HEADLANDS MARATHON RACE REPORT

At the beginning of August I had gone on a trail run with some trail friends. One of them mentioned that the Headlands Hundred race had other distances besides the hundred miler. In fact, they have a 75 mile race, a 50 mile race AND a marathon. My friend was doing the marathon. It got my brain thinking (which is trouble, I know).

Even though I have been road training lately, I really miss the trails from time to time. Trails just provide a sense of adventure, some recovery for your body and ultimately, depending on the distances (and how you run them), are way easier.

So when I got home I looked up the race and started planning. I texted Stonegate to see if she was game for this. She had been mentioning that she wanted to get something on calendar recently so why not?

Turns out she was and the rest was history. For the month of August, I continued on my road CIM training way, barely stepping foot on the  trails for more than a few miles. I knew from the get-go this marathon would be just a fun adventure on the trails for me. As it turns out, Stonegate didn’t do much training either! HA!

I am used to spontaneously running marathons on a whim with little to no training. She is not. She got her first dose of it this weekend and rocked it.

Stonegate and I arriving at the start
Stonegate and I arriving at the start – when the sun was up

In typical Trailmomma and Stonegate style, we worried about the parking situation at the start. So, we were pretty much like the third car in the lot when we arrived at 5:45 am in the pitch blackness. We sat and waited a bit before heading down to get our race bibs and check in.

The start/finish area was insane. It was literally just steps from the ocean.

Start/Finish and drop bag area during pre race talks
Start/Finish and drop bag area during pre race talks
AND there's the ocean...
AND there’s the ocean…

I got to see so many people I knew at the start. I had a few friends doing the 50 mile distance and throughout the course we would pass each other and give support.

The ultra distances started 5 minutes ahead of us and we also had to run an extra 1.2 miles around the parking area before hitting the trails to make up some distance. It was fun cheering on the ultra peeps as they took off.

Stonegate noticed her fashionable outfit as we were waiting...
Stonegate noticed her fashionable outfit as we were waiting…

As we were standing there, Stonegate noticed that her outfit some what clashed in terms of patterns and colors. haha I thought she looked great.

Almost GO time!
Almost GO time!

Finally we were off and running. Like I said above, we had to run a little ways up the road/path and then turn around before hitting the trail and then … it was instant climbing.

900 feet straight up. Some people ran more people hiked. We did a combination of both and then eventually settled into a good hike.

That's the trail we hiked/ran but this isn't the top yet...
That’s the trail we hiked/ran but this isn’t the top yet…

The views were amazing. I kept pulling out my phone to take photos realizing we were not even at the top of the first mountain yet.

Time for some stairs! There always stairs on these bay area trails!
Time for some stairs! There always stairs on these bay area trails!
Nothing but up for a long way....
Nothing but up for a long long way…can you see the people up above?.

Finally we made it to the top and we weren’t the only ones in awe stopping to take photos.

We're above the fog
We’re above the fog

From the beginning, Stonegate and I decided this race was all about adventure and fun. We planned to stick together and enjoy the day.

Our smiles were ear to ear all.day.long
Our smiles were ear to ear all.day.long
You can see the trails below we took to get here. From this point, the trail was runnable for a while
You can see the trails below we took to get here. From this point, the trail was runnable for a while – as in down hill

Literally the course went up and down up and down. Very little flat sections.

Elevation Map
Elevation Map

Stonegate and I would just and run and talk and talk. At one point I met a girl named Paulette who is from my Oiselle racing team! It was so nice to meet her and chat for a bit. She’s running her first 50k in October.

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Look at all the trails down there!

At one point I realized we were not nearly as far into the race as I had thought and that I probably should start fueling and hydrating a little better. I was thoroughly engaged in the views that I was neglecting what I needed to do. Even though we weren’t “racing” it is important with all these intense climbs, to continue fueling well.

I took a page from Pigeon‘s playbook and brought some of the Peanut’s apple sauces from Costco with me. However, I threw them into the freezer the night before and put them in my pack frozen.

Get these at Costco - then freeze
Get these at Costco – then freeze

I pulled one out afraid it would be warm and it wasn’t! It was fully defrosted but still amazingly cold. I downed one instantly and I have to say, I REALLY liked this. A lot. Normally this kind of texture is not my thing … but these were great. They have 45 calories, about 8 grams of sugar and 12 grams of carbs. They are kind of like Gu (with about half the calories so keep that in mind) but they offer a great rush of sugar before you have to begin any kind of climb. They are also very easy on the stomach.

Happy Trailmomma
Happy Trailmomma – you can see my apple sauce in my pocket haha

After running up and around this crazy foggy mountain with amazing views of the ocean below … we entered what we called the rain forest!

This is insanely beautiful!
This is insanely beautiful!

It was actually dripping some drops on us at times. We couldn’t help but squeal at the insanity of how beautiful this course was.

But after a few miles in the “forest” you are quickly dumped back out onto a trail with crazy views again.
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Hello Bay Area towns!
Hello Bay Area towns!

And of course more climbing…

Just keep running up that hill into the fog and the unknown!
Just keep running up that hill into the fog and the unknown!

There were times when we felt like we were on the edge of a cliff. Like above, there is nothing to the right of that trail except down down down.

You done taking so many photos?! haha
You done taking so many photos?! haha

I must mention that the wind on the these precarious trails was definitely starting to pick up. Poor Stonegate’s nose started to run from time to time … I just happened to take a selfie and accidentally caught her in full blow … it was pretty hilarious.

Oops! hahaha
Oops! hahaha

And when I say the wind picked up … I am talking about 30 mph winds while we were trying to run on this cliff that was open on both sides! In a few spots there was little guide rope that I think was there to prevent people from literally blowing off the mountain.

Hard to tell but Stonegate is doing her best to standstill so that I could get a photo to show how crazy the wind was at times. She had to remove her visor and carry it.
Hard to tell but Stonegate is doing her best to standstill so that I could get a photo to show how crazy the wind was at times. She had to remove her visor and carry it.

Finally we get dumped onto some pavement right in the middle of a crazy tourist attraction. I am talking hundreds of people standing there watching you come out of this trail wearing nothing but a tank top and shorts while they are bundled head to toe because they are about to go across the Golden Gate Bridge.

We have to run down this long long LONG road that basically has us run UNDER the Golden Gate Bridge. YES! The freaking Golden Gate!? It was crazy.

I mean, really?! Look at that!
I mean, really?! Look at that!

I kept taking a bunch of photos and Stonegate kept telling me that there would be better views … so down we ran. There was an aid-station at the bottom, this would be mile 19 of the race.

Stonegate seemed pretty anxious to get to the aid-station. She wanted to get some fuel in her fast. I just kept telling people, “LOOK! Look at that view!!” 🙂 I was beside myself. I kept thinking Vans would absolutely love this and I also kept thinking, “Um, the further we go down means the harder the up later.”

We passed Oiselle teammate Erin here as well. She was out crewing her boyfriend Seth. Erin is also an insanely talented runner. She’s also incredibly sweet. Even though she was out crewing for Seth, we got to see her at every aid-station and it really gave us a boost of energy. We’d stop and chat with her for a bit at every aid-station, clearly not rushing through the race. 🙂 Seth and I used to work together many years ago (pre-Squeaker) and he now owns The Ranch Athletics in Loomis. This was his first 50 and he was battling some hurdles but looked great every time I saw him. Another bonus to this course is that I got to see him and give him a high-five a few times throughout the race. He looked good each time!

Stonegate and I got our fill at this aid-station and then made the grueling hike back under the bridge and back up to the trail head. It didn’t seem to take that long to get back up as it had to get down to the bottom.

Now, now we were on our way home. 7 miles to go until the finish! But first we had to go back through that crazy windy section again.

Another bonus in this race is that the 50 milers when they go out on their second loop of the same course, they do it in reverse, so we get to see all the front runners coming in. Everyone was so supportive and nice. We only had 7 miles to go and they were on mile 32 out of 50 (I think I did that math right … haha).

Back through the crazy rain forrest!
Back through the crazy rain forest!

The return, once you go back up a few of the big hills, is mostly downhill to the finish.

Stonegate and I just ran and ran and ran. All the runners coming in the opposite way would cheer for us and us for them. We’d pass quite a few runners too and we’d always give them some encouragement. I was feeling good and excited to get to the finish but I still felt strong, which was a great feeling to have.

The last mile is along the coastline. It is flat and on a nice little trail with the ocean to our left and a road to our right. Along this route we saw Seth heading out on his second loop and he looked great and was smiling. Erin was running with him too.

The ending was sort of anti-climatic though, no big hoopla going on. No one really announcing your name which is fine, because really, there were 3 other races still going on.

We crossed the finish line and received all our awesome schwag and our medal. We grabbed a few things to eat, said hello to a  few people. Chatted with Erin again thanking her and her friend Monica profusely for being such an unexpected shining light on our day.

We did it! We finished!
We did it! We finished! By the ocean no less!

Overall it was a great day. I couldn’t ask for anything better. I felt great, I fueled well. I really enjoyed the frozen apple sauce packets. The company with Stonegate was fantastic. We laughed, we joked and we had a great time.

I also got to meet and see a few of my new Oiselle Volee team mates!

Me, Paulette and Erin Oiselle Volee!
Me, Paulette and Erin – Oiselle Volee!

After the race, Stonegate and I returned to Mill Valley’s house where we were spoiled with a shower and a nice hot lunch. We are truly lucky to have Mill Valley be so gracious as to let us crash at her house the night before the race and to let us shower before our long drive home.

When I got home, I celebrated with an old marathon tradition of mine … champagne!

Cheers!
Cheers! Love the mini bottles!

This race was my 10th marathon. I had not planned for it to be that way. CIM in December was supposed to be my big day (and it still will be I hope) but it was nice to have my 10th be on these amazing trails.

It was a memorable day for sure. I won’t forget my 10th marathon now. Fun, adventure, laughter and views that could blow the mind?! What more could a girl ask for?

My favorite photo of the day.
My favorite photo of the day.

Thanks Stonegate for joining me! This may be one of those races we run again … it was that fun. 🙂

Happy Trails!

~Trailmomma

 

 

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BUFFALO STAMPEDE 10 MILE RACE REPORT

Sunday welcomed the first road race that I actually “raced” in quite a while.  I did not intend to race it per se, but well, things just happened along the way. 🙂

I am officially in CIM (California International Marathon) training. I have run CIM for a number of years, almost every year since I started doing marathons back in 2004. However, the last 3 or 4 CIMS have been ran for different reasons. Whether it was ankle surgery or running to keep a friend company, I just have not “trained” for a marathon in quite some time.

I know that sounds weird. Who goes out and just runs a marathon without training?! I do, that’s who but the end result is never one for time or PRs … I have done it this way for various reasons. Much the same way I am running a trail marathon in about 2 weeks with little to zero training under my belt for such a tough marathon. It is a bad bad habit of mine and I fully admit to it.

After my last marathon in Oregon last June, I just can’t escape the feeling that I am done with “half-assing” races like this. I want, more. That is not to say in two weeks I will kill this trail marathon, no. No, that will be a training run and pure JOY to experience trails once again amongst this road racing I have been doing. 🙂

But I have set my sights on the 2015 CIM as the year I would LIKE to get back to running with some heart and soul. So, in doing so, I have actually been, you know, training! What a concept!?

Sunday was the Buffalo Stampede 10 Mile race. I have been doing this race since I lived 4 miles from the start with Vans in our little condo after we were married. I wasn’t blogging then but I do have my race report from 2010 and 2011 if anyone cares to read. Actually, I encourage clicking above because the photos of the Peanut are just too precious. 🙂

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Okay, on to the race report. The above drawing is the Peanut’s rendition of the Buffalo. 🙂 I kinda dig it and think it should be on the race shirts next year, just sayin. 🙂

The best part about road racing is that there is no excessive packing of a hydration packs or thinking about fuel. You just dress, eat and go. The worst part is that the WHOLE family has to wake up with you because generally, it doesn’t take as long to run a road race and therefore, they have to leave when you leave … which means waking up early.

Vans dropped me off with about 20 minutes to spare before the race started. I jumped in the porta potty line and saw LOTS of familiar faces including Dasie and June! Porta potties at road races seem to move faster too … it was pretty miraculous how fast that lined moved.

I wasn’t sure where to position myself at the starting line. I told Vans to expect a pace between 8:30 and 9 minute miles because honestly, that’s how I felt I have been running lately.

When they let us go at the start, I just ran. I tried not to think about pace too much. I figured I’d wait and see what my Garmin said.

Mile 1 –  8:01/mi : Mmm, really?! That’s what I am doing? Doesn’t feel that hard. Let’s stick with this and see what happens ….

Mile 2 –  8:01/mi : Ok, ok. Not too bad. This doesn’t feel that hard to me right now. Just going to go with it.

Mile 3 – 8:06/mi : Aaaah, okay, this must be where the slowing down happens. I did stop for water though, which I normally don’t do so early but it just seemed right and I was thirsty….let’s just keep running right between this group here.

Mile 4 – 7:58/mi : What!? I am speeding up because I know I am going to see my family in about 20 yards, that’s it. That’s why I am sub 8 right now.

Hi girls! Thanks for the high-five!
Hi girls! Thanks for the high-five!
Such a boost to see them!
Such a boost to see them!

Mile 5 – 7:59/mi : Okay, I stopped to high-five the girls and I am STILL under an 8 minute mile. What is going on here?! Oh no, wait! What is that!? Holy crap those are TURKEYS! BIG HUGE turkeys! Quick move to the other side of the road! Who cares about cars!

Oh crap, turkeys ahead.
Oh crap, turkeys ahead.

Mile 6 –  7:58/mi : Well crap, I have to keep this up now! I am over half-way … maybe the turkeys made me run faster?! I could have a sub 8 average if I can just keep going at this pace!

Mile 7 – 7:57/mi : Ugh, that turn around kinda sucks but now I can see people cheering for everyone. That’s kind of nice.

Mile 8 –  8:02/mi : Yup, through my old neighborhood where I would cool down after all my runs … that’s what is going on here. But it is mile 8, I can handle this for 2 more miles! Come on! Pick it up!

Mile 9 – 7:54/mi : Okay, 1 mile. You can do this. This is a super flat course, nothing in your way. Run to the 9.5 mile sign (yes there is a sign that says 9 1/2 that makes me laugh every time) and then sprint! Hold on and then go!

Mile 10 – 7:42/mi : go go go go! I passed this guy who cheered me on and told me ‘good job’ but then I could hear him really trying to turn it on himself. Never saw him again.

Go Mommy Go the girls yelled!
Go Mommy Go the girls yelled!

I saw the time on the clock and I knew that I was within seconds of my previous PR from 2010.
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I just couldn't move my legs fast enough!
I just couldn’t move my legs fast enough!

I crossed the finish line just in time to hear them mutilate my last name! 🙂 I did it! I had a PR. It was within seconds (like 40) of my last race but definitely not a planned situation at all.

6I wanted to just run this race and see how I felt on a flat hard road … I had no intentions of racing let alone PR’ing for this race. I am not complaining, I am just in shock.

Just days ago I had begun thinking that CIM may not be what I want this year and that maybe I will have to settle for another marathon where I just run it to run it … but now, now I have hope. Big hope.

Final stats
Final stats

After my race was over, we waited around for the kids free half mile race to start.

My two runners
My two runners

Rio Americano High School is where Vans went to High School so he had a nice time sharing with the girls all the spots where he used to get into trouble or eat his lunch. 🙂

Stretching
Stretching

But the girls had a race to put on! I think the Rio Americano High School Cross Country Team was in charge of managing this race for the kids. It was cute. They had them do all sorts of drills to warm up.

All lined up ready to go!
All lined up ready to go!

Squeaker wanted me to run with her so I quickly got behind all the kids. Little did I know, that really she didn’t need me for support but instead, she wanted to race me!

Off they go!
Off they go!

They ALL took off like a rocket! The Peanut was up front for a  while and I feared that she’d had gone out too fast. Squeaker was just smiling ear to ear and looking behind her to see if I was there.

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The Peanut however did not fare so well. She had a rough race. I think she went out way too fast but Squeaker! Man! That kid passed her sister and just kept going!

Medal winner!
Medal winner!

She wanted that medal, more than anything, she wanted it! 🙂

Post-Race
Post-Race

Don’t let this photo fool you, she wasn’t tired in the least! The Peanut did finish and then went around two more times with me make it a full mile. We talked a lot about breathing and pacing, both of which she will have to do during cross-country season.

After all the girls racing events, we went to visit Grandma and Pappa who live in the old condo complex that we used to live in. The kids got to play with their cousin and I got to just sit. 🙂

Overall, it was a great race and I am pleased with the results. It gives me the boost to continue with the way I have been training thus far and shows me that what I have been doing is working more or less.

My trail marathon in two weeks will be something fun, a mental break from the pavement on some incredible trails with a good friend. Trail running also makes for better blog posting sometimes. 🙂

Until then…

Happy Trails!

~Trailmomma

 

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SANTA CRUZ TRAIL RACE 30k Race REPORT

With school starting in two weeks for the Peanut, in a last minute decision (more or less) Vans and I decided we wanted to take one more family getaway. We originally had planned that Sunriver, Oregon would be our only family vacation this year, but we managed to squeeze in one more weekend (truly a weekend) getaway and it wasn’t easy.

One random day while driving around to one of our various swim team events, Vans mentioned Santa Cruz. I did a quick google on my phone and found a trail race the very same weekend he was considering! His response, “Well, we have to go now. You can run and I will ride.”

So, a few more days of finding hotels that fit our needs and dates … we were set. Another Run-cation (as Vans likes to call them) was in the books!

We left on Saturday (not as early as we would have liked which would have been a better idea) and sat in the massive amount of traffic that is the bay area. I was “scolded” (in a humorous way) by a friend for the fact that my girls have never seen or been in the ocean (Peanut has seen the ocean but probably doesn’t remember it).

What can I say? We are Tahoe people through and through. Our girls have been in Lake Tahoe more times than I can count and built many a sand castle on the golden beaches of Lake Tahoe but the bay area? Ugh, sorry, I just cannot stand the drive that way as it is NEVER free from traffic.

So we left Saturday morning and was hit immediately with bumper to bumper traffic getting into Santa Cruz. What should have been a 3 hour drive was slowly turning into 4+ hours. We made some diversions along some local streets but in the end we arrived way later than we had anticipated.

The Beach!
The Beach!

But, we made it and hit Davenport Beach which is a nice quiet, semi secluded beach up Highway 1. Although we were all fully dressed and not in swim suits, the kids were free to do what they liked. The Peanut, albeit a little bit naive about the ocean, loved every minute of it. Squeaker? Not so much. She hated the cold and the noise. The ironic part is that the Peanut (a notoriously terrible sleeper as an infant) was put to bed with wave sounds whereas Squeaker who was always a great sleeper, was not… guess who was afraid of waves!? 🙂

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Still, it was so amazing to see their excitement even if they complained about the seaweed. Tahoe doesn’t have seaweed. 🙂

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We checked into our hotel and then departed looking for a place to eat for dinner. I had done a little Trailmomma #plantstrong research before we left home finding a few places that we could visit. The first was the Saturn Cafe which came about because it was closest and we saw it while driving around.

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Basically picture a real diner but made entirely vegan and almost 100% gluten free. That was this place. While not 100% healthy (anything fried, is not healthy) it was pretty incredible.

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The Peanut and her camera skills

Unfortunately, with a race looming early the next morning, I couldn’t go too crazy with all the plant based foods (I have a sensitive tummy) so I kept it low(er) key by sampling a lot.

Sunday morning came faster than I anticipated and so I woke up and snuck away to the lobby with my gluten free oatmeal in search of some hot water. I managed to make a good breakfast. Soon we were on our way to the starting area.

An important item to note here is that Vans’s phone died and I wasn’t about to leave him with the girls and no phone while I was off running in a race for a few hours. I gave him my phone which is why this race report has limited photos. HOWEVER, I want to return to this race because the photos would have been amazing. 🙂

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This would be the second Inside Trail Race that I have done. The first was the Mt. Tam 50K last November. In typical Inside Trail fashion, the course markings were definitely something you can’t ignore. Once again, I printed the course map and threw it in my pack. I know better with these guys. 🙂

There was a 10k option, half marathon option and 30k option. I signed up to do the 30k. The first few miles of this race were up hill in sand. Not just sand, but deep beach sand where you sink about 3 inches and slide back a few as well. By mid race, my calves were screaming at me but I was loving every minute of it.

Within the first 4 miles you are also crossing the San Lorenzo River which was about knee high for me. The race director had said in years past, the river was well over his waist!

I started out with a fairly fast pack and was not thinking too much about pacing or anything. I was just happy to be running on new to me trails. Some people may think I am nuts for finding these races and running them solo, but I love it. It really just sets your mind up for something and it is up to you to conquer it. You also really take in your surroundings this way. I kind of love it. 🙂

At mile 2.5 I happened to run past a porta potty that wasn’t intended for the race (I think it was for some workers actually) but I took advantage of it and then lost my spot. When I emerged from the porta potty, I was stuck in a conga line. Oh well. I passed when I could and eventually found myself spaced out from other runners.

Along the way I had helped two men find their way. They didn’t have a map on them and I guess did not listen to the pre-race talk as they had no idea which ribbons to follow at one point. I told the Half Marathoner that he had to follow the pink ribbons only and if he sees orange ribbons, he has gone the wrong way. The other guy was running the 30k like me. I helped him a few other times along the way when the paths were some what confusing. Ironically, this will come back to me later in the race.

A 30K is just a smidgen over 18 miles and so they only had 3 aid-stations on the course, one of which you passed twice. They are very efficient with the way they set up these races and have the course. I relied a little too heavily on the idea that the aid-stations would have something for me to eat and therefore I didn’t bring too much in the way of my own fuel. That was not a well planned out idea as the aid-stations didn’t have any gluten free options for me. They had sugary items but no gluten free salty items and the items that I brought with me, were sugary in nature as well. Oh well. I made due and continued on my way never staying long at any of the aid-stations.

Vans and the girls were wandering around the grounds
Vans and the girls were wandering around the grounds

At the second aid-station I caught up to the woman who had been in front of me. She seemed extra paranoid that I had caught her. We talked briefly and then I started out on the trail before her. She was very quick to follow and then she started up a conversation with me up a hill.

As she was talking we noticed a group of mountain bikers. Between the mountain bikers and her talking, we missed our turn and realized it about a mile later, that we were going backwards around the loop that we needed to run. The girl panicked big time and started running away. I kept telling her that I had a map and we could figure it out. Then we ran into another girl who was also going the wrong way … she too was kind of freaking out. I was calm as can be and was intent on figuring out how to get back to where we needed to be in order to do the correct loops.

Both of these girls would not listen to me and took off back towards the finish. In the end, they skipped a whole loop of the course (about 4 to 5 miles worth) and I betcha anything, are the two girls listed on the finish list in my age group as 3rd and 4th place. Karma was not good to me there. I had been helping other runners all day and then got myself lost! ha! Oh well. I was smiling the entire time.

I did the right loop and tried to make up time. I did as I eventually caught up to the guy who had been running behind me the entire day. He laughed that I got lost (he was the guy I had helped earlier).

The way back was fun. It was SO humid outside that I even contemplated taking off my shirt and I NEVER do that. The river felt amazing when I had to go through it a second time.

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Eventually I realized that I must have been close to the finish. Luckily, we avoided the sandy section on our return. Soon enough, I saw Vans and heard the girls! They were on the trail cheering me on.

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My race shirt
My race shirt

I finished in just over 3.5 hours which I was okay with considering I ran an extra mile or so when I got lost and spent all that time trying to figure out the course (and porta potty stop). It was fun and I would totally do this race again.

My Medal was stolen by Squeaker
My Medal was stolen by Squeaker

Vans and the girls had a blast exploring Henry Cowell State Park while I was off running. They have some amazing red woods here and the girls were just in awe over them.

Big Tree!
Big Tree!

Post race we wandered the grounds as a family which was good and bad. Good as I enjoyed seeing everything, bad as I didn’t take enough time to stretch post race but the walking felt great.

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The rest of the weekend we spent doing all kinds of fun things. We hit the Santa Cruz Boardwalk which was a blast. The Peanut is like me and likes rides a lot, especially somewhat scary ones. 🙂

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Our view from the Ferris Wheel - amazing
Our view from the Ferris Wheel – amazing

Squeaker was able to ride her first ever ferris wheel AND she went on a (small) roller coaster – not sure how she feels about that now (she was a little freaked during).

On the roller coaster!
On the roller coaster!
Strange creatures roam the Santa Cruz Boardwalk
Strange creatures roam the Santa Cruz Boardwalk

On Monday, before leaving town, we had a few other things that we needed to get done. One of them was for Vans to visit the Derby Skate Park in Santa Cruz.

Found it!
Found it!

This park was odd (to me) and full of local kids who were chatting it up with Vans. It was funny. Post skate park, we had to find the Santa Cruz bike shop hub …

Found it!
Found it!
The girls liked it
The girls liked it

Then it was time for more strange plant-based eateries for lunch … the girls and Vans were not a fan of Dharmas. It definitely takes some getting used to.

The Peanut is drinking a mint chocolate coconut vegan smoothie that she actually liked
The Peanut is drinking a mint chocolate coconut vegan smoothie that she actually liked

After lunch, we headed to Capitola Beach for one more jaunt into the ocean. This time we all put on swim suits and went in. Well, everyone except Squeaker. She was content to play in the sand the entire time.

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Over all, it was a great short trip. The traffic in both directions was incredibly terrible reminding us why we never head to the bay area. We are mountain people at heart and luckily, the traffic to Tahoe is usually manageable. Still, our last vacation before school starts was a success. The girls had fun and were happy to get home to our two new fur babies.

Jersey & Reagan
Jersey & Reagan

TiggerT was a great auntie cat sitter for us. The kittens were in great hands the entire time.

Not sure when my next blog post will happen. I have to figure out this blog transfer stuff and fast. I am also doing some traveling to the east coast next week for something I am crazy excited for. I was hoping to do a whole blog post related to it so I better figure out this blog transfer thing and fast!

Until then…

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Happy Trails!

~Trailmomma

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PACIFIC CREST MARATHON RACE REPORT (VACATION IN OREGON)

Have you ever said something along the lines of, “If I say I want to do this next time, remind me that I said I would never do it again.” Those were the thoughts that were going through my head the first few miles of the Pacific Crest Marathon last Saturday.

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I ran this same marathon in 2012. You can read that race report here. I even re-read my race report before we left on vacation and recalled that it was a tough race mentally because it is two loops of a half-marathon course. You basically run right past the finish line and back out for another 13.1 miles. Also, because this race is in Oregon, specifically Sunriver, Oregon, one has no idea what the weather will be like. In 2012 when I ran the full marathon, it was 40 degrees at the start and it hailed. In 2010 when I ran the half, it was warm but not miserable.

This year the weather would be a force to be reckoned with and the nemesis in every runner’s side. I knew this when we left California as the temps were slowly rising towards 100 degrees. The weather in Sunriver was predicted to be in the high 90s or low 100s.

Mt. Shasta
Mt. Shasta

We stopped in Ashland, Oregon on Thursday. I have always wanted to visit Ashland as I hear it is an ultra runner’s dream. We stopped at Hal Koerner’s store, Rogue Valley Runners and did a little shopping and photo op’ing.

RVR Store!
RVR Store!

We also stopped and had dinner at Standing Stone Brewing Company, a recommendation from Hal himself (thank you social media) and I saw Jenn Shelton sitting at the bar having a beer.

Pre-race hydrating
Pre-race hydrating

We spent the night in Medford (interesting) and then drove to Sunriver on Friday morning. In the past, I felt that if I didn’t have enough time to acclimate to the elevation, then it was better to get there and just run the race right away. Sunriver is at 4200 ft above sea level. That’s a significant difference compared to my usual 768 ft.

We were vacationing with Be-Well-Run and her family again. In years past, we all participated in some kind of event since Sunriver hosts the Pacific Crest Sports Weekend Festival. This year however, only Vans and I had signed up for events (the marathon for myself and the 10k for Vans). Be-Well-Run signed up for the 10k at packet pick-up which was a nice surprise.

Expo Shopping
Expo Shopping

Walking around the expo I wasn’t really nervous. I kept telling Vans that I was more disappointed because I really wanted to do well and try and break my previous time at this race, but based on the way I was feeling … I just knew it wasn’t in the cards. I was tired, my legs were toast and I had a bunch of internal things going on that proved to be just really bad timing on my body’s part. Finishing became my goal. Or perhaps, this is just a “training run” for my pacing duties at Tahoe Rim Trail in two weeks? That is what I kept telling myself anyway.

Race morning I woke up and got myself dressed. It was warm already. Luckily, in preparation I made sure to bring a bandanna with me. This bandanna has saved me at many an ultra so I figured I would carry it with me (more on this later).

I had a Picky Bar breakfast and then sat with my legs up a wall trying to move the circulation around a bit. My legs just felt stiff and tired and sluggish. Riding in a car for hours on end will do that I suppose. I tried to just relax. I tried foam rolling too. My right hamstring has been bugging me for a while. I can’t quite pinpoint what triggers it or what caused it, but I know when I think about it, it tightens up.

Soon it was time to head to the start. The thing about this marathon is that even though it is a Boston qualifying race, there is never that many people running it (in fact, I just looked, there were 73 people who ran). I think I finally understand why now.

The race started on time and we were off and running. It goes up hill at first and we were to expect aid-stations and porta potties every mile (not necessarily at each mile marker). I decided not to carry any water with me based on there being water so frequently.

Within the first few miles I just knew my legs were not working. They didn’t seem connected to my body at all. My pace was hovering around 8:50 which was surprising to me since I felt like I was a slug on the sidewalk.

After I passed mile 2 I saw some friendly faces. I put on my best smile and waved.

The kid posse
The kid posse

I just assumed that I would slowly begin to bounce back to normal and eventually get into a groove. Somewhere around mile 6 or 7 though, my paced started slowing and the heat started coming on strong. My 8:50s started hovering around 9 and then 9:10 … and then 9:15.

The last time I ran this, I only allowed myself walking breaks on the second loop and only when I was going through an aid-station. This year, the walking started early. “Oh, is that an aid-station I see way up there? Okay, that means I can walk now.”

That’s kinda how it went for a while. Part of the course goes past the Sunriver Airport where there is absolutely positively zero shade cover. Not that there was a ton on the other parts of the course but at least there we had some cloud cover … the airport seemed to make the clouds disappear.

The aid-stations were great. They had water and I was enjoying the mental break of knowing they were coming every mile. There was a bit of a mind game for a while as they were not at the mile markers but in-between.

Somewhere around mile 9 or so I started thinking, “There is no way in hell I am going to finish this race. Forget this. If the family is at the half-way point, I am stopping. Who cares if my first ever DNF is on a road marathon!? This is insane!”

Mile 10: “You can’t quit. You can’t! You’ve run 8 other marathons before this. You’ve run ultras for goodness sake! How can you possibly quit!?”

Mile 11: “Yup, you can quit. This is the pits. Can you feel this heat? It has to be 100 degrees outside!” (it was 97).

Mile 12: “Ugh, more rolling hills? What the hell? Why? This is ridiculous. Look! Those people are walking. You can walk too. Almost to the half way point. Almost to the point where you are going to quit!”

Mile 13: “Why the heck do they have to add a .1 to a freaking half marathon?! Why can’t it just stop at 13?! Okay, there is the finish shoot, where is my family?”

Course marshal: “Half marathoner’s go right, marathoner’s go left for your second loop!”

Me (in my head): “But, but …. I don’t WANT to do a second loop! Where are they? Where is my family? They have to be here. Sure they didn’t say they would be here but they have to know I am dying right?”

Off I go … on my second loop. They had no water at the finish area. The last water station was at mile 12. The next one wouldn’t be until almost mile 15 or 16 … in 97 degrees and in my completely fragile emotional state, that seemed like 115 miles to me. I think I started hallucinating.
As far as low price levitra the race is concerned, that is ultimately our call. Hence it is strictly next rx generic viagra recommended to get a physician’s prescription. Moreover, their volatility enhances the chance of an active digestive system viagra 20mg for slowing down its absorption in the body. Never combine these medicines with smoking, levitra 10mg alcohol, caffeinated drinks, grapefruit or grape as it may hamper their effectiveness.

Save me!
Save me!

I had been running with a salt tab in my hand since mile 13. All I wanted was a cup of water so that I could take my salt tab. I saw my family ahead of me. I started walking and blabbering about “no water, where is the water?” and “if you were at the half way point, I’d be done. I can’t do this. This is so hard.” I stole my 7 year old’s water bottle and I took my salt tab.

Be-Well-Run rode her bike up ahead to the aid-station and I think informed them that I was coming and desperately needed water. A nice volunteer ran up to me, “Are you Pam?” Me: “Yes, I am.” Nice volunteer: “Okay, you can do this, you can make this. Here is some water. Is this your first marathon?” Me (oh dear lord, it looks like I am dying doing my first marathon): “Um, no, more like my 9th.”

Vans told me how hot it was (gee, I hadn’t noticed) and informed me that I was moving pretty slow (ya think?). He said, “See you at the finish?” and I think I said, “Sure, but we’re looking at a 5 hour marathon here. I see a lot of walking in my future.” He assured me that I only had about 6 miles to go. I don’t know if he was trying to mess with my math challenged dehydrated brain or what, but I kind of believed him until I got a little further and realized I had like 10 more miles, not 6. Thanks honey. 🙂

I am not sure when, but they had run out of ICE on the course so all the water we had to drink was WARM. Ugh.  Around mile 10 however, they had buckets of cold water (guess that is where all the ice went) and I started using my bandanna. I’d soak it in a nice ice-cold bucket and then wipe my face and wrap it around my neck. My saving grace. That bandanna makes the world a better place.

The rest of the course was a ghost town. There were one or two guys who I had been playing leap-frog with. I had to use a porta potty twice so they’d get ahead of me but I’d eventually catch up and pass. At about mile 18, I started feeling way better.

When I reached the airport (mile 20) there was a kid manning the aid-station. I asked where his water bucket went and he said it was gone but that he had ice. ICE? What?! I had him fill my bandanna (sorry other runners). I carried that bandanna full of ice the rest of the race cooling my neck and face.

Where is she? This is taking a really long time Dad.
Where is she? This is taking a really long time Dad.

I wasn’t running 100% of the time, but I was running more than I had before. I had passed those two guys for good and a girl (who didn’t enjoy that). When I saw the 21 mile marker, I knew I could finish. Walk run walk run. Run run run run. Walk. Run.

Here I come! Told ya it was a ghost town of a race.
Here I come! Told ya it was a ghost town of a race.

When I saw the finish shoot, I tried so hard to gather up enough energy to just keep running. I saw and heard my family cheering my name. That gave me a nice boost.

Smile and it doesn't hurt right?
Smile and it doesn’t hurt right?
In my head I am thinking "oh thank goodness!"
In my head I am thinking “oh thank goodness!”
My girls joining me for the final few steps.
My girls joining me for the final few steps.

When I crossed that finish line I was filled with a bunch of emotions. There was a lot of “Oh thank goodness you are done,” but there was also the, “Holy crap, you did it!? You stuck it out!”

This is me telling Be-Well-Run "holy crap that was hot"
This is me telling Be-Well-Run “holy crap that was hot”
This is, "NEVER LET ME DO THIS RACE AGAIN!"
This is, “NEVER LET ME DO THIS RACE AGAIN!”

I was stoked that I had finished, shocked at my terrible time (4 hrs 40 minutes) and desperately searching for one thing ….

Yes! This is so nice in so many ways.
Yes! This is so nice in so many ways.

Post race massage by this guy … he was blown away by my right hamstring. I was too to be honest. It didn’t feel great but after he dug his elbow in it a few million times, it felt a lot better.

Upon completion of your race (any races in Sunriver), you get a free Deschutes Beer. Of course, being gluten free, I cannot drink beer but Vans was not about to let this opportunity pass so he rushed me over to the Bier Garten.

Free Beer!
Free Beer!

We hung around the race for a little bit but the kids were toast. My long marathon had taken up most of the day and everyone wanted to get moving on our vacation. So we left.

So bored that balancing rocks on her head was more exciting than waiting for me.
So bored that balancing rocks on her head was more exciting than waiting for me.

Overall, I wasn’t too sore from the race. My quads were pretty tight the following day but I didn’t stretch nor did I foam roll or anything (I know, I know, bad!).

In the end, I am proud of myself for sticking it out and not quitting. On the other hand, this is fueling me towards some serious marathon training for CIM in December. I am due. I want to get back to my sub 4 hour marathon time.

I say it all the time, but for me, road running is harder than trail running. They are both very different in so many ways. I am faster on the road but the endurance for running continuously isn’t there. I’ve been so mentally trained to be conservative on the trail because usually, you are out there for the long haul. You have fuel. You have aid-stations that are like a giant smorgasbord of everything you can imagine. When I passed my first aid-station in Sunriver my heart sank a little bit. Water?! Just water?? 🙂

I know that no matter what, I can manage the distance but I am getting tired of just “managing” … I want to do better. So, we shall see. I have some pacing duties to attend to in a few weeks and then, who knows, maybe I will start migrating to the pavement again. CIM training IS just right around the corner. 😉

Just because. :)
Just because. 🙂

Stay tuned for another post. I have a million photos and a few more stories to share about our vacation that involve more running but since this post is already almost as long as my last marathon time (har har), I figure I should end it here. 🙂

Happy Pavement Trails!

~Trailmomma

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DYLAN’S DINOSAUR STOMP (AND OUR 2015 NJ TRIP)

I know my blogging has been sporadic at best. Life has been busy but the good news is that I have a few posts stewing around in my head that just need to come out. So forgive me if they are a bit wordy. 🙂

Mother’s Day weekend I decided to take the girls with me back east to visit my family in NJ. I choose this weekend in particular because there is a very special boy who is the man of honor at my childhood town’s 5k race. Dylan’s Dinosaur Stomp 5k held its 4th annual stomp this year. I attended two years ago and I just knew I had to make it back again.

Dylan’s Dinosaur Stomp benefits the Dylan Flinchum Rock On Foundation.  Dylan is the son and nephew of two very special people who grew up living next door to me and in my heart, are like brothers to me. Dylan is suffering from a rare, degenerative disease known as metachromatic leukodystrophy, often referred to as MLD and every year, for the past four years, my town (which is very hilly) pulls together and participates in a 5k walk/run. The event is planned and run by some very special people who love Dylan and his family and I am blown away at how amazing this event turns out. It takes my breath away.

As I said, I participated in the run two years ago when I brought the Peanut home with me before she started Kindergarten. This year, I got daring and I brought both girls.

Waiting for our plane!
Waiting for our plane!

The girls were crazy excited to get on a plane and fly to NJ. They were even more excited to see their Poppy and Gramie.

Future Little Pilots
Future Little Pilots

As we boarded the first plane, the pilots called the girls into the cockpit. At first they were too nervous to go but I nudged them a little because, hello!? How cool is that! 🙂

The flights were typical. We landed in Arizona and had to race to our next gate to catch our second leg. The girls were super stars. They each had a backpack. We also had entertainment…

iPad Selfies on the plane!
iPad Selfies on the plane!
Many many iPad selfies on the plane
Many many iPad selfies on the plane

We landed in NJ at 5 am Friday morning and Poppy picked us up at the airport. Needless to say, that first day we were a bit like zombies between the time change and jet lag.

Saturday was the race. One of the best features about The Dylan Dinosaur Stomp is that the race doesn’t start until 10:00 am! It is a family focused event and I think that is a great idea. I know from personal experience how hard it is to get the whole family out the door early in the morning. I love the start time because it means I can adjust to the lack of sleep and grab some Dunkin Donuts before hand.

The second best feature of the race is that my childhood home is literally just a few blocks from the starting area AND the race passes by my house not once, but twice! That’s so awesome. Actually, the course is designed so that the race passes by both of Dylan’s grandparent’s houses. Kinda cool. My dad likes it because he can sit on the front steps with his cow bell and cheer on all the runners.

The third best feature is that the race starts and ends at a park. With a playground. Another smart move. My kids spent a lot of time at this park.

I walked to the race start with Gramie and just watched in awe as I saw lots of familiar faces. The morning was chilly but not too bad. The day prior had been very hot and humid.

They start the race on time and they start it, on a hill. Not just a tiny hill, but a pretty decent size hill. This year I positioned myself in the middle of the pack. I’d been running, just not a lot of hills and my hometown has hills.

The Course Profile - not much flat sections there
The Course Profile – not much flat sections here

I wasn’t too sure how things were go but I was mainly just excited to be there and be a part of it. At 10 am they blew the horn and we were off running. The walkers started later. Up the hill I ran, my lungs slowly adjusting and then down the other side past my house. My dad was standing on the steps and I waved to him as I passed. He rang his giant cow bell and told me that both girls were still asleep! This happened the last time I ran this race. The Peanut was so exhausted she missed seeing me both times. Poppy was determined to not let that happen again. 🙂

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As we passed my house and started yet another climb, I saw Matt, directing runner traffic. Matt is Dylan’s uncle, my childhood best friend, my neighbor and one of my Bridegrooms at my wedding. I dodged a bunch of people and I ran over to give him a big hug. He pushed me away and told me to keep running! Matt is my oldest and dearest friend. Seeing him brought such a smile to my face.

I just kept running. Up and down. Up and down. We get to run past the high school and then up another hill. It was on one particular hill that I vividly remember from the last time I ran this course, that I decided I was not going to walk. No matter what. I just put my head down and started running up the hill. I passed a couple of people (sorry Pete!) and I also set my sites on a ponytail ahead of me. By nature, I am more competitive with myself then I am with other people but it is good to have a focus, a goal that you want to accomplish and unfortunately for that ponytail in front of me, she was it.

I passed her on a climb and I heard her sigh. I just kept running we were on our way back to my street. Matt was busy directing cars when I ran by so I just kept going. I saw my dad on my front steps and I saw Squeaker outside bouncing up and down. I heard my dad call to the Peanut who came running out the front door too. They both smiled and cheered for me. I only had to make it up two more hills, one of them pretty darn steep.

Once again, I put my head down and I just ran. The volunteers told me that I just had to round a corner and I would be done. I crossed the finish and grabbed a water. I had no idea what place I was in or what my official time was except for what was on my watch. I chatted with some old friends for a bit and then decided that I better run home and get the girls so they could enjoy the finish area too.

View from the top of the park. Look at that awesome American flag!
View from the top of the park. Look at that awesome American flag!

The girls enjoyed the park and they wore their Stomp shirts with pride. Some day, I hope they will want to try and run it too. When I went back to get the girls, I also picked up my phone and I noticed that I had a text message from the race timing company that had my time and stats from the race! It told me that I was second female over all. How freaking cool is that!? Not that I was second female, but that within 30 minutes of having finished, I had race information sent to my phone!! That is pretty darn cool.

Of course I was excited to also get second place female. The first place female blew me away, it wasn’t even close. However, the highlight of the day was getting my photo with Dylan. This sweet boy was sound asleep when I snuck in and got a photo with him.

Dylan
Dylan

Unfortunately, soon after the girls arrived, some clouds moved in and the rain started to come down. It rained for maybe 20 minutes or so but sadly, it was enough to scare away some of the families, including my girls. I stayed however. I couldn’t bring myself to leave. Seeing the volunteers and the families pulling together really touched my heart.

Me and Matt
Me and Matt

I also got to spend some time with Matt. It has been two years since I’ve seen him and boy did I miss him. It was fun just hanging out with everyone and talking about things. I’ve missed a lot these people. They are good people.

Soon however, I did have to head back to Poppy’s as I knew the girls would be waiting. As it turns out, they were stolen away to visit Gramie for a bit so that meant I got a nice hot uninterrupted shower.

This race truly has my heart. I would have been there last year for the 3rd annual but unfortunately a lack of vacation time kept me away. I am definitely hoping to come back for the 5th annual Dylan Dinosaur Stomp. The girls had a blast in NJ too. They got to spend a lot of snuggle time with their Poppy.

Morning snuggles
Morning snuggles

They also got to spend time with their aunts and uncles too. We arrived on a Friday morning and we left on a Monday afternoon but we crammed in a lot of visits and hugs during our time.

I love my east coast family (friends included). 3,000 miles is a long way away but at the same time, I love how sometimes we can just pick up right where we left off … like the best of friends.

Matt and I like old times
Matt and I like old times

Happy Trails!

~Trailmomma

PS: If you would like to support Dylan and you can’t make it to his Dinosaur Stomp, check out this donation link. No running necessary. 🙂

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