  I'm excited about those, I always thought that would be an epic fun thing

to do in a race.  Temps should be in the 50-70's so warmer than I'm used to but should be ok, especially with the chance to get wet often.  My husband Jeremy and I are flying out together for a fun little trip with this race so he'll be my crew.  I want to be in and out of aid stations as quickly as possible and right now am planning on using a pack so don't plan on stopping at every aid station.  It's a beautiful course with lots of good aid stations I'm sure, so why move through it so quickly?  Check out this starting list

Starting list featuring estimated finish times.

This is a absolutely elite stacked field  I'm 24th right now and I fit into the same screen as the 1st place ranked woman.  That's pretty cool!  I want to be top 20 for sure but the real goal is top 10 (there might even be a secret goal beyond that).  I've been training for an 8:15.  I'm going to run hard and smart and leave it all out there.  Plenty of time to recover before my next big race. 

I've been working hard this year, of course you always wonder if you could have done more, but I do believe it's better to be under trained than over.  After UROC 100k in September I ran a PR marathon, trained real road speedwork for 6 weeks before another PR marathon, built a good speed base.  Took a few weeks off and ran 24 miles to work with Jen around New Years.  This winter I've done some snowshoeing with friends, solo quiet winter running, even a day of skate skiing that kicked my butt.  I've run in reasonable conditions and crappy ones.  I ran the Moab 55k in February and the Buffalo 50k in March.  My husband's been really supportive as have my friends, all good people.  A new friend and Altra elite athlete Duncan has helped me with coaching the last several months.  Everyone has let me bump my own selfish many questions off of them while mentally preparing for this race.  I've been strength training a little, rolling and stretching often, nourishing my body well.  I feel good about things. 

A difficult condition windy rainy run this winter, but one I pushed through and felt so strong on

 I recently read a blog from a fast lady named Larisa who was doing a training run in a 20 mile race that ended up in a break through moment PR race.  Here is an excerpt she wrote that stuck with me:

"Mile 18.  Why am I not fading? Emotions scream inside me. Never before have I felt so strong so late in a race. A voice from deep within encourages me to go harder. To reach towards that boundary that separates the safe from the uncontrollable.
I accept the challenge and I push. Hard.
The final 2 miles zip by in a blur. I see the finish chute. I expect 2:10, but the red neon clock reads 2:04. That can’t be right.
I stop my watch. Check the data, this can’t be real....
That can’t be right. But it is...
It’s those unexpected, breakout moments in life that keep us motivated and pushing hard towards goals that sometimes seem impossibly out of reach."

I want to have a day like that.  I will have a day like that.  A day like I've had in my last several races, where I surprise myself.  I have a strong mental mind and I am prepared for any complications, but I don't entertain the thoughts of them before a race.  I have high goals, and I'm not going to lower those goals, I'll just meet them.  If you want to watch there is live coverage of the race here.  See you next week!

FLEXR water bottle and belt review

Come on, admit it.  How often have you added something to your water bottle- juice, electrolyte drink, carb drink, protein, etc- finished it, and then found it in the car or your bag or garage days or weeks later?  I know I have.  This might be a solution

I was sent a box of goodies from FLEXR Sports to review.  It included several water bottles, liner refills, and a neoprene running pouch/belt.  They have been very kind and generous with their customer service. 
The basis of their company is creating a more flexible water bottle with biodegradable disposable liners.  From FLEXR:

• No more water sloshing, crinkling, or annoying noise, thanks to the biodegradable bottle liner which shrinks as the liquid is used, making it feel
  
  more like a solid.
• No more harmful bacteria or annoying aftertaste, no more bottles to clean, thanks to the disposable fully biodegradable liner.
• Ergonomic shape and feel allowing comfort for miles upon miles.
• Very flexible and squeezable, fitting your hand comfortably enabling you to get your water or favorite mix on the go.
• Air space between liner and bottle act as an insulator to keep fluids cooler longer.
• Patented one way jet stream valve, for accurate and precise flow.
• Extremely aerodynamic when turned sideways (great for on the bike). 16oz capacity.
• Designed by athletes for athletes and all materials made in the USA. US patent pending.

FLEXR's shaped bottles,
lots of colors & additional size options

 Now as for my own experience, I did find the 16oz water bottle to be a little more flexible to squeeze and comfortable to hold.  It comes in several different fun colors and works with a very basic but functional sleeve that with a hand strap and small pouch big enough for a key and gel or two.  Each bottle comes with one 25 count roll of bags.  Additional rolls are $2.95 for the 160z size.  They also make an 8oz and 28oz bottle.

As for my own experience while testing, I don't know that I heard less sloshing but I am very slosh/bounce sensitive.  I am intrigued by the idea that having the fluid in the shrinking liner acts as an insulator since your hand cannot as directly warm it up.  The bottles are already BPA free which is great, I can see that you would avoid bacteria from a not completely clean water bottle.  I'm not sure however what toxins they refer to the liners reducing.
While using the bottle with a liner you don't have to close the twist turn valve all the way and won't lose much fluid if you don't, which is good because I personally am not a fan of the turning, open-closed valve.  As a runner it's possible but required more than one hand when I was sweaty.  On the bike it would seem impossible to turn the valve.  They do offer a few bottle top straw options that would help on the bike.

I am pretty green and into less waste and recycling so the idea of throwing something away every use is troubling to me, but I appreciate that it is biodegradable at least.  That said, I still have a hard time with the waste side of it.  The good news is that they bottles come with a plug so you can use the bottle without the liner.
I mainly carry water in my bottles so don't feel the need for the clean effect of the liners, but for someone who does a lot of drink mixing away from home (protein or recover drink at the gym for instance) the liners would be nice.  The wide mouth of the bottle make for easier mixing and filling too.  It can be a pain to get the very bottom of a water bottle or any grooves clean, especially if you don't have quick access to clean it.  I would use the liners in that circumstance.

FLEXR also sent their FLEXR Sport Neo Running Pouch.  This belt does not carry water, although they do sell one that holds a bottle in back.  It clips together and has a zippered pouch that could hold and iPhone, several gels and a key.  Not huge, but suitable and didn't bounce which I really appreciate!  The neoprene is nice so that if you get wet from rain, an aid station, splashing through a stream, what's inside won't get wet.  The belt also has attachments for a race number.  I found this belt handy to use when I was running shorter and just wanted to carry my phone but not carry my larger packs.

Bib number sits under the pouch

So in summary, FLEXR makes some interesting products that could be really helpful for some.  I don't see myself using it during activity or everyday, but when I'm running on the trails or in a race and am done and going to mix my recovery shake but won't be home soon to clean my bottle, the liners will be nice.  Their prices are good and customer service great as well.  I also appreciate that 5% of their sales go to charity.  Thanks FLEXR!

Buffalo 'training' Run

That's what I kept telling myself. Lake Somoma 50 is in 3 weeks and is a big deal to me. I want to be in tip top shape, tapered and ready to give 100%. I debated doing this because I love to race and push hard but that would do me no good for Sonoma. But I needed a last long run so I promised I would work to keep the reigns on. This gave me more anxiety than racing, bring able to hold back in a race atmosphere. Probably wasn't the smartest to sign up, but I did. Race atmospheres are always fun and I figured even if I didn't race the miles, they'd be better quality than if on my own. Aid stations are always nice too.

Anyway, my husband Jeremy and I drove onto Antelope Island about 7pm, enjoyed our take out Thai food (mas mun for me), and watched friends running the 100. I crashed in the tent from 9:30pm-11pm before getting up to spend the night volunteering in the start/finish aid tent. Night challenges me and with my first 100 in June I figured it would be good practice in sleep deprivation then running after. I enjoyed helping them fill bottles, get them whatever they wanted to eat, finding chairs and other supplies they needed and just listening sometimes when they looked down. I enjoyed watching and learning from the 100 milers at night.  And it was a good learning experience but honestly left me a little more intimidated of the night. Coming into a warm, lit up tent with goodies and warm food and chairs and a sore body and often upset stomachs only to leave minutes later to go back out into the dark cold for hours and hours. Man. 

Talking strategy with Zac 

Admiring Craig getting ready to head back out at mile 69 I believe. Loved watching all of our friends help when someone would come in. From L to R: Josh, Matt, Zac, me, my husband Jeremy,, Craig in the chair and Mark behind the camera. 

I didn't get too sleepy overnight but after I bid good luck to friends doing the 50 mile race that took off at 6am I climbed into the tent and fell asleep for an hour. Wasn't sure if I'd wake up more tired or destroy the deprivation thing I was going for, but it sure felt good. I went to sleep when it was still dark and woke up when if was light and felt good!  I think the dark/light thing reset my body clock even though it was only an hour of sleep. Got dressed and ready for my own race and we took off at 8am. 

I got a little caught up in the race my first couple miles but let many people pass me. Once at the top of the hill around mile 2.4 or so I settled into a trot where I felt totally comfortable and couldn't hear my breathing at all. I wasn't pushing. I do long runs harder than this pace. But after talking with many friends the plan was to go super conservative the first 15 mile loop and then negative split (run faster) the second resulting in a 5:30-6:00 finish (I wanted 5:00 originally). I knew what the aid station splits were for a 5 hour finish so knew to be slower than that and could estimate what 6 hour splits would be so wanted to hit those splits first loop. All the aid stations are about 5 miles apart. After that initial 2 mile climb up it's a gradual down, sharper down where I got a hug from Mark who was running the 50m, then switchbacked up to the first aid. Hit the first one, 5.3 in 57min. Happy with that. Not happy with the poop stop I had to make that wasn't very productive. Grumpily knew I'd be stopping again. Loooong downhill after AS1 where I kept my eye on a close buffalo and ran in a hurry to the big rocks ahead for another stop. I invisioned crapping in my shorts if he charged, maybe that would have been the last stop at least.  One more a few miles later. Long down followed by lots of switchbacks back up then flattish back to aid. Hit that one also in 57min at 1:53. Figured out the math in my head and figured I'd be to the halfway turnaround at 2:50. That would work. Was shooting for 3:00 but 2:50 would be a lot slower than the 2:30 I originally wanted. 

Some neat views courtesy of my friend Jason Brockman who ran his first ultra Saturday!  You can find more in my Oct 2012 and March 2013 posts. Antelope Islamd is a neat place!

Heading north was always tough because of a headwind and much of the 11-15.5 mile stretch was heading north. So I was surprised when I hit the turnaround in 2:42. Whoops. I didn't feel like I was working too hard, but the problem with that split was I'd have to work even harder to negative split and my brain is pretty stubborn when there's an idea in my head. I figured I'd just run 3 or so minutes faster each aid station (AS) from 15.5-25 and then run the last 5 stronger. I calculated my place in the women and was around 6th with 1st being 13 minutes ahead of me at halfway. Ouch. But I wasn't there to win so I didn't dwell too much on it which I was pleased I was actually able to do, not dwell on it. I had only passed 1 woman in the first loop but as the second started I started passing more. I never pass people with a 'kill' attitude you see in Ragnar and other relay events where they mark off everyone they pass with tally marks on their van as 'kills'. Hate that. But I enjoy keeping my mind busy and motivated with spotting someone ahead and starting to count after they pass a simple landmark I can remember. I stop counting when I pass it and do that every now and then while the number goes down until I pass. Just works for me. Also put the iPod on around halfway which was nice except it kept shuffling to slower songs, it must have known the plan too, or my friends rigged it. Anyway passed a few strong looking ladies over the next loop. Back into AS4 at a 55min split which I wasn't thrilled with because we turned around about 2 min away from the Start, which meant I should have been under 55min to here. Decided I'd power hike stronger and run the downhills faster like I've been working on to drop time, but keep the flats conservative still. No buffalo this time and no stops so I thought I'd make it back to AS 5 early also. I made it 1 min faster than the first time. Hmmm. I really thought I was moving faster than the first loop and wasn't working at true race pace, but was working harder than before. Took off from that aid taking 400mg Ibuprofin. Wasn't going to since this was a training run and I wanted to feel any pain or discomfort to detect any injuries or annoyances to get them worked out before Sonoma. But I took it anyway, inflammation isn't really ever a good thing and I would be careful not to push TOO hard since pain was masked. Knew I needed to open it up and run fast in order to negative split since at this point I would only even split if I could make it in time. Finishing a long run strong is good training for race day too. Ran the last 5 or so at 7:30-7:45 I'd bet (didn't wear GPS, don't like it anymore, just wear a regular -and cute- orange watch for the stopwatch). Didn't push 100% still but was much closer to it than any point in the day. Estimated I'd need to be to the shirt I dropped by 5:16 to run 8 more min and get in under 5:24. Got there in 5:14 or 15. Finally got to the gate where there's 1/2 mile or so to go and was at 5:18, I'd make it. Eased up just a little to do as little muscle damage as possible and enjoyed running strong in to the cheers of a few friends at 5:20. 4 min negative split!  2nd place woman. Sure I made up time on that 13 min halfway difference but haven't seen results. Never thought I'd be happy to run slower than I was capeable :) but I was proud of keeping things under control. That 5:20 worried me a little because it was faster than planned and right now is all about staying healthy and strong for Sonoma but I feel good today and am happy that a fairly conservative (but not easy, don't let me fool you, I did work) run ended up in that time. I'm getting so excited for Lake Sonoma 50 where I will leave it all out there and push 110%!!

It's already been a long report so I'll try to keep the rest concise. Congrats to everyone out there!  Many good races were had and many others just worked their tails off and persevered. 

THANK YOU to the many friends who talked me through my strategy -repeatedly since I need to hear things at least 8 times, ask my husband, drives him nuts. Many of you were getting ready for your own races or in some cases racing the 100 and still asked about my race in the morning. Mark, Zac, Jeremy, Duncan and Jen being my most yaked at victims. Thanks for being patient with me!

Things I learned -

1. Lay off the nuts close to a race. I snacked a little overnight since my metabolism wasn't asleep. Ramen, a few handfuls of crackers and a handful or two of peanut m&m's. That's it. Then right at 3 hours before start I ate my usual PB&J with thinner bread but with crunchy peanut butter I didn't realize I'd packed. I usually use smooth. I wonder if all the nuts between dinner, overnight and breakfast got to me, disrupting my GI and forcing me to stop and squat several times. I also think sitting in a classroom for 10 of the last 15 days stunted my metabolism and digestion. I have a new found respect and sorrow for those of you with full time desk jobs, even that much sedentary lifestyle took it's toll on me!

2. Speaking of squatting, I was reminded of the importance of selecting a spot off trail that keeps me modest from both directions of runners, not just behind me. Sorry guy running toward me....

Had a guy just ahead of me peeing on the go for about 30 seconds. Seriously?  We are not elites at an elite race. Stand off the trail please. 

3. Although watching the 100 milers at night intimidated me, settling into my trot Saturday showed me both mentally and physically that I can run for a long time in a longer race, like 100 miles in June. 

4. Half the race and I wore the Altra Olympus, our new trail/road max cushion shoe because I wanted to keep my legs as stress free as possible and knew the extra cushion would help. It did. I also thought maybe it would keep me slower which I don't know if I can agree with (for ultra length events anyway) since I never felt slow in it, especially once I figured out how to roll forward onto the rocker on push off. Holy cow it was like a rocket!  Anyone wanting a pair they run true to size for men and 1/2 size small for women (against other Altra's, women size up 1/2 a size). Used the UltraSpire Quantum pack which I love.  Also got to try VFuel's new Fudge Brownie and Cool Citrus flavors - yum!  3 cool citrus  with 1 vanilla tasted like lemon meringue.  Love V's easy down, steady energy.

5.  I think I liked negative splitting. I had never done it before except a few times growing up swimming. It was hard but not too hard letting everyone take off ahead of me. It was nice to not feel my lungs burn and legs take 6 miles before they felt good because I started out fast.  It was nice getting to halfway and not dreading going back out. If anything I was excited to push a little harder and race my watch AS to AS rather than watch the splits get slower and slower. When I'd pass people it felt strong and confident and not like they'd try to race me for the position. I don't know how it will work in fast races, but for longer or more casual races I think I'll implement it again. Thanks Mark!

6. People are good. I saw so many big and small crews taking care of their runners. And when there weren't crews we 3 volunteers or other strangers took charge of an incoming runner. 

Saw more people smiling as we'd pass than I have in a long time (3 different races along the 15 mile trail I was on that all started at different times which meant people were coming and going all the time). I try to always smile and say good morning or good job or at least give a thumbs up or smile when I'm tired but man there was a lot of it going around. Love it!  We're all out there for fun, 99% of us don't do this as a profession, it should be fun and friendly, and it was. A great day!

My favorite nutrition/supplement website

Shameless plug. I'm not sponsored by them or anything. Good prices, great brands, cheap and fast shipping. They usually give automatic discounts in your cart based on how much you spend. 

http://www.iherb.com/?&rcode=IDU422