2009 Season
This season has been pretty hairy. In 2008, I sat in Kona and watched a few of my athletes compete in the Ironman championships. I really felt the energy during the race and decided I would try to qualify for Kona in 2009. I went right home and started researching the 70.3 events that would lead me to a qualification. My decision was locked on St. Croix 70.3 in May 2009. I trained my butt off, dreamed Ironman, and could see the real opportunity to do it for sure. I went into St. Croix with the best base under my belt. I had the power on the bike and the speed on the run. My weakness, the swim. But, if I could get out of the water in the top 20 at least, I had a shot. The race went really well until mile 5 of the run. I came off of the bike number 3 or 4. I was cruising through the run. Then, boom. Ambulance. Heat stroke!! I realized then and have always known that my brain will overpower my body when it comes to pain. That was a big hit for me in so many ways.
I came home and was feeling pretty lousy. Not only emotionally, but physically. Most people cut it and throw in the towel at that point. Not me, I sign up for Hawaii 70.3. I know the competition and I am pretty sure I have a good chance to qualify if I race hard and stay cool. Honu was a great race. I had fun and was back to fitness. Unfortunately, two flat tires took my Kona dream and slammed it against the wall. I had a chance at one flat, but lost way to much time waiting for a new wheel after the second flat.
OK, now you should give up and 2009 is not your year……. RIGHT? Not me, off to Buffalo Springs 70.3 in Texas. I was prepared for this race and raced pretty well. My bike was really strong and my run pulled together well. My swim was not the greatest, but I still pulled off a decent event overall. There was just enough competition there to bump me out of a Kona slot.
So, that was that. No Kona. I didn’t even go to watch, though I watched online all day and wished I was there!
The point of this story, don’t give up on yourself. Don’t cash in to soon. You never know what the future may hold. I am not done. 2010 is the year of the run. I will start training for Leadville 100 and accomplish one of my other life goals. It doesn’t mean that I give up on Kona! It means I wait until the time is right, then pounce.
Pacifica Trail Run: forgot to add
Well, I totally blew it on adding this race to the blog. Whoops. I will try to remember details. Fun race. The best part, right by my new apartment. Super easy to get here and will be coming back for sure. So, I didn’t sign up and showed up to sign up on site. SOLD OUT! Go PC Trail Runs! They deserve it, they run a good event.
So, I stood in the back of the pack and waited for the start. Brian went to the front as he should, he is a fast dude. I saw Brett starting with the main pack and Amy was mixed in there too.
So, I waited….. a few minutes, then took off. Bad idea. Single track and no place to pass safe. WAITING>……. WAITING>…….. finally catch a break and start passing the crowd. Actually made it to the top ten within a few miles of climbing and descending. I was screaming down the first climb like my life depended on it. Why? Don’t know, felt good. So, descending the single track, I finally caught Brian. We cat and moused for a few loops, then I was at my 30KM mark and that was me. Brian continued to finish the 50KM. This guy named Nathan was ripping up the loops and headed out to the major climb about 10+minutes ahead of Brett and another guy. This was going to be a very fast 50KM race today. Nathan came in first, I thought Brett was second, but not sure. Results should be out and correct by now.
Pacifica is a beautiful venue and I was totally race it again. Next time, I will remember to sign up:)
Frost on the ground
Yes! We ran from Rock Springs on Saturday morning and there was frost on the ground! Amazing. Very cold when we started, but things were heating up a few miles in. Did a quick 8 mile pop.
Really ready for the new year to kick in. I have decided on St. Croix in May. I will attempt to qualify for the big one in October. YES, IRONMAN. St. Croix has 28 qualifying slots and I would have to work very hard, but have a decent chance of qualifying. Then, if all goes well, I will head to Kona in October and Australia in September for ITU world championships. This means that I have to get back into the water on a regular basis. Yeah! Hmmm, can’t type sarcasm. Oh well. I don’t mind the water, I just don’t want to spend much time in it. Going back and forth is so boring after being out on the trails for the last couple of years.
I have to say though, things are feeling pretty good. I am running very solid and my cycling has taken on a whole new feel. I am getting some really great rest and have lost about 10 pounds of junk weight. Whether it be muscle weight or fat, I don’t care. I feel good. I feel refreshed, I feel ready to qualify for Kona World Championships.
Muir Beach 50K Trail Race
Everyone was worried about the rain. But, luckily, it held off for us on Saturday. I arrived a bit early and it was cold. Got registered, went back to car to get essentials ready. I realize I only need 70 ounces of Accelerade and 7 Gu shots to compete in a 50K. I might add water to my Camelback, but all in all, I don’t need much more than that! So, anyway, got that stuff ready, then headed to the start line. The start line was near the first climb.
Everyone was pretty cold. The announcer told us routes, did the count down, and we were off. Within the first climb, I was already warm and turning it over pretty fast. I knew at that moment that today was going to be good. The long line of runners went racing down Pirate’s cove and down coastal to Tennessee Valley parking lot. Wizz by the aid station, no need to stop. Hammered up Marincello for the first time. This climb is very long and you should just look down! I paced very well on the first climb, then dropped down on Bobcat trail. Hook up with Alta trail in a bit, then SCA flies you over to some wonderful views of the Golden Gate Bridge and the city in the early morning. Picture perfect views today.
I hooked up with some 33K runners at that point and we descended towards Rodeo Beach. At the bottom, we missed a flag and had to parallel the route for a short time. We probably cut off about 1/2 mile and popped out at Rodeo Beach. As a group, we started to climb up towards the bunkers. It is pretty fun to run through the old military grounds. I always think that if the aliens land, this is where they will stay.
Now, I knew something was up when the 1st place guy passed me down Wolfback Ridge. We must have popped out ahead of the lead group. We were 6, 7, and 8 coming down to Cozelman, and now we were in the lead. We had to tell the organizers at the finish.
Descending down Old Springs was rippin’ fast. This is one of my favorite parts of this course, so I had to open it up a little and have some fun.
Now that the fun part was over, climbing up Fox Trail is not fun. Straight up to heaven and it keeps going!! I just kept shuffling feet until I was forced to hike.
Again, fun descent down to Muir Beach again. Saw Brian pass me down the hill. He was smokin’ it!
After a little water and 3 pretzels, I headed back out for the last 17K. Damn, I am still feeling great. I ran the hill coming out of Muir Beach until the upper last section where hiking was needed. Then, Pirate’s cove was a blast all the way to coastal plummet into Tennessee valley again. No aid needed, climb Marincello again. This time, I ran a little slower, but ran the entire climb at about 11 minute/mile. I just kept my head down and pretended I had a headlamp and couldn’t see the climb ahead.
Turn right at Bobcat this time, keep climbing! But, the pace increases here because the grade is less severe. Drop down again! Old Springs to Tennessee valley. Slammed that out like a roller coster ride. I can’t believe my feet were moving so fast that late in the game. But, they were and I was not complaining. I knew I had one more time up Fox Trail and this was my chance to really make up time. I didn’t know how one more time up Fox would feel.
FOX TRAIL out of Tennessee Valley has to be one of my least favorites. But, when I hit the lower section, I was feeling great. I didn’t need a second wind, but one came! I was jogging up Fox! The grade began to increase and I hiked a touch. But, the second time was faster than the first! Amazing. I rocked it to the top and descended fast to the last right hand turn to drop back down to Muir.
I didn’t wear a watch today. I didn’t wear a Garmin. I wanted to test my own bodies instincts on pace and eating. Well, it worked for me. I finished a clock time of 5:08 and I told him to tack on 5 minutes for our mistake at Rodeo Beach. I was very happy with 5:13. The elevation changes alone would send lots of great runners packing.
Thanks PC Trail runs for putting on a wonderful event……again. I love their events. I always meet awesome people and I get a cool coaster at the finish. I use those coasters all the time!
North Face Endurance Challenge
The North Face Endurance Challenge has come and went like the breeze over the ocean. So fast the days are going by!
So, my brothers, my mom, and my brother’s girlfriend showed up on Friday before the race. I picked them up at SFO and we came back to my place. Mom put my grill together:) It’s been sitting out there for a couple of weeks now. Thanks mom. The boys and I talked strategy, ate some pasta and salmon, and went to sleep super early. We had a both of our aid station bags ready to go with gus, socks, vaseline, special needs, and Greg’s gatorade. We were all ready to wake up at 3AM to eat breakfast, get some coffee, and get out of the house by 3:50AM.
We got up the next morning, we all slept very well and getting up this early didn’t phase us much. We had some oatmeal with sunflower butter and bananas sliced up. We drank some coffee and headed out the door by 3:45AM. Pretty cold and windy outside, but rather have this type of weather for a 50 mile run. We talked some strategy with mom and told her how to get to aid stations and about what time to be at each.
We arrived at start line about 4:30 and dropped off our special needs bags as well as picked up our numbers and got checked into the event. It was dark out, so everyone had their headlamps and waited until the last minute to take off down jackets and warm clothes. It was pretty cool to see the best trail runners in the world here to compete for $10,000 prize purse. Our goals today, run as a family, don’t leave anyone behind, and stay together. So, the gun went off and we were off down the first mile. Pretty cool watching all of the headlamps not only head down the first descent, but climb up the first big hill. You could see a snake trail of head lamps all the way up the trail. Pretty darn cool.
It was great to run with my brothers. We got to run in the dark for 2 hours and then, hit Tennessee valley parking lot as the sun came up. There, we met up with Mom and Emily who had Gatorade ready for Greg. Will and I didn’t need anything and we continued to Coastal Trail off of Tennessee Valley Road. Pirate’s cove was beautiful this morning. Great views, fabulous weather. Just a little windy in sections. But, we were right on pace and even pacing a little faster than goal. We held on very steady pace to Muir Beach. That is where we started to hear my brother say some things that were not good signs. “I feel so full”, “I have a lump in my gut that won’t go away”. We kept running up towards heather cutoff and coastal switchbacks. On the way up to Pan Toll, Greg was really starting to hurt a lot. He was sick and we knew it. Maybe he will bounce back, maybe not. We continued to Pan Toll, checked in with the aid station and saw Matt Carpenter rip through Pan Toll for his second time. We were just hitting it as our first!!! Amazing fast these top guys.
Out of Pan Toll to Stinson Beach. Beautiful and serene. Amazing terrain, fun running!!! Greg is sick and it is not getting any better. The pace is slowing and we make it down to Stinson Beach aid station. We see mom and Emily sitting on the grass. I told them about our situation and how we were doing. Greg kept trucking to the Matt Davis trail and we got all the way back up to coastal split. We headed out to the highway turn around spot and waited for Greg. At that point, it was a given. We were going to pull out at Pan Toll. But, Greg had to make it four more miles to Pan Toll. When you are sick, four miles can be a lifetime. We couldn’t do anything for him, but hike.
We arrived at Pan Toll and told the organizers there that we were pulling out. Then, took everyone home.
Greg was in a sorry state the rest of the day. Something was not right.
We had a burger, some veggies, and got some rest.
The next day, he was better, but not great. He got on a plane to Dallas for work related activities. He checked into a hospital that night with a viral infection in his intestines!!!! Two days in the hospital!
So, the race was fun for about 25 miles. We ended up finishing 35 miles of the event. Pretty darn good for a guy with a viral infection! DAMN!
The Endurables had a fabulous day out there! We had some great race results, great stories, and awesome pictures. I can’t wait to start coaching this group again. What a fun 20 weeks we have had.
Five Days To Go
I am working from home today, man I love the internet sometimes. I don’t know what it is about working from home, but I always get up earlier and feel like I have to get so much done. Must be the guilt trip you put on yourself for not being at work:) Anyway, I had a reality shock on Saturday morning! I met my group at The Visitors Center nearest the start line for the race. Jim said, “Hey, by next week, you should be outside of Muir Beach.” WHAT!!! Oh my word, I am running 50 miles next weekend. No biggie, I’m ready, just hearing it is kind of odd.
My brothers and mom fly in on Friday, I am so excited to see them. I know my brothers are pretty psyched about the event too.
Bigger than all of this, is our coaching group. All of them are doing such a great job and I know that they are all more than ready to race on Saturday. Jim and I have worked really hard to totally dial this group in and give them the information, education, and training they need to be their best.
I noticed quite a few of our athletes have really brought the pace to a whole new level, some of them have lost some weight, some of them have changed their lives! It has been really cool to witness such changes in a group like this one.
Anyway, buckle down for taper week 2.
Home Stretch to North Face Endurance Challenge
WOW!! Our last Saturday run is this morning. Next week is the big one, 50 miles of epic trail running in one of the most beautiful venues in the world. We will start at Rodeo beach this morning to give the athletes a chance to see where they are expected to show up at 4:45AM next weekend. I am very excited for this group, myself included. My team has trained so hard and I have also put my time into this event.
I am super psyched because my brothers are running it with me and my mom is coming to support us at the aid stations. I can’t wait to see them all. We didn’t get to hang out for Thanksgiving, so this will be awesome.
Yesterday, we ran a 8 mile loop leaving from Tennessee valley. I have to say, Bikram Yoga is really helping my running. Elizabeth over at Fluid Yoga has been a crucial part of my training. I have a ton of mobility in my hip flexors that did not exist before. I am not bound up tighter than a drum after my long runs as long as I go to yoga. Totally worth the 90 minutes. I have actually learned the poses enough to do them at home…….. yeah, me:)
Eating right and getting plenty of rest helps too of course. I have been super solid on my diet and getting as much rest as my body will lie still for. I am recovering fast and feeling very strong. Luckily, Thanksgiving doesn’t throw me a fast ball like most people. I stayed in SF and just chilled with some friends. Came home early and hit the sack. I drink so much coconut water, I should have my own plantation.
OK, going to make some coffee and get some carbs in the gut. It’s 5AM, just enough time to digest some food:) Happy Trails!
Stinson Beach 50K Race Report
Working up to the 50 mile this year has been a great trip. I have gotten a lot more quality running in this year. I have completed at least marathon distance at least 6 times up to last weekend’s 50K and felt great during the event….. well most of it anyway. See below for more info on that deal:)
Saturday was great fun. I got up pretty early without an alarm clock and got some breakfast. I ate three oatmeal packets and drank some coffee. All is well and the weather outside our house was freakishly warm. I mean, weird kind of warm. If I was still living in Indiana, I would say that there was a tornado about to smack down. But, couldn’t complain. Super nice morning, no haze or fog! Headed off to Stinson about 6:45AM. Arrived at race site at 7:30AM with an hour to catch up with my team, make sure everyone was set to go, and also make sure I had all my essentials for the event. We started promptly at 8:30. I have to say a few times in this blog that PC Trail Runs has their stuff dialed in.
We headed up the Dipsea Trail to Steep Ravine first!!! Yeah, if this doesn’t separate the pack, I don’t know what would. This is always a delight. I love Steep Ravine to Pan Toll station. Cardiac, no doubt. But, I arrived and by the time I hit Pan Toll, I was warmed up and ready to fly! That, we did. The loop from Pantoll station down coastal to Heather cutoff and over to Muir Beach was rippin’ fast. I felt so great. Downhill is really a lot better for me now that I have been taking Bikram yoga. My hips are strong and my legs are right under me. I was first female coming into Muir beach aid station. There, I saw Brian. He gave me good wishes and I was off. We headed back out towards Dear park and hit Dipsea to Pan Toll again. This was pretty solid. Stutter climbing the whole way definitely changes your average overall speed, but hey, everyone is in the same boat.
I hit Pan Toll and headed down Matt Davis for the first loop. This was so fast. I couldn’t go fast enough. I just let it go! The first 30K was going to be very fast. I came into Stinson first female at the aid station again. This I knew and felt good about. But, I had to realize that it was a training race for North Face Endurance challenge and this was not my race. Still felt good to know:) Headed up Dipsea to Steep Ravine again. I was not feeling half bad, everything was clicking and connecting. What a great day this was turning out to be. PC Trail runs had very good markings and if you knew your route, you had no problems staying on course. Arrive at Pan Toll and hit the aid station. Grab a cup, ask what it is, “sports drink” he says, take a big swig……….NOT SPORTS DRINK! Already swallowed! Crap, what the hell is this stuff? Headed down Alpine with a funny feeling in my stomach. Thinking……to many salt tabs so far, need to cut back. Thinking……what the hell is growing in my stomach? Thinking………I am going to barf soon. Thinking………very soon. Kept running, kept it down, then came around to pan toll station aid again. Looking for something to settle my stomach. Nothing there. Head out for second loop and hoping to keep it down. Last time up towards pantoll. Huge grade and starting to really feel the alien inside. Then, it had to happen. PROJECTILE VOMIT!!!!!!!!!!!!! YES, hard core kind too. This is not fun folks. This is when there is to many products in the stomach and no more can be digested until all is eliminated. HOLY MOLY! What a crash course in velocity. Anyway, that over with, I kept running. What the hell is happening to my legs. They are lead weight and I have to get nutrition back to the muscle fibers. Feed, not to fast, but feed. One girl passes me during the whole love/hate with my stomach. I watch her go and keep running. Ten minutes later, my legs under me, I start flying again. Headed down Matt Davis with wreckless behavior. Downhill speed like I don’t care anymore! Totally amazing and mindblowing. Couldn’t catch her, but totally worked my butt off trying:) That is why they call it a race my friends.
I came into Stinson at 5:44. I was pretty happy to have recovered from the episode and knew that a few more miles and I would have recovered fully. I could have continued to run and that was the important part.
My team did amazing. We had a course record set, age group wins, top tens, and lots of fun.
Thanks PC Trail runs for a great event.
Sunday, Bikram yoga and 2 hour run. Monday, OFF!!
Relaxing Sunday
Yesterday was pretty good. We had a 8.9 miler planned for the run because we have been running marathon distance or more every weekend now since September. This weekend was a down week and we will be back to the big stuff next weekend.
It was raining at Rodeo Beach for the start yesterday, then settled down as we started running. The first 4 miles was a climb up Miwok trail, then descend down the other side. We wanted to show the group what the start and finish was on all the races on December 6th. Pretty weird to be done by 10AM when we are used to being done between 1PM and 2PM. As soon as we finished, the rain started coming down very hard and I surely hope that race day doesn’t look like this. I really don’t want to run 50 miles in the pouring rain.
Today, I got up early and worked on some client files. Happily, I remembered daylight savings time and realized I had an extra hour! I finished my files for time being and went to Bikram yoga on Judah Street. This is my first time at this studio. I liked it. It didn’t stink, I didn’t feel stupid, and I will go back. I have to do something about my hip/low back before the race in December. The longer I go, the more it wants to seize and I can’t afford that 40 miles in. So, hoping this will help.
It is 3:30 now and I am trying to get my run in before dark. I will leave now because if I do not, I will be running in the dark soon! It’s super hard to get motivated down here on a Sunday. The outer sunset is pretty laid back and folks are either still sleeping or watching football.
Got a two hour run, better get going.
OK, now I am going.
and, here I go.
Ok, now.
Happy Day
I love Fridays. This means that I get to run uber-cool trails in Marin tomorrow morning and be free from the concrete jungle. I wish that every athlete had the ultimate release of Mt. Tam. I wake up early, get a good breakfast in and meet my coaching group at 7:45 for an 8:00 start. Tell you all about it tomorrow afternoon.
