WESTERN STATES TRAINING RUN 2016

Where on Earth is the trail? I don’t remember having to climb straight up do you?” “I don’t either,” Pigeon said, “but everyone else is going this way.

Pigeon starting in the snow!
Pigeon starting in the snow!

That’s pretty much how our day started on Saturday. Climbing hands over feet up a snowy wall blindly following other runners and on occasion, seeing a few yellow ribbons to boost our confidence.

Climbing in snow.
Climbing in snow.

Memorial Day Weekend is my favorite running weekend of the year because it is when the Western States Training Runs happens! I love this weekend. Generally I only do the first day (32 miles) with Pigeon and we typically laugh, no matter what the day throws at us and this year, it threw a lot.

2016 Selfie
2016 Selfie
2015 Selfie
2015 Selfie

You can read the 2015 recap here. 

2014 Selfie
2014 Selfie

You can read the 2014 recap here.

2010 and first WS Selfie
2010 and first WS Selfie

You can read the 2010 recap here. 

The day was warm to start, even with the snow on the ground. All that initial climbing definitely warmed my body up fast – confirming my thoughts that I didn’t need anything other than a tank top and shorts. Neither Pigeon nor myself have run much if at all since our Quicksilver 100k finish exactly two weeks to the day.

Perhaps we were being a little too optimistic thinking this training run would be a breeze? It might have gone a lot smoother if it wasn’t for the super-hot temperatures, my angry tummy and Pigeon having a nasty chest cold. All of which proved to make our day a bit challenging.

We started our day at Robinson Flat and saw some amazing views right away. Last year it was rainy and foggy so I missed seeing some of this beauty.

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The first event of the day is when I decided to try and “jump” in the snow and quickly slipped sliding on my bum down an embankment. Pigeon laughed hard. I was fine. It could have been worse and I prefer falling in snow than on a rocky trail any day.

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It took a bit to get the mojo back into my body. It felt good to run along the single track just chatting away with no regard for time or pace.  Somewhere in here, I believe Pigeon tripped, but didn’t fall. I then stepped over a rock but apparently landed on a fallen tree branch that swung around and whacked my shin. It stopped me dead in my tracks and I yelled out in pain. “What the heck happened?” Pigeon said. I mean, it looked like a little twig but it wasn’t and in within seconds I had an acorn size goose egg forming on my shin. That would pretty much set the tone of the day, we would alternate tripping or rolling ankles.

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We talked about all the other training runs we’ve done. This would be our fourth Western States Memorial Day Weekend run that we’ve done together. We even reenacted some old photos for fun.

2016
2016
2010
2010

The aid-stations were great, super friendly. The “item of the day” for me was fresh cut watermelon (and I typically HATE watermelon) dipped lightly in salt! Oh my word! The combination of the sweet, the water and salt was exactly what my body was craving in the scorching heat.

The trip down to Devil’s Thumb was causing me some nasty knee pain similar to what I had in Quicksilver. I tried to go slow and easy but it was pretty relentless. I ended up taking an Advil to numb it for a bit.

The beautiful Swinging Bridge
The beautiful Swinging Bridge

When we finally reached the bottom near the infamous Swinging Bridge, I wanted to stop and take a few photos. Also a bunch of guys had come flying down into the canyon and seemed eager to start their climb.

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When it was time to start climbing, Pigeon moved to the side to let me pass. She knows I love to tackle mountains.

I ended up passing a couple of the guys who had passed us on the down section. There was one guy who came running back down. I joked with him that he must love a challenge but he said he was helping out a friend.

When I reached the top, I saw two girls standing there. It was two of my “Instagram” friends, Yvonne and Steph. Yvonne came down and gave me a hug. It was nice to see smiling faces at the top of such a brutal climb. I chatted with them for a bit, ate some food and reapplied some bug spray (oh my word the mosquitoes were back this year and it was horrible). Yvonne and Steph were trail-sweeps for the day but were out on the trail early to cheer on runners. How nice is that!?
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That is what you climb.
That is what you climb.

A couple of people came up from Devil’s Thumb and looked pretty beat up. One lady was not walking straight and seemed very out of it. Another guy came up and instantly stepped off to the side and began to vomit profusely (and loudly – ugh). Pigeon made her way up and looked like she had been breathing through one lung, which in reality she probably had been because of her cold. She needed to stop and hack cough a few times before we moved on.

The next aid-station was a welcome site after that super-hot climb. Water, ice and watermelon were music to my ears at this aid-station. I knew that after this, it was another super long descent to El Dorado Creek and then the brutal 2.5 mile climb up to Michigan Bluff which I knew would be HOT.

Random guy playing the cello out near Deadwood Cemetery.
Random guy playing the cello out near Deadwood Cemetery.

The descent down to El Dorado was okay. My knee felt a lot better but I ended up rolling my ankle here. Nothing serious but it definitely threw me for a loop. When I reached the river at the bottom, I climbed down to soak my bandanna. Two nice guys kindly took my bandanna and my hat and soaked them in the river. That felt amazing. Cooling my body temp before the heated climb was exactly what I needed.

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When Pigeon arrived she mentioned that she was already dreading this climb. It was really hot out and some of this climb did not have shade. Off we went and soon I found myself alone. I came upon a guy who did not look very good. I asked him if he was okay and he assured me that he was. Then about 5 minutes later I saw the same guy who ran down Devil’s Thumb running down Michigan Bluff! I laughed. He was going to help his buddy again which as it turns out, was pretty sick by the time Pigeon passed him. Everyone was overheating.

I LOVE this day!
I LOVE this day!

When I reached the top I found some shade and just enjoyed drinking water and having my peanut-butter cookies when all of a sudden, in mid-peanuty-chew I realized that I had run out of water! I was praying that Pigeon was close because I could barely talk my mouth was so full. HA!

We attacked the Michigan Bluff aid-station, refilled our packs and off we went. The hike out is on this pretty exposed fire road. I mean FULL sun beating down on you without any relief in sight exposed.

Ouch
Ouch

As we were trying to muster the energy to start running again. Pigeon noticed a foot print in the dirt. Holy cow! I had to pull out my camera and take a photo … it was huge!

Grrrrr
Grrrrr

Finally we left the scorching hot fire road and entered the trail that would lead us down another descent to Volcano Creek.

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When we arrived at the creek it was full of runners cooling off in the cold water. It was also infested with lady bugs! I hated stepping on them but there were millions of them flying all over the place!

Lady Bugs!
Lady Bugs!

We crossed the creek and knew that we had 3 or 4 miles to go until we were done.

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Pigeon and I were surrounded by a lot of people who seemed anxious to be done with the day and who looked very dehydrated.

When you reach the top of Bath Road you have to run down the road until you get back to the Foresthill school. A guy standing on the side of the road told us it was a little more than a mile down the road. Both Pigeon and I did a, “WTF?” We knew it wasn’t quite that far and luckily, we were right.

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Overall, the day proved to be a tough one for us physically and mentally. Besides my earlier tummy troubles (which were not caused by the run itself – it was something I had been dealing with in the days leading up to it), I felt genuinely “ok” all day. My knee is still an issue, IT band related most likely. Running 32 miles with over 7000 feet of climbing two weeks after a 100k with 13,000 feet may have been a bit much but I am proud that I was able to do it.  I love this run. I love that you see and meet so many other ultra-runners from near and far and everyone is genuinely excited to be there! There is just something special about that trail.

The best part about doing the Saturday training run is that you get to have the rest of the holiday weekend with your family! I had dinner with Vans, I attended a trail running film festival with Stonegate and I lounged by the pool with my Peanut and Squeaker. To me, it was a perfect weekend.

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I look forward to next year already.

Happy Trails!

~Trailmomma

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STAR STRUCK (WS TRAINING RUN 2015)

This past Saturday was my favorite day of the year. Day one of the Western States Training weekend. More than any race, I love this day. 32 miles on a beautiful amazing course with a couple hundred of the coolest people on Earth.

This year, the price rose significantly but if some of the money goes towards trail maintenance, I am okay with that. This trail has it all: huge climbs, massive descents, water crossings, breath taking views and apparently weather patterns that will totally surprise you.

As is tradition, Pigeon and I signed up and planned our day together. I think we have mastered some parts of this run but I still think the day can unfold entirely different than you may have visioned. This trail can do that to you.

I, for one, didn’t know quite what to expect. Let’s be honest, since AR50 I have not been running very much. I had one 14 miler in Auburn about two or three weeks ago and that’s been about it in terms of “long” distance running. To say I went into this completely untrained is an understatement. Yes I have some miles under my belt, but AR50 was early in April and it is now late May. Luckily my body remembers what to do AND even more important, Pigeon was just off her 100K at Quicksilver two weeks prior and was running on some tired legs (though she still rocked it).

As the week wore on, I was slowly getting excited and very nervous. Pigeon knows that I love this day and she was trying to be super excited for me but I think she could tell via my texts that my mind has been elsewhere lately.

Pigeon and Myself 2010
2010 Selfie – hahaha
2014 - getting better at the selfie!
2014 – getting better at the selfie!
2015 Selfie
2015 Selfie

Just like last year, Pigeon and I met in Forresthill and checked in for the run. We then got a ride to Robinson Flat where we quickly realized the fog was making things really difficult to see and the rain was starting to come down pretty hard. Oh yea, and it was 40 degrees.

I had not planned on rain. The forecast that I saw didn’t say a thing about rain so I was wearing a tank top and shorts and brought no form of long sleeves what so ever. Thankfully, Pigeon had an extra pair of arm sleeves with her so she wore those and she gave me her long sleeve shirt. I would have been fine running in the 40 degree rain without anything but I was DEFINITELY more comfortable with a shirt.

We used the restrooms at the start and then quickly started running. Running = warmth so we ran. It was hard at first as this section is pretty rocky and your body is still trying to figure out what it is you want it to do.

I did not take many photos in the beginning of the run as I only had my phone and I wasn’t about to pull my phone out in the rain.

Pigeon and I had a lot to catch up on. She told me all about her 100k. I am so proud of her. She worked really hard for that race and I feel like now, she can go into Tahoe with a weight off her back (more or less) and perhaps enjoy the day a little bit more.

We were not the only ones who ditched the bus option and caught rides to Robinson Flat. What is cool about that is you get to see some awesome runners fly by you. Somewhere in these early miles Stephanie Howe ran by us. She won The Western States 100 Mile race last year. They look so effortless when they run but at the same time, they are super nice and say “hi” as they pass.

So it pretty much rained for four hours straight. It would lighten up at times and then come down hard again. My tummy needed some adjustment so unfortunately I had to stop once or twice but the fog makes for great camouflage! 🙂

When we hit the first aid-station, the rain was just sprinkling. Some awesome volunteers where manning the station and had huge smiles on their faces. These people are great. Pigeon came right in and asked for duct tape?! I had no clue what she needed it for but apparently her head had shrunk okay, maybe her visor got stretched out, so she used duct tape to try and make it fit a little better on her head. 🙂

I checked out what was on the table. My tummy was still uneasy. We chatted with the volunteers for a bit while Pigeon was adjusting her visor and then we were off and running.

Crazy thick fog
Crazy thick fog

The wet conditions and fog made the trail seem different to me so it was kind of like seeing things for the first time. Most of the time, this run is on the warmer side which can be a recipe for disaster later in the day. Not today, today it was cool and damp.

We played tag with a group of other women who were running either before us or after us all day long. For the most part, we were always ahead of them.

Soon we were starting to descend down to Swinging Bridge. This is a long brutal descent that really makes you start begging for an uphill but never fear as Devil’s Thumb is what you have to climb in order to get out and that is a doozy but I secretly love Devil’s Thumb. 🙂

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We crossed swinging bridge and downed some calories for our climb. Last year the bridge had been burned in a fire and so we had to cross through the river in order to get across which meant we were soaking wet on a very hot and brutal climb. In fact, this was the first time ever that I have climbed Devil’s Thumb and not had it be scorching hot the whole way.

There were a few people climbing the thumb at the same time. Pigeon was in front. I tend to not like people on my heels so I usually step aside and let them pass even if it means I may catch them later, I just prefer not to have someone right behind me.

Eventually, Pigeon pulled off to the side too to adjust her arm sleeves I think and I just went in front of her. There were a couple of crazy athletes who RAN up the thumb. Man, that just blows me away. One foot in front of the other I just climbed strong and steady. I turned around to say something to Pigeon and realized she was no where behind me.

I kept climbing knowing that there was a switchback turn coming up and that I could maybe see her better. Sure enough, the switch back came and I stopped to see if I could see her. I did. I called down “Are you alright?” “I’m good!” she said. So I followed with “Do you have enough water?” 🙂 Pigeon has been known to run out of water on this climb from time to time. “Yes,” she called and apparently the guy behind me laughed at us. Just looking out for my runner.

Onward I went. Joe McCladdie was at the top taking photos. He always makes me laugh. He is always in a spot that is notoriously difficult but since he is there you HAVE to smile and there is no better way to climb a beast than with a smile. Thanks Joe!

I finally reached the top of Devil’s Thumb and I waited for Pigeon. I downed some of the Oatmeal Banana Cookies that I made while waiting. That climb really gave me an appetite and also evened out the stomach issues I had been having.

Finally Pigeon reached the top and we took off running except that while I had been standing there I had become really cold from the damp weather. I had put my long sleeve back on but my legs were stiff as boards when we started running. I must have looked hilarious.

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We reached the aid-station that was at the water pump and this is where I had my first potato chip. Not sure why I grabbed one. My hand sort of gravitated to the bowl but oh my word if that wasn’t the most amazing thing ever at that moment. I had only a few and then I tried to have some of the fuel that I brought with me. Funny how I don’t eat potato chips regularly but out in the woods in the middle of no where, they looked divine.

Onward we ran. At this point, the rain had stopped for good and the sun was trying to poke out from behind some clouds. It was also getting humid. I must have taken that shirt off and on about a hundred times in addition to pulling up the sleeves and then pulling them down again.The reasons of erectile dysfunction may be of cialis 10mg no utilization. So your partner and you have come to a conclusion whether Vitamins can really replace oral ED medication like icks.org lowest price levitra and Tadalis. cheap canadian viagra The medication basically inhibits the PDE5 enzyme from operating, thus allowing more blood to flow through to the penis. It was so unknown that it was called Kenpo Karate so it could be identified with the art of Karate. commander viagra

After that aid-station you descend down into El Dorado Canyon which is a pretty steep down as well. It was here that my right knee started to yell at me a bit. Okay, maybe yell is too mild, scream bloody murder might be better. My knees just cannot handle downhills, steep downs and this one is notorious for making my knee hurt.

There were times when I had to hobble a bit near the bottom but I finally made it. I need to work on my hip flexors and IT band a bit more – oh and not jump into a 32 mile run on a whim. 🙂

Next up is the climb to Michigan Bluff. This is a good 2.5 mile climb and again, I have only ever done this climb in brutally hot weather. Today it was cool and there was as light breeze. Wow does that make a difference.

Pigeon had to use nature’s restroom so I told her I would start off walking up the hill a bit. Not wanting to get too far in front of her I stopped and took some photos.

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No where to go but up

 

Trail Selfie - I look all alone but there were lots of people out there
Trail Selfie – I look all alone but there were lots of people out there

Once Pigeon caught up to me I saw she had found a bunch of friends that we know. So we all hiked the climb together just chatting and catching up on some things. Eventually though, we all spread out again.

I had some people on my heels and I was feeling too crowded so I let them pass. It was here that I saw a woman behind me further down on the switchback. I looked and thought to myself, “I know her!” But I wasn’t 100% sure.

Finally at one point, she was close enough for me to get a good look and sure enough, my suspicions were confirmed. It was Pam Smith, 2013 Western States winner and one of my favorite bloggers. I adore Pam not only because she is a kick butt runner, but also because she is a full time working mom of two kids and has an active spouse to boot. I can totally relate to that. While her kids are quite a few years older than mine, she gets it and understand the hardship of being a mom and wanting/needing that time to run crazy races.

I turned and asked her if her name was Pam and she said yes and that started what was to be one of my favorite highlights on this years Western States Training Run day. We chatted the whole way up to Michigan Bluff. She was pretty honest with me. She asked me if I was running states and I said no and that I was pacing a friend at TRT100 and that I have two young kids so I can’t really envision WS100 in my near future … Pam said, “Well I hate to be the bearer of bad news, but it only gets harder as they get older. I thought it would be easier but it isn’t.” HA! While I kind of knew that, it was funny to hear it from another hard working running mom.

Pam gets it. She wakes at an ungodly hour to get speed workouts and runs in as do I. She has to split her weekends with her husband so he can get runs in while simultaneously tackling kids sporting activities.

She was so nice, so down to earth. I really enjoyed our little chat while we were climbing up to Michigan Bluff.

The top of Michigan Bluff
The top of Michigan Bluff

When you get to the top of Michigan Bluff you have to walk down a fire road to get to the aid-station. Pam kept walking and while I wanted to keep chatting with her, I didn’t want to ditch Pigeon either so I stopped to wait for her.

When she got to the top, she had made a friend too. Her friend is doing her first Western States this year. I told Pigeon about my little hike with Pam Smith and Pigeon had no clue who Pam was but her friend did and was like, “Oh my gosh! I saw that! That’s so cool!” 🙂

We made it the aid-station and again, those darn potato chips really looked amazing. I saw Pam talking to some people and grabbing some fuel and then she was off. I never saw her again.

Pigeon and I ate and walked out of the aid-station happy. We were joking about all sorts of things. There were a lot of funny incidents on this run that I can’t remember. This is what happens when I don’t blog for a while and then have multiple posts to catch up on, I forget things. 🙂

I do know that before we started the run, Pigeon sprayed my legs with bug spray as we had remembered that last year the mosquitoes were relentless. Well, as it turns out, we forgot to spray our arms. My arms and back (remember I was wearing a tank top) are covered in about 20 mosquito bites! Grrrrr the ones on the back are the worst. Next year I am wearing one of those repellent bracelets.

There is one more descent after Michigan Bluff before you climb the paved road to Forresthill. That down hill trail again aggravated my knee something terrible but the minute we hit an uphill, all the pain goes away.

Pigeon and I hiked the hill back to Forresthill Road and then ran the road to the school. We had the wrist bands cut off made our way to my car to change before BOOM thunder was heard off in the distance and some rain started sprinkling again. Whew, we made it out of there just in time. I would not want to be out running in a thunder storm.

Once again, this run proved to be the highlight of my year. Yes I could have gone into it a little more prepared but I’ve been traveling quite a bit lately and have not had any time to get long runs in. That will change as I have a marathon coming up as well as pacing duties at Tahoe Rim Trail in July. It is good to know what my body can handle though.

Next year’s WS Training Run may be a whole different kind of run. Quite a few people that we know have qualified for the 2016 Western States so I foresee a big run next year hopefully filled with a lot of locals (lottery permitting).

For more of our WS Training Run stories go to the following links:

Our 2014 WS Run – The Trail of Dreams (WS Training Run)

Our 2010 WS Run – A Dream Come True (WS Training Run)

Happy Trails!

~Trailmomma

 

 

 

 

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