April 2 to April 8

Well...here it is ...race week...We runners have all been here before...the miles are logged, the injuries have been avoided...the entry fee has been paid.....we are ready? It is now time for some rest, some reduced miles, some good nutrition, and organization to make sure race morning goes smoothly.

With all the above in mind, here are the goals until the race, April 7th: rest, run no more than 30 miles, rest, eat well (as in don't gain weight and feel sluggish), rest, enjoy a bit more free time (oh very funny!!), rest....

Monday; April 2: Up early at home and out the door with Traysen for a nice 8 miler. Oddly enough it was quite chilly and windy!

Tuesday; April 3: What tha......!!!!! We woke up to this:

It's April 3rd for crying out loud!

Well, Traysen would have  no parts of this....and Mom here waited til the worst of the wind left before finally getting it out the door for a sloppy 7 miler.....good thing the miles are reduced this week.....

Wednesday; April 4th:  With the blizzard behind us, Traysen and I had a nice 10 miler in somewhat too chilly for April temps; nevertheless a good outing and the last run of any length before the weekend.

For many of us, with a big race on Saturday, the nerves start kicking in about now.....many runners dwell in the nerves and start race day with a queasy tummy and jitters...others opt to over analyze the whole event and psyche themselves right into a sloppy race.....and then there are the ones who just go with the flow, don't worry about the big event...they just ensure their gear is organized and they stay injury/sick free. Me? Here is how I remained calm all week!

Ally, Laramie, Traysen keep Mom busy!

 Seriously, having two puppies in the house will keep one on the go and there will be no time for race jitters!

Thursday; April 5th: Opting for some quiet time in the morning, Traysen and I finally made it out to Garden of the Gods for a very easy 3 mile walk! This was the heat training for the race as it was about 75 degrees.....

Friday; April 6th:  Travel day to Atlanta for the race so it was a day off.....

Saturday; April 7th:  Well...here it is ...race day...Never having run 62 miles in the same day and never having run an ultra on the east coast, this was uncharted territory. Luckily, plenty of rest during the week put me right where I needed be to start this adventure.

At 7am sharp, someone hollared (that's southern speak) "GO" and off we 50+ runners went....some of the young fellas took off like it was a 5K, but others of us gathered ourselves and began to settle in for the first of four 15.5 mile loops! As advertised, the course went up the hill, down the hill, through the pasture, up the hill, down the hill, through the woods, up the hill, down the hill, through the fire burn, up the hill, down the hill, through the creek (which happened about 4 times on each loop), up the hill, down the hill, around the cottage, up the hill, down the hill, around the barn.....and so it went for four 15.5 mile loops.

Notes about the course:

*Trail running Georgia? What trail? We don't need no stinkin' trail....we just blaze one through the woods! There was very little actual single track trail; it was mostly ATV (complete with tree roots, rocks, and pot holes) trails and an assortment of sections where the course just took a 90 degree turn into the woods and off we went til popping out onto another ATV trail......some sections went right through thickets of brier patches...OUCH.....

*The course was marked as many of us have come to expect in some of these  races....pink/orange ribbon tied to trees....it worked...well, most of the time it worked....for the most part, all 50+ of us had a few off course excursions. Where there wasn't enough pink/orange ribbon, the local cow population had left fresh cow pies to guide us! Couldn't have done it without them!

*It is HOT in Georgia in April! By Colorado standards anyway....a high of about 77 degrees with full sun yielded most of us stripping down the bare minimum and really enjoying those creek crossings. Luckily, aid stations/drop bags were available every 5 miles (well stocked all day).

*Funny to watch runners tiptoe through the wet grass at packet pickup...trying not to get shoes wet....the first water crossing was less a a mile from the start! (My own shoes used for this day are now retired...partly due to mileage but also due to the fact that they absolutely black and would never dry out properly!)

*Sightings: several cows, a few goats, one puppy that liked to step on your heels for about 50 yards, one turkey, several GA mountain rednecks, squirrels, birds and THEN, there was this guy:

Now, I like all creatures...great and small....but I don't like snakes!!! This is a black racer and wouldn't hurt anything except bugs and crickets, but still....it is a snake!!!!

As for my own experience: Wooo Hooooo....it was an awesome day! Even with the very challenging course, all systems were working correctly and the head was in the right place. The hydration/electorate intake was on que as well as 7 gels over the course of 62 miles; while this may not seem like much, this is actually more than normal for my needs. The first 15.5 mile lap was a "race" speed since I was grouped in a pack of guys and went with it. The 2nd and 3rd laps were at a much reduced speed with almost all running on the 2nd lap and some uphill power hiking on the 3rd lap. Those two middle laps were of course, the most difficult....now being solo was actually a welcome relief, they were hard since the temp was rising and knowing there were two and one more laps remaining. What eased the mental work was actually more mental work...this course required constant attention or the runner became one with the dirt/water/cow pie. The 4th and final lap was much welcomed....the body was tiring and head was set to finish this outing. I told myself that if I had to walk the entire last 15.5 miles, that was ok...this was a very challenging course on a hot day and for 45+ miles I had run quite well. Oddly enough it was on that last (and cooler lap since it was past 4pm), that the body was able to continue running fairly well...of course, the very steep hills were walked but for the most part, the legs kept it going at a decent clip given what they had been through. It was also helpful to know from about 35 miles on, I was the lead female and in the top 10 overall...the competitive spirit also added to a solid effort all day. As nightfall approached, the legs blazed through the last ugly downhill deep in the woods (mighty dark in there! and of course, the headlamp was in a drop bag many miles away....opps, a forgetful moment at that aid station) and then it was through the pasture, around the big truck in the field (it's been there since at least 1961), through a creek, past the horses, and a quick trot for less than a half a mile to the finish.....Oh...how did I do? First overall female and 8th overall....kicked some boys butts!!!

Sunday; April 8th: Running today?....OH Paaalllleezzzzz..even a Super Badass Psycho Bunny knows when to back off! Happy Easter!

Summary: Wow...what a week! The 100k is in the books and it is time for much needed rest and reduced running. What's next? Well, not ruling out another 100k race, it will certainly not be any time soon.....in fact, there will not be any races for awhile....some life changes, etc warrant some needed attention and the focus will not be there for the training (not to mention the above said sentence of needing some rest/reduced running). The race director, Karen Pearson, asked if there is a 100 miler in the future...the answer is a basic, "Probably not....100k seems to be long enough for this ole girl."

Would I recommend this race...? Absolutely! Well organized, a very challenging course, and a beautiful setting...just expect some creek crossings and cow pies! Google The Georgia Jewel.

Total miles for the week: 90.0

Total miles for 2012: 923.0

March 26 to April 1

The week ends with April 1st...April Fool's Day! At least  I am working which leaves less chance of me pulling any April's Fools pranks!
Being a taper week and the head/body are both ready for a break, the weekly mileage will be much reduced.


Monday; March 26: A day off.

Tuesday; March 27: With an early departure to the airport to drop off two puppies who are going to new homes and then off to work, it was a second day off! OH, it happens! Even to the hard core of us!

Wednesday; March 28:  Having a full day in Salt Lake meant a trip up City Creek Canyon. Starting at Temple Square downtown, it is an uphill trek to the trailhead where the real fun begins! Much like running in Colorado, it is wonderful single track with lots of rocks and tree roots. Still feeling tired, this was a slow effort of a 10 miler. The good news for the training, it was a 1030am start with already warm temps which allowed for some much needed heat acclimating..

Thursday; March 29: Started the day with an easy weight lifting session of upper body and abs and then out the door in Salt Lake again for a 9 miler; mostly due to time constraints. Having finally found a decent path near the airport, it was a welcome relief from dodging the traffic near the hotel.

Friday; March 30: Waking up in New York City is  always an adventure. You just never know what the day might bring! Nevertheless, down to the gym for a treadmill/elliptical 10 miler. A good session of abs and it was off to work again. Jim gave me grief about not venturing to Central Park...maybe next time....

Saturday; March 31:  Well, this was a slog fest....no really...it was raining cats and dogs in Oakland this morning and all I had time for was a quick 5 miler! Honestly, running in the rain is actually nice....once you are soaked, it really doesn't matter how long you are out there!

Sunday; April 1:  No April Fools here...another day off this week!!! Work related with an early departure from Phoenix and then flying all day with a commute home.....

Summary:  Ever have one of those weeks where the best laid plans fall apart and you are not even sure why it all went downhill? Well, that describes this week! Maybe work, fatigue or ? dictated a very low mileage week....but then again, maybe the break from another 50+ mile week was in order....?

All systems  are feeling great for the race...a little tired but that should get better over the next few days with a reduced running schedule and not working for awhile....
total : 34 miles
total for 2012: 833.0

March 19 to March 25

Well...Spring has sprung all over!!! Colorado is way too warm already; Georgia is in full spring bloom and Jackson Hole is in mud season!

This is the  last week of hard training before the 100k race in April. Goals: 80+ miles, stay healthy and stay injury free!

Monday; March 19:  A day off was in order....

Tuesday; March 20:  An early start with Traysen in Red Rocks Open Space yielded a nice 11 miler. Often times, the goofy boy doesn't do very well on narrow single track trails but today we both had our act together and had a great run with some steep climbs.
After the run, we brought home two of these guys for a visit....(no, just a visit...they are not staying!!!!)

Eight weeks old and their ears are still on the paper cups....it's onto tampon ears next week!!

Wednesday; March 21:  Out the door with only one doberman this morning! Traysen and I had a great 11 miler around the house. With the puppies at home, we pushed the paced so we could get back to the puppy antics!

Thursday; March 22: With the two little kids returned to the breeder, it was time for a really long run!! As in 33 miles today! Starting in Garden of the Gods at day break, I wandered through the trails leading to Rampart Range Rd. And then up I went for about 2 hours! Yes, this road climbs for many, many miles. The highlight was venturing into some unexplored territory and it was well worth the effort. Amazing rock formations, as well as spectacular views of the Peak and Colorado Springs. The return downhill trip took just as long as the up since I ran the outside of the tangents and kept the pace in check. Once back in GOG, it was more of the rocky, dusty trails until the 33 miles was complete in just under 7 hours of running. Oddly enough, I was still running strong at 6.5 hours and had to keep pulling my pace back....guess I am ready for the race!!!

A very beautiful section of rocks along RRR.



The drop off from the Scar will certainly catch your attention!

Friday; March 23: An early morning departure for work and a mid day landing in Jackson Hole! With a heavy, sloppy snowpack still on the trails, I opted to venture to the elk refuge for a nice 10 miler...well, it was nice on the outbound while the return was directly into a strong ugly, warm wind! Some tired legs from Thursday and that nasty wind, it was a struggle to get this one done!

Saturday; March 24: A decent weight lifting session of triceps, shoulders and abs and then out the door for a nice 12 miler. As is usual this time of year, I leave the house way too overdressed and then leave a trail of clothes for the first couple of miles...

Sunday; March 25: Traysen and I headed out the door for a walk..no more, no less...it was a 7 mile walk...A bit of a cold has set in, complete with coughing, sneezing, and a stuffy head....it had better make a quick exit since I don't have time for this!

Summary:  Ready or not the race is in two weeks!!! Honestly, I have not been in this type of condition in a long time....very well trained and not too tired...nothing hurts....and I feel more than ready for a 100k race!!! Let' s hope the taper goes as well as the last four months of training!
Total miles for the week: 83.0
Total miles for 2012:  799.0

March 12 to March 18

With a full week of work, the running this week had to be reined in just a bit. Without much planning, it became a 6 x 10 week! Ten miles for 6 days! With a couple of weight lifting sessions, a solid week of training is in the books.
With the 100k looming in the not too far future, there is about one more week of heavy training and then it will be time for the taper.

A bit of news on the career front: Somewhere between May and July, I will be based in my hometown of Atlanta, GA. This has been in the works for quite some time and it has finally come to fruition. With that career move will a personal move...which means I will no longer be commuting!!!! No more 2.5 hour drives to Denver, no more hassels over jumpseats on other carriers, no more sitting around the airport waiting to go to work or waiting to go home! Just a 30 minute drive to the parking lot and onto the employee bus, which drops me off inside security!! No more TSA patting down my behind! What am I going to do with all that free time? Well, my dad already has a long list to do!

Total miles for the week: 60.0
Total miles for 2012: 716.0

March 5 to March 11

Another hard week of training is ahead. With most of the week off from work, getting the miles should be no problem.

Monday; March 5: With the early morning departure out of Jackson Hole and then the commute home, it was the day off.

Tuesday; March 6: Waking up late, 530am, Traysen and I finally made it out the door for a 11 miler. A nice effort on the hills around the house.  No mountain lions to report!

Wednesday; March 7:  An early morning weight lifting session of shoulders, triceps, and abs started the day. Then out for a slog fest of 13 miles. This was a mentally hard run. Traysen was with me for the first 7 miles as I tried a new pair of running shoes. These are a departure from my normal New Balance, being the Adidas Response. The verdict is that the shoe may be a bit small in the toe box for wide foot here, but a few more runs should loosen things up. Not sure if this shoe will  make a long distance run but it will work for shorter 10 milers.
So, dealing with new shoes, a pulling dog and just a blah, not sure I wanna run this far feeling, it was a challenging run. But it is these runs that are very important as they make the head stronger while dragging the tired body along.  A total of 13 miles today.

Thursday; March 8:  A much better effort today with a 13 miler easily completed. I am amazed at how warm it is already! This entire winter has been way too toasty and not much snow....on the other hand, it has been nice trotting around in shorts and a sweatshirt!

Friday; March 9:  A basic 7 miler today with some sloppy hill walking. When running these high mileage weeks, even a psycho runner like me has to know when to back off the throttle a bit and the easy runs allow for mental and physical recovery.

Saturday; March 10:  Meeting good running buds, Lynne and Lori, it was a 6am start from Garden of the Gods. The first few miles took us through the park, then we began the 5 mile, 5% grade climb up Rampart Range Rd. Once reaching the Williams Canyon trail turnoff, we hung a left to start the long steep descent to the bottom, only to start the steep slog back up to Waldo Canyon trail. Taking the shorter version of the Waldo intersection, we dashed across Hwy 24 and continued onto Ute Pass Trail to Manitou, back through Garden of the Gods to the cars. Lori and Lynne had a nice 21 miler and Psycho Bunny went on to complete the 30 miler for the day....An awesome, no effort sort of run and the energy level, body would have easily allowed more miles. We can only hope the race itself goes just as well.

Sunday; March 11:  Even with some stiff, sore legs, Traysen and I made it out for a 9 miler in the early morning snow. It would seem "normal" to take a day off after a long run of 30 miles, but then again, we know that a Badass Psycho Bunny is anything but "normal."

Summary: Another great week of miles. At this point, it is amazing how well this is going! Hopefully I will not jinx myself here!!!

Another question came up the other day: "How do you do hill repeats on a treadmill?" Very easily was the first response but more specifically: After about a 2 mile warmup, I set the speed at 6.0 mph, raise the incline, and up I go for whatever distance and time needed. Here are a couple of sample hill repeat workouts:


Workout #1:
*Warm up for about 2 miles at 6.0 mph, no incline (after each incline repeat, recover for the length of the repeat at 6.0 mph)
*6.2 mph, 2% incline, 3 minutes
*6.4 mph, 3% incline, 3 minutes
*6.6 mph, 4% incline, 2 minutes
*6.4 mph, 3% incline, 3 minutes
*6.2 mph, 2% incline, 3 minutes
*run remaining miles at whatever speed I feel like and sometimes add in a 1-2% incline for fun

Workout #2:
*warm up for about 2miles at 6.0 mph, no incline (after each incline repeat, recover for the twice the length of the repeat)
*6.5 mph, 2% incline, 1 minute
*6.0 mph, 5% incline, 1 minute
*6.5 mph, 2% incline, 1 minute
*6.0 mph, 5% incline, 1 minute
*6.5mph, 2% incline, 1 minute
*run remaining miles

These are examples only; that is the ease of a treadmill for interval or hill repeats; you can determine whatever workout you need and can change it as you go.

total miles: 83.0
total miles for 2012: 662.0

Feb. 27 to March 4

As I mentioned in last week's post, the race entry is in for the GA Jewel 100k on April 7th. Nothing like sending a $70 to solidify the commitment!

Over the previous weekend I receive a phone call from the dog nanny. She described a separate  phone conversation she had with a neighbor regarding a local mountain lion. Well, we have been through this before. Someone in the area loses a dog (yes, a very sad event and nothing to be discounted) and Dept. of Wildlife is called. A mountain lion is suspect and all you  know what breaks loose! The DOW guys comes out and puts a Porterhouse Steak on a rock to lure the kitty out of hiding, the sighting is claimed and we are all gonna die if we step outside our doors. Every neighbor within 10 miles thinks little Miss Sarah is gonna become kitty food because she runs a few thousand miles a year in the area. Oh Honestly....!!!!! I have been running the area I live in for about 11+ years. In that time I have seen every varmit out there from a small tweety bird (a Junco/Chickadee) to a Bear.....but never have I seen the mountain lions! Additionally, I have had more troubles with idiots driving too fast on these mountain roads and almost taking my little butt out; AND I have had more troubles with loose dogs owned by irresponsible owners who let them roam free....which are the exact dogs that disappear ! But never have I had an ounce of issue with any wild varmit! So, even though I do respect the mountain lion as a worthy threat, I refuse to sit in my house, shaking in my running shoes. No, it is running as usual and I am just aware that the kitties do live in the area in which I live.

Monday; Feb. 27:  Waking up in one of my favorite places on earth! Jackson Hole, WY! Out the door in the 5 degree weather, it was an awesome 9 mile run on the elk refuge. This time of year is especially interesting since a few hundred elk are in the refuge.

Tuesday; Feb. 28:  An early start for a 15 miler at home...complete with Traysen for the first 10 miles and the mountain lion in the area! A nice run in the cold temps.

Wednesday; Feb. 29:  Traysen opted to join for the first 7 miles of today's 26 miler. After dropping him off at the house, it was back out for another 19 miles. As suspected and given the amount of mileage logged over the previous 4 days, this was a bit sluggish, especially on the up hills.
One item to note is the passage of time while running long distances. Sometimes, as with a long flight, it seems a two hour run will never end, but then a five  hour run goes by in a flash! It may seem as though the long runs are a mind set....you are out there for several hours and the mind finds a common level of comfort in knowing this fact. A two hour could just be a daily run and it is harder to get the mindset of being out there for that long? I dunno! Whatever the case, I really (usually) enjoy the long outings where I just get in the groove of putting one foot in front of the other for hours and having to think about it.

Thursday; March 1:  Waking up in Salt Lake to a winter wonderland and then an odd day of work, it was time for a day off. (It's March....aren't we ready for spring and flowers?)

Friday; March 2:  After the LAX to Tampa redeye, an afternoon workout was the game plan for the day. After weight lifting with abs, wall squats, chest, and biceps, it was to the elliptical and treadmill. A nice 10 miler in the somewhat warm and humid conditions...great training for the April race in Atlanta.

Saturday; March 3:  A quick 7 miler on the treadmill started the day.

Sunday; March 4:  Waking up in Salt Lake, an early morning weight lifting session with upper body and abs on the agenda; then onto the treadmill for a quick 6 miler. After arriving in Jackson Hole at noon, the elk refuge was calling. With the warm temps, this was by far one of the sloppiest (is that a word?) runs in a long time! When I ran here Monday, the roads and the refuge was all hard packed snow; today it was a mud fest but just a hoot to slosh along for a nice 9 miler.



I never tire of running amongst these guys. The elk and the mountains!

Summary: A great week of running! Even with a hard work week, there was plenty of time and energy to crank out the miles and two weight lifting sessions. Nothing is hurting and the energy level is keeping up.
Total miles for the week: 82.0
Total miles for 2012:  579.0

Feb 20 to Feb. 27

A week of recovery is in order so nothing to spectatuclar to report.

Five days of running with a total of 45 miles for the week; brings the yearly total to 497.0 Most of the running was doen at home with one quick 6 miler in San Diego.

It is, however, official.....I have entered the GA Jewel 100K race on April 7th. The entry is in and confirmed. So I am committed now or else blow $70 on an entry fee.



The race start! Or maybe this is the outhouse?

http://georgiajewel.com/Site/The_Jewel_100K_50K.html