tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-88564944130917726382024-02-18T17:57:50.899-08:00Rooster SlamI just turned 40 and for my 40th birthday I decided to do the Grand Slam. The grand slam is a series of 4 100 mile races about 3 weeks apart. My husband has been pushing me to do this for a couple of years now and since I got an automatic entry into Western States 100M (top 10 finish) for 2007 and it happened to be the year I turned 40, why not? I am lucky enough to have a big support group ready to push me through this summers adventure. I started this blog to document and share my journey.Rondahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10832545114209221483noreply@blogger.comBlogger49125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8856494413091772638.post-2888684549557547792007-10-03T19:29:00.000-07:002007-10-05T15:35:58.416-07:00BloggingI have decided to continue blogging but since this blog was my personal journal for the 2007 Grand Slam I started another one.<br /><br />You can find it at <a href="http://www.roosterruns.blogspot.com/">http://www.roosterruns.blogspot.com/</a><br /><br />I want to thank all of you for following, commenting and just reading. Blogging has been much more fun and more rewarding than I would have thought because it helped me think about how much <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_0">ultra running</span> <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_1">truly</span> crosses over into regular life. All the lessons and experiences we have on the trails can certainly <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_2">parallel</span> day to day life. All the challenges and rewards we work through and <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_3">receive</span> on forested paths on long hours of training have helped me in many more ways than I would have known before.<br /><br />Take care and I will see you out there somewhere I am sure!Rondahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10832545114209221483noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8856494413091772638.post-30014065373982793742007-09-25T13:18:00.000-07:002007-09-26T15:09:07.551-07:00Recap & What's been happening<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOx63I5k_lEozjnGwN02Wd5rQjFyXvT6SgC5opgcYq7F0kXw-BZ9_MXqPuqq2GkH15rf1Ar5Zy1bzl9c7PYL5ReteYrYNvqx9ZHy9NBLSMT-etT-5PhL6Y3bXtwE-lGBzPu_pAcCkMYIk/s1600-h/slam+team.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5114564062105183266" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOx63I5k_lEozjnGwN02Wd5rQjFyXvT6SgC5opgcYq7F0kXw-BZ9_MXqPuqq2GkH15rf1Ar5Zy1bzl9c7PYL5ReteYrYNvqx9ZHy9NBLSMT-etT-5PhL6Y3bXtwE-lGBzPu_pAcCkMYIk/s320/slam+team.jpg" border="0" /></a>It been almost 1 month since the end of the SLAM and I am back in the full swing of regular life. On my way back to our place after just finishing Wasatch in my deep fatigue when asked what's next I said, "I am retired". For the first time after the conclusion of a big event I couldn't think of anything I wanted to do with running, I was content with retirement. However I knew within 4 short days of being home in Portland I would be boarding another plane with Stacey and crew for her race, AC100M. My duties for her event were to be main crew person and if I was up for it I would also pace her from mile 55 to 62. She didn't have a pacer from 62-75 which are much more critical miles so I said I would give it a try and the worst thing that could happen is she would leave me in the dust. Thinking that would be a great mental boost for her to say she had dropped her pacer I was eager to help her out. For the first 7 miles of my pacing duties I felt great but for the last 8 I could feel my legs and was thinking about all the Last Great Racers who where out on the challenging AC100 course just one week after the gruelling Wasatch, WOW. I honestly don't know if I could have done it, a big congratulations to all that did. Darin paced Stacey for the last 25 miles and he wrote about it on <a href="http://runnerwhocodes.blogspot.com/">his</a> blog.<br /><br /><br /><div>For finishing the SLAM we received this really neat eagle trophy, a shirt and a small pin. There were 11 people who made it through all four races but only two woman. I was pretty pumped to be done and the memories I have are so cool. For the last month I have been reminiscing about the entire process and all the good laughs we all had. It was a ton of work but really wasn't that hard. I think once I <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDRPtfW-oNoTmGbgh__IpnLcjHwSvpJ4DqxYqC3FdBc5Ie2xlSkfbBaKRkKYhzgXiPIoQi94xL1hd-WY2i-Ba9NXPGbdCIIADoZV_ynoPDwyt8dzCP0rgaPvqj0hqQOv0HgoYReZ04UhA/s1600-h/IMG_1705.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5114565243221189682" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDRPtfW-oNoTmGbgh__IpnLcjHwSvpJ4DqxYqC3FdBc5Ie2xlSkfbBaKRkKYhzgXiPIoQi94xL1hd-WY2i-Ba9NXPGbdCIIADoZV_ynoPDwyt8dzCP0rgaPvqj0hqQOv0HgoYReZ04UhA/s320/IMG_1705.JPG" border="0" /></a>had made the commitment to see it through in the best form I could it was a done deal. I went into the SLAM with a very specific plan on how I would approach all the races and for the most part I executed it exactly. There were things that came up along the way that changed but all for the better and I think I gave it my best effort. I learned a ton along the way about myself, my friends and just basic life stuff. Nothing earth shattering and not everything I learned was new; some of the things just affirmed what I had already thought but I took away some new lessons. </div><br /><br /><div>My SLAM plan was to train like crazy for WS100M as if it was the only race I was going to run all year and run that race as hard as I could. Once WS100M was over I planned to recover nicely and putz through Vermont 100M, using all the allowed time if necessary in order to save myself for Leadville. I wanted to go under 25 hours at Leadville because I knew I had a shot and I was planning on acclimating as much as I could. I know I don't do well at altitude and I knew I couldn't run well there without spending the time acclimating. I also knew I wouldn't be doing this every summer so I wanted to take full advantage of the opportunity. After Leadville I planned to just get through Wasatch. I knew the Wasatch course well and I also knew I would have 3 100M races on my legs so if I needed the 36 hours I was going to take it. </div><br /><br /><div>Everything was in place, I trained very hard for WS100M and I thought I had a really good chance of going under 23 hours there. Unfortunately the day did not go well from mile 30-72 and I battled stomach issues like never before. I did not take enough salt, in fact I took none, not unusual for me but with the increased intensity I was running and the fact that I don't like raspberry G2O cost me. I was lucky enough to get sick at mile 72 and release the beach ball in my stomach. From 72-100 I ran well enough to get under 24. My SLAM plan was not on course but since my WS100M performance was weak I recovered very fast. As Vermont approached I felt a ton of apprehension since I have never run a 100M race back to back and it was a fast course. I knew I could get under 30 hours but I felt the uneasiness of the unknowing. I had no big plans for Vermont except to soak up the environment and enjoy the day which meant my crew got a break from my normal craziness. The day turned out to be amazing and I slowed myself down all day wondering when the big truck was going to hit me. Walking on purpose to save myself from the unknown doom that I was sure was just around the corner was a very new move for me. I talked to the horseback riders, I goofed around in the aid stations and to top it off I refused to run for last 5 miles! I told Stacey I was saving myself for Leadville :). I was just thrilled to be under 24 hours and to do 21:36 was unbelievable. More perplexing was how good I felt as if I hadn't run any races before Vermont, even better was how fast I bounced back.<br /><br /></div><div>I was so stoked about Leadville and now that Vermont was over and I survived it eased my apprehension. I had more confidence about my 25 hour goal. Leadville went just as planned and I got under 25 hours but felt like I was running against the clock all day! With only 2 weeks at 10,000 feet the race I had was the best I could have done, I don't feel like I left anything on the trail. The lessons of the prior two hundreds were so valuable and all of the highs and lows of WS100M and Vermont100M were felt during Leadville. Since I ran Leadville with so much focus and effort I thought my recovery would be very slow and with Wasatch only 3 weeks away I was concerned about how hard race day might be. Fortunately I recovered even fast after Leadville than I did after WS and Vermont, all very surprising but welcomed. </div><div><br /></div><div>Since Wasatch was the last one I had nothing to loose....leave it all on the trail. I chose to run the race without my heart rate monitor to police my effort. I figured the worst thing that could happen is I have to slow down and take more time. As the race unfolded I felt better and better. Again the lessons learned from the prior races came in to play from solving poor digestion to dealing with fatigued muscles. </div><br /><br /><div>I think the strategy I had going into the SLAM was a good one. The plan to run hard at two events and get through the other two gave me focus but also a release. Focus for two big events and just fun and easiness for the others. I believe there was an unconscious aspect that held me back on all the races that did not exist at Wasatch. Being in the moment at each event I would not have said this but now, after Wasatch I know there was always a little voice in my head saying, "your not done yet, don't blow it". Would I have done it differently, NO! The plan gave me better results than I could have ever dreamed up.<br /><br /></div><div>As I mentioned above I learned a few things this summer. First and foremost my family and friends gave and gave unselfishly all summer with nothing but huge smiles and lots of warmth. They were so amazing, pacing, traveling, laminating pace charts, preparing race foods, cleaning up after me, taking care of Alex, getting directions, bringing me things I forgot, checking on me while I was away, motivating me....the list just goes on and on. All summer I felt very lucky and blessed to be friends with such great people. I learned that these people are unique and special and I hope I am just as good to them. </div><br /><br /><div>Many people do the SLAM and everyone does it differently but for me to attempt this was a big deal. I have worked hard in the last 3 years to improve my running times and learn how to run a 100 race well but in reality I am just an average person and running 4 100 races in 12 weeks was huge for me and my family. Planning was a big deal figuring out how to continue to function as a family and still do this. I was reminded how communicating and planning can make or break a goal when it involves so many other people. Bill and I sat down months before WS to map out the whole SLAM and that was so valuable. When the time came calendars with trips and plans were guiding us to the next stop with no hiccups or surprises. All of this in turn gave me the opportunity to visualize what the summer would be like. Since I had no idea how my body would respond I prepared for the worst. I had time to think about recovery and what that would like, what would I eat and what things could I do to speed my recovery. I was lucky that Stacey is LMT so she would massage my legs right after my runs and then again the next day which made a huge difference. I took lots of immune booster vitamins, drank a ton of water, took a few ice baths, got 3 pedicures and tried to get a ton of sleep. Planning gave me the freedom to focus and enjoy the adventure...there is nothing like it :). </div><br /><br /><div>I felt like I got stronger with each race and who knows if I was getting physically stronger or simply mentally tougher. I definitely think I am physically stronger but the mental aspect of my races got much more of a workout. I have always considered myself somewhat mentally tough but I have my moments and can be very much a wimp. After WS100M I learned more about fueling than I could have imagined but more than that I learned the power of being in the moment. Taking stock in what is going on in my race at that very moment, not thinking so far ahead. Being mindful of how my body was responding to what I was putting in and the subsequent energy high and lows. I got to practice what it was like to run in pain. I thought I knew how to deal with discomfort but now I really know...Wasatch taught me that but because of my other races I had better coping skills. I learned how to shut out the noise in my head that is not useful and focus more internally on what's happening. With races being so close together I got to practice everything I did poorly in the prior races while it was still fresh in my mind. I can honestly say I don't think I repeated any of my mistakes because they were so fresh and I was mindful of them. In the past I think I have been pretty good at learning from my mistakes but this was rapid fire learning and generally when things are really fresh you don't forget :). </div><br /><div></div><br /><div>The biggest lesson I learned from the SLAM was the value of recovery. I have recovery runs and days off planned during training but not enough. I obviously perform better with more recovery because that's all I did this summer.....race & recover. I had no idea how fatigued I really was during training but with so much forced recovery I was itching to run. I couldn't wait to get back out there and milked all the running I was able to do in between events. There was no dragging my behind out the door and no lack luster workouts because I was so rested. Now the challenge will be to remember this lesson when it comes time to train again and I have to say this will be very hard for me.:). </div><br /><br /><div>For the last month I have been doing just a bit of running and a lot of weight training. With 8 weeks out of the weight room I was feeling nervous about getting back into it, sort of starting from scratch. I have lost a lot of muscle mass in my upper body but that might have been a good thing for my running. I think I lost a total of 4 pounds over the summer and I suspect half of it was muscle mass. Since I have been back the biggest weakness I noticed was my lower abdominals and back! They are really weak but the funny thing is I thought they were weak before....well now they are really weak! I have been running about 5 days a wee<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_JInqnFNDidXqcAbwpgRD5n3rUKacbT8dXdZd-8Su6TGHHZCyHFiVT80E9AXLWU0Sx4CEtHUpY8215pt6Cx9zTPVpvvNA_-UeVyvxxkJR4pOXnqJi2p3ghF8uuoYYp9njyFU37brnekw/s1600-h/IMG_1702.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5114566020610270274" style="FLOAT: right; MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_JInqnFNDidXqcAbwpgRD5n3rUKacbT8dXdZd-8Su6TGHHZCyHFiVT80E9AXLWU0Sx4CEtHUpY8215pt6Cx9zTPVpvvNA_-UeVyvxxkJR4pOXnqJi2p3ghF8uuoYYp9njyFU37brnekw/s320/IMG_1702.JPG" border="0" /></a>k but nothing very taxing, lots of runs with friends just chatting and getting caught up. I am going to the gorge on Monday's and it's nice to be back. Trisha and I went for a 2 hour run up Angels Rest and around. I have also been doing 1 hour on the treadmill on a random hill setting and that has been fun.</div><div></div><br /><br /><div>Next year.......I sent in my application for WS100M and Micheal told me I have a problem :). He means this in a good way. I can't seem to let that race go and move on :). I think it's because I don't feel like I have never run it very well and once I get the feeling I had a good day there I will move on. As all of you know the chances of getting in are slim so I have lots of other things looming in my brain. </div>Rondahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10832545114209221483noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8856494413091772638.post-14902261237309521202007-09-11T08:36:00.000-07:002007-09-11T14:40:51.622-07:00Wasatch 100M!<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgeMkBsV0CFVNY6Q4OOIl_PGRbsV69n9AZJw6KyFDiE7uxwW_S02cSVVKiTEDevYSFp19b_8Ryelf-_GHQOH8yUH6ekI32ufOC6GXEOHHxfv772bJMWglT3tUnYRE6lEVPf8_Dwe0oNzh0/s1600-h/IMG_1668.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5108971568918877986" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgeMkBsV0CFVNY6Q4OOIl_PGRbsV69n9AZJw6KyFDiE7uxwW_S02cSVVKiTEDevYSFp19b_8Ryelf-_GHQOH8yUH6ekI32ufOC6GXEOHHxfv772bJMWglT3tUnYRE6lEVPf8_Dwe0oNzh0/s320/IMG_1668.JPG" border="0" /></a> <strong>The Stats:</strong><br /><div><strong>230 starters and 160 finisher's</strong></div><div><strong>Time: 27:57:23</strong> </div><div><strong>Place 26th of 160, 3rd female</strong> </div><div><strong>Zero blisters and still have my toenails :)</strong></div><br /><div>On Thursday evening before bed I grabbed my book "Running Within" by Jerry Lynch and Warren Scott. I just opened the book to read a random section and was surprised to find the chapter on dealing with pain and fatigue staring back at me. I got a good chuckle and thought it couldn't get much more appropriate for my last race of the SLAM. It refreshed my memory but more importantly the information really sunk in my brain and I wondered if the techniques they suggested would really work during Wasatch on Saturday. </div><br /><div></div><br /><br /><div>Friday morning I went for a 30 minute run with some strides before I picked up Bill, Alex, Stacey, Micheal and Andy at the airport. The run was awesome and I felt really revved up, probably one of my best pre-race shake down runs. It gave me confidence my body was ready to tackle the course and that I would at least make it through the race and could most likely break 30 hours. Friday was a fast and furious day with a race meeting, drop bags, eating dinner, getting to our room, driving to the start and getting to bed early.<br /></div><div><br /></div><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5109021820036241314" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZCSfUUdAwlDBoeNf6JZ0XbbQ82xeIXyK0BGIns8ZHc13WK9veaq7neYxKkG8kbY6I-Cmd-jwssDUyBZIpYj6ClS8h6KWQ25OtVrkdEIJNM32d1btIIQiHKyTkki4EMExfyGnz7basTIk/s320/IMG_1630.JPG" border="0" />3<strong>:</strong>15 came quickly and I ate a bagel with cream cheese, yogurt, drank a bit of coffee and 25 oz of Hydrate. We left at 4:15 and arrived to a bustling crowd of runners and only 2 port-a-potties, the lines were way to long. I lined up in the top 3rd knowing we would immediately be on single track trail for 4 miles of gradual climbing before we turned and headed straight up the hill. I got in a pocket with 4 other runners all of us keeping a good pace and gaped by the leaders and the rest of the racers. This was nice because the dust can be bad on this 4 miles and with the fires from Montana the air was already grey, with added dust my lungs would have been screaming. As we gradually climb the first 4 miles on wonderful single track we can see the city lights from the suburbs outside of Salt Lake City and I can't believe how high up we are already. The first climb on the Wasatch course is about 5000 feet in 11 miles with the last 2 miles being gruellingly steep and the high point on this section is about 9300 feet. I felt pretty good on most of the climb but when we reached the steep step ups I could feel the cumulative effects of the SLAM on my quads. I knew my climbing would not be great due to the lack of practice this year but the deep fatigue I felt in my legs at mile 11 was concerning. Though I wasn't thrilled with the reality of less than stellar climbing I wasn't freaked out either, I guess I assumed at some point this summer I would feel all the racing. Once we crest the top of Chinscraper we continue traversing on the ridge up and down to the the first aid station at Grobbins Corner (mile 13.2). At the aid station I added 10 oz of water to my bladder for the 5 mile section to Francis Peak. From Grobbins the race takes us on a nice piece of single track which gradually heads downhill but it'<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjph3r2zCJndHiT_lhSt7q66nwhUlvLgsaAzCy1rxsstjMoPgR1Yp4RtjfG1k-ImCYWa1DJJ8PxiPVCzf-OBBeDdP8pgO19mgZhIyulkUatPvgLvmVnjpOQJ0s00_EwTrBN-YqNNObIUSg/s1600-h/IMG_1609.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5109015510729283378" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjph3r2zCJndHiT_lhSt7q66nwhUlvLgsaAzCy1rxsstjMoPgR1Yp4RtjfG1k-ImCYWa1DJJ8PxiPVCzf-OBBeDdP8pgO19mgZhIyulkUatPvgLvmVnjpOQJ0s00_EwTrBN-YqNNObIUSg/s320/IMG_1609.JPG" border="0" /></a>s very rocky. I wrote in a previous post about the fact that I haven't done much running on technical trails so I would begin my training for that type of running at Wasatch :). Well.....at mile 14 the training began and I just started to get in a groove and with only a few twists and turns on my feet I got the hang of it. I made good time on this 2 miles and felt more confident about the trail. After that lovely single track we pop onto a dirt road for 4 miles, all downhill into Francis Peak (mile 18.6) where I see my crew for the first time. I came in about 10 minutes ahead of my 29:18 pace chart making up all my time on the downhill and none on the first climb. I was feeling good and had been eating like I planned, drinking a lot of liquids. With just handhelds and pockets jammed with gels I was off to Bountiful B (mile 23.8). After leaving Francis we head behind the mountains on more two track road in which quads and other off road vehicles frequent leaving the road chewed up and very rocky. It must have been hunting season as gun shots were being fired as we traversed the ridge and passed many off road vehicles equipped with guns and bows. This section of Wasatch is my least favorite because the trail is more like a moose trail winding through the woods with constant steep ups and downs. It was hard to get into any kind of running groove with the constant changes in the terrain along with the sideways slant of the trail. Again I felt the lack luster climbing but managed to hold my own with crowd. I arrived at Bountiful B (mile 23.8) about 13 minutes ahead of schedule meaning I made ground on the previous section, hard to believe considering I felt like I was moving slow. At Bountiful Stacey walked with me through the aid station and said I was around 8th woman, I was surprised I was that far up in the crowd and th<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRf_JkK3RqjHl7dgs7vHVIxnWvnxTcHHVNnlpVIHj_5rT7m3tUtr-T9S4J3742-MXxuZiaYVgWNu2fL8i-l_kRctyfWzHCtYeY83fiyjbnr5yN6GsIMUGAWvwcbOAvf-0Y8hwPbGY0dKo/s1600-h/IMG_1617.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5109016004650522434" style="FLOAT: right; MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRf_JkK3RqjHl7dgs7vHVIxnWvnxTcHHVNnlpVIHj_5rT7m3tUtr-T9S4J3742-MXxuZiaYVgWNu2fL8i-l_kRctyfWzHCtYeY83fiyjbnr5yN6GsIMUGAWvwcbOAvf-0Y8hwPbGY0dKo/s320/IMG_1617.JPG" border="0" /></a>at gave me more confidence. I left Bountiful with my small Nathan Pack and two handhelds. I was not going to see my crew until Big Mountain (mile 39.2) and traditionally I have not done well in this section they call The Sessions and Swallow Rocks. The Sessions is simply various sessions of up and downs, all short but rather steep, rocky and all on single track trail. Swallow rocks area is filled with much better running if you have downhill legs and feel confident on the steep rocky trails. In the past I have pooped out here and not done well in The Sessions section but made up for it in the Swallow Rocks area. I was planning on today's performance being no different. At this point I had re-trained myself how to run on rocky downhills but my climbing was not that good especially on the very steep stuff.<br /><br /><br /><br /><div>Leaving Bountiful I let the fatigue I was feeling just be there and I refused to give in to it knowing that there was absolutely nothing I could do but continue to fuel and move. The more I ran the less fatigued I felt, probably because running gave me sens<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLE75uxXa3k9lA8AAOyVpcIxDQLRgr2cPx4RccAaR1b0sV4oZsVKmNbsLcztJ2C2FSwBCVlpb961TFgdUUM0qo2nIVCuXyI_Z55vqkTYLTu89XsQi9LyIIFjQdTfhfY2GmBpfL_1PXFPM/s1600-h/IMG_1627.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5109017795651884898" style="FLOAT: right; MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLE75uxXa3k9lA8AAOyVpcIxDQLRgr2cPx4RccAaR1b0sV4oZsVKmNbsLcztJ2C2FSwBCVlpb961TFgdUUM0qo2nIVCuXyI_Z55vqkTYLTu89XsQi9LyIIFjQdTfhfY2GmBpfL_1PXFPM/s320/IMG_1627.JPG" border="0" /></a>e of acomplishment whereas just walking gave me far too much time to dwell. I thought about my recent read on pain and fatigue and it helped a lot! I just accepted it as part of the process and instead of feeling overwhelmed and discouraged I focused on being ahead of pace, 8th woman and finishing the SLAM. During the next 15 miles I worked hard and began to catch a lot people. There were a few miles when I felt on fire which really refreshing and I milked those moments like never before knowing I would have lower ones later. This is the race in which I got to experience the great highs and good lows, all the other SLAM races were uneventful in that manner.<br /></div><br /><br /><div>Arriving at Big Mountain (mile 39.2) arou<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjd5EciSR9IDnnUjgerML1heKMnSc8i6mQ_IxmW5WbSXF-RCla9is2pZh4K3AbgtT2CuFxzoAXPO-ZNensVrhjnACFzH9HwZ1xgZpjs64YYk2BbCWhVSKtH_WBdysKptzjrss3g3fen6TY/s1600-h/IMG_1621.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5109016597356009298" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjd5EciSR9IDnnUjgerML1heKMnSc8i6mQ_IxmW5WbSXF-RCla9is2pZh4K3AbgtT2CuFxzoAXPO-ZNensVrhjnACFzH9HwZ1xgZpjs64YYk2BbCWhVSKtH_WBdysKptzjrss3g3fen6TY/s320/IMG_1621.JPG" border="0" /></a>nd 20 minutes ahead of plan was awesome! My pace chart was aggressive in the front half because in order for me to get under 30 hours I had to push from start to finish at my fitness level, not even taking into account the 3 100M races my legs were wearing. Coming into Big Mountain feeling good and with 20 minutes in the bank was fabulous. Alex was always my greeter at the aid station entrance, snapping pictures and saying, "Mom how do you feel?, you're doing great". Having him there so engaged and smiling really warmed my heart and made want to work harder. At Big Mountain I weighed in and was 2 pounds up, great.....not too far up. I spent a good 3 minutes getting all my stuff, conversing with my crew and left with my small Nathan Pack and two handhelds.<br /></div><br /><br /><div>This section from Big Mountain to Lamb's Canyon is always hot. It's in the heat of day in an exposed area and we lose a lot of elevation. You would think this would be a great section to really tear it up. The trail lacks the normal amount of rocks, is not full of steep climbs and if you have it together it's runnable. I knew I had to stay focused an run every step I could to make my splits but about 5 minutes after leaving my crew I started to feel nauseous, yikes! My brain was working over time trying to troubleshoot the issue: My weight was fine....I have been eating but not over eating.....I have been drinking a good combination of G2O and water.....I h<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfOgcKaGQrml4mjvhQWTT222qrXYBhfdXGut11QLqRwE4vre196V7Owlxu_p70E0yWoAShjpB0GiGUeh4va_BNE_o2PafTpZJZujMHR_hGfenrwxSmG8K7lh9cAq3pxvRuTCau74Q6JWM/s1600-h/IMG_1646.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5109019797106644866" style="FLOAT: right; MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfOgcKaGQrml4mjvhQWTT222qrXYBhfdXGut11QLqRwE4vre196V7Owlxu_p70E0yWoAShjpB0GiGUeh4va_BNE_o2PafTpZJZujMHR_hGfenrwxSmG8K7lh9cAq3pxvRuTCau74Q6JWM/s320/IMG_1646.JPG" border="0" /></a>ave been religious about electrolytes....this is the same feeling I had at mile 40 at WS, I NEED MORE SALT! I downed 4 salt tablets then waited for about 20 minutes then downed a 4X sodium Gel and drank G2O all the way to Alexander Springs (mile 47.3), I arrived 2 minutes off my section split. I felt like I need to pee so I pulled over and all that came out was a bit of urine and blood....that's not good, I am dehydrated! Wow, that came on fast. I didn't panic because I remember Scott telling me I if that ever happened to just pound the fluids and it will be fine, it's just the bladder walls rubbing together because it's too empty. Okay, little voice in my head......I will do as you say. At the aid station I drank one cup of water, one cup of Sprite and left with two full bottles of water. Within about 20 minutes I started feeling a bit better and the sensation to pee when I couldn't went away....sheeeeeeshh....dodged a bullet there. I picked up the pace in the this hot open section and made my way to Lamb's (mile 53) arriving 22 minutes ahead of pace. </div><div><br /></div><br /><br /><div>At Lamb's Bill joined the crew after he finished the Mid Mountain Marathon in Park City and it was nice to see him but he looked concern<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLIOG0xchIAFyRNXemo7UBjeKZ1XR0uGpvG_jFVo9xM0HEMgPTDaFRFUUXozORWQ6YK20znuj7tAJH6OueVRVWd3MiVjlF0Th3k3w2mxULo_z3DYZBYPRATesfDg5OXUFuLHra0Q0sRC8/s1600-h/IMG_1654.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5109020900913239954" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLIOG0xchIAFyRNXemo7UBjeKZ1XR0uGpvG_jFVo9xM0HEMgPTDaFRFUUXozORWQ6YK20znuj7tAJH6OueVRVWd3MiVjlF0Th3k3w2mxULo_z3DYZBYPRATesfDg5OXUFuLHra0Q0sRC8/s320/IMG_1654.JPG" border="0" /></a>ed when I discussed my issues. I knew I was back on track with my hydration but when I weighed in at Lamb's I was down 3 pounds, come on........! I ignored the scale and filled my crew in on my situation as we made our way across the road. I took a moment here to pull myself together, get some soup and noodles in, drink some hydrate and a Red Bull. I knew what was ahead of me and I have never arrived at Upper Big Water (mile 61.5) with my stomach and because of that I would bomb from there to Brighton (mile 74) which is such a waist because it's a good section of running with gradual climbs on superb trail. I told them I was better but I had to keep it together on this next section....I WANTED TO COME INTO UBW (mile 61.5) WITH MY STOMACH!<br /></div><br /><br /><div>Stacey paced me from Lamb's up and over to Upper Big Water. She of course pushed me hard and forced me to run some of the ups. I was working hard but was conscience of my gut, checking in by feeling my stomach to see if it was hard, puffed out or sunken in. This is a good way for me to tell how things are moving in there. At this point I am 7th female but the leaders are way ahead, I knew there was a lot race left and I always plan to put more work in the back half but 7th was a great place for me and I wasn't worried about that, just 30 hours. We booked it to the top of Lamb's and started out descent with plenty of daylight left. That's a good sign for a 30 hour finish at Wasatch. We got down in a good time but I wasn't flying. At the bottom we pop onto the paved road from hell, it goes for at least 3 miles and has one of those nagging uphill grades where you want to walk but you should run. I ran about 90% of the road which is great for me but I had to stay extremely focused and battle with my brain telling me to walk. It began to get dark here so even though I wasn't cold I put on my long sleeve shirt for preventative reasons. At Wasatch a lot people get hypothermia and when they finally realize they are cold it's too late, they are frozen and it can take hours for them to get warm. This preventative action was a smart move on my part because Upper Big Water is very cold and when I arrived everyone was dressed like they were going cross country skiing.<br /><br /><br /></div><div>Stacey and I held pace on the Lamb's section and I knew that was a feat because for some reason I seem to always do well on that split so it was aggressive in the first place. Holding the pace there was good enough for me but the best part is: I ARRIVED AT UPW WITH MY STOMACH! I was psyched, it was first time and therefore only good things were going to happen. </div><br /><div></div><br /><br /><div>Micheal and I left UPW fast and we moved like the wind in this section passing a couple more people on the trail but many more inside the aid station. Micheal worked me hard and I complied. I was breathing very hard so I knew we were making good time. The night time weather was awesome, not a cloud in the sky and tons of stars as far as the eye could see. I took all my clothes with me knowing we were heading back up to 9800 feet on an open ridge where the wind can be fierce and cold but for now all I needed were shorts and two long sleeve shirts. I did put on my beanie hat for about a half and hour but then it was too warm. We made it up to Desolation Lake (66.8) shaving another 10 minutes off my plan, YES! A quick refill on my water tank, some broth, a half a banana and we were out of there. The next section up to Scott's Peak is some of my favorite trail but as you travel along the Wasatch Crest Trail you can see the Scott's Peak (mile 70.6) aid station from 3 miles and it can get you excited just to be discouraged when it never arrives. Having this information helps! I saw it and just giggled to myself. From UPW (mile 61.5) to Scott's Peak (mile 70.6) we climb over 3000 feet then we descend down 1700 feet into Brighten Lodge (mile 74). Again we made good time to Scott's Peak taking another 5 minutes off my pace chart putting me 33 minutes ahead. </div><br /><br /><br /><br /><div>I needed nothing at Scott's Peak so we were off to Brighton and I was on top of the world maintaining my stomach with gels every 20 to 30 minutes, some banana, broth and ton of water to keep the concentration level under 10%. After Scott's Peak we travel down a two track road that is less than smooth but with Micheal 10 feet in front of me guiding me to path of least resistance we were moving and passing people. We reached the paved road fast and I just knew were were going gain time. Once on the 3 mile paved road we really pushed and I had my music on very load keeping a close eye on Micheal and any ques he gave for oncoming traffic. Lots of runners were not doing well down this steep paved road and I felt for them because I have been one of them and knowing what's ahead and not feeling well coming into Brighton (mile 74) is awful. I call Brighton Lodge the Wasatch Vortex, it sucks you in and you don't get out alive if you give into the warm comforts of the lodge. On my crew card I wrote a big note saying "GET ME OUT OF THAT LODGE". Stacey decided to set up my stuff outside even though you have to go in to check in/out and get weighed. We came into Brighton making up 13 minutes on my split from Scott's Peak (mile 70.6) to (74.0), just crazy running and that put me at 45 minutes up on my 29:18 plan. I dumped my pack for Stacey to re-stock while I hustled into to lodge for weighing. I walked in and Bill sees me and says, "what are you doing here"? I said, "Hi honey, surprised to see me"? He looked shocked and ran out the door as I jumped on the scale. My weight read 125 and they said good job. With a perplexed look on my face I said, "189 out"! 125 is 12 pounds up, and I knew it wasn't right but the fact that they said good job was just crazy but I wasn't about to hang around and discuss, I knew it was wrong. </div><br /><div></div><br /><br /><div>I was on fire here and couldn't wait to do the last 25 miles, I knew it was a grueling 25 miles and takes runners with my fitness about 9 hours to complete. I got my stuff and Micheal and I are off for the big climb to Point Supreme, the high point of the course at 10,300. I have never left Brighton feeling this good and so alive. This just gave me endless amounts of confidence, kept me focused and helped me deal with any pain or fatigue I was experiencing. I had been pretty good at ignoring all the soreness in my legs but after a short discussion with Micheal I decided to take an Aleve right after we left the Scott's Peak (mile 70.6) aid station to take the edge off. I was worried it might mess with now happy stomach and was apprehensive but it ended up being fine.<br /></div><br /><br /><div>Just as I was putting my pack on I see what I think is a woman leaving the lodge to begin the climb, this spurred me on and Micheal and I ran/walked as much as I could passing her within 5 minutes of leaving. I continued on strong, leap frogging with another guy and his pacer all the way up to Point Supreme where they left me in the dust on the very steep and rugged downhill. My legs lacked any static contraction to help me scoot down this stuff. I need to see video of the lead runners going down this, it just doesn't seem possible but they must be flying down it. Micheal tried to help me with advice but my legs were just shaky and I was laughing at my clumsiness. This downhill is full of scree like shale and there is no stable place to put your foot let alone run and stay up right. I slid and slipped all the way down this 2.5 mile monster knowing this is just the beginning on some amazing trails. I was giving myself a talk, "pull it together girl...get your legs under you or this will be a long night". The talk helped and once we made it out of the scree trail and onto to anything that had dirt I moved well. </div><div><br /></div><br /><br /><div>Finally at Ant Knolls (mile 80.1) and making up another 15 minutes on my predicted split now giving me a finish time of 28:14 if I can hold on. Besides the normal....I have run 80 miles stuff....I felt really good continueing to eat every 30 minutes, drinking plenty of fluids and taking more salt than I ever had before. The 4X sodium gels work really well for me but I was also taking in broth at aid stations and a couple of salt tabs. From Ant Knolls to Pole Line Pass (mile 83.2) is 3.2 miles of awesome running. The trail winds through the high Aspen groves and is actually not too rocky or hilly in comparison. We ran this hard catching the two guys that dusted my on the scree drop. They worked hard to keep up with us but after about 1 miles they let us go. Coming into Pole Line Pass (83.2) I hear a girl say, "174 out". I tap Micheal on the shoulder and we are quiet coming in whispering, "189 in". We have a drop bag here so we quickly re-supply which takes about 2.5 minutes and we leave on the hunt. I don't know why but I felt so eager to catch a girl, not how I normally run 100M races but at this moment I felt like I had enough in me to play the race game. Micheal could tell I felt like hunting so we took off for the pursuit.<br /></div><br /><br /><div>This section to Rock Springs is along a ridgeline and mostly downhill. I crank up my headphones and we are cookin down the trail. About 10 minutes later I see lights in the distance as they bounce through the Aspen's and I tell Micheal if we pass we need to be sure I can hold it so if we need to hang back until I am ready then let's do so. Yeah right! We come up on them and try to go in cognito but they flash their lights on my number and boom we are racing. OMG, this is hard, playing trail poker....can I hold this...they are chasing me. Then all of the sudden another set of lights but they were moving really slow, again we pass in disquise and it's another gal but she is not doing well and just lets me by. I ask Micheal if we gapped the two woman yet because I am about to go red line here and see just says, "keep running, not yet". I don't know if I can hold them off on the climbs but he doesn't care, he just say's, "keep pushing". Now it's been 15 minutes of this sprint and we are approaching more lights. We are coming up on them fast and stealth and with our same plan of trying to pass in disquise we are busted when Susan Brozic says, "Ronda is that you?" Yes, I reply. We continue running for our lives all the way to Rock Springs (mile 87.2). No one light in sight behind us but we waist no time re-fueling and I ask the aid station captain what's next and he say's "The Grunt, The Plunge and The Dive". Hello.......that's just not right, I had forgotten all three of those treats came in the next 5.7 miles. </div><br /><div><br /></div><div>Right after the aid station we begin The Grunt which is a very steep uphill that left me grunting for sure. We can hear voices behind us, one guy and one girl. Micheal is still making me work hard and I think I must have asked him 100 times who it is and all he says is, "move it"! The Dive and The Plunge are just that....a steep dive down and then another plunge downhill both on slipping scree. I struggled here, I couldn't get me feet to stay under me no matter what I tried, my legs just didn't have the strength to hold the static contraction. Quivering like crazy I tried to stay focused and get down it upright and in one piece. I am sure I used some choice words while Micheal just stood about 20 feet ahead of me with his light guiding my feet. The rest of this 5.7 mile section is no better, it was the gift that just kept giving and the voices behind us would close in on the downhill scree but when we got to a climb or and roller we would lose them. This went on all the way to Pot Bottom (mile 93.0) until a guy passed us but no woman. We lost 10 minutes on this section alone so it was good thing we had done well prior. At this point I was 1:24 minutes ahead of my 29:18 pace chart, 30 hours was a done deal but could I hold 3rd place?<br /><br /><br /></div><div>Micheal ran ahead into Pot Bottom, grabbed our drop bags, unloaded all the extra clothing we had for the night and I stuffed my pack in and took just one hand held and gels. We had 6.9 miles to go with a gradual climb, a very rocky downhill road, a blazing fast single track and then 1 mile of paved road to the finish. I was feeling kind of out of it when we left the aid station. I was tired and low on energy so I drank some Coke, ate a 4X sodium double caffiene gel.....how's that for a fully loaded food item! I tried to get my legs moving by shuffling and trying to run which helped a lot. My quads were so sore, tired, a bit swollen and my feet felt bruised. I blocked all of this because sometimes at the end of a race I tend to sit back and take it in, thinking about all my pain but again my Thursday night reading helped get my mind back on task.....keep that girl off my tail. It was fully light out by now so I could see behind me and there was no one. Micheal and I are climbing the road and he says, "Hey there's a moose"! Sure enough down below in a meadow is a male moose with a huge rack.....pretty cool! </div><br /><div><br /></div><br /><div>We see a runner and pacer ahead so we try to catch them on the rocky road which was killing my seemingly bruised feet. As we approach they pick up the pace and I can't hold it but I didn't give up knowing we were almost to the nice easy single track. We come to a junction with the road continuing on the right and a trail on the left, which way? No markers were in sight but the guys continued on down the road but I knew it wasn't right. Micheal ran down the road looking for markers while I went down the single track looking, nothing. I hike back up and Micheal yells for me to come down and I do but I just know it's not right. We start running down the road more and still no markers. I see a neighborhood appearing and this road is going to dump us right into it's streets. I stop and insist we are not going the right way and just as we were walking up the hill here com<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBosaC5sNkJQFKlOh4GR6ofj9ABHd1duJaeGLBCS1wfoBj8Faqo-wvIr8qrHqtsWEI0ljSg9Pd1sTkmkEc2MKcLcTBdge9L-bh4NhFVgwPIEz9v5ZSF98VDZmo7dd32pbrtmFDDPwCATU/s1600-h/ronda+under+banner.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5109062716714833842" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBosaC5sNkJQFKlOh4GR6ofj9ABHd1duJaeGLBCS1wfoBj8Faqo-wvIr8qrHqtsWEI0ljSg9Pd1sTkmkEc2MKcLcTBdge9L-bh4NhFVgwPIEz9v5ZSF98VDZmo7dd32pbrtmFDDPwCATU/s320/ronda+under+banner.jpg" border="0" /></a>es another runner and we tell him we need to take the trail instead. We scramble back up in a panic and I just skirt across the field and bump right into the trail. Micheal says, "should we take it"? I respond as I am tearing down it.....YES! All the while I have two things going on in my head, will I make it under 28 hours and did that other woman get through before we realized our error? I am focused and Micheal is worried but I know we are on the right path when finally we see markers....all is good. I am filled with emotions, giggling out loud and causing Micheal to turn around and look at me strange. I am laughing and crying at the same time, I am just so excited to be done and finishing strong. I can't believe all the support and help I have received.....all these emotions were bubbling up as we crested the hill which leads us to the finish line. Screaming the whole way through the field to finish line where we are greeted by Bill, Alex and Stacey all just as emotional. Not to mention the director of the SLAM and the Wasatch 100M RD giving me hugs and concrats on a job well done.<br /></div><div></div><br /><br /><div>After we showered and rested we headed back to the finish line to find our friend Andy Kumeda. We kept a close eye on where he was and it was going to be close for him to make the 36 hour cutoff. We had lunch at the Blue Boar Inn while we watched runners finishing between 34-36 hours and Stacey and I were struck by their grit and determination, we have been there and it's way harder! These folks are really tough and they define it for me, sticking it out in the hot sun on day two, so determined to make the finish. Since I have been there I was getting pretty chocked up as we cheered them on knowing all they had been through and all they have accomplished makes my 27:57 look easy. Hats off folks! </div><div><br /><br /></div><div>BTW - Andy sprinted to the finish with 2 minutes to spare! We were stoked!</div>Rondahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10832545114209221483noreply@blogger.com15tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8856494413091772638.post-16106787226067058112007-09-06T12:17:00.000-07:002007-09-06T12:47:55.093-07:002 days to go, Yeah!<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLg6v2p4KkHLvwaBRynYpk_SPSsvnawVV3pNDEPjjgZSsaYxwfiTYuCvTIebZVQz1hlVNZKDe6qvwOZxwhkQtvI0qFB-sWTFSOpdoDN1xjI5M5CcOvy9kY76qU4hLo0sU9TPyPuYcjHCk/s1600-h/IMG_1608.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5107176916834244354" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLg6v2p4KkHLvwaBRynYpk_SPSsvnawVV3pNDEPjjgZSsaYxwfiTYuCvTIebZVQz1hlVNZKDe6qvwOZxwhkQtvI0qFB-sWTFSOpdoDN1xjI5M5CcOvy9kY76qU4hLo0sU9TPyPuYcjHCk/s320/IMG_1608.JPG" border="0" /></a>The last couple of days I sought out trails that were at the highest elevation I could find. I drove up Guardsman's Pass which is just behind Park City and Deer Valley and parked at the high point. There was a dirt road that headed up the ridge towards Mill Creek so I decided to take it and see where it went. Within about 3 minutes I was given a choice either continue up the dirt road or take a trail to my left, I chose the trail. It headed up and over a steep little hill then descended right on to the Wasatch 100M course! I was pretty e<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhK3Kl8fIgLBDaARKBQ1PUD7kQJXV2QqIMVVibENCjs8J3A_1d-iR-VoT2uDuxo0HW2lDFC1h1CYKzLmbS8uexU-_-3BEJoTuHx04g_rGnnJxKEHX9mhhvtC3jk2yGb8Xvq1ezmBh-9T2s/s1600-h/IMG_1607.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5107177110107772690" style="FLOAT: right; MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhK3Kl8fIgLBDaARKBQ1PUD7kQJXV2QqIMVVibENCjs8J3A_1d-iR-VoT2uDuxo0HW2lDFC1h1CYKzLmbS8uexU-_-3BEJoTuHx04g_rGnnJxKEHX9mhhvtC3jk2yGb8Xvq1ezmBh-9T2s/s320/IMG_1607.JPG" border="0" /></a>xcited to have connected the dots and be on familiar terrain. To top it off, I looked ahead and see a runner. He was doing hill repeats on the road up to Scott's Peak. I was right behind him but he had his headphones so loud he didn't hear me and I was behind him for about 1 mile. I giggled thinking I am glad I am not a cougar because I tried to give the gentleman warnings that I was right behind him about to pass but he did not hear a thing. I waited until we reached the top before I passed him and that's when it became clear he was doing repeats. He stopped and we chatted for just a couple of minutes and he is doing Wasatch as well. I continued on the ridge towards Scott's Peak (mile 72) and he went down for another session. I was thinking, here I am doing a 90 minute moderate run and he is doing hill repeats....I wonder if that helps you remain revved up for the event. The elevation on this run ranged from 9,600 to 9,800 feet and I felt really good, rested and most of all acclimated. No that I didn't feel the elevation but it didn't bother me at all. <div><div><br /><br /><div>Today I headed back to same area and explored some other trails. I only had 1 hour of easy exercise so I didn't get very far but thought I might as well take advantage of the thin air since it is so close. I was really cold on the ridge this morning so it reminded me that I will for sure need tights from dusk to dawn on this course. Once home I immediately made sure I had them ready from Upper Big Water. I figured if it's cold in at 10 a.m. it's going to be freezing at 2 a.m. The forecasted weather for race day is perfect and if it's accurate it will awesome. I have been so lucky thus far with the weather, a cool WS100, a non-humid Vermont, a perfectly clear day at Leadville. I will keep my fingers crossed for a dry Wasatch.</div><div></div><div></div><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5107176289769019106" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwTxyKaQDcMrlp27PhS8qvL9V4oEbo-mQq_X4QX6wmDLZMTKXXdUSpyyI4JpC8Nw3WNwSHjEeIZzE_cUcJcop5co0HgAo_LiSQOXTCfejMbeOESK5u5y3ZloSjzQuMHDANWZe7QI1YlBI/s320/IMG_1601.JPG" border="0" />Yesterday I worked on my crew bags and finalized my race plan. I had already prepared a pace chart, corresponding fuel plan and bought all my supplies. All I need to do was organize it for my crew, create a couple of drop bags and mentally run through the day. A table of chaos got turned into a well thought out plan. Now all I have to do is run, enjoy the<img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5107176611891566322" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiT8s22hV1OIBRw7h1ghk-L84cLwBovhWsWpxai39UZd_mBeB7gpTF9OPReJl6U9aHRUveOtAi1sgNLK9oLr_VlPWW8x_ty7B6Tt_-Vac6giK-GOwSif7XF8g4xnR979VzWJTRAZSStNCY/s320/IMG_1603.JPG" border="0" /> day on my favorite course and savor the last race of the SLAM. </div></div>Rondahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10832545114209221483noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8856494413091772638.post-46713750053878594282007-09-02T12:36:00.001-07:002007-09-02T13:34:51.038-07:00Mile 75 from Mile 35 - Not so far away!<div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgTjs7re3gC5pfOomwLlCTO1Cct9WWem6JOUDbqC2SJHtrVub6nECMzDxr1wJc3YVOB8ujAjfxBnEqfOg-WuDcLYJ2TAKy42x19AgszLAq2wPNcU7_Bzt1ETynhGKsiR3FK9w392YhMXg/s1600-h/IMG_1600.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5105693224676808386" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgTjs7re3gC5pfOomwLlCTO1Cct9WWem6JOUDbqC2SJHtrVub6nECMzDxr1wJc3YVOB8ujAjfxBnEqfOg-WuDcLYJ2TAKy42x19AgszLAq2wPNcU7_Bzt1ETynhGKsiR3FK9w392YhMXg/s320/IMG_1600.JPG" border="0" /></a>Here is a view of mile 75 from mile 35 on the Wasatch course. Cathrine's Pass is located just to the left of the biggest bump on the grassy hill, almost smack dab in the middle of the picture. Today I was running for 2.5 hours on the section near Swallow Rocks and Big Mountain just before the thunder storm hit. The weather is so unpredictable this time of year but one thing for sure is it will be hot when the sun is out and most likely you will get wet at some point, maybe even see some good hail.<br /><div></div><br /><br /><div>I was wondering if any of the acclimation I had from the <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_0">Leadville</span> training would still be in my body when I arrived in Utah on Saturday. They say it all goes away after 14 days at sea level. I spent one week after <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_1">Leadville</span> between 3000-6000 but after that it was 400 feet. I am at 7,800 feet right now and I think I might still have some additional red blood cells to draw from. Yesterday (Sat.) I ran for 90 minutes mostly in 3A , 20 min. in 3B and it wasn't bad. Today I had 2.5 hours of training time and went running between 8,000 and 8,600, I could feel it just a bit but not nearly as bad as normal. The true test is a sprint up the stairs, do I see stars, is my breathing very labored at the top, do the legs feel heavy? Those are the questions I asked myself as I did the test sprint and though I did feel heavy lungs there were no stars and the legs were just a bit heavy. </div><div></div><br /><br /><div>While I was running this morning I saw a ton of moose prints so I kept a sharp eye out but nothing, only hunters. These <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_2">hunte</span><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwVunC1eIObicRQN6b6TLj-LJ9ZjwIymO8G_7ZucZrFnnvJ5KJbG1Uqbovf-wwRaoAh0XdDFTOe7qfTGXdIj9ScnTlYpigtt3YMd2Hugtnw3LVv98F57vFjAMKhSrcs52JYD5D3etjCDI/s1600-h/IMG_1597.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5105703098806621906" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwVunC1eIObicRQN6b6TLj-LJ9ZjwIymO8G_7ZucZrFnnvJ5KJbG1Uqbovf-wwRaoAh0XdDFTOe7qfTGXdIj9ScnTlYpigtt3YMd2Hugtnw3LVv98F57vFjAMKhSrcs52JYD5D3etjCDI/s320/IMG_1597.JPG" border="0" /></a>rs (at least that's what I think they were) were dressed in camouflage clothes, carrying backpacks and some sort of weapon that looked like a bow and arrow only much more serious. They were pleasant and looked happy to be coming out of the woods, I wondered if they were hunting moose? As I was driving up East Canyon I noticed the signs that said "No Dogs". I have seen these signs all over the course from miles 35 to 70. All the canyon areas don't allow dogs because it's a watershed. It seemed strange to me because of the abundant number of people and wildlife that roam the areas, no dogs in such a large amount of wilderness is different.<br /></div><div>As I was making my way through my last training run of the season I was thinking about the Wasatch course and all the things I will encounter. The Wasatch is by far the most rugged and challenging of the SLAM courses and a couple of things this race will offer is one, a second sunrise and two technical downhills. So far I haven't seen a second sunrise while doing the SLAM. I came close at <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_3">Leadville</span> but managed to be asleep before the sun rose but not here, I will for sure see the next day and will be well into the second morning before I am done. More caffeine....that's how I will combat the desire to sleep :). I think being awake that long is tough and all the folks that do this regularly are very tough! It gets pretty warm here very fast, at least that's what I remember from running this course before. As you head into the finish you loose elevation and the heat starts to set in feeling doubly warm after the freezing temperatures of the prior night.<br /><br /></div><div>The other thing Wasatch is going to bring is the relentless technical downhills. Gone are the nice gradual freeway trails of <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_4">WS</span>100 and <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_5">Leadville</span> and there is only about 3 miles of road on this course. The rocks on the Wasatch course are the kind that follow you down the trail when your foot rolls off them. They're small and unattached to the ground, they blend into the dirt because they are the same color and you cannot avoid them. My technical running is not what it has been in the past. To run well on technical steep trails takes lots of practice and if you plan on being good at these types of descents in the late stages of your race it requires great quad strength. I think quad confidence is the most important skill/strength a good technical downhill runner can have. What I mean by this is at mile 75 when you know in your mind that your quads will hold or support your stride when taking the downhills strong. Every step needs to be an unconscious art of falling without falling and that means your quads have to hold. If you hesitate to think about your steps when your legs are tired it's mostly because you don't have the confidence your legs will hold on the fast turnover required on a steep downhill. Being light on your feet and barely touching down is also a learned skill but if you don't have the quad strength your light, efficient stride will not be enough. The technical aspects of Wasatch will be very challenging because I have not practiced any technical downhill running this year. Do I have the quad strength necessary for the last 25 miles of this course....I don't know. I figure by the time I get to mile 75 I will have had a good 20 hours of practice. :)<br /><br /></div><div>I have been very lucky with my feet thus far in the SLAM. No blisters, no taping, no changing shoes or socks, not even a re-tire of laces. Will I get to continue my steak with my feet?????? Wasatch will be a real test! Stacey did this course in 2005 and had zero blisters and no problems with her feet so I am going to remember that as my legs and feet twist and turn with all terrain.<br /><br /></div><div>I am excited!!! I can't wait for Friday to pick up Bill, Alex, Stacey, Micheal and Andy. Andy and I will be running Wasatch while Bill runs the Mid-Mountain Marathon and Stacey, Micheal and Alex crew. Stacey will be tapering for AC100M so she will only be running with me from mile 55 to 62 and Micheal will be stuck with me from 62 to the finish. </div></div>Rondahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10832545114209221483noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8856494413091772638.post-86312551668612378172007-08-30T16:19:00.000-07:002007-08-30T16:53:36.165-07:00Home sweet home!After exactly 1 month away from home it was nothing but a true pleasure to see our driveway. Living in the trailer for 3 weeks was not as bad as I originally thought it would be but I was thankful to drive home and put it away. Bill, Alex and I spent one week driving from Leadville, CO to Tigard, OR and for three days right after the race we stayed in Moab, UT to explore the Arches National Park and the Canyonlands. It was incredibly hot ranging from 100-105 degrees which was a shocker compared to the 70's we experienced in CO. Since this was Bill's first full two weeks of vacation in 14 years he had lots of plans for us which included hiking in the heat! I am definitely NOT heat trained and felt pretty drained all three days when the sun set. I am sure the race had quite a bit to do with my sluggish finish to each day but nonetheless I was tired. I think the hiking was a great way to get the legs and body moving again. The heat was just an added benefit to be sure I sweat out all the junk from the race. The Arches and Canyonlands are amazing and neat to see but I am definitely more of a mountain person, the desert wasn't that exciting but the miracle of that landscape is unbelievable. I think the highlight was seeing dinosaur bones in the rocks, it just blew my mind. The Canyonlands were cool but the Grand Canyon in much more amazing to me.<br /><br />When we got home there was no rest as we unloaded, unpacked and began getting Alex ready for school. I can't believe summer is almost over and neither can he as the shock of school sets in. <br /><br />With Wasatch only 10 days away I am almost packed and ready to go. I have to admit I am looking forward to being on my favorite course and I am ready. I thought my recovery after Vermont was fast and I purposely saved myself at that event to run well at Leadville. I felt like I put my best foot forward at Leadville but if I measure how fast I bounced back I would have to say I should have run harder.....easy to say sitting here now :). I don't know if I sub-consciously held some in the tank for Wasatch when my intention was to spend it all or if I am just simply learning how to recover better. I do think fueling during the event has a great impact on recovery, meaning if you mess up on your fueling during the race you will pay for it after. I really messed up my fueling during WS100M this year and it took a good 3 weeks for me to feel normal whereas both Vermont and Leadville my fueling was perfect and after both races I felt recovered within the week. I don't know if that's true but that is my theory for now :).<br /><br />So far I have done just a bit of running. After the hiking in Arches and Cayonlands I came home and did a 2 hour run with some 3A but mostly Z2. That went very well and I was pleased with how the legs responded. I have done 3 45-60 min. recovery runs and today was a tempo run at M-Pace. My M-Pace is 7:26 and felt confident I would be able to reach those numbers. I met Stacey at Lief today we did a warm-up and then each did our own tempo, she is peaking for AC100M so she had many more m-pace miles than I and our paces are different so we were on our own. After mile 2 of M-Pace I felt sluggish, yikes! I waited for Stacey to come back around then tucked in behind her but she drug me like a tired dog but it was nice to try and chase her, it made me go faster. After I was done with my tempo I just cruised while she finished up. All in all it was good but not as easy as it was before WS100M. With all this race and recover I feel like I have become a bit lazy, not a word I would ever use to describe myself but I have found my inner couch potato....I don't lay on the couch but you know what I mean. I have sort of lost my appetite too and that's a first! Maybe since I am just recovering I don't need to eat as much but I am finding it hard to eat all the food to get 2000 calories in, normally I have to stop myself from eating to much food. <br /><br />I am almost packed and ready to go to Utah. Tomorrow I will run a stride workout then finish up preparing for the race. When I get to Utah I have my last big run of 2.5 hours then all the rest are short and fast stuff. Crazy to think the SLAM is almost over but it is and what a wild ride so far. I am hoping to get the turquoise buckle (under 30 hours) at Wasatch but I just can't seem to convince myself it's going to happen. Good thing my crew is in charge because they seem to have no doubt. If I do achieve that then I will be pumped with the whole SLAM, under 24 at WS, under 24 at Vermont, under 25 at Leadville, and (fingers crossed) under 30 at Wasatch. For me, achieving that would be a sweet summer!Rondahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10832545114209221483noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8856494413091772638.post-52834813008250157062007-08-21T15:15:00.000-07:002007-08-22T18:05:19.263-07:00Leadville 100M<strong>Stats:</strong><br /><div><div><div><strong>Time: 24:16:26</strong></div><div><strong>Overall: 43 of 210 </strong><strong>finishers</strong></div><div><strong>6th female, 3rd masters</strong></div></div><div><div><div><div><div><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLiTPOn_-rDAYE95Z9pUba_PmlbII0cT8KRqHpHuWdSZ_S1tN2vWvc3Iw3HAIxXdcEMKDa0jnOhA63OBQ2ZSh8xhPMzyNvSkXib1hpXv_XXdXVa3LjnHDSW_cBMr_Zd_WEJpcR5hYEiNc/s1600-h/IMG_1593.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5101281687673427506" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLiTPOn_-rDAYE95Z9pUba_PmlbII0cT8KRqHpHuWdSZ_S1tN2vWvc3Iw3HAIxXdcEMKDa0jnOhA63OBQ2ZSh8xhPMzyNvSkXib1hpXv_XXdXVa3LjnHDSW_cBMr_Zd_WEJpcR5hYEiNc/s200/IMG_1593.JPG" border="0" /></a> Look at the loot they give you for finishing Leadville! I received a silver pan for 3rd masters, a pendant because I am a girl, a sweatshirt with my name and time printed on the sleeve and the gold and silver 25 hr buckle and a finishers medal (not shown). Since this was the 25th anniversary of the race they allowed 600 runners to register but only 498 started. With numbers like that and an out and back course that meant the aid stations and trails were going to be busy. With that in mind and my eye on the 25 hour prize we came up with a plan to minimize time in the main aid stations and use the other crew access points. If I was going to get under 25 hours at Leadville with only 70% acclimation I was going to have to run a really good race and hope that I would be free of any big issues, I simply didn't have enough time for anything but running. </div><br /><div><br /></div><br /><div>With a week of bad weather prior to the race I was prepared to be wet all day long. Not a big deal for an Oregonian but with temperatures getting as low as 34 degrees being wet and cold would spell disaster, the goal would be to stay as dry as possible. My crew showed up on Thursday afternoon with piles of clothes and gear ready for anything that came up. We immediately got busy planning as the afternoon rain created small swimming pools around camp and Bill was busy securing the tent and awnings because with the rain came big winds. Yikes!, was the only word that came to my mind but Stacey, Micheal and Jim just laughed it off as we counted the number of gloves, shirts and jackets I had.<br /></div><br /><br /><div>The morning came quickly with the 4:00 a.m. start. It was cold but when I looked outside and saw the abundant amount of stars I was relieved, the rain was gone for now. I ate a bagel with cream cheese, a yo<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxDFvuILqy7cS_0ErYRFG3uWlwXGaShRWuJznrltbWNqLhVOPslPVLhSt8jfNPohbb78k-oDiuh40q7frVKpEgWz6s0ZmZrZsYv-6CcWC6TnaDUazlZXnSqKw5uNOGDiPoht0doeIsZdA/s1600-h/P8180044.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5101681566308554306" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxDFvuILqy7cS_0ErYRFG3uWlwXGaShRWuJznrltbWNqLhVOPslPVLhSt8jfNPohbb78k-oDiuh40q7frVKpEgWz6s0ZmZrZsYv-6CcWC6TnaDUazlZXnSqKw5uNOGDiPoht0doeIsZdA/s200/P8180044.JPG" border="0" /></a>gurt, had a small amount of coffee and 20 oz of G2O. The start line was buzzing with hundreds of people, it made WS100M look tame as the music howled through the tiny city. Residents were out in their yards waiting for runners to come by so they could cheer them on before their last night cap :). The one thing the Grand Slam has cured me of is pre-race jitters, doing one right after another doesn't leave much time for jitters. I lined up in the top 3rd of the crowd knowing that we had 3M of road to get somewhat settled and I wouldn't be anybodys way. By the time we hit the lake trail we should all be in the train we are comfortable with and if not, passing would be a big effort. The race director gave us one more motivational line before the gun went off, "Remember, you are better than you think you are and can do more than you think you can"........very nice words and good ones to remember in the wee hours of the night.<br /><br /></div><br /><br /><div>Off we went and all downhill like bullets for 4 miles, hundreds of lights in front and behind me. I settled into a nice pace and reached the 4 mile mark in 9:30's and just kept up the pace because I knew we would be slowed by the the technical powerline road that climbs to the lake trail. I was carrying one handheld with 2 gels stuffed in the pouch because my crew would be at the Tabor Boat ramp at mile 7.0. There they would send me off with another full handheld and more gels for another 6.5 miles around the lake. The G2O seemed so sweet as I sipped it slowly, I was full from breakfast and probably still a bit asleep. When I reached Tabor I was in a good train of people and was shocked at the number of cars and crew there. I just dropped my used bottle on the ground and grabbed the new one on my way by. Hmmmm....this would be scene pretty much all day.....thanks guys.......bye guys. I could hear Stacey giggling as I left the boat ramp. Continuing on the lake trail I was in a good spot with only about 5 people and nobody close behind or in front, strange with all the entrants. I arrived at Mayqueen (13.5M) about 20 minutes ahead of schedule and feeling very comfortable. At Mayqueen I see Alex and my in laws who were there to give me a new bottle and a bar. I gave them my flashligh<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_WVvdq3-u-HdZvHciq50ByXPsLvg0VlIDHvgeEcDXbbom-5_9khAE0jrEJfUBCOkggbW-zJhPsIoAqrxj3elztDkv9MYIyFEvRoQt2UDQuNualsVy3D1TuU27T8yEZDj2Pvp0Qpj3HrU/s1600-h/P8180047.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5101682622870509138" style="FLOAT: right; MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_WVvdq3-u-HdZvHciq50ByXPsLvg0VlIDHvgeEcDXbbom-5_9khAE0jrEJfUBCOkggbW-zJhPsIoAqrxj3elztDkv9MYIyFEvRoQt2UDQuNualsVy3D1TuU27T8yEZDj2Pvp0Qpj3HrU/s200/P8180047.JPG" border="0" /></a>t and was off to do the first big climb of the day. After Mayqueen we head uphill on a paved road then take a turn onto the Colorado Trail leading to Haggerman Pass Road. This 1.5 mile section of the Colorado Trail is very rocky and reminds me of stream bed without the water. At the top of the Colorado I see Beast and Amy who are waiting for me with my small Nathan pack and two handhelds for the climb up and over Sugarloaf Mtn. and down Powerline road. My plan is to start working here and I run the entire road up to the turn for the bigger climb and run all of that as well. I am being chased by a couple of girls and that is a little fun so we chat, run, pass back and forth for 8 miles down to Powerline Road where Beast and Amy again are waiting to take all my stuff so I can run with nothing for 1.2 miles into Fish Hatchery where I see Bill, Stacey, Micheal and Jim. I go right through the aid station and back onto the paved road that I will run for 4.5 miles to Treeline. The runners share this road with the crew cars so it's really motivating and fun to see all the crews and hear all the h<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKB_ytEKxF3AXXC7A_hCAo81V8ji8WVZ6Qhpyr73mow6rvexTxZhPGly61QOLWjMc50pnqlEMhDTg-ae8Mf6AGNXO6mT_VRymQEABrTdZNfsOPqg6KGwJ9y7J2HxeQqkTO6UVzSqy9GjM/s1600-h/P8180053.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5101683778216711778" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKB_ytEKxF3AXXC7A_hCAo81V8ji8WVZ6Qhpyr73mow6rvexTxZhPGly61QOLWjMc50pnqlEMhDTg-ae8Mf6AGNXO6mT_VRymQEABrTdZNfsOPqg6KGwJ9y7J2HxeQqkTO6UVzSqy9GjM/s200/P8180053.JPG" border="0" /></a>onking. I run this section hard and lose my two girls. I am feeling pretty good at this point which is about 25 miles into the race. The only thing that seems new is all my foods taste weird. Salty stuff tastes super salty, sweet stuff tastes overly sweet and G2O tastes terrible, I can't drink it anymore. I love G2O and I use it not only for the calories but the salt so if I am not going to drink it I will need to substitute. </div><br /><br /><div><br /></div><br /><br /><div>At Treeline (27.5M) I am about 40 minutes ahead of my 24:59:26 pace chart but I am not over confident because the hardest parts are yet to come. No more going light, I hav<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTrZicqz-FphdiEF4lPKJqpfMTx9nnIdAZ-g8LoLHd917ZhUf8IjuQDnxipUHrSjjojzLvTz0_KG58VP7LjzZMjWwuwF1BG2f_xDeCjQIuLsjSvIWiItQmDTh5fQYiHV24nSfbvMGibXg/s1600-h/P8180059.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5101684830483699314" style="FLOAT: right; MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTrZicqz-FphdiEF4lPKJqpfMTx9nnIdAZ-g8LoLHd917ZhUf8IjuQDnxipUHrSjjojzLvTz0_KG58VP7LjzZMjWwuwF1BG2f_xDeCjQIuLsjSvIWiItQmDTh5fQYiHV24nSfbvMGibXg/s200/P8180059.JPG" border="0" /></a>e to put on my bladder pack for this next section over to Halfmoon then Twin Lakes (mile 39.5). I will need at least 50 oz of water to get from Halfmoon to Twin Lakes. If I go with less water and maintain my calorie requirements I will be at more than a 10% concentration level of carbs to water and risk nausea. I could cut back on my calories but would rather carry the weight. Since Leadville 100M allows muling I will be carrying nothing on the way back so off I go with heavy pack. The runners travel on a gravel road for 2.5 miles before we pop into Halfmoon then back out on the road for another 2.5 miles to the trail junction. There is a ton of road at Leadville and if you want 25 hours you have to run the roads well and focused so I tried to keep that in my mind the whole time.<br /><br /></div><br /><div>In this section to Twin Lakes it was surprisingly lonely. Again I was shocked at how few people were on the trail a<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgn8qtA5MTGNcgMJRYIaAc-D3ImALJF2iu9OKpjHBdTi3xk2qvZMOVqX3xco-JpopJwo9rUB2Nh-mMsSm9SPrD8nfxv-KYGFpcQDKNmPB85As96rKZvzkhzhpzuEZ5OCycaavL9BiWc64Y/s1600-h/P8180064.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5101686874888132226" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgn8qtA5MTGNcgMJRYIaAc-D3ImALJF2iu9OKpjHBdTi3xk2qvZMOVqX3xco-JpopJwo9rUB2Nh-mMsSm9SPrD8nfxv-KYGFpcQDKNmPB85As96rKZvzkhzhpzuEZ5OCycaavL9BiWc64Y/s200/P8180064.JPG" border="0" /></a>s I counted only 5 guys the entire 9 miles to twin lakes......where is everyone? This is a nice section of single track but long and the high point is 10,200. When you reach the high point you start a gradual descent into Twin Lakes. I got into a nice groove and was happy I was able to maintain my lead as I headed out for the first trip over Hope Pass. At Twin Lakes I chose to keep the bladder pack so I could have enough room to carry my coat and my hat. The looming clouds over Hope Mountain had me concerned. After we leave Twin Lakes the runners travel through a marshy area for about 1 mile before crossing the river. I did not do this in training so Beast was just sure I was going be soaked to bone and fall in the river so off he runs ahead of me with his camera just waiting for moment I was upside down in the marsh. With the weeks of rain the marshy area had become more like a series of small ponds that we needed to wade through and all of them came up to my knee. If you don't like wet feet your in trouble.<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjx4RQ1qrysC9WtmTcwYjvihdCI2UKOFuBgrOPbKvTA9lY2AEnfLQVidOk6OZ6kmXqSK6L6FXwN6HQH_Gut6HGiXrw8073aVzqhRoCVl7FyS7FtZVAZ05vDA85ib0cg7GfkIk642JP-uoY/s1600-h/P8180075.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5101687940040021650" style="FLOAT: right; MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjx4RQ1qrysC9WtmTcwYjvihdCI2UKOFuBgrOPbKvTA9lY2AEnfLQVidOk6OZ6kmXqSK6L6FXwN6HQH_Gut6HGiXrw8073aVzqhRoCVl7FyS7FtZVAZ05vDA85ib0cg7GfkIk642JP-uoY/s200/P8180075.JPG" border="0" /></a> The river crossing was about mid thigh on me and they had a rope and volunteers to aid us across. I told Beast I was just too stubborn to fall in! He ran all this way and got himself soaked for nothing.....I wasn't going to fall no matter what! After the river the climb to Hope Pass begins and so does the thunder, rain and hail. I pull out my coat and hat and settle in for the long climb. I feel really slow and can't seem to get the umfffff I wanted to power this climb. The rain and hail didn't help but it was not big deal as it would stop and start the whole way up. I consume all the gels I could find in my pack and wonder if my crew forgot some. Fortunately I had a hummus burrito and an Organic Food Bar so I nibbled on those but without the quick energy gels I wasn't feeling on fire. I lost about 20 minutes on my lead on the climb alone and was a bit down in dumps. I didn't allow for enough time for the swamp and I couldn't make anything up on the climb so I tried to get my legs going on the steep descent into Winfield. This section is very rocky and too steep for me to let it rip and I found myself putzing down it. At the bottom we are again on a dirt road that is shared with crews heading into Winfield. The road rolls up mostly and is about 2.3 miles long. I am out of fuel but continue to drink my water and take salt tabs. I reach Winfield in 11:13 and my plan was 11:39 so still ahead of schedule but I lost some time and I knew the climb back up Hope was not going to be swift.<br /><br /></div><br /><br /><div>At Winfield I pick up Jim and he is loaded down with all my stuff. This becomes the big joke of the my race.....all my pacers are loaded down with water, gels, food, clothes and my "magic hat". The hat gets the funny name because I have to wear my glasses to run any bit of rain on them makes it hard to see so every drop of rain that comes down I ask for the hat then in about 30 seconds I hand it back. Every time I switch pacers I say, "do you guys have my hat"?, "yes......we have the magic hat". Back to the race, Jim and I take off and I put on my music and bust down the road back to the Hope Pass Trail Head. I feel really good as we work our way up the mountain seeing all the people behind me make their way down. It was fun to see everyone I knew and cheer them on as they raced to beat cutoffs. I see some slam mates and they say their done but we encourage them to continue and many stuck it out as long as they could. It was hard to see folks struggling and I felt for them because it's not easy k<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixtHbadr1CvC-56druz9oUWwJkrRxhUS57NgCUz7XrQHJ6vvKJuNPVh8xMqWHlno0ddv_Q7Bo8F3KNWNxLrtp4JjOrRYlTsz2JU23krjEwP-b2mxRgr6yG1xbTIIj8um0i0GJgQilTSBw/s1600-h/P8180061.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5101692746108425906" style="FLOAT: right; MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixtHbadr1CvC-56druz9oUWwJkrRxhUS57NgCUz7XrQHJ6vvKJuNPVh8xMqWHlno0ddv_Q7Bo8F3KNWNxLrtp4JjOrRYlTsz2JU23krjEwP-b2mxRgr6yG1xbTIIj8um0i0GJgQilTSBw/s200/P8180061.JPG" border="0" /></a>nowing you have to come back up to 12,700! I feel the altitude and don't waste any breath talking when Jim and I get above 11,500, I just needed to focus on strong breaths. Jim was awesome feeding me gels every 30 minutes and water every 10 minutes on the dot! The pass was beautiful and clear with no rain, just blue sky and great views. We crest the top and start the descent. We can see the Hopeless aid station, their tents and lamas from the summit. I tell Jim we are within 5 minutes of Hopeless and since I feel super strong I tear off down the hill. When we reached Hopeless aid station I run past it without stopping, the plan was for me to run through all the aid stations unless I needed something so we began implementing. I blew by yelled my number and Jim re-supplied. I took the downhills as hard as could without falling and we made it down the river in 29:54! Across the river we go and through the swamp.<br /><br /></div><br /><br /><div>Arriving at the Twin Lakes (60.5M) 40 minutes ahead of my pace chart, making up the time I had lost on first trip up Hope Pass the mood was good all around. Though I have time in the bank I feel like I am running against the clock and I am so I waste no time. I leave Twin Lakes without stopping forcing Micheal to catch up with me after he got my magic hat from Jim. I know we have to climb for about an hour, at least that's what I estimate it will take to reach the high poin<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEikJXnbGyVykW-I0gp3wXR64Thv0FqCt2eLSdE0L58xsiEEGeUWgKSbZ-1M_37enKtVQzbP-vzxs3wiAYimrmafLn0lV49wO3hBfGCqGrQa39BX9S8Hyi2QyS_ouPaMlZzWxoKHZ-HBEjY/s1600-h/P8180093.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5101690959402030754" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEikJXnbGyVykW-I0gp3wXR64Thv0FqCt2eLSdE0L58xsiEEGeUWgKSbZ-1M_37enKtVQzbP-vzxs3wiAYimrmafLn0lV49wO3hBfGCqGrQa39BX9S8Hyi2QyS_ouPaMlZzWxoKHZ-HBEjY/s200/P8180093.JPG" border="0" /></a>t before we start our descent into Halfmoon. We hammer out the climb and make the top in 42 minutes but the trail is more rolling than I expected lacking the big downhill I dreamt up but we stay focused arriving at Halfmoon on time. With a quick in and out of the aid station we hear that Anton has won in 16:14, over an hour faster than last year but still short of the course record. We have 2.5 miles on a gravel road to reach Treeline, all downhill and fast. Into Treeline with still 35 minutes ahead of schedule I feel good living off of gels, water and some salt tabs but using 4X sodium gels for most of my electrolytes. I ate minimal solids after my first climb up Hope Pass, I am just not hungry but not full or nauseous. I gave up G2O early as it just didn't taste good but I am stuffing gels in every 20-30 minutes and drinking a ton of water. My weight is good along with my energy and stomach so this diet must be fine. Normally I eat more solids but I don't know if it's the altitude or what but nothing tastes very good. </div><br /><br /><div>At Treeline I pick up Stacey for 4.5 miles to Fish Hatchery and then the 1.2 miles to Powerline where we will see crew. This section is the flat paved road and I need to do it in less than a 13 minute pace on this slightly uphill road and that includes checking in and out of the Fish Hatchery. It seems so doable on paper but at mile 73 my legs are lacking the turnover. Stacey runs in front of me and I chase her as hard as I can so we can make the splits and have some room to spare. At Powerline (78M) I pick up Micheal and we head up what some describe as the worst climb of the course. Not because It's harder than Hope Pass but because it's steep, on a washed out powerline road and comes around mile 80 in the run. I counted 5 false summits during training so I knew what to expect which made it less annoying but not easier. The only part that made it great was around mile 85 when we reached the summit and the numerous amount of stars that shined in the sky and feeling of excitement I had to have such a great experience and feel so strong and supported, pretty much all the feelings of fatigue seemed to leave my body as Micheal and I tore down Poweline into Mayqueen.....I knew under 25 was in the bag......thank you mile 85!<br /><br /></div><br /><div>Leaving Mayqueen with Jim we worked the lake trail well and we seemed to come into Tabor Boat Ramp fast. A lot of crews were waiting at Tabor and the crowd was pumped up which made my mood even better. From Tabor to the finish Micheal and I ran as hard as my legs would run. It's a long 7 miles of uphill dirt and paved road to finish. We played leap frog with two other runners the whole way and the three of us finished within seconds of each other.<br /></div><br /><div>At the finish I was surprised to see my hubby who was supposed to be pacing Tom and Beast who was supposed to be pacing Steve. Both timed out and were bummed but ready to come back. My in laws had gotten up and brought Alex, Tom got up and came down along with my crew so the greeting at the end was indescribable. The love and friendships I have had through this summer makes me so thankful, I truly would not want to do these without them. My crew was unbelievable, so focused and full of energy and never lost their sense of humor and at mile 90 we were laughing.<br /></div><div><br />This race is a must do, with beautiful country and great race support from everyone in the community. The town of Leadville is charming and fun to hang around and learn the history of the area and it's residents. Stacey, Micheal and Jim all want to do the race so I will be working hard in the weight room because I am sure they will load me down with lots of gear as payback. Bill awarded Jim the "golden burro" cup for being the biggest pack mule in the crowd.</div><div><br /> </div><br /><div>Physically I felt strong all day and was surprised at how much leg power I had for number 3. My feet did well with no blisters or lost toenails even with two trips through the swamp. When I took my socks off my feet looked like hamburger from all the silt but when they got cleaned up they were fine. I was never nauseous which surprised me because so many people talked about stomach issues with this race and it's altitude. This next turn around will only be 3 weeks but I feel good already. As my family and I make our way back to Portland we are in the Canyonlands and Arches hiking and seeing all the sights. Bill drug me on a 3 mile hike in 100 degree weather on Tuesday and I ran into someone from Leadville on the trail to the Delicate Arch.....small world, be sure you are nice :). </div></div></div></div></div></div></div>Rondahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10832545114209221483noreply@blogger.com10tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8856494413091772638.post-90743251358878189642007-08-15T15:11:00.000-07:002007-08-15T16:43:35.134-07:00The last bit of running before the race.On Sunday Bill, Beast and I did the Leadville 10K. I took it really easy and just talked with folks and ran as much as could before my HR jumped into 3B. The run is on the Leadville 100M course and covers the first 3.1 miles and then you just turn around and head back. The first bit is all downhill which is nice for warming up the lungs. There were a lot of 100M runners doing this event and some raced it hard while others just relaxed. I did the latter and chatted with a lot people and that was fun. During my journey in the SLAM I have met so many new friends from everywhere, people I would have never had the opportunity to meet otherwise.<br /><br /><br /><div></div><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5099056103655992882" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1m6rBjwUwJZzw0NDzBxjoO7ra8zbXWYLj-FGo4cpUM7U7zEby-BqxH5Co1pywUD0lvG4__VEW5EcMfI0WMOwrjK8sBbG2Y7ows1AjPP2NMUWbeDuU8s2zlDaeg7s1XLPgO1tEah86pZY/s200/Beast+and+trail+sign.jpg" border="0" />On Monday Beast and <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBBwjU3aBchzw5vWj7PGf-6qCjKTdmUyGcMj5IP5xdoyCSujiSdxcnZqVkhQWQmF12V3_vOjVRaB_-bBaXBjMpWX0jHA4RK6bJebQZUYZ0KcJrxd118t-BUh0Z_ccyfZwlg0nEtI8EDIU/s1600-h/gavin+and+beast+summit.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5099056816620564034" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBBwjU3aBchzw5vWj7PGf-6qCjKTdmUyGcMj5IP5xdoyCSujiSdxcnZqVkhQWQmF12V3_vOjVRaB_-bBaXBjMpWX0jHA4RK6bJebQZUYZ0KcJrxd118t-BUh0Z_ccyfZwlg0nEtI8EDIU/s200/gavin+and+beast+summit.jpg" border="0" /></a>Gavin (new friend) met at the Mt. Massive trail head and climbed to the top. Mt. Massive is the second highest peak in CO. They had a great time and the weather held up for them. It has been stormy, cloudy and rainy so they took a very early start to avoid any hindered views when they reached to summit. Gavin showed Beast another trail to the top so Bill couldn't resist and they headed out again on Tuesday for another climb up Mas<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgeiWGz5BfuUhhAF-zlz7gzADN4i9DcpsFVbeUhyphenhyphenjMspuhB62tlhwtzJvnr64QS-8bq8DlvEpcTWJoK7znbHJJPc0H9wO3Delvu7QPRF3Pwtlr_78DWTdnPvpisoZSdyReJ9_kaPF_s8Z8/s1600-h/marmot1.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5099063941971308130" style="FLOAT: right; MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgeiWGz5BfuUhhAF-zlz7gzADN4i9DcpsFVbeUhyphenhyphenjMspuhB62tlhwtzJvnr64QS-8bq8DlvEpcTWJoK7znbHJJPc0H9wO3Delvu7QPRF3Pwtlr_78DWTdnPvpisoZSdyReJ9_kaPF_s8Z8/s200/marmot1.jpg" border="0" /></a>sive. Again the weather held and not only did they have great views they saw white <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgEztZ7fritSYG4jJox0yGghneR4mMB0ufmUJILxoIclwOVKVpCKUO5EvSyaoqWB3O132vHPQxJgx1gELd2OJ_7oVYC9lef18FhTlvNOBKTbSEuoT46HGJHs3-iRd2lY-ZbHFpemQvRi2o/s1600-h/P8140310.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5099058444413169234" style="FLOAT: right; MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgEztZ7fritSYG4jJox0yGghneR4mMB0ufmUJILxoIclwOVKVpCKUO5EvSyaoqWB3O132vHPQxJgx1gELd2OJ_7oVYC9lef18FhTlvNOBKTbSEuoT46HGJHs3-iRd2lY-ZbHFpemQvRi2o/s200/P8140310.JPG" border="0" /></a>marmots......yes, white ones. None of us had ever seen a white one before and they let Bill get really close. The trail that Beast and Bill took was pretty steep but shorter than the one Beast did on Monday. The mountain climbers (Beast and Bill) have plans to do Elbert tomorrow and Sherman with the gang on Friday.<br /><br /><br /><br /><br />Monday I had the day off from running and the rest of us headed for a drive up and over Independence Pass into Aspen. The drive was beautiful and at the summit of the pass there is a lookout so we got out and enjoyed the views at 12,100 feet.<br /><br /><br />While Bill and Beast were on Massive I did my last run of any distance. I ran for 90 minutes with some good quality work in 3A and 3B and I was able to run the entire time! This was the first run I have done where I haven't needed to take walk breaks to stay in these zones. On my tempo run it was fine to be gasping near AT but this run was supposed to be consistent quality without gasping near AT. I was pleased to cover another 9.5 miles of the course from Sugarloafin to Mayqueen and I was even happier that I was able to run the whole time. With almost 3 weeks at some altitude I definitely will have a better race but I know the thin air will have a significant impact. I am excited and curious to see what that impact will be but I have some ideas. I think I will have to be very careful in first half to be sure I don't get myself in fueling mess and over fatigued. I wonder how my lungs will feel, all fun new things to experience and figure out.<br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br />Amy (Beast's daughter) arrived today and everyone headed to the mining museum. Tomorrow some of my best friends arrive, Stacey, Micheal, Jim, Steve and Tom. I am really looking forward to seeing them all, hanging out, laughing and doing Leadville. Bill is pacing Tom for some portion of the race, Beast is pacing Steve for some portion and Micheal, Stacey and Jim are going to make sure I keep moving!<br /><br />P.S. - It just snowed in the mountains to the east. The mountains were clear as the thunder and rain his Leadville but then all of the sudden they are capped with the white stuff! Yeah....snow in August!Rondahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10832545114209221483noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8856494413091772638.post-72206097724692567392007-08-11T17:06:00.000-07:002007-08-12T12:23:59.694-07:00HOPE!...Hope Pass that is, not so tempo run, Mt. Sherman summit<div><div><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEij9bpCDt33sNO_uklGu1xC_cuM4cLLKNo7ReY1sNjqUSB1mjjbO2XUyD_OvjeJp3by-6SGCfiflkmCNPCNPmeWEpZFeAov2A_gqYsuhF2uZjFZKLs_eUgI-d-hy-diRmT4X2aPHsOyDuk/s1600-h/P8080121.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5097868012622704114" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEij9bpCDt33sNO_uklGu1xC_cuM4cLLKNo7ReY1sNjqUSB1mjjbO2XUyD_OvjeJp3by-6SGCfiflkmCNPCNPmeWEpZFeAov2A_gqYsuhF2uZjFZKLs_eUgI-d-hy-diRmT4X2aPHsOyDuk/s200/P8080121.JPG" border="0" /></a> We have been busy! I had to do a tempo run on flat road so I chose a section of the course that is fairly level but it didn't seem to help my pace. Bob dropped me off at the Fish Hatchery aid station and I ran my warm-up on the inward bound portion heading to Powerline Pass. I turned around and started my tempo at the Fish Hatchery and Beast was the pace car. I was supposed to run 7:46 pace and the best I could do was 8:17's. My breathing mirrored more of an AT workout. He would park the car at every mile mark and wait for me, I could see the car in the what seemed to be the near distance but as hard as tried it didn't seem to get any closer. The good news is my legs felt great but I couldn't get enough air to my muscles to make them go any faster. We got a good laugh at how hard I was working and going no-where! <div><br /><div></div><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmSQzsknik7uO9BKES72EfXlgtuhOzE7pXPtmoE4VrTHClxHpizxZ540qkCwEpDXselEurVn-pSg6FK86NQIQpn8HmKv6vRRfN_d4OYa3hOcpeHSedHrT21TG_w4j9j7QceVuZxeDOYUo/s1600-h/P8070105.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5097869228098448898" style="FLOAT: right; MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmSQzsknik7uO9BKES72EfXlgtuhOzE7pXPtmoE4VrTHClxHpizxZ540qkCwEpDXselEurVn-pSg6FK86NQIQpn8HmKv6vRRfN_d4OYa3hOcpeHSedHrT21TG_w4j9j7QceVuZxeDOYUo/s200/P8070105.JPG" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><div>Prior to my tempo run we did the section from Twin Lakes aid station inbound. There is a pretty good climb out of that aid station all on single track trail and after coming off Hope Pass I suspect this climb will be pretty tough as will be getting dark as well. That run was only 70 minutes long and was an out and back. Along the way we ran past a teepee made out of logs with a live tree growing out of the center.<br /><br /><br /></div><br /><div>The day after the tempo run we headed to Hope Pass and did the outbound section. My family dropped us off and picked us up at Winfield but Beast decided to go back over to Twin Lakes. My legs could feel the tempo run so I gladly jumped in the car and we drove over to pick him up. The climb on the outbound section reminded me of the easier side of Dog Mountain only with less air. I was pretty tired from the tempo effort but we still made good time. The pass was very windy and cold and required gloves at the saddle and beyond. The views were awesome and we could see all the way into Leadville. I struggled for air at the 11,500 mark and above but surprisingly my heart rate was low but the uptake of oxygen was not good. I am definately feeling much better than a week ago when at that time this would have been a dizzy climb. The backside of Hope down towords Winfield was a rocky techincal trail and very steep in sections. I ran/walked most of this decsent and suspect I will do the same on race day. The rocky trail was hard for me to negotiate at a fast pace.</div><br /><br /><div></div><br /><br /><div>On Friday we climbed Mt. Sherman, my second 14'er ever. Beast, Alex and I started the climb early to avoid the clouds that were building over Mt. Massive. This is a 4.5 mile trip and you start at 10,500 and climb to 14,036. The trail is a scree field and winds around the slide of Sherman then heads straight up. Alex had a tough time at about 12,500 and we took many rest breaks. The wind picked up as we got near the first hump at about 13,000 and we had to pull out jackets, hats, and gloves. We had originally planned on hanging out at the top for about an hour enjoying lunch but the wind was so fierce we could hardly hear each other. The temperatures with the wind was super cold and I didn't want to hang out. At the very top of the mountain the winds were calm almost sureal but because the gusts were so bad Beast and I took turns climbing the jagged edge to the summit while one of us stayed with Alex. The last bit of climb was on a jagged rocky edge and I didn't feel it was safe with the winds for Alex. I did some running on the top.....just kidding, it was flat.....but I can say I ran at 14K. :). It was a really fun experience and I wish I could climb more of the surrounding mountains. There's always another time! :)<br /><br /><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5097895998629604898" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5DdNorXGDjlYL51XNFJIzQLeYaDRMNdWSbHK-rvghmYymboiDTC1lwl3JjfKUApqxcdo6DXfq1W7ZsL4kkE3TfIOmtb6F8QXTzWIcgf-l2swSsb00Z7g2W_c2_m0lZXhZTTn_pb8mMUs/s200/P8100192.JPG" border="0" /></div><div>Today was the bike race and we headed out to watch them. Beast and I did the inbound section of Hope Pass and we climbed the steep side vigorously and it wasn't bad. We got to the top in 1:08 and it was easy compared to the other day. The acclimating is working! Scott said it would take about 10 days before I would start to feel better and by day 14 I can officially say I felt feel much better. The pass was awesome today, clear and beautiful with no wind. The temperatures were really nice for the bike race. When we were done my family gave us the update on the leaders and when we got home we cleaned up and all went downtown to see the finish just as the course record was being broken by 6 minutes. The leader had a two minute lead over Floyd Landis who looked like he had taken a bad fall. The bike race was pretty exciting to watch.</div></div></div></div></div>Rondahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10832545114209221483noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8856494413091772638.post-23938202592428006572007-08-06T16:24:00.000-07:002007-08-06T17:48:42.993-07:00On the road again....Leadville!<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjL-9iYFTzPD_B5aKDCqZli6LnchFTfC76CztHNcm2X0IcxYG97lwqfl7L62x3X756KRcROHNaaiunEHQtu1_fvSyK4c3_jec-b7FlM21PqLPN0w1vLU732Z0h_rn1DQTcvhFi3-r_PHQc/s1600-h/On+the+road+again.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5095753866510855634" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjL-9iYFTzPD_B5aKDCqZli6LnchFTfC76CztHNcm2X0IcxYG97lwqfl7L62x3X756KRcROHNaaiunEHQtu1_fvSyK4c3_jec-b7FlM21PqLPN0w1vLU732Z0h_rn1DQTcvhFi3-r_PHQc/s200/On+the+road+again.jpg" border="0" /></a>We all left Utah on Saturday for our 8 hour trip to Leadville Colorado. The trip was uneventful and went pretty fast as we all ooohhhhed and ahhhhhhed at the scenery. We arrived in Leadville at 6p.m. and were quickly immersed in "Leadville Boom Days". This is a celebration in which the tow<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgocjUgKCRgjz2hP8rKQ2bZ4NO1f1s_VM7bZ2cvUHBw4w-qoBU3zZ6DXX1OuvDoc-bzhLc_AV3vMxmEUeau6mTxzoOJQvfMd6IGiYa0J-t7sLGayMxbO8J72RkRm3msVcjWGXjEbDBzFRQ/s1600-h/P8040052.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5095742733955624274" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgocjUgKCRgjz2hP8rKQ2bZ4NO1f1s_VM7bZ2cvUHBw4w-qoBU3zZ6DXX1OuvDoc-bzhLc_AV3vMxmEUeau6mTxzoOJQvfMd6IGiYa0J-t7sLGayMxbO8J72RkRm3msVcjWGXjEbDBzFRQ/s200/P8040052.JPG" border="0" /></a>n of Leadville pays tribute to it's mining boom with lots of activities in the streets. They have vendor booths with lots of stu<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCSIbfCvQKP3SppvEJzEfGC_eJ-aiF5eLUh1eyOFU0CMNY59zUYECVDfw1Jw9c0-tODipyjU0qX6mYo0UmczvKHwo0XayuCA_S5k4IFRA3vGzEJ4uLpQ5xsTlsE_sIwMdACbxLi-SZNqs/s1600-h/P8050073.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5095745375360511362" style="FLOAT: right; MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCSIbfCvQKP3SppvEJzEfGC_eJ-aiF5eLUh1eyOFU0CMNY59zUYECVDfw1Jw9c0-tODipyjU0qX6mYo0UmczvKHwo0XayuCA_S5k4IFRA3vGzEJ4uLpQ5xsTlsE_sIwMdACbxLi-SZNqs/s200/P8050073.JPG" border="0" /></a>ff to buy and various activities take place on the main street like the burro race, the slow motorcycle race, dancing and other stuff. Lots of people are dressed up in 30's garb and participating in the festivities. On Saturday night we jumped right into Boom Days and headed to the brew pub for dinner. Everyone, including the bartender were in rare form dressed up and partying like crazy. Beast could not help himself and began taking pictures of the girls next to us at the bar who were doing shots of Yegarmiester and Red Bull, wow!!! They were having no less than a good time.<br /><div><div><div><div><div><div><div><div><div><br /><br /><div>On Sunday the whole family headed into Leadville for the breakfast at one of Beast's Cafes and to watch the start of the burro race. The burro race is awesome and if I had a burro I <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqO___Gm2g_CApiQbWQ-YhTdu1c_3z17BSPeRKabYqga1pO4xvEQaZdOkrLk_oJqRMOw2bNzhCMMR6Y4vV3RcqqteftG-JU7bxF6WqjXCrIUyaHyLm1y680Cj5jUQxbT9gXf_tINPj0qk/s1600-h/P8050069.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5095743309481241954" style="FLOAT: right; MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqO___Gm2g_CApiQbWQ-YhTdu1c_3z17BSPeRKabYqga1pO4xvEQaZdOkrLk_oJqRMOw2bNzhCMMR6Y4vV3RcqqteftG-JU7bxF6WqjXCrIUyaHyLm1y680Cj5jUQxbT9gXf_tINPj0qk/s200/P8050069.JPG" border="0" /></a>would have to do this event. The runner and his/her burro travel 20 miles in the mountains with their burro in tow. The burro has to carry a certain amount of weight in the beginning and has to end with same amount of weight. The best part of the race is the stubborn burro, they sometimes just refuse to move! In addition, the runner does not ride their burro, they lead it. We watched the start and placed bets as to the finish time then headed out to see them on Mosquito Pass. We were a little late but could see the lead group followed by a couple of other stubborn burro's who's owners were desperately prodding them along. What fun! None of us have received a phone call that we guessed the finish time correctly but Beast is sure there is a message waiting for him at home. Lot's of other runners are here now. We saw Tom Pelsor from Oregon and he has been here for a little over a week and a half now.<br /><br /></div><br /><br /><div>The weather has been sort of cold and rainy, much different than Utah. The extended forecast looks better f<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMLxCu0HolVRDE0P6MOy_Rqnq5hAaVIO1V11giU9BfcZzojq-Qt-IUSC8p__tYCMyI0OlNi7qfeO_xOHSLpspi89lDslfhszP0cDvbzsMt7w_mlUN7Biqfw3NQDus2Dz3Nm3ZDohk44Oc/s1600-h/P8050081.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5095747196426644882" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMLxCu0HolVRDE0P6MOy_Rqnq5hAaVIO1V11giU9BfcZzojq-Qt-IUSC8p__tYCMyI0OlNi7qfeO_xOHSLpspi89lDslfhszP0cDvbzsMt7w_mlUN7Biqfw3NQDus2Dz3Nm3ZDohk44Oc/s200/P8050081.JPG" border="0" /></a>or race day but you never know????? Yesterday was our first run here in CO. and it was short, just a bit over an hour. Beast and I drove all around getting oriented with course. Since it's and out and back it's pretty easy to drive to all the aid stations and get acquainted with the course layout. After we did some scouting we went for a run between Halfmoon aid station and Twin Lakes. The section we did was on the Colorado Trail and passed the trail head to Mt Elbert which is the highest peak in CO. The trail was rocky and hard to navigate so I assume this part will be slow going on race day. The road sections leading up to this trail section with be faster but I plan on going easy on the rocky trail. There were lots of streams to cross but all of them you can pass without getting your feet wet. Beast and I will be climbing Mt. Elbert if we get a good weather day. I know Bill will be heading up there and maybe Mt. Massive too.<br /><br /><br /></div><div>Today was my last long run with some quality workloads built in. We went from the Mayqueen aid station up and over Sugarloaf and back. We got as high as 11,200 today and I was to run in 3A and 3B with AT on the climbs. I was fine up to about 10,500 but after that I was halted by the lack of air. The outbound climb up Sugarloaf was not bad and I was able to run all of that. The decent down into the Fish Hatchery was slow for me because the road is so washed out. I saw a ton of bikers p<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirfr_q_mXxZQfeRqDULfSf9IA_Tgs2L3-F-BVWaBHFAhuZCP8SEDaZMGcgfDBXpqppicdVOTzYNkBFfYRz5cD3efEghM7opxqkfr0AnT2IxZuw8BL9MdHUswKoX8x5QbLZ1Ixxp_nInlA/s1600-h/P8060100.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5095753711892032962" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirfr_q_mXxZQfeRqDULfSf9IA_Tgs2L3-F-BVWaBHFAhuZCP8SEDaZMGcgfDBXpqppicdVOTzYNkBFfYRz5cD3efEghM7opxqkfr0AnT2IxZuw8BL9MdHUswKoX8x5QbLZ1Ixxp_nInlA/s200/P8060100.JPG" border="0" /></a>racticing for their ride this coming Saturday. I saw only one other runner out on this section. When I got to the bottom of Sugarloaf I just turned back around and headed back up. This climb will be much harder on race day since this will be about mile 80 and dark, I expect it to be a slow go. It's not too steep but just keeps going and going. After you reach the summit you get to go downhill on a pretty good road before you hit another rocky section of trail. I was happy with how well I could move at this point in the acclimation process and and hoping it gets better as the weeks progress. So far we are having a blast! We talked to some runners from Virginia this afternoon and they said there are 600 runners registered, it's going to be so much fun!</div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div>Rondahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10832545114209221483noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8856494413091772638.post-20880173668737298352007-08-02T12:19:00.000-07:002007-08-02T15:03:42.814-07:00So many trails, so little time.....<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBtBnhc5fda88k1Ei05vyyuhkM-x7ZTtEl9UQAOj-LVXUWUOfH4WekJcOHiLWFiX6hnwesIcdzdb6c849nJlJDGrTSMXn_KB-pyR_3e2TNddq7R0inZH0Bqb-PF40QwxuL7EDHKXTEk78/s1600-h/179478301-L%5B1%5D.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5094192298006408402" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBtBnhc5fda88k1Ei05vyyuhkM-x7ZTtEl9UQAOj-LVXUWUOfH4WekJcOHiLWFiX6hnwesIcdzdb6c849nJlJDGrTSMXn_KB-pyR_3e2TNddq7R0inZH0Bqb-PF40QwxuL7EDHKXTEk78/s200/179478301-L%5B1%5D.jpg" border="0" /></a>I thought it would be hard to top Mt. Timpenogos but the last two days have been just as lovely. Yesterday (Wed.) we did a loop from the Canyons Ski Resort over to the Wasatch Crest Trail and back down to Park City Ski Resort. This particular run was about 18 miles long and connected a ton of familiar trails but I would have never known. Beast drove me to the trail head right out of a Park City neighborhood, the trail we started on was called Rob's Trail which connected to the Mid Mountain Trail, then the Wasatch Crest Trail, then Spiro Trail. It was hard to believe we would feed into the Wasatch 100M course at about mile 73 right <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiH3j4vWzt19tyqjc0viJfewCc5wPxiVNL37mUEO-U42wZi-8LXLzBUYQDhljZvIdtXlTxcqeSEp86gYq2VjmDIFcexqaOx_tpy8AWK03J9pE2AKWDzWB_R64ddQxMbBHhzSeIoylqUeTY/s1600-h/179479389-L%5B1%5D.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5094192495574904034" style="FLOAT: right; MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiH3j4vWzt19tyqjc0viJfewCc5wPxiVNL37mUEO-U42wZi-8LXLzBUYQDhljZvIdtXlTxcqeSEp86gYq2VjmDIFcexqaOx_tpy8AWK03J9pE2AKWDzWB_R64ddQxMbBHhzSeIoylqUeTY/s200/179479389-L%5B1%5D.jpg" border="0" /></a>out of Upper Big Water Canyon near Desolation Lake. I knew the course was near Park City and Bill has tried to connect them in the past but to no avail. The wildflowers were awesome and the views take your breath away, it reminded me why Wasatch 100M is one of my favorite courses. After Beast dropped me off to meet Deborah Askew and her friend Lori he went back to Park City Ski Resort and headed the opposite direction to meet us near the high point on the Wasatch Crest Trail. The pace was vigorous on the climbs but not bad, my breathing is getting a little better each day. It nice and humbling to hear yourself breath so hard and not be anywhere near zone 3B. The forced walking has been good recovery for me. Beast ran into another ultra runner on the Wasatch Crest Trail and it was another reminder of how small our world is as he knew people Beast knows and visa versa. Deborah and I chatted non stop the entire run and since she is a great ultra runner with some crazy fast times on Leadville and Wasatch I was happy to take any and all advice she gave to help me in my upcoming adventures. She has poste<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjoRifspxBqttyi9lXHJpUJWbztb0Y6VE4-s8xIEKqIm5_2CWDNNIHM1OAh4UHXA3gpmyFzH4wHmzVhda7Ewc45KDSkpUlhCb3VHyrsIqqYjdqVb-qphk6mvDLu29BT109er62Nf_Grbkc/s1600-h/179478854-L%5B1%5D.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5094192688848432370" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjoRifspxBqttyi9lXHJpUJWbztb0Y6VE4-s8xIEKqIm5_2CWDNNIHM1OAh4UHXA3gpmyFzH4wHmzVhda7Ewc45KDSkpUlhCb3VHyrsIqqYjdqVb-qphk6mvDLu29BT109er62Nf_Grbkc/s200/179478854-L%5B1%5D.jpg" border="0" /></a>d times near 24 hours on Wasatch 100M and right at 23 hours on Leadville and she shared her experiences on both courses with me, I took a lot away from our conversations and plan to implement some of her good advice. Right as Deborah and I were coming off the Wasatch Crest Trail which tops out at 9,940 feet and began heading down to Spiro I hear and weird rooster call and since I am in the middle of no where in the mountains who else but the Beast would be attempting rooster call (he needs work on his rooster call)......only the Beast. We found him on top of a peak just above the Spiro trail so we hiked back up to find out where he had been all day. He was lucky enough to have come across a mama moose and last years baby. The mama moose was apparently not very happy to be disturbed by the beast and his flashing camera and actually turned toward him and stomped her foot. Beast took that as a message to get out of dodge! After that story Deborah and I were off in hopes we would see the moose but no luck.<br /><br /><div><div><div></div><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5094205676829535490" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYjGFM1T4wo_h5l6XTVCygxnYcBkBOo1CQbpmvaYE2tXdGBV-nD2_ZWM_agNwNYb5xhxYQu1LXwP2GqW1mWxen-2EBdlzal97JfCJlUXAdfSB1m_IHW7578WV-ngbFfDGGpnBxGKIpwH4/s200/179479466-L%5B1%5D.jpg" border="0" />Wednesday afternoon Bill arrived after his drive from Portland hauling the trailer, it was a long hard trip so he was beat. Liz and Ka<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlyK6s2TphQnZsbWBPpk9EDyWt5536pwmGgU-Y0MFY12F8Ze7orN5j5jijUMB2uo2MbdoUxXiCxutNcUXtWs3RmgYbOBPPnGhVp9MhAiyOBJ_0gdFbjo9sFspvT5HGs6k0ePv-64KO5Zw/s1600-h/179738183-L%5B1%5D.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5094206900895214866" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlyK6s2TphQnZsbWBPpk9EDyWt5536pwmGgU-Y0MFY12F8Ze7orN5j5jijUMB2uo2MbdoUxXiCxutNcUXtWs3RmgYbOBPPnGhVp9MhAiyOBJ_0gdFbjo9sFspvT5HGs6k0ePv-64KO5Zw/s200/179738183-L%5B1%5D.jpg" border="0" /></a>mm arrived in late afternoon and we all made plans for today's run. We met Deborah at the Big Mountain aid station (mile 39.5 on Wasatch 100M) and headed backwards on the course to the Sessions. It was going to be short day for me, about 2.5 hours. It was overcast and lightly misting, a big contrast to the previous days where temperatures in the high country were mid 80's. The scent of mint was abundant in this area and the rain just enhanced it. This part of the course travels along the ridge just abov<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSNenpVFY0JKTHS5SQsKDpdhSRWAgsQpzQ7R8TcdxZ82JmfehIpKb2cty_ju7Pyxueb2jO2KIQinSOZwgiNqRoDjQfFQO4ZX6nBuLjOsM4d-htdb8V2GXsojgApOhCjZrLpZC4eZc5DtY/s1600-h/179739678-L%5B1%5D.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5094207287442271522" style="FLOAT: right; MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSNenpVFY0JKTHS5SQsKDpdhSRWAgsQpzQ7R8TcdxZ82JmfehIpKb2cty_ju7Pyxueb2jO2KIQinSOZwgiNqRoDjQfFQO4ZX6nBuLjOsM4d-htdb8V2GXsojgApOhCjZrLpZC4eZc5DtY/s200/179739678-L%5B1%5D.jpg" border="0" /></a>e and on the other side of the big Canyons near Salt Lake City, beautiful countryside with awesome views of the mountains. What I am finding is the more time I am active at alitude the more I am understanding how to manage my pace and breathing whereas if I hadn't had this opportunity I would be fighting the lack of air, gasping and forcing breaths. Instead I am trying to honor the altitude and it's affects on my abilties to move faster. Tomorrow is a tempo run on flat terrain as I begin getting my leg speed back for Leadville. I am interested to see how this feels at altitude and what effect it has on my pace.</div><br /><div></div><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5094226597615234354" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhufhhTHvMUH15lmuYffDQcDiTS8QUKwpDPQVkMxDk1WIolC51XI10Rf94gYUUrHc42BOpPRpvZV2yVux67G8xfnQzSCh104LyVzXLIffN8089bEU2Byb_6IVQoQZ_zGXK3ptERsOfJcXE/s200/alex+11+b-day.jpg" border="0" /> <div>Yesteday 8/1 was Alex's 11th birthday so we celebrated by going out to dinner at the resturant of his choice. He got two Russian Tortoises for his present and they are very interesting and pretty active for turtles. Bill transported this surprise all the way from Portland in the car and they will be nicely acclimated as they will be with us in CO.</div></div>Rondahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10832545114209221483noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8856494413091772638.post-13761152569106194942007-07-30T18:37:00.000-07:002007-07-30T19:53:14.242-07:00Where have I been....oh!....Paradise!<div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDVWIqQXO9UT9XUm9fj5hRJulI2vkc7Sxmq_fbOb93gFwpphMKDzgaPsnrgz8e2fAOmopLmcMjiRigHg2Xr4Iq5ec6fePNahJt3DyTEb4ga2sQZpScn_RHnORk3vd58m6g3UHIMgDYH0k/s1600-h/P7300002.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5093183809620536498" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDVWIqQXO9UT9XUm9fj5hRJulI2vkc7Sxmq_fbOb93gFwpphMKDzgaPsnrgz8e2fAOmopLmcMjiRigHg2Xr4Iq5ec6fePNahJt3DyTEb4ga2sQZpScn_RHnORk3vd58m6g3UHIMgDYH0k/s320/P7300002.JPG" border="0" /></a>This is a picture of our destination...Mt. Timpenogos. Folks say the mountain looks like a lady lying down starting from your left is the head, then the bust and at the end is the feet. We climbed the Timpenooke trail to the top and traversed from the saddle near the feet to the bust then just before the face we dropped down and slid down the glacier to a meadow.<br /><br /><div><div><div><div><div><div><div><div><div>Here's the details and pictures:<br /></div><div>After about an hour drive from Deer Valley we arrived at the trail head to begin the climb. We had maps and read stuff on the web but all we really knew is it was 7.5-9 miles up and you gained 4,500 feet to top out at 11,750. We had heard the trail was in great condition and the wildflowers were in full bloom so we were excited. </div><br /><br /><div>Right off the bat we see another person who looks like an ultra runner. She had very little gear, trail shoes and running clothes for a mountain climb so it had to be an ultra runner. It was Deborah Askew. Very small world as she knows all the Oregon runners so it was fun to talk with her. She said it takes her about 3 hours to summit the mountain. </div><br /><br /><div>The climb was<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGx1jPfPKdcASs1nKpAPzOBpBZn_QKcYs4eHBuVTd7GI9AxrWibhJIwWguiG0NTQRlHBbX2HyS4LxIvBzKhJZmgC47Huy_0u5tO_k-qUUDU8N0PF-ij6TJcWOIHZXI_aCl4YHb7AoZv2U/s1600-h/IMG_1576.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5093173153806674994" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGx1jPfPKdcASs1nKpAPzOBpBZn_QKcYs4eHBuVTd7GI9AxrWibhJIwWguiG0NTQRlHBbX2HyS4LxIvBzKhJZmgC47Huy_0u5tO_k-qUUDU8N0PF-ij6TJcWOIHZXI_aCl4YHb7AoZv2U/s200/IMG_1576.JPG" border="0" /></a> nice and gradual with a couple of beautiful plateaued meadows filled <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEho1bfat0J7COro040vLka5rXVxO1AVJyBgPhyVwUjrx-9peTUMbVVtB_3hOxXivZOHXxK6meLZSHlmLai37tAoQ-lpZT7lj0XgSTGNxVq3nB1IvRa2mrvaGBQK3D5sUJRv0NhZkMSZmyo/s1600-h/P7300019.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5093173750807129154" style="FLOAT: right; MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEho1bfat0J7COro040vLka5rXVxO1AVJyBgPhyVwUjrx-9peTUMbVVtB_3hOxXivZOHXxK6meLZSHlmLai37tAoQ-lpZT7lj0XgSTGNxVq3nB1IvRa2mrvaGBQK3D5sUJRv0NhZkMSZmyo/s200/P7300019.jpg" border="0" /></a>with wildflowers. The trail was fabulous and mostly runnable if you could breath and were in good shape. The view behind us wasn't bad either. Part of the Wasatch course is in the background as we continued our climb. It seemed quick but we were half way up when Deborah's husband pointed out a moose bedded down in the meadow below. That was our<img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5093174287678041170" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg79iyYTSJUUwd1VqGoZwqd8ZZMfHWIwdN7wRATcDc-3YRel33Y-MDmejNfj4u61N02lWma1GHuCp3ph-nkfBHe0gQ3WSkum73ayF_HRB8Ar0JNNi3V7wOAWdQ_h8Dkmm86F5xa2GfZ7wY/s200/P7300022.JPG" border="0" />first wildlife treat! The mountain was in full view the entire way up the trail and rough rocky cliffs seemed to go o<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbnE2foDoR2Afba69pUcU6PoY5Fx4IcTqMcZJ0XTUW2YhldeO5gNmmdkuYAfjh5qTtKrcQwQZuj6dwB0xZTHjLUwrZmE0vaZiTPJ6_fNUnd52QBgFUdytJJeVLoV9SZyiSi7uMhz1AKYQ/s1600-h/P7300029.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5093175052182219874" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbnE2foDoR2Afba69pUcU6PoY5Fx4IcTqMcZJ0XTUW2YhldeO5gNmmdkuYAfjh5qTtKrcQwQZuj6dwB0xZTHjLUwrZmE0vaZiTPJ6_fNUnd52QBgFUdytJJeVLoV9SZyiSi7uMhz1AKYQ/s200/P7300029.JPG" border="0" /></a>n forever. It was crazy to think we would soon be on top of it. The trail to the top was cut into the scree on the sides of the cliffs and large switchbacks led the way. The Timpenooke trail summits at the saddle just before the feet of lying woman. You continue on the ridge line trail which is very narrow and rocky but saf<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-TR5VGtTG1WmCtauHbLU1pT4Ft01TD1wr8626iGS-gSmIaD4-qKAtVh1BLNcIlpfUQXqLBp4HpZuQbcl-X7KHl6AQ36PkFAD9CGnpZ3SpJaEa9IW-QPoWU8LZbmabpwTgnLNp-mjxMNs/s1600-h/P7300031.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5093185381578566850" style="FLOAT: right; MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-TR5VGtTG1WmCtauHbLU1pT4Ft01TD1wr8626iGS-gSmIaD4-qKAtVh1BLNcIlpfUQXqLBp4HpZuQbcl-X7KHl6AQ36PkFAD9CGnpZ3SpJaEa9IW-QPoWU8LZbmabpwTgnLNp-mjxMNs/s200/P7300031.jpg" border="0" /></a>e, just don't take the wrong step. The picture to the left of Beast and I was taken on the saddle. We obviously wanted to go to the summit, the highest point on Timpenogos. We also were hoping to see some Mountain Goats, a herd was spotted earlier. Once you get to the summit there is a hut and you can sign you name. At this point you have two choices. One, continue on the ridge towards the face of lying lady and slide straight down the only glacier or turn around and re-tra<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTfii73wwHwch3hvDcUtLzeUAONrZVfbKmaael0K37YpnHJfr81L1XXDfnN8dbCJLhGHQfDDhMqpRSbfcHC5H-nP5rsN1RL5UWZgGXWWCvNXkOCsIvVAw1ee1MwwZr2vS3GfXj1w5FF5Y/s1600-h/Img_1583.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5093178359307037826" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTfii73wwHwch3hvDcUtLzeUAONrZVfbKmaael0K37YpnHJfr81L1XXDfnN8dbCJLhGHQfDDhMqpRSbfcHC5H-nP5rsN1RL5UWZgGXWWCvNXkOCsIvVAw1ee1MwwZr2vS3GfXj1w5FF5Y/s200/Img_1583.jpg" border="0" /></a>ce your steps. At the summit we began talking with some young hikers who have been here at least 4 other times and have slid down the glacier and they ensured us it would be mild with the low snowfall Utah had this last winter. We decided to follow them and check it out. If we felt it was to dangerous we could just turn around and head back. We decided to have some fun and slide down. It was such an adventure and a total blast. In the picture to the left where Beas<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiIA2b2ZktuOBDrNPNmQ6qoLb47FPX948PkqGr7aFYlI__XkH6GbIa9Mxt4A1OV5Rf95F80ydcXrP5d8EeRxSJBSxsVKKTosWEVVGW8t5QzR4X8HnzTrlALHcfj56nqCwrqBa8L-HNhXEM/s1600-h/P7300067.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5093179252660235410" style="FLOAT: right; MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiIA2b2ZktuOBDrNPNmQ6qoLb47FPX948PkqGr7aFYlI__XkH6GbIa9Mxt4A1OV5Rf95F80ydcXrP5d8EeRxSJBSxsVKKTosWEVVGW8t5QzR4X8HnzTrlALHcfj56nqCwrqBa8L-HNhXEM/s200/P7300067.jpg" border="0" /></a>t is sliding down you can see the green meadow below, that is our destination which is about 9,500 feet at about 2 miles below the summit. At the bottom of the glacier is a beautiful lake called Emerald Lake. We filtered water from the lake then just as we were continuing our journey down the mountain we see the Goats, two mama's and two baby's. Beast made me duck down so we wouldn't scare them but I watched the mama and I am sure she was telling her baby, "look a<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhstcYkAoPDXQdYkz0r-LSaOd7pQO8uhV1CqfbiGmQize8wQT6aiZybaT4liSirngw3VtqnVzH_-0XUUZPumZb_8BjiKSog6knNZPuf9KSqOLEZJo3mkSxTiGVjwPdPMHlLeyne1dCizeE/s1600-h/IMG_1587.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5093180395121536162" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhstcYkAoPDXQdYkz0r-LSaOd7pQO8uhV1CqfbiGmQize8wQT6aiZybaT4liSirngw3VtqnVzH_-0XUUZPumZb_8BjiKSog6knNZPuf9KSqOLEZJo3mkSxTiGVjwPdPMHlLeyne1dCizeE/s200/IMG_1587.JPG" border="0" /></a>t those crazy humans ducking down so we can't see them, don't pay any attention to them". They didn't look to concerned with our presence and I got a good picture of them. After we crossed this meadow it was down a nice trail along a scree field, all very runnable. Beast and I split up for the 5 mile run downhill to the car. I put on my headphones and jammed down the mountain happy and satisfied, summiting Mt. Timpenogos, seeing a moose and goats, sliding down a snow field and running through paradise. This is one of the most beautiful runs I have ever done. Anytime anyone has an opportunity to be near Sundance, Midway, Heber or Park City this is a must do! I will be back. The altitude was tough but better and my legs are coming back! </div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div>Rondahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10832545114209221483noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8856494413091772638.post-85429649807936321172007-07-29T12:10:00.000-07:002007-07-29T12:45:15.493-07:00Mid-Mountain Trail and the Rail Trail<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgukJFTMmF-6yAVhtA-AxOsQhonkMSOY5V5ERkW6HmRdYlOMtHc8yKjQ9b2-wANEZjXQ8zPXvSgako1_1jkrw-H0qd9Uevjpl0HAEG-9noxuWbFnq4g6S0Kc4YDTT6JsKhaDmKUM6zEyOk/s1600-h/P7280022.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5092704495565269954" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgukJFTMmF-6yAVhtA-AxOsQhonkMSOY5V5ERkW6HmRdYlOMtHc8yKjQ9b2-wANEZjXQ8zPXvSgako1_1jkrw-H0qd9Uevjpl0HAEG-9noxuWbFnq4g6S0Kc4YDTT6JsKhaDmKUM6zEyOk/s200/P7280022.jpg" border="0" /></a> Day 2 we did the Mid-Mountain trail which is 23 miles long and travel from Deer Valley to The Canyons on the ridge line. It crosses all three ski areas, Deer Valley, Park City and The Canyons. It's all single track trail and all above 8000 feet. Beast and I headed out to do at least 16 miles of the trail point to point and take the bus back to Deer Valley. As we began our run it was obvious we were lacking air! Right <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzPFrzuW6uf_QQmdYQ5Ig0OThQsGajBIqrvuqu0zvIjLlP27FR2dOkoaTxJ34W74wFl_nx-Pib60GUpyawQ0Qwa_RVYcC-79lzTL3MVdzXB_0hTwRrrnnOlsquM6jFcxCwV0X6wGKTcI8/s1600-h/P7280027.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5092705504882584562" style="FLOAT: right; MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzPFrzuW6uf_QQmdYQ5Ig0OThQsGajBIqrvuqu0zvIjLlP27FR2dOkoaTxJ34W74wFl_nx-Pib60GUpyawQ0Qwa_RVYcC-79lzTL3MVdzXB_0hTwRrrnnOlsquM6jFcxCwV0X6wGKTcI8/s200/P7280027.JPG" border="0" /></a>off the bat we were huffing and puffing and not moving real fast but that was just fine. The trail was beautiful with all the Aspen trees and the shade was nice since the sun was hot. It was interesting to be running along and feeling a bit dizzy and sluggish but that is to be expected so I was just takin<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWkJllBMvXUt3ldv9QD9-GgeET9w4o4UqHGcxppOerPOrHGn0Y4rQbkiWqsJZhEuOXQTEYRqGWiGVPxkq7gWlFjki1FJgkOqdbv5dL0d6p56OlzquR8zfKQfp2QtZIUXsOM2sBt70DUBQ/s1600-h/P7280024.jpg"></a>g it all in paying attention to breathing. Beast was trying to teach me how to breath using respite breathing techniques but I was a bad student. I think I finally got the hang of it by he end of the run. We ran into a milli<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjw5RNUpOHrg0DWq7IH6KQy0tYQTWUBNAxfs8aDVsAyHsYuX_QFH5_rLe-rQZkYQchh8_Rsii0D6SBxDgs_rsf31JTxTRaG_Ul5W0df4ele1xYjEY0lBWbG9uiOdoE9uTSHua64i_EIQlI/s1600-h/P7280028.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5092705221414743010" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjw5RNUpOHrg0DWq7IH6KQy0tYQTWUBNAxfs8aDVsAyHsYuX_QFH5_rLe-rQZkYQchh8_Rsii0D6SBxDgs_rsf31JTxTRaG_Ul5W0df4ele1xYjEY0lBWbG9uiOdoE9uTSHua64i_EIQlI/s200/P7280028.jpg" border="0" /></a>on mountain bikers on this trail because it was Saturday and all of them were very pleasant and courteous. Not trying to kill us before we could jump out the way. At about mile 8 into our run we decided to bail off and run down to Park City Ski Resort. My quads were feeling the run and lack of air and this would be our last opportunity to bail before the The Canyons which was another 8 miles. We took the Spiro trial down to the ski area. This trail drops about 2000 feet but is nice and gradual with the switchbacks. The drop is about 2.5 miles long. This was a great decision because my body was tired and I am in recovery mode right now. The last thing I need to be doing is stressing my muscles......that's next week.<br /><div><div><div><br /><div><br /><div><br /><div>My in laws and Alex arrived on Saturday. Alex has his bike so we went out for a <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhr_0nc9oB1QISHbtIpDjPiS8RnuNVOjpFrmvo89ETUUdfx2ldS8a6tgNXO4ACPID08hecEGvR048d0wB_FkzvOuLA40JF0Lwz8Q39XPA57vJkqNyiPbZDSHUAk7-WXlF2VgmLEMxQaCqA/s1600-h/P7280030.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5092705814120229890" style="FLOAT: right; MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhr_0nc9oB1QISHbtIpDjPiS8RnuNVOjpFrmvo89ETUUdfx2ldS8a6tgNXO4ACPID08hecEGvR048d0wB_FkzvOuLA40JF0Lwz8Q39XPA57vJkqNyiPbZDSHUAk7-WXlF2VgmLEMxQaCqA/s200/P7280030.JPG" border="0" /></a>spin around the lakes on a flat paved path. I tortured Alex by hugging him to death :). I also stole his bike and made him chase me down to get it back, he is fast!</div><br /><br /><br /><br /><div></div><br /><div>Sunday, was an easy recovery day so we went to the Rail Trail right in Park City. This trail goes for at least 26 miles int<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEilGmBEZFdiTOrh4CtOl7trwy8OpjrIzH2ZzcuL9-DkUb9eHMfkpgFsW-WayQjvOzTVOQoxYaUK0-nI3lIT9OF_P5XYUvOzVevdRcD0vBM_zSAyCu-e_t3b9TnU9GLcjybmjzi8sMKU2O8/s1600-h/P7290003.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5092706226437090322" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEilGmBEZFdiTOrh4CtOl7trwy8OpjrIzH2ZzcuL9-DkUb9eHMfkpgFsW-WayQjvOzTVOQoxYaUK0-nI3lIT9OF_P5XYUvOzVevdRcD0vBM_zSAyCu-e_t3b9TnU9GLcjybmjzi8sMKU2O8/s200/P7290003.jpg" border="0" /></a>o the hills and is pretty flat. Alex came with Beast and I on his bike and we found some trails to adventure out on. All of us tried to get up this hill on Alex's mountain bike to no avail. It looked so easy and when Alex couldn't make it up the hill both Beast and I were going to show him how it is done. Well......we have a new appreciation for mountain bikers as both of us fell short falling off the bike in the same spot Alex fell. Alex was sure to let us know, "I told you so....". We ran for about an hour and could feel the tug on our lungs running very slow but with a labored breath. My legs feel better today but I have to say yesterday was a killer. I guess I am not quite recovered from Vermont :). </div><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><div></div><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><div>Tomorrow Beast and I are heading to the Mt. Tempanogos which tops out at 11,500 feet. The trail we are going to take is 9 miles up and and 9 miles down. I am sure we won't be setting any speed records but I have to sustain 3A with some 3B and AT. My first really workout since Vermont. I think it will be very easy to see these numbers with this thin air. :).</div></div></div></div></div></div>Rondahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10832545114209221483noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8856494413091772638.post-3087938960135686342007-07-27T16:15:00.000-07:002007-07-27T16:47:50.398-07:00Utah - Day 1<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjytRw901YDo2_KlYPtay3tm40XnCNxbn3qzoMALTyoYnav2tOdgmo9IZIa_masnOcKWNzyh3CoqNDLRS15nbwWIDuUzFp7TxSiX9yhXFtQWGrXhkMmxXettlIhQ9YGL8c2QKr1CEN50Dc/s1600-h/P7270010.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5092024842760481714" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjytRw901YDo2_KlYPtay3tm40XnCNxbn3qzoMALTyoYnav2tOdgmo9IZIa_masnOcKWNzyh3CoqNDLRS15nbwWIDuUzFp7TxSiX9yhXFtQWGrXhkMmxXettlIhQ9YGL8c2QKr1CEN50Dc/s320/P7270010.JPG" border="0" /></a>After a 13 hour drive which included the necessary stops we arrived in Deer Valley, UT. Beast only made me eat at one bad cafe on the way :). Those who know me and the Beast are familiar with are differing eating habits so we compromised and ate out once and I brought the other meal :). We also had a contest on who could request the least amount of rest stop breaks....Micheal you would lose big in this game. Since we are both stubborn we called a tie almost every time before one or both of us burst!<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhEF3emHwfu9kB0LYhfv9ei1hOAOFVz-5-3IfSaI1w2nYbxmllIqWDL8fMM3eHvCmk9SftiX5k3wG59vva05rHi0Fy4fsFod1C42SIHMeih8zQzmJH_zC6CS_iefx5z4aG5fkWJXanea8/s1600-h/Ronda+on+top+of+ridge.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5092024529227869090" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhEF3emHwfu9kB0LYhfv9ei1hOAOFVz-5-3IfSaI1w2nYbxmllIqWDL8fMM3eHvCmk9SftiX5k3wG59vva05rHi0Fy4fsFod1C42SIHMeih8zQzmJH_zC6CS_iefx5z4aG5fkWJXanea8/s320/Ronda+on+top+of+ridge.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><div><div><div><div><div><div>Last night we were treated with the usual Wasatch evening thunderstorms. They were loud and the lightening was very bright, I love these mountains. As we were bringing up our things to the room we both huffed and puffed and felt like the building was moving but it wasn't. It was just the effects of thin air. Seeing stars and wobbling down the hallway was a great reminder of what we are here to do.<br /><br /><br /><br /></div><br /><div>This morning we woke up refreshed from our long drive and heade<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHDz0hTBVMSeTvm2y55iFiXEumw9kQ_BYt5YKjVjPbg2kmDOE4whETxKC69nF3X4rw7u6xYQtLDkmTV6OwB52NjSmxmPPiGrHwaMtdAY0PJafjZFrTaRAOXNP1EuCMOdH1C2HT4GVNmto/s1600-h/P7270007.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5092022888550361970" style="FLOAT: right; MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHDz0hTBVMSeTvm2y55iFiXEumw9kQ_BYt5YKjVjPbg2kmDOE4whETxKC69nF3X4rw7u6xYQtLDkmTV6OwB52NjSmxmPPiGrHwaMtdAY0PJafjZFrTaRAOXNP1EuCMOdH1C2HT4GVNmto/s320/P7270007.jpg" border="0" /></a>d out to Lambs Canyon (mile 55 of the Wasatch course) and climbed up and over to Upper Big Water (mile 62) but we did not make it all the way to the aid station. We cut it short and didn't do the paved road section but instead turned around and retraced our steps. We ran/hiked for 7.4 miles and climbed 2,840 feet. This was the first run of any significance I have done since Vermont 100M and I feel really good. I would not have been doing anything like this after WS100M. My legs had good power for the climb but the descent was harder for my legs. They were not as strong and I was not as confident my quads would hold but what do I expect......exactly what I experienced, legs a bit tired in the end. As we climbed I could feel the tug on my lungs though my HR was pretty low (around 150) but the lack of air wasn't too <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6tm-q2LCkWUaBC7cOfRDuM0gKKZRJ1AC0Pp4eszm-X6j9T8CZjQ1n2WM1oucsHTkL4lcIdrV25u-_HBR8_8ry-Ici57GRKm9d2V0W149UM9eojr7jTECBIQmL1WfKBi2RyWTNxoPIn1Q/s1600-h/P7270012.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5092024048191531922" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6tm-q2LCkWUaBC7cOfRDuM0gKKZRJ1AC0Pp4eszm-X6j9T8CZjQ1n2WM1oucsHTkL4lcIdrV25u-_HBR8_8ry-Ici57GRKm9d2V0W149UM9eojr7jTECBIQmL1WfKBi2RyWTNxoPIn1Q/s320/P7270012.jpg" border="0" /></a>debilitating. I expect to get another day of feeling good and then the blood cell die off will take hold. I estimate I will feel bad for about 5 days before I begin the upswing. That is what I have been told to expect so I will keep you posted on the lung transformation :)<br /><br /></div><br /><br /><div>During our run we saw some really fresh moose tracks but no moose :(. However, we did see a hiker being followed by his pet billy goat. The goat was just like a dog as he carried a pack and followed his owner. I quickly told the Beast I want one of those and he replied, "no you don't"! He was awfully cute though.........</div></div></div></div></div></div>Rondahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10832545114209221483noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8856494413091772638.post-1809892561157458242007-07-24T05:49:00.000-07:002007-07-24T12:24:24.016-07:00Holy Moly....Rolly Poly!<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKwdDcugHVvNdppsn9_jVNJccHuQEsx9AR9Dv07jUK0u_m1RjHSF-bWMQNS2oIfgtJqpZgnkTU5b4O5HbUBkHc1DsvKpPnRHzcZUKH9CfVW8KORdlIMXDep290IXvgH0WrbK47ggZvXmE/s1600-h/ronda+smiling+2.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5090839509096196930" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKwdDcugHVvNdppsn9_jVNJccHuQEsx9AR9Dv07jUK0u_m1RjHSF-bWMQNS2oIfgtJqpZgnkTU5b4O5HbUBkHc1DsvKpPnRHzcZUKH9CfVW8KORdlIMXDep290IXvgH0WrbK47ggZvXmE/s200/ronda+smiling+2.jpg" border="0" /></a><strong><span style="font-size:130%;">The Stats:</span></strong><br /><div><div><div><div><div><div><div><strong>Time: 21:36 or 12:57 per mile</strong></div><div><strong>Ascent: 17,060 <span style="font-size:78%;">(of rolling wonderland - my altimeter has been within 200 feet of WS100, Wasatch 100M and others)</span></strong></div><div><strong>Place: 29th overall, 4th woman, 1st masters</strong> </div><br /><div></div><br /><div>Arriving in Boston on Thursday evening and having Bill pick us up at the airport for our 2.5 hour drive to Vermont was perfect. It was pouring rain in Boston and looked like Portland in the middle of Febr<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSyAO8Zc6A07rw8ieMt8GRxcJB0Ucz2RCSYYbt1SvMrbsb6o4oWtpHGxZdGIe_d2VywgS1LvFOucnDE5HgeB1PezFCnc8mIsZZM_CKhaojWIs0JT7RmASU4R9vPaCuTOYKL_ij45WaJic/s1600-h/Img_1557.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5090746630428420754" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSyAO8Zc6A07rw8ieMt8GRxcJB0Ucz2RCSYYbt1SvMrbsb6o4oWtpHGxZdGIe_d2VywgS1LvFOucnDE5HgeB1PezFCnc8mIsZZM_CKhaojWIs0JT7RmASU4R9vPaCuTOYKL_ij45WaJic/s200/Img_1557.jpg" border="0" /></a>uary but the humidity was very noticeable as temperatures were near 70 degrees. Traffic was really bad so we decided to stop and eat dinner and let the cars fan out so in true New England style we went for seafood. I can't remember the name of the restaurant but they were running a special on Lobster! Bill and Micheal could not resist the Cheap Lobster Twins. Each lobster had to weigh 1.5 - 2.0 pounds and they both dug in, bibs and all. We arrived in Vermont at the Ascutney Ski Resort and checked in. We rented a large condo so all 5 of us would fit and therefore we had an entire building to ourselves. It was sort of creepy at first and reminded us of the The Shining with Jack Nicolas. The hallways were narrow and empty and we were the only ones around. Micheal started repeating "redrum, redrum" and we all laughed and got scared at the same time....the fun had begun.<br /><br /><br /></div><br /><div>Friday morning I had to go for a shake down run and Stacey, Micheal and Bill found the highest peak around and a trail leading to the top and headed out to for their run. Steve just hung out at the condo as I ran a loop with some pick ups. It had been raining in Vermont for about a week making the ground and air very moist but the mild cloud cover kept the temperatures tolerable. I ran about 3 miles and came back sweating like crazy but with all the heat training I have done it wasn't bothersome. As my crew was out stomping around the Vermont hills I prepared all my race bags and crew cards. My goals for Vermont were simple.....finish and save myself for Leadville. I knew I had a good shot at 24 hours based on everything I had heard about the course and prepared a pace chart for 22:18 based on the topo for the race and how fast I thought I could run/walk the climbs, cruise the downhills and flats. Even though I had a pace chart of 22:18 I was prepared to just finish. Due to this "take it easy and have fun" approach to the race my race preparations were pretty easy and not stressful. The race meeting and weigh in was at 4 p.m. so when my crew arrived home we showered and headed to the field. I brought my own scale to Vermont so I could closely monitor my weight along with the mandatory race weighs. The horses were getting their vet checks done at the same time so When I was done we headed over and watched the horses, it was awesome to see these big athletes and their handlers get prepared for their day on the trail. The race meeting started and the first thing the director says is the course had been officially measured and was 2.5 miles short so they added a loop to make up the distance, yipppeeeee ;).<br /></div><br /><br /><div align="center"><br /><strong><span style="font-size:130%;">Running in a painting</span></strong></div><br /><div align="left">I slept like a rock going to bed at 6 p.m. and waking at 2:15. The weather for th<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0OwkAZJ5MrUsF9KpFRjFNPLFRXt5SMc9UUU9THKVSPbYDS3sUu8vVkERxhoiW1OVz5LivhfHi86zBJMXkGnWGJuW_L9s_GYTTX6ZG_1V38Lonaus7ccXvjNWsKuIdqPS3_JTHIEpRUXs/s1600-h/Img_1560.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5090747008385542818" style="FLOAT: right; MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0OwkAZJ5MrUsF9KpFRjFNPLFRXt5SMc9UUU9THKVSPbYDS3sUu8vVkERxhoiW1OVz5LivhfHi86zBJMXkGnWGJuW_L9s_GYTTX6ZG_1V38Lonaus7ccXvjNWsKuIdqPS3_JTHIEpRUXs/s200/Img_1560.jpg" border="0" /></a>e day was gonna be good, not to hot and there was a slight breeze which forced some air circulation. It was chilly at the field in the morning so I was thinking I might need a long sleeve shirt but I am glad I resisted the temptation. The 4 a.m. start is great because it forced me to start really slow and get nice and warmed up. My glasses kept fogging up so I would have to walk and get them to clear. This went on for about an hour then they finally stopped. We were on a two track old road for about 2.5 miles from the start then we took a turn onto a gravel road. The sun was up and flashlights were gone by this time. Everyone was running fast! I am used to mountain ultras where you walk right from the start because you are usually climbing some 2000+ peak but here we were cruising along a gravel road that cars can drive on. I started asking anyone with ascent if they had run this race before and got as much information as I could about the upcoming terrain. As we cont<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhAQExrzk_vAx8GyPzX7AvCcnkJeB_sesgz_llNBHvdRuuyXwx_a_Nh-bpzopCqeiOAIPF-JFWKGTIaaCsWRcaTOgSXbR0HSW-tsnIT3IVr52IM_502jlpcEe5HGQhOlaUZdGfXXfiIuGE/s1600-h/ronda+and+pond+2.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5090836055942490898" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhAQExrzk_vAx8GyPzX7AvCcnkJeB_sesgz_llNBHvdRuuyXwx_a_Nh-bpzopCqeiOAIPF-JFWKGTIaaCsWRcaTOgSXbR0HSW-tsnIT3IVr52IM_502jlpcEe5HGQhOlaUZdGfXXfiIuGE/s200/ronda+and+pond+2.jpg" border="0" /></a>inued on various gravel roads that rolled along the countryside it became clear to me this was going to be the terrain for the bulk of the race. I know the website says dirt roads and trail but my idea of a dirt road is a 2 track road that motor vehicles do not travel. This was not that! This was Lief Ericson all the way with some larger bumps, all runnable if you have trained for that. By mile 21 I was 30 minutes ahead of schedule, not good. With everyone, including myself, running relatively fast I made the decision to start taking walk breaks to conserve my body. I had no idea what this kind of terrain was going to do to me over the long haul. Since everything was runnable and there were no natural walk points I decided to run 10 minutes and walk 1 minute and see how that went. If I came upon a hill that was big I would walk/run the hill as it wasn't steep enough to make the walk more efficient. I watched my heart rate and made sure I stayed below 155 which is 75% of max and high 3A for me. This is a good easy pace for my fitness. This method worked well and kept my mind busy. The views of Vermont are green and pretty but it was sort of like running into a painting.....the views didn't change. Beautiful homes with immaculate yards, big green pastures with hills in the background. One thing I noticed immediately is how patriotic the state was with American flags displayed everywhere and that was really neat to see. Not many flags are waved around Portland so it was up lifting. The houses were all old New England style and so beautifully maintained with lovely flower gardens and signs that read "maple syrup for sale" were everywhere, a real slice of Americana.<br /><br /><br /></div><br /><div>By mile 37 the horses have passed us a couple of times and that was another highlight of Vermont 100M. I enjoyed sharing the trail with big beautiful athletes. They inspired me and put into perspective wh<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAMjbM0HnApLSCq2-khExbYs4ugRU45Cte7uqrpYnF4n9haXS3H9PG_yC6Nd7ljHBYeGj6AqaZiXT7feJAYAzJtsmtEXiySEjURMQR0uCZ5b6gJIRq3kFUlpzwiDsJqyWForY72utx3RM/s1600-h/VT100+Crew+1.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5090837494756535090" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAMjbM0HnApLSCq2-khExbYs4ugRU45Cte7uqrpYnF4n9haXS3H9PG_yC6Nd7ljHBYeGj6AqaZiXT7feJAYAzJtsmtEXiySEjURMQR0uCZ5b6gJIRq3kFUlpzwiDsJqyWForY72utx3RM/s200/VT100+Crew+1.jpg" border="0" /></a>at we are doing. You could hear the click, click of their hoofs and the power of their breathing as they approached. It gave me chills every time they came by because it was such a treat to see them gallop effortlessly. With their mandatory holds for vet checks and rest I would see the horses many times and in fact #103 and I were running the same pace :). As we continued on the roads the variation in terrain got much better, the hills got longer and the descents steeper which gave me good walk breaks so I no longer had to play the run 10 minutes, walk 1 minute game. In addition we had crossed some trail sections but they were very short. The trails were not single track, they were two track rough slashes through woods or fields so they were not fast but a nice break for the legs and a change from the hard surface of the gravel roads.<br /><br /></div><br /><div>By mile 47 at Camp 10 Bear I was about 45 minutes ahead of my 22:18 pace chart and was not pushing myself at all. My weight was spot on every time I saw my crew and my fueling was going perfectly. My crew was having their share of fun checking out all the sights near by. They ate a brew pubs, went to a farmers market,<img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5090830446715202274" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVuePbLa00os_mbmx1-IYWmacYHdzXQDM8P5cWwmF4yE_-CrN9GZ57HnYKgtmTqoVcCLSE_O1g7hIXsRvBSpwzLNRWcdH20qM3D0nEf-LRaKhU0M3uYe4IYZFw5Bo-rnhl3L694QYJx_o/s200/VT+100+crew.jpg" border="0" />bought ice cream and on and on. They were all dressed in their Rooster shirts so you couldn't miss them. I know they were excited about how much ahead of schedule I was a<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCBJDPFV3IxMXtNYN_IATNPX7iqMqZ0xaNp3cd8vRbiA_Mq9sT-uQOx4MAtpRXYVAAifX0lvGmXocmjYQ6yjJAykafUTmG0BCw9UoASNYoZpwcq8t-_q8cdtCiFB9pj_Wm6EYAzHiSfcc/s1600-h/VT+100+pitstop.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5090832993630808818" style="FLOAT: right; MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCBJDPFV3IxMXtNYN_IATNPX7iqMqZ0xaNp3cd8vRbiA_Mq9sT-uQOx4MAtpRXYVAAifX0lvGmXocmjYQ6yjJAykafUTmG0BCw9UoASNYoZpwcq8t-_q8cdtCiFB9pj_Wm6EYAzHiSfcc/s200/VT+100+pitstop.jpg" border="0" /></a>nd how calm and relaxed I appeared so I kept having to remind them we are not racing :). At this point I think I was 3rd woman and first masters but I had no big ideas of finishing that way. At this aid station I sat down and ate some food and had my legs cooled down with ice cold towels, I think all this took about 3 minutes. It was going to be easy going and steady from hear on out. I think my crew might have been getting bored, I needed to shake things up!</div><br /><br /><div></div><div>After camp 10 Bear (mile 47) we actually had some good climbs on the gravel roads, they weren't steep but long and mostly walk/run for me. I could feel my legs a bit <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnlRLdlwvcAFHFh7-c_1niFUz3OXXVP1lwSQ2h6meJ_Sj9k7Wx3ZDgtWL0RQQ4YtoxfjI50CCAdecpMp4nkeAgmTEjj-BV43MkQsVNCV8ge3YXLBzVqYg1PaxCAErPswgm6huA9VgnMyE/s1600-h/VT+100+Running1.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5090840213470833490" style="FLOAT: right; MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnlRLdlwvcAFHFh7-c_1niFUz3OXXVP1lwSQ2h6meJ_Sj9k7Wx3ZDgtWL0RQQ4YtoxfjI50CCAdecpMp4nkeAgmTEjj-BV43MkQsVNCV8ge3YXLBzVqYg1PaxCAErPswgm6huA9VgnMyE/s200/VT+100+Running1.jpg" border="0" /></a>by this point and my hamstrings were feeling all the running. Nothing bad but I took that as an opportunity to work on stride management. I would shorten my stride, then lengthen it, use my arms more, land lightly on my feet, make sure my hips were square and I was standing upright. All of this passed the time nicely and I now have a really good idea of how to run :). I got to spend a lot time making stride adjustments. I played "running school" for about 65 miles! The runners were pretty spread out after mile 30 and they were not big talkers so it was a quiet day out on the trail so all games kept me busy.<br /><br /></div><br /><div>At mile 70 I picked up Micheal for pacing and it was nice be 1 hour ahead of plan and so light out. We thought we could make it mile 85 before we would need to turn on our lights so that was really cool to be so far along so early, that 4 a.m. start is a good idea. Micheal wore a<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNY82W1YpCc2JEyR1M8UVEQ7C4jOqEq4sKSwRYGXyqD_ldfD3SXWDVQPNwmacNarQvv-KSrsttmZUzgkoTQ8jxVyY3TwcPKolMYpSUDMPIP30FwxGTGHE2yoUZwEolQk6lcUNWAlAJlvs/s1600-h/VT+100+Lobsterman.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5090766958508632770" style="FLOAT: right; MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNY82W1YpCc2JEyR1M8UVEQ7C4jOqEq4sKSwRYGXyqD_ldfD3SXWDVQPNwmacNarQvv-KSrsttmZUzgkoTQ8jxVyY3TwcPKolMYpSUDMPIP30FwxGTGHE2yoUZwEolQk6lcUNWAlAJlvs/s200/VT+100+Lobsterman.jpg" border="0" /></a> clean bib from the Lobster feed as a cape for his pacing duty, it made me laugh my head off and others on the course thought he was a nut. My legs were more sore now and I wanted to make sure I didn't do anything that caused a long recovery so we walked and ran along chatting and laughing. I said, "welcome to my p<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhlx_P-z_oocOBreZ-quK6SlKc0r8-ea2oEI_162WjhRAX0SqQTsGrGBrICM0lBhylAxnkedhvvxsK1PlbndGE_mHtFp9jnnndOInOg0UnRz4d-YpPpKv1AocjtXw3n7FM29E6Pa-pvZnE/s1600-h/Ronda+and+Micheal+80+2.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5090835635035695874" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhlx_P-z_oocOBreZ-quK6SlKc0r8-ea2oEI_162WjhRAX0SqQTsGrGBrICM0lBhylAxnkedhvvxsK1PlbndGE_mHtFp9jnnndOInOg0UnRz4d-YpPpKv1AocjtXw3n7FM29E6Pa-pvZnE/s200/Ronda+and+Micheal+80+2.jpg" border="0" /></a>ainting, Micheal". I think the hard gravel roads can take their toll on your body and if I was pushing it I don't know how I would have felt but as it was I was in good shape both body and mind. I was happy with how I had managed myself and wanted to keep it that way. Of all the 100's I have done I can't remember feeling this good at mile 70 so that alone was enough to make this a great day. I had a few moments of glory with Micheal where I would get the urge to run hard and we did but then I would get the urge to just trot along and talk and so we did that too. I was still 3rd woman at this point. We finally had to pull out lights at about mile 84. I continued to fuel well eating noodles, gels, bars, bananas, G2O and had absolutely no problems eating and drinking. Our run was pretty uneventful and I was so happy to have company! </div><br /><br /><br /><div>At mile 88 I picked up Stacey for journey home. Here at Polly's they weighed me for the last time, I sat and ate <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWVLJ_cJK7H9ABzXcWkDpdu4VkYNC0Z-h3Cf5bOm3QAzgg3aP75XMiXReyiSsa-WnZ2TepgDNRLPi16aGMuMNGtTCsS6cTRRsoFz6wbZSuRIh6NeJ6gj19plSAdO6F3LaH-P95ZCi3-oE/s1600-h/IMG_1563.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5090747738529983154" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWVLJ_cJK7H9ABzXcWkDpdu4VkYNC0Z-h3Cf5bOm3QAzgg3aP75XMiXReyiSsa-WnZ2TepgDNRLPi16aGMuMNGtTCsS6cTRRsoFz6wbZSuRIh6NeJ6gj19plSAdO6F3LaH-P95ZCi3-oE/s200/IMG_1563.JPG" border="0" /></a>some more food, drank a Red Bull and we left. This section had the most amount of trail on the course. The road sections we<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQfzou8x5FdtxTwMpF-mAe62Md0b0VGuF26INMg5JulzO-jBgi_vecNMlqdakDcI4WgGf8gsXxUcg_OahlQYUGqoOgO5M-CGZ17u5lO-OHzFfYdwYUo8NnbA1sDG4FmoweSjpp_3Ic0dg/s1600-h/IMG_1566.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5090773697312320210" style="FLOAT: right; MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQfzou8x5FdtxTwMpF-mAe62Md0b0VGuF26INMg5JulzO-jBgi_vecNMlqdakDcI4WgGf8gsXxUcg_OahlQYUGqoOgO5M-CGZ17u5lO-OHzFfYdwYUo8NnbA1sDG4FmoweSjpp_3Ic0dg/s200/IMG_1566.JPG" border="0" /></a>re all uphill and the trails were flat and rolling so I would have to say this was the hardest part of the course. The trail sections were chewed up due to the wet ground and all the horses so the footing was bad. I was fine with just walking along and finishing. Stacey never pushed me and I self propelled as we talked about Leadville and how well the day had gone. A few people would approach and either hang with us or pass and that was just fine with me. I was a satisfied customer and I guess I keep bringing this up because it's a new approach. Generally I want to give a 100 big effort but with 2 more to go and not having done so many close together I wanted to keep it all in check.<br /><br /></div><div>On the last stretch a freight train approached, it was what would be girl number #3. She came flying by Stacey with about 2 miles to go and I had no intention of even putting up a fight. I was happy to see someone so fresh and kicking butt. I was excited to be done and very pleased with my time, my body and the 1st female masters finish. Going into Vermont I had low expectations for myself and was prepared for lots of blisters, some chafing, heat issues but I got none of the above. My legs were sore but I guess they should be, not sore enough to keep me from taking a spin today which I have done. My post race fueling was awesome and I think that will help me recover a bit quicker along with having a text book fueling day during the race. My feet and legs were a bit swollen after our travel home yesterday but Stacey massaged them and today they are normal. My feet held up great with zero blisters and no lost toe nails. My energy seems to be good too, a bit scary but I think I should have run a little harder but I will spend more at Leadville. My crew was amazing as usual, they took care of me, made me laugh and they even cleaned up all my yucky stuff. I had a great time in Vermont and really soaked up the day, it couldn't have gone better. Thanks to all of you that send me such nice emails encouraging me.</div></div></div></div></div></div></div>Rondahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10832545114209221483noreply@blogger.com14tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8856494413091772638.post-50432788196386113532007-07-18T17:25:00.000-07:002007-07-18T17:26:32.491-07:00My Slam Team<div align="center"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhaO6l9m7fSqTsQzxttmTl447rDu1mvL5hYYsDMUMEClU1gEG-NgInButVwztutIe3wZ-4uYahG5KYgd9AjaMw96EJ-HkId8H9FXio4_nXhXR0fhd-5t-xExJtxuFeBV1qqVK9pWusj0HY/s1600-h/Img_1335.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5044523768862758978" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhaO6l9m7fSqTsQzxttmTl447rDu1mvL5hYYsDMUMEClU1gEG-NgInButVwztutIe3wZ-4uYahG5KYgd9AjaMw96EJ-HkId8H9FXio4_nXhXR0fhd-5t-xExJtxuFeBV1qqVK9pWusj0HY/s320/Img_1335.jpg" border="0" /></a> <em><span style="font-size:78%;">(micheal and Lisa (his wife) gave me these magnets that go on the crew car for my b-day)</span></em></div>I am lucky to have a great support group and between family and friends there is no way I won't complete the slam this year. What's so wonderful about this group of people is they know me inside and out, they won't let me get away with anything. They all have high expectations of themselves which translates into high expectations from me which always brings the best out me. That alone is priceless and somehow I am lucky enough have them around to help me accomplish my goals. I would have to say everyone on my "slam team" brings a different strength and personality. What's interesting about that is I don't think I could live without any of them and wouldn't want to.<br /><br />First off my family <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmoRsC1640oT-VuM1Yds0MQ9ioRBltdlXip-IOb7vlambRNGPEomrOUktqJnwN6Yu_GqP_Ub5ZmElbF5gI6Kzl-0uuE9F-5U71Ls3wVKlcDt6Twb-yvTV0Mjpqu8nz4WTNv63mgC2xhyY/s1600-h/IMG_1159.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5044497445008201698" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmoRsC1640oT-VuM1Yds0MQ9ioRBltdlXip-IOb7vlambRNGPEomrOUktqJnwN6Yu_GqP_Ub5ZmElbF5gI6Kzl-0uuE9F-5U71Ls3wVKlcDt6Twb-yvTV0Mjpqu8nz4WTNv63mgC2xhyY/s320/IMG_1159.JPG" border="0" /></a>Bill and Alex. Bill will be at all the races and will be a main part of my crew. He won't do any pacing because he loves me to much, ha ha. The reason I say that is because he has paced me before and all I did was whine and cry like a baby and he would get so worried he wouldn't practice tough love and ended up taking care of me. I don't think tough love from Bill would work very well anyway, I would know he is faking it so I would still whine and cry like a baby again. My husband is my heart, without him I truly wouldn't beat and would not be able to realize any of my dreams. Sounds mushy but that is the honest truth I think about it everyday.<br /><br />My son Alex always acts like running a 100M race is part of life, never worried about me and for the most part when I come into aid stations I am always amazed at how relaxed he is. It must be the ten year old in him.....nothing is a big deal, just smile and play with sticks! I like to set a good example for him so having him around will help me be at my best.<br /><br />Bill will be well supported by his mom and dad and the rest of my crew and pacers. All of my crew and pacers are ultra runners themselves, Bill has even done a few ultras and loved it. Having ultra runners pace and crew is the best! My crew is filled serious planners so my detailed data oriented approach races is no stranger to them. If fact, they add another layer of planning and during our pre-race banter I know they have been going over race day in their head from start to finish. This kind of intensity is annoying and out right scary to others but with this group of people it's a way of life!<br /><br /><strong>Micheal McCarthy (aka: The Counselor)</strong> will be at all four races but won't be on my team for Western States because he is running the race himself. <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiU-y62vQRk9CBglvYYS9AFDCQfWbr3DvuZZCdYSi65oPHIjqXt1wFJMK8tww0mis1S3BxCO5cqPtOHBQg_dA8ysebKH4vT_G07fWa8Pf0O_uhEhyO_9_jseFdQ10WMOumRT88_XkwqgMo/s1600-h/IMG021.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5044887664261879954" style="FLOAT: right; MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiU-y62vQRk9CBglvYYS9AFDCQfWbr3DvuZZCdYSi65oPHIjqXt1wFJMK8tww0mis1S3BxCO5cqPtOHBQg_dA8ysebKH4vT_G07fWa8Pf0O_uhEhyO_9_jseFdQ10WMOumRT88_XkwqgMo/s320/IMG021.JPG" border="0" /></a>He will be pacing me for a bulk of the miles where pacers are allowed at the other three 100's. I have had the pleasure of running with Micheal for 3 years now, we became instant friends one day while running the Peterson Ridge Rumble in Sisters, OR. Stacey and I had the opportunity to pace him at his first 100M race, Cascade Crest 100M in Washington where he finished in exactly 24:00:00 with legs to spare. Micheal has paced me during Where's Waldo 100K and this last year at the San Diego 100M where I set a new woman's course record. He is relentless, never let's you waver, positive but realistic at the same time. Micheal is a integral part of my training, he always is ready to run on the weekends and since he's fast it's a great way to get my slow b _ _ _ moving. He is excited to come on the journey!<br /><br /><strong>Jim Rudig (aka: Batman)</strong> has paced me at Western States for the last two years after finishing the race himself under 24 hours two years in a row. <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3iGEFee9w4BzeuqN2EsT91zxE42PmXgpxidpRUPUp39sBEDmJSEhVoUSjHOgB5h09l0zLDsGiUQW8XaNl0mZaTtVH8r1TdD6cGsyBXev-R62KsRzugyF_5vUSIMitExG7O86rkvKAzAM/s1600-h/IMG_1305.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5044507168814159874" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3iGEFee9w4BzeuqN2EsT91zxE42PmXgpxidpRUPUp39sBEDmJSEhVoUSjHOgB5h09l0zLDsGiUQW8XaNl0mZaTtVH8r1TdD6cGsyBXev-R62KsRzugyF_5vUSIMitExG7O86rkvKAzAM/s320/IMG_1305.JPG" border="0" /></a>He was not drawn in the lottery for the last two years so I was lucky enough to snag him as my pacer. This year he too will be running the race! A group of us met Jim at the WS training weekend about 4 years ago. It just happened that he set his tent up next to ours and once we started talking realized we were all from Oregon. Jim hasn't been able to shake us since. He is a great guy with a ton of talent, running the Spartathon, Trans Gualle and crossing the Alps with my husband and some friends. Jim is a fast runner and super knowledgeable so having him on my Leadville team will be awesome. If your going to attempt to die in the wilderness this is guy to have around because he is a First Responder and knows a ton about mountaineering. I promise I won't attempt to die at Leadville so don't worry Jim!<br /><br /><strong>Stacey Bunton (aka: Stella)</strong> will be at all four events! I have known Stacey for 9 years now and we have run together almost every weekend, we have run a million<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-Db29S5OJMuVtrNlWHbxmbXbwNpDDUVKgScAunapsFBlWtvVbCcCnBruqsPDQkUV5jBteztOB7a_osYC8bBYY_0pzlkBlB0p3sm0o74sI8hUQZX0B9hovUSztLQCf3bU55e5u7qfdGiw/s1600-h/Img_1139.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5044510716457146386" style="FLOAT: right; MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; CURSOR: hand" height="225" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-Db29S5OJMuVtrNlWHbxmbXbwNpDDUVKgScAunapsFBlWtvVbCcCnBruqsPDQkUV5jBteztOB7a_osYC8bBYY_0pzlkBlB0p3sm0o74sI8hUQZX0B9hovUSztLQCf3bU55e5u7qfdGiw/s320/Img_1139.jpg" width="176" border="0" /></a> races together and either paced and crewed each other at every 100M either of us has run. It would almost be an understatement to say, "this girl knows me well"! Basically I don't have to think when I run a race because Stacey can just look at me and know exactly what might be going on or what I might need. She is probably the sweetest person you will ever meet and the most nurturing. Funny how we are such goods friends because we are sort of opposite personality types but when it comes to running we are very much alike, we like challenges and we like to accomplish goals. Stacey is an awesome runner, she has won Cascade Crest 100M and took second at Angeles Crest 100M. When she puts he mind to something she does it and with a big smile on her face no matter how she feels. She is the one that named me Rooster so many years ago. I know I am in goods hands with Stella!<br /><br /><strong>Darin Swanson (aka: Marathon Man)</strong> paced me last year at Western States and he taught me a lot about racing. He dabbles in the ultras but is in deep<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-UEDCWbNlOJJqTw29H4WhjvmDMjSwJDiMMTsXyKeR7G5H72C9YLF2pMAdRo0rna_bswr3MLyoGLsIpZvLWeXiIFuSyqetyaxQ5Qesgx6OOpQIbW_JTgSca1esX6RgMch-TLWi4LkTiGE/s1600-h/Small+Darin.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5044515535410452514" style="FLOAT: right; MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-UEDCWbNlOJJqTw29H4WhjvmDMjSwJDiMMTsXyKeR7G5H72C9YLF2pMAdRo0rna_bswr3MLyoGLsIpZvLWeXiIFuSyqetyaxQ5Qesgx6OOpQIbW_JTgSca1esX6RgMch-TLWi4LkTiGE/s320/Small+Darin.jpg" border="0" /></a> pursuit of a sub 3 hour marathon, he is sooooooo close it's just a matter of time. This year I have the pleasure of having Darin on my Western States crew again. He is a racer and that is not my strong suit so having him helping with WS is a gift. He is sort of my competitive alter ego out there on race day and I need all the help I can get in that department. I run with his wife Trisha sometimes on the trails, she is more my speed. Once in awhile when Darin needs a slow day on the trails he comes out with us, maybe for a Black Saturday hill repeat day :).<br /><br /><strong>Bob Lynes (aka: The Beast)</strong> will be with me for 3 weeks straight this summer! I wonder if he knows what he is getting into? <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjx3crbMCnD4enXQM0XT7q8pbALzWm94wEatFby0_wjs6B94e7ZbmFFWAayDTvQ3CC6DnikGKLqQot6QWKcuFMwZmfzqKqYc5TaCnMAMNlDnO_4aE8Tt_gI8sYJZq6B15z2OKOel7gjO0M/s1600-h/Beast.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5044531023062521938" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjx3crbMCnD4enXQM0XT7q8pbALzWm94wEatFby0_wjs6B94e7ZbmFFWAayDTvQ3CC6DnikGKLqQot6QWKcuFMwZmfzqKqYc5TaCnMAMNlDnO_4aE8Tt_gI8sYJZq6B15z2OKOel7gjO0M/s320/Beast.jpg" border="0" /></a>Beast is really the one responsible for all this nonsense, he got Stacey and I hooked on the trails and mainly the Columbia River Gorge and Mt. Hood Wilderness area, he is the one that introduced us to RUNNING in those areas. Most people don't even want to hike the steep terrain but the Beast lives in the mountains almost everyday. The Beast has done several hundred mile races and many many ultras so he is no stranger to this process. I have been running with the Beast for over 5 years now and I have to be careful not to follow him to far into the woods because a training run with the Beast can last for over 8 hours of tough running in tough terrain. Beast will be my acclimation buddy for Leadville. He is spending one week with me in Utah where we will train in the Wasatch then Bill will come get us and take us to Leadville for two more weeks. Beast has run Leadville 100M and Pikes Peak Marathon so he knows what it's like to not be able to breath. We will be training all over the Leadville course for two weeks!<br /><br /><strong>Tom Chapman (aka: TT)</strong> won't be pacing or crewing me but he is a big part of my slam team because he is my trail scout, track workout support and he keeps me motivated. He carries a large stick but doesn't really every beat you to hard, ha ha.<img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5044883403654322306" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPzNqs0KvBr8LQX7bG104AW2N3q_hxYW3jjohHhLdo0JjrWMKefsxhLmRwd0HJwlbJqZEQefoWp4e-TX96AgqLAcXXGed0bKFtD_eqbY5pWi1bxxN83EU155KLp74Dt8ahxZjUs3kjm_M/s320/Img_1324.jpg" border="0" /> Since Tom lives in the gorge he is always helping me out by finding good trails and routes to mimic my upcoming race. When I have to do track workouts he will sometimes be down at the track making sure I am not slacking off in any way, he has high expectations and doesn't like excuses either. Tom is doing four 100M races this year and when he's done he will have completed nearly 20 100M races.<br /><br />That's my Slam Team!Rondahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10832545114209221483noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8856494413091772638.post-15155763429420797652007-07-15T12:20:00.000-07:002007-07-15T13:21:47.207-07:00Vermont, here we come!Last week felt like I was back to training, even though I am really just trying to bounce back enough to run Vermont. With over 60 miles and some good quality workouts it almost felt like a normal build week. I had a 3+ hour run, a marathon pace run and a speed strides workout. My legs are beginning to move better now and just in time!<br /><br /><br /><div><div><div>On Wednesday night when Bill got home from work we had planned to lay low, make dinner and eat outside since it has been so warm but when he arrived I had a better idea. Since we have been experiencing some unusual muggy weather I thought it would be a good idea to do a good recovery workout instead of the low key dinner. He was all for it and we headed out to Council Crest and ran the trail again. It was super muggy so we were good and sweaty. Alex was visiting his grandparents so our date night was a run instead of a nice dinner :). </div><div> </div><div> </div><div></div><div></div><div>On Thursday Tom, Kris and I went to the Wilson River Trail for a good three hour run with 20 minutes at AT on the uphill. The muggy weather was enhan<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghAsg1mHRba3F_Q9SNashXBx0gBajJCRuJoK0TXprhptNkt9Qiln_iuJmvZ74YhCRzxec12Bm6r-5h0V0qbt6qoCxqgDjTLzNCbefatqNEl5VxlMP2LmdzlaqAksET24IBKkpUrX07lME/s1600-h/IMG_1548.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5087514264603360594" style="FLOAT: right; MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghAsg1mHRba3F_Q9SNashXBx0gBajJCRuJoK0TXprhptNkt9Qiln_iuJmvZ74YhCRzxec12Bm6r-5h0V0qbt6qoCxqgDjTLzNCbefatqNEl5VxlMP2LmdzlaqAksET24IBKkpUrX07lME/s320/IMG_1548.JPG" border="0" /></a>ced on the Wilson Trail because it is in the Tillamook Forest near the coast range. I felt like I had my body back and was able to work the trail without fatigue. The AT portion of the run was a great workout and I was surprised to feel so good. We drank a ton of w<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmJt02w41WYjwIdGE8hl0q4TEFOI5zLxrjsjsrBY1WTuotGqgPR-OvKTadvmy4KJGZe_h5NArDI4-Oqk61vHsnEedsqKmZ6hS6G0rbs6PM46JpnK6MW8kGFwQHcUwfrtZCUJRHXVCdCE0/s1600-h/Img_1554.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5087509492894694722" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmJt02w41WYjwIdGE8hl0q4TEFOI5zLxrjsjsrBY1WTuotGqgPR-OvKTadvmy4KJGZe_h5NArDI4-Oqk61vHsnEedsqKmZ6hS6G0rbs6PM46JpnK6MW8kGFwQHcUwfrtZCUJRHXVCdCE0/s320/Img_1554.jpg" border="0" /></a>ater and I used the streams a couple of times to cool off. Kris has never run with Tom before so she got the "Tom indoctrination" .......push ups on the trail to test her toughness. Of course she whipped right though them as she is very strong and loves a challenge. He made her do a few sets of regular push ups then challenged her with the diamond push ups and she passed with flying colors and they are now good buddies :). We had a great time and a good quality workout! </div><div> </div><div><br /> </div><div>Friday was a short recovery run and another trip to the gym which included a short 15 minute steam room session. 15 minutes seems to be my limit on the steam room. I don't know why but it seems so hard and I feel weak fast and I wondered why they even invented these things. The dry sauna is so much easier and seems to generate the same cleansing effect. Does anyone know why the steam room exists and is there anyone out there that likes them? I want to know the reason so please enlighten me! </div><div> </div><div><br /> </div><div>Saturday was a marathon pace run and Micheal was nice enough to join me. He pushed me hard for the marathon pace portion and I worked hard and made all my paces. One mile was 4 seconds off but there was a good hill in that section so I considered it on pace :). All the other miles ranged from 7:05-7:19....faster than I was supposed to run which was 7:24 but I am a sucker for a challenge. With Micheal running nice and easy right behind me yelling at me to move it, I worked harder than I would have on my own for sure. I am so lucky to have such caring giving friends who will take time out of their busy weekend to see me thrash along Lief breathing very hard......of course there is no sarcasm here :). It sure got me thinking about Leadville and how I know he will be pushing me the whole time. I know he will be nice to me at Vermont.......right Micheal???? I better soak up the nice easy pace at Vermont, taking in all the beauty there because I know Leadville will be a different story. Speaking of Vermont, I am pretty much ready with all my gear, pace chart and fuel plan. All I need to do is pack my clothes and get rested up.</div><div></div><br /><br /><div>After Vermont I will only be home for 2 days before I leave for Utah and then Colorado so I have also been busy getting stuff together for that trip. Alex, my In-Laws and the Beast will all be coming as well so getting everything in order with the house, animals and such has been a bit overwhelming but I know I get another 2 days when I get back. Bill and his dad worked on the trailer all day yesterday, making sure it's ready for<img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5087514874488716642" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjI2bo8j5DCWnA4q-edzDsqLLM7pshaxh7yxre7bi-ol7klorumqqIXWlWu7YscBMRvN4OM3qxhBMkwNkuq6584vXHBFPg5A2nlrqePZwWApXGgfgrfympVc0SzTLAgrspEx6RQkhd5fMc/s320/IMG_1555.JPG" border="0" /> the long haul to Colorado. We will all be staying in Deer Valley at our place for 10 days then Bill will join us with the trailer and we will leave Utah and head for Colorado. Bill's parents will have their motor home and we will have our trailer all parked near Surgarloaf Mountain in Leadville. Beast and I will be exploring the Wasatch Range and then Leadville for a little over 3 weeks and this will be our home during our time in Colorado. I am going to love the opportunity to explore the mountains and just be in the world of running but I am going to miss Bill. It's a good thing I have Alex and my In-Laws around or might get really home sick without Bill, Ultra, Bandit, Storm, Thunder and all our fish :)</div><div></div><div>Today was a stride workout, upper body gym workout and my last 15 minutes in the steam room. I only have three small runs before Vermont and all of them are short, less than one hour and all include some sort of speed. This is all supposed to get my legs thinking about running :). Stacey, Micheal, Steve and I leave on Thursday for Vermont. Bill has to go to Washington DC for work tomorrow and will pick us up in Boston on Thursday for our drive to Vermont. Looking forward to surviving number 2!</div></div></div>Rondahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10832545114209221483noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8856494413091772638.post-82994582091589518892007-07-11T09:55:00.001-07:002007-07-11T10:55:21.074-07:00Goodbye Zombie....Hello Humanoid!Whew.....that was a sleepy ride I was on and I am glad to off the sleep train. I am a fully functioning human now. I can preform all tasks with my brain and body working together and I can even preform complex tasks such as driving and talking on the phone :). I can now see why people have such a problem with drivers talking on their cell phone. It is <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_0">truly</span> an advanced move and should not be done unless you are of advanced mind and body. Since I was out of it for few days I left my phone in the cup holder and just drove. The brain is no longer two steps behind or absent completely!<br /><br /><div>Workouts are back on track with three weight room adventures of which one was a solid hour of abs, I called "uncle" with about five minutes left as my mid-section was beginning to move all on it's own. I worked out with a trainer for the abs destruction and he thought it was great sport to break me. The other two sessions were upper body and then I did one lower body workout. From my hips up I am <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_1">paralyzed</span> and I can't raise my arms above my head without going very slow. Funny but I love it! It was great to be back in the weight room but my strength has diminished a bit which is to be expected. After next week I won't see my gym for one solid month. I will miss the workouts and my gym friends a lot. Body Builders and Fitness Competitors are another group of completely insane driven people with fabulous bodies. I just love hanging around them in the gym, talking and learning about their sport. They motivate me a lot. </div><br /><div></div><br /><div>Running has been going well too. Sunday was a nice 90 minute shake down run in Forest Park. Monday I ran up and down our road while Alex used his scooter. We waited until it was hot so I could get some heat training. Ultra and Bandit went too and Ultra was just fine but I have the laziest Husky on the planet! He just laid down in the middle of the road and waited for us to come back. I know it was hot but he does this all the time even in the cool woods. We have had some amazing temperatures for the Portland area......just over 100 degrees. It's quite the news story and everywhere you go people are hiding from the heat while I am loving the opportunity to get in the heat and not have to use the steam room. Last night a few of us met for a fabulous run up to Council Crest. There is a great trail right off <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_2">Terrwilliger</span> Blvd. that heads up to Council Crest where on a clear day you can get almost a 360 degree view of Portland and all the surrounding Mountains. The trail s<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjt53BGzFcUmePvJTYm7aTz1cJsuYAunpiZbe0RQAZL30lIbHj2iTvfUMJXmvAZ8i0Y_cA1Wt6IL7LpzdCnHI-2ye3KBIZq5RSmOU9hyphenhyphen18GYtDp5uurisEoWs5FxZMwYsb_NILJjE1jKbg/s1600-h/IMG_1545.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5085990531178081826" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjt53BGzFcUmePvJTYm7aTz1cJsuYAunpiZbe0RQAZL30lIbHj2iTvfUMJXmvAZ8i0Y_cA1Wt6IL7LpzdCnHI-2ye3KBIZq5RSmOU9hyphenhyphen18GYtDp5uurisEoWs5FxZMwYsb_NILJjE1jKbg/s320/IMG_1545.JPG" border="0" /></a>ection is 3.2 miles one way so we started near the Chart House and ran up and back. With temperatures at 100 degrees or better we were all prepared to enjoy the suffering. We were somewhat disappointed with the cool breeze that flowed through the woods making our heat run less HOT! It was only about 85 degrees in the trees but we were all sweating a ton and most of us only brought one water bottle and the fountains were turned off at Council Crest so anyone that had water left was at risk of a group tackle :). We had a lot of catching up to do and lots of stories to share, it was a great time and got me pumped up.</div><div> </div><div> </div><div> </div><div></div><div></div><div></div><div></div><div></div><div></div><div></div><div></div><div>I started my planning for Vermont, yeah!!!!!! I actually have a preliminary pace chart done and began gathering my stuff for the trip. If anyone has splits from this race and they would like to share I would love to have them!!! The website doesn't have any splits so I am just guessing, I like to have an idea of how long it takes me to get to various aid stations so I can plan my fuel. Despite my "ho hum" attitude I expressed in earlier posts I am now getting excited. Sophia (blog <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_4">commenter</span>) has gotten me more focused and revved up....THANK YOU! I know Vermont won't be my best performance and I okay with that because I am super excited about <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_5">Leadville</span> but I am anxious to see the Vermont rollers and how my body adapts to them. Being from the climb 3000 feet <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_6">descend</span> 2500 feet and climb another 2000 feet and <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_7">descend</span> another 2500 feet part of the NW I am curious what it's like to roll up and down 400-500 foot hills. I bet it has it's own element of quad thrashing and that has been expressed by a couple of people so I know it's gonna hurt :).</div><div><br /></div><div>So far, the weather forecast for the Vermont 100M looks fine with even a chance of showers. I know that can change daily but hey, if it rains I will feel right at home! I have heard the rain in Vermont is more like a down pour but bring on the mud and slop....I know I can handle that :). Tomorrow is my last long run before my taper. Tom, Kris and I are heading to the coast range for 3 hours on the Wilson River Trail. I have a 20 min. hill repeat scheduled for tomorrow and I ready, I miss Black Saturday's. After that run I have one more sort of hard push, a marathon pace run on Lief which I am doing this Saturday. Marathon pace for me is 7:24 and Lief will be a gravel rolling road like some of the Vermont terrain. It's been awhile since I have done a M-Pace run and I have to hold 7:24 for about one hour.....stay tuned to see how that goes.</div>Rondahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10832545114209221483noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8856494413091772638.post-33891150466670135752007-07-07T12:10:00.000-07:002007-07-07T14:28:22.707-07:00Relying On FriendsStill feeling the fatigue from WS and feeling like I need a vacation from my Vegas vacation it was nice to run with friends this morning. When Micheal emailed yesterday and said he wanted to go running on Saturday and that he had been looking at the Vermont race I felt relieved. I have to say I am not up to par on my planning. For some reason I can't seem to get my brain and body to work together and come up with a race plan for Vermont. Highly unusual for me but an interesting block I am experiencing. Not sure if I am avoiding Vermont because of fear or because I am still tired. With all that said it was so nice to hear that my crew and pacer was on top of it. He asked me questions and it started to get me thinking all the while he reminded me that this will be no problem and I will be surprised at how well I do at Vermont. All those words and reminders were a welcomed refreshment for my coma like state.<br /><br />Running has been just "okay". Nothing too exciting has been happening, maybe that's why I am melancholy. In Vegas I did a tempo run on the treadmill with 3 miles at 6:48 pace and I felt pretty good and the AT portion of the run wasn't as bad as I thought it would be. When we got home I had another tempo run on Lief followed by today's run. My tempo run was very tough and I worked very hard to get 6:55 paces, my heart rate was screaming but I think that was more related to being in Vegas and completely over stimulated for 4 days :). Today's run was better but then again there was no AT portion so it should have been.......right! Tom, Micheal and I did a run in Forest Park called the "Zipper". I think it was Darin and Rick's group that came up with this run. It takes you up and down all the side trails and firelanes in Forest Park. You would be surprised at how much elevation you can rack up doing this. In addition, it's not easy. This is all in preparation for the terrain at Vermont. The constant rolling nature of that course is hard to simulate in the PNW. The Gorge has far too much climbing and Wildwood Trail is just too flat. We did 16 miles of zipper today and after we were done my legs were tired. This run would have normally been an easy run during peak training. Funny how running 100 miles can make your legs tired, ha, ha, ha. The goal of running right now is to gain back leg speed, my body will remember how to run long. Getting the turnover churning again is the key and believe it or not it's harder than it looks on paper :). Even though I seem to be physically recovered and my resting heart rate is in check my legs are more sluggish so faster running is the ticket. All in good time............<br /><br />The Grand Slam is proving to be a very mental event for me. Gearing up for these back to back 100 miles runs is going to make me tougher mentally. I can already feel the impact of staying sharp and prepared and not getting to do any real training. My gym workouts are suffering and that is a hard pill for me to swallow because I am an avid gym goer. I have to be careful not to overdo the weight room during training but now I am seeming to have a hard time fitting in my consistent workouts. My arms are starting to flap when I run and other body parts will follow suit soon. On the positive side I will be lighter :). By the end of the summer I should be good and atrophied. No big deal, it will give me something to do in the winter :).<br /><br />I know this post might sound negative but it's really not, just the true thoughts I am having as I enter this stage of the Slam. I know I will be relying on my friends and all their energy to get me through these races. Fortunately I have some amazing friends who's dedication is going help me so much it's hard to put in to words. Between my family and friends there is no slacking and for that I am extremely grateful.Rondahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10832545114209221483noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8856494413091772638.post-43943865763772981722007-06-30T15:07:00.000-07:002007-06-30T15:53:59.012-07:00Back at it!Last week was awesome recovery. Sleeping in, lounging around, short bouts of running, some leisurely weight training, eating and more sleeping, that's how last week went. I was pretty tired after <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_0">WS</span>, it must be age as I was in bed by about 8 p.m. and slept as long as I could or until one of our animals woke me up. Alex was away at Christian Outdoor School and Bill was trying to be so quiet in the morning but my cat just stood on top of me and howled. I think he might have been saying, "lady....it's 7 a.m. and you are supposed to up!". Bandit (the husky) just stood at the side of the bed and licked my face and I would try to retreat under the covers but that meant play time to him so up on the bed he pounced. Alright already.....out of bed I came. Bill would say, "no rest for the weary around here". Physically my body bounced back well and I was running short little bits by Tuesday and up to an hour by Thursday. Weight training was harder than the running probably because of overall fatigue. I think if I would have been able to push harder in the middle of <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_1">WS</span> I would have been more physically beat up but since I was slowed by my stomach the benefit is faster recovery. That is how I am choosing to look at anyway :). My brain was fatigued too. I did some really dumb moves like got in my car and tried to drive with no keys, put a load of laundry in without soap, walked <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_2">purposely</span> into a room for something and forgot the whole reason I went in the first place. Zoned out to Peoples Court on TV and actually felt bad for the people on the show, yikes, then realized I was watching Peoples Court. All the gels might be starting to overflow into my brain making the synapse much slower. I am happy to report that I am back to full thinking mode now.<br /><br />Friday Susan I drove to retrieved our boys from camp and I swear Alex grew 2 inches inches and his voice is deeper. He is now officially taller than me and out weighs me by 3 pounds and he is only 10 (almost 11). He used the phrase, "yo mom" with me yesterday and we had a firm talk about that.....I am not to be beckoned by using a "yo" ever again. Yikes, he will be in middle school next year and all those girls will be calling and I will have to get all my spy gear upgraded. Hug your babies now because you will wake up one day and they will say "yo" at you and you'll be thinking the same things :). Back to running......<br /><br />Today I ran for 90 minutes, lifted upper body and did my first bout in the steam room in preparation for Vermont. The sauna was bad but the steam room is worse. I was only in there for 15 minutes and it took a lot out of me. I was soaked of course but breathing in the hot steam is icky! I emailed Olga and asked for her a run down of Vermont as she did it a couple years ago right after <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_3">WS</span>. She gave me some great info. about the course and a few tips about things I will need to manage like the wet feet and body which will cause blisters and chafing. I am not sure how I will combat those but after another week or so I might come up with ideas to try. If any of you have any good tips please pass them on. I downloaded all the Vermont information and began looking at it last week for the first time. I am not really looking forward to the run, I don't know why but I am not that excited about the course and I can't wear my headphones! How am I going to relive all my youth, my twenties, my thirties all my triumphs, heartbreaks, <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_4">ect</span>. without my music? Reminiscing about bopping to the B52's when I got my driver's license, a little Boston to remind me of being 17 in car full of girls looking for trouble with the stereo blasting so hard it the car shook. All the disco of the Bee <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_5">Gee's</span> reminding me of dressing up to go roller skating. Reliving the 90's and all the angry chick music....man those chicks had chips on their shoulders but the music was good. Their music ensured me I must be the victim of something and it had to be some man's fault....joking! I won't have my music to remind me of my wedding day when Bill insisted on playing some bad country song called "queen of my double wide trailer" at our wedding. Oh well, I will have to listen to myself breath :). The course looks very <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_6">rolly</span> and that is not my strong suit but by the end of Vermont I bet I am better at running rollers ha, ha ha :). I don't know why I find all of this so funny but I can't help myself, I have been laughing for 3 days!<br /><br />After my run today I could feel my legs due to the deep fatigue of running 100M. It was fun to run today and think that just last week I was in California running in their mountains and here I am back in Portland running in our forest. Tomorrow Ultra and I will run for 2 hours and I bet I will feel it but my schedule says, "you should be back to regular running by next week". I just love that.....how absurd it is that running 100M is less debilitating than running an all out 10K. At least how I remember running an all out 10K was, it's been awhile.<br /><br />Bill and I are off tomorrow afternoon for 4 days in Vegas. We are looking forward to it. Alex is going camping with his grandparents and the rest of Bill's family. I will be using the treadmill while were gone and I have to do a threshold workout next week, 6:51 pace for 20 minutes on a treadmill. I will be sweating like a pig?Rondahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10832545114209221483noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8856494413091772638.post-18747389913919185842007-06-26T10:01:00.000-07:002007-06-27T13:47:09.249-07:00Western States Report<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiN0kr9zhpNMMwceXLF8IMVMy_HLT7sPV0_guq1DYkjzJ6k-g4Wsr1AYvC7DdlxemDtkp4bWyC_Fpa4DSKlis56G_vE2BIHvRwrxCY6Ay1gMqCAEOaU8z9HWi0ymLTJuGdGKr3OHVE5yGY/s1600-h/Team+Silver.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5080840375763906034" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiN0kr9zhpNMMwceXLF8IMVMy_HLT7sPV0_guq1DYkjzJ6k-g4Wsr1AYvC7DdlxemDtkp4bWyC_Fpa4DSKlis56G_vE2BIHvRwrxCY6Ay1gMqCAEOaU8z9HWi0ymLTJuGdGKr3OHVE5yGY/s320/Team+Silver.jpg" border="0" /></a>A day filled with running, beauty, friends, camaraderie and more learning opportunities. In a nut shell that's how I would describe my day out on the Western States 100M course. With ideal conditions of no snow in the high country, mild temperatures and a perfect trail free of any obstacles it was to be my best race ever. Being in what I would consider some of the best shape I have ever been in I lined up ready to have a perfect day.<br /><br />At 3:30 AM I was awake, dressed and already consuming my fruit pudding (recipe from Scott Jurek). It's a thick green substance made of all sorts of fruits and it tastes good. Along with the pudding I drank the protein shake (another recipe from Scott Jurek) which now gave me somewhere around 800 pre-race calories. I have used these before and they work great! Heading out to the start I was confident and calm that the day would be a good one no matter what I accomplished out there. I had a lofty goal time of 22:10 which I knew to achieve would mean everything had to be "ON", no room for mistakes or issues and in a 100M race that alone is a feat. Of course I had detailed plan and as the gun went off began immediate implementation.<br /><br />Up to the escarpment fast but not hitting high 3B or AT I made it 8 minutes under my scheduled time. Wow, what a difference no snow makes! On to Lions I felt great with my work load being way to low I passed a couple of trains and got into one that pushed my HR in 3A. What I immediately noticed is my fitness difference from last year. All the other times I have run WS my HR would be pushing 3B to maintain a slower pace. I felt great holding myself in check and enjoying the day so far. The trail looks so different with no snow and I day dreamed about last year and remembering the sea of snow that we had experienced. Arriving at Lions right about 12 minutes ahead of schedule made me feel great. I saw the pink<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFr-LJj-VBAwsqs1vGuNfDGwp_UtxpuyZzxJgLb0EGGvs8vBDBsjYEq-DatUL1rHJsdkCaaqPIZLcEVCTBze9lod4eauid6u3K2fclZpJYNfhnMJxxU3cQUi15c1X_KRM4J7CZs5O4kUE/s1600-h/Ronda[1].jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5080799689538711010" style="FLOAT: right; MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFr-LJj-VBAwsqs1vGuNfDGwp_UtxpuyZzxJgLb0EGGvs8vBDBsjYEq-DatUL1rHJsdkCaaqPIZLcEVCTBze9lod4eauid6u3K2fclZpJYNfhnMJxxU3cQUi15c1X_KRM4J7CZs5O4kUE/s320/Ronda%5B1%5D.jpg" border="0" /></a> pitcher of G2O and opted for water only in both bottles. I knew they would have G2O on the course and also knew the flavors would be Raspberry or Lemon Lime. I don't like the taste of raspberry so I chose not to take it. Now on my way to Red Star Ridge I caught up with Jim and we hung together all the way to the aid station and got to see the helicopter filming the course. It was pretty cool to see them so close to the trail backing off just enough to not generate any dust for the runners. We jumped up and down, waved and they took out picture it was fun. The downhill section on the back side of Red Star is pretty steep and technical but we hammered down it and came into the aid station on time for that section. Again I see the pink G2O and opt for water only in my both bottles. I am doing great eating all the foods and gels on my plan and running conservatively. The only part of my plan I wasn't implementing was drinking G2O. G2O is one of the places I get my sodium along with 4X sodium Gels and Shot Blocks. I don't take salt tablets unless I miss the items listed. I like to get all my salt from my foods and liquids as the gel caps make my stomach upset. <em><span style="font-size:78%;">(picture by Kendall Kreft at Duncan Canyon) </span></em>I have used this method for most of my races and it has worked well but when I wasn't taking the G2O I should have substituted the 250 mg of sodium with something else and I didn't.....MISTAKE!!<br /><br />Leaving Red Star I was excited to see this part of the course again as I remembered it being fairly difficult to run due to the trail conditions. I was happy to see the trail was in nice shape and easy to run and follow. I was feeling really good and couldn't wait to get to Duncan Canyon to see Stacey and Darin. At Duncan it was a quick exchange of new bottles and more fuel for the 5.9 miles to Robinson. Stacey implemented my plan of giving me two bottles of water like I scheduled. I didn't tell her I hadn't been drinking G2O at the prior aid stations, it simply didn't cross my <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEih1uS-OeptcT-WPYJUO5fYpKjRARcZMOOnLPvdhhOIAf1gPPSRcvr6Q0D7lHkvA9Cq6aOwFIY0psiU5AVfm_zVJXHMqu5yTp_aTKqOt8PIxFcu2LTUURBos9qNMOs258jZCQlkdWxGbZQ/s1600-h/Michigan+2.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5080840461663251970" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEih1uS-OeptcT-WPYJUO5fYpKjRARcZMOOnLPvdhhOIAf1gPPSRcvr6Q0D7lHkvA9Cq6aOwFIY0psiU5AVfm_zVJXHMqu5yTp_aTKqOt8PIxFcu2LTUURBos9qNMOs258jZCQlkdWxGbZQ/s320/Michigan+2.jpg" border="0" /></a>mind at the time...... MISTAKE! Since Jim and I had done this section the prior week I knew exactly what to expect and headed off to Robinson. On the climb out of Duncan Canyon I could feel the sun but the nice breeze removed the heat from my skin and I was completely comfortable. The climb out the Duncan Creek is deceiving as it winds along Duncan Peak and Little Bald Mountain and you never really crest either one of them. The climb alone took me about 55 minutes but I wasn't going at a moderate pace not pushing myself much. Jim and I came into Robinson at the same time which left Bill scrambling to get both of us our items and out of there. I was anxious to see my weight my at Robinson because at the pre-race weigh in my weight was way down. I was nervous the scales were <em><span style="font-size:78%;">(Picture by Beast at Michigan Bluff)</span></em>off and I would weigh heavy all day when in reality my pre-weight wasn't accurate. I was happy to see I was only a pound up at Robinson but again if pre-weight was low was I really up or really down at Robinson?? Oh well, on to Millers Defeat.<br /><br />There is a mini climb right out of Robinson and could be run if you wanted to push a bit. Then its down down down for about 2 miles until to reach a road that is mostly flat into Miller's Defeat. Seems like Jim and I are going to be leap frogging all day which was a blast, very encouraging and motivating. Again at Miller's I see the pink G2O being poured and opt for water, where is the Lemon Lime???? Off we go to Dusty Corners to where Stacey and Darin will get me ready for the canyons. Jim and I run slowly up the open road which goes on most of the way to Dusty but this section is only 3.6 miles long. I am now on a 21:30 pace if I can maintain my plan which seemed doable since my planned paces were fairly conservative in the last half. On my way to Dusty my stomach seemed to feel full so I backed off my water consumption but continued fueling. Dusty came up fast and here I grabbed my bladder pack which Stacey had filled with water like I had listed on my plan. I still didn't tell her I hadn't been drinking the G2O on the course. As I headed down to Last Chase my stomach had grown but no swelling in my fingers or legs. In fact, my weight looked down. My legs looked like sticks along<img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5080840736541158930" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihvrGekoAlQo3EXOiiHByfhWutmRjkL5I7mzrNbhhIPpgrt10-R3wP5VQQvdd7GVprg_0JxrEvTqa1tAeQdjyUDnywOBzZb3u4H5W6HLTeXjP6lFGFko4TLOADb2MNlvcDBUfnqpMcRoI/s320/Michigan.jpg" border="0" />with my arms which is never the case for me. My rings were loose and my hands were not swollen at all but my stomach looked hard and full and I could feel it. I wasn't nauseous but my stomach hurt and when I pushed on it it was rock hard. At the time I was at a loss as to why it wasn't emptying. My energy was good my body was begging to push harder but my stomach was sore. I ran down hill well but I generally excel in the canyons and can climb Devils Thumb easy but not today. When we got the Last Chance I filled my 60oz bladder with G2O because they had lemon lime.....yeah!!! I began the climb and couldn't power anything because I was so full of water, gels, bananas, Organic Food Bars and Shot Blocks. In all 4 years of doing WS this was my slowest climb up Devils Thumb. I just couldn't get my stomach to empty and because I was so full I didn't drink much of the G2O. I don't have experience with this kind of problem so I wasn't sure if I had too much salt or not enough. Generally I have to be careful not to over do on salt for my body weight but when I looked down at my blue shirt it was covered in white salt dust. I hardly ever have normal salt rings more or less on the front of my shirt. My weight was bouncing around my bogus pre-weight so the scales were not helping me out. Usually the scale is my best friend and I can monitor myself well by my weight. The stomach saga lasted all the way to mile 72. Through the canyons I could run the downs and flats well but anything uphill was hard probably due to the slight pitch forward when you climb just hurt my mid-section. I knew eventually this would all pass, it had to, I couldn't get any fuller but my lead on my plan was melting away fast. During my climb to Michigan I finally decided to take a salt tablet.<br /><br />At Michigan I told Stacey I hadn't conceived a baby in the canyons but something is growing inside my stomach and it won't stop! I think I drank some broth at Michigan and headed into Volcano Canyon feeling a bit better. I ran pretty well down and when I climbed out to Bath road and saw Darin I was feeling slightly better. BTW: I hadn't urinated all day! The interesting thing about my dilemma is I had great energy, my brain was clear, I was sweating and I was happy. I think if I had felt low energy or foggy it all would have made more sense. Even though I was so full my weight at aid stations was within a pound of my start weight. All of this made if hard for me to troubleshoot the stomach problem, it simply would not empty!<br /><br />Feeling better, Darin and I ran/walked up Bath Rd. and into Foresthill. At Foresthill I would pick up Stacey. She was prepared with broth, coke and other foods and I actually sat down in a chair and drank the broth. I never sit! I wanted to get my stomach fixed so I could run! I was only there about 2 minutes but it seemed like a long time. By this time Jim Rudig, John Liebeskind and Ken Ward were all together heading to Peachstone. We leap frogged and they were all a blast to hang around with. We had a huge party when you add pacers Stacey, Sander and Scott to the mix. We had fun but I was starting to feel a touch nauseous and we let them go ahead of us. At Peachstone I again sat in a chair and drank 3 cups of 7-up! It tasted so good I wanted more but Stacey said enough and we left. Off to Cal 2 and hoping to get there before we needed lights I ran well considering I was about 5 months pregnant with fluid and food. I wanted more 7-up so I was running for 7-up. At Cal 2 I again plunked down in the chair and began to drink my 7-up and it was de-fixed, yuk....didn't want it......want the bubbles. Stacey gets some fresh stuff....ahhhhh it was so good....more.....more. No, Stacey says.....easy girl. We leave and in about 10 minutes I stop lean over and out it all comes! I am not exaggerating it was a lot of fluid. I had at least 5 good heaves of serious liquid, Stacey estimated about 40 oz of fluid came out. I have never thrown up before. I have gagged and struggled to foods down but this was a first and I felt soooooooo much better. I could actually see my feet now! What a relief that was, I wish I would have done that up Devils Thumb!<br /><br />When we got to Fords Bar I sat down in the chair and wanted more 7-Up but the Stacey just happened to tell my puking story and a doctor came over and said, "No more sugar, only water and have her eat tums". He gave Stacey a hand full of tums and said to have me eat as many as I want and drink only water, stay away from the sugar. I ate the tums off we went moving well and things were turning around, yippppeeeeee! At the river crossing I was feeling much better eating tums, gels and water. Great energy and my body was revved up. We crossed immediately and met Darin for the climb to Green Gate. I ran 50% of the climb feeling really happy that my stomach was cooperating. My stomach muscles were sore from all the pressure they had endured all day but feeling the sore muscles was nice contrast to the painful rock that had lived in there for more than 30 miles. On the way to Green Gate I drank a Red Bull which I knew was a risk due to the simple sugars in it but I wanted the caffeine. Leaving Green Gate aid station I was on the edge of loosing my silver buckle which was unbelievable since my mental and physical being was so strong all day but without a mid-section your sort of halted. I was darn determined to come home with that silver buckle so off we went on a focused push to make up time. I continued to eat tums, drink only water and eat only gels but now every 15-20 minutes vs. my normal 30 minute interval. We ran well and I was strong making up minutes at every aid station. My silver buckle was beginning to come back into clear view.<br /><br />On the Browns Bar section Darin got his foot stuck in one of the many holes on this section of trail. The fall took him down and I knew he was hurt. He yelled for me to keep going and I could hear him screaming behind me. It was horrible as I knew he was in a lot of pain. I wasn't sure he was going to catch up with me and had to begin thinking on my own. At the aid station he caught up and despite his sprain continued on but had difficulty keeping up on the down hills and I could tell he was limping pretty good. I remained focused and ran well into Hwy49. Stacey had me out of there in 30 seconds and onto the finish. Darin was right behind me but when we crested and began the descent into No Hands he wasn't close. With the barn in sight and the flood lights from Auburn I was setting new goals. Under 23:15 would be nice. Leaving No Hands we ran/walked up to Robie and my medial quads were screaming. I had to be careful not take my stride for granted because my medial quads were short circuiting but I had less than 2 miles to go when this set in so big deal! Stacey was at Robie and we all ran in together. I was happy to have pulled it out to get under 24!<br /><br />Despite my stomach issue I had a great day! I was really happy with my mental fortitude not ever giving up or getting discouraged. Even though I wasn't going to have the day I set to achieve I remained optimistic and never got down and out hoping every minute it would turn around. Unfortunately it took too many miles to make a large enough turn to set me the direction I needed be to achieve my bigger goal. I just loved running with a big Oregon group all day, what fun. I still want to do 22 hours on that course....there' always another year but now I will be hoping I get picked next December!<br /><br /><strong>THINGS I DID RIGHT!</strong><br /><strong>-Stayed focused and positive</strong><br /><strong>-Never gave up</strong><br /><strong>-Listened to everyones advice</strong><br /><strong>-Laughed at myself</strong><br /><div><div><div><div><strong>-Not one blister or lost toenail</strong></div><div><strong>-Very little chaffing - last year I was a mess</strong><br /><strong></strong><br /><strong>THINGS I DID WRONG!</strong><br /><strong>-Not drinking the raspberry G2O</strong><br /><strong>-Not weighing myself at home before the race - my weigh is down and I didn't know it so I discounted my pre-race weight.</strong><br /><strong>-Not communicating to my crew that I had no G2O out on the course so they can give it to me instead of water</strong><br /><strong>-Not replacing the sodium with other foods.</strong><br /><strong>-Not asking anyone at the aid stations what might be wrong</strong><br /><strong></strong><br />New lessons learned. Now recover and be ready for Vermont in 3.5 weeks.<br /><strong></strong><br /><br /></div><strong></strong></div></div></div>Rondahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10832545114209221483noreply@blogger.com10tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8856494413091772638.post-31120976566789830972007-06-20T17:52:00.001-07:002007-06-20T18:25:13.148-07:00River Crossing - Last run in Auburn<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxhQxG698oycq7KRwCtgiLTc68WsPqQz5P4i1Uz0hGt9uBsTyJIWUz_qeDJBPb33RtF39dibqdYitJZOowaq6LZaeG0daSfZk7t8_uflpasMBu00DEvIIJ6HtJ951fvPxjRZUYrBj1TkY/s1600-h/IMG_1533.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5078320173962874674" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxhQxG698oycq7KRwCtgiLTc68WsPqQz5P4i1Uz0hGt9uBsTyJIWUz_qeDJBPb33RtF39dibqdYitJZOowaq6LZaeG0daSfZk7t8_uflpasMBu00DEvIIJ6HtJ951fvPxjRZUYrBj1TkY/s320/IMG_1533.JPG" border="0" /></a>Today Jim and I went to Green Gate and drove down as far as we could without getting our car high centered. We made it about 70% down the section you climb out on during the race. On the <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_0">other</span> side of river we saw <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_1">WS</span> volunteers who were finishing up testing the cable. It was pulled out of the river by the time we got there. The volunteer was talking to us from <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_2">across</span> the river and was pretty excited to see runners down there today. The first thing I noticed <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEisWEEoGAhTPsRLYHD1zA78MP8UQFXqxetEGVI8npK34fwqfYXUGOMeMq74vIGaImpG8P3cWzj-_CSTLriGgz8afAhM-DXo4ktBMYW6hNO9ap-Ly_qQHSrWHnZvsaHUN1zEth6XqNCeY-4/s1600-h/IMG_1536.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5078317841795632914" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEisWEEoGAhTPsRLYHD1zA78MP8UQFXqxetEGVI8npK34fwqfYXUGOMeMq74vIGaImpG8P3cWzj-_CSTLriGgz8afAhM-DXo4ktBMYW6hNO9ap-Ly_qQHSrWHnZvsaHUN1zEth6XqNCeY-4/s320/IMG_1536.JPG" border="0" /></a>was how low the river was compared to last year. Jim is out on some rocks that were all under water last year and the boats got all the way up to spot I am standing to take the picture.<br /><br /><div><div><div><br /><div>Once we climbed back to the car we headed up to Green Gate aid station to start our run. We were surprised how far down the river is from Green Gate! When your in the race it seems to go by so fast but I know most crews do not hike down to the river instead they wait at Green Gate and now I know why. Not that my crew would dream of missing the opportunity for more <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_3">exercise</span> ;/. It is a pretty steep hike as well and now I know why it takes so long!</div><div></div><br /><div></div><br /><div>It was only 91 today during our run, ha, ha....only. Actually Jim and I are not really bothered by the heat like we were last Saturday. I am sweating very nicely now and no salt rings on my clothes and the weather man is calling for cooler temperatures on Saturday. I guess most anything would be considered cool after last years oven run. We ran into a long time <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_4">Tevis</span> Cup rider today on the trail and he talked and talked about the ride. It was really interesting and fun to see him so excited about it. He has done for many many years but he wouldn't say exactly how many.<br /></div><br /><div>The section from Green Gate to ALT is a piece of <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-aWRONMn2Omcf8rVKY4w40UGQD0-mbKxjgb8pK6HtXNH0gciqguUOzBJnp-_MUxNK_syZozeMs0wHb-KAiz8yE__ENK61u1UrgXIxZUBBpPJfA0dk_jwZg05MS3wLdvoD-nW4ehAhliA/s1600-h/IMG_1537.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5078318945602228002" style="FLOAT: right; MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-aWRONMn2Omcf8rVKY4w40UGQD0-mbKxjgb8pK6HtXNH0gciqguUOzBJnp-_MUxNK_syZozeMs0wHb-KAiz8yE__ENK61u1UrgXIxZUBBpPJfA0dk_jwZg05MS3wLdvoD-nW4ehAhliA/s320/IMG_1537.JPG" border="0" /></a>the course I really like and generally move pretty well on. I can see whey now. It's nice and smooth with some mild rollers so not that hard of a section but it is mile 80. We were really happy with our opportunity to spend so much time on the course this last week, not stressing and just enjoying taper runs. I think it will make race day even more fun. Tomorrow we drive back to Sacramento to pick up Bill, Stacey, Micheal and Lisa and head to Squaw. Micheal and Lisa will meet the rest of their crew in Squaw. Looking forward to it all!</div></div></div></div>Rondahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10832545114209221483noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8856494413091772638.post-52012145718990317272007-06-19T16:07:00.000-07:002007-06-19T16:27:33.332-07:00Volcano Cayon<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhyFhyXm_9Q4iO4dJJPGUQcZHros7zS_rxSnHvcV8njlNguxc9IQlzWQNjD6y6KgWP92UsivevH9Nqb2piDCuWuY0M9wCrWp8-0EeAM2CKyAGKSgvLnIinFTlFuFdXcfBylpJlbDHo30Rg/s1600-h/Img_1532.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5077919934550494962" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhyFhyXm_9Q4iO4dJJPGUQcZHros7zS_rxSnHvcV8njlNguxc9IQlzWQNjD6y6KgWP92UsivevH9Nqb2piDCuWuY0M9wCrWp8-0EeAM2CKyAGKSgvLnIinFTlFuFdXcfBylpJlbDHo30Rg/s320/Img_1532.jpg" border="0" /></a>Today Jim and I checked out the Michigan Bluff to Bath Road section. It seems there has been some logging done on the sides of the road which makes it much more exposed than I remember. After you leave Michigan Bluff and head up the road for about 2<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLAZbVaOtjuZuJIZsoIZkYculaZ4KXXht9rlWWW4CmouWvDR9Hbk4E3v6lGi734PwUaRxarwJS6VWpA5nonI3mqClEEh41OcqP2rkyYZNxTVCHHGDctWCA8WMMNfubHrB2x-Fb2m6VdCU/s1600-h/Img_1526.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5077918263808216786" style="FLOAT: right; MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLAZbVaOtjuZuJIZsoIZkYculaZ4KXXht9rlWWW4CmouWvDR9Hbk4E3v6lGi734PwUaRxarwJS6VWpA5nonI3mqClEEh41OcqP2rkyYZNxTVCHHGDctWCA8WMMNfubHrB2x-Fb2m6VdCU/s320/Img_1526.jpg" border="0" /></a>.5 miles then take a left back onto the trail. This section is much wider than I remember probably because they are driving vehicles into the area for logging but I am not sure. The decent into Volcano Canyon has been worked on and it's much smoother with no large step downs remaining. I think this will be nice for me as I generally get passed a ton here because I am slow on the steep downhill. I like this section because you have just conquered the canyons, spent some moments with your crew and you get glimpse of civilization so you have the sense all the hard work has been done and it's time to run! In this picture of Jim you can see the paved road deep in the canyon below. After the descent into the canyon you cross a lovely cr<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgi_yS1jL27-mH68jaTyB2o8KCbWHzPdHQXWsHN-NifbQVzDZrkWEmlFtl5pD2vLxqSb_nSw2Xe_XOPXYSKWSljMhzoI9Tgcd1A7xMXyknoCr8TfhaNAOQVg_hyphenhyphen6r1tMz_hy8hvmk2bz70/s1600-h/IMG_1528.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5077919625312849634" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgi_yS1jL27-mH68jaTyB2o8KCbWHzPdHQXWsHN-NifbQVzDZrkWEmlFtl5pD2vLxqSb_nSw2Xe_XOPXYSKWSljMhzoI9Tgcd1A7xMXyknoCr8TfhaNAOQVg_hyphenhyphen6r1tMz_hy8hvmk2bz70/s320/IMG_1528.JPG" border="0" /></a>eek and begin the gradual runnable climb into Bath Road. There are sections in this climb that are nice and flat so you can shake out the legs a bit before you walk up the steep section to the aid station. The views along the trail are very nice!<br /><br /><div><div><div>Today it was about 86 degrees when we started running. You know you are sweating when you stop to go pee and as you lean forward water is dripping from your face! We are getting very used to the warm temperatures and Jim is sporting fewer salt lines on his clothes :). </div></div></div>Rondahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10832545114209221483noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8856494413091772638.post-21411070751776969342007-06-18T17:03:00.000-07:002007-06-18T17:29:07.246-07:00Some like it hot!Today was really hot! The car read 100 degrees when we headed out for our 75 minute run. We goofed around early in the day. Got a pedicure, had coffee and got a few things at the grocery store. Of course Jim did not get his toes painted but I now have blue toenails with little white flowers with a pink center, very fun and relaxing. All the dry icky skin on my feet is gone and that will really help.<br /><br /><div><div><div>We ate lunch and then headed out to Hwy 49 aid station and ran backwards toward Brown's Bar then turned and ran back to Hwy 49. The trail seemed to be in better condition than last year. Jim paced me here during 2006 and he thought it was a lot smoother but I can't remember. At that point in the race it's just one foot after the other....trip, trip, stumble, run on whatever. This is a section where I have historically moved very slow. From ALT aid station to Brown's Bar seems to go on and on in my mind. I am always asking my pacer how m<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiI3h9v_-UrBtSVH_cN4sR9lMGkuKU034RQinIQoZk6Opom_3kOZReUu6yPj_27o0gB8ReBQCjdTS9pLrjbfbloOyiNnTsAdyLsEpPAH-IrjzE3KRvjGTmv2cZKsDibVSVrDObU1nhTlso/s1600-h/IMG_1525.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5077562666285911714" style="FLOAT: right; MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiI3h9v_-UrBtSVH_cN4sR9lMGkuKU034RQinIQoZk6Opom_3kOZReUu6yPj_27o0gB8ReBQCjdTS9pLrjbfbloOyiNnTsAdyLsEpPAH-IrjzE3KRvjGTmv2cZKsDibVSVrDObU1nhTlso/s320/IMG_1525.JPG" border="0" /></a>uch further. Sort of like a kid in the back seat of the car......"are we there yet"?</div><div> </div><div>We wanted to do this because there is a climb after leaving the rolling section from Brown's Bar. Right after you hit the gravel road and travel about .5 miles you begin a climb up before descending into Hwy 49. When we arrived at the climb on our way to Hwy 49 we got a good laugh at the "big climb". Basically it's hardly noticeable but is definitely a tug. It's very short and non-intimidating in the daylight when your on a training expedition but during the race it's Mt. Everest! This is a picture of the "big climb" in the Brown's Bar to Hwy 49. We also got a good daylight view of the area where many runners miss the turn and continue on the gravel road. This is well marked but can be deceiving when you rummy and tired. This is picture<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5YPfhov1krBW7vkE82-JmvxWXG0uy6K_obiNRrwvhPLLvvzHmUC75TSIxmpxI9PJV-Q2Ghpca8k_XSIHW2ghwmPR7pJ9dYx5tutY3tdJ_JnxeiXo9-xzbmd8GgUuHffzGBJDnNRmFnuI/s1600-h/IMG_1523.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5077564401452699314" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5YPfhov1krBW7vkE82-JmvxWXG0uy6K_obiNRrwvhPLLvvzHmUC75TSIxmpxI9PJV-Q2Ghpca8k_XSIHW2ghwmPR7pJ9dYx5tutY3tdJ_JnxeiXo9-xzbmd8GgUuHffzGBJDnNRmFnuI/s320/IMG_1523.JPG" border="0" /></a> of me taking the turn back onto the trail.</div><br /><div></div><br /><div>Being here early is a real gift. It has given me a lot of quiet time away from the day to day busy hustle and bustle. I am really relaxed and getting very comfortable with the heat. </div></div></div><br />IRondahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10832545114209221483noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8856494413091772638.post-18952817992843620532007-06-17T21:02:00.000-07:002007-06-17T21:34:52.705-07:00Hello from Auburn, CAJim and I left on Saturday (6/17) for Auburn. We wanted to get down to the area a few days early and check out parts of the course and bask in the heat. Jim hasn't run <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_0">WS</span> with the Duncan <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_1">Canyon</span> section so we <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_2">definitely</span> wanted to get out on that part of the course. All our runs now are short but still contain enough quality that they can be hard. Some 3Ba and AT in each runs is supposed to keep us sharp for race day.<br /><br /><div><div><div><div><div>When we arrived on Saturday we headed to <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_3">Robie</span> Point and ran backwards on the course past No Hands Bridge and then back. It was pretty darn warm, probably about 94 degrees and we were sweating pretty hard. We are not using any air conditioning in the car or rooms. We are eating most of our meals outside in the sun and spending as much time outside as we can. It has actually been fairly easy and not too uncomfortable.<br /></div><div>Today (Sunday) we waited for it to heat up and then headed to Robinson Flat and ran back <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_4">towards</span> Duncan Canyon then back to Robinson. This is part of the burned forest section and I thought the trail looked a bit better than last year but I really can remember. Duncan Cree<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjq4rJKMMmqkdg-qlNSdlGCeVIF6T1JV4Y5de-8Za7xtDg5gOP_rHN2Bq9FCau7D3yhWyDMACNJcygE3d0-xmgAMte2zUU5nAyqXWQNXgg6Xg1iOrLb-RgCQKKk71NZTgjOnWjQgPGTpUw/s1600-h/Img_1513.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5077252281884331586" style="FLOAT: right; MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjq4rJKMMmqkdg-qlNSdlGCeVIF6T1JV4Y5de-8Za7xtDg5gOP_rHN2Bq9FCau7D3yhWyDMACNJcygE3d0-xmgAMte2zUU5nAyqXWQNXgg6Xg1iOrLb-RgCQKKk71NZTgjOnWjQgPGTpUw/s320/Img_1513.jpg" border="0" /></a>k at the bottom was very low compared to last year. I kept warning Jim (who doesn't like to get wet) that this creek is pretty high. At least that's how I remember it. I recall having to put my pack around my neck so it wouldn't get wet. Here is a picture of the creek, not high at all. We could easily have crossed without getting wet but chose to walk right through the middle. The sun had moved over the canyon so there wasn't any beating sun like there will be during race day, it was actually comfortable. </div><br /><div>Here are some pictures I took: </div><br /><div>Jim at the Duncan Canyon aid station:</div><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5077254824504970866" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqdqPAUwMKbJ2dkcaGQdb7zn2HXBK4-3m6XCS2TMLNTYkMqUmVUY1fBM6WXWRJRt6u_FPgCU22HwYT1m8PxqpV6W4FhE1FN8MJeni-OxsjgeGv_NG9NQ5TIM17xkcygikYABwmDm8DPhs/s320/IMG_1517.JPG" border="0" />Nice downhill section after the Duncan aid station. The forest is burned and the remaining trees are black from the ground up:<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4niQBveO5AbJBdtYpxKkBP11GvaCUjvh83Om-nHHmQS3ML7ezX_flzCYvuTb1mOEldHEdwVzSxp-6vYq6px3p2QX8jKenvqPWdoxuQcIOf3uo1ZGdcJZLnEBuzQPtKsMHg53KOwf9wyE/s1600-h/IMG_1512.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5077253750763146850" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4niQBveO5AbJBdtYpxKkBP11GvaCUjvh83Om-nHHmQS3ML7ezX_flzCYvuTb1mOEldHEdwVzSxp-6vYq6px3p2QX8jKenvqPWdoxuQcIOf3uo1ZGdcJZLnEBuzQPtKsMHg53KOwf9wyE/s320/IMG_1512.JPG" border="0" /></a> As you head up out of Duncan Creek towards Robinson Flat the forest is still very burned as you climb nice gradual switchbacks up the canyon. Near the <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_5">bottom</span> the switchbacks are easy running but as you get near the middle of the hill they become steeper and harder to run because of the grade and the rocky trail.</div></div></div></div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg48Rw2nNj0kB3rIUayIjGQm9r1rgezc1Cu9LLOcCKUARC96N44kophSeWw4BFWlDAXHCM9yzkhyhEKsxnjNphldCHgqsLWzO7PtRM7D2iUn76mskTOvRgFWIq6B-rQZD-fyVXYs2-Zim0/s1600-h/IMG_1519.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5077255984146140802" style="FLOAT: right; MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg48Rw2nNj0kB3rIUayIjGQm9r1rgezc1Cu9LLOcCKUARC96N44kophSeWw4BFWlDAXHCM9yzkhyhEKsxnjNphldCHgqsLWzO7PtRM7D2iUn76mskTOvRgFWIq6B-rQZD-fyVXYs2-Zim0/s320/IMG_1519.JPG" border="0" /></a>Rondahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10832545114209221483noreply@blogger.com3