Turkey, Feta & Sun-Dried Tomato Meatloaf

Serves 4

Ingredients

1 lb lean ground turkey (I use a mix of 80/20)
1/3 C parsley chopped
1/4 C sun dried tomato, chopped (I get it packed in oil and to cut down on calories, I rinse the tomatoes off before using a paper towel to blot out the oil. Same great flavor)
1/2 C crumbled feta cheese
1 Tbs garlic powder
1 tsp oregano
1/2 C Panko breadcrumbs
2 eggs
2 Tbs skim milk
Salt and pepper

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees
2. Combine all ingredients together and mix well
3. Line the casserole dish with cooking spray and spread the mixture in it. Bake for 45 minutes until top becomes golden and cheese is melted

So easy and simple to make! Huge flavors from the sun dried tomato and feta and tons of lean good for you protein. I like to use the 80/20 turkey mix because it gives it enough fat to keep it moist, otherwise it is too dry if it it is too lean. I will definitely be making this a weeknight staple in our house!

The race started early Saturday morning (5AM) at Avalon in Catalina. Weather forecast looked great, no rain and cool temps. I felt fearless going into the race even though Avalon turned out to be one of the most challenging 50′s I have done so far-up there with my first 50 experience at Northface. Although the course is not nearly as hard as Northface, I was battling with a groin pull/sports hernia (self diagnosis at it’s best) the entire way. Something that had been nagging at me the past 3 weeks. Something I casually brushed off everyday of every single run. As long as I was still able to run, this injury ceased to exist.  I never gave it any thought because the pain was never noticeable enough to stop me completely from running. The course consists of a 50-mile out and back on scenic fire roads from Avalon to the Isthmus and return. It has approximately 7,000 ft elevation gain.

Unfortunately, I forgot my headlamp back home and had to run the first hour and a half in darkness. It wasn’t mandatory to have a headlamp since you could just latch onto other runners and use their light. However, I found myself running in complete darkness in some sections and taking it easy on the downhills. Luckily, the trail is not technical and has wide open fireroads so running in the dark wasn’t too much of a problem. A quarter of a mile in, we were already gradually climbing up a paved road. The mountains of Catalina stared at us as we climbed this road. I knew it was going to be a rough climb until we got to the top of the mountains. I scrambled up the mountain half power hiking half running. I skipped the first two aid stations in favor of sucking down my own GU’s. I didn’t want to rely on too much “real food” until the halfway point of the race.

Around 8AM (3 hours into the race Mile 16) I knew something was wrong. My pelvis was hurting with every downhill step. I felt sharp stabbing pains like I have never felt before when running. Usually I am the one bombing the downhills and it was really pissing me off that I couldn’t run them as fast as I normally do and people were passing me left and right. Frustrated and cursing to myself, I looked down and saw that my pelvis area was noticeably swollen and protruding, almost like a bloated feeling but not in my stomach. I gave up on pounding the downhills and ran it gingerly, gritting my teeth every step of the way. Even though the pain was still there, it was more of a dull aching pain when I was walking, running uphill or flat. Since I was going so slow, I passed the time tweeting and texting away. Thank God for 3G.

I took it easy, stopping for pictures and trying to enjoy myself out there. I wouldn’t say the course is phenomenal in terms of ever-changing scenery since I prefer technical single track over fireroad, but it provided expansive ocean views the entire way. No complaints.

Sunrise over the horizon

Mile 18 was the first aid station I stopped at to eat some food. I grabbed a couple orange slices and potatoes with salt. We had 8 miles to go until the next aid. Not long after coming out of the aid station, my friend Dan caught up to me and we spent the next 8 miles gabbing away and taking pictures. I tried to keep a positive mood, but the pain was still there. I’m almost positive I would’ve walked most of that section had he not been there to take my mind off the pain. At Mile 26, I was told we had to do a 3 mile out and back before heading back to the previous aid station. I was a bit disappointed in this aid station as they didn’t have much food even though it served as a double aid (mile 26 and 29). The turnaround was uneventful as there was a bunch of highlighters on the floor where each runner had to mark their bib proving they made it that far.

On the way back, I saw my friend Meg who was only a mile behind me and told her she would probably catch up to me soon at the next aid. I prepared myself for the 6 mile climb out of Mile 28 and this is where everything went downhill. Miles 28-34 was my breaking point in the race as evidenced by my tweets.

I wasn’t having just my usual mental meltdowns (which I’m always prepared for in every ultra), but a physical injury that I couldn’t run on any longer. I made the decision during that 6 mile trek up that I would drop out at the next aid, at Mile 34. I no longer cared how I felt and miserably made my way up the hill even though I was getting dizzy and kept swerving off the trail. The downhills were useless as I could barely run them. I resorted to running a couple steps, stopping completely off the trail, muttering obscenities under my breath, and continuing on. During a downhill, I saw another girl was having trouble too and heard her call someone to ask if she should drop out. Apparently she had thrown out her back and was hurting just as badly as I was. I was going to wait for her and tell her that I would drop out with her at the next aid. During this time, I crafted together my drop out speech for the volunteers and thought about how I would get back into our hotel room since I would probably arrive at the finish before my friend who had the key was done. I was shutting it down and calling it quits. Game over.

Half a mile from the aid, my friend Meg caught up to me. I was half disappointed that she had caught up because I knew she wouldn’t let me drop out so easily, but I was also happy to see her because it gave me a glimpse of hope that I could possibly push through it. If anyone could get me moving, it would be her. We got to the aid station and before I could make my final decision, I refueled with some real food for the first time all day. That immediately gave me an energy boost and made me feel better. I heard another runner ask the volunteers if they had any kind of pain killers and to my surprise they did. I asked for a couple and took them immediately and stored some in my Camelbak for later on. I got through my first Northface on pain killers so I knew finishing the course was a possibility.

Feeling better from the food and drugs, I found myself thinking that if I could just get to the next aid at Mile 39, I knew I would see it through to the finish. Also, it didn’t hurt that there was promise of lobsters, beer and buffalo burgers at that station. The next 5 miles flew by fairly fast as we caught up on all the things that had happened earlier on in the race. The drugs were kicking in and it was definitely helping to take the edge off. We met a few runners on the trail and passed time talking to them. Before I knew it, we had made it to the Mile 39 aid station. I was really happy that we pretty much ran the entire stretch, only stopping to hike up really steep hills. We each pulled and pushed each other, not wanting to stop until the other person stopped. Mile 39 aid was the best one yet. Although they had run out of  lobster tails, they had buffalo burgers on the grill, ice cold drinks and an array of treats.

We also got our heads dunked in icy cold water. Best.idea.ever.

Feeling refueled, we charged forward to the next aid 5 miles away. We stuck to our strategy of shuffling the ups and running the downs and flats which proved to work quite well. It definitely made the miles go by faster having someone to talk to and meeting new people along the trail. At the next aid station, Pumphouse at Mile 44 with a 10K to go, we both could see the finish in sight. Nobody was giving up now. We ran along Airport Road again which we were on earlier in the race. It was a long paved road which didn’t feel too good after being on the trail for so long. My feet were aching and swollen, but nothing that I wouldn’t expect this late in a 50. The pain killers were still working and I felt better and better every mile closer we got to the finish.

The last 4 miles were pretty much a downhill ride as we made our way back to the town center, coming around the backside of the mountain. I enjoyed these last few miles as it was mostly shaded and a change of scenery. Just another few miles to go and before I knew it, I was clocking in a 6:33 minute/mile to the finish. My legs felt good once it hit the flat surface and the crowds were waiting the last quarter of a mile stretch. Final time 10:32:59, 12:40 pace. I couldn’t believe I was able to finish this race under the circumstances. I’m not exactly proud that I stuck it out, because it probably only made my injury worse. I run through so many injuries that I have a hard time differentiating between  a “real injury” or “I just feel like crap” moment. I definitely learned my lesson in Avalon that any small nagging injury will only blow up during a long run. These next few months, I’m going to focus on getting 100% healthy and ready for Zion 100. I’m at a crossroad right now with training because on one hand, I’m supposed to be cutting back on mileage to recover, but on the other hand, I have Zion looming ahead of me 4 months away. What’s a girl supposed to do?

The hard earned bling

The race started in Rancho Sierra Vista/Satwiwa National Park in Newbury Park (just west of Thousand Oaks). We got to experience some of the most scenic back country in the Santa Monica Mountains. Since no one could park at the race site, we arrived in this shopping plaza an hour before the race started (8AM) to get shuttled over. Me and my friend Meg were going to just run to the start (1.5 miles away) as a warm-up, but the sight of the warm bus waiting for us was too alluring so we got a ride to the start. The weather forecasted 40-60 mph Santa Ana winds which made for a even more fun trail race. We were hit with a huge tailwind in the beginning of the race and a just as strong headwind the last half mile sprint to the finish. I was warned that this race would be pretty tough with a steady 4 mile climb from miles 6-10.

Well, not so steady from 8-10. We started the race 15 minutes late and though it was windy, the sun was out and I knew I was wearing way too much. I took off my wind breaker 2 miles into the course and stuffed my gloves into the jacket and tied it around my waist. Here in L.A., anything that dips below 70 degrees calls for gloves and a windbreaker. We had a fairly steep downhill on the road for the first mile. I held back on the downhill even though I wanted to run faster but knew I had a tough section ahead. We had some rollers where I was able to shuffle up the climbs at a steady pace without having to stop completely to walk them.  The first major uphill climb was on switchbacks which I loved seeing all the little runners ahead of me climbing up the mountain. It reminded me of climbing Bobcat Trail during Northface 50 in the dark when all you could see was headlamps. When we finally reached Mile 6, we gradually rolled upwards on a beautiful shady single track with wide views of the mountain scape. I was reminded this weekend of why I love trail running so much. Even in a race environment, you are mostly alone for most of the race and all you can do is take in your surroundings.

The 4 mile climb wasn’t as bad as I remembered when I last ran this loop. I was able to run most of it, only stopping to hike up when there was a group in front of me. It helped having a couple people right behind me pushing me along. I kept asking if they wanted to pass but they said that I was keeping the pace for them. Works for me. When we finally reached the top of the hill at Mile 10, I came up behind Michelle Barton, who had won Shadow of the Giants when I ran it last year. There was no way she was racing this course as she would’ve been way in front of me. I scooted past her and bombed the downhill stretch. It felt so good opening up my stride for two straight miles. I chased this one guy pretty much the whole way until the end when he started to slow down. We had one final climb at Mile 12 where a cheering squad was waiting on top of the hill giving runners an energy boost for the final stretch home. The last mile wasn’t as steep going down as it flattened out towards the end with a little uphill before the finish. I crossed in 2:20:01, 10:44 pace and 4th in age group. I felt great throughout the race and was proud that I ran the majority of the climbs. It’s funny how differently I perceived this race because the last time I ran this loop was when I was starting to trail run. So pretty much everything with a remote climb was hard for me and I wasn’t used to running on technical sections.

Overall, had a great time at Xterra with a bunch of friends who also came out to run it. Going to cut back a bit this week on mileage and get ready for Avalon on Saturday!

My goal for 2011 was to scale back on signing up for “junk races”, meaning races I didn’t really care for and only signed up because it was flat/easy or other friends were running it. I also wanted to cut back on the number of road races and focus on trails even if it meant doing less races since the recovery time was longer. With this new found interest in ultrarunning, I came to peace that my times were going to get slower, and I probably wouldn’t be setting many PR’s this year if any. Lastly, I finally started to pay attention to what my body was telling me. I took rest days, multiple, consecutive ones when I felt burned out, injured or plain lazy. I didn’t beat myself over it and try to make up the miles. Coming to peace with this was probably my biggest achievement of 2011, more than setting a 3 hour PR at Mt. Hood 50.

I started the year coming back from my first 50 mile run at Northface in December 2010. Motivated and excited about reaching new distance territory, I began almost immediately looking for my next 50. The first day of January, I signed up for Mt. Hood 50 in Oregon and knew this would be my race of the year. Every race of 2011 was something very special to me, well, besides the Gasparilla Challenge in Tampa, Florida in February. I signed up on a whim, distracted by the amount of bling I could get over the period of 2 days. Needless to say, it was a boring race(s), and the trip to Tampa with Brennan more than made up for this lackluster race. If you like running 4 races on road on the same course, this race is for you.

The Dessert Dash group, whom I met in Vegas a couple months ago, came to L.A. to host a trail half marathon. This was a fun small trail race with a couple friends on the Backbone trail starting from Corral Canyon. I ended up 2nd female (told you it was a small race) with some awesome handmade medals.

In March, I organized completing the entire Backbone trail (68 miles) over the span of a weekend. It had been on my mind for a while to do something like this and it was a fun (sometimes stressful) process planning, executing and celebrating this achievement. We had a great group of runners both days and lots of memories were created that weekend. I ended up only running 26 of the 38 miles on Saturday due to stomach problems and the entire 30 miles the next day on Sunday. It was definitely a challenge coming back the 2nd day on tired legs, but so much fun and cheaper than signing up for a race.

April and May were the long awaited back to back marathons, Boston Marathon and Big Sur Marathon 2 weeks later (part of the Boston to Big Sur Challenge). Qualifying for Boston has always been a goal of mine ever since I started running so finally being able to run the marathon was a big deal to me. It was fun weekend hanging out with friends in a new city and an entertaining course. Not my best time at either of the races, but fun times spent with friends nevertheless. I plan on going back to Boston in 2013 depending on budget, but not a big deal if I don’t ever go back.

Done with road races for a while, I kicked off June with Shadow of the Giants 50K. I loved this race and can’t wait to go back this year. It was scenic, low key and beautiful, everything I wanted in a trail race. No medals, no speeches, no national anthem, just a simple T-shirt, reused bib numbers and a promise of hot food at the end was all we needed.

I also had my first taste of the king of ultras in June, pacing my friend Helen through her first 100 mile finish in San Diego. Crewing and pacing her was a phenomenal journey, one that I am excited to experience myself this year.

Shortly after pacing Helen for San Diego, I took off to Utah for the Ragnar Relay race. It was a scenic course, albeit a couple stressful logistical scenarios, but fun running in a new place and meeting other runners.

July finally came after months of waiting for this day with the promise of a spectacular race around Mt. Hood. And the race lived up to every single one of my expectations. I cut my last 50 mile time by over 3 hours and placed third female overall. I was able to hang out with my in-laws for the weekend who got to see me finish my first race in Oregon and also saw my friend finish his first 50. I felt great after this race, even ran/hiked a little the next day. I will definitely come back one day to do this race again and it makes me even more excited that I will be running Hood 2 Coast this year starting from Mt. Hood. To this day, Mt. Hood is still my favorite race.

In September, I did another Ragnar Relay, this time from San Francisco to Napa with 11 other amazing runners. We were dubbed “Ragnar’s Rapture” and came in the top 10. I had such a blast during this relay that we decided to sign up (and got in this year) for Hood to Coast in August from Mt. Hood to the Coast in Oregon. A guaranteed good time.

September was also a big month because it was my first time traveling to a different state to run, not a race, but our own solo journey on the Wonderland Trail around Mt. Rainier with 3 other crazy friends. This trip took months of logistical planning, booking flight tickets, renting cars and hotel rooms. Words really cannot describe this experience and pictures don’t do justice. Read the post here for all the pictures and video footage. In short, we ran for three consecutive days (Friday-Sunday), averaging 30 miles each day with over 8000 ft elevation gain. Breathtaking views, challenging terrain, amazing company, one too many salami sandwiches and a lifetime of memories, this trip was so special to me because it really pushed me to the limit and made me go beyond what I thought was physically possible.

With Wonderland under my belt, I started to think about the impending Northface 50 Mile Challenge in December again. Signed up for Santa Barbara Marathon on a whim as a training run, followed by Montana de Oro 50K. Really was not expecting anything from Santa Barbara, as I haven’t done much speedwork and have been focusing more on the trails than anything else. Much to my surprise, I ended up setting a new marathon PR (3:29) at Santa Barbara! It was a fun weekend with Brennan celebrating my birthday early with great food and an amazing race to boot. However, Montana de Oro was a whole different story. It was my first DNF (did not finish) and something no runner ever wants to see next to their name. Although the course was beautiful and I was stoked to be running on some different trails, my head wasn’t in the race and I gave up too easily. Hoping to change this attitude in 2012!

Feeling defeated and nervous about Northface, I contemplated dropping to the 50K distance, especially since I was sick going into the race. I decided to suck it up and tough it out, so glad I did because I ended up finishing almost 2 hours faster than last year’s time and feeling much better. Though, I can’t say the same about recovery. It was a rough week after this race and I took a lot of days off to heal my achilles and other sore muscles.  Nevertheless, it was a great way to end the year with many friends who finished their first 50K or 50 mile race.

If I had to sum up Northface in one picture, it would be this

Looking forward 2012

Goals for this year remains somewhat the same as last year. I try to keep my goals fairly manageable, nothing too extreme (ha) as I don’t want to be setting myself up for disappointment.

• Focus on quality races
• Travel/explore more trails
• More adventure running
• Finish my first 100 mile race (maybe 2 if I am optimistic)
• Continue to respect rest days
• Strength train at least 1x/week
• Avoid injury

Races for 2012

1/14/2012    Avalon 50
2/25/2012    Ray miller 50K
2/26/2011    La Jolla 50k
4/7/2012    American River 50
4/20/2012    Ragnar SoCal
4/29/2012    Eugene Marathon
5/11/2012    Zion 100
5/26-28/12    Western States Training camp
6/2/2012    Shadow of the Giants
6/23/2012    Western States 100 pacing
7/21/2011    Tahoe Rim 50M (wait list)
8/18/2012    Waldo 100K
8/24/2012    Hood to Coast
9/15-16/12    Pine to Palm, OR 100 miles (depending on how I feel after Zion)
10/8/2012    Le Grizz 50 Miles, Montana

12/9/12 Honolulu Marathon

Only two road marathons this year, such a different racing calendar than my first two years of running. Looking forward to creating many new memories in 2012!

Old Fashioned Oatmeal Raisin Cookies

Ingredients

• 1 stick of butter
• 1 cup brown sugar
• 1/2 cup turbinado sugar
• 2 eggs
• 1 tsp vanilla
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 1.5 cups all purpose flour
• 1 tsp baking soda
• 1 tsp cinnamon
• 3 cups old fashioned oats
• 1 cup raisins

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C).

2. In a large bowl, cream together the butter, sugar, egg and vanilla until smooth. In a separate bowl, whisk the flour, baking soda, cinnamon and salt together. Stir this into the butter/sugar mixture. Stir in the oats and raisins.

3.The cookies should be two inches apart on a parchment-lined baking sheet. Bake them for 10 to 12 minutes, taking them out when golden at the edges but still a little undercooked-looking on top. Let them sit on the hot baking sheet for five minutes before transferring them to a rack to cool.

“Redefine your limits”

Last year, Northface was my first attempt into this crazy world of “ultra running”. My first 5-0 miler. Little did I know, a year later, I would come back to this exact place and try the course again. I wanted revenge on the course that sucked almost 13 hours of my life away. Redemption at something I should have and could have conquered last year. It’s not like I didn’t finish the race, I ran the last part of the race in misery, slugging my legs through the mud counting the miles until I was done and I vowed to never ever come back again. I guess it was really a ego thing going into this race, wanting to prove to myself that I was as tough as I make myself sound in my head. If I could run 30 miles on tough terrain for 3 consecutive days, Northface has nothing on me…

Truth be told, I was scared shitless going into this race.

Pre-race

I kept reading last year’s race recap the week leading up to this race, asking myself why the hell I was doing this again. Needless to say, I was very hesitant to sign up for this race, but I knew I had to do it again and I wanted to be there to see my friends finish their first 50 miler and 50K’s that weekend. The days leading up to this race, I started to get a cold, the snuffles and sore throat. After the disaster aka Montana de Oro, I was convinced I was going to drop to the 50K distance. However, even with a cold and last year’s experience looming over my head, I didn’t have it in me to drop to the 50K and “wimp out”. I somehow told myself that I could tough it out and was determined to run come race day.

Great swag, as usual

The Race

Miles 1-18

Race morning started off just like last year, 2:30AM wake-up and we were at the shuttles by 4AM. The race started at 5AM in the Marin Headleads in San Francisco. It was a chilly morning, but the weather this year was supposed to be nice and cool with zero rain in the forecast. A total improvement from last year’s balmy, cold and rainy weather. The race started and I must have lined myself up close to the very front. We all had our headlamps on as we took off on a paved road for the first mile. We climbed up the switchbacks in the dark, listening to each others feet hitting the ground and the beeping of watches going off every mile. Just like last year, I loved seeing a flood of headlamps behind me as we were climbing.

It was an incredible sight to see that many dedicated runners on this tough course. I blazed through the first 9 miles at 1:30:49 even though I wasn’t feeling very good and could feel my energy waning. My throat was very sore from breathing through my mouth and my nose was so stuffed up. I contemplated dropping out at the first real aid station at Tennessee Valley, but convinced myself to suck it up and at least go to the 50K mark before dropping out. I slowed down significantly and focused on getting to the next aid at Muir Beach. We climbed 400 ft over the next half mile and before hitting Pirates Cove. I remember standing there last year in total awe staring out into the ocean.

This was a beautiful single track winding high above the Pacific Ocean. There was a killer downhill getting into Muir Beach. Last year I thought to myself that it would really suck if we had to climb back up this exact hill. 30 miles later, we were coming back up the hill in the opposite direction. Note: always study the course map. I knew better this year and prepped myself mentally for the latter half of the race. You know how they say the race starts at Mile 20 in a marathon? Well, in this case, it was from Mile 28-50 when the “real race” started. It was at Muir Beach did my two friends, Jack and Marshall, catch up to me. They looked great and I was still feeling pretty crappy. We hit the paved road for a little bit, “man sandwiched” between 4 boys, before getting into the Redwood Creek Trail to the next aid, Cardiac. This section of the course has a number of turns at the start, but ultimately we enjoyed simultaneous views of San Francisco Bay, and Pacific while running along the edge of Muir Woods.

Mile 18-28

I finally reached Cardiac where we completed 1,500 feet of ascent from the last aid station. I drank a couple cups of Mountain Dew, ate my GU and took off. My strategy this time around was to not mull around at the aid station. I wanted to be as quick and efficient getting in and out of the aid so I relied on eating foods that could be easily digested. I stuck mainly to water, Mountain Dew (best thing ever), salt pills, gels and GU chomps. Though I came through each aid station looking very “salty”, so I probably could have taken in more electrolytes. I rarely ate any “real food”, besides a piece of orange or banana. For some reason, this year none of the food appealed to me. I wanted to eat things that were calorie dense and would give me enough energy without weighing me down. For the first time at Cardiac, I started to feel okay. I felt so welcomed by the volunteers cheering us on and making sure we had enough water in our Camelbaks to last us to the next aid. I loved how much pride they took in manning their aid station. I also bumped into a friend at Cardiac who was bouncing around the aid stations taking pictures for us. This gave me the energy boost I needed to conquer Mt. Tam which was coming up.

Last year, Mt. Tam was the death of me. I hadn’t eating anything all day and the climb up to the top was brutal. I couldn’t believe how much easier it felt this time around. The climb wasn’t even as steep as I remembered and it went by so much faster. The only bad part about the trail was the very narrow single track. I found myself stuck behind a group of runners. At first, I used them to force myself to jog the uphills instead of slowing down to a walk, but after a while, the head person would start walking every uphill. I finally decided to pass up the group and run on my own. I was able to pass a couple people on the uphill, but the runners flying down the other direction made it hard to continually run as we had to step off the trail to allow them to go by. When I started to see familiar faces coming down the trail, I knew I wasn’t too far from the aid station where we would turn around and enjoy the downhill to Stintson Beach. I finally reached the top at Mile 22.8, fueled up and prepared myself for a long downhill ride to the beach. I was actually looking forward to this part because I knew I would be able to make up a lot of time on the downhills and I was feeling better energy/mood wise. We descended 1,900 feet, weaving in and out of the forest to Stintson beach. It was a screaming downhill with lots of hairpin turns, but I was able to pass a lot of runners who were having a hard time with the steepness of the hill.

Mile 28-51.2

There was a big group at Stintson Beach because this is the first time a pacer could jump in. I didn’t feel like dropping out anymore and knew I had less than a marathon to go. Suck it up and get on with it. It also helped that I had a friend waiting for me, ready to jump in and pace me to the finish. I quickly grabbed some Mountain Dew, filled up my Camelbak (I always told the volunteers to fill my Camelbak up to 60% since I knew I wasn’t going to go through a whole 2 liter pack in between the aid stations. This also eliminates having the volunteer guess how much she should fill), took off my long sleeve and hat and continued on with Thomas in tow. It was getting fairly warm out, but I kept the arm warmers in case I was going to be out there until night fell.

Looking like I am about to puke on everyone. Trail running is such a glamorous sport

We hiked/slowly jogged up the classic Dipsea Trail through the moors back to the Cardiac aid station. The miles flew by even though we weren’t going very fast. It was nice to talk to someone and catch up since I hadn’t seen Thomas since Wonderland. Unfortunately, due to the new routing this year, we didn’t climb up the infamous 10 ft ladder like last year.

Instead, we ran through trees and up a long section of the famous Dipsea Trail steps. Yup, the stairs again. I was mentally prepared for a hellish ride on the steps. I knew from last year, the stairs are no joke on this course. They are a relentless set of stairs that keeps on climbing further and further up the trail with no break.

Dipsea #nobueno

We reached Cardiac at Mile 32 and flew down a winding descent followed by a challenging climb before rejoining the Dipsea Trail. Somewhere in between the Cardiac aid station and the next aid, I ran into my friend Matt, who was way ahead of me from the start. It was a nice surprise to see him, although I could tell he wasn’t feeling well. I told him to hook onto us and use us to pull him through the wall he was fighting. This was also the longest stretch in between aid stations and I didn’t realize it would be 6 miles until the next aid. I was so positive after the climb, the aid station would be right on the road, but we kept going on the trail and climbing more and more stairs. By the time I hit the aid station at Old Inn, I was fading fast. We were at Mile 39 and I knew I was on the brink of bonking really hard. Matt pulled ahead and even though we were on the flattest part of the trail, there was nothing left in me. I shuffled along behind Thomas constantly having to stop and just stand still. I was so mad at myself for not running this flat and very runnable section of the course. However, I knew this was a phase that would pass. I just didn’t know how long it would take before I would feel better again. Thomas gave me a little piece of a Honey Stinger cookie even though I didn’t want to eat or drink anything. I reluctantly swallowed the piece and started jogging a little. The faster I get to the aid station, the sooner I can have my Mountain Dew. Sadly enough, soda was a very motivating factor for me throughout the race. I finally reached Muir Beach where we visited earlier on in the day at Mile 42.6. I took some more salt, ate some chomps, drank my Mountain Dew and happily went on my way. We gradually made our way up the hill that we came screeching down earlier, taking in the views of the Golden Gate Bridge through the mountain peaks before descending down Fox Trail.

By this time, my quads were pretty shot and any attempt at downhill running was futile. I ran very carefully down the hills as every pounding step brought a sharp pain to both my quads. I was yo-yoing between a couple girls during this last stretch, catching up to them on the downhills and getting passed on the uphills.

We reached the second to last aid station at Tennessee where I saw Matt again just as he was about to leave. I had 5 more miles to go until the finish with a 2 mile uphill ascent of almost 700 ft. It was brutal to be climbing so late in the course, but I was expecting this last climb. I ran what I could and hiked the rest. Thomas wanted to get me running a little on the uphills just to break up our movement of constantly hiking. As much as I didn’t want to move any faster, attempting to jog a little up the hill did feel better even if it was only for a few seconds. We saw views of Sausilito and the boats docked in the harbor. At the final aid station, Alta, I knew I had made it. The race was practically over for me. It would be a 3 mile downhill to the finish and I was ready to put this race in the bag. We picked up the speed on the downhills and cruised even though my quads were jelly. It was so nice to run this section in daylight. There was even a photographer out there snapping pics the final stretch! Last year, this last part felt so long because we were running with one headlamp when it was already pitch black. Soon enough, we reached the bottom of the hill and started running on the grassy trail which we had run on 10 hours ago. The finish line was so close and I was frantically looking at my watch wondering if I could possibly break 11 hours. Once my feet hit the paved road, I started to pick up speed. My legs didn’t feel like it had 50 miles on them. As the finish line drew nearer and the sounds of the announcer and people cheering became louder, I gave it all I had and surged through the finish in 10:50:27. I couldn’t believe not only had I beat last year’s time by almost 2 hours, but I had come in under 11 hours and felt great. Crossing the finish line felt just as sweet as finishing my first 50 last year. It really is amazing what your body can do once you set your mind to it.

However, I shortly collapsed after this picture was taken

I really couldn’t have asked for a better race. I wanted to drop out at Mile 10, then Mile 30, but kept at it determined to not let my nerves get the best of me. I had to stop making excuses for myself if I wanted to finish. At times, it was really hard for me to dig myself out of the slump, but knowing that I will feel better eventually gave me hope to fight the wall and continue. I am really glad I came back this year to redeem myself. I came and gave it everything I had left in me and I left knowing I ran the best that I could.

The group at the finish. We each fought our own battles and won. So proud.

Overall stats:

4/12 in age group

27/80 in females

10,059 elevation gain

51.2 miles

These were consumed shortly after.

Here’s a great video of the front runners on this beautiful, yet challenging course

Northface 50 post to come…

Also, lots of websites are now offering great deals and free shipping so shop early to make sure it arrives in time for Christmas!

1. Allied Medal Display-Instead of stuffing all your medal in a shoebox like me, display them on a wall hanger! Lots of displays to choose from, the below is the one I have hanging on my wall at home.

2. Compression Socks-Might seem like a weird gift to give socks, but I am obsessed with my compression socks. They help so much after long runs or even just wearing around the house.

3. Moeben arm warmers-I listed this as one of my running essentials before and it’s the perfect stocking stuffer especially during the winter months. I love that there are so many designs to choose from

4. Dirty Girl Gaiters-Every trail runner needs a good and fashionable pair of gaiters

5. Race photos from their previous races

6. Race entries

6. Subscription to running magazines-Runners World, Trail Runner, Ultra Running

7. Massage-check deal sites like Living Social, Bloomspot or Groupon for great massage deals

8. iTunes gift card

Any other gift ideas?

P.S. Amazon is offering a great deal on the Garmin 405 GPS watch for $149 instead of $369. Check it out here.

The race was on Sunday morning so we drove up Saturday afternoon and stayed at this cute bed and breakfast place. Too bad we never made it to the breakfast part since we had to leave early in the morning.

Me and three other friends were checking the weather forecast religiously throughout the week. One day it would be 20% chance rain, the next day it would be 90%. We didn’t know what to believe until we got to Los Osos. We all came prepared for the rain with wind breakers, arm warmers, gloves and tights. Rain or not, it would be a chilly day. I’ve never been on the trails at Montana de Oro so I was pretty excited to check out some new scenery.

It dumped throughout the night and even woke us up at 3 in the morning since the rain was so loud. When we actually got up in the morning, the rain had stopped and it looked like it would be a clear day. We headed to the State Park for check-in and to pick up our bibs. Actually surprised to see other crazy runners out there braving the weather. Love low key races. We huddled together while the race director made some announcements about the course. All I had to remember was the follow the Orange flags then the Pink. The 50K was the 25K course times 2. The 25K course was a figure eight so after the first 7 miles to Valencia Peak we would end up back at the Start/Finish line where the one and only aid station was. We would then go out on another trail for a 4 mile out and back on Hazard Peak. And then repeat the entire course again. The elevation on the 50K was close to 6,000 ft gain which is quite a lot for a 50K race. However, I knew going into this that the elevation would be perfect training for Northface which is a little over 10,000 over 50 miles. I was ready for my last long run and go into hibernation until Northface.

Cloudy before the rain

Right when we took off, the rain started coming in. It wasn’t so bad, light rain, no big deal. We started out on a coastal trail that hugged the rugged cliffs. It was beautiful to listen to the huge waves crashing up against the side of the cliff and running right alongside. The first 3 miles were relatively “flat” and we were cruising. Once we hit 3 miles, we started the gradual climb up to Valencia Peak. This would be a tough climb to the top  at 1,347-foot. I took it slow, hiking a lot of it and watching all the little runners on the switchbacks. Would have been really nice if it wasn’t rainy because I couldn’t see that far out. Most of the course was on single track, making it difficult when runners are doing an out and back. It actually started hailing on the way to the top. When we hit an exposed area on the mountain, the wind was pretty gusty. Surprised no one blew off the course. The rocks were also very slippery, I wouldn’t have known it was a trail unless it was marked. The trail consisted of many loose rocks, not a dirt path. I got pretty nervous going up the mountain because of all the mud, rain and slippery rocks. I was feeling pretty miserable at this point. Being such a small race, there aren’t that many people around you. There were barely anyone signed up for the 50K so you were alone most of the time. Once I got up to the top, we had to grab a rubber band to prove that we made it before we turned around. Going down was worse than going up, I found myself grabbing onto any branches or plants I could to balance myself down the hill. There was no way I was going to attempt running down the slippery rocks. With my track record for falls, I could see myself doing a face plant and sliding off the mountain. By the time I reached the bottom, the mud had gotten so bad it was almost like running through a small stream. There was no way of avoiding the mud and water since the trail was so narrow. Shoes heavy full of mud and water, I trudged along often thinking I was on the wrong trail since I didn’t see a single person. I finally made it out of the trail and back to the aid station. I almost wanted to drop there only 7 miles in, but knew I could do another 9.5 miles on the Hazard Peak trail. And since my friends were running the 25K and 50K, I would be waiting a while if I dropped out then.

A whole pumpkin pie at the aid station!

Clear blue skies...before it started pouring again

Turned out to be a beautiful day right when I finished

I left the aid station feeling pretty defeated and hooked onto a runner who was also using this as a training run for the Northface 50. I could tell he was struggling on the ups so our conversation was cut short when I pulled ahead. The 4 miles out and back wasn’t as steep as climbing to Valencia Peak, but it was a gradual climb that I had to walk part of it. A mile and a half from the turn around, I ran into my friend who I also carpooled with. I told him I was going to drop after this loop and he asked if I wanted to turn around right now and go down with him. It sounded tempting, but I knew I wasn’t so far from the turn around. I wanted to grab that last rubberband dammit. Unfortunately, I probably should have turned around with him because I was further from the turn around point than I thought. We had a nice little downhill before it flattened out. This part was really scenic as we ran through forested areas and into open grasslands. Would be a beautiful place just to hike around someday. I finally made it to the turn around and headed back to the Start. I started counting the number of people who were behind me and only counted 5! I rode the downhill as much as I could on the way back, but still energy wise I was feeling miserable. I don’t know what it was, the weather had a big part to do with it, but also my mind wasn’t in the race. Some days you have it and some days you don’t. That day just wasn’t my race to run. Since I ended up running the 25K course, the race director was kind enough to drop me to that category and I actually ended up placing first in age group with a time of 3:30:38. It was bittersweet getting the medal because I knew it was really a DNF in the 50K. I am disappointed I didn’t just suck it up, but maybe it was too much too soon after Santa Barbara.

Legs (not mine) after a day in the mud

I am nervous about Northface now, as that was suppose to be my training run leading up to the race. I am contemplating dropping down to the 50K even though I am way more prepared this year than I was last year for the 50 Miles. I honestly don’t know how I finished that race with the little amount of training I put into it and lack of proper fueling on the trail. I know this time will be different, and I so desperately want revenge on that course (come in under 12 hours) and be able to actually enjoy the second half of the race. I just don’t know if I have the “mental strength” in me to power through it again. I am not giving up on ultra running, but I have lost the spark and love I once had for spending countless hours on the trails. I really need a mental break so I can focus on completing my first 100 next year.

Since I didn’t take this race very seriously…pre-race meal consisted of lots of awesome Mexican food at Los Agaves (best Mexican restaurant in town!). Enter enchiladas, rice, beans, lots of chips & salsa, tortilla and even after that massive feast, we went for ice-cream! Carbo-loading at it’s finest. A good sugar rush never hurt the night before…

mmm enchiladas

Clearly we hated our food

Dairy before a race? Sure why not

Since B came up with me for this short trip, he was able to drop me off right at the start line without me having to go to the finish and get a shuttle to the start. I arrived 20 minutes before the race started and met up with the 3:30 group. I knew 3:30 was way too fast, but they only had a 3 hour, 3:30 and 4 hour group. The pacer told us that he was going to take the first couple miles at a slow pace so we could warm up. I figured I could start off slow with them and then drop back to my own comfortable pace. It had rained the night before really hard but turned out to be a beautiful cool and cloudy day on Saturday. Great conditions=great running. The crowd was smaller than I expected, but I also appreciated the intimacy of smaller races.

We clocked a 8:20 for our first mile, some “warm-up”. Although it didn’t feel too fast and I wasn’t keeping track of my splits just yet, I kept my eyes focused on the pacer and made sure to never let him out of sight. It can get stressful in a pace group, especially when you’re not feeling it. But running in a tight group can also help push you along when you feel like slowing down. It also takes the guess work out of running even splits when all you have to do is follow the pacer. I tend to go out too fast or too slow and my splits are always all over the place when I start off by myself. We gradually made our way to a 7:55 pace around Mile 3 when the pacer told us to dial it in because this would be our pace for the rest of the race. He told us that the first half was easier so if we felt good, to not pull away until the halfway point. We had a pretty good size group starting and I had my eyes on this one girl who looked pretty strong. She ran ahead of the pacer most of the time, but didn’t stray far. Around Mile 8 I unintentionally broke away from the group during a downhill. I knew my strength was on the downhills so ran them a bit quicker. The group never caught up and I thought I had a good lead on the group. Apparently they were right behind me until Mile 13 (my friend stayed with the group until he saw me surge ahead and lost sight of me).

I was feeling pretty good for cranking out sub 8 minute miles on the hills and was just waiting for the wall to hit where I knew this pace would be unattainable for much longer. I took my GUs at Mile 7, 14 and 21 along with water at each aid station. Most of the course is run through neighborhoods and this really scenic bike path. We actually didn’t see the ocean until the last 2 miles of the course. I was stoked when we hit the bike path because it was almost like being on the trails with tons of trees, wooden bridge crossings and a dirt path running parallel to the bike path. I decided to push it a little more since I was feeling good and the bike path was relatively flat. The path lasted for 4-5 miles which was a pleasant surprise since I thought it would just be a short jaunt. I had my eyes on this one girl for a couple miles and as the miles went on, I could feel myself reeling her in. I couldn’t tell if that was because my pace was picking up or she was slowing down.

When I finally did catch up to her, I was so surprised because she seemed so far away at one point. I knew there would be an infamous hill at Mile 23 and right when I saw the sign for “Cliff Drive”, I knew this was it. It was a gradual hill at first, nothing too bad, but then it became a fairly steep incline for half a mile. The hill wasn’t too bad, but it just came during such a late point in the race. I ran the best I could up the hill, keeping my head down and pumping my arms. I knew once I got to the top of the hill, I would see the ocean and it would be a downhill ride from there. I was so relieved when I reached the top, but I knew my pace had dropped significantly on the hill. My legs were feeling tired and I didn’t know if I could keep up the pace anymore. I considered dropping back a little, but then the 3:30 pacer caught up to me. He had no one left in his group besides this one girl that I had passed a mile ago. I was really surprised to see him because I thought I was way ahead of the group. It wasn’t until then did I realize how close I would be cutting it to the 3:30 goal. The last 2 miles were the hardest miles ever. I didn’t want to give up and let them pass so I stayed with them, constantly pushing forward. The girl and I were both a total disaster, screaming, moaning and groaning in pain. We kept pushing each other that we could do it and that we were close. We were running a 7:30 pace the last 2 miles and they felt so hard. The pacer told us to keep it together and breath deeply because it sounded like we were hyperventilating and about to pass out. I know something in me has changed from when I ran this race and my last road marathon at Big Sur. All that endurance training really paid off these last 2 miles. I was able to withhold the pain and push faster and faster even though I felt like I would pass out any second. The finish line felt so far but the pacer said we would just round a corner and finish on the track. Once my legs hit the track and the finish line was in sight, I pushed it. The girl surged in front of me and the pacer yelled at me to GO. I gave it everything I had and clocked in at 3:29:27.

Utterly spent, I collapsed onto the track. I had never raced so hard in my life and I couldn’t believe that not only did I come in under 4 hours, but I had PR’ed by 7 minutes. I haven’t PR’ed in a road marathon in so long I almost forgot how it felt. I had no expectations going into this race. I just told myself that I would do my best out there and give it everything I had. I knew in order to do well, it would hurt and it did. Honestly the pace I was going at for 24 miles felt relatively “comfortable” which was surprising. It was only the last 2 miles where I felt like I couldn’t go any faster. I guess all those long runs on the trails and track workouts have paid off. This weekend proved that endurance builds speed. I had no idea I had it in me to run a 7:59 pace for 26.2 miles, but damn it felt good to know that I still had some speed left in me even after all the trail work.

The funny thing is, I didn’t even think about Boston until after I had crossed the finish line. It was a completely different feeling than at Disney where qualifying for Boston was the only thing on my mind from Miles 1-26. Boston was more like an afterthought this time around. I will probably run it again in 2013, but it is not a big deal if I don’t do it again. I have my eyes set on completing a 100 mile race next year and that’s what I really want to focus on. My overall place was 10th women and 3rd in age group. Not too shabby for someone who barely runs on the road. I have a 50K this weekend in Montana De Oro, another “training” run for Northface. Clearly, I am scared shitless for this race even though I did it last year. My goal is to come in under 12 hours and not want to kill myself the last half of the race. I know I am way more trained than I was last year, so hopefully the experience will be more memorable this time around.