Training Run Archives ~ TRAILMOMMA

April 3, 2024April 3, 2024

RATTLESNAKE DICK 50k (Race Report)

“Do you want to do this 50k I found in late March?” That’s what my running partner Shawn texted me one day shortly after the FOURmidable 50k. “Sure! We can treat it as a training run. Practice fueling and run it nice and steady,” I replied. Famous last words!

I had not heard of the Rattlesnake Dick 50k before but I’ll be honest, the name and logo intrigued me. It sounded perfect actually. A smaller size race on local trails with perfectly placed aid-stations. What I wasn’t expecting, was the weather change.

Weeks before the race we had some stellar warm and sunny weather. I am warm weather girl and love me some heat. This race, didn’t have any of that.

I grabbed a ride with Shawn and Courtney to the start with the plan that the family would come and get me at the finish after some house projects were completed.

The other bonus of this race is the location. The Cool Fire Station is a great place to have a race. We arrived with some time to spare and then lined up with everyone else to start this thing. The 50k and the 25k both started together.

The rain was falling as we started which made me second guess myself in what to wear. At the last minute I threw on my windbreaker knowing full well that I would probably ditch that pretty quickly. I am one of those runners that runs hot all the time. Every other part of my life I am almost always cold but not when running. I knew better than to start with a jacket but it folds up small enough to stuff in my pack.

It was muddy from the starting line. Huge pockets of mud and puddles of water made the start slower than normal with many trying to hop over some of the mud puddles.

Rollercoaster was a bit of a conga line because it was so slippery. Shawn took off and while I wasn’t quite ready to jump into that pace, I appreciated the effort to get around some runners and have a little bit more real estate to run to avoid slipping and falling into anyone. We had started the race at the back of the pack so we had a lot of passing to do.

Once we reached the No Hands Bridge (mile 3.1) aid-station I needed to remove my jacket and pack it away. The rain was still falling slightly but I was hot.

Making our way towards ADO we chatted and ran. We came across some fencing for the new goats that are there to help with fire safety.

It was hilarious because as us runners approached, all 100+ goats stopped and looked up at us like we were the crazy ones to be out there in the rain.

The race takes you around the lower trails of the Auburn Dam Overlook parking lot to the next aid-station at Portland Ave (mile 7.7). This was another full aid-station with happy volunteers and a timing mat. We stopped briefly to refill.

The course takes you down the paved road a little bit before you veer left onto some trails that will take you down to Cardiac Bypass and the river.

Sun came out for a while and it got humid!

Before you get to the river you have a quick water only aid-station at Oregon Bar (mile 10.2). We were still stocked from the previous aid-station so we bypassed that and made our way to the single track that parallels the river.

These are some of my favorite trails to run on. Rolling beautiful trails that didn’t have nearly as much mud as some of the other sections. The oak was pretty prevalent but that’s a given on these trails.

Shawn and I moved into a steady pace reminiscing about this same section during our Rio 100 race last November.

As we were running, we started seeing some of the lead 50k men making their way back from the half way point/turn around. After some time, Shawn said, “I haven’t seen a female yet. You might be winning!” That’s always a joke between us when we’re running a race and don’t see anyone else. I laughed but he was serious.

As we neared the aid-station, we did see the female lead runner (looking so strong) making her way back to the finish. Not long after that was the second place female and as I entered the aid-station/turn around (Rattlesnake Bar, Mile 16.2), the third female was just leaving.

Shawn looked at me and he immediately turned into David Goggins before my eyes. Unfortunately, I waited until this aid-station to use the restroom. There are not many spots on that single track section ( at least for females) to handle a quick pit stop so I waited and then had to run to the far side of the aid-station where the bathrooms were AND try and replenish my bottles.

I also got to see some friends out there cheering and volunteering. Shawn kept yelling at me to hurry up. He was ready to chase down some female runners with me.

We left the aid-station and motored our way back the way we came. We came upon the third place female pretty quickly. She seemed like she was in good spirits and enjoying herself out there.

When we finally got off the river trail and were making our way back up towards Cardiac Bypass, we came upon the second place female. Shawn gave me a look. We were on a steep uphill and I wasn’t sure I had anything in me right then. I can’t speak for the other runner, but to me, she also looked like the hill was taking more out of her than she wanted. I felt her pain.

We passed each other, cheered each other on and I kept just following Shawn up the hill. He was really motoring and I just kept focusing on one foot in front of the other and running on any flat sections we came across.

We reached the Portland Ave aid-station (mile 24.7) and I knew with the timing mat, that Vans would be tracking me. I glanced at my phone, and he apparently had tracked me when I reached Rattlesnake and had texted me that I wasn’t far behind 3rd and to RUN!

The one thing about this race is that it is an out and back on the same trails. Which is great because you don’t have to worry about getting lost and a bonus because you get to see other runners and friends. However, it also means when the weather is bad, the trails are doubly muddy from having traffic going in both directions.

At some point, “just a training run” went out the window and I really wanted to try and make the podium. First place I knew was so far ahead and running incredibly strong so I told myself to just keep moving, no matter what and see what happens.

When we returned to No Hands aid-station (mile 29.3) we barely stopped. We knew that the final miles were up hill and were very wet, muddy and slippery. We grabbed some fuel and started climbing.

My legs were tired but they still had enough in them to run some of the hilly sections and then power hike the rest to recover. The mud was bad but not that terrible. It was easier to navigate since it was just the two of us on the trails.

I think in all my years running, I have only ever once before run UP Rollercoaster. I am almost always run down it (because it is so fun). Running up is actually a pretty steady climb and a solid workout.

When we finally reached Cool and were making our way towards the finish, Shawn’s energy was electric. I think he was happy to be done but also happy that he helped me score a spot on the podium.

We crossed the finish line all smiles and all those at the finish line were cheering a ton for us as we crossed. Such a great vibe at this race and such awesome volunteers.

The whole family was there at the finish. I guess they had been exploring the trails and all the mud too.

My girls were totally grossed out by my legs and the mud which is nothing compared to what they looked like before I went through some stream crossings to clean them. haha

Overall a super fun race. The mud and weather made it that much more fun I think. We saw some friendly faces out there and it was fun to cheer each other on as we passed each other on the trails. This race had great volunteers and a very runnable course.

Bonus is that finishing at the Cool Fire Station means you can hose yourself off post run. Win win!

The training run plan didn’t go exactly as I thought it would but it was really great to see that I had some speed in the middle of the race. I wanted to finish feeling strong and I did.

Grateful to this guy for cheering me on and driving me home.

Definitely a race for anyone thinking about doing an ultra distance and not quite sure where to start or for those training for something as it definitely allows for opening up in some sections and pushing yourself.

Many thanks to volunteers and to the race director too! Thanks for a great race!

Happy Trails!

~Trailmomma

July 15, 2019July 15, 2019

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

This is normal for adults to tadalafil online canada have various types of medication are available which can help to treat sexual dysfunction. 1. These online drugstores sold counterfeit medicines or drugs india online cialis after their expiry dates. In addition, better circulation lead to greater amounts of cyclic GMP which causes vascular and muscular changes that produce viagra tablet price harder and more stable erections. Consumption of more than a drink or two can usually cialis india generic dampen your libido; it can also soften your erection, or it just makes difficult to maintain erections.

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.

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.

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!

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. 🙂

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.

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.

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

June 5, 2017June 5, 2017

WESTERN STATES TRAINING RUN 2017

So another month has come and gone. Time is surely flying and school is almost out for the summer. One thing that remains constant however, is my LOVE for the Western State Trail!

Photo from www.wser.org

No, I am not running Western States 100 this year but like I have in 2010 (recap here), 2014 (recap here), 2015 (recap here) AND 2016 (recap here) I DID run one of the training days on Memorial Day Weekend this year! One of my FAVORITE days of the year!

Pigeon and had the pleasure of having Miss P and Not Chris join us (at least for the start) of our WS Training Run adventure. Pigeon and I always go into this run looking to create some laughter and enjoy the day on some of our favorite trails.

This year, Not Chris wanted to join us as he is quickly getting the ultra bug after his run at Ruck a Chuck back in March. He was totally smitten with all things Western States before having even stepped foot into the Canyons … this was his first time running in the Western States Canyons and they did not disappoint!

With our non-drought very wet winter, the start of the training run had to be altered quite a bit to deal with the still heavy snow residing at Robinson Flat.

We were lucky enough to get a ride from Not Chris’s lovely wife so as to avoid taking the bus from Foresthill (with 300 other amazing runners). This made our start a tad bit easier as we had to really navigate over some heavy snow covered areas.

We basically had to run an extra 4 miles because the car couldn’t even make it to the Robinson Flat camp ground starting area. We just accepted it and did our best not to fall down. I think in total, we probably ran about 7 or 8 miles on snow before actually getting to the Western States Trail (we had to run a side route because the snow was so bad).

Once we were on dirt though, we started to get into a groove. I felt a little bad for Not Chris because of our detour at the start, he missed all the amazing views including Pucker Point. I guess he’ll just have to join us again next year! 😉

As usual, I had a little tummy trouble at the start. I am not sure what it is about this training run but I struggle for the first few miles every single year! Ah well. Luckily I am used to it by now and I know that it eventually sorts itself out and truth be told, it isn’t enough for me to lose any excitement about this day.

There were these giant pine cones at the start of the trail (see above photo) and my kids are obsessed with collecting them. I snapped this pic to send to them. I got scolded for not carrying this thing the entire day. 🙂

The four us just ran and chatted most of the time. Easing into the day, trying to find our groove. Pigeon and I shared past stories from our previous runs with Miss P and Not Chris.

Trailmomma and Pigeon annual WS Training Run Selfie

Soon we hit the descent down towards Swinging Bridge. Miss P and Not Chris enjoyed this section and took off. I was content to just go easy and enjoy my day.

We regrouped at Swinging Bridge and introduced Not Chris to the infamous Devil’s Thumb!

As we started our climb, a lot of the elite runners from the bus had caught us and were beginning to pass us on our way up the Thumb which is always pretty cool.

Not Chris took off. I was a little worried about him going up and out too fast. I had warned him that there are 36 switch backs to Devil’s Thumb. I love this climb, I always have. It was also beginning to get warm which can really make this climb harder the higher up you get. I eventually lost sight of Not Chris.

When I made it to the top of Devil’s I didn’t see Not Chris. I had assumed that he had followed Miss P to the aid-station which wasn’t too far off and that he must have been in need of fuel after that climb. I was bummed he wasn’t at the top though because I wanted to make sure that he actually SAW the thumb rock, the reason this climb is named what it is. I am a nerd like that. 🙂 Sadly, he missed the rock but he was in need of fuel so I get it. Again, I guess we’ll have to take him back out there some day. 🙂

I took a seat at the top of Devil’s and waited for Pigeon to arrive. As I sat there, Magda Boulet reached the top, smiled at me and asked if I was “ok” and if I needed anything. Super sweet! I assured her that I was fine and that I was just waiting for a friend. I LOVE how sweet all ultra runners are, no matter their level or status. Magda is one runner who I adore and follow. I hope she kicks butt at States this year!

Pigeon and I found Not Chris at the Pump aid-station with cheeks full of food like a squirrel! 🙂 He had a smile on his face and I think was having one helluva day so far.
When sildenafil 10mg http://appalachianmagazine.com/2014/06/23/farm-to-school-program-meets-success-in-w-va-county/ oral drugs or suppositories fail, injections (e.g. of apomorphine) into the erectile tissue of the penis to expand blood stream to cause an erection. Kamagra is a medicine is used to treat erectile dysfunction online cialis appalachianmagazine.com is an organic male enhancer product. After the omission of patent, the first Indian company Ajanta Pharma has made the cheapest levitra medicine lovable for millions of ED men around the world. discount cialis no prescription However, ED may not necessarily cause premature or delayed ejaculation.

We left the aid-station and made our way down to the bottom of El Dorado Canyon, another fun downhill section. I love this section of trail and Pigeon knows it. During our Canyons 100k training runs, I would blow this section up and today was no exception. I took off and caught up to Not Chris and Miss P.

At the bottom, we dunked our bandannas and hats in the cold river to tried to cool off before the climb up to Michigan Bluff.

Not Chris and I climbed up to Michigan Bluff together. We were in a pack with some guys just making conversation. Not Chris moved from in front of me to behind me. About two minutes later I hear, “I need a pep talk.” 🙂

He had hit his wall as so many others have on this very climb. Three miles up is tough in the heat. Luckily we had just reached a clearing that gave us the most spectacular view.

I made him stop, “Look at that. Not many people in this world will see this view. Just soak it in. We’re in no rush.”

We made it to Michigan Bluff and made a beeline for the aid-station.

I knew Pigeon would understand where we were when she crested the hill off the trail. Not Chris needed some fuel. I needed a refill and we were both eager to stand in some shade after that climb.

After the aid-station, we regrouped and then made our way down the road. We were all in good spirits knowing that we had about 6 miles left on the day. I knew the next section was pretty sunny and less exciting since it’s just a dirt road essentially. The real fun would not begin until we started the descent down Volcano and hit the creek crossing.

This is the same creek crossing from my Canyons 100k run four weeks earlier. It was way less crowded and the water way less strong. The two ropes were still there though.

Not Chris crossing! (say that five times fast LOL)

Not Chris and I were busy dunking ourselves into the cool creek when Pigeon made her way down. Nothing like a refreshing stream to cool you off before you climb out of another canyon!

I forgot just how much trail there was from the crossing until we hit Bath Road. I think Not Chris was expecting to get out of the stream and hit the road for our final climb. Oops. 🙂

I could sense he was tired but his adrenaline and excitement was prevailing. We waited for Pigeon at the gate and we all hiked up Bath Road together.

A Giant Bobber for our fishing friend Grumpy!

We ran together down Foresthill Road until we reached the school and had our wristband’s officially cut. We were done! Not Chris had not only run his very first Western States Training Run, he had also just ran 33 miles for the first time for FUN in a non-race situation! 🙂 He had only run one 50k prior to this day (Ruck-A-Chuck – which is a race on the other portion of the WS Trail). He’s official now, he’s one of us. Running 33 miles for the pure the fun of it? Yup, he’s smitten.

No matter what I do or what I run prior to this weekend each year, whether it was Quicksilver 100k last year, or Canyons 100k this year – I somehow find the energy and enthusiasm to still enjoy this day.

There is just something so innately special and magical about this trail, about this race. I am looking forward to June 24th and watching many friends have their adventures, their dreams, their goals unfold in 24 to 30 hours at The Western States 100 Mile Endurance Run.

Happy Trails!

~Trailmomma

May 31, 2016May 31, 2016

WESTERN STATES TRAINING RUN 2016

“Where on Earth is the trail? I don’t remember having to climb straight up do you?” “I don’t either,” Pigeon said, “but everyone else is going this way.”

That’s pretty much how our day started on Saturday. Climbing hands over feet up a snowy wall blindly following other runners and on occasion, seeing a few yellow ribbons to boost our confidence.

Memorial Day Weekend is my favorite running weekend of the year because it is when the Western States Training Runs happens! I love this weekend. Generally I only do the first day (32 miles) with Pigeon and we typically laugh, no matter what the day throws at us and this year, it threw a lot.

You can read the 2015 recap here.

You can read the 2014 recap here.

You can read the 2010 recap here.

The day was warm to start, even with the snow on the ground. All that initial climbing definitely warmed my body up fast – confirming my thoughts that I didn’t need anything other than a tank top and shorts. Neither Pigeon nor myself have run much if at all since our Quicksilver 100k finish exactly two weeks to the day.

Perhaps we were being a little too optimistic thinking this training run would be a breeze? It might have gone a lot smoother if it wasn’t for the super-hot temperatures, my angry tummy and Pigeon having a nasty chest cold. All of which proved to make our day a bit challenging.

We started our day at Robinson Flat and saw some amazing views right away. Last year it was rainy and foggy so I missed seeing some of this beauty.

The first event of the day is when I decided to try and “jump” in the snow and quickly slipped sliding on my bum down an embankment. Pigeon laughed hard. I was fine. It could have been worse and I prefer falling in snow than on a rocky trail any day.

It took a bit to get the mojo back into my body. It felt good to run along the single track just chatting away with no regard for time or pace. Somewhere in here, I believe Pigeon tripped, but didn’t fall. I then stepped over a rock but apparently landed on a fallen tree branch that swung around and whacked my shin. It stopped me dead in my tracks and I yelled out in pain. “What the heck happened?” Pigeon said. I mean, it looked like a little twig but it wasn’t and in within seconds I had an acorn size goose egg forming on my shin. That would pretty much set the tone of the day, we would alternate tripping or rolling ankles.

We talked about all the other training runs we’ve done. This would be our fourth Western States Memorial Day Weekend run that we’ve done together. We even reenacted some old photos for fun.

The aid-stations were great, super friendly. The “item of the day” for me was fresh cut watermelon (and I typically HATE watermelon) dipped lightly in salt! Oh my word! The combination of the sweet, the water and salt was exactly what my body was craving in the scorching heat.

The trip down to Devil’s Thumb was causing me some nasty knee pain similar to what I had in Quicksilver. I tried to go slow and easy but it was pretty relentless. I ended up taking an Advil to numb it for a bit.

When we finally reached the bottom near the infamous Swinging Bridge, I wanted to stop and take a few photos. Also a bunch of guys had come flying down into the canyon and seemed eager to start their climb.

When it was time to start climbing, Pigeon moved to the side to let me pass. She knows I love to tackle mountains.

I ended up passing a couple of the guys who had passed us on the down section. There was one guy who came running back down. I joked with him that he must love a challenge but he said he was helping out a friend.

When I reached the top, I saw two girls standing there. It was two of my “Instagram” friends, Yvonne and Steph. Yvonne came down and gave me a hug. It was nice to see smiling faces at the top of such a brutal climb. I chatted with them for a bit, ate some food and reapplied some bug spray (oh my word the mosquitoes were back this year and it was horrible). Yvonne and Steph were trail-sweeps for the day but were out on the trail early to cheer on runners. How nice is that!?
You should properly stimulate the clitoris before the love act and order cheap cialis get her ready for the lovemaking. why not try this out buy viagra line Erectile dysfunction or impotence condition in man is defined as an inability of getting erections firm enough for penetration and for causing healthy erections. In the case of “access and utilization of infertility services” have framed the female viagra uk challenges, for those affected by infertility, having the right to build a family. Don’t you agree? For further information visit us:- / A mother nursing a new baby has endorphins released that help to bond that baby to his viagra no prescription overnight mother.

A couple of people came up from Devil’s Thumb and looked pretty beat up. One lady was not walking straight and seemed very out of it. Another guy came up and instantly stepped off to the side and began to vomit profusely (and loudly – ugh). Pigeon made her way up and looked like she had been breathing through one lung, which in reality she probably had been because of her cold. She needed to stop and ~~hack~~ cough a few times before we moved on.

The next aid-station was a welcome site after that super-hot climb. Water, ice and watermelon were music to my ears at this aid-station. I knew that after this, it was another super long descent to El Dorado Creek and then the brutal 2.5 mile climb up to Michigan Bluff which I knew would be HOT.

Random guy playing the cello out near Deadwood Cemetery.

The descent down to El Dorado was okay. My knee felt a lot better but I ended up rolling my ankle here. Nothing serious but it definitely threw me for a loop. When I reached the river at the bottom, I climbed down to soak my bandanna. Two nice guys kindly took my bandanna and my hat and soaked them in the river. That felt amazing. Cooling my body temp before the heated climb was exactly what I needed.

When Pigeon arrived she mentioned that she was already dreading this climb. It was really hot out and some of this climb did not have shade. Off we went and soon I found myself alone. I came upon a guy who did not look very good. I asked him if he was okay and he assured me that he was. Then about 5 minutes later I saw the same guy who ran down Devil’s Thumb running down Michigan Bluff! I laughed. He was going to help his buddy again which as it turns out, was pretty sick by the time Pigeon passed him. Everyone was overheating.

When I reached the top I found some shade and just enjoyed drinking water and having my peanut-butter cookies when all of a sudden, in mid-peanuty-chew I realized that I had run out of water! I was praying that Pigeon was close because I could barely talk my mouth was so full. HA!

We attacked the Michigan Bluff aid-station, refilled our packs and off we went. The hike out is on this pretty exposed fire road. I mean FULL sun beating down on you without any relief in sight exposed.

As we were trying to muster the energy to start running again. Pigeon noticed a foot print in the dirt. Holy cow! I had to pull out my camera and take a photo … it was huge!

Finally we left the scorching hot fire road and entered the trail that would lead us down another descent to Volcano Creek.

When we arrived at the creek it was full of runners cooling off in the cold water. It was also infested with lady bugs! I hated stepping on them but there were millions of them flying all over the place!

We crossed the creek and knew that we had 3 or 4 miles to go until we were done.

Pigeon and I were surrounded by a lot of people who seemed anxious to be done with the day and who looked very dehydrated.

When you reach the top of Bath Road you have to run down the road until you get back to the Foresthill school. A guy standing on the side of the road told us it was a little more than a mile down the road. Both Pigeon and I did a, “WTF?” We knew it wasn’t quite that far and luckily, we were right.

Overall, the day proved to be a tough one for us physically and mentally. Besides my earlier tummy troubles (which were not caused by the run itself – it was something I had been dealing with in the days leading up to it), I felt genuinely “ok” all day. My knee is still an issue, IT band related most likely. Running 32 miles with over 7000 feet of climbing two weeks after a 100k with 13,000 feet may have been a bit much but I am proud that I was able to do it. I love this run. I love that you see and meet so many other ultra-runners from near and far and everyone is genuinely excited to be there! There is just something special about that trail.

The best part about doing the Saturday training run is that you get to have the rest of the holiday weekend with your family! I had dinner with Vans, I attended a trail running film festival with Stonegate and I lounged by the pool with my Peanut and Squeaker. To me, it was a perfect weekend.

I look forward to next year already.

Happy Trails!

~Trailmomma

April 12, 2016May 24, 2018

RUCK A CHUCK 50K RACE REPORT

This was only supposed to be a training run and then Tommy Lee Jones started egging me on, lighting that internal fire that is always simmering inside and the rest was history including an uphill battle to the finish.

Photo from SingleTrack Running

When I signed up for SingleTrack Running’s Ruck a Chuck 50k a few months ago, I knew that I would be pacing Stonegate 25 miles of her 50 mile run the weekend prior. I told myself that is the perfect way to work two long runs into the month. The plan was to go nice and easy to work the legs and to get some elevation training in (the race initially boasted 6500 ft of elevation).

On Saturday it dumped rain all day; a lot of rain. So much so that Paulo, the Race Director emailed all participants AND sent out a Facebook blast detailing that the race course had changed due to the condition of the road/trails. Uh-oh. Now instead of starting at the bottom near the river, we were to start at the top in the upper parking lot area of Driver’s Flat. They also had to adjust the back end of the course to account for the three mile difference at the start. Ultimately, the course ended up being shortened by a mile or so which is better than the alternative which was lengthening it by three miles. (Good call Paulo!) 🙂

When I arrived at the starting area, I was a dork and basically was the first person there. Stonegate (like the great trail friend she is) had offered to drive me but she couldn’t wait all day and I did not want Vans and the girls hanging out in the mud and rain forcing me to run and finish faster. This was a training run after all remember?

So upon arrival I got out and asked Paulo if he needed any help. Why not put me to use right? He had me start handing out bibs to the runners as they arrived. This turned out to be great because I finally was able to put names to faces! I finally met Clint, a fellow plant-powered runner and Facebook face (Hi CLINT!!) and a few other runners.

Soon it was almost go-time and of course the skies opened up and dumped rain for few minutes. I second guessed my out-fit choice and changed my top at the last minute (tip: always go with your first instinct). We gathered at the start where Paulo did a quick pre-race briefing reminding us that we were to follow pink ribbons. He also told us where the NEW turn around spot and aid-station was located.

They counted us down and we were off! Everyone started running the long three mile downhill and were all commenting on how brutal this will be on the return, at the end of the race.

BUZZ!!! (my watch) Mile 1 – 8:30 Uh oh, that’s a bit fast, slow it down, don’t blow out your quads on the first mile.

BUZZ!!! Mile 2 – 8:30 Grrr, I thought I slowed it down!? Okay, look there’s a bathroom! Go use that restroom over there and that will help slow you down and push you farther back in the pack.

When I emerged from the bathroom I just continued running along the river. I stopped a few times to take some photos (the only photos I took all day – stick with me and you’ll see why).

Two girls were in front of me were talking. Eventually they moved over and let me pass. Then we hit some up hills and I heard them chatting away, so I let them pass. I just needed quiet as I was trying to get a sense of how my body was feeling. I just couldn’t find my groove.

Photo credit: SingleTrack Running - This is between miles 4 and 5 I think - we crossed two of these streams in each direction.. — Photo credit: SingleTrack Running – This is between miles 4 and 5 I think – we crossed two of these streams in each direction.

Roughly at mile 10 we entered the second aid-station at Cal-2.

Photo credit: SingleTrack Running - It was a long climb to that aid-station. — Photo credit: SingleTrack Running – It was a long climb to that aid-station.

The volunteer yells out my bib number AND yells out that I am fourth female and that number three is still in the aid-station. “Oh don’t tell me that!? It’s too early to tell me that!”

Sit tight girl. This is a training run. Do not go and chase it. Let.it.go!

I let three other women pass me out of that aid-station. I refused to go chase it. I was letting it go. However, while I was in this conga line of three women and one older gentleman leading the way, I couldn’t get my stride right. There was plenty of climbing and I was hiking a lot but I would either end up on their tail or I would slow down to the point of walking. It just didn’t feel right. The next aid-station was the turn-around and I just wanted to get there.

Soon we started seeing the lead runners on the return. First female went by and DANG she looked strong! She was flying. Second and Third females came by a little bit later and gosh darn it, it if wasn’t the two nice chatty women I let pass me earlier … the voices started again …

That could have been you. You were up there. Now you are 7^th! Shut up! Training run remember!?

It was a SUPER steep down to the aid-station (mile 14 ish) at Cal 1. I ran in and realized there was nothing that I wanted. The volunteer asked me my bib number first since I was at the table and the other three women were filling their bottles. I told her my number and left.

That was tricky girl. Are you trying to get ahead or are you starting to race? Just getting ahead. That’s all. I am sure they will catch me.

Soon I came upon Roger. Ahh, Roger. Many trail runners know Roger. He is a great guy and a great runner. I met Roger a few years ago at Diane’s Thursday night race series. Roger and I used to push each other out on the course. Roger, if you don’t know him, sounds (and kinda looks) like Tommy Lee Jones. I kid you not, his voice is amazing and if you didn’t know it, you would think Tommy Lee Jones is running with you. It makes me smile every time I hear him.

ROGER: Hey Pam, you want by me?

ME: Nope, I just want to get some distance between me and those ladies back there.

Roger just chuckled. I should have known then with that innocent sounding chuckle, what was about to unfold.

Photo Credit: SingleTrack Running – This is Roger aka Tommy Lee Jones

Roger and I ran steady and strong for a very long stretch. It was probably my longest stretch of running the entire day. I FINALLY started to feel my groove, after 15+ miles.

All of a sudden, Roger stops and moves to the side.

ME: What are you doing? Dude, you are pulling me!

ROGER: Look, there’s number three. Go get her. You got this!

ME: (sigh) DAMN YOU ROGER! Damn you!

Roger chuckled his devilish chuckle again. 🙂

Off I go in front of Roger running steady. We knew the aid-station was coming up very soon. I just really wanted to get to there. The third place girl, (her name was Stephanie), let me pass. Roger checked in with her. I knew she was tired because when I was running behind her earlier in the day, she had said she had run 17 miles the day before marking the very course were running right now. My heart ached for her, she is clearly a VERY strong runner.

We all enter the aid-station, I reach for a cup and I feel someone pushing me sideways …

ROGER: Go! Get out of here. Go!

ME: What the?!! Okay okay …

I took off like I stole something. The next two to three miles were a steady but technical downhill. I had not been opening up my down hills this entire race, but now, I did.

BUZZ! Mile 20 – 9:25 Legs feel good. Tummy is a bit off, but I feel good.

BUZZ! Mile 21 – 9:21 Please god, let me have gained enough distance to keep this lead. Who am I kidding, if I could just bomb that, so can everyone else. Run, just run!

The next stretch was the longest between aid-stations again, something like 7.5 miles I think and that last aid-station would be the final aid before the dreaded three mile climb to the finish.

I just ran and ran. I had even moved ahead of Roger by quite a bit and then he’d catch me and pump me up some more. He even went so far as to tell me that he thinks I could catch female #2. HA! Funny man that Roger.

Finally I reached the section I affectionately called Tick Trail – it was so over grown with long grass and weeds that you couldn’t even see the trail and I imagined with every step, all these ticks jumping onto my legs. THAT made me run faster let me tell you!

Finally, I was dumped back onto the fire road that I knew led to the final aid-station. However, it took FOREVER it seemed until I got there.

VOLUNTEERS: Hey! Looking strong, what do you need?

ME: Can you please just douse my bandana in cold water? How far to the finish?

VOLUNTEERS: About 2.7 to 3 miles, unfortunately all up hill.

I silently groaned a little bit but there was nowhere to go but up to get this done. Off I ran and then I hiked. I tried power hiking. Pigeon was in my head. She had texted me earlier that morning to “power hike that last hill like a bear is chasing you!” Well, as it turns out, there WAS a bear about to chase me!

ROGER: Hey, there is a chick behind me.

ME: What!? No! You aren’t just saying that to get me to run up this hill are you?!

ROGER: Nope, she surprised me by coming up quick behind me at that last aid-station.

In addition, obesity can be a great psychological obstacle when it comes tadalafil 20mg to sexual activity. Things to Keep in Mind Before viagra 20mg cipla Taking Kamagra Kamagra 100g ought to be taken under exhortation from a GP. One can buy generic drugs without any apprehension, you can place the order cialis sale for this Kamagra oral jelly. The bones of the neck are arranged in a similar manner to a camera diaphragm levitra store to form a connexon.
ME: Son of a B!*%$! I didn’t set out for this Roger!

ROGER: Well, don’t kill yourself but you got this!

Off I ran, my legs barely moving, shaking with every single step that I took. Last weekend I climbed 3 miles with Stonegate, motivating her up that hill. I used the same tactics on myself …

Okay girl, run to that rock. You can run to that rock and then walk. Just get ahead every chance you can.

I rounded a corner and something caught my eye ….

Holy crap! You caught the number two girl! Hmmm, she doesn’t look THAT far ahead … Nope, forget it. Focus on the girl behind you. You’re barely hanging in.

I am not kidding when I say this hill took FOR-FREAKING-EVER to climb. I passed one guy.

GUY: Hi! (being all friendly and nice despite huffing and puffing) One helluva way to finish huh?

ME: Can you look behind me please. Is there a girl there?

GUY: Nope. I see nobody.

ME: Good. Thanks.

Off I ran. Or I thought I was running. As I reached the top of that switchback I turned and saw her, the girl that was in front of me when I ran in that conga line of girls earlier in the day. She looked strong even then. She looked like she should have been running in front of those girls. She also looked like she wasn’t struggling one bit on that hill we were on.

Move it! Come on! Run, run a stretch now to get ahead! Come on legs! Stop shaking and run!

Female #2 turned and looked at me and then started to run too. The chase, it seemed was on, everyone was trying to get up that hill as fast as possible. I wanted to yell out to the number two girl and say, “It’s okay! I don’t care about #2! I just want to keep #3!” But come on, if I had gotten close enough …. 🙂

I kept straining to hear music. That’s a cue to all the finish lines right? But it occurred to me that there might not BE music at the finish.

Oh no, don’t rely on the music! But how will I know where the finish is? I can’t see it! All I see are these damn hills in front of me!

I had to laugh. I wasn’t angry. I wasn’t super smiley but I wasn’t angry and laughing is the best way for me to release tension. What else am I going to do on a monster climb like this?

Then, I see two men standing there. They don’t look like hikers; they look like guys who hang out at finish lines (yes, that’s how my head works in moment’s like these). I reach them, I see female #2 ahead of me and I ask them …

ME: How far?

THEM: Not far, 100 yards.

ME: 100 yards?! (In my head it was as if they had told me it was 100 more miles)

THEM: Up that hill!

ME: (internally) Come on! PUSH!!!!

Finally, I see the finish arch. I see Paulo running around with his camera. I see female #2 pushing as hard as she can, she’s about 10 yards in front of me. I am running as hard as I possibly can. Everyone is cheering!

Oh no, are they cheering because they think I am going to catch her OR are they cheering because the girl behind me has finally caught me and is going to do a sneak attack to the finish line?!!

Talk about paranoia! Haha

RUNNNNN PAM RUNNNNNN!!!!

Finally, I cross the finish line and RD Paulo comes over. I think he doesn’t know whether to high-five me or give me a hug and all I want to do is lay down. I bend over and he kind of escorts me gingerly to some chairs, female number two was in the same state, bent over, legs shaking.

Holy crap, you did it. You made it. You climbed that beast. What the hell man!? I thought this was a training run!? 😉

One minute later, female #4 crosses the finish line. Wow, what a day.

Roger was next and I had enough strength in my legs to get up, cheer as loud as I could and give that crazy man a hug and say thank you. Again, thank you Roger for your support, encouragement and for giving me the pep talks I needed. I could not have done it without you.

So, the final verdict was Third Place Female overall (I was less than 20 seconds behind second) and first in my age group. The course was shortened so I could not go by time but I think I might have had a decent 50k time overall – so long as it wasn’t a four mile hill climb to the finish instead of three. The race (according to my Garmin) also had 7,548 ft of elevation to it. Wow.

Race profile from my Garmin

My Garmin said 7,548 ft of elevation - others apparently said otherwise? — My Garmin said 7,548 ft of elevation – others apparently said otherwise?

Here is what the finish looked like in photos (all four photos that follow are credited to SingleTrack Running’s Facebook page):

She is second place female - that SPEC behind her is me. :) — This is the second place female – that SPEC behind her is me. 🙂

Oh my god, I don't think I can make it! haha — Oh my god, I don’t think I can make it! haha

First I shoot Paulo a death look - Dude that was some race! — First I shoot Paulo a death look – Dude that was some race!

Unfortunately, I didn’t stay too long at the finish as I had to jet home. I didn’t want to miss taking my favorite seven year old to her swim clinic lesson. Originally I didn’t think I would be able to make it but I guess with a finish like that, I had some extra time. 😉

So what worked and what didn’t? (Sorry, hang with me, the end of this monstrosity is near).

First, I tried my home-made plant-based fuel that I blogged about. I knew going into it, that it was too salty. When I tried it during the race, it just was not going to happen. It also had the texture of muffin batter something I was NOT going for in the creation process. Back to the drawing board on that.

Overall, I was not handling anything but fruity sweet flavors which is not my normal. I brought a gluten free almond butter and honey sandwich with me but the gluten free bread is SO dense that I almost choked eating it. I managed one square and left the rest for the drive home.

I need to work on the calorie consumption as I don’t think, looking back, I consumed a whole ton on this run. I had my usual go-to items like fruit leather, applesauce and jelly-beans (for that quick rush). I may go back to making muffins. They pack a good 300 calories per muffin but they require time to eat but since I am not racing my next race, I should have some time. 😉

Overall, I am happy. It wasn’t what I set out to do but I am happy that I was able to pull it together in the end and really push myself especially when at times, I didn’t think I had anything left to push. I feel good. The muscles are not too sore (yet). I still feel a little dehydrated and I need a few more hours of catch-up sleep. That’s the only downfall of having an ultra on a Sunday, as Monday it was back to work/school for the whole family.

Tis the life of a trail running mama I guess! Thanks for reading, I know this was incredibly long, but the good ones usually are.

I want to also thank all the volunteers who were part of this race. From marking the course in a rain storm the day before to being out there on the course the day of the race. Also my fellow trail runners were all super friendly and supportive cheering everyone on their way back to the finish. Love this community! SingleTrack Running put on another great race. Thank you!

Happy Trails!

~Trailmomma

Full Disclaimer: I am not associated with SingleTrack Running at all and was not paid or compensated for writing this report. This is the second race of theirs that I have done, and I truly believe they host stellar, challenging and thoroughly top notch events.

Share This:

Share This:

Share This:

Share This:

Share This: