tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-85668216195347865922024-03-14T01:08:46.897-07:00Girl on DirtAnonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02970128076225308363noreply@blogger.comBlogger179125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8566821619534786592.post-5039478182817706912018-01-05T16:20:00.000-08:002018-01-05T16:21:22.131-08:00Weeks 1 and 2<div style="text-align: right;">
<b><span style="font-size: large;">HAPPY NEW YEAR!!! </span></b></div>
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18 weeks until Quad Rock! Waah! How did two weeks come and go just like that?<br />
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I'd like to say, though, that it was a good start to working on building my base. I went from being pretty lazy to getting out and getting some miles in. Not gonna lie, some days were hard, but I just powered through.<br />
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The job is quite demanding and I absolutely love it... and these last couple weeks I picked up a couple extra shifts, so getting runs in was challenging, but I'm proud I got through the workouts!<br />
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Here are some numbers:<br />
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<b>Week 1 (Dec 23 - Dec 29): </b>Ran 18.3 miles; worked 38h 30m<br />
<b>Week 2 (Dec 30 - Jan 5):</b> Ran 20.6 miles; worked 84h 30m<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-0agu4xfOXKc/WlAVUB42ZvI/AAAAAAAAtwk/wFt-UUmCSvIAut00K6hQrhkIK-kX50O6ACLcBGAs/s1600/IMG_1415.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-0agu4xfOXKc/WlAVUB42ZvI/AAAAAAAAtwk/wFt-UUmCSvIAut00K6hQrhkIK-kX50O6ACLcBGAs/s320/IMG_1415.JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Views from today's run</td></tr>
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I also attempted to keep an eye on my diet. I'm aiming to get back to 136 lbs by race day on May 12. It's kind of a hard goal for me as I haven't been that weight since well before my pregnancy. I'm trying to approach it conservatively because I also want to build some muscle. I'm aiming to lose around 0.6 lbs/wk. So far so good. I started at 148 lbs (yikes!) and today I'm 146.8 lbs. So I'm right on target. Hopefully as I start building on my mileage, I get a tad ahead so I have some wiggle room.<br />
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Lastly, I'm trying really really hard to get more strength workouts in. I'm absolutely awful at it. But I'm trying. I feel weak and my form is just dreadful; maybe cause I never do this stuff. But I'm working on it. Slowly, but surely.<br />
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: "lora" , serif; font-size: 16px;"><i><b>“Some sessions are stars and some are stones, but in the end they are all rocks and we build upon them." </b>- </i></span><em style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font-stretch: inherit; font-variant-numeric: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Chrissie Wellington</em></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02970128076225308363noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8566821619534786592.post-24383007377642953372017-12-23T20:09:00.000-08:002017-12-23T20:09:55.450-08:00New life; new goals!<span style="font-size: large;"><b><i>I'm back</i></b></span>. For real.<br />
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It's been 3 yrs since I last sat down to type something about me, my fitness and my race goals. It felt odd, but somewhat liberating to not have anything to train for. I didn't sit around, though. I created a human... from scratch; and that was <i><b>actual</b></i> hard work.<br />
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My tiny human is perfect, but I'm his mama, so I'm biased. My post-pregnancy body, however, is not. And I'm <i><b>sort of</b></i> ok with it. Because I look at tiny, and he makes me smile. And my life is better since he's been in it.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-bdvxMnDKWpU/Vyd-7fzCt7I/AAAAAAAAL9Q/3UL0qgU8NsoYJ9EyLkVTF-RykQhlYZaOgCKgB/s1600/IMG_7375.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-bdvxMnDKWpU/Vyd-7fzCt7I/AAAAAAAAL9Q/3UL0qgU8NsoYJ9EyLkVTF-RykQhlYZaOgCKgB/s400/IMG_7375.JPG" width="300" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 12.8px;">My lil peanut, 2 days old!</td></tr>
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Long story short...<br />
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My pregnancy was far from perfect and my close friends know it. I struggled with the worst morning sickness, crazy water retention, kidney stones and a few other hiccups here and there. Motivation was close to negative 100 to get out and do anything. And then, he was born. Life as I knew it was gone. And reality hit. Getting my pre-pregnancy body back was not as easy as many people made it seem, but we're all different and I'm one of those who has to work WAY harder.<br />
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That wasn't it. I also decided to go back to school earlier this year. While I had accomplished most my post-pregnancy weight loss by the end of 2016, school + stress + family + work resulted in me gaining 14 lbs!! I was shocked. Yet I worked hard to lose it all over again. The mission was accomplished. I got a new job, which I LOVE. I trained. I lost all 14 lbs and I completed my first post-pregnancy ultra-- my all-time favorite: The Bear Chase 50K.<br />
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After my September race, it was easy to let go and relax a little. After all, it was quite the year. Today I sit here 20 weeks and 1 day away from one big ass challenge-- <b>The Quad Rock 50 (mile)</b>. Yikes. Tomorrow is Day 1 for me and I'm going to give it my all. Not only will I complete this race, but I would like to feel good. And I would like to feel like I'm in the best shape I've been in 3 years.<br />
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I am REALLY looking forward to finding myself in my endless hours of running and sharing the trails with some new and old running friends, and sharing some stories here.<br />
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Stay tuned.<br />
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02970128076225308363noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8566821619534786592.post-55101211030224888522014-10-03T10:16:00.001-07:002014-10-03T10:16:26.405-07:00Four-Pass LoopTransRockies was such an epic experience that it's hard at this point to think of something bigger than that. While I actually did it, it is also hard to believe I did and it's hard to think of doing anything like it again. <div>
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That said, the hubby and I tried to find an epic adventure for Labor Day weekend. He mentioned climbing Snowmass, a 14er. But after all my uphill struggles during TRR I just could not wrap my head around going up a 14er. Thankfully, we have a few other items on our bucket list and one of them is the Four-Pass Loop in the Maroon Bells Wilderness. </div>
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Not sure why the Four-Pass loop sounded better than the 14er... Let me elaborate. The Four-Pass Loop is a 27 mile loop around the Maroon Bells. To complete the loop, you have to go over 4 mountain passes. Needless to say, you go over 12,000ft for each one of them. Why did I think a 27-mile loop with 10,000ft of gain would be easier than going for a 9 mile, 4,500ft of gain hike to summit a 14er? Not sure. Maybe TRR has officially made me dumber. Although I truly believe the Four-Pass loop is more attractive to me (a runner) than summitting all 14ers. </div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-vBdp3ePEcFM/VC7ZvnazmfI/AAAAAAAAJ-M/jn-4viPJ-88/s1600/Screenshot%2B2014-10-03%2B11.14.15.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-vBdp3ePEcFM/VC7ZvnazmfI/AAAAAAAAJ-M/jn-4viPJ-88/s1600/Screenshot%2B2014-10-03%2B11.14.15.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">4-Pass Elevation Profile... Not the easiest run!</td></tr>
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Anyway... I hadn't run since TRR and I wasn't sure I was ready but was willing to give it a shot. The day before I went for a run in Avon and I felt okay. It was only 3 miles and on pavement, but I figured that was a good warm up. Silly me. </div>
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We left the condo at 3am and arrived at the trailhead by 5am. It was chilly, but we wore our warm running gear, grabbed a headlamp and off we go. We didn't really get a view of the Bells early on as it was still pretty dark, but it looked like a gorgeous setting, and while running along the lake, Chuck took a wrong turn. I didn't appreciate it and while it only added probably 1/4 or a 1/2 a mile, I was already cranky at the fact that he made us bush whack a little bit. We found the trail and kept going. </div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-T7aR3MS3dVE/VC7YPm_S-7I/AAAAAAAAJ9k/_tLpwZyQA28/s1600/IMG_5372.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-T7aR3MS3dVE/VC7YPm_S-7I/AAAAAAAAJ9k/_tLpwZyQA28/s1600/IMG_5372.JPG" height="300" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Early morning views of the Bells from Crater Lake</td></tr>
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We arrived to the second lake and we decided to do the loop clockwise so we were headed towards West Maroon Pass. The trail was muddy and it was hard to get moving fast. At that point, Chuck and I had completely different ideas on how to do this. He was aiming for a sub 7h30m finish, while I was aiming to just finish. He's the sprinter in the family, I'm the endurance one. My approach was hike the ups, run the downs and take it easy at the beginning. He wanted to go all out the whole time. We argued... I cried. </div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-mFdE2nip460/VC7Ygd2GjFI/AAAAAAAAJ9s/ExrKE6PGsDE/s1600/IMG_5376.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-mFdE2nip460/VC7Ygd2GjFI/AAAAAAAAJ9s/ExrKE6PGsDE/s1600/IMG_5376.JPG" height="300" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Getting high in the Maroon Bells Wilderness</td></tr>
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This is the deal, I know my limits. And when I push on mile 5 of a 27 mile HARD loop, I know I will NOT make it. And it was especially scary once we were past the first pass, as we would be entering true backcountry and if one of us had lost it out there, it'd be a true challenge to come back. He asked I pushed as hard as I did at TRR, and I tried to explain that a steady hike was EXACTLY how I approached a lot of the big climbs at TRR. And now that TRR was over, my legs were slightly more exhausted than the usual... I literally didn't have more in me. I get where he's coming from too... he's more competitive and he had not run TRR and was on fresh legs. I came to the conclusion that we should not do this together and that he should continue and I'd turn back to wait for him at the lake. That wasn't an option for him. He wanted to turn around then and there... I suggested we at least tag the first mountain pass. We continued on without really talking to each other... <b>sigh</b>. </div>
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We summited the first pass and took some pictures. The views on the other side were wonderful and definitely made me think of pushing through, but I knew it was a bad idea. At that point, Chuck and I were on better terms. We ran back down and it was a much faster and mellow approach. We had a better time. Once back at the lakes, we saw hundreds of tourists taking pictures of the lakes and the Bells. It is truly a wonderful area. </div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-gm3tftaaJIE/VC7Yt425fbI/AAAAAAAAJ90/NgNydTZpYbA/s1600/IMG_5399.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-gm3tftaaJIE/VC7Yt425fbI/AAAAAAAAJ90/NgNydTZpYbA/s1600/IMG_5399.JPG" height="400" width="300" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">West Maroon Pass Summit shot</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-7RUqSo_J9VY/VC7Y4PucKFI/AAAAAAAAJ98/Hf4pi8xwaOo/s1600/IMG_5387.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-7RUqSo_J9VY/VC7Y4PucKFI/AAAAAAAAJ98/Hf4pi8xwaOo/s1600/IMG_5387.JPG" height="300" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">VIews from the top of W. Maroon</td></tr>
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So that was that. A failed attempt at the Four-Pass. It was too soon after TRR and we failed to communicate our goals. The section we did was gorgeous, although not as gorgeous as some of the pictures of the sections that are farther back... but we've decided we'll go back to finish it off, although now, we have a more realistic goal of sub-9hours. </div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-yQOD1_prSho/VC7ZAPV_WII/AAAAAAAAJ-E/XtyB2n13eTQ/s1600/IMG_5418.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-yQOD1_prSho/VC7ZAPV_WII/AAAAAAAAJ-E/XtyB2n13eTQ/s1600/IMG_5418.JPG" height="300" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Family shot at Crater Lake on the way back. </td></tr>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02970128076225308363noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8566821619534786592.post-79108820343033150612014-10-02T10:13:00.001-07:002014-10-02T10:19:33.103-07:00TransRockies Run6 - Stage 6 <b>Vail, CO to Beaver Creek, CO</b><br />
<b>Distance:</b> 22.0 miles<br />
<b>Elevation Gain:</b> 4,554ft<br />
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<b><i>"The reward of a thing well done is to have done it."</i></b> <span style="font-size: x-small;"><i>Ralph Waldo Emerson</i></span></div>
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-ISZMtKg6UnM/VCzQtexirdI/AAAAAAAAJ78/gfkbzc4wmVY/s1600/Screenshot%2B2014-10-01%2B22.01.39.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-ISZMtKg6UnM/VCzQtexirdI/AAAAAAAAJ78/gfkbzc4wmVY/s1600/Screenshot%2B2014-10-01%2B22.01.39.jpg" height="302" width="320" /></a></div>
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Bittersweet. That's what I felt the moment my alarm went off. This is the last day I wake up at camp. The last day I pack my camp. The last day I drag the heaviest duffel bag to the Budget truck. The last day I walk to the start line. The last day I listen to Highway to Hell. It was exciting that this crazy adventure was about to end. It was sad that all the work, all the training, all the cool stories... were all about to end. Bittersweet.<br />
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I had breakfast with all the other runners in the catering tent... people were excited. Marna, Mark and I walked to the start and chilled at the lodge for 40ish minutes before the start and we lined up a few minutes before go-time.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-KFFBCxfjpf0/VC11QScDJtI/AAAAAAAAJ8I/TXTWc_aMeLc/s1600/IMG_5304.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-KFFBCxfjpf0/VC11QScDJtI/AAAAAAAAJ8I/TXTWc_aMeLc/s1600/IMG_5304.JPG" height="400" width="300" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Start line in Vail Village</td></tr>
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I think I became emotional as the runner's came into the start line chute and I was in disbelief that I had gotten this far. I'm pretty sure I had a few tears roll down my cheeks when I heard my name. I looked over to the side and Chuck was there. He made me smile. I was not expecting to see him and it was great to get a hug from the hubby before the start. That is, until he said the words: <b>"You can do it, push for a Top 10 finish!"</b> Oh boy... instead of those being the best words of encouragement anyone could ever hear, I just burst into tears and asked him if what I had done was not good enough (I was 14th overall at that point). He felt horrible. And today, I feel horrible I made him feel horrible. But I guess this is a GREAT example of how exhausted and emotional I was at that point!<br />
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The gun went off and I went off with a slow jog despite the big hill ahead of us. I thought it'd be short, but once I got a better angle, I decided to start walking up it since it was probably more like a mile long. We traversed on the front side of the mountain from Vail Village to Lionshead. Once above the Gondola base at Lionshead we dropped into town again, ran through the village and out towards i70. We went over the bridge and down to the Frontage Rd. on the North side and up into that immediate neighborhood. Sooner than later (probably 2-3 miles into our run) we hot the single track and up, up, up we go.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-4GqQtMnrtdE/VC13i3THdgI/AAAAAAAAJ8Q/kiHf3iG0vjo/s1600/IMG_5307.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-4GqQtMnrtdE/VC13i3THdgI/AAAAAAAAJ8Q/kiHf3iG0vjo/s1600/IMG_5307.JPG" height="300" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Views of Vail from the North Side. </td></tr>
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The endless switchbacks were slightly heartbreaking, but all I kept in mind was that it was the last push! On the flip side though, given the previous day's mistake of having the elevation profile all mixed up in my head, I actually brought a print out this time. I knew exactly when to push. And this time, the hills were perfectly lining up with the mileage I knew.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-4M4edst9QI0/VC14Le6DdFI/AAAAAAAAJ8Y/wdwRRhjuogY/s1600/IMG_5309.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-4M4edst9QI0/VC14Le6DdFI/AAAAAAAAJ8Y/wdwRRhjuogY/s1600/IMG_5309.JPG" height="300" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Amazing Aspen forest at the top of the switch backs. </td></tr>
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Between miles 7 to 9ish, the terrain flattened and we were pretty far north from Vail, or so it seemed like. The views opened up and we got to see the Gore Range.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-iL45ngqE1gI/VC15DpUua1I/AAAAAAAAJ8g/_Dsn6bIf5Fw/s1600/IMG_5312.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-iL45ngqE1gI/VC15DpUua1I/AAAAAAAAJ8g/_Dsn6bIf5Fw/s1600/IMG_5312.JPG" height="300" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Gore Range as seen from some very very remote backcountry! </td></tr>
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As much as my legs hurt going uphill, I tried to take in the views and enjoy the last day. I tried to keep in mind that the downhill didn't start until after 5 significant climbs (based on the elevation profile). Thankfully, the 4th climb wasn't so bad and it didn't feel so significant to me at the time so I didn't count it. So, once I was done climbing, and was enjoying the down, I tried not to get overly excited as I knew there was one more coming... Until I hit the aid station and they said: It's all downhill from here to Avon... That's 5.5 miles of nothing but downhill. Wait, whaaat? All downhill now? Yaay!! Let's do this! I smiled. Downhill was my strong suit!<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-dB510VaN9TY/VC16gPCpdGI/AAAAAAAAJ8s/y4MmFP3dMnU/s1600/IMG_5314.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-dB510VaN9TY/VC16gPCpdGI/AAAAAAAAJ8s/y4MmFP3dMnU/s1600/IMG_5314.JPG" height="400" width="300" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">All downhill until we get to town! </td></tr>
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It was great for a while, and I was catching up to runner after runner. All those who passed me on the way up were slowly moving down and I was catching up to them one at a time. It was a nice feeling. For a good 2 or 3 miles it was all easy breezy, but after that we got to a section where the single track was as narrow as it gets, it was as technical as it gets and the vegetation around it was extremely overgrown. I had to slow down. A lot.<br />
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I started getting incredibly frustrated at the fact that what had been my strength all week was all of a sudden a huge weakness. I could not push any harder, my toes were hurting and I could not see through all the plants... I was mentally struggling and didn't seem to be able to pull myself out of the hole I was in. All of a sudden, I look up and there was Chuck and Levi. You'd think that would help, but it didn't. I may have been rude to him because I could not really talk to him and Levi's collar was making way too much noise as I was trying to focus on putting a foot in front of the other. After 5 minutes I had to tell him to go. He made me feel guilty about how I treated him, and I was probably somewhat rude, but at the time, it just seemed like my brain was about to explode and I'm pretty sure I would've been so much more rude if he had stayed. I needed to do this on my own and I needed him more at the finish than I needed him on the trail. Once he went ahead, I had to walk for a few.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-3y_XCYhHW8w/VC1_g2onw8I/AAAAAAAAJ88/DREdvN00n10/s1600/Day%2B6-2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-3y_XCYhHW8w/VC1_g2onw8I/AAAAAAAAJ88/DREdvN00n10/s1600/Day%2B6-2.jpg" height="265" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Last section of trail before hitting the road. </td></tr>
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Shortly after Chuck left, we got to the last creek crossing and a few yards ahead we were on the road. One of the TRR staff had his RV right at the trailhead and offered me some orange juice. I drank some... it was delicious. We continued down the road until we reached the gas station in Avon. I was hoping I'd see Chuck at some corner now that I was feeling a little better, but he was nowhere to be seen... I did see Kevin and Courtney as they were pulling into Avon, that was randomly awesome. They honked and waved and kept driving.<br />
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We ran on the pavement around the Avon Reservoir and made our way into the Bear lot in Beaver Creek and started to climb towards Bachelor's Gulch. Welcome to Beaver Creek, folks! Last last push, for real!<br />
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With 2.5 miles of climbing left, I just gave it my all. Although, my "all" wasn't much at all. I just kept putting a foot in front of the other and that seemed to be enough at the moment. The single track climb seemed to never end but I wasn't passed by anyone and I didn't pass anyone... we were all in denial and exhausted. I saw Marna, who passed me while on the aid station before the big downhill into Avon (I stopped for goodies, she didn't), slightly ahead of me in the last few switchbacks before the downhill to the finish. She was focused and looked extremely determined to finish this strong. I lost sight of her once she reached the top. Didn't see her again til the finish.<br />
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Once I reached the top though, I let it rip... I knew this road, I'd ran on it in the past and I knew it'd be non-technical and wide. Good old service road. I was running 9 min/miles and it was only 1.5 miles to the finish. I didn't catch up to anyone as I should assume, they all did the same. Once I hit the road I saw Courtney first and I wanted to cry... she was enthusiastic as always and said I was done. I took a right and there it was. The finish line. The FINISH finish line. Lined up before it was Chuck and Kevin. I barely looked at them and had my eyes set on the finish. I was done. I crossed the finish line in <b>5h 27m 23s</b> for <b>18th place</b>. My worst of the week, but it didn't matter. I was done. Took a while to catch my breath but when I looked up, my friend Jenny, her husband and baby were there as well... they'd made the trip up from Denver JUST to see me finish. I was feeling blessed to have so many familiar faces at the finish. I felt loved. I needed that.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">And done! Medal and Finisher's shirt in hand. </td></tr>
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The small details of my experience during TransRockies may never be put into words the way I would like it to be. There are way too many stories and experiences that may never be shared. This doesn't mean they didn't mean the world to me at the moment. Running across the Rockies covering a distance of 120 miles at high elevation, meeting new people along the way, sleeping in tents, showering in a truck and eating what is available, not what I want, was my reality for a whole week.<br />
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I learned a lot about myself and what I can accomplish if I set my mind to it. I'd do things differently, yes. Training more would be one of them. I was well trained and got through it alright with no injuries, but I'm sure a few more hours on the trail would've made some of those climbs a tad easier and some struggles a little easier to get through.<br />
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If you ask me, doing this solo as opposed to with a teammate ended up being a blessing. Seemed like while I would've loved to have my partner Theresa with me during some moments, but I've learned I'm better off alone when in a dark place... and when in a good one. I'm sure it would've been a struggle to stay back when I'm feeling good or feel extra pressured to move faster when in a dark place. If I were to do it again, I'd definitely sign up with a friend, but would make sure to sign us up as "solo" runners. That way we could run together when needed/desired, but we could go our separate ways when we're mentally and physically in different places.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Finish line picture with Houda... Race Director extraordinaire. </td></tr>
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Will I do this race again? Probably not. This one-time experience was beyond amazing and I wouldn't change it for the world. It will always hold a special place in my heart... but I believe I should take what I learned about myself as a person and an athlete to other events and other adventures. I met some amazing people, a few of which, I believe, will stick around in my life for a while. If you're into big adventures though, I would highly recommend this one. It's worth every penny!<br />
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<b>Official finish time: 27 hours, 54 minutes, 24 seconds for 14th place out of 59</b></div>
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<i><b>"Only those who attempt the absurd, will achieve the impossible."</b> -Escher. </i>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02970128076225308363noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8566821619534786592.post-49801372468434624372014-10-01T17:32:00.000-07:002014-10-02T10:14:08.288-07:00TransRockies Run6 - Stage 5<b>Red Cliff, CO to Vail, CO</b><br />
<b>Distance</b>: 23.2 miles<br />
<b>Elevation Gain:</b> 4,211ft<br />
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Woke up slightly more exhausted than my usual. Sleeping in the day before had been nice, but it was back-to-reality day. Had to pack camp and catch a shuttle back to Red Cliff. I hung out with Marna and Mark at Mango's, the bar in Red Cliff. They opened up early for us to stay warm while waiting for the race to start. Unfortunately, it didn't seem like enough down time and the race started sooner than later.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Quick picture at the start!</td></tr>
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As usual, Highway to Hell played loud at the start line and off we go... uphill. I knew we were in for a treat with this one. For the first time since Day 1 we were going to climb more than 4,000ft and I was trying to wrap my head around it. I decided to slowly jog as much as possible, but walk when I felt like it. I was pretty much <b>"going on feel"</b>. It all worked out pretty nicely for a while... but this was my biggest mistake of the day- I left the start line without a print out of the elevation profile (which I'm really good at doing at all my races!!).<br />
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In my head, it was 8 miles of climbing followed by a couple of rolling hills (10 miles in) followed by 2 miles of climbing (12 miles in)... and then all downhill from there (for 11 miles). Oh boy... was I wrong!!!<br />
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I arrived to the first aid station at mile 8 in really great spirits. Up until now, we'd been running on a wide dirt road that basically goes from Red Cliff to the top of Vail Pass. It was a little shaded (lots of trees) during the first couple of miles, but then it opened up and we had some awesome views.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Views opening up on our way to Vail Pass</td></tr>
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The grade of the incline on the way up to Vail Pass wasn't horrible, so while I definitely did not run the whole 8 miles, I was able to maintain a very steady and efficient pace. Filled up my water bladder at the aid station and proceeded to the single track. This is when things got gnarly. What I had expected to be "rolling" for 2 miles, was more uphill... and actually, slightly steeper and more technical than the previous 8 miles (well, duh... now we were on single track!). I could hear my heart break piece by piece... but I was still optimistic that maybe I'd be summitting soon! When my Garmin beeped for mile 10, we started going downhill... at which point we were already in what I thought was Vail Ski Resort (or at least the side country of it) so I figured, how much farther up can we go? So I just bombed down whatever went down, but to my disappointment, that lasted a half a mile... Ok, I was off by 2 miles. THIS was the rolling section. I pushed through despite it being more up than down, but we then arrived in Vail Ski Resort. For REAL this time.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">We're in... FOR SURE! </td></tr>
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I continued very contently since I thought... How much farther up can we go? Well, a random girl behind me said: <b>"Look to your right?"</b> Ugh... I SO wish she hadn't said that... HUGE switch backs to the ridge. But I mean... the ridge was WAY up there. My heart broke JUST a little more. At this point, we were roughly at mile 13, so seriously? How much farther up can we go... we gotta go down at one point!! I walked slowly to the top, and I would just see the people who I had stuck with for 4 days slowly disappear in front of me... I feel like this broke me and slowed me down even more. Regardless, I got to the top to areas of the resort I recognized. I tried to regroup and continue on. I reached the rocky technical descent that the course director had talked about and even smiled for the camera. For all I knew, the climbing was OVER! It was all downhill from there!<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">TRR was a technical run, but not like this! This was just a short scrambling section! :)</td></tr>
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I reached the aid station shortly after this and even sat down on the chair to take in some calories. I got up quick though and continued on. Let's have some fun!!! Unfortunately, the fun lasted a half a mile... and at mile 16, I found myself climbing again! Ok, I was SUPER off... For all I knew, the climbing ended at mile 12!!! I was 4 ahead at that point, and had a hill in front of me that I had NO idea how long it'd be.<br />
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I literally cried. I was absolutely exhausted... I turned off my iPod, replied to some words of encouragement from my TRR friend Rob with some very cranky words in a very cranky mood... and fell behind. Before I knew it, Marna caught up to me... nicely, she pushed me. Like she ACTUALLY pushed me from the bottom of my hydration pack. It seemed to help, but I knew she was probably as tired as me.. she just happened to be in a less dark place. She eventually moved ahead and I was left behind with my tears.<br />
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We reached the top of Chair 4. Which I knew well. I was exhausted, I had cried and I was ready for an all downhill. It took me a little while to regroup (maybe a mile), but from the top (mile 17) to the aid station (mile 21) I was able to run. I stopped at the aid for a couple minutes and had a beverage and some watermelon and continued on... the downhill was fun:<br />
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I eventually caught up to Marna, who was now struggling. I stayed with her for a couple minutes and told her we were close (I know that mountain a little too well) and I passed her. I finally came close to the village and saw the finish line. It was a huge relief! I crossed the finish line in <b>5 hours 49 minutes and 49 seconds</b> for <b>14th place</b>. This was officially my longest day out on the trails and I was stoked it was over.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">It was great to see Marna finish just 4 minutes behind me. She was getting stronger as I was getting weaker! </td></tr>
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The rest of the evening was uneventful... Marna and I walked to camp together and it felt great to be at "home". I was struggling with eating as it seemed as if I had completely lost my appetite, but they had grilled some veggies and I ate some of that. Despite having had a crappy day, I was focusing on the next day's adventure... which was pretty much the end. Visualizing the finish was an emotional experience. It was surreal that this was the last night I was going to sleep in a tent and eat with all these people.<br />
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I tried to focus on the fact that despite the last stage being known to be a hard stage, it was still under 20 miles. Unfortunately, when the course briefing began, we learned that the last stage was not 19 miles as published on the guide book, it was more like 22. I was in disbelief and I may have had a tear roll down my cheek. I sat there silently listening, but heartbroken that I still had 22 miles to go. I know, it's not that big a difference, but after 5 long days of running at elevation, 3 miles was a huge difference.<br />
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I went to bed slightly bummed out, but tried to focus on the fact that it was almost over. <b>One more day... </b>and then, it'll all be a memory. I wasn't even sure I was emotionally ready for it to be over.<br />
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<b>"Dig deep, my friend."</b> Theresa said on her card for Day 5. I don't think I'd ever dug any deeper...<br />
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Up Next: <a href="http://girlondirt.blogspot.com/2014/10/transrockies-run6-stage-6.html">TransRockies Run6 - Stage 6</a>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02970128076225308363noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8566821619534786592.post-82664513323059333552014-09-22T14:05:00.000-07:002014-10-01T17:33:03.439-07:00TransRockies Run6 - Stage 4<b style="background-color: white; color: #444444; font-family: 'Josefin Sans'; font-size: 16px; line-height: 22.1760005950928px;">Nova Guides at Camp Hale to Red Cliff, CO</b><br />
<b style="background-color: white; color: #444444; font-family: 'Josefin Sans'; font-size: 16px; line-height: 22.1760005950928px;">Distance: 14.4</b><span style="background-color: white; color: #444444; font-family: 'Josefin Sans'; font-size: 16px; line-height: 22.1760005950928px;"><b> mi</b>les</span><br />
<b style="background-color: white; color: #444444; font-family: 'Josefin Sans'; font-size: 16px; line-height: 22.1760005950928px;">Elevation Gain:</b><span style="background-color: white; color: #444444; font-family: 'Josefin Sans'; font-size: 16px; line-height: 22.1760005950928px;"> 2,830ft</span><br />
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I was pretty tired when I woke up, but the start line today was only steps away from my tent. Not only that, BUT we didn't have to pack our campsite as we were going to be shuttled back to this same spot for that night. This was the day that I allowed myself to sleep in the most.<br />
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I was feeling pretty sore and was a little nervous about it... regardless I was hopeful that I'd have a good run. Feedback I had heard from people that had run this stage in previous years was all over the place. Some people were happy about a shorter leg, while others said the climb was worse than Hope Pass- seriously?!?<br />
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I lined up for the start with a little extra inspiration as Jenny had tagged me on a Facebook post that read as follows: "My girl Gaby is running the TransRockies and is currently 13th out of 59 women. 120 miles across some intense, high altitude terrain. I just want everyone to know how amazing and inspiring she is! Go Gaby!! You got it!!!" Yes, that made me smile and reminded me there were people following my progress. In addition, my amazing husband would meet me at the finish line in Red Cliff to grab a couple drinks in Red Cliff. With that in mind, I set off on day 4 of this crazy adventure.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">At the start line</td></tr>
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To not mess with the theme that TransRockies seemed to have going on, the run started with 6 miles of straight uphill. It was mellow the first 2 miles, with 4 miles of steep, technical jeep roads. People seemed to struggle a ton, but I seemed to be moving somewhat efficiently. I reached the top faster than I thought and was convinced that this climb had been WAY easier than Hope Pass. Apparently, most everyone seemed to disagree with me even after doing it. They all thought I was crazy! Regardless, I'm happy I had a good climb.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The last push uphill. Some amazing views.</td></tr>
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Once at the top, we traversed on the ridge for a little while before coming back down to tree line. The traverse was a mild climb, but I jogged most of it.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Highest point of the run</td></tr>
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Once at treeline and when we started going downhill there seemed to be endless switchbacks down... I just kept wondering when I was going to reach the river! I was averaging 10 min/mile on the technical descent, until we reached the bottom of the switchbacks and it was time to run on a creek. In reality, it was a trail, but a few years ago, the creek seemed to swell up to cover the trail, so while we didn't run IN the creek, our feet were wet. This water stretch was longer than expected and we ran in the water for 3/4's of a mile.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Trail under water. We ran on this for 3/4's of a mile</td></tr>
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We then crossed a bridge and were on a smooth dirt road that'd take us into town. Chuck met me 1.5 miles away from the finish with the pup and I was stoked to see them. I maintained 9:30 min/mile those last 2 miles and finished in <b>3h29m43s</b> for <b>16th place</b> just like on day 2. Seemed like with the shorter distances I didn't have enough time to catch up to some of the other gals and longer days were more favorable to me, but that's no news... we've always known that.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-zA53Jd-kkcU/VCCOk4VYgTI/AAAAAAAAJhY/2jZAZ6Uw42k/s1600/IMG_5263.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-zA53Jd-kkcU/VCCOk4VYgTI/AAAAAAAAJhY/2jZAZ6Uw42k/s1600/IMG_5263.JPG" height="400" width="300" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Finish Line Shot</td></tr>
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Chuck and I hung out by the creek until Marna finished and then Marna, her husband and Chuck and I enjoyed a couple drinks at Mango's- Red Cliff's most famous (and only) bar. Chuck then gave us a ride back to Camp Hale. He hung out with us for a while and even went for a run there... He kissed me goodnight and left right before dinner. I'm not gonna lie, but I desperately wanted to go to the Avon condo with him, but wouldn't give up my full TransRockies experience. Crappy sleep was part of it all...<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-1s5z2Wz_lS8/VCCOtK0xIqI/AAAAAAAAJhg/JQCaCL-SbVQ/s1600/IMG_5265.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-1s5z2Wz_lS8/VCCOtK0xIqI/AAAAAAAAJhg/JQCaCL-SbVQ/s1600/IMG_5265.JPG" height="300" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Post-run drinks at Mango's </td></tr>
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I again passed out early feeling somewhat confident about the upcoming Day 5 as we were approaching a very familiar area to me. In the end, Vail area was where I has trained so much in the previous 6 months. I was ready to come "home".<br />
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Up Next: <a href="http://girlondirt.blogspot.com/2014/10/transrockies-run6-stage-5.html">TransRockies Run6 - Stage 5</a>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02970128076225308363noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8566821619534786592.post-82253176332305146922014-09-15T19:51:00.000-07:002014-09-22T14:05:37.157-07:00TransRockies Run6 - Stage 3<b>Leadville, CO to Nova Guides at Camp Hale</b><br />
<b>Distance: </b>24.5 miles<br />
<b>Elevation Gain:</b> 2,361ft<br />
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<i><b>"Only those who risk going too far can possibly find out how far they can go" </b>-T.S. Eliot.</i></div>
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Motivation words from Theresa on my "Day 3" card. </div>
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During the course briefing the night before, the run course director shared some cool info about Camp Hale. It's a little bit of history that if I hadn't run this race, I probably would never learn; I figured I'd share:<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-e-XWZJOnnf0/VBehAqSSEVI/AAAAAAAAJJw/gHRr1UBzYoE/s1600/Camp%2BHale.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-e-XWZJOnnf0/VBehAqSSEVI/AAAAAAAAJJw/gHRr1UBzYoE/s1600/Camp%2BHale.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">What's left of Camp Hale. Added to NHRP in 1992.</td></tr>
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<i>Camp Hale is located between Red Cliff and Leadville in the Eagle River Valley (we run to Red Cliff on Day 4). It was a U.S. Army training facility built in 1942 for what became the 10th Mountain Division (I'll talk about this in a minute). Soldiers were trained in mountain climbing, Alpine and Nordic skiing, and cold-weather survival. When it was in full operation, 15,000 (approx) soldiers lived there. Camp Hale was decommissioned in November 1945. </i><br />
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<i>The 10th Mountain Division is a light infantry division in the U.S. Army currently based at Fort Drum, NY. Originally constituted as a unique mountain warfare unit, the division was the only unit of its size in the U.S. Army to specialize in fighting in mountainous and arctic conditions, thus earning the division "mountain" tab. It was on July 10, 1943 that the 10th Mountain Division was constituted, and activated at Camp Hale 5 days later. </i><br />
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Now, back to the race. I woke up in Leadville with a little bit of frost in my tent. I still tried to be efficient and got out of "bed" quickly, change and pack my stuff. After dropping off the duffel, we had the option of taking a shuttle to the Museum for breakfast. I, instead, walked there to calm the nerves and let the muscles loosen a bit. It was a 10 minute walk. My breakfast was light and I walked to the start on Harrison St. (main street). Starting a race in Leadville, CO is pretty amazing; I love it!<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-rT7c8lR7rC4/VBeh3mdTX2I/AAAAAAAAJJ8/491Gs1LNZgs/s1600/IMG_5211.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-rT7c8lR7rC4/VBeh3mdTX2I/AAAAAAAAJJ8/491Gs1LNZgs/s1600/IMG_5211.JPG" height="400" width="300" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Start line in Leadville</td></tr>
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At the start corral I saw Marna and Mark, we chatted up a bit and her and I started together. The first couple miles out of town were on pavement, which I gladly welcomed. It was nice to get the legs moving in a somewhat efficient way and without really thinking about it. Unfortunately, they went fast and all of a sudden I found myself climbing. As usual, I slowed down to a crawl. Fortunately, it was a 2.5 mile climb and we topped off at the 4.5 mile marker. After this, I picked up the pace on the downhill and caught up to a whole bunch of people. It was VERY muddy in some sections and while some people were slowing down I figured I should just push through it; I was gonna get muddy anyway, so if I was gonna fall, better do it sooner than later. I didn't fall though. All of a sudden and feeling good, I got to aid 1 at mile 7.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-FIgENNojPmg/VBeiEAKnQaI/AAAAAAAAJKE/EIg_newVTh4/s1600/IMG_5216.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-FIgENNojPmg/VBeiEAKnQaI/AAAAAAAAJKE/EIg_newVTh4/s1600/IMG_5216.JPG" height="300" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Some views from the top at mile 4.5</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-yorpblgiBt0/VBeiO998RiI/AAAAAAAAJKM/d1RZwp8FweA/s1600/Day%2B3-1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-yorpblgiBt0/VBeiO998RiI/AAAAAAAAJKM/d1RZwp8FweA/s1600/Day%2B3-1.jpg" height="263" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Coming in hot in muddy trails (you can't tell it was muddy, but I distinctively remember the photographer camped out where she could see people slipping and sliding!) </td></tr>
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The miles after this checkpoint went slow, I was going up again. Thankfully, this uphill was very runnable, and while slow, I was able to efficiently do a walk/run. I managed to pass a few girls in my category that pushed through hard run intervals but had to take a break or walk REALLY slowly after. The highest point was at mile 12 and after this I picked up the pace again. I realized I was close to the aid since I was clearly at a ski resort and we had been told that aid 2 was at the base of Ski Cooper. I left fairly quick and kept running down towards Tennessee Pass. Weird to run down to a mountain pass.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-di9zmSg4Hc0/VBeixn8Si3I/AAAAAAAAJKc/LP62PmimTUI/s1600/IMG_5222.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-di9zmSg4Hc0/VBeixn8Si3I/AAAAAAAAJKc/LP62PmimTUI/s1600/IMG_5222.JPG" height="400" width="300" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Tennessee Pass!</td></tr>
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After crossing hwy 24, we jumped on the Colorado Trail. It was GORGEOUS and easy to run on. I was able to pick up the pace before hitting some single track. I was able to maintain a fast pace and was able to enjoy the views. The last climb came between miles 17 and 18.5 after crossing back to the east side of hwy 24, but we quickly got to the top and came down a heavily treed fun single track. At the bottom, there was a trail head and some structure that was left from the army days of Camp Hale (pictured above). I knew I was close. The aid station was right after this.<br />
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While I had 3 miles to go on a flat dirt road after the checkpoint, the weather had turned bad and it was now cold, drizzly and we all had a head wind. I tried to slow down and maintain a mellow pace and push through it. I did my best, but had to walk a couple little hills. This section felt like it was never going to end, but I eventually saw the finish and crossed it at <b>5h13m49s</b> for <b>14th place</b>.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-RG8Ssr7dWbQ/VBejAPRH7kI/AAAAAAAAJKk/ZrRoMNGOueI/s1600/IMG_5236.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-RG8Ssr7dWbQ/VBejAPRH7kI/AAAAAAAAJKk/ZrRoMNGOueI/s1600/IMG_5236.JPG" height="400" width="300" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Finish line shot! </td></tr>
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I picked a tent as close to the duffel bag pick up area as I could and showered right away. My friend Amanda from Boulder had run the 3-day guiding a blind runner and offered to give me a quick massage before heading home. She treated me to an AMAZING 15 minute massage!<br />
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Later, while at dinner (maybe 5:30ish), Houda came into the tent to announce that the last finishers were almost there... It was amazing to see the 400+ people leave their dinner and seats to go out to the finish line to cheer them on. The team (an older married couple, maybe in their 60s), had tears in their eyes. Truly inspiring.<br />
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The night went on as usual with course, medical and weather briefing for the next day and an early bed time for me. I was truly exhausted this day, although I had very much enjoyed the run. Today I can say, it was probably my favorite stage (and favorite camp site).<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-hBwHGd3-w50/VBejJykUZNI/AAAAAAAAJKs/viEd9D0fXz0/s1600/IMG_5237.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-hBwHGd3-w50/VBejJykUZNI/AAAAAAAAJKs/viEd9D0fXz0/s1600/IMG_5237.JPG" height="300" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Gorgeous place to camp! </td></tr>
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Up Next: <a href="http://girlondirt.blogspot.com/2014/09/transrockies-run6-stage-4.html">TransRockies Run6 - Stage 4</a>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02970128076225308363noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8566821619534786592.post-16873017706915003452014-09-03T08:58:00.001-07:002014-09-15T19:52:01.339-07:00TransRockies Run6 - Stage 2<b style="background-color: white; color: #444444; font-family: 'Josefin Sans'; font-size: 16px; line-height: 22.176000595092773px;">Vicksburg, CO to Twin Lakes (up and over Hope Pass). </b><br />
<b style="background-color: white; color: #444444; font-family: 'Josefin Sans'; font-size: 16px; line-height: 22.176000595092773px;">Distance:</b><span style="background-color: white; color: #444444; font-family: 'Josefin Sans'; font-size: 16px; line-height: 22.176000595092773px;"> 13.6 miles</span><br />
<b style="background-color: white; color: #444444; font-family: 'Josefin Sans'; font-size: 16px; line-height: 22.176000595092773px;">Elevation Gain:</b><span style="background-color: white; color: #444444; font-family: 'Josefin Sans'; font-size: 16px; line-height: 22.176000595092773px;"> 2,672ft</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #444444; font-family: 'Josefin Sans'; font-size: 16px; line-height: 22.176000595092773px;"><b><i>"If you're willing to throw caution into the wind and take a chance, the view from the other side is spectacular!"</i> </b></span><span style="background-color: white; color: #444444; font-family: 'Josefin Sans'; line-height: 22.176000595092773px;">-</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #444444; font-family: 'Josefin Sans'; line-height: 22.176000595092773px;">TRR partner, Theresa wrote it on my "Day 2" card. Pretty fitting for a day like this. </span></div>
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It's no surprise that I LOVE to sleep in as much as possible, and with that in mind I set my alarm as late as possible to give me enough time to pack my camp, get dressed, have breakfast and catch the shuttle. The first shuttle would be at 6:45am, therefore I set my alarm for 6:00am. Packing my duffel bag went fairly fast since everything was in zip-lock bags and getting ready took a couple minutes. I was all packed and ready for breakfast at 6:25am. The catering company was back for breakfast and there were plenty of options. I had eggs and toast with a side of cranberry juice. Jumped in the shuttle at 6:50am. </div>
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The drive to Vicksburg was roughly 20-30 minutes... Our driver, Crash, said it'd be a bumpy drive. It was, but we still arrived to the start line safely with plenty of time to kill. The race started at 8:30am sharp...</div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Start line at Vicksburg</td></tr>
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The course started with a gentle climb on a gravel road for 1.7 miles where we got to the first aid station, trailhead and turn around point for the Leadville 100 race. It was exciting that I would be running on one of the most popular sections of one of the most popular 100-mile races: up Hope Pass. The trail narrowed quickly and before mile 2 we were already in a tight single track climbing towards the top of the pass. I tried to go "slow and steady", which meant a steady hike, but I ended up taking a couple breaks. This trail seemed way too steep. </div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Still going up! Gorgeous views!</td></tr>
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Once at treeline, it seemed like the trail was no longer that steep, and while still going up, it was an easier walk although the breathing was harder. I looked back and Marna was right behind me so when I summitted I waited for her to take a couple pictures. We left fairly fast and I KNEW this was my time to shine. I bolted down the hill. It was roughly 5 miles downhill before getting to Twin Lakes area where I was able to catch up to a whole bunch of people. The last 3 or 4 miles were rolling, but the rollers were bigger than expected. I had hoped my strategy of slow and steady from the day before would work this day too, but some of the uphills were too steep. I walked a few early on, but later decided to slow down and tackle the ups and downs at the same speed, which in the end paid off and was able to run the last 2.5 miles without stopping/walking. </div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-RWtj50hy2WA/VAc6S9nwdOI/AAAAAAAAJHY/IGo-cicHCXU/s1600/IMG_5200.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-RWtj50hy2WA/VAc6S9nwdOI/AAAAAAAAJHY/IGo-cicHCXU/s1600/IMG_5200.JPG" height="400" width="300" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Marna and I at the top of Hope Pass</td></tr>
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I finished in 3 hours 42 minutes and 29 seconds for 16th place and learned the valuable lesson that a shorter day in the TransRockies world means a harder run. I didn't stick around at the finish and instead took the shuttle to Leadville to set up camp and shower. Shortly after my shower I headed to the Leadville Race Series headquarters to get a hug from my good friend Abby (Athlete Services Manager for LRS) and let race director Josh know that Hope Pass is darn tough! </div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Done for the day! </td></tr>
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I later met up with Marna and Mark in town and we walked together to the National Mining Hall of Fame and Museum for dinner. It was Italian night and I believe, this was the most delicious meal of them all! After awards, course and medical briefings, pictures of the day and video, we walked back to camp. I took some time to charge my phone and garmin and went to bed fairly early. It was a chilly night at 10,200ft. </div>
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Up Next: <a href="http://girlondirt.blogspot.com/2014/09/transrockies-run6-stage-3.html">TransRockies Run6 - Stage 3</a></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02970128076225308363noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8566821619534786592.post-45074195018882697002014-08-28T10:58:00.001-07:002014-09-03T09:00:06.481-07:00TransRockies Run6 - Stage 1<b>Buena Vista, CO to Railroad Bridge (just north of Buena Vista). </b><br />
<b>Distance:</b> 20.9 miles<br />
<b>Elevation Gain:</b> 2,672ft<br />
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When my alarm went off at 6am, I was focused and ready to go. I showered, got the baggie labeled "day 1", put on the running outfit that was in it and packed my hydration vest with the nutrition I had previously prepared. The hotel in Salida had breakfast available at 6:30, but luckily they were all set up by 6:20. We hit the road and arrived in Buena Vista at 7:05am.<br />
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While the TransRockies crew arranged for trucks to drive around town and pick up duffel bags from the hotels, I had to personally drop mine off since I had stayed in Salida the night before. It was fast and easy. I walked from the Heritage Museum over to the start line (roughly a half a mile away). People were slowly showing up and you could just feel everyone's excitement. I found a good place to sit and relax... even stretch a little bit and pulled out the elevation profile for the day to figure out a run strategy.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-chdm5t1HWrY/U_9UOMhJc0I/AAAAAAAAJGA/VwwhTvRMDpY/s1600/IMG_5153.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-chdm5t1HWrY/U_9UOMhJc0I/AAAAAAAAJGA/VwwhTvRMDpY/s1600/IMG_5153.JPG" height="400" width="300" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">T-minus 41 minutes until start time! </td></tr>
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As we were getting ready to start, the announcer asked that we seed ourselves based on what we thought our pace would be. There were 3 main starting "corrals" and I placed myself in the middle of the pack. The race started promptly at 8:30am and off we go! The day started with a half a mile paved section as we made our way out of town and across the Arkansas River. Once on the other side, we were immediately on a single track working our way up.<br />
<br />
After 2 miles we hit a wider road where we were able to enjoy some better views (well-earned views!) The uphill continued but it was a milder slope and a slow, easy jog made the trick for me. It got slightly steeper close to mile 6 where I was forced to power-hike for a mile before we hit the first aid station at mile 7 after 1500ft of gain. Grabbed a couple potato chips and continued on. All downhill from here!! For a while at least.<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-N1vp2Wdr-Io/U_9n2KF0HeI/AAAAAAAAJGU/cUz6dYGrDNE/s1600/IMG_5159.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-N1vp2Wdr-Io/U_9n2KF0HeI/AAAAAAAAJGU/cUz6dYGrDNE/s1600/IMG_5159.JPG" height="300" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">One of the last climbs before hitting the aid (behind those big rocky things in the middle)... you can even see some runners if you squint! :) </td></tr>
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After a 4-mile and 1000ft drop, we hit 2 more "biggish" climbs with their respective descents. At the end of the second one I saw the 2nd aid. Pounded some gatorade and continued on a rolling course until aid station 3. I didn't get much stuff here but I knew the hardest part of the course was about to start.<br />
<br />
The weather had been nice this day so far... it was mid to upper 40's at the start with not a cloud in sight. The day slowly warmed and by noon it was already in the mid-80's. While the heat didn't feel so bad up until mile 17, I was about to run the last 4 miles of the course on an exposed dirt road with a slight incline. The second I jumped on this road, I felt it; it was extremely hot and extremely dry. Thankfully there were some tunnels...<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-ItUS3ZFL0cg/U_9qJuecuCI/AAAAAAAAJGc/UXI1rpGeiuY/s1600/IMG_5164.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-ItUS3ZFL0cg/U_9qJuecuCI/AAAAAAAAJGc/UXI1rpGeiuY/s1600/IMG_5164.JPG" height="300" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Only two of these though... :( </td></tr>
</tbody></table>
I walked through these just to cool off a bit. The rest of the 4 miles were slightly uphill and it was getting to EVERYONE. I decided to maintain a slow pace and while it was legitimately a VERY slow jog, I managed to pass a whole bunch of people walking. Sooner than expected I heard the music, then the announcer and then I saw it; the finish line was right around the corner.<br />
<br />
I finished Stage One in 4 hours 11 minutes 19 seconds for 13th place. I was stoked since I was aiming for mid-pack (my usual) and shortly after I finished, I realized there were 59 ladies in my category. This was WAY better than mid-pack.<br />
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The day didn't end there... I jumped in a shuttle and was taken to our campsite. These people KNOW what they're doing. By the time we got there, they have all the duffel bags lined up in numerical order and 400 tents set up. You just grab your bag and pick a tent. I set up all my camp stuff (air mattress, sleeping bag, etc), grabbed my little "drop-bag" and went over to take a shower. I hung out at the relaxation tent with a beer, met some people and charged my phone and ipod.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-naFhTHdpAY0/U_9ti8WmQMI/AAAAAAAAJGs/eAEfb7tea-c/s1600/IMG_5171.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-naFhTHdpAY0/U_9ti8WmQMI/AAAAAAAAJGs/eAEfb7tea-c/s1600/IMG_5171.JPG" height="300" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Tent City</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
Dinner started at 4:30pm and I managed to meet up with Marna and Mark (her husband) right before dinner time. It was Greek night! Dinner was delicious!! By 6:00pm, everyone was in the dinner tent and there's an award ceremony to recognize the top 3 in each category followed by a medical briefing and a course briefing for next day. At that point, Houda took over the microphone who made us all laugh with all his stories of the day (and some random announcements!). The evening ended with 2 slideshows of pictures of the day and a short video. I went to bed shortly after 8pm.<br />
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Up Next: <a href="http://girlondirt.blogspot.com/2014/09/transrockies-run6-stage-2.html">TransRockies Run6 - Stage 2</a>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02970128076225308363noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8566821619534786592.post-19522654190511402232014-08-26T21:55:00.002-07:002014-09-02T14:45:09.334-07:00TransRockies Run6 - Stage 0It all started on August 21st of 2013. This was the day that I clicked on the TransRockies website and registered to run the 6-day run with my all-time training partner Theresa. While I was under the impression that I had signed up for a 6-day adventure, little did I know I had signed up for a whole year full of adventures that would end with a 6-day race filled with excitement, emotions, pain, joy, tears and smiles.<br />
<br />
Many things happened in the last 12-months to make me a stronger runner and a better person... and a lot of lessons were learned, but the biggest thing was that I lost my partner to an injury. Unfortunately, it was probably 3 months before the race that Theresa approached me to let me know she could not make it happen since an injury had her side-lined. After a lot of thought, I decided to continue the journey on my own instead of differing or cancelling the race. I had already put on a lot of time into training and I figured that while I'd miss my friend a ton, it wouldn't really change the actual race.<br />
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After I finished the race, it seems like it has taken a while for me to put my thoughts together about TransRockies and it's been hard to figure out how to best describe this experience without having to write a whole book about it (because so much happened!). Following the TransRockies newsletter format, I've decided to write one day at a time starting with Stage 0 and as I go through each one, I'll try my best to explain the pro's and con's of not having my partner and best friend with me.<br />
<br />
The weekend before race week I had a ton of work, therefore I decided to fully finish packing on Thursday night. It was time to run through my checklist one last time and put everything away. I carefully planned each day's outfit and nutrition as well as all the extra gear for hanging out at camp.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-u_fzNw-YJ5w/U_1cOaCgtAI/AAAAAAAAJDk/a4kB1cqu0ck/s1600/IMG_5046.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-u_fzNw-YJ5w/U_1cOaCgtAI/AAAAAAAAJDk/a4kB1cqu0ck/s1600/IMG_5046.JPG" height="320" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Gear ready to be packed</td></tr>
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On Friday I drove up to Vail to get one last run in before the race. While I was planning a not-so-long run, my brother was in town and getting ready for his marathon on August 31st... so we ended up running some 18 miles... luckily, they were all downhill!<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-O0MnsQGLLsA/U_1ecu7SpiI/AAAAAAAAJDw/IGcbHdB5gl8/s1600/IMG_5056.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-O0MnsQGLLsA/U_1ecu7SpiI/AAAAAAAAJDw/IGcbHdB5gl8/s1600/IMG_5056.JPG" height="300" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Pretty views from the top of Vail Pass</td></tr>
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After my run in Vail I went up to Leadville to meet up with the RaceRite crew. We timed the Leadville 100 MTB race on Saturday which meant my work day started with a 4:45am wake up call. After an 11hr work day at 12,000ft and a quick dinner I drove back to Boulder to work at the Outdoor Divas Triathlon in Longmont. After going to bed at midnight, I somehow managed to be at the race venue by 6am. Thankfully, this day was a tad shorter and I was back home by 2pm.<br />
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On Monday, I woke up early (again) and drove up to Vail to pick up my mama. We then had a big breakfast at the West Side Cafe and then drove to Buena Vista. Arrived at 2pm to go pick up my race packet right away. Finally, it was time to get this adventure started. Packet pick up was at the Buena Vista Heritage Museum and it was quick. I got my duffel bag, goodies and bib number with chip. Yikes. Things were getting real.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-IzV8usr2ghg/U_1imCEf-VI/AAAAAAAAJD8/e4QNpQ35SbA/s1600/IMG_5134.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-IzV8usr2ghg/U_1imCEf-VI/AAAAAAAAJD8/e4QNpQ35SbA/s1600/IMG_5134.JPG" height="326" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">It's really happening</td></tr>
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We went to the hotel to check-in, I took a nap, finished packing and went back to the race headquarters. I met with my now good friend Marna, who was introduced to me by Theresa over email. They met at a race in Oregon and she learned that Marna and her husband were going to do TRR and she thought it would be a great idea to introduce us... let me tell you, it was THE BEST idea!<br />
<br />
The pre-race briefing was not too long and very informative. They introduced the course team, the medical team and race director extraordinaire, Mr. Houda. They all had some words of wisdom for us as well as some helpful pointers. After all that, they gathered everyone at the front, took a pre-race picture and they sent us back to our hotels to enjoy our last night.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-oDQQoBX18wU/U_1kXPD-UUI/AAAAAAAAJEI/JNVZTXsbJME/s1600/Pre-Race.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-oDQQoBX18wU/U_1kXPD-UUI/AAAAAAAAJEI/JNVZTXsbJME/s1600/Pre-Race.jpg" height="132" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">All TRR runners the day before the start</td></tr>
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And with that I went to bed... a little nervous, but not too much. I had a good night's sleep... I was at peace with my training and I was looking forward to start the adventure.<br />
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Up Next: <a href="http://girlondirt.blogspot.com/2014/08/transrockies-run6-stage-1.html">TransRockies Run 6 - Stage 1</a>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02970128076225308363noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8566821619534786592.post-64314656537725173242014-08-26T10:20:00.000-07:002014-08-26T10:27:12.065-07:00Thank you, Courtney! The weekend of August 2nd and 3rd was a big one around here in Boulder. It was the inaugural Ironman Boulder.. sort of a big deal.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-iCidg7GS3Ko/U_yycTjwVfI/AAAAAAAAJCw/k-GK2sSSCHY/s1600/IM-Boulder-Header-2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-iCidg7GS3Ko/U_yycTjwVfI/AAAAAAAAJCw/k-GK2sSSCHY/s1600/IM-Boulder-Header-2.jpg" height="141" width="400" /></a></div>
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While the Boulder community was submerged in this madness, my better half and I drove down to Ouray. Despite the Ironman excitement and a teeny tiny desire of checking out the finish line, we had a bigger mission down south: Our crazy friend Courtney was running the Ouray 100 and Chuck and I were two of her 3 pacers.<br />
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I'd never paced for anyone before and I was slightly scared of not being able to keep up with her but she assured me time and again that I'd be fine. Anyway... we took it easy on Friday and went to bed early. Alarms went off at 3:00am and at 3:30am we were out the door. Courtney decided to walk the 15mins to the start line while Chuck and I drove. The start was at 4am sharp and off they all went in the dark...<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-RwVfIVYuwRs/U_y5dxVd7-I/AAAAAAAAJC8/0-ygf3UHkFM/s1600/IMG_4991.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-RwVfIVYuwRs/U_y5dxVd7-I/AAAAAAAAJC8/0-ygf3UHkFM/s1600/IMG_4991.JPG" height="300" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Athletes lined up at the start... 29 athletes to be exact! (First year race). </td></tr>
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We went straight back to bed since we couldn't really access the athletes for the first 32 miles. Courtney estimated 6ish hours for the first 32 miles... and she was right on the money. She came back to the start/finish area (mile 32) right around 10. She was first female and roughly 7th overall. She was in great spirits and quickly continued on. Kev (her fiance) and I met her at mile 41 where there was a "self-service" water station. She had moved on to 5th overall. She mentioned those last few miles were tough, but we knew she had a nice 9 mile dowhnill that wasn't too steep either.<br />
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We drove off to Ridgeway where Chuck would meet with her to start pacing... this was mile 50. She arrived in Ridgeway in 4th place! Beast mode: ON. Had a full change of clothes and continued on. As Kev and I started driving towards the pass we found her in 3rd place and moving along nicely, but the heat was getting to her. The guys in front of her were also moving slow and steady but were also struggling with the heat. After 18 grueling miles of hot uphill, they hit the top of the pass, where Courtney arrived in 2nd place!<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/--XPXD_-Qm1s/U_y78OcflJI/AAAAAAAAJDI/TXeFXc4sYdY/s1600/IMG_5020.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/--XPXD_-Qm1s/U_y78OcflJI/AAAAAAAAJDI/TXeFXc4sYdY/s1600/IMG_5020.JPG" height="300" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Court and Chuck at the top of the pass taking a break. Courtney still in great spirits at mile 68.</td></tr>
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Kev took over from here and they were just gonna run the same 18 miles, but downhill... and in the dark (way cooler). Chuck and I drove back to Ridgeway where I attempted to take a nap. I think I slept between 11:15pm and 12:30am when Kev texted to let me know they were a mile away. Oh snap! It was my turn to run. Courtney showed up in 2nd place again to the aid station in Ridgeway at mile 86. She was still in great spirits.<br />
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We started with an easy jog, but 3/4 of a mile into it, she wanted to walk. The same 9 miles she had run down after that 41-mile water station were the ones we were running up. While Chuck went home to sleep for a while (smart man), Kev decided to drive up the road and stop every two miles.<br />
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I bet that was nice for Courtney to break down the run in 2-mile segments, but for me it was AMAZING. It's no secret that I'm insanely freaked out of running in the woods in the dark and having that car with lights on every 2 miles was amazing. The first few miles were still good cause Courtney was still chatty and we were on a dirt road... but as we kept going up, the road narrowed, it became more "woods-like", and Courtney wanted to talk less and less.<br />
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We finally made it up to the water station at mile 95... that was the last we'd see of Kevin. It was 4am on the dot and Courtney was falling apart. I wasn't sure if I was being a good pacer or not, but I tried to do everything she asked. It was impressive to see her so "broken" so to speak. She was doing great, yet she didn't seem to acknowledge that and just kept saying how tired she was and how she couldn't really eat anything. Once we left Kev, he had to turn around and we hit an even narrower trail which kept going up. I thought that'd be the end of the "up". But no. Just kept going. She was hiking at a nice steady pace and didn't really want to talk. I was FREAKING OUT. I kept looking up for bears and mountain lions who I SWORE were out to get us.<br />
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Every once in a while she'd stop and ask where the flags were. I honestly DID NOT KNOW! The flags were pretty spaced out and at times I had NO IDEA if we were on the right track, but I always assured her we were. I'd keep my eyes open for the next flag/LED light and I'd point it out to her. While she'd only nod and say: "ok", I was SO RELIEVED every time I saw it. Can you imagine how crappy it'd feel to get us both lost at that point!?! Geesh.<br />
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As we got to the highest point, the sun was wanting to rise. You could see a lighter sky (although not bright yet) and I said: "look, you can see the sun wants to come out soon!" Courtney looked up and said: "Ahh, the meadow! This is what I was talking about, now we go down." While the sun was the biggest relief in my eyes, cause then I get to see better (and see those bears ready to attack from far away), Courtney was relieved to see the downhill. We jogged, for the first time in a while. It was a slow cautious jog in a very over-grown, tight and technical single track.<br />
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The sun eventually made a real appearance and it was time to take off the headlamps. I had a smile on my face again... BUT I had NO IDEA how far we were from the finish. I texted Kevin a few times to say: "We're 1 mile away from the trail head", no wait, "1 more mile... for real this time". "Ok, maybe another mile? Not sure anymore." He just replied: "All I know is that it's 2.3 from the trailhead to the finish".<br />
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Yikes... we were past mile 100 at that point!<br />
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We soon saw Kevin and Chuck on these steep rocky downhill switchbacks. I knew FOR SURE we were close (they were both wearing flip-flops). She didn't say much to either one and continued on. We hit the road that was slightly uphill, but not steep.. very runnable. She took off in a 9:09 min/mile pace (that 9:09 on my garmin is an image I can't get out of my head). I had a hard time keeping up. She ACTUALLY ran 9:09 the last 2.3 miles (she thought it'd be one mile ALL ALONG!).<br />
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When we were 1/2 a mile from the finish, I started to cry... I couldn't help it. I tried to express how inspired I was by her. I truly was. And that finish, was the strongest finish I'd seen from a person that had been so broken only hours before. She is truly a rockstar. She finished 2nd overall in just under 27 hours even though the course added up to 104 miles.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-IdTnsfw5kmw/U_zAxmsfFvI/AAAAAAAAJDU/t_yB02YvqrE/s1600/IMG_5028.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-IdTnsfw5kmw/U_zAxmsfFvI/AAAAAAAAJDU/t_yB02YvqrE/s1600/IMG_5028.JPG" height="300" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">All done! Courtney with her pacing and support crew. 2nd overall, 1st female. </td></tr>
</tbody></table>
So now, on to the title of this post: Thanks Courtney, for being such an inspiration. Your hard work and your amazing ability to dig deep has taught me SO much. Thank you for letting me be part of this amazing race of yours. Thank you for making me step out of my comfort zone and run at night... with no one to talk to. Thank you for showing me what it means to finish strong. And thank you for being such a good friend and training partner. CONGRATULATIONS!! You're the best runner I know.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02970128076225308363noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8566821619534786592.post-54843594100668020942014-08-19T20:24:00.000-07:002014-08-19T20:24:42.730-07:00Getting ready for TransRockiesIt's been a while since I posted... and while TransRockies is now a memory, there were a few big weekends that helped me prep for this one big week. I won't spoil the story just yet though, so first, I will tell you all about my biggest training week pre-TransRockies Run (TRR).<br />
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Machine Courtney and I had been planning this for months! As she was prepping for Ouray 100 and I was prepping for TRR we decided to have a big "training camp" and head up to the mountains, just the two of us, and run... and then run some more.<br />
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Chuck and I headed up to the condo in Avon on Thursday July 3rd in the evening. We caught the 4th of July firework show in Avon (which was on the 3rd) and still went to bed fairly early. Court arrived Friday morning. Without further ado, we started out run #1 of the weekend:<br />
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<b><u>Summer Training Camp Run #1: </u></b><br />
Since Court arrived on Friday, we decided to stay "in town" and not drive anywhere to save time. Per Chuck's advice, we went straight up "the rock" behind the condo and along the ridge until the trail dumped us in Beaver Creek... yeah, that was pretty hard! It was a gain of 1,000ft over the first mile. It was basically a climb on all 4's.<br />
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Regardless, once at the ridge, the views were outstanding...<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-VOpKgnzcms0/U_QNRKj4FWI/AAAAAAAAIQY/kAEx62VqAsc/s1600/IMG_4694.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-VOpKgnzcms0/U_QNRKj4FWI/AAAAAAAAIQY/kAEx62VqAsc/s1600/IMG_4694.JPG" height="300" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Views of Avon from the top of "The Rock" </td></tr>
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The run on the ridge was no walk in the park. I was hoping it'd be a little more rolling, and a little less uphill. It was mostly uphill. We eventually dropped into Beaver Creek where we decided to continue to go up a service road. I turned around sooner while Court went a little longer. In the end, my run was 10 miles (the first 3 miles were so hard, I figured I'd save the legs a bit for day 2.<br />
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<b><u>Summer Training Camp Run #2: </u></b><br />
On Saturday, we left the condo early and drove all the way to Leadville. I had suggested we did the marathon course all over again. Not sure why I thought MAYBE Courtney would say no, but the thing is... she NEVER says no. The course was too fresh in my mind and I was scared. We went for it anyway. We cut off the road part of it (3/4 of a mile) and were aiming for a 25 mile run. It started pretty good and I was taking it WAY easier than on race day. As we went on, it was time to go up towards Mosquito, I told Court to tag the summit and turn around and I'd turn around when she got to me. She wasn't far ahead of me so I ended up dragging her back up so I could tag it again. It was chilly up top but as we started going down, it started getting hot.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-YE1UlK_koRA/U_QR4NhzmWI/AAAAAAAAIcw/AmQhDB1grbg/s1600/IMG_4717.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-YE1UlK_koRA/U_QR4NhzmWI/AAAAAAAAIcw/AmQhDB1grbg/s1600/IMG_4717.JPG" height="300" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">At the top of Mosquito Pass</td></tr>
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We were out of water and I was doing everything I could to try and get water from random tourists. In the end, after 7 hours and no more water, we decided to turn around and cut our run short. Instead of the 25 miles we'd planned, we ended up running 23. Not bad. We were exhausted and extremely dehydrated. The rest of the evening consisted in lots of beers including a trip to Eagle, CO to check out Bonfire Brewery.<br />
<br />
<b><u>Summer Training Camp Run #3: </u></b><br />
Our last day, we decided to go after the Vail Uphill half marathon course. It starts at Golden Peak runs straight up to the top of the mountain (Top of Chair 4) and then traverses out back to finish at the top of the Gondola (the old one). I was surprised to still have the legs to do a decent run/walk the whole way up. Once at the top, I was sketched out by the clouds which looked stormy. I convinced Courtney to just run down as opposed to staying on the ridge. We did... Once again, the views coming down (when you're not facing the mountain) were amazing. The wildflowers were going off with all the rain we've gotten over the past few months!<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-70QaNpP-4XI/U_QT_mUH5nI/AAAAAAAAIsA/w3N36RxaJuI/s1600/IMG_4737.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-70QaNpP-4XI/U_QT_mUH5nI/AAAAAAAAIsA/w3N36RxaJuI/s1600/IMG_4737.JPG" height="400" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Views from the top of Vail</td></tr>
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Our run ended up being 15 miles which added up to a good 50 miles over the 3 days. Not bad at all if you add it to the 20 I had done earlier in the week. The rest of the day, we spent chilling at the condo after a big big breakfast with bloody mary's.<br />
<br />
I started the weekend trying to focus on "hot spots" or potential blisters. I tried to focus on nutrition both during and after the run as I prepped for a run the following day. I focused on potential aches and pains that would trigger after long back-to-back runs... aside from one hot spot, nothing huge happened. After this weekend, I felt slightly more confident that TransRockies was within reach for me.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02970128076225308363noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8566821619534786592.post-30214337306308229022014-07-03T10:19:00.001-07:002014-07-03T10:19:39.561-07:00Recovery Run of hellMy friend Courtney is a robot. And I'm not saying it in a bad way. I mean, she's truly a machine and the most amazing runner I've had the pleasure to be friends with.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-X_KTR_Y0Ce4/U7Q2dkpchVI/AAAAAAAAHnM/xu7Kk6zDgc8/s1600/Court.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-X_KTR_Y0Ce4/U7Q2dkpchVI/AAAAAAAAHnM/xu7Kk6zDgc8/s1600/Court.jpg" height="200" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This is Court doing what she does best: drinking beer. </td></tr>
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...but seriously, she runs. And ALWAYS places Top 3 in whatever race she decides to do. That said, she had the brilliant idea of inviting me for a mid-week run the Wednesday following my marathon. We'll go easy and there's some uphill, she said. I thought, why not? In the end, I will have to train on doing back-to-back long runs for TransRockies and I may as well start now.<br />
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Courtney has the ability of just trotting along in a very content manner and you wouldn't even think she's trying very hard... or at all. So it's deceiving sometimes... Especially when she says, it won't be too hard of a run. This time, she did warn me it started with a mile long climb. Ummm... more like 4:<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-OH6M0wDn9ak/U7WLmRyKalI/AAAAAAAAHp4/eIGYmpUWOEc/s1600/IMG_4672.PNG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-OH6M0wDn9ak/U7WLmRyKalI/AAAAAAAAHp4/eIGYmpUWOEc/s1600/IMG_4672.PNG" height="286" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">the steep kind... </td></tr>
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I jogged along with her the first mile, but once I realized the "mile long climb" wouldn't be over at the one mile mark, I started walking. My legs were tired and I just couldn't get in a good rhythm to run uphill even when it wasn't steep. I was slightly frustrated but shortly realized that our run was mostly above 7,000ft. I gave myself (my brain) a break and just went on feel. I couldn't push myself much and decided to just aim to finish the loop.<br />
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The first downhill eventually came and while it was nice, it wasn't as long as the uphills since it was always interrupted by a hill I needed to climb. I still enjoyed the downs. After mile 10, a long steep climb happened, and I got in a better rhythm and walked 1/4 mile and jogged 1/4 mile. I kept this up for the 2-ish miles. The last 5 miles were better. At this point I was significantly behind Courtney, but she kept coming back to make sure I was still alive.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-nVk3Dz28_v8/U7WP2cDfheI/AAAAAAAAHqU/PSpkQzHakSk/s1600/IMG_4528.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-nVk3Dz28_v8/U7WP2cDfheI/AAAAAAAAHqU/PSpkQzHakSk/s1600/IMG_4528.JPG" height="400" width="300" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">At the bottom of the hill at mile 10. Pretty bridge to walk and eat some delicious GU</td></tr>
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The last 2 miles down were steep... and my IT band was tight. I, unfortunately, could not bomb down it and just did my best to maintain a respectable pace. By the time I was done, I was exhausted... to the point of not being able to eat much (even pizza!), but it was worth it. The views of this run were amazing. It's a great training loop which I can't wait to try out on fresher legs.<br />
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-c0AJPf5GoUg/U7WPn9NJGUI/AAAAAAAAHqM/FboqdpIozeE/s1600/IMG_4525.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-c0AJPf5GoUg/U7WPn9NJGUI/AAAAAAAAHqM/FboqdpIozeE/s1600/IMG_4525.JPG" height="200" width="150" /></a><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-fWx3zRgfUQg/U7WPn_K71_I/AAAAAAAAHqM/6fwTlZDSnXg/s1600/IMG_4523.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-fWx3zRgfUQg/U7WPn_K71_I/AAAAAAAAHqM/6fwTlZDSnXg/s1600/IMG_4523.JPG" height="150" width="200" /></a></div>
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As for recovery, it was fast. I was not even sore the day after and I was able to get a couple shorter runs later in the week. I think this is a great start to a few back-to-back longer runs for the remainder of my training for TRR. T-minus 5 weeks... Yikes!Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02970128076225308363noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8566821619534786592.post-9286213566755879032014-06-23T22:36:00.000-07:002014-06-23T23:11:06.599-07:00The Leadville MarathonThe Leadville Marathon started as an experiment... my brain works in mysterious ways and the Leadville Marathon sounded like the perfect training run as I focus on altitude and technical trail training for the TransRockies Run in August. As race day approached, I realized this was a challenge on its own and to call it a "training run" was underestimating the altitude, the mountains, the trails and the overall Leadville race experience.<br />
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Unlike your typical marathon, the Leadville Marathon is run primarily on Jeep roads and technical (and steep) single track. As you may also know, Leadville sits at an elevation of 10,152 feet. It is the highest incorporated city, the second highest incorporated municipality in the United States and the lowest point of this challenging marathon course. </div>
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On race morning, I woke up and had a light breakfast. Drove to the start line and got situated with plenty of time to spare. My race strategy had been thrown out the window when race organizers did some last-minute changes to the course since there was still too much snow on some sections. I still decided to gauge my speed/effort on the original course's splits even though I would not find an aid station at those mile markers. </div>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-bK-thrHTpF0/U6kNV7Db-8I/AAAAAAAAHZs/UaNSbwVG_jk/s1600/IMG_4484.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-bK-thrHTpF0/U6kNV7Db-8I/AAAAAAAAHZs/UaNSbwVG_jk/s1600/IMG_4484.JPG" height="400" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">At the start line... Amazing backdrop! </td></tr>
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<div>
The race started right on time and without wasting much time, we started going up... In less than 3 miles we had already gained 800ft. I hit my first virtual checkpoint a few minutes ahead of schedule and continued to push through the climb. I had a hard time finding a rhythm as my heart rate seemed to be getting out of control, but I felt good to not be struggling (read: breathing obnoxiously loud) as many of the other runners. I had to power hike some of the steeper sections, but was always able to pick up the pace when the terrain flattened a bit. </div>
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After a grueling 6+ mile climb where we reached almost 12,000ft, I finally had some time to have some fun with a small 2.5 mile descent. This went by quickly and sooner than expected I was starting to climb again. After a steep 1.5 mile climb and a short 1-mile descent I reached the 10 mile marker... it was time to tackle the 3.5 mile climb to the top of Mosquito Pass. The first mile or so didn't seem as steep and I maintained a respectable pace. As I gained elevation, the trail became steeper, the air became thinner and the views... well, the views were just breathtaking (literally). I felt as if I had slowed down to a crawl, but I continued to put one foot in front of the other... Sooner than expected (but 3 minutes behind schedule), I reached the summit. </div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-TIvDPNZOK6c/U6kNm3bTMiI/AAAAAAAAHZ0/vFO9jkVwUow/s1600/IMG_4497.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-TIvDPNZOK6c/U6kNm3bTMiI/AAAAAAAAHZ0/vFO9jkVwUow/s1600/IMG_4497.JPG" height="300" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Mosquito Pass Summit at 13,185 ft. </td></tr>
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<div>
The run downhill was supposed to be fun... but trying to run down with a 30mph freezing headwind on a trail that seemed like a scree field was no walk in the park. I averaged 11 min/miles coming down which seemed faster than many people as I passed plenty on this section. And sadly, the descent ended fast. With this being an out-and-back course, I did a small 1-mile climb and then sprinted down the 1.5 steep road (it was just a dirt road, so I was able to pick up the pace nicely in this section). Unfortunately, little did I know that the first 2.5 mile descent that I had enjoyed so much on the way out was steeper going up than it felt when bombing down it a few hours earlier. This is when I saw multiple people sitting on the side of trail just catching their breath. I, again, felt like I had slowed down to a crawl but gracefully continued to put a foot in front of the other. </div>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-6PHtr5ak_A0/U6kNz10-RHI/AAAAAAAAHZ8/EKIeRn-0nU0/s1600/IMG_4509.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-6PHtr5ak_A0/U6kNz10-RHI/AAAAAAAAHZ8/EKIeRn-0nU0/s1600/IMG_4509.JPG" height="266" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Some more views coming down from the pass.</td></tr>
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<div>
I reached the aid station at mile 21 with what I thought was a tight window to meet my 6h40m goal. But, it was downhill time! I felt like nothing could stop me and I just bombed down the hill as fast as I could. I averaged an 8:50 min/mile somewhere around mile 23 and felt better than ever. As I continued to run down, I remembered a short 3/4 mile descent after mile 2.5 of the race so I was expecting a small climb before the 2.5 descent to the finish. I again found people on the side of the trail trying to pull it together to get to the top of this last hill... I tried to give some words of encouragement and continued on. </div>
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The last 2.5 miles were just slightly under 10 min/mile average, but my legs were wanting to cramp... I decided on a conservative approach because I just wanted to finish in one piece. I crossed the finish line in 6h33m13s: a whole 7 minutes faster than what I had hoped for originally and I was ecstatic. It had been an amazing experience, an incredible challenge and I had done better than expected... Oh, and I never hit a wall. What else could a girl ask for?!</div>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-3PARSWICW3s/U6kOEKqu_kI/AAAAAAAAHaE/z0eItPwFJUg/s1600/IMG_4499.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-3PARSWICW3s/U6kOEKqu_kI/AAAAAAAAHaE/z0eItPwFJUg/s1600/IMG_4499.JPG" height="400" width="300" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Happy finisher! </td></tr>
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My trustworthy gear: </div>
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<b>Shoes</b>: Asics Nimbus Gel 14</div>
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<b>Socks</b>: CEP Compression Socks</div>
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<b>Shorts</b>: Nike Tempo</div>
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<b>T-Shirt</b>: Nike</div>
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<b>Hydration</b>: Nathan Torchlight Intensity</div>
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<b>Fuel</b>: Honey Stinger Acai-Pomegranate Gels and Salt Tabs</div>
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I highly recommend this race for anyone who's up for a real challenge! The views are TOTALLY worth it. </div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02970128076225308363noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8566821619534786592.post-77004086538678173862014-06-12T08:52:00.002-07:002014-06-12T08:52:53.596-07:00Preparing for high altitude running. The lowest point of the Leadville Marathon sits at 10,200ft. And this is the start and finish line. This only means one thing. 26 miles of the 26.2 miles happen between 10,200 and 13,200 feet of elevation.<br />
<br />
While I do make a point to head up to the mountains regularly, it doesn't happen as much as I'd want to. And I'm mostly stuck training at 5,200ft. It's a good start for sure... as most people can't even say they train at this elevation but what happens when your race is up there and you're stuck down here? Here are a few pointers based on what I've read and studied to execute at elevation.<br />
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<b>1. Go on feel </b>(like my coach Eric would say). This means, run by effort, not by pace. This is when training with a heart rate monitor would be helpful since you'll be able to better measure your effort level. You will usually run slower at elevation and you want your heart rate to be your guide. Start off easy, and if you're feeling good, you can slowly increase your intensity.<br />
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<b>2. Do hill workouts.</b> If you're running at high altitude, most likely you'll me running in hilly terrain. This means lots of uphills and lots of downhills. It's incredibly helpful to do one hill-focused workout a week (or two) to work on your form and learn how to "tackle" the hills more efficiently. Sometimes, even when I do longer easy runs, I try to push on the uphills. Just to practice.<br />
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<b>3. Drink plenty of fluids.</b> The air is drier at elevation so you'll need about twice as much water than you do at sea level. Staying hydrated is key to allow your body to adjust more easily... and recover faster.<br />
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<b>4. Acclimatization... or not.</b> Let's be realistic, while we'd all love to head up to the mountains for a 2-week vacation before our race and to get acclimated, most of us are "weekend warriors" and can't really afford to do so. It takes roughly 10 days for your body to adjust by producing more red-blood cells (which are the ones that carry oxygen). On the flip side, if you head up less than 24hrs from your event, you'll feel better. It takes 1 or 2 days for your body to start feeling the side effects of altitude. The most common side effects would be nausea, fatigue, trouble sleeping.<br />
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That's all for today... I'm off to drink some more water!Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02970128076225308363noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8566821619534786592.post-71797847371136159182014-06-10T08:24:00.004-07:002014-06-10T08:25:30.195-07:00Up Next: Leadville Marathon I signed up for Leadville Marathon on the day that registration opened. I truly didn't know if this was an event that sold out like the 100-miler and I really wanted to get in. Part of the TransRockies Run course goes on the Leadville series trails and since I don't want to wear myself out with a 50-miler, I signed up for the marathon to check it out.<br />
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While I had heard it was a hard marathon, I never really realized how hard. As race day approaches, I started looking into it and started by looking at last year's results (<a href="http://my4.raceresult.com/details/results.php?lang=en&page=6&eventid=17569&contest=1&name=Result%20Lists%7CFULL%20-%20Male%2FFemale%20Results&format=view">HERE</a>) and realized what I was up against. The <b><u>fastest</u></b> female ran it 4h40m last year which is an average of 10:40 mins/mile. This just means one thing. This marathon is not only hard. It's BRUTAL. <br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-DghLS7HtVPg/U5ciRQuar9I/AAAAAAAAHGU/_lC11y-Rbjs/s1600/IMG_4447.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-DghLS7HtVPg/U5ciRQuar9I/AAAAAAAAHGU/_lC11y-Rbjs/s1600/IMG_4447.JPG" height="185" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Not beginner-friendly course. </td></tr>
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I continued on by reading multiple race reports from previous years and they all seemed to agree on one thing: this is the hardest marathon they've ever done (some say, it's the second hardest in the country with the first one being Pikes Peak Marathon). After reading and researching, I finally came up with my very own goals/strategy. I know... you may say I'm crazy and I should just aim to finish, but I need to have something to shoot for.<br />
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Here's what I came up with:<br />
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I have divided the race as follows (see map below as reference) which seems to break down to very doable distances if tackled one at a time:<br />
1. Start to Aid #1 (A) - 3.8 miles. Slightly uphill (partly paved).<br />
2. Aid #1 (A) to Aid #2 (A) - 3.3 miles. Loop around Ball Mountain.<br />
3. Aid #2 (A) to Aid #3 (B) - 2.7 miles. Downhill to the base of Mosquito Pass.<br />
4. Aid #3 (B) to Aid #4 (C) - 3.3 miles. Up to summit of Mosquito Pass.<br />
5. Aid #4 (C) to Aid #5 (B) - 3.3 miles. Downhill to base of Mosquito Pass.<br />
6. Aid #5 (B) to Aid #6 (A) - 2.7 miles. Slightly uphill.<br />
7. Aid #6 (A) to Aid #7 (A) - 3.3 miles. Loop backwards around Ball Mountain<br />
8. Aid #7 (A) to Finish - 3.8 miles. All downhill from here!<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-AQd9Z0BuUgg/U5cb4g3fVMI/AAAAAAAAHGE/aAS68SJntO4/s1600/IMG_4446.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-AQd9Z0BuUgg/U5cb4g3fVMI/AAAAAAAAHGE/aAS68SJntO4/s1600/IMG_4446.JPG" height="288" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Marathon follows the blue line only. It's an out and back and we go through Aid "A" 4 times. </td></tr>
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Now on to the details of each of the 8 legs:<br />
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<b>Leg 1</b> - With 1,500ft of gain in just 3.8 miles. I am aiming to get to aid 1 in <b>60 minutes</b>.<br />
<b>Leg 2</b> - The Loop around Ball seems to be half up, half down. With that in mind, I plan to run 3.3 miles in <b>45 minutes.</b><br />
<b>Leg 3</b> - As the downhill continues and the one and only flat section of he course makes an appearance, I plan on running at a steady pace the whole way to Aid B and get there within <b>30 minutes</b>.<br />
<b>Leg 4</b> - Up to Mosquito Pass. This will be a hike! With 3.3 miles to the top, my goal is to summit in <b>1h15m</b>.<br />
<b>Leg 5</b> - Downhill from the summit! While I don't plan on blowing up my quads, I would definitely want to give it a good shot at catching up. <b>45 minutes</b> for the descent (I've heard it's technical).<br />
<b>Leg 6</b> - Again the shortest leg of the course, but a flat that turns to up. Hopefully not too steep so I can push through most of it and get back to Aid A in <b>40 minutes</b>.<br />
<b>Leg 7</b> - Another Loop around Ball giving myself an extra 15 minutes from the first time since I'll most likely be tired. <b>60 minutes</b> for this loop.<br />
<b>Leg 8</b> - With 3.8 downhill miles to go, I will aim to cautiously run them in <b>45 minutes</b>.<br />
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This adds up to a finish time of <b><u>6 hours and 40 minutes</u></b> which is an average pace of 15:23 min/mile. But the big picture analysis tells me, I should conservatively aim for a sub 7h finish. Anything between 6h40m and 7h is completely acceptable while anything below it is an above-and-beyond, killer performance.<br />
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Off to walk the pup... :)Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02970128076225308363noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8566821619534786592.post-6356551664688563142014-06-09T21:10:00.000-07:002014-06-10T07:26:06.238-07:00Spring Run Off! The "<b>epicness</b>" of races is so easy to remember... but it's hard to remember how hard the race actually is. Usually, the more epic, the harder it is. But when signing up for a race, I tend to forget how hard a race is... despite how epic I remember it being.<br />
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The <b>Vail 10k Spring Run Off</b> is the race I'm speaking of. With just over 1,600ft of gain in 6.9 miles, this is one of the hardest 10k races I've ever done. Especially when you consider most of it is well over 8,000ft.<br />
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The course is slightly technical with roughly 40% of the course being run on steep single track (either goes up or down), 40% on wide resort service roads, 10% goes straight up (or down) a ski run (on grass) and the last 10% on paved path/road.<br />
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I showed up late afternoon on Saturday to pick up my packet after an early work day in Taos, NM and a long 7hr drive from Taos to Vail. I was dealing with a migraine (most likely due to dehydration) when I went to bed and wasn't sure what to expect of this run. The past couple weeks have consisted of 10 days at the beach in the BVI's....<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-wQFtLIBzpqg/U5Z9lZruUiI/AAAAAAAAHE0/tMda0laPzi0/s1600/IMG_0091.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-wQFtLIBzpqg/U5Z9lZruUiI/AAAAAAAAHE0/tMda0laPzi0/s1600/IMG_0091.JPG" height="300" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Yeah... we sailed and drank lots of beer. </td></tr>
</tbody></table>
... and a week of TRYING to get back into running/training mode. My training week last week consisted of:<br />
<b>Tuesday</b> - 5.5 miles in Speedwork with EK Team. (9:02 min/mile avg including warm-up/cool-down)<br />
<b>Wednesday</b> - 16 miles on road bike<br />
<b>Thursday</b> - 8 miles on trail. 600ft of gain (lame) at an avg of 10:20 min/mile. Lungs ACTUALLY hurt.<br />
<b>Friday</b> - Morning 5.5 miles around Boulder Rez at an avg of 9:32 min/mile. Still felt slow, but MUCH better.<br />
<b>Saturday</b> - Day Off<br />
<b>Sunday</b> - Spring 10k Run Off.<br />
<br />
Let me tell you this- The first few runs after a running break (regardless of it being 10 days or 10 months) will suck. I may as well take a 5 year break. The 4th or 5th run back though, you start to feel as your old self again. I never thought I'd push through 8 on Thursday, but glad I did.<br />
<br />
As I was getting ready to start the race, my Garmin died. <b>#EndOfWorld</b>. Ok, not really. I still decided to just push through it and see where that took me. I did get a chance to pull up the elevation profile from last year's race from my Garmin account since it wasn't posted on the website. I was glad to see the general picture of 4 big climbs:<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-Rp_QkmRWCnU/U5aAdoHPTZI/AAAAAAAAHFQ/YN_mhj1yH6M/s1600/IMG_4457.PNG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-Rp_QkmRWCnU/U5aAdoHPTZI/AAAAAAAAHFQ/YN_mhj1yH6M/s1600/IMG_4457.PNG" height="132" width="400" /></a></div>
<br />
This made it much easier for me to stay in the game (mentally). I tried to maintain a conservative pace on the downhills as I didn't want to blow up my quads. Off we go... Jog for 1/2 a mile, power hike. Easy run down. On to the second climb- power hike, jog down. On to the third- power hike, jog down (picked up pace). On to the fourth- <strike>power</strike> hike. Gosh was I slow... Well, thankfully, I didn't have my Garmin and I couldn't see how SLOW I was going, so I just figured that as long as a I put a foot in front of the other. I'd get there. The 4th climb is the shortest (although steepest) so I saw the aid station at the top quite fast. I snapped a quick pic at the end of the climb...<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-SpnP5IwmYIw/U5aB8hwdUUI/AAAAAAAAHFg/nPk0ZmVE2rM/s1600/IMG_4431.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-SpnP5IwmYIw/U5aB8hwdUUI/AAAAAAAAHFg/nPk0ZmVE2rM/s1600/IMG_4431.JPG" height="400" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Gorgeous views of the Gore Range</td></tr>
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<br />
... and as you can see from the runner in the picture, it just starts going down. All the way down to the finish. I, again, picked up the pace. I'm sure I was running in the high 7's, but that's just an assumption since I didn't have my watch (actually, it may have been slower since I was WAY tired, but let's just pretend I was FLYING down the mtn). I finished in 1h27m23s which is 12 minutes faster than last year. I will call it good.<br />
<br />
Today, I managed to run 8.5 miles despite my sore quads and butt... I plan on a quality speedwork with Team EK tomorrow, ride on Wednesday and one short, mellow run on either Thursday or Friday before the Leadville Marathon on Saturday. I have figured out a strategy and will post details about it tomorrow.<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-VdHOQ23bwUk/U5aE1fRT1AI/AAAAAAAAHFw/uj_eRNNgul8/s1600/IMG_4452.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-VdHOQ23bwUk/U5aE1fRT1AI/AAAAAAAAHFw/uj_eRNNgul8/s1600/IMG_4452.JPG" height="300" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Gorgeous run today with Linds and her co-worker Viki</td></tr>
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<b><i>What's been your biggest struggle getting back into training after a vacation or a short or long break? </i></b>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02970128076225308363noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8566821619534786592.post-86390172372492993162014-05-20T16:03:00.001-07:002014-05-20T16:03:17.669-07:00Greenland 50K - Race ReportDon't let them fool you! I signed up for the Greenland 50K to get in some "easy" miles. I know some of you may be rolling your eyes and saying: <b>"there's nothing easy about running 31 miles"</b>. And I get it. I have never underestimated a marathon, let alone a 50k. But sometimes I need some company to run these long runs and count them as training. I chose the Greenland 50K since they market themselves as a "beginner" course. Let me tell you: it is not.<br />
<br />
The trails are actually non-technical, which may be why they say it's beginner-friendly. But the course is hard since out of the 7.5 mile loops, 5.2 miles are uphill. Literally. The 5.2 miles of uphill are followed by a steep downhill, then a traverse and another steep hill. All in all, the effort you put into maintaining your pace on the uphills DO NOT pay off on the way down. So my suggestion is, that if you're good with uphills, but you'd like to get into trail running, this is the race to be at.<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-67BcmkWHj64/U3veqFjInXI/AAAAAAAAG3Y/Ujc2n7W64FY/s1600/Elevation.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-67BcmkWHj64/U3veqFjInXI/AAAAAAAAG3Y/Ujc2n7W64FY/s1600/Elevation.jpg" height="138" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Plenty uphills</td></tr>
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I went for a "warm-up" run the day before with Linds and Kelly. Seemed like something I ate that morning was not making me feel so good, so I took it easy. I had a pretty rough night and couldn't figure out why my stomach was hurting so much. The next morning, on my way down to Castle Rock it seemed to feel ok, but it took 5 minutes of running to realize it was still a little queezy. Great. I hadn't even hit mile 1 and I was already having stomach issues.<br />
<br />
I had a goal in mind, which on these training runs, it tends to be pretty conservative... and I was wondering how I'd do with this stomachache. I tried to maintain a slow yet steady pace. I was still sticking to nutrition as always and I got to the end of the first loop with a few minutes to spare. I walked while drinking water and as soon as I was done I started my jog again.<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-1zuYpGZxYQ0/U3veV0DNrrI/AAAAAAAAG2o/RmTMjKwb-R0/s1600/IMG_4183.PNG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-1zuYpGZxYQ0/U3veV0DNrrI/AAAAAAAAG2o/RmTMjKwb-R0/s1600/IMG_4183.PNG" height="400" width="242" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Roughly mile 6 of the loop. Gorgeous views. </td></tr>
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I was able to again, stick to a mellow pace on lap 2, but once I got to the highest point of the course (mile 5.2 of the loop) and started running down, my stomach couldn't take it! It was HORRIBLE. I had to WALK the downhills due to severe stomachache. I guess my tummy does bounce a tad more when going downhill, huh? When I arrived at the turn around point, I stopped to chat with Chuck and told him My stomach wasn't happy and I needed to finish it off gracefully. While "chatting" with my hubby for a few minutes a quarter of a mile before the finish "wasted" some time, I still managed to finish the 16 miles slightly faster than what my goal pace had been.<br />
<br />
So, boo hoo for not running 31 miles, but I can never say running 16 miles was mediocre either. On to the next.<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-GRk6gsjkZF8/U3ve1s_0YZI/AAAAAAAAG38/npWpq51ABBc/s1600/IMG_4174.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-GRk6gsjkZF8/U3ve1s_0YZI/AAAAAAAAG38/npWpq51ABBc/s1600/IMG_4174.JPG" height="400" width="300" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Post-race</td></tr>
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<b><i>Have you had a race when you'd rather call if off sooner to finish with your head held up high versus suffer for extended hours? </i></b>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02970128076225308363noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8566821619534786592.post-27756938976676025072014-04-28T21:37:00.000-07:002014-04-28T21:37:08.496-07:00The ultimate mud runIt was a Fruita kinda weekend again. <a href="http://www.theswimdiva.com/">Linds</a>, Court, Kev and I ran the <a href="http://girlondirt.blogspot.com/2013/05/too-many-miles-too-little-time.html">Fruita Trail Running Festival last year</a> and had an amazing time. We had to do it again this year and we made it happen... and it was even better than last year. This year, both Linds and I had our husbands come along and run as well, that alone made it better... but ALSO, we were ALL there both days.<br />
<br />
Courtney had signed up for the double marathon and half marathon, Kevin had marathon and half on his schedule and I did too. The rest of the crew was signed up for the half marathon. Regardless, the people running on Sunday only, were there to see us all finish on Saturday. It was quite special.<br />
<br />
Woke up early on Saturday for a 6:30am race start. All our gear was ready and all three of us were concerned with the weather. Forecast called for overcast skies and a light rain. My main concern was the clothing... will I wear long sleeve t-shirt? long sleeve over short sleeve? short sleeve? I decided on long sleeve over short... except that... I switched to just short sleeve 5 minutes before the start. It was already raining at the start (and had been drizzling for an hour or so). The first mile on the dirt road was fine, but the second we hit the single track, the mud was noticeable. Little did I know, this would be the driest mile of my whole run. <br />
<br />
The first 3 miles are uphill and technical and while I was looking forward to the 3 miles of downhill, I couldn't gain much on those. We all had to cautiously run due to mud. Reached the 6 mile aid feeling strong. Off I go to more muddy single track.... There were some "runable" sections that were a 10th of a mile at the most... It'd take 45 seconds to get into a rhythm and get a smile on my face... when you'd reach a muddy spot. Miles 8 to 10 were dry-ish. This is what I call "the rim trail". It's more rocky, so I wouldn't find much mud, but the rock was slick. I focused and was able to "make up" some time by running sub-9min miles... but then the fun ended... it was STILL raining. I was soaked and covered in mud and it was time to hit 10 miles of single track.<br />
<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-mpYA5MYdh0c/U18roEt0f7I/AAAAAAAAGnU/8Xl5cmyEWSI/s1600/FruitaPhoto.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-mpYA5MYdh0c/U18roEt0f7I/AAAAAAAAGnU/8Xl5cmyEWSI/s1600/FruitaPhoto.JPG" height="320" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Running at mile 24 before the downhill.</td></tr>
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This 10 mile stretch of single track was BEYOND muddy. It was IMPOSSIBLE to run and I was just waiting for my big fall. It never came. I managed to pass a significant amount of people with my determination to run... The uphills were tough and people kept sliding backwards. After the aid station at mile 20, there's a 2-mile steep uphill stretch that made me carry an extra 20 pounds of weight in the form of mud on my shoe. Miles 22-24 are rolly at the top of a mountain and the first time I got to wear my sunglasses... the rain FINALLY stopped and the sun wanted to make an appearance.<br />
<br />
My hubby and dog were waiting there and I believe I was slightly rude to them... but I was trying (HARD) to re-group to push hard on the last few miles. I also saw Courtney coming back for her 2nd loop (which is backwards). I finally hit the downhill which is technical and was still slightly slippery, but not as bad. The last mile and a half was again dry (that frontage road from the beginning) and I was able to maintain a steady pace. My time was 20 minutes slower than last year which was slightly disappointing at first but then I realized EVERYONE'S times were an average of 30 minutes slower due to the crazy mud. Let me say this: there is nothing, NOTHING fun about mud runs.<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-k35kXU0_XM0/U18q4kTf22I/AAAAAAAAGm8/FVJc0ECGKGE/s1600/IMG_4050.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-k35kXU0_XM0/U18q4kTf22I/AAAAAAAAGm8/FVJc0ECGKGE/s1600/IMG_4050.JPG" height="400" width="300" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Crossing the finish line</td></tr>
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<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-W5qVFPY3RS4/U18q4upoG2I/AAAAAAAAGm8/YtyC-9X5lEU/s1600/IMG_4049.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-W5qVFPY3RS4/U18q4upoG2I/AAAAAAAAGm8/YtyC-9X5lEU/s1600/IMG_4049.JPG" height="400" width="300" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Marathon finisher</td></tr>
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<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-bmwfK8_w7Y4/U18q4sfQJII/AAAAAAAAGm8/8Kdq32Hwvbg/s1600/IMG_4046.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-bmwfK8_w7Y4/U18q4sfQJII/AAAAAAAAGm8/8Kdq32Hwvbg/s1600/IMG_4046.JPG" height="240" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Chilling post-run. </td></tr>
</tbody></table>
Court and Kev finished strong as well with times fairly slower than last year as well... but we were all in pretty good spirits. This was a much more challenging race mentally, than physically so once the race was over, it's like we all woke up from a long long nap. We went back to the hotel and showered and went to the awards ceremony... Court had won the 52-mile race. We went to bed early and got prepped to do it all over again on Sunday.<br />
<br />
We woke up Sunday a half an hour later since the race started at 7am. We met up with the rest of the crew at the race start area. This time, we were ALL running the half marathon. Linds, Patty and Chuck had "fresh" legs. Kev, Court and I were gonna "take it easy". Chuck took off fast. Kev and Court are super machines and took off along with Patty... and Linds and I were going at an easy "training" pace. Linds was feeling strong and it was hard for me to keep up with her, but glad I had someone to chase down. I'm sure I would've slowed down if I had been alone. Linds was tackling the uphills so much better than I had ever seen her and I'm glad she made me dig deep. Digging deep is something I need to put in practice a lot before Transrockies, it'll be a skill that'll come in handy that week...<br />
<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-83XbikZKzkg/U18sUR87F3I/AAAAAAAAGnw/0O7MiVnZrFU/s1600/IMG_4053.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-83XbikZKzkg/U18sUR87F3I/AAAAAAAAGnw/0O7MiVnZrFU/s1600/IMG_4053.JPG" height="240" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Pretty views.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
At the half way point, we met up with Patty who was having some tummy issues... ugh, we've all been there!! I felt bad for him, but he pushed through it like a champ and stuck in the back of the pack with us at a nice, steady pace. The last 6 miles of the half are the exact same first 6 miles of the full marathon, but backwards... so, 3 miles up and 3 miles down to the finish. I'd never run this section of the course backwards and I realized how much "easier" it was... in my eyes anyway. The uphill seems less steep coming from this side and we were able to slowly jog a pretty significant part of it. Once we reached the top I decided to jump in front of Linds and just "book it" down the mountain.<br />
<br />
The trails had been dry the whole day this time around and I needed a big downhill to close off the weekend. I went as hard as I could. I passed 9 people in a 2 mile stretch of technical downhill and slowed down to wait for Linds on the frontage road back to the finish. She caught up to me fast and while she had the legs to push hard on the last quarter mile, I simply didn't... although I did finish it at an 8:50 min/mile... Linds must've been FLYING. She finished 15 seconds in front of me and Patty came shortly after.<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-Xxm3ScqJmJM/U18r5Vplc6I/AAAAAAAAGnc/GqDQTdElKKY/s1600/IMG_4061.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-Xxm3ScqJmJM/U18r5Vplc6I/AAAAAAAAGnc/GqDQTdElKKY/s1600/IMG_4061.JPG" height="400" width="300" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Happy 2013 Fruita crew!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
Seemed like everyone had a pretty good run despite some of us having a long hard run on our legs from the previous day. All in all, between the 6 of us, we completed 183 miles of racing in only 2 days. I ran 39 of those. I was sore on Monday, but felt fine on Tuesday. I skipped the Dash and Dine 5K since I figured my legs would be trashed and I could use an extra day of rest.<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-FyncPmjEIpI/U18sD3JeggI/AAAAAAAAGno/7eZdgW1ry8M/s1600/IMG_4060.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-FyncPmjEIpI/U18sD3JeggI/AAAAAAAAGno/7eZdgW1ry8M/s1600/IMG_4060.JPG" height="400" width="300" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I deserved a beer after two days of running. And note how clean my socks look! </td></tr>
</tbody></table>
This week there's no Dash and Dine, but I will be running with coach Eric to get faster. On Saturday, I'll be running the Greenland 50k which should be a pretty fast course. I'm hoping for a PR, but I gotta remember it's a long training run. If the PR feels doable, I will go for it, if it's a "dig deep" kinda push, I may just have to let it go.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02970128076225308363noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8566821619534786592.post-88703326623177359832014-04-23T12:03:00.001-07:002014-04-23T12:04:23.428-07:00Dash and Dine #2Weather was significantly better for race number two. I could still feel a slight breeze, but in general it was all good. No excuses, the pressure was on.<br />
<br />
If you read my blog <a href="http://girlondirt.blogspot.com/2014/04/dashin-through-wind.html">last week</a>, you know I was slightly pissed off with my time (despite my 3rd place in my Age Group). I needed it to be faster this week. I could tell right away there were more people and I was itching to get started. My biggest issue with these runs is that I'm very inconsistent (almost as inconsistent as the first and last mile of a marathon). So, usually, my first mile is insanely fast... usually a pace I can't maintain even if there was money waiting for me at the end of the second mile. My second mile is always the slowest; as slow as the sloppy mile 24 of a marathon. The third mile is faster, but not as fast as mile 1.<br />
<br />
So, all in all my goal was to run 25 seconds faster than on week 1, and hopefully a little more to break 26 minutes. So yes. I ran 42 seconds faster the previous week, I broke 26 minutes by 9 seconds and I still placed 3rd in my age group. This result, as of last week, had me on 5th place overall female for the series. I have 3 races to go but I didn't do it yesterday (mostly due to exhausted legs because of the marathon and half marathon I ran this past weekend), but hopefully, the next 3 (and last 3) will be where I peak (or where people don't show up and I win). After yesterday's race, I'm sitting at 6th place overall women for the series. Ugh, I never thought I'd be competitive for these lil 5k's.<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-PWuj-m4EhA0/U1gOdGu-2wI/AAAAAAAAGkA/5bBmbm7-OZ8/s1600/IMG_4007.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-PWuj-m4EhA0/U1gOdGu-2wI/AAAAAAAAGkA/5bBmbm7-OZ8/s1600/IMG_4007.JPG" height="320" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">3rd place Age Group two weeks in a row. </td></tr>
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<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02970128076225308363noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8566821619534786592.post-2181768283296826942014-04-22T09:42:00.001-07:002014-04-22T09:42:31.386-07:00Big slap in the face kinda run...Last Saturday I went for a run up Bear Peak. I meant to run Green and Bear, but I had legitimately forgotten how hard it was to run up Bear. I talked my man into coming along with me, which I'm glad he did... I always think when I do these hard long runs I will give up and turn around sooner than later. I usually don't, but I feel like I will if I don't have someone pushing me to keep going.<br />
<br />
Anyway, the run started at Shanahan Ridge. From here, it's basically 3 miles of straight up Fern Canyon. Steep climbs, rocky steps and some ice up high. I wanted to reach the summit of Bear Peak in under an hour, but that seemed like an impossible task at this time. I was off by 15 minutes. It's ok, though... Now I have a goal to work towards.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-4seT3q_E0Z8/U1abYxtAtlI/AAAAAAAAGi0/bfmzh37Ap5E/s1600/IMG_4025.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-4seT3q_E0Z8/U1abYxtAtlI/AAAAAAAAGi0/bfmzh37Ap5E/s1600/IMG_4025.JPG" height="300" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Summit of Bear Peak</td></tr>
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I was pretty tired when I reached the summit and THANKFULLY the clouds looked somewhat treacherous and Chuck had second thoughts about summitting Green Peak. Good, cause I wasn't sure I had it in me to keep going up. We still did the loop, as opposed to just turning back, so we left Bear on the back side and ran another 2-3 miles along the Bear/Green ridge (not sure this is the right name, but that's how I identify it). You eventually get to a point on that ridge where the trail divides in two. If you go left, you go up to Green Peak. If you go right, you go down Bear Canyon which eventually connects with Mesa Trail. Going left towards Green is another 1.5 to 2 mile section up to the summit... which we decided not to do (Chuck was worried about weather and I couldn't get my legs to go up again). We had originally planned to do out-and-back there... We just went down Bear which ended up being slightly more technical that usual. I had not been back there since the flood and the water seemed to have destroyed some big sections of the trail.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-2ZIzf3Nqmfs/U1abhhKYDpI/AAAAAAAAGi8/B75aHKkm9R0/s1600/IMG_4029.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-2ZIzf3Nqmfs/U1abhhKYDpI/AAAAAAAAGi8/B75aHKkm9R0/s1600/IMG_4029.JPG" height="400" width="300" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Big boulders on destroyed trails... hard to run on!</td></tr>
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We finally reached Mesa Trail and we needed to head back towards Shanahan Ridge and back to the car. That section of Mesa is fairly rolling. But the last section to the car was all downhill. All in all, we completed 10.2 miles as opposed to the 13-14 miles we had planned because we cut out Green. But I learned three valuable lessons:<br />
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1. Do not underestimate the power of the Boulder Open Space Trails. They're steep and technical.<br />
2. I need to work on my hills. Uphill running is still my weakest point.<br />
3. I need to run more trails. Once it gets technical, I slow down... significantly. I need to remember to look a little farther ahead than just where mt feet are.<br />
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After we finished the run, we stopped by <a href="http://ktsbbq.com/">KT's BBQ</a> for some delish carbo/protein-loading.<br />
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<b><i>Have you ever had one of those runs that make you realize your training isn't going as good as you thought it was?</i></b>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02970128076225308363noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8566821619534786592.post-38559866233611880472014-04-15T09:15:00.000-07:002014-04-15T09:15:28.079-07:00RememberingI'll keep this one short. But it's April 15th and all of us long distance runners have one thing on our minds: The Boston Marathon. Thankfully, long distance runners are trained to endure and push through. The events at last year's finish line were devastating to everyone in our (running) community but here we are a year later, showing the world why we are a different breed. Instead of fear, hundreds of thousands of people continued to train to make it out to Boston on April 21st to run the 118th Boston Marathon.<br />
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02970128076225308363noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8566821619534786592.post-68740207662533816692014-04-14T19:05:00.001-07:002014-04-14T19:05:26.091-07:00Dashin' through the wind!It is that time of year. The time when Colorado goes slightly bipolar and can't quite decide if it wants to be sunny or snowy. It's usually VERY sunny, or VERY snowy, nothing really in between. But if it decides to be partly sunny (or partly cloudy) it has to be (HAS to be) windy. Yep, wind is a thing of the spring around here.<br />
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The Dash and Dine series was a snowy one last year. It was like the weather knew it was Tuesday and decided to dump ridiculous amounts of snow. Literally all the snow we didn't have last winter fell on the 6 Tuesdays that Dash and Dine was scheduled to happen. That made it easy for me to win. If you know me at all, you know I hate running in the crazy heat (a feature of the Stroke and Stride series... but more on that later). So, when I realized my runs were supposed to be done in 30 degree weather, I was one of the few to show up on race day (and that speedy lil 12 year old that I never got to beat). I placed Top 5 in my age group in every race and finished 5th Overall in the series... Let me tell you, THAT WAS AMAZING for a slow-poke like me. Especially in Boulder... where every single person seems to be able to run a sub 6:00min/mile 5k.... in a bad day.<br />
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Well, 2014 rolls around... and since last tuesday wasn't sunny or snowy, it was... yep, you guessed it, WINDY. VERY. My warm-up jog felt horrible. On the way out, it's uphill and on the way back, you had a head-wind. I was barely able to hold a 9:11 min/mile and I was trying to look good to intimidate the skinny girls in sports bras (no, it wasn't that hot, but the girls were...). Come race start, I was freaking out I was not going to be able to run below 9:00 min/mile. But I figured it out.<br />
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The way out was uphill, the first dam had an intense side-wind, the second dam felt ok until the turn around, where I had a headwind. Then back to the first dam with an intense side-wind and back to the start with 1/2 mile of headwind. Not my best. Not my worst either, but yes... my second worst in the past year. Dash and Dine #5 last year was my worst so far. This time around, my crappy 26 minute 5k was good enough for a 3rd place in my Age Group by 25 seconds. I better be able to run 25 seconds faster tomorrow. If not for a 2nd place, just for my peace of mind... anything over 26 minutes is simply unacceptable... And I'd like to say that the course may have been shorter the time I PR'ed last year, but my Garmin says otherwise.<br />
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Weather forecast for tomorrow calls for 64 degrees, party cloudy (but I'm a partly sunny kinda gal), and 9mph wind from the SW (which means, a slight head-"breeze" on the way back...).Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02970128076225308363noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8566821619534786592.post-13577013237103826162014-04-10T06:39:00.003-07:002014-04-10T06:39:54.813-07:00Thunder-snow showers and llamasSunday was a fine day. We woke up to sunny skies and perfect spring temperatures. My hubby and I had planned on going for a run with Linds and Patrick. Linds is training for her first marathon and this was going to be her longest training run yet (and longest ever).<br />
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I felt the need to make it special for her. After all, I had a great training partner (T-Money) back when I started running long distances and she made my runs way better. It was my time to pay it forward. We set out to the Coalton trail head to drop off a car with "aid station" supplies. That trail head would be somewhere between mile 7 or 8 of our 16 mile run. </div>
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Met Linds and Patty at Marshal Mesa trail head when all of a sudden white stuff was falling from the sky. It was some sort of sleet. Great. I was wearing shorts and a light long sleeve. Shortly after we started running, that turned into snow and after 2.5 miles, when we started heading east, we had a pretty legit headwind. 4.5 miles in, we heard thunder. But there was still white stuff falling from the sky. This is Colorado!<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-QrAFFGrio1A/U0aeq0asTmI/AAAAAAAAGVc/Z7sT9hLlMcc/s1600/IMG_3993.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-QrAFFGrio1A/U0aeq0asTmI/AAAAAAAAGVc/Z7sT9hLlMcc/s1600/IMG_3993.JPG" height="300" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Did I mention we saw llamas being walked by their owners... on a leash... like dogs? </td></tr>
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We reached our aid station at exactly 7.5 miles. My man wasn't ready to run more than that because his feet are still trashed from his super race last weekend, but he hung out with us a few minutes at our mobile aid station, which was his car. We re-fueled and continued on. The second part of this course starts with a significant 1.5 mile climb followed by a mile descent on a non-technical dirt path. The downhills always fly by and shortly thereafter, we were climbing again in a single track. </div>
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By the time we hit mile 10, Linds and Patrick were pretty tired but I was inspired by their determination to keep pushing. At mile 14 they had the option to finish off the loop with a straight shot to the trail head which probably would've added up to a 15ish mile run. But they decided to finish what they had started and took the long way back. We stopped the clock at the 16 mile mark which left us walking another 1/4 of a mile back to the car (it was a nice cool down).<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-36U28OI0A0I/U0ae1efkW4I/AAAAAAAAGVk/K0SXcXiR1mg/s1600/IMG_3994.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-36U28OI0A0I/U0ae1efkW4I/AAAAAAAAGVk/K0SXcXiR1mg/s1600/IMG_3994.JPG" height="300" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">16 miles... CHECK! </td></tr>
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All in all it was a great run and a great day with friends. We finished it off at the Southern Sun with some bloody mary's, beers and a large coke for Linds.<br />
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<b><i>What's the weirdest thing you've seen on a trail run? </i></b></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02970128076225308363noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8566821619534786592.post-36318581614801560852014-04-07T20:07:00.000-07:002014-04-07T20:07:22.140-07:00Racing in the snowI'm a little behind in updating my virtual audience... but a lot has happened. I've kept up my "outdoorsy" thing to do every day, but decided not to post it EVERY DAY because, well, it was annoying. Even if it's a little walk. I'm out there. I promise. <div>
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There are bigger things than just a little stroll at sunset like the GRAND Traverse. Anything with the word "grand" in it is quite epic. Or it's supposed to be. So let me tell you our grand story: </div>
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On the eve of Thursday March 27th, the husband and I drove all the way down to Crested Butte. Cute little ski town. My husband (not me) was doing a race called the Grand Traverse scheduled to start in good 'ole Crested Butte on Friday night (at midnight... so Saturday?!) and finish sometime between 10am and 4pm, 40 miles later, in Aspen Ski Resort. Get it? Grand Traverse. </div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-EF2Fiq_qGmo/U0NmSboS2yI/AAAAAAAAGRk/qJtonmOWg7c/s1600/IMG_3909.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-EF2Fiq_qGmo/U0NmSboS2yI/AAAAAAAAGRk/qJtonmOWg7c/s1600/IMG_3909.JPG" height="300" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Crested Butte</td></tr>
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Due to snow conditions of EPIC (Grand?!) proportions the race directors decided to not go over Star Pass into Aspen and do it an out-and-back course. They call it the Grand Reverse. They've done the "reverse" 3 times in the past 17 years. Athletes complained about the "reverse" being too easy and so race directors got out of their way to make it a little more challenging. Yeah, if you talk to anyone who did the race this year, you'll probably hear how insanely hard it was. </div>
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My man, unfortunately, was a victim of a poorly designed course and got "cut-off" at mile 35 and was asked to take a skin track to a random trail head. It was a 4 mile trek out of the backcountry. He completed 39 miles in 15h45m and was, unfortunately, 9 miles away from the finish (even though he was only 5 miles away at one point). He was the tiredest and coldest I've ever seen him. Me? I was sunburned as hell. Literally. Hell. </div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-XNMXhzOl09M/U0NmjHoQZeI/AAAAAAAAGRs/8mY-aSeZITA/s1600/IMG_3910.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-XNMXhzOl09M/U0NmjHoQZeI/AAAAAAAAGRs/8mY-aSeZITA/s1600/IMG_3910.JPG" height="400" width="300" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">All the crap he carried in his pack for this race</td></tr>
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At the mandatory athlete meeting, the race director to very proudly announce that EVERY athlete WILL BE DONE by 11:30 in the morning. My man's GPS tracking device was not working and I just assumed he wouldn't be last, he'd be in the middle of the pack finishing between 9:00 and 10:00. Woke up bright and early after not sleeping much and headed out to the base of Crested Butte Mountain Resort at 8:30. I was waiting for him under the sun for 3h45m when he called and said he was going to come out at a trail head slightly outside of town. I drove there and stood another 3 hours waiting for him. No protection aside from some sunscreen I wore at 8:00am. Let me tell you this: a little sunscreen does NOTHING to you when you are standing for 7 hours in the snow with no clouds above you. </div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Trail head where I got to pick up my dying man. </td></tr>
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The poor planning and decision-making made the race directors look... not so good. While they'd said their last athlete would come in at 11:30, MANY athletes were out there struggling well after that time. Their last athlete came in past 6:30pm. Yes, almost 17 hours into the race. This is why they implemented a random cut-off without really announcing it to the athletes. Those athletes that didn't make the cut-off were not very happy. </div>
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I let my man recover with a hot shower and a couple hour nap and I woke him up. He had not had a REAL meal since dinner the night before. We went to a steakhouse and enjoyed a massive meal. </div>
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Today, he's got some toenails that I'm not sure are still attached to his feet, but he likes to carry them around. He has some blisters that require daily poking. But he's a trooper and has gone on a couple runs with me regardless. Aside from my summer tan in the mountains, I got to do some hill intervals on ski slopes and run on the very packed skin track. This I assure you, it was no vacation for me either. </div>
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Looking forward to visiting Crested Butte in the summer for some amazing trail running. The views are absolutely amazing. </div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-3DjvwK_FZhc/U0NnjySU-qI/AAAAAAAAGR8/ZwDCzbfngKU/s1600/IMG_3929.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-3DjvwK_FZhc/U0NnjySU-qI/AAAAAAAAGR8/ZwDCzbfngKU/s1600/IMG_3929.JPG" height="400" width="300" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Skiers heading uphill at the start of the race. </td></tr>
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<b><i>What's the craziest race you've done and what's the most frustrated you've been at a race due to poor communication and direction? </i></b></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02970128076225308363noreply@blogger.com0