This is my life!

Lookout Mountain 50 Mile Trail Race

Sun, 18 Dec 2011 20:43:04 -0500

In November 2010, we went down to Chattanooga for the Upchuck 50k. We had so much fun and really enjoyed the city, people and the terrain; that we decided to come back, this time for the Lookout Mountain 50 miler. Since Dahlia stopped nursing in September, she has become more independent and couldn't wait to spend a weekend at grandma and grandpa's house. Scott and I would be able to make it a quick trip and both run!

December is a tough time to race. The days are shorter; your body wants to go into hibernation and motivation wanes. I was able to stay healthy and fit leading up to the race. Scott on the other hand, was not as fortunate. He went in with very little training, a head cold and under a lot of stress. To tell you the truth I was a bit nervous for him.

The race actually began in Georgia on top of Lookout Mountain at Covenant College. It was a cold start. I wore a long sleeve shirt, a vest, knickers, gloves and a Buff on my head. For hydration I carried my vest filled with water, a bar and electrolyte pills. In my hand, a bottle filled with Perpetuum. The first few miles were spectacular. The trail wove along a cliff with towering rocks on our right and a drop off with a killer view on our left.

I was running with a large group and not too far behind was Natalie Sims. She is a local. I had met Natalie last year at Upchuck 50k. She is very nice and a strong runner but unfortunately I did not recognize her with her hat and sunglasses on so I never said hello. Scott was just in front and when we hit the 1st aid station we ran together for some time after. He always seemed to drift ahead and I would catch up at each aid (or he would wait for me?).

We hit a 100-yard long water hazard just before the 14-mile aid station where the water was crotch deep (knee deep for everyone else!). Brrrrrr! My feet never warmed up after that and actually were numb for a good portion of the race. Coming back up to Covenant College Aid station (mile 22) was a looonnnggg climb. That threw my pace off but I felt confident that I was moving at a good clip and could make it up. I got there in 3 hours and 35 minutes. I caught back up to Scott at the aid station. We had drop bags here. I took off my vest, dropped my bottle, picked up a flask of Perpetuum and a bar and headed out in less than 3 minutes.

The trail became twisty and wet as it edged along a brook. We popped out at a power line hill climb where Scott powered ahead of me. There was a lot of nondescript trail and old road through this section that eventually brought us out to Lula Lake Aid Station. I found Scott there again, grabbed a few boiled potatoes with salt and blasted down the road ahead of him. There was a thunderous roar coming from the river on my left. I glanced over my shoulder and saw an amazing 60-foot waterfall. Wow!!!!! The course took a quick right and straight up we went.

There were ropes built in to help with the climb. Scott was with me again and we stuck together for a while. We hit a dirt road and climbed more gradually for a long time and then headed downhill for a long time, eventually coming to a river (maybe part of the same one we saw earlier?) The trail had been demolished from a tornado. There were tons of trees down and brush everywhere. A lot of work had been done to make it passable. Thank you to the crew that put the time in! It made it slow going though.

Eventually we popped out onto a paved road and crossed the street to Long Branch Aid station (mile 34). I had a hard time finding my drop bag there but hooked back up with Scott and we were on our way for a 4.5-mile loop. I was feeling a bit sluggish at this point. I ate some more potatoes and salt and increased my water consumption. We continued on to another twisty section. I noticed I was slowing a bit as a few racers started catching up with me. Scott had gotten out ahead but on a downhill we reunited and he told me his quads were hurting him on the downhill. I gave him some words of encouragement and soldiered on.

I got back into a groove but this section took me a lot longer than I hoped. My goal of under 9 hours was slipping away. I finally made it back to Long Branch (mile 38.5) where I refilled my pack with water and grabbed more Perpetuum and a box of JItterbeans. I was hoping these would give me the jolt of energy I was looking for. I choked down half the box (I can't stand the taste of coffee!) and waited for that burst. It never manifested but I did feel motivated to push again especially when I made it back to Lula Lake Aid Station (mile 44) in less than 1 hour. I pushed on with a renewed sense of purpose but the drive waned and my body was tired, as the trail never seemed to end.

I did start catching runners as I neared the finish line. I hit the power lines again and tried to fly down the hill knowing that the finish was not far off. Back through the twisty, muddy section, up to the sports fields. My 9-hour goal had passed and I was having trouble running the up hills but I could “smell the barn“ and even passed a few more racers to complete the course in 9 hours 16 minutes 20 seconds! First woman and 20th overall!

I headed straight to our car where I changed up right away but started shivering uncontrollably. To my amazement and delight, Scott showed up at the car 20 minutes later! We turned the heat on and got some recovery drink in. We headed back up the finish to get some food and spent the next couple of hours in the medical tent that was being warmed by a stove. Scott and I had a blast talking with other runner and volunteers. When the 3rd woman came in I got to stand on the podium and received some wonderful prizes. Good times!

Grindstone 100

Thu, 13 Oct 2011 22:11:45 -0400

Wow, where to start! It was quite a journey just getting to the start line of the Grindstone 100 ultramarathon trail running race. The race was 101.85 miles long with 23,200 feet of elevation gain and 23,200 feet of elevation loss on a 50 mile out and back.

Scott and I decided to drive our family to Virginia in our Volkswagen Eurovan “Pop Top” over the course of 2 days. On the way down we stayed in Shepherdstown, WV with my pacer, Paul Davis, and his wife Laura. I met Paul at the Laurel Highlands Ultra in June. We ran 15 miles together before he pulled away. I knew he was a strong runner; we had a good rapport, so I had asked him to pace me. Paul and Laura were wonderful hosts.

We finished our 9-hour journey the next morning and made it to the Boy Scouts of American Camp Shenandoah by 2:00 P.M. just in time to hear the last few words of the pre-race meeting. Unfortunately, the pre-race meeting was at 1:00 P.M., but we were still on the side of Interstate 81…waiting for a tow truck to bring us gas. My husband miscalculated our fuel consumption because we were pulling our Gearwagon. He intended to take the next exit, but we never got there.

Once we reached Camp Shenandoah, we set up our campsite; I put my gear together and tried to chill out. Check in time for the 6:00 P.M. start quickly approached, I got dressed and made my way up the hill to the start line. In no time, we were counting down from 10 and then the race director shouted, “GO”. We ran around the pond and through the camp where just over a mile into the race, all the spectators were able to cheer us on. The first 6 miles flew by. I ran through Aid Station 1, Falls Hollow, in 56 minutes and began the climb up Elliot Knob. Darkness soon set in, and I settled into a strong hiking pace after negotiating a few miles of single-track. The long crushed rock road climb seemed to never end, but the moon was bright and beautiful so it didn’t feel so bad.

I reached the top, punched my bib number and started my descent and turned back onto a really fun single-track trail. After a few miles, I came up behind a runner, our pace matched and we began to chat. His name was Regis Shivers. Yes, that name sounds like a rock star! And he sure was! Regis and I (along with another great guy, Tad) ended up running all the way to the turnaround together, about 40 miles. With all of his chatter, he sure made the time fly by. After a few miles together, another runner came up behind and passed us, telling us she had gotten lost early in the race and must have run an extra 1.5 miles. Regis looked at me and said, “Don’t worry you’ll catch her.” I said wasn’t worried because there were still 85+ miles to go.

After we got in a rhythm together we had a long descent to Aid Station 2, Dry Branch Gap. I must have tripped 3 times landing flat on my chest. None hurt badly, but I just felt silly. I did have 2 lights on which worked great; a Petzl 60 lumen headlamp and a Gomotion 100 lumen chest lamp. No matter what kind of light you have, running downhill in the dark, you will trip from time to time. The trail was littered with lots of loose rocks and leaves, and it followed the contour of a mountainside. I hit Aid Station 3, Dowell’s Draft, at 10:30 P.M., right where I projected to be. I took in some real food; potatoes with salt, bananas and refilled my hydration pack. I was also able to drop my flask of Perpetuum and grab a bottle filled with more Perpetuum instead. I opted not to take my gloves and forgot to grab additional electrolyte tablets.

It was long climb up and a lot of ridge running from there. I kept thinking we would see a bear. It was getting colder but I was still comfortable in my shorts sleeves except for my right hand, which was exposed. We crested and started dropping down on dirt road. Every once in a while I would get a bit nervous noting to Regis that I had not seen any flagging in a while and then just a minute or two later we would spot one. The course was very well marked with reflective tags. A lot of them had been pulled down or fell down and were on the ground but they still reflected and therefore still did their job. We rolled through Aid Station 4, Lookout Mountain, and continued upward again. I don’t remember much from this section but it took me about an hour and a half to negotiate, and we eventually dropped down into Aid Station 5, North River Gap.

We were required to weigh in and there was a lot of aid. I ate 4 potato and cheese pierogies and another banana. I don’t eat much cheese anymore but I needed something savory and they were grilled nicely! The next section was grueling. It was an unrelenting climb. My pace slowed way down and this is where I lost a lot of time. It took me 2 ½ hours to cover 7.8 miles. I didn’t loose any places but it shot my goal finishing time out the window. We reached Aid Station 6, Little Bald, at 4:00 A.M. I had a drop bag there and thought about changing socks, as the ball under my left piggy toe had been bothering me earlier but it felt better now and I did not want to mess with it.

I had some soup, grabbed a new bottle of Perpetuum, and had the aid station crew fill my hydration pack. Ohhhh, big mistake. I got the pack back and it was soaked. My jacket that was inside was soaked as well and I really wanted to put it on because I was starting to get chilled. I grumbled, dumped the water out of my pack, threw my jacket on, and started running. I wasn’t going to let this get me down. It was leading up to this aid station that I started feeling the urge to pee and it kept coming about every half hour. I kept thinking that something was not right; I should be retaining more water instead of it going right through me. I increased my electrolyte intake with capsules and aid station drinks. I warmed up and cruised at a decent pace on the mostly uphill dirt roads into Aid Station 7, Reddish Knob.

There was another out and back where we had to tag an RV before turning at the summit, and coming back down. We dropped our packs and bottles for the short up and down. Boy, that felt good, but we still had more to go before turning around. Onward to Aid Station 8, Gnashing Knob. Getting there was 3 miles of mostly rolling paved road, then downhill and then up an approximately 1/2 mile dirt road. Going up the dirt road section I fell behind Regis and Tad. I was going through a rough spell. I felt my little aches were slowing me down. I ate more and took a Tylenol. If you know me you know I never take medications but in this instance I knew it would help me. I perked up a bit and came face to face with Katherine Dowson, the first place woman, coming downhill. I noted on my watch where we passed and on my way back down and calculated that she was about 23 minutes ahead. Not bad, and I was feeling better now.

I pulled away from Regis and Tad and did not see them again until the finish. I ran most of the way back to Reddish Knob getting a beautiful sunrise view and then onto Little Bald Knob a little before 8:00 A.M. I asked when the first woman had come through and they said she had left 18 minutes earlier. It was then that I knew there was a good chance of me catching her. Little Bald to North River took me just over 2 hours because there was a lot of downhill (remember all the climbing on the way out?) and it was loose rock. Normally I love running on this type of terrain but my quads were really hurting now and forced me to skip down the hill rather than bombing down it, which I found really frustrating for me. I made my way into North River Gap at 10:00 A.M. to find my husband, Scott and our two kids waiting for me. Paul Davis, my pacer was there too and they had a chair ready for me. I changed my socks and shoes, changed my shirt, ate some potato chips (mmmm salt!) and downed some coconut water.

I gave up my pack and switched to two handheld bottles; one with Perpetuum, the other with water and packed with electrolyte capsules and GU’s. They all told me that Katherine looked tired and that she spent 13 minutes at the aid station. I was out in 5, but without my pacer. Paul had woken up feeling “out of it” and could not run with me, but might be able to later on. I was okay with that. I was feeling good and now in hot pursuit. I was now in the heat of the day but was mostly under trees, so I did not feel it much. Since I had increased my electrolyte intake, I wasn’t peeing as much, but I still cannot count the number of times I needed to stop. I suspect I added on an hour to my race time with the repeated stops.

At this point in the race I was now surrounded by mountain bikers. They were everywhere. The mountain bikers told me that a woman was just ahead. They were all very nice and cheering me on. It was great to be with people on the trail again. Dropping down into the Lookout Mountain Aid Station, I refilled quickly, continued on, and as I was leaving the aid station, immediately caught Katherine, who was walking out of the aid station. She said she had a rough 30 miles and told me I looked good. I thanked her and told her we had 30 miles to go you never know what can happen.

I ran on ahead and she did not follow, so I kept pushing all the way into Dowell’s Draft at 1:22pm. I did not stop for long. I just refilled my bottles, took a Tylenol and ate some real food. My five-year old son ran next to me for a short while and cheered me on. I had less than 22 miles to go. No problem. I pushed on ahead, though, I think this was ugliest part of the course, and eventually headed uphill and then across a ridgeline roller coaster where the views improved. I was all alone again. With 14 miles to go, at Dry Branch Gap, Paul felt well enough to jump on course with me. Scott and Paul refilled my bottles again and I got a little testy with Scott because he kept asking me the same questions over and over again. I just wanted to be sure I had my electrolytes and a little food. I was still mostly consuming Perpetuum.

We had a long climb back toward Elliot’s Knob on tough terrain, but I forged ahead, running whenever possible. We hit the road and started our 4+ mile descent back to Falls Hollow Aid Station. Man, the downhill hurt my quads! I put the pain out of my head as best I could. There was no way I was going to walk downhill! It was very welcoming when we came to the trail. We were still going downhill, but at least it wasn’t a 25% decline! I was happy to negotiate rocks and roots again. Coming off of single-track, we were back on dirt road, which felt like forever! Come on aid station!!! We came into Falls Hollow at 6:57 pm. I downed some soda (which I never drink) and a box of Jitterbeans (candy containing 2 ½ cups of caffeine). Zing! I was shot out of a cannon. I don’t ever take in caffeine (besides chocolate). I ran the last 6 miles almost as fast as the first 6 miles. I wanted to go under 25 hours and I wanted to finish before dark. I pushed on the uphills, danced across the rock gardens, and pushed all the way to the finish line at 6:58:59, for a finishing time of 24 hours 58 minutes and 59 seconds. I was the first woman and 12th overall. I couldn’t believe the energy I had at the finish.

So what hurt after my adrenalin stopped pulsing? My quads took the brunt of the beating, the tops of my feet were sore, my lower back got a nice chafe from my pack, and my left forearm got the most painful injury from carrying my water bottle 70 miles.

I am very happy with my race and know that I can run Grindstone even faster if I choose to do it again. It had been almost 3 years since I had run a 100-miler and I had a nice long build-up since starting training with Coach Al Lyman. The training plan that he designed combined running, strength training, yoga, and cycling. He brought me through a progressive build-up that made me stronger and more resilient.

A big thanks to Coach Al, Paul Davis, and my family. Race Director, Clark Zealand, and all of the volunteers were wonderful. I can’t wait to compete again, and it has only been 5 days since the end of the race.

TARC 12 Hour

Mon, 15 Aug 2011 14:27:41 -0400

I signed up for the TARC (Trail Animals Running Club) 12 Hour Trail Race a few months ago. It fit nicely into my schedule and I was looking for a local ultra to continue my preparation for Grindstone in October. I have been putting a lot of time and effort into training under Coach Al’s guidance and was wondering when it was going to really pay off in a big way. This race was the first glimpse into that.

My son was with my mom and dad for the weekend so we only had Dahlia but did not want to have to get her up at 4 in the morning to drive to the race. We opted to sleep in our VW Eurovan poptop in Chris Haley’s (the RD) drive way which was 5 minutes from the start. He was gracious enough to offer this to us. Although our sleep was very fragmented due to my daughter hogging the blankets and kicking us in the sides all night I woke up feeling ready to run.

The start area was buzzing with everyone getting his or her gear ready and even a man dressed as a Sasquatch walking around. I strapped on my Nathan Hydration vest and got to the line. A few minutes past 7am the race started. I ran with a small group of guys and chatted a bit as we let one runner get out ahead. I got in a rhythm and turned out the first loop in a little over 1 hour 5 minutes. I picked up my handheld bottle of Perpertuem and continued on. Another 12 hour competitor, Paul from Cambridge, stayed with me through the second loop but when we pulled into the aid station again he needed a longer pit stop. I grabbed some watermelon and potatoes with salt and moved on. The next 6 loops I ran on my own catching a few kind words with the other competitors as I passed them. Although the amount of walking increased slightly with each 6.5 mile loop I remained fairly consistent in time. I averaged about 1 hour 20 minutes each time around. I felt good and strong, never having a low point. I filled my 50 oz hydration bladder 4 times and refilled my 24 oz handheld with 3 scoops of Perpetuem 3 times. After 6 loops I changed my socks and sneakers, not out of necessity but just because it was so convenient to do so. I dropped my hydration pack after 7 loops because it was beginning to bother me by rubbing my low back. I usually have this problem and decrease the issue by tucking in my shirt but the tank I wore did not allow for this. I have thought of placing duck tape on my low back but my husband thinks I am crazy. Any suggestions? I carried an additional handheld filled with water instead for the remaining hours. It was a nice change. I refilled that bottle 2 more times. Each time I came through the aid station I ate a bit of solid food, mostly bananas, potatoes with salt, watermelon, grapes, and potato chips. Everything settled well and felt great.

After 7 loops it was starting to get monotonous seeing the same trail over and over again. I was beginning to wish I had music even though I never listen to music while running. Luckily I did get the opportunity to run with a very nice volunteer on my 9th loop. His name was Julian. It was nice to talk with some one again and we had nice conversation. In the middle of the loop I finally remembered to ask how close second place was. Julian informed me that last he heard a runner named Rob was one hour back. Wow, I couldn’t believe I had gotten so far ahead. It kept me motivated and with just over a mile to we came upon Scott walking. I told him to get on our “train” and run with us. He said he would hang on for as long as he could. He stuck with us to the aid station. We got in at 11 hours 31 minutes. The rules of this race state that you have to reach an aid station for your previous miles to count and I knew after running all day that I would not be able to cover the ~3.2 miles in time. So my race ended with covering 58.5 miles placing 1st overall and without being depleted.

The TARC 12 Hour was a great test of my fitness and also a lot of fun as I met some really great people; both runners and volunteers. A little more work to do and I will be ready for Grindstone 100.

A big thank you as well to my husband for being such a great crew and taking care of Dahlia at the same time.

Laurel Highlands Ultra Trail Race (77 mile version)

Sun, 12 Jun 2011 20:51:39 -0400

First, I would like to give a little bit of back ground on the race. Laurel HIghlands is one of the oldest ultra trail races in the country. It is a point to point run on the Laurel Highlands Hiking Trail. It is normally 70 miles but a detour was put in place because of a bridge being out over a highway. The detour is a 8.3 mile gravel and tar road run with little shade. So with part of the trail unusable and the added road section you get 77 miles instead of 70.5 (.5 is because the start is not right at the trail head).

The race start was at 5:30am. I left the family sleeping in our VW Eurovan pop-top at the Ohiopyle State Park campground and jogged to the start in the dark which was about 3/4 of a mile. I put my lights and jacket in a gear bag and placed it in the drop bag section for the 44 mile aid station.

We started at exactly 5:30am getting over the tracks before the next train and then onto the LHHT (Laurel HIghlands HIking Trail). There were over 100 runners because some were relay teams. The only way to tell us apart was with the color of the bib number. Black was solo and red was relay. Two girls got ahead of me but I wasn't worried since 1) they could be in relay and 2) we had 76 more miles to go. I got into a rhythm and started chatting with some of the guys I was running the same pace as.

After a few miles and some tricky downhill, which I love, I caught a few guys and one girl. I found out she was a relay runner and we had a nice conversation. The first 10 miles was a lot of climbing. Once we were up on the ridge the next 10 miles was mostly gently rolling. The footing was tricky with rocks and roots, and there were also a lot of wooden bridges. I ran that section with a nice guy from D.C. That time flew by. All the while I was conscientious of my water and food intake. I wore my Nathan Hydration vest filled with Succeed pills, a flask of Hammer gel and I carried a water bottle filled with Perpetuem. I felt good and was running a strong pace.

I got to see Scott, Shep and Dahlia at the County Line Road Crossing at mile 28. I gave them kisses, switched my Hammer gel to a different flavor and got a new bottle of Perpetuem. Mile 37 started the road section. At this point I was all alone and focused on running it strong and maybe catching a few people. The road was an energy sapper. The last 3 miles back to the woods was all uphill. I tried to run most of it but found myself getting increasingly fatigued. I gathered myself at the aid station and reminded myself I only had just over a 50k to go. I watched some of the other runners change their socks and I thought as I left the aid station that would be a great idea.

This next section was so cool with boulders to run through and rocks to skip around. Unfortunately, I walked a lot of it because I couldn't find the energy to scamper over the type of trail I love the most. Also, my back was beginning to hurt where the bottom of my pack lay. I knew I was getting an abrasion there and I think it was the material of my shirt as this normally doesn't happen. My feet were also getting sore from all the pounding.

It took me about 2 hours for the next 8 miles. I was in a real bad patch. When I saw Scott at the next aid station I asked to get rid of my pack and get a new pair of socks. Unfortunately, the van was 1/4 mile away so I opted to drop my bottle and I would see him at the next aid station that was 11 miles away. I did feel a bit better without the bottle on my hand. Maybe it was throwing my alignment off ever so slightly, and after 50+ miles, you really feel it. As I was doing the math in my head I started to run more knowing that if I wanted to get anywhere near my goal and not get caught I really needed to get moving! I just had no strength there. I could cruise the down and flats with easy footing but I was still having a really hard time on the uphills. I finally made it another 11 miles where I changing my socks, changed my top, nursed Dahlia and ate some real food. I also dropped my hydration pack and picked up another handheld bottle. Feeling lighter and refreshed, I was on a mission. The trail was very runnable here, so I focused and started knocking out the miles (as only someone can do after running 50+ miles:) with only a half marathon to go. I had my lights and was pushing to get as much trail covered as possible before dark.

Just before the last aid station, the trail traveled onto a mile of gravel road that was almost unrunnable even if you could run because of the large rocks that were put down. I speed walked there, arrived at the last aid station, and left with focus. The trail got trickier but it was almost all flat and slightly downhill. I had a vintage Petzl Tikka headlamp and a Surefire LED handheld. With 5 miles to go I switch on my lights. Night fell and darkness was now a factor. I was not happy with my lighting situation. I tried many different ways to use them which slowed me down as I fumbled with the lights, but I figured better now than in October for my next 100 miler. After about an hour in the dark I heard the finish line in the distance; music , cheering and I could see the lights. I crossed the line in 16 hours 27 minutes. I was very happy to be done! I received a nice trail marker trophy and a small cooler filled with goodies. Mission accomplished.

On course At the finish

TNF Bear Mountain

Sun, 8 May 2011 20:30:32 -0400

One day after The North Face Bear Mountain 50 miler in Harriman State Park in NY I am feeling the effort I put into the race. It has been 2 1/2 years since I have raced 50 + miles. I forgot how much more challenging 50 miles is than 50k.
Scott and I camped in our VW Poptop along with Shep and Dahlia Friday night at Beaver Meadow Campground in Harriman State Park just a few miles from the Anthony Wade parking area where we needed to catch a shuttle to the start. Strider friends Clint and Dave shared our campsite and were my ride at 3:45am. After checking in at the start I looked around for my friend Nikki Kimball, a North Face athlete, but didn’t find her until the start. I used to run with her a lot when we both lived in VT. It was good to see her. The 5am start was dry, much different than 2008 with thunder, lightening and pouring rain. We needed our headlamps for the first half hour and then the sun was up and it got warm fast but there was a nice breeze most of the morning. I wore my Nathan Hydration vest and carried homemade goo, along with Succeed tablets and a Clif Z Bar. Nikki and Annette Bednosky got ahead and I ran with Amy Lane on and off for 30 miles. Another girl, Sophie Limoges, sped ahead early in the race and I never saw her again (she ended up 3rd woman). For food I started with my homemade goo and at each aid station I gravitated to the boiled potatoes with salt. I also usually grabbed a Gu packet and a piece of banana to go. As the miles passed I focused running strong but not pushing the pace as it had been so long since I have passed the 31 mile mark. I was unsure of how I would feel. I had a short low point around mile 25 but perked up and did not feel the need to walk again until leaving Anthony Wade Aid station for the 2nd time at mile ~40. It didn’t take long for the energy food to kick in and finding some 50k runners on the course also helped spur me on. I thought if I could run the last 10 miles in 2 hours that would bring me in at 10 hours. With all the uphills and rocky sections that would be a stretch but it was a good goal to shoot for. I hit the last aid station with 3.2 miles to go and 25 minutes to 10 hours. The only thing bothering me at this point was the bottom of my left foot. I was feeling a big hot spot. I knew it was nothing major and put it out of my mind. I pushed on the uphills and flew on the downhill, just missing my goal of 10 hours by about 3 minutes. I came in 4th place woman and 20th overall at 10 hours 26 minutes. Hanging out after the race I felt I could not each because I had a nauseous feeling. My throat was also hurting; possibly from the pollen? I did manage a bit of recovery drink and an hour later some pasta salad. I feel good about my run. I am recovering well and am more excited about my next big race.
What I ate and drank:
1 Clif Z bar
6 oz of homemade goo with protein
3 Gu packets
~8 boiled potatoes (small red ones) with salt
8 Succeed salt pills
2 bananas
2 handfuls of potato chips
140 ounces of water

Total elevation change: 14,074 ft

Upchuck 50k

Fri, 19 Nov 2010 21:12:43 -0500

Report to come.

Bimbler’s Bluff 50kish

Fri, 19 Nov 2010 21:11:50 -0500

Report to come

VT 50

Fri, 19 Nov 2010 21:10:56 -0500

Report to come.

12 Hours of Waterbury (or 10)

Thu, 18 Nov 2010 19:08:55 -0500

We left Shep with his Memere and Papa for the weekend and drove up to Waterbury VT for the inaugural 24 Hours of Waterbury. I signed up for the 12 hour version believing it would be a good training race for the VT50 and a way to gauge where I was at physically and mentally almost one year posr pregnancy. The race started at 9am in front of the ice palace. I headed out with Serena Wilcox and we pounded out the first lap with only on wrong turn. I felt great and we headed out for the second and ran that one just a few minutes slower. This is where things went worn for me. I did not eat enough at the aid station and headed out again only to start walking on the uphill and just a mile or two later started cramping in my calves. I downed a bag of potato chips and the midpoint aid station and got rid of the cramps but never felt good again after that. When I got back to the ice palace I nurse Dahlia and ate as much as I could. I got off my butt and ran the 4th lap with Shenipsit Strider teammate John Agosto and felt even worse. Clint came out with me on the 5th lap where my mood picked up but not enough to make a difference. We finished that lap at the 10 hour mark. I actually sprinted across the line. I was mentally done. It was 7pm, starting to get dark and I could tell Dahlia needed me. According to the “officials” I completed 41 miles but I believe it was 42 or very close to that. In the meantime Serena was knocking off the miles and get way ahead. I knew that stopping at 10 hours would probably result in me loosing 2nd place but my heart was not in it.
I now wonder if I could have just strapped Dahlia to me and headed out with Scott for one more lap. It would have been a fun family adventure. But sadly we didn’t and I will never know.
We headed back to our campsite and had a good night’s sleep. The next morning we drove up to Stowe for the Climb to the Top of VT where Scott competed in the bicycle race. It was time for me to cheer on Scott.

Curly’s Half Marathon

Fri, 17 Sep 2010 21:20:05 -0400

I went up to Pittsfield with my mom, Shep and Dahlia. Scott was heading out on a business trip so could not come. It had been 2 years since I race Curly’s because last year I was very pregnant...ready to give birth. This year there was n marathon so I signed up for the half. It is a really fun and challenging course with lots of climbing and descending. Just not enough descending as I could not catch back up to Amy before the finish. I ended up less than a minute back placing 2nd female. I did get some good Grand Tree points though...so maybe I am in the lead for woman now www.runwmac.com