Go gently into the new year....

Or, run like hell to get there. Either way, see you in 2008. Happy New Year!

"Let there be nothing within thee that is not very beautiful and very gentle, and there will be nothing without thee that is not beautiful and softened by the spell of thy presence."
James Allen 1864-1912, Author of As A Man Thinketh

I thinketh I will run, swim and bike my way through at least part of 2008. Somebody needs to inspire me to ride more. That, I suppose, will have to be my resolution. I will ride my bike more and try to run less. Either that, or I will write a training guide on how to complete an ironman by running alone. That just might be a great challenge idea. Hmmmm.

I'm back!

Today's Chinese fortune: A man and woman will shortly annoy you

That could be everday for me. Unless of course I never leave my house, but even then I guess people could call or email. So, I wonder who it will be? Please, annoy me, I dare you....

My training has been suffering and therefore I have been not quite myself. Now that the holiday season is tapering, maybe life will be sane again. Ha ha. I just moved and that took some energy. We are still settling in to the new place, but we love it.

The pool has been closed due to some chemical fuck-up, so I'm really off of my swim rountine. I went for a longish bike ride the other day and realized how not conditioned my poor butt is. I need to spend some quality time toughening up my tender rear. The riding from my new place is awesome. There are so many directions to go long. I even enjoy the running right from my door. I just wish the days were longer. Luckily I have 2 more seasons of Sex and the City to ride my trainer to. That should get me through a few more weeks of short days. Don't knock it till you try it.

Glad we all made it through one more season of consumer madness. Off to drink more coffee.

Ultra Busy

My life is insanely busy right now, but good. SB9T ultra was totally awesome. I love that course! I felt really strong and definitely could have gone faster. I did the 37 mile version of the 35 mile course. A well intentioned girl from Pennsylvania (yeah, I know) insisted I was going the wrong direction and of course I trusted her, so we went a bit out of our way. I am packing to go to SF this morning for the next race on my list. I don't know if I am recovered enough, but who cares.

Swimming yesterday was all about counting strokes and trying to reduce the number per lap, while maintaining the same speed. I enjoyed the workout and was able to get my stroke count to a consistent 17. It's interesting because one of the guys in my lane is very tall and has a stroke count of 20. Reach, Micah, reach.

It's raining here in Santa Ynez. I had no idea it was supposed to rain, but man, do we need it. Luckily, the forecast is clear up north where my race is and the rain is just for us parched people in the south. I will find out tomorrow if I got into Western States through the lottery. Cross your fingers for me. I already have people wanting to pace me, but if I don't get in, I think I will try to pace someone.

Back to my crazy busy life. Get outside and play this weekend!

I only got a little lost on the SB9T course this Sunday. I was helping to mark the course, but I ran out of tape and decided to run ahead on my own. This is always a bad idea for me. I did find my way to the turn around where my car was parked and that's what really matters. I think I know the whole course now and luckily, it will be well marked for the race Saturday. I swear, there is nothing flat on this course, you are either going steeply uphill or flying downhill. It's exactly the kind of running I most enjoy.

Swim workout sucked this morning. Check it out:

3 x 200 swim, kick, pull

8 x 50 swim on the :55

200 kick : fly, back, free, fly(on back)

10 x 50 pull on the :50

200 kick (same as above)

12 x 50 w/ fins on the :45

cool down

There was nothing long and meditative or lovely about any of it.

Girls Rule in the Pool!

I'm on my third cup of coffee and heading off to work, instead of a run. This is a total drag, but I'm hoping to get out later today and tomorrow, of course. I totally schooled the boys in my new lane Thursday at swim. I started off, repectfully, swimming last and ended up halfway through the workout, leading. When coach Mike told me to go first, the guys' faces dropped and they were like, are we slower?? They are great guys and maybe it was just an off day for them. What's worse is that the other person in the lane was also a woman and she ended up second and the boys, last. In the locker room she says, "did you see their faces when he told them to go last??" It was kinda lovely. I'm sure I'll never run faster than them, so I have to take it where I can.

I actually got out for a long ride (on my bike!) Wednesday. It was a very warm fall day, about 95 degrees. There is a time trial class at my local bike shop that I think I will try next week. We bring our trainer and bike and watch a video or something. It sounds like a bike geek spin class, but what the heck, I'll go.

Go on, get outside and do something fun!!

Zen and the Art of Moving up a Lane

Swim Workout:

400 free
300 kick free/back/fly
200 pull
100 breast

All free:
8 x 50
400
2 x 200
4 x 100
8 x 50

cool down 100

total 3,000 yards!

I guess I was feeling a little too good this morning because I got moved up a lane. Woo hoo! This is a big deal to us early morning fishies. I had a zen-like experience with the water and swimming this morning. Everything felt just right and I could feel myself moving through the water and moving the water, it was kind of surreal. Maybe it was my new pirate swimsuit, with ARGGH! on the butt and skull and crossbones on the front or maybe it was my wicked PMS finally exiting my existence. Whatever it was, I was fast and it was fabulous.

I did back to back 15 milers this weekend. One on the 9 Trails course and the other up Refugio. Sunday's run was amazing. It was raining, barely, and it was warm. A perfect Santa Barbara trail run. I felt very awesome and wanted to go farther, but knew I shouldn't and had to get to Abigail's soccer BBQ. I have just signed up for another race the weekend after 9 Trails. It's the North Face Endurance Challenge. I'm only doing the 50K. I'm curious to see how my body will handle back to back races like that. I swear, I can't stop signing up for races. I need help.

With 9 Trail on the horizon, I opted to skip track yesterday and just do my "telephone pole" workout. No, it's not some pole dancing routine, it's running. I pick a long street lined with telephone poles and increase my speed for a certain amount then back off for one length of poles. It's fun, it makes the time go fast and it's a damn good workout.

I'm trying to remember swim workout yesterday. Maybe it's too early in the morning or maybe I haven't had enough coffee. I'll post later if I can remember. Shit.

I plan to get out on the 9 trails course this weekend. I hope the trails are open. The last training run was cancelled (again) last Sunday because of fire danger and trail closures. This will be my last big run weekend till the race. I'm considering doing a race in the Bay area the following weekend. I have a choice of 50K or 50 Mile. I'm leaning toward 50K.

I have to work early today. Hi ho hi ho...

Sunday I did a 30 mile run all alone. I have been consistently doing a great yoga class every Monday as a recovery workout. I really think it is helping after running/cycling long on the weekends. My yoga instructor can't believe how flexible I am for a runner. It's true, I'm sorta gumbyish. She thinks that's why I can keep running like I do. She, like many people I talk to, have quit running due to some injury or another. She also teaches NIA, and if you've never tried it, you should. It's like a free form dance class. I guess you have to enjoy dancing first .


Swim
400 free

7 x 50 kick free

200 free

4 x 50 kick breast

100 breast

All free:
8 x 50

4 x 100

2 x 200

150 cool down

No More Jack and Candy

I noticed the lifegaurd trying to supress a smile as we did our drills today. The one called otter, where we swim with our elbows at our sides and sort of doggie paddle, is especially amusing. I'm happy we could entertain the poor girl, she usually looks so bored.

10 x 50 swim/drill (catch-up, scull, 6/3, otter, zipper)

10 x 50 kick (slow/fast)

10 x 50 pull

4 x 100 ascending

2 x 200 at last 100 pace

200 cool down

I ran up Refugio again yesterday and have a weird pulling behind my right knee. I think it's hamstring related. I have track workout today and think I will alternate 400s and 800s. I have just been running in my road shoes lately. They feel so light and soft on my feet. The trail shoes were just killing my ankle bones, even the ones I cut. I figured I would give them a chance to heal and just wear the road shoes. Now, it will be hard to go back to the rigid trail shoe. Hmmm.

I am so glad Halloween is over. Calvin was calling it "jack and candy" day. I thought that was funny.

BOO

The Senorita and the Wench at Cindy's Halloween Party...don't I look freaky with black hair?

Here's the deal on the new swim suits. I got them, but I obviously ordered the wrong size (24) and could not even pull the damn thing much above my knees. So, it turns out I know nothing about swimsuit sizing. I just got the smallest size, like I always do and hope it's not too big. WRONG. I think Abigail, who's 8, would have a hard time getting the 24 on. I didn't try because I knew she would want to keep the suit if it fit and she doesn't need another bathing suit, especially a $48 one. So, I sent them back and cancelled the Halloween suit since I won't get to wear it near Halloween. BOO hoo. That's the story. Now, here's the workout:

4 x 200 swim: free/back/free/breast (50 each)

4 x 150 kick: fly/back/free

4 x 100 increasing speed

2 x 400 free

cool down


Happy Halloween

Every year we get a great picture of the the kids at our local pumpkin patch. They seem so big this year, but still super cute.

The 9 Trails training run this past weekend was postponed due to the fires. The National Forest is closed AGAIN and there are some hefty fines for those who don't follow the rules. I would never break the rules. Or trespass on private property. NEVER.

We did do some great training runs around here, though. Saturday, we ran to the top of Figueroa Mountain (luckily, the sign that said the road was closed had blown over due to the high winds), starting in the dark before sunrise, with the full moon. It was breathtaking. Then Sunday, we ran up and over Refugio, to the beach and back. It's steep and far. Two very good training days. I still can't believe I have a running buddy who loves to run as much as me. Wait, I need to qualify that. I have a super best friend who loves to run, maybe more than me, but lives in another state. What I should have said is that it's hard to believe I have a nearby friend to run with. It's something I have been dreaming of for some time now.

Last week I was really sore from speedwork and running hills pretty hard. I had to ice my quads for a few days to get them back to feeling good. Also, some deep massage on my legs really helped. Hurt, but helped. I better be getting faster.

It was fun to watch the progress of Javelina Jundred this weekend. I was talking to Justin on the phone while the runners were coming into the aid station at Javelina Headquarters. Just the pitter patter of runners feet was giving me goosebumps. I wish I could've been there. Next year.

Windy + Dry = Fire

Can you believe California is on fire, AGAIN?? The fire in Santa Ynez, if you are familiar with this area, is near Woodstock Ranch and the Sedgewick Reserve. This fire should be contained by this evening. I hear the fire began from an ember left from the Zaca Fire. The sky is already looking blue again. Let's hope the Santa Ana winds don't come back up.

On the other hand, the fires in San Diego are getting worse and my dad and family were just evacuated from their home in Valley Center. I am just glad my dad decided to leave and not be stubborn about it. I think we will all sleep better tonight.

Los Olivos 5K Pictures

This picture says it all...


Guillermo, Alexa and Calvin


Me and Abs

All the runners

Abigail made us pose like this

And slather with mayo...

I was just reading about this book, Jesus Land, and on the website I found these midwest church potluck recipes. The book looks very interesting and the recipes... I dare you to try one and let me know how it turned out. Debbie, I think we should incorporate the jello salad into your birthday challenge.

5th Grader Does First 5K

"I'm so proud of myself" is what Calvin has been saying all day. Since his 29: 35 finish this morning at his first 5K, Calvin has been telling the story of his 2nd place kid finish. He told me directly after the race that he is now in training for a 100 mile finish, although it may take years to get there. I can wait, I told him.

I have some great pictures, but blogger is currently not able to post, grrr. I'll have them up soon. Guillermo took first and easily. It's not a really competitive running crowd here, but that's not saying he's not a great runner. First is first.

Fun at the Track

Small turnout yesterday for swim. I love the early AM workout, you are done before you are even fully awake. I worked a bit, then met Guillermo at his office for a run at noon. We ran to the track, along with his very cute wife. He tried to kill me with speed work. Oh how I hate to run fast, but man do I want to get faster. I'm committed to trying and G says I'm fast on the track. I think he is just being kind or encouraging, but I'll take it.

For track workout we warmed up by running to the track, then alternated 200's and 400's with 45 second rest. The speedwork total was 3 miles. My legs were really tight by the end. It felt great to run back to Santa Ynez. The whole workout was about 6 miles, but that was plenty for me. I'm looking forward to getting faster and better at speed.

Here's the Swim Workout for all you fishies:

16 x 50 swim: free, free/back, free/breast, free

16 x 50 kick: same as above

16 x 50 pull: free (timed)

4 x 100 descending

cool down

Kristine is running the women only marathon in SF this Sunday(not sure what it's called). Also, San Diego 100 is this weekend and there are a couple of people I know running. Best of luck to everyone!! I plan to do the local 5K in Los Olivos. I will probably run with Calvin and Abigail wants to do the kid's mile. What could be better than running with my kids??

Tri Training Begins

Yesterday's swim workout:

4 x 100 swim/drill

4 x 100 kick: free/fly, free/back, free/fly, free/back (with zoomers)

4 x 100 pull, descending

100, 200, 300, 200, 100 (can't remember the times exactly)

8 x 50 (2 each at a set time, getting faster)

There wasn't a whole lot of hangin' out at the wall in this workout. I went for a run in the afternoon and felt great going up hill, but down still bothers my ankles a little. When I was in Arizona, I came up with the idea of cutting my shoe so it would no longer hit my ankle bone. This turned out to be genius, as I was able to run fairly pain free and now have shoes that allow for this injury to heal a bit better. The problem was that each time I run, my shoes would hit the ankle bone and perpetuate the swelling.

I finally got a good ride in on Sunday, so I guess I am officially training for Ironman. All I can really think about now, though, is 9 Trails. The ride went well and as always, I was thinking why don't I do this more often? It's really relaxing and so kind to your body compared to running. I got to check out the ironman course in AZ, and it doesn't look too daunting. The mass swim start sounds awful, though. Ugh.

Guess who's doing 9 Trails?

Me!!!

As if it wasn't enough to spend the weekend being totally spoiled by JLU, but I get back and I find out I can run 9 Trails, officially. I think both J and I needed a little cheering up. I'm certainly feeling better, I hope he is, too.

More later...

Will I ever get my new Halloween swimsuit???

It was extra tough to get outta bed today, but I was in the pool by 6AM. The first half of the workout I was gasping for air the whole time. Then, poof, I was warmed up and on the heels of my lane-mate till the end. There should be a special lane for endurance athletes.

Warm-up

• 8 X 50 swim: free/back
• 8 X 50 kick: free/back

Then:

• 4 X 100
• 4 X 200
• 4 X 100 faster

Cool down 4 X 50 pull, 100 breast

I think they are hand stitching my new bathing suits...they are still not here. They did send me an email apologizing for the delay. Grrrrr. They better be really cute and make my butt look small.

I'm going out of town this weekend and will get to run some new trails. Very exciting.

Happy training.

Go Fiona!

Fiona is doing her first marathon!!!!!

Calvin is off to Catalina Island tomorrow at 5am for 5th grade science camp. It's very exciting for him. I have been labeling everything with my trusty sharpie because Calvin is not known for keeping track of his things. The weather is supposed to be great. I'm so glad my good friend Cindy is going, just in case he needs anything.

Things are pretty exciting around here. We have another mountain lion roaming our neighborhood, due to being displaced by the fire. Also, Sunday I went for a run up on Figueroa Mountain and the ranger stoppped me from heading out on Catway. The gate was closed and I figured it was due to the fire. I intended to just proceed on foot. He said a woman walking her weiner dog (need I say more?) was tree'd (sp?) by a bear Saturday and they had to rescue her. I asked him to describe the bear and realized that was my bear. Well, I've seen him a few times now and I feel like we have an understanding out there. He said the bear, I call him Big Jim, even chased him. I didn't go out there initially and ran a few hours on another trail ( a new trail I'm very excited about, by the way) but when I got back to the car, I couldn't resist going out on Catway to see if I could find Big Jim. The ranger told me that if I got in trouble out there, they wouldn't come after me.

Today I made it to Master's Swim again and even got bumped up a lane already. Yeah. I had a two and half hour break today and ran for 2 hours of it. I did a little speed work. I felt pretty good, despite the swimming. Last week, I was really struggling with the running. I think adding weights and swimming tired me out. This is awful, but I have not got any significant biking in yet. I really need to start.

My friend, Fiona, is doing the Long Beach Marathon this weekend. It is her first marathon. Please send her lots of positive energy, not that she needs it, she's going to do great. Go Fiona!!! She'll be the one in all pink.

Historical Quote of the Day (AP)


"A moment I've been dreading. George (Bush Sr.) brought his ne're-do-well son around this morning and asked me to find the kid a job. Not the political one who lives in Florida. The one who hangs around here all the time looking shiftless. This so-called kid is already almost 40 and has never had a real job. Maybe I'll call Kinsley over at The New Republican and see if they'll hire him as a contributing editor or something. That looks like easy work."

-- Ronald Reagan in his recently published diaries, written May 17, 1986


I just had to share this, it's so great. Enjoy. I say it's relevant to my blog because I like to go running up by the Ronald Reagan Ranch. It's one of the most beautiful places around. You have a view of the ocean one in one direction and the mountains in the other. Both views are unspoiled by any sort of buildings or homes. Let's hope it stays that way for a while.

I think I will post my swim workouts for future reference. Also, if anyone wants to try them...they are super fun.

Yesterday we did this:

200 x 2 swim:
free/back
free/breast

200 x 2 kick
free/fly
free/back

16 x 50 at 5 second descending intervals

16 x 50 at 5 second descending interval 5 seconds faster than previous set

plus, of course warm up and cool down a few hundred.

My bathing suits still haven't come. I'm irritated now. Abigail and I got our halloween costumes, though, and they are super cute. Maybe I will post pictures of them later. She looks so beautiful!

I don't just run...

I made it to Master's Swim yesterday, despite the fact that my new suits still haven't come. I even went for a run with Guillermo in the afternoon. It is really great to have someone to run with, and if I want to continue running with him I think I will have to get faster quickly. I was definitely tired after the swim, but it felt great to be back with the group. I guess I will get on my bike tomorrow after swim. I have to start riding again sometime.

I am looking for my next race (50k or 50 mile), maybe sometime in November. Any ideas??

Phoebe sure is happy I'm running again. Walking around the neighborhood is for normal dogs. She's a trail dog.

Wait a minute....

Did I say there were more important things than running? Maybe that's true, but I can't think of anything I love to do more than run...at least right now.

I had such an awesome run today with the 9 Trails crowd in Santa Barbara. I was really nervous about my knee and my ankle, but decided to suck it up and go anyway. I am so glad I did. My knee and ankle feel better now than when I began. Odd, I know, but sometimes, just sometimes, that's the way it works. We ran about 18 miles on very hilly, mostly technical trails. It was great to be out on the trails again. Now that the Zaca Fire is out, everything seems to be open again. Yipee!!

Life after AC

Life after AC100 is good. I am still being plagued by persistent pain in my right knee, but it seems to be getting better with time and lots of icing. It has forced me to get in the pool again and ride my bike a bit. It is always hard for me to get back to swimming after time off, not because it's physically hard(quite the opposite- it feels very good to my body), but it's just so different and time consuming. So, I went on-line and bought myself some new bathing suits to inspire my pool comeback. I haven't received them yet, but I found this great website called splish.com with very cute suits. I plan to go back to my master's swim class next week. I hope the new suits come before that. What do you think of my Halloween suit?

I'm invited to do a training run with some people training for 9 Trails, tomorrow. 9 Trails is our only local Ultra and I've wanted to do it the last couple of years, only to find it full each time I've tried to sign up. I hope to get in this year, even though it's full. The race is in Novemeber sometime. Check it out: santa barbara 9 trails. If I don't get in, I guess I will volunteer.

I must not forget... there are more important things than running, like inspiring and supporting other's in their endeavors. Cheers.

from a pacer's perspective

I wanted to share what John(my fearless pacer) wrote about the last 25 miles:

What a strange and wonderful thing to meet someone and then 2 seconds later join them on this super/sub-human 9 hour grind. A big congratulations to you. I’m blown away by who you are to be able to do this. And what an experience to join you. Here’s what I wrote to my friends about it…

So this weekend was an experience for sure.

I got to mile 75 to meet my friend Dave only when he finally got there, he was having back spasms, couldn’t stand up straight and had to drop out of the race. I thought I would have a few hours of sleep and sanity, but there was a woman who didn’t have a pacer and her crew was worried about her and called out to the crowd to see if there was someone who would run her in (yes there was a crowd at 4 AM – this is a group of crazy people). Apparently my masochistic and chivalrous nature took over.

So instead of #76 Dave Campbell I ran in #119 Sandee Sanger.

You can’t imagine how amazing these runners are. Sandee was in such pain and was so tired and delirious that she was hallucinating -- see cars and busses on the trail – but she kept putting one foot in front of the other.

The last 25 miles took 9 hours, so it was more like a very long hike than a run, but there are very few people on the planet that could make such an insane and triumphant accomplishment happen. You can’t imagine the emotion at the end; even just being next to someone making it happen. What a privilege.

And that just may be as close as I’m going to get.

AC100, My Rite of Passage

By the time we got to Wrightwood on Friday, I felt like I had gained 10 pounds. The tapering and hydrating and forcing myself to eat meals all left me feeling pretty stuffed. It was confirmed at the weigh-in, I was about 5 pounds heavier than my normal weight. We had to have our drop bags ready by noon, so we spread our stuff
out in the parking lot and got to it.


Packing Drop Bags on Friday
I woke at 3 AM on Saturday morning feeling like I had actually slept some. I was very happy about this, as I knew I wouldn't be sleeping for the next 24 hours. I think all of us were anxious to start the race.





Sandee, Kevin & Donald at the Start in Wrightwood

100 miles to go....As I left Wrightwood I tried to concentrate on running slow and steady, so I knew I would finish. The temperature was chilly, but nice and the other runners seemed to be in their heads, too, planning their race. It was eerily quiet as we started our first ascent. My goal

was to finish, but also to have a good race, one without dehydration issues and stomach distress. These are the things that always seem to plague me in long runs and races.

Coming into Islip Saddle

Me and Pacer John at the finish

I didn't see Jamie and Gail (my awesome crew) till mile 25 at Islip Saddle. I was feeling great at this point and when I weighed in I hadn't lost a pound, which means I wasn't dehydrated. Yeah! I left my headlamp, bandanna, gloves and long sleeve shirt behind and put on my flappy hat that Jerry J gave me this summer. It was perfect.

75 miles to go...I decided to concentrate on getting to Chantry Flats (mile 75) since I knew if I could get there, I would finish the race. That was 50 miles of eating, drinking, peeing, running, walking, running, you get the picture. As I checked in at each aid station, it was Jamie and Gail who's concerned, but happy faces, always greeted me. It was all I could do not to cry sometimes and tell them how much I loved them, as I came rolling into the aid station. I was curious about how the guys were doing and kept asking at each aid station. Kevin went from 3rd to 1st and then won the race before I even arrived at Chantry Flats. We finally learned that Donald was making awesome time as well.

When I reached Shortcut, it was just getting dark and my feet were killing me. My left ankle was swollen from twisting it and it kept hitting the side of my very stiff shoe. I knew I had several blisters and my right knee pain was just kicking in. This was a low point for me and the girls saw it on my face as I came into the aid station. I knew I needed to eat more and take my e-caps, but it just seemed so hard. I managed to get some chicken soup down, which would become the only thing I could eat for the rest of the race, aside from a few little things forced on me. I asked Gail and Jamie to change my shoes and socks, but don't tell me about my blisters. I was shaking with cold and exhaustion, but finished my soup, put on some warmer clothes and left shortcut, alone, in the dark.

Something wonderful happened out there on the trail, at night. I started to feel good again and I was truly enjoying the race. That was until I took a fantastic superman-type fall right in front of two other runners. This was one of two of this type of fall, that I take on this particular stretch of trail. It was dark and technical and I guess I wasn't the only one out there falling. So, now I have managed to scrape both knees and there is blood running down my right shin. I am super dirty, with oak leaves stuck to me. Thank god it was dark.

Somehow, I make it to Chantry Flats. I start thinking it would be nice to have a pacer. All the other runners out there from Shortcut on, have had pacers. I ask my crew if they can ask around and this woman overhears me and shouts,"Does anyone want to pace this girl? She's cute!" Then, like my knight in shining armor, comes John, the pacer. His friend dropped and he was out there, all ready, with no one to pace. Lucky me. Thus begins the last 25 miles of my journey.

25 miles to go... I knew this would be tough, for one, I've already run 75 miles, but now I have to go up Mt Wilson and I know from experience this climb sucks. I also know that I will not see Jamie or Gail till the finish. No smiling, concerned faces of my friends, just me and John. John has never paced before, but turns out to have it in his blood. He forces me to eat and drink and keep moving forward. We talk about life and the time passes as I get closer to the finish line. He realizes that every time he feeds me some little snack, I pick up the pace for a while. I'm like a wind-up toy.

As we near the last aid station, there seems to be a group of us running (or walking) together. Getting to Millard seems to take forever and I try not to get discouraged as the mountain bikers keep passing us, forcing me to stop and step to the side. John is very protective of me and watches to make sure I don't fall over the edge. We come upon a woman who has fallen on the trail and is pretty beat up. I can't stop for long, but John stops to help her, then catch up with me(she is not in the race).

5 miles to go...When we finally make it to Millard, it's as if we are all on a mission and the pace increases dramatically. We hike quickly up the one mile of incline and then we are off and running. Really running for the first time in hours. It actually feels good and I keep wondering how my body is moving like this after 95+miles. I am once again with Dennis from Denmark, who I met at mile 5, and haven't seen since then. He says he recognizes my braids, I only recognize his voice. We are both emotional about the finish, in fact, we keep getting all choked up just talking about it, but decide we will run better if we don't cry. Wise decision, we agree. Soon we see the vicinity of our finish and people are directing us...less than a mile to go. We are trying hard not to get choked up now. John tells me it's okay if I slow down to savor the moment- hell no! We run like antelope (well, wounded antelope) for the finish line and right before I cross, this woman, passes me. WTF? I forgive her now, but I was pretty pissed. Who passes at the end of a 100 mile race? C'mon. She promptly grabs me and hugs me after we cross the finish and I'm a little hesitant, than joyful and of course choked up. Hal, the race director, hands me a 'finishers' t-shirt and Gail and Jamie direct me to a chair, aaahhh.

I'm so happy to have finished my first hundred and very humbled to have met so many great runners who have finished several of these races. I have some great new friends and feel like a true ultra runner now. I'm already thinking about the next race I can do. I'm thinking 50 miles sounds good. Unfortunately for my friends, there are more 100's in my future. So, for now, running remains my lover, xxoo.

Love eat run...

"Love flowers best in openness and freedom" Edward Abbey

That's all I really have to say tonight. Tried running, gave it up for hiking, but got a good 45 minutes in today. Looking forward to a good day out running, clearing my head and writing the Ac100 race day report.

I'm not much good if I can't run, that's all I know. Thanks, Donald, for the picture. I'm at Islip Saddle, mile 25 of AC100.

The Finish

The winner and me, a mere finisher.

I'm an Ultrarunner

Friday in Wrightwood at the start
My friend Kevin (this years' winner of AC100!) at the start in Wrightwood on Friday
Gail working on Donald's feet Friday night, before the race
Me at Chantry Flats, mile 75

I will share more when I feel more coherent, but for now here are some photos and yes, I finished. I FINISHED!!!!!! I could not have done it without so much great support from far and near.

I'm off to the all night Angeles Crest party

Feet Before...

I told my friend Genene, who just did my pedicure, that I would take before and after pictures of my feet. When I told her they may not be too bad, she burst out laughing and said, no way, they are going to be completely f***ed up! Okay, I know she's right. But don't they look lovely, now? You can hardly tell that I recently lost 3 toenails.

Everyone keeps asking me if I'm ready. I'm certainly not unprepared, so, yeah, I guess I'm ready. When I was telling Abigail about the race the other night she says to me, "It sounds like you're going to a running party, mom, how fun!". She is kind of right. It's something adults do, with their friends, voluntarily, and for 'fun' all night long. It is a party of sorts.

I have two great friends who have offered, with some coaxing , to crew for me. It's a mother and daughter team. Gail and Jamie will drive around to the accessible areas and make sure I have what I need and take pictures of the whole event. Raul will ride his bike to Pasadena and watch me finish. I know Steve, JLu and Jerry J, Lisa, and all my other runner friends will be there in spirit and will send me lots of love and support via telepathic messages and cell phone messages. I know you all wish you were going to be there and so do I!!

This quote from the most recent Ultrarunning magazine keeps going through my head,

"Going for a run always clears my head, but running 100 miles distills my soul." Keith Knipling

I'll let you know on Sunday... for now I'm off to Back to School Night, then to an early bed. Happy Trails.

The Plan

I've decided to approach the race like a birth and have a plan. When you give birth these days it is common to have a 'birth plan', so by the time you are in excruciating pain and are begging for drugs, the nurse or your partner get to say "nope, you specifically state here in the birth plan that under no circumstances are we to give you drugs, sorry". At the time, you hate those people, but afterwards, you are so happy you did it naturally. So, I figure, I will tell Gail and Jamie that under no circumstances am I allowed to drop, and sure, I may hate them at the time, but I will be so happy when I finish and love them even more. I know there are medical reasons for dropping, just like sometimes you have to have an emergency C-section, but those are different circumstances. Those are obvious.

I find myself once again without a pacer, since the last crew access is 25.5 miles from the finish. So, if anyone wants to run the last 25.5 with me....let me know. Or even mile 52 on would be fine. I can't believe it's 3 days away. I hope I'm ready.

Okay, Tapering Sucks

Yeah, yeah, I know I'll feel better on the run, I will get plenty of exercies this weekend, I should enjoy not having to run so much, blah blah blah...

I woke up early, took the kids to school, then went back to my office and wow! is it clean. I spent a full hour with the vaccuum alone, getting in every corner, sucking all the dust from the blinds, moving every piece of furniture and making sure all the rugs were shook out. The only icky thing was a potato bug lurking under the reception area rug. I could have handled a tarantula, but potato bugs are wrong. yuck.

Did I mention I have poison oak from the helicopter run? Yeah, everyday it gets worse. I'm sure it will be gone by Saturday. I have every confidence it is disappearing as I write this.

Does Anyone Really Like to Taper?

I am finally taking my tapering seriously. I just started the book Desert Solitaire by Edward Abbey. I plan to spend the day packing drop bags and most likely manically cleaning my house. I never know quite what to do with the excess energy that comes from tapering. I like the idea of taking it easy for a change, but as it always turns out, I don't really like it, nor am I very good at it. This would be a great time to do some yoga or even meditate, but with the world welling up inside me, begging to get out, I have a hard time being still. This reminds me of when I did the Master Cleanse fast and I had an abundance of unexpected energy. I got really organized and my house was very clean.

Once a Runner, always a Runner

JLu (Justin) and Jerry J at Javelina Jundred

The past two days I have been running with my new running buddy, Guillermo. I have been taking him to the mountains and introducing him to the trails I love. I can't believe how fortunate I am to finally have someone in my area who loves to run long and trail and is as passionate about it all as me. He totally gets it. He says he can't believe I have been running out here alone all this time. I know! I must admit, I am a little sore from running with him. I can see how having someone better to push you could really make a difference. This is truly a gift.



On a different note altogether, I just received an email from the most amazing runner and best guy friend I have. He is facing the possibility of never running again, due to some spinal problems. I have to believe there is something that can help him. People tell me that eventually every runner has to stop running at some point. I think those people are wrong, and I hope they are wrong in Justin's case, too. Look how happy he is after running his first 100 mile race and placing 3rd overall. That's amazing.

He inspired me to try ultrarunning and has always been my biggest fan. I'm not the only one he has inspired and supported along the way. I think a group of us look to him for guidance and motivation because he has such a great attitude and energy about running and triathlon. He is always there with tips and great advice on finishing a race. He makes you feel as if you are part of this very special family and there is no way you are alone out there training or racing. I will just have to run enough for both of us until he can get out there again.

In the meantime, Justin, do what you do best, support and inspire! We need you. You will always be a runner at heart.

Idle Hour Adventure

I'm not sure how to start the story of my AC training run this weekend. It was fantastic in so many ways, but utterly miserable, too. I got in my 40 miles plus, but had to be pulled out by a helicopter, lifted by a cable. I know, it sounds almost James Bond or plain stupid.

We started the run around 7:15 from a place called Short Cut off of highway 2. Bill's wife dropped us off and the weather wasn't too bad, yet. We knew we were in for a hot day and most everyone was prepared, carrying extra hydration stuff. I thought I would be fine with my normal hydration pack. We were all together for the first 30 miles or so, but started to stretch out as we got closer to our last water cache. I was out of water for hours at this point and feeling pretty funky. I kept going, slowly, knowing I was close to the water.

With Flaco only a few minutes in front of me, I went straight on a trail that I should have turned uphill on. I realized after a bit that the trail wasn't much of a trail after all. I decided to try climbing straight up the hill to find the trail again. I did this for a while, with no luck. I resigned to going back to where I knew the trail was. Finally, after about an hour detour, I was back at the trail. Here's where I made the biggest mistake. I headed back the way I came instead of toward the guys and the water. By the time I realized my mistake, I was so dehydrated and tired, I could hardly walk.

I managed to climb toward Mt Wilson to get cell reception. I tried Guillermo, who didn't have his phone with him. I thought he might give me some direction out of the Idle Hour campground. The only way I knew was straight up Mt Wilson or back the way I came. Both were uphill and about 10 miles. I was in no shape to manage either one. Finally, I called 911, who connected me to the fire department. I explained my situation, that I was severely dehydrated, vomiting constantly and far from anything. He assured me they would get me out before dark, but to go back to Idle Hour so I was near an actual place they could find on a map.

I shuffled my way back down the hill and waited. I soon heard a helicopter overhead and waved my arms each time they passed overhead. I was sure they saw me, but then they left. I was certain, now that I would be spending the night out there. I even found a nice place to lie down. Every time I tried to get up, I would puke, it was awful. Finally, the helicopter came back and hovered right above me. I had mixed feelings about being rescued by a helicopter, but decided, what the heck, it's gonna happen.

I see this guy being lowered with a cable and try to walk over to him. The helicopter creates such a storm of wind and everything is swirling around in my face, but I manage to get over to him. He puts a harness on me and attaches me to the cable, along with himself and up we go. He is holding me very tightly and the cable starts to spin as we are lifted into the air. I try hard not to puke on him as the spinning is really turning my already unsteady stomach. There is one guy waiting at the entrance and he pulls me inside and buckles me into a seat. I can't believe I'm in a helicopter! They make me drink lots of gatorade and water. After checking my vitals, they want to take me to the hospital. I adamantly decline.

The moral of the story is to drink more water early and eat more food, during and before the run. What happened to the 4 guys I started with, you ask? Well, they came back looking for me and saw the helicopter lift me out. The didn't get to the road until dark and had to call Bill's wife to pick them up, as they had gone backwards, like me, trying to find me. I was relieved to learn that no one was angry at me for losing my way and making everyone worry. In fact, it seems they were psyched to have gotten in more miles and enjoyed the adventure of it all.



I love ultrarunners. I think we just look at life differently.

Figueroa Mtn Safari

Phoebe and some cows

First Tarantula of the season...kinda blurry
Bobcat! He's a beauty.


Yep, it's still closed. We slipped under some barbed wire and disregarded a no trespassing sign to do our run today. I'm not advocating this type of behaviour, but c'mon, I've been more than patient. Phoebe chased, or rather, herded, loads of cows and was as happy as a pig in shit. This is the job she was born to do. She was so pleased with herself. I must say, it was helpful as the cows were all over the trail and she moved them right along.

The weather has been hot lately, so I felt sorta sluggish on my run. Maybe I'm just tired, who knows. It was great to see all the creatures, though. The bobcat was huge and the tarantula is just the first of many. Tarantulas are always seen crossing Figueroa Mtn Rd, as you can see from the sign. I had to brake hard for this guy. I will get a better picture next time and show some size comparison. He was big.

Off to run in Santa Barbara. It looks like they have opened some trails and I expect it will be a little cooler there, but muggy. Oh well.

Happy Trails.

Fire Update

My training has not been blog worthy lately. I have been running mainly on the road and treadmill. Here is the latest update on the Fire, which looks pretty positive for a change. I may be out on my trails again soon.

Beware of Mountain Lions and Prisoners

I started my run yesterday in the fog. I found that when they say the forest is closed,they mean it. I had a hard time finding trails to run and even when I did, the forest service and firefighters kept popping up and redirecting me. I ended up doing a run on mostly new fire roads and getting lost, as usual.

At first glance, I thought these orangle clad people were firefighters, but as I got closer, I noticed 'prisoner' on the side of their pants. They were all women, too, and exactly what you imagine they would look like. Yikes. They were calling me honey and remarking to each other about how cute I was. I found out that their job was to carry these hoses back to the trucks at Upper Oso campground. It was quite a hike for them, it was impressive. I figured it was probably better than sitting inside prison.

One very nice fire fighter showed me his map of all the new fire roads and tried to give me clear directions on getting back to Paradise Rd. I took a picture of the map(top picture) so I could look at it later. He warned me that there were several mountain lions in the area, due to the fire and that I should be very careful. This was about the fourth person who told me the same thing. Normally, I could relax and not worry too much about such things, but I kept seeeing deer, thinking they were hungry mountain lions and getting startled. Unfortunatley, his directions still didn't get me back to the right area.

I didn't mind so much being lost, but I ended up on private property and some woman scolded me. She directed me off the ranch, which put me on Stagecoach Rd., which ends at Paradise. From there, I had 8 miles of road to get back to my car. I ran out of water and was sufficiently tired when I reached the car, but loaded up on water and went out for a few more miles. I saw mountain lion tracks over my shoe prints from hours before. This freaked me out.

I took this picture from the top of the Alisos Trail. It surprised me how dry the river looked. Despite it all, the fire, the mountain lions and the lack of water, I was so happy to be out there again. I really miss the access to the trails. It's going to be very interesting exploring where the fire has been and see what new roads and trails have been made to get to the fire.

Sky Blue Sky

Monday was a 10 mile treadmill run, which is actually getting easier. There is something oddly satisfying about watching the miles tick by. Tuesday was...gasp...a rest day. Today I went up Refugio, with the beautiful blue sky revealing itself between the trees and the lovely fresh, smoke-free air filling my lungs. It was orgasmic. I mean it, it was a great run.

I am planning to do a long (40 mile) run tomorrow. With the sky so clear, I may be able to do it around here, cross your fingers for me. I may have to cross some "road closed" signs, but that's the right of an ultrarunner, right? I have seen many of these signs lately. Unless I see fire, and the forest service people, I'm going in. Wish me luck.

AC Trail Work Completed

I spent the weekend in the Angeles Forest, out of the smoke filled skies of Santa Barbara County. I met a group of guys in Pasadena early Saturday morning to do some trail work on the very trail we would be running, most likely in the dark, at AC100. I say a group of 'guys' since the women doing the race have apparently already finished their trail work, being the more organized of the sexes. Where does that leave me?? Let's just say, it wasn't so bad being a less organized female.

I camped overnight and got out early for a run Sunday morning, with another runner, up to Mt. Baden-Powell. I would like to have gone farther, but had to get back to Santa Ynez for the kids piano recital. I had to show up straight from the road, not having showered in 2 days and run/hiked many miles in the heat. But, I made it, despite the 3 motorcycle accidents on the Angeles Hwy, the awful traffic, where there has never been traffic before, and all the terrible drivers on the road.

I met some amazing runners, who, upon meeting, would never tell you they are so good. It is only by their friends or checking their results, that you would know how awesome they are. One runner, Guillermo, has just moved to my area and was asking me about trails to run. I thought I heard someone say he won AC a couple of years back, and sure enough, he won in 2005. WON! I spent some time with another runner who kept insisting he wasn't that fast, but someone else says he just won a local marathon. Once again, WON! So, when I say, I'm not fast, I mean it. But, I'm not buying it from the crowd I met this weekend.

I'm not sure if I feel more intimidated about this race or less, after this weekend. I'm certainly going to try to get back to the course and do at least one more long training run out there. It's good to have the mandatory trail work done. It was great to meet Hal Winton, the race director, and hear stories of past races and all of the obstacles they have had to deal with, like road closures and fires. It was definitely good to connect with some of the other runners and feel like part of the ultra world. Let me tell you, it is definitely another world.

Runs with Fire

I awoke once again to a bright orange sun and smoke filled skies yesterday. I decided to try going south, to Santa Barbara, to do a trail run. It was even worse in SB. I could see the ash like silvery snow coming down and when I stepped out of my car, my black shirt was covered with grey specks. I went running anyway, although I thought it was a little odd that there were no other cars at the trailhead. As I went higher up, toward Camino Cielo Rd, I could actually feel the heat from the fire and the smoke and ash were really bad. I started to get a little nervous, and turned around. I still got in a 2 hour run and didn't feel too bad from the smoke.

When I got to the bottom, the forest service people were waiting and scolded me for being out in such poor conditions and told me the forest was closed. From Cuyama to Ventura, no access! I still can't believe the fire has endured this long. It's a good thing I am going to the Angeles Forest this weekend for trail work and running.

The sky doesn't look much better this morning, but I'm going out anyway. I guess I should just enjoy the lovely orange and red sunrise and mushroom clouds over the mountains. The yellowy sky doesn't do much for me, it just looks like smog. My camera battery died and the charger is half here and half in Utah, so until the two pieces are reunited, I will not have pictures to post.

Anyone have advice on training in bad air conditions? They say the forest will be closed until at least mid September.

I saw this article this morning. http://www.yahoo.com/s/652108. This marathon wonder boy is 4 and his trainer who was arrested says he has been training him for 2 years. What? Since he was 2? This is creepy.

The Dreaded Treadmill

So, I've had to run on my treadmill a lot the last few days. With a party to put on for a sante (my business) this weekend, the kids and working, I have not had a chance to get out for a run. It's pretty crazy to spend hours in the garage watching people running by and being a captive audience. I try to vary my routine- steep uphill climbs, fast flat running, boring slight incline, but my mind still tries to get me off the damn thing. It was pointed out to me that this is very good training for the hours I will spend alone and tired at AC. It is always a challenge to keep your mind from sandbagging you.



I saw an article on the Speedgoat Blog about a uphill treadmill race between Scott Jurek, Karl Meltzer and Dave Mackey at the Outdoor Retailer show this past weekend. Mackey took both Karl and Scott! I will say, from experience, that it probably wasn't that fun, but I would have enjoyed watching those guys battle it out.

Off to the garage for one last dreaded run...tomorrow I am free!

Pacers Wanted

Looks like I am in need of a pacer, or two, for Angeles Crest. My former pacer(and best guy friend), Justin, is injured and needs to deal with rehabilitating correctly so he can run again. I know there is someone out there who wants to run in the mountains at night. Raul, aka Rocketman, has offered to pace the last 15 miles. That leaves 33 miles or so for someone. I'm thinking maybe I don't really need a pacer, but I think it's safe to say I don't really know how I'm going to feel at mile 52.

What's a Switchback?

Phoebe finally made it to the top of Grass Mountain. I think I will change the name to "What's a switchback?" Mountain, due to the no f*cking around, straight up nature of the trail. Besides Grass Mountain sounds lame. This is a training run worthy of the speedgoats in Utah. I'm going to start timing myself and try to increase my speed. Too bad this area is private property, so there is no good information on the mileage and elevation gain. Looks like I will have to invest in one of those crazy watches with the altimeter and such. I see the benefit of all the new gear, I'm just more interested in things like new trail shoes and running skirts, now those things are interesting!

I did a second run on the Jesusita trail yesterday at dusk. The fire made for a lovely sunset. All red and orange and eerie. We have to appreciate the beautiful accidents in life. I was really fatigued before the run, but felt great during. I'm always surprised when this happens, but I like to think that means I am getting stronger.

I have been running so much recently, that so many of my calories are coming from hammer gel, heed and the occasional larabar. I wonder if this is healthy? I have been so tired at night , though, that sleep has been really blissful.

New Shoes

I took my new shoes for a run today. I can't believe my luck! I bought 50% off shoes at my favorite running store, Santa Barbara Running, and they had my size and they're great. If I wasn't so tired right now, I'd go out again, just to make sure they are as fantastic as I thought they were this morning. They are Montrail Highline and they aren't as rigid as my Continental Divide Montrails, but rigid enough to take some rocks. I don't know.....I think I'm in love.

Tuesday Training

Tuesday training is always a little tricky. I normally work a full day and have the kids, so that leaves little time for training on my own. Today I woke up early and started my day with a quick uphill run on the treadmill, with a cup of joe close at hand. Later in the afternoon, I snuck in another smallish run ( 4 miles ) before I had to pick up the kids. All told, about 8 miles total for the day. Not as much as I'd hoped, but for a Tuesday, I'll take it.

The thing I am noticing about shorter runs and running on the treadmill, is that I tend to push myself more. When I am on the trail for hours, I tend to be more gentle with myself, which is probably okay some of the time. Lately, I have had the kids ride their bikes along side of me while I run. They are great little coaches, yelling at me to go faster and taking turns pacing me. They get annoyed when they have to wait for me at intersections, which makes me run faster to catch up, or I have to suffer their great sighs of exasperation at my "snail pace".

Fire and Frustration

I had my mind set on driving to Wrightwood and doing a long training run on Saturday. I thought it would get me out of the smoke and give me a chance to look at the start of AC100. This wasn't in the cards, I guess, as too many things came up to prohibit this adventure. I spent most of Saturday morning looking for access to a trail to run. The Zaca fire had caused all access to Figueroa and Paradise and highway 154 was closed. I even went out 166 past Santa Maria and the access road to some wilderness out there was even closed. I tried a trail a friend told me about, but it was just way too hot for Phoebe and there was no shade to leave her in the car.

Needless to say, I was pretty irritated and just wanted to run! I finally settled on grass mountain and decided to take my chance with the smoke and trail closures. I was able to access this trail as usual and tried out some new loops that I recently learned about. It was scorching and I only had my two water bottle carrier, which is great, but doesn't hold as much water as my hydration pack. I was miserable by the end, with no water, no shade and rubber legs from going up grass mountain twice. I think the elevation gain must be like 3,000 ft. I have to check on this. It's straight up. It really hurts. I spent 4 hours out there. It took me a while to rehydrate at home.

The next day I went to Romero Canyon and did a 3 hour out and back run. I ran into some mountain bikers and two runners. All from out of town. They all loved the trail and the views of the ocean and the mountains. The weather pretty perfect yesterday. I even fell in love with Santa Barbara again. I felt great, too, not at all fatigued from Saturdays run which surprised me.

I heard this morning from a client who is on evacuation alert, that they now estimate the fire will go till October. October! I just hope there are some nice trails left for me to run around on. We all need to do a little rain dance.



Zaca fire from grass mountain