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QUICKSILVER 100k (Race Report)

I finally saw the infamous ultra “pain cave” that everyone talks about looming in front of me. I took a few steps inside, looked around but I refused to stay knowing that if I went in, I might not get back out.

Quicksilver Endurance Runs

Like a lot of runners who toed the line at the 2022 Quicksilver 100k this past weekend, this was supposed to be our 2020 race. Some chose to run the bonus race in September of 2021 (hindsight – it is way cooler in September than in May), but others, like myself, bumped it to May of 2022. A new course or really, just a new finish was the biggest change. For me, it was the farthest I have run since my 100 miler at Pine to Palm in September of 2019. There were many mental and physical hurdles between then and now which made my stomach a ball of nerves when race week arrived.

All throughout the week I would organize my race gear on my dining room table. Another big change between previous Quicksilver 100k races and the new course is the number of drop bags allowed. When I ran it in 2016 and 2018, there were 5 different spots you could potentially leave a drop bag. Now, there are two with the last one being at mile 44.1 of the race. Mentally, that threw me for a loop since I knew that in prior years, some of the aid-stations later in the race (namely the second to last) are so remote, they run out of ice and other items.

I worked a half day on Friday and took the afternoon off to drive to San Jose. I actually made great time and was there well before packet pick up was open. I swung by Whole Foods and got what I needed for my post-race meal and then drove over to Sports Basement (this place is incredible – I just love it) and wandered around the store until I could grab my race bib.

“Shopping” – I should have bought this. 🙂

As I was leaving with my race schwag and bib, I ran into S who was also running. He’d run the bonus race in September of 2021 as well so he knew the new course. Seeing him always makes me smile and got me more excited for race day.

This race is a tough one because it starts at 4:30 am. Yes, 4:30 … check-in is at 3:30 am. So that means waking around 2:00 am to start getting packed, fed and ready. Sleep did not come super easy. I went to bed as early as I could, I ate as early as I could but I still tossed and turned quite a bit with my brain overthinking everything.

Start line – that’s Miss P with the pony tail

I got to the starting area just fine. S and C arrived two seconds behind me. I checked in, then had to move my car and then used the porta potties about three or four times before it was time to line up. A headlamp is required to start this race and one of my goals was to NOT need the headlamp again for the finish.

Miss P my dear friend who I met when I first started doing ultras in 2010 was running as well. I helped pace her at her first 100 quite a few years ago, and I know, she is a super strong runner. She makes it look so easy. She is fierce and fast.

When the “gun” went off, the crowd started the run/march uphill. S took off, wanting to get ahead of the big crowd. After a while, I could not get footing myself, so I started to run uphill bobbing and weaving around a lot of people until I could get a nice spot. It is not super steep, and I felt it was runnable but I also wanted to make sure I did not trip as it was also quite rocky.

Rising above the Bay Area fog

The temperatures were predicted to be somewhere between 85 and 90 degrees. That’s not really abnormal for a May Quicksilver BUT the week leading up to the race was downright chilly and rainy making the transition from cool temps one day to squelching hot unbearable temps another, a tough one. It was hot at 4:30 am! I just told myself to keep running as much as I could, comfortably so that I could get a lot of miles out of the way while it was dark and cool(er).

That was the last photo I took for a while because I decided I needed to focus on running.

Hicks #1 Mile 6.1 (6.4 to the next AS)

I ran through the first aid-station, not really needing anything here. I carry a lot in my pack because I try and rely on mostly what I carry with me until I no longer can.

When I started the race my stomach did not feel “awesome” … it wasn’t bad, more like a nervous pit kind of feeling so that is what I chalked it up to be. By mile 7 or so, it was making itself known that it wasn’t disappearing. It wasn’t getting worse, but it was making running uncomfortable at times.

Woods Road #1 Mile 12.5 (5.4 to the next AS)

Refilled my water bottle here. In and out.

Lexington Mile 17.9 (7.9 to the next AS)

Lexington is just off a paved road. I knew that the next aid station was quite a ways out and that we had some killer hills coming up. I just made sure I had water in my bottles and I started soaking my bandana to keep my neck and face cool.

Mile 20.7 – the start of some serious climbing

It was around mile 20 that things started to change. I looked down at my hands and noticed that my fingers looked huge. I could barely bend them they were so swollen. I also had “tried” to go to the bathroom a few times along the course with no luck. Something wasn’t right.

Mile 21.21

This section of the course is pretty gnarly. You have the Kennedy Rollers (photo above) followed directly into Dog Meat (photo below).

Dog Meat – it goes on and on and on

I was lucky enough to be with Miss P during quite a bit of this section or rather behind her watching her just cruise and crush every runner hiking up these hills. She just has the most steady, consistent and powerful uphill hike. She was blowing by runners with poles even.

All I could do was hike. It was hot. It was sunny. I was swelling a ton in my hands. Every step I took up, I felt like I slid back a few inches the gravel was so dry. I focused on my form and what I tell the kids I coach “hands follow feet – move your hands and your feet will follow.” So that is what I did until we got to the top and had to turn and go way way way way down.

On this crazy 3 mile-ish downhill stretch you pass runners hiking back up so you know, once you hit the bottom, you have to turn and hike back up. I was using gravity to just pull me knowing that perhaps this may come back to bite me later if I blow out my quads but my power hike I felt ate up so much time.

I passed S hiking his way up. He looked hot but smiley and it was nice to see his face.

Kennedy Road Mile 25.8 (5.5 to the next aid-station)

When I got here I had to make a decision. I tried (again) to use the restroom (no luck) so I switched from what I had been consuming to just plain water. I was hopeful that maybe I could flush out the sodium I was clearly retaining in my hands. I also grabbed a Coke which is rare for me this early in a race (if at all) but I was hoping it would act as a diuretic.

Luckily, I was still able to consume the Spring Energy gels I had on me, even if they were warm.

The climb back up is long, hot, brutal and when you get to the top, you still have to go even farther before you get to the aid-station.

Woods Road #2 Mile 31.3 (6.5 to the next aid-station)

This aid-station is always a site for sore eyes because by now you’re dying for an ice cold refuel, shade and the awareness that you are half way done with the race! The volunteers (at all the aid-stations) are awesome but these guys are great because you are SO happy to see them.

Hicks Road #2 Mile 37.8 (3.6 miles to the next aid-station)

I am not entirely sure, but I think it was in this stretch that I accidentally kicked a rock with my LEFT foot. I immediately felt my toenail sort of dislodge a bit. I have been blessed in my ultra career to not have any foot issues. That was all about to change in this race.

The stretch here was uplifting for me because we were heading back to the start (and finish) area. This is where I had my only drop bag and I was ready to dump what I had been carrying, that wasn’t working and pick up some new gels and items to see if I could continue to make progress in my hand swelling and stomach discomfort.

Hacienda Mile 41.4 (3.1 miles to the next aid-station)

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This was a downhill stretch coming in and so I ran it and then my drop bag. I was starting to worry about the lack of electrolytes. I didn’t want too much sodium, but it was just so hot. I changed one of my soft flasks to the fuel being handed out at the aid-stations (Skratch Pink Lemonade). At first sip, it made me nauseous but then, it really started to help make me feel better. I would continue to fill one bottle with that.

The rough part here is that you have to walk/run past the finish line and head back out for another 20 something miles while watching 50k finishers run into the finish, see the food trucks and everyone chilling in the shade. Mind battles!

The stretch to the next aid-station is only 3.1 miles but for me, it has always been a struggle. It is up hill. Paula was with me for a bit and then in Paula fashion, she blazed ahead uphill like a machine. I struggled to just keep hiking, focusing on my form, fueling and ignoring the weird feeling in my stomach and in my left foot (didn’t hurt but I could feel the toe nail).

Mockingbird Mile 44.5 (3.9 to the next aid-station)

Another aid-station – same ritual. Ice down the sports bra, water in one bottle at all times.

From here, you climb some shaded (finally) single track but it’s rocky and uphill. Paula and I were once again together. We caught up a lot here. She said she was struggling a bit but she looked amazing. Most of the runners around us had pacers with them so it was nice to have someone to chat with and pass some miles with here. I was feeling pretty low, like I wasn’t going to qualify for Western States. I knew I could finish this race, but would I qualify? I realized I didn’t care whether I did or didn’t (that’s what I was telling myself). I even texted C to tell her that I didn’t think I would qualify but that I would finish. I told her about my sodium issues and my struggle with my stomach.

On the way to the next aid-station, there was some downhill and I separated from Paula because I started to feel really good. Maybe it was the Scratch kicking in (yay electrolytes) but I got a second wind. I also decided that it was ok not to qualify for WS but I’ll be damned if I miss it by just few minutes.

I ran into a runner and her pacer here as well. I learned that it was her first 100k and she was struggling a bit. I told her to put ice in her sports bra when we go to the aid-station and to start counting down the miles. My jedi mind trick. Helping her, in turn helped give me a boost.

Bull Run #1 Mile 48.4 (5.7 to the next aid-station)

I love this aid-station because they are usually so fun and loud and energetic and best of all, fully stocked. I arrived, grabbed ice for my sports bra, some fuel and headed out.

To add some mileage, you have to veer right onto what I’ve always called the Lollipop loop. You run out around a tree and then back and someone is at the entrance marking when you entered and when you come back to ensure all runners honestly do this loop and do not bypass it.

It was on this loop that kicked (hard) a rock with my RIGHT foot. Earlier it was with my left. This one was SO hard that expletives came flying out and I hopped a little bit. Like my right, I felt the toe nail dislodge. What in the world was happening with my feet today???!!!!

I made the right turn out of the lollipop trail and knew instantly what was coming … my favorite section of the course, Tina’s Den (no longer called that I don’t think). This is a single track shaded downhill section that in 2016 and 2018 I just FLEW down. I have always had the energy and the power here … except this year.

I’d let gravity pull me and then have to hike some, let it pull, then hike again. My toes were killing me, my quads were finally starting to protest all of those earlier hills I bombed. My second wind, my second life, was slowly deflating.

This used to be the “fastest” section in my head but this year, it went on forever and ever and ever. I was mostly alone. A few runners passed me, I passed one or two who were struggling.

Finally we are dumped off the single track and onto the fire road, I knew that the second to last aid-station was coming. I knew when I got to that aid-station, I had to look at my watch to see what my time was to see if I was still within range to qualify for Western States.

McAbee Mile 54.1 (4.9 miles to the next aid-station)

I arrived at McAbee and there was some carnage like there is every year. There was no ice so I refilled with warm water. I looked at my watch and saw that I had 45 minutes before the cutoff for a Western States qualifying time. Dang it, that’s too close in my math challenged head. Realistically, I probably had TONS of time but I am bad at math and luckily in the right direction so it pushed me forward.

Lots of uphill here again. At mile 55 I suddenly had to pee! Oh my gosh! I had to pee, FINALLY! There is pretty much no where to pee on a lot of these trails so I scrambled up a side hill and ducked behind some trees. Finally! My flush with water plan was working. My fingers were slowly reducing in size too.

Hiking toward what would be the last and final aid-station of the day (and again, my favorite) I ran into a guy who reminded me that this aid-station had otter pops! I had completely missed it on my first stop but I was hoping they had some left because that sounded amazing.

Bull Run #2 Mile 59 (3 miles to the FINISH)

When I arrived at the aid-station it was mellow, not too many runners at one time. I had one volunteer take one bottle and fill with water and ice (just in case), another pulled the trash out of my pocket and another got me an Otter Pop. Seriously could not love these volunteers more!

Otter pop heaven. Ready to be done with this.

They told me it was 3 miles down hill to the finish. I asked if it was REALLY downhill … because on the previous course, it was touted as downhill but there were a few sneaky rollers in there.

Once I got my legs under me, I took off. Sure enough it was down freaking hill! I inhaled the otter pop and just flew. You know when you feel like you’re just sprinting and flying and then you look at your splits and you so are not? 🙂 That is what this felt like. Mile 60 was 13:41 and mile 61 was 10:05 … but I felt like I was doing 7 minute miles. 🙂

I heard the finish and tried to run even harder. I crossed the finish line and the crowd went crazy. I guess I ran in faster than anyone had in a while. I just want to be done!

What the???

When I finished, a nice volunteer handed me my finishers medal and a second one handed that above medal, “Nice job Pamela! That was some finish!” he said. I looked at the medal and replied, “You must be mistaken. This can’t be right.” He said, “Nope, you got third in your age group! Congratulations!”

My finish time was 14:46. I qualified for Western States and while technically, this is a new course (the finish was the only difference), I ran faster than I had in 2018. However, I was toast.

I still couldn’t believe I had gotten 3rd AG. Not going to lie, it gave me that feel good boost to get my body in the car and drive all the way back to my hotel. It was a nice thing to text the family too who had been cheering for me.

Later when I checked the results, I saw I was actually 5th. I felt horrible. I emailed the race directors and told them I’d be happy to mail the medal to the appropriate owner. They said that I DID earn it. The two ladies who placed first and second, placed first and second OVERALL (my age bracket is a tough one) and since they don’t provide second sets of medals, I got 3rd via 5th. 🙂 I did get 12th female overall. None of that actually matters to me though, it’s all bonus and glory and great for a blog story (and to impress the kiddos). 🙂

What matters most is that I finished. I overcame some serious pain in my feet (which by the way look horrendous and are super painful). I also discovered the largest (and only) blister I have ever had on my big toe when I got back to my hotel (seriously, this is all new to me!). I had problem solved whatever was going on with my sodium intake and stomach. I stepped inside the pain cave, but I did not let myself stay there. I refused to let myself stay there.

My A-race for the year is over. Mentally, I have jumped that distance hurdle. The one that was nagging at me for the last two years. I felt so behind, so out of the ultra running loop. Now it is time to recover and heal and figure out what I need to tweak.

If you’re still reading (which I think no one does – but these are great for me to look back on), thank you. Thank you to S and C for being out there even if I never saw you. Thank you to Miss P for those miles and inspiring me to up my power hiking game. Thank you to Sandi and Higher Runner for your continued support, guidance and for always being a proponent of mind over matter and positive talk.

I fully believe: If the mind breaks, the body will follow.

Happy Trails!

~Trailmoma

EDITED TO ADD:

I do not think, that I really had a (dangerous) sodium issue during this race. What I DO think happened here for this race is that it was my first 100k back since 2019 and a really hot and difficult race with over 13,000 ft of climbing, 90 degree temps after a week of 50 degrees and rain and a course with very little shade. That’s my explanation for the finger swelling, it was hot and truly the first hot run of the year. Mentally, I had forgotten how difficult running 62 miles really is perhaps as well (I know I did).

As for my feet, that is me being super clumsy I guess and fatigued hitting those rocks. The blister can again be explained by perhaps my toes were swelling due to the heat. The lucky part about that, is that I never felt the blister. I did not know I even had one until after the race.

I am not done with racing or doing difficult races. I just now know taking a year or or even two year long breaks makes coming back a lot harder. 🙂

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2022 Mendocino Coast 50k – (Race Report)

“Well, that did not suck!” Those were the first thoughts that ran through my head as I crossed the finish line. I was ear to ear smiling as I heard my name announced and was given a fist bump by the race director. What a beautiful race!

Photo from: Mendocino Coast 50k website
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First, we need to back up just a little. I registered to do this race in April of 2020 but much like a lot of races, it was postponed. When April of 2021 came around, things were still not in the clear enough to have the event.

I always say things happen for a reason in life and having this event in 2022 meant that I was able and ready to run it even if my instructions were to, “Have fun, treat it as a training run and take lots of photos!” 🙂

ROAD TRIP!

I love a good road trip and Mendocino turns out to be the perfect distance from home (roughly 3.5 hours) and the drive was beautiful.

I had never been to Mendocino before and it did not disappoint! The weather was spot on perfect with sunshine, a breeze and temps that were perfect for running.

First things first. I drove straight to the Stanford Inn (by the sea) for packet pick-up. I was greeted by the wonderful and creative Lynda Layng who I “met” through social media years ago. She greeted me with the biggest smile ever. We chatted and caught up and she recommended a place to stop for lunch.

Good Life Cafe Mendocino – SO DELICIOUS!

After my late lunch, I wandered to the start/finish line area and then eventually back to my place to get my gear ready for the race.

Unived Hydration

I’ve been drinking Unived’s drink mix for the last 3 years I think. I love it, my stomach loves it and it has been working great. I am not sponsored at all and I promise to post a review and my thoughts on the stuff sometime soon (especially their new product) – but that is what was in my pack along with some gels for this race.

Once my pack was ready, I went to bed eager to explore the trails I have heard so much about.

Good morning!

The race starts at 7:30 am (a perfect time in my opinion) and I specifically picked my lodging so that I could walk to the start. It was probably a little more than half a mile to the starting line. door to door.

Over cast but setting up to be a stellar day

I made sure to have a bag with me that could dump my warm jacket into and stash at the finish line. I knew post race near the water, it might be a chilly walk back.

The race starts and ends at Big River State Beach. This place is so cool as it is where the river actually intersects with the Pacific Ocean. It’s crazy to see the calm water run right into waves.

At the starting line they had warm coffee and scones for all. Not many races can do this, I grabbed a half a cup of coffee just to keep my hands warm. There were quite a few restroom options. 😉 The morning was cool but it eventually warmed up.

Let’s go!

Soon it was ready to line up and have Sid, the RD count us down to go time. Seriously, look at that photo, easily one of the most beautiful starting lines ever.

The first four miles or so are on this beautiful path that meanders past the redwood trees. It is wide enough for everyone to space out. It is also flat and perfect for getting a rhythm.

The first aid-station comes around mile 4.33 or so and then you take a sharp left then veer upward.

The course was very well marked with blue ribbons. We were given strict instructions that red ribbons were “bad” … however, a group of us at one point did run into a bunch of red ribbons. Thinking we’d missed a turn, we turned around as a group. Turns out, those red ribbons were either park ribbons or logging ribbons and we were on the right trail after-all. Basically, if a turn was happening, the course ribbons were VERY obvious both on the trees and on the ground. No chance of missing any.

If I could stop a million times and take a million photos I totally would have. Almost every turn I’d stop and go, “Woah! Look at that!” I was grateful and blessed to be in a small pack of strong women who were having a great time.

From Mendocino Coast 50k

Those first three bumps or climbs on the map, were not that bad. I felt the climbing was gradual and manageable. I even had the power to run quite a bit of them. Those smaller “bumps” near the end of the race? Those are the suckers that were vertical.

The downhill in this race though is outstanding! Soft dirt, very few obstacles, just a beautiful trail that pulls you so easily. At one point I came upon a group and they asked if I wanted to pass and as much as my body was like “Yes!” my brain was smarter and said, “Still a lot of race left Pam. Your quads are going to hate you later.” I pretty much responded with that to the group and they all agreed. They all wanted to fly but were keeping a steady pace and so I took up the caboose of our train.

Look at the size of that tree stump!

Aid-station 2 was around mile 7.35 or so. Like the first one, I ran right through it. I knew that aid-station 3 was the important one.

At some point, I lost the girl group (aid-station I think) and began running with Greg from Sacramento. Funny to meet and run with someone who lives near where I do at a destination race.

Greg was so nice. He had a lot of knowledge about the redwoods. He pointed out a redwood cathedral which is where a bunch of younger redwoods grow in a complete circle around an older one. It was so cool but no, I did not take a photo.

The night before the race, we received an email from Sid the race director with a link to a video of him crossing a river. It was more like, “Hey! So there is a river crossing around mile 13 or so. It looks deep but isn’t that deep but there is a rope for you, please use it and this is how you cross.” It made me laugh but I am SO glad he sent that as it did make crossing this a lot easier.

The water was cold but it actually felt really good. I say that about all water crossings I know.

Aid-Station 3 came around 13.24 miles in and was the aid-station I had been waiting for as the distance between 3 and 4 was almost 8 miles apart. I knew that I had to refill here.

I mean … come on!? How cool are these trees?

Still in my happy place, still feeling amazing, I thanked the outstanding volunteers and was on my way.

The rest of the race I was mostly by myself. I ran with two other ladies who I think were locals and then a downhill came and I was off again like a kid in a candy store.

Sacramento Dan ran by me at one point and said “Hi!” he looked strong and motored his way up a hill.

Mile 21-ish I distinctly remember hitting one of those vertical hills I mentioned earlier. It was on the way to aid-station 4 but it was a doozy of a climb.

The race is a mix of fire roads and single track for the majority of the miles. All very runnable and beautiful.

Smiling at mile 20 something.

After some time though, you do get dumped onto some pavement. We were running through Russian Gulch State Park and while there were quite a few people out hiking and enjoying their Saturday, I will say they were all super nice and eager to move to the side of the trail if they heard me running behind them. Some even said good luck!

The 5th and final aid-station came at mile 26.13 and at a place that had me stop in my tracks and ask, “Is this for real?”

I was in awe. I was also alone so no one was around (probably better) to hear me say how insanely beautiful this all was!

I probably lost quite a bit of time on this section but I reminded myself that I wasn’t running for a time, I was running for joy and this was it.

While this section of the race is breath taking, there is a section coming up that I knew would take my breath away … the rope climb.

Yea, I said a rope climb. Once you leave this beautiful sea side spot … you run along highway one until you come to a really nice volunteer who tells you that you should grab the rope and head down the side of the bridge to the bottom.

Mile 27

Keep in mind, this is mile 27 of the race and that rope extends straight down after that edge along a watery little path to the bottom where another lovely volunteer helps you navigate. My legs were laughing at me but luckily, my hands had a tight enough grip on the rope.

Once you’re at the bottom you have to cross the water and climb straight back up the other side. Now, you’re on your way to the Mendocino Headlands State Park and eventually the finish.

This section is more pavement-ish but I caught a glimpse of a familiar van in one of the parking lots and the silhouette of two of the sweetest people I know. Then I heard my name being yelled and someone waving! S (my old running partner) and his beautiful wife C had made the drive up and were cheering for me! Huge boost. He high-fived me as I passed and said he’d see me at the finish.

The finish came after running through this huge stretch of sand!!!! My mental nemesis is sand but I was so elated to have seen S and C that I did not mind one bit. I was honestly a little bit sad as I knew the race was ending soon.

So I suck and didn’t get very many photos of the finish. Maybe I will leave that a mystery so you can run it for yourself and experience it but please know that the finish is like one big party at the end. Everyone was enjoying food (lasagna and salad) and cheering for runners as they came in.

Finisher’s gift

For what was supposed to be a training run, I ended up finishing 7th female overall and 4th in my age group. Not too shabby! Imagine if I didn’t stop to take a bunch of photos!? 🙂

After I finished, I found Lynda and she gave me the biggest hug ever! So nice especially since I was so smelly.

S and C where there as well. We hung around for a bit but they wanted to go eat at their favorite place, Fog Eater Cafe and I was starving.

C and S

The food here was outstanding especially if you are plant-based and gluten free. Our server was SO awesome at making sure I was okay and safe from gluten. 🙂

After fully refilling my body with all the calories it needed post 50k, I went for a walk along the coast line.

My belly and heart are so full here.

Post race I was feeling pretty good which made my mind relax. It meant that training is going well and I was ready. I am ready, for whatever lies ahead.

Best race swag ever!

Like I said, things happen for a reason and the fact that I ran this in 2022 instead of 2020 was meant to be. I was meant to have the adventure that I did and meet the wonderful people that I met and run the race the way I wanted to feeling pretty amazing the entire way.

Thank you to Sid and all the volunteers for this outstanding event! I know they were short on volunteers but they made it happen seamlessly from a runner’s perspective.

Thank you to Lynda as well! For the hugs and for everything!!! So happy we finally got to meet face to face!

Until next time Mendocino!

Happy Trails!

~Trailmomma

Shoes: Topo Athetlic – Ultraventures

Fuel: Unived Watermelon drink mix & Elite Hydration Mix (naked) and Spring Energy Gels

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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.

Photo: Facchino Photography

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.

Photo: Facchino Photography

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.

Stomach wasn’t too bad – still smiling

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.

Photo: Facchino Photography

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.

Photo: Facchino Photography

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.

Photo: Facchino Photography

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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2019 PINE TO PALM 100 (Race Report)

“Has anyone seen a flag in the last five miles?” …. “Nope. Are we lost?” Not what you want to hear the first 10 miles into a 100 mile race. But let’s back up and start from the beginning shall we?

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As a (hobby) blogger, I love to read blogs and race reports. In 2012 I read Jen Benna’s Pine to Palm race report and fell in love with this race. That report planted the seed in my brain and through the years it has grown until finally, at some point, I decided, it was time to run my first hundred and to make it a memorable one, I chose Pine to Palm in the beautiful state of Oregon. Go big or go home right?

Training had gone exceptionally well. I ran Canyons back in April as my Western States qualifier because I wanted to run Pine to Palm for me. I did not want the added pressure of needing a qualifier. I ran this race for me and the challenge alone. My coach was 100% supportive of this and believed that I could do it too.

Finding a crew to drive to Oregon with me would be easy. All I had to do was tell Stonegate and Not Chris that I had signed up and they were practically packed and ready to go. Stonegate in particular had been waiting patiently for this moment for years. Burning Girl rounded out the crew and I could not have had a better group of friends behind me for this adventure.

Race week was filled with lots of excitement. Typical taper tantrums were in full flux. Every ache or pain was causing mini freak-outs in my head. My kids’ schedule was out of control as I found myself driving all over the place and work was also pretty crazy at the time. When it rains it pours right? All I could do was remember to breathe, trust my training and try to get decent sleep and food as much as possible.

Thursday before the race, I loaded Stonegate’s car with all that I thought I would need and we hit the road to Oregon. The best part about traveling with friends, is they helped keep me calm and relaxed. It was almost game time and while I joked with them about puking because I was nervous, they kept me laughing the entire drive.

We arrived in Jacksonville at our hotel and learned there was an Alpaca/Winery just a few miles down the road. Say what?! We didn’t even unload, we hopped back in the car after a 5 hour drive and drove straight to see the Alpacas … and have a few sips of wine. It is exactly what I needed to calm my nerves and these Alpacas were the best!! I even got a kiss!

Seriously one of the best times ever with my friends. We laughed, talked and explored the grounds making it the perfect start to our journey.

Friday morning we had serious recon plans. First we wanted to find Pacifica Gardens where packet pickup was going to be held later in the day, then we found the start location, next the first crew aid-station spot and then finally the road that leads to the second crew aid-station spot. We did all of this because it helped calm my crew to know exactly where we had to go at 4:00 am the next morning .. in the dark and because the area of Williams is pretty remote. It also helped me visualize the start of the race.

Pacifica Gardens is the coolest place. When we arrived back later in the day for packet pickup, it was all decked out in Rogue Valley Runners and Pine to Palm 100 signs making the reality of what I was about to do, come to life. Up until this point, it didn’t seem real, not yet, but seeing other runners, seeing Hal and actually picking up my bib changed all that. It was however, still very low key and down to Earth. Another bonus of doing this race.

Call it fate, luck or just a coincidence, when I approached the check in table, my bib was sitting on the very top of the pile, number 59 …. “That’s me. Right there on top.” I said to the guy as he checked me off the list. Next stop, medical where I had to fill out a contact sheet for emergencies and get my bracelet that I would wear for the next two days.

Last stop was drop bags. I had to leave what I thought I would need during the race for locations that crew could not reach me. Then, it was time to wait … and wait … wait for the pre race meeting.

Admittedly, my biggest concern about this race was getting lost. I’ve heard the stories, I’ve read the blogs and from what I could tell, it was very easy to get lost and getting lost was not something I was wanting to experience. Prior to the race, we were told that volunteers had hung over 700 ribbons throughout the course about a 1/4 mile apart each for confidence. That made me feel 100 times better and Hal reinforced that during his pre race meeting.

We left the meeting, headed back to the hotel connected with Not Chris who had flown into Medford and went over the race start and plan of attack. After that, nothing left for me to do but go to bed.

Sleep didn’t come quickly but it did come or felt like it did a little at least but I was awake before the alarm went off ready to get this show on the road.

The drive to the start was 35 minutes from our hotel. My crew played my pump up music and did everything they could to keep me calm. I was quiet but I appreciated their excitement.

We were one of the first cars in the quarry parking lot and I was the first to use a “fresh” porta potty. I had an hour to kill before we had to line up at the starting arch and I must have hit that porta potty a million times the nerves doing loop-de-loops in my stomach.

Finally it was time, Hal counted us down and we were off and just like that, my nerves went away … this was just another race. One foot in front of the other was all that I had to do. Just.keep.moving.

Start (mile 0) to Seattle Bar Aid-Station (mile 28.5)

You start on a fire road that goes up hill. Here I mixed up power hiking and running. Everyone around me seemed to do the same. When we reached the top of the hill where you veer right to hit the single track, I realized I had made it just as Hal, the race director, was pulling over in his truck with water. This was our first “aid-station” of the day though it came much earlier than expected. My pack was still full so I just continued on the trail behind a bunch of other runners as you go down a nice soft single track.

We had headlamps and the sun was rising yet the trees here are still too dense to let much light come through. One thing I noticed very early on in this race, was that everyone, and I do mean everyone, had hiking poles! I, however, did not. I am not a fan of poles. I understand the benefit of using them but I find that the more races I have done where people had poles, the more people do not know how to use them. I was poked or jabbed or a pole ended up in my shoe more times than I can count.

I tried to focus on finding flags but the terrain was so nice that it was more natural just to follow the runner in front of me … up…down…up…down. Finally, after a good solid period of hiking up hill, I noticed, that we had not seen a flag in a very long time. We were maybe 10 miles into the race and we were supposed to be (I thought) at the top of Grayback Mountain by now. I was in a line with 10 other runners when I posed the question, “Has anyone seen a flag in a while?” Silence. “Has anyone else run this race before.” I received 10 “Nope. This is my first 100.” … in return. Finally, at what looked like the top of Grayback (as I have seen from YouTube videos and other blogs) we all paused to discuss. Some pulled out maps. Finally, a runner approached us from behind and I said,”Have you run this before?” He said that he had and that they probably couldn’t hang ribbons on this section because of protected land. Whatever. I was just happy to hear we were on the right track. In reality, there really were NO other off-shoots or sections but the quarter mile confidence ribbon reference was still fresh in our minds from the meeting the night before.

The top of Grayback Mountain

Downhill came next and it was glorious! That is until I felt an excruciating pain shoot up my left forearm. I looked down and there was a yellow jacket sitting there stinging and biting me. Holy crap that hurt! I flicked it off my arm and just kept going. My arm started to swell and burn but I didn’t want to stop. Twelve miles into a 100 mile race and I was just stung by a yellow jacket. What the heck?!

I entered the O’Brien Creek Aid-Station (mile 14.5) and a sweet volunteer took me aside and told me I was third female. WHAT!? I actually laughed and choked on water at the same time. It was way too early to have that kind of chatter but he was sweet. He filled my bottles, I found my drop bag and then was quickly on my way.

Steamboat Ranch Aid-Station (mile 21.5) was next. Here I had found a nice group of runners who were into walking and running stretches. We had a nice time chatting about all the races we’ve done. I met Eve from Phoenix, Ryan from the Bay Area , Holger from Edmonton, Canada and another guy from Portland whose name I never caught. Together we all ran and just had a nice time each of us eager to get to the next aid-station where our crew would be waiting.

Seattle Bar Aid-Station (mile 28.5) appeared like a dream after a little stretch on some hot pavement. I saw Not Chris up ahead hooping and hollering for me. He was a sight for sore eyes. I was in good spirits and nothing was wrong at all, I was just eager to see my friends and get some ice!

Like a fine tuned machine, my crew met me, handed me a cup of water to drink and sat me down to remove rocks from my shoes. Stonegate poured ice down my sports bra and wrapped an ice bandanna around my neck. It wasn’t horribly hot but the next section up Stein Butte was notorious for chewing up and spitting out runners who were not ready for some exposed hot trail.

My favorite photo ever.

Seattle Bar was such a lively aid-station. Not Chris was showing me were I had to check out and I saw Eve from Phoenix sitting there and I called to her. She hopped up and joined me and Not Chris across the field and under the bridge. Holger also ran up and joined us. It was nice to have some company.

Stein Butte Aid-Station (mile 35) to Hanley Gap Aid-Station (mile 52)

The climb up Stein Butte was not too bad at first. I had expected something a lot worse. Both Eve and Holger had poles. Their uphill was strong. Mine was starting to slow a little and I took that as a moment to have more calories. Soon, I lost sight of the two of them and I was by myself just power hiking as much as I could. It was a solid 6 miles up hill. Then we entered a section I had been warned about, Elliott’s Tract and man-alive that section was brutal.

Top of Stein Butte

The top of Stein Butte, though hot, was pretty gorgeous. I had to stop and take a photo. I tried eating more calories but the sun and heat were making it a bit difficult. At one point I had found Holger and Eve again. We all entered the Stein Butte Aid-Station (Mile 35) together.

I made quick use of it because I wanted to get to the next aid-station desperately to see my crew. I left without Holger and Eve.

The downhill into Squaw Lakes 1 (mile 41) was AMAZING! It was shady, soft and just the sweetest single track ever. The forest was also incredibly quiet! Not even a bird could be heard. I was bombing it and I even commented on how awesome and quiet the trail was and another runner agreed. Together he and I were super excited to get to Squaw Lakes and see our crew. Stonegate was at the top and she let out a big “WHOOP!” when she saw me. My runner friend said, “Awe! That’s going to make me cry!” and so I told Stonegate to cheer for him too and she did. 🙂

Coming into Squaw Lakes

Squaw Lakes is where you come into an aid-station and then have to run 2.5 miles around a lake and then revisit the aid-station and your crew again. My crew did exactly as I had asked them to do. They removed my pack and gave me a handheld to run around the lake with instead. Stonegate was allowed to run the 2.5 mile loop with me which was so nice. We walked and caught up and she had me run some too and try to eat. I shared with her the day so far. This lake is absolutely gorgeous. It was breathtaking. I would love to come back and camp and paddle board some day.

After the loop around the lake (Squaw Lakes 2 (Mile 43.5) I told them I needed a restroom and sure enough, there was one there and it was available. Score! While I had been running, the crew had refilled my pack and was ready to send me off.

The crew had did some recon on the next section of trail and warned me that it was a lot of uphill but that after that, I would see them again at Hanley Gap (mile 52).

After seeing them, I was alone for a long time. My climbing legs seemed to have disappeared completely but I still had my flat and down hill running legs. French Gulch (mile 47) was a water only aid-station which was a little sad only because it meant I would continue to be alone. Eventually some younger ladies passed me on the trail looking really strong. I told them to go get it!

When I came into Hanley Gap Aid-Station (mile 52) I was SO excited to see my crew. They had set up the perfect spot but they shared with me that I had to climb up to Squaw Peak to get a flag and bring it back down and that I had to do so alone.

They had me remove my pack again and handed me my hand held for the 1.5 mile climb up and 1.5 mile climb down. They also handed me baggies of food in hopes that I would eat. What I forgot to bring was my phone. The climb up was pretty relentless. Steep with a lot of switchbacks but on a fire road. You had runners running down with flags so that was exciting to see. I just continued moving, one foot in front of the other.

When I reached the top where the bin of flags were held, the view took my breath away. It was gorgeous and I didn’t have my phone. Probably for the best because it forced me to grab my flag and head back down.

When I reached the bottom my crew whisked me to the side. They massaged my calves, my quads, my hamstrings. They shoved food in my face, covered me in bug spray, gave me my charged headlamp … they were in short, fantastic!

Stonegate walked me out of the aid-station almost a mile. The next time I would see them it would be at Dutchman Peak where I would be able to have Not Chris pace me to the finish. It was all I could focus on.

After she left me, I ran some until all of a sudden I couldn’t. My stomach decided that every downhill step that I took, it would start to rumble. I’d stop to take care of business but nothing would happen. I’d start to run, rumble, stop again, nothing. This happened 8 times total. It was beyond frustrating. My saving grace was the sun had set so at least it was dark and I was alone on the trail.

Squaw Creek Gap Aid-Station (mile 59.5) to Grouse Gap Aid-Station (mile 80)

When I made it to Squaw Creek, I was excited. This was the last solo aid-station of my race. After this, I would have Not Chris with me. While here I ate a banana with a huge slab of peanut butter on top. This really helped my stomach situation. I asked the nice volunteer what was next, and she said, “You go that way, make a right at the parked truck. Then it is 6 miles straight uphill.” Um, what? No sugar coating it. It was going to be brutal.

Prior to this, a lovely trail angel had told my crew to give me a new buff to wear around my neck so that I could cover my face as the 6 miles up to Dutchman is the same fire road that every single car uses to climb the mountain so the smoke and the dust kicked up, was pretty bad. I am so thankful for that bandanna.

The climb up was pretty relentless but we had a full moon which made the sky absolutely beautiful. I just kept moving. I saw hundreds of dead and alive scorpions on the ground on my way up … I also saw a lot of puke from earlier runners.

The climb goes on forever, not going to lie … and at one point you can see the lights of the aid-station but you’re no where near close when you do. Just keep moving.

When I finally reached the top, there are some logistics to figure out. To the left is the aid-station where you need to check in but to the right is all the crew parking. Ryan from the Bay Area had informed us to go left and visit the aid first then go find our crew so that is exactly what I did.

When I reached the aid-station I was handed a cup of warm vegetable broth which was great because the winds blowing around at the top of Dutchman were probably 45 mph. It was also freezing .. if you stood still. The key? Don’t stand still. I found Burning Girl who helped me check in, made me take another cup of broth to go and then led me to our car which was 2 miles away. Yes, 2 miles.

When I finally reached Stonegate’s car it was go-time. Not Chris was ready to pace. I changed into some much needed warmer clothes, switched out to a stronger headlamp and tried to ingest some calories. Soon, Not Chris and I were headed off on the PCT to finish this darn race!

Going from running completely alone for 66 miles to running with a friend, is like Christmas. It was a whole new day for me. I was excited to tell him what I had seen along the way. He was in pure heaven running with me on the PCT. The sky was just littered with stars and as instructed, Not Chris made me pause and look up as much as we could.

The next aid-station was Siskiyou Gap (mile 73.5) and my stomach was doing that wonky thing again where if I tried to run down, it would rumble in an unhappy tone. I had asked for some Tums when I saw the crew but there was so much stuff blowing around from the wind, we all got distracted and I forgot to take one.

When Not Chris and I entered the next aid-station I made sure to ask and some Tums magically appeared. I took one (something I never take but I was desperate to make the stomach issue go away).

It worked. About 30 minutes and one stop later, I felt brand new though it was still hard to ingest anything other than liquid calories. I just knew we had to keep moving to get to Grouse Gap, mile 80 where Stonegate and Burning Girl would be waiting. For me, at this point, I had broken the race down into 10 mile increments. Looking at it that way, made it seem so much easier to conquer.

I came whooping and hollering into Grouse Gap (mile 80) and quickly found my girls. They whisked me over to the fire so I could remove my shoes and take out some stones while simultaneously feeding me some veggie broth.

Grouse Gap

The runners already at this aid-station looked like death warmed over. I wondered briefly if I looked that bad. I didn’t feel that bad, tired but not like death. I wanted out so I stood up ready to go when Burning Girl mentioned some “vegan treats” at the aid-station.

“Holy crap! I forgot! The balls!” Earlier in the week, a volunteer had posted to us runners that they had made gluten free vegan rice crispy balls – and they even used fresh new pans to avoid contamination (not intentionally but it worked). I ran back to the aid-station and asked about the balls and sure enough, they had some (I mean, how many gluten free vegan runners are there in a 100 mile race? haha). I thanked him profusely and started off up the hill excited to have one of them. They had to have been the most delicious thing in the world at that moment and probably the most amount of calories I had consumed in a single shot in over 5 hours. Heaven.

Weasle Creek Aid-Station (mile 90) to Finish line/Ashland (mile 100.5)

Next stop, mile 90 … then only 10 freaking miles to the finish. Nothing was stopping me now. I felt like I was moving decently but later on, Not Chris shared that I wasn’t exactly breaking any records. The sun would also be rising very soon, bringing life to the day.

Before we could hit mile 90 however, we had to conquer Wagner Butte, the last major climb in the race. An “easy” 7,000 foot climb to the top of the butte where I had to grab a flag and then descend 7,000 feet to the bottom. Piece of cake right?

The trail to and up Wagner Butte wasn’t smooth. It was semi technical or as technical as it can feel at mile 86 in a race.

The climb to get the flag was legit rock climbing and bouldering. Hand over foot up these giant rocks to the top. You had to laugh and even though my legs were shaking with fatigue, I was having a blast.

When you reached the top and grabbed a flag, you were met with the most amazing view and Not Chris and I had timed it just perfectly with the sun rising. I have never seen anything more beautiful. It was impossible not to smile ear to ear.

Then we soldiered down. Slow moving due to some tired quads but we just kept moving. I was on a mission. I was counting down the miles in my head and I knew I would finish this but I wanted to get to mile 90.

When we finally reached Weasel Creek Aid-Station (mile 90) I tossed my warm clothes into my drop bag that I had there. It was warm enough again for a tank top and shorts. I ditched my lights and any bottles I had too as I wanted to be as light as possible for the final 10 miles into town.

I quickly tried some goodies from the aid-station and just kept moving. Not Chris had to catch up with me because I didn’t want to stop. We were a little confused on what the volunteer had said the trail conditions would be like for the next 10 miles.

The guys hiking down around us were not in the best of spirits so we ran ahead. Not Chris turned to me and said, “So you are okay with 30 hours?” I looked at him like he was crazy, “It’s not going to take me 4 hours to do 10 miles. I can do this in 2.5 tops!” He said, “Okay, but you’ll have to run. We can do it. You just have to keep running.” So, run we did. The final splits the last 10 miles still blow me away. I would pick an object and run to it, take a quick break and run again. Along the way, there was one more aid-station, Hitt Road which was just a table with some water but it was at mile 95.5 and I wanted it. I didn’t need any water, I just wanted a marker, a destination.

Down down down, we continued to run. I was passing guys left and right along the way. To be fair, there was only 22 women that started the race and only 12 finished so the race was very male heavy.

Eventually we rounded a corner and was met with a slight uphill and another female. This girl had run strong all day long. She had passed me way earlier in the race but I had entered aid-stations just as she was leaving most of the day. I just had not seen her in a long while so it was quite a surprise to see her in the last 10 miles.

Not Chris looked at me, “You can do this.” So, I ran. I ran uphill past the girl and continued on down for as long as my body would go. Now, it was a matter of just how much I could run in a single stretch. Our little walk breaks became just a few steps and then no steps. Just run.

Finally we reached that water jug aid-station and I said, “Now I want the pavement. I want to see the pavement!” Not Chris laughed at that is not something I would normally prefer over trails but I knew pavement equaled Lithia Park and the finish line.

With 3 miles left to go, still on the dirt, Not Chris clipped a rock and went flying. He hit the ground bounced up and kept moving. I was shocked and concerned but he was hell bent on getting me to that finish line.

When we finally hit the pavement my heart swelled. This is it! There is NO walking on the pavement. As steep and as painful as that downhill section was, I didn’t stop. I couldn’t stop. I wanted to get there and I wanted to get there as fast as I could.

Finally we rounded a corner and I could hear cheering. I pushed as hard as my body could go. It felt like I was running 8 minute miles hahaha I wasn’t but I was moving!

I crossed that finish line, gave Not Chris a high-five and was engulfed in the biggest hug from Stonegate I have ever had. An awesome camera guy near by caught the whole thing on video! I thought I would cry but I didn’t but I could not stop smiling.

This race meant a lot to me and I am beyond grateful to my crew, the volunteers and my family for all their support. I wanted a challenge and I wanted a race that was beyond beautiful and I received exactly that.

After celebrating at the finish, we went to our hotel where I had some time to shower and take a nap before heading back for the buckle awards ceremony.

This was one of my favorite parts. Hal, the race director handed out our buckles and some gifts. In return, he asked us to stand and say our name, where we were from, how many 100s this was for us and a turning point in the race. I truly loved hearing everyone’s journey while eating one of the best post race meals I have ever had.

Ramen Daddy Food Truck

Pine to Palm 100 is breathtaking. I had a near perfect day something I am forever grateful for and I will never forget. If the body breaks, the mind will follow and I was hell bent on not letting my mind falter, not ever. It wasn’t that hard, the trails, the beauty, the magic that is the Siskiyou Mountains makes it hard to get down in such a beautiful place and my crew is the most positive, uplifting and fun bunch of friends a girl could have.

My Dream Team

I am still feeling that high, that joy of knowing that my two feet covered 100 miles up and over some pretty big mountains. It makes me smile just thinking about it.

A special shout out needs to go to Hal, the race volunteers and the other runners. The ultra running community is generally friendly and supportive normally but this race, everyone seemed to go above and beyond. Thank you to Adam Boyd for my finish line video!

Hal, me and Not Chris aka pacer extraordinaire

To my crew, my friends, there is no one else I want by my side on our next adventure. I am forever grateful for all that you sacrificed for me and my dream and to do so with smiles, laughter and love really made the journey 100 times better.

Thank you to my Coach for your continued support, belief and never ending advice. I am so happy our paths have crossed and look forward to more adventures for us both.

To Vans and my girls, thank you. Thank you for supporting me and this crazy idea. Thank you for handling weekends without mom and all my early morning runs. I could never have accomplished anything without your never ending support.

If you are still reading this monstrosity, thank you. My blogs tend to be an ultra in and of themselves but you never know, maybe some day, someone will read this race report and it will inspire them to run Pine to Palm too. 😉

Happy Trails!

~Trailmomma

Some extra photos:

Best pacer ever
My final 10 miles
Pacers help you remain steady even after the race
What do you do after a 100 miler? Walk a mile to the awards ceremony of course.
Post ceremony crew celebration

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BIG CHIEF 50K Race Report

I cannot think of a better place to run my 10th ever 50k than in Tahoe. This race had it all and then some. Warning, I took a lot of photos. 🙂

I signed up to run the Big Chief 50k early on in the year with the intention of using it as a training run. I made plans with some friends in Tahoe to crash at their house the night before as I wanted to run this solo. I did not want the family hanging out at the finish line because I wanted to feel as if I had zero support and zero pressure. I wanted to just run it and let the day unfold and battle whatever demons came up … and some did indeed show up but I was ready.

Photo : Big Blue Adventure
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The weekend started with a serious heat wave. Saturday before the race was spent at the kids swim meet. I did my best to hydrate all day and get out of the sun when I could.

After the swim meet I had to unpack from the meet, shuttle one of my kids to a party, continue to pack for the race and I also made some mashed potatoes to bring with me as fuel. It was a busy day.

This was the race for experimentation. As it turns out, mashed potatoes, while great in theory, did not taste so great at mile 22 on a million degree day. Live and learn.

I arrived at my friend’s house Saturday evening. We had dinner, caught up and relaxed. I also got some doggie loving in from their two sweet dogs. It was just what I needed the night before a race.

Doggie kisses

I slept incredibly well and was able to do my usual morning routine. I arrived at the race start as soon as packet pick up opened. It was a beautiful and cool morning.

In the parking lot on the way to packet pickup, I ran into an old friend, Captain Kirk! Captain Kirk manages the Fleet Feet Folsom store (my local store) and he also was one of my coaches who back in 2010 helped me run my first ever Way Too Cool 50K and American River 50 Miler! So he’s to blame for for all my crazy running. 🙂 Kidding.

This was the inaugural race so everything seemed very low key. There were not a ton of entrants. Really, it was the perfect amount. The race starting area was quiet but full of smiles as it was a beautiful morning.

After a quick race briefing, we were off! The race starts up hill to get you out of the ski lodge area. At first it seemed like everyone took off like they stole something but maybe that was my perception because my lungs felt like I had left them back home in EDH.

I had some flashbacks of my Broken Arrow start where I thought I might die but eventually the trail spreads out and some people started to power hike. I knew it was going to be a long day, so I joined them and tried to get my breathing to settle down.

The trail soon turns onto the most beautiful single track and it was like we stepped into the mecca of Tahoe trails.

Soon enough I caught up to Captain Kirk and we ran a few miles together just chatting away. At one point he turned to me and said, “Um, that was a 7:55 mile. We should probably slow down.” It honestly did not feel like we were going that fast at all, it was a slight down hill too but when I looked back at my splits, I had about 3 fast(ish) miles right about then. Oops!

It was around mile 8.5 or so that my stomach really started to bug me. Without too many details, I had to stop, lady-problems abound and that would set the tone for the start of my race.

Jumping off the trail to take care of business always bugs me. All the runners I had passed earlier, I saw running right by me while I was off in the distance dealing with myself. Still, it needed to be done and is a fact of ultra-running.

The trails seriously could not get any better. Every turn introduced you to an awesome trail or a great view. Despite the lady-cramping that had started to pummel my body and the still present stomach troubles, I was truly enjoying myself.

Finally at mile 12, I had to stop yet again. Completely frustrated at this point but I was hopeful this would be the last stop, and it was but once again, it plays a cruel mental game in your head when you have to stop and deal with things like this that come up.

But how could I be mad when I had views like this all around me? The view of Lake Tahoe from this trail was spectacular.

I figured if my day was going to go to hell in a hand basket, I might as well have some beautiful photos for the blog! 🙂

Still smiling despite the inner battles I had been dealing with

Basically, from miles 12 to 16, I hiked a lot. My body just did not want to run even though the trails were very run-able. Between the stomach, cramping and just feeling depleted, I was just putting one foot in front of the other the best that I could. The day was quickly warming up too.

Finally, I came to the third aid-station shortly after mile 16. I decided that I need to figure my $hit out and quick. Luckily this aid-station had some ice so I grabbed some and shoved it down my sports bra, and put the rest in a bandanna around my neck. I took my extra soft flask and filled it with water to hose myself down.

As part of our race packet, we received two Gu gels. I am not a gels kind of person but at this point, 16 miles into a 31 mile race, I was having a hard time getting in calories. I downed the gel and you know what, it wasn’t that bad and brought some pep into my step! I started kicking myself that I left the second gel back in the car.

My stomach woes finally subsided and my body overall was starting to feel better. I was happy that I had mitigated whatever problems I had previously. From that point on, I was able to run and hike. It was about 86 degrees out, which for the Tahoe area, is pretty freaking hot.

Long miles in the sun…

Some of the trails were like the above photo, fully exposed fire roads. Still beautiful but definitely brutal in the heat of the day. Here I was able to catch up to and pass a few runners but running on flats like this, is not my strong suit.

Standing in the hot sun looking across at the still snowy mountains!

The next aid-station was around mile 22 or so and I could not wait to get there. Luckily they had ice as well so I continued my ice in the sports bra and bandanna around my neck and nibbled on whatever I could find in my pack method. Nibbling was key.

It was at this aid-station that I had finally caught up to a girl I’d been at first yo yo’ing with on the trails but who then passed me during one of my many bathroom pit stops. She looked up at me and said, “You look familiar.” She was wearing the 2019 Canyons hat and I said, “I think I was running near you at Canyons this year.” and she goes, “Yea! Your legs looked familiar!” 🙂

As we started down the trail she said, “Welcome to Saw Tooth!” I asked her if that was what the trail was called and she said, yes. She’d been out there the weekend prior running it in preparation for today’s race. It’s a gnarly section definitely designed for a mountain biker. The rocks are jagged and plentiful. It was gorgeous, but pretty technical to run on but also so incredibly fun!

The trails right before Saw Tooth

Her pre race practice paid off as she took off down those trails! I lost sight of her as I was focusing on not falling on my face as well as letting mountain bikers pass. The trails were still open to them but they were super friendly and encouraging.

After Saw Tooth we were on a trail called, Two Beavers and a Bear. 🙂 Just the name made me smile but the trails themselves were pretty amazing.

I caught up to the Canyons girl here too along with a guy who was adamant that we were lost. He had turned himself around and was insistent that we had already run this section. Canyons girl assured him that we had not and I told him that I trusted her because she lives near here and was running out here just last weekend. I also really wanted to tell the guy to just take a gel or something. I think he might have been bonking a little from the heat. 🙂

Back into the shade!!

I honestly do not know how that guy could truly think he was lost because this course was SO well marked. I never doubted where I was for a moment and we made tons of turns. I give major kudos to the Race Director and volunteers for Big Blue Adventure, they did a stellar job marking this crazy course.

One of the cool bridges we ran over

Even though I was feeling better and running more, I couldn’t stop taking photos. We came across so many neat trails. From soft dirt, to technical rocks to cool little bridges like the above photo!

There was also some fun trail art! You could not help but smile if you were really looking around and taking this all in. These trails are incredible.

Even though I was feeling better and running more, my calorie intake was probably not where it should have been. I dug out an old gel that I had in my pack, not the same as the one prior (I always carry a safety) and I tried to get it down but the texture was pretty nasty. Just then I tripped over a rock and the gel packet went flying into a mud puddle. “Guess there goes that,” I said out loud … just as a mountain biker had approached, “Are you okay?” I had only partially fallen, not a true fall and I was fine but I am sure she must have thought I was a nutso talking to myself in the woods. 🙂

I was starting to smell the barn and I was also counting down the miles to the final aid-station as my bandanna was dry but luckily I still had my hosing water bottle.

More cool bike bridges to cross!

Finally I reached mile 27 and the aid-station. He was out of ice but he had water so I refilled my hosing water bottle and continued on my way. He warned us that the next few miles were a slow up hill and then it would be down hill.

What he didn’t share was that the next 2.5 miles were on this fully exposed hot fire road. Ouch. Uphill in the sun is one gnarly way to head to the finish line but I just kept power hiking and moving. No stopping now! I was on a mission.

With that hot exposed fire road though, you’re still greeted with some really pretty views. This race just never stopped with its beauty.

Finally I reached the section where the downhill began. I could not hear the finish but I could smell it and I could see some of the mountain bikers riding the downhill course which was located near the finish line.

I just turned on the jets and motored down the hill as fast as my legs would go. I was still in the dead sun but eventually I started running on the uphill that we had started the race on … which meant the finish line was near. My Garmin said I was doing this last mile to 2 mile section at around an 8:36 pace or so. I believe it. I could not wait to finish.

I crossed the finish line and Captain Kirk was there to greet me and give me a high-five. I told him that I finished way later than I had wanted or even expected to, and he said, “Because that was f*&^king hard!” That made me feel better. 🙂 I still think this race is very run-able but the heat, the stomach troubles and everything else that I battled with for 31 miles, I did what I could do and got it done.

Ignore the hand-wound. I had fallen a few days prior to the race. 🙂

I managed to grab 3rd place age group (it was a small race). Captain Kirk also got 3rd in his age group as well and his friend placed first! The finish area was full of smiles, beer and just good times.

I just sat on the grass for a bit, cheered those still finishing and enjoyed a grape popsicle. 🙂 It totally his the spot. I could have probably eaten the whole box.

Even though I did not finish in the time frame I was expecting to finish in, I am still quite happy with my race. I went into this race with zero expectations other than get the miles in and use this as a training run to experiment with some new fueling, run in the heat and I also ran with the new Topo Athletic Mountain Racers.

I think I handled my lows pretty well and did a good job at problem solving when I needed to. It might have taken longer than it should have to come to certain solutions, but now I have ideas on what I can use to address certain things that pop up.

Overall, I am in absolutely in love with this race and the race course. Vans already has decided that next year the whole family will go up and he can do the mountain bike race on Saturday while I run this again the next day. I am all for it because this race was beautiful through and through. 🙂

Happy Trails!

~Trailmomma

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