Rock Creek Stage Race Part 1

Rock Creek is a store similar to REI that puts on races in the Chattanooga area to benefit Wild Trails, an organization that supports and protects the trails in the area.  This was a 3 day stage race taking place on June 17-19 on Raccoon Mountain, Signal Mountain, and Lookout Mountain.  Troy had originally found this race and mentioned he "might" be "thinking" about it.  Well, having had such an awesome time at TransRockies last August, I'm hooked on stage races and at $90 for all three days combined, signed up immediately.   Between me pumping this up and the awesome video they have on the race website, next thing I knew there were 12 of us going. 

The backyard of the house we rented in Soddy-Daisy, just north of Chattanooga.

It was awesome to have so many friends at this 3 day race.  We over-analyzed each day's elevation and terrain and aid stations and anything we could possibly think of.  Seeing each other on the trail and seeing Fiona at the aid stations made it so special.  We'd hang out drinking beer and eating pasta and cookies for hours by our cars after running.  The wonderful race directors learned our names and on the second day even went and bought more beer!! (I cannot express enough how great of an event this is because of the race directors and volunteers!)

There were raffles everyday and a bunch of us walked away with prizes valued at greater than our race fee.  I won a pair of shoes (very appropriate since I forgot mine on day 2.)  Troy won over $300 in gear between raffles and Master's prizes.  It's truly a great event.

A few general observations from the weekend:

1.  When they say "flat...for Eastern Tennessee" what they actually mean is rolling hills and no flat parts.

2.  When they say "technical terrain" they mean rocks.  Rocks and rocks and rocks and more rocks and then more rocks.  Miles of un-runnable terrain because of huge, giant, slippery rocks. 

3.  If the directions say "Turn Left," you will be presented with 7 different intersections, none of which is the one you need.

4.  If the directions say "continue on" they mean turn left.

5.  If you forget your shoes the world's greatest race volunteer will lend you hers.

6.  If you decide to have a BBQ at the house you rented it will hail.

7.  If you have been subjected to 24 Styx's songs in a row, you are with Kevin Wessels and Rick Sanford.  Jump out of the car, it only gets worse....YES will be next. 

8.  If you fall 3 miles from the end and get a charlie horse in your calf, Michelle Liles will tilt her head back, cackle, and yell, "Now's my chance!!!"  You're then on your own. 

9.  If you wake up at 5:00 a.m. and the humidity is already 91% you should start taking salt tablets immediately. 

10.  New trails plus great friends plus a well organized event equals a kick ass weekend of running!!!

More detail on each day soon!

The whole gang before the start on day 3.
From left: Jon, Kevin, Gretchen,  Rick, Fiona, Greg, Brad, Dat, Michelle, Me-Michelle, Staci, Troy

A Few More Jemez Pictures

A few pictures the Jemez photographers took! I love the individual ones from the top of Caballo Mountain.  Not a hot and humid day has gone by that I haven't wished I was back on that mountain.  The three pics from the top of Caballo of courtesy of Rachel Granzow and the one of me and Beth coming up to Pipeline aid station is from Dave Dogruel.  Thanks for the pictures!

Me at the top of Caballo 

Coming up to Pipeline Aid Station at mile 22.

Beth on the top of Caballo

Troy on the top of Caballo

Jemez Trail Ultra

To live is the rarest thing in the world.  Most people exist, that is all.  ~Oscar Wilde

My beer cap the night before the race.

I'm so overwhelmed with emotions from this race, I don't know where to begin.  I traveled to Los Alamos, New Mexico with Troy and Beth.  We left at 5:30 on Friday morning.  We were all really focused on our hydration and eating so we had quite a few stops but the drive was easy and went by fast.  I have done the drive to Santa Fe a number of times with Evan so it was familiar and brought back fun memories.  We met Alan and Helene at the hotel and went to packet pick-up.  

One thing that made this race awesome is the people!!!  First person I saw was Steve from Dailymile.  He recognized me immediately and was so awesome.  His wife is from Ft Worth and they now live in Los Alamos.  He had posted a ton of pictures from when they marked the course so I had in my mind what to expect.  He and his wife were also manning the "Last Chance" aid station.  (Where I had a bite of pumpkin pie!)

Lots of fun sponsors were there like Nuun and Montrail (two products I love) and I bought last year's race shirt also.  This is the only frustrating thing about races (not just this race, it's always unpredictable)...what the heck size shirt do you need? Beth and I needed XS sizes in last years shirt but Large in this years shirt! Unfortunately, I had asked for Medium and it doesn't fit me at all.  I forgot to bring it after the race to exchange.  Thinking I might email them because it's a great shirt with a map of the elevation on the back.

Helene and Alan Walker, Beth Hyland, Troy Pruett, Me
(Helene's photo, thanks!)

Spaghetti dinner...saw David Hanenburg and David Pearson from Dallas.  We saw them twice on the trail too!! Also ran into friends that we met at Cross Timbers trail race this year.  Mustache Man (Dave) and his Amarillo friends (Erik and Seth)!  We ran with Erik for awhile on the third major climbing section and he was super supportive and optimistic.  The food was great and we filled up on noodles and cookies.  Took a drive to the race start and then a stop at the grocery store for some bagels and beer. (of course!)

After a very long day it was finally time for bed.  4:30 wake up call, 6:30 race start.  I had a tough time actually falling asleep, I felt like my heart was beating really fast and I was stressing about the altitude.  Focused on deep breaths and once I was asleep I didn't wake up a single time until 4:05.   Got at least 7 uninterrupted hours of sleep, I was more than pleased with that.  

I had eaten a bagel with almond butter right before bed and I ate the same thing when I woke up.  Also had some coconut water and coffee in the morning.  I felt like a whale but my stomach had settled perfectly and I was confident in my nutrition to start the race. 

With Brenda before the start

Ok...finally the race.  It was in the low 40's at the start with expected high's in the low 70's.  PERFECT.  I wore short sleeves and gloves.  I kept the gloves on until my drop bag at mile 19.2.  Beth and I met Dailymile friends Brenda and Ellen right before the start and then we were off! The first mile is on the road and we took it nice and slow.  It's 4 miles until the first aid station and the first major climb.  This first climb to Guaje Ridge is what the half marathoners do.  Beth and I got separated at the first aid station because I pulled off the trail to get my poles ready and take a GU.  I was really, really focused on running my own race and at this point I was really struggling with the altitude.  It became very apparent that this race was not about having a time goal or even focusing on the mileage.  I only focused on 5 things:

1.  Never stop moving forward, ever.

2.  Big lungs, big, steady breathing.

3.  Drink and drink some more.

4.  Eat and salt, eat and salt. 

5.  Smile

Beth hung with a big group of folks from Ft Collins and she quickly got 5-10 minutes ahead of me.  It was never a plan to run together and I knew that I could not hold that pace for 33 miles.  I found myself with some fellow flat-landers, they were from Phoenix and we learned about the fire in 2000 from a local that was in our pack.

The fire in 2000 was a controlled fire by the fire department that got out of hand. 

So from the start to the first aid station was 4.2 miles: 721 ft elevation gain, 555 ft elevation lost.

From the first aid station to the top of Guaje Ridge was 2.2 miles, 1,540 ft elevation gain, 170 ft elevation lost.

Top of Guaje Ridge (Helene's Photo)

The next part of the trail was beautiful.  It was marshy, really green, and we had a lot of creek crossings which makes me smile.  Just back and forth over the same creek.  Then we came up on the ladder! What? Love stuff like that.  I was moving really slow at this point.  I was a little frustrated because it didn't seem like we were climbing that much but I knew I was probably around 8,000 ft and so just kept focusing on #2...breathing.  Turns out we did gain 835 ft in this part.  From then on I just always assumed I was running up or I was running down.  There were ZERO flat sections.

Top of Guaje Ridge down...1,050 ft elevation lost.  To Caballo Base 835 ft elevation gain.

The ladder!

Almost my turn to climb the ladder.  It was kinda tough with poles. :)

Aid Station #2! Caballo Base and the biggest climb of the day.  It is 2 miles to the top of Caballo Mountain and we gained 1,771 ft of elevation in those two miles.  It was so steep.  17.2% grade...your treadmill won't even go that high.  I'm in really good spirits though because this is why I'm here! I love climbing mountains!! I get in a groove and I think a lot about my brother and I channel his climbing strength.  He is a hiking beast and just last year we had taken a trip to New Mexico to climb Mt. Wheeler.  Beth, Dad, and myself had left our heavy packs at our camp to summit...Mitchell put his on for the training to get stronger.  Seriously, the boy can climb.  I though about how he would approach it and just went hard, took a quick break, went hard, took a break, and slowly made my way up.  All of a sudden I see Troy flying toward me!  Troy in his crazy tye-dye shorts!!  We stopped and talked for a bit and it was really motivating to see him.  I continue on with my hard, rest plan.  Then on a switch back I see a bright pink top! It's Beth! I yell, "Beth!!! I can see you!!!" I thought she was way ahead of me and was probably about to be on her way down the mountain.  

Turns out she was in a pretty bad way at this point.  We talked and she explained what was going on with her stomach and fatigue and I got pretty worried.  I had never seen her like this and I was starting to think she would need a medic and might not be able to finish.  We just kept talking though and inching our way up the mountain.  I cannot explain to you the joy I felt when we reached the top.  I even got sad thinking this was already our last huge summit and there wouldn't be any more. (I know, I'm crazy.)  I was running with such childlike happiness and we were taking pictures and we saw Brenda at the top.  Just awesome.

I was also so excited because being at the top meant we got to turn around and run down.  My absolute favorite part of mountain trail running.  Things are going well for awhile and I'm passing people until my first big wipe-out of the day.  My left leg ended up underneath me as my torso kept moving forward.  I felt a little knee tweak but did a full body check and knew I was fine.  It slowed me up a little though and I was more cautious the rest of the way down.  Unlike running down Hope's Pass in Colorado, this terrain was steeper with sand and gravel that made slipping very real. 

Back at the Caballo Base aid station, Beth and I refill our packs with water and keep focused on #1...always moving forward.  I had a mental picture of what the elevation was like but somehow I forgot that IMMEDIATELY after Caballo Moutain was the 3rd biggest climb of the day.  And hence, my first real low point.  We just kept climbing and climbing and climbing and I was getting pissed and tired and so I kept eating and drinking and we were still climbing and I had no idea when it would end because there was no summit in my head that I knew we would reach.  Beth was starting to feel a lot better which was a huge relief and I was starting to think we might be together for awhile which would be awesome.  We're with Erik from Amarillo at this point and he is the voice of reason for us.  He's done it twice before and tells us when it will end and that we're doing awesome.  He was so positive and nice and it really helped me to focus on being strong.  Once the major climb was over there was a great stretch of open trail with a slight downhill and I was able to get into a running groove.  I yelled to Erik, "Look! I'm running!!" Haha, it felt amazing to actually run.

Caballo Base to Pipeline:  2.8 miles 1,169 ft elevation gain, 222 ft elevation lost.

Pipeline aid station was a full aid station with tons of goodies.  The volunteers for this race are just ridiculously amazing.  There were so many of them and they all were attentive to whatever you needed.  I was really feeling oranges and gold fish crackers for some reason.  Not my normal food.  I was in high spirits again, having conquered that third climb and found my running legs.  My breathing was really figuring out the altitude and it was starting to take second stage to eating and drinking and enjoying my day in the mountains.  Our next check point is now getting to Ski Lodge where our drop bags are.  This is the second and last out-and-back part of the race so I was hoping we would see Troy again.  Knowing that there are zero flat sections of this race I figured that if the people coming towards me were running then that meant it was downhill for them and uphill for me.  Down to Ski Lodge was mostly a gentle downhill though so I picked up some speed and enjoyed saying hi to everyone we passed.  We saw Troy and the first thing out of his mouth was, "I'M SO SORRY!!!" Hahahaha!! This race was his idea and he was so sorry that he had told us to come out here with him.  I told him he was crazy and that I was having the time of my life.  Although, Beth and I did feel some relief to know that he was struggling out there too.

Pipeline to Ski Lodge:  2.9 miles (total mileage at this point 19.2), 293 ft elevation gain, 629 ft elevation lost.

Running into the Pajarito Ski Lodge I almost started crying because there were so many people there cheering.  They were cheering for you like you had already finished the dang thing.  It always bugs me at road races when you run by spectators who just stare at you and don't cheer because you're not the runner they are there to cheer for.  Beth and I make a pit stop at the real bathrooms and I washed all the salt and dirt off my face.  We get our drop bags and sit our butts down and enjoy the moment.  There was a runner there who drank two beers and then went back out to finish! 14 miles left to run and the guy drinks 2 beers.  (We did pass him and beat him...there's no way we were going to let him beat us.) :D

Back up to Pipeline (629 ft gain) was a little bit more of a struggle so I started to really get inside my head.  I was really focused on moving forward and running.  Even if my run felt like a walk, I knew it was faster than a walk and I had to just keep moving.  Beth and I had a heart to heart about how we were feeling and what we needed and used our energy to get up to Pipeline.  There was never a moment in this race that I was really sad or low or had negative thoughts.  I felt very strong the whole way.  Sometimes my strength resulted in a very slow 13 minute mile run and sometimes it was a 23 minute per mile hike up a 22% grade.  Having Beth behind me kept me constantly motivated and optimistic.  I was having an adventure in the woods with a great friend, there were times when I didn't want it to end.  This race never ended up being about the mileage, it was just a great day of never-ending challenging moments.

Back up to Pipeline Aid Station:  2.9 miles, 629 ft elevation gain, 293 ft elevation lost.

Just after Pipeline Aid the second time before the hill. 

Our last climb (so very naive)...the volunteers said it was just around the corner.  I get my camera out because what is before us is a HUGE hill.  Looking at it though we knew it was going to be our easiest climb of the day.  Amazing how quickly our perspective of a hill changed.  Still scooting along and then we hit another one just like it.  We're on jeep roads at this point and I'm not really feeling it.  I tell Beth, "I could really use a second wind, I'm starting to fall."  Within 3 minutes of saying that, we reach the top and are greeted with a beautiful sight.  Singletrack in the woods.  "This will help."  And it did.  We're running downhill and jumping over fallen trees and I'm feeling back to normal. My quads are completely thrashed and I'm starting to really get a headache but I'm loving the terrain.

Pajarito Ski Lodge in the background

Pipeline to Guaje Ridge 3.7 miles: 316 ft elevation gain, 1,048 ft elevation lost.

We had been warned by our Amarillo friends that when we got to the Guaje Ridge aid station to drink as much as we could and fill our bags to the top.  One of the volunteers gave me his personal stash of Advil for my headache and we ate a bowl full of Cheez-It's.  We knew we had a lot of downhill ahead of us and it was wide open in the section really impacted by the fire.  It's all dirt and dust and rocks and dead trees and it's the longest section without an aid station, 5.3 miles.  Talking with friends afterwards, they really hated this part and had a hard time staying motivated.  Because Beth and I were together though we kept talking and talking and just making our way down.  We passed a lot of people in this part.  I took my second and last fall here.  I've been using trekking poles the whole time which I love but as I get tired they become a bit of a liability.  I knew this from TransRockies though so I tried to be careful.  Wasn't quite careful enough, I slipped and my arm and pole went way behind the rest of my body, oops. With about 2 miles to go to the next and last aid station we bottomed out a little and it reminded me of my favorite part of Palo Duro.  This is weird but the chant that kept going in my head was, "You're a good little runner Michelle.  Keep running.  You're a good runner, run Michelle."  I focused on my pole plants and got that rhythm in my head.  I actually ran up some of the speed-bump hills in this part because I was so focused on running. 

Guaje Ridge to Rendija Canyon:  5.3 miles (total mileage 31.0), 36 ft elevation gain, 1,792 ft elevation lost.

Last aid station!!!! 1.9 miles to go!!! Steve and his wife were there and took our picture and I had some pumpkin pie and then they told us to get out of there. So we're climbing again and walking and then running and then we see the pedestrian tunnel that we had entered at the very beginning.  Two fast 50 milers pass us and I tell Beth I'm motivated to pick up the pace.  We have a mile left and I say, "We can run a mile."  She says, "It's cool if we crawl or walk too." Haha, I totally agreed and thought I should have said, "We can do a mile."  We get another 1/2 mile down and I say, "Two laps around the track!!" I get back, "Michelle, I don't normally run 32.5 miles before my track workout." See, we're having so much fun!!  We are beyond miserable and tired but we're a little sad the day is about to end. 

Last Aid Station! Dailymiler Steve and his wife. Thanks for the treats! (Helene's photo)

Tunnel...about a mile left. (Helene's photo)

Then we enter what is every trail race director's idea of a funny joke.  A hand over hand climb up to the finish.  I just ran as hard as my legs could run after having ran more than 32 miles and then I had to climb these rocks.  My spirit took a drastic dive south and I heard people cheering my name and couldn't even look up or smile....I was in shock, where was that damn finish line?!?

Rendija Canyon to Finish: 1.9 miles (total distance 32.9), 426 ft elevation gain, 206 ft elevation lost.

Beth and I cross the line together and she said, "What do we do now?" We had just spend 9 hours and 38 minutes with only one thought....move forward, never stop moving forward.  And then it was over.  I walked to a shaded tree and laid down and tried not to cry.  She went and got our bags.  

Spent two hours drinking beer and eating delicious green chile enchiladas and visiting with Dallas friends, Mike and Melissa, and getting to see Dailymile friend Amy finish the 50 mile.  We've never met in person and she's just ran for 12 hours and 21 minutes.  As she's about to cross the finish line I realize it's her and point and yell, "AMY!!" She looks at me, smiles and says, "MICHELLE!"  Can you imagine running for 12:21 and seeing someone you've only ever seen a thumbnail picture of and recognize them?? Amazing.  She was 5th overall female and my hero. 

Met Alan and Helene for dinner and shared stories of our day.  They had ran the half marathon and had an awesome time.  We (the 50k'ers) all agreed it was the hardest thing we'd ever done.  After that 3rd climb at mile 15 Beth and I said it was already harder than all 3 days of TransRockies combined. 

Post race dinner (Helene's photo)

There isn't a single thing that I would change about this race.  I'm so proud of myself I can't hardly stand it. :D  I think my nutrition leading up to the race was great and my nutrition during the race was great.  I listened to my body and pushed as hard as I could the whole time while correctly pacing myself.   I hope it comes across that I just loved being out there and sharing it with friends and strangers.  I have a 3 day stage race (20 miles each day) in Chattanooga in 4 weeks.  Should be just enough time to recover and taper! 

Finishers award

Countdown to Jemez 50k (actually 33.2 miles)

In preparation for Jemez I ran 63.2 miles last week. Did my normal easy Monday, track Tuesday (miles repeats), trails Wednesday, easy Thursday, off Friday and then the weekend consisted of 24 miles on the trails Saturday and Muenster 15k Sunday afternoon.

I felt good on Saturday at Northshore. It was really hot and humid but I'm gradually getting acclimated and I drank a ton of water and Nuun on Friday to get ready. Ran about 12 miles with buddies and 12 by myself. The last 5 were the hardest, it was getting really hot out and I was by myself. I kept thinking, "You're over-reacting Michelle, you're totally fine. You're legs aren't even tired...you're just hot and ready to be done. The faster you run, the less you walk, the sooner you'll be done." It was true...my legs weren't really tired, everything else was though.

Spent the rest of Saturday at home with Evan wearing my compression socks, drinking water, and napping. A perfect Saturday! ; )

Sunday turned into another crazy thunderstorm day. Stacy and I met at Starbucks in Trophy Club and as soon as we left it started POURING. Can't see out the windows, pouring. It was like Grasslands '10 all over again. You're driving to a race thinking, "this is crazy!!"

Once we got there we were just freezing and I was realizing how very unprepared for the cold I was. I hadn't even brought pants to change into afterwards, only a skirt! But the good news is I LOVE LOVE LOVE running in the cold. We heard they were going to delay the start of the race because it just started raining buckets right at noon but then K2 and someone else just went and stood at the starting line. Hahaha! Everyone else quickly followed and we were off!!

Waiting for awards after the race.  It was FREEZING!!

I stayed behind my friends the first mile because I knew it was going to take at least a mile for my legs to figure out what they were doing and I hadn't done any warm-up miles. The first mile is uphill and into the wind. Still ended up with an 8:13 first mile and I knew right away that it was going to be a good day for me. After about 1/2 mile my breathing calmed down and I felt really strong. It's so funny how you just know right away what kind of a day it's going to be.

The next 3 miles were straight north into the wind and it was CRAZY. It took me about 1/2 mile to catch up to Brad and Rick and they were alternating taking drafting turns. I stayed behind them for awhile and then said I would take a turn. I wasn't totally sure if I would help, being so much smaller than them but I think it did. Working together as a team we caught Kevin who was battling those winds all alone. He caught on to our train and we continued our 4 man rotation. It was great fun and I was just smiling at the ridiculous nature of the whole day.

Finally we turn and the wind is at our side and we hit the hilly part of the course. From that first hill I knew my climbing legs were ready to work. I got ahead of the guys in the hills and it became a game of me trying to not let them catch me. It was great fun and really challenging. I had flashbacks of my second leg at Texas Independence Relay because the terrain and my effort level was really similar. I got really tired after the last major hill but I kept thinking about TIR and how I was able to hold on there so I could hold on here.

Getting back into town you had to go north again and that sucked but I saw Laura and Denny and that helped me stay focused on my form and working hard. I saw them again on the last straight away and Laura yelled, "3 blocks to go!" I pumped my arms and ended up with a 6:45 pace that last .3. The aide station volunteers had told me I was 4th woman so that really kept me pumped and working as hard as I could. K2 was yelling "GO DRUM" over and over and that really helped too.

This was the most fun and the best I've felt at a race in a really long time. It was just awesome. I really the most proud that I was able to put forth that effort after 4 hours and 40 minutes on the trail the day before and finishing out my highest training week ever with 63 miles.

My AG medal (Thanks Laura N for the pics!)

4th Female Overall, 1st Age Group (30-34)
Mile splits: 8:13, 8:39, 9:07 (all into the wind), 8:12 (yay, we turned!), 7:55, 7:50, 7:30, 7:54 (back into the wind), 2:01 (last .3, 6:45 pace)

Jemez is May 21 so I start a really gradual taper now. I hate tapering and truly feel my strongest on high mileage weeks so it won't be as serious a taper as I did for Houston.

Grasslands Marathon

When I got home from Grasslands yesterday I told Evan that it was a super hard race and I never felt good, but I had so much fun and it was just what I needed. He looked down and just shook his head.

His reaction made me think so much about why it was just what I needed. What about it made me feel so whole, so once again satisfied with the mundaneness of day to day life? I totally understand why he doesn't get it. I've never cared that he wasn't a runner, he supports me 100% and listens to my endless runner babble. But I feel like I needed a way to explain why running a marathon in a sand pit after I've been sick for a week and a half in 85 degree weather is my idea of a good time.

I feel so alive when I run. Every pore and every cell in my body is working in harmony to accomplish the same goal. I can feel every part of my body. At some point everything hurts. That hurt just travels to different areas and you have to know that it won't last. I feel even more alive when I run trails. I loved the sand because it made it hard, I loved last year's mud, I love creek crossings, I love the cows, I loved the gates, I just love being outside. Nothing is really pretty about Grasslands. Everything is dead, there's nothing stereotypically pretty about it. And yet, it's wonderful. I loved the scenery and the tiny patches of purple flowers that you would come upon. I loved the cows blocking the trail and having to stop to open the gates and shut them again so the cows wouldn't get out.

I've spent the last week and a half with the worst cold I've had in years. Because this past week was spring break I spent it on the couch bored out of my mind and feeling sorry for myself. I got so antsy and so miserable. I didn't have the energy to run or lift weights but I wasn't so bad that I just slept all day. I was very worried about running a trail marathon under these conditions. Finally, Friday I started feeling good. Took some Tylenol Cold and Sinus and allergy medicine and spent the day out of the house. I didn't know what Saturday's marathon would bring me but I was feeling better about it.

The first 45 minutes were pure hell. My heart rate was off the charts, I could barely get my legs to function and mucus was pouring out of my head faster than I was running. And then...I felt great. I could breathe, my heart rate got back to normal and my legs ran the next 3 miles like they finally remembered how to run. It was awesome. I knew then that I would finish and my cold was now a distant memory.

Unfortunately, those 3 miles were the only miles my legs actually ran well. After that until the end it was a total slog-fest. Yes, it was so sandy. Running on a beach that has never been touched by the ocean, sandy. Sand everywhere. Snot everywhere. But the main thing is I just didn't feel strong. My legs weren't my legs.

The best part was I knew it didn't matter. I didn't have a time goal, this wasn't an A race for me, I was just out there to have fun running. And I did. I had a great time, this runner's high will last me for weeks. Having done so many long runs this year and Palo Duro 50k and TransRockies 3 day, I knew that I could keep going. It was excruciatingly slow, but I knew I could just keep going. So I just settled in and enjoyed the day under the circumstances that I was given.

It's been a long time...

It has been so long since I've written about my running.  I spent all of November - January intensely focused on trying to qualify for Boston at the Houston Marathon.  For as well as my training went, it turned out not to be my day and I ended up DNFing with ITB issues.  I've gone through a bit of a transition phase since then.  To recap: 

I loved training for Houston.  I love high mileage weeks and I loved getting faster each week.  A few highlights of that training:  

*PRing a 5k in December.  I ran a 21:32 with Troy pacing me.  It was a perfect weather day and I felt great.

*January 1st I ran 9 miles at the club and my mantra was "You're faster than you think you are." Again...perfectly cold weather and I ran those 9 miles in 1:08.  

*One of my last track workouts before Houston was 5 x 1 mile.  Alan ran them all with me and my slowest was 7:00.  My fastest was 6:54.  This still amazes me. 

*My last long training run was 22 miles on January 8.  I ran 13 miles @ 8:30 pace and just felt exhausted.  It had been a tough week of workouts and I felt depleted.  After those 13 miles I ran RAW's Bold In The Cold 15k race with Troy pacing me.  We hung on to a 8:15 pace.  That pace actually felt better than my 8:30's until the last 3 miles.  Then it was all I could do to stay with him.  I cried after this workout.  I was so proud to have done it and my confidence was so high that I could BQ in Houston.

Some of the toughest workouts:

*20 miler on Christmas morning.  It was so incredibly windy.  My last 4 miles were into the wind and I would run as hard as I could, stop, turn my back to the wind and just breathe.  I had to do that like 4 times.  It was such a mental challenge to keep driving into that wind.  

*One of my Thursday tempo runs I was just beat before I even showed up.  I never felt good both Tuesday and Thursday (my quality workouts).  If I felt good Tuesday at the track, I would be dead for Thursday tempo.  This one particular Thursday was the worst.  There is no question I would have quit earlier had Kevin and Brad not been there.  I just hung on to them for dear life.

*Ft Worth Running Club's Half Marathon in November.  This was awful.  I could not move my legs.  At all.  This race was a turning point for me though.  I immediately kicked my training up a higher level after this race.

Since Houston, I've rehabbed my ITB and am feeling pretty good.  I ran Texas Independence Relay with team HOORAW!! and turned out my fastest 10k ever.  I loved running for a team, there was never any question about slowing down or quitting.  However, I'm mentally beat up from training so hard and not getting the results I train for.  The last two years I trained really hard for a 70.3 Triathlon only to have it totally suck and then obviously Houston sucked.  The two big things that have gone well are TransRockies and Palo Duro.

I am not burned out on training and I'm not burned out on trying to get faster.  I love running. I'm just burned out on bad races.  I'm burned out on leaving so much in the weatherman's hands.  The one thing that all my bad races have in common is bad weather.  Because of that I have signed up for some trail races this spring.  I don't feel pressure on the trails like I do the road and I love the longer, slower distances.  If the weather sucks, who cares?  It's the trails!  However, once El Scorcho in July is over I plan to get back on the road.  I want to race 5k's, 10k's and 13.1's.  I want to get stronger at holding my fast pace for shorter races.  Then hopefully, I'll be ready to try and BQ again.  I'm convinced I can be a 3:30 marathoner.  I just need some more experience and confidence.  It seems this year I'm going to be a runner only.  I'm sure I'll be back to triathlons though in no time. : )

Races that I'm already signed up for in 2011:

3/19 Grasslands Full Marathon

4/2 Backwoods Scavenger Hunt with Mitchell

5/21 Jemez 50k

6/17 - 6/19 Chattanooga Stage Race

7/16 El Scorcho 50k

I'm an ultra runner!

Palo Duro 50k 

October 16, 2010

Unofficial Time: 6 hours 26 minutes

9th Female Overall, 3rd AG (39 and under)

Friday night packet pick-up and spaghetti dinner was really fun.  My nervous energy was a little out of control and I had a good time getting to see everyone.  Kelly and I went to our hotel room early and after one of Kathryn's pumpkin cookies and a Red Hook Harvest Ale, I went to bed.  Woke up just about every hour but was always able to fall back to sleep.  Got about 7 hours of sleep, I was thrilled with that.  

Had coffee, a bagel, almond butter and half a banana.  Driving over with Doug, Mary, and K2 I drank about 4 ounces of coke.  Just a little carbonation to settle my stomach.  Because it was so dark it was hard to see everyone but we all found each other at the starting line and after lots of pictures and good luck hugs it was time to run.  

I settled into the back because I didn't want to get stuck running too fast on the single-track.  K2 and I were together for maybe a mile and then she stopped to regroup with Mary and Michelle.  From that moment on, it was just me.  This had been my only real concern going into this event.  Could I run 31 miles by myself?  Without Beth?  Without being surrounded by the same people everyday who entertained me going up the hills?  I was pretty confident I could run 31 miles, just not nearly as confident I could do it alone.

Can you see me?  : )  I'm so happy with these pictures because my form is so much better!

First thing:  6 mile loop (Bottom part of the 12.5 mile figure 8 loop.)

1 - 13:18  Crowded, dark, took a while for runners to stretch out.  I was fine with that though.  My number one goal was not going out too fast for the first 18 miles.  I knew it was going to be a long day, just be patient.

2 - 12:49

3 - 11:38  Thinking I'm breathing in dust.  Trying hard to look behind me so I don't miss the sunrise.

3 - 11:38 Talked to a guy who has ran the Pikes Peak Marathon 3 times and this was his 4th 50 mile race.  It was his first time at Palo Duro.  He also talked to me about Jemez Trail Run because Troy and I are thinking of doing it this May.  He didn't make the 50 mile cut-off.  He says it's a beast.  Sounds perfect!

4 - 11:34 Didn't stop at aid station. Walked to get a Saltstick, ate a Hammer Gel.

5 - 11:34  Sun is up.  This is my only regret.  I wish I would have actually stopped and looked at the sunrise.  I got a great head turn view, but that was it.

6 - 10:29 Home base aid station: refilled water bottle, pee break, took off headlamp, no food.  Saw Jay and Marty.  Marty told me I looked like crap and to Eat It!  hahahahah!

Full 12.5 mile loop, take 1

7 - 11:47 Started feeling down here.   Thought about Tyler State Park and my 24 mile training run.  My hardest miles were 7 - 10.  Those must be my hump miles. : )

8 - 12:18 

9 - 11:58 Still feeling down, amazed the times aren't bad, think I walked some.  Checked my watch at every mile because I wanted to always be around a 12 minute mile.  I knew that with walking hills, stopping at aid stations and taking bathroom breaks, my time would add up quickly and I wanted to make sure when I was running, I was on pace.  Ate a half mojo.  Lonely.  Tried to focus on the scenery.  It's beautiful but doesn't quite do it for me like the mountains.

10 - 12:06  Aid station...1 gatorade, 1 snickers bite, water refill.  Found a group of 6 runners to hang on to.  Every time I got emotional I thought, check your nutrition.  Eat, salt, drink...what's not in balance.

11 - 11:20  Still with this group, grateful for them.  Started seeing my friends that walked the 20k.  This pumped me up each time!!

12 - 11:10  

13 - 11:17  Aid Station:  multiple gatorades, water refill.  snickers bite.  Didn't want to lose the group, kept it really short.

14 - 12:05  Right ITB is KILLING me.  The leaders of our group stop and I keep up with the 2 girls for awhile but then stop to stretch my leg.  Think I need to pick up the pace to stretch it out. 

15 - 14:13 Aid Station.  Coke, gatorade, water refill.  

16 - 10:00 ?? Um...turbo boost?  Must have taken a Roctane at the aid station.   Wondering if it's worth paying $2.50 for one GU?  It is.  Those things are magical.

17 - 12:25 Aid Station: coke, gatorade, water refill, Roctane I think.  I was really trying to stretch out my legs here because my ITB is still just murder.  Saw Tommy and we ran together for about a mile.  The longest he had ever ran was 15 miles and he ended up finishing the 50k.  So amazing.  He honestly seemed dead tired when I saw him and I was beyond impressed with his mental strength. 

18 - 12:43  Mile 18.5 was the start of the second loop and the aid station.  The majority of the 20k'ers had finished and it was awesome to see them.  Byron gave me a big hug and I headed to the aid station.  Bathroom break, got a new mojo, coke, gatorade, water refill.  I'm paying close attention to make sure I've had one Saltstick an hour.  I can't for the life of me remember how many I've taken so I count how many I have left.  Here's where a TransRockies lesson came into play:  conscious, logical thinking skills when under extreme fatigue. : )  I knew I had 10 in the bag, I had given one to Tommy and I had been running for 4 hours.  I was so proud of myself for logically thinking this through.  It sounds silly but I haven't been known to do logical things in endurance events.  (I have however, been known to find a tree and cry.) ; )

Full 12.5 mile loop, take 2

19 - 12:49  Extremely emotional.  Thinking I could burst into crying, shaking tears at any moment.  I kept thinking about all of RAW and how awesome they are.  I had heard Brad yell before any one saw me, "There she is!!  Go Michelle!!"  I'm so thankful to have this running club.  

20 - 12:12  Walked some, starting thinking I must be low on nutrition and that's why my emotions are going crazy.  Eat the second half of my mojo and it tastes like crap to me.  I can't even get the whole half down.  TransRockies lesson 2:  If it's not working, don't fight it.  My normal routine of coke, mojo's and pretzels was not working for me.  I would have stomach distress after each bite of bar and drink of coke.  (Which is normally what helps my stomach!)  Every Hammer Gel and GU Roctane however tasted great and settled perfect with my stomach.  Same with Gatorade.  So, that was my new plan.  

21 - 13:11  Still so alone...ITB still killing me, especially on the downhills. Walking breaks.

22 - 13:28  More walk breaks...

23 - 16:37  Aid Station.  19 to 22 was the lowest point of the race for me.  I was overwhelmed with doing another lap and was sick of being all by myself.  I couldn't see anyone in front of me or behind me.  TransRockies lesson number 3:  I wasn't really focusing on these negatives though.  All the little voices in my head continued positive thoughts, I just knew these were the reasons I was having a low.  Again...eat woman, eat.  Definitely spent a minute or two at the aid station.

24 - 12:56  Getting back in the mental game of kicking ass.  This was my break-through mile.  I thought, 8 miles left.  No problem.  I can run 8 miles in my sleep.  This heat is no problem.  I've run in WAY worse heat.  This leg pain is no problem.  I've run with WAY worse leg pain. 

I kept picturing myself at the Ski Cooper aid station of day 3 of TransRockies.  I remember telling my imaginary friend inside the video camera, "My legs, my abs, my arms have never been sorer.  I've never been more tired.  But I've found a pace that I can keep and I'm sticking to it."  Oh, TransRockies how I love you and your lessons.  I got Alien Ant Farm's version of "Smooth Criminal" in my head and found a pace I could keep.  I pictured me and Beth running the last long stretch to Camp Hale.  It was hot, we were tired, and we pushed each other to our limits.  

25 - 13:50  Aid Station:  lots of gatorade, warm water refill.  Sat my butt down for 30 seconds on the picnic table and loved every second of it.  Came upon 3 runners and talked to them when we started running.  They were really experienced NTTR members and it was really helpful to me to have someone to talk to for a second.  Met a guy from Houston who gave me some advice about the Houston marathon course.  (There's a hill at mile 18 and 22 but the rest is flat and fast.  After your 20 mile long training runs, don't stop, run some hill repeats.  Then your run can be over.)

26 - 12:21  Feeling really confident.  My pace is great, I'm walking the hills and running everything else.  I know that I'm going to finish.  Heard one of the guys say to the girl, "Did she say this was her first ultra?  She's doing great!"  This pumped me up so much!  I couldn't let them down, I WAS doing great!

27 - 13:31 

28 - 14:05 Aid Station  ICE!!!  They had ice and it was the best thing of my entire day.  I poured freezing water on my head and face and down my shirt.  I drank almost an entire water bottle as I was standing there and then refilled it again.  Ate some boiled potatoes and gatorade and potato chips.  This is the best aid station.  This older couple was so freaking nice every time and really just made my day with their attitude.  Two deer were hanging out both times I came through.  To get to the aid station though you had to go down a steep hill and my ITB HATED me each time I did this.  Seriously, I had to side step it and make groaning noises for each step.  hahaha!

29 - 13:43 So ridiculously happy.  I'm going to do this and I think I'm going to make my goal.  I'm so proud of myself for the constant running that I've been doing.  My pace is slower but I really ran all but the hills.  It was really important to me to not walk the second half.  I believe in walking and understand its importance in Ultra's but I didn't want to actually walk any miles.  Only the hills.  I was so glad I made A, B, and C goals because knowing I could make my A goal really, really propelled me forward.  I'm also glad that I didn't make my A goal 6 hours.  I made it something that I thought I could realistically achieve if nothing really went drastically wrong.

30 - 11:50  Last Aid Station!!!  More ICE!!!  It's the little things really.  : )  When my Garmin beeped at me "lap 30" I just about had a heart attack.  Holy Shit!  I just ran 30 f-ing miles!!  Still thinking I can make my "A" Goal of beating 6 hours and 30 minutes.   I just can't walk.  I can't give in.  Find that pace and stick to it.  I do the math a billion times in my head because it gives me something to focus on and it was quite a challenge to add two miles together and subtract them from 30.  Oh brain, I'm sorry you're so tired.   I learned from the NTTR Forums, "RFM:  Relentless Forward Motion."  I thought of that always.  

Jay on the left, Byron on the right
They are so awesome!

31 - 11:02  Second fastest mile of the day!  What?!!  Eat it!  Just kept thinking, get to the road, get to the road.  Your friends will see you and that will help, just get to the road.  Every little leg cramp that happened I just told to relax, it was almost over.  Just relax and don't stop running.

Woo hoo!! I did it!

31.07 Garmin unofficial total mileage

12:27 Garmin unofficial average pace per mile

Approximate food intake because I can't really remember but I do want record of it:

1 Mojo Bar

2 Snickers bites

2 bites of boiled potato with salt

1 date bar

3 or 4 potato chips

2 Roctane's:  the blue one tasted great, the orange one not so much

1 Hammer Gel:  apple cinnamon

6 Saltstick capsules

1 or 2 gatorade swigs at each aid station

3 or 4 total Coke swigs until I realized they were hurting my stomach

drank my whole water handheld between every aid station on the last 12.5 mile loop.  

This was such an awesome experience and I can't wait to do it again!  I thought a lot about running and it's impact on my life and how grateful I am to be a part of a running club.  Having done this run alone, my confidence about doing a road marathon again in January is much higher.  More than I even realized, my pain tolerance and mental strength are much stronger because of TransRockies.

Thanks to Nick for the pictures, Jay took a lot also that I'll upload later!  

September Racing Craziness

This was totally unplanned but I ended up racing every weekend this month!  After TransRockies I took it easy for 7 days and then started on my speed workouts gearing for the Houston Marathon in January.  I've never done 800's before and I wanted to work up to 10 before the end of October.  Since I have Palo Duro 50k in the middle of October, I knew I needed to get on it.

I'm loving the 800's.  It has helped me so much especially mentally.  Doing 3 5k's this month, I just kept thinking they were my 800's with out the breaks.  It's working. : )

Labor Day, September 6:  Ft Worth Running Club Labor Day 5k.

My loot!  That's a huge magnet! 

This race didn't get off to the best start.  I had run 18 trail miles two days before, it started late, was hot, and there was a huge line for the porta-potties.  I didn't get in my normal warm-up and just did a couple pick-ups in the parking lot.  I was out of breath from the start and just tried to keep my pace from falling.  I really, really wanted to break 23:00 but it was not to be.  I got lucky though and no one in my age group was faster then me.  (Let's be honest, I really just love winning, lol.)  My brother was in town from Austin and did it with me.  It was so fun to have him around (even if he did beat me) and he got to meet all my RAW friends.

Total time: 23:28

7:33 pace, PR

1st of 56 females 30-34

 19th overall female out of 373

Mitchell, Me, Beth, Kelly

Saturday, September 11:  Mercy Heart Spur On 10k

Kat, Kelly, Me, Elizabeth
Check out our medals!

I did this race last year and it's a great race.  It's really tough...two hills, one which is long and steep to the finish.  It's very affordable and all the money goes to a great cause.  Having no idea how to pace myself for a 10k I was disappointed with this race.  It was fun though and I was definitely tired after that final hill!  I just am still learning how to correctly pace my new speed and I didn't do so hot that day. : )

Total time: 51:30

2nd of 10 AG 30-34

8:18 pace, PR

Troy, Kelly, Elizabeth, T.O., Laura, Me, Jay, Marty

Me and Jay

Saturday, September 18:  Run in the Dark 5k 7:45 p.m. start time

In the morning me, Kelly, and her daughter Brin, volunteered at the Addison Octoberfest 5k.  It was really fun and I was so glad I had signed up to help.  I took it easy in the afternoon and then went up to Keller with Jay, Kelly, and Brin for the Run in the Dark 5k.  Kelly and I were really motivated to set PR's.  I was determined to break 23:00 this time.  It was crazy humid, but the sun was down and I was familiar with the course having run it two years ago.  This was one of those runs that I will never forget.  I felt so good the entire time.  My lungs didn't start needing short, quicker breaths until about a mile to go and even then I could feel that my legs still had a kick in them.  All I kept thinking was, "I'm going to do it!  I'm going to do it!!"  Yay, I did!  (Kelly and Jay PR'd too!)

Total time: 22:53 

2nd AG (30-39) out of 204  (second place by 2 seconds!  The same girl beat me the weekend before.)

7:24 pace, PR

Saturday, September 25:  Rahr Brewery Octoberfest 5k

Laura, Mike, K2, Christine, Me, Beth, Mary, Michelle, Brad, Doug, Troy, Susie

Byron in front pacing me to a 5k PR!

Rain, rain, and more rain.  Even a little thunder and lightning.  CRAZY.  It didn't matter, it was really fun.  Ridiculously huge puddles, narrow streets because of cars, slanted roads, zero mile markers...still really fun.  My buddy Byron asked if he could pace me but said I couldn't wear my watch.  As annoying as it was for me to not know my distance or pace ever, I just trusted him and stayed as close to him as I could.  He was yelling positive things to me the whole time and I know I wasn't the only one that benefitted from it.  I didn't feel quite as good as I did for Run in the Dark but I knew we were keeping a faster pace. Even just  4-5 seconds per mile is huge in a 5k.  Doing these 3 5k's so close to each other really helped me get a good feel for the distance and how to mentally handle it.  I can't wait to take a little time off, keep up my track workouts and try again with some cooler (dry) weather.

Total time: 22:40 

5th Overall Female out of 350

2nd AG (30-34) out of 66 

7:17 pace

This 5k was pretty expensive, $35...but you got free Rahr beer afterwards and there was no limit.  I had 3 and felt like I definitely got my money's worth! : )

Michelle, Christine, K2, Troy, Susie, Laura, Doug, Me, Mary
More medals for RAW!  Laura got the best price for winning...that huge beer mug!

After the 5k yesterday a bunch of us from the running club took off to Tyler State Park.  We camped last night and then ran trails this morning.  I got my 24 miles in and felt great.  Those trails are really well maintained and fun.  I felt pretty sore the first 6 miles or so but the longer I went the better I felt.  First ultramarathon is in 3 weeks.  Palo Duro 50k!  I'm ready!