Topoathletic Archives ~ Page 2 of 2 ~ TRAILMOMMA

February 23, 2022February 23, 2022

2022 FOURmidable 50k – Race Report

Two years does not seem like a long time, but when it comes to running and racing it can feel like an eternity.

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2020 was not a total bust, I did manage to run the FOURmidable 50k before the world shut down but that was about it in terms of races. Instead I did what everyone did, I ran, played with my kiddos, found other hobbies and let my body heal from a really full and challenging 2019 year of racing (for me).

Then 2021 came along and I started the year with a calf tear that took quite some time to get over. I could have run a 100k but I decided to defer to ensure that my body was 100% and instead focused on some pretty nice trail half marathons that were destination races (my favorite) and then started back with training and racing CIM in December.

VANS drove me to the start which was great. Also great? The start was at 8:00 am which means he did not have to wake up at 0’dark thirty to drive me.

This year, the race held all four events (50k, 35k, half-marathon and 13k) all in one day which meant I would be able to see my friend John before he started his race!

It was a nice boost to see and laugh with him before my race because for the first time in probably forever, especially in Auburn, I did not see anyone else that I knew. In a way, this was nice as I needed the mental time to think about what I wanted from the day. Finish time was not my priority at all. I had other things I wanted to work on … like trying to remember how to run an ultra!

Race Director Paulo gathered us at the starting arch and went over the race details (course ribbons, cupless race etc). The energy was pretty palpable as I think a lot of people were excited to be back running and racing again. It was also windy and chilly at the start (about 43 degrees) but the “veteran” in me knew that I would not need anything more than a tank top because it would warm up quick and believe me, it did!

The first three or so miles are basically downhill to the river and the base of Cardiac (the first of the “four”-midable climbs). In past years, I’ve been caught up here and would always “fly” super fast (again, for me 😉 ) down hill totally exhausting myself so that by the time I got to Cardiac, I was already tired.

This time, I had a plan. First and foremost, I trained quite a bit on this hill in preparation. I ran down and up quite a few times in training. Second, I did not go all out at the start. I kept my pace pretty steady the entire time. Looking at my stats, I ran almost the same pace for each mile and I was not out of breath.

Another thing to note, the course start was different than it was in 2020. In 2020 we ran the fire road after the single track portion all the way down to the base of Cardiac but this year, we meandered through some more single track trails staying off the gravel road which was nice and kept us spaced out a bit more.

When it came time to climb Cardiac, I felt good! There was no conga line of people, we were spaced out nicely and I just power hiked. I was between a nice group of men who I think were from out of town (or at least one or two were) who joked about the climb. I ran the flatter sections when I could and before I knew it, Cardiac was over!

Photo by Facchino Photography – after climbing Cardiac

The first aid-station (Gate 142) is at mile 5.4 and is essentially back near the starting area. I had every thing that I needed so I did not stop. I could hear Paulo on the loud speaker starting the runners for the 13k race which I knew would intersect with us 50k runners soon.

Sure enough as we were running down the single track, I heard the pitter patter of super fast feet and it was the lead runners of the 13k. I yelled, “Runner back!” and the 50k runner in front of me waved a thank you as we both moved over letting the 13k leaders pass. Trail etiquette at its finest. The leaders all said or waved thanks.

When I made it to the No Hands Aid-Station (mile 9.6), I was feeling pretty good. In previous races I’d have to stop to use the restroom here but my stomach felt great. I did not stop at the aid-station, instead taking a sip of some fuel and made my way towards the second of the “four”-midable hills, K2 (aka Training Hill).

Another one of my favorite hills to train on and climb. Again, everyone was pretty spaced out despite there being four different races happening at once. When I got to the top of K2, I was all alone so I ducked off the trail and used mother nature. My first and only pee stop of the race, which is a new record for me. 🙂

Mile 13.4 brings you to Knickerbocker Aid-Station #1. I did stop and refill a bottle here with water and dumped another packet of Unived drink mix in. For the first time ever, I ran without my hydration bladder and instead relied on water bottles which was something new for me.

Back on the trail I started running and realized there were some runners close behind me, it kind of made me pick up the pace a little. Then we came to a mini-stream/creek crossing and in classic Pam fashion, instead of going slow and just hopping on the rocks that were there to get across, I panicked I would slow those behind me and totally tripped and bam, my left foot submerged into the water. 🙂 Newbie move! I laughed, the runners behind me laughed but they stayed dry. 🙂

The gravel road down to the third “four”-midable hill, the Old Auburn Dam was rough on my legs. It was here that I started to feel like my legs were heavy and not turning over well. It was also getting pretty warm and the climb is in some sun.

Up until this point, I had been fueling pretty well using a new-to-me method and new(er) fuel that I’ve started in training runs. However, on this climb after taking in some fuel, I felt a twinge of nausea which is not something I experience typically in races. I didn’t panic, I just continued to climb and think about what I had done so far.

It was then I realized that I had not been taking in any extra sodium. This was definitely the first warm run in a long time and I am sure my body was thinking, “WTF?!” I dug through my pack, found some salt tabs and took one.

After a little while, I started to feel better. I made a mental note of the time and decided that I would do better at keeping track of sodium intake in addition to my regular fueling.

I was excited to be back at Knickerbocker Aid-Station #2 (mile 18). I cannot recall but I do not think I refilled my bottles here. I grabbed some aid-station fuel, thanked the volunteers and headed down toward the creek.

This creek was fresh in my brain from my 2020 race. It was here that I fell into the creek by accident. Like FELL IN! 🙂 This time, I knew better. I figured out the best way across and stayed dry. I saw other runners sitting in the creek which was a smart move in this heat! By now, my left foot had dried completely and ironically, getting it went in that creek earlier actually made what I thought was a blister forming, totally disappear so yay!

I rarely train on this side of Cool and I often wonder why when I am out here during this race. It is absolutely beautiful. It’s warm, sunny and exposed a lot of the time, but the trails are gorgeous.

The distance was longer than I realized though. In my head I miscalculated the next aid-station but luckily, all the aid-stations are imprinted on your race bib, so really, I have no excuses. 🙂

Mile 23.4 brings you to the Cool Aid-Station. When I came through the gates the volunteer checking bib numbers told me to grab some ice and stuff it down my shirt. How have I forgotten that piece of amazing advice!? Hello newbie!

I got to the aid-station and filled up both of my bottles with water and then fought stuffing them into my vest. I know it is easier to stuff them back in with the vest off, but I hate doing that so instead, I stood there stuffing, fighting and shoving them in. While I was doing that however, I did ask the volunteer about ice down my shirt!

She whisked me aside and totally made life amazing. I overheard another runner who looked like she was having a rough time say, “Can I also have ice down my shirt?” I am hoping it brought her back to life too.

When I was back on the trail I decided to add another Unived drink mix packet to my now newly filled water bottle that was IN my pack. Too stubborn to remove the bottle, I thought I would be amazing and just unscrew the lid and dump the mix in. Any guesses on what happened? 🙂

A geyser of water and drink mix shot up and out of my bottle and straight into my face! Drenching me from head to toe and because of the pressure of the pack on my body, it did not-would not stop. I could not stop laughing at myself. I finally got everything under control but was a pretty sticky wet mess from that point on. Ah, the newbie lives on!

The miles down rollercoaster are some of my favorite in all of Auburn/Cool. In previous races I have bombed this section, feeling invincible, feeling like air, feeling like I could fly to the moon! This year? I felt like I was wearing cemented moonboots trying to run through quick sand.

I did pass a few runners so I was actually running but I flat out laughed at myself, out loud too at how awkward I felt, how just impossible it seemed to make my legs turn over.

It took a good couple of miles for me to feel like I was running normal down this section and before I knew it, I was arriving at the No Hands Aid-Station #2 (Mile 27). I came down the trail and the volunteer said I had one of the biggest smiles yet.

There were only four miles to the finish and my bottles were (almost) full so I just grabbed some fuel from the station and walked myself across No Hands taking in fuel and texting Vans that I had four miles left and that more than likely, it would take me about an hour.

That is when I found out that he’d gone to the hospital to get x-rays of his shoulder (minor biking incident earlier in the week) and that he was trying to make it to the finish. I knew once he was at the hospital, there was no way he would make it in time.

Despite doing a great job on fueling and a mediocre job at taking in additional sodium, I was feeling the miles on my legs but my head was in a good place. I saw some female runners up ahead running strong and they were in good spirits so I just kept running.

When we were in the final miles before the finish and the last and fourth, “four”-midable climb (Overlook Hill), I noticed a runner up ahead that looked like she was struggling.

To be honest, the only runners I could see between me and the miles ahead were all female! It was a flock of strong running females and it was awesome. When I got to the girl who was struggling, I stopped and gave her some salt tabs. She was drenched in sweat but in good spirits.

When it came time to go up Overlook Hill, I just channeled all the time I have spent training on this hill. I passed two ladies and encouraged them to keep going, one step in front of the other. When I could see the finish arches in sight, I started to run (the term run is used loosely here as it probably didn’t look like running to those watching). I heard some cheers and from the looks of it, all the women I encouraged followed suit and were right behind me pushing it on that climb! I love it!!!

I crossed the finish line with a huge smile. After two years and lots of ups and downs, I had finally finished an ultra and a tough one too.

I had accomplished all the things I had set out to do. I wanted to finish ignoring the clock, I wanted to try some new fueling techniques and I wanted to remember what it feels like to be comfortable being uncomfortable and to problem solve along the way. For me, I succeeded in all of it.

Vans and Squeaker eventually showed up to the finish. Vans did not break any bones (yay) and Squeaker had a blast building little villages in the dirt. 🙂

Overall, I am happy with how things transpired out there. I need to work on sodium intake I guess or maybe my legs were just not remembering how to work properly in races like this. 🙂

Her shirt!!!! It was a hit at the hospital with the doctors. 🙂

Grateful to my family for being there for me and to Higher Running for getting me to the starting line.

Now, to rest and recover so I can get back out there. It feels good, normal almost, to be back doing things like running ultra races and trails again.

Happy Trails!

~Trailmomma

I’d like to thank the companies that continue to support me and whose products I stand behind and use:

Topo Athletic – I ran this race in their Ultraventure model. I love the company and this shoe and I was super stoked to see a lot of runners wearing Topos on the course.

Unived – The Wild Watermelon drink mix is my absolute favorite but I do use and enjoy all of their drink mix flavors and I used their Salt Tabs as well. I also really love their Recovery Mixes – Chocolate Turmeric being my number one favorite.

Picky Bars – Their Fudge Nut Bars save me so many times when I am running to coach practice after a long run or race. My kids also love them and usually eat them before I can get to them.

Spring Energy – new to the line up, their Awesome Sauce (vegan) gel is pretty darn good (and I am not a gel person typically).

December 7, 2021December 7, 2021

2021 CIM (CALIFORNIA INTERNATIONAL MARATHON)

They called it the, “Comeback Year” and while it was a little different than prior California International Marathons, it still went off without a hitch and thousands finished, BQ’d or just had a blast. For me, it was my 12th CIM and my 18th marathon finish. It is also the ONLY road race I do and my goal this year was to finish strong, uninjured (after being sidelined by a calf tear) and to be able to walk and not feel destroyed at the end.

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PRE RACE: Why fix what isn’t broken right? So like my 2019 CIM, I woke up at 4:30 am, had my bowl of Picky Bars Can’t BEET Chocolate oats, a half a cup of coffee and water. This combo has seemed to work for me the last few races so I am sticking with it.

At 5:45 TiggerT my friend and ride to the start arrived and we laughed our way over to Folsom. We hopped on the shuttle buses that took us to the start and the minute I got off the bus, I realized that I had to pee …. like right then. I sort of rushed off from the group to get in the mile long porta potty line.

I almost ditched being in line when I saw that the race was starting in a minute. I was IN the porta potty when the announcer said, “We have 40 seconds until the race starts!” Even though I knew my plan was to start with a pace group and that all the groups start in timed waves, I was a little stressed and panicked. I made it though. When the “gun” went off I was standing with my pace group … and 9 minutes later I crossed the starting line with my wave. So yea, I stressed for nothing really.

I will say, that even though this is the only pavement race I do all year long, I did train more on pavement this year than I did in 2019. I ran all of my long runs on a bike trail and kept shorter distances or speed work on dirt (for my sanity). So truly, one run a week was on some form of pavement in an effort to get my body prepared for the pounding that pavement brings and also the mental aspect. Nothing is more boring for me mentally, than running on pavement and the same loop or bike trail over and over (which is what I did each week).

My last few long key training runs where a struggle though because I’d received some awful news that a friend’s 12 year old son had passed. Dylan Flinchum is the grandson, son and nephew of a family that I grew up next door to my entire childhood. They have been like my second family to me my entire life, so when I heard that Dylan lost his battle with MLD (metachromatic leukodystrophy) after 10 long years on the morning of my first real long run … I almost bailed on it entirely. However, I know that Dylan and his family never gave up during his 10 years battling this disease so I laced up and headed out running in between tears but running with Dylan and his family in my heart every single mile. I thought of them often during the race as well.

My final last long run happened to be during Dylan’s funeral which was held virtually because he’s touched so many lives and it truly would have been a packed church back in Jersey. Another long run met with tears but I found strength in listening to his service and all who loved him.

So when race day neared, my coach and I discussed pacing. One piece of CIM that was different this year than prior years, was the lack of lots different pace groups. Typically in years past, there were pace groups every 5 minutes. This year, they were intermittent. As I said earlier, my goal was to finish strong, uninjured, not destroyed and as close to 4 hours as I could manage. My CIM PR is from 2015 with a time or 3:54. That year I ran many many road races as CIM prep.

This year, my coach and I were deciding whether to run with the 4 hour group or the 4:05 group because after that, it jumped to 4:20. We decided to start conservatively and start with the 4:05 group. I found them and started with them but quickly was finding myself very frustrated. Pace groups tend to be crowded. No one wants to lose their pacer. The pacers in this group however were not holding up the 4:05 sign (I don’t envy that job at all – running 26 miles holding a wooden sign takes a lot of endurance and strength). Not seeing the sign every once in a while though frustrated me as I couldn’t find them at times and kept losing them in the crowd. Instead, I decided to run just in front of the 4:05 group and this led to me eventually pulling ahead of them.

The entire run I just focused on my breathing and keeping it even and steady: in through my nose and out my mouth. Basically, I just ran. I wasn’t expecting to see anyone really but I saw Todd and Nicole just before crossing the starting line, I saw Diane Hanes who ran out and gave me a hug (thank you Diane!) as I ran by and I saw April in Old Fair Oaks who screamed my name SO loud the runner next to me said, “Man! That’s cool! She’s SO happy to see you!” 🙂 And I saw got a boost from Jen from Fueled by Frosting IG fame near Watt Ave. All of those faces helped propel me.

Also while running through Old Fair Oaks, I heard a volunteer/spectator yell, “Don’t worry! It’s all downhill from here! I promise!” I turned and looked and it was Deirdre … a fellow trail runner. I chuckled and yelled back, “You lie!” and all the runners around me including Deirdre laughed. When it is your 12th time on this course, you know it well.

The weather was decent. It was foggy and cool. I prefer hotter temps but overall it wasn’t bad. I never took off my long sleeve. I could have but just decided I did not want to carry it. My calves and hamstrings were tight and I think in warmer weather they might not have been but they never got to the point where I was overly worried they’d cramp.

My nutrition was going perfect. I carried Unived in my handheld and sipped on that the entire first 11 miles. I refilled it at mile 12 and continued to sip and run. I had zero stomach issues the entire race and I never once stopped to use a porta potty (rare for me in this race).

Most of the race was uneventful. I was just running, keeping my pace steady each and every mile and focusing on my breath. Around mile 21 or so another spectator yelled, “It’s all downhill hill from here!” Wherein I sort of said out loud, “Except for that one hill up ahead. ”

The runner next to me goes: “I heard you tell another person they were lying for saying it was all downhill. How many of these have you run?“

Me: “This is my 12th CIM.”

Runner: “Oh! Wow! So you do know this course! You have looked solid and steady this entire race. You look really good. So is there another hill?“

Me: “Thank you! Yes, around between 21 and 22 there is the J Street bridge. It’s the last “hill” and then from there, it really is downhill or flat to the finish.”

She thanked me and I gave her some extra advice for when she was ran down L Street. Hint: Ignore the numbered street signs, they’ll mess with your head. 🙂

At the start of the race, I had decided that miles 24 and 25 is when I’d leave the pace group and try and push ahead but at this point, I was already ahead of the 4:05 group. I did however, look down at my watch at mile 24 and noticed the time … I was close to a PR. Dang it!

I started to slowly pick up the pace a little bit. My calves, hamstrings and quads were not loving this spontaneous decision but I just kept breathing.

I just focused on the road ahead. At mile 25 I looked at my watch again and realized a PR was out of the question but sub 4 wasn’t if I pushed it. I heard my name and glanced to my right and saw Vans and Squeaker smiling and cheering me on! They made it!!!! They’d spent the morning at some basketball tournaments in Rocklin and I thought for sure they’d miss the finish.

Squeaker racing to the street to try and catch me. Photo: Vans

I made the final left turn and tried so hard to sprint. My finish line photo is of me smiling I am sure as I was ear to ear with a goofy grin when I saw that my watch said 3:58. I’d done it, sub 4, I was walking (not hobbling) and I felt uninjured. Mission accomplished.

Best of all, my family, minus the Peanut (she had her own basketball tournament) were there at the finish.

Vans and Squeaker – her 10th CIM finish photo (she’s only 10) and Van’s 12th CIM finish photo (minus any relays we’ve done).

Super grateful to my family for being there, to TiggerT for the ride and laughs before the start of almost all of my CIMs and to my Coach for her continued support, direction, advice and encouragement.

It is a few days later as I write this, and I am feeling good. I am mobile and walking. Stiff and tired but no lingering issues that I can tell. I am taking the necessary recovery time and just enjoying the holiday season with my family.

And yes, I’ve already signed up for CIM 2022 … it is tradition. I can’t help myself. 🙂

Pretty steady pacing – but that finish sprint … ouch! 🙂

Happy (back to the) Trails!

~Trailmomma

Shoes: Topo Athletic Phantoms

Hydration: Unived Elite Drink Mix

Pre-Race: Picky Bars Oatmeal

Extra Fuel & training fuel: Spring Energy

September 15, 2021September 15, 2021

TRAIL SISTERS HALF MARATHON RACE REPORT

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Everyone: “You’re going all the way to Colorado … for a HALF marathon?!”

Me: “You betcha! I am not going to miss the Trail Sisters inaugural race! Besides, who doesn’t want to go adventure in Colorado!?” 🙂

With that, I boarded a plane on a Thursday and flew two hours to Denver ready to have my own little momventure in the mountains.

I have been supporting and following Trail Sisters since it started in 2016. Gina, the founder, is one of the most motivating and encouraging people on the planet. She has inspired so many women to get out on the trails and run.

I was fortunate enough to meet Gina for the first time at Western States a few years back and then again the following year. She’s pretty incredible. It was a no brainer when I saw that this dream of hers was about to come to fruition. I was going to make the trek and be part of it.

The flight from NorCal to Denver was about two hours. It was uneventful (minus the airborne pacifier that hit me in the head from a kid who was terribly unhappy on the plane).

Once I landed, I navigated my way to my rental car and made the 2.5 to 3 hour drive to Buena Vista, Colorado.

Had to stop on the drive and capture this amazing sunset.

Buena Vista sits at about 8,000 feet, something that will come into play later during the race.

It is a beautiful little town situated between the Collegiate Peaks and the Arkansas River in south central Colorado. I had never been there before this trip.

The drive started out with some Denver rush-hour traffic but luckily, I think I caught the tail end of it. Once I left the Denver area, it was smooth sailing until I reached my tiny AirBnB studio.

I grabbed some dinner from House Rock, which came highly recommended and it did not disappoint. I actually ate there twice during my visit I enjoyed it that much.

Friday morning I woke up bright and early (despite the 1 hour time difference). I had been given some hiking/running recommendations as a “must see” pre-race adventure, so I hopped in my little Jeep Compass rental and headed 20 minutes or so out of Buena Vista.

Hello 12,000 feet of elevation! Words cannot express how incredible these views were. I am inclined to let the photos do the talking. I hiked a total of 5 miles here. I would have gone more but I kept reminding myself that I had a race the next morning.

There were a few people on the trail at the start but other than that, I was pretty much solo my entire hike out and back.

If you are ever in the area, this is definitely 100% worth the stop. The altitude wasn’t really bothering me too much either but I also wasn’t running a ton. I was hiking because I was afraid I would trip as I was trying to soak up all that was around me.

When I finally got to the top of the mountain, or one of the many mountains there, I decided I should probably call it a day so as not to tire myself out too much.

One thing I did not take into consideration however, was the sun and how close I was to it and how powerful it is. I wore a hat, but typical Pam, I wore it mostly backwards. So be warned, the sun is strong up here … my red face later that day was evidence enough.

After the hike, it was time to head to packet pickup and grab my race schwag which, as you’ll see was pretty awesome.

The packet pickup was located at this park in an area called South Main. I walked there from my studio. It is also the location of the start and finish. I am glad that I walked as it made me realize that the next morning, I should definitely drive to the start vs walking as it was a tad farther than I realized.

Gina, founder and race director extraordinaire, was handing out the race packets and bibs. She was excited to see me and was happy I was in her town. I grabbed my sweet canvas Trail Sisters bag and headed over to this adorable little spot in the park and just relaxed and watched the women interact with Gina as they picked up their bags.

To say Gina has touched a lot of women is an understatement. Just hearing the joy emanating from the women she greeted was amazing.

As I was sitting there, I received a text from my coach (and friend) Sandi. She had headed into town from her home 2.5 hours away, just to see me! I’ve “known” Sandi since 2017 but I had never met her in person.

We agreed to meet for dinner and for her to play tour guide around Buena Vista (she lived here quite a few years ago).

She drove to a trail head where we could see Mount Antero and the Chalk Cliffs and then we hiked a little bit to see the Agnes Vaille Waterfall. Sandi is a great tour guide. She explained that Agnes Vaille was a mountain climber/expolorer in the 1920’s who attempted the ascent of the east face of Long’s Peak (in 1925). Apparently she summited but on the descent, she fell and died and her training partner named the waterfall after her.

Ignore my goofy grin. I was beyond excited to meet this woman.

We had dinner at the Simple Eatery on East Main Street. We both had the Carrot Coconut Soup. It was too dark to take a photo but believe me when I say it was delicious and ended up being the perfect (for me) pre race meal.

She dropped me off at my AirBnB and the activity of the day hit me, I was ready for bed and excited to run the Trail Sisters Half Marathon, the very next morning.

I woke up rested and ready. I had my cup of coffee and my pre race Picky Bars Can’t Beet Chocolate Oatmeal in the pop-up cup which made it easy.

I drove to the start and parked in the super convenient dirt lot just steps away from the starting line.

Being that this was an all women’s race … I was worried the porta potty lines would be long but nope, all was good! Everyone was smiling and in good spirits. It was chilly but not cold and it was predicted to warm up mid race. I went with shorts and a tank top and I was really glad that I did.

Since the race fell on September 11th, the 20th anniversary of the Twin Tower attacks, we had a moment of silence at the start, followed by the National Anthem.

Everyone was super polite. No one wanted to start too close to the starting line or get in anyone’s way.

Gina counted us down and we were off!

Only the first few yards were on pavement and then we turned onto this bridge and headed towards the hills and mountains.

The course was uphill after you crossed the bridge. Everyone was super excited and running at a pretty good pace. One woman behind me yelled, “Um, this is typically a walking hill!” Which created a wave of laughter … but yet no one stopped to walk!

My legs, despite my marathon of hiking and walking the day before, felt great but it was my lungs that hit me. It immediately felt like I was breathing through a straw. Never mind the fact, that having come from northern California, my lungs had been inundated with smoke from the local fires we’ve been facing. I had not run much leading up to this race either because of our terrible and dangerous air quality. Boy, I felt it.

I did power hike my way up quite a bit trying to get my breathing under control. For me, it really helps to breathe in through my nose and out my mouth and just focus on calming myself and my breath down. Sorry to those women around me who must have thought I was going through labor! 🙂

It worked though and I was able to sort of regulate myself to a pace that allowed me to run more than hike.

The trails were gorgeous. There were a lot of rollers up and down, some climbing over boulders and some amazing single track. The course was also really well marked with orange ribbons and yellow flags. I would say, that there were only a few times where I had to pause and look for the ribbon/flag and most of those times, it was up and over a rock.

All the runners eventually spread out pretty well that I did find myself running alone or just slightly behind one or two runners. It was fun to hear some of the stories. For quite a few, this was their first trail race and first half!

My favorite story of the race is one woman apparently dropped her phone on course. Another runner not only picked it up and brought it to the finish, they took PHOTOS for this person of the course along the way so she’d have a memory of the race! How sweet is that? Only in an all women’s race do I think that would happen.

I was feeling pretty good and it was getting quite warm. The entire race I had been sipping on Unived’s Elite Wild Watermelon drink mix. It’s my favorite and tends sit well in my stomach.

Around mile 6 or so I took a Spring Energy Awesome Sauce gel. I will say, I’ve never been a gel person having really ruined my stomach years ago when gels first hit the running scene. I had never even taken a Spring Energy gel in a race before this.

This (and no, I am not sponsored) was really good! I think if I had the forethought to toss it in the freezer before the race, it would have been even better. This gel tasted great but also had a texture that I could handle (one of my issues with gels). Best of all, it never upset my stomach, not even post race (my other issue with gels – um hello gu poo!) Definitely a fan so far and look forward to longer miles/races to see if it continues to work for me. At some point (I forget when), I also took a salt tab.

This was my favorite section of the race!

With some new found energy (thanks to some fuel), I started running a bit faster and passed a few people here and there. Most times, they caught up with me again later but always pleasant, always cheering and encouraging myself or the other runners. I am pretty sure that almost everyone, despite how they were feeling in the heat and altitude, were smiling while they were running.

Finally we hit the long dirt road stretch that Gina had warned us about. I was actually excited to get here so that I could finally find a stride. The course really is a bit technical with a lot of up and down that finding a smooth stride was hard for me. Prior to this race, I’ve recovered from a calf tear and then more recently, an ankle sprain just the week before. This nice gravel road made it so that could run more evenly and consistently. It lasted about a mile and a quarter before we turned left and headed down towards the finish.

I was really excited thinking that the final miles were mostly downhill. There were a few rollers but not enough to kick the wind out of my sail knowing that I would be crossing that finish line in a short while.

The finish was perfect. You crossed a bridge, made a right turn and had lots of people cheering you towards that finish line where Gina, the race director and founder of Trail Sisters greeted every.single.finisher with a high-five or a hug.

Photo Credit : Sandi – ALSO, the look on my face says it all! Darn altitude! 🙂

What a race! What an adventure! Seriously could not have asked for a more beautiful day either.

Because she is awesome and the sweetest, Sandi came to watch me finish and we sat near the finish chatting and cheering on the runners as they came in.

Check out Sandi’s YouTube channel Running Wild

Even though this is the first time we’ve met in person, I feel like I’ve known Sandi forever. We have a lot of similarities and both really enjoy being outside, adventuring and most of all we both love animals.

I am so grateful that she came to meet up with me and cheer me on during the race. Truly, the core of the meaning behind Trail Sisters. Thank you Sandi!

Gina thanking her other half and trail Mister for all his help with Trail Sisters

After the race, right near the finish, we had an awards ceremony and a raffle! I am the worst when it comes to raffles and in classic Pam style, didn’t win a darn thing. It’s okay, my heart was already full. Nothing could have taken away from that.

After the raffle, I made sure to refuel and stopped yet again to get the House Rock Salad with a side of quinoa.

The final piece of Gina’s dream for this event, was a post race social. She made it happen.

We gathered at a place near her home, in front of a nice fire pit and enjoyed some snacks and drinks. It was perfect. Gina was glowing, as she should be. She had just put on a stellar event, one that I think will only get bigger and better next year.

Thank you Gina and thank you Trail Sisters! And ladies, if you are looking for an adventure or a momventure, this race is it! It was all parts exciting, relaxing, breath taking and fun. Keep an eye out for the race in 2022 and mark your calendars, believe me, you won’t want to miss it!

Happy Trails!

~Trailmomma

March 12, 2019April 7, 2019

2019 MARIN ULTRA CHALLENGE 50 MILE – MUC – (RACE REPORT)

“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.

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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.

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.

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.

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.

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!

Happy Trails!

~Trailmomma

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