FOURmidable 50k Race Report

I have run this race in 2016, 2017, 2020 and 2022. I was registered for 2023 but broke my fibula snowboarding a month or so before the race and was left cheering at No Hands Bridge instead. I was determined to be at the start line this year, healthy.

Single Track Running

Running this 50k is always an adventure. It is early enough in the year that I never quite feel prepared or fit enough but at the same time, I think that is exactly why I love to do this race; to figure out where I am and where I need to go.

This year was the first time I drove myself to the start, alone. Mentally I was going into this with the attitude that it would be a nice long training run with a couple hundred of my closest friends. What also makes this race exciting, is the weather. Mid-February you never quite know what you will get weather wise. 2022 was the first really warm day of the month and many suffered. 2017 was the “mud year” with mud and water just about everywhere – No Hands Bridge was completely under water, it was insane.

This year the temperature was about 45 degrees at the start. I second guessed myself and went with a t-shirt instead of a tank top and I regretted it all day. The forecast was calling for rain but if we ran “fast enough,” we might be lucky to miss most of it, the wind is another story.

I got to ADO at about 7 am. I parked and picked up my race bib and chatted with friends and used the facilities (a few times). Soon it was time to line up. Much like last year, I went with just a pack and my flasks (no hydration bladder) with the plan to stay consistently fueled throughout the race. That was my primary goal. Stick with the fuel plan no matter what and see how I feel the second half of the race. Speed was not the focus.

The start was like normal, Paulo got us off and running right on the dot. The first few miles this year of the course were new to me. I guess last year the race changed and no longer reached the top of Cardiac. Instead, we dumped back onto the road and ran the pavement back towards the Overlook. I’ve run the road before, just not in this race.

When we got near the Overlook, I could hear Paulo starting the next and I think the last of the four races of the day. I knew that the trails leading to No Hands would be muddy and crowded with all the distances combining on these narrow sections.

Luckily, everyone that runs this race is aware and were so kind. The runners of the other distances all ran single file and to one side making it easy/easier for us 50k runners to pass on their left. I tried to cheer everyone on that I passed and I even got to see TiggerT as I ran and Java Joggers David and Tiffany! Which was such a fun and exciting boost to my day to see their smiling faces. 🙂

I really felt like I was flying down to the No Hands Bridge aid-station (mile 9.6) but when I look back at my stats, flying is definitely a stretch! 🙂

Smiling yes, flying…not so much
Photo : Facchino Photography

The climb up K2 was uneventful. I do feel lit was a bit more crowded than years past but again, everyone just moved to the side and let runners pass, cheering them on as they went.

I felt pretty strong going up K2 and my shoes were still dry and not super slippery yet so that helped keep me moving.

One thing I did notice this year is that I think there were more runners with poles than without. Maybe it was the fear of mud and wet that made everyone decide to use poles? It was just something I noticed a lot more of than previous years. I would probably trip myself and everyone around me if I carried them.

I reached Knickerbocker Aid-Station 1 (mile 13.4) and was greeted by the awesome volunteers. I didn’t fill my bottles at No Hands so I took a minute to fill them up here before I headed out.

I have run this race so many times I almost feel like I can do it blind folded. I settled in to what would be a nice steady downhill run to bottom of the dam before making the trek up the switchbacks to head back to Knickerbocker.

Salt Creek was low so I didn’t fall in or get wet as in previous years. 🙂 I was also oddly solo on the climb up the dam I didn’t mind as it was perfect running weather.

Once I got back to Knickerbocker 2 (mile 18) I was ready to get my feet wet. We had been so lucky for most of the race as the course was near perfect with minimal mud and water but crossing Knickerbocker Creek was next and I knew that dry feet would be a luxury from this point forward.

The creek was high but not terrible. The water was about shin level. A few runners were pausing to try and figure out how to hop on the rocks to get across. I have been there and done that and it ended poorly with me soaking wet all over, not just my feet so this time, I just went straight through the creek and embraced the freezing cold water.

This portion of the course is where I will always remember most of the mud and water from 2017. I was feeling pretty good and I felt like I was moving strong. I was alone but I did see runners ahead of me so I just let them pull me forward.

At one point, I looked up and saw the snow capped mountains of Tahoe. It took my breath away so I stopped to take a photo.

I have struggled on this section in prior years and I think mainly it is when the race has been hot because this section is quite exposed and generally if it is hot, it is one of the first hot days of the season so you are just not quite prepared for it. This year it was cool and overcast and I felt really good.

Mile 23.4 brings you to the Cool Aid-Station and mentally what I think of as “heading home.” I stopped to use the facilities here and filled my flasks and then just kept moving.

Facchino Photography

I love the stretch that leads you back to No Hands Bridge and the final aid-station of the race before the finish.

All smiles all the time.
Facchino Photography

The run down rollercoaster back to No Hands was wet and slippery but again, I felt like I was continuously moving. I was no where near as fast as I have been years past. Having rolled my ankle a few times the last few months I think has made me quite gun-shy on the downhills these days.

Headed to the finish!

Once back at No Hands I took my phone out and texted the family like I do every year. “Four miles to go!” I say and then they text back making me smile.

I will say the last 3 miles I started to feel a little bit tired and depleted. I was ready to be done. The rain had held off but was slowly starting to spit little drops here and there. The worst part was the wind had arrived and when I say “wind,” I mean the kind where you have to hold your hat from blowing away.

I just kept moving, keeping the two runners who I had been piggy backing with some of the race in front of me. They were a power duo and super cute. I just tried to keep them in my sights the last few miles to keep me moving.

I finally reached the infamous fourth and final “FOURmidable” climb and as luck would have it, legendary Tim Tweitmeyer was standing half way up the hill with another guy. “Looks like you made it before the rain came! Good job!” said the one guy. “Man that course can be muddy when it rains.” said Tim. “It had its share of mud.” I said. The guy said, “Well you’re not muddy so you didn’t fall, that’s good!” I smiled and then Tim said, “Well she has a little bit to go yet give it time.” 🙂 That made me laugh out lout. But I did not fall but the wind was relentless as I was climbing ( and trying to run ) to the finish.

The wind was so bad that I crossed the finish and no one was there! The tent had blown away right before I got there and race photographer was helping catch it. hahaha He had me cross the finish line so he could get some photos of me. 🙂

Finished!
Facchino Photography
Always smile, it hurts less when you smile.

https://facchinophotography.zenfolio.com/

The storm was definitely on its way. There were very few people hanging around at the finish and for the first time ever, I had no one waiting for me so I cleaned up, grabbed my post race swag and headed home.

Poster and a water bottle. Time to head home.

Overall, this was my slowest FOURmidable time wise but it was a new (to me) course and time wasn’t my main focus. I do feel like I consistently fueled throughout the race. In hindsight, I wish I had carried one more gel near the end for the last few miles just to see if it would have given me a bigger boost. My legs were toast by the end. My hamstrings were tired and my calves were tired I think from trying to stabilize in all the mud.

Super stoked to have a solid 50k under my belt as the first race of 2024. I am beyond grateful to have been able to run it at all this year after sitting on the sidelines last year. I would most definitely rather run slow, than not at all.

The best part was I got to see some friends out there too. It was so good to see you Kim, Jon, Jessica, Roxie, Cathy, David, Tiffany and Paula! 🙂

Not sure if I will be back next year or if I will try something else. I guess we’ll just have to wait and see. 😉

Happy Trails!

~Trailmomma

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2023 CIM (California International Marathon)

This year, the California International Marathon (CIM), fell just 4 weeks after I crossed the Rio 100 finish line. I wasn’t sure if I was even going to be able to run it, until marathon week arrived.

After a few short runs, I decided to go for it. So on race morning, I woke up at 3:30 am to get ready for the day and miles ahead.

Legs up the wall pre race

Much like last year, I had my oatmeal and coffee and waited for Vans to wake up so we could hit the road at 5:30 am to get to the starting line.

My usual routine once I get to the starting area is like the 10,000 other runners, line up for the porta potties. This year though was a little different.

The distance between the next person in line and the actual porta potty is a few week. As I exited the porta potty and held the door open for the next person in line, a rogue runner tried to cut the line and jump into my porta potty!! I had to hold him back a little and told him, “Hell no buddy, you have to wait in line like everyone else. ” He turned and went to the back of the line and the whole line cheered me on. 🙂 One girl said “Thank you,” to me.

Heading to the starting corral

The race start is divided into a few different corrals. This year, I started on right when I really meant to start on the left but it was fine, I had made a deal with myself pre race.

Before the race, I told myself that I needed to run slow and easy because I really want to get back out on the trails and pavement, really just hits my body hard and requires a much longer recovery period.

Let’s get this going!

For the first time in my 14 CIM starts, the race was delayed by 10 minutes. They never told us why, but I did find that to be very odd.

Once the race started, I tried not to get caught up in the early mile sprinting that always occurs.

My first few miles were sub 9 even though I didn’t feel like they were. I kept telling myself to slow down.

Around mile 10 or so, my stomach started to turn and not feel the best. I must have stopped at two different times on course. I hate stopping during the race but I told myself that I might as well, I had no one waiting at the finish line and it would give me a nice break.

Mile 12 or so, my ankle started to ache. The same ankle that I had issues with at Rio. It wasn’t unbearable but it did slow me down a little.

Eventually by mile 16, I started to feel good. My plan became, walk at the aid-stations (even though I don’t use the race aid-stations) and then run to the next one.

I met a nice man who was running his 20th CIM. He liked my pace so we chatted for a bit and then we lost each other at one of the aid-stations.

My mind did wander this year. I was bored at times. Not that the race is boring or the spectators, they are what truly make the race fun (I’ve run the race in the early years where some of those middle miles were quiet and boring because there were no spectators).

I just missed running with someone. This is the third year in a row that I have run it solo. I was going to bring headphones which is so unlike me, I never run with headphones but I really wish I had for a few of those miles.

Soon enough, I was at mile 20. I was getting texts from Vans who was at Squeaker’s soccer game. He was following me virtually online. That was a nice boost.

I texted my aunt who lives in East Sac to see if she was out there and I totally thought she was and waived very enthusiastically at someone I thought was her, only to find out post race, that she never made it out there.

The final miles for once ticked by much quicker than in years past. I kept my head down and just kept willing my legs to run.

I crossed the finish line which was entirely different this year. There are normally male and female shoots but they just had everyone finish under one arch this year which made the name announcing kind of funny.

The finish set up was different too. This was the 40th anniversary of CIM. The race shirt and the race poster I thought were super lame this year but all made sense when I crossed the finish line. We were handed really nice wind breakers and back packs!

Super sweet post race swag.

I wandered around the finish area looking for the Information tent because someone mid race told me there are now buses that can take you back to Folsom. Last year I took an Uber that cost me a small fortune.

Since I wasn’t racing off to a soccer game like I was last year, I decided to take the bus. It took me a while to find it and we had to sit on there for a while until the bus was full but it was great!

I had a great conversation on the bus with a woman from San Jose. I decided to take the first bus drop off location because Vans had called and said he wasn’t far from that spot so I only had to wait about 5 minutes.

Overall, I am thrilled with my CIM for 2023. I wanted to run 10 minute miles and I hit that number right on the nose.

This wasn’t my fast CIM by a long stretch but it wasn’t my slowest. I will say I am quite proud having been able to run it 4 weeks post 100 mile. I even wore my Rio shirt for the race which was awesome because some of the spectators knew what Rio was and would yell out “Awesome Rio! Well done!” 🙂 That felt good.

It wouldn’t be December with out CIM. Not sure how many I have left in me. I really love and appreciate trails so much more but running a marathon gives you a different kind of mental toughness. I will never be a speedy marathoner, but that’s okay. Sometimes it is more fun to enjoy the ride. 🙂

Post Race Smiles AND sunshine!

Congrats to everyone that ran the 40th annual CIM! It was my 14th CIM and my 20th marathon total.

Happy Trails!

~Trailmomma

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RIO DEL LAGO 100 Mile Endurance Run (Race Report)

I think we missed some ribbons. We are off course.” Not what you want to hear at mile 66 of a 100 mile race as it is starting to drizzle but the only thing you can do, is turn around and keep moving.

RIO DEL LAGO

First, we have to start at the beginning and the beginning of this adventure really began in December of 2022 when I broke my fibula snowboarding and had to miss out on running Canyons 100k, which was to be my 2024 Western States qualifier.

With the new Western States rules, I could just save the tickets I already have and qualified again next year but I really wanted to qualify this year, for personal reasons.

Having only just started really running again in May, it was a lofty goal to run a 100 mile race by November. I was not even sure it was possible, so much so, that I did not even register for Rio, until a month before the race. Then three weeks later, I injured my ankle so badly that running was not even possible the week before the race.

Cryotherapy Roseville to the rescue!

I even tried cryotherapy! I had never done that before but I figured out quickly that localized cryo, made the ankle feel better. So with that, I continued prepping all week for the race as planned. I was getting to that start line no matter what.

Dining Room Table = Race Week prep zone

When Friday packet pick up came, I was feeling ok. The ankle mobility was much better than it had been. I still lacked a lot of dorsiflexion, but overall, I could finally walk without a lot of pain.

Packet pick up at Fleet Feet Folsom

While at packet pick up, Shawn and I chatted with Kirk from Fleet Feet. This was going to be Shawn’s first 100 mile race and he is 100% a data man. He likes to plan and he was trying to figure out what the first 21 miles would look like for us. We had agreed to run together for the entire race. Shawn already had his qualifier, but he wanted to run a 100 mile race and I just needed to finish to get my qualifier so we made a plan to get each other through it.

Needing answers, Shawn asked Kirk how long that first loop should take us. I was adamant on the ride over with Shawn that we needed to take that first loop cautiously. I have had numerous friends tell me not to take it too fast and risk blowing up later in the race.

Kirk told Shawn, “You want to be able to run the first 20 the way you plan to run the last 20, slow and steady. I would run the first loop in no less than four hours.” That seemed to appease Shawn.

My pre race breakfast and a note from Vans. 🙂

I woke up at 2:50 am without even needing my alarm. I had a weird dream that startled me awake and I just stayed awake. Michele, my one and only crew person was going to be at my house to take me the start at 4 am, the race started at 5 am.

Shawn and I at the start! Let’s do this!

Shawn and I both were excited and a bit nervous to watch the day unfold. When the gun went off, we started in the dark and settled into a nice steady run.

Most of the first 21 miles are on pavement. You start at Beal’s Point and run all the way down to Hazel Bridge via the Johnny Cash Trail. Around mile 5 we arrived in Folsom near the Rainbow Bridge. We run under the bridge to the bike trail section on the other side. This tiny bit of an embankment set my ankle on fire all of a sudden.

Excruciating pain radiated throughout my leg. I was hobbling. Once I got into a rhythm, the pain would ease until I hit another uphill or stopped to walk. Stopping and starting was unbearable. I kept it all to myself but it was obvious I was limping. I always carry some Advil in my pack but I didn’t want to take it 5 miles into a 100 mile race, that just seemed too soon.

Hazel Bridge

The sun was finally starting to rise and we ended up right at the perfect spot for it. The sunrise from the Hazel bluff trails is always stunning.

Look at that sunrise!

We both were in good spirits and chatting the whole way. I was keeping the ankle talk as minimal as possible. I could not go there yet in my brain but I knew there was no way I was going to be able to do 100 miles if my ankle stayed like this. I promised myself that when I got to the crew at mile 21, I would take an Advil. I had no choice.

When we finally made it back to Beal’s (mile 21 at about 4 hours and 1 minute) I was thrilled as Vans and the girls were all there with our crew.

My Peanut!

My Squeaker!

I was so excited to see them all! Vans had even told some of his friends who biked over to see me. Such an incredible boost.

Crew spot

Just as I had promised myself, I took two Advil here and put some topical cream on my ankle to try and ease the pain. Things were not great.

Getting ready to head out!

Shawn and I left the Beal’s aid-station with me hobbling up to the levee. I made another promise with myself and that was to give myself an hour to see how much the Advil helped. It is never good to take Advil for an entire race but if that’s what it took for the ankle pain to subside, I’d do it.

After about 45 minutes, the pain in my ankle went from a 9 on the pain scale to about a 5. A 5 I figured I could manage.

Still smiling no matter what!

Then something crazy happened. Somewhere, shortly before mile 35, I rolled my ankle pretty bad on a downhill. I immediately thought to myself, “Crap! That can’t be good.” Instead of terrible pain however, I felt a huge relief! It is like whatever was impinging my ankle from flexing, had been moved when I rolled it! I was all of a sudden 100% pain free and I remained pain free for the entire race! It was a miracle but one I kept to myself. I did not share it with anyone until after the race. I did not want to risk jinxing myself.

Shawn and I came into Rattlesnake aid-station (mile 35.75) in pretty good spirits. We both felt that we’d been fueling fairly well even perhaps a little more than what we had planned on. When at the aid-stations with my crew, I would eat solid food but between aid-stations out on the trail, I used my Tailwind and Spring Energy which seemed to be working.

When we left Rattlesnake, we knew we were really approaching the “fun” part of the race. We were officially headed to Auburn! The Overlook we knew would be a huge aid-station and a major stopping point for us as we’d need to change and grab headlamps to go into the night. We could not wait to get there.

The climb to the Overlook however is never fun. It is a 3 mile solid climb up but we filled the time and miles just chatting away and we ran any little flat parts we came across.

Michele and I at the Overlook Mile 44.93

I was feeling pretty good. I had waves of good energy and waves of fatigue. My fueling would get a little off each time I would stop at an aid-station with crew and eat solid food. Then when we’d start running again, I wasn’t hungry but also had energy so I would run but not refuel while running and put myself into a deficit I think. Something to work on.

Shawn had his own battles but I think was feeling pretty good when we got to the Overlook.

I quickly changed out of my tank top and into a t-shirt. I grabbed my night time headlamp and toyed with taking a jacket. It was just so warm and the night before was warm too. In the end, I left without the jacket and decided that was a good call.

We made our way from the Overlook down the 4 miles to No Hands Bridge. While at No Hands, I heard one of the volunteers talking and recognized her voice and face as Melissa Johnson. She encouraged us to try the veggie broth which was absolutely amazing! It was the perfect amount of saltiness. I also really appreciated the racing having veggie broth over chicken broth.

Melissa wished us luck and told us she’d see us on the return much MUCH later. We were headed towards Quarry and Cool next.

While Quarry Road is one of my least favorite places to run, it does lend itself to some nice views of the river. Shawn and I took the gravel road easy. Running and walking until we entered the single track and by then, it was dark.

The distance from the No Hands aid-station to the next aid-station (ALT) was over 10 miles and it was over 20 miles before we would see our crew again. I would say (for me) this was probably the hardest section overall.

Although you would not have known it by the way Shawn and I were motoring some of the runnable sections. Shawn took the lead and we were passing some runners. I was starting to fade and feel a little fatigued when I think Shawn was hitting his second wind. I was able to keep up but I think it drained me a little more than I care for and the ALT aid-station (mile 59.35) seemed a million miles away.

When we finally reached the aid-station our watches had the distance at over 60 miles. I quickly had some broth and it felt good to refill my pack. I was feeling better. This aid-station also had a lot of carnage and negativity with exhausted runners talking to the amazing volunteers about dropping. I wanted out of there quickly.

Shawn and I took off down the trail not eagerly awaiting the infamous Goat Hill but excited to know that we were headed to Cool where we would see our crew.

Goat Hill was rough. My quads were pretty tired. I determined that the early miles (5-35) in an effort to not use my bad ankle, I had been running up hills using mostly my quads instead of hamstrings so my quads felt shot. I was still unsure if the ankle pain would return so even going up Goat Hill, I wasn’t climbing the way I normally would.

Throughout this section it was sprinkling a little, although never a full on rain and not cold at all. The trail however was just so rocky and with loose rocks which Shawn and I kept finding ourselves kicking over and over. The tips of my toes felt mutilated on any rocky downhill.

We were pretty quiet for a while trying to navigate down hill sections. The last thing I wanted to do was fall. His feet were bugging him too so we both were just focused on our headlights shining on the ground so as not to kick anymore rocks.

We broke ultra runner rule #1 – keeping your head down. After running downhill for a good stretch, at mile 66-ish we realized we had missed some ribbons and essentially a big turn. We had run about a half mile off course, downhill. We had to turn around and go back uphill to find where we had gone wrong.

No one wants to get lost. Shawn felt awful but I refused to let him think that this was his fault. We are two people each with our own set of eyes. We just both had been looking down and consequently missed our lights shining on the reflective ribbons.

In my mind, there was nothing else to do but turn around, forget about it and get ourselves back on track.

Getting ourselves to Cool and seeing our crew was all we wanted and needed at this point. It was past midnight.

Checking in at the aid-station first

Our crew had a nice little set up. Vans was there too which was a huge boost for me. He’s never done the middle of the night crewing aid-station thing. I was excited for him to experience it.

Fantastic set up !

It was here I decided to ditch my hydration bladder. I had been having back spasms and pain almost all day. My pack is normally pretty heavy and I train with a heavy pack but for whatever reason, it was killing me this time. I also stopped drinking my Tailwind here. I had Michele removed my Tailwind flasks and replace them with a flask of all water and a small bottle of Coke. I never drink soda except for late miles of a race. I needed the liquid calories and the caffeine.

Leaving Cool. Let’s get this done!

As we were leaving Cool, in my head I was thinking that all the long stretches were done. No Hands Bridge was the next aid-station and was only 3.61 miles away!

We got to No Hands and true to her word, Melissa Johnson was there and so was Miss P! I had paced Miss P at this very race in 2017. Their smiling and welcoming faces were a beacon!

No Hands Bridge

As we were crossing No Hands Bridge, making our way back to the Overlook, Shawn started doing some math. He was figuring that if we kept our pace at 20 minute miles (walking – as we were both walking a lot the last few stretches), that we might not finish in time. We went from having a cushion to not much of a cushion.

Shawn texted the crew and did more math, daylight savings was also not helping our cause (the race does not abide by day light savings so we had to keep that factor in mind the whole time).

Finally, he came to the conclusion that we’d have an hour buffer … or, we’ll be the Golden Hour finishers.

When it comes to ultra running and 100 mile races, I don’t like “an hour” as a buffer. So many things can go wrong. We could get lost again. One of us could fall or start having digestive issues. Internally, I was not settling for an hour.

When we got to the Overlook (mile 76.84) and saw our crew, Shawn used the restroom. I told Michele about our hour buffer and that I would prefer if we could keep him from hanging out in the aid-stations now for too long. Shawn admittedly loves to hang out with the crew who has devoted so much time to us whereas I am the opposite typically but I was taking the time this race more so than I had at my last 100.

However, now we needed to make up some time. I didn’t want to finish in 29 hours or 29 hours and 59 minutes. Our original goal had been 27 hours and that was out the window. I was happy just to finish, but I wanted to finish strong and running, not walking. Shawn I think (I don’t want to speak for him) was in the pain cave at this moment and not a fan of my wanting to move it and not a fan of me not wanting to finish in 29 hours. I think I had even said to him, “You won’t be happy with that later.” LOL

Shawn and I agreed to run part of the paved section down to the river. That quickly went out the window after a few yards. The quads were not having the pounding. It didn’t help that a whole group of runners ran by us or that we made yet another wrong turn, but luckily we only made it two steps before some other runners told us they’d also gone the wrong way and to turn around.

For the first time ever in my life, I was actually falling asleep while running down hill. I think my body relaxed enough because it was pavement and I didn’t have to focus that I would literally drift off for a few second at a time as I was walking.

Once we hit the river single track, I was in the lead and I was on a mission. My second wind had kicked in and I ran every downhill bit of trail we came across. I could feel the daggers in the back of my head from Shawn but he was quiet and he was still behind me. I knew he’d hate me now, but would appreciate it later … maybe much later, but I knew he could dig himself out of that hole and find his second wind.

We passed a ton of runners on our way to the Rattlesnake aid-station (mile 86.02). This was our last spot to see the crew before the finish. We also knew that the trails that lay ahead were a bit of a pain with a lot of smaller ups and downs, rocks, and steps. Again, not the most runnable of sections but one we’ve trained on many times.

It was less than 3 miles to the next aid-station (Horseshoe bar) and this was the aid-station I have volunteered at for the 4 years I think. It had changed crew hands this year so I was bummed knowing that I wouldn’t see Monica and Eric there but I knew there was a porta potty and that was what I needed. While I used that, Shawn sat (uh oh). He said he napped like 5 seconds while I was in there but I think that’s what he needed too.

After we left Horseshoe, Shawn came back to life and just in time too. We had 7 miles to the last and final aid-station before the finish and my burst of energy, was finally starting to wane just a little.

Granite Beach aid-station literally took forever to arrive but I passed the time by pointing out my silly landmarks to Shawn (Meat Grinder, Stripper Pole and Yoga Rock). The aid-station was a virtual ghost town minus the volunteers. Shawn and I both stopped briefly and then we were on our way, excited to be headed to the finish. We were going to do this!

Normally the gravel road back to Beals seems like it lasts forever but I think I trained well enough on that section recently that we were able to run all the downs which made it pass so much quicker and before we knew it, we found ourselves on the levees headed to the finish!

I texted Michele and Vans that we were on the first levee and would be getting there soon. We walked and ran but made the agreement that we’d run that final levee and into the finish.

When we finally got to the last levee, I could see Vans and my girls with a cowbell cheering for us!

Hi!!
My face!! I was hooping and hollering NOT crying. LOL
Here we come!
We did it!!!
No one I would rather have done this with!

We did it! Shawn has his 100 mile buckle and I have my Western States qualifier and a second hundred under my belt after having had a bone fracture earlier in the year.

Best crew and friend! We did it Michele!
Love that they were there to watch it.

This adventure will go down as one of my most memorable. Oddly, I finished in almost the same amount of time it took me to run Pine 2 Palm in 2019 which had way more elevation but this time, I was able to run with Shawn from mile 1 to mile 101! 🙂 LOL!! We’re in that special 101 club now. 😉

We learned a lot about each other and I think we can both agree, we each have strengths and weaknesses when it comes to running 100 miles, but we even each other out. Yin and Yang. Shawn is an incredible runner and a fantastic training partner and I am so happy to have been a part of his first 100 mile journey the way he was for mine.

Trail friends make some of the best friends. Now, we are both enjoying some down time looking forward to lottery day with fingers crossed that we both get called.

Happy Trails!

~Trailmomma

Gear Used:

Shoes: Topoathletic Ultraventure 3 (one pair the whole race)

Socks: Injini (one pair the whole race)

Watch: Garmin

Pack: Salomon

Fuel: Tailwind and Spring Energy

Extra Photos 🙂

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Marlette Lake 50k

I signed up for this race in February with a cast on my leg and crutches at my side because I wanted a goal, I needed a goal that would challenge me and this race did not disappoint.

In hindsight, I probably should have navigated my race week a little better but in all honesty, I would not change a thing.

A few days prior to race day I went with our basketball team (12 year olds) to a water obstacle course for some team building and bonding.

While incredibly fun, it did leave my upper body sore and my lower body a weee bit fatigued although I am beyond proud that I was able to do the entire course and was more than likely the oldest person out there. 🙂

The day before the race, we had four basketball games back to back to back to back (2 teams 2 games each). When the basketball games were over, we drove home, I ate and then literally hopped in the car and drove two hours to Tahoe.

I was pretty tired when I got to my hotel room and unpacked. I ate some more and tried to (re)hydrate myself as best as I could but my body just felt super heavy.

Despite feeling utterly exhausted, I did not sleep well at all. When I woke the next morning I believe my Garmin actually said I had had terrible sleep and was well below a racing fitness level.

Sunrise at Spooner

Morning came too quickly and I headed to Spooner Lake where the race starts and ends.

I love Big Blue Adventure races because everything is so organized. I arrived, got my bib and shirt and then had plenty of time to use the restrooms before the race started.

Spooner Lake

The race starts right next to the lake. There is a 50k and a 10 miler and the 50k started about 10 minutes before the 10 mile race did.

No frills, no bells and whistles when it comes to starting this race. It was “ready, set, go!” and we were off. The trail is wide enough at the start that you can adjust your position. I found myself some what near the back of the pack and that was totally okay.

The race start is at an elevation of ~6956 (maxes at ~8974) and I had spent the weekend prior at a soccer tournament that was pretty much at sea level. Again, not the wisest of choices but still would not miss my kid’s games for anything.

Course Profile – Big Blue Adventure

I also knew that no matter what, the first seven miles of this race was going to be tough as it was an uphill climb. I wasn’t wrong.

The elevation hit my lungs immediately and my legs felt absolutely trashed within the first two miles. This sent my mind in a little bit of a spiral at first but I just adjusted my breathing and focused instead on power hiking.

I let people pass and tried not to worry about it remembering that my goal was just to finish and enjoy the day and to just love racing again!

The course is absolutely breath taking both literally and figuratively. 🙂 I have paced a friend to her TRT 100 finish a few years ago and this seemed like the same route I ran with her but in reverse.

It was hot. To put it into perspective, I was in a tank top as it was 60 degrees at 6 am … in Tahoe! That’s hot! The race started at 7:30 and I swear it was even warmer by then. I was drenched as soon as I started running. The early miles are pretty much the the only tree coverage you get, after that, you pay the price on an exposed course but with the most spectacular views.

I tried desperately not to face plant while running as I was also trying to take in all the views and take photos.

At one point, we hit a spot that showcased both Marlette Lake and Lake Tahoe. It was incredible.

I was literally smiling the entire time even when I was struggling. It was impossible not to smile when you’re on top of the world.

The first aid-station came at around mile 7 or so and it was a sight for sore eyes. I didn’t really need anything but it was my mental hurdle. After that, the course was more rolling. The second aid-station, I asked for iced and filled my neck bandana which really made a difference.

At one vista, I stopped to take a photo and another runner offered to take my photo and vice versa.

Leaving the first aid-station – Carson City views ahead

It took quite some time for me to find (part of) my legs but I was able to move more consistently whether running or hiking after the first two aid-stations.

LeFrak Photography

When we got somewhere near miles 19 and 20, I knew exactly where I was. The Tunnel Creek Aid-Station from TRT is a spot I have spent many hours cheering, crewing and spectating. The aid-station for this race was pretty near this but after mile 20, the rest of the course was entirely new terrain for me and hands down my most favorite part of the course.

The trail sign said Marlette Lake Trail but I know it more as the Flume Trail from my husband who bikes on this section. Bikes were definitely a presence in the mid miles but every single biker that I ran into was polite, encouraging and most stopped to let me by first.

Happy girl!

I did stop to use the restroom shortly after the aid-station near Tunnel Creek and because of that, I had separated myself from the few runners I had been near most of the race. This left me 100% alone on the most glorious section of trail I have ever seen.

Smooth single track trail with a cliff and the lake to your right. It was breathtaking.

It was also super populated with hikers and bikers at times but I wasn’t bummed that I had to slow down and play the passing game. Most everyone stopped to let me run by which was really nice. The trail narrows in sections so someone did have to stop.

The other awesome piece of this race is that they have race photographers stationed at all the epic view spots.

I was in my happy place and motoring at this point. I actually picked up some speed here and felt like a normal runner. Only took 23 miles for it to happen! haha

A nice mountain biker gave me a heads up as to where the next aid-station was which I appreciated. I knew how high up we were which meant at some point, we’d have to come back down.

Sure enough, the trail started having some down hill. I made it to that aid-station but did not stay long.

Soon I found myself on a fire road that was sitting right next to Marlette Lake.

I saw one runner swimming in the lake so I took the time to climb down and really soak my bandana and buff. I thought about getting in but I was worried about my feet getting wet and having blisters. The lake was so pretty and refreshing that next time, I will definitely get in.

After that, there was another aid-station. I could practically smell the finish line by this point so once again, I didn’t stop for very long.

The trail leaves the gravel road and makes a sharp right turn up and onto some single track. The uphills were still rough on my tired legs so I power hiked.

As I was hiking, I saw a guy sitting on a rock at the top of the climb. He kind of looked like a runner who had to stopped to take a breather.

As I got closer, he pulled out a big camera. “Oh you ARE a race photographer!?” I said. He smiled, [click click click] “I AM a race photographer,” he said. I laughed and replied, “Well I would have run the climb if I had known!” He pulled the camera away from his face and said with a huge smile, “You are more than welcome to do it again if you’d like?” hahahaha! I laughed so hard, “No no, that’s okay!” I heard him laughing as I hiked the rest of the way. That had me giggling for a quite a few miles after that.

Used with permission from LeFrak Photography

The above photo is the result of that exchange. He reminded me as I continued on that the “best photos are on top of the climbs” and he wasn’t wrong. Had he not pointed it out, I would not have turned around and saw that. Wow.

As soon as the single track dumped me back onto a fire road, I knew that I was only a mile or so from the finish. I could hear the announcer and I knew that it was uphill all the way to end. I vowed to myself that I would run the entire way.

And I did! It was most definitely not my best 50k but probably one that I am pretty darn proud of. As my friend reminded me, I have only been back running consistently since May and to run 31 miles at elevation with close to 5,000 feet of climbing accomplishment.

I wanted a challenge and that is exactly what I got and even though my legs and lungs were burning at times, I enjoyed every minute. I needed this to remind myself the biggest rule when it comes to running ultra marathons, “Get comfortable being uncomfortable.” Problem solve along the way and just keep moving forward. That is exactly what I did.

I had one of these post race. Not something I think I would like normally, but after running 31 miles on a really dry hot day, this actually hit the spot and it has quite a bit of potassium in it. I was grateful that I did not have any cramping issues during the race. Near the end, I passed quite a few runners whose muscles were seizing because it was so dry and so hot out.

I cleaned up, ate a little and then hopped in the car and drove 2 hours back home to the family. I am already figuring out how I can do this race again next near. I would love a better finish time, I know I am capable of that but I also just loved everything about this race. August in Tahoe is notoriously hot so there is no getting around that really and I don’t mind the heat so long as I am prepared. I just need to work on that 7 mile climb at the start and maybe not do a crazy obstacle course a few days before the race. 😉

Happy Trails!

~Trailmomma

Race Details

Shoes: Topo Athletic Ultraventure 3’s

Watch: Garmin

Socks: Injinji

Fuel: Spring Energy gels and Tailwind Nutrition

Full Disclaimer: I am not associated with Big Blue Adventure at all and was not paid or compensated for writing this report. I would also like to thank LeFrak Photography for permission and use of their photo.

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BRYCE CANYON 30k Race Report

A lot has happened since my last race report in December. I have toyed with just letting this blog go. No one reads blogs anymore really. I admit I use it as a way to look back at things I did for certain races but I have sort of just lost the momentum of maintaining this let alone finding the time. Which is ironic, given that after CIM 2022, I had loads of time.

The day after Christmas 2022, I went snowboarding with some friends at a new to me resort. The last run of the day I had a fluke accident as I exited one of the chair lifts. The tip of my board got stuck in some snow/ice but the rest of my body’s momentum did not stop. Long story short, I broke my fibula. Luckily it was a clean break but it was the first real broken bone I have ever sustained and it required a full blown cast.

Green with blue sparkles

Five weeks in a cast followed by some time in a boot followed by tons of time trying to gain back strength and mobility in both my ankle and my foot.

Fast forward to May of 2023 when I found myself on an 11 hour road trip with my friend Michele headed to my first trail race since CIM! The Bryce Canyon Ultras!

I was in no way ready for an ultra (any distance over 26.2 miles) as I had only run up to 8 miles prior to the race but I was excited to get back to any start line. Dusting off my gear, packing and looking at the race course alone made me happy. Running a 30k would be just perfect.

Michele and I left on Thursday morning and drove all the way to Panguitch, Utah. We crashed hard at the hotel that night and woke up bright and early Friday to see Bryce Canyon.

We got to the park early and did the most beautiful hike. This is definitely worth a trip and a stop as the rock formations are just incredible.

After our hike, we headed to Hatch, Utah for packet pick up. We ate lunch in the back of the car while we waited for it to open. As with all Vacation Races events, everything ran seamless.

They wanted us to color the sign.
My contribution

After packet pick up, we explored around the area more before we founds ourselves back at the hotel making dinner and getting race ready.

Race morning

Race morning was beautiful. The race this year held a few distances all starting 30 minutes apart. Our 30k was the last starting at 7:30 am.

Another seamless part of this race is that there are plenty of porta potties, plenty of parking spaces and plenty of wonderful volunteers!

They counted us down and we were off! The first 3 or so miles is on a fire road that is slightly uphill (at almost 7000 feet above sea level). It is the perfect opportunity for everyone to spread out.

Eventually you dip onto a single track climb. Michele and I separated somewhere in the first mile both ready to run our own races and catch up later with lots of stories to tell.

I was all smiles the entire time. The ankle/leg was holding up great even with the off camber trails, rocks and sandy sections.

I kept my long sleeve on for probably the first four or five miles. It wasn’t until we reached this significant uphill that was on some sketchy trail that I wish I had taken it off earlier.

The above photo does not do the trail justice. There was this one section, before the second aid-station where it was super loose gravel and a steep drop into nothing. You are pretty high up and I was stuck in a conga line of people. Luckily for me, most were okay with heights but the same could not be said for Michele.

She had a girl near her that was petrified of heights and was clinging to a rock unable to move. Michele offered help but the girl refused. Just a warning if you do have a fear of heights as this is not mentioned in their race guide.

After this, we started reaching some areas that had snow! It was so cool!

My note to Michele

I stopped to write Michele a note hoping she’d see it when she passed (she didn’t) but the guys I was running with stopped to watch me and then hollered “GO MICHELE!” 🙂

When we got to the top of one of the mountains, I noticed I had cell service so I texted the family and Coach of my daughters’ basketball teams and wished them luck in their huge tournament happening back at home.

My favorite section!

When my watched buzzed at mile 9, I did an internal cheer for myself. Longest mileage run since I had broken my leg!

As I was running down one of the rockiest terrains I have run in a long while, I started a conversation with a girl who was running strong. We chatted briefly about my leg and then she revealed that a few weeks ago, she and 19 others had been trapped in an avalanche in the Himalayas! They all survived but she said they were out there for a while, some without shoes until the Indian government finally met them. Wow! I love this community and what you learn about someone during a race. She even found me after the race to see how I held up.

I do not have much else to say about the race. It was well run, beautiful, extremely challenging and I am so incredibly happy that I decided to do it. The photos from the course pretty much speak for themselves.

You ran through all sorts of terrain over the course of these 19.5 miles.

There was even some snow running – not just by it but on it which was another spot that some people freaked out and went down on their butts!

The final miles were on this amazingly beautiful single track where I was oddly alone for many miles. It was just perfect.

When you get to the final aid-station you have to run the 3 miles back to the finish line on the same gravel sandy road you started. The difference is that this time, you are mostly running downhill.

I was alone on this section almost the entire time and the way the mountains work, you really can’t see or hear the finish line much at all. There were a few times where I doubted myself but eventually I heard the announcer.

I rounded the corner and made my way through the finish line!

Finished!

If I am being honest, the smile did not leave my face the entire time. I am not a social person by nature but I was probably the most social person out there because I was just SO excited to be back out there running again and feeling GOOD!

That was the best part, I really did feel good. I felt like I had surpassed a mental hurdle I had made in my head afraid to go farther.

To make things even sweeter, I finished second in my age group! I was not trying for a AG placement at all but it helps make for a great end to my first race back of the year.

I didn’t have to wait long for Michele to finish either. She rocked that course. It is a pretty fun finish line to chill at as well. Lots of post race food options and it seemed everyone was just hanging out ready to cheer runners past the finish line.

Overall, I would highly recommend Vacation Race’s Bryce Canyon Ultras. There were 315 runners doing the 30k distance, for many, it was their first time at that distance. This was not an easy course, add in elevation and they had a few DNFs but for the most part, it was gorgeous.

The elevation did not affect me as much as I thought it would given that where I live and run it is only 768 feet above sea level and this race started at almost 7000 and we ran up to almost 10,000. I am happy that I chose to do the 30k and didn’t get too cocky and attempt to do the 50k or 60k or 50 mile.

After Michele finished, we recovered a bit, ate and then hopped in the car and drove 5 hours back towards home and got a hotel in an effort to shorten our drive time on Sunday.

For being my first race of 2023 and my first road trip, I am beyond happy and grateful.

Happy Trails!

~Trailmomma

RACE DETAILS

Shoes : Topo Athletic Ultraventures

Watch : Garmin

Fuel : Unived Drink Mix and Spring Energy Canaberry gels

Socks : Injinji

Breakfast : Picky Bars Oatmeal

Full Disclaimer: I am not associated with Vacation Races at all and was not paid or compensated for writing this report.

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