Wonder Woman: My Interview with Rachel Spatz

A few days shy of her 23rd birthday, I sat down with Rachel Spatz at the Black Cat Coffee House in Phoenix to talk about, well, Rachel.  And her running career.  Just a few weeks prior she finished her fourth 100 miler, the San Diego 100 Mile Endurance Run (SD 100).  Yeah, you heard me right.  She's just 23 years old.  Kinda obvious now why I'm so intrigued.  I wanted to pick her brain and see what makes her tick, and I figured anyone who reads my blog - which is all about endurance sports- would be interested too. 

Spending time with Rachel, I was filled with a sense of calm.  She is genuinely passionate about running and appreciative of her family's support.  She is soft spoken and energetic, but her energy is more zen and runner's high, a lovely contrast to own my hyper-intense, OCD nature.  She was easy to talk to and very humble despite her amazing accomplishments.  I learned a lot in the few hours we spent together, about what it takes to get through a hundred miles, but also what true love of running looks like.  So let me introduce you...

Rachel Spatz
Age:  23 (22 at the time of the interview)
Hometown:  Phoenix- born and raised!
Education:  Bachelor's degree in exercise science with a minor in nutrition
Current position:  Chiropractic assistant

RunnerChick (RC):  When did you start running?

Rachel Spatz (RS):  When I was 15 years old.  2 weeks later I signed up for my first race, a 15k.  My longest run had been 3 miles.  I finished 10th to last out of a thousand people.  I think I ran a 13 1/2 minute per mile pace.  It was awful, but I was hooked.

Why did you start running?

RS:  I have a breathing problem, a vocal cord dysfunction.  I was working with a (physical/ speech) therapist learning to relax and control my breathing.  They had me running on a treadmill to practice so I decided to start running on my own.  I've always liked to challenge myself.  I didn't like the first few races, but I liked the challenge. 

Rachel shared a story with me about selling Girl Scout Cookies when she was younger.  She saw the challenge, and went on to set the state record for the number of boxes sold.  She now worries about the amount of trans-fats that she sold to people during that time, she said with a smile and the concern of a nutritionist. 

RS continues:  My second half marathon was PF Chang's Rock N Roll Half, about 6 years ago, the year it was really cold.  I had a breathing attack and the ambulance was called.  By the time it got there I was fine again and I walked to the finish.  I signed up for my first marathon that night. 

My first marathon was the Rock N Roll San Diego Marathon in 2007.  I was 16 years old.  I kept hoping they wouldn't look too closely at my driver's license.  Since then I've run 12 marathons officially, 3 were under borrowed bibs.  In training (for 100 mile races) I was running marathons twice a week so it's hard to say how many times I've actually covered the distance. 

"Running is a gift."

How many ultras have you run?

RS:  I've done 17 ultras and 2 Ironman triathlons.  And I finished the Oceanside 70.3 in 2008.

(Interrupting)  Really?  Which IM did you do?

RS:  I did Ironman Arizona in 2008 and Ironman Coeur d'Alene in 2010.  At IM AZ I was the youngest competitor.  It was really cool.  I got to go up on stage and talk to Mike Reilly.  Every time I did anything, I could hear them announcing, "the youngest person is out of the water!" or "Off the bike!"  My whole family was there which was really special.  I cried at the finish line, in my Wonder Woman outfit.  (Rachel smiles.)  It's one of those moments you never forget.  You're not given the finish line, you don't know.  That's why I like 100s too.  It's not a given.  70% of the women at San Diego 100 dropped out.  That's huge.  It's part of the challenge.  It's an adventure.  One trip [fall] and you're done. 

I want to go back to Coeur d'Alene maybe for the marathon.  I'm getting out of triathlons.  I've had a lot of falls on my bike, I'm not the best handler.  It's scared me a little.  I also like the community in ultras, it's tight knit.  It's like a family.  You get twice the pain.  Twice the food.  More beer.  (smiles)   You get twice as long.  I like being out there in nature.  And they're so much cheaper!  I don't enjoy swimming or biking that much.  It was all about getting to the run, and then I'd pass people.  I'm not super fast, but I'm consistent.  I'd average 5 hour marathons and be passing people who went faster on the swim and bike.   

Rachel, on course at the San Diego 100.

So, which hundreds [100 mile runs] have you done?

RS:  I finished Rocky Road [in California] in 2011, Nanny Goat [in California] in 2012, Javalina Jundred [in Arizona] in 2012 and San Diego 2013.  I have 2 DNF's [did not finish] at Rocky Road and Javalina Jundred.  (More on these later...)

Let's talk about SD 100.  Are you self coached?  What was your training like?

RS:  James Bonnett coached me for SD 100.  In the 4 months he worked with me, I PR'd [personal record] in my 50 miler and 50k by over an hour.  He pushed me pretty hard.  I was doing 80+ mile weeks, and a lot of speed work.  I lost 15 pounds.  I thought I'd be slow forever, but I'm finally getting faster.  I don't think I would have finished without him because it as a tough course, lots of climbing.  Having the accountability of working with a coach really helped.  Training smarter, not just more slow miles.  

Prior to SD 100, I was self coached.  Being a running coach (when I was living) in San Diego I was running a lot of miles, but slow miles.  I wasn't running with faster people.  I was pacing people who were running 13 minute miles, I wasn't breaking out of my comfort zone.  My fastest marathon so far is 3:59.  I'm signed up for Lost Dutchman (in February) so I'm excited to see what I can do if I keep working on speed.  My only sub-4 hour marathon is under someone else's name because I borrowed a bib!

James had me running a lot more trails.  It definitely helped me get stronger and faster.  Thompson Peak.  Bell Pass.  Bell Pass is 3-4 miles.  The last mile up is more of a power walk but I'm learning to be more comfortable with more technical trails.  I'm getting more comfortable with running downhills.  I have not had my first fall running yet, so I'm pretty careful.  With the Hokas it's harder to lift your feet up, so I stub my toes a lot.  I was running 6 times a week on trails. 

Working with James, I ran more variety.  Not only harder runs, but my easier runs were easier.  Don't race every run.  Injuries start [by doing that].  I did track workouts.  I push myself so much more in a group setting.  It's more fun.  It's a love/ hate relationship with a track workout.   Some days I did doubles, which wasn't necessarily on his plan, but I loved them! 



Rachel, on course at San Diego 100.  Still smiling!

Have you ever been injured?

RS:  I've had muscle strains, and usually if I take a week off I'm fine.  2 months ago I threw out my back and couldn't run for 3 weeks.  It was the same day a training friend broke her tailbone.  I was so worried I wouldn't make it to the start line.  That was a huge concern for me.  I only had 2 weeks of running again before SD 100.  We never figured out why it happened but I'm giving up the Camelbak and going with handheld water bottles.  I've been lucky to not have any major injuries though.

You can run in the heat with just handhelds? 

RS:  Yes, in training I'll stick with handhelds.  At SD 100 I had a running vest and I carried 3 handhelds.  It was perfect.  In the heat, I will run shorter loops to be safe.  I can do the heat, but I'm not the best at it.  I like carrying water bottles, it helps keep the guns (smiles).  It's built-in strength training.  I'm so used to carrying my phone, keys, camera.  When I don't have anything I feel naked.

"You're not given the finish line, you don't know.  That's why I like 100s too.  It's not a given."

Do you cross train?

RS:  I do spin class once a week with my brother.  I enjoy spending time with him and getting him involved.  I love weight training!  Working at a chiropractic clinic, I stretch much more than I ever did.  It's amazing how much flexibility I've lost since I was in gymnastics. 

Gymnastics!... so did you play any other sports growing up?

I tried ball sports but I'm not one for coordination.  I was the bench warmer.  I tried soccer, basketball.  In teeball I'd be looking for bugs in the grass while I was supposed to be playing.

So back to SD 100... walk me through 100 miles... how do you feel?  any specific challenges?

RS:  Another really cool difference between tris and ultras is pacers.  It's so great to have them.  You become close to these people, they're your best friends.  It's special.  At mile 81 at SD 100 I had a breakdown and my pacer told me to look around at how beautiful it was.   He ran with me from 51 - 100 miles.  He's the sweetest person ever, he's like my running dad.  The last 20 miles, I'm not gonna lie, I was grumpy.  He kept telling me stories and jokes.  It wasn't funny, but he made me smile just knowing he was trying.  

At 2 AM a buck ran right in front of us, scariest moment of my life!  He alerted me to all the cool things.  At the aid station, he made me eat something when I told him I didn't feel good.  Then I puked all over.  We both laughed.  He does hundreds also.  He's really fast and I was honored that he would slow down and run with me.  

And my dad joined me for the last 4 miles.  It helps to have the support from your family.  I know a lot of ultra runners whose families never come to races.  My family is always there.  They worry about me a lot.  I'm out on course, updating them on my cell phone.  And playing words with friends.  (laughs)



Rachel, with her pacer, at San Diego 100.

At Nanny Goat I didn't run with a pacer.  Someone jumped in and ran the last 5 miles with me, just to keep me moving.  Pacers do help.  I did have one at JJ 100 both times.  For me, running at night, it's really helpful.  This year at JJ 100 I don't think I'll have one.  I have run that course so many times, I know I'll be fine.  I've had pacers fall asleep on me while running.  His eyes were closed, it was 30 degrees, and he just kept going.  

I've hallucinated.  I thought I saw a dead body and I screamed.  (It was a sand bag).  Even a friend who has done JJ 100 a bunch of times, got off course for 7 miles because he was "following someone".  Buddying up with someone out there would be great.  

During SD 100 the pick-up van passed me on one of the hardest hills.  My first thought was, 'they're going to be in bed, have hot food, way before me.'  Once the mind goes, the body starts to follow.      

So before SD 100, what was your training like?

RS:  For JJ 100... not too much.  My longest run 4 months prior was 32 miles.  But I had done a 50 miler earlier in the year.  I DNF'd at a 100k for hyponatremia a few weeks prior.  I knew something was wrong.  DNF's suck, but each one is a learning experience.  The more you do these things the more it happens.  Sometimes your body is just off.  But I ended up having a great race at JJ 100.

My pacer [at JJ 100], also named Rachel, ran with me for 53 miles, and she was giggly and happy the whole time.  The first time I did JJ 100 my pacer complained about their feet, their bursitis, their stomach.  I'm not going to say it was their fault I DNF'd, but it definitely didn't help.

I paced several people over the last few years and I've learned what is helpful, and how to get through.  My first 50 miler I DNF'd.  I struggled with an eating disorder and I think it contributed.  I had no energy.  I stopped at mile 32.  Later, when I finished my first 50, someone registered and ran the entire way with me to make sure I got through it.  It stuck out in my mind, would I do that for someone else?  Make that sacrifice?  It was really cool.  Very special.

Wait, an eating disorder?  Can I ask which one?

RS:  Bulimia.  Not many people know this about me.  (sighs)  I wish I knew why.  I wanted to stop, but I was addicted.  I remember counting calories at such an early age.  I actually gained a lot of weight because my body was storing everything.  I got help my first year of college.  Stress made it worse.  I think ultras have helped me to be happy with my body.  When I started doing ultras I got my heart checked because I knew what I did could have affected my heart.  It's a vicious cycle.  You feel terrible the whole time.

Even in the ultra community, every body is different.  I have learned to do what I can with my body.  And it really impressed upon me how careful you have to be in what you tell young girls when they're growing up.  That's why I quit gymnastics at 12 yrs old.  I was developing and someone made fun of me.

"Think long term.  Plan in advance.  Not 3 months before."

So, speaking of nutrition... you're vegan right?

RS:  I have been vegan for 5 months, but I've been vegetarian for 8-9 years.  I prefer a vegan diet for nutritional reasons.  I took a long, hard look at my diet and being vegan took away things that I shouldn't be eating.  Cheese.  And butter. 

I enjoy cooking.  It's so fun when something actually turns out [in the kitchen]!  My parents were mad at me at first when I became vegetarian.  But now, they've even set some boundaries in their diets because of animal rights and farming practices.  People don't talk about it, but everyone should know where their food is coming from.

I don't push people one way or another, but education is important.  Read your ingredients.  If you can't read it, don't eat it.  I don't push veganism.  If someone asks me, I'll tell them.  There's too much politics involved.  I feel a lot better and I eat a lot more.

At first it was difficult, I craved cheese all the time.  Mac and Cheese.  I realized how much I used butter and cheese when I got rid of them.  There's plenty of unhealthy vegan foods, but it's all in how you eat.  You can still eat too much, and eat the wrong foods.  Adding more spices, instead of butter and fat makes a difference.  People shut off their minds [to veganism] but you can eat so many things!

So I attempted a conversion to veganism briefly last winter.  It didn't go well because I had too many other things going on in my life at that time and I ended up getting sick so I put the diet change on hold.  Any advice for someone interested in veganism?

RS:  Look up recipes online.  How do I make good vegan pancakes?  Google it.  Make it fun.  If other people are interested in it, invite them over and cook together.  I make almost every food you can eat, but I feel better.  Start off slow.  Slowly take things away.  Make small changes.  It took me a while to get used to vegan cheese, but I was open to new foods.  Go to vegan restaurants and get ideas.  Add protein, not just sugar.  Protein and healthy fat help with satiety.

I've been vegan for 5 months, I started in January.  It was kind of a 'why not' thing.  And it did help me to lose 15 pounds.  I have more energy.  I know people who are vegan, but go into survival mode at races and eat non-vegan.  Different things work for different people.  You can't judge people.  I know people who are 90% vegan.  If you go to France, you splurge on good cheeses.  Some people have celebratory days.  I drank broth at JJ 100 last year.  It may have been chicken broth.  I don't know.  It was warm and it helped.  But I hate the thought of drinking chicken juice.  (laughs)  Aravaipa makes it easy for their racers with the Daiya cheese quesadillas.  They do a great job.

I think people can learn a lot from successes and failures.  What stands out in your mind as successful racing?

RS:  My sub-4 hour marathon.  3:59:09.  That was probably the best race I've had, feeling-wize.  I didn't taper.  I got the bib the day before.  I didn't have any stress, I just thought it'd be a good training day.  I got the bib off of craigslist.  For me, that was special because I had been wanting sub 4 for years.  I didn't think it was a PR course, it just happened.  It did make me question tapering.  The stress building up to tapering. 

Ultra-wise, SD 100 was one of the best 100s because I didn't have a moment when I had a breakdown and questioned finishing.  Other than the hospital visit (post race) nothing really went wrong.  I had a few blisters and puked a few times.  I smiled at every aid station.  I saw a lot of people I hadn't seen in a long time.  Having my dad run the last 5 miles with me. Those are the two that stand out.

And when you DNF'd... what made you stop? 

RS:  My first 100 miler I dropped at 67 miles (JJ 100) and Rocky Road at 75 miles.  My feet hurt so badly.  I was crawling and crying.  That's not me.  I'm usually smiling.  I changed to Hoka's and have not had that issue again.  Between the two DNF's I did finish Rocky Road successfully.  I changed shoes 6-7 times that day.  It was raining and cold. 

Having DNF's makes these events humbling.  It makes the finishes even more special.  My first 100 finish... you can't describe it.  Going from a DNF to finishing, feeling good- it's like WOW!  You expect a crash mentally, but it didn't happen.



Rachel, at an aid station during San Diego 100.  I love this photo because you can see the excitement of her friend, but also Rachel's own exhaustion and struggle.  Despite highs and lows, Rachel pushed through to the finish.

What has helped you be successful at 100s?

RS:  At SD 100... less phone time.  As dumb as that sounds.  And less stopping at aid stations.  Beware of the chair!  You see people hanging out at aid stations for 5-10 minutes and that all adds up.  At JJ 100 I went 27:07 and I got in and out of the aid stations.  My first time, I sat down and talked to family and I'd be there 10 minutes!  Keep moving, and when you feel bad take it mile by mile.  Don't think about how far you have to go still.  You will start to feel better.

Everyone has mental blocks- you just have to walk through it.  Laugh out loud.  Sing songs!  Do whatever makes you smile.  If you get into a bad mind set, you have to keep going.  Personally, it helps to be happier when I run, than to stay in a bad mood.  As my pacer said, look around!  We were so blessed.  If you're fortunate enough to make it to the start line, it's a blessing. 

Practice nutrition.  Long runs at different temperatures.  Find out ahead of time what the race weather is like typically.  Do what you can to replicate trails, terrain, weather.  Nutrition is so different at 100 degrees compared to 50-60 degrees.  What worked for me was switching to liquid calories and bananas for the last 50 miles.  I didn't have any stomach issues. 

You're working so hard, and burning so many calories and if you're constantly putting solid food in, it's a lot.  I think I'll keep up with that.  Tailwind (a liquid nutrition) was on the course.  I looked it up, and tried it.  It wasn't too sweet.  And I took in bananas and salt pills.  And a pinch of Himalayan pink salt.  I took frs tabs.  The first 50 miles, I eat more solid foods- stock up on calories. 

At night, the time seems to go by so much faster.  You just go aid station to aid station.  It's very soothing.  Being out there and talking and laughing.  I also had packets of Pocket Fuel, which I loved!  I had 3-4 of those over the last 50 miles.  I wasn't hungry.  It seemed to work well. 

Do you run with music?

RS:  NO!  I haven't since Across the Years.  That was another awful race!  I think that's another reason I've gotten faster.  I'm more in tune with my body.  It makes me feel sad when I see people running on trails with music.  They're missing out.  The birds chirping.  And it's a safety thing.  A few weeks ago I was running with Mike and Kimberly Miller and we came upon a rattlesnake.  If you can't hear a rattlesnake, it's dangerous! 

Another reason is, I would memorize how long each song was and it would go by even slower.  If I'm calculating how much time has gone by.  I couldn't zone out, in a good way.  It's good to be aware of your surroundings.  You need to be able to hear other runners, and snakes!  My fastest races have been without music.  Go figure!

You have JJ 100 up next.  Will you continue to work with James for JJ? 

RS:  I qualified for Western States at SD 100.  If I get in, I want him to train me again.  And maybe for Lost Dutchman.  For a big race, I definitely want him to coach me.  For JJ, and the summer training, I need a break from long runs and speedwork.  It's just too hard in the summer.  I am signed up for several Aravaipa trail races which will help my training.  I want to dress up [in costume] and have fun out there [at JJ 100].  I know the costume will slow me down. 

I worked with an online coach for my sub-4 marathon, and it was totally impersonal.  James would text me and ask how things were going.  We would meet up and talk about training over beer.  He took me out to dinner after the race, it was neat.  That's what separates a good coach. 

Do you have any bucket list races?

RS:  Western States 100.  It's a 30 hour cutoff but it's easier than SD 100.  I know I can do it.  It's just getting in [through the lottery].  Boston was on my list, but with the new qualification times I don't know if I can make it.  3:35.  Every person is different and has their gifts.  Speed is not one of mine.  It would take a lot of work for me to qualify.  I think I'd be a squeaker.  (Referring to the article in Runner's World about squeaking in just under the qualifying standard.)

A sub-24 hour 100 I think is in the cards.  No race picked out yet for this, but maybe JJ 100 in 2014.  Maybe work with James over the winter to improve my 50 mile/ 50k times.  Working on getting through the night running, not walking.  It's getting the second half right.  It would be nice to do a 100 with consistent splits.  In a 100, you're stopping more at night.  Changing shoes.  But if you feel good, at night when it's cooler, it would be the time to pick it up. 

Do you have any advise for someone who wants to run a 100 miler... me for example? 

RS:  I would recommend a 50 miler first, and run the day after a 50 miler.  To flush the muscles, but also learning to run when you don't want to run or when you're sore.  Last year in school I did a lot of runs at night. 

Train with a group.  It helps when you're doing 20-30 mile long runs.  Whether it's a coach, or a friend, it helps tremendously.  Instead of doing a 40 mile long run, I'd do back to back long runs, still running on sore legs. 

Go to an ultra and volunteer.  See what can go right.  See what can go wrong.  Learn what you can by watching people.  Watch the aid stations.  Watch the finish line.  I paced a 100 miler first and I saw the good and the bad.  Maybe don't be at the finish line! (laughing)  Be out there in the middle of the night and see what happens to people.  I've had some people tell me, "I could walk the whole thing in that time," and it's hard for people to understand.  It's not like racing a marathon.  You add up all the stops and the aid stations. 

Plan in advance.  Think long term.  Not 3 months before.



Success!  Rachel accepts congratulations at the finish line of the San Diego 100.

Anything you want to add?

RS:  (thinking)  I think that's good.  You have a whole biography on me!  James Bonnett did his first 100 at 12 years old.  I have a friend whose child also competed in a 100 at 12.  You can do these things and not ruin your body.  James' dad ran 100s and he decided to run with him.  You always have people that say, "that's dumb," or "don't you know how bad that is on your body?"  Do what you love, tune out the negative people.  I started marathoning at 16.  I had people say, "you're still growing", but I stopped growing when I was 12! (laughs)  A lot of my friends are older than me since I started so young.  Everyone in the sport is 10, 20 years older than me, doing what I love too.

Unlike marathons, I like ultras because it's not about times.  I used to feel bad about myself if I didn't get the time that I wanted.  Since switching to trails, I haven't run a marathon since.  I haven't gone back.  People become time obsessed and lose the passion and the love of running.  Some runs are just bad, you can't take it personally.  Running is a gift. 

I don't want to be one of those people that can't run when I'm 60.  I think it's about listening to your body.  I stay off roads because my knees hurt less on trails.  My mom has run a couple of marathons and it's awesome to see her come across the finish line.  It was cool to train with my mom.  She has a big, big heart.  She'd be out there for 6 hours completing her 20 mile training run.  I'd have breakfast and hang out with my friends [after my run] and she's still out there.  She signed up for Nike Women's Marathon with Team in Training with 4 months to train.  But she wanted to prove me wrong when I said it wasn't a good idea. 

With Lost Dutchman she mentioned she might do that course again!  I just want her to be healthy.  It's about finding something you love and sticking with it.  Even if she's walking.  At 60 or 70 a lot of people just give up.  I see stubborn people out there doing ultras and Ironman in their 60s and 70s.  A lot of race directors are older and they're stubborn, out there fighting for what they love. 

********************

Wow.  Reflecting on our conversation from that morning, I'm simultaneously impressed and inspired by this 5 foot phenom.  I hope you've enjoyed getting to know Rachel a little bit better.  And the next time a challenge seems just a little bit too daunting, too out of reach, just remember everything Rachel has accomplished just because she thought she could.  And though she plans to dress as a hobbit at this year's Javalina Jundred, I will always think of her as Wonder Woman.   
    

 

Humble Pie

"Achievement is largely the product of steadily raising one's level of aspiration and expectation."

After a couple of fantastic weeks of training, and feeling really strong and ready for my Ironman race (which happens to be in less than 7 weeks), I was served a giant slice of humble pie.  The humble pie tasted really good, and I've had a second slice.  And a third.  Humble pie is good for you, if you don't eat it all at once.  Sometimes if you consume the whole pie, it can derail you.  But if you eat it one bite at a time, and taste everything the pie has to offer, you might learn something about yourself. 

Humble Pie, Slice #1:  The Open Water Swim
My first slice of pie was consumed on Saturday morning.  I had signed up for a 3000 meter open water swim with some friends.  The swim was in Tempe Town Lake and we thought it would be a great warm up for Ironman.  We planned to swim and then go for a leisurely bike ride. 

A few days before the swim, it was announced that the water temperature was 84 degrees, and therefore, due to safety reasons, wetsuits would not be allowed.  Now, I consider myself a pretty strong swimmer, but I was not super excited about the non-wetsuit swim because I wanted to really practice for race day.  (Please, God, let it get colder in the lake before November!!!)

Just before the start of the 3k swim.

The course was 750 meters.  Do the math... we had to circle the course 4 times to equal 3k.  The first two loops I felt pretty decent.  There were very few of us in the lake- maybe 30?- so really, we were quite alone after the mass start.  I passed a few people.  A few people passed me.  The third loop I started to get really tired of the non-wetsuit aspect of the swim.  The sun was out in full force, and every time I looked up to sight not only was I blinded, but without my wetsuit on, my non-buoyant body did not return to the surface as I would have liked.  With my feet and rear end sinking, my shoulders were taking a beating fighting to drag myself through the water. 

*Sigh*  Finally, half way through the third loop, when the negative thoughts were battling full force in my brain, I made the decision that I would use this opportunity to practice my focusing strategies, and positive self-talk.  I repeated my mantra IAm-A-Strong-Swimmer in 4 stroke cadence over and over in my head until the negative thoughts were drowned out.  When I was certain that my thoughts were lying dead at the bottom of Tempe Town Lake, I took a break to assess where I was at.  Really.  Honestly. 

I reminded myself that there were no guarantees that IM is a wetsuit legal swim.  I reminded myself that everyone is in the same boat, wetsuits give all of us the same advantage and without them- we all are at the same disadvantage, save a select few.  I reminded myself that I am still a strong swimmer even if today is not my best day.  I reminded myself that I still have 7 weeks to go before Ironman and several more opportunities to practice in open water.  And before I knew it, my 4 laps were up.  My time was not great, 56 minutes, but I felt like I had learned a few things and more importantly, I got to practice a real-live in-race refocusing strategy.  And it worked! 

After my friends got out of the water, we hopped on our bikes for a leisurely 20 miler around the lake.  We stopped for breakfast (pancakes!) and then I went home to put my feet up in preparation for my second slice of humble pie.

Humble Pie, Slice #2:  The Javalina Night Run 
A few short hours later, I was heading up to McDowell Mountain Park for the annual Javalina Night Run, put on by Aravaipa Running.  Runners have the option to run 1,2, 3 or 4 loops of the Pemberton Trail for a total of 25- 100k.  Being in IM training, I chose the 25k.  But I had to be at the airport at 8 pm to pick up my husband, so I elected to start at 5 pm with the 100k folks rather than 6:30 pm with my appropriate group.  So while I had the benefit of daylight for approximately 8 miles, I had the punishment of 100 degree heat at the start of my loop. 




Me, getting ready for the start of the Javalina Night Run.


I hadn't run Pemberton in several months, sadly, but I had secretly hoped for 2:25 finish time.  I tried to hydrate, and prepare for the heat as best as I could.  But my muscles were plenty fatigued at the start and I felt it.  I sort of thought that since I was starting with the 100k group, they'd be pacing themselves for the longer distance.  Since I only had one loop to run, I figured I could just run my pace and I wouldn't have anyone pushing me.  Wrong.  For 8 miles I ran with a guy just off my heels. 

For about 4 miles I stayed far to one side, thinking he'd eventually want to pass me.  But when I slowed, he slowed.  At one point I tried to strike up a conversation, only to realize he was listening to his ipod.  So I was just his pacer.  I don't have any real issue with that, except that one of the things I love most about trail running is the solitude.  I'm breathing heavily.  But when I have to listen to 2 people breathing heavily it makes me feel like I'm working way harder than I need to.  I knew that an aid station was coming up, and began to think of how I could either go through really fast or really slow as to separate myself from this runner. 

Then, as fate would have it, about a half mile before the aid station, I dropped one of my bottles as I tried to snap it back into my Amphipod belt.  I stopped to retrieve it, forcing him to go around me.  I took my time snapping it into place, giving him about a 90 second lead on me.  Plenty of space for this girl.  I happily settled into a slower pace and listened to the sounds of crickets chirping when I wasn't sucking wind.  

I cruised through the aid station, refilled all my bottles, and then started for the final 7 miles.  Finally!  The downhill.  It was beginning to get dark, but I refrained from using my headlamp until I had about 4 or 5 miles to go.  I'd prefer to run without one, but it helps to outline the various changes in terrain that can easily trip one up in the darkness.  Eventually I passed my running-buddy from earlier in the downhill.  He was looking strong, but appeared to be without a headlamp which may have slowed him down.  Or he was just taking his time as he still had quite a long ways to go that evening. 

I enjoyed the remaining miles solo.  The moon was full, and with about a mile to go, I began to hear the singing of the coyotes which I love.  Such a beautiful sound.  Wild.  Free.  Gives you enough of a chill to realize you're not alone in the park after dark.  I cruised into the finish in just under 2 hours 27 minutes.  So not quite the 2:25 I had hoped for, but well under my requisite 10 minute per mile pace. 

I refilled my water bottle and changed quickly before jumping into my car en route to the airport.  I mixed my recovery shake, knowing I was going to be on the bike in a few short hours for my long ride.  But I couldn't force anything down.  I sipped it slowly, but my stomach was not happy.  I really didn't want to eat anything.  My husband was waiting for me when I arrived and he presented me with a delicious, frosted sugar cookie from a famous bakery in Springfield, Ohio.  I did manage to get it down, so at least there were a few hundred calories in my system but not quite the recovery meal I wanted.  We fell into bed shortly after 9 pm.

Humble Pie, Slice #3:  The LONG Ride
Way too few hours later (aka:  5:15 AM) the alarm rang.  Ugh.  I was so not looking forward to this 100 mile bike ride.  I crawled out of bed and my legs were screaming at me.  GO BACK TO BED!  They urged me.  I stumbled into the bathroom to get ready for the ride.  At this point, I hadn't eaten a proper meal since 2 pm on Saturday afternoon.  I was out of my usual breakfast staples and had to settle for a glass of OJ to start the day.  I just knew this was not going to be a good day.

We left our house and headed through town toward the beeline.  The plan:  3 x beeline loops with 5 x 20 minute intervals at half IM pace.  Intervals?  So didn't happen.  We hit the beeline, my husband yells 'Go' and promptly leaves me in the dust.  I fought the headwind up the beeline.  I fought my fatigue down the beeline.  My stomach fought me the whole way- intermittently nauseated from lack of food, and then from being fed more sugary gels.  I was ready to call it quits at 40 miles.  Round and round and round we went until finally, after 3 loops of the beeline we hit 84 miles and headed back through town toward home. 

"There is no way I'm doing a transition run," I announce as we get closer to home.  My husband kindly informs me that I have to run at least 20 minutes.  I can do 20 minutes, I think, but not a second more.  I change my shoes.  Deliriously, I head out the door to tackle my 20 minutes.  My usual 9 minute per mile pace was no where to be found.  I averaged 10:15 for the two miles. 

Happily back home, I showered and laid down for a second in the darkness of my bedroom.  I swear I had no intention of falling asleep.  But in a matter of seconds I was no longer conscious.  I woke with a gasp at 1:35 PM, realizing that my husband should have been home from his run at least 5 minutes ago.  I ran down the stairs to see him bent over in the yard, apparently trying to keep his nutrition down as well.  Guess all the travel and not-the-best-nutrition over the last 24 hours got to him too. 

Humble Pie, Slice #4:  The ATI Swim and Tempo Run
The rest of our Sunday was uneventful.  We ate a little, or a lot actually.  We watched some football.  We hit the racks early.  On Monday morning we had an easy recovery ride followed by our anaerobic interval swim workout.  This week's workout called for a mainset of 6 x 500 yds ATI.  A few weeks ago we were hitting these at about a 1:25/ 100 pace.  Today, we were lucky to cruise in right at 1:30/ 100 pace.  Oh. So. Slow.  And painful.  There was nothing fun about this swim, and I couldn't understand why in just a few weeks I was swimming so slowly.  (Hello, fatigue?  Moron.)  I had to quiet my brain down again and move on with my day.  

And then it all came to a head on Tuesday.  I got up early to run my tempo run with my husband, using him to pace me through the 3 mile middle section of my run.  I was able to hit my pace with a bit of effort.  But then, I was done.  I could barely keep my eyes open when I got home.  In return for his pacing duties, I offered to pace him through the remainder of his long run.  So instead of falling asleep, I got the mountain bike out and returned to the roads to track him down.  I found him pretty quickly and rode next to him for the final 5 or 6 miles of his run.  I think he was hoping for lively distraction, but what he got was exhausted me, yawning every few minutes. 

After we finished his long run, we headed to Endurance Rehab for our weekly session.  I cruised through all my exercises and stretches in about an hour and then fell asleep while enjoying the Normatek Recovery Boots.  After my manual session, being pulled, stretched and manipulated, I returned home to my bed and fell asleep for an hour.  I think I could have slept all day, but I had another torture session scheduled with Solid Foundations Massage that afternoon.            

So after 4 days of back-to-back-to-back hard workouts, my body is tired and reminded me today to take a break.  I'm not worried about race day.  7 weeks away, or actually 6 1/2 weeks now.  Next week is recovery week.  Then there's taper.  My body will be rested and recovered come race day.  But boy, I really got used to those fast workouts where everything felt easy and I felt strong.  It's good to have a slice of humble pie every once in a while to remind myself of why I am training, and why I need to keep training.  It's not race day yet.  There's more work to be done.  There's more hay to be harvested.  But for today, I'm just going to burrow myself a little spot in that hay and take a nap.  Cause sometimes that's the best way to digest that humble pie. 

Road vs. Trail

The fall racing season is in full swing.  Every weekend I look forward to the event on my calendar, wishing the day would last just a little bit longer.  These events are the rewards for the time spent training, working, stressing.  This is me time. 

Since I have been without internet for the last few weeks (and therefore completely out of touch with reality) I have to go back to October to catch you up on the most recent events.  My life is finally settling down and I'm adjusting to my new routine.  I've always embraced change.  I fully believe in spring fever.  I think that it's important to take stock of things once a year and clean out the clutter that has accumulated in my house, life, job, relationships, etc.  This year "spring" came a little earlier than I had anticipated and it has definitely caught me off guard.  But I just have to keep rolling with the punches.  What else can you do?

So today I am going to give a little contrast between the joys of trail racing (Cave Creek Thriller, October 29) and the art of road racing (The Women's Half Marathon, November 6)....  I close my eyes and go back to the start line...

Cave Creek Thriller:
The morning was warm by the time our 8 AM start rolled around.  I was amped up and ready to get the show on the road (or trail as it were).  If you remember my post from last year, this event was my first real exposure to trail racing, and I bonked badly in the 3rd loop.  I ended up walking about 4 miles and my friend who was also racing actually came back out on course looking for me when she realized she'd been done for over an hour and I was still MIA.  My goal this year was to take an hour off of my time, and hopefully place in the top 3 women.

I planned to wear my hydration pack for the entire 19.6 miles.  I decided that I'd rather schlep the extra weight than risk a repeat of last year.  The course was slightly different this year with the first 10k being on an out and back on a rocky, technical (read: really freakin' awesome!) trail.  After the 10k, the course continued on a two loop course which had some challenging hills but only one technical descent.  And the final 1 1/2 miles of each loop was downhill.  Fast, hold-on-tight, smokin' downhill. 

I hauled ass for the first 7 miles, averaging a sub- 9 minute pace.  Once I hit the loop part of the course I started working on my nutrition plan and walked the steep uphill at the start of the loop, running the rest of the loop.  I succeeded in taking an hour off my time, crossing the finish line in 3:31.  I missed the top 3 (I think I may have been 6th?) but there is definitely more competition this year as word has spread about how awesome the Aravaipa series is. 

Afterwards I hung out and ate some pumpkin pie and tried to ease my cramping adductor.  Eventually I poured my tired ass into my car and drove back to the east valley to meet a friend for pizza.  We chatted about life and he helped me to gain a little perspective.  After I was well fed I stopped for some ice on my way home and treated myself to an ice bath to soothe my legs. 

Fast forward 7 days....

The Women's Half Marathon:
Several weeks before race day, my good friend and training partner (HP) told me she was going to run the half.  She had been targeting the 5k, but wanted a bigger challenge.  She met me at my house early on Sunday morning and my husband drove us to the start line. 

I was ready to run a solid race, but I think I was more excited for her to have a great time.  There is nothing like tackling a new challenge to boost your self esteem and make you feel like you can do anything.  We did a little warm up and handed off our extra clothes.  I lined up in the front row and when the gun went off I shot out of there like a bullet! 

I went out way too hard for the first mile.  Not intentionally I was just running on pure adrenaline.  At mile one, I was in about 5th place.  This should have been my first clue to slow down considering that last year I placed 90th overall.  Oh well.  I would slow down eventually.

I had hoped to run a 1:40, but as the miles ticked by I realized that I was holding my pace well and could potentially even PR.  My husband kept popping up along the course shouting encouragement.  At about mile 9 we turned into a head wind, and were running up a hill and I began to feel every ounce of effort that I had expended in the first hour of racing.  I passed my friends on my way back to the finish line but barely had the energy to acknowledge them as they ran by.  I was gulping Gatorade hoping to have a little burst of energy to get me to the finish.  I had nothing left.

With a quarter mile to go, I saw my husband for the final time.  He shouted at me to keep pushing- knowing my PR was close but not realizing how much there was left to run.  I crossed the line in 1:36:45... missing my PR by 44 seconds.  And I placed in the top 45 overall.  I was thrilled!  I had no intention of running a 1:36, and I felt even more confident that in December, when I want to run a PR, I will be able to reach that goal. 

I cooled down a little and watched for HP to come around the final corner.  At just over 2:10 she came by smiling.  I was beyond excited.  She completely smashed every expectation I had for her in this event.  And her first words across the finish line?  "Bring on the marathon!"  By the end of the day she had signed up for her first marathon in 8 weeks from now!  I can't wait to watch her complete that goal.  8 months ago she didn't run.  Now she is a runner.  Amazing.  We celebrated with breakfast at the Gilbert House (YUM-O) and coffee and recounted our adventures.  I went home a very happy girl.

So to compare:  I ran the trail race at about a 10:45 pace and completely smashed myself.  I was sore for days and felt great about my accomplishment.  I ran the half marathon at 7:21 pace and completely smashed myself.  I was sore for days and felt great about my accomplishment.  How do you choose?  For me, I don't.  I do it all.  My heart loves the trails and being out in nature with the solitude and lack of noise, crowds, traffic.  My soul loves the thrill of flying and running faster that I think I possibly can, challenging myself, and achieving something that is just on the edge of impossible.  I need to feed both heart and soul. 

Tales from the Trails

My weekends for the last 2 months have been filled with trail running.  Every Thursday I look at my schedule and decide which trails I'm running and how far.  I love trail running.  Aside from making me super strong, trails are a great escape.  Stressed?  Hit the trails.  Mad about something?  Hit the trails.  Happy and content?  Hit the trails.  I can't get enough of the solitude, being away from cars and the general noise of life for a while.  Even when I have the pleasure of company on the trails, I feel like I am escaping from the crowds. 

Last weekend, completely jet lagged from our return to the mainland, I ran the Javalina 12 hour Night Run put on by Aravaipa Running.  The beauty of a timed event is that you can run as far or (in my case) as little as you want.  Since my husband came with me out to McDowell Mountain Park, I opted for one loop as he would be very bored and half asleep waiting on me to run further.  So I made the most of it.  When the clock ticked down to race time and we were told to "GO!" I took off.  My goal was to make it through the rocky climb at mile 3 before needing my headlamp.  The sun was quickly setting, but I made it past the worst of the rocks before I needed a little light assistance.

I discovered quickly that I should have changed the batteries in my headlamp.  The beam was very dim and did little to light my path.  Luckily, I had a small flashlight for backup and dug that out of my pack to help out my dying headlamp.  I didn't feel great.  My legs were trashed from rehab on Friday (learned a new routine!) and my tummy was yucky after a normal day of eating.  Being a morning runner, I almost never eat before running.   I find it difficult to fuel for an evening run.  I tried to be very careful, eating things that were easily digested, but it went awry somewhere around 3 pm after which time I was bloated and generally not in a good place.  (I'm pretty sure it was the iced coffee drink that I thought would give me a nice caffeine boost...) 

Despite all of that I ran hard and well for the entire 15.5 mile loop.  My friend LM passed me at mile 4, flying in her very first trail race!  I was excited for her and thrilled that her first experience was such a great one.  And MPS caught me around mile 7 or 8.  We ran together for a couple of miles before he finally left me with about 3 miles to go.  Overall I was thrilled with my effort.  I finished 21 minutes faster than last year, and was 3rd woman and 10th overall in the single loop division.  After the race, and into the next day, I complained that I felt like I had run two loops.  My already defeated legs were not happy about my hard run!  Sunday morning we slept in and had a leisurely bike ride to our favorite breakfast place in an attempt to palliate my limbs.

Between work and family stuff, the week flew by.  Soon it was Thursday again and I was contemplating my trail plans for the weekend.  I decided to check out a couple of trails that I had never run out at Pemberton on Saturday, planning for around 15-16 miles.  On Sunday, I would tackle the 5.6 mile loop at San Tan with my friend HP. 

Saturday I was up early.  Having woken at about 4 am, I was in and out of sleep and finally decided to get out of bed at 5:10 am.  I hit the road at 5:30 ish and headed out to MMP.  My legs were sluggish from the 28 miles accumulated already in the week.  I didn't have my usual pep in my trail step.  At 1.8 miles in, on perfectly flat, sandy trail I totally hit the dirt.  My toe caught a rock and in seemingly slow motion, I hit the ground with my hands, right knee and finally right shoulder before I slid to a stop.  I laid on the ground for a moment, my already beat-up body now even more so.  I crawled to my hands and knees and surveyed the damage.  Pretty minimal cuts on my hands and knee.  My shoulder took the brunt of the trail rash, but was covered by my T-shirt and therefore contained limited amounts of debris.  I used my hydration pack to rinse the wounds and got moving again, being more careful to pick up my feet. 

At 3.5 miles, Dixie Mine Trail diverged to the left.  This was where I began exploring, and I loved every minute of it.  Dixie Mine took me up and over the ridge and down down down to the valley floor only to rise again on the other side.  It was rocky, steep ups and downs, and overall just the challenge I was looking for.  I had a map I was following, but I didn't know exactly how far it would be taking me.  I could have turned around at any time, but I was enjoying it so much.  I ended up taking DM to it's dead end before I turned around.  I stopped, checked out the trail head, ate the contents of a Peter Rabbits Organics pouch, and hit the trail again.

By now I was 9 miles in and feeling a little fatigued.  I had to walk a couple of the steeper segments but I ran the entire gradual climb back to where Coachwhip Trail diverged, the second of my new trail adventures.  CW was another fun trail to explore.  Very runable.  I bumped into a handful of mountain bikers, the first people I had seen all day.  About 2 1/2 miles later I was back onto Pemberton, at mile 14, heading toward the Tonto Tank Trail.  I was cooked.  I took my second PRO pouch and took some salt capsules. 

I hit 15 miles just before Tonto Tank.  Finally, a nice downhill stretch!  I coasted down the trail.  Not super fast, but holding a 9:20 pace which was decent at 17 miles in.  With a mile to go, I turned back onto the Pemberton Trail heading toward the parking lot/ trailhead.  I stepped into the open lot just as I took my last sip of water from my hydration pack.  Couldn't have timed it any better.  I had run 18.6 miles.  Little bit longer than planned, but worth every step. 

And I can't help but wonder, is it wrong that I wear my trail rash like a badge of honor?  I have been showing it off to everyone.  Yes, I am a clutz.  But I'm a badass clutz.  18.8 miles and some bruising and scrapes to show for it. 

Looking forward to next weekend:  The Cave Creek Thriller!  First of the fall trail series by Aravaipa Running.  My goal is to beat my time from last year by 45-60 minutes.  (I bonked bad last year and ended up walking about 6 miles...)  I heart trails!

Get Off the Couch!

I recently joined the UltraList... an email chain of like-minded people who are into this crazy sport of ultra marathoning.  I mostly sit back and observe the list.  People tell tales of recent races.  Share training and racing tips.  Seek advice.  Being new to the list, and new to ultramarathons, I like to just listen and learn.  (Though this is really hard sometimes, because as you know, I do have a lot of opinions.)  This morning I opened an email titled "why I run".  The author shared the story of a recent run in a wilderness area and his encounter with some elk, and very close encounter with a mountain lion who happened to be stalking the elk.  His final words explained that at least now when someone asks why he runs, he will have a story to tell.  Because 'things like this just don't happen on my couch.' 

I loved his final point.  We don't live life sitting on the couch.  Life passes us by when we are idle.  Television is a mindless activity.  And yes, it can be entertaining, even educational at times.  But I don't want to live vicariously through the actors on television.  I want to create my own drama.  When we are out in the world, exploring, investigating, following our passions- that's when we are living.  That inspired me to share my favorite past time- trail running.  I really fell in love with trail running a year ago when I signed up for the Aravaipa Running DRT (desert runner trail) Series.  Having only ever run on one trail (I get lost very easily!) I used this series as a way to safely explore some other trails around the valley.  The series took us to 5 different parks, once a month over the fall and winter, to tackle 16-20 miles on some serious trails.  My average time for the series is longer than my marathon time.  But I loved every second of it (and I only got lost twice)!

In the past 4 weeks I have run 143 miles.  77 of those miles have been on trails.  That's pretty freakin' awesome.  I love running, and even more, I love running trails.  My weekends are scheduled around my 4:30 wake up call, 5 am departure, so I can be on the trails by 6 am.  What I enjoy most about trail running is the solitude.  There are no cars.  The only sounds I hear are my foot falls, my breathing and the occasional scuttle of an animal in the brush.  It's peaceful.  I can push myself as hard as I want, or I can just relax and run easy and enjoy the day.  And everyone on trails is in a good mood.  Whenever I pass a mountain biker, hiker or another runner there is ALWAYS a greeting from both parties.  Unlike when I run roads... and I get the "glare" after I offer up a cheerful "good morning".  Yet, for some reason, I cannot not greet everyone I pass!  You would think I could break this habit, but what can I say.  I am a Midwest girl at heart. 

The other great thing about running trails is the leg strength you develop.  On the road, I can shuffle along and not pay any attention to where my feet are.  Only on the rare occasion do I trip over an uneven bit of sidewalk.  On the trails, I have to pay constant attention to where my feet are.  I trip over everything if I slack off for even a moment.  I am hurdling logs, side stepping stones and avoiding cactus (cacti?) all while keeping my eye on the trail for my biggest fear- snakes. 

I've run trails in 3 different parks over the last month.  Of the 3 parks, each set of trails is different and provides unique ways to challenge your body.  The most recent run, Pass Mountain, I've run several times and always seem to block out how difficult it actually is.  For the first 2 1/2-3 miles of the loop, you are running over very rocky terrain, huge boulders at times, and mostly uphill.  Then you encounter a steep climb up the mountain on a rock face.  The climb is very short, but slows me to a hike every time.  Once you reach the peak, and have a chance to enjoy the view, you start the descent.  I am terrified of heights, and this descent gets me every time.  For a good 1- 1 1/2 miles, you are on a narrow sandy trail on the extreme edge of the mountain.  Eventually you drop inward and have some fantastic downhill running, while still testing your ability to dodge rocks.  With a 7.5 mile total, the loop is long enough to challenge, but not so long that it wipes you out.  I might even attempt a second loop next time!

As our weather turns to fall and the mornings are more bearable, I look forward to more time on my favorite trails.  Whatever your passion is, I encourage you to pursue it this season with your whole heart.  Life doesn't happen on the couch.  Get out there and live!

Breakthrough on the Trail

Not that I'm an experienced trail runner, by any stretch of the imagination, but I'd like to think I've come a long way in the last year. Last weekend, though, I feel like I had a breakthrough on the trail. It was race #5 in the Aravaipa Running Trail Series. The final event before the finale in March (which I can't make it to). I didn't have high hopes for the day. My previous runs in the series have averaged anywhere from 13-15 minutes per mile. That's practically a walking pace.

Before the run we all gathered under the heat lamps to stay warm. I overheard a 17-year-old kid ask his parents how he was going to know where to go. They told him to just follow the runners in front of him. He replied, dead seriously, "but what if I'm winning?!!?" I told him not to worry, Nick and Jamil do a good job of marking the course and just to follow the signs. Shortly after the race started. I lined up toward the back of the pack since that's usually where I finish.

A mile into the race, I'm getting really pissed off because I'm surrounded by people (still?!) and there is a man behind me who sounds like he's having an asthma attack with every step. I want to turn and tell him to slow down, there's 15 miles to go! But I can't do that, that's mean. I'm really annoyed because one of the things I love most about the trail is the solitude. In the other events I practically ran the entire race completely alone. I like to hear my foot falls, get into a rhythm, and get lost in my thoughts. Can't do that when you're in a pack. I see a small chance to escape and I jump. As we enter a wash, I take off. Lay down the hurt for a brief minute, just enough to lose the heavy breather, and get just ahead of the pack. They stay with me for a bit, but slowly I gain some distance.

I'm alone now and loving the trail. We're in the San Tan Regional Park. The trail is fabulous; soft, hilly, not too rocky. The scenery is gorgeous. I am seriously loving every second. I pass people now and then. A few people pass me. Having studied the course map, I am aware of the out-and-back section at the end of the long loop. Soon we start climbing Goldmine Pass up, up and up over the mountain. It's steep, rocky. It's the only time I've stopped to walk so far, but when it's this steep my billy goat hike is much faster than my "run". At the top we round the peak of the mountain and start an even steeper, rockier descent. I get passed by a lot of people on the downhill cause I'm slip-sliding all over the place and all I can see is taking a nose-dive and ending up broken. At the bottom, I take off running again. Totally epic. Totally loving every second.

To the turn around and back, then I head back up the climb I just came down 15 minutes earlier. At this point I can see all the people behind me and I realize I'm not doing so bad! I power hike up and over and then shimmy down the other side and then I'm off. Within a mile and half, I'm back at home base heading out for the short loop with about 5 1/2 miles to go.

There's a group of 3 men (ok, 2 men and a kid) ahead of me. I hear one say he's going to catch the guy in the yellow tank and he kinda picks up the pace. He quickly puts land between himself and the other 2. (Side note: yellow tank guy is one of those 70-year-old studs that has been running for like a million years and has all the endurance in the world. I'm gonna be that guy one day. Or girl.) I'm feeling really good so I decide I'm going to try to go with red shirt guy after yellow tank guy. I drop the other two and pretty soon I've dropped yellow tank guy too. Red shirt guy stays with me. He says he's going to pace off me. He's never run more than 9 miles. He's using me for inspiration to keep going. Whatever, I think, as long as I'm leading.

Before I know it, I'm passing more people. People who always beat me. And then, to my great satisfaction, I fly by 17-year-old-what-if-I'm-winning kid with 3 miles to go. He's walking. I tell him to keep up the good work and zip down the trail. I'm loving this trail. Have I mentioned that yet? With a mile to go, I look at my watch. For the first time I realize how really good I've done and set one last goal for myself. I continue to fly by people and I can hear red-shirt guy on my heels. No way am I gonna let him pass me after he's tailed me for 4 miles. I lay down the hammer. It's an all out sprint to the finish. I won, of course. By one second. Enough for my satisfaction. I turn and offer him my hand in congratulations, a job well done.

I stick around an eat some hot chili and drink some gatorade. I'm enjoying the high of my performance. It's a rare treat in running when everything just comes together and it feels easy and wonderful. This is the second time I've had that happen on a trail (first one being the Pemberton 50k relay I was part of last year). Trails are brutal, punishing, real. But this one I conquered. In a 10-minute per mile pace. I look forward to taking my husband back to experience the San Tans. This weekend though, I am more confident than ever and looking forward to Pemberton. My first official ultramarathon....

DRT #1: Cave Creek Thriller

I signed up for a Desert Runner Trail (DRT) series this winter staged by Aravaipa Running, a totally awesome group of folks in the local ultra scene. I am running a total of 5 races on different trails around the valley, varying in length from 25k - 32k. I thought it would be a good way to check out some new trails, which I might not be likely to do on my own given my propensity for getting lost. Also, I thought it would be a fun way to get some good run miles in over the winter. Keep my mileage up, but avoid the monotony of the roads. The first run was last weekend. I actually had to re-read my blog from last December to see which mistakes I repeated during this run.... there were several! Here's how it all went down:

Cave Creek Thriller 30k

We show up to said parking lot about an hour before the start, just in time to see the 50k runners take off. This is a new trail for me so I have no idea what I'm about to get into. What I do know is that we are running 3 x 10k loops. There is an aid station just over half way through, at about mile 4.

I make the decision to A) Run with handheld water bottle (See Mistake #4 from Trail 101, December 2009) and B) Run with a black T-shirt on (See Mistake #1 from Trail 101, December 2009). And though I did have the forethought to apply sunscreen underneath my black T, in anticipation of removing it, I neglected a few areas which I was reminded of when I jumped in the shower post race (See Mistake #2 from Trail 101, December 2009).

You might be asking yourself at this point if I have actually learned anything over the last year since I first began running trails. The answer is yes. I have learned not to worry about my time (I actually didn't even wear my Garmin) and I've learned to enjoy my surroundings in spite of my suffering.

So after an hour of chit chatting it's finally time to run. We line up loosely and at 8 AM someone says go, and we all charge across the timing mat. I'm doing OK, though my heart rate is way to high and I keep having to get over so other runners can pass me. Eventually we thin out and I'm all alone. The first 3 miles are pretty decent footing, though a bit rockier than the trail I'm used to. It's a lot of up and a little down. The 4th mile is a lot of down with some pretty terrible footing (like running through a rocky river bed) and I find I have to walk carefully to avoid twisting an ankle. Eventually I come upon the aid station. My bottle is still full at this point, so I grab a cup of Gatorade and keep moving. From the aid station to the finish is very runable, nice trail and a lot of downhill which is my personal fav. I cruise into transition after loop 1 in 1:12. About 5 minutes longer than what I was hoping for but I wasn't the least bit disappointed.

I peeled off my black T-shirt and tossed it into my gear bag, refilled my water bottle and took off again. This time, I tried to take it a little slower in the first two miles since I didn't have any other runners breathing down my neck. Around mile 2 or maybe just before (no Garmin so I actually have zero idea on distance) some mountain bikers warned me of a rattlesnake on the trail. The said they had marked the trail with orange tape so we'd know where to look. To be honest, there was no need for tape... I could hear the thing rattling from 50 meters off. It. Was. Pissed. It was coiled up on the right side of the trail with its tail rattling to beat the band. Thankfully, the guy running ahead of me let me catch up and we gave it a nice wide berth as we hiked up the hillside off trail to get around it. I survived my very first encounter with a rattlesnake. Of course after that I was convinced that there would be more so every time a hiker came from the other direction I'd ask how many snakes they had seen. The answer was always "none."

So at this point, I'm still feeling good, though my head is pounding from the heat. (I sooo do not tolerate heat well. I'm sure it didn't get above 85 all day but I was feelin' it nonetheless.) I started to feel a little low on sugar so I took my first gel. A few minutes later I was passing the aid station again and refilled my bottle, grabbed some Gatorade and kept pluggin' along. I enjoyed the last 2 1/2 mile again as I cruised into transition #2, finishing loop 2 in roughly 1:23. I knew this would be the toughest one to leave so I tried to be quick and not think about wanting to be finished. I refilled my bottle again, grabbed some salt capsules and a gel for the road. Off and running again.

The last loop would be my undoing. I was a bit slower going in the first 2 1/2 miles as my legs were now dead and I was tripping more frequently. I walked more of the uphills and tried to run the downs. Unfortunately, by mile 2 of the third loop (so mile 14 roughly) I had taken my last gel and was down to my last sip of water. I tried to ration my water a long as I could, but it was no use. My blood sugar was down. I was dehydrated. My head was still pounding. I was dizzy. I was bonking and the ship was sinking fast. I walked very slowly for about an hour before I finally came upon the aid station. I nearly cried. I had to sit down a few times when I thought I would pass out. I wanted my mommy. It was not pretty and I swear I will never make this mistake ever ever again. (I really mean it this time.)

When I stumbled into the aid station I shakily sat down in the volunteer's camp chair and the medic/ volunteer offered me some orange slices. I sat for about ten minutes while I took in water, Gatorade, oranges (lifesaver!!), bananas, and gummy worms. Once I felt like I could stand up without falling over, I started walking again. I was able to run quite a bit of the last 2 1/2 miles since it was a lot down hill, but after bonking like that, I wasn't feeling super strong anymore. It took me just under 2 hours to complete loop #3, a total of 4:33 for the entire 30k which is slow, but who the hell cares really? Not me. I still had fun. I still finished with a smile on my face. I still enjoyed my day.

Did I have some trials on the trail? You bet! But without a little suffering there is no reward. Would I still look at my finisher medal with as much pride if it had been easy? If it had been handed to me on a silver platter at the start line? No way. I earned that sucker. And every time I see it I'll remember my first rattlesnake, my second lesson in trail hydration strategies, and my three loops around Cave Creek Regional Park on a gorgeous Saturday in October.