A year in review

Wow, what an amazing year. The highlights:

• 5 marathons including my first triple marathon (plus 1 DNF)
• 5 50K trail races
• 1 50 mi race (plus 1 DNF at 40 miles)
• Double crossing of the Grand Canyon, AZ
• 2282 miles - now that's a lot of shoes!

Thanks to my husband, boys, family and friends, 2008 was an amazing year for me. I am blessed to have their support which has helped me grow both as a runner and person. Now I'm ready for bigger and better challenges in 2009, starting with The Coastal Challenge in just 4 short weeks!

1st 50-miler!

The Big Cat 12-Hr Challenge 2008.... 25 times around a 2-mile loop in Huntington Beach Central Park with several of my Trail Headz friends. 50 miles somewhat leisurely finished in 9:36 but still, I finished! Not the most exciting of courses with a mix of grass, dirt and asphalt. Excitement at this race comes in the form of dodging the frisbee golfers and ducks that wander across the path. But well supported and well organized. RD Bob English and members of The Big Cat Race Team put on a fun race and their smiling faces and words of encouragement made the loops seem to fly by (well, kinda....). Maya, Shelli, Beiyi and I all ran our first 50-miler, Kristen ran 50K. Good day for The Coastal Cuties.

Shelli leads the pack.




Alexa, Rachael, Troy, Shelli, LT

Fun in the snow!

Beiyi and I just had to check out the snow from this week's storms so we headed to Holy Jim. Our plan was to run up Holy Jim to Main Divide, up to Santiago Peak and back. The streams were flowing fast and furious so crossing them was challenging and wet. Even more challenging were the numerous fallen trees along the trail, much different than last week at Twin Peaks but great training for The Coastal Challenge. Under, over, around - we found a way to navigate every obstacle.

As we climbed higher, the snow got deeper and the obstacles more challenging but it was so much FUN! Along the way we met hikers and crazy, crazy mountain bikers (just imagine having to carry your bike under, over and around the obstacles), all having fun too - snow at 1500ft is not something we see every winter in So. Cal.!

DNF

Sad to report that I DNF'd my first attempt at 50 miles. Not beaten by the distance, instead by Mother Nature.

The Coastal Cuties had planned this race to be our last long one before The Coastal Challenge. Maya signed up for the 50K; Kristen, Beiyi, Shelli and I signed up for the 50 miler. Kristen decided to drop due to a recurring heel injury and volunteered to be my finish line support. Shelli and I were assigned a start time one hour later than Beiyi so we were hoping to catch her at some point. However, Shelli started the race not feeling good and decided to drop to 50K. I decided to catch Beiyi as I didn't want to run alone in the dark on the way back down to the finish line.

The course: Up Indian Truck Trail. Main Divide, down West Horsethief. Up Holy Jim to Main Divide and up to Santiago Peak. Down Upper Holy Jim to Holy Jim, up West Horsethief to Main Divide and climb to Santiago Peak. Down Upper Holy Jim to Indian Truck Trail to the finish.

Right from the get go we were wet; low clouds and fog made it cold and slippery in places. I felt great despite being so wet and had pretty much dried out by the time I reached Holy Jim the first time. The climb to Santiago Peak was tough but bearable, spooky in the fog. I caught up with a small group and followed them back to Holy Jim for the second time. My buddy Troy was crewing for me at Holy Jim and made sure I downed an Ensure and had something to eat before setting out again. I still felt great. I caught Beiyi on the way up to Trabuco Peak but it was clear she was feeling the cold too. I was determined to get to the top of Santiago Peak. Then the storm hit. Gusts of wind that almost knocked me to the ground, driving icy rain, poor visibility. I just put one foot in front of the other and kept moving.

By the time I got to Santiago Peak, I was soaked to the skin. Shorts, shirt, half-zip, windbreaker and emergency poncho just weren't doing it. It was dark, foggy, sleeting and windy. 30 deg plus wind chill. Corrinne and hubby Bob were waiting at the top and I made the decision to drop. Not because I was tired or in pain (I had lots of energy, was moving quickly and was pain free), just personal safety. I had allowed myself to get too cold. Disappointing but the smart thing to do.

Corrinne and Bob drove me to the finish line where Kristen fired up her camping stove and made hot chocolate to thaw me out and Shelli showed up with gluten-free risotto so I had something warm to eat. Bless them! And bless everyone who volunteered in those atrocious conditions. Without them, the race would have been a disaster for more runners.

Make Room for Santa

My sons (ages 7 and 5) are signed up for the Make Room for Santa Kids 1K Run on Sunday. It's only their 2nd kids' race. I was explaining to my little one what is going to happen. He told me he is worried about the race because he hasn't trained. Bless him! And note to self - write training plan because this kid has an interest in running!

1 week to go.....

Just one week to go until my first 50-miler. Now I'm getting nervous. Looking at the course profile I'm thinking "why on earth did I sign up for a race with 12500 ft of climb as my first 50-mile race?". Crazy.

Notoriety

So, I'm parked at a trail head, standing at the back of my car putting on my gaiters. A few spaces down, I notice two Moms getting little ones into their jogging strollers, getting ready for a walk. They're ready before me and as they pass my car I hear one Mom say "That's the Crazy Lady!". "What Crazy Lady?" asks the other Mom. "You know, the one that thinks it's fun to run across the Grand Canyon and back in one day" is the answer. Makes me smile....

After my run, I stop at the Post Office to mail packages to my family in England. A voice behind me asks "What are those things over your shoes?". I explain they're gaiters and why I wear them. She says "I recognize them from the newspaper article. I thought they were just so that people could see you on the trails".

My gaiters are recognizable, I am not. Hmmm.....

Mountain Runners....

That's the comment made by a hiker as Beiyi ran by on the trail today. Makes us sound like some kind of fierce, mountain-dwelling types! Beiyi, Maya, Kristen and I joined Lorraine Gersitz and Marisa Willment on a fun run in the San Gabriel Mountains.

We started at Chantry Flat (mile 75 of AC100) and climbed to Mt. Wilson via Upper Winter Creek Trail and Manzanita Trail.


Here I am on the trail, climbing up, up, up...








At the top of Mt. Wilson










Gorgeous views from the trail. See the snow on Mt. Baldy!








Then descend to Sturtevant Camp via Rim Trail (gnarly!) and Gabrielino Trail. Brief stop to fill water bottles and then down to Big Santa Anita Canyon via Gabrielino Trail. Finally a short hike up the paved road back to Chantry Flat. 17.5 miles of fun! What a great way to spend a Saturday!

Santa Monica Mountains Trail 50K

The Coastal Cuties had planned a fun weekend running; an easy 18-20 mile run on the sand at Huntington Beach, a relaxing afternoon by the pool at our hotel in Oxnard and then the Santa Monica Mountains Trail 50K on Sunday. Sometimes even the best made plans go awry; Maya (for once!) heeded Doctor's advice and decided not to chance further injuring her ankle by running on uneven terrain and Shelli was sick. So Kristen, Beiyi and I ran the Back Bay loop and then drove up to Oxnard where we spent the afternoon eating, shopping and then met up with Lorraine for dinner.

I'm fairly new to trail running but this was the best organized race I've entered: trails clearly marked, color of ribbons depended on distance, well-stocked and staffed aid stations, hot food and drink at the finish. Maybe it was because there were only 2 aid stations due to the "loop" course or maybe it was because the RD's are just good at this. Orange loop (La Jolla Canyon), pink loop (Sycamore Canyon), orange again, yellow loop (Ray Miller Trail) with downhill finish for total elevation gain of 5490 ft.

The only part of the course I really hated was a flat section on narrow single track through tall grass. I became convinced a mountain lion was going to jump me. Crazy really but I just couldn't get my legs to move. The only part of the race I hated was seeing the winner finish in 4:10 when I had another 3 hours to go!

Here I am still smiling as I head back up Ray Miller Trail (Backbone) for the final 5.3 miles. Finish time 7:19:41

Devastation

Chino Hills State Park. No words needed.

Fame and Fortune....

On Sunday, 4 of the Coastal Cuties (as we now seem to be known), got together for a run in the hills of San Clemente and pre-run interview and photo shoot by Fred Swegles and Paul Bersebach of the OC Register. I had originally contacted Fred with the idea of him writing an article about the girls training for TCC, an advance story to get much needed publicity for the race. As we chatted via email over the course of several weeks, he became intrigued by how we were training for the race, in particular the Tahoe Triple Marathon and Grand Canyon R2R2R. Lorraine was kind enough to allow him to see the photographs she took of the Grand Canyon adventure and Fred was hooked. Unfortunately Shelli couldn't be with us but you can read the article at
http://www.ocregister.com/articles/kadell-says-rim-2231886-run-canyon

Nicely written and certainly lighter reading than the horrific tales of neighborhoods ravaged by fire in So. Cal over the weekend. My heart goes out to everyone affected by this latest round of destruction and devastation.

Next up, the 5 of us will attempt the Santa Monica Mountains Trail 50K on 11/23.

"California's Toughest Marathon"

After 8 days of no running due to a bad case of flu followed by a sinus infection (!), I decided "what the hell" and ran the Saddleback Marathon. OC Register columnist David Whiting wrote about his experience in 2007 http://www.ocregister.com/sports/race-mile-trail-1922664-few-marathon. Here's my take.


The race starts at Blue Jay campgrounds and includes some of my favorite local trails in the Cleveland National Forest. This was the first race that all 5 team members of "Coastal Cuties" (the name coined by the Trail Headz) have been present at. Race Director Baz was in fine form, throwing insults to everyone and anyone as he explained what was to come. We were off, first on pavement, then on trails. Now these are not the easiest of trails and there's always rocks and roots waiting to catch you unawares and trip you. That's what makes it fun! Uphill start, down Trabuco, then up, up, up Holy Jim. Winding along on Main Divide and finally a welcome downhill finish. Maya screamed ahead as usual (she is so fast these days!), Shelli and I stuck together and Beiyi and Kristen were right with us. I found I could run the downhills reasonably comfortably but coughed all the way up. About 10 miles I began to think I maybe, just maybe, should have volunteered at an aid station rather than run. But, I don't believe in quitting unless you really can't go another step so I finished the race. Shelli (bless her) stuck with me the whole way, Beiyi finished ahead of us a full 2 hours faster than last year! And Croc Lady Lorraine had an amazing race too. Note the "Coastal Cuties" post-race shoe of choice....

Post-race analysis of GPS data by iDad Doug, and subsequent animated discussion by group techno geeks, showed recorded elevation readings for ascent and descent totals to be wildly inaccurate, with a spread of several thousand feet. I'm going to leave it to the Trail Headz mathematicians to figure out whether or not Baz's claim of 5100 ft of elevation gain is accurate or not. Until next year....

Picture this!

On Thursday, I dragged my butt out of bed at 4:15 a.m. to join Trail Headz at El Moro for a pre-dawn run. This is something that doesn't usually happen on weekdays as hubby leaves for work too early but the planets were aligned and he was planning to leave later than usual. I jumped at the chance to run with the group. So at 5:30 a.m. we were all gathered at Ridge Park entrance, flashlights in hand, headlamps on. It was a beautiful morning for a 10-mile run and I got to see the sunrise. Feeling good, I decided to stop off on my way home to get blood drawn for my impending annual physical. There I am sitting in the waiting room when I realize that other people are entering, taking one look at me and moving as far away as possible. My legs are dirty from being out on the trails and I'm a little stinky but I can't imagine what the problem is. Then I reach up to scratch my head and bingo! I still have my headlamp on!

So, anyone out there reading this that saw me and moved away - yes, I'm the lady sitting in the Quest Diagnostics waiting room in broad daylight with the headlamp on but no, I'm not crazy.... merely a trail runner.

"DO NOT attempt to hike from the canyon rim to the river and back in one day"

No, we RAN from the canyon rim to the river to the other rim and back again... in LESS than ONE day!






The adventure was organized by fellow Trail Headz Lorraine Gersitz. Here's the gang:
* Double crossers: Shelli, me, Trail Headz Marisa Willment, John Rosmus, Eric Clifton (sporting his colorful JesterWear), Marty, Nils and Steve from Georgia.
* Lorraine, Trail Headz Robbi Woolard and son Nick, Janice Anderson from Georgia, and Old Goats Steve and Annie Harvey all ran routes up to 30 miles.












Headlamps on, flashlights in hand we set off just after 6:00 a.m. from the South Kaibab trailhead near Yaki Point (7260 ft).

About 5 minutes into the descent, off came the first of the layers. As the sun started to rise above the canyon, it started to get warm.


Here we are at Skeleton Point just after daybreak, still smiling.








Then came the steps. I never realized just how many steps there were leading down, down, down....

and across the Colorado River suspension bridge into Phantom Ranch (2546 ft).



Shelli and me taking a well-deserved break at Phantom Ranch before heading up North Kaibab (Roaring Springs) Trail towards Cottonwood (4065 ft).





At Cottonwood campground with Lorraine.

From Cottonwood we climbed up to Roaring Springs Junction (5200 ft), Redwall Bridge (6062 ft), Supai Tunnel (6840 ft) and up to the North Rim at the North Kaibab trailhead (8255 ft). Spectacular views all the way. Creek crossings, waterfalls, desert plants, lush green foliage, wide flat trails, steps, steep dropoffs - you name, it's there to experience.
































And finally, we made the North Rim just before 2:00 p.m....

where we bummed water from the rangers working at the trailhead (did I mention there's no water from Roaring Springs to the North Rim in October), changed our shirts, ate a little, rested a little and headed back down the trail.


Unfortunately, we got back to Phantom Ranch after our cutoff of 5:00 p.m. By this time, Shelli and I would both have killed for some of the delicious smelling vegetarian chili the campers were eating but none was forthcoming. We had to make do with yet another meal of trail mix, gu and energy drinks, eaten in the dark by the light of our headlamps.

Tired, hungry and sick from all the sugary energy products we'd consumed all day, we had to make the call whether to spend the night at Phantom Ranch and hike back out the next day or just go for it. After a phone call to my (very worried) hubby and boys, I decided I wanted out of the canyon. Off we set on Bright Angel Trail in the pitch black, stumbling along looking for signposts.

The trail parallels the Colorado River for about 2 miles and then starts the steep ascent to the rim. Again, those darn steps. They rise like Mt Everest out of the dark and require enormous amounts of energy to climb (or maybe I was just exhausted by this point?). Up the steps, over streams, through Indian Gardens (which I'm sure is pretty in the daylight) to the 3 mile Rest House.


Shelli lay down on the bench in the shelter for a well-deserved nap while I paced nervously imagining every kind of beastie lurking in the shadows. Shelli would happily have spent the night there wrapped in her emergency blanket; I saw the marks on the bear box and decided we WERE getting out of the canyon THAT night. So off we set again, one step at a time.

It took 5 hours for us to make that 9.5 mile hike from Phantom Ranch. I saw the lights of the buildings at the rim, then a signpost and I jumped up and down like a child. I was SO happy to have made it. A quick call to hubby (to avoid the cost of a Search and Resue operation), a note left for Lorraine (so she wouldn't worry) and Shelli and I crashed for a couple of hours in the back of Shelli's truck. Too exhausted to move, too sore to sleep but at least we weren't climbing those darn steps anymore. Back to the hotel to get cleaned up and breakfast!

What an amazing experience! A weekend of experiences: a night sleeping in the back of Shelli's truck at a Flying J, my longest run ever both in terms of distance (45 miles) and time (18 hours), sharing the adventure with ultrarunning legends, making new friends, sore legs, blistered feet, total exhaustion, incredulous comments of "you did WHAT!". Would I do it again? Probably.... but no time soon!

See more photos at http://grandcanyonr2r2roct08.snapfish.com/snapfish

Recovery

Back from Lake Tahoe and life goes on. Back to my world of homework, karate/soccer practice, volunteering in the classroom, housework, cooking, working part-time at Fleet Feet Sports Laguna Niguel..... and squeezing in runs whenever possible. Non-runners often ask me how I'm training for TCC and my answer is that whenever I have an hour to spare, I go for a run: I ride my bike on the bike trainer while the boys do homework or play: I squeeze in a few laps in the community pool. Long runs happen at the weekend. Yes, it frustrates me sometimes that I can't train as hard as I'd like (or think I ought to) but hey, I quit Corporate America to be a wife and raise my boys and this is how it is. Family first. Good job I am blessed with an understanding husband....

Next up - Grand Canyon Rim-to-Rim-to-Rim.

Maniac #1103

"At last you have found refuge, a place you can call home, where the Insane can feel Sane again and once again be treated like a normal human being".

It's official - I am now a member of the Marathon Maniacs! That's the reward for running 3 marathons in 3 days. Cool!! Look for our bright yellow singlets at races or check us out at http://www.marathonmaniacs.com/

Run when you can....

As Dean Karnazes puts it " run when you can, walk if you have to, crawl if you must; just never give up....". What great advice and boy, was it true of the Tahoe Triple Marathon!

Kristen, Maya, Henry (Maya's husband and our crew for the weekend) and I flew out to Reno on Thursday morning. We stopped off to buy supplies in Reno before hitting the road to South Lake Tahoe. On the way, we drove through Carson City, NV state capital, a town I spent much time in during my former life in Corporate America. Not much has changed, life seems to go on.

The pre-race meeting and carbo-load dinner was at Horizon Casino Resort on Thursday evening. The guest speaker was running legend Dick Beardsley whose amusing tales had everyone nice and relaxed. Feeling good so early to bed, early to rise.

Day 1 Emerald Bay to Spooner Lake

I woke Friday morning with a pounding headache and stomach cramps. Nerves I thought as I headed for the shuttle to the start line at Emerald Bay. Boy, was it cold at Inspiration Point (for a So CA girl that is)! Magnificent views of the lake though.












time for a couple of group photos and the gun went off with a bang. A VERY LOUD bang.... it was a shotgun! Scared me half to death.

Downhill for 3 miles, flat(ish) for 19 miles, then a long, long hill climb to the finish area near Spooner Lake. Miserable. Hot. Pavement pounding, braving oncoming traffic. How I hated that hill. How I hated the race. Thoughts that crossed my mind: "Why can't the semis just pull over a little so I don't get blown into the guardrail?" "Whose bright idea was it to enter anyway?" Did I say miserable?

I should add that my headache grew and grew through the race so that every step was like a hammer pounding away and the minor gastric discomfort I had been experiencing the previous day became a major deal. The problem with running a race with "limited aid" is that there are no porta-potties or aid stations every couple of miles, you have to carry everything you might need or hope that your crew is at the agreed-upon place at the time you manage to crawl there. Hats off to Henry for the awesome job he did supporting 3 runners. Hats off to the other "triplers" for their camaraderie and support. Whether we finished strong or crawled across the line, we were made to feel like we had just won the race.














Day 2 Spooner Lake to Commons Beach

Same drill, up early and onto the shuttle bus to the start line (yesterday's finish area). Not so cold today, no pounding headache, and surprisingly, no aches and pains. My strategy today was to fuel better; drink more often and try to get (and keep) calories in. Henry had his instructions and again did a splendid job of crewing (how he remembered what all 3 of us wanted when is beyond me!). We had been warned that today's course was the easiest physically but toughest mentally. True enough. Gentle 13-mile downhill to Incline Village with plenty of opportunity to view the magnificent lakefront properties, then rolling 13-miles with one big hill and slight downhill into the finish area by Commons Beach, Tahoe City. A fleeting glimpse of a bear crossing the road ahead of me. Day 2 was also bike race day so at times it was a little unerving to see a flock of brightly-colored riders swooping down the hill towards me. How come they got to ride down the hill when I had to run up it? Had the race organizers never heard of mechanical advantage? You know you're tired when even your favorite playlist on your iPod irritates you.













Day 3 Commons Beach to Pope Beach (Lake Tahoe Marathon)

By now we had the "up early, off to shuttle bus" drill perfected. Didn't even have to think about it. Get there just in time to get in line for the potties, drop our bags and bang went the starting gun. Today we joined the regular Marathoners. You know, the folks who run one marathon in a weekend, not the crazies who think running three is fun.

Mostly flat first half with a couple of moderate hill climbs and beautiful lake views. The Half Marathoners, 72-mile Ultramarathoners and Super Triplers joined us for the "Hill from Hell" at mile 15. Roughly 500' elevation change over 1.6 miles, not steep compared to what we face in ultras but boy, did it feel like climbing Mt. Everest! The race organizers tried to make the experience more enjoyable with signs like "Purgatory ahead", "Heaven 100ft" and it worked. I got a chuckle out of the signs. The volunteers were amazing. There was even a bagpiper towards the top of the hill, urging everyone on! Downhill for a while then flat to the finish.

Great crowd support, enthusiastic aid station volunteers, breath-taking views. All in all, a great marathon course. Problem was that I was just a little tired from the previous 2 days so I finished a little slower than I had planned. Still, great experience all around.

So to summarize: not an easy race, but tons of fun. Great group of runners, terrific camaraderie. I learned so much from talking to other ultramarathoners and made so many new friends. I even learned that a 15-lb dog is capable of running 3 back-to-back marathons at a 10 min/mi pace. Who'd have thought it?

I not only survived the Tahoe Triple, I had a blast! It just goes to show that my friend Kirk is right - I AM a better runner than I think I am.











A very special thanks to Henry for making this experience happen.... and to Kristen and Maya for sharing the fun! Super Triple anyone?

Taper time!

During yesterday's run, Kristen pointed out that we only have 4 days until we head out of town for the Lake Tahoe Triple Marathon. That's right - 3 marathons in 3 days! I mean, what were we thinking?

Marathon #1 - Sep 26. Emerald Bay to Spooner Lake
Marathon #2 - Sep 27. Spooner Lake to Commons Beach, Tahoe City
Marathon #3 - Sep 28. Commons Beach, Tahoe City to Pope Beach, South Lake Tahoe

Is this how I really need to celebrate my 43rd birthday? Most Moms would stay home with their kids and do family stuff. Me, I have to attempt to run 78.6 miles over 3 days, at altitude even. Crazy! Boy, am I glad I resisted the temptation to sign for the Super Triple!

Better get on that taper thing. Oh, and as for the Super Triple.... maybe next year!

And then there were 5....

Over the last couple of weeks, we've added 2 new members to the TCC team. Welcome Shelli and Beiyi! Today was an exciting day - the first time all 5 girls of Team xxx (we still need a name - ideas?) got together for a training run. Yes, we're all members of So Cal Trail Headz, and I've ran with all of them at some point over the last few months, but this was the first time we've all been out on a training run. Chino Hills State Park. I now know where the "hills" part comes from! Good run; out on the trails while it was still dark, 18 miles of rollling hills, home by lunch. We met up with our good friend Lorraine Gersitz for part of the run. I even got to meet the amazingly flamboyant Chrissy Weiss of Dirty Girl Gaiters out on the trails! And a very cute tarantula who I named "Boris" (and his very dead friend who remains nameless).

A Momentary Lapse of Reason....

Back in Jan/Feb of this year, I followed Greg Hardesty's adventures in Costa Rica as he competed in The Coastal Challenge Route of Fire 6-day adventure race. I was totally in awe. So when my good friends Kristen and Maya asked if I was interested in the 2009 race, I jumped at the chance (actually, I first ran it past my hubby and when he didn't immediately say "no", I signed up that evening).

2009 event: The Coastal Challenge, Rain Forest Expedition Run taking place Feb 1-6, 6 days, 225-250K.

Location: the course is set along Costa Rica's tropical Pacific coastline but weaves at times into the Talamancas, a coastal mountain range in the Southwest corner of the country. It finishes near the border of Panama in a serene fishing village that until recently was only accessible by boat.

Terrain: jungle and rainforest trails, mountain trail and single track across ridgelines, highlands and coastal ranges; beaches, rocky outcroppings and reefs, river and estuary crossings, and ends in Corcovado National Park, one of the premier rainforest experiences in the world as well as a Unesco World Heritage site.

What DID I sign up for? I mean.... I'm a Mom, I have responsibilities; a part-time job, soccer-practice, homework, family life. How am I ever going to be ready for an event of this magnitude?

How it all started....

In spring '05 I decided enough is enough and vowed to lose those last 5lbs of pregnancy weight. So I joined a Running 101 program and the weight came off but.... now I wanted a bigger challenge. So in August '05 I joined LLS Team in Training to train for PF Chang's Rock 'n' Roll Marathon in Jan '06 (5K to marathon is kind of a leap but life's short and I believe in seizing the moment). Coach Jeri so inspired me that I signed on for a second season, this time as a mentor (San Diego Rock 'n' Roll June '06). Out of friendships formed during our TNT days came a running group, Friends Run OC . Now I was hooked on the runner's high, the pain of long distance running, call it what you will. Pretty amazing when you consider that I would do anything to get out of cross country or track in High School!

5 marathons and 5 ultras (50K) later I'm training hard for The Coastal Challenge, a 6-day adventure race set in the rainforests of Costa Rica. This is my training blog for TCC and beyond.... enjoy!