Sunday, September 30, 2007

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!!

Saturday, September 29, 2007

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.


Monday, September 24, 2007

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.

Friday, September 21, 2007

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.








Wednesday, September 19, 2007

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.

Monday, September 17, 2007

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.

Thursday, September 13, 2007

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.

Tuesday, September 11, 2007

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.

Monday, September 10, 2007

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.

Sunday, September 9, 2007

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.



Friday, September 7, 2007

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.

Monday, September 3, 2007

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.