This is not a race report or a recipe. It is not like any of my normal blogs but it is one that I felt compelled to write. I guess, in a way, I wanted to say goodbye to a place that has meant so much to me over the last nine years. A place that brought us peace, beauty and encouraged our family to get out and be outside, together.
When we moved to our town in late 2010, we did not know a lot of people or anything about the local trails. The following year, on the anniversary of our move-in date, we were robbed. This town we had just arrived in, was not as welcoming as I had hoped.
However, slowly over time, we’ve met some great friends and some of those friends shared with us the local trails. Some trails, we discovered on our own as a family. This would be one of them. We nicknamed it simply, “The Look-Out.”
This is the oldest photo that I could find but I know we lugged our stroller out there well before Squeaker could walk. 2013
The Look-Out was where we went after dinner to watch the sunset or during the holidays to walk off a big heavy meal.
The Look-Out was nothing more than a beautiful glimpse of Folsom Lake. It wasn’t perfect, it had power lines across the best part of the view but it also held a beautiful oak tree and jagged rocks perfect for climbing. It was also right outside our door.
Every Christmas morning after coffee and presents, Vans and I would make the girls get dressed into warm clothes and go with us to the Look-Out. We would take photos, talk about what Santa brought us and who was coming over later for Christmas dinner.
Christmas 2016Christmas 2017Christmas 2018Our last Christmas morning here together – 2018
Last night, Vans and I went for a walk to the Look-Out. It had been a while as we’ve been on vacation. The summer itself has been full of visitors, sports, coaching and work. To be honest, I had not been to the Look-Out in quite a few weeks but we knew that homes were being built. A road had appeared last year and foundations were set. We knew it was only a matter of time before our special place would no longer be accessible.
Vans looking at the fence lines that have been drawn and the holes for future fence posts.
When we arrived, we saw that lines had been set up around our Oak Tree and holes dug for future (very large) fence posts. Our special place will very soon be someone’s back yard. I wonder if they will love it as much as we have over the years?
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The Look-Out is where Vans came to after his bike accident last year. An easy walk among the trees, dirt and grass.
The Look-Out is where I would walk to when I needed to think. When my friend Phil died late last year, I came here, sat down and cried. I cried until a bird crowed at me and I realized that Phil, my friend, would not want me shedding tears for him but instead enjoying life.
You were right Phil.
The Look-Out is where I came after my hamstring tear and procedure when I was missing running on the trails more than my heart could take. It reminded me that I was doing what needed to be done, in order to heal.
It worked.
For a long time, I didn’t share or tell anyone about the Look-Out. It was our family place. Then one day, a friend came to me upset about something and I took them there as well. I figured if it could help me, maybe it could help them. I don’t know if it did but I know they enjoyed the view.
I know that nothing lasts forever but I wish housing developments would not be so aggressive. I know it isn’t the fault of the people whose home is being built on our special place, I mean, who wouldn’t want a view like that? I just wish, we could have our place for just a little bit longer.
I wish a path could be created that would allow us to be able to share this view whenever we wanted with the people who own it but I know that’s a silly dream.
Most of all, I should be grateful for the walks we have had and the time we’ve spent at the Look-Out. Perhaps a new spot will be discovered? I do know, whenever I see an old Oak Tree, I will think about our Look-Out and the memories we’ve had here.
Best climbing tree ever!Best rocks ever.
The Look-Out helped us heal, laugh and love. It got our blood flowing, our energy moving and our minds wandering. It has given us more than what we could ever give back in return.
I guess that is partly why I wanted to write this so that the memory of what this place looked like and meant, lives on even after the fence is up and our tree and view cornered off.
You can see some of the new homes being built below.
Thank you Look-Out and Oak Tree. I hope your new family loves you just as much as we have over the years.
Oak Tree, I hope they keep you and allow you to grow. I hope they take family photos by you and let their kids climb your branches and rocks. I hope the fence they install is one that will make you look even more beautiful.
Thank you for taking the time to read about our special place, our Look-Out and our friend, The Oak Tree. I can only hope that everyone has a place so close and so special touch their lives. Mother Nature and being outside means so much to me and to my family. It does feel as if a part of our family, is leaving for good.
Go outside. Look around. Really look around and soak in what is around you because the world is changing so quickly.
And so, I leave you with this poem.
Happy Trails!
~Trailmomma
THE OAK TREE
by Johnny Ray Ryder Jr.
A mighty wind blew night and day It stole the oak tree’s leaves away Then snapped its boughs and pulled its bark Until the oak was tired and stark
But still the oak tree held its ground While other trees fell all around The weary wind gave up and spoke. How can you still be standing Oak?
The oak tree said, I know that you Can break each branch of mine in two Carry every leaf away Shake my limbs, and make me sway
But I have roots stretched in the earth Growing stronger since my birth You’ll never touch them, for you see They are the deepest part of me
Until today, I wasn’t sure Of just how much I could endure But now I’ve found, with thanks to you I’m stronger than I ever knew
I cannot think of a better place to run my 10th ever 50k than in Tahoe. This race had it all and then some. Warning, I took a lot of photos. 🙂
I signed up to run the Big Chief 50k early on in the year with the intention of using it as a training run. I made plans with some friends in Tahoe to crash at their house the night before as I wanted to run this solo. I did not want the family hanging out at the finish line because I wanted to feel as if I had zero support and zero pressure. I wanted to just run it and let the day unfold and battle whatever demons came up … and some did indeed show up but I was ready.
Photo : Big Blue Adventure
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The weekend started with a serious heat wave. Saturday before the race was spent at the kids swim meet. I did my best to hydrate all day and get out of the sun when I could.
After the swim meet I had to unpack from the meet, shuttle one of my kids to a party, continue to pack for the race and I also made some mashed potatoes to bring with me as fuel. It was a busy day.
This was the race for experimentation. As it turns out, mashed potatoes, while great in theory, did not taste so great at mile 22 on a million degree day. Live and learn.
I arrived at my friend’s house Saturday evening. We had dinner, caught up and relaxed. I also got some doggie loving in from their two sweet dogs. It was just what I needed the night before a race.
Doggie kisses
I slept incredibly well and was able to do my usual morning routine. I arrived at the race start as soon as packet pick up opened. It was a beautiful and cool morning.
In the parking lot on the way to packet pickup, I ran into an old friend, Captain Kirk! Captain Kirk manages the Fleet Feet Folsom store (my local store) and he also was one of my coaches who back in 2010 helped me run my first ever Way Too Cool 50K and American River 50 Miler! So he’s to blame for for all my crazy running. 🙂 Kidding.
This was the inaugural race so everything seemed very low key. There were not a ton of entrants. Really, it was the perfect amount. The race starting area was quiet but full of smiles as it was a beautiful morning.
After a quick race briefing, we were off! The race starts up hill to get you out of the ski lodge area. At first it seemed like everyone took off like they stole something but maybe that was my perception because my lungs felt like I had left them back home in EDH.
I had some flashbacks of my Broken Arrow start where I thought I might die but eventually the trail spreads out and some people started to power hike. I knew it was going to be a long day, so I joined them and tried to get my breathing to settle down.
The trail soon turns onto the most beautiful single track and it was like we stepped into the mecca of Tahoe trails.
Soon enough I caught up to Captain Kirk and we ran a few miles together just chatting away. At one point he turned to me and said, “Um, that was a 7:55 mile. We should probably slow down.” It honestly did not feel like we were going that fast at all, it was a slight down hill too but when I looked back at my splits, I had about 3 fast(ish) miles right about then. Oops!
It was around mile 8.5 or so that my stomach really started to bug me. Without too many details, I had to stop, lady-problems abound and that would set the tone for the start of my race.
Jumping off the trail to take care of business always bugs me. All the runners I had passed earlier, I saw running right by me while I was off in the distance dealing with myself. Still, it needed to be done and is a fact of ultra-running.
The trails seriously could not get any better. Every turn introduced you to an awesome trail or a great view. Despite the lady-cramping that had started to pummel my body and the still present stomach troubles, I was truly enjoying myself.
Finally at mile 12, I had to stop yet again. Completely frustrated at this point but I was hopeful this would be the last stop, and it was but once again, it plays a cruel mental game in your head when you have to stop and deal with things like this that come up.
But how could I be mad when I had views like this all around me? The view of Lake Tahoe from this trail was spectacular.
I figured if my day was going to go to hell in a hand basket, I might as well have some beautiful photos for the blog! 🙂
Still smiling despite the inner battles I had been dealing with
Basically, from miles 12 to 16, I hiked a lot. My body just did not want to run even though the trails were very run-able. Between the stomach, cramping and just feeling depleted, I was just putting one foot in front of the other the best that I could. The day was quickly warming up too.
Finally, I came to the third aid-station shortly after mile 16. I decided that I need to figure my $hit out and quick. Luckily this aid-station had some ice so I grabbed some and shoved it down my sports bra, and put the rest in a bandanna around my neck. I took my extra soft flask and filled it with water to hose myself down.
As part of our race packet, we received two Gu gels. I am not a gels kind of person but at this point, 16 miles into a 31 mile race, I was having a hard time getting in calories. I downed the gel and you know what, it wasn’t that bad and brought some pep into my step! I started kicking myself that I left the second gel back in the car.
My stomach woes finally subsided and my body overall was starting to feel better. I was happy that I had mitigated whatever problems I had previously. From that point on, I was able to run and hike. It was about 86 degrees out, which for the Tahoe area, is pretty freaking hot.
Long miles in the sun…
Some of the trails were like the above photo, fully exposed fire roads. Still beautiful but definitely brutal in the heat of the day. Here I was able to catch up to and pass a few runners but running on flats like this, is not my strong suit.
Standing in the hot sun looking across at the still snowy mountains!
The next aid-station was around mile 22 or so and I could not wait to get there. Luckily they had ice as well so I continued my ice in the sports bra and bandanna around my neck and nibbled on whatever I could find in my pack method. Nibbling was key.
It was at this aid-station that I had finally caught up to a girl I’d been at first yo yo’ing with on the trails but who then passed me during one of my many bathroom pit stops. She looked up at me and said, “You look familiar.” She was wearing the 2019 Canyons hat and I said, “I think I was running near you at Canyons this year.” and she goes, “Yea! Your legs looked familiar!” 🙂
As we started down the trail she said, “Welcome to Saw Tooth!” I asked her if that was what the trail was called and she said, yes. She’d been out there the weekend prior running it in preparation for today’s race. It’s a gnarly section definitely designed for a mountain biker. The rocks are jagged and plentiful. It was gorgeous, but pretty technical to run on but also so incredibly fun!
The trails right before Saw Tooth
Her pre race practice paid off as she took off down those trails! I lost sight of her as I was focusing on not falling on my face as well as letting mountain bikers pass. The trails were still open to them but they were super friendly and encouraging.
After Saw Tooth we were on a trail called, Two Beavers and a Bear. 🙂 Just the name made me smile but the trails themselves were pretty amazing.
I caught up to the Canyons girl here too along with a guy who was adamant that we were lost. He had turned himself around and was insistent that we had already run this section. Canyons girl assured him that we had not and I told him that I trusted her because she lives near here and was running out here just last weekend. I also really wanted to tell the guy to just take a gel or something. I think he might have been bonking a little from the heat. 🙂
Back into the shade!!
I honestly do not know how that guy could truly think he was lost because this course was SO well marked. I never doubted where I was for a moment and we made tons of turns. I give major kudos to the Race Director and volunteers for Big Blue Adventure, they did a stellar job marking this crazy course.
One of the cool bridges we ran over
Even though I was feeling better and running more, I couldn’t stop taking photos. We came across so many neat trails. From soft dirt, to technical rocks to cool little bridges like the above photo!
There was also some fun trail art! You could not help but smile if you were really looking around and taking this all in. These trails are incredible.
Even though I was feeling better and running more, my calorie intake was probably not where it should have been. I dug out an old gel that I had in my pack, not the same as the one prior (I always carry a safety) and I tried to get it down but the texture was pretty nasty. Just then I tripped over a rock and the gel packet went flying into a mud puddle. “Guess there goes that,” I said out loud … just as a mountain biker had approached, “Are you okay?” I had only partially fallen, not a true fall and I was fine but I am sure she must have thought I was a nutso talking to myself in the woods. 🙂
I was starting to smell the barn and I was also counting down the miles to the final aid-station as my bandanna was dry but luckily I still had my hosing water bottle.
More cool bike bridges to cross!
Finally I reached mile 27 and the aid-station. He was out of ice but he had water so I refilled my hosing water bottle and continued on my way. He warned us that the next few miles were a slow up hill and then it would be down hill.
What he didn’t share was that the next 2.5 miles were on this fully exposed hot fire road. Ouch. Uphill in the sun is one gnarly way to head to the finish line but I just kept power hiking and moving. No stopping now! I was on a mission.
With that hot exposed fire road though, you’re still greeted with some really pretty views. This race just never stopped with its beauty.
Finally I reached the section where the downhill began. I could not hear the finish but I could smell it and I could see some of the mountain bikers riding the downhill course which was located near the finish line.
I just turned on the jets and motored down the hill as fast as my legs would go. I was still in the dead sun but eventually I started running on the uphill that we had started the race on … which meant the finish line was near. My Garmin said I was doing this last mile to 2 mile section at around an 8:36 pace or so. I believe it. I could not wait to finish.
I crossed the finish line and Captain Kirk was there to greet me and give me a high-five. I told him that I finished way later than I had wanted or even expected to, and he said, “Because that was f*&^king hard!” That made me feel better. 🙂 I still think this race is very run-able but the heat, the stomach troubles and everything else that I battled with for 31 miles, I did what I could do and got it done.
Ignore the hand-wound. I had fallen a few days prior to the race. 🙂
I managed to grab 3rd place age group (it was a small race). Captain Kirk also got 3rd in his age group as well and his friend placed first! The finish area was full of smiles, beer and just good times.
I just sat on the grass for a bit, cheered those still finishing and enjoyed a grape popsicle. 🙂 It totally his the spot. I could have probably eaten the whole box.
Even though I did not finish in the time frame I was expecting to finish in, I am still quite happy with my race. I went into this race with zero expectations other than get the miles in and use this as a training run to experiment with some new fueling, run in the heat and I also ran with the new Topo Athletic Mountain Racers.
I think I handled my lows pretty well and did a good job at problem solving when I needed to. It might have taken longer than it should have to come to certain solutions, but now I have ideas on what I can use to address certain things that pop up.
Overall, I am in absolutely in love with this race and the race course. Vans already has decided that next year the whole family will go up and he can do the mountain bike race on Saturday while I run this again the next day. I am all for it because this race was beautiful through and through. 🙂
Did you ever have a bucket list race? A race you’ve always wanted to try but the stars just never aligned for it to happen? The Broken Arrow Sky Race has been that race for me since they starting racing in Squaw Valley. It usually falls on or around Father’s Day or near Squeaker’s birthday, but not this year. This year, the timing was perfect.
When I told Vans about this race and my intentions months ago, he was all for it. Then I discovered there was also a Broken Arrow kid’s race AND a Big Blue Adventure Mountain Bike Race all within the same weekend. The stars not only aligned, they were calling us … to Tahoe! So off we went!
The Broken Arrow Sky Race series starts on a Friday with a VK (Vertical Kilometer) race, followed by Saturday with the 11k race and a 52k race. The series ends on Sunday with a 26k and the kid’s race. All throughout the weekend are vendors, music, beer, food and just a ton of super fit active happy people.
We arrived late Friday evening. Vans went and did his crazy mountain bike race (his first major one since his collar bone accident in February) on Saturday while the kids and I soaked up the excitement and energy in the village. It was fun and gave me a chance to chat with a lot of 52k finishers about the course as this was 100% a snow year and running was not going to be easy peasy way up high on the mountain.
Come Sunday morning, my nerves were getting to me. After having talked to so many about the snowy conditions, I was a bit nervous. Just a week before the race I had suffered from either a terrible bout of allergies OR a nasty sinus cold that tried to make its way into my chest. I had a few asthma attacks that week as a result. Regardless, trying to breathe had been rough and I took a good week off to let everything settle.
I did not take any photos at the start of the race. I was too much in my head and watching those around me. When they counted us down and sent us on our way, I had a smile on my face eager to see what the day would bring.
The first few miles of the course I am familiar with. That single track in the photo above I have run before during our family time in Tahoe. It’s gorgeous but because of the snow, it’s been a while since I’ve run on it. It was as soft and as beautiful as I remember.
Then we started climbing. They wasted no time with that elevation gain in this race. I tried to settle into a decent pace but those around me were pushing pretty hard. I wanted to as well but my legs and lungs had not quite adjusted yet to what I was asking them to do.
I did make a promise to myself that every peak I crested, I would stop, turn and take a photo. It made climbing those giant mountains, a little more fun.
There were 424 people running this race so it was a bit of an adjustment trying to maintain space on the trail. The initial climbs were all a conga line of people. Many had trekking poles which created space and passing issues trying not to get jabbed in the knee cap. Though I wasn’t really passing many at the beginning.
Every turn we made, brought a new climb. The red arrows in the photo above, if you click on it, you’ll see tiny specks … those are people, lines of them climbing. I was headed their way.
All you could really do is put one foot in front of the other and move. We had not even hit the snow sections yet. You can see at the top of the photo, that’s were the snow really started to play a factor.
At the top. Turned around and saw Lake Tahoe!
Cresting that first major climb provided your first glimpse of Lake Tahoe. The runners behind me saw that I turned and took a photo and they turned and exclaimed, “Oh wow! Look!” That made me smile.
My breathing had some what regulated by now but my legs and body still felt unsure. I thought I had been in pretty good shape prior to this race but sky running or mountain running in snow results in you using a lot of extra energy to stay upright.
I had been enjoying my time so far and finally made it to the “rope” part of the course. I had seen photos of this section all throughout the weekend but they didn’t do this section justice. I killed a lot of energy here.
The rope was hard. There were tons of us on it and if one person fell and moved the rope, it sent a domino effect downward. I could barely hold on. I kept falling. Finally, I let go of the rope and just crawled on my hands and feet up the snow as best I could. It was a mix of snow and rocks so every so often an avalanche of rocks would come down and someone would yell, “Rock! I can’t stop it!” and we’d look up and try and catch whatever rock was rolling towards us. It was brutal.
And it was relentless. Your arms and legs were tired from the rope climb only to turn the corner and have to climb again, but without a rope.
We were getting closer and closer to the top! There are only 3 aid stations in the race. The first one is called Easy Street and is at mile 6. I didn’t really stop but said thank you and hello to all the volunteers. After Easy Street, we started climbing KT-22.
Then we started moving towards the top of Squaw Peak heading towards the most infamous part of the race, Stairway to Heaven.
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The Stairway to Heaven ladder is awesome! Total drop offs on either side and you scramble across a rocky ridge line just to get to it. I had a smile on my face from ear to ear when I finally reached it.
View from top of the Highway to Heaven ladder.
After you reach the top of the ladder, you are finally blessed with some downhill running into Shirley Basin. It took a while for my downhill legs to return after so much uphill but I made it to the aid-station called Siberia. Aptly named because this aid-station is at the top mountain where most of the snow is located as well as tons of skiers and snowboarders out enjoying the day!
It was a hoot trying to run on the snow while a skier (in shorts and a tank top) was whizzing right by me wishing me well in my race. I would smile and say thanks and focus my attention on trying to find the race flags that were spiked into the snow. It was so crowded at the top that I couldn’t rely on looking for a runner in front of me, nor did I want to in case someone went off course.
Photo credit : Ultraracephotos
The way down into Shirley Canyon was both a blast and a pain the butt, literally! The snow was so deep and slippery that really the only true way to go down, was on you bum!
The grove on the right hand side of that photo was the bum slide. I went down that! It was fun but definitely cold! My backside got a little frozen but I laughed the whole way down. You can see video of me sliding down on my Instagram Page.
However, after you slide/run/fall the whole way down into Shirley Canyon, you have to turn around and climb right back out. At first this seemed like a downer but watching everyone else slide down on their bums next to you laughing and having a blast, made climbing up (and falling up) the snow, that much better.
When you’re back at the top, you run through the snow to High Camp. I didn’t even stop at the aid-station at High Camp (mile 11.5) because I knew that some downhill followed and I was hoping, it was without snow!
I was partially right. There was still quite a bit snow on the beginning portion of the Thunder Mountain single track that leads down to the village as well as water and tons of deep mud puddles. We’d run a bit on the fire road and then be whisked onto the single track and forced to climb just a little bit more before finally being dumped onto the wide fire road that leads directly to the finish line.
Once I hit that, I just ran. I passed a bunch of people but my legs were so grateful for the downhill knowing that there was finally no more uphill to battle other than having to jump for the famous bell at the finish line.
Photo credit : Ultraracephotos
I did it! My jump wasn’t so graceful but I rang das’bell as they say! I couldn’t stop smiling. My kids had been higher up on the fire road and cheered me on as I had come down the hill.
Sky Runner Finisher
The girls could not wait to tell me all about their own sky races! I was so proud of them. They ran up hill, around and then down the big fire road to the finish and hit the bell too!
We shared our trail run stories, enjoyed some otter pops that were being handed out at the finish line and soaked up the energy that continued to flow through the village.
At the bottom of your race bib are some tickets that included two free beers (including Sufferfest, one of my favorite companies) and a ticket to the buffet at Fireside Pizza!
Post Race. So good.
Knowing that it was almost 100 degrees back home, none of us wanted to leave. We relaxed, ate, listened to music and talked to people the rest of the afternoon. It was perfect. I forget sometimes how rejuvenating it is to escape as a family for the weekend, even if we’re all racing! 🙂
Have to give a big shout out to this guy. He got the girls to their race start, cheered them on and checked us out of our room all while I was running up a mountain. Afterwards he lugged all my bags so I could change out of my wet stinky clothes.
Vans WON his race category (single speed) at the mountain bike race on Saturday too! Super proud of him. His road to recovery has been slow but steady and I am happy to see him back on the bike.
Overall, I am very happy with the Broken Arrow Sky race. It was a well run fun event. It isn’t easy no matter what distance you try and do. I am happy we decided to come up as a family and experience it together. I conquered a Bucket List item and made some great family memories.
You know that race when everything just falls perfectly into place? Yea well, this wasn’t that race. As near perfect as my 2017 Canyons race was, 2019 was the total opposite.
The uncertainty with this race started early. We received emails from the Race Director that there was too much snow out there and that the Snow Course would be the route for 2019. That eliminated Devil’s Thumb and added Gorman Ranch Road which I had never been on before .
Add to that, the fact that in 2017 I trained almost every single weekend on this course but in 2019, I hadn’t stepped foot anywhere near Foresthill or its canyons. Throw in a clavicle surgery for Vans, soccer coaching conflicts and well, just life in general and my life’s been a little nutty this training season.
Finally, the topper were the emails we received the week of the race that drop bags would not be allowed at Rucky Chucky which was mile 47.8. This is kind of a big deal, at least for me, as someone who cannot typically eat the food provided at aid-stations. The race only allows for two drop bag locations total and they had just eliminated (due to State Parks and Rec decisions), the second drop bag. Luckily, I have the bestest friend in the world who loves to crew and does a pretty bang up job at it! Stonegate came through for me in more ways than I can count for this race. Pretty much eliminating the fact that in 2017 she overslept when she was supposed to drive me to the start. 🙂
Race morning Stonegate arrived at my house at 3:40 ready to roll. We picked up Not Chris and were on our way. She was going to park and stay until we started the race. We grabbed our bibs, used the facilities and then just waited for the race to start. We ran into Pigeon and it was nice to see her face because it had been forever. We text every other day or so but we haven’t seen each other in months.
Pretty soon it was time to line up. Not Chris had decided beforehand that we were going to run together. I assured him that he could pull ahead any time and run his own race. He didn’t need me. This was his first 100k after having only ever run one 50 miler last year, so he was understandably nervous and told me that no matter what we were sticking together.
The course starts off semi flat and then makes a right hand turn onto Bath Road where you run down…down…down. Not Chris and I were keeping a decent pace the whole way. I had no idea what to expect with the new Gorman Ranch Snow Course. In my mixed up head I was thinking we ran up to the aid-station and then down when in reality, it was the opposite. As we were descending down, my stomach was starting to turn. This happens to me in races where a downhill is right off the bat. MUC started on an uphill so I didn’t have that problem.
We did have to cross Volcano Creek which was roaring pretty strong. As I was crossing however, I thought my foot was secure on the bottom of the creek bed but instead it must have been on a rock as I slipped. I slipped big time and my whole lower half was submerged in the ice cold water and my left shin nailed a rock. If I wasn’t awake yet, I was now!
Mile 8 Gorman Ranch
We arrived at the aid-station and neither one of us needed anything. The guys from The Auburn Aid-Station were running this pit-stop and were a sight for sore eyes. They directed me toward an area would I could take care of business.
I found Not Chris hiking back up Gorman Ranch Road and together we power hiked and ran. I was feeling tons better.
Mile 12.5 Michigan Bluff
Not Chris’s wife was at this aid-station which was great. He also had pointed out that the porta potties had no line. I decided to go since I had the opening. I am glad that I did because at that moment, Mother Nature decided to bless me with my period (sorry guy readers). What the!? Now?! Luckily I was prepared. Training partners share a lot and I shared with Not Chris the new lovely situation that I’d have to deal with all day.
We said goodbye to Not Chris’s wife and left Michigan Bluff on our way to El Dorado Creek. We downed the next 3 miles at a pretty good pace, passing quite a few runners.
Mile 15. 5 El Dorado Creek
When we got to the aid-station we didn’t really stop, we walked right through and started the four mile climb up to Deadwood Cemetery.
It was then, that my energy died. I was leading a pack of guys up the climb and just lost all my steam. I went from feeling pretty good to feeling like I could not take another step. I let the guys go, including Not Chris as I needed to hike. Not Chris took off like a rocket and I did a death march almost the whole four miles to Deadwood Cemetery.
I was going through every scenario in my head. Was I eating enough? Was I dehydrated? Why on earth was I THIS tired only 16 miles into a 63 mile race? I never stopped but I felt like I was walking in quicksand and then add to that, the fact that every 2 minutes I would have to jump to the side (into a bush of poison oak) to let the lead runners who were coming back from Deadwood pass! I knew going into this that would happen but I didn’t factor in the toll it would take on my body. All the stopping, starting, jumping out of the way … it added way more physicality and mental toughness to the race.
Soon, I saw Not Chris coming down the hill. I told him to “Go get it!” and he yelled back, “I’ll wait for you at Michigan Bluff.” Ugh, not what I wanted. I wanted him to just go and run as I wasn’t sure what was going on with me and my lack of energy.
At Deadwood I grabbed my bracelet and turned around to run back down what I just had run up forcing all the uphill runners to jump out of the way as well. I noticed I was able to run down fairly well. Okay, if I didn’t have my uphill game, at least I had my downhill.
Mile 21.5 El Dorado Creek
I came into this aid-station pretty darn tired. I saw Dasie and Kuni behind the table and that gave me a boost. I grabbed a cup of coke because I was at my end. I couldn’t eat what I had on me and I knew I needed calories to climb the 3 hard miles back out of this canyon and it was getting hot.
Mile 24.5 Michigan Bluff
I arrived at the Michigan Bluff aid-station and didn’t see Not Chris. YES! He kept going without me, good boy! I didn’t want to slow him down and I knew what was ahead. I was in and out of this aid-station pretty quickly, eager to keep moving.
When I finally reached Bath Road, I was able to text Stonegate and let her know that Not Chris and I had separated and hopefully she had my stuff that I’d need at Foresthill.
Mile 31.0 Foresthill (the half way point)
I needed the excitement that was happening here. I had been having a conversation in my head the whole way up Bath Road, on what the heck I could do to get my energy back and finish this thing.
I spotted Stonegate quickly and saw that Not Chris was still here! He was almost ready to leave but it was nice to catch up briefly and hear that he’d had a good first half. He took off and I removed my pack eager for some ice cold water.
Stonegate was a machine. She filled my pack with ice water, she filled my bottles, she took my trash and she offered me ice to shove down my sports bra! YES please! My coach had reminded me to do this but I had completely forgotten until Stonegate asked. Not Chris’s wife also had an ice cold rag and that felt like heaven.
I removed the food that wasn’t working and pulled out some items that I thought I’d try in the second half of this beast of a race. I must have got distracted with something else or thought I had put them in my pack but didn’t and Stonegate assumed I wasn’t using them and put them away. I was that out of it that I had no idea until much later in the race when I realized I didn’t have any of the fuel I needed.
I left Foresthill and continued on. There was no point at which I thought I might quit but I wasn’t sure how the rest of the day would go.
Mile 35.5 Cal 1
Luckily I still had my downhill legs and the section out of Foresthill leading to the Cal 1 aid-station is a good chunk of downhill running. I motored on this section as best I could, passing quite a few runners.
When I reached Cal 1 I still had not realized that I did not have my fuel on me. I was drinking calories still and not quite eating them at this point but I was looking forward to what I thought I had in my pack.
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Somewhere between Cal 1 and Cal 2 aid-stations, I realized my error. I started to conserve my liquid calories a little bit and hoped for the best at the aid-station.
Mile 40.5 Cal 2
When I entered the Cal 2 aid-station I saw Not Chris! “I am SO happy to see you!” he said. I was little shocked to see him still there. He admitted that he’d started to hit a bit of a wall and that downhills were not his friend. I grabbed some fruit and some other odds and ends and then the best volunteer ever said, “Do you want me to refill the ice in your neck bandanna?” “Oh my gosh, yes please!” I said. She was great and another offered me a pickle which just sounded SO amazing the minute the words came out of her mouth. “Yes, can I take one with me?” and so she chopped it up and put it in the baggy that I had on me. Woah, I was starting to feel better!
The trails out of Cal 2 are awesome and so fun to run down. I went ahead of Not Chris as I knew that even though he didn’t want to run downhill, he would if I did. So we had some nice long “fast” stretches here. Every so often he’d ask if we could walk or I had to walk myself because my quads were on fire and had been for quite some time.
I told him the next aid-station was pretty far away (7.5 miles) but that we’d see everyone there AND after that, we were running towards HOME which made him feel much better.
We ran into the same problem on this section as we had on El Dorado. The trail heading into Rucky Chucky is SO narrow that we were stopping and starting and jumping up on rocks or trees to let runners heading back pass. It was hard. My quads would get into a nice rhythm and then I’d have to slam on the brakes. Not Chris was not loving it.
Mile 47.8 Rucky Chucky
Getting into Rucky Chucky was awesome. I had a huge smile on my face when I saw our crew with the best shady spot and our stuff ready to go. I had decided to change my socks. This was a last minute call when packing my drop bag too. My feet were wet and I had rocks in them or so I thought. Turns out, it was the start of a blister! I never get blisters except for this race. The sock change felt amazing though and I refilled up on ice water and removed some items from my back and made SURE that I had the food I wanted. Stonegate again poured ice down my sports bra and I was ready to go! Not Chris was not quite as ready. 🙂 He did give me a mini use-and-toss travel toothbrush and that felt great to clean out my mouth and refresh my taste buds.
I was ready to get this thing done. We left Rucky Chucky hiking out. It was 7.5 miles back to Cal 2. We probably hiked 5 of those miles we were pretty tired. My quads and energy was starting to dip again just slightly.
Mile 55.1 Cal 2
When we were hiking the switch backs up towards Cal 2, I was getting excited. It was this and Cal 1 and then we were DONE! I wish I had more fire in my legs but my heart and head were definitely in it. We thanked the volunteers and left. I had told Not Chris that there were some VERY runnable sections from here to the Cal 1 aid-station and that we should really take advantage when we could.
We had to pull our headlamps out not far before Cal 1 which also cooled things off and changed the dynamic a little. It doesn’t seem as hard when you can only see a small portion of the trail in front of you.
Mile 60.1 Cal 1
We had agreed not to stop at the aid-station. I threw away whatever trash I had on me and started out. Not Chris grabbed a tortilla and was right behind me. I was leading us at this point, I could sense his tiredness and just kept moving.
There is one stream crossing before you reach the pavement and head into Foresthill. I had managed to avoid getting my feet wet at all the other crossings on the way back because my dry socks felt amazing. I could not see a way around this one and went through only to watch Not Chris find a way to get around and keep his shoes dry! That punk! haha I wish I had dry feet for the finish!
When we reached the pavement, I texted everyone and said that we had less than a mile left to go. Not Chris realized at this moment that this “100k” was actually more than 62.1 miles and was in fact, 63.3! Ooops!
We made our right turn onto Foresthill road and ran. All of a sudden I felt like I was stepping on shards of glass! We both had to stop and walk just a couple of steps and then we started running again. I think we had one more brief two step walk and then said forget it, and just ran into the finish!
We did it! We had finished this thing and we had finished together. Our time was 16:03! I was a little bummed as I was thinking that we could possibly have had sub 16 but considering the day I had, I was happy with my time and SUPER happy to be done!
Stonegate was there and so was Vans! After her crewing us at Rucky Chucky she drove home (showered) and picked up Vans! That’s how long we had been running. hahaha
I could not have survived without this girl. She saved me by getting to Rucky Chucky and having my drop bag. She kept me laughing and moving all day. So grateful for our friendship through the years and the passion we share for racing and being there for each other.
Vans was happy to see me and even brought me some gluten free vegan soup to sip on at the finish. Always my number one fan. He had left me good luck notes which always makes my day and he sent me funny texts when I was near the finish.
I am also SUPER proud of Not Chris for conquering his first 100k! It wasn’t easy either. He battled his way out of the pain cave to finish this beast. He’s been a great training partner these last few months. We push each other which I think is a good thing but we’re always supportive and have a similar mind set. Big things are in store for him, I have no doubt. I am sure he’s excited to get his first Western States Qualifier too.
I will say, the race swag for 2019 rocked but you definitely earn it at this race. There are no short cuts. You sweat, you bleed and you have to give 100% to conquer the Canyons.
Now is the time for rest. I am looking forward to the recovery ahead and running with my friends and my kids. I am also looking forward to a little cross training and having some mini adventures with my crew.
I love to run, I love to challenge myself, I love to problem solve and this race definitely forced me to problem solve to get out of my energy dip. Time to reward myself with rest, sleep and good food.
Thanks for reading this monstrosity! Sorry for the lack of photos! I am also sorry that I have to turn the commenting feature “off” on here. My blog has been going through some issues and the commenting has become a haven for spamers. Feel free to comment on my Facebook page or Instagram page though any time.
“I am sorry to report, that the clavicle wasn’t broken in just 3 places, it was broken in 7 and required 9 screws and a plate to put back together.” That’s what the surgeon told me and the kids, Monday night before race weekend. Oh boy, what a crazy few weeks it has been!
To recap quickly, Vans crashed on his mountain bike on President’s Day. He broke his clavicle (we thought) in 3 places and he broke 3 ribs both anterior and posterior. They highly recommended surgery. However, that recommended surgery was a moving target, changing from in a few days to almost 2 weeks out – all the way to him receiving a call 2:30 pm Monday saying, “Can you get to the hospital within the hour, we have a opening.”
I am happy to report that the surgery went well but Vans is in a lot of pain. In a way, as insane as it was to rush to the hospital with him and the kids, having it on Monday instead of the scheduled Wednesday was a blessing in disguise. Otherwise, my Marin Ultra Challenge 50 mile run might not have happened at all.
The week leading up this race has been stressful to say the least. I am blessed to have a very caring and understanding boss and employer and I’ve been able to successfully make this juggling act work the last few weeks. But leaving town for a day and half, had me nervous. Vans cannot drive and I have become an Uber mom and nurse and if I was out of town for more than 24 hours, who would pick up the kids from school? Take them to their soccer game? Make their meals?! The “What if’s” were piling up in my brain the closer and closer it got to race day.
The bottom line is that I reached out to friends for help. Mostly just picking up the kids and scheduling rides. I precooked all the meals they would need while I was gone and made sure they were easy enough that the kids or Vans could remove them from the fridge, and warm up in the microwave.
So when noon time hit on Friday, I left town with Stonegate. The rock in the pit of my stomach was small but it was definitely there.
Photo from www.insidetrail.com
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The best part about running MUC is that it is a great excuse to go Marin and visit with a very sweet dear friend. Visiting with her always relaxes me. She not only opens her home to us but her and her husband are the sweetest couple and are so gracious when we stay with them. They also have a very comfortable guest bed.
While I slept comfortably, I didn’t have a deep sleep. A few hours before I went to bed, the Race Director from Inside Trail Racing messaged out to all race participants that a crucial 1/3 section of the trail had been rendered unsafe due to washouts and erosion and that they were currently working on a reroute. I could hear the rain pounding on the roof while I was trying to sleep. I knew it would be a wet and muddy day, but I had no idea what to expect when I woke up.
Stonegate and I handled our morning routines like clockwork and got to the race start at the perfect time. After we parked, I decided that I wanted to back my car in so that post race, it would be easier to change out of my (soon to be) wet muddy clothes. This, unbeknownst to me, was also foreshadowing events to come (keep reading). As luck with have it, we were parked next to Miss P and Pearls who, seeing us back in, decided that was probably a wise decision. We both had some prime parking and while Miss P was attempting to back into her spot, other cars were fighting to take it from her.
No fear! Stonegate hops out of car and starts directing traffic so that Miss P could once again, be in her parking space. 🙂 I was cracking up. This was the levity I needed to release the stress that was still building.
Stonegate, Me, Not Chris
The race started a half an hour later than last year making it much brighter at the start. It was ALSO not raining yet! Yay! There were so many trail friends at this race! It was so much fun seeing people I haven’t seen in a while. Best of all, Stonegate and Not Chris were running the 50k so having them both there at the start was a huge boost.
Much like last year, the race started and we all ran straight up hill! Not Chris decided he was going to run with me for the first 15 miles. He’s never been on these trails before and I was content to have him with me to keep me moving.
I felt good on the first hill. Legs felt okay, breathing wasn’t labored and I was in a groove. I seemed to avoid a little of the conga line that had occurred last year. The one difference this year that I noticed, was the amount of runners using trekking poles! There were quite a few and sadly, not many of them knew how to handle the poles very well. I almost had my knee cap jabbed and/or was tripped multiple times by a trekking pole. It was a little frustrating so I tried to avoid them if I saw them.
I should state that going into this race, I had no real goals. Last year I finished in 11 hours and 15 minutes and if I am being honest with myself, this year I wanted to finish sub 11 hours. However, that was before Vans had his accident and my last few training weeks turned upside down. This was also my first ultra post hamstring tear and rehab so I knew I wanted to be conservative. So I threw out the sub 11 goal and decided to just run and let whatever happens happen. That included any stormy weather thrown our way and boy was there stormy weather!
One of the best parts about running with Not Chris was that he was experiencing these trails for the first time. In the beginning he was running with his head down, so as not to trip and fall but I kept calling out from behind him, “Look up! Look how pretty!” He was in awe and it was so fun to see him experience these views. I didn’t have to yell, “Look up!” more than a few times before he was realizing how awesome it was around us.
We ran probably the first 5 miles or so with a little misty type rain, no big deal. We took off our rain jackets on the climb because they were too warm and not really needed. Soon however, the mist started to turn and by the time we reached the Tennessee Valley Aid-Station at mile 10.5 it was dumping buckets on us and we stopped to put our jackets back on.
We were in and out of the aid-station pretty quickly, eager to keep moving because if you stopped, you got cold fast. The trails leading you towards the Muir Beach Aid-Station has some nice rollers. Not Chris I think found his groove and he really motored on ahead. I always kept him in my eye sights but I was letting him have his day because I had way more miles to cover than he did.
At Muir Beach I stopped to use the restroom (a first for me so early in a race). Then Not Chris, my friend Kim (who appeared out of no where!) and I ran out together. Here is where the 50k runners and the 50 mile runners part ways. We hugged and I wished them both well on the rest of their 50k races. They both went on to have fantastic finishes. I went on however, to swim up stream for the next 3 miles.
Photos are sparse from here on out. The climb up cardiac was a torrential downpour. The trail was a river of water that flowed from top to bottom. The water even flowed around through the switch-backs! It was, to say the least, probably my darkest miles on the trail. I never stopped moving but I had three powerful ladies pass me on the climb and I felt the fire start to burn, “Let it go. That is not your purpose here today. Let.it.go.” I dug deep, I thought about the things that brought me joy or would pull me farther up the hill and just continued to push.
When I finally reached the top of Cardiac Hill (mile 19.8) I was freezing. The wind was relentless. I asked which way I had to go and motored on. One of the two toughest climbs in the race was behind me. Now it was time to go get the other one and then, I’d be on my way back home.
When I arrived on the trails leading to Stinson Beach, the craziest thing ever happened. It STOPPED raining and the SUN came out and not only did the sun come out, it came out full force heating up the path, my body and ultimately, my soul.
I could not get my drenched rain jacket off fast enough. Holy cow was it hot! I am a hot weathered runner, I love me some heat but to go from cold to heat so quickly, was quite a shock.
The climb up to Willow Camp was exactly how I remembered it. Gnarly. I was grateful the wind and rain had given us a break for once. I cursed a few times on this climb, kicking myself for forgetting just how brutal of a climb it really is. No way to go but up, so up is what I did.
The trails on this side however, were pretty damaged. I climbed over trees, under trees and at one point, I had to shimmy up the muddy hillside to get around a massive downed tree. My hand literally sank in the mud up to my wrist when I tried to steady myself. It was quite an adventure 25 miles into a 50 mile race to say the least.
When I finally made it back to Cardiac Hill (mile 29.3) my mind made a huge mental shift. I was on my way home. Plain and simple. Sure I had 20 miles to go, but I was headed home. I had a tiny drop bag at Cardiac that I grabbed quickly and I was off. The next few miles are a lovely down hill section that I thoroughly enjoyed.
My uphill game was weak but my downhill one was still strong so I took advantage the best that I could whenever I could.
From Deer Park Aid-Station (mile 35.9) back to Muir Beach (mile 40.8) was a lot of road. Narrow road without much of a shoulder to it. This stretch was another mini mental battle. I decided to view it as a tiny break from the mud and obstacles of the previous miles and appreciate the fact that it wasn’t raining anymore.
When I reached Muir Beach Aid-Station I used the restroom for the third time that day! That’s a new record for me. My stomach was absolutely stellar the whole race I just was apparently quite hydrated! 🙂
Muir Beach to Tennessee Valley (mile 45.8) was a mission for me. I remembered the energy at Tennessee Valley and I needed that to push me through to the finish. I power hiked a lot through here trying to find strength in my legs to run some of the uphills but no matter what, I had the power to run the downhills so I did, pushing aside what my quads might feel like the next day.
Just as I suspected, the Tennessee Valley Aid-Station brought a smile to my face. They cheered when I came in and when I left, they stood in the road and yelled, “You.are.awesome! You got this! You are a badass!” Making me laugh all the way up my first hill. I just love this aid-station. It gave me a boost.
I also knew that Stonegate would be waiting at the top of the mountain for me. Knowing she was there and propelled me a little bit faster.
When I finally reached the top of the mountain and could see the ocean and hear the finish line, I smiled. My legs felt like tree trunks at times descending the stairs but I didn’t stop.
Photo by Stonegate
Then I saw her! She was whooping and hollering! A sight for sore eyes and just what I needed (along with the downhill) to get me to and through the finish line.
Photo by Stonegate
The miles leading to the finish line look like this photo. Absolutely gorgeous. You have to watch your footing or you will trip, but it was breathtaking and I again was so happy it was not raining.
Photo by Stonegate
Before I had reached Stonegate, I glanced at my watch. I had forbid myself to look at it most of the day because I didn’t want to ruin my positive mood. When I saw that my time was well below what I hoped for, I smiled. I tried so hard to run even faster downhill to the finish but my chewed up quads were doing only what they could.
I crossed the finish line and the volunteers that were there cheered and congratulated me. What an incredibly long, wet, muddy and eventually sunny day it was!
Unlike last year, this year I remembered to take a photo of Stonegate and I post race. Without this girl’s support both on and off the trails, I don’t know where I would be. She took my kids when I had to drive Vans to the ER that first night and she drove my sore butt home last year and this year post race.
Right after this photo was taken, we hopped in the car to head home only to realize that my car battery had died! Remember when I said I had backed in at the start? Foreshadowing. 😉 Actually, it did not matter all that much, the Race Director had a starter and they helped give my car a jump start to get us on our way. Inside Trail Racing is a great organization and we absolutely love their races. I highly recommend them. It was a top notch day despite horrid conditions. Their volunteers are some of the best, always positive, always helpful and always smiling. A simple smile when you are dog tired at mile 35 is sometimes all you need to get you through the next mile.
Happy to report that I had a course PR this year! I finished 50 minutes earlier than last year despite the trail conditions. Last year I had shoe problems, this year, since I have found Topoathletics, all my feet problems are nonexistent. I could not be happier.
The training season so far has been nothing but wet, mud and wind. It has been frustrating to say the least. Constantly running in a windy downpour plays with your mind. Add to that, some family health drama and you can have a recipe for negativity. I won’t lie and say I was all Mary Poppins this whole time, I had my moments of doubt but I trusted myself, my training and my ability to stay positive despite what was thrown at me. I faltered at times (ahem Cardiac) but I never gave up. I continued to push forward. I never looked back.
Many thanks go out to Vans for his continued support. Despite the past few weeks, he encouraged me to go and run and supported me throughout. Also, thank you to my coach, Sandi for her constant motivation, advice and being a great sounding board for everything I’ve battled so far. Also thank you to Stonegate, Not Chris and Pigeon for being the best trail friends a Trailmomma could ask for. Here is to many more miles ahead my friends!
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