Race Happy

It's that time of year...the time when I begin putting together my race calendar, however tentative it may be. I just like having it all in one place so I can pick and choose as I go. Talking to Mike last night, we were discussing a couple upcoming races (one we both signed up for, and another that just he signed up for) and how we'll probably have to miss them. Stuff changes and it's hard to predict what's going to happen from one day to the next (especially in our case!).

That's what sucks about races, specifically ultras: you have to roll the die and hope that you'll still be available/prepared for a race that you need to sign up for months and months in advance because of how quickly trail races fill up these days. Inevitably, a few of my races will become what I think is called a 'sunk cost'. With the way things are these days, it's hard to shell out the pricey entry fees without thinking of a better way to use that money, especially when it's very likely that the race will somehow become inconvenient once it rolls around. And yet, I still choose to gamble :)

That said, my race calendar has filled up pretty quickly! Since one of my goals for 2009 is to come under 1:50 for a 1/2 marathon, I have four halfathons lined up already: 13.1 Chicago Marathon, Rock N' Roll 1/2 Chicago, Batavia Half Madness and the Chicago Half Marathon. I figure they'll at the very least serve as a good long run. If I'm really feeling spicy, I could turn around at the finish and run back to the start to get in a full for the day. Plus, I'd be lying if I said I hate finisher medals :)

I really want to get in a few 50k's this year and a few 50-milers, but there's not a whole lot around here so I have to consider travel expenses when I'm picking my races. I wish I could race every weekend; that would be my perfect world...along with an endless supply of Brooks Cascadias, fruit punch Accelerade, gummy bears and PB&J wheat wraps.

In ORN: I'm coming along in my training, better than expected. I had a long-overdue physical yesterday (I'm talkin' at least three years overdue) and all is well. My sports doc is also my general practice doc so he also checked out things like balance, gait, leg and hip strength and poked around on my shins. He said I am "clearly a lot stronger than last time!" And, my balance has "improved remarkably." Woohoo! I like to hear these things. We discussed my training plan and he was impressed with what I've done and especially liked hearing that I did a base-building phase this time around (something I have failed to do since my high school track days). He also suggested I start doing yoga...for stress, but also to bolster my training.

I had a great long run last Saturday. It was another one of those runs that served more as a means to toughen me up than to give me time on my feet. I got in just shy of 12 miles (wanted to do 16, but amended that goal at mile 6). It was unfathomably cold! I hit the pavement at 7:30 a.m. as planned and after the first few minutes my body began to register the cold for what it was. It was a frigid 6 degrees, but at least the sun was out in full force; the only saving grace. I had a bottle of orange Accelerade (which became a slushy by mile 5, and was solid by the time I got home) and two Clif Shots. Navy Pier became the turn around and was a welcome respite from the cold (and a warm bathroom!). The wind picked up a tad on the way back north, but it wasn't all bad. I felt good the entire run, and my shins kept quiet. I'm thinking maybe 13.1 is my fatigue threshold...anything below I'm fine for the day, but anything above I feel incredibly tired and usually end up taking extended naps on those days.

So far I'm on par for the week and I'm shooting for 18 on Saturday. It's looking promising though; the weather looks awesome right now...partly sunny and 31. Just right. Maybe my water bottle won't freeze this time...

I did a tough hill workout on the treadmill last night; it kicked my butt, but it was still fun. Running a 10 minute mile on a 10% incline is mighty tough, but I think I'll be able to get it up to a full mile without walking pretty soon :) McNaughton Park is scaring me into hill training!

Paige, out.

A little something I thought was kind of funny...and I amended it slightly in the brackets so that it was more apropos :-)

If God invented marathons to keep people from doing anything more stupid, the [Ultra] must have taken Him completely by surprise. ~P.Z. Pearce

A Little Breather

"He is able who thinks he is able." ~Buddha

Ah bliss, that's how it feels now that I've gotten my long run out of the way. I didn't have a chance to get to it this weekend as I was cooped up in a windowless classroom cramming for the GMAT. I learned that my gym now closes at 6:30 on weekend nights. I missed the memo on that one, as it used to be 8:00. I also learned that fractions are my very worst enemy. My brain hates them so much it goes on lockdown and refuses to make any logical sense of numbers and words. The worst was when a problem came up that was a word problem that used fractions, percents, logic and long division. I could normally handle the other stuff, but since the fractions were 'touching' the other math portions I couldn't function. Kind of like how I don't like my peas to touch my mashed potatoes. Gross.

Ok, I digress. So I took today off work to decompress from the weekend, and decided to make good use of the "warm" weather we were blessed with. Sun, not a cloud in the sky, and a downright balmy 28 degrees! I mean could you ask for better weather?! I had fourteen miles planned as my long run so I hopped to it and dragged my ass around my condo for an hour while I got ready, prepped an electrolyte drink, dug out some Gu and huffed and puffed about losing my favorite Smartwool running gloves. I had on two pair of running tights, a pair of wool snowboarding socks over a pair of Mizuno Breathe socks (that totally rock, by the way), my Cascadias, three tops under a windbreaker jacket, neck gaiter, hat and gloves. I remembered to grab sunglasses on my way out the door, and I'm really glad I did.

I decided to skip doing my usual on the lakefront path, and instead keep to the sidewalks where there was plenty of distraction and people watching. I ran straight down Broadway to Clark, cut over to Wells then turned on Wacker where I then turned onto Michigan all the way to Roosevelt. I weaved my way through Millenium Park, a bit of the Path, and then decided to avoid the gusty wind and stick to the sidewalks again. It was cold! I hit 14.1 miles with about another mile to go before home, so I fast walked it in. I felt great, but completely wiped out. The cold really started to get to me once I turned and headed back north. My layers were perfect and kept me really comfortable, but my neck was a little exposed and that, my friends, is my achilles. I can be completely wrapped up and cozy, but if my neck gets so much as a breeze on it I'm done for. I know, weird. It felt SO GOOD to get out and pound the pavement for a couple hours. I didn't feel rushed, or pre-occupied or worried about anything. I was just running, and totally enjoying myself. I need more of those runs :)

One minor annoyance: what's with people not moving out of the way when they see you coming down the sidewalk? C'mon! The sidewalks were even narrower because of how they were shoveled (basically the width of two snowshovels), but still enough for two people. Everytime, as I approached people in the opposite direction, we'd make eye contact (so I knew that they saw me!) and then they wouldn't move out of the way! Hello, there's sidewalk etiquette: keep to the right...and don't step in front of people coming towards you. People walking two wide really got on my nerves; you're supposed to step in front of or behind your buddy when someone else is trying to get by you. I plowed through many a snowdrift to get around people like this...I would even say "excuse me" or "pardon me" and they would just look back at me and continue on as if I weren't trying to get by. Jerks. Trust me, I'd rather be running in the bike lane in the street, but with how slippery it is right now, I'm not willing to risk my life at this juncture. That's reserved for trail racing :)

Speaking of, New Year's was rockin', and naturally involved some trail running. I flew out to spend the holiday with Mike and that Saturday we decided to give the Big Schloss Trail a go. It was a good couple hours from D.C., in the George Washington National Forest, near Front Royal, Virginia. Absolutely gorgeous! I bet that place is just out of this world in season. We kept to the main trail and got exactly 10 miles in on some really awesome single-track. It was the last day of hunting season (which we didn't know about until we got there and asked someone), so it's a good thing we had our reflective gear on :) It was cold and there was some evidence of recent snowfall on the ground. I misjudged some footing on numerous occasions and got a freezing cold reminder that not all the streams were frozen over. Always on my right foot, too. It was a challenging trail, with plenty of rocks and whatnot, actually a lot of rocks. The first half was all uphill, at a decent grade, but not so bad you couldn't run a good lot of it. The second half was all downhill which we were thankful for as we were able to let loose and run.

Mike on the Big Schloss Trail

At the top, we stepped off the trail at an overlook. Beautiful! We couldn't have had better weather, or a better view.

Looking over the valley, atop the Trail

We considered our pace and that the sun was falling fast, so we decided not to do the out-and-back portion that would have taken us to the Big Schloss (meaning "castle")...it's a big rock formation at the tip of one section of the trail. It was getting cold fast, too.

Checking out the view...totally worth the climb

On the way back down, we came across a section that was like a mini boulder field. It looked cool, but definitely wasn't runnable. Considering my nack for taking one big spill during each trail run, I decided to be extra careful.

Gingerly negotiating the rocks, they were begging for me to fall :)

So I made it down through the rocks, and as soon as I got to a flat section, you guessed it, I bit it hard! This was by far the worst spill I've mustered. I don't even know what I did this time. I layed out completely, somehow managing to turn myself enough so that only my right side made contact, but I still slide a few inches on my right knee and forearm. Wow, it stung! Tears sprang from my eyes from the pain as I rolled onto my butt and sat there in shock. I was laughing all the while. Mike comes running back to check on me, with words of support, "Next time can you not move and let me get a picture first?" That made me laugh even more :) My knee stiffened up quite a bit from the impact; as I got up to continue on I looked back at the rocks I had descended and couldn't believe how lucky I was to have fallen where I fell. Wow! That'll wake you up! I actually managed to draw blood this time, but we still had plenty of trail to cover. Onward!

On the last quarter mile, we were on gravel road. We passed a huge hunting posse of about 20 or 30 guys in camo and orange gear with shotguns. Now I've been leered at before, but this was a whole new kind of leer we were getting. Yikes! Mike said it's a good thing I hadn't seen Deliverance...afterall, we were in the mountains, and the trail bordered West Virginia. I felt slightly outnumbered. Not to mention we looked pretty funny compared to those dudes, in our running tights and camelbaks :)

I love trail running, but it is a sort of exhaustion that eclipses your basic everyday exhaustion. It felt great to get back to the car, and get some food in our systems.

Atop the trail, overlooking a valley in the GW National Forest

My official countdown to McNaughton Park 50M hasn't begun yet, but I'm well into my training for it and am really happy with the run I got in today. I've never run that long on my own so it's nice to know I can manage it alone. Getting out there solo can be difficult, especially when it's so cold out, but there are worse things. Like sitting on your butt watching bad TV when you could be out running! I'm so ready for the spring, and for earlier sunrises :)

Paige, out.

A "Supreme Lack of Utility"

I've seen this quote a number of times over the last few months, but it finally struck me today as complete, sublime truth, and written so perfectly. I love a good quote and I decided this one was good enough to be its own post :) Enjoy...

"... Perhaps the genius of ultrarunning is its supreme lack of utility. It makes no sense in a world of spaceships and supercomputers to run vast distances on foot. There is no money in it and no fame, frequently not even the approval of peers. But as poets, apostles and philosophers have insisted from the dawn of time, there is more to life than logic and common sense. The ultra runners know this instinctively. And they know something else that is lost on the sedentary. They understand, perhaps better than anyone, that the doors to the spirit will swing open with physical effort. In running such long and taxing distances they answer a call from the deepest realms of their being -- a call that asks who they are ..."

- David Blaikie

Paige, out.

Visuality

"What we think determines what happens to us, so if we want to change our lives, we need to stretch our minds." ~ Wayne Dyer

I made that up, the title :) A mix of 'visualization' and 'reality'. It's time to turn how you visualize the future into a reality. Putting your thoughts and words into action. Make your "someday" today. Why not? Nothing is for certain, and we definitely aren't guaranteed the future, but that doesn't mean we can't plan for it.

A new year is upon us and I find it endlessly amusing to look back on the last 360-some odd days and reflect on where I've been, where I am and, as a result of these places, where I'm going. I don't know about you, but my 2008 has been the year of the 180...and a few firsts. Things that began as one thing, ended up something entirely different, the complete opposite. I went from relative life balance, to tipping over, to finally feeling that I'd struck a new balance. From renting, to owning. From sheltered to adventurous. From a clean slate, to getting my first tattoo. Watched my first sister get married. I skipped the fish and the gerbils and adopted a cat (I figured it was time since I was able to keep a plant alive for two years, and counting). Discovered my most favorite dude in the world, Mike. Learned how to trash run. Fell in love with Atayne. My biggest flip, though, was when I went from a 5k road runner to a PR glutton to a trail ultra runner. Holy crap, talk about a 180! I truly believed that I wasn't cut out for running long distances, especially after I earned a nice pair of chronic shin splints during winter half marathon training back in February. The 5k was just dandy at that point. Then I lept way outside my comfort zone and joined a running group, only to start racking up the PR's (times and distances), and hit the trail a month later for the first time in my life. I'll never look back :)

At some of the most random times in your life you'll gain a whole new perspective on something, and it will be in such a way that you wonder how you ever saw it differently. Sometimes you have to be shown, other times all it takes is opening your eyes or allowing a moment to settle and swish around in your mind so you can catch all the different 'notes' and form a more 'full bodied' take on it. I feel like a glass of wine for some reason...!

I started this post as I was getting ready to leave work (c'mon, it was a slow afternoon!), thinking I'd crank one out in a couple minutes, to sort of vet out what I was thinking. Then I got pulled in for an impromptu yearly review. Would have been nice to know about it beforehand, but, like I say, whatev. My point being, I've now gained a whole new perspective on my status in life as it is. And, it makes me laugh a little. I was pleasantly surprised with my review and have no real qualms with it other than with something I won't delve into here, and it's a big something in the grand scheme of things. But, that's neither here nor there. I have a new perspective! For one, how I visualized where I stand is the complete opposite of what it really is; how I imagined things would go...well, that wasn't really up to par either. I had a pretty good idea of the level of certain internal discontent, but now it's concrete. Now, I know that action is all that's left. When push comes to shove...

So, I will be going into this new year with a fresh perspective on things and a better idea of what it is I need to do. I have goals, concrete it-will-totally-happen goals, and a plan of action, albeit slightly shaky but there's still more to work on. I don't really do "resolutions" but I set goals and benchmarks for myself. There are quite a few for 2009, and I've listed 5 in the sidebar, but my favorite is my 50-miler. I can't WAIT to hit the trail and kick some butt in McNaughton. I don't care if I am DFL (dead f*&$ing last), as long as I make that glorious cutoff I will be one happy camper. Then, you better watch out because once the pain wears off, I'll be talking 'hundreds! I already have my eye on Heartland 100, but that's just a dream right now...a visualization, if you will :)

Well it's been one heck of a year...how about some pic's to illustrate it a bit!

Mike and I at the Columbus Marathon Expo, for Atayne - October

With my niece, Ava, sisters Tilly and Roo, and my rockin' mom eating cake - August

Holms and I in Acadia National Park, right after getting our 'tats' :) - October

Chicago Beer Runners Pub Run '08!! - August

Lola, showing her stick toy who's boss - May

Post Chicago Fleet Feet Women's 10k race - July

I guess I don't have a ton of pic's from the earlier part of the year...probably because the second half of the year was a lot more fun :)

Paige, out.

"To accomplish great things, we must not only act, but also dream; not only plan, but also believe." ~ Anatole France

The Good, The Bad and The Just Plain Ugly

I know that every runner has less-than-perfect runs and I can hardly complain. I so rarely have a run where I curse the act the entire time I'm out. I couldn't even tell you the last time I had a crappy run. I know why it happened, too. It's because I'm following a schedule now. The dreaded base building phase of training. I also couldn't even tell you the last time I did a base building phase...

My legs hate schedule. They much prefer to just act on a whim and head out when they feel like it (which, conveniently, is typically 3-4 times per week). Now that I am forcing them to hit the road or treadmill on a regulated schedule they are revolting against me. I'm learning that I can indeed get injured in the process. Fifteen years I went without so much as a case of DOMS (delayed onset muscle soreness), which I now realize was just due to my youth and bodies ability to bounce back. Well, that, and I also never used to push myself the way I do now. My legs scream, "Fifty miles?! You want us to run how far?! You are such a jerk!" It's all new territory with all new aches and pains and stresses, but dang if it isn't the most fun I've had in my adult life!

I went for my scheduled 3-mile run on Christmas Eve, out in the suburbs, in my mom's neighborhood. It's snowed for the last week or so, and has been freezing (literally, below 0 on most days) so there's a nice layer of ice beneath the 2 feet of snow. On this evening though, it had 'warmed' quite a bit so I was excited to get my run in outside for a change. I headed for the path along the Fox River, but after about 100 yards or so someone clearly got bored with shoveling and just stopped altogether. It was like single-track...in heavy, wet snow...which sucked. So I turned around and decided I'd take to the streets instead. I wove my way through the neighborhood, running through slush and thick snow in some areas to avoid cars, but it was otherwise really nice (and felt good on my knees). The wind, though, was wicked. It cut straight through my three layers and went right for the bone. It was a wicked chill and it hurt to breath at times because it was so piercing. My eyes watered the entire time! I got a little turned around since it was getting dark so quick and I didn't have my glasses on, so I ended up doing 3.5 miles instead. All in all, a good run I'd say.

Today, I would have preferred to have been smacked with a bag of bricks a few times than suffered through the run I had. I felt just fine going into it. Getting ready, I didn't really feel like going out for a run, but my schedule dictated that I get another 3-miler in. So, I suited up. The. Worst. Run. Ever. From the moment I took my first stride down Montrose, heading towards the path, to the moment I hit the 3-mile mark I begrudged the process. I never get like that. I always love my run, no matter what. But today was different. My shin muscles felt incredibly fatigued, not sore or painful, but really, really tired and worn out feeling.

I tried shaking it out, stretching, breathing differently, changing my stride a bit. Nothing worked. I was reduced to walking by the first mile. I glanced down at my GPS every 10 seconds to see how much longer I had. It was going soooooooooo sllllllloooooooowwwwwww. It felt like I was running in quicksand, literally. Kind of like one of those dreams where you're trying to run and you're moving your legs so fast but getting nowhere. It was so frustrating, but I kept reminding myself that it was just going to be a 'character-building run' to make myself feel better. That worked a little. At 1.5 I turned around to head home and I started bargaining. I'd run to a sign then walk for 5 seconds, run to a big tree then walk for a few strides, run hard for 10 seconds then walk for 10. It was brutal. I'm sure I was a sight for sore eyes! I wanted to crawl underneath the pavement and not come out, ever again. I was just shocked I was having such a horrible time trying to crank out 3 FREAKIN' MILES!

If only we could record the thoughts that roll through our minds during times like this, they would make for great fodder later on. My mind was working triple over-time, volleying between intense frustration towards the situation, gratefulness for even being able to walk, absolute disdain for the day, thrilled that I was so close to home, hating my legs, loving that I even attempted it all on such a fantastically disgusting day. Home sweet home.

I didn't beat myself up about it once I got home, though. I foam rolled and iced while catching up on some shows in my DVR, then took a nice nap :)

I suppose I'm glad I had a bad run, I think I needed it. Just a little reminder that it could certainly be a lot worse. Hopefully, things go a little better tomorrow!

Paige, out.

“Tough times are there so you can have a good time later on-- and really appreciate it!” ~Unknown

50 Miles or Bust

It's been a busy racing year for me...wow! I signed in to check my calendar and noticed I've completed every race on it, and it's now time to retire 2008 to a sidebar as a reminder of all I've done this year, and time to post my 2009 calendar as I've already got a few races lined up :)

Last weekend I ventured out west, to San Francisco, to crew Mike through his first 50-miler, The North Face Endurance Challenge Championships. I haven't been out to California since 2002, so I was excited to get back, and to see my very favorite running partner in crime :)

The four hour flight got me there an hour early and I now had another four hours to kill while I waited for Mike's flight to land. My butt fell asleep sitting on the floor in the baggage claim area, but I was certainly entertained with all the people watching, managed to finish a copy of Runner's World I'd held off reading for a couple months, and made a serious dent in my latest book of choice, The Universe In A Single Atom by His Holiness The Dalai Lama. Sidenote: I picked up this book after reading Mike Bouscaren's Ultrarunning: My Story (he suggested the book). It's very interesting and thought-provoking, but not recommended to anyone who doesn't enjoy the argument of science v. religion.

Once Mike arrived, we got a rental car and headed into the city to pick up his race packet at The North Face store and then get some food!

Golden Gate National Recreation Area

Mmmmm, tastiest smoked salmon sandwich ever...La Boulange in the Washington Square Park 'hood

Once we found the hotel, in Mill Valley, Mike finished up some work and I laced up my road runners and headed out for a little run to get the legs ready for the next day. It was gorgeous! I had no idea where I was, so I strapped on my Garmin 305 so I could at least keep track. I ran down Redwood Highway (interior) and turned on a hilly side street that lead towards the mountains. This street dropped me directly onto one of my favorite surfaces...single-track, woohoo! I followed the make-shift dirt path as it wound through some marshy areas and then into a small peninsula area in the middle of a sort of inter-coastal waterway. Mt. Tamalpais loomed in the distance. There was a dog park in the center and a crushed gravel path that went around it. I took this until I reached about 2 miles and saw more single-track coming up that led onto the peninsula (also a national scenic wildlife reserve) and took this until it hit a dead end at the water's edge, then turned around and headed back to the hotel. The sun was setting and you could see it reflecting in the still water, and as it disappeared behind the mountains the colors changed quickly before it got dark. The run turned into just under 4 miles. Excellent. It felt good, especially considering I hadn't run in seven days while I rested my shins.

Dinner at this awesome Italian restaurant just north of where we were staying, and then we relaxed in the room and watched The Distance of Truth to get all psyched for the next day. Great documentary about the 2005/06 running of Badwater 135. We woke at 2:45 a.m. (!) and started making motions to head out. I'm glad we had organized everything the night before, and I went over directions for crew, pacing, etc. We had to meet at Rodeo Beach where we'd take a shuttle bus to the start/finish area. Once the runners started, the shuttles would take crew members back to the Beach to get our cars.

Start/Finish area

The 50-milers waiting for the 5 a.m. start

Pre-race shot, standing around the heat lamps...it was FREEZING!

Thankfully, a really nice North Face staffer gave me aid station directions...I had no idea where I was going and definitely would have gotten lost without them. Once the runners were off, the next stop for crew was Tennessee Valley/mile 8ish. I got there early enough to squeeze in a half hour nap, and then got Mike's water bottles ready. I ran to an outhouse quickly as I assumed I had another half hour until Mikes projected arrival at the station, but as I was coming out I saw him running up...a half hour early! Quick swap of water bottles and handing me his headlamp, he was off again, an now it was time for me to make the long drive up to Pan Toll/mile 18 and 31. Emphasis on LONG. And winding, and steep, and scary at times. But, I made it :)

Pan Toll/mile 18...Runners would come through here again after Stinson Beach. I saw Nikki Kimball (at the table) and couldn't resist taking a pic. I was surrounded by ultrarunning greats!

Mike was looking good at the first go round of Pan Toll and though Stinson Beach AS was in 2.5ish miles, we decided I'd meet him there, too, as the biggest, nastiest climb was going to be after that and he'd need some refills for it. Stinson was really pretty and I had to drive along the ridge line of Mt. Tamalpais, which afforded some great shots from high up...

Stinson Beach is down below

The site of all this craziness and excitement

After Stinson, it was back to Pan Toll for me to meet Mike at the 50k mark and begin pacing him from there if need be. The elevation in this race was unbelievable, I think it was 10,000 feet of gain and loss. That's a lot, especially for this flat-lander! The wait at Pan Toll the second time around was awhile since the climbing to get back up there (for the runners) was the worst of the whole race. I changed into my running clothes, got the water bottles ready, purchased a parking pass since I'd be leaving the car here for a number of hours, met a really cool gal from the area who was crewing for her husband (also his first 50-miler). We talked about trail running (my favorite) v. road running (her favorite) and I'm pretty sure I was able to convince her to give a trail marathon a shot! This helped pass the time and I should have gotten her name as every time we came into a station once I started pacing she was there cheering loudly for us, which was pretty cool since neither of us knew anyone there. Lots of big names were in this race/crewing for others: Krupicka, Jen Shelton, Kimball, Meltzer, Skaggs. I was putting stuff in the trunk of the car when I looked up and coming right towards me was Karl Meltzer (I didn't realize he was running it). I actually had to move out of the way for him to pass. Cool, don't see that everyday.

I walked back up to the Matt Davis Trail and waited for Mike so I could snap a pic of him coming in...

Woohoo, 50k, done and done!

Mike wanted me to jump in and I was more than happy to...nothing like a nice 19 mile run in the woods/mountains of northern Cali on a lovely Saturday morning :) Swapped the water bottles, got Mike some Advil and food, and then we headed out of Pan Toll. Everyone coming back into Pan Toll looked like they wanted to quit right there and a lot of people actually looked really pissed. The climbs were apparently that bad. I wasn't going to see the worst of it, but it was going to be difficult enough, for sure.

I felt great, obviously, because I had the fresh legs and was in a fabulous mood. It had warmed up some by now and a lot of the course was exposed once up top. The sun felt really great on our backs after we'd come out of the chillier tree line. The trail was a lot more technical than I anticipated, but I was ready for it and managed to negotiate it pretty well. Aside from two nasty ankle rolls (one on each side), I managed to stay upright the entire time...quite a feat for me! The climbs we unrelenting at times, but not that bad to me since I was fresh. At the back half of a long race though, the climbs were torturous for the racers. I was having so much fun pacing and really enjoyed the views. Mike was doing really well (he may not say the same, but he was) and we alternated speed-walking the climbs and running everything else we could. Aid stations were great and the volunteers were awesome, but I could swear nobody could get the mileage right. I know my Garmin isn't the most accurate in woods, but it comes close enough. Next year, they should have signs posted at the stations with mileage covered and mileage remaining. It was unnerving to glace at my GPS and see we had 5 miles to go, but the AS volunteers told us 6.8. Yikes, that's a bit of a difference!

I'm not sure which station we were at, but a really nice older guy joined us and we chatted with him while we made the 700' climb up to another ridge (this climb felt like an eternity, and was steep enough and late enough in the race that running it was out of the question). Once we made it up and began running on a nice crushed gravel trail around the mountain, I suddenly felt a very sharp pain in my left shin. It felt like someone took a knife and cut it horizontally across the lower portion of my left shin. Oh my god, it hurt like hell! I couldn't even run on it. I was reduced to walking the flatest portion of the whole dang 19 miles I was covering. I told Mike not to hold back, it's his race not mine. I'd be fine, I just needed to find a gait I could manage. I played around with lots of different running/walking angles and paces, and found that leaning to the right took a lot of pressure off it and was fine on and off. Eventually, I realized that when my leg went back after footstrike I felt the worst of the pain. I then fixed my positioning so that my legs stayed in front of or directly below me. Not an ideal running gait, but at least it allowed me to run pain free now. I lost a couple miles working on this, but I was still moving and Mike was holding up well.

One more (unexpected) aid station, where we were told 2.8 more miles, uggggh, seriously! It was all going to be downhill from that point though. Music to our ears. The sun was starting to go down, so we knew we were nearing the 5:00 p.m./12 hour cutoff Mike needed to make to qualify for the Vermont 100. The trail was leading us back down to the roads below and we worked out a really good run/walk routine. We were trucking along and I was really impressed with Mike's persistance and how well he cranked out those last couple of miles. I kept glancing at our time and the clock knowing we needed to break 10 minute miles for the last two miles. Speed walk to a flag, then run to the next. Then there was a slight incline on a road that we knew held the finish line. It was curvy and we could hear the sounds of the finish line; Mike asked me to run ahead and tell him what was around the curve. A tease, it was more road!! Finally, the finish was in sight and I yelled back to Mike. He sped up while I pulled back so he could finish ahead. He was going to make his cutoff!! Crossed the line in 11:54, six minutes to spare. Hello, Vermont :)

It was cold now! Since we couldn't carry anything, and didn't have a dropbag we only had the clothes we had on and our water bottles, and our car was 30 miles away, at Pan Toll. Now it was time to figure out how the hell we were getting back up there! We looked like a roll of aluminum foil threw up on us...we each had on two space blankets to keep warm and were huddled at a table while Mike ate some chili and I stressed about the car. Oy, we should have planned better for that. I began asking around to see if anyone was heading towards Pan Toll, and I thankfully met Ernesto who was happy to give us a ride. We just needed to wait for his friend, Chuck Wilson, to finish. We huddled around a heat lamp with some other runners and talked it up with Joel and his wife, from Seattle. Great people. Another reminder of how wonderful the ultrarunning community is.

The drive back up to Pan Toll was a flashback for me and I'm soooo glad I had thought to put the driving directions in the pouch of my water bottle. Otherwise, we'd have been SOL. We had the heat blasting, and Ernesto told us all about the different races he's done and about living in NoCal. What a stellar guy, he's done a lot and is one of the nicest people I've met lately. Very kind and obviously gracious for going so much out of his way to get two perfect strangers back to their car. Thank you, Ernesto!!!!

Happy to be DONE!

We were exhausted! Back at the hotel, we ordered pizza, iced our limbs and Mike passed out hard while I inhaled the cinnastix. The sugar tasted so good! We slept in a bit on Sunday, grabbed breakfast up the road, at the Dipsea Cafe (absolutely delicious!), then packed up and headed into the city to find a good place for coffee and hanging out. We found Lombard St. and I drove down it. Waaaaaaay too steep for my tastes and I was freaking out! At the bottom, though, the view was fantastic :) We ended up at Coffee Adventures on Columbus where we lounged on the couch and read the paper, then we wandered up towards Fisherman's Wharf. I had to hop on a trolley though and be touristy...

San Francisco is a great city, and I love the easy access to fabulous running trails :) I had a flight to catch though, so we headed to the airport where Mike dropped me off and he then headed to L.A. for work.

I had a fabulous weekend, tiring and short, but worth it. It's just what I needed and now I'm really pumped for my 50-miler in April, at McNaughton. We learned a lot from this race and we'll go into the next one much more prepared, and comfortable :) This was a great way to wrap up the year and our racing calendars. Now it's time to rest, but not for long...my 50-miler training starts on Monday, and Mike's got another in March (Bel Monte Endurance Run 50) to get ready for!

Paige, out.

Oh, The Weather Outside Is Frightful

Wow. It's just plain ridiculous outside. Cold, wet, windy. Perfect weather for a run to remind myself "it could be worse."

My plan was to get up early and go for a run in the early dawn hours because it looks so cool along the lakefront, but that didn't pan out so well. I instead decided to "sleep in" today and ease into my run. After half a pot of coffee, some lounging on the couch with a chick flick on the tv, and playing with Lola for a bit, I finally decided it was time for a run. It was about 10:30 when I turned on my laptop to check the temp outside: 39 degrees. Perfect. Getting dressed and deciding to nix my prior goal of 3 miles, I decided to go for 5 today. Why not. I was all set to go and checked the temp one more time at 11:00: 37 degrees...it's dropped and now there's snow in the forecast. Okay, put on a hat instead of my ear warmers.

Heading downstairs to my lobby, I set my Garmin in a window to link up (which took forever today for some reason) and stretched. It looked awful outside and the ground was already wet. Oh well, still want to shake the limbs out! For a split second I entertained the idea of going back upstairs to my warm condo and getting a head start on my laziness for the day, but the thought exited as quickly as I entered, almost as if it was never even there. The crappier the weather, the more enticing a run is...just to see how I fare.

It was drizzly when I stepped out, but nothing to call home about. As soon as I hopped onto the lakefront path, the drizzle was joined by a brisk wind coming off the lake. Okay, not my fave, but I can deal. I decided to go with my regular iPod today so I could listen to my latest additions to my music library and I had it tucked nicely in the chest pocket of my jacket. Ah, bliss :) The further south I got on the path, the less drizzle there was. However, it was replaced with an all out blizzard blowing in from the east (off the water) and pummeling the left side of my face. As I neared Diversey, crossed the bridge and turned around at my 2.5 mile mark, the snow was now hitting the right side of my face, which I still had feeling in. This was painful. At least, heading out, the left side of my face was numb from the wet chill so the snow didn't hurt, but now I could really feel it! It was like millions of pins hitting my face. I put my hand up to block it for a bit.

The snow was really pretty, even if it did feel like facial accupuncture most of the time. I didn't negotiate most of the puddles, so my feet were now pretty wet (good thing my feet were numb too, so I couldn't feel the chill!). I was completely soaked by the time I reached Belmont on my way back, but I felt great. A much, much older man heading out on the opposite side of the path smiled really big at me and waved with both hands, I responded in kind. I love that. I laughed to myself and felt a surge of energy afterwards. So I capitalized on the surge and kicked it up a notch to squeeze in some 7:30's for the rest of the way. I felt really good, and my lungs were pretty happy, so why not put the legs to work a little more. The power of a smile from someone else is astonishing at times. At this time, it made me feel not so alone in my insanity for heading out in this weather.

Once I passed Addison, the snow felt more like rain and looked like sleet. At least the wind was slowed some. I made it home with a half tank and I'm sure I could have gone and done the route a second time, but I'd had enough of the wind and snow for one day. I couldn't even feel my face, and as I waited for the elevator I was trying to peel off my gloves...I couldn't feel my hands and I had to really concentrate to get them to move! But hey, it could be worse.

Overall, a great run. A much needed recharge after the holiday weekend. I did get in a nice 4-miler on Thanksgiving morning while my casserole was cooking at my mom's house, but it was about 50 degrees and the sun was out with barely any breeze to speak of. Much too nice of weather, and no mud :)

Coming up, the North Face Endurance Challenge in San Francisco...it'll be Mike's first 50-miler(!) and I'll be crewing and pacing him. It's going to be a great weekend, and so far the weather looks promising.

Paige, out.

"All it takes is all you got."--Marc Davis