Speed Bump....

Life was going great, training was going great, I was moving full speed ahead until... I hit one of life's speed bumps.

• Hubby lost his job
• I tripped at work at A Snail's Pace and badly gashed/bruised my shin
• That, along with current household financial crisis, led to me not going to Leona Divide 50-mile - I didn't need the stress or expense plus my shin still hurt like hell.
• Everyone got sick with colds
• I tried to work 2 jobs and be a Mom/wife, got very run down and came down with the family cold
• I quit A Snail's Pace to work more hours at Zen Dojos Martial Arts Studio (which I love!)
• PCT50 suffered a last minute course change and was rerouted to the SD100 course. Shelli and my plans were derailed last minute and neither of us made it to the race.

But life goes on. I believe we have two choices in such situations - sink (wallow in self-pity) or swim (figure it out). I choose to swim...

Easy Recovery

People I meet through working at A Snail's Pace often ask me how I can run 50 miles one day and not be sore the next. While I'm big on training smart and taking time off to recover, eating a healthy, well-balanced diet in general (chocolate excluded!) and post-run refuelling (carbs and protein within 30 mins of finishing), I also take a supplement from Wicked Fast Nutrition. Recover-Ease.

I was introduced to Recover-Ease by my good friend and ultra running fast chick Michelle Barton. I admit I was sceptical at first but soon became a fan. This stuff works. Totally minimizes muscle soreness and fatigue in general. In fact, I have even stopped taking it for periods of time to test the effect = dead legs, general fatigue, even a little depression, which all goes away when I take it again.

Can I say it'll turn you into 7-times Western States 100 winner Scott Jurek or my fellow TCC racer and winner of Umstead 100 David James (15:05 - way to go Dave!)? No. Only proper training and an intense desire to win will do that. But it does help. So why not give it a try?

Great day at OG50!

The elevation profile for OG50 - using his very accurate hand-held GPS, LT recorded 13400' of climb over the 50.1 mile course.

This was one of those days where it (mostly) came together and I had a great run. After DNFing Twin Peaks in December, staggering through 25 times the 2-mile loop at Big Cat Challenge and then going through a tough recovery after TCC including DNFing at San Juan Trail 50K two weeks ago, I was not very confident about even finishing this one. But I did!

I heeded the advice of ultra-runner and fellow TCC participant Kelly Ridgway and fueled throughout the race. A few bites of Shot Bloks or JustFruit Bar or #9 Chocolate Agave gel (low glycemic index and oh so yummy!) plus SaltStick Caps every hour and lots of fluids really helped. Ensure seems to be my magic fuel. I ran in the dark with my R2R2R friend Robbi Woolard and although I was around 30 mins slower than I had hoped at the 20-mile mark, I picked it up and never stopped moving. I even got to run the last 8 miles or so with Bill Ramsey who has such a wealth of experience and knowledge to share that it makes the miles fly by.

This was one of those races that was meticulously planned and executed by RDs Steve and Annie Harvey. The aid stations were frequent and well-stocked, the course well marked and the volunteers - well, what can I say! The Forestry guys were out patrolling on dirtbikes to ensure no runners were taken out by over-zealous motorbikes and Hummers. SoCal Trail Headz were out in force and dressed for the part - from cowgirls to pocahontas to the angels at the top of Santiago Peak. Everyone went the extra mile to make it a hugely successful event. Shelli and JD packed in supplies on horseback, Jean Ho played her harp at the top of Santiago Peak (BTW guys, the "Stairway to Heaven" signs made me laugh on the long climb up - thanks!).


Me and Bill at the finish.