Way Too Cool 50K

Okay, I’m going to get it out of the way first - this is one very cool race!

Back in December, after getting into the Miwok lottery I thought I’d chance the Way Too Cool lottery also. And as luck would have it I got into that too. My luck promptly ran out upon a Vegas with the girls. I had a week or so to decide if I wanted to go ahead and enter. I figured a March race in sunny California wouldn’t be a bad idea at all.

Sunny California was nowhere to be seen when I landed at SFO Friday morning and drove along I-80 past Sacramento and onto Auburn (finish line of WS100). It rained constantly. Getting heavier as the day went on. The forecast continued to promise clear skies and sun for Saturday but I wasn’t convinced. Had I really come all the way here to run in the cold rain? I picked up my race packet at the Auburn Running Company store and then drove the six or so miles out to...



It’s a small, one-stoplight town that makes the most of its name. Cool Beans Coffee Shop, Cool Massage Therapy, Cool Hair Do’s. You get the picture. Still raining, I drove by the race starting area to get my bearings for the morning and then it was time for coffee... and some carbo-loading...



Back to Auburn, checked into the hotel around 6pm and had lots of time to organize my race stuff and chill out before another early night. After getting back from Ireland last Monday, and then a fairly intense massage Wednesday evening, I had woken up Thursday with a sore throat and head cold. I wasn’t sure if it was the long flight or the massage churning up toxins or a mixture of both but I felt like I’d been run over by a train. Zero energy all day. Copious amounts of ginger tea helped my throat but going to bed that night I had the shivers and my body just felt sore all over. Amazing what a good night’s sleep can do - I woke up Friday like a new person. Still had a bit of a sore throat and blocked nose but my energy levels were revived. The race didn’t start until 8AM so I had another good sleep, up around 6AM – slight frost on the car but sure enough it was dry and the sun was beginning to break through the mist. I shouldn’t have doubted the forecast. Unlike back home it has rarely let me down. (The general consensus in Ireland is that Met Eireann should abandon all meteorological systems and just go with "scattered showers with the occasional sunny spell.")

Got parked a little before 7AM. I had eaten some granola and yogurt on the drive out followed by a banana. Got a small coffee in the check-in tent and then sat in the car to keep warm. My stomach was in bits. I couldn’t believe it. I rarely get nervous before races. I think being by myself was the main factor – I’m usually either with friends or know some people at the race and don’t have time to just think. And think and think... I had set a goal of 4:45 for this race when planning my calendar for the year. And hopefully a top-10 finish. Not really based on much. I looked at last years times, the UR rating (2/2), compared it to other races, took into account that it was still very early in the season. Should have taken into account that despite logging more miles than previous years for the winter months, I’ve had little to no hill training...

But too late for that now. I just wanted to get going. I had on shorts, tank with TCRC t-shirt over it (very excited to be representing Twin Cities Running Co. for the first time!), and arm warmers. Wearing my new-ish 2010 Montrail Masochists - love these shoes and they don't seem to have changed much about it but oddly enough I needed a size smaller than last year's version. Was undecided about gloves but standing in line for the porta-potty my fingers were turning white so I pulled on a light pair. It was in the mid-30’s but the sun was already beginning to shine brightly so I guess I should have known it would warm up pretty quickly.



A few minutes before race start everyone was out on the road – over 500 runners – the biggest field by far for any trail race I’ve done. But with the first 2 miles on the road, and then some wide trails before hitting any single track I knew that congestion wouldn’t be a problem. And we were off. My legs felt good to be running but I felt kind of shaky. It was weird. My lips were sort of trembling. I guess it was a mix of nerves and the cool air. But it settled down before long. I don’t think the head cold hurt me at all. My lungs were heaving a little on the early uphills but that was probably just a case of pushing too hard too soon. It was a fun group of runners to be among – lots of chatter on the road section and along the next several miles. Mostly CA runners and a lot of them from the Auburn area. Running alongside a group of guys discussing their planned 80 mile bike ride the next morning was a sign that I had indeed gone out too fast. Lots of triathletes and a few too many GPS fiends. I was wearing a regular watch and really did not need to know that we were running 7:20 pace. Make that 7:30 pace. And now we’ve sped up to 7:15’s. C’mon dudes it's mile 4 of a 31 mile race! Though I suppose it did cause me to fall back a bit which was definitely the right idea.

After a good mix of up and down, very runnable terrain, and a few water crossings (there would be many after Friday’s rain!), I hit AS 1 at mile 7.1 in just under an hour. No refill needed. About 20 minutes later I was regretting this upon remembering the two longest sections of the course were the first and second, with the next AS not until 15.6 miles. And I was getting low on water. And it was getting warm. I had taken a gel (still enjoying the Vanilla PowerBar Gels) just before the start and had about 5 or 6 with me, taking one every 45 minutes or so. And triple-berry nuun tabs in my water. I’d dropped my gloves at the AS. I didn’t really want to dump them - they are old and torn but I was kind of fond of them – but I figured it would be annoying to carry them the whole way.

Note - the links are not indicative of any sponsorship (I wish) - just figured I should give them credit for products I enjoy!

The next section was so pretty – lush green mountains, views over the American River Canyon, with glimpses of the river every now and then. The terrain was very runnable and after a while I fell into a nice pace between two other first-timers. The guy ahead mentioned we were on 4:30 pace. I took this with a grain of salt, it was early and I knew there were some big climbs to come. But at the same time I was running well within myself. We continued along for the next hour, hugging the mountainside as the winding trail took us inwards by several beautiful waterfalls and then back out along narrow ledges high above the canyon. The biggest water crossing so far came just before the second aid station. A bit of careful navigation but getting soaked was a guarantee which wasn’t a bad thing as it refreshed my somewhat tired feet. A mile or so back a girl had passed me and I wondered what place I was in. I felt like maybe top 20 but really had no idea. Then we went by a few supporters who told me I was number 8 female. Nice. 2:14 on the clock. Water refill and a few cups of coke at the AS and off up the hill. Then it was onto some very runnable single track. This was sweet! We had a 6.2 mile loop back to the same AS so I decided to see if I could do it in an hour. I vaguely remembered the steepest climb of the race being somewhere around mile 20 but no need to worry about that just yet. Quick bio-break along here and I was off again. It was beautiful, deep in the woods, smooth, soft surface – you could almost run without worrying about your footing. A little up and down but mostly flat. I knew the final miles would hurt and that I was probably pushing it more than I should right now but it felt good to run fast. I was running alone and loving it. I was thinking about Sea Legs Girl’s plans for a book of favourite running routes. I was thinking how incredible it would be to live somewhere like this, with awesome trails and mountains, and great weather year round. I was thinking how much I love running in Minnesota. Even in the winter. How incredible the people I’ve met there are. How much I enjoy training with my friends. How I’ll probably never really want to live anywhere else. How lucky I am to be able to travel to places like this.

Some steep downhill and then, then it was mile 20. And we were climbing. Oh boy. So much for an hour loop. This was painful. Back at the AS at 3:20. Just under 10 miles to go. 4:45 still a possibility? Just about. For now. A little over 5 miles to the next AS. Back the way we had come for the first few miles. Along the single track with the fantastic views. But this time we were meeting runners every 30 seconds or so. To be fair they were awesome and stepped aside but it did make it a bit hard to let loose. Not that I was feeling much like it after the mega climb. But then a girl went by and I decided to try to keep with her. It was fun! She was flying it. I met her after the race – Rachel Baker from San Francisco. A guy was just behind us and we rolled along like this for the next few miles. We turned off to the left and were on new trail as we hit some climbs. And then it really started to hit me. I just was not trained for these hills. My hips were aching. But still, I pulled back close to Rachel on the flats. I knew I was pushing harder than I would have by myself and was really grateful she had come along. Of course, I also knew there was every possibility I’d be crawling to the finish line. Another killer climb to the Old Goat AS at mile 26.8. 4:09. Quick refill and off again. Some nice downhill and then a mix of up and down. More up than I would have liked. I kept thinking we surely must be due some sustained downhill. But it never came. My hips got tighter and tighter. But my lungs felt good. And the scenery just got better. Wide meadows and stream crossings every hundred yards or so. It was so pretty. The course had been muddy in places but having a new appreciation for mud after Psycho Wyco it never felt slow or unsafe even on the downhills.

I was hoping to make it to the final AS back at Hwy 49 by 4:35 but the minutes ticked by and Rachel and the guy were far ahead out of sight. I was beginning to tire. And then, the glorious sound of diesel engines. Along hard paved road. A trail runner’s heaven - when it signifies less than 2 miles to go! 1.3 miles in fact – that was a nice surprise, my calculations had been closer to 2. I half thought of picking up the gloves – but no stopping now. 4:39. Could I do it in 4:50? 1.3 miles in 11 minutes seemed reasonable. Then I realized we were heading back the way we had come for the first mile or so. Which now meant up, up, up. I wasn’t even doing 11-minute miles! I had lost track of what position I was in as one girl – maybe two? - had flown by on the previous section and then I was passing a girl along here. 4:47 at the 1 mile to go sign which thankfully turned out to be quite the overestimation. Mostly flat along here but muddy, almost lost my shoe, but I was feeling good and pushing for the finish. Up a hill and turned off the trail we’d come out on to short cut back to the start/finish area... great support out along the trail here. It was so nice to see that finish line!

4:50:51, 9th F, 60th overall. I was really happy in the end. A bit slower than I’d hoped but when I saw that Darcy Africa had run 4:37 I immediately felt better :) Joelle Vaught was the winner in 4:13. A different league altogether. Caitlin Smith, last year’s winner and CR holder with 4:12 wasn’t running, nor was Devon Crosby-Helms and a few other top women.

Happy to be done... (note the lack of blood)



Crossing the finish line the announcer called out my name and upon hearing Minnesota I had a few people ask if I’d come all the way out here for the race – no big deal to me but upon seeing the results I think there were probably only a handful of runners from outside CA and the supporting states.

Some mud to clean off...



But first things first - the famous frog cupcake!



After cleaning up and hanging about in the lovely sunshine for an hour...





... I headed back towards San Francisco to meet up with friends, stopping at the Hwy 49 AS to pick up those ragged gloves. They’ll live to see another day!

I’d highly recommend this event for any mid-westerners looking for a spring race. Superbly well organized, great support along the course, even on the remotest trails, and overall a very friendly, welcoming atmosphere. The volunteers and staff were extremely helpful and I suppose the sunshine throughout the day helped too! And it’s a bit of a who’s who of ultra running with many top names toeing the line every year. It was a great experience but certainly a good reminder of the work I have to do before Miwok in a mere 7 weeks. That will come way too fast. I usually run my best races mid-summer to mid-fall so I know that to be ready earlier I simply have to train now the way I normaly would in May/June. And that means more than just logging miles. Hill repeats, speed work, intervals. The stuff that hurts. To quote Joe Z (as I did a few times along the trail yesterday) - "There are no secrets. You get out what you put in."

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A huge congrats to Kami, also representing TCRC this weekend at Land Between the Lakes 50M in Kentucky, taking 2nd place in 8:30! And to the other locals who ran that race and those who travelled further south for the 3 Days of Syllamo. Looking forward to hearing everyone's stories.

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A few more photos I took along the drive back to Auburn...

Running the Globe

Slight exaggeration with the heading but I'm writing this on a flight to San Fransico (Yay for in-flight Wi-Fi!) ahead of tomorrow's race - Way Too Cool 50K - and just a week ago I was discovering old and new trails back in Ireland.

I was in Galway for work and got to spend a day in Sligo (home) and another in Westport - one of the prettiest towns in Ireland. Of course, with the lovely weather we had for the week, every part of the country looked great. It is probably the same everywhere but I always think Ireland in particular is a completely different country in the sunshine vs the rain. As are the people. The 'friendly nation' reputation was definitely developed during a period of nice warm sunny weather!

Carrowkeel

After the few days in Galway I was up at my Mum's house last Friday and was hoping to get in a 2hr run. When I first starting running I would almost always hop in the car and drive to a local park where I'd run some loops/out-and-backs to get in my long runs. The narrow roads close to home are just too dangerous as no one ever expects to see walkers/runners/bikers on them. But for whatever reason last week I got to thinking that if I ran right from my house along a few very quiet roads, some no longer used by cars, I could make my way over to Carrowkeel, a Megalithic burial ground that as kids we used to visit often. There are fabulous views over Lough Arrow and about 14 cairns in total - a few of them you can get into by crouching through the narrow entrance. AND these stone cairns are older than the Pyramids! It's probably 2 miles from home as the crow flies but to get there by car it's about 4 or 5. But who needs roads? There are old tracks that these days are just used by cattle and/or tractors. How did I never think of running over here before? I have been running trails for long enough now!

So off I went, over-dressed so I had to stash my jacket along the way, which meant I had to carry my iPhone in my hand so it got nicely scratched as I crossed gates and fences - but I wanted to take photos...

Getting there - my destination is the left high spot in the distance - but no, I didn't have to cross this field to get there!

The right way...



YAY!



For cars maybe...



Gravel roads...



Some grassy trail...



And of course, some boggy trail...



Overlooking Lough Arrow...



The view west over towards Keash Hill - my house is about half way there - mmm, Keash Hill might be the next adventure...



Tough life for a tree in the West of Ireland...



The self-potrait...



I had to take a picture of this bend. Probably 20 years ago, when this road was still drivable by car (or at least that's what my mother thought), we were heading down here after a trip to the Cairns - likely 10 of us crammed in the car - and taking it a bit wide we ended up slightly over the edge on the left. Quite an adventure - I remember my friend who was with us had the smart idea to get a rope from the boot and secure the car to the tree while we manouvered the car back on the road...



It's probably been 10 years since I was inside one of these - decided against it today - wouldn't be a good place to get a bad leg cramp!



More cairns - to be rediscovered another day...



Smart sheep in these parts...



The Joker's House - I have no idea who once lived here but as kids we used to be too scared to get close to this house - it's surrounded by trees so I had to make a quick detour to finally see it!



The highlight of any trail run in Ireland... sorry Lisa, I have no idea what breed but they didn't look like they'd be much good for knitting wool :)



More sheeps...



There is also a donkey sanctury nearby which I should visit sometime...



Heading home, just a few more gates and grassy trails (and minor floods!) to navigate...



The Bangor Trail

Next morning I headed over to Newport to meet up with my friend Dee and explore a fairly remote trail in Co. Mayo. There was a limited amount of info on the web about The Bangor Trail but I got in touch with a guy who has hilked it many times and he said it was runnable with hardly any fences to cross. If we had more time, and less events that we were both meant to be tapering for, we might have tried to run the whole thing - about 26 miles point-to-point - but as it was we had limited time (and energy). So we decided on an out and back. It was tough going - some very runnable sections on rocky terrain but a lot of BOG! I was up to my knees more than once! Still, it was beautiful, the scenery, the peace and quiet, not to mention the unusually nice March weather. A fun day out. We turned around after 5 miles in about an hour and ten minutes. A few picture breaks along the way...

Starting out...



Of course we had some woolly friends for company...



Lots of fantastic views...



Including a snow-capped Nephin Beg - it is so weird to see snow-capped anything in Ireland!



Me - trying out new North Face pack - love it, fitted well, I have found the Nathan pack slips off my shoulders too easily even with the straps adjusted...



Dee - who will soon be over in MN for a few months with work - very cool!



Enjoying a natural ice bath at the finish...



Next stop, California! Looking forward to running in shorts and t-shirt tomorrow... not as ready as I could be and feeling a bit run down from all the travel but it should be a nice run all the same. I was a bit worried when I first looked at the elevation profile earlier this week but then compared it to Terrapin Mountain that I ran last March in Virgina - the climbs are about half as high as that one! Phew... I have a goal of 4:45 based on nothing other than it's rated (by UltraRunning) as 2/2 vs Chippewa 3/3 and given it's a little earlier in the season I figure I should be able to do something close to last April (4:41) on a slightly easier course. We shall see...

More Airline Humour. Not.

When traveling abroad it's usually a good idea to have this with you...



Less than 24hrs after getting back from the week in LA/Las Vegas, I was back at the airport, flying to Dublin via Amsterdam. For once I was not rushing - which means I got to the airport almost 2 hours ahead of departure time. The line through security was nice and short so I figured I'd have time to have a coffee, check some emails etc. As I approach the check-in kiosk I see the guy in front of me take out his passport to swipe it. PASSPORT. Shit! I couldn't believe it. It took me at least 30 seconds to recover from the shock and scramble for my phone. The check-in staff were all busy and anyway I knew they could do nothing for me so I tried to think who to call. Who has keys to my house? Who has keys to my house and is actually in town? Valeria - Birkie this weekend - and had a great race!, Pam - on her way back from San Diego, Eric - not even sure if he still has a key, he kindly cut my grass a few times when I was out of town - before I gave up altogether and started paying for a lawn service. But anyway, he's in Nepal! Does Bronwyn still have a key? And she lives close to me - so I call her and she finds the key almost right away and very kindly offered to get it and drive to the airport - even though she was about to leave her house for dinner with friends. It was 6:15 at this point and I ask the check-in guy if it's worth it - that it will be close to 7 when I get my passport... he actually seems quite positive and says something like, well it doesn't leave until 7:45. He could see my huge bag that had to be checked in and all. So Bronwyn goes to my house, gets the passport and drives to the airport - I raced back over to the desk with it and the same dude who appeared to be the supervisor said "Sorry, the gate won't allow me to check you in after 6:45". Well, THANKS A BUNCH YOU ASS**** Oh I was so annoyed. I mean, mostly annoyed with myself but if he'd just told me that 6:45 was the absolute cut off it would have saved Bronwyn the journey and delay to her plans.

I wouldn't mind but I'd actually started to feel quite sorry for the check-in staff. They are completely understaffed and have to deal with no end of complaints and arrogant travellers. One guys in particular was a total ass - I don't know where he was from but I am going to guess northern Europe... he was trying to use the kiosk but was having problems so one of the staff took his passport to scan it and as she started to flatten it out the guy grabs it off her and starts shouting about how she is going to damage his passport. A few minutes later another lady starts to help him, same thing, then a guy come over to check him in from the desk rather than the kiosk - he hands over his passport and the guy still needed to open it and scan it and again the German dude (I've decided by now that he is German) grabs it back and starts shouting about how it's an official document and they are treating it like a scrap of paper! I was stunned at how rude he was. And I was jealous he had his damn passport. I don't know if he ever did check in as he was still walking around - cooling off - an hour later as I was leaving.

I was bummed not to make the flight as I had made plans to visit friends this evening and tomorrow before getting to Galway for work Tuesday. With limited time over there I won't get a chance to see them this trip. But at least it's a business trip and the ticket was booked through our work travel desk so I was able to re-book for tonight with no fee. And I got to see Susan and Pam who landed back from San Diego just as my flight was taking off without me. Susan kindly gave me a ride home so it was great to catch up with the girls and hear about their 'spring training camp' - running trails in Torrey Pines State Reserve (Susan ran her first trail - YAY!), swimming in an open air 50M pool... and meeting a rather eclectic group of Minnesotans who were there to swim a qualifier for the Channel Swim. I guess if you can do a few hours in the 50 degree Pacific Ocean you are heading in the right direction for the frigid English Channel!

And since I was in town... I made it out to Lebanon Hills this morning for a nice long run. After the week of pavements in LA and along the Strip in Las Vegas (6AM is definitely a better time than 6PM to try that!), it was so good to be out in the woods. And what a beautiful morning. Better still great company for the few hours. I started out at 7AM with Bill and Steve who had both ran long there yesterday so were just doing 1 loop. I headed back out for more and ran into Sonya, Kurt, Tony, Paul, Adam and Rick! It was great to meet up with the gang, doubled back as they finished that loop - some were done then and the rest of us did another 2 loops so I ended up with 23 which takes me over 60 for the week. I'm guessing next week will be an easier one. Hoping to hit a yoga class in Galway as I can definitely feel having missed it all week - found a studio in Las Vegas but couldn't make it having to do the work-dinner thing more often than I would have liked...

Last of the Winter Olympics today - watching the Mens Classic 50K - I can't imagine that repeat motion for 50K! The Womens race yesterday was awesome. 0.3 seconds between gold and silver! I was thrilled to see the Polish girl win - I think it was their first gold medal at the Winter Games - or possibly their first in skiing. The hockey game starts in an hour - should be a good one.

Flight Attendant Humour

It's not too often you remember the flight attendants for their humour these days. But in the past two weeks I've been on two flights where they really did keep us entertained. Flying MSP to Boston on Presidents Day the flight attendant announced he had bottles of wine to give away and started a quiz on US Presidents - press the flight attendant button if you know the correct answer. It was hilarious - most of the questions took people a minute to solve (e.g. how many presidents died in office)... and then the board up front would light up and the attendants would figure out who answered first and if they are correct - and here's a bottle of wine!

The flight attendant button took on new meaning on a flight from Burbank, CA to Las Vegas earlier this week. Flying Southwest for the first time I have to say the service is as good and efficient as I expected. As we were taxi-ing (how do you spell that word?) the usual announcement came on - "We will be dimming the cabin lights for take-off. There is a reading light located in the panel above your head." And then... "Please note that if you press the flight attendant button it will not turn us on."

Training to Race, Racing to Train

This blog title sounds familiar. I think I might have used it last year. Or stolen it from someone. Sorry, Steve if I plagiarized again!

[Plagiarized - that is a great word - no matter how often I use it I can never spell it correctly, that first "i" just looks odd...]

Anyway, I guess I am planning to do a bit of both this year. OK, make that a lot of both.

I am not sure when (though I log my miles so I suppose I could find out), but at some point last year I changed from swearing by the “run less, cross-train more” to the “run more, cross-train as much as you can” school of thought. Not that I actually put much thought into it, I just started to run more miles and of course as any of you mileage-obsessed ultra runners know, it’s a slippery slope... 50 last week? Better do 60 this week. I can’t understand how she fits in 70 miles a week? If I run twice tomorrow I can make it to 80.

When I posted a few weeks back on goals for 2010 I meant to also include a mileage goal. 2010 miles would be an easy one I suppose but given that last year I was at 2060 I’m going to go with 201 miles per month on average - expecting that the summer/fall months will be the higher mileage ones. So that would be 201 x 12 = 2414 miles. I ran 226 in January and will probably be over 200 for February so maybe I should aim higher. But then again, I’ll likely overdo it and have to take a month off at some point. We use a tool at work called “Risk Based Planning”. I’m all about it.

Specifically, I would like to hit a few 90-100 mile alternate weeks during the summer. Even though I will race all of the races, no point trying to suggest otherwise, many of them I won’t taper for and will therefore consider them “training runs”. Way Too Cool next month being one of them. I will ease back a bit the week before but still try to hit 50 miles for the week. My main goal at that race is to have fun running in California and get a sense for the trails out there ahead of Miwok in May. That’s much more of a “goal race” for me. It’s a different location but from what I can tell a lot of the terrain - as in trail surface - is similar. But more climbs at Miwok.

I also thought I’d set a yoga goal. Here again I was messing around with the 2010 numerals and since I do a mix of Hot Yoga (usually the 90 minute class but sometimes an ‘express’ version that is 60 minutes) and Vinyasa (60 or 75 minute classes), I thought I’d set a time goal rather than number of classes... so for the sake of originality I came up with 201 hours. That’s close to an average of 4 hours a week. Some weeks I can easily fit in 5-6 hours but with a bunch of work travel this year there may be periods where it’s much less. Though one of my first Google searches for a new destination is always for a hot yoga studio - found a nice one in Boston last week and this week I’m going to try one in Vegas.

Speaking of yoga, one of these days I am going to write a lengthy post about the benefits of hot yoga for runners (not facts, just my point of view). I am sure I regularly bore people to tears talking about it but in the past few months a few friends have taken it up and I think they would agree it’s been a good addition to their training schedule. Of course, it’s more time, more money and depending where you live not always that accessible. For many people it’s a question of whether or not it’s worth the trade off vs another work-out.

Which brings me back to the higher mileage goal and necessary time that will take, given that I don’t really want to cut back on cross-training either. I am not sure if my lifestyle is conducive to my training goals or if my training goals are conducive to my lifestyle. I suppose in the end they are so integrated it doesn’t matter. I was asked, once again, by my chiropractor on Monday morning, where I find the time to run so much. This was after he asked how long I’d run at the weekend and I mumbled something about 20 miles or so on Saturday. I figured 25 would have been too close to the marathon distance for him to fathom as a training run, not to mention the Friday and Sunday runs. Or the 50K race the previous week. This was followed by “Don’t you ever, just, go to the movies with friends or something?” Movies? I watch them on the plane flying back and forth to Ireland a few times a year. I don’t mind this line of questioning. It wasn’t too many years ago that I would have rather do anything than work out. But I do get a bit pissed when the tone of the question assumes that I neglect the important things in life - family and friends - for the sake of training. Granted, the fact that I am single and my family is spread across the globe means that I don’t have some of the same constraints/obligations that others do. And I don’t mean that in a negative way even though those words make it sound that way. I am just blessed to have a wonderful circle - or more accurately circles, random groupings, ever-expanding gaggles - of friends that love to do what I do. Whether it’s on the trails, in the yoga studio, or on the bike - these people are my family. And spending time with them brings me as much joy as the activities we’re undertaking. I know I don’t need to explain this to anyone who reads my wanderings. But it feels good to put it into words...

I should finish by saying that despite his crappy insights, I think I am continuing to benefit from my weekly visits to the chiropractor. Or at least my body is :)

Psycho Wyco 50K Race Report

Design by Jason Crosby Illustration

I'd read about this race a few times and was sort of thinking it might be a nice way to kick of the season early. Previous February races had been Moab in 2007 and Orcas Island in 2008. This time last year I was in Argentina attempting to climb Aconcagua. With a California race next month I didn't want to travel too far, so it helped that Kansas City is both within driving distance and right up there on the list of exotic destinations. An email from race director Bad Ben informing us of the "Mud Stud Challenge" sealed the deal - I may finally be able to answer yes when asked - So, do you, like, win money for doing this? We headed off from the TCRC (Twin Cities Running Company) store in Eden Praire, travelling in style...

Adam, owner of TCRC, a speedy runner with a great driving iTunes playlist, who happened to be extremely mistrusting of other's RV-driving ability, was running the 10 miler (1 loop), while the rest of us were in the 50K. Yes, we did give Adam a hard time for taking the 'easy' option. Much discussion on the way down regarding goals and times. And of course the prize money! $75 for guys under 5 and gals under 6. $250 for going an hour faster but I don't think any of us were seriously aiming for that. I'd gathered together some of the previous year's times but without knowing many of the runners it was hard to tell what was a 'good time'. And of course, every year the conditions can vary quite a bit in terms of ice-to-mud ratio. Regardless, I knew I wanted to run sub-6 and felt like it should be doable. I'd taken a look at the registered runners list to check out 'the competition' (can't help myself) and didn't recognize any of the names. But I was more concerned about my own time, and the added bonus of some cash, than wondering if I could win. As it turns out there was an additional $75 for winning. I need to do better research! We got down to Kansas City around 6pm Friday evening and headed for Gary Gribble's running store to pick up our numbers. Very nice technical race shirts and a cool mug. Backtracked to the hotel which was only a mile from Wyandotte County Lake Park (the WyCo in Psycho Wyco, the Psycho will become clear). The gang went for dinner but I decided to chill out in the room. I vary between wanting a steak dinner the night before a race to just eating a few snacks. I wasn't feeling great, not sure if it was nerves but wanted some time to sort out race gear and needed to do a bit of work also. Watched some of the Olympics opening ceremony - very cool. We were in bed by 10pm with the race not starting until 8am. Nic met us downstairs for breakfast and rode over to race start with us. He was looking fit and in shape despite being six months pregnant. Got sorted out with drop bags, everyone milling around the start area. We chatted with John Gustafson, fellow MN runner. And got ready to rock and roll. It seems TCRC's yellow shirt is setting a trend... The first few hundred yards was wide open as the field started to spread out. About 20-30 guys ahead, as we headed up the first hill, onto a short section of road and then into the woods. The terrain was a mix of rocks, dirt trails with room for passing. Some snow, but overall pretty decent footing as we meandered through the woods for a few miles until we hit the first aid station and entered...

A mile of singletrack zig zagging through the woods. On any other day this would be my favourite type of trail to zip around but today I took the first loop pretty tentatively figuring it could be a bit icy. The second time through was much more fun as I let loose and apart from a few turns the trail wasn't too greasy. Yet. Loop 3 was misery. Out of the loop and back on dirt trails. A bit of everything over the next few miles, plenty of up and down but all runnable. Some of the downhills were a bit tricky with the mud taking over already. Out onto some meadow and then a short uphill to the next AS at around mile 5. Starting out I was aiming for a 1:40-1:45 first loop. Got here with 50 mins on the clock so was happy with that. A few hundred yards uphill on the road and then back in the woods again. Just under 3 miles to the next aid station. Entering "Fester's Wander" (the dog-designed section of trail) wondering if we'd ever emerge... came out of the woods hoping it was the AS but knowing we hadn't run that far - through some meadow and back into the woods. A few nice uphills through here and eventually up a short hill and the park shelter and AS at the top. 2.5 miles to go. Plenty of hills here that killed me on loop 3 but the first time around I think I ran them all. I'd left the AS at 1:08 on the clock so was thinking about 1:45 for the loop but came through at exactly 1:40 so I'm thinking that last section is a bit shorter than 2.5 miles. In any case, it was 1 down, 2 to go. Still clean...

Heading out on the second loop I was feeling pretty good. Figured I should aim for a 1:50 second and then a 2hr final loop. That would be 5:30 which I knew I'd be well pleased with. But it was still early and I had no idea how the legs would hold up as the mud piled up. Paul passed me about a mile later and I kept him in sight through the triangle and for the rest of the loop. Took a spill in the second section at exactly the same spot I'd seen the guy in front of me fall on the first loop. Slammed down on my right hip and knee, scrapes and bruises, no lasting damage. I hit the 5 mile AS at exactly 2:35 so I was on track. Jogged up the hill happy for once to be on pavement. Then tried to keep it up a good momentum on the downhill singletrack through the woods. Got a wicked cramp that slowed me down for a few minutes - probably the result of drinking a few cups of coke too quickly at the AS. I should know better. The course was definitely much greasier but still a lot of very runnable sections. The worst of the mud started to hit towards the end of this section. There was a slightly downhill section around mile 7 and it was just impossible to get through without holding your breath and hoping for the best. It had already become a 1-foot wide channel of thick mud with trees on either side so no real option of 'taking the high road'. Coming into the end of the second loop I saw 3:30 on the clock so was happy with that. Stopped at my drop bag, downed half a can of sf red bull. And off again. Great support through here, including David from Kansas who I'd met up at Superior last fall. I could still see Paul up ahead but knew that wouldn't last for long. Called to Adam as I spotted the RV. Was beginning to think the 10 mile was indeed the smart option today. There wasn't much of a break from the mud on Loop 3. Even the trails that seemed dry and packed in the first loop had dissolved into slop. The triangle was no fun at all. But surprisingly I managed to stay upright and made it through the first few sections without using my entire vocabulary of swear words. Not so much once I passed the mile 5 AS and got back in the woods. I am not sure if the uphills or downhills were worse. Passed quite a few people on this loop - mostly 20 milers as well as a few 50K'ers, some of whom were probably on their 2nd loop. It got a bit tricky passing people as it wasn't always a simple matter of stepping to the side but for the most part people were great. Though I did get a little impatient heading down a steep mudbath behind a guy who seemed quite content to tell me how muddy it was with no sign of thinking I might want by. At the bottom of this slide was a creek crossing which earlier had required some navigation but now I was stepping right in hoping to clear some of the mud. At least momentarily. I think I made a bad sock choice though as my feet were cold for most of the run. Back to the SmartWools next time. I was so glad to reach that final AS on that last loop! The volunteers were great - coming out from the AS to grab water bottles to refill and making sure we had everything we needed. The spread at each AS was perfect for the event though I didn't need much with carrying 6 gels and Nuun tabs. Took a few electrolytes early on but probably not necessary. I carried my iPod shuffle the entire way but never listened to it. I was just enjoying being out there in the woods. Even in the moments of mud misery it was still a blessing to be running on trails in pleasant weather conditions in February. Smiling, happy to reach the final AS...

My shoes, however, were not so happy...

The final few miles passed pretty quickly. I'd left the aid station at 5:11 so I knew that a 5:30 finish was out the window but figured maybe 5:32... that was soon revised upon hitting The Three Hills section for the final time. Navigating that final downhill mudslide, a reprive on grass, and then down towards the finish... felt so good to be done! And I have to say there's nothing like a race director with a check book to greet you at the finish line :) 5:34 - 1st F, 15th overall. A $150 check, a $50 gift cert for Gary Gribble's running store and a free entry to next year's race! And if that were not enough I later picked up a pair of Mizuno trail shoes. Not bad for a day's work.

Caught up with the guys, all of whom had great runs - Brian went sub-5 (4:58) to take 3rd place. Tony was 10th in 5:20 and Paul next in 5:26. I think Paul's lap-to-lap ratio was the smallest by far! Nic ran a great race to take 6th place with 5:16. Sorry Matt, I think you'll know better how to stack the odds in future! The race was won by Andy Henshaw who'd taken 4th at Leadville last year. He set a new course record in 4:15. And possibly another record for most stylish finish line dive... Valeria, who's name rhymes with Malaria (it may have been easier just to teach the guys Spanish), came in second and also went sub-6 (5:55). Nice one!

And Kami came through a bit later, with an impressive amount of mud. And still smiling - as she was early on while still clean...

We got cleaned up. And felt (and looked) so much better...

After all, Adam wasn't letting anyone back in the RV until we were clean...

Speaking of Adam, he ran a strong 10 miler to take 4th. But we still gave him a hard time - after all, he was beaten by a 16yr old. This kid meant business...

Time for a group photo before we headed for home...

And then the party started...

Champagne in plastic cups. Ah, we're a classy bunch indeed. Thanks to Bad Ben and Sophia (and Congratulations!) - and to all of the volunteers and supporters. Despite my lack of love for mud, it was a very well organized, fun event that I would definitely recommend to people. Also, thanks to the busy photographers (Dick Ross and Kristi & Rick Mayo) - most of the photos above are downloaded from the links on the race website.