Race recovery run?

If your first run post-race day is supposed to be mellow, I probably picked the wrong run.  However, it couldn't have been much more fun and adventure packed.  There was about a 2,000' climb to start, including a very steep uphill (and then downhill) section, lots of rocks, some slippery mud, snow and a bushwhack straight uphill.  Luckily I had wonderful company.  Lindsay invited me to go on this group run for her husband's birthday.  There was a large group, but she and I happen to be slightly *cough cough* slower than the rest of the group so we were by ourselves until the end when another runner Lindsay knew ran the last bit with us.  It was an absolutely gorgeous day and the views were stunning.  Since we did so much slow climbing, I took advantage and took lots of photos.  

We started at Wild Rose Trailhead Park, which is in the North Salt Lake area, at 6:30am, with the moon still high in the sky.

I had a little company from Texas (long story short: I have an awesome friend who is a riot!)  You see Sparky Joh and Piggypie Joh here taking a rest.

Lindsay and I taking in the view.  I knew visors where cool!  I knew it!

Steep?

At the top.  7,141'.

Great view of the whole Salt Lake valley.

The Oquirrh mountains.

We didn't come across too much snow, but this patch happened to be on a rather steep uphill.

Bushwhacking.

Nothing like a little downward facing dog to help those sore running muscles!

Kelly, who I just met, came in ninth place in the Buffalo Run 100 miler!  Awesome!

An explanation of why I am now exhausted...

It was a great day back!  I am now quite tired and am contemplating a nap.  I'm really glad Lindsay invited me.  She is fun to run with!  I see more running adventures together in the future!

11.63 miles

3 hours 41 min

don't even ask about pace!

One Week Off

Whose idea was it to take an entire week off from running after the race?  Oh... that was me?  Well, on the one hand it has actually been nice. Sleeping in, cleaning house, hanging out with the family. On the other, Spring has finally arrived and I am ready to get out in that sunshine!  However to fill the running void this week I did do a nice long weight lifting session with Jeff and a yoga class.  They were both fantastic and make me realize I need to do both of those things more often.  Now I'm looking forward to Saturday!

Race Photos

The wonderful photographers at Zazoosh (a company owned by a neighbor and old co-worker of mine) have race day photos ready.  I really think I need some to remember my first ultra.  Here are a few favorites.  You can see all the race photos here.  

These were all taken on lap one.  Not sure how fresh I would have looked on lap two!  

I'm thinking of just buying them all.  What do you think?

Guest Blogger: Speedy K

I asked my wonderful running buddy and fellow Buffalo Run finisher to talk about her race experience.  Katherine (or as I call her, Speedy K) has helped me through many a long run.  I don't know that I'd have trained as hard and as well if it weren't for her. Enjoy her story.  It's a powerful one. -Renee

Hey runrenee blog readers! Renee asked me to write about my experience running the Antelope Island
Buffalo Run 25k. I am one of Renee’s running buddies and began running January 2012. Before then I
never ran…ever. I dreaded the thought. I was that kid who worked every excuse to get out of running
the mile at school, hated laps at soccer practice, and stuck to any other form of physical activity. The
track coach at my high school commented once that I lacked the long legs for distance running, balanced
with my long torso- according to her, making me a terrible sprinter. I bought into that and vowed
to never run unless it was some sort of zombie apocalypse or I was being chased by bears. After my
second baby was born, a wonderful friend convinced me to come along for some walking/running to
start getting back into shape. I was very adamant, “I don’t run. I can’t run- I won’t be able to keep up
with you!” Her, ‘shut up and join us’ attitude (ahem…Meghan) was irresistible, and I soon found myself
waking up 2, sometimes 3 times a week to go “running.” I put it in quotations because at the very start
of it all, I could only run ¼ of a mile at best before having to walk. I alternated walking/running, and
I remember the first time I ran a full mile without stopping. What got me out of bed was the fun, the
friendship, and good conversation we had on those runs. By late spring I found myself getting out of
bed early in the morning for the running itself! I started actually enjoying it! Feeling my muscles getting
stronger, my heart and lungs able to keep up without burning or wheezing, and feeling younger and
healthier in general was outstanding. In June I ran my first official 5K- so nervous because I had never
heard of things like, “packet pickups” or “bib numbers.” This was an entirely new world to me!

Fast track to this Buffalo Run business. After my baptism into the running world, I found myself really
sticking with it. Consistency is the secret my friends. I joined training runs with Meghan and Renee as
they prepared for the St. George Marathon summer of 2012, still in disbelief that people actually run
26.2 miles (and all of the sudden all those car stickers made sense! Duh, 13.1 meant, “Hey! I ran a half
marathon” and Ragnar was a running relay race. I really was stumped for years wondering what the
hell Ragnar was). Each time I would lose my ambition and motivation, my pals, Renee especially, would
get me back on track. I was given books to read: Ultramarathon Man by Dean Karnazes, and Born to
Run by Christopher McDougall. They inspired me, taught me, and motivated me. After my birthday
in fall of 2012 I began a training plan to prepare me for this 25k run. Those of you out there like me-
super novices in the world of running, know this: A man named Hal Higdon can be your new BFF. He has
devised training plans for races of all different lengths and is the gold standard for race preparation (plus
he has free training plans online that you can just print out and slap on your wall next to your calendar).
I began following one of his running schedules in what would be one of the harshest winters Salt Lake
City has seen in years. Record low temperatures and snowstorms made for some intense and brutal
training, but week after week I plugged away.

After conquering 13 and 14 mile runs, I began to feel ready mentally. However during my last long pre-
race run (16 miles) I was hit with a sharp case of what Google told me was “runner’s knee,” and had
to stop. I freaked out. Physically I was okay, but mentally I would’ve felt much better conquering that
last long run. I had no choice but to rest, then one week before the Buffalo Run I headed down to the
southern part of the state to enjoy a nice downhill 10K race. A fun little trip, but a long car ride back
with young children and hot germs surprised me with a horrible chest cold. Yikes! Feeling more than
nervous at this point I had to stop and reflect on all the work I’d done to make it this far, and make the

decision to run regardless. And I did. I woke up the morning of race day, put on all of my cold weather
apparel, and drove with my mom (aka my biggest fan) out to Antelope Island. I was so nervous before
the race I almost forgot to put my timing chip on my shoe and my race bib on! I refused to let myself
think of completing the race in its entirety, so I told myself, “Just start running Katherine. Then keep
running. Maybe run some more after that and hopefully you’ll be close to the finish line.” As Renee
described in her post, there are treacherous switchbacks, and many hills. Because of my coughing and
constant nose blowing I was slow, but finishing was what mattered to me most. A week earlier I ran
the Spectrum 10K at an 8:30/mile pace, this run was just over a 13/mile pace- a fact I had to let go of in
order to stay positive and focused. As the race came down to the last few miles I began making friends.
I would find a runner going at a steady pace then copy their rhythm to force my feet to keep going. I
met a woman named Lorraine whom I promised to hug when we crossed the finish line (which I did)
and two guys who cheered me on and ran across the finish moments after I did. The aid stations were
lovely, the other runners kind and positive. The race director was very personable, and the course- no
less than extraordinarily beautiful.

For me trail running is a spiritual experience. I’m out there feeling everything amazing there is to feel
about our beautiful existence as human beings. I’m alive in the wind, the sunshine, breathing, soaking
in life. The kindness of the other runners, the powerful reminder of what the human body is capable of,
and the overall sensation of accomplishing something great was overwhelming to me. I didn’t stay long
after the race, but hurried home to greet my kids and hop in a hot bath. Dinner that night tasted that
much better, and the pride I feel about completing this- my longest run so far, is a wonderful feeling. I
feel powerful and strong, and well…ready for more! Let’s go run Renee!

Rest beautiful rest

I'm still on high from the race and enjoying a couple days of rest.  My body is feeling amazing.  Nothing is really too sore any more. I do however, have a cold now.  I've been pampering myself with sleeping in and lots of foam rolling and vitamins.  I'm now thinking yoga tomorrow sounds really great.  I'm enjoying thinking about what will be next for me.  I did win free entry to a 5k next month and am thinking that I'll do the Vigor Half in May with Meghan, who will be running it.  I really loved the Big Cottonwood Half, and it's the same course.  I'm also scheming about when and where I'll be doing my next 50k.  Yes, I definitely think I'll be doing that again!

Call me UltraNey

I'll start at the beginning.  The night before the race I was a bundle of nerves.  I finally thought I'd figured it all out when I did a last minute weather check that revealed it was snowing on the island and would continue to do so throughout the whole of race day.  Let me take a moment to say that The Weather Channel can put their weather report where the sun doesn't shine because they were 100% WRONG!  Of course, I wouldn't find this out until I got to the island the next day.  But I digress.  I steeled myself for a long hard day in the snow.  Something I did many times this winter, but just really didn't want to do on race day.  I finally went to bed at 11:30 and slept all of four and a half hours, not consecutively might I add.  I was awake for the day by 4:30am.  

When I got up I did my usual pre long run routine.  Hot tea, a banana and gearing up.  Then there was the matter of scraping 4" of snow off the car.  It was dumping!  I was very excited, but I won't lie.  I was very nervous about the horrific snowstorm that was going on outside. I headed out just before 6am.  By the time I got to Layton it wasn't snowing any more and when I headed out onto the causeway and the sun was coming up it was like a miracle!  The sky was BLUE!  There were only a few clouds.  It wasn't snowing!  I did a happy hoot and made a quick call to Katherine to let her know the wonderful news.  She was thrilled! We wished each other luck and hung up.  I parked the car and headed into the very cold morning.  It was bitter cold and windy.  There was a wonderful warm tent set up and I went inside and chatted with a few other racers.  I also saw a few people I know from the training runs I've done on the island.  Lindsay and Jeremy, who I have run with before and are ultrarunning veterans, were both particularly encouraging.  

It wasn't long before it was 8am and time to go.  The crowd wasn't huge, and I was quickly at the back of the pack.  I was hell bent on going my own pace and walked much of the first two uphill miles.  It was quite cold at first and my face was numb, but it wasn't long before I warmed up and felt just right.  The first loop was very exciting.  There were 100 mile runners and their pacers coming in as we 50k runners were heading out.  What an uplifting thing to see these folks that are finishing something that most of us can never even fathom doing!  A quick hello to the pairs of racers and their pacers let you know immediately which was which.  The pacers would give a thumbs up and a "good job," and the runners would give a primal grunt without even moving their faces.  They just ran nearly 100 miles, it's no wonder!  Then, it wasn't long before the 25k started and many of them started to pass by.  The amazing thing is, all but a few of the runners who passed me going either way all gave words of encouragement or thumbs up.  It was a very friendly and positive crowd.  For the entire first loop there were many people running along near me and people passing the other way.  I felt great and ran with a smile feeling very confidant.  At one point there was a group of buffalo a little close to the trail for my liking, but they didn't seem to even notice the runners and so I plugged forward and just pretended they weren't there.  

At each of the aid stations the volunteers were wonderful.  We were to check in, having a volunteer write our race number down at each aid station so they knew where to look for us if we never showed up!  When I got to the halfway point back at the start/finish area Lindsay was volunteering and she was wonderful.  She filled my water pack, asked if I'd been eating and was very encouraging!  This was a great boost of energy and I headed out on loop two feeling confidant that I could do it!  It was now getting a lot quieter on the race course.  There were a few runners ahead of me and I suspected, but couldn't see any runners behind me.  One couple and I passed each other a few times and joked we were playing tag. Around mile 19 I started hurting physically, but not too bad.  The uphills were feeling harder this loop.  I was getting sunburned because I thought it was going to be snowing all day and didn't put sunblock on.  My nose was getting chapped from blowing my nose so much.  Small things can make a huge difference in this situation.  

Then I went dark.  From miles 7-10.5 and then again at miles 23-26.5 there is a huge climb.  I walked both times, but the second time was brutal.  I had been out there for about five and a half hours and I was hurting mentally and physically.  It started when a couple on horseback came up behind me and the woman rider started asking me questions. (Disclaimer: had this very nice woman wanted to chat with me at any other time during the course of my race I would have welcomed the company, however I was not in a friendly place when she came upon me)  "Have you run this before?" "How long was your longest training run?"  "Have you done a lot of marathons?" On and on.  I was growing increasingly agitated with her and tried dropping hints, "I've been out here for over five and a half hours, I'm not really with it."  She didn't catch on and proceeded to tell me, "Well at least you'll finish strong."  That was the most absurd thing I had ever heard.  I silently cursed her and after she told me all about how she ran a marathon but she had bad knees and now just rode horses instead I vowed that if she said anything else I would try as politely as possible to tell her I didn't want to talk any more.  Luckily she and the other rider dropped back and I never saw them again.  

This is when I plummeted into despair.  I could see a few runners far in the distance ahead of me, and a few behind and then suddenly, no one.  I was alone.  I cursed myself.  I muttered at how stupid that woman had been "at least you'll finish strong."  Then a runner passed me.  She was running up this climb!  I would never finish.  At this pace it would take me eight hours to finish.  I couldn't continue that long!  I contemplated sitting in the dirt and crying. I did cry a little. I swore I'd never run a 50k again, or a marathon.  Hell, maybe I'd quit running all together.  What was I doing out here?  I was killing myself.  Why? How on earth was this possibly a good idea?  My stomach writhed.  I had horrible gas and my mouth was parched, despite drinking often.  My hands were swollen.  I was so queasy I thought I would throw up.  I forced myself to keep eating, though not as often as I should.  Then, I saw it!  The aid station.  It was coming.  People!  I would get encouragement and maybe something different to eat.  This lifted me a little.  I kept telling myself to just keep moving as fast as I could.  Then the aid station disappeared.  It was farther than I thought.  I knew it was there though, and was able to start running as there were now some flats.  When I came around the bend and the aid station was in front of me I thought, "I will tell them I need a pep talk."  

I walked up and the friendly volunteer, and he asked what he could get me. The volunteer writing down race numbers walked up with a smile and I looked at them and said I needed ginger ale and a pep talk.  They encouraged me.  They reminded me that I was doing it!  Only five and a half miles to go, and mostly downhill.  I headed out of that aid station a new person.  The ginger ale did the trick.  My stomach felt better and I felt renewed.  A song came on my mp3 player, "everything is alright, yeah, everything is alright.  Don't know why, but everything is alright, yeah." And it was alright.  I was alright!  I was going to make it!  I thought of my friend Rachel who had suggested that song for running and about her calling to encourage me before the race.  I was able to run now.  There were flats and downhills.  I knew I could do it.  There was only one hill of any significance left.  I ran as much of it as I could and walked when I needed to.  I realized I was coughing and used my inhaler.  That helped.  

After I made it up the hill there were other runners in sight again.  It's amazing how encouraging it is simply to know you're not alone out there.  This was it.  The last push.  With only a 5k left, I dug down and picked up the pace.  I had to pee, but I had already visited three different rocks so far and wasn't sure my stomach wouldn't expel it's contents if I stopped.  I tried to name all the people who encouraged me.  I thought of Dean Karnazes,  whose book inspired me to want to run this race. I was nearly there.  The soft dirt underfoot felt good.  Then a runner passed me.  I was discouraged at first, but then she stayed right in front of me. She offered to move if I needed to pass, but instead we ended up running together.  We introduced ourselves.  Her name was Katie and she told me her stomach was giving her trouble as well.  She was hurting as badly as I was and I think also welcomed the company.  It's amazing how much of a moral booster running with someone can be.  We were in the final push.  We came around the bend and there it was!  The finish was in sight.  One foot in front of the other, miraculously, I finally found myself rounding the bend at the fence toward the finish line.  

Then I saw my family.  I saw Lila and Kurtis first.  I saw my mom waving her arms. I could hear Meghan and Rob cheering.  I waved at them and smiled.  Lila ran up to me and took my hand and we ran together.  Then Kurtis joined me.  Then Jeff came and gave me a high five, he brought me flowers.  Clarissa took my other hand and we all ran together to the finish.  Crossing the finish line was euphoric.  Running together with Jeff and my kids to the finish was one of the most amazing things ever!  I had done it!  Katie put her hand up and we gave a high five and congratulated and thanked one another.  Lindsay and her husband, Ryan, were there congratulating me.  Lindsay had bought me a gluten free beer!  Other people I didn't know were congratulating me as well.  I was so happy to be done.  Happy that I made it.

The girls were cold, so we headed into the tent.  I laid in the cool dirt.  It felt good.  I ate and drank.  I grinned.  The girls kept hugging me and Lila kept telling me that she was proud of me.  I finally got to pee.  My stomach was a bit upset with me, but not too bad.  We hung out a little bit and headed home.  

Running this race was the hardest and most rewarding thing I've ever done.  It was amazing.  It was brutal.  It was magnificent.  And I did it!  Today I'm sore, but not too bad.  Plus, I'm still grinning.  

Race results are in!  You can check them out here http://strideracing.com/2013/march/buffalorun.html by looking at the 50k results by overall, gender or age position.  I wasn't last!  15 out of 17 in my age group.  41 out of 49 women and 137 out of 156 overall. You might wonder why I'm so happy about my placement, but honestly I'm just glad I wasn't last!  My official chip time was 7:36:06, a 14:02 pace!

Race nails.  I had to do something to pass the time the day before the race!

Running to the finish with my family.  Thanks to Meghan and Rob for taking these pictures.

Now I can say that I am an ultramarathon runner.  I did it.  Did I love it?  Yes. Will I do it again?  It seems likely, doesn't it?

quick race update

I did it! I finished the Buffalo Run! I will post a full race report soon, but for now just my finish time.
32.48 miles
7 hr 37 min
14:04 pace

One last run

I just finished up my last training run. Katherine and I did a whopping 2.3 miles. It felt really great to get out, as I've been very anxious today. But this is it. I can't be any more ready than I am at this moment. Thanks to all who've wished me well. Your words will pull me through those last miles. My next post will be a race report! It's go time!

2.3 miles
25:13
10:58 pace

Packet Pick Up

Today Katherine and I headed to Layton to pick up our race packets.  We were like teenagers on the way to prom.  Or maybe like kids on the first day of school.  Or brides on their wedding day.  Ok, maybe not that intense.  We had fun on our drive.  We talked nonstop about the race, of course.

It's official!  We're running the 2013 Antelope Island Buffalo Run!

We got some awesome technical shirts, lots of goodies and some fliers for other trail races.  I came home and organized my race day gear further.  I packed my drop bag.  Officially decided what I'm going to wear and got together clothes and drinks for after the race.  Only one day left!  

I'm not sure what book this was out of, but I saw it and took a picture a while back.  I love this saying for my long runs.  The human body is really quite amazing.  I know I'll be tapping unknown resources on Saturday!

The good news, bad news

The good news is my throat isn't sore today. The bad news is that it was dumping snow this morning. The race day forecast still says highs in the mid 30's with partly cloudy skies and no precipitation, so I really can't complain. I'm feeling anxious today and really ready to do this thing. Katherine and I will head to Layton this afternoon to pick up our packets. I'm sure that will only fuel my excitement! 
Two days until race day!

450.3 miles down, 2 to go

450.3 miles.  That's how many miles I've run to train for this 50k.  I have a two miler on Friday left and that's it.  Can you believe it?  

Today my mind is an endless reel of questions and lists.  Should I pack a drop bag?  I think so, since the weather is so squirrely. Why is it only going to be a high of 34 degrees on race day?  At least it isn't supposed to rain.  Ok, I'll pack a drop bag, then at least I have extra clothes if I need them.  What should I bring for after the race?  I should get some beer for after the race.  I wonder if they have any good gluten free beer at the liquor store.  I think I'll make peanut butter and jelly sandwiches.  I had better make bread. Why did I have a sore throat this morning?  I hope it's just the weather.  I hope my right leg doesn't bother me on race day.  I'd better use the foam roller and stretch again later.  What should I wear?  Long sleeves.  No.  Short sleeves and a long sleeve.  No.  Long sleeves and a vest.  Ok, yeah, that will work.  You get the idea.  It doesn't stop!  And I still have three days until race day!  It's going to be a long week!

Stuff, from left to right: clothes for after, clothes for drop bag, hydration pack and food, clothes to wear and Luna the cat (he's not coming on race day though.)

Oh yeah, and I ran today.  It wasn't a great run, but it was fine.  The weather is cool, wet and windy.  A wonderful first day of Spring.  HA!  I think it was good for me to get moving, but  my mind wasn't in the run.  My mind was on Saturday.  

3 miles

33 min

11:00 pace

Daily Mile, Race Week Style

Let race week begin!  Only four days left until race day!  Can you believe it?  It seems like just the other day I was sitting down to make out a training plan for this race.  Now I sit here with only two runs left until the race is underway!  The past couple of days have been pretty emotionally intense as race day gets closer and closer.  I've been feeling excited and a bit nervous going over and over things in my head.  I've packed and unpacked my Nathan pack multiple times and set out a variety of race day attire.  Plus, I'm pretty sure I'm over thinking race day nutrition, but c'est la vie! What's a girl to do?  I'm sure I'll go over it all at least a dozen more times before Saturday.

Now on to business.  I ran this afternoon.  Three miles was nice and quick and since it's a beautiful day I really enjoyed myself.  I ran without my Garmin *gasp* so I wouldn't feel pressure to run quickly, and what do ya know?  I ran quickly anyway!

I ran in my new shorts that my wonderful running buddy, Katherine got me!  They're awesome and oh so very Renee!

3 miles

32 min

10:40 pace

That reminds me, I need to buy sunblock.

Run Buddy = Run Better

Utahrunning.com is asking for feedback from Utah runners.  Their first topic of discussion is: Is training in groups or with running partners overrated or does it really help elevate your training?

What can I say?  I love my running buddies.  If it weren't for those girls there would have been many a morning I went right back to sleep.  Having a partner who is relying on you absolutely helps get you out of bed when it's 5 degrees, when it's dark, when it's snowing, or when you just plain don't feel like lacing up.  

That's not the only perk.  What about those runs when you feel like the world is all wrong?  When you wonder why you've chosen this sport.  You know those runs when all you can think about is the end of the run?  Two words: Running Buddy!    What better way to turn a brutal run into bliss than to get the party started?  Sing to each other?  Yes please.  Dance in the streets?  You bet!  Stop for coffee and then run with it?  Ohhh yeah!

Take a look at some of these runs.  Do I think they were more fun because of my running buddies?  Yes.  Yes I do.

Strike a Pose
Things to be thankful for: Running Buddies 
Epic Snow Run 

Don't get me wrong.  I love a solo run.  I love a nice long run where I can just get inside my head and find out what's going on in there, find out what I'm made of.  But, I do love my running buddies.  Sharing successes and failures (and new longer distances) together makes for some very entertaining times and some very strong friendships.   

Ellie Greenwood

I've been hearing a lot about Ellie Greenwood.  She was voted 2012 Ultrarunner of the year by Ultrarunning Magazine and when I read this and many of her race times I started looking for more info on her.  She is truly amazing.  Many of us are fast (not I) and many of us can endure the distance (my category) but not many can go the distance and be fast.  Ellie Greenwood is not just fast, she is jaw dropping fast.  She beat Ann Trason's (another amazing female ultrarunner who held the WSER course record for 18 years) Western States Endurance Run course record last year with a time of 16:47:19!  That's just over ten minute miles, for 100 miles through the mountains!

Check out this video of Ellie talking about her first ever 100 miler, which was the Western States in 2011.  

I know I'll never be fast, and I'm okay with that, but reading about runners like Ellie Greenwood makes me want to run.  And run and run and run...

16 & 17

How on earth I forgot training week 16 is beyond me. So here we go!


Training Week 16
4.5
5
7.61
17.75
Weekly Total: 34.86

Previous Total: 379.18
Training Grand Total: 414.04


Training Week 17
4.26
walk
2.75
walk
3.25
10
Weekly Total: 20.26

Training Grand Total: 434.3

Next week will include a few short runs and then, of course, the BIG day!  Exactly one week from right now, 12:55pm, I will have been running for nearly five hours.  I will be starting to feel the pain.  I am beyond excited.  I'm getting butterflies in my stomach as I type this!  I'd better get some sleep the next few days because I have a feeling I won't be sleeping much come the end of the week!

let the tapering begin!

Ten miles hardly seems like a long run any more! I started off in the dark, which is always fun in a spooky kind of way. I ran a few miles and then meet up with Meghan, which was good times, then headed back up the hill towards home. I was just starting to feel really good when I got home. I'm pretty sure that is a good sign!

Ready to go!  

Oh Dark Thirty

Ten miles by 8am.  Not too shabby.

10 miles

2 hrs

12:00 pace

Daily Meh

How was my run today? Meh. I went out at 6am, which was partially the problem. But even after I woke up a bit I still felt very complacent about running today. It happens. But, I ran and that's what counts.

3.25
40:32
12:28

9 days

Count them!
9
8
7
6
5
4
3
2
1
NINE days left until race day!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

That is all.

Daily Mile

So, turns out that I messed up my neck with that fall on Sunday.  I have a bunch of little pebble-like knots at the base of my skull and neck.  Fabulous, right?  Luckily they don't hurt too much and I have only lost a little range of motion.  This morning I went for a massage and that helped some.  Then I squeezed in a short run.  What a gorgeous day!!!

2.75 miles
32 minutes
11:38 pace

Fun in the Sun

Having a blast as usual, Katherine and I hit up her neighborhood and part of the Dimple Dell gully we hadn't been in before. The sun was out, it was warm, and I was really enjoying the fabulous spring day. I was feeling particularly great by the end of the run and enjoyed picking up the pace for the last mile.

4.26 miles
53:33
12:34 pace

Race day nutrition

I'm starting to think a lot about fuel on race day. Well, obviously I've been thinking about fuel on all my long runs. I've learned a lot about what works for me during my marathon and 50k training. For breakfast before a long run I start with a banana and a bar (like a Kind or Lara bar.) Then on the run, I start off with my first food intake at around 45 minutes. Then I eat every 30 minutes for the first three hours, and every 20 minutes thereafter.  I really like GU gels until the last couple of hours when I'm wanting real food and also having a hard time with so much sugar. This is when I start preferring almond butter packets, raisins and kind bars. This race will be a whole new realm for me as I will be running longer than five hours for the first time. I'm going to bring plenty of gels, almond butter, raisins, fruit leather, kind bars, plantain chips, and of course, some 5 hr energy for good measure. I also use emergen-c electro mix powder in my water.
I really don't know if there will be anything that I can eat at the aid stations, and cross contamination is always a concern for me (I have celiac disease for those of you who didn't know.) I will assume I cannot eat anything the race provides and bring enough in my pack to fuel my entire race. I love my Nathan pack, by the way!
I'm getting so excited! Only 12 days left until race day!!!!!!

I'm an animal!

Check out my new running sleeves! As I stood in the mirror taking this picture I realized just how much animal print I've got going on. what can I say? I love animal prints! Maybe I'll be more of a beast on race day!