Now that I have that out of my system I am very pleased to share the following news:

I received my entry confirmation for the California International Marathon.

Okay, seriously? I just entered a marathon with enthusiasm?

That’s right.  I entered a marathon.  My most despised distance.  And I entered it with enthusiasm.

As I plunked down my credit card this morning for my entry I was surprised by how little (as in NONE whatsoever) trepidation I felt.  By all accounts I should be worrying about training plans and mileage and blah, blah, blah and yet I am not.

I must be getting used to all this extra mileage.  Since I have long since come to grips with the Trifecta is my stepping stone to a 50K, apparently 26.2 miles sounds like a fun jaunt through Sacramento with a few thousand of my new closest friends.  And a couple dozen of my regular offenders at RRF.

I can also blame Tiffany at Drink, Run, Yoga for every so nonchalantly tossing CIM out there last week.    I caught myself saying, “That sounds like so much fun!”  And thus, I entered a marathon and dammit, it will be fun!  I predict a lot of beer and wine afterwards.

Now onto other things I can most certainly blame Tiffany for:  a bright and shiny Insanity Workout DVD collection that should be arriving in the next few days.  Dammit.

Here is the deal:  I have never particularly been one for the whole fad video work out thing.  I am also automatically 100% less likely to buy something if it is on an infomercial given my natural propensity toward skepticism.  But then there was Zumba.  I must have watched those ridiculously sweaty infomercials a thousand times.

I never did buy the DVD but it did inspire me to find a local class and give it a try. I was hooked.  I am still hooked.

Yeah, the tagline is a little lame but considering I did actually lose 13″ off my ass shaking it 3-4 times a week in Zumba, it’s actually pretty accurate. Love me some Zumba.

I LOVE my Zumba.

You want me to jump how high while doing a squat?

I have dutifully ignored the Insanity Workout infomercials as well as the endless posts on MyFitnessPal where meticulously track all my calories.  When friends started chatting about it and seemed to genuinely enjoy it, my curiosity was piqued.  When they actually stuck with it, I decided to look into it.  It reminded me of those scary 4 am boot camp workouts with the Kaia girls I love so much.  The only problem with Kaia was the schedule.

I have already learned using the “Fitness on Demand” option at my gym that I can keep myself motivated and work hard through a video work out.  In fact, I really like the flexibility of doing kick boxing at 1 am in the morning.  Still, I didn’t give in to Insanity.  And then freaking Tiffany had to espouse all the pain and suffering she was enduring working through the series and it sounded absolutely amazing and right up my alley.  My birthday is next week so I decided to get myself a little present in the form of what I can only assume are ass kicking torturous workouts that I am totally going to love any time of day or night.  You can look forward to hearing about how that goes.

So, Tiffany…any other brilliant ideas you would like to put in my head?  Skydiving?  Base jumping?  Because apparently I am totally game!  Maybe I have one for you:  Tahoe Triple in 2013?  Sound like fun?  Oh you know you want to…  And then we can chase it down with the AR50 in 2014.  Cardiac Hill after 45 miles?  Pure awesomeness, right?

Okay, I don’t blame Tiffany at all.  In fact, I have to thank her for the inspiration!  Thank you, Tiffany!  Now, let’s go kick some asphalt!

RUNNING
I’m in training for the SF Marathon with several runners from the Sacramento region. We are up to 17 miles in our training with 18 next week.  I’m so proud of all the new and experienced runners and their dedication to I’ve been doing a good job at keeping with my slower pace and feel that I’m running more quality runs by doing them slower.  My body feels great as well.  It’s amazing what consistent foam rolling can do to help your legs.

After the SFM, I’ll be training for the NYC Marathon on November 4.  One of my fellow runners from SacFIT is actually training for a 31 mile Ultra on the same day so I’ll probably train with her as well.  After the NYC Marathon I’m moving into training for the American River 50 Mile Ultra Marathon.  I’m SO EXCITED to tackle this new adventure in Ultra running.  I paced a friend for 14 miles in the AR50 this past year and it was such a magical experience and the beginning of one of the best weekends of my life…

LIFE
The weekend that I thought could not be any better (after AR50) got even more amazing. On Easter Sunday (April 8, 2012) my boyfriend I’ve been seeing for almost 4 years asked me to marry him and I of course said YES. We’re engaged! And, we will be getting married on April 13, 2013… one week after I run the AR50 Ultra Marathon. Perfect.

When Will proposed in front of 42 of our friends and family members at Easter dinner.

Sooooo happy!

NUTRITION
On another note, I’m cooking up some Southwestern Crockpot Chicken from the Fix it and Forget it, Lightly cookbook.  I LOVE this cookbook and recommend it for ANYONE!  There is a version that’s not light as well, but these recipes are all low in calories and usually low in sodium.  I recommend anyone check it out.  The chicken I’m making right now has corn, black beans and salsa mixed together and you cook it with the chicken.  Last time I made it I froze some and made tacos, tostadas, chicken salad and burritos out of it.  It’s so versatile and delicious.  :)  Try it!

Getting to each of these three positives were tough.  First, my 50K Pr.  I came through the 6th aid station of the day at Granite Bay (31.67 miles) in 4:24.  My previous 50K best was 5:45 at the PCTR Santa Monica Mountains race in the rain and mud last November.  But, it was a painful 5 miles from the 5th aid station at Beals Point (26.53 miles).  Steve and I came through Beals in 3:34 (about 11 minutes faster than my initial race plan).  But my ITB was already bugging me.  I was wearing shoes with an 8mm drop although I typically train in shoes with a 4mm drop.  After about 3 hours of pounding on the pavement–and one short, technical downhill–my ITB was killing me.

My original race plan was to stick with one pair of shoes the entire way, but once I hit the trails shortly after Beals, I knew that I could not finish the race with my current shoes.  Luckily, I had packed my trail shoes in my bag that my crew brought to four of the aid stations.  I had to back off the quick pace between aid stations 5 and 6 to limit the pain–this section is a very fast section of trails, so backing off was the beginning to the end of my A Goal (sub 7:30).  When I got to Granite Bay, I changed into my New Balance MT 110′s and immediately felt better.  The pain, for the most part went away, but the damage–at least for the day–was done as the pain would come back later on in the race.

Besides mitigating the knee pain, I was also having issues with fuel.  I started off the day on top of my fuel plan, as I was taking a Gu every 22 minutes–this lasted 8 times, which is by far more Gu than I have ever had in my life.  But, I just couldn’t take another Gu after that.  It wasn’t that my stomach said no more, it was that I couldn’t think about taking another Gu.  But when I tried to switch to some other form of trail sugar, everything was too sweet–both Sports Beans and Honey Stingers.  I probably should have tried to get a few more calories from real food at aid stations, but I was so focused on getting in and out of aid stations that I was not thinking straight.  For the last 4 hours of the race I was taking less than 100 calories per hour.

Steve and I picked up a pacer at Granite Bay–Steve’s college teammate and good friend Paul.  Though Paul was running with us, I led the way followed by Steve and then Paul.  I typically run a lot stronger when I am in the front of a group.  For some reason, I do not drift/pace well off of others–only in the occasional speed workout can I pace off of someone else–as I typically fall off the back of a group by 20 yards and then maintain the same pace 20 yards back.  Paul stuck with us through Rattlesnake Bar (aid station 9 at 40.94 miles).  It was good to get another person in our group to keep the conversations fresh.  We continued to run the essentially the entire way while Paul was with us, with the exception of a few steps up steep/technical trail.

When we got to Rattlesnake the only thing I planned on doing was drinking some Ginger Beer that I had stored in a handheld in a bag.  I knew the contents were under pressure as I saw the sides of the handheld bursting outwards.  I knew what would happen once I open the cap to take a drink.  Yet, I did not turn the bottle away from me as I opened it–for the same reason that i did not eat solid foods at the aid stations; I was not thinking clearly.  After wiping the Ginger Beer from my face and then drinking some from my handheld and taking a quick breather, I was ready to finish the final 9 miles–and with a new pacer.  Phil, Paul’s brother, tagged in and followed us to the finish line.

Let the walking begin! As the day went on, and our time started to slip further from each goal, my energy level slipped with it.  Taking less than 100 calories per hour had a lot to do with this.  I was still hydrated throughout, but just didn’t have the energy.  As we moved along the single track, more and more people started to pass.  More and more often did we walk the uphills that I would have otherwise considered running.  I got to a breaking point.  No energy and my knee starting to hurt on every stride again.  I had to walk.  We were somewhere between 1.5 and 2 miles from the end of the trail and the start of the final 3-mile climb.  But I had enough.  So the walking began.  We continued to get passed.

Finally, I could see daylight–so to speak, as it was a bright day out–as I knew the trail was ending.  I still could not run again, but I started to truly grasp how much farther we had left to the finish line.  Our coach, Jimmy Dean, told us we had to run 90% of the final 3-mile climb.  I was supposed to lead Steve through mile 47 and he was supposed to pull me up the final hill.  I still had this in my head as we got to the flat parking lot that led to the final climb.  I started to slowly jog again on the wide open, flat parking lot.  And then the final hill.

Phil was feeling good going into the final climb–as we were unable to push him that hard for the previous 6 miles.  But, he was in for a treat.  The first half mile or so of the climb is on dirt and gravel before hitting a road for the majority of the final stretch.  The dirt/gravel part is also the steepest part.  So we began to run up the hill.  I was feeling better, especially knowing that we were in the final stretch of the race.  But I wasn’t sure if we could keep up the running for the entire hill.  About a quarter of a mile into the climb I forced all of us to walk, but for only 50-100 feet.  Once we started running again, we never walked again.  I dug deep, and despite not having any energy I had the will to finish strong.  We gutted out the three fastest miles since mile 31–not even stopping at the last gasp aid station.  Fortunately at Last Gasp (2.4 miles left in the race) the young men (shirtless and in tights) working the aid station ran down to us grabbed our water bottles and sprited to the aid station to fill them up; so when we made it to the aid station we just grabbed our bottle and left.

We finally made it to the top of the hill–and those three miles were fast enough to bring me back to the region between theB (B-Goal of 8 hours) and the S (Slow bracket of 8:30) on my pace card.  We made a right turn onto some grass, entering the the final stretch–the grass felt so good under my feet that I wished the final 100m was on grass, but it quickly turned into concrete–we were almost there.  I couldn’t dig any deeper but was able to finish strong.  Steve and I finished in 8:13.  It was a huge PR for me (10:02 at North Face) and it was Steve’s first 50 miler.  I was so glad to be done as both my knees started to really hurt over the last 5 miles.  But all the pain from my knees and the lack of energy from the three bonks all went away over the last 100 meters.  It wasn’t my A goal or B goal, but I cannot complain about a huge PR.  So the bad day completely disappeared with my final 3 miles and finishing time.  At the finish line Eric from Ultra Runner Podcast handed us a very good recovery Libation.

Since AR, Nike came out with their new campaign for their Nike Free’s.  The Free 3.0 is the only Nike that I would wear–even though I haven’t bought a pair in a while as I have been experimenting with other shoes.  But the Free 3.0 is still on my list of shoes that I would buy again.  Here is the long version of their commercial.

It was all of 16 degrees out when I got to the parking lot on Saturday.  Sixteen.  That is COLD.  But I like cold and within half a mile I was down to running in a tank top and my winter running pants.  This seemed to perplex several dog walkers and a multitude of heavily bundled runners.  Heck, it even surprised me.  It was COLD!  But the run was pretty.  Oh so pretty!

Oh so pretty!

I ran hard, had a great calorie burn and more importantly was pretty consistent.  I went about the rest of my day and was super productive.  By late afternoon, I was in Meniere’s hell.  I am tired of the spinning and vomiting.  Seriously, not cool Meniere’s.  Not cool.

Sunday I was up at 3 am to drop the boys off at the airport for Kansas City.  I came home, slunk back into bed and willed the world to stop spinning.  Somewhere around 10 am I started to feel better which is good because I needed to leave by 11 to meet up with my running buddy.  I made the 90 minute drive to Rattlesnake Bar in Auburn.

This is roughly the last 10 miles of the AR50.  It is a total elevation gain of 1,600 feet of which 1,000 of that is in a one mile stretch known as Cardiac Hill around mile 7.  In my youth, I had many run-ins with Cardiac Hill and its cousin the Cardiac Hill Bypass (which is only marginally easier).  I knew it was ugly.  Look at any elevation profile for the AR50 and you will see how ugly this thing is.  I had a simple strategy:  get up the hill by any means necessary.  I’ll be honest, I did hope to scale it and somehow maintain a 16 minute pace.  I didn’t do that.  Not even close.

My goal was to complete the run right around 2:15 minutes, which is about a 14:30 pace.  Hills and I have a love hate relationship and this particular run has one monster of a hill at mile 7.  I figured that if I could stay between 12:30 to 13:30 for most of it I could tackle that hill by any means necessary and still come in around that goal.

Trailhead closed? I don't think so!

The Warm Up:  We started at Rattlesnake Bar but the park is actually closed this time of year so you park outside the gates.  We used the .7 miles to our designated starting point as a warm up.  I didn’t bother to track it.  I was too busy going over the details of route coverage and the emergency plan if we got separated.  After stretching, the adventure began…

Mile 1:    It started out immediately with and quick, steep ascent to get the blood pumping then wound through the park toward the American River.  I passed a few people out for a nice walk with the family and conversed a bit with Steven.  It was a nice comfortable mile.

Go this way!

Mile 2 & 3:  I love trees.  The trail is narrow and sometimes deep (it reminded me of areas of Scotland!), but winds through dense trees and foliage.  It was gorgeous and I was cruising.  I paused here to wait for Steven.  It was beautiful.

Mile 4:  I hate hills.  Okay, this wasn’t a huge elevation gain but it was really the start of 5 miles of steady ascent.  This was an interesting mile. There was Mormon’s Ravine with this fantastic warning:

Sure, I'll run over this bridge. No problem!

And then it opened up into the most dense field of star thistles I have ever seen with a random apple tree just chilling next to a old oak tree.  Weird.

Random Apple Tree

And then the trail descended into a dark and very expensive forest:

Mile 5:  This was a little rocky for me.  The trail went up, the trail went down.  I walked a couple short steep hills and struggled to keep my pace steady.

See that? I am running up a hill and giving a thumbs up. Hill are my bitch, yo!

I stopped for a picture because, well, I needed a moment to munch on delicious sport beans.

See those red cheeks? That’s from running.

This reminded me of Scotland, except that the trail was going downhill.

Mile 6:  I was actually cruising very comfortable at 12:15 for the first half mile or so and then I hit a big steep beast of a hill.  I slowed down but I still pushed through it.  While I was going up I passed a backpacker who told me I was hard core.  He told Steven that I was insane.  Awesome!

See, I started at the American River.  This is important people.  Take note of how close I am because in a few minutes I am going to be VERY VERY FAR AWAY.

Mile 7:  I like to call this mile Hell on Earth.  See, after jogging up that rather steep hill in mile 6 the trail has a level spot about 20’ long where you are given two happy options:

Option 1

Option 2

Any guesses which route yours truly took?  I’ll give you a hint:  I burned twice as many calories on this mile than I did on any other mile despite the fact that my pace was twice as slow as any other mile.  That’s right:  I went up Cardiac Hill.  Sure, I’ve been on the bypass and even heard tell that local races use the bypass.  But the word bypass just wasn’t going over well with me so up I went.

A couple notes here.  First, I stopped and waited for Steven.  I hadn’t seen him for 2.5 miles and wanted to check in before I started the ascent.  Ten minutes later, no Steven but I got a message via a hiker that all was well and he would see me at the top.   Since I had cell signal, I sent him a text letting him know all was well and I was making the ascent.

And here is where I think I promptly lost my mind.

This mile was not easy.  It was miserable.  Frankly, it was the most miserable mile of my life.  It was also the most rewarding mile of my life.  I will admit I went completely bi-polar up there.  The trail goes up.  And up.

Does this look normal to you? Because I assure you this was one of the easier sections.

And it has sections where I had to climb or skitter.

Seriously. People RUN this.

I ran a little, walked a little, climbed a little and cursed a lot.

Remember how close I was to the river? Can you pick out the tiny, barely visibly squiggly gray thingy down below? That's where I was. This is where I am.

And I threw my hands in the air and screamed “Woohoo!” during LMFAO’s “Shots.”  And I cried a little during Katy Perry’s “Firework” because well, I am a firework.  Clearly.

This isn’t a trail people. This is a pointy rock garden we call a trail.

I ran into an older gentleman walking down the hill with a 5 lb weight in each hand.  He walks the hill a few times a week.  He thought I was crazy because I was running up it.  Seriously?  You thought I was running?  I love you old man!  LOVE YOU!  And thank you for thinking that what I did to get up that hill was running because it sure as hell didn’t feel like it.  And BTW, I am not the crazy one.  Walking that hill with 10 lbs of extra weight?  THAT is crazy.  But I love you anyway.

And then it was over.  I was at the top.  And I will admit, I felt pretty bad ass.  Sure, I was painfully slow (no one likes to see 30 anything as their current pace) but I did it.

Mile 8:  The trail opened up wide and suddenly became rather level and easy.  I ran with a small herd of deer.  They were eating.  I was running, they ran with me for a minute then turned around and took off.  It was pretty amazing.

Despite all these trail markers, things to a little hairy.  Sure, the sign points left but you could actually take three different trails on your left.  I had heard about this and knew to take the Maidu Drive 148 route across the street.  By the way, it was weird running across a street after being out on the trail for so long.  WEIRD.

I kept running.  I felt great.  Remember that 30 minute pace when I got to the top of the hill?  I turned it around to an average of 22:48.

I was going strong until I came to another intersection where the arrow pointed across the road and this time there was no trail.  I saw a drainage ditch a little ways down the road with what looked to be an opening.  I trotted down to it and found a tiny marker that said “trail.”  It was that or run on the road.  I set my location on the Garmin and decided to run a quarter mile where I should find the next big trail marker.  If it wasn’t there, I would come back here.

Mile 9:  Right on schedule, I found the marker and I kept going.  And suddenly the sun was going down fast.  And my phone rang.  Weird.  It was Steven.  Not weird.  He had made a wrong turn at Maidu Drive.  He was on the road almost to Sacramento Street and wondered if I could just come and pick him up.  Sure, Steven.  As soon as I find the car.

I could see the lights of Auburn Overlook above me but the trail I was on was DARK even though it was technically dusk.  Damned trees.  I ran the last .3 mile slow and steady, giving Steven directions on the phone and trying not to trip and fall.  The trail cut back toward the trailhead.

I found this sign.  It made me very happy.  I started at Rattlesnake Bar.  I finished at the Auburn Staging Area.  Sure, I’ve run this distance before but this was a tough 9.8.

I found the car, found Steven and we went to Denny’s where I proceeded to eat all of this:

Pumpkin Pie Pancakes, Bread Pudding French Toast, Hasbrowns and Eggs accompanied by hot chocolate with extra whipped cream.  Oh, and then I ate a mini peanut butter cupcake from Starbucks.  I was hungry.  VERY hungry.  The waitress was very scared.  Steven asked if I was going to lick the plate.  I thought about it.

And then we walked another mile and a half to stretch out while Steven told me about the hikers and the old man who told him how his friend was crazy.  He was pretty proud of that.  I am pretty proud that those guys thought was I was doing was running.  Seriously!

I finished the run in 2:28:13 and paced 15:38 thanks to my stellar performance on Cardiac Hill.  But here is the deal:  I did it.  And here is what it looked like in all its ugly glory:

I loved this run.  It was tough in some parts, but overall it was absolutely gorgeous and other than my venture up Cardiac Hill it felt great.  I can’t wait to do it again. In fact, Cardiac Hill and I are going to have a few more discussions because I am going to kill that hill some day.

And for those wondering how I feel today?  I feel incredible.  Not even the slightest twinge of soreness or stiffness, and let me tell you I was convinced my calves would be screaming in protest today.  Nope.  In fact, I am looking forward to a nice slow 4 miles tonight.

Thank you to my wonderful running partner Steven.  He often gets drug along on these hair brained adventures and never complains.   I mean, every now and then he accuses me of trying to kill him but that’s normal, right?  And thank you also to Garmin for your wonderful 410.  It is so wonderful and I love it.  Oh!  And I heart Thorlo socks.  10 miles for trail running and no blisters?  AMAZING!

Happy running, y’all!

BFG.

Click the “HQ” button for better quality.

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JW Crosses the Finish Line at the American River 50 Mile Endurance Run

I did it!  After lots of indecision brought on by an injury, I ran the AR50 yesterday, April 4, 2009.

It was a great experience, one that I will never forget.  I am so glad I went. In fact, my leg didn’t give me any trouble, except once when I slipped.

Here is my story.

AR50 Course Map

I have officially signed up for the American River 50, which is a 50-mile ultra-marathon from Sacramento to Auburn, California.  It is one of the most well-known 50-milers in the West. AR’s reputation is for being a great “first” and a feeder into the Western States 100, the holy grail of the 100.  The race is April 4th, 6:00 a.m. start.  I hope for a time of 10 hours and 30 minutes, but my running partner — who ran AR last year — thinks I can do it in 9:30.  

I am simultaneously nervous and excited.  I know I can do it, but I don’t know what I will go through either mentally or physically. And I am running without any partners, which adds another dimension to the race.  

I decided to run AR50 just last week.  I had considered it earlier in the year, but ended up focusing on 50K (31 mile) training instead.  However, after more weeks of back-to-back long runs than I can count, a stellar 25.5 mile long run last weekend that was followed by a two hour hill run in the rain the following day – at the end of which I felt just fine – I decided I was ready to tackle the 50. I have a 50K next Saturday and then three more weeks of training, one taper weekend and then the race.

My family is going to come support me. I will see them at mile 27, get to change my shoes and shirt and get some hugs and kisses.  It will be a huge boost.  I have friends who I know will call me along the way and cheer me on.  But really, it is all up to me. I will be out there alone, for a good 10+ hours.  It will beautiful and hard and amazing. Right now I am thinking through race strategy, researching, and keeping up my training.  I will let you know how it goes. If anyone has advice, or good links, please post in my comments.

Here are some things I am preparing for, as reprinted from the AR50 website.

Fluid, Electrolyte & Energy Plan for a 50-mile Run 
By Karl King, President 
SUCCEED! Sportsdrink, Inc.

A runner stands on the starting line in a state of high fitness. His/her body has stored water, electrolytes and fuel for running—about 20 miles’ worth. If you plan to make it the remaining 30 miles, you’ll need to take care of your body’s needs along the way.

Water: Your body can lose a quart of water per hour on a hot day. Most people can absorb one-half to one quart per hour, so many will finish the run slightly dehydrated even if they drink a half quart of water per hour along the way. Be sure to start the race well-hydrated, and keep drinking fluids at every opportunity.

Electrolytes: At some time you’ve probably noticed salt on your face after a long, hot run. It is normal for the body to lose electrolytes, primarily salt, during a long run. Your body stores some, but not enough for a 50-mile run, especially if the temperatures are warm. Signs of electrolyte depletion are: swelling of hands after a few hours, inability to absorb the fluids you drink (sloshing stomach) and inability to digest any food eaten (which sometimes leads to vomiting). Most sports drinks supply enough electrolytes for a marathon. In an ultra, you should take more. You can take electrolyte capsules or salt tablets (according to supplier’s recommendations) or be sure to eat some salty foods at the aid stations. If, after the run, you find yourself shivering in spite of temperatures that should be comfortable, eat something salty to relieve your electrolyte shortage.

Food: You’ll need about 1500 calories along the way to keep your muscles fueled. If you don’t consume sufficient calories, you’ll feel weak and light-headed after 30 miles or so. You can get those calories from sports drinks and/or food from the aid stations along the way. Remember: eat before hunger, drink before thirst. If you need some quick calories, the aid stations will have a wide array of carbohydrate foods for you to choose from (soda, sports drinks, potatoes, cookies and fruit). If you tend to get a queasy stomach in an ultra, be sure to get some electrolytes and some food that has protein and fat in it. Good aid station choices are peanut butter and jelly sandwiches or soup.

Course Profile…Why it’s a good first 50: it’s pretty flat.

Course Photos … I ran Way Too Cool 50K last year and expect similar views over the second half.

Photos from AR50 Course

Personal Blogs on the AR50…if you know of others, please send me the links.  I am reading everything I can.

Running: My Second Job and Passion

Planet Ultramarathon

TrailRunners.Net