This Mother Runner is Going to Justify the Boston Marathon to Herself

I hate running roads.  

If you have ever trained with me you have heard me say a million times "I will never run a road marathon.  Why would I ever do that to myself?”

Well over the course of the last few weeks I have been trying to determine exactly what being a Mother Runner means to me.  In doing this I have come up with several reasons why training for a ridiculously untouchable road marathon is exactly what I will do with my next 11 months.  

Justifications in a very particular order

(most important to me first):

1. Time & these two cute kids I made

I have always run for pure pleasure. The pleasure of being in the forest or on a mountain or aimed at a waterfall or to see if I could run ridiculous miles or to be able to drink as many beers as I want or to be able to smell the outdoors and clear my head and chocolate.   But never was it about time.  That was before Linnea and Sagan.  Now my time is so precious that if want to run for all these reasons, I need to run faster.  I need my 4 mile runs to take 36 minutes not an hour.  I need those 24 minutes for blocks and playing bands and wearing necklaces and eating another pretzel or giggling and spinney circles or wiping boogey noses  and reading little blue truck for the third time in a row and cuddles. Mostly for cuddles!

2. Weight 

So here goes.  Today I weigh 190.7lbs.  Whew.  Glad that is over.  I've never weighed this much before on my own and thankfully I get to blame this little snorty thing sitting on my lap right now and a little bit on his big sister too.  But just because I get to blame them doesn't mean they are going to help me get back to my pre-baby size.   Running will help and running faster will do it even faster, with the added bonus of giving me more time with my two cuties.

3. Friends

My best friend lives in Boston.  I shouldn't have to set a ridiculous goal for myself in order to visit her but oh well I am. I am not making her run it with me like I did my wedding, so there is that.  You are welcome OJ! (But you can if you want!) Shameless plug:   OJ’s awesome journalism.  

4. Goals

In the last decade I have not set a running goal for myself that wasn't either inspired by Craig or something Craig was doing with me.  I want to own my own running goal.

5. Truthfulness  

Here goes something I really don't want to admit to myself.  I rarely run on trails anymore.  I am lying to myself to say that this stroller pushing mother runner trains on trails.  I may love trails and set aside special runs just to be on them, but I don't sprint out my front door to a trail very frequently anymore.  I do sprint out my front door behind a jogging stroller all the time! 

6. Competitiveness  

I love a little arbitrary competition.  Every race I do I pick out someone in a pink tutu and my entire goal in that race is to beat it.  Several years ago my friend Andrea and I started running ultras together.  We were similarly paced and ran/raced with similar finishing times frequently. Well 3 years ago I started having kids and this awesome runner hired a running coach.  Andrea ran Boston 7 months ago.  Here is her Race Report.  So in the name of arbitrary competition and not so arbitrary inspiration:   If Andrea can do so can I darn it!!

7. Not running Boston  Bizz Johnson is a trail marathon that happens to be a Boston qualifier only 1.5 hours from my house.  Did I just say I can qualify on trails?  Heck ya I did!!   Qualifying is all I really care about, who would want to run a road marathon anyway? They suck!!  Bizz Johnson or bust baby!!  (I can not be held accountable for changing my mind about this justification.)

The Plan:  Beginning Monday I will spend the next 8 weeks focused on weight loss running.  (Wednesday really, remember those two cuties I made?) Here is my training plan: Mondays and Tuesdays are my rest days due to mommy and me gymnastics and breastfeeding group already on those days.  Not ideal for running but very ideal for mommying.  Wednesday, Friday and Sunday are intervals.  Thursdays are gym days with a strength training boot camp and Saturdays are my long, hopefully trail, run. 

The Stuff:  I am going to use the app Running by Red Rock Apps for my interval days.

And I just bought myself new Hoka’s.   Road Running Hokas just to be clear.  Not trail shoes!  Blasphemous I know, but they are beautiful and only $50 at Eclipse Running!

Accountability:  Between 11/30/15 and 1/24/16 I have 40 workout days planned.  40 is really not much. Even if each workout is 1 hour (which they aren't.)  It only equals a full work week of exercising over the next 8 weeks.  I can totally do that, I've done races longer then that.  A friend of mine is on her own weightless journey and she posts a fraction on Facebook of weight loss / goal weight.  I am going to do something similar but with work outs completed.  Work out #/ 40.  I’m not too worried about the final weight just that I end up with a body I can zoom in.

So in Linnea's words: TA DA!!!!  This is how this trail running mother runner is justifying nearly a year of training devoted to the Boston Marathon.

Who Was That?

With my 3 year old smashed into my back and my 3 month old cocooned into my stomach, I stare into the flickering light made by a dim plastic candle and wonder if I can look at my breastfeeding app yet. Has he eaten long enough? Can I  go back to sleep yet?   I'm trying my hardest not to think about the 3 hours and 9 minutes I have left until my alarm goes off. An alarm set for the first time only 3 mornings ago as in tears I talk with my husband about the 25lbs of baby weight that make it difficult for me to run.  

Motivator #1

Motivator #2

A few weeks ago a friend started a blog about her mommy journey which made me go back and read my own blog from years past. Today I can't help but wonder who that women was that got to set number of peak goals for her Saturday runs.  Runs that lasted from sun up to well past sun down. Who was this person that got to enter race lotteries and sprained her ankles on trail runs like it was cool? Who had a burrito place on speed dial for her post long run food? Whose collection of race bibs now sits in a ziplock in the closet and only gets added to once a year, for a Breastfeeding fundraiser 5k.

She seems so far away. Yet reading every single one of her blog entries, while tuning out more episodes of Dinasour Train then you should ever have to listen to, I was excited for her. I wanted to run like her. I missed her. That's when the tickle of the idea of having to be an alarm setting treadmill runner set in. I can't believe I'm actually considering waking up to run, not so I can run for 12 hours, but for 30 minutes. And on a treadmill? Horrors!!   The women who wrote those articles would have preferred to be lost running around the same block for 7 hours, on pavement, wearing running clothes that weren't cute, with only peanut butter flavered gels, before she would have ever considered any form of speed work.  

I guess these are the things that are making me realize that if I want to be a runner still I have to be a "mother runner." And deciding to set an alarm for 5:30am to run on a treadmill must be part of that journey.  

So here's to toddlers, babies, supportive husbands, and mother running. Let the miles begin!!

(BTW who knew you could watch TV on your phone while treadmill running? That other lady didn't! Seados 1 Episode 3 of Orange is the New Black here I come!!)

Running a Little Late. McDonald Forest 50K 2014

Linnea began the race with a slight head start.
Photo by Craig Smith  

That evening Ken (the RD) said to me something like "I know it was an unhappy race for you." I was speechless for a second. Wait unhappy? Was I unhappy??  I was running Craig and my anniversary race in my favorite forest in the world surrounded by friends.  I had to take a moment and replay the race. Was I unhappy?  I don't think I was unhappy. I had to take another moment. Why would he think that? Luckily the answer was an easy one.  By most runners standards an 8:20 50k finish wasn't fathomable. Even when Pam came in as sweep 2 minutes behind me and I said to her "I just finished." She gave me the most adamant you are lying tone she could come up with to say "No you didn't."  Then she was quite when she saw me wolfing down my soup (thanks for saving me some runners!) So I guess by a lot of running standards I should have been unhappy. But I wasn't, I was feeling pretty good! and given my training wasn't all that surprised with my effort.  I will say its the only race I've ever been able to finish then go backpacking the next day.  So cheers to me for that. When I saw Gaby the following morning and told her I wasn't sore she laughed at me and said "ya think?"  

So here goes.  I love this race. I love these trails. This race and this mountain mean so much to my family. Craig and I have lived a lot of life in the 3 years between our wedding race and this race, and so has baby Linnea! The road that brought me back to this race has been such an amazing and slighly bumpy path!  The emotions which adequately described my race tend more towards blissful and nostalgic, with a bit of pity party thrown in. 

Just after the start. Photo by Craig Smith.

The race started with me gossiping about the new course with Pam. I'm not sure if the gun had gone off or not but Sharon popped her head around Pam and said "are you running?" I quizzically replied "Yes?" and she said "Well?" and pointed at the forward pressing crowd. Oh, I should be  off!   After I crossed the start line I found Craig and Linnea to take a picture, which put me in nearly last place, but still in front of the port-a-potty waiting racers.  After the photo op I scurried to catch up and pass some people.  I really wanted to find someone I knew.  I didn't come all this way just to run by myself, or with strangers.  I found John, Jan and some other Corvallis peeps and stuck with them for the first 8.5 miles or so, happy to have friends to pass the miles with. When we got to the top of Powderhouse Trail I was feeling pretty blissful. The trail had been cleaned up, a new bench installed, and the trees had been logged giving an amazing view of Soap Creek Valley. It was so beautiful both under my feet and out in the valley. You forget how awesome green is when you live in it.

I finished up the run into the first aid station with hugs from Gaby and Sarah Marshall.  Then across the saddle to the aid station. I filled my bottle and grabbed a few potatoes and gummy bears and headed out.

What I should have been thinking about. 
Photo by Scobel Wiggins

After a bit of a side ache going down Horse Tail, I felt great and decided to just blow down the hill. My knees were asking me if this was smart, but I just hushed them up.  Then it was a half run- two thirds walk up Dan's. There was a trio slowly catching up to me and I was trying to do all I could, except flat out run, to stay on top of them. I ran out of water and was starving when I got to the aid station, but I was the winner!  I stayed in front and even told them so at the aid station!  We chatted lightly and exchanged some competitive smiles.  I was so busy making race memories I forgot to eat more then a few potatoes, I didn't camel up, and I didn't pause to take in the view.  Nor did I sit on Clem's bench, which had been my plan.  What?  I know where was my head.

And with that I set out for the maze.The maze is my favorite area of the forest.  Man was I unprepared for it. Not only do I stop running when it's raining in Reno,  (To be fair I have yet to be caught in the rain in Reno without Linnea in the stroller),  but the hills near my house barely resemble a change in elevation in comparison to the Maze.  I also don't have to run in the mud. Just away from guns actively shooting in my direction, but that's another story.

So after a few minutes of chatting and letting some tiptoers lead the way I passed them and started mud sliding. I love the maze but after about 45 minutes I was definitely ready for it to be over, it just didn't seem to end. I couldn't run more then a few steps at a time before the mud would halt my effort.  After about 30 minutes my knees and hips were aching from just trying to stay upright.  I was expecting it to take me an hour to clear the first half of the maze. I'd guess it took me twice that long, and my water was gone probably half way through it.

From Hyperbole and a Half Blog.

And I was STARVING. By the time I popped out on the road I was so hungry I was shaking. I started to run down Extendo dreaming about potatoes. This is normally where you get a bit of time back right?  I was thinking about Mamet and how one year he was so irritated to see me zoom past him on the way down Extendo, that year he didn't stop at the aid station, just grabbed his waterbottles from his wife and off he went.  This year he and Shirly passed me together in the maze and I am 105% certain he never looked back.  I can just hear him thinking "Not her again."  Despite wanting to see that look on his face one more time, I had zero energy. I was zapped. Feeling dumb for not managing my water and only having carried one GU out of the aid station I relented. Running wasn't going to happen if I didn't want to pass out. So down the trail I plodded. 

Somewhere near the bottom the trio I'd kept in front of since Dan's trail passed me at a glorious
speed. I was happy for them. One of them glanced at me while she passed, then she started walking, and then she offered me zingers.  That felt brutal. I must have been pretty pathetic looking.  But I didn't want to have someone rescue me, at least not one of them. So I said no and just sucked up my poor planning. I made it to the aid station where my sweet husband had braved the rain to bring my kid out to cheer me on. I started to take her and realized I probably couldn't hold 20 lbs at that moment and instead started eating. The rain soaked, barely clad, teenagers at the aid station were probably thinking yuck I've never seen someone eat so many oreos and gummy bears. Oh double yuck she's not even chewing. I squatted on my heels with the table at eye level and just blatantly consumed. Dennis came out of no where and I started chatting with him. I have no idea what I said, probably blamed him for creating rain.

I did try holding Linnea for a bit too, until Craig told me we were standing in a downpour. Right, my kid is a Nevadan, she doesn't own a rain coat. Finally I said to one of the volunteers, can I have an entire pb&j? Without taking his hands out of his pockets he kind of hip gestured at the plate with half of a sandwhich on it. "There" he grumbled politely. I blinked. "No I mean an entire one!" His reply "that's all there is left." Wait what? That 1/2 a piece of bread and small slathering of pb was the end of the aid station goods? I turned to guy with the clip board. "How many people are behind me?" 13 came the answer and so began my first of two pity parties. Kissing Craig and Linnea goodbye I started up Up Route.

Calypso orchid during the Mac in 2010. 
Photo by Craig Smith.

Feeling defeated I drudged back into the mud of the maze. 2 more miles.  I can do this. But I just didn't feel like it. I was tired of walking, couldn't really run, and feeling irritated with myself. Plus I wanted to see the blooming delphiniums and calichortus, take in the dripping moss, and splash in the creeks a little bit and not worry about the race.  Where was the elephant stump?  I couldn't remember and was eager to find it.   Instead of really looking (which made me miss the calypso orchids) I kept replaying the moment I was passed by Shirly and Mamet.  Mamet commented about how crazy the RD's were for making us go up reverse Old New Alpha. So thinking that would be worse I just tried to force my head out of the race and into the rainforest.   I tried to remember why I liked the maze and to pick my head up and look around as much as possible. To breath and remember the scent of this place. It really is amazing.  I would be lying if I didn't admit to my moments of thinking "How can I get out of here,  I've got other plans today!"  But each time I let those thoughts take over, I would either not know where I was or the course would take me exactly where I would have gone anyway.

One of our engagement photos.
On Hans and Frans I think?
Photo by Scobel Wiggins.

 

As I finally drudged up reverse Old New Alpha, I was thinking about Franking, definitely missing the workout and the running community.   When I finally topped out at Ridge Trail I started thinking about Craig and my engagement pictures. Scobel ran Ridge Trail to Hydra with us snapping photos the entire way. I then spent the next mile or so finally reminiscing about our wedding day, something I thought I'd be doing the entire race.

Me realizing I had to go up

Vineyard Mountain still. (Not really me).

When I got to the aid station Dennis helped me start my second pity party.  He told me that he was glad to see me because if I had taken 15 more minutes he would have had to cut me.  Oh geeze thanks Dennis.  I chatted it up with him at the aid station, loaded up my "front pocket" with M&M's and gummy bears and set off for the finish.  I was a few minutes out when I looked at my water.  OH NO!  I drank half my water to take S-Caps while talking to Dennis and forgot to refill it.  Story of my race.  I never had enough water.  So in full pitty party mode I about wrote off Corvallis from my life forever when I saw we were going up Vineyard Moutnain.  I just wanted to be done.  WHY?  WHY?  

I spent the assent of Vineyard in full on my life is terrible mode.  I don't want to run, I don't live in Oregon, I don't have any free time, I don't work hard at anything, I need a haircut,  I do want a beer right now.  You know those great self defeating thoughts.  After coming off Vineyard and getting back on the road I remembered something that had worked for me when I was pity partying at Waldo: I could walk as long as I wanted to but if I started running I had to run 100 paces.  Wouldn't you know it I could run still.  What?  But I thought my knee hurt.  Why wasn't it hurting.  My first set of 100 repeated itself 5 times, I walked a little bit and took off for another 100 paces. I pretty much ran the rest of the race.  I even ran half way up the hill on the slopes of Peavy Peak.  Oh brain you are such a trickster you can convince me to do anything.

 I knew I was near the end and was not surprised to see someone sprinting up on me from behind I asked, "Are you the sweep?" as he glided on by.  "Yep, but there is another sweep behind you bringing in the last person."  Oh great.  Then he said, "Enjoy the last of your race." Yeah right. Enjoy this sh*t show?  and that's when my pity party was officially over.  Its funny how something so rote as enjoy yourself can actually make someone do just that.  As cliche as it sounds, I decided I could do the last mile with a smile and so I did.  And I finished happy!  With my husband and muddy baby waiting for me at the finish line.

Where is my Mom? 
She said she would be here already.
Photo by Craig Smith

Photo Cred:

http://www.zimbio.com/pictures/dToatZOKhm6/Annual+Mud+Day+Celebration+Lets+Kids+Get+Dirty/5Qy0OZlX5oD/Alyssa+Braun

Reno Run

It began as normal as can be.  Me yearning for the taste of the wilderness and accepting the 40lb stroller I push down the pavement.  With the mountains at my back I slunk along, 12 minute miles my post baby norm.  Unsure of my course but knowing my destination I stayed along the Truckee River.   I was unprepared for the emotions that the humans and course would cause.   

Here are a few examples.  The homeless women with her service Chihuahua telling me the route which was better. The three 60 year old tourists clutching their purses tightly as we all shuffled past the enormous vagina sculpture.  The tourists scared of the teenagers skateboarding in the roller derby rink and me wondering if I would like try roller derby.  The chef walking up the steps of his restaurant about to learn whether or not his sough chefs had prepared adequately for the dinner hour. The homeless men sleeping undisturbed on the restaurant's steps.  The18 year old kid with bow calf tattoos swishing quickly next to a pair of extra long male calves.  The stoic looking Canada goose standing still in the middle of the shallow rapids as a male and female mallard swiftly floated by. The hipsters sitting on a bench feverishly talking about religion next to an elderly black couple sitting on a bench feverishly talking about religion.  The chatty women walking on their 15 minute work breaks fully embracing their hand gestures, business casual, and sneakers.  The 80+ year old man running by and making room for my stroller both times we passed.  The CEO proudly walking by in her heals.  The 40 year old wearing cargo pant's from 2002 whose backpack suggested he was just getting out of class.   The couple clipping stark straight willow branches on a sand bar and picturing the perfect artwork they would be making.  The smile from the man cleaning the catering grill on the patio of the restaurant.  The enormous wet black dog winking at me with his one blue eye as he cruised on by. The lack of trash. I expected at the least one well worn sleeping bag tucked in a crack near the river on Virginia I’d have even taken some fast food trash as acceptable.  Nope nada.   

As I left the strip and rounded Booth St my heart leapt into my throat, I had to slow down and check to see whether or not my kiddo was seeing this also.  I was unprepared for the emotions the view of the mountains, whose elevations contain 4 and 5 digits, would cause.  There was a time when their peaks would have been my daily ambition.  On today's run I was more than satisfied to push my snoozing toddler by all of this humanity and scenery and think to myself: How do people not know how great Reno is?

Western States 100- Dragon's Blood and Butterscotch

Day Before text messages:

Western Freaking States!

OJ- Do you want anything else for tonight?  Fruit? Cookies? Juice?

Me- Not sure maybe something salty.  Not really sure I can eat….

OJ-Ps maybe nobody’s mentioned you’re a total, undeniable bad-ass and you’re going to whoop this race’s ass.

Me- I know. It’s not really like me to be this nervous is it?

As OJ and I sat eating lunch in Squaw Valley she was flipping through the participants guide.  We were both really quite. I was guzzling waters by the liter and thinking about the fact that I just checked in for Western Freaking States! She stopped flipping looked up at me and said " Do you know you could suffer from renal shut down, heat stroke, hyperthermia, or muscle necrosis?"

They actually gave me an arm band, don't tell anyone!

Thanks.

To say that I was freaking out was an understatement I was practically silent, which is never good for me.  I was worried that my training wasn’t adequate.  That I wasn’t hydrated.  That I was going to feel the altitude. That I was going to have renal shutdown, heat stroke, hyperthermia, and muscle necrosis!

Morning of text message:

Me to Craig- i hugged geoff roes!!!!  aaaaaaaaa,
(I guess I was feeling better!)

Ready in 180 seconds flat!

Race morning getting ready took approximately 180 seconds.  I had neatly laid out everything I was going to need the night before, something I never do.  We were out the door and at the start by 4:15a.  I was still pretty worried, but now more because I couldn’t crap, then because I might die.

The start line is not like other races where there is a mass of runners lined by spectators; everyone just clusters together.  So OJ was with me as I was jumping up and down clapping and shouting “Western Freaking States!!!”  

I can't believe its starting!

Let the games begin!  I loved running in the snow in hind-site, I fell 3 times though I never got injured.  Everyone was super excited to be running and the energy during the snow was awesome.  Everyone was whooping and hollering.  Forming human chains to pull fallen people back up to the path (I won't call it a trail).  But the snow is what I think stole my quads from me, that bracing and gripping with each foot strike for so long really tore me up!  

My goal was to always be able to spit and I did really well at it, though I did not dare waste any water by actually spitting.  I filled both my bottles at each aid station regardless of the distance to the next aid station.  If I wasn't finished with them I chugged as much as I could before refilling.  I think this was a good strategy!  My biggest complaint for the entire race was how often I had to pee. Sometimes less than 10 minutes apart, definitely every 20 minutes during the entire (ENTIRE) race that's approximately 80 times in a little over 1 day!!  It sucked.  Luckily as a thru hiker I learned to pee standing up, my pacer had never seen this before and was ubber impressed.   He took his wife to the side at the finish line and the first thing he told her was about my peeing strategy:  "she could pee faster than me!'  I do have to give a shout out to thru hiker Totally Rachel for teaching me this quad saving technique!

Headed up the escarpment, it was super steep

Heading into Miller’s defeat I made a super faux pas.  Though I will start by defend myself here with the lamest excuse, “I didn’t know!”

I had just caught up with E (some names changed to protect the innocent), who was a wiry man trying to speed walk Western States.  We were on an uphill section so I was glad to have someone to speed walk with.  We had a few cordial exchanges: What’s your name? Where are you from?  Is this your first 100? What was your qualifying run?  Normal stuff when you meet another runner for the first time mid race.  Then he was off: “I live in a Dojo with twenty sh*t head 20 year-old's they don’t do anything just lay around and play video games all day I do stuff on the weekends I run 100s I'm amazing I have goals in life they are nobodies I have 7 black belts and they steal my food!”  I think he did breath but definitely no periods.  Yes he said he lives in a Dojo.  Thankfully we crested the hill so I got to run. After getting about 100 yards in front of him I had processed enough of what just happened at me to turn around and yell “good luck E see you later.”    

Together we had been following this other runner X (for now) for quite a while.  He was just far enough in front of me that I would see him before he would go around a corner, but not close enough to really talk to.  So when I yelled bye to E, X heard me and turned around and said what?  I yelled sorry nothing.  We were on a switch back so he could hear me but it took me a minute to catch him.  He stood there waiting for me.  When I came into view he said "What?" again, I was embarrassed for holding up another runner and quickly got him on his way.  He was still a bit in front of me so I could not tell who it was.  Then there was a very sharp Y in the trail, where the course took the less obvious arm.  I immediately started looking for X but didn’t see him and I wasn’t going to go search for him. Its Western States after all.  Who runs backwards at WS?  I could see the other path below me for a quarter mile and was whistling and singing hoping he would hear me.  But just in case he was in front of me I didn't want to yell and make him wait for me again!

There was a really long straight away and I could see a women, June (we bonded over our names), but no X.  I yelled up to her “Hey did you see an older guy with blue shorts and white shirt go by?  June: “You mean Gordy? Gordy Ainsleigh?”  Me: “What? That was Gordy Ainsleigh?”  June:  Yeah he is in front of me!” Me: Good!  Feeling relieved I matched pace with June.  Hesitatingly I said "So where are you from?  What was your qualifying run?"

Notice the placement of Gordy's number!

Rewind to Duncan Canyon aid station: Gordy rolls in wearing his number in a very long rectangle right in the center of his shorts.  Everyone is cheering at him and I yell “Gordy, your number is very…….um alluring.”  He immediately asked me to pose with him for a picture.  So yes I admit we had already met when I was worried he had taken a wrong turn.

Fast forward to Miller’s Defeat aid station, I’m wrapping up my aid station drill when Gordy strolls in.  “What you were behind me?"  Looking around I yell "Where’s June?” Gordy: “Yeah I took a wrong turn and lost about 20 minutes.”  Me: “I knew you went the wrong way but June told me you were in front.”  Um yes I just told a pissed off legend that I let him get lost.  I mumbled something about sorry and left the aid station.

Gordy showed up again in about 20 minutes not nearly as mad and we spent the next 20 or so miles bouncing back and forth chatting.  He gave me some tips on the only acute pain I had, a weird pinched nerve in my non-water bottle shoulder.  He even stopped to show me some exercises for my sprained ankle! And true to form we talked about women!

The canyons were not as hot as I expected I was waiting for the worst to hit when I realized it was 6pm so the heat must be over!  My quads were shot I didn't run down hill again after about mile 43....Last Chance AS. 

My food was crazy, I think maybe I was eating too much.  At one point I filled a to-go baggie with potatoes (my favorite running food), M&M's, and watermelon.  Ugh why did I do that?  I ended up gaggy over this mixture, though I did eat it.  It was horrible. I was semi-nauseous for about 20 miles from it.  I also had a strange craving for butterscotch candies.  I probably went through 25 of them during the race.  

Not being able to run down hill was really killing me time wise.  Luckily, all the McCullough repeats, I mean Franks, really paid off and I could haul on the up hills.  I was getting tired and was super eager to see my crew for the first time, Max and OJ.  When I pulled into Michigan Bluff they were yelling my name before I could see them.  I was ready to cry I was so excited but again I didn’t want to waste the water so I didn’t let myself.  Michigan Bluff is a super long aid station.  I had a lot to do here. I was starving and was craving broth, I was so excited to hear they had veggie broth. I needed to get my night gear on, apply some Vaseline and get pampered by my crew. Plus my pacer Jethro was joining me here.  

I was super duper excited here.  I got this burst of energy that I wish I could have bottled and sipped for the rest of the race.  Just as I was finishing up I hear over the PA: “Next runner is Gordy Ainsleigh." I started jumping up and down and clapping.  I ran back up the road.  I hear Max yell behind me “You’re running the wrong way at Western States?!  Who does that?”  I didn’t care I knew Gordy was having a hard time and wanted to say bye. Plus I felt I needed to make up for not running backwards before!

The excitement of seeing my crew and getting Jethro quickly wore off and next section was my first super slow section.  I just couldn’t run.  I got to Forest Hill and was feeling pretty bummed out about my pace.   I got there 2 hours after Craig did last year, I didn’t recognize the place at all.  Last year there were huge crowds lining the streets into town. This year there was silence.  I entered the aid station and immediately asked the announcers who had won the race.  The announcers at Forest Hill did not know who won the race they were announcing for.  This was super depressing.  Then I get some food and asked where the live video camera was, I wanted to say hi to my mom.  The aid station workers looked at me like I was crazy.  Video camera? there’s no video camera.  Then a volunteer comes over and tells us that we had better think about getting a move on as the aid station cut off was in only 15 minutes.  Ugh this aid station sucks.  Only thing awesome was I got to see Max and OJ again.  OJ was TCOBing and found out the winners for me.  I told Max, "Leave your phones on. I don’t think I can make it much farther." Stepping out of that aid station was kind of rewarding I was now to the point where every step I took was farther than I had ever run before.  

I get a little confused but somewhere in here I started to dabble in the magical arts.  It started with 6 oz of Coke.  Next aid station was 12 oz of Mountain Dew.  Then Peachstone aid station was out of Dragon’s Blood, I mean Mountain Dew.  This was followed by 2.3 miles at about a 40 minute per mile pace.  I arrived at Ford’s bar Aid station with 75 minutes to go 5.0 miles to beat the next cutoff.  I could barely stand up, though sitting down would have been equivalent to race death.  Passing this aid station meant that I got to see the place where Craig proposed to me.  But if I wanted to go any further in the race I was going to have to run better than 15 minute miles in this section.  I was not feeling very encouraged by that statistic 73 miles into the race.  But, and this is a huge BUT, Ford’s bar still had Dragon’s blood.  Jethro promptly handed me a full can of the potion and made me drink it. Then he poured two into my water bottle. And we were off.  My quad’s felt like they had just drank the elixir of life.  It was Magic.  Pure Magic.  I ran faster in this section then I had in the last 50 miles, I even ran downhill.  I made it to Rucky Chucky with 9 minutes to spare.  That’s 13 minute miles, which included a slow walk through the spot where Craig proposed! I wanted to cry when we crossed the river, definitely didn't though.  That section was miraculous.

But the walk up to Green’s gate was slow and we hear near the top: "you have 2 minutes to run 200 yards."  We started sprinting, at the river crossing they told me Green gate did not have a cut off, so we took our time.   I sprinted through and Jethro grabbed some supplies for us.  It was crazy and the can of coke I downed did not help.  The caffeinated magic was no longer working.

Sorry Ladies.

I had 80 minutes to run 5.4 miles to beat the 7am cutoff at ALT.  I don’t want to say I gave up in this section, there has got to be a better phrase for what I was feeling.  I was in awe of myself, I was proud, I was tired, and I felt like the bones were pushing though the bottoms of my feet.  I was done. Jethro was practically prancing in front of me; he was constantly trying to hear the aid station so he could tell me we made it.  I was the last runner on the course at this point, the horse sweeps were following closely behind us.  When 7am rolled around I was really at peace with it all.  I don't feel like I gave up.  I did what I could do until I couldn't do it anymore.  I was excited to see how much I could do and am impressed with myself, sans buckle.  

When 7am arrived it was bitter sweet I cried a little.  I was thinking about how the website was going to get updated soon and Craig, my family and friends were going to see I had dropped.  I touched my cheek to see if my tears were the color of dragon's blood, I could finally afford to waste a little water. (I really did this then shook my head thinking OK your exhausted not crazy!) 

Done!

And Done!

 

      

Done!

   

  

  

  

  

  

  

   

Thanks OJ!

Juju

Todd, Me, and Porter

I have now officially DNFed three 50k's in a row.  Though I can't say I felt bad about today's race.  I'm improving.  In September I DNFed McKenzie River after only 3 miles due to a left ankle sprain, I was surprised to have my first DNF.  Then one week before the 2011 racing season started I lightly sprained  my right ankle.  I went to Orca's Island 50k since I was supposed to meet a freind at this race.  Arrogantly I did nothing about it when I realized I left my brace at home.  Made it 7 miles before I really sprained it.  So now two weeks later, I went to Hagg lake for a few reasons 1. It's close and I get to stay with my awesome friend Nadine the night before.  2. I was driving my friend Porter so I had to go anyway.  3.  I'm stubborn and 4. I'm a poor college student and I had already paid for it. So I'm feeling pretty great about my 17 miles today and that my mind choose to stop not my body!!  Progress. I'll take it.

That being said it was still a tough race for me it took me an hour and 6 minutes longer to get around the lake this year as compared to 2009, though this year was about 3 miles longer since I started with the 50k start and not the 25k start.  Still to be that slow was frustrating,  Plus I would have accepted a DNF but for some reason they turned me into a 25k finisher so I have an official finish time on ultrasign up.  This means my ranking decreased by 0.22%.  Would it have been better to DNF and just not have anything on Ultrasignup?

Ankle Brace Tan.

To top it off I got duded 3 times!  That's right my one lap around was slower then the top 3 finishers.  They made it around the lake 2 times in less time than it took me to get around one time. 

So what am I going to do ?  I have a big race schedule this year though I only really really care about finishing one of them.  My next race is my wedding, I have to rehab this ankle in time to break my streak and finish my wedding race.  I can't DNF my wedding that's just bad for so many reasons.


OK ankle I send you good Juju and promise to be consistent with your PT, you have to get better!!