It's Only UP from Here

Today, many runners fulfilled a running dream by finishing the Boston Marathon.  Congratulations to all of them.

Speaking of dreams, the past few weeks have left me feeling as if I must be dreaming. 
Here's why:

---after surviving the epic Diablo Trails Challenge, I flew back from CA (and all of its unusually rainy weather) and was greeted to 3 inches of snow at home the next day.
---three days later, Hubby & I flew across the country again and drove to Zion National Park for a week of hiking and becoming reacquainted with the sun (FINALLY restoring my Vitamin D levels).
--- immediately after flying back home across the country, we did three work- & family-related driving trips to Philly in two weeks.
---a couple of friends are trying to survive difficult personal situations right now, and I pray that, in time, they will be strong and heal.
---a family member, who I, sadly, had not spoken to in several years, needed emergency cardiac bypass surgery last Thursday (we have spoken now and, thankfully, he is doing OK).
---then there's the not-so-insignificant 6 inches of rain that have fallen at home in just over the past 2 weeks; we usually get less than 4 inches in the entire month! We are supposed to get another inch and a half tomorrow :( (my "Big White-turned-Wet-Ball Theory lives on!)

In summary:  I'm exhausted.

The dream has not turned into a nightmare.....yet.

I have been able to get some running in, and I did get to experience almost 55 miles of beautiful hiking in Zion National Park, part of the reason I'm still able to smile :).



This guy makes me smile
Antelope Squirrel - so cute!
Near Red Rock Canyon Nat'l Conservation Area, NV, April, 2011



Running on the trails of our local Water Authority
April 15, 2011

Today, I realized that I needed the following:

Note to self:

WAKE UP!  WAKE UP!  It's time to get into SERIOUS training mode if you are going to be able to get your a$$ up to the top of Pikes Peak in August!

In late March, you became an OFFICIAL entrant, qualifying with a "trailturtle" time in the Big Sur International Marathon in 2009, and your dear husband experienced a brief moment of insanity when he agreed to "run" the Pike's Peak Ascent with you.  Wait 'til he finds out what you've gotten him into THIS TIME.  Yes, you've been through a lot of adventures together, and he THINKS he knows what it means to have YOU as his "ball and chain"...but...if you don't start the serious training NOW......

.......ohhh, let's not think about THAT; let's be optimistic and say:

It's Only UP from Here*:

*The Start--Manitou Springs, CO  Start Line Elevation 6,300 ft

The Finish--Top of Pike's Peak, CO  Finish Line Elevation 14,050 ft (Summit Elevation: 14,115 ft)

The Event--Pike's Peak Ascent**

The Distance--13.32 miles

**The Ascent has very few stretches which are not going uphill with the average percent grade being 11%.

The Date--August 20, 2011 

The Official Header - Thank God I am doing the "Ascent" and ONLY have to go UP 7,815 ft!



The Pike's Peak Ascent Route

So there you have it--my nemesis for the next four months of training.  Wish me luck. 
I'll be putting up the more relevant training details/goals as they happen.
In a nutshell, I'll be trying to improve my mile and 5K speed so that I can cover the first 1.5 miles of the course to the best of my ability and minimize the bottleneck slowdown that will occur once I reach the trail, as well as improve my hill climbing ability and endurance through running/power walking hill work outdoors/on treadmill, stairclimbing/Stairmaster, and cycling/Spinning.  After the first mile, the next 3 miles average 13.4% in grade so I will need to be in peak power climbing shape!!!! Just thinking about 3 miles of over 13% grade and the word "endurance" sends my purebred sprinter 90 percent fast-twitch muscles into spasm.

Anybody else out there in Blogger Land (besides Jill-I hope) crazy enough to be doing this event?  Please let me know--as the saying goes, misery loves company.

Congratulations go out to my friends, Rick and Ron, who both finished the American River 50 on April 9.
Rick just missed going sub-8--wow, great effort and result.  I personally can't imagine going sub-4 for one marathon, let alone for 2 back-to-back near-marathons, plus having to deal with some not-so-ideal trail conditions and difficult grades in the second part.
Ron, along with late-race pacer Katie, put forth a great effort and came in well under the cut-off, despite having only one prior ultra-marathon under his belt.  How's that for insanity.  At least his next Ironman will seem easy now ;).
Katie just completed and celebrated her 100th day in a row of running on Saturday.  More insanity...and inspiration!
Congratulations also to blogger friend, Andrew, who blew away his previous PR in the 5K by about a minute while accomplishing a goal of sub-30 min.  One minute improvement for a 5K is a BIG deal.  He also gets my vote for the most creative and entertaining analysis and presentation of his running stats.


Remember to Celebrate Life Each Day!  Ann

A Tale of Two Trail Races---Part II

Part II of this Tale

Mt. Diablo Trails Challenge (Brazen Racing) March 19, 2011

When you finish a race and see the following statement in the race-director’s post-race email, you know that you can feel incredibly stupid proud to have even completed the course:

"Thank you to all involved for coming out to our race in what were some of the worst race day conditions we've ever had the opportunity to experience.”

In the week after that glorious trail run described in Part I, the weather and weather forecast became gloomier and gloomier and wetter and wetter.  Bottom line: It was GOING to RAIN, not just on the day of the race, but for much of the 36 hrs before the race.  Translation for trail running:  MUD MUD MUD.  So I knew the conditions were going to be horrible and downright dangerous.  Scrap the original plan to run (or at least start) with my friends, Ron and Katie, in the Half Marathon (sorry you guys, maybe next time).  I would be doing the 10K [this minor detail added after its absence was so kindly pointed out by G]

Me, Ron, Katie before the start

And with it beginning to rain again at the start, there was only so long that I was willing to slog in the mud AND rain.  Ron, on the other hand, thrives on suffering; his list of planned events is appropriately titled “Upcoming Torture Sessions.”  He takes that title very seriously when he chooses his races.

Ron with his "game face" on; he would need it for this "Goliath" of a race.
Note the "Samson" hair as well.

Katie doing a pre-race warm-up dance in front of the generator--the only heat source anywhere

And Katie…..she would end up running so fast that most of the rain and mud wouldn’t even make it to her skin because of the airflow generated by her speed ;)…..(did I mention that she is FAST?).

The first mile...it only got worse

With the two of them off 15 minutes before my start,
I was able to get a little bit of a warm-up in, but it still wasn’t enough.  The first 1.5 miles were mildy uphill.  Normally, this would be the perfect kind of start for me to allow my joints and muscles to warm up properly.  However, with the wet, cold conditions, it took over 3 miles for my lower leg muscles to not feel like they weren’t going to infarct from lack of oxygen.  After 1.5 miles, we hung a left and then had to ascend steep, MUDDY singletrack—translation: bottleneck.  There was no way you could pass anyone on a narrow, slippery trail—admittedly, I got a bit frustrated here, but that is part of trail racing. 

The “heart” of the course consisted of two big  “bumps” with steep ups followed by steep downs.  The biggest challenge was trying to stay upright during all of this.  I have never seen so many people fall in a race….or heard so many curse words. I was proud that I survived the course and did not fall once on my own.  I did fall once when another guy slipped into me and pushed me over—that doesn’t count.

I had given up all hope of a decent time for this distance and difficulty/elevation gain.  I did, however, look at my Garmin after the final turn to get back onto the gentler graded trail, and I saw that I had a shot at 1:30.  For some nutty reason, focusing on coming in under that time helped motivate me and provided a distraction from the conditions and made the last 2 miles seem less like torture. After all of the survival techniques that I had to employ before then, I surprised myself by being able to actually push the pace during the last 2 miles rather than the near-death plod that I sometimes have to resort to in the longer distance races.  If nothing else, it allowed me to mentally get through the “river that was the trail” for the half-mile out to the turnaround and the ankle/knee-deep water crossings that seemed like rivers at that point.  By my calculations, I would easily come in under 1:30, but the course was long by my Garmin and I missed 1:30 by 12 seconds.  Not a big deal, but, because I didn’t know that the woman I had closed the gap on in front of me was in my age group, I chose to allow some space for her to get a good finishing picture and NOT sprint by her at the end (something that, as a purebred sprinter, I AM good at) resulting in missing a 3^rd place age group medal by ONE second!  That’s the last time I’ll be nice to someone at the finish ;).  And, remember that guy who slid and pushed me over in the mud?  Well, now I hate him for costing me a lot more than ONE second!....(just kidding).  I ended up 4th out of 10 runners in my age group.

Garmin stats: 6.35 miles / 1179 ft. elevation gain / time: 1:30:12

A very wet "me" at the finish

Holding the finisher's medal.  I was slow enough, that, by the time I finished, it was a nicely tarnished color (actually, Brazen's medals are some of the nicest around)

The "sweat check" tent--
the only clothing that DID stay dry!

This race was definitely one for which pictures would have “spoken louder" than words.  Unfortunately, because of the rain and the need to have all four extremities available to negotiate the trails, I was not able to bring the camera along for the race. What pictures I did get will have to suffice for the picture/caption summary of my MUD FEST, perhaps better described as SH*T FEST because of all of the sh*t from "you name it" species that was visible in the trail.  I don't even want to think about what WASN'T visible.
Sam, Brazen’s RD summarized the course conditions well in the same post-race email referenced above:

“There was mud way beyond anything that could ever be intentionally created for any kind of "crazy mud run", there were more creeks than we even knew existed on the course, there were course markings obliterated and blown away (our apologies to all half marathoners who got "bonus miles" because of that) and then there was the comparatively small matter of getting blasted with rain and/or hail for just about the entire time.”

The two funniest quotes in the “Race Day Instructions”, given the day's conditions:

"This being a trail run, it's important to balance the enjoyment of the beauty around you with the importance of checking out where your feet are going."  

"All courses are marked with ribbons and flour." ...more like "dough."

The best thing to remember about running in the mud:  falling into the mud probably won’t hurt you (just your ego); trying to prevent that fall once it starts may result in hurting something much more important than your ego.

The best thing about running in the mud (besides finishing) is that you can’t get lost—just follow all of the muddy footprints…

…unless, of course, you’re in the front like Katie (she did go off course and still won the Women’s Division for the HM).  Congratulations, Katie…for successfully confusing all of the other runners who were behind you! (Just kidding—you did a GREAT run in terrible conditions).

Katie & me right after she came in 1st place woman in the HM
Congratulations, Katie!

The worst thing about running in the mud:  having to clean up these:

The mud on these would have been 10 times worse had it not been for the 2 stream crossings in that final 1.5 mile stretch

Thanks to Katie and Ron, who both put forth commendable efforts in the HM that took some of the sting out of missing my AG bling.  Congrats to my friend, Carol, too, for braving the elements with a great effort in the 50K distance of this race.

How I'd like to remember this race:
Dry, not muddy, and all smiles with one of my favorite, funniest sources of inspiration.

Finally, Medals of Honor are awarded to Sam, Jasmin , and all of the insane and brave Brazen Racing volunteers for doing the best job possible in those historic conditions.  Without all of you, most of us would be still out there stuck in the mud!  Thanks also go to Whole Foods for providing a nice post-race BBQ and to Peet's Coffee for TRYING to keep us all warm from the inside.

You guys always make me smile.  Thanks for adding some of your sunshine to this day :)

So my “Big White Ball Theory” has been renamed “Big WET Ball Theory.” I thought it “never rains in California”………

Remember to Celebrate Life Each Day!  Ann


*--This post written and posted while traveling (again) with limited internet access, resulting in lateness and omissions in original version.

A Tale of Two Trail Races—Part I

This race report is overdue.  The excuse(s):

#1--I was sooooo disappointed to get off the plane and realize that my “Big White Ball Theory” is wrong ;)  (I didn’t think you’d believe that one…) 

#2--One glorious day of running at the Canyon Meadow Trail Run event on March 12, 2011 was all it took to cause enough of an adrenaline rush to erase all prospects of concentrating long enough to write a race report.  (That’s believable)  After that, all I wanted to do was get out in the day after day of sunshine.  And that, I DID……

……..NOT do, as day after day went by, and there was hardly any sunshine.  In fact, since that first trail race, it has rained practically every day for the past week or so, at least a little.   So I can’t even use the excuse that I was outside every day doing long hikes or runs, because I wasn’t (although I did get out for 1-3 hrs a few of the days and shorter periods on the others.  I’ll have pics up in a later post).

In reality, blogging while traveling when one is using old technology (my laptop is 6 yrs old) combined with no convenient wireless access to post pictures from said laptop is hard and time-consuming. ** Blogging while traveling is hard, period. (At least I didn’t forget my camera USB cable like Chris K did). 

So now that I am finished with my “other” obligations, I am going to do my best to complete at least Part I of my race reports BEFORE I fly home, even if it means I have to see what it’s like to be like my friend, Stacey, and hardly get any sleep!  Stacey was kind enough to take me out to lunch yesterday, which ended up making HER sleep deficit even greater and delaying my race reports even more, but I LOVED IT (and HER—but she probably hates ME now because of it) …..in any case, thank you, Stacey.




Stacey and me.  She spoiled me--again!
(this one's for you, G)

  So on to the race reports:

Preface: This “Tale of Two Races” could easily be renamed “The Jekyll & Hyde Races.”  One could never have predicted that there would be such a difference in weather and trail conditions for 2 races located within 30 miles of each other and just 7 days apart, especially in the SF Bay Area, where, for at least most of the year, the consistency in temperatures from week-to-week and lack of rain make it one of the nicest places to live.  Unfortunately, I have been told that I’ve been the victim of the “worst weather the area has had all winter.”

Part I of this Tale starts with glorious weather.  The Canyon Meadow Trail Run, put on by Coastal Trail Runs, has 5 mile, Half Marathon, 30K, Marathon, and 50K options (talk about having “something for everyone”).  It starts and traverses through Redwood Park in Oakland.  There are lots of beautiful redwood trees, which can make for more compliant trail surfaces because of the natural redwood debris that covers the trails.  I was signed up for the HM.  Because of recent illness that set-back an already difficult training winter, and with this race being on trails and being my first race of any kind for the year with another one coming up a week later, I opted to drop down to the 5 mile race to give my joints and body a more gentle break-in.  As per my previous post and decision to look upon this race as a gift of life given all that has happened recently in other parts of the world, I took my camera along and took several pictures along the way.  So, instead of lots of word details, here is the summary of my run in pictures and captions:

The registration tent and lots of excited runners

RD Wendell giving instructions through his faithful bullhorn.

Me seconds before the start.  I barely got this one before...

...we're off!  Here we go!

We start with a modest uphill, but very quickly, it gets STEEP...



This is a typical CTR Trail Run start.  Not even 1/4 mile in, 2:26, and my HR is already 160!



Everyone else was huffing and puffing.  I wasn't...but only when I was standing taking pictures.




The extend of the "mud" for this race, even though it had rained the day before.   I didn't like it at the time; boy, would that perspective change 7 days later (Part II of this Tale)

 

Misery loves company...lots of company. It's up...

And up...

And not so steep, but still up...



Oh no, more steep up...

Wow, there are still so many runners behind me--I must be hallucinating from oxygen debt.

What? No more uphill?  Wow, this is gorgeous!  Once I made the turn for the 5 mile course, I "lost" my running companions.  This is what I am used to seeing after a few miles into most races--no runners, just beautiful trails

My friend, Bob, who is 67 yrs old, does these races practically every weekend. He and I have done several of the same events, and distances, without planning it!  He got 2nd in his age group. He is an inspiration.    

In the end,  I enjoyed a beautiful run with minimal mud and gorgeous views, lots of blue shies, and cool, near-perfect running temperatures.  My Garmin passed it’s first race test.

RD’s stats: 4.8 miles, 744 ft elevation gain

My Garmin: 5.0 miles, 731 ft elevation gain

My time: as per plan in previous post-- [IT : DOESN’T : MATTER]

I ran hard at times, hard enough that my running muscles were tired and mildy sore for the next few days.  But I otherwise enjoyed and recorded the scenery and nature and chatted with other runners, cherishing this life opportunity.

The irony of it all: 

In every other trail race in which I have run without a running buddy, I have focused on MY TIME (allowing limited time for taking pictures) trying to “win” a medal or points for a point series in my age group or at least run a PR or CR. 

This time, running with the mentality that a time of [IT : DOESN’T : MATTER] is OK.....
.....I WON MY AGE GROUP  (and I wasn't the only one in my age group, either).

Co-RD Phyllis and me wearing my 1st place age group medal

Thanks again, Wendell and Phyllis, and all of the faithful CTR volunteers who make one able to "Have Fun Out There!" (the CTR slogan) and run these trails as a life opportunity!

Part II if this Tale (the “Jekyll” race): coming soon.

Also, congratulations go out to the following:

Carol--for finishing the Uncool 50K (32 miles with over 6500 ft of elevation gain)

Katie--for blowing away her old PR at the Shamrock’n Half Marathon running a blistering 1:27:54 and coming in 4^th woman overall.

Ron--for becoming an “Ultra Runner” by finishing his first 50K. 
         Ron, YOU ARE [a] WAY TOO COOL [finisher]!

 

Remember to Celebrate Life Each Day!  Ann

**- Pictures uploaded and blog posted from the Apple Store, Palo Alto, CA--thank you for letting me use your wireless :).  I'll be getting an iPhone soon.

The Wake Up Call of Life

I arrive by plane into the “Earthquake Capitol” of the country.  Safely.

My brain is filled with images like this:

Arastradero Open Space Preserve, Palo Alto, CA  (February 2010)

I look forward to basking in the sunshine that I have had so little of this winter.

I wake up to the Headline of the Day. 

8.9 Magnitude Earthquake in Japan (later revised to 9.0) 

Worst quake EVER for that area.

I suddenly have trouble writing the post that was planned for today.

That post will have to wait for another day.

My brain is void of words.

My brain is now filled with images like this:

The videos of the ensuing tsunami obliterating what used to be modern, developed civilization in SECONDS make my jaw drop to the ground and leave me speechless.

In the emotion of the moment, thoughts of running and feeling glum over having to change distances in tomorrow’s trail run seem selfish and trivial.

I see the images of the destruction in Japan again.

My heart goes out to the people there who were in the wrong place at the wrong time (and their families).

It could have been me.

But it wasn’t me.

R.r.r.r.i.n.g!?!?!

Hellooooo???

It’s the “wake up call” of life.

I am reminded of how lucky I am to have the opportunity to still make a difference in the world.

It doesn’t really matter what I do; I just need to do it.

So…..tomorrow morning I will run, walk, or crawl my way over the [ it doesn’t matter how many ] miles of trail and celebrate the opportunity that I have been graced with.

And I will go out and make a difference in the world.

Huge shout out and well-wishes to my friends, RON, and KATIE, who are running the Way Too Cool 50K tomorrow.  It’s a first ultra for both Ron and Katie—you’re both going to rock this race! Also well-wishes go out to Carol who is doing the unofficial "Uncool" 50K in Marin.  Carol has done too many ultras to count, always at or in the top of her age group and can do these “in her sleep.”  Carol, you will shine as you always do!
[Addendum:  just learned that Katie won't be running tomorrow :(--at W2C anyway (she undoubtedly will be running somewhere!).  She will be going for a sub 1:30 Half-Marathon PR in Sacramento on Sunday (yeah, she's THAT FAST).  Good luck Katie!
And, good luck Ron...you'll still have Katie & me as angels over each shoulder :).]

Carol (right) and me after finishing PCTR Big Basin 25k (May 2009)

Carol, at age 64, must be close to or beyond doing her age in the number of marathon and ultra trail runs over the past few years.  Carol, you are truly amazing.

Ron, me, and Katie at Brazen Racing Summit Rock 10k/HM, Sanborn Park (Dec 2010)
Ron is a running maniac and an Ironman.  Katie is a fast learner of Ron's insanity and is on her way to a Guinness Record for consecutive running days.

And, finally, to Stacey (RBR) who sadly gave up her place at Way Too Cool this year because “life” and her incredible dedication to teaching got in the way, I send a big “HANG IN THERE”- your day will come.

Stacey and me after finishing the Summit Rock 10k (Dec 2010)
Stacey is a riot, a great teacher, and a walking (running) encyclopedia of Biology

Remember to Celebrate Life Each Day!  Ann

Deja Vu

This is a short picture post.  Sunday we got bombed with snow...again.  TEN inches of heavy, wet snow.  The original weather predictions a couple of days before predicted 1-3 inches.  Boy, did they get it wrong.  Thank goodness we have a snowblower.  As mentioned elsewhere, we have a BIG driveway, and anything under 4 inches is usually shoveled, at least until I get sick of shoveling.  It lets me get as much as 3 miles of walking in and upper body work. This snow was even difficult for the snowblower to handle because the snow just packed and stuck to itself.  My hubby and I had to do a lot of "clean-up" shoveling afterwards, but we got it done.  Unlike the last storm and the pics in the previous post, the sun came out and the skies were a beautiful blue, so these pictures are a nice complement to the other storm's.  My next post will be an "Ode to Winter," as I am DONE with winter...DONE...DONE...DONE.  The famous groundhog predicted an early Spring.  So now I hate groundhogs.......(nawww......just can't hate 'em--.I love critters!)
Looking forward to my first race report---if all goes well--for this weekend :).





Pretty, huh, BUT........

 


I am the "Snowblower Queen"

  .......someone has to clear the driveway!









My "Big White Ball Theory" is still intact.







Remember
to
Celebrate
Life
Each
Day! 

Ann

Big White Ball Theory

Feb 11 : Low temp of MINUS 2 degrees F on top of the coldest December-January on record.  Global Warming?  Really?

Feb 18 : record high temp of 66 degrees F.  This winter’s perpetual snow cover is starting to melt.  I am starting to believe that the earth isn’t going to turn into a Big White Ball.

Feb 21: : 9 inches of snow.  I become a “Big White Ball Theory” convert.



Looking left out our front door





Looking right out our front door

 

Further up the driveway--now you can see why I can walk 3 miles just to clear the snow!



I’m ahead of the “game” to run/walk 1200 miles minimum for the year J.

Last Sunday was my birthday.  An uneventful day for the most part, as we spent it traveling as part of a business/family visit trip, but, without planning it, I walked 5.3 miles--my age with a decimal point in between the numbers.  I thought “, hmmm, that’s interesting.”  Then, a few days later, a local cyclist, who was a source of inspiration for me, died after a couple of years of deteriorating health. Until then, Ted was active with the local cycling club and rode his bike more miles each year than many avid cyclists half his age.  Each year, on or around his birthday, he would ride his age in miles.  I still remember the day years back when he rode 75 miles for his 75^th birthday--talk about inspirational!  He also would show up as the oldest rider to race with the rest of us at a local cycling road race, and, although he often finished alone, he finished nonetheless, and quitting was never an option to him.

In the darkness of the moment of learning of his death, a light bulb went on for me that revealed the relevance of that 5.3 mile walk on my birthday--that I celebrate life with each year forward by walking or running the “decimal equivalent” of my age and/or cycling my age in miles. I would love to be able to ride 75 miles on my 75^th birthday just like Ted did.  Thanks for the inspiration, Ted--may you Ride In Peace.

I'll be off to CA late next week to test my Big White Ball Theory......

If I'm wrong, I'll see these.....

 

.....and be able to do this:



Running in Joseph D. Grant Park, Bay Area, CA (May 2009)



Remember to Celebrate Life Each Day!    Ann