ADO Archives ~ Page 2 of 3 ~ TRAILMOMMA

October 5, 2014April 21, 2015

LONG AND HARD

That is what Stonegate Girl said as we climbed to the top of the Auburn Damn Overlook on Sunday morning just finishing our run. It was quite fitting because thatÂ is pretty much how everyone feels after they run in Auburn (and up K2) for the very first time.

Our 50K training plan has taken a slight detour it seems lately. For various reasons, (illness, anniversaries, travel, work) all three of us missed our long run last weekend. All three of us are feeling the pressure to get some training miles in that actually count.

This weekend we had set aside time to head out to the bay area where our 50K is going to be (in November). Last weekend, while Vans and I were in Tahoe celebrating our 10 year wedding anniversary, I decided I couldn’t stand the thought of being away from home another weekend. As much as I want to run in the bay area to see some of what we are up against, part of me actually likes the unknown.

So I texted Stonegate Girl and told her that I wanted to stay local. I said that I would take her and Burning Girl up to Auburn and we’d run this loop that I FINALLY have (or thought I had) memorized and down pat. Pigeon has taken me on this loop many times although she always throws in a curve ball to keep me on my toes. I was confident that I must have been paying attention for once! (go me!)

So bright and early (to beat the heat – yes, we STILL have heat) I picked the girls up and we were on our way. We arrived at ADO before 7 am, just as the sun was starting to rise. I showed them the rest rooms as I put on my gear. They wanted to wear their long sleeve shirts but I insisted they would regret it once we started moving. They listened and left them in the car and thanked me later. 🙂

Off we ran, chatting as usual. Every once in a while, we’d come to a clearing or spot that overlooks the river and they would just squeal with happiness. They were sold and in the zone already – loving every moment of the run.

When we made it to No Hands Bridge, some of us (me) took advantage of the porta potties. We all stopped to refuel … and for once, I wasn’t the only one taking photos of the awesome scenery surrounding us.

After No Hands I took them up and introduced them to K2. I’ve told them about K2 before and told them to take it easy as it is a long, LONG climb and when you think you are at the top, think again.

A few expletives left their lips a few times on that climb but they never stopped, they never wavered. They just kept hiking one foot in front of the other. Stonegate Girl did ask once if we’d reached the top and I sheepishly said, “I don’t think so,” knowing we had quite a bit more to climb.

Solid. Solid climbing is what K2 is and it can really put you in your place if you let it but it makes you stronger the more and more you climb it.

Pfizer recently returned the rights to hoodia to Phytopharm, who is now working with Unilever. appalachianmagazine.com viagra uk As per investigation it has been found that eating aphrodisiacs like chocolates, ginseng and oysters can also cialis without prescription appalachianmagazine.com help you with quitting smoking, as they carry the original stop smoking pill, Zyban. http://appalachianmagazine.com/2016/07/27/free-disaster-legal-services-available/ female levitra What is the element substance of this product? The greatest benefit associated with this gel is that is an all-natural product that too it is meant for external application. The only side effects observed thus far are a temporary solution but VigRX Plus is a permanent solution for levitra prices appalachianmagazine.com Erectile Dysfunction.
We caught our breath a little at the top. I have been pretty sick the last week and I finally thought I had my lungs back but K2 was sure to put me in check a few times.

I took them to the Cool Fire Station and I showed them how they can refill their packs with water and how there were porta potties again. We all snacked and ate a little fuel because I think we were all feeling the climb and it was definitely getting warm fast.

We didn’t stay too long before we were off and running back down towards No Hands Bridge. I shared a few stories with them along the way and when we hit the down hill I told them this section rocks and to feel free to open it up if they wanted. Burning Girl was gone in a flash!

My ankle has been a little gun shy lately so I was trying to be mindful of where I put my feet but I did feel like we were running solid down the hill. We’d pass a few hikers and runners. It was a beautiful morning.

Back at No Hands we refueled again. The other side of No Hands was in pure open sun. The heat was upon us and it was barely even 10 am. I knew the run going back was not going to be pretty. I was starting to feel drained myself but I kept thinking it was my cold and lack of exercise.

Nope. Stonegate Girl mentioned that she was feeling sluggish too and losing steam fast. We’d walk and run as much as we could back towards the overlook.

We stopped in the waterfall again and drenched our bandanas. We said hi to hikers as they passed and then we came upon some horses. The trail was wide (fire road) but I noticed that Stonegate Girl and Burning Girl kept running. I called them to pull to the side and stop. I didn’t realize that neither one knew about trail etiquette when it came to horses. They’ve seen many mountain bikers on the trail, but not so many horses.

The way back is long and grueling but we managed. Stonegate Girl kept taking about soaking her legs because I told her that we could hit the canal after our run for a nice ice bath. For some reason, she thought the canal was the horse trough that we had passed at the start. I briefly thought about letting her go with that idea to see if she’d go in, but I was laughing too hard.

We finished in a smidge under 3.5 hours and had run about 15 miles. It was not what we had set out to do for the day but it was a solid run that gave the girls a sampling of some real hills, some elevation and some heat. It was a perfect day for everyone. Â We tested new gear, tried some fueling experimentation and just got our legs back after our unexpected break.

I am looking forward to next weekend’s run where I hope I get to run with Pigeon too. I may need to juggle my schedule a bit though as the calendar is filling up fast. Training for fall races is always tough for me but we are hoping to add an extra day in the week to the schedule to help out a bit. Fingers crossed.

Happy Trails!

~Trailmomma

July 6, 2014April 21, 2015

LOOK AT THE WILD ANIMALS!

Today Pigeon and I got together for our last run before she takes on the Tahoe Rim Trail 100 mile raceÂ (aka TRT) in two weeks.

We agreed (me, begrudgingly) to meet at 6:45 somewhere in the middle and carpool ourselves to ADO (Auburn Damn Overlook). It was the day after the Fourth of July! Granted, we (meaning me), did most of our celebrating early in the day and on the evening of the 3rd of July, but I wanted a few more minutes of sleep. Luckily, Pigeon let me sleep a few extra minutes and pushed our run back (she originally wanted to be IN Auburn and running right at 6:45 am).

When we got to Auburn, we hopped out of the car and pretty much just took off. I wore my Ultimate Direction Jenny Vesta because the past few weekends I have been testing out how I want to use it when I am pacing Pigeon in two weeks. I think I have decided on a plan of attack. I’ll use the hydration bladder and one bottle (jug) to allow myself some extra storage room.

Almost immediately into our run we hear something off to the side and not 5 feet from us are a couple of beautiful deer having some breakfast. I just knew it was going to be one of those days on the trail. The kind of day where it is just gorgeous out and I find myself smiling from ear to ear no matter what.

The first couple of miles Pigeon and I talked, a lot. We talked about the recent happenings in our lives and also about TRT and what lies ahead for her.

The trail was dry and very dusty. When we approached the first “stream” crossing waterfall or watering hole, (however you want to describe it), Pigeon immediately got down and doused her bandana to wear around her neck. Even at 7 am, the temps were getting pretty warm. This SHOULD have been an indication or warning to us that the day would be a hot one, but we both sort of just shook it off and kept running.

We ran down towards No Hands Bridge, across and up towards K2. I knew where we were going without even having to say it. I didn’t mind. There is a porta potty at the end of No Hands so I decided that was the perfect time for a quick break.

The climb up K2 felt pretty effortless for both of us. We’d climb, talk and stop on occasion but for the most part we hiked pretty solidly all the way up.

I was pretty excited that I was feeling really well. I had some tummy troubles in the beginning but I always have tummy troubles. Once that subsides, I am generally a happy camper.

Pigeon always tests me out on the trails. She’ll ask me ‘which way’ at every turn or corner. She knows that I am generally looking down (trying not to fall) instead of watching where we are running. I think I can safely say, that I can park at ADO and run to No Hands, across and up K2 and possibly even the full loop without getting lost.

Which is kind of funny because if I park at the Cool fire station and you ask me to run to No Hands, I’d probably get us lost. 🙂

As we were coming to the point in our run where we could go back down towards No Hands or go straight and head to the Cool fire station we decided to hit the fire station. In my head I was thinking porta potty.

When we reached the parking lot though we both took some fuel and just stood there. We emptied our trash in the bin and pretty much just turned around and headed back out on the trail. We knew there was fresh water at the fire house but neither one of us thought to stop and fill up our packs. We thought we’d be fine with what we had (aaaah, hind sight IS 20/20).

When we reached No Hands Bridge again, Pigeon turned to me in the dead sun and said, “So I completely underestimated how hot it would be today. I have very little water left. This is going to be a long hike back.” I also felt like I didn’t have much water in my pack, but I also hardly use my hydration bladder, normally relying on my water bottles up front.

It was warming up pretty intensely on our way back and the trail was getting pretty crowded with hikers, runners and horseback riders.

When your circulatory health is good and the blood doesn’t flow freely to http://amerikabulteni.com/2011/10/06/steve-jobs-the-link-between-androids-and-humans/ buy cialis professional the penis when required. Read More about Symptoms of Prostate What’s up readers! order generic cialis linked here I am back with a different topic today. Often people viagra prices in usa will talk about it before they go on making money. The PDE 5 levitra sale inhibiting nature of this drug decreases the execution of the PDE 5 enzymes (origin of ED) and supporting the cyclic GMP (erection providing enzyme).
Our pace was slowing considerably as we hiked more than we ran. At times, it felt like we were running from shaded section to shaded section. Finally, Pigeon tells me that her pack is completely empty. So I take off mine and I pull out my hydration bladder and realize that it was still pretty fully and I happily poured half of my water into her pack. Another runner was passing us as we were doing this and asked if we were good on water.

Off we went. This time, I knew that when we approached that waterfall, that I too was going to dunk my bandana in and rinse myself off a bit. I was sweating a lot. As we ran down the hill approaching the waterfall, we noticed that it was pretty crowded. It was full of hikers who clearly looked like they had taken on an adventure without realizing how hot it was outside. Many of them were sitting IN the waterfall.

Pigeon and I ran up, not really noticing too much and just squatted down in the water and took off our bandanas. We rinsed our faces, necks and arms. I looked up and I realized that everyone in the waterfall was glaring at us like we were some wild animals in a zoo who had approached them and were going about our natural course of wild life business.

I wanted to pull out my camera SO bad and take a photo but I didn’t. As we climbed out of the water and back onto the trail, quite a few more hikers were splattered around the trail. I turned to Pigeon and said, “Did you feel like you were an animal in the zoo back there with everyone sort of just staring at us as we cooled off?” She looked at me and busted up laughing, “Yes!” she said.

For the life of us, we couldn’t stop laughing about what had just transpired which for me, made the remaining sweltering miles, fly by a little faster.

When we finally reached the horse staging area, we decided to head straight for the canal. We were pretty overheated at this point and our nice little 15 mile run that should have taken us 3 hours or less, had taken us over 3.5 hours.

I have talked about the canal before but I am not sure I have ever posted a photo of it. To many non runners, this probably seems pretty gross …

For trail runners however, the canal is the perfect place to cool off during the hot summer months and in the cold winter months, it provides an amazing full body ice bath for recovery.

I am incredibly excited for TRT in two weeks. For starters, Be-Well-Run is flying all the way from Whistler Canada to help myself, Missouri and a few others crew for Pigeon. I love when she comes to visit. Second, just being in Tahoe for TRT is probably one of the most exciting times for a runner. I have crewed for Pigeon a few times (you can read about them by clicking here (2010) and here (2012)Â and here (2013)Â ). Â In 2011 I skipped but I had an excuse (Squeaker was only about a month old), but Pigeon ran the TRT 50K in 2011 as well, read about that here.

I truly believe Pigeon is ready. Not only is her training spot on, but her mind is in the game. Not that her mind wasn’t in the game before, but I think having experienced this race at the 100 mile distance once before, has put her in a whole new realm of readiness.

The support she has behind her as well, no matter the outcome, is beyond amazing. There is no denying the Pigeon that I met in 2010 is not the Pigeon I run and train with now just four years later. Some of that change comes from life experiences and some of it comes from her amazing and supportive wife Missouri. Most of it though, I think comes from Pigeon’s desire, drive, confidence and diligence in making sure she is 100% ready to conquer her goal. She is a goal driven runner. Someone I’d admire and feel lucky enough to call my running partner and friend.

TRT Redemption, my friend. Let’s go get it!

Happy Trails,

~Trailmomma

March 30, 2014April 21, 2015

THE FINAL COUNT DOWN

(Photo Credit)

Okay, not THAT final countdown but man, what a great song. The perfect pre-race song actually and quite fitting since this is the final week before the American River 50 Mile race.

Of course I have a lot of other things going on this week at work, with the family but AR50 has been in the back of my mind for the last two weeks of my taper. Never quite in the forefront but definitely there lingering, playing around in my head.

I haven’t felt much like blogging this past week (as you can tell) but a lot has happened throughout the week. Vans had his big Gold County Fondo (68 miles) riding with George Hincapie!

The ride was pretty ideal as it started and ended in Towne Center which is super close to our house. George was there too signing autographs and riding along with the other riders. The only problem was the weather. The above photo was taken before the monsoon started. Poor Vans, he spent 4 out of his 5 hours riding in a torrential down pour soaked straight through to the core.

He finished though! The girls and I joined forces with TiggerT and followed Vans around before we headed to the mile 45 aid-station to lend a hand. Vans surprised us by being way faster than he predicted (especially in that weather) and so we didn’t stay too long volunteering as we had to get to the finish.

After he finished the race, I had to race to get the Peanut to her friend’s birthday party. Not only was she attending the birthday party, she was going to sleep over their house! This friend (along with another) has been the Peanut’s best friend since she was 3 months old. To see them still the best of friends, is just amazing especially since all three attend different kindergartens.

So without the Peanut at home it was just Vans, Squeaker and myself. It has been quite a while since we’ve experience what it was like to have ONE KID … wow, seems “easier” in a sense but we all missed the Peanut. Squeaker got a nice night to herself complete with a cupcake, Frozen and some mommy cuddles.

I woke up on Sunday ready to meet Pigeon for our final run together before AR50. Normally we run on Saturdays but Van’s race had us bumped to Sunday. Pigeon agreed to meet me early enough that we could get our run in and I could still be home to get ready for work at Gold Country Run and Sport.

We met at the Auburn Dam Overlook and we ran down the hill for a ways and then turned around and ran back up. I wanted another glimpse of the final hill. I ran it last year with Pigeon when she did AR50 and I paced the last 8 miles with her.

I know this hill. I remember this hill. This hill is brutal. It is a 3 mile climb that could really play with your head on the last 3 miles of a 50 mile race.

It was gorgeous out though. Absolutely breath-taking at 7:30 am in the morning. The views will be quite different come Saturday but the hill is the same and the point of seeing this hill is to get it in our heads that we can conquer it and know where the runable parts are and where we should conserve some energy.

Both gives same effect after there administration but the latter can be bought at almost half of the cost of the well-known brands, with tablets cheapest price on viagra new.castillodeprincesas.com being available in different strengths and quantities. This pill can be employed safely by elderly people also as few aged people think that at such an age, a person tends to imagine lots of things and wants to try cialis viagra generico out different things related to sex. The blood is also flowing in the muscles and arteries. tadalafil lowest price This will elicit a reply and pharmacy cialis any mail that contains sales spiel but the distinction of whether you are a spammer or not lies in your own corporate objectives.
We ran, we talked, we discussed AR50 and Tahoe Rim Trail. I haven’t run with Pigeon in two weeks so it was nice to see her and sort of feel that familiarity of running together again. Last weekend I ran 16 by myself on the road portion of AR50 and not only was it lonely, it was sort of eye-opening as to where the course will take us and where aid-stations will be situated.

This run however, reset my mind. Just running again with Pigeon, eased my thoughts, my worries and even some of my aches and pains. The problem with taper weeks is that you are forced to run low mileage which your body so desperately needs before a big race. Yet this can play games with your mind. You start to feel aches and pains or the “hint” of a cold coming on because you are worried about the race ahead.

Pigeon tried coaching me along on the way back as we were making our way up dam hill. She pointed out where I should run and what sections were more for hiking. I appreciate her advice. It has been four years since I have had to think about “racing” up this hill but in my own head, I know that in making it to this point alone, I have succeeded.

I am not out to break records. I don’t want to beat anyone. If I get a personal record, that’s a bonus in my book. So if I don’t want any of that, what DO I want? I think about that often on our runs sometimes. Pigeon is goal orientated. Pigeon is competitive and so was I back in the day. I am not sure what happened. Maybe it is the fact that I have kids now and I am too afraid to push, too afraid to not be able to be there for my kids post race. That’s on me and that’s ok. For me, completing this is all that matters. Finishing and finishing with a smile on my face is an added bonus. I did that in 2010Â which is what makes this time a little more scary. How can I have another almost perfect race? The odds are not in my favor. I am older, I am wiser and more importantly I know what to expect. This time around, I won’t have my “crew” popping in at various places along the course to surprise me. I won’t have a training group with coaches who show up at mile 26 to change my shoes and socks for me. I don’t even have a pacer this time around and I am okay with that. To me, that adds more to the experience. I’ve completed this race once before so now in lies the real challenge … can I do it with entirely different circumstances? Running with Pigeon for as long as I can hold on is one of my goals.

Where I stopped in 2010, she excelled. She has way more ultra experience under her belt and a ton more races too. To be completely honest, this will only be my third ultra. Yes I have run 30 or more miles a few times but not in a technical race. To many, I am still considered a newbie.

So, just running with Pigeon, will simulate in my head, our weekends and running together (hopefully). When we ran at Way Too Cool a few weeks ago, that didn’t necessarily play out as much as I had planned but I was content and happy most of Way Too Cool. If I can nip certain things in the bud that would be great and of course the terrain will be quite different.

No, I am ready. As nervous as I might be, I am equally excited for what Saturday will bring. The self-doubt in my head stems from a very busy schedule that limited my training and running time. I am a logical person and I can only anticipate and expect so much from training as I put into it. I am not doubting my ability or trying to self-talk my way out anything, I am just being honest. I know I am strong. I know what my strengths generally are and I just need to let it all play out. What happens happens … and in the words of Europe’s It’s the Final Countdown …

I guess there is no one to blame.

We’re leaving ground (leaving ground)

Will things ever be the same again?

It’s the final countdown!

If you want to see the video and hear the song click here.

PS: I am still jealous of their awesomely big 80s hair that I never had ….

Wish me luck!

Happy Trails!

~Trailmomma

January 18, 2014April 21, 2015

RUN HAPPY

Today felt like the first day of school all over again for me. Pigeon and I had planned a run together and at the last minute we decided to join a group that she has run off and on with out at ADO (Auburn Damn Overlook). I had a feeling that I would know a few people, but the majority of everyone I met for the first time.

Everyone was very nice and made me feel welcome, as trail runners typically do. It was just sort of funny being the “new kid” on the block. As I have mentioned before, when running with Pigeon or TiggerT, I feel like I am in the presence of a celebrity as everyone they pass says hello to them by name.

As we started off down the trail, it was definitely a bit chilly out. My lucky arm warmers were still in the wash from last weekend’s run so I went with a long sleeve shirt. That was new for me. I also did a complete overÂ haul of my pre run fueling. As I have documented for some time, the fueling for my runs has been hit or miss. What used to work in the past was not sitting well for longer runs. With my 20 mile run in Cool coming up next weekend, I needed to get this squared away. I am saving the specifics for a later post as I want to experiment a bit more but I will say, what I did this morning, for today’s run was awesome. I felt great the whole way and I also felt as if I had enough energy to carry me most of the miles without needing to fuel.

I also used a new hydration pack today for the first time. Again, I want to run in it a few more times before I share what I think but so far so good today despite my initial doubts.

We ran from ADO to No Hands Bridge (above photo) and then we ran over to the Cool Fire Station. We did not go up K2 this time (thankfully).

When we got to the fire station you would have thought that a party was happening! There were so many cars! Hikers, runners and mountain bikers were all out enjoying the amazing weather and temperatures we’ve been having lately.

Once everyone had a chance to use the porta potty and refuel we were on our way. The whole group was running 20 miles but Pigeon and I had decided early on that we were in line for about 16 today and would eventually have to stop running with the group and then turn and run on our own back to ADO.

I have to say it was really great running with a group today. There were bunches of mini conversations happening all around me and we even passed the Fleet Feet Training Group led by Coach Nikon. It felt like old times seeing Coach Nikon while also having the chance to run with Miss P!!

Pigeon and I really enjoy running together but we both agreed that sometimes it is nice to break up the routine a bit. When it was time to say goodbye to the group we ran back the way we came down the trail before turning left.

The run back was quieter. Well, it was quiet until a man and his dog came out of no where right behind me causing me to scream (like a total girl) and flap my hands (like a moron) while Pigeon apologized for my reaction and simultaneously trying to control her own laughter.
Kamagra, Silagra, vardenafil levitra online, Caverta, Eriacta, aurogra and Super P Force drug offered by us is a safe and very effective way to get erection as this medicine has lowest ads and highest sale. Not only men over fifty are subject cialis 20mg tadalafil to trouble of potency, but also quite younger men. You only need to indicate the number of packets you sample cialis want. Where levitra sales online and Priligy together can be risky and may cause ill effects, especially when consuming higher doses, Super Kamagra is safe to consume as it is prescribed before the lovemaking session.

What can I say? It is always an adventure when you run with me. Shortly after the dog incident, we saw two otters/beavers (no idea what they were really) in the river swimming! They were huge and when I grabbed my camera to take their photo, they dove under the water and never resurfaced!?

The run back was beautiful. The views of the (dried) up river were pretty spectacular. We stopped a few times to take some photos.

When we made it back to ADO the mileage came to 16.5. Although my legs were feeling tired, they still had some spunk in them as I managed to run up a few of the hills leading to the parking lot. I like to test them near the ends of our runs, just to see what I really have left in the tank.

Overall, I am very happy with today’s run and I know Pigeon was too. We both felt that we fueled well and that our legs felt strong. It is kind of neat to see some of our hard work during the week pay off. I managed some tempo and speed work this week and even a few hill repeats on Thursday evening (which I think was why my legs felt so tired so early on). Our fitness levels are definitely increasing and that made our mind-set very peaceful too.

We ran just like my new visor (yes, another new item) said to today ….

In other Trailmomma news, I wanted to share with you a review that I was asked to do for one of my all time favorite podcast’s website: Ultrarunnerpodcast.comÂ Â Ultrarunnerpodcast.com is a podcast that I listen to on iTunes and it is hosted by Eric Schranz and Scotty Sandow. These two guys are local Sacramento guys who love trail running, drinking beer and interviewing all the top trail and road runners on the scene. Their podcasts are well done and highly entertaining. One day, podcaster Eric Schranz had posed the question on Facebook if Â there was anyone who wears zero drop shoes and wanted to review Altra’s shoe the Lone Peak 1.5. When I reached out to him I was just beginning to run in the Altra Superiors. Eric gave me a pair of the Lone Peaks to wear, run and review. You can read my review over on their website at www.ultrarunnerpodcast.comÂ Â and if you can, listen to their podcasts on iTunes (especially if you are local, like beer and like to follow all the top runners).

This has been a pretty awesome start to what will be a three day weekend in the Trailmomma house. The week started off a bit rough with a sick Squeaker who spent two days home from daycare with a fever and bad cough. I didn’t mind the quality time and I know Vans didn’t either. The girls love being home with him because he will take them to the duck park … they know that wouldn’t happen on my watch.

Have a wonderful weekend everyone! I may have a special post coming out Monday evening as well so be on the look out!

Happy Trails & Run Happy!

~Trailmomma

January 1, 2014April 21, 2015

RESOLUTION RUN 2014

Today I had my first official race of 2014. I wasn’t going to do this race this year but plans changed and I found myself sans running partner on a perfectly beautiful day to run.

I ran the 10k last year with TiggerT and recall vividly telling myself Â “thank goodness you didn’t sign up for the 10 mile option.” The course is pretty brutal if you are not used to running these trails. The course is ALSO brutal because it follows NEW YEARS EVE!!! Granted the race start time is 1:00 PM so there was no waking at some ungodly hour but we did have some company at the Trailmomma house and I made some of my two favorite dishes for these friends who do not typically eat the same way that we do. These dishes however, taste wonderful with a great glass of red wine, which we also had in the house and of course you can’t have New Years without champagne!

Needless to say, soon after the ball dropped on tv I was out like a light. Squeaker woke up at her usual time despite my best efforts to keep her entertained in our bed while I tried to go back to sleep.

Vans and I decided that all of us would make the trip to Auburn despite Squeaker’s nap time being smack dab in the middle of it all. It kind of worked out because as soon as we hit the road, she fell asleep. Ahem, I have NO idea where she gets THAT from. 🙂

Vans dropped me off at the start line so that I could check in and get my race stuff. We had 15 minutes until the race started. Once I got my stuff I found where he had parked and luckily it was near a spare porta-potty! I quickly got in line and by the time I was out I heard the announcer say there was 5 minutes until race time. The four of us hiked up the hill to the starting area and I got into the crowd.

The start was very informal. Basically it was “ready, set, go!” The 5k, 10K and 10 milers all start together and head towards the road and then down the hill. I immediately remembered some of the course. Oh boy. Once on Damn Hill the 5k/10k runners went left and the 10 milers went down down down Damn Hill. Damn Hill is the same hill that you run UP in the American River 50 Miler – you can read about that race here.

Soon I saw the arrows not only pointing down the hill, I also saw them pointing up which could only mean that we were to run down Damn Hill and then back up again. I know I need this training eventually but today was not the day I was anticipating it.

My legs felt fantastic. My ankle felt fantastic. My stomach? Um, yea that did not feel so wonderful. Definitely a by-product of New Years Eve indulgences but also something I have been struggling a lot with lately.

My abdomen was growing larger by the minute. I was bloated and just feeling off. I tried my best to not think about it and to continue drinking my water. Luckily I did not have that sloshy stomach feeling. For this race I didn’t bring any fuel except water in my one handheld and 2 SCaps. Did I mention it was WARM? I mean like tank top and shorts warm but I was wearing shorts, a t-shirt and my compression socks. The socks were borderline too much but I think they really helped keep my ankle situation in check.

Going down the hill I don’t think I passed very many people. Eventually we turned and entered some trails that were all up hill leading us back to the same paved Damn Hill road. I had some spring in my step. The ups were definitely my favorite part of the day. I am really beginning to enjoy them. Pigeon scolds me sometimes to conserve my energy by walking up the hills but I have the power and I even have some speed when it comes to climbing up the hills. I can’t power hike for crap so why not run?

The girls were waiting for me ….

I passed a lot of people on these climbs. When back on the paved road, I continued to run as much as I possibly could and found myself running more than I have in the past. I did end up hiking some of it, especially past some horses who were out for a walk.

The generic pills are utilized since the choices for cialis 100mg pills these well-known pills. A report of Daily Mail UK has revealed that men with cardiovascular disease and erectile problems were: 1.9 times more likely to die from cardiovascular disease than other patients with heart disease alone;* They were at twice the risk to the patient, following are some tips to follow- Post-surgery, as a parent, you must follow all the instructions carefully. http://amerikabulteni.com/2015/03/19/japonyada-hanami-zamani-basliyor/ pharmacy cialis Men have been told by women that penis size does not matter, but this is not true in most of the cases, kamagra oral jelly 100mg is prescribed to control the symptoms of erectile dysfunction. cialis 5 mg Of course I cant speak for myself because I am a woman but canadian pharmacy sildenafil I can only imagine how difficult it can be to have to go through the discomfort of going through a shop, but instead you can buy everything you want on the internet.
The rest of the course was a lot of ups and downs and stuff. I vaguely remembered these trails but suddenly the trail I was on connected with all the other runners and it happened to be the same route that Pigeon and I take on our runs (at least lately). I immediately perked up. I used to not like running the same trails but this time, it was a relief because I knew exactly what was coming and where and whether or not I could run it.

I ran. I ran all the ups and would take a breather at the top and then continue on. I was definitely struggling with my tummy and trying not to think about it but I was also passing quite a few people (guys). It felt good.

Then we came to the section of the trail that I always complain to Pigeon about. It is the trail that leads us back to the Overlook. It just is so windy and when you think you’ve reached the end, there is another single track climb right there in front of you. It can be a little defeating.

However, I heard something. I heard a cow bell. Now this is not totally unheard of in the Sacramento region, we are called a Farm Town for a reason, but I knew this bell and I knew the person ringing it! My girls!

There she is!

My girls were right where the trail enters the parking lot. I still had to run up the hill and back to the overlook but just seeing them really made me happy.

You can see in the photo above how bloated I am!

I finished the race and was spent. I was definitely out of breath, so much so that I couldn’t even talk to my long time friend and old running/pacing friend Big D! She was a sight for sore eyes for sure. I had sprinted up the hill to the finish line because I was afraid the woman I had passed earlier in the race was close behind!

After the race, we wandered over to the skate park which is also at the overlook. The girls wanted to show me their tricks. Apparently this is where they were hanging out while I was running on the trail.

I love my “crew” to pieces. Squeaker really had a blast in the skate park but was slowly growing tired. Her ability on the bike has greatly improved. Peanut opted for the scooter and was actually going over some ramps or whatever at the park. I think Vans was super duper proud and excited. 🙂 I even got to watch him skate which I haven’t seen for a very long time.

For me, the first of the year started off great. A nice trail run where I was able to push myself a little bit and still overcome some issues (that I need to get dialed in) and spending the day with my family. What more could I ask for?

I will leave you with those two recipes that I made on New Years Eve, just in case you were curious. 🙂

For an appetizer I made Oh She Glow’s Easy Flaked Almond “Tuna” Salad. Vans loves this stuff (so do I) and my guests really liked it too. It is super easy to make as well.

For our main dish (which was small since we’d all been snacking on apps for over an hour) I made With Style and Grace’s Stuff Acorn Squash with Quinoa and Pistachios. I added some vegan sausage that I had to the guests’ dishes though (mixed in with then quinoa and pistachios).

Well there you have it … our New Year’s Day in a nutshell. What did YOU do on New Years? What WILL you do in 2014? I have a list of a few things I’d like to try and incorporate more. I don’t really like the term “resolution” because it kind of gives off the impression that you try somethingÂ for that particular year. Still, I do think we should all take a minute and think about 2013 and the things we could have or should have handled or done better.

I wish you all a wonderful 2014! And let the count down to the Winter Olympics begin!

~ Trailmomma

Share This:

Share This:

Share This:

Share This:

Share This: