Auburn Archives ~ TRAILMOMMA

April 30, 2024April 30, 2024

2024 CANYONS 100k (Race Report)

I first ran the Canyons 100k in 2017. It was my second ever 100k. You can read that race report here. Back then it was a whole different race in a way. Smaller but still crowded, still tough but way less hoopla and a different starting location and course. It had become a Western States qualifying race in 2016 so the fire was lit for many to run an awesome local race when there were not many local qualifiers in the immediate area.

I ran Canyons 100k again in 2019 (you can read that race report here). That year I came back from the dead but the course was “easier” in the sense that we did not have to deal with Devil’s Thumb, but it was still crowded with sections of two way traffic.

Then in 2023 I decided to run Canyons again. I registered for the race in the spring of 2022 before they partnered with UTMB and then in December of that year I broke my fibula snowboarding. There was no way I was toeing the line but luckily, they let me defer my entry to April of 2024. Then all the UTMB drama happened. I was not about to just hand over my entry fee or waste my chance at qualifying for Western States (again). I planned on running however, this was now a whole new race compared to my previous years.

In preparation for the race, I was surprised by the “lower” 12,295 of gain posted when in prior years, it was around 16,000+. The qualifying time for Western States was also 20 hours which seemed generous to me since 2017 and 2019 the qualifying cut off was 18 hours (with more elevation gain). I think because of all of this, I did not give this race, the respect it fully deserved. Don’t get me wrong, I trained and I ran and I prepared. I just was not nervous come race morning which is not like me. I usually have jitters the entire race week.

RACE START – CHINA WALL

One thing to note about this race is that they alternate the directions (or are supposed to) each year. This year it was starting at China Wall and finishing in Downtown Auburn. Next year, I believe it will start in Downtown Auburn and finish at China Wall. Last year (2023), due to the fires and trail conditions, it started and ended in Downtown Auburn.

The China Wall start, sucks. Plain and simple, it sucks. I woke up at 1:00 am, drank some coffee and got dressed and ready. Shawn picked me up at 2:00 am and we drove to the Auburn Overlook where we had to catch a bus (required – no way around it) that was driving all runners to the China Wall start. Fueling and prepping for this time of day just totally threw me off. Instead of eating my usual oatmeal at home, I ate a bar on the bus.

When us 586 100k runners arrived at China Wall, we were greeted with about 4 porta potties that had an incredibly long line. There were people still in line when the race started.

The race started at 5:00 am, in the dark. It had dumped rain the day before so the fire road we were starting on was wet and muddy and it was just crowded. Very crowded with people trying to jump over puddles, slipping in the mud and trying to just get comfortable.

I immediately noticed that the headlamp that I had charged seemed dim and I was struggling to see the trail/road in front of me. I turned my hat backwards hoping that would help, and it didn’t. Even Shawn mentioned that my headlamp was looking like it was dying.

My watched buzzed when we reached mile 2 and I immediately stepped on something I could not see and rolled my left ankle so hard that I slammed to the ground. My hat and headlamp went flying off me and I had yelled in pain. Not wanting to be trampled, I jumped up as quick as I could. Shawn was near me and asked if I was okay. My ankle was throbbing and I was basically limp running. In my head I just kept telling myself to keep moving. This has happened in a training run and it eventually works itself out. I didn’t want to stop but the pain was pretty terrible. I could not keep up with Shawn and I let him go but tried to keep the back of his head in my sights.

My right knee felt like it was covered in mud, it just felt wet and cold. When we eventually turned and started to climb, I used my right hand to try and wipe the mud off but when I looked at my hand, it was covered in blood. I had apparently banged my right knee too when I fell and blood was just pouring down my shin. I grabbed a tissue and tried to clean my hand off. There really wasn’t anywhere on the trail that I could pull off and stop. It was conga line after conga line the entire first 10 miles. Also, my stomach had finally “woken up” and needed a place to stop but unfortunately, there is no where to duck off the trail easily so I just stuck it out knowing there would be a bathroom at the first aid-station.

DEADWOOD 1 (Mile 10.1)

The minute I arrived to the top of Deadwood two volunteers there declared, “Oh my god, your knee! Are you okay?” That was the first time Shawn even noticed my knee and he looked concerned. I told the volunteers that I was fine and that I just needed the porta potties … which consisted of two and also had an incredibly long line of runners waiting to use them. Frustrated that I was wasting too much time, I ducked off into the woods to take care of business.

When I came back to the aid-station, Shawn insisted that someone clean out my knee. So we stopped and I asked what I thought was a medic to clean out my knee.

Bless his heart, he took forever to find what he needed and to put on his gloves and then declared that he was just going to clean off the dripping part on my shin because he was too afraid to rub the wound as it looked to have finally stopped bleeding (because it had mud in it – when I stopped in the woods a few minutes earlier, my knee hit the ground and was caked in mud).

While I was grateful that I looked a little better, I was not feeling all that great. My left ankle was still pretty darn sore but my right quad was really starting to ache. I wondered if maybe I had hit it on a rock when I fell but more likely, my compensating for the left ankle pain put a lot (and I mean a lot) of stress on my right quad. We were at mile 10 and my right quad felt like it was fried.

We left the aid-station together and headed towards Devil’s Thumb.

Devils Thumb 1 (Mile 12)

Now I have done the Devil’s Thumb Canyons “thing” back in 2017. In 2019, they removed the Devil’s Thumb section because of trail conditions (fire I think). In 2017, I absolutely hated this part. I love Devil’s Thumb. It is a historic part of the Western States trail (with 36 switch backs) but for this race, like in 2017, you had to run down to Swinging Bridge (Mile 13.5) , get your bib marked by a volunteer and immediately turn around and hike back up. The problem with this is that there is two way traffic on a very very narrow trail.

In 2017 it was at least dry, so while frustrating to stop and let runners up, you at least did not have to worry about slipping and sliding. At one point while going down, I slipped so bad that I almost went over the edge of the cliff! The guy behind me was like, “Holy cow! That was close! Are you okay? You almost beat us all down there.”

The runners hiking back up were a mix of good mood cheering for you runners and some that were so angry that they shouldered you hard as you passed causing you to lose balance. Just not fun.

The climb out, I was toast. I had very little energy, my quad was killing me and I had been passed by quite a few runners.

Devils Thumb 2 (Mile 15.1)

When I reached the top of Devil’s Thumb I was greeted by Shawn who had waited for me at the top. I felt awful, like I was slowing him down so much.

At the top of Devil’s Thumb was a water only aid-station but I just needed a breather and as luck would have it, I was greeted by Jack Meyer! It was nice to see such a smiling happy and familiar face.

After a quick stop, Shawn and I started running again. I had never been on the trails they had us running that routed us back to Deadwood, it was very pretty but as luck would have it, my stomach was still off and I had to find yet another place to stop.

Deadwood 2 (Mile 18.3)

As we came into Deadwood 2, I headed to the aid-station to see if there was anything that would turn my energy around. It was too early to start drinking Coke but I was desperate. My stomach was off and I could not eat or drink the fuel I had on me without having to stop.

As we left Deadwood 2 and were about to bomb the nice downhill that I normally love, I overhead the volunteer tell one of the runners coming into the aid-station to be mindful of the cut off time.

Shawn and I ran most of the downhill trails that lead to El Dorado Creek. This is a section that I have loved in the past but my quad and my ankle (not to mention my stomach) were making it difficult to run smoothly. I ran but I am sure I looked pretty funny.

Michigan Bluff (Mile 24.0)

The climb up to Michigan Bluff was as brutal as Devil’s but luckily not as steep. It was also super duper warm out. I was slowing Shawn down.

Michigan Bluff was the first crew accessible location but I had told Vans that I didn’t need him there because it would just be easier for him to meet me at Foresthill which was the next aid-station.

I do kind of regret that now, had he been there, I could have fueled up on the stuff he had with him which would have helped a ton.

While Shawn was getting help from Courtney and Cody, I just sat down and wiped my face with an ice cold cloth that Courtney had given me (omg, amazing).

I needed a restroom yet again but they said they didn’t think the aid-station had any which I thought was odd because when I had checked that morning, I knew every aid-station had them (or most did).

Finally, someone who overheard me came over to tell me there were restrooms on the other side of the aid-station. I was kicking myself for wasting time and not going to see for myself because when I found them, there was of course, a line.

I heard my name and I got a nice wave and a “Hi Pam!” from Christine who was working the aid-station. I wanted to go back and say hello but the dang line at the porta potties was going to take a while.

More time wasted then I wanted and Shawn waited for me but informed me that we needed to motor so as not to get too close to the Foresthill cutoff. I didn’t think we were that close but watching the clock was the last thing on my mind.

The descent down into Volcano Canyon I knew would be brutal but I also know that we had an opportunity to get wet and cool off and that truly felt amazing in that heat. I wish I had tucked some ice in my sports bra back at Michigan Bluff but I had waves of being hot and being cold at various times so it wasn’t on my brain to do that.

The climb out Bath Road was its usual brutal self but on pavement I could at least power hike with purpose and not have my quad feel so weak.

In my head, I just wanted to get to the next aid-station and see Vans and also know that I was almost half way done with the race.

Foresthill (Mile 30.0)

Upon entering Foresthill, we immediately saw Vans with his phone. I didn’t think to text him to hook up with Courtney wherever she was situated. I thought they may have prearranged that. I was wrong.

I saw the Peanut. She was waving me over but we had to enter the aid-station and exit from two different points and where they were situated would have had me back tracking so I called over the fence/barricade for them to find Courtney down the road who had a nice shady spot.

I was SO happy to see Vans and the Peanut and to have my fuel that I told them to bring. I wanted to eat something, anything, other than what I had on me at that point.

I immediately had a Pellegrino Limonata which was a last minute toss in my cart at the grocery store purchase but man oh man, did that stuff hit the spot. One can has 110 calories to it and about 31 grams of carbs and is carbonated. It was SO refreshing in the heat! I also took a Tums too in order to settle my stomach but when I went to chew it, my tooth just screamed in pain. Ugh, what else could possible go wrong?!

Shawn ducked down the road to use the bathroom so I had to go and find him and finish this thing. 30 hellish miles down.

This next section was pretty fun but also pretty hot. There was no Cal 1 aid-station this year as was in years past which is a bummer. Would have been nice.

It was 8.2 miles to the next aid-station but it was about here, that we noticed the mileage was really starting not to match up with what was on our watches.

Eventually you do dip into shaded trails and a nice smooth single track.

Cal 2 (Mile 38.2)

This aid-station had a lot going on. There were a LOT of people sitting and looking not so great. The mosquitos were vicious. I was literally attacked the minute I stepped under the aid-station tent. Three bites right on my face in seconds! It was crazy.

I quickly ducked out after grabbing some food. A volunteer kept wanting to stick ice down my shirt or in my hat but I kept saying no thank you. I was actually quite cold at that aid-station.

Shawn and I left Cal 2 and the carnage that was there. We knew that at the next aid-station we’d see Courtney and Vans again but it was almost 10 miles away.

Vans and Peanut enjoying the views between aid-stations

The trails from Cal 2 to Drivers I know pretty well from previous Canyons races and from running Ruck-a-Chuck 50k a few times. There is one or two steep climbs here. Again, I had to stop and duck off the trail. Shawn waited. Darn stomach.

We did run into a runner who told us that it was called “4 minute hill” because the elites at Western States can run it in 4 minutes … yet the lady behind him said she calls it “7 minute hill” because it takes her 7 minutes.

I think it took me 10 minutes.

The fire road leading toward Driver’s Flat is a mental one for me. I always think it is shorter than it is. It DID however, have a park restroom vs a porta potty which was a gift from heaven and thus, I stopped yet again. Pretty sure anything I fueled with was immediately removed.

Drivers Flat (Mile 47.5)

This aid-station was not where I pictured it in my head. Like previous Canyons, I thought it was down by the water but that’s called Rucky Chucky (or was in past races). Shawn told me that the actual aid-station was at the top of huge hill and was the Driver’s Flat staging area where Ruck-a-Chuck 50k used to start and finish. I remembered that climb, it was not fun, it never seemed to end.

When we finally reached the top, seeing everyone there was a site for sore eyes. I was thrilled to see Vans and the Peanut again but also sad as this was the last crew stop before the finish. I was however a little excited as I had never been on the trails that led us to the next aid-station before so I was excited for the unknown.

Again, I drank another Limonata which gave me a rush of carbs, calories and sugar! I used the massage gun on my quad which hurt like hell and I ate my sandwich that I made as another last minute “why not” the day before. This was a lot of food, probably more food than I have had all day!

My girl lugging all my gear out of Driver’s Flat

The Foresthill Divide trails and the trails surrounding Driver’s Flat were absolutely gorgeous. The sun was slowly setting too so that really made everything look so pretty. I would really like to run out there again and explore more it was that pretty.

What wasn’t pretty was the runner puking on the side of the trail. Poor guy. We encouraged him along and eventually came back to life and caught up to us and we chatted for a bit. He was from Squamish.

It quickly got dark and luckily I had tossed my lame headlamp from the start at Foresthill and replaced with two mini lights that I use for emergencies. I totally did not plan lighting well for this race at all which is hilarious because having just run Rio 100 in November, that race is almost entirely in the dark and I had it dialed in.

I pulled out one of my mini lights hoping to save the other one as I knew this one would not last until the finish. Spoiler, it didn’t.

The next aid-station was Mammoth Bar which is an area I know well but had never actually been to the spot where the aid-station was located. The other sucky news was it was almost 8 miles away but we were ready to get this done.

Mammoth Bar (Mile 55.5)

This aid-station was happening. Lights and super energized volunteers. Kids yelling in the dark. It was definitely a welcome stop. So were the porta potties that they had (I believe this was like stop #6 for me now, I lost track). I believe it was here that we were encouraged to have some veggie broth. I tried to nibble on whatever I could find and sipped the broth but it wasn’t helping my stomach much.

We overheard a volunteer saying that this race was actually 64 miles, not a typical 100k at 62.1 (great to hear) and that we had a “700 foot climb out of the aid-station.”

I don’t know what that guy was smoking but to us, that climb was like 7,000 feet. We almost got lost leaving the aid-station trying to find the climb. One runner went off course and we tried to call him back as we saw the sign at the very last minute. For the most part, the race was incredibly well marked with signs for wrong way and and signs for critical turns. This was the only spot I would say they could have done better. The runners who went off course were not happy but at least they figured it out quick enough.

I run in this area a lot but I have not been on these particular trails. That 700 foot climb was hands on knees, bent over steep. Both of us felt like puking at various times it was that steep. Then we started seeing the puke of other runners who I guess felt the same way we did.

Finally we made it to the Short Cut Trail which I am familiar with which leads us to the Confluence Trail which again, I am familiar with but was semi dreading running in the dark. It has some rocks and stuff that can easily trip any runner let alone running it at night in the dark (after switching out yet again my head lights).

Confluence (59.1)

This aid-station was a joy to get to because we knew it was the last one before the finish. We had 4 miles to finish this thing. While we had missed our goal of wanting to finish in the day light (Shawn’s goal), we were totally fine time wise to get our Western States qualifier which was good because neither one of us was running much at this point.

Shawn was being plagued by something in his feet and ankles and was awful quiet. I apologize for slowing him down but he said he’s not sure where he’d be if he had kept running so fast based on how he was feeling now.

This was definitely an odd moment because 99% of the time, when one of us is down, the other is on a high and we can encourage and motivate each other enough to run walk run walk. For the first time in I think forever, we were both on a semi negative wave. Neither one of us was ever contemplating quitting but we both agreed this race will not be in our near future again. 🙂

Of course once we neared No Hands Bridge, the course had us routed around the bridge bordering highway 49 instead of just simply running over the bridge. That would have been a lot easier on the legs but I guess logistically there was less highway patrol needed the way we went. I will give kudos to the highway patrol out there. They had it dialed in for us runners to safely cross the highway twice.

To Downtown Auburn (Finish – Mile 64)

From No Hands to Robie Point is familiar terrain for almost every local runner. It can be easy or it can be a huge pain in the butt. After 60 something miles, it was a pain but I felt like since we ran Rattlesnake Dick 50k in March, the trails had been smoothed out and were flat. Even the quagmire spot had been smoothed out despite 100 mile racers, 100k racers, 50k and 25k racers all traipsing through it. It was pretty easy to get across mud wise.

When we reached the top of Robie Point, we only had pavement to go. In my head I was happy for the pavement, less rocks to trip over and stuff but dang, pavement hurts.

We power hiked and talked the entire time. Our spirits were lifting because we were finishing this thing.

The closer we got to downtown, the more we tried to run and then realized we were not as close as we thought. Then finally, we saw the cones and the turn and we ran.

Shawn wanted to sprint, I told him “I don’t think I have it in me to sprint,” but then I tried to sneak attack by him at the very end but he caught me. We finished!!!! 18 hours and 26 minutes. Longest Canyons ever for us.

While the race boasted “only” 12,295 feet of climbing it had 16,381 feet of descending which completely blew out my legs. It was the downhills and the inability to run them because of my ankle, my quad and my stomach, a trifecta of problems that plagued me the whole entire race.

So happy we finished. I am happy that we both persevered through all the adversity thrown our way (or really just my adversity haha).

As I was telling my coach post race, this was my 29th ultra distance race and 28 of them have been pretty awesome. Of course I had issues in other races (stomach, falls, aches and pains) but in all those other races, I was able to turn it around and run. This was the first and only race I can honestly say, was a struggle from start to finish but in finishing, I have found new strength. I’ve been “lucky” through the years and this time, lady luck was no where to be found. I had to do it on my own. I am proud of that (though I much prefer not having to go through it again). 🙂

To top things off, having Vans and the Peanut as my crew, was great. This was their very first time every doing something like this and it was a race that I was struggling in. That had to be hard to watch I am sure. They brought me back to life and knowing I would see them really kept me going a lot of the time.

I am so grateful to them for spending their entire day running around Foresthill seeing broken down beat up runners and saving me time and time again.

We got our Western States qualifier so mission accomplished there but I will be working on figuring out what made my stomach so unhappy the entire race.

I was on antibiotics weeks ago for a spider bite so maybe that messed up my gut flora so terribly that I did not recover? Maybe it was something that I ate in the days leading up to race? Or maybe my level of electrolytes going into the race? Perhaps it is part of perimenopause because honestly, no one knows enough about it to pin point some of things us women go through when we are dealing with it. I will figure it out.

Enjoying a bit of a break for now though. Thanks for reading this monstrosity of a race report. 🙂

Happy Trails!

~Trailmomma

Shoes: TopoAthletic Ultraventure 3

Pack: Camelbak

Shorts/Shirt: Oiselle

Socks: Injinji

Fuel: PELLIGRINO LIMONATA!!!!!!

February 23, 2024February 23, 2024

FOURmidable 50k Race Report

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

All smiles all the time.
Facchino Photography

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

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

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

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

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

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

Always smile, it hurts less when you smile.

https://facchinophotography.zenfolio.com/

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

Poster and a water bottle. Time to head home.

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

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

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

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

Happy Trails!

~Trailmomma

November 12, 2023November 13, 2023

RIO DEL LAGO 100 Mile Endurance Run (Race Report)

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

RIO DEL LAGO

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

My pre race breakfast and a note from Vans. 🙂

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Michele and I at the Overlook Mile 44.93

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

My face!! I was hooping and hollering NOT crying. LOL

No one I would rather have done this with!

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

Best crew and friend! We did it Michele!

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

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

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

Happy Trails!

~Trailmomma

Gear Used:

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

Socks: Injini (one pair the whole race)

Watch: Garmin

Pack: Salomon

Fuel: Tailwind and Spring Energy

Extra Photos 🙂

February 23, 2022February 23, 2022

2022 FOURmidable 50k – Race Report

Two years does not seem like a long time, but when it comes to running and racing it can feel like an eternity.

Photo from Single Track Running

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2020 was not a total bust, I did manage to run the FOURmidable 50k before the world shut down but that was about it in terms of races. Instead I did what everyone did, I ran, played with my kiddos, found other hobbies and let my body heal from a really full and challenging 2019 year of racing (for me).

Then 2021 came along and I started the year with a calf tear that took quite some time to get over. I could have run a 100k but I decided to defer to ensure that my body was 100% and instead focused on some pretty nice trail half marathons that were destination races (my favorite) and then started back with training and racing CIM in December.

VANS drove me to the start which was great. Also great? The start was at 8:00 am which means he did not have to wake up at 0’dark thirty to drive me.

This year, the race held all four events (50k, 35k, half-marathon and 13k) all in one day which meant I would be able to see my friend John before he started his race!

It was a nice boost to see and laugh with him before my race because for the first time in probably forever, especially in Auburn, I did not see anyone else that I knew. In a way, this was nice as I needed the mental time to think about what I wanted from the day. Finish time was not my priority at all. I had other things I wanted to work on … like trying to remember how to run an ultra!

Race Director Paulo gathered us at the starting arch and went over the race details (course ribbons, cupless race etc). The energy was pretty palpable as I think a lot of people were excited to be back running and racing again. It was also windy and chilly at the start (about 43 degrees) but the “veteran” in me knew that I would not need anything more than a tank top because it would warm up quick and believe me, it did!

The first three or so miles are basically downhill to the river and the base of Cardiac (the first of the “four”-midable climbs). In past years, I’ve been caught up here and would always “fly” super fast (again, for me 😉 ) down hill totally exhausting myself so that by the time I got to Cardiac, I was already tired.

This time, I had a plan. First and foremost, I trained quite a bit on this hill in preparation. I ran down and up quite a few times in training. Second, I did not go all out at the start. I kept my pace pretty steady the entire time. Looking at my stats, I ran almost the same pace for each mile and I was not out of breath.

Another thing to note, the course start was different than it was in 2020. In 2020 we ran the fire road after the single track portion all the way down to the base of Cardiac but this year, we meandered through some more single track trails staying off the gravel road which was nice and kept us spaced out a bit more.

When it came time to climb Cardiac, I felt good! There was no conga line of people, we were spaced out nicely and I just power hiked. I was between a nice group of men who I think were from out of town (or at least one or two were) who joked about the climb. I ran the flatter sections when I could and before I knew it, Cardiac was over!

Photo by Facchino Photography – after climbing Cardiac

The first aid-station (Gate 142) is at mile 5.4 and is essentially back near the starting area. I had every thing that I needed so I did not stop. I could hear Paulo on the loud speaker starting the runners for the 13k race which I knew would intersect with us 50k runners soon.

Sure enough as we were running down the single track, I heard the pitter patter of super fast feet and it was the lead runners of the 13k. I yelled, “Runner back!” and the 50k runner in front of me waved a thank you as we both moved over letting the 13k leaders pass. Trail etiquette at its finest. The leaders all said or waved thanks.

When I made it to the No Hands Aid-Station (mile 9.6), I was feeling pretty good. In previous races I’d have to stop to use the restroom here but my stomach felt great. I did not stop at the aid-station, instead taking a sip of some fuel and made my way towards the second of the “four”-midable hills, K2 (aka Training Hill).

Another one of my favorite hills to train on and climb. Again, everyone was pretty spaced out despite there being four different races happening at once. When I got to the top of K2, I was all alone so I ducked off the trail and used mother nature. My first and only pee stop of the race, which is a new record for me. 🙂

Mile 13.4 brings you to Knickerbocker Aid-Station #1. I did stop and refill a bottle here with water and dumped another packet of Unived drink mix in. For the first time ever, I ran without my hydration bladder and instead relied on water bottles which was something new for me.

Back on the trail I started running and realized there were some runners close behind me, it kind of made me pick up the pace a little. Then we came to a mini-stream/creek crossing and in classic Pam fashion, instead of going slow and just hopping on the rocks that were there to get across, I panicked I would slow those behind me and totally tripped and bam, my left foot submerged into the water. 🙂 Newbie move! I laughed, the runners behind me laughed but they stayed dry. 🙂

The gravel road down to the third “four”-midable hill, the Old Auburn Dam was rough on my legs. It was here that I started to feel like my legs were heavy and not turning over well. It was also getting pretty warm and the climb is in some sun.

Up until this point, I had been fueling pretty well using a new-to-me method and new(er) fuel that I’ve started in training runs. However, on this climb after taking in some fuel, I felt a twinge of nausea which is not something I experience typically in races. I didn’t panic, I just continued to climb and think about what I had done so far.

It was then I realized that I had not been taking in any extra sodium. This was definitely the first warm run in a long time and I am sure my body was thinking, “WTF?!” I dug through my pack, found some salt tabs and took one.

After a little while, I started to feel better. I made a mental note of the time and decided that I would do better at keeping track of sodium intake in addition to my regular fueling.

I was excited to be back at Knickerbocker Aid-Station #2 (mile 18). I cannot recall but I do not think I refilled my bottles here. I grabbed some aid-station fuel, thanked the volunteers and headed down toward the creek.

This creek was fresh in my brain from my 2020 race. It was here that I fell into the creek by accident. Like FELL IN! 🙂 This time, I knew better. I figured out the best way across and stayed dry. I saw other runners sitting in the creek which was a smart move in this heat! By now, my left foot had dried completely and ironically, getting it went in that creek earlier actually made what I thought was a blister forming, totally disappear so yay!

I rarely train on this side of Cool and I often wonder why when I am out here during this race. It is absolutely beautiful. It’s warm, sunny and exposed a lot of the time, but the trails are gorgeous.

The distance was longer than I realized though. In my head I miscalculated the next aid-station but luckily, all the aid-stations are imprinted on your race bib, so really, I have no excuses. 🙂

Mile 23.4 brings you to the Cool Aid-Station. When I came through the gates the volunteer checking bib numbers told me to grab some ice and stuff it down my shirt. How have I forgotten that piece of amazing advice!? Hello newbie!

I got to the aid-station and filled up both of my bottles with water and then fought stuffing them into my vest. I know it is easier to stuff them back in with the vest off, but I hate doing that so instead, I stood there stuffing, fighting and shoving them in. While I was doing that however, I did ask the volunteer about ice down my shirt!

She whisked me aside and totally made life amazing. I overheard another runner who looked like she was having a rough time say, “Can I also have ice down my shirt?” I am hoping it brought her back to life too.

When I was back on the trail I decided to add another Unived drink mix packet to my now newly filled water bottle that was IN my pack. Too stubborn to remove the bottle, I thought I would be amazing and just unscrew the lid and dump the mix in. Any guesses on what happened? 🙂

A geyser of water and drink mix shot up and out of my bottle and straight into my face! Drenching me from head to toe and because of the pressure of the pack on my body, it did not-would not stop. I could not stop laughing at myself. I finally got everything under control but was a pretty sticky wet mess from that point on. Ah, the newbie lives on!

The miles down rollercoaster are some of my favorite in all of Auburn/Cool. In previous races I have bombed this section, feeling invincible, feeling like air, feeling like I could fly to the moon! This year? I felt like I was wearing cemented moonboots trying to run through quick sand.

I did pass a few runners so I was actually running but I flat out laughed at myself, out loud too at how awkward I felt, how just impossible it seemed to make my legs turn over.

It took a good couple of miles for me to feel like I was running normal down this section and before I knew it, I was arriving at the No Hands Aid-Station #2 (Mile 27). I came down the trail and the volunteer said I had one of the biggest smiles yet.

There were only four miles to the finish and my bottles were (almost) full so I just grabbed some fuel from the station and walked myself across No Hands taking in fuel and texting Vans that I had four miles left and that more than likely, it would take me about an hour.

That is when I found out that he’d gone to the hospital to get x-rays of his shoulder (minor biking incident earlier in the week) and that he was trying to make it to the finish. I knew once he was at the hospital, there was no way he would make it in time.

Despite doing a great job on fueling and a mediocre job at taking in additional sodium, I was feeling the miles on my legs but my head was in a good place. I saw some female runners up ahead running strong and they were in good spirits so I just kept running.

When we were in the final miles before the finish and the last and fourth, “four”-midable climb (Overlook Hill), I noticed a runner up ahead that looked like she was struggling.

To be honest, the only runners I could see between me and the miles ahead were all female! It was a flock of strong running females and it was awesome. When I got to the girl who was struggling, I stopped and gave her some salt tabs. She was drenched in sweat but in good spirits.

When it came time to go up Overlook Hill, I just channeled all the time I have spent training on this hill. I passed two ladies and encouraged them to keep going, one step in front of the other. When I could see the finish arches in sight, I started to run (the term run is used loosely here as it probably didn’t look like running to those watching). I heard some cheers and from the looks of it, all the women I encouraged followed suit and were right behind me pushing it on that climb! I love it!!!

I crossed the finish line with a huge smile. After two years and lots of ups and downs, I had finally finished an ultra and a tough one too.

I had accomplished all the things I had set out to do. I wanted to finish ignoring the clock, I wanted to try some new fueling techniques and I wanted to remember what it feels like to be comfortable being uncomfortable and to problem solve along the way. For me, I succeeded in all of it.

Vans and Squeaker eventually showed up to the finish. Vans did not break any bones (yay) and Squeaker had a blast building little villages in the dirt. 🙂

Overall, I am happy with how things transpired out there. I need to work on sodium intake I guess or maybe my legs were just not remembering how to work properly in races like this. 🙂

Her shirt!!!! It was a hit at the hospital with the doctors. 🙂

Grateful to my family for being there for me and to Higher Running for getting me to the starting line.

Now, to rest and recover so I can get back out there. It feels good, normal almost, to be back doing things like running ultra races and trails again.

Happy Trails!

~Trailmomma

I’d like to thank the companies that continue to support me and whose products I stand behind and use:

Topo Athletic – I ran this race in their Ultraventure model. I love the company and this shoe and I was super stoked to see a lot of runners wearing Topos on the course.

Unived – The Wild Watermelon drink mix is my absolute favorite but I do use and enjoy all of their drink mix flavors and I used their Salt Tabs as well. I also really love their Recovery Mixes – Chocolate Turmeric being my number one favorite.

Picky Bars – Their Fudge Nut Bars save me so many times when I am running to coach practice after a long run or race. My kids also love them and usually eat them before I can get to them.

Spring Energy – new to the line up, their Awesome Sauce (vegan) gel is pretty darn good (and I am not a gel person typically).

February 20, 2020February 20, 2020

2020 FOURMIDABLE 50K RACE REPORT

“pssst! Honey, wake up. I kind of had an accident in the kitchen. I tried to clean it up but I have to leave for my race now … I am SO sorry!” Not the best way to start a race but it sure added some excitement. 🙂

Photo from: Single Track Running

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I have run the FOURmidable 50k twice before. Once in 2017 before it was a USATF race and then again in 2018 when it was a USATF race … and it was insanely muddy that year. I love this race because it really gives you a test of where you are training-wise on some beautiful familiar trails.

The attempted clean up of my early morning disaster.

While the house was quiet and I was waiting for Not Chris to pick me up, I started putting together my race pack which means sticking my soft-flask that was filled with Unived Wild Watermelon drink mix into my race vest. I love using soft-flasks for the lightness of them but man, the same thing that happened to me at Canyons, happened in the middle of my kitchen.

This is how it went down: I try to gently squeeze the full bottle into the pack while covering the nozzle with my mouth so that the liquid wouldn’t shoot out when I squeeze it. Well, the nozzle on my soft-flask popped off in my mouth and the bottle became more or less a fountain shooting up, out and everywhere! You can’t really stop it either because the pressure from the vest is so much that it really just looks like a hose in your face. Needless to say, my kitchen floor was a sweet sticky mess. Sorry Vans!

I am normally a solid food runner when it comes to ultra races but I’ve been trying to experiment more with gels lately and this race, was going to be my gel race test. It also helps that I am a Unived Ambassador . I absolutely love their drink mixes and their recovery mixes but the gels are something I am not entirely used to using but I am working on it.

What is awesome about FOURmidable is the start time … 8 am!!! That’s later than when we normally run so it took some getting used to when it came to timing my breakfast (Picky Bars Can’t Beet Chocolate oatmeal for the win as usual). It was super chilly at the Auburn Overlook race morning because of the wind, but I knew it would warm up so I went with a tank top and shorts to start.

The race bibs are distributed right before the start of the race. I was lucky enough to see and say “hi” to a few friends I haven’t seen in forever when I was picking up my number. Soon enough though, it was time to line up and get ready to run.

The plan going into this race for me was: Treat this as a long training run – practice fueling and work on form. I’d say part of that held true. 🙂

At 8 am we were off and running down to the bottom of Cardiac. The trail meanders around a little bit but I noticed quite early on that my legs felt a little stiff. I had battled all week with a stomach/gluten contamination issue so I had not run much all week and I was feeling that in the beginning. Luckily gravity helped so I just let it pull me.

Not Chris took off like he stole something and was never seen again. He had been looking forward to this race and had trained pretty well with intentions to beat a certain time. Needless to say, he crushed it … and I just let him go.

The climb up Cardiac was brutal as always. That is never an easy climb for me for some reason. My breathing took some time to get under control and for 3/4 of the climb, I was leading a pack of runners who didn’t want to pass. I offered, they declined. Finally near the top, a little annoyed at the closeness (and my inability to breathe), I moved aside and let three or four of them go ahead of me.

The first aid-station is mile at mile 5.4 at Gate 142. I had decided that I’d take a gel but not stop. I smiled and thanked all the volunteers who were cheering for us excited to make the descent down to No Hands Bridge which has been our training ground the last month.

The gel I took however, a different flavor than I had taken before the start of the race, just hit my stomach the wrong way. I immediately felt some stomach discomfort. I quickly wondered if maybe I should consume the same flavors during a race (total gel newbie here)? There was nothing I could do and it wasn’t hindering my running that much, just a little uncomfortable.

You run up and around Robie Point, one of the historic sections on the Western States Trail and then you make your way to No Hands Bridge.

When I reached No Hands Bridge (Mile 9.6) Aid-Station, I battled internally if I should stop and use the porta potty here. I went for it. Prior to this moment, I had been solo on the trails for quite some time but while taking care of business, I heard runners coming in and it kind of defeated me for a minute.

I quickly shook it off. I felt 100 times better for having stopped. I then grabbed some fuel and made my way up to K2 (aka Training Hill) for another brutal but familiar climb. When I was training for last year’s Broken Arrow Sky race, I spent a lot of time on this hill. I know every nook and cranny inside and out. I just put my head down, engaged my glutes like I’ve been told and motored up. I passed a few runners on this climb.

The next aid-station is Knickerbocker 1 at mile 13.4. Still feeling pretty good, I took another gel and had zero problems. Maybe it was just that one flavor after all? I didn’t waste any time at the aid-station as I was eager to get to the downhill that leads to the old dam and another familiar climb.

I felt pretty good on the switch back climb up the dam. The old giant bird’s nest that was pointed out to me in 2017, was still there though no longer occupied. There were no runners near me this year for me to point it out to them. It is really a sight to see.

When I reached the top and the tiny bit of paved section of the course, I decided to run. I was feeling pretty good and it was getting warm.

You come back to Knickerbocker Aid-Station again from a different angle at mile 18 and when I did, I was greeted by two of the nicest guys! One of them was a fellow Topo Athletic Ambassador! Finally we get to meet face to face. Nice to meet you Chris!

Once again, barely taking any time I was off headed to the dreaded stream crossing. I’d been dry the whole race and while normally I don’t mind stream crossings, I just wasn’t thrilled about getting wet at that moment.

When I got to the bottom, I quickly looked at the crossing. It was considerably lower than in years past but definitely above the ankles. I noticed some rocks off to the side, decided against trying to balance on them. Knowing me, I’d slip and crack my head open so I waded in. Suddenly right behind me some dude comes by and just dances across the rocks.

He looked me and I said, “Show off!” He laughed he said he really didn’t want to get wet! I said, “I didn’t either but I would have totally fallen in if I had tried that.” We laughed and then made our way up the hill.

The back side of this race is absolutely beautiful but it was sunny and getting warm. I typically really enjoy the sun and the heat but this was the first ‘warm’ day of the season so it took a little out of me I think initially.

I had to pause for some horseback riders at one point, they were super gracious and nice and told me that I did not have to pull to the side but that “horse has the right of way” etiquette is ingrained in me.

Once again, I found myself relatively alone this entire time. I ran into a set of hikers who said, “Wow! You have the biggest smile we’ve seen yet!” That made me feel great and totally gave me a boost. I’d been slowing slightly through this section, I think the heat partially getting to me and I started thinking about my mom. 26 years ago to the day, she passed away from a massive and unexpected heart attack. She was 47 years old. I am 43 and it just hit me that I was running a 50k race something she’d never been able to do and I knew, that my two girls were at the end waiting for me to cross that finish line. Some how, my mom gave me a boost from above and I started running. Thanks mom.

Mile 23.4 is the Cool Aid-Station. I dropped some trash here and continued on. I was eager to get to the roller-coaster trail, one of my favorites in Cool.

As soon as we entered the start of roller coaster I took off. I felt like I was moving faster than I probably was but I managed to pass 4 runners here and made my way back to No Hands Aid-Station (mile 27.2). Once I was there, I knew in my head that there were only 4 miles to the finish and I was eager to get there.

I walked across the bridge fueling and trying to recover a little from the downhill push. Earlier in the day, I had met a nice guy from Reno who was running his first FOURmidable. I ran into him again on No Hands, his stomach having taken a turn.

Together he and I yoyo’d down the trail chit chatting when we were close enough. He was super nice and remained positive despite not feeling very well. I loved that.

When we finally made the sharp left to head down to the river, I was on fire. I could smell the barn and once again, I took off. Reno stayed close and asked some questions about the finish hill … like “Are you going to run it?” I told him, “I never have but my kids are there today and I am going to try!”

We soon separated and I just kept motoring on. The finish line seemed to never want to appear. Finally, I knew I was on the last long final climb of the race. I passed a few dudes, one guy was hiking down and cheered us on. I knew I was close to my 2017 time but I wasn’t sure I was going to make it but I was however within distance of beating my 2018 time (which happens to be the same course – 2017 had a slightly different course).

Then, I saw my girls racing down the hill to greet me! They cheered me on! I told them I was going to run so my 11 year old (Peanut) joined me.

Seriously one of the happiest moments ever and I am so grateful Vans caught it. She ran and said, “Woah, this is tough!” 🙂 I just said, “Just keep going. No stopping!”

She left me at the finish shoot but cheered me in all the way from the sideline along with her sister.

Happy to be done but even more happy that my girls were there to watch me finish.

Not Chris was there too. He’d been done a while as he kicked butt like I knew he would. He had a great race and I am so proud of him.

Post race, I enjoyed a Sufferfest beer (thanks Michael!) and cheered on all the other runners finishing the race. It was such a beautiful sunny day. I even cheered on Reno has he made his way to finish and I gave him a nice high-five. He came back from the dead and finished strong.

Overall, I am happy with my race. I didn’t execute as planned – this was supposed to be a training run and I guess I pushed a little harder than I thought that I would but I felt good and went with it. I did set a new PR for myself (on this course) and I finished 11th female overall which surprised me but hey, I’ll take it.

Clearly I have some things to work on. Perhaps that one flavor of gel just isn’t for me? I also think a combination of gels and solid food may help too. I do like the ease of taking gels and my Unived drink mix continues to work in my favor – minus when it shoots out of my bottle. 🙂 By the way, I have found the solution to that problem since the race . Fingers crossed my new locking soft-flask works. Vans was pretty understanding about the mess he woke up to and in turn, cleaned ALL the floors in the house while I was racing. Win win. 🙂

Thanks for reading this monstrosity. It has been a while since I’ve blogged and being brief is not my strong suit. 🙂 Oh and a special thank you to Single Track Running & The Aid-Station in Auburn for a great race.

Happy Trails!

~Trailmomma

I’d like to thank the companies that continue to support me and whose products I stand behind and use:

Topo Athletic – I ran this race in their Ultraventure model. I love the company and this shoe and I was super stoked to see a lot of runners wearing Topos on the course.

Picky Bars – Can’t Beet Chocolate Oatmeal is my pre-race go-to and their Fudge Nut Bars save me so many times when I am running to coach practice. My kids also love them and usually eat them before I can get to them. I have been a long time Picky Bar fan and now I am one of their AmBADASSadors. 🙂

Unived – The Wild Watermelon drink mix is my absolute favorite but I do use and enjoy all of their drink mix flavors. Pre Fourmidable, I took a Black Cherry gel and one of my other favorites is the Orange Twist! I also really love their Recovery Mixes – Chocolate Turmeric being my number one favorite.

Sage Running – My coach, my friend and my sounding board. Always supportive and encouraging. They have helped me tremendously over the years.

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