Time just seems to be flying by me lately. I swear that just yesterday it was the first of October and I was super excited for my favorite month and now, BOOM we have less than two weeks left! Halloween is just right around the corner. The girls couldn’t be more excited about it.
Of course the time is also flying when I look at my 50k training plan and see that we only have three weeks or so until race day! Gulp. My training has been less than stellar compared to races past but I do what I can do, when I can do it, which seems to be my M.O. for most of my races.
I am so behind in so many other areas of my life right now, why not tack on lack of mileage for a 50k? My blog has been suffering lately, I am behind in my Rouxbe assignments and now add lack of training. Vans has been traveling lately for work so my time for other things is limited but I have been enjoying my solo girl time with those two cuties above.
I did get in one last long run before Vans left on his trip. Last Sunday Burning Girl and I decided to do the route that we had done with Stonegate Girl just two weeks prior. I was pretty confident that I knew the way … famous last words.
My “P’s” – Pearl Izumi & Picky Bars.
Burning Girl picked me up and we drove to the Auburn Damn Overlook. The sun was up so I wasn’t too worried about the dark and I wasn’t even worried about seeing a bear like last week. We were on the other side of ADO and for some reason, in my head, that means I am safe. I know, not the best theory but I am going with it.
Off we ran down the hill and onto the single track. It was pretty darn cold compared to just two weeks ago. We were just chatting it up and we realized that without Stonegate Girl, we had to do a lot of the talking. 🙂 Which of course means that I was not paying close attention to where we were running. Yes, I took us down a wrong turn. We realized it pretty early on but we just kept going with it. We knew that the river always had to be on our right to be going in the right direction.
Up. Down. Over boulders. Under logs. We did it all. Soon we popped out onto a section of the trail that did look very familiar to me. I felt like this was the “secret” trail that I had been on a few weeks ago when I ran with another group. However, all of a sudden, things stopped looking familiar and we came across quite a few forks in the trail or turns. We’d stop, look around and make the best decision of what WE thought looked right. 🙂 Burning Girl is so easy-going. She wasn’t worried one bit but I was getting a tad bit nervous and could hear Pigeon yelling at me in my head. 🙂 Soon we came across this interesting piece of Blairwitch art.
Not scary at all.
Burning Girl thought this was pretty cool and so we stopped to take some photos. I felt very secluded but was hopeful that this trail would pop us back out onto the main trail where we needed to be.
Come on trail! Lead us!
We just kept running. I stopped talking and was being more aware of my surroundings. I didn’t like that some of the trail had a rock ledge above us. I always fear that something will be sitting on that ledge.
Finally however, we connected with the main trail and I was flabbergasted as to where I had made the wrong turn. We clearly came down to the river way too early and it bugged me. Burning Girl said to let it go, she loved the adventure.
Familiar Trail
I have to say, even when we were back on the normal trail, there has been lots of work lately on the trails, leaving them looking a bit unfamiliar at times. Still, now I know what I did wrong and I know where to turn next time. I swear.
The rest of the run was pretty fun. We ran into a LOT of other ultra runners out on the trail. On our route back we ran into numerous hikers and horses. So no need to worry (Dad), we were never far from someone out there. All in all, we got 15 hard miles done in a decent time and then soaked our legs in the canal again (which was WAY colder this time around).
In some other exciting news my fabulous Great Aunt Debbie came for a visit! Technically she is Vans’s Aunt and the girls’ great aunt – is that right? But we all call her the Great Aunt Debbie. 🙂 She came down from Idaho and we have not seen her in quite some time.
Luckily Facebook allows her to keep tabs on us and the girls and she is always my number one reader and commenter on this blog (Hi Debbie!). I wanted to share that she has lost 25 pounds recently! She has done so by really cleaning up her diet and added more exercise!
She reaches out to me from time to time for nutritional advice. She’s always been plant-curious, meaning she’s been thinking and asking about plant-based living. She does eat some meat but she’s really increased the greens and added foods like quinoa to her repertoire. I was super excited for her visit because she always asks me for recipes for the meals that I post on my Trailmomma Facebook page.
A lot of what I have been making lately is either part of my Plant-Based Rouxbe cooking assignments OR from my two new favorite books. Mostly, I have to say, they have been from my two favorite books (Prevent and Reverse Heart Disease Cookbook and My Beef With Meat) … and I wanted to share those books with my Great Aunt Debbie so that she can learn more about living plant-based and why it truly is the best and healthiest way to live.
Look at that skinny mini!
She was super stoked to get these and she’ s already made a few of the recipes and is sold! I am super-duper happy. These books and their recipes are EASY. Really easy. I don’t have the time lately to prepare elaborate meals (although I do for my Rouxbe assignments) but I truly believe in the Esselstyn Family and their message about plant-based eating. It makes sense and for someone (like myself) who has a high family history of heart-disease, it is a no-brainer. The 100mg tablets make it easier to deal with male impotence. levitra lowest price Many studies have proven that viagra 100mg usa these psychological factors are usually blamed for the condition. In the side effects of tadalafil 21st century, online prescriptions are the way to declining. Men instead of viagra generico mastercard being ashamed of disclosing about it to their doctor should face it and has no permanent cure to it.
However, I do enjoy making some of the more elaborate meals that Rouxbe asks us to make. They are time-consuming though and I find that I can only make most of them on weekends. One dish at a time.
Home-made Veggie Broth used to make Cabbage Soup
The cabbage soup above was a shocker for many reasons. I had no idea it was THAT easy to make your own vegetable broth. Really, 90 minutes is all that it took (I did have an issue with throwing away all the veggies though). I also didn’t think I would like cabbage soup much but I was wrong. It was tasty! I made the above Esselstyn style – without any oils.
Cashew bechamel aka Creamed Greens over Brown Jasmine Rice
I am not a cashew sauce fan. Mostly because I do not like the flavor and I do not like the amount of fat it can add to a dish, but in honor of my assignment, I made the above and I admit it was pretty darn tasty. It also makes A LOT of sauce … so I have been sharing it with friends.
Cauliflower Buffalo Wings – these were GOOD!
Other than cooking when I can and running when I can, I still feel like life is flying by. I look at my girls and see how big they are getting. My blog happens when it happens. I’ve been reading a little more lately too, trying to find time to squeeze that in to let my brain rest at night (something I am not very good at doing). With Vans out-of-town, I have also been getting more sleep. Not every night but most nights. Some nights, it is the usual, I am up late finishing laundry, packing lunches, prepping meals and trying to squeeze in a few Rouxbe assignments but I make sure to follow it with a night where I do not do that and instead I read in bed. No tv. It’s been really nice actually.
Stress can come in many forms. It doesn’t always come from work, it can come from the things you enjoy like cooking and blogging and worrying (about not running enough). So, I am trying hard to calm my mind. I even woke up early one morning and stretched. That was it. I did some core work but mostly, I stretched my achy muscles and it was wonderful.
I have a lot to be grateful for in this world. I have two beautiful girls, a wonderful husband who supports my running as well as other craziness and friends and family that I cherish more than anything. So for me, I plan to stay on this planet a long time and combat the genes that were given to me as best I can. Healthy eating, exercise and mindfulness is the name of my game.
I don’t even know where to being with this race report. Much like my 2010 AR50 Race Report this will be lengthy and full of photos so grab a nice cup of tea and settle in.
To begin this story, I have to go back to Tuesday evening when I saw Dr. Lau at Elite Spinal & Sports Care for my usual pre-race tune up. I felt great upon leaving and was finally getting excited about the race ahead. Fast forward to Wednesday morning when I woke up to screaming lower back pain. I could barely put weight on my right leg let alone bend over. I emailed Dr. Lau and he gave me some “homework” to do over the next two days with instructions to call him if I am not ‘tip top’ by Friday morning.
Friday morning I woke up to significantly less pain but still a mild soreness that seemed to inhibit certain movements. I emailed Dr. Lau and received a phone call almost instantly. He had arranged for me to come in early that afternoon.
When I left his office and headed to packet pick up, I felt quite a bit better and had a lot more mobility in my back and right leg. Packet pick up really got my energy up. The blood was flowing and I finally had my bib in hand … it was game on now.
My official race number
The race schwag has GREATLY improved since 2010. Since then Patagonia has become a major sponsor of the race which means a much nicer race shirt.
Race Schwag
When Squeaker and I arrived home from packet pickup, Vans and the Peanut were not home yet. I quickly got to work on boiling some red potatoes as I wanted to pack them into baggies with salt to have as some additional fuel along the course.
The minute Vans and Peanut arrived home I got busy cooking dinner as we had to race to a nearby soccer field for the Peanut’s first soccer practice. It was a beautiful (but chilly) evening.
A sweet soccer field huh?
I was on my feet a lot and the practice did not end until after 7 pm. By the time we got home and I was in bed it was well after 8 pm which is okay as I kind of tossed and turned a bit anyway. The race nerves were building.
When my alarm went off at 4 am I jumped out of bed. Â I took a quick assessment of my body and I noticed my back pain was still lingering a bit but not unbearable. I dressed, threw my hair into ponytail and headed out to the kitchen.
My pre-race fueling has changed quite a bit. I no longer need 2 hours to consume a bowl of oatmeal before my race which is kind of nice as it allows for a little more sleeping time. I did take 2 tylenol because I remembered that I had done that in 2010 and with my lingering pain I figured it might not be a bad idea.
Since I had packed my bags the night before, I was ready to go in a short amount of time. Pigeon and Missouri were coming to pick me up at 4:40 am. I had to load their car with what I needed at Beals Point (mile 24.31) as that would be my own personal aid-station.
Um yup, that’s my aid-station
This year I didn’t have a major crew like I had in 2010. I had more support than I thought I did though going into the race, which turned out to be a really nice surprise along the way as you will see. Before I left the house I had packed our car with my post-race bag, the lawn chairs we’d need and provided a list to Vans of what to bring in terms of my post-race fuel that I had sitting ready to go in the fridge. Pretty organized if I do say so myself.
Pigeon and Missouri arrived and we were off …. driving the whole one mile to the starting line. 🙂
The American River 50 Mile race decided to change its course this year. When I ran it in 2010 it started down in Sacramento by Sac State, which was one mile from my house. That year, Miss P and I ran the 1 mile to the start. One of the main reasons for me wanting to try the race again this year is the fact that they changed the starting location to El Dorado Hills, just one mile from my new home. I figured it was fate that this race keeps following me so I had to give it a shot. 🙂
We arrived about an hour before race start. Pigeon and I quickly made use of the portable bathrooms (a few times actually) and I also ate my pre-race fuel. Soon, it was time to line up at the starting line!
Ready to go … in the dark.
The race was so large this year (over 1,000 runners) that the race directors had us start in two waves. Pigeon and I were in wave 1 which started at 6:00 am (wave 2 started at 6:15). It was pretty dark at the start and Pigeon had a handheld light and I had one of my knuckle lights.
Here we go!
As usual, there isn’t too much hoopla at the race start. They generally start on time and when the horn blows, we all sort of start off in a shuffle. Everyone had some kind of light so we really didn’t need our lights all that much but it was helpful in spots.
The start takes us up the long paved drive of Browns Marina, which was about a mile long I would guess until we hit the trail. I say “I guess” because this year, this race, I decided NOT to wear my Garmin. This felt extremely weird to me but also freeing at times. Instead, I wore just a regular stopwatch. My reason for not wearing a Garmin is that basically it would have died about half way through the race as the battery doesn’t last a long time. With a stopwatch I could at least gauge my time but not my distance. Definitely a different experience for me.
We hit the trails of Browns Ravine which Pigeon and I have run quite a few times throughout our training. This is my turf. My territory so I was just cruising along behind a bunch of runners. All of a sudden I feel as if I am leading a small train of people. I just kept running, hiking up some of the steeper climbs. Occasionally I would try and look behind me to see if Pigeon was still on my tail. Sometimes she was and sometimes she wasn’t and then I heard it…turkeys. Gobble gobble gobble off to my left. I called out for Pigeon but she wasn’t close enough to me yet to hear me. When she did get close I asked, “did you hear that?! Turkeys!” and she simply replied, “You’ll be fine. They are far away.”
Finally we popped out of the trail and onto the levee. The day was gorgeous, the views of Folsom Lake as the sun was rising behind us was just breath taking. Pigeon came up along side of me and tells me that I just blew through that last section pretty fast. “You do realize you are running 50 miles right?” Ha! I told her it’s my spot, I am used to running that section quickly but I am smart and we settled into a nice pace along the levee looking out at Folsom Lake.
We were both looking forward to getting to the first aid-station at mile 5 which was the Fleet Feet Aid-Station at Folsom Point. Here we could both hand off our lights and my arm warmers. I told Pigeon that I had to use the bathroom but that it wasn’t quite urgent yet. Folsom Point has real bathrooms but the lines were long so I opted to keep going knowing Pigeon doesn’t like to slow down.
We left Folsom Point and hit the pavement running over Folsom Lake Crossing.
Starting the pavement fun!
Pigeon and I had run this same section a few weeks earlier. As annoying as it was running past all the cars on the crossing, the views to our right were pretty spectacular.
Good morning!
We followed the bike path down until it connected with the portion that takes you under the road and down towards Folsom. This stretch of the race we would see again when running back towards Beals Point except at that time, it will be UP hill and not down.
Pigeon and I just cruised along. I didn’t have my music in yet as I was just totally soaking up the race, the views and the moment. I noticed that my left knee was achy and my back was still a little sore, but I just decided to let it go.
We ran over the foot bridge in Folsom and then hopped onto a section of trails I had never been on before. Pigeon and I knew that our last aid-station was mile 5 and that our next one was not until Willow Creek at mile 12.77. That’s quite a distance between aid-stations. Not that we needed much but we noticed that there were plenty of convenient places where there could have been an aid-station.
Pigeon started getting quiet on me. She’s not a talker to begin with when running but generally she stays near my side and we’ll talk occasionally. We were barely two hours into the run and she was backing off which isn’t like her so I knew something was up. She mentioned something about her Perpeteum drink mix and that her gels were stuck together in her pack because her baggie of drink mix was open and had spilled.
I put in my headphones and started listening to the music. I can listen to music and run when I am on a paved section like a bike trail (which is kind of boring). I had a great string of songs come through my shuffle that really had me getting excited and even singing (sorry other runners).
How can I not be happy!?
Finally I knew that we were quickly approaching Willow Creek (almost 2 hours into our run). I turned to Pigeon and told her that I was planning to use the bathroom at the aid-station and knowing that she doesn’t like to slow down or wait much in races, I told her that I was going to sprint ahead so she would not have to wait but I did say “wait for me!” It was too early for me be running solo.
So I sprinted. Yup, I just started booking it towards the aid-station over the bridge down the trail. The Willow Creek aid-station was the Bufffalo Chips aid-station (my old running group) but I was too focused on getting to the bathrooms so Pigeon wouldn’t have to wait that I just bypassed everything. The bathrooms were far from the aid-station.
When I came out I saw Pigeon standing by the trail. I am not sure how long she waited but as soon as she saw me, we started running again. I didn’t get any water at that aid-station or fuel. Luckily in addition to the two 10 ounces bottles on the front of my pack, I have a hydration bladder in the back that had about a liter of water in it which was great because after Willow Creek, the next aid-station (Main Bar) was not until mile 16.98 which was still about 4.21 miles away and it was getting warm and my bottles were empty.
Sunny and smiling!
We finally reached the CSUS Acquatic Center and crossed over Hazel Bridge. I was feeling great at this point. I couldn’t wait to get to the bluffs at Hazel and see the views. However, in 2010 there used to be an aid-station at this spot but apparently they moved it a few years ago to Main Bar. I was really looking forward to getting some water here and taking off my shoes as they had boulders pebbles in them while Pigeon used a bathroom.
But nope, no aid, no water. I did take off my shoe though. Pigeon told me she wasn’t feeling well. She needed to find a spot to go to the bathroom. She was also dry heaving at this point as well.
We had just crossed that bridge!
I felt bad for her but I was loving the day so far. The weather was perfect, the views were gorgeous and we were FINALLY on our way headed back towards Beals Point on our way toward Auburn.
Climbing up the bluffs!
There is just something that turns on mentally in your head when you know you are running towards the direction that will take you home instead of away.
Headed down the other side of the bluffs!
Pigeon told me she needed to stop and I told her that I’d walk a bit and wait. She ducked off onto a side trail (got a surprise from a mountain biker too) while I waited. When she came out she looked better. Not great, but better.
We continued running the bike trail until it was time to duck off onto the trails again after the Main Bar Aid-Station where I filled up my bottles. The volunteers were rocking out to some 80s music which got me excited.
Then it was back up to the bluffs again. Once again, Pigeon was not looking great. She was dry heaving occasionally and told me that she wanted to dump her Perpetuem mix and start drinking coke. We were only 17 or so miles into the race. I tried to offer her the idea of dumping her mix and drinking water and having real food first before resorting to cola. My only concern is that it was getting quite warm and cola will dehydrate you. She wanted easy liquid calories and I wanted to preserve whatever hydration she had left. With all the dry heaving and pit-stops she was quickly losing electrolytes. Cola would only hurt that, not help.
Pigeon was not feeling the love yet.
As we got off the dirt trails and back onto the pavement, Pigeon told me she had to make another stop. I walked a bit then ran as I heard the Negro Bar aid-station up ahead (mile 20.18). I knew that Diane from Breakout Fitness would be there and I was really itching to see a familiar face and smile.
Yup, a smiling face!
It was great to talk with her and chat a bit. I told her that the last two miles I had a side stitch and it was slowing me down but just stopping there for a bit, the pain went away. Diane asked me where Pigeon was and I told her she was having a tough time and was behind me. I told her that I would wait there until she came into the aid-station. I chatted with a few other of the Folsom Lake Trail Runners until I saw Pigeon making her way in. I ran to her and grabbed her bottle from her. I told her that I was going to dump it, rinse it and fill it with cola like she wanted.
This is a big aid-station and it was very busy so I just hopped behind the table and started filling her bottle up with a 2 liter of coke that I had found sitting there. The guy behind the table kind of looked at me funny as no one is supposed to have pacers this early and I clearly looked like a pacer or crew person helping their runner.
Soon we were off and headed to Beals Point (mile 24.31). In previous races, Beals is typically the half way point but with the new course, it was only 24 miles or so. I didn’t care. I knew that Missouri would be there as well as TiggerT!!!! I needed some familiar faces and smiles and the energy at Beals is pretty exciting too.
Pigeon was doing okay. She was running but she still wasn’t feeling great. She told me to run ahead as we both knew we were approaching Beals. I love to run up the hill to Beals. Most of the runners walk it but I like to run it as the adrenaline of just coming into that aid-station is enough to propel me.
I crested the hill at Beals saw the balloon arches and heard my name being called over the PA system. I saw a group of friends including Miss P cheering me on. Then I saw Missouri waving me over to where she had set up some chairs and my little aid-station.
I told her that Pigeon was having some issues and would need some help when she came in. I quickly sat and changed my socks, refilled my bottles and got to town eating my potatoes. I also took off my shuffle and music. Soon TiggerT arrived and I handed her my camera. 🙂
Chugging some water
Pigeon had arranged to have Killer Kuni be her pacer from Beals Point to the finish. Kuni is an ultra running phenom and is actually running the Hard Rock 100 miler in a two weeks. Kuni was on my original ultra team back in 2010. He is just the nicest guy and his wife Dasie is one of the nicest people in the ultra running community. They know how to crew a runner especially one that needs some help.
Pigeon and her crew!Getting myself ready to head back out.
When Pigeon was ready to go, the three of us (Pigeon, Kuni and myself) headed off towards the trail. At the last minute, Pigeon said she needed to use the bathroom again. I looked at Kuni and told him that I’d go on ahead and would see them when they caught up.
This section of the trail is a little different than it was in 2010. We ran on the levee towards Cavitt and then dipped onto the trails. I was still solo at this point. I had walked a little on the levee looking back behind me waiting for Pigeon and Kuni to reach me but they never came.
I did have some thoughts that perhaps something had happened to Pigeon when she was in the bathroom. What if she dropped? I was worried about her and her current state but I knew she was tough. I also knew with me being ahead of her that it would fuel her desire to not give up.
I ran Cavitt like I always do. Running the downs and running some of the up hills. Normally I can run these up hills with no problems but the legs were feeling a little bit tired but I had passed the half way point.
Mr. Tutu Man on Cavitt
While I was leisurely running along waiting for Pigeon to catch up, I took some photos and sort of assessed how I was feeling.
My aches and pains were mostly in my feet and knees but nothing too terrible. My stomach felt fine which surprised me as I am usually the one with tummy troubles. I kept using my watch as my guide and taking a salt tab almost every hour depending on how I was hydrating and feeling at the time.
Folsom Lake
The temps were definitely rising especially on Cavitt which is a mostly exposed fire road. This concerned me as Pigeon and the heat don’t mix and if she wasn’t feeling well already …. I was worried the heat would get to her.
I just kept running passing a few people here and there. There was also a triathlon going on at the same time which really made things interesting as you were trying to navigate the trail with mountain bikers and other runners coming at you at various times.
I started to feel a little low on fuel here. I had just eaten at Beals but I couldn’t shake the feeling that I was slowly getting a little more tired than I should be at this point. I just kept going though. I hopped on the tail of a couple of girls, one of whom was the pacer. She was yelling at her runner to drink and to eat. I was kind of laughing and even told the runner she had a kick butt pacer for taking care of her.
All of a sudden I hear, “Hey Hey Hey!” Low and behold it was Pigeon and Kuni and they were running like they stole something! She had come back to life!!! I quickly hopped on their tail passing the girls in front of us.
We continued passing runner after runner. I called out to Kuni “What did you do to her? And can you do it to me?!” Pigeon was back and she was on fire.
We were approaching Granite Bay Aid-Station (29.45) and we saw Missouri and TiggerT. They asked us if we needed anything and we said no. I really wanted the real aid-station table to fill up and see what they had but out of the corner of my eye I spotted Vans!!! He surprised me by being at the aid station!
Look at my wing span!
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I was so happy to see him. Squeaker was asleep in the car near by and the Peanut was at a birthday party for the time being. It really made my day to see his face and I think he was surprised as to how good I looked and felt.
Checking out the aid-station
We chatted for a bit and then he goes, “What is in your ear?” I touched my ear and sure enough, I had removed my headphones at Beals but my Yurbud was still stuck in my ear! I had been running the entire time with this big blue rubber thing sticking out of my ear. You can see it in the above photo. Trailmomma dork!
Nice GCRS shirt!
But soon it was time to say goodbye to Vans. He was going to try and make it to the Rattlesnake aid-station. I was worried he wouldn’t get any parking there. Yes, these are the things I worry about when running.
Bye Bye Granite Bay Aid-Station
So off we went, with Pigeon leading our train followed by Kuni and myself taking up the caboose. Their pace was pretty fast and I told Kuni that. He agreed that she was really running fast at this point. I knew I would not be able to keep up for another 20 miles but I hung on as best I could.
Pigeon was still drinking the coke she had in her bottle and seemed to be fueling on gels. Kuni would help out from time to time and was pretty aware of what she needed. At one point, about 6 hours and 20 minutes into our run we passed a few runners and one girl called out as I passed “I read your blog! Thank you!” That TOTALLY made my day. Thank you to that runner who reads my blog! I wish I had gotten your name!!
This section through Granite Bay was new to the course this year. It involved some gnarly trails that went up and down and once again, we dodged a few mountain bikers coming along the trail head on. There were also lots of conga lines through this section. Pigeon would find an opening and jet through it with the two of us hot on her tail.
I was feeling okay but I was worried it was too fast too soon, at least for me. I was having a hard time keeping up with them as I kept getting stuck behind a line of runners and then would have to sprint to keep up. I scolded myself for playing such a game. What did it matter? I didn’t need to kill myself trying to keep up with them but I wanted to. I was afraid that if Pigeon got too far ahead that when she got to Rattlesnake, Missouri would have her in and out and then TiggerT would be left there waiting for me but my personal little aid-station would be with Missouri which really didn’t matter since it was a full aid-station anyway. I think mentally I was starting to break just a little at this point. Which I quickly realized since most of the day I had been pretty happy. I checked myself and called in my secret weapon.
You see, on my right wrist I wore my RockOn Dylan Flinchum Foundation green bracelet. I wore it for specifically for moments like this. Dylan and his family are close to my heart. I grew up with Dylan’s dad and his brother is one of my very best friends. Dylan can’t run and will never run 50 miles but he is one strong amazingly tough little 5 year old. I looked at my wrist and I instantly had more strength. Just thinking about Dylan lifted my spirits and kept me moving. I never touched that dark place again. One foot in front of the other was all I needed, nothing else mattered.
Buzzards Cove aid-station (34.67) is an express aid-station meaning they only have water, soda and ice cream. Yes, ice cream. I had finally caught up to Pigeon and Kuni at this point and Kuni was enjoying some of the ice cream. Around the 7 hour mark I finally took 2 Advil. I was hoping it would help minimize some of the aches I was feeling and give me more power to keep up.
It was at this point that I started missing my Garmin. The signs at each aid-station told you what the mileage was to the next aid-station but I’d always forget. I knew that if I could get to the Rattlesnake aid-station and pick up TiggerT my pacer for the last 10 miles, I’d feel better, less pressure.
However, somewhere around mile 37 I am guessing, in an effort to stick with Kuni and Pigeon yet again as they passed a sea of runners, I tripped and somersaulted down the trail. The runner in front of me must have heard the thud as he ran back in a panic and tried to help me up (since I was upside down). I thanked him and then basically laughed at myself. If that wasn’t a sign that my legs were pretty tired, I don’t know what was!
I decided to let Pigeon and Kuni go. I hoped that I would catch them at the Horseshoe Bar aid-station (38.14) and catch them I did! The two of them looked like two kids in a candy store playing with a bucket of water and some sponges! When I crested the hill into the aid-station, Pigeon called out “Trailmomma come cool off!” I yelled back, “I fell!” and then they saw the blood streaks running down my leg. Pigeoned tried to rinse off my cut while Kuni squeezed a nice ice cold sponge over my neck and back. Wow, that will wake you up!
Off we went again. I didn’t really have time to grab much at the aid-station and I think these too brief stops are what killed me later on. As we left the aid-station and ran down the hill, my right knee (the one I had cut) gave out a little and proceeded to ache. Great. Hopefully that Advil I took will kick in soon.
Once again I lost Pigeon and Kuni and was running by myself. No other runners were near me. I would occasionally see one or two through the trees or I would catch glimpses of Pigeon and Kuni’s yellow shirts but I let them go. I was on my way to the Rattlesnake aid-station and I knew I would see Vans and TiggerT.
Entering Rattlesnake
Rattlesnake Bar aid-station (40.94) had also changed since I last remember and even from last year because I had paced Pigeon from here to the finish. The race directors had us running down this hill with oncoming runners leaving the aid-station going up. It was rather annoying actually because the trail was not easy to descend (especially with a bum knee) and the runners coming up were just as tired. It was also sort of a bummer to realize that I would have to climb up that hill in a few minutes too.
Pigeon and Kuni were just finishing up at the aid-station when I arrived. They were off and running again. I chatted with Vans a bit and Squeaker was awake finally!
Waiting for mommy to come through!
She was a little upset because I wouldn’t let her hug me. The poison oak along the trail was out in full force. We were running through bushes of it at times trying to side step branches that reached all the way across the trail.
Daise and Missouri helping me out
With Pigeon and Kuni already gone, I had Dasie and Missouri all to myself! 🙂 Missouri asked if she could do anything and I asked her to fill my water bottles (aka jugs) with the water that I had in my cooler (it was electrolyte water). She did and with my hands full of food, Missouri had to put my jugs back in my vest for me. 🙂 We have a running joke here about my “jugs” and so this just had us both laughing out loud. What I forgot to tell Missouri later on though is that she never CLOSED my jugs so when I started running they started squirting up into my face. I laughed so hard. Humor is such a great relief.
Checking my watch
At this point I realized I was close on time if I wanted to try and break my 2010 time for this race. I looked at TiggerT and said “I no longer care about my time. I just want to get it done and stay happy.” I saw lots of other running friends at this aid-station too which was a real spirit lifter. I always knew that if I could make it to this aid-station, that I would finish but I also didn’t want to be out there too long either.
Time for my pacer!
Having TiggerT with me was so nice. I had pretty much been running by myself after I had lost Kuni and Pigeon on the trail. Just having someone to talk to when running can take your mind off of things. I handed TiggerT my camera and told her to go to town and boy did she ever! The photos from here on out are courtesy of TiggerT!
The last 10 miles are very pretty but tough.
I jumped on the train of a runner and his pacer. The pacer was talking nonstop which kind of bugged me but I sort of just kept running. He asked if I wanted to pass and I said no. I wanted to but I didn’t know if I had the strength to keep going without having them pass me again later.
You can see my line of runners ahead.
TiggerT asked how I felt and what was hurting. I told her my knee was really hurting me but mostly on the down hills and even then it wasn’t constant. It felt like a tired out old IT Band issue which I have dealt with before.
Finally, I did end up passing the boys and I just took off. I had some pent-up energy I guess so I started running. I wanted to be done. In hind sight, I should have passed them earlier on. Oh well.
So pretty!
Finally TiggerT and I reached Dowdin’s Post aid-station (43.93) which I had completely forgotten existed until TiggerT told me there was one aid before we reached Last Gasp (47.56).
At each of the aid-stations the volunteers place funny signs leading you to the aid-station. Usually I read them and most of them I have heard before like: “May the Course be with You” and “Blisters are Battle Scars” etc. But we passed one sign that literally had me laugh out loud! It read, “This seemed like a good idea … last month.” Oh boy was that so true! 🙂 I love these little pick me ups.
TiggerT made me pose
What was really neat was the fact that TiggerT had not been on some of these trails before so these sights were all new to her. She also has never paced someone at an ultra before. She has been to an aid-station and seen her crazy-ultra friends come through, but she’s never fully participated in one quite the way she did during AR50. I enjoyed seeing her face take in some of the sights and sounds.
From Dowdin’s aid-station to Last Gasp it was only 3.64 miles. The one thing I recall during those last 3.5 miles most were butterflies! I don’t know exactly what kind of butterflies they were but they were black and they were huge! They would just buzz right by your head or in front of your feet! Once again, I thought of Dylan. The rare disease that he has and the foundation looking for a cure, has a logo of a butterfly. Once again, Dylan’s strength propelled me.
Just me and the boys climbing out of the trail!
Before you get to Last Gasp aid-station (47.56) you have to climb this steep gravel road (above photo). Just a few weeks ago, Pigeon and I ran this section but it had been wet from rain. Now it was loose and annoying.
Annoying and steep, did I mention steep?The infamous sign! 3 miles to go 47 done!
I had to warn TiggerT about the Last Gasp aid-station. It is run by a bunch of boys … who are typically shirtless. I happen to enjoy this aid-station quite a bit but this year the boys were wearing tights! TiggerT LOVED this and of course had to take photos. 🙂
Check him out!
I had to laugh at her. She was out of water but was too busy taking photos to fill up first.
Okay so I stopped to get one more look at the tights too.
I am glad she remembered to fill up her water bottles before we started off up the hill again.
Time to run, see Pigeon, I DID run some of it!
TiggerT was great. She was taking photos and chatting with me. She never pushed. I would say “let’s run to that sign” and we would. My back was really starting to hurt with the incline of the hill but I kept going.
TiggerT realized on this section that my knee was still a little bloody from my fall and she made me stop so she could get a photo. Stop? Okay, fine by me!
Sexy knees
Boy was I glad that I had TiggerT with me on this hill. One foot in front of the other I just kept hiking and running when I could.
Pretty views
Finally, we saw the last mile maker. One mile to go. One mile until I could see my family. I wanted to run so bad. I wanted to run hard but my legs were not connected to my brain at this point.
Only one mile to go!!!!
And then I saw the giant frog. Yes, frog. I don’t recall him being here in 2010 or even last year, but boy was I glad to see him!
Frog!!!
Mr. Frog was pointing to the turn where I would reach the tiny hill of death. This little tiny hill just about killed me in 2010 and when I ran it a few weeks ago with Pigeon, I pushed hard to run the entire thing. This year I ran about 3/4 of the way up pushing hard.
When I crested the hill the fans were all cheering. I knew all I had to do was run one tiny little hill to the parking, NOT trip over the curb as I ran onto grass and then just run the perimeter of the overlook until I got to the finish line.
I told TiggerT she should run on the outside of the cones, through the parking lot and that I’d see her at the finish line! I knew that a PR was out of the question but still I sprinted my way around the side-walk running through the arch as they called out my name.
I did it! I finished!!!
10 hours and 33 minutes was my time. In 2010, on a different course, I ran it in 10 hours and 26 minutes. As Pigeon pointed out to me later, it is technically a new PR since it was a new course. I’ll take that reasoning. 🙂 I also realized that I used up quite a bit of time in the first half of the race where as if I had not stopped, I may have been a bit closer. It doesn’t really matter. I am just happy I finished!
When I crossed the finish line Diane was right there smiling and soon after Vans, the girls and TiggerT were there too!
My family!
I felt pretty good. Of course I was sore and walking kind of funny but I was so happy. I have always wanted to run this race again just to prove to myself that I could. Not sure I’ll do it again any time soon, as I really enjoy the 50K distance but I guess I can never say never huh? Vans knows something else is always up my sleeve.
I want to thank TiggerT for getting me up the hill and through those last 10 miles. We’ve run a lot together over the years always making each other laugh.
TiggerT my pacer!
I want to thank Missouri and Pigeon for their continued support both on and off the trails. I could not have done this race without your help.
Pigeon, Missouri, TiggerT and I retelling trail stories (wearing my Dylan shirt post race).
Thank you to Kuni and Dasie as well for your support throughout the race. I always say, some of the nicest people in the world are trail runners.
Thank you to my two beautiful girls who I love more than anything in this world. I know you don’t understand now, but I hope some day you will and maybe you’ll be proud of your crazy Trailmomma. Thanks to Vans, my love for always allowing me to do these crazy things and for being my rock.
My loves
My girls and Vans make me laugh and they support me through these crazy things. I am very lucky.
Someone else fell too.
Now two days later, I am happy to say I feel pretty good. The sore muscles are almost gone and the only problem that remains is my lower back pain. I am planning to rest up a bit more, stretch and do what I can to minimize the pain because there are more trail adventures ahead for the Trailmomma family! So stay tuned!
I don’t really even know where to begin with this race report. The last time I ran Way Too Cool was in 2010. You can read that race report here. That race was four years and 1 Squeaker ago. It was my first ever ultra and I had been running with a training group to prepare. This year, this race, everything was different.
Six months ago I had ankle surgery. This race was barely a glimmer in my mind at the time but I knew I wanted to run it again but I wasn’t sure if I could. After running CIM, I decided I could give it a shot knowing that running on trails with a bum ankle is way different then running on pavement.
With Pigeon by my side as my training partner every (other) weekend, I really hoped that I would gain the fitness that I needed to finish. And finish I did! Let’s get this race report moving! Warning, LOTS of photos ahead (and it is pretty long).
Happy Birthday WTC!
The day started off really early. I woke up at 4:30, dressed and waited in the garage for Pigeon and Missouri to arrive. The parking situation at WTC is a little crazy and getting a spot IN the parking lot vs on the haul road is ideal for many reasons.
When we arrived at the race, Pigeon and I got out and walked over to pick up our race packets. I didn’t realize that this was the 25th anniversary for Way Too Cool so that was pretty sweet. We got a neat bag (above photo), a nice shirt and a towel included in our schwag bag.
Our parking spot was pretty ideal. We were situated between my old training coaches Coach Nikon and Captain Kirk! That was a good sign in my book.
After multiple trips to the bathroom, a weak effort at trying to nap and a lot of laughter with Pigeon and Missouri, it was time to get ready for the race. I was feeling anxious. The race started at 8 am but we had arrived at the parking lot about 2 hours prior. For me, this throws a minor loop into my usual pre-race routine but it wasn’t too bad. I was able to eat my usual pre-race fuel and had packed all I needed and more.
Our “aid-station” turned race vehicle!
As we were getting ready, I noticed that Pigeon was putting on her iShuffle. She usually runs with music, at least one ear bud in. For trails, I do not. In fact, I hardly ever run with music because I like to listen to the sounds of the race around me. It helps me enjoy the experience even more. However, I had packed my iShuffle because I thought I might listen to it in the car and that maybe I would want it for the race as a distraction. It was definitely a distraction as you’ll see later.
We knew the day was going to be really warm. It was predicted to reach the mid 70s and be sunny. I started the race wearing my usual Athleta running skirt and tank top and threw on some arm warmers which ended up being useless about 10 minutes into the race.
Pigeon & MissouriPigeon and I ready to go!
The race start was broken up into waves. The amount of people signed up for this race has grown tremendously the last few years and to accommodate the numbers, the race directors had to create wave starts. Pigeon and I were in wave 1 which is exactly where we wanted to be.
After a quick Happy Birthday Way Too Cool we were off and running up the paved road. The course compared to 2010 is different. The first 8 miles this year go up the road and we do a loop that takes us back through the parking lot.
And we’re off!
The road was pretty boring except that there were hundreds of cars along the side of the road. People were dropping stuff at their cars left and right (or using them as shields as they went to the bathroom). Â At the very top of the hill we hit the single track trail that took us down …. to our first major obstacle and what would set the tone for the day…
Why hello stream crossing!Can you spot me?
These crossings wouldn’t be so bad except that it isn’t just dirt on the bottom. Underneath all that water are slippery jagged rocks of all sizes. You had to be very careful where you placed your foot IF you could see through the water.
Getting the first crossing over with was fun. Everyone was yelling and laughing. All the newbie runners were getting wet within the first mile and it was awesome.
Running with wet feet isn’t so bad. It actually feels quite nice on your joints and your feet typically don’t stay wet for long … unless there is mud, which there was a lot of in this race.
Single track conga line.
It was through these parts that I started experimenting with wearing my headphones and listening to my music. I put one bud in my ear, ran a couple of yards and almost killed myself. Nope! No way. I am not talented enough to listen to music, focus on the trail and my foot placement and not break a bone. So I took the bud out of my ear and then it was bothering me so as I was running I was trying to unfeed the headphone wires from under my shirt and just carry the darn thing. I was also carrying my arm warmers at this point. I knew we’d see Missouri at mile 8 or so. It was just annoying having all that in my hands.
These 8 miles were fun except for the long lines of people we’d be stuck behind and all the slippery mud we had to run through. It takes a lot of energy to prevent yourself from falling and I could instantly feel my calves and the muscles surrounding my ankle tensing up as I was running through these patches.
Once you are tired of being covered in mud, you come to another crossing!
Bring on the water!Time to get wet again!
As I was taking this photo I looked to my right and I see one of our fellow runners taking photos of all of us crossing. He laughed when he saw me taking photos so he took a photo of me taking a photo!
Maybe I’d run faster if I didn’t take so many photos.
As we were running towards the parking lot there were lots of people lining the sides of the trail cheering for us. Initially I did not think I would like running through the finish area (you know, that mental game) but it was so early on in the race, that I actually think it helped me.
Coming in! Notice the stuff I am carrying in my hands! So happy I can drop it here.
To me, it was like a new race. Pigeon and I have parked in this lot many times and have started our run from here. So in a way, I just thought of it as one of our training runs. I was also finally able to hand off my stuff to Missouri here. Thanks!!!
Once we ran through the lot and crossed the road, ran under the finish arch and back onto the trail we noticed it was a mud fest right in the finish shoot. That would be fun later for sure!
Pigeon and I just cruised along this section. Up and down the hills of the fire road until we came to the trail. I was feeling okay. This rocky section combined with the mud really started playing around with my achilles and the muscles surrounding my bum ankle.
On this stretch I overheard a conversation that had me laughing in my head (see, it pays to not wear ear buds). The guy and girl behind me had just met and were talking. The Way Too Cool race mascot is a huge frog and when you finish, you get an awesome froggie cupcake (that my girls love). I never once thought anything of it until I heard what this guy was saying ….
Guy: We’re coming up on the frog section!
Girl: Frog section?
Guy: Wait for it …
(ribbit ribbit ribbit times a million)
Girl: Oh yea!
Guy: The frogs say cupcake ….
(ribbit ribbit turns into cupcake cupcake cupcake)
Sure enough, the sound of all the millions of little frogs croaking together, sounded as if they are saying cupcake! I was totally smiling ear to ear and giggling in my head. Trail runs bring out the funniest of stories sometimes.
Soon we approached the downhill section that Pigeon loves. She turns to me and says “I need to make a pit-stop. I’ll catch up.” At first I was totally confused and I stopped. I realized here that I had not eaten a single thing so I grabbed some Picky Bar pieces out of my pack and started eating. Then I realized that I too had to make a pitstop or would need to in the near future. I also remembered that not far down the trail we’d cross Highway 49 where there would be a porta potty.
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I know Pigeon. I know she could bomb that descent so I took off myself and made it to the porta potty after crossing highway 49. She passed me and we decided that I could catch up (there was an aid station in the middle too).
Sure enough I caught her on the rocky quarry road that parallels the river. We hiked a bit and laughed at our situation and then started running. Quarry road is rather boring. It is a fire road that is kind of annoying really. It has rocks and just goes up and down .. up and down. You either pass or get passed by a lot of people on this road.
But soon were back on the trails where the fun really begins!
More mud!
Pigeon took the lead for pretty much the entire run sometimes leading a line of people. One thing I noticed this year was that many runners behind us never spoke up. Generally when you want to pass, I typically say “when you have a moment, I’d like to pass” or if you see a clearing you say “on your left” but no one did that. Either they truly didn’t want to pass or they would pass in a very dangerous spot and seem totally annoyed! It was starting to bug me a little bit.
Around mile 17 I was contemplating taking an Aleve. The pain in my achilles was starting to bug me and it was also migrating up my calf and starting to feel more like a cramp. I took a salt tab and on a climb, I dug an Aleve out of my pack and took that with some more Picky Bar pieces. I was willing to risk the tummy ache from the Aleve in an effort to calm the pain in my leg.
Boy am I glad that I took that! Within 20 minutes I started feeling like a million dollars. I had energy, I had strength and I really was hanging close to Pigeon’s tail finally happy to be cruising along easily. I was in such a good mood that I started laughing when I saw this sign …
HOBOKEN Creek!
If you are from New Jersey like myself, you will understand. Hoboken New Jersey has quite the reputation. Hoboken Creek however was another fairly large crossing.
Pigeon going for it.
It was pretty rocky and slippery underneath. That guy in the photo was icing his knee. We offered him some pain meds but he said he preferred the nice cold stream instead.
After that we hit a warm sunny patch that felt like we were running through a sauna. The temps were definitely warming up and I was taking more salt that I have in a long time in an effort to keep the cramping in my calves at bay.
Love the red sign that warns you a photographer is just ahead … better look like you are having fun!
Miles 17 to 25 I felt like a million dollars. The whole body felt great. My fueling felt fine although I probably could have squeezed in a little more calories but overall I felt great. Then we reached the infamous Goat Hill. I had sort of forgotten about Goat Hill.
Prior to the hill we’d been running in a long line of runners and I was too busy listening to the women behind me talk non stop the last 5 miles, to really notice that the hill was coming. Granted I was in a zone and pretty quiet but their talking just seemed to bug me. Pigeon was really quiet and I could tell was hurting by the way she was running.
As we were approaching Goat Hill I did something new. I am not a gel person but I had a Honey Stinger gel that I had picked up from work and decided to try it. Ugh, not a wise choice right before you climb the beast that is Goat Hill. Luckily, I kept it down.
The start of Goat HillUp and up we go!AND … I am about done with this climbing stuff.
By the time we reached the top (9 minutes later) I was toast. I really needed a recovery break here to just catch my breath, stretch my calves and maybe take in a little food but Pigeon was off and running and so was I.
These next few miles though are so pretty with some amazing views. I really wanted to take my camera out quite a few times but I was in the middle of a long line, we were so close to being done and I was watching my steps to make sure I didn’t fall.
Sunny trails!
Pretty much the last 4 miles of the race are a blur. I just wanted to be done and in hind sight, I should have taken in some food along the way. I usually ate at whatever aid station we came upon. Pigeon was drinking coke which was more like crack because she came alive after having been in a very visible down session earlier.
Her enthusiasm is infectious though (to most – some runners didn’t appreciate it haha). When I started hearing the cars that were on highway 49 I was happy. I knew we only had to cross 49 and then run the long mile UP towards the finish.
We crossed 49 and reached the aid-station they have there and some how I was confused. I wanted to get food but the ladies were grabbing at my water bottles and one lady was telling the other lady to put Gu Brew in my other bottle. I was trying desperately to tell her no, I don’t want that in there, just water and the one lady just handed me a cup of Gu Brew (which I drank) and the other lady had my bottles but I had my lids … it was just confusing. Pigeon was downing more soda and looking at me like “let’s go” so I just started running. It was all a blur. But, I ran.
We hiked up the crazy rocky section and I have to say, I really dislike this section. For someone who has an ankle that doesn’t bend well at all combined with some cramping calves, this section realllllly sucked.
Pigeon was just yelling at me “come on!” and “you can do this!” and in my head I wanted to scream at her but I know what she was doing. She was trying to motivate me. She wanted me to get my PR (personal record) so she was pushing. Generally when I am pushed, I do the opposite and back off. I don’t like being pushed but internally I wanted to be done with this last mile so bad that I just kept moving and praying that my calf wouldn’t seize up on me.
Finally we hit the rolling hills and Pigeon was just pushing and pushing. Then we hit the straight away and I all I wanted to do was just run this and even said, “this is good enough” in terms of my pace but Pigeon pushed even harder, “no it’s not.” Finally we made the curve towards the finish shoot and I all I wanted to do was sprint and avoid the mud so I sprinted …. then Pigeon sprinted. We crossed the finish at the exact same time! I can’t wait to see the finishers photos when they post them as I am sure our faces were hilarious.
Our last little climb before the sprint!
As I cross the finish I am handed a medal by this adorable little blonde girl … who I realize is the Peanut! I am totally spent and baffled at how my daughter is handing out medals to the runners … she then runs off and I am left standing there alone trying to find Vans and Squeaker.
Finished and loving my Squeaker!
After the race I cleaned up, changed and hung out with Vans, the girls, Pigeon and a lot of the Fleet Feet crew. It was nice to relax after the race and let the girls enjoy my hard earned cup cake.
Froggy CupcakesPost RaceMy cheer section
TiggerT was also out there showing support. It was a great day. The weather was great (warm but great) and despite the mud and water, everyone had a lot of fun.
The Way Too Cool course is not an easy 50K in my opinion. Our finish time was 6 hours and 14 minutes which is about 16 minutes faster than I did it in 2010 (granted a different course too). There is a lot of climbing out there on this course and combined with the mud and water, it could make things interesting.
Almost 4,000 ft of elevation gain on this course.
I am happy with the race overall. I am pleased with my gear. My Jenny Vesta was fantastic and so far I am in love with it. The muddy ground made everything soft so the usual pain that I have in the ball of my foot was nonexistent during the race. I continue to love fueling with Picky Bars broken up into little pieces in my bag. Towards the end of the race I was running low so at one of the aid-stations I grabbed a potato and some M&Ms (not sure why, my hand just went there). I also use ginger chews from Trader Joes on the run in-between when my mouth is dry or my tummy is starting to feel off. Those work great although they can be hard to chew so be careful not to use them on a tough up hill. 🙂
Things that didn’t work or that I didn’t like so much was clearly running with my iShuffle and headphones. That was a big fail for me. No big deal, I much prefer the sounds and sights around me. Taking the Honey Stinger gel was not a hit for me. I thought it would give me a faster rush of energy and additional electrolytes but I just don’t love that gel consistency. The twinges in my achilles and ankle are a new(er) sensation for me. I tried going for a post race recovery run and only made it about a block before I decided to turn around and head home. I didn’t want my gait to change compensating for the ankle so I just called it a day and will try again tomorrow after some rest, icing and rolling.
Mostly I am happy. Everything else feels great today (the day after the race). However, I need to wrap my head around running the American River 50 miler in 4 weeks. Luckily my Cornell class is over. The stress that filled my week is also gone (knock on wood) so from here on out, I need to just focus what I can do to help my body be better for AR50.
The last time I did the Western States Training in February was in 2010. You can read about that run here. Four years and another kid later, I found myself driving to Placer High ready to load the little yellow school bus once again.
Placer High
The night started off rough because I woke up and felt Squeaker kicking me in the back. Apparently she came into our bed in the middle of the night and I vaguely remember pulling her in next to me instead of taking her back to her bed like I normally do. I did that probably because I usually end up on her floor which is not comfortable.
My alarm went off and I got up and left the house. I knew I would be getting there early but I wanted a parking space in the lot and I kind of wanted to sit and think and sort of prepare myself for the run. You see, 20 years ago to the day, my mom passed away from a totally unexpected massive heart attack. I was sitting there pondering how odd it was that I am currently only 10 years younger than she was the day she passed, and I was about to run 20 something miles on the 20th anniversary of her passing. My heart filled with love and strength in that moment and I wanted to run this run today for her because her heart was not strong enough to carry her but mine is strong enough to carry us both.
I eventually got out of the nice warm car and ventured over to the check in. I ran into some old running pals that I have not seen in a long time. Then I ran into Coach Nikon and a few of the people I have been running with more recently. It is like one giant reunion when you go to this thing. I kind of felt like I was in high school again, migrating from group to group. When it came time for the course briefing, I found myself near Gold Country Girl.
We talked for a bit and then it was time to load the bus. She told me that the Folsom Lake Trail Runners were supposed to be on bus 4. When I ran this the last time, I think I was on bus one and I recall there was a reason but I couldn’t remember what it was and I was having a nice time talking to Boo and Gold Country Girl so I figured why not get on bus 4.
I sat with Gold Country Girl for the hour long bus ride and discovered she tends to get car sick. Great. Luckily she was okay on the ride and we had a nice time talking about kids, running and running shoes. 🙂
Boo and Gold Country Girl
When we got to the drop off spot and unloaded the bus, everyone was gone. Everyone except bus 4. Now I recall why getting on the first bus was ideal. It was okay though. I wanted to make sure that I started out nice and easy so that I wouldn’t blow up like I did during the Way Too Cool Training Run a few weeks ago.
Down the rocky road we went just warming ourselves up and waiting for the “free to pee” spot. The first mile or so is down hill and then you start the conga line.
Conga line
I just sort of stayed back of the pack. Then we all stopped to spread out and pee. It was sort of unnerving while running because we kept hearing gun fire off in the distance. As long as it sounded far enough away, it was okay.
When we stopped to pee we all took off a couple of layers as it was really starting to warm up. The sky was constantly overcast, never did the sun peak through but the temps were definitely warming albeit a little muggy too at times.
I normally change into a tank from long sleeves and today I didn’t – most of the time I wish I had but those last 5 miles I was kind of glad I had t-shirt.
I am not quite sure what the mileage was when we came to our first hill. I had moved from the back of the pack to behind Boo. When we arrived at the hill everyone stopped to hike. I hiked for a bit and then I just felt like running. I love hills so I started up and Boo jumped on my heels to follow but I think at some point she gave up. I heard a “Go Trailmomma!” from Boss (who is #173 in this photo)Â … I love hearing that while running. Boss was running with Lily and when I got to the top I heard “there’s my hill climber!” from a guy I will call Folsom Prison Roger since that is where I first met him (at a trail race on the Folsom Prison property, NOT the actual prison). However, a side note here is that I really wanted to nickname him Tommy Lee Jones because not only does he resemble him a little bit, he totally SOUNDS like him! It made me smile every time he said something.
Anyway, from that moment on, I tagged on the back of Folsom Prison Roger’s group which consisted of another guy and Crazy Helen. We ran that way for quite a while until we came to our very first stream crossing that was quite large in size. The whole group stopped to try and figure out how to navigate around it. When I reached them, I paused to see what they were doing and instead just ran right through the stream. I heard Folsom Prison Roger say in his Tommy Lee Jones voice “Now that is what I am talking about!” and he quickly followed me. It was just the two of us and a few strangers for quite a while on the single track sections.
Just a pretty shot I had to take.
Folsom Prison Roger kept telling people that I wanted to pass (I didn’t) but they’d move over and we’d be in front. Our pace wasn’t fast by any stretch, but we were just cruising along chatting the whole way. He was instructed to stop at the wooden bridge for a photo so when we reached that, we parted ways although I told him that I would no doubt see him again.
I was anxious for the aid-station at this point. I knew from 2010 that it was roughly at mile 13 but I couldn’t remember if there was a porta potty. Some how I didn’t recall there being one but I was hopeful. I had such a sloshy stomach towards the beginning of my run. I have had some tummy issues this past week and I could hear Pigeon in my head telling me to take a salt tab. So I did. It worked, the sloshy stomach passed but it only created another problem, hence my need to find a porta potty sooner rather than later.
When I reached the aid-station, I had to remove both my shoes as I had mountains of pebbles in them and I didn’t want to risk getting a blister like I had last weekend. Then I filled my flask bottle (I had one flask filled with water and one filled with coconut water) and was off hiking down the road. I ran into British Neal who is always nice to talk to and hiked with him for a while. Having never really talked in depth with him, we got off onto some rather funny topics, mainly the need to find bathrooms while trail running. Eventually, I had to say goodbye to Neal and instead climbed up an embankment to hike way back into the woods to take care of business. Sorry, but that is what happens when you trail run.
Back on the course, I was in business. I ran into Lily again and eventually caught up to Folsom Prison Roger and his crew. Once again, I tagged on the back of that group.
I was feeling great. I was fueling with my usual Picky Bar broken into pieces, water and some coconut water. My back, which has been quite sore lately was feeling pretty good. My feet, although a little achy, also felt well. I was happy and really felt like we were moving along.
Lots of water on this run!
The course through this stretch is absolutely beautiful. The views were also pretty spectacular but unfortunately, I didn’t get any photos of those. 🙂
Beautiful trails!
The run just seemed to be flying by compared to how I felt on this same stretch a few weeks ago. Before I knew it, we were at the Highway 49 crossing. The problem is worse, especially for those men, if they want to be fathers. cialis tab The generic viagra online http://downtownsault.org/downtown/nightlife/ drug will remain inert in your body. In the event that on the off chance that you think Read Full Report cost viagra online is excessively solid or excessively powerless. This technique http://downtownsault.org/author/saultdda/page/3/ order cialis online is used to attain a desired behavior which is not usually for that particular patient.
With our own personal crossing guard!
We crossed Highway 49 with Folsom Prison Roger leading the way. Up we climbed towards Cool. All of a sudden, Folsom Prison Roger starts running up the hill. His running person Veronica gave him a hard time about running and I started gunning up and told him I was on his tail.
Uphill rocks
What started out as a joke turned into a cat and mouse chase that was pretty hilarious. Folsom Prison Roger and I were jamming up the hill with Veronica quick on our tail. When we reached the flat section we just kept going and then we hit the down hill section.
Pigeon usually flies down this section and I know a lot of people do. Folsom Prison Roger just took off like a bat out of hell and I tried so hard to keep up. I probably ran down faster then I ever have before. Veronica was behind me and told me she loves this section and I let her pass. I didn’t run into them again until the aid-station at No Hand Bridge.
I did however, run into about six horses (all at separate times) and had to pull off to the side to let them pass. Some of those encounters were pretty quick, as in I just crested a hill and there I was face to face with a horse. Luckily running with Pigeon has taught me a lot when it comes to approaching a horse.
Aid-Station
When I reached No Hands Folsom Prison Roger and Veronica were just finishing up and heading out again. I don’t really need anything since I carry my own fuel so I quickly filled up my water flask and hopped on their tail again. I was getting to that point where I wanted to be done. I felt okay but the back was slowly beginning to ache and I knew that we were only 3 miles or so to the finish.
So the three of us ran towards Robie Point. The water fall here was really strong and flowing. It was beautiful!
Approaching the waterfall!
There were lots of people out hiking and taking photos so we decided to stop in the middle of the water fall stream for another photo session too.
Veronica & Folsom Prison Roger aka Tommy Lee Jones
Soon we came to the Robie Point hill. The hike up this hill felt like a million miles long. When I ran this in 2010 I somehow had the strength and power to just run up this hill like it was no big thing. Not today. We did a combination of running and hiking but we eventually made it to the top.
The weather was really starting to change at this point. It was getting windy and it almost looked like the skies would open up and it would start dumping rain on us. It was at this point, that I was happy that I had a t-shirt and not a tank top.
Following the pavement back towards Placer High was rough. Your feet are soaking wet and heavy and the road is really uneven which is painful on already tired joints.
But we rounded the corner and saw the ladies sitting there ready to cut off our arm bands and declare that we had finished!
Immediately I hear “Heeeeeyyyy!” from a nicely bundled Coach Nikon sitting with his crew off to the side. I saw free massages happening so I quickly got in line but that proved to be a waste of time as the dude I had was pretty awful. The Peanut gave me a better massage when I got home.
I had finished. I was cold and wet but so incredibly happy. When I loaded my Garmin info into the computer when I got home I noticed a few things. According to time, I was 30 minutes slower then I was in 2010 but I also seemed to run a mile longer. I also stopped more on this run then I did on the previous one but on the previous one, I did spend time at the aid-stations.
Overall, I would definitely say I felt way better on this run than I did in 2010 which definitely makes me happier.
Today was also great because I ran it for my mom. I truly felt she was with me today running along side of me and enjoying some of the views. We take our health for granted and she is my reminder that I need to be healthy and active if I want to be here for my girls in 10 years.
September 1982
I was almost 6 years old in that photo. My mom was about 36. Ironically, I am now 37 so that means she would be leaving me and this world 11 years from when that photo was taken. In those 11 years her body greatly changed. She didn’t exercise and her diet was just the Standard American Diet which didn’t help her high blood pressure.
I wish I knew then what I know now about diet and exercise. Maybe that was her role in this life: to be an example so that I would change my future and the future of my family by following through with a healthy lifestyle and exercising. I wish that wasn’t the case as I miss her a lot.
But she was with me today for 21 miles just as she is with me every day.
This weekend was the Way Too Cool 50K training run. The distances offered were 8, 12, 20 and 23 miles. Unfortunately this was one of Pigeon’s working weekends so I was left to do the run myself. I wasn’t too worried as I knew that at least 500 people had signed up to do the event. My concern was however, that I had to do the miles and then get home in time to get to work at Gold Country Run & Sport for their grand opening and ribbon cutting event.
Luckily a group of runners that I know were starting the run before the organized run was scheduled to start which was a good thing because it meant avoiding 400 other runners starting at the same time.
I had to wake up early in order to get to Cool so that I could score a parking space in their very limited lot. When I got out of the car it was chilly enough that my teeth started chattering. I found some of my runners and promptly at 7:30 we set out following the orange ribbons along the trail.
My training schedule tells me that I should be doing roughly 20 miles and since my highest mileage to date has been only 16, doing 20 would probably have been a smarter choice. The group I was with however, was doing 23. In my head I figured “what’s 3 extra miles?! I could walk that if have to.” Well later on in the day, those 3 miles would prove to be the most challenging moments of my day.
The group I was with is a very strong group and super nice. I just fell in pace with some of the runners and chatted up and down the hills with them. Eventually we all sort of spaced out especially when we finally got to Quarry Road. While running someone told me that the run we were currently doing would be in effect, the last 23 miles of Way Too Cool. We missed the first 8 miles of the course which is different from when I did the course in 2010. The way they described those first 8 miles has me a little bit nervous. They sound super tough.
Quarry Road is just a large gravel fire road that has some rolling hills but is mostly flat. It runs alongside the river and for the most part is the most boring, tedious part of the course. Luckily during this stretch I was running side by side with some girls and we talked the whole way about family, kids and trying to find time to run.
A few of the girls stopped to walk but I was feeling good. I was using my new hydration pack, the Ultimate Direction Jenny Vesta. This was my second time using the vest and I think running with something for 20+ miles gives you a good idea of how the product holds up.
Prior to the Jenny Vesta I ran with Nathan Intensity Hydration Pack which is probably the most popular vest you will see out on the trails. The Nathan vest is a great vest for storage but I consider it bulky. It is a great inexpensive starting vest for those just getting into trail running. I still have my Nathan and will use it from time to time I am sure.
The Jenny Vesta however contains two small 10 ounce bottles that sit on your front side. There is one small zipper pocket on the front and another velcro one on the other side. In terms of storage, my least favorite part of the Jenny Vesta is that most of the storage is in the back. For anything major, you’d have to take the vest off to access it. However, so far I have been able to stuff those front pockets with lots of fuel and have not had a problem. I really like using bottles because in races refilling a hydration pack is really a pain in the butt. I also like that it has two separate bottles so if necessary, I could put my coconut water in one bottle and water in another while also having a bladder on my back.
For the training run I filled both front bottles (20 ounces total) and then I used my old Nathan bladder (Ultimate Direction does not provide a bladder with the vest) on the back but only filled it with about a liter of water so that I wouldn’t have something too heavy on my back. The vest fits snug and is really comfortable. I have to say I love the way it fits, I almost forget it is on me most of the time. However, my bladder and tube is super old and it leaks and lately gives me difficulty when I try to suck the water out. Basically I have to use a lot of energy just to get a few drops of water to come out. I need to look into a replacement bladder.
Back to the run. It was a glorious day. I started out in my Athleta Swagger Skort with a tank top underneath a jacket. I knew that I would get hot eventually but I also knew that it would get really cold at various spots on the course, mostly by the river.
At mile 10 a group of us came down this hill where in years past it would have been a stream crossing but the bed was dry. The rocks and roots however were a little slick. I either tripped or slipped (not sure which) and in an effort to right myself I “twerked” my body and in doing that, I felt something go ‘pop’ in my back on the lower right hand side. Everyone asked me if I was okay because it was pretty clear I was about to go down hard if I had not tried to regain my balance. In the moment, I felt okay. The back felt a little weird but okay to keep running. I knew in my head that this would hurt later, I just assumed it would be the next day.
I just kept running. I was feeling really good. My pre run fueling has really been great lately. I don’t feel that I need to change that in any way so far. I did stay out too late the night before so I was feeling perhaps a little tired but I felt that I was keeping up a decent pace and running with some of the stronger runners.
The sun started shining!
Soon the sun started poking through the trees on what is a beautiful single track that meanders through the woods. The trail is a significant mix of down hill and flats. So much so that at certain points I was craving an uphill for the opportunity to walk!
In 2010 this section was covered in water
The event organizers even provided the runners with an aid-station and when I approached there was quite a group hanging out eating snacks. I really wanted to avoid the aid-station fare as I want to experiment with my own fuel. So I slowed to a bit of a walk and just walked right through the aid-station knowing full well that those fast people I saw would eventually fly by me on the trail. He consulted on sildenafil pfizer data warehouse with banks, distribution companies, utilities, governmental authorities, manufacturing companies, insurance, and the health care section. It is better to get awareness of fake and fraudulent websites that regencygrandenursing.com viagra no prescription sell these medicines. It is very vital for a person to know before sildenafil online canada having the medicine. Moreover, Mayo Clinic came forward with the study that Wisconsin ginseng, when taken viagra cialis on line Continue to pharmacy shop daily for a few hours.
Again the trail consisted of easy-going down hills sections and I was flying right with it. Eventually I did come to an uphill, around mile 18 and boy the wheels start falling off the bus at this point.
I was already going through some highs and lows being by myself on the trail. Not that I don’t mind running solo and sometimes I often prefer it, my low back was starting to speak up a little and it was just playing on my mind as to when it would really start to scream.
Mile 18 and the uphill it screamed. I could feel it as I was hiking up the hills. Low and tight and definitely hindering my range of motion in my hip. I just sort of ignored the sensation and tried to tell myself that I could make the remaining miles back without any issues.
Then, for the first time ever on a trail run, I felt nauseous. I was fueling with my new favorite fuel, Picky Bars (broken into pieces) and chewing on ginger chews in between. I had taken some salt even as the temps were warming and I had sweat a lot early on from wearing my jacket for a bit too long. I had used up both 10 ounces bottles on my vest and was now using my hydration pack. Which like I mentioned earlier, does not come out easily.
More uphill
At this point I kept focusing on the numbers on my Garmin. Every time it beeped I would mentally say “ok now I only have 5 miles left.” When your head is in that realm, it can make even the shortest run agonizing. Most of my runs have been with Pigeon and as her pacer-in-training, I am generally focused on reading her demeanor and cues out on the trail. I even do it subconsciously on some runs when we’re out just having a good time. This run it was all about me focusing on me. That is a rare thing when you are mother. When you have kids, a husband and job(s) you are always planning, predicting and worrying about some one or something else. I’ve never just stopped and had time to think about me for that long of a period in the middle of no where with no one else around me.
I pushed the nausea aside, popped a ginger chew (which helped) and just kept on trucking. When my Garmin beeped with mile 20 I did a little dance in my head. I had reached what SHOULD have been my training run distance and whatever else came after was purely bonus miles. 3 hellish bonus miles but still bonus.
Miles 20 to 21.5 were out right tough. I would alternate at this point from walking and running whether there were any hills or not. I came across Lily and her friends and that was a little bit of a boost. When I heard the cars on Highway 49 I about screamed for joy as that meant I would cross the highway and be on my way to the finish area … but I had to survive the grueling up hill section that leads back to the Cool fire-road.
Check out my Jenny Vesta!
By the time I reached the parking lot I was toast. Coach Nikon was the first to greet me and his booming voice and smiling face always makes any run better. I quickly changed, did a poor job of stretching, downed my recovery drink and hopped in the car just as everyone else was trickling in, drinking beers and taking advantage of the free massages (which I did not know about until later).
On the drive home I put my seat heater on even though the temps outside were rising. I thought the heat on my back and hamstrings might help loosen things up a bit. When I got home I immediately made a green smoothie that I could bring to work and hopped in the shower letting the warm water pound my lower back.
I threw on some compression socks and raced out the door to work. I had little time to think about how I was feeling or taking account of how my body was feeling. While at work they stationed me at the register which was kind of nice as I didn’t have to move too much. 🙂
Overall, I am proud of myself for finishing those 23 miles although I really didn’t have much of a choice as I had to get back to my car. It has been a while since I have struggled on a run like this and I think that you need to travel through these “lows” to get stronger. I won’t lie and say that I am not nervous now for what the race will bring in March. I do know that despite how I am feeling, just putting one foot in front of the other, even if it involves walking/hiking, will still get me to the finish.
