Lake Sonoma

Ok, so I need to post a race report or something.  I was pretty lame.  I forgot my camera.  I planned on taking lots of photos and taking the scenic route, well, instead, I got stuck in this conga line with 120+ people with a crap load of climbing.....

Wow, Jon was smoking fast on that course.  Ok, so now I can start my summary.

I had a fun day.  I finished in 11:09 and got some really cool swag!!  Done....

Henry's March 5K

On Sunday, March 22, Roos, Connor and I participated in the 2nd annual Henry's March in Turlock.  This run is for Henry Johnson.  

We got there early and hung out in the gym at Stanislaus State University.  They had free food and booths with vendors.  They had face painting for all pre-registered kids and were selling raffle tickets.  The goal was to raise as much money as last year, which was a whopping $25,000.  

The 5K started at 9:15.  I wasn't sure how much I had in my legs since it was only one week post CTM.  I was shooting for 22 minutes.  

There was a significant head wind but my legs felt good.  I hit the one mile mark but didn't want to look at my watch.  I saw the first place girl in front of me and Steve from our running group slightly in front of her.  I just kept my sights on them.  I started to close the gap as we hit the 2 mile mark.  I had the youngster of the run, she looked over her shoulder twice.  I finally closed the gap around the 3 mile mark.  I came up along side the young girl and congratulated her on a good job, then I passed her and caught up to Steve.  I told him to pick it up and sprint in.  Just as he started to sprint and I started to sprint, the young girl blew by both of us!  She finished in 21:24.  Steve finished 21:28 and I finished 21:29.  

I was very happy with my run.  My legs felt pretty good.  I took second female overall and first in age group.  The girl who won, was 26 years old and it was her second organized run.  I congratulated her on a nice job with an awesome kick at the finish!

Roos and Connor walked the course with an great time of 46:06.

We hung around for awards and the raffle.  It was a very fun day.  

The total amount raised for this year was $21,400.  Not bad for a crappy economy.

 

 

Next up: Lake Sonoma 50 mile on Saturday March 28.

Run fun....

CTM

On Thursday, Linda, Anita and I drove down to Ojai for my second running of Coyote Two moon 100 mile run.  It is an incredibly difficult and challenging run.  

We went into Venture for some bowling fun that evening.  Anita and I were on the same team and I am proud to say Anita won an award for the lowest bowling score, a whopping 35!  Vance's team won some award and they all received snow ski's and poles, which they had to bring to the start of the race with them.  If your wondering about this run and the sanity of the race director, here he is at the pre-race briefing:

Chris Scott is the race director and he is quite a character.  The atmosphere of the race is awesome, very relaxed.  

If you've not heard of CTM, Chris' thought process is to have staggered starts so that everyone finishes within a four hour window.  Your not allowed to have pacers because you will always be near another runner with the staggered starts.  

THE START:

I was scheduled to start at 11:00 p.m. on Friday night.  In my group were 17 other guys.  I was afraid of being dead last, the slow poke.  

We started and immediately 1/2 mile up the road, I stopped at the port-a-potties.  When I came out, I was second to the last runner - oh well.  

The start this year was at Thacher school.  It is a 4.8 mile trek to the ridge.  It took me 2 1/2 hours to do 4.8 miles.  It also entailed 4 stream crossings in which rock hopping was successful and no wet feet.  It would not have been good to start a 100 miler with wet feet at mile 1!  At the top we took a right and ran down the ridge road towards Sisar Canyon.  At the bottom of Sisar canyon, I was expecting my drop bag so I could get some GU2O for my bottle, but no such luck.  It was "misplaced" but they had a real bathroom which was nice.  I caught up with another guy in our group at the stream crossing.  His name was Keen and it was his first 100.  Boy he sure picked a doosie!  I was, unfortunately, not successful at rock hopping and my left foot got soaking wet.  Oh well, it did dry pretty fast.

SISAR CANYON 

The climb out of Sisar Canyon was long but we took a right turn on to a single track trail that brought us up to Lion Canyon aid station.  I will say, the course was marked excellently.  It even had one sign with a map and said, "you are here" with an X.  

LION CANYON

This was a great aid station.  I ran into Linda here.  She was all cuddled up in a chair with sleeping bags.  It seems she was having some hypothermia issues.  It was cold up on the ridge road.  Lyon Canyon also had a nice rip roaring fire which made leaving difficult!  From here is the dreaded climb to the top of Topa Topa.  It is a peak that sits 6500 feet up and is covered with ice and snow.

This is what the ascent looked like.  Lots of snow and ice.  Once at the top, you must get a card from a deck of cards and then return to Lyon Canyon aid station.  I tried to step in other's foot prints so I wouldn't slide down the mountain.

As I got to the bottom near the aid station, Linda was heading up Topa Topa.  She decided she had warmed up enough and would try to continue on.  

ROSE VALLEY

From Lion Canyon aid station, you climb up the ridge road until you take a right turn on single track trail that leads towards Rose Valley.  The trail here is very narrow at times.  I would shine my flashlight down the side of the hill but couldn't see a thing.  I guess ignorance is bliss.  There was snow along the side of the trail also.  I remember last year heading down and the temps dropped significantly - into the low 20's.  This year I was more prepared.  I had hand warmers and a thicker jacket.  As I continued on, the night was coming to an end and by the time I reached the bottom it was light out and cold.  It was 24 degrees at the aid station.  I quickly ate a hot, grilled turkey and cheese sandwich and headed back.

The climb up took a long time.  It was warming up and looking like a beautiful day!

Now in the daylight, you can see those drops and long downs next to the very narrow trail.

Here is the drop down:

Here is the very narrow trail next to that long down.

Once you get back to the ridge road, you hit the Lyon Canyon aid station one more time.  From this point you return down the single track trail to the ridge road just above Sisar Canyon.   This was a nice excellent down hill but of course turns into a long climb up towards the start.  Once we hit the top to Thacher, the 100 milers and the 100Ker's will follow the same course.  As I was almost back to the start, I could see those poor bastards making that 4.8 mile trek! ROSE VALLEY You continue on the ridge road for 8 miles until you head down a road for 2 miles until you reach Rose Valley aid station again.  I was running down thinking how nice it would be to use a real bathroom and have a diet pepsi from my drop bag.  As I got to the bottom, I was eating and drinking and I looked up and guess who I saw: Anita was hitting Rose Valley at mile 12 of her 62 and I was at mile 48.8 of my 100 miles.  We decided to stay together until the finish.  We made the long climb back 2 miles until you hit the ridge road again and we head towards Howard's Creek. HOWARDS CREEK This was a very nice gently single track trail that led to an aid station on a road.  They had some wonderful homemade peanut butter cookies there!! COZY DELL From last year, the only thing I remember vividly were that the climbs up Thacher and Cozy Dell sucked.  Cozy Dell had some sort of rock bed with large boulders that you had to climb to get to the aid station.  Anita and I were running nicely.  The trail went from runnable to rocky technical quite frequently which is difficult to get into a groove.  Run, walk, run, walk.  We were trying to get down to Cozy Dell before dark.  We had handheld in our backpacks but didn't really want to stop to fish them out.  But no such luck, before the rock bed, we had to get our lights.  If you know Anita and I, it's the blind leading the blind and not really safe so lights were a good thing~ At Cozy Dell, nothing really sounded good food wise but we tried to eat.  I refilled one bottle and left the other in my drop bag.  I don't like carrying two bottles and a handheld light, especially when I'm tired and my feet are dragging.  It makes for a good combination of taking a header! GRIDLEY TOP When Anita and I finally made it to Gridley Top aid station, we were COLD, well freezing was more like it.  It was 27 degrees up on the ridge road and windy.  We just wanted to sit and huddle up with blankets.  Chris came over and told me I was past the cut off time.  He said I could only keep going because I was running with Anita and she was a 100 k and started much later than I.  He said to get going if I wanted to finish in time.  We stayed at the aid station for maybe 2 minutes.  I was worried.  Holy crap, I am a slow poke.... We headed down the trail towards Gridley Bottom.  The trail again is very runnable with some patches of rocks which slowed you down.  As we headed down and up this little dip, we heard a scream.  I yelled, "are you okay".  The response was a moan.  I swear, I sprinted (difficult on legs that have gone 70+ miles) back and saw a runner down.  It was Karen Hanke.  She was laying face first on a bed of rocks.  She was talking and we got her to roll over.  Her knees were bloody but that was it until she took off her glove and her left wrist was deformed.  Badly deformed.  She is one tough cookie.  She wasn't even crying!  We got her up on her feet and tried to think if we had anything to make a splint, which we didn't so we had her hold her arm and I walked in front of her shining my light backwards to she could see.  We walked for many, many miles until we reached Gridley bottom.  Fortunately, there was a doctor there and a retired paramedic.  They fashioned a cardboard splint and placed ice on it.  Karen had broken down and taken 400 mg of advil before we hit the bottom.  See, I told you she was a tough cookie.  As she sat there, and the adrenaline finally wore off, she cried.  We felt so bad.  At least she was in good hands.  They were working on getting her to her hotel since her husband wasn't answering his cell. Chris was also at Gridley bottom since someone had told him a runner went down.  I walked up to him and said, "did you realize I started at 11 p. and I'm sure I wasn't close to any cut offs".  He said, "I know but you got your ass moving didn't you"!   I was thinking what an a$#@*^%. We made the long climb back up to Gridley top aid station and headed towards the finish.  13+ long miles until the finish.  It was still 27 degrees and windy.  We were really cold.   Anita and I and two other girls, Georgeann and Kim were the last four people out on the ridge road.  We would all be walking and then someone would say, "I can't feel my fingers" then quiet.  Then another, "I"m so freaking cold".  It was quite funny (now). We hit the ridge junction aid station (where they had a fire).  Like a moth to a flame Anita had to pull me away.  We're only 4.8 miles to the finish.  Anita said, we can run down to the finish.  As we started down towards Thacher, it is rocky, narrow, steep, slippery and dangerous.  What kind of crack was she smoking to think we could run that! It was a long walk down.  We hit the 4 creek crossings and Anita was successful at rock hopping 3 times.  On the last creek, her foot got wet.  Anita really DISLIKES wet feet.  I giggled and she cussed at me.   THE FINISH At some point, Georgeann and Kim had pulled away and taken the lead.  Anita and I were it - DFL. As we came to the track and took our lap, the awards ceremony was just starting.  How embarrassing was that!  Mostly everyone was already showered and had eaten.  How embarrassing is that! Anyway, we finished, together.  The final time for me 35:45 and Anita's was 23:45.   It wasn't important what our time was.  We had a good time, helped someone in need and didn't freeze to death.  Much more important things. RECAP I just wanted to say, I didn't hurl once.  I really concentrated on eating and drinking.  I ate grilled cheese sandwiches, cheese quesidillas, chips, cookies, etc.  I even had a sip of beer at the Rose Valley aid station the second time around.  I did slow down on the fluid consumption but was still sipping water to the end.  I did also take electrolytes faithfully.  I am most happy about that and will continue to work on that. I also wanted to say, that the volunteers and all the aid stations were fabulous!!  They waited on you hand and foot.  Next year, if the timing is right, I want to volunteer.  Then I can drink lots of beer and cater to the crazies that do Coyote Two Moon.. From Coyote Two Moon Here is the link for other pictures I took:  http://picasaweb.google.com/5150runnner/CoyoteTwoMoon?feat=directlink

Run of the Month

On Saturday, our running club, ShadowChase

went to Lake Chabot for a training run.  We left Modesto at 7:15 a. and were running on the trails by 8:30 a.  The weather was a little chilly at the start but it warmed up nicely.  We ran along the lake on the Honker Bay trail.  It is an absolutely beautiful single track trail.  There was a lot of water due to all the rain but everything was green.  Most of us were tapering for one event or another so we took it easy with a 9 miler.   

Run fun.....

Sequoia 50K

 "I peed my pants for the first time while racing. So yes people, that is what you saw on my shorts as I headed off for the 20k loop."

Taken from the blog of Caitlin Smith, overall winner of the 50K.  That must be why I didn't win, I stopped to pee!!!  Oh, and one other small detail, I run slow!!

Seriously, congratulations to her.  She came in second overall, took 30 minutes off the women's course record and it was her first ever 50K.  She will be running WTC in 2 weeks and yes,  she'll be a force to be reckoned with.

Several members of the ShadowChase running club headed over to the Oakland hills to run Sequoia trail run hosted by the ever popular Pacific Coast Trail Runs.  I was excited because this was my first of Wendell and Sarah's runs this year.  

We started at 8:30 a.  I usually have a time goal that I establish before each run but this time, I had a heart rate goal.  I wanted to keep my heart rate in the "moderate endurance" zone.  

The course was nice, a little sloppy on the French trail due to all the rain we've received lately but still beautiful.  I felt good.  I tried to concentrate on fluid and nutrition.  I came across the 30K loop at 3:29.  Not to bad.  I headed back out for the final 20K loop.  I felt pretty strong.  I passed several people on the last loop, which is always a boost, and finished right at 6:00.  Overall, I was happy with how the day went.  My heart rate stayed exactly where I wanted it. 

I think the climbs on CTM will be a challenge.  I really wish I had more hill training under my belt but it is what it is.  I just need to focus on that CTM is a training run for Western. 

Of course, Anita and I hit our favorite post run food.  Most people would cringe at our food choice but it really makes sense - lots of sodium, protein, carbs and fat (well, mostly fat) but it does taste good!!!

Run fun.....

Adrenalines

Ok, so I posted I love my new Adrenalines.  Well, I seem to have an issue with the "new" version 9. When I tried on the new version, I only tried on the right shoe.  Seems silly not to try on both, I bet your thinking, but I've never had a problem with the 8 version.  I could put them on and run a marathon in a brand new pair without so much as a blister.  

So, I put on my new 9 and went for a 10 mile run.  The shoe bothered my left achilles, so much in fact, it was sore for several days after.  I've have just rehabed my achilles and am a little worried about a shoe that bothers it.  So, I took it back.  I went to Fleet feet in Stockton and they exchanged it.  They are fabulous there.  Even though I ran 16 miles in them, they still exchanged them. It seems that the heel back sits higher than the version 8 and rubs on my achilles.  

 I tried on some other stability shoes and decided to go with the Brooks Trance.

I have my fingers crossed that they won't bother my achilles and yes, I did try on both shoes and ran around the store and they felt good.  I'll have to go for a run in them tommorrow.  Of course, if it's raining, I may wait.  I don't want to get them dirty!!

Run Fun....