I Run, Therefore I Am...A Runner

A nearly permanent crease encircles the long mane of yellow blonde hair...the sign of a serial ponytailer.

The first sign that this is, in fact, a runner.

Skin that still shows its youth but is beginning to betray the youthful zeal of the mind.  There is no denying the infant crows feet that form with every smile.  When the eyebrows are raised, the creases in the forehead overstay their welcome these days.  Shadows of late onset acne and adolescent chickenpox blemish the skin here and there.  An 'x'-shaped scar between the eyebrows, reminders of an active youth...reminders of the need to practice caution :)

Signs of life lived.

The neck, long and slender, bleeds into boney but feminine shoulders.  Clavicles and a sternum that appear to tent-pole the skin that lays taut over them.  Arms are long and lean, matching their leggy counterparts quite well.  Muscled, but not too.  A vein pops from the right forearm with a clenched fist.  The shoulders show their tone from thousands of hours of running, and thousands of minutes of plank pose.  The back, often overlooked, is beginning to show signs of care, signs of strength, finally.  Watching so many others crippled by neglect of the spine has provided enough motivation.

Impossibly slender wrists terminate at spidery fingers with their plain nails and cuticles that would make any esthetician shudder.  But they're strong hands, if dainty.  A small scar on the back of the right hand...a reminder of the need to practice caution while ice skating.

The trunk, long and narrow.  A small but perceptible ripple over the abdomen shows off the fruits of those thousands of minutes of plank pose.  Three small scars near the pelvis are another reminder...that the appendix is an unnecessary organ.  The hips are boyish and narrow, but strong as oxen, and give birth to two long legs.

They are the proving grounds.  These legs show hard work, determination, and heredity.  They tell the world, "I am a runner."  Where once they were soft and shapeless they are now strong and toned.  Quads completely separate from knees, completely separate from calves, completely separate from ankles.  Tendons and muscles clearly identifiable under pale wintery skin.  Proof of the years spent running.  Proof of all the calf raises, lunges, squats, and single-leg dead lifts.  But what feminine legs are absent the blemish of adiposis edematosa (that is, cellulite)?  Certainly not these.  No matter what, the basic femaleness of these legs will always stay true to their heritage.  Cellulite is the bane of all women, small and large.  A good reminder of one's simple humanity.

The knees, scarred by more than a few tumbles, show their wear.  They show it proud.  They are not attractive in the typical sense.  They are boney and formerly knobby.  But they are strong, they are reliable, and they are powerful.

The feet.  Each tendon pops to life, smiling with each footstep.  All those hours and years spent on feet.  All those foot strengthening exercises to get rid of orthotics.  All those balance stances.  All those calluses.  The feet, they are happy.  The faintest signs of bunions make themselves apparent, revealing a former penchant for pointy high heeled shoes...revealing good old heredity.  The nails are painted a vibrant fire-engine red.  A sign of spring.  A sign of sandal season.

But the surest sign of the runner is the drying rack and its daily rotating wardrobe of various stages of sweaty clothing.  The pile of running shoes beside the front door, and the coat closet shoe rack covered in runners of all shades and styles, each in rotation, each for a different purpose, different terrain, different mileage.  The pile of velcro ice packs in the freezer.  The chest of drawers dedicated solely to running clothes.  The row of shelves in the basement housing nothing but running paraphernalia.  The stash of wet wipes under the front seat of the truck.  The yoga mat that lives on the living room floor, used solely for planks and foam rolling.  And the foam roller.  It is a fine piece of furniture, indeed.

I am a runner.  I am me.

I ache, I creak, I hobble at times; I've limped and I've wobbled, too.  But mostly, I run.  The run makes all of that go away; pushes it off until the next morning.  Each day a little easier, each day a little stronger.

This is my body.  This is me.

It is not perfect, it is not brand new.  It is exactly what I want and how I want it.  Perfectly mine.  Perfectly capable.  Perfectly willing to do the work.

I run, therefore I am...a runner.

Paige, out.

Antelope Island Buffalo Run 50M

Back in the fall, Geof and I decided to be a little more proactive in our 2013 racing schedule and signed up for a few things while we felt motivated.  Fast forward to March 23, 2013, we step outside and look down in disbelief as our feet crunch down into a couple inches of fresh powder on our doorstep.

"What the?!"  Motivation...sprung a leak.

Oh, I see, so that's the kind of day ahead of us.  That's cool.  It's a good thing we're ultra runners.  Part of the challenge is adapting to your environment and just dealing with it.  That's what makes the finish all the more sweet, right?  Right.

It's a good thing the snow ended a few miles north on I-15.  Cool :)

We made our way across the causeway and onto Antelope Island for the very first time race morning.  Picking up our packets and numbers at the first parking lot we couldn't help but notice how insanely cold it was.  Recall we are still a little bitter about how long, cold, and snowy our winter was this year and running in temps in the teens all day wasn't tops on our list at the end of March.

But, when in Rome.

Huddling in the warming tent at the start/finish we had just enough time to put our one drop bag in place and chew the fat with KZ for a hot minute.  There was little (read: no) fanfare to the start, which I dig, and we were off before I even had a chance to contemplate how incredibly full my bladder was.  My abdomen was distended, I had to pee that bad :)

Now when I say there was nowhere to pee for the first 15 miles, I mean it quite literally.  This was a first for me.  And I emerged victorious.  The boulder that I ended up crouching behind, however, not so victorious.  Unless it likes urine.

ANYWHO.  Talk about tangential thought!

So there we were running, up, up, up.  By no means was the initial climb steep, it was just consistent and relentless.  And it was really dark.  I just pointed my headlamp down at Geof's feet and I followed diligently as we passed our way from the back to the front in short order.  I was breathing pretty heavy, and noted to myself that, if left to my own devices, I would have been walking that first ascent.  But, since it was buttass cold I was perfectly happy GOTF'ing (Going Out Too Fast) in order to keep warm.  Eventually we crested whatever it was we were climbing.  My heart stopped more times than I can count on account of all the perfectly placed rocks and ruts in the trail.  I'm still a little gun-shy after my most recent spill.  Oh, did I ever share that picture with you?  Here you go:

Looks like a coupla nice GSWs, no?  Yea, that's what I got for run-commuting to work earlier last month.  Less than a mile from home.  I kept on running though, looking like a total madhouse I'm sure.  They really look way worse than they turned out to be.  Mere surface wounds.

So, yea, I was a little paranoid about falling again.

I am happy to report that I managed to stay upright throughout the entire 50 mile run :)

It was bloody cold and windy on account of our being on an island in the middle of a lake large enough to be seen from outer space and with its own weather system.  This ended up working in our favor, however, as the day wore on.  We were graced with pretty much totally sunny skies and upper 20s for highs.  We could see the low cloud ceiling (and snow) settled over SLC and the valley off to the east and south all day.  I was super glad to be on the island this day.

The west side of the island COMPLETELY ROCKS.  It's a rocky, craggy, mountainous lump of land, the likes of which I was not expecting.  And I loved it.  Buffalo roam freely here and we saw tons of these little fellas all day long.  It's slightly amazing to see these enormous beasts.  Makes you feel very, very small, but in a good way.  Nature rocks.

We hit the Elephant Head AS (mile 5.3) in fine time and were immediately directed to run out to the point and back (you have the option of doing it first, or on your way back to the start/finish).  This was yet another really cool section.  Approaching this section, a pacer of a 100 mile runner proclaimed, "hey, you're the first lady!"  Yea, right.  I knew she had to be on something.  There was no way Sarah M. wasn't ahead of me.  In any event, a fire was lit under my a** and I suddenly felt a little motivated.  Just before we hit Elephant Head I looked up to see Sarah approaching, smiley as can be (she always is; it's awesome).  See, I was right :)  So that meant I was actually in second place.  

HOLY CRAP.

Geof knew he was in for it now.  We grabbed our stickers at the turnaround point (to prove we ran the Elephant Head leg) and busted out of there.  The narrow single track makes passing interesting, but we managed.  A buffalo was on the trail up ahead, but luckily he skittered off the trail as soon as he heard us approaching.  Hitting the Elephant Head AS again (three times total here) I grabbed a Gu Roctane (my current fave gel) and we split.  Both of our water bottles were freezing, and the nozzles were ice.  Did I mention it was cold?  My fingers were actually in pain, they were so cold.  And I was a snot factory what with the wind in our faces and all.  

I liked being able to see other runners with the various out-and-backs on this course.  It was very motivating.  We weaved and bobbed along the undulating trail taking us all the way over to the shore on the west side.  It was like being transported to another time and place.  It was so pretty.  Finally there were some boulders strewn about, and we sized each one up as possible bathrooms.  I picked a good one and was none too happy to finally get to pee.  I instantly felt 10 pounds lighter.  Whew!  Now, back to the running!

I don't need to win things (though it is fun), and I certainly have nothing to prove, so I was just super content to hold onto my 2nd place spot as long as I could, just to see.  Geof wasn't feeling the greatest, but he was a really good sport and pushed through it in order to help me meet my goal.  We ran everything those first 19.5 miles.  A lot of it was stuff I would normally walk at least some of in a race.  Those first 19.5 miles also have just about all of the elevation gain of the entire race, 3,800 feet.  I didn't realize this at the time, but now I'm glad we ran all of that.  

I kept wondering if our GOTF was going to catch up to us.  And then suddenly we were back at the start/finish, grabbing dry clothes from our drop bag, fresh gloves, and getting sucked in by the warm tent.  We reached the tent in 3 hours flat, and spent about 15 minutes here.  I decided to let go of needing to hold onto 2nd place.  I wasn't here to do anything fast.  I was here to run 50 miles with my husband, and finish under 9 hours.  That's it.  Plus, I held onto second place for 19.5 miles.  That's pretty good in my book, especially considering the fasties I was running amongst.

Once back on the trail, heading east toward the Mountain View trail things began to warm up.  The east side of the island was a little warmer and we were running with the wind at our backs once we hit the 21.5 mile turnaround (which was my lowest point, and the point at which I could no longer feel any of my fingers, my face, or the snot streaking my cheeks).  I saw Amie and Suzanne ahead of me, and knew well enough Sarah was far enough ahead that we missed her here.  So I only gave up two spots.  I can live with that :)

Hitting the Mountain View AS at mile 23ish we began what would be a really, really long version of 20 miles.  Imagine: long, flat, featureless, flat, long, flat.  I knew we were running to the southern end of the island, but I didn't realize we'd be able to see it almost the entire way.  That kind of thing can make a runner go crazy.  I can't imagine doing that section twice (in the 100 miler).  We ran this completely on the way out because there just weren't any inclines/good excuses to walk.  Reaching the Lower Frary Peak AS (mi 27.4) in 4.5 hours I was ecstatic...until Geof informed me this was not the turn around, and it was not mile 33.

OH.  MY.  GOD.  WHAT?!

Feeling more than a little crestfallen, we pushed on.  The Ranch couldn't have arrived any slower.  I felt every single minute of this entire part of the race.  Every second, every tick of the clock, every breath.  I felt it, processed it, ticked it off, and took the next breath, next step, next second.  Rarely am I ever so keenly aware of the passage of time.  It was mentally painful.  

We hit the turnaround at the Ranch (mi 33) in 5:45...very decent.  After a bathroom break, and some more Roctane, we were headed back out.  Now the wind was in our faces again and would remain so until the finish.  At least the sun was out completely and the temperature felt rather lovely by now.

Lower Frary Peak AS (mi 38.7) came a lot quicker than it did the first time, and we made awesome time getting back there.  Time passed much quicker after Frary, and we hit Mountain View AS (mi 44) in what felt like warp speed.  

Must have been the Coca-Cola and Roctane :)

There's a short section through a field with no discernible trail, other than wooden stakes to follow.  There were a few bison along the way, which we gave a wide berth so as to avoid seeming aggressive.  So cool.  

And just like that we were at the final aid station, Lakeside (mi 46), and also my second favorite part of the course.  It seriously feels like a fantasy land of sorts on the west side of the island.  I felt as though I were floating...pure awesome.  I knew we were almost done, and I knew we were going to handily break 9 hours.  The trail wound through boulder fields covered in a thin layer of bright green grass.  GREEN GRASS, in March!!  Sun shining on my face and arms, caffeine in my system, buffalo stew waiting to get in my belly at the finish!  

I felt high.  And it was fantastic.  The runner's high is in short supply during long runs, so I was surprised to experience it at the end of a 50 mile race.

We rounded the last bend and could see the finish line tent in the distance.  A short stretch of blacktop before cutting back onto a gravel road, lefthand turn, one more, and then we finally got to sit.  And eat. 

I felt elated.  We did it: 8h:47m:24s.

Thinking two other women had passed me on the Mountain View Trail, I was thinking I took 6th, but when Nick S. congratulated me on taking 4th place, I had to see for myself.  True story!  Considering I took fourth to three crazy-talented local runners I feel pretty darn good about how we ran.  And 3rd in my age group to boot.

Cherry on top.

Post race thoughts:

We both agreed we never wanted to run this one again.  Once was enough.  And now, we're pretty sure we're signing up again for 2014.  That's how it usually goes :)

This was a deceptively difficult run.  With 3,800 feet of climb and mind-blowingly beautiful sights packed into the first 19+ miles, I sort of got amped on the idea that the race was going to continue in this fashion.  And then there was 26 miles of flat, unremarkable terrain to be had before closing with five awesome miles.  It's a good thing we'd done a lot of flat running leading up to this race.  Otherwise we probably would have bit it hard.  But, now we know :)  And next time we'll be prepared mentally to tackle that section better.  

Turns out GOTF was just fine on this day.  There were a couple of times where my stomach started to churn in an effort to ask me, nicely, to slow down a little, to which I obliged each time.  Had I not been so aware, our GOTF'ing might of bit me in the rear.  So, it all worked out.  And now I want to do it again :)

The race organization was fantastic.  Great aid stations, great finisher mugs, great buffalo stew, great cookies, great finish line atmosphere, great volunteers.  

I wore my new Brooks Cascadia 8s the entire day...LOVE THEM.  I don't know exactly what they did to this version (I don't really pay attention to that stuff :)), but whatever it is works.  I've been a Cascadia gal since the 3s, and I give each one a try, hoping they get it right with each iteration.  And the 8 is the one!  Great tread, great cushion, great lacing system, great forefoot space.  Greatness.  

A huge thank you to Geof for entertaining my competitive streak and letting me have my way this day :-)  You are a trooper, sweets!!

So, what's next?  One more month of classes, finals, and Pocatello 50 mile of course :)  Why not!

Paige, out.

Show Me the Money!

Well, show MS sufferers the money, is more like it :)

So remember when I mentioned awhile back that I'll be participating in my first ever endurance bike ride?  Yes, I was serious, and yes, a serious case of the rides will come to fruition this June 29-30, 2013.

Geof and I will be joining the Wells Fargo Bike Team in riding 100 miles this June for the National MS Society all through the gorgeous Cache Valley region of northern Utah.  It's a fantastic challenge for both of us, in both the cycling and fundraising arenas.  Both of these things intimidate me.  Massively.

But, honestly, what could be more intimidating than hearing the words, "You have MS?"  Yea, exactly.  So I go forth and conquer on behalf of all of those who have had to hear those words!

First, I've never biked more than maybe 20 miles in one go.  Second, I'm a terrible fundraiser...I always feel funny about asking people for their money.  But, this year is about doing things that scare me, and saying 'yes' more; stepping outside of my comfort zone.

And using my dear blog as a platform for said money begging :)

It's not a race, it's a ride.  It's about assisting support programs, services, and research that makes a huge difference to the people who must fight MS every day of their lives.  For the people who don't have a choice.  The National Multiple Sclerosis ("NMSS") is dedicated to a vision of a world free of MS.  And you know what's really cool about the NMSS?  They not only provide support and services (free of charge, mind you) to those suffering from the disease, but also to the family members and caretakers of those with MS.  

How can you not love that?

I don't know about you, but MS has been all around me most of my life.  I don't have personal experience with it, but I've watched as others have personally experienced what the disease does to them and their families.  It's heartbreaking, and it's a sentence for many.  Through the efforts of the National MS Society (a non-profit organization), and donors like you :), we can one day see the light at the end of the MS tunnel.  

My fundraising goal is a measly $250 right now, mostly because I lack any real confidence in my ability to ask others for money.  But I'm really hoping to blow that goal out of the water.  If you think you'd like to help me meet my goal, please click on the below link to go directly to my personal fundraising page and make a quick n' easy donation.  Every little bit counts, and I appreciate anything you are willing to do.  

Paige's Bike MS Fundraising Page

In the meantime, I'm resting ye' old legs in the wake of a lot of running miles this week.  Cycling season is looking verrrrrry appealing right now :)

Thank you for reading, and thank you for your donation.

Paige, out.

Moab's Red Hot 55k: Smokin' Hot

I seem to recall that after the last time I ran this race, I would definitely not run it again.  Once was enough.  Done.  Next!  

Then September 2012 rolled around and registration for the 2013 race opened.  

I lied.

"Well it's pretty much a local race for us now, we may as well."  "It's Moab, how can you pass that up?"  "It's selling out fast, we should probably jump on it if we think we want to run."  And just like that, we were signed up.  

*Sigh*  

Wyn in Seattle even jumped on it, hoping to make it his first ultra (but turned out a feisty calf wasn't going to allow the adventure just yet).  And that's all the extra push Rob needed to sign up and run his first ultra.  

So much for not running it again.

December came and went, then the INSANELY BITTER COLD AND INVERTED month of January rolled around and we decided it was time to do some training for the February 16th race.  OH MY GOSH, IT WAS SO COLD AND NEVER SEEMED TO STOP SNOWING in January (e.g. three feet of snow in one 36-hour period, and that was just the first storm of the month).  But we got out and ran anyway.  Now I'm like, "Cold?  What cold?  Bring it 15 degrees, you ain't got nuthin' on 3 degrees with an inversion and snow!"

By the time race day rolled around, I felt pretty darn ready to hit the ground running in Moab.  At dinner the night before, at the Moab Brewery of course, I said I thought we could go under 6 hours.  Reasonable enough goal.  But I knew that no matter what we would be getting a course PR.  Last time we ran it in 6:48 and some change.  Cake.

This year's race upped the ante a touch and ended up re-opening registration a couple more times as the BLM allowed them to increase the field size.  Over 800 runners toed the line (55k runners and 33k runners) on one of the most beautiful days I've seen in a long time.  Sun was out, temps were promising mid-40s, zero clouds, and most of the snow/ice had melted off the slickrock.  Booya!

Rina dropped Rob, Geof and I off at the main parking area and we then walked the remaining 3/4 miles up the road to the trailhead/race start.  It was shaping up to be a perfect day.  Yes, perfect.  The race started exactly on time, and we were soon running up the initial incline passing by a whole lot of walkers and amblers.  That felt pretty good, especially because we walked that entire climb last time.  This was one of only a few spots still covered in snow.  Once we crested the mesa ridge, though, it was smooth sailing and snow free.  Awesome.

Matt Vukin snapped a quick shot for us before we walked up to the start area.  Sun, on our faces, so glorious!

Rob hung with us pretty much up to the halfway mark, at mile 17ish.  We stopped at the top of the mesa to get a quick picture/get oxygen :)  

Honestly, the run went so completely uneventfully that I have so little to report, other than that my competitive streak showed it's face a little :) ...it was downright fantastic.  

The views were stellar, the sun was so warm and inviting, and I loved not having to wear gloves!  I recalled two particular sections of the course that I was a touch nervous about...a big crevasse a la 127 hours, and an extremely steep rock face that you have to scramble up on all fours (and of course that was one of the only three spots with snow/ice on it this year).  Since we've been doing a ton of road running this year so far, I wasn't at all worried about the 17+ miles of slickrock running.  I was more worried about where to pee on the sparsely adorned red rock :)  The crevasse came up fast and I watched as others leapt across it with ease.  I got to the edge then froze.  Suddenly I was totally Aron Ralston, watching my life flash before me deep in a red rock slot.  There was a big boulder wedged into the slot just to the left and I opted to use that as a stepping stone instead of trying to leap.  Luckily, I didn't fall into the slot, wedging my arm between a rock...and a hard place.  

Sorry, couldn't resist.  

Despite the more than doubled field size from the last time we ran this race, the aid stations were awesome.  They never ran out of water (like last time) and they were stocked with all sorts of good stuff, and gels.  I stuck to drinking Coke and eating gels and Reese's cups.  Yum.  Geof and Rob took advantage of the buffets, though, and for a change, I was waiting on them ;-)  

Arriving at the top of Gold Bar Rim wasn't nearly as tough as I remembered it.  Actually, none of the race was.  So I took that as a good thing.  The slickrock definitely feels harder than pavement though.  When I could feel my teeth and eyeballs shaking with each step I decided this was fact.

I kept close watch on my watch and when the halfway point came and went I felt we were in fine form to finish up just under 6 hours.  Rob said he was going to pull back a little at that point, and we headed on up the trail.  He was doing great and in awesome spirits so we knew he was going to pull it off.  That was exciting!!

After what seemed like 47 years of running across a slickrock mesa, and running really well, we arrived at the mile 28 aid station.  When we looked at our watches we realized that 6 hours was not going to happen.  

Well eff.

Re-evaluate and adjust.

After leaving the 28 mile aid station.  The sky was crazy blue!

This is going to sound really silly and obnoxious, but I've sort of gotten used to meeting and exceeding my goals in running.  I always feel like I make very reasonable, and just a little bit out of reach, goals, so it's not like I sandbag myself.  And I felt this race was no different.  How on earth did we get so behind on time then?!  I felt a touch deflated.  BUT, we were still going to PR on the course.  Silver lining :)  I consciously picked up the pace and focused.  No more dilly dallying.  I had some beef with the course now.  I hadn't really focused at all until this point; I had been running very unfocused and just plain enjoying the day and what came.  Which is really great!  It felt like a good ol' training run rather than a race.  I haven't run a race in that mindset in quite awhile.  And once I focused, I realized what I could have done differently in order to reach my goal.  Lesson: learned.  

Anywho, all was not lost, not even close.  We were having a supremely good day, in a mind-blowingly beautiful place...and there were three women up ahead on a flat, technical section.  I decided we were going to pass them.  That sounds bad, so bad, but it was a good goal and I wanted to redeem myself somehow.  We hadn't seen any of these runners all race, so that meant we made up a good deal of ground.  Boom!  I checked with Geof to make sure he was cool with picking up the pace and passing in the final two miles.  Done.  It was 6:09 on my watch.  Time to do a little work.

One, two, three, passed, and a couple guys.  I mentally apologized for passing each one of them so close to the end, but they were each so nice as we ran past them.  Now came the very technical (read: extremely rocky and unsafe) downhill switchbacks.  The very same switchbacks which taught me how to run technical downhills just two years prior.  Geof was ahead pulling me along.  I was now officially running out of control.  I actually felt like I was out-of-body in the final 3/4 miles.  I can't believe I didn't fall!  It was almost as if my feet barely touched the ground.  I was breathing heavy not because of effort but out of fear!  I could feel my eyes darting side to side looking for the next place to put my foot.  I don't think I heard anything but my breathing and my heartbeat.  It was intense!  Even just recalling it, and typing this out, my heart rate has spiked!  

"Yeaaaa Chicagoooooo!"  Bryon P. was overhead, shouting down to us as we ran past.  As we rounded a corner I looked up to see who it was, "Don't look at me, look at the trail!" :)

Matt Vukin was at the final bend and snapped us running by, all smiles and totally stoked to be almost done!

Photo credit: Matt Vukin

We crossed the finish line in 6:25 and change, good for a 23 minute PR on the course.  Bam!  

So that felt good to finish, and in the sun, and with a positively booming finish line party.  The place was bumpin'!  Music, food, vendors, runners, spectators.  It was a spectacle!  Around 3:30pm Rob rolled in as we crowded the finish line for him.  He looked great and was all smiles as well.  

Congratulations on your first ultra finish, Rob!!!  

The day was warmer than expected, and Rob retrofitted his pants into shorts :)

Photo credit: Matt Vukin

We all hopped onto one of the shuttle buses back to the parking area and then headed back to the condos to clean up and begin the revelry.  Pizza, PBR, friends, my sweetie, and lots of great conversation and relaxation.  What more could a gal as for?!

And when in Moab, you go to Eklecticafe for a cubano and fuel in the morning.  This was my first experience at Eklecticafe, and certainly not my last!  Afterward, Geof and I, Rob, Rina, Lucy-girl, Wyn and Sarah headed to Arches for the requisite hike to Delicate Arch.  I LOVE THIS PLACE.

Photo credit: Rina Hooper

Who's sore?  Not us!  Who loves Moab?  We do!

Photo credit: Rob Corson

All in all, a fantastic trip down to Moab yet again.  It's a magical and wonderful place.  The race went completely without a hitch, our training was perfect for it, the weather could NOT have been better, the people were fantastic, the race organization exceeded my expectations, and I now know what to do next time in order to reach my goal: focus.  Yes, we will be going back for this one...I mean, c'mon, it's practically local for us now ;)  It's a great, tough, destination race for anyone looking for a short and sweet butt kicker, and in a great location.  Put it on your calendar.

Next up, Antelope Island 50 mile at the end of this month.  I don't yet have a specific time goal, mostly because I still haven't been to the island and I have no idea what to expect of the terrain, but I'll formulate something, most likely the night before the race :)

Paige, out.

Still Streaking...

We officially streaked the entire month of February, and I couldn't have more pep in my step!  I've actually been going solid since January 30 (and Geof since the 27th I think), and we're still going, so let's see how long before I decide to take a day off.  Before this my longest streak was 25 days.  So, what are we at now?  32?  Not bad.  I do indeed value rest and recovery, so that's why we haven't pushed hard a lot, but rather we have been running by feel.  And I felt like hot death the day after Moab's Red Hot 55k, but we ran nonetheless, cutting our run short on account of our bodies feeling really heavy and awkward.  I don't normally run the day after a race, especially a hard one, but the streak 'forced' us to :)  And since then, our runs have gotten faster, and more awesome.  Funny how running more makes you run better.  Imagine that.  Yesterday's run averaged a pace I haven't done since running the flats of Chicago.  So, we're getting there!  We'll be in butt-kicking shape soon enough.

We signed up to streak in March, too, but seeing as we are doing that whole 100 miles in three days thing next weekend, I'm not completely sure I won't take a day off that following Monday :)  We'll see. I still can't quite picture how we're going to fit in that many miles in three days, but it will be fun to make it happen.  I plan to run to and from work that Friday, so that'll be cool.  And hopefully it will inspire me to do that every Friday as the days warm up and lengthen.  

Holy EFF, it's March!!!  And it's sunny and in the 40s today!!  And a guy just ran past our house in shorts and short sleeves!  I love Utah :)

Oh, P.S., I do have a Red Hot 55k race report in the works...in my head...so I'm hoping to crank that out this weekend.  In short, the race was perfect, in pretty much every way.  Except not as fast as I had in mind.  But, I can't complain; everything went right, and we still PR'd on the course.

Oh, and P.P.S., I've been asked to guest blog for one of my favorite gear companies ever, so I'll be excited to share that with you once my first entry is posted.  It'll be a great collaboration and I'm looking forward to sharing it with you all :)

It's time to get my arse off the couch and move us towards the day's long run.  Onward!

Paige, out.

We're Streaking, Man!

It's February, so what does that mean?  It's time to streak.

Like really streak, non-stop, balls to the wall, no holds barred.  Streaking.

Yes, I really did just type 'balls to the wall'.  And again.  I also just learned the origin of "no holds barred"...it stems from a wrestling match in which all holds are legal.  And, interestingly, I just found out today that wrestling is being removed from the Olympics.  Say what?!  That's like the original sport of all sports.  Fighting.  Scantily clad gentlemen, scowls, pain, the whole nine yards.  That's what they DID back in the day, when the Olympics were first dreamed up.  What a funny world we live in now :)  Hopefully they keep track and field around for a bit longer...

Wow, so that was probably the strangest tangent I have gone off on here.

Where was I?  Oh, yes, streaking.

Geof and I accepted the challenge of running at least a mile every day in February as part of our satellite membership of our old running group back in Chicago, New Leaf Ultra Runs.  They do fun stuff like this every so often, and we decided to jump on the bandwagon.  Why not, we're running anyhow, may as well make it interesting :)  Plus, it will get us all geared up for the 100 Miles in Three Days challenge NLUR has lined up in early March.  Honestly, how did I get tangled up in this?  I'm happy to run 100 miles in less than a day, but somehow I'm having trouble visualizing doing it over the course of three days.  That weekend, life = on hold.

So we're running every day.  If it hadn't been for this challenge, I totally would have skipped running the entire weekend two weekends ago...when we stayed up for 24 hours and moved.  It was a tamer version of when we moved across the country last May, but still.  We woke up at 4 a.m., ran six, went to work, picked up a moving truck, chopped up the ice in the driveway, moved all of our stuff in three trips, cleaned up an epic flooding mess, showered, slept for a couple hours, got up, ran again, unpacked all day long, slept a little, got up, ran some more, settled into new house.  And it was just the two of us the entire time.  Lifting heavy stuff.  My levator scapulae and latissimi dorsi were screeeaaaaming.  Yep, I just went anatomical on you.  But we got 'er done.  And we still are.

It's fun.  But now I'm wondering how it's going to feel running the day after laying the smack down on the Red Hot 55k course down in Moab this weekend.  Should be interesting.  At least there will be pizza.  And beer.  I'm looking forward to our first race of the season, and hanging out with lots of my favorites in a really beautiful place :)

Oh, so neither Geof nor I made it into Wasatch this year.  What are the chances?  Apparently quite high.  So now we put our focus onto the dear, sweet Bear instead.  We're going sub-24.  No excuses.

Day 13 of the streak.  And, like, day 10 of not enough sleep.

Onward!

Paige, out.

Yaktrax Contest Winners!

It's a beautiful morning here in Salt Lake City and a great day to pick some winners!  I extended the giveaway one extra week in order to give more peeps a chance to enter.

The time has now arrived...

I first forced myself to complete some school work.  I then stared outside at the frozen yard, still covered in two feet of snow.  *Sigh*  Is it terrible that I'm already looking forward to spring and it's only the first week of February?  Oh well.

I digress!

From the magic hat I pulled three lucky names.  Please contact me at susanpaige1 at gmail dot com with your name, mailing address, Yaktrax preference (Pros, Runs or XTRs), and size (XS = W 2.5-6 / M 1-4.5; S = W 6.5-10 / M 5-8.5; M = W 10.5-12.5 / M 9-11; L = W 13-15 / M 11.5-13.5; XL = W 15.5+ / M 14+) by the end of this week.

Include in the subject of your email "YAKTRAX WINNER" so that it stands out just in case it goes to spam for some reason :)  I will forward your information to my contact and they will send you your prize directly.  Sound good?

Winners:

Mandy
Elizabeth
Anne W.

Congratulations, ladies!  It was a chick sweep!

Thank you to everyone who participated!  I hope to have more like this in the future...this was fun :)

Paige, out.