Running with the buffalo

Last summer at Tahoe Rim Trail 100 fellow teammate Jim Skaggs encouraged me to come to Utah for his friendly little race on an island on Salt Lake. He said it would be a lot of fun and he would have home brew at the finish for us. How could I refuse! I signed up for the 50 mile but decided to run the 50k since I was just coming back from my broken foot. Antelope Island is a State Park that is a drive on island full of buffalo. It is quite hilly and full of trails with exceptional views of the lake and the Wasatch Mountains. When I arrived Friday it was snowing and windy. I went out to the island to explore and see what I was getting myself into. I got about a mile into my run and 2 buffalo were on the trail staring me down. I figured it would be a good idea to turn around and face them the next day with 600 or so other runners out on the trails. By Saturday we had a beautiful clear day. The 50k route started with a good climb followed by rolling to flat terrain, another climb, downhill, another climb and then flat and down to the end where we did it all one more time. I had a great time hanging out with Nikki and Michelle pre-race and Speedgoats Dave, Tom, Cory and Jim post race. Jim did a great job directing this race. It was a fantastic early season, get back in the groove run. I ended up 2nd girl (results here). I felt super confident on the rocky downhills in my La Sportiva Wildcats. I stayed hydrated with nuun and wore my new gear from Green Layer. Great day, wonderful friends and awesome gear!

Woolley Trail Fun Run

Kristjan, Emma, and I moved to Sedro Woolley when I was pregnant with Riley. It was a difficult move for me. Although I was all for making this move I missed Seattle and my network of friends I had there. Once Riley was born I made the decision to start running and maybe, someday run a marathon. I met two of my best friends during that time spending many miles sharing our secrets and dreams. There was this new Rails to Trails trail that started in Sedro- Woolley and went 26 miles to Concrete. It was a nice, dirt packed, flat trail along the Skagit River. I did a lot of my training on that trail. There were property owners along the trail who were unhappy to have people using it. They were very vocal with their opinions concerning runners and bikers passing their homes. Some even posted big signs in their yards expressing their disgust with this new trail. I tried to ignore the signs and just quietly pass by. I would push Emma and Riley in a big Burley bike trailer with stroller attachments (no cool jogger strollers back then) and I would pick up every piece of litter I saw. It was little but I hoped to prove the nay-sayers wrong and show them that this trail would be a great addition to the community, not a hinderance. Well, time went by, my kids are now teenagers, Kristjan, my friends and I have grown up together, and Kristjan and I have moved to another city. Here in Anacortes we have over 50 miles of trails. The community is proud of and supports our forestlands wholeheartedly. We also have a trail called the Tommy Thompson. This is another Rails to Trails paved trail that starts in town and then goes over the water off the island. Several months ago somebody set the trestle on fire. I don't know why this was done and this arsonist has not been found. I do know that this trail was used by young and old alike. Bikers, walkers, joggers, runners. We all shared and took care of this asset to our city. Now we are in the process of raising money to fix the trestle. One of the fundraisers was a fun run today back on the trail I haven't run since living in Sedro- Woolley ten years ago. I decided to run the marathon distance (I hope you are not reading this Howard). I was given the ok to start running again last week. The foot looks good and I have been slowly trying to get my groove back. I was not planning on doing this kind of distance for a while (I removed my name from Way Too Cool and Miwok) but I just couldn't resist. It was such a good cause and it felt right. About 50 people showed up which means around $800 will be donated to the rebuilding of the trestle. It was a beautiful, sunny day and a wonderful start to my return to training.

itty, bitty, bone....BIG bummer

I'm trying hard not to let this broken metatarsal influence my mood but unfortunately it is affecting my attitude greatly. I miss my alone time in the woods. I miss running with friends. I miss that feeling post-run when I feel every muscle telling me they are tired yet happy. I miss everything about it. Six weeks into recovery it is feeling like I will never be ready to race. My latest X-rays show moderate healing but they also show displacement which means surgery may need to happen if that displacement starts causing other problems like neuromas or other body mechanic issues. Time will tell. In the meantime I am resting, doing pilates, eating well, and working out on the eliptical. I am just doing my best to treat that foot well so I can get out there soon. So, here is my plea...I promise to listen to my body from now on and not ignore aches and pains. I have learned the hard way that they are there for a reason and I need to respect them. I have also learned how important running is to me. It is so much more than the competition of racing or the camaraderie with friends who have similar interests. It is me. It is when I feel most alive. It helps me be a better mom and wife because it is my way of taking care of myself.

Here is what I am thinking for 2010....

Way Too Cool 50k
American River 50 mile
Miwok 100k
sent app in for Hardrock
Speedgoat 50k
Pine to Palm 100

Come on foot!!!!

Red Rock 40

I went to this run knowing that I was out to have a fun day, burn some post Thanksgiving calories, and not race. It was just one week post JFK and I was still feeling pretty worn out. Red Rock is a substitute for The Santa Barbara Nine Trail Run. Luis (race director extraordinaire) had warned us this was one tough run. Lots of climbing and lots of rocks. Sounded good to me! About 3 miles in I felt a sharp pain on the top of my foot. I thought it might just be a tight tendon and it would work itself out. Well, it didn't and about an hour later I figured it was a stress fracture. I decided I would drop at the turnaround (20 miles). At least I got to see the whole course since it was an out and back! I got a ride back to the start from Stu Sherman (thank you, thank you) and met up with Kristjan back at the hotel. My foot was hurting pretty bad but we managed to have a great weekend in Santa Barbara soaking up the sun. When I got home Tuesday I went and had an x-ray. The doc said it was probably an old as in 3-4 month old stress fracture that had decided to really break deep at the race. Looking back I have been having foot pain for quite a while but always attributed it to something else and never got it checked out. Now I am in a cast for 6-8 weeks. No fun but lesson learned. I guess I will be well rested for Spring!

JFK 50

I flew out to Maryland a few weeks ago to run the biggest ultra in the U.S. I had decided to run JFK while in California last April running American River 50. Annette said she was going to run it so I thought it would be fun to meet up with her for another adventure in seven months. I also knew that my friend Devon would be there and Meghan (who I met at Where's Waldo) too! It would be another great Girl's weekend! I arrived Thursday around midnight and was told my luggage did not make it. I had a minor freak out because my shoes, orthotics, EVERYTHING was in that bag. I stayed that night near the Baltimore airport with the hope my bag would arrive in the morning. It did and Saturday I was off to Hagerstown. Devon told me where a good little natural foods store was so I stocked up on goodies, picked up my race bag, visited with Annette and met Devon and Meghan for dinner. The next morning I was up dark and early to get to the race start. This race was very similar to American River except the climbing and trail section are in the beginning of the run instead of the end. The trail section was different than trails I am used to in Washington. It had big rocks covered with leaves. I managed to twist my ankle a few times and fall twice. I was trying to keep track of who was in front of me but during that trail section I think I was passed by four women. I figured I was in about 9th place. Not what I wanted but ok considering the field and the fact that there were over a thousand people running this race. Once I was on the path along the river I felt like I could pick up speed and really get going. I think I was able to run that 26 miles in around 3:20. In the last 10 miles of the race I passed five women and came in fourth place behind Devon (course record, oh yea!), Meghan, and Annette. The four of us (and awesome Coach Howard) went out to dinner that night and celebrated a great day.

R2R2R Girls Weekend

I spent last weekend with three amazing women celebrating Krissy's birthday with a South Rim to North Rim back to South Rim run through the Grand Canyon. The total distance was about 45 miles with 11,000 feet of elevation gain and loss. Standing at the rim of the Canyon is beautiful but to be able to experience it with this run was spectacular. It truly made me feel connected to the landscape. We enjoyed stopping to take many pictures, had a run in with a BIG ram, ate snickers and drank lemonade at Phantom Ranch, took a couple dips in the river, and visited with other hikers out for the day. We started our day at sunrise and finished at sunset. The views were outstanding but my favorite part of the weekend was spending time with great friends. Ellen Parker, Devon Crosby-Helms, Krissy Moehl, and I created memories that I will cherish forever.

Where's Waldo 100k and Pacing at Cascade Crest 100

Picture on top is the start of Cascade Crest 100 and bottom picture is Amy Sproston and me at the finish of Where's Waldo. The past two weekends I spent in the mountains surrounded by the beauty of the Pacific Northwest. First up was Where's Waldo 100k. This is my new favorite race. I'm sure it is going to be one of those races that fills immediately if everyone who runs it is as impressed as I am. The scenery was incredible and the organization of the race was stellar. Montrail is including it in the Ultra Cup and USA Track and Field uses it as a 100k championship so it attracts some top notch runners. I also paced at CCC100 the following weekend. I had a great time crewing through the day, visiting friends, and pacing through the night. This was my first attempt at pacing and it really makes me appreciate the work Devon and Annie put in when they paced me at CCC last year and TRT in July. It is great to watch your runner succeed and to help them through the tough spots. Something was in the air both at Waldo and CCC. Course records were broken and times were FAST! I had a blast being a part of it all!