Ultra Running: Trials of the Trail 

While I am playing around with middle school kids and testing my knee for ability to train again, my WS Pacer Pierre goes out and finishes second in the grueling Stevens Creek 50k http://www.stevenscreek.com/stevenscreek50k.html

What a great course, the ugly kind that all ultra runners love.  Great job to him.  You are an inspiration Pierre!

Workout:

• Type: Run
• Date: 09/11/2008
• Time: 03:30:00
• Total Time: 00:15:00.00
• Distance: 1.2 miles
• Average Pace: 12:30/mile

ran around to each kid on the team while they did a moderately hard hill workout.  I have not had any pain in my knee with these simple jogging moments with the team.  I am however still very afraid to test me knee for real.  With confidence I am gaining being out with the kids, maybe I will attempt to put together a few miles in the morning.  I wil also openly admit that I was pretty winded after the short run, amazing what 6 weeks of sideline will do to you VOMax.

Workout:

• Type: Run
• Date: 09/08/2008
• Time: 15:00:00
• Total Time: 00:15:00.00
• Distance: 1.5 miles
• Average Pace: 10:00/mile

Langley Half

Ran the Langley Half Marathon Sunday on Whidbey Island.  What an awesome event!  Everyone should put this race on their calendar for next year.  It is a beautiful out and back course on the island.  There were lovely views of
Puget Sound and the surrounding landscape.  It was a pretty hilly course with one particularly ugly ascent up a gravel road at the turn around.  It was hilarious to see signs on the course alerting us to “Gently Rolling Hills Ahead”  I was in a walk towards the top only commencing to a run again after I saw the turn-around and all the wonderful volunteers cheering us along. 

I ran well and my back held up!  Plenty sore today, isn’t that why I run yes it is……for better or worse.  I still have a nagging ache in my lumbar region that I am sure is just a pinched nerve or tied up muscle, but it was important for me to get out and run. I am determined to run the 50 miler in 2 weeks for a new qualifying time for Western States 100, as I am sure it will be a requirement.

The weather was very warm for the 8:30 start, I wore my new running skirt.  I have joined the skirt wearing women after resisting the fad at first.  I like the way the skirt makes me feel… more girly.  Most of the race was covered by trees so it was easy to stay in the shade and avoid the direct sun.  But I was glad for the numerous aid station serving water and nuun.

The Choochokam Arts festival was in full swing at the finish with a great local band playing and at least one wacky guy dancing to  his own rhythm.  The finish was an awesome downhill sprint which made everyone feel fast and alive.  I caught 2 runners on the way back and think I ran even splits. 

The award ceremony was also spectacular with the overall and age group winners getting local photographer’s artwork.  Very classy!  The race director Matt Simmons also chose to give socks instead of T-shirts, another excellent decision.  Next year I will bring the family and we will stay for the festival.  There were 91 finishers, I was 18th overall, 2nd Woman, 1st in age group.

Workout:

• Type: Run
• Date: 07/13/2008
• Time: 08:30:00
• Total Time: 1:40:09.00
• Distance: 13.1 miles
• Average Pace: 7:38.6/mile

Numb and depressed.  I just received an email from the Western States 100 President informing all runners that the race is in jeopardy of being cancelled.  For the first time in the races 35 year history, it may not go on.  After 6 months of training hard and being totally focused on my running for the first time in a decade, it all comes down to Mother Nature.  On June 21^st there were hundreds of lightning strikes that started more than 300 fires in
California.  Currently one of these fires is within 2 miles of a race access point.

There are 418 runners signed up and each of us having support crew of 1-4 people or more.  2000 running enthusiasts are right now processing the fact that life is hard and unpredictable.  In ultra running we know something will go wrong, sometimes terribly wrong and the beauty of being an ultra runner is overcoming difficulties.  I had a plan for almost everything that could have gone wrong, except for a cancellation of the race itself.

DNF to most runners means Did Not Finish, for ultra athletes DNF means Did Nothing Fatal.  The Race Directors, US forest service, Fire Fighters, and many more individuals are deciding right now if allowing us runners to be on the course this weekend means increasing the risks of DNFs.  I pray that I can run this weekend in the Western States 100.  I pray I have the strength to be okay if I don’t.

I have already decided that if the race is cancelled I will go down and volunteer to support the fire fighting efforts in any way I can.  If I would be more of a hindrance than helpful I will have to make a plan B.  My sister Julie was to be my crew, she is a fire fighter paramedic and maybe we can still make a difference down there for this beautiful forest and the people the fires are impacting.

The race race was offically cancelled.  I don’t know what to do with all this emotion.  My brain knows it is just a race…but my heart and soul are totally lost. 

How long does it take to ready 9 drop bags for a 100 mile endurance race that may take up 30 hours in the Sierra Nevada Mountains?

Answer: 3-4 hours.

How much money can an out of her head ultra runner spend on her drop bag supplies?

Answer: $500-$600

What does a neurotic put in her drop bags?

Answer: You would be surprised……read on ….

I have been hyper-focused on the contents of my drops for the last week.  I finally gave in to my need to prepare early for the race this weekend and put together the finest supply bags in ultra running history.

There will be 9 places on the course to access my bags.  Here is a list of items in my bags: This list is by no means is all inclusive and depending on were the bag is on the course other specific items are added to help with the particular needs that will present themselves during the day or night.

Mini jars of Vaseline 6: $2 each, Band-Aids: $1, Blister repair kits 2: $8 each, Socks 7: $10, Energy gels 20: $2, Electrolyte capsules 1 bottle: $10, Bandannas 4: $1, Sunscreen: $ 10, Replacement Technical Shirts 3: $20-$30each, Replacement Shoes 2: $125 each, Hats 3: $14, Sunglasses 2 pair: $40, Flashlights 2: $100, Batteries: $16, Headlamps: $100, Rain gear: $60, Chapstick: $2

Two of my bags have complete clothing changes as I have one river crossing at night that will most likely soak me and since I do not tolerate the cold very well I will have to take the extra time to change all my clothing.  The second set of clothes is a just in case set.

Workout:

• Type: Run
• Date: 06/23/2008
• Time: 14:00:00
• Total Time: 00:25:00.00
• Distance: 2.5 miles
• Average Pace: 10:00/mile

Finally was able to hook up with Lisa after not running with her 2 months! Over the 9 miles we caught up on family, business, running and life in general.  I think we ran out of running time before either of us were ready to stop talking.  Since I am on a taper for Western States 100 and she is building base again after completing Boston Marathon, 9 was the max for both. 

I have prepared the best I could (given my self imposed chaotic lifestyle) for next weekend physically.  In the last week everybody who knows what I am doing asks me “are you ready?”  The only possible answer to this is “I better be.”

Workout:

• Type: Run
• Date: 06/21/2008
• Time: 07:00:00
• Total Time: 1:24:30.00
• Distance: 9 miles
• Average Pace: 9:23.38/mile

Had to get a little run in.  Easy quick quickie….need to do more of these morning gigs!  made it leisurely and super fun

Workout:

• Type: Run
• Date: 06/20/2008
• Time: 08:00:00
• Total Time: 00:32:00.00
• Distance: 4 miles
• Average Pace: 8:00/mile

On June 2^nd I had the most awesome opportunity to get my VO2max and Lactate threshold measured.  I went to Seattle Performance and met with Dr. Cooper and staff.   As an endurance runner I have always been extremely curious about my VO2max.

This number indicates ones ability to convert oxygen to deliverable fuel to the muscles.  A person’s VO2max is a combination of age, genetics and fitness.  I know I have decent genetics and I don’t think it hurts that I was born and raised in Colorado at 7000 ft.

The tests were performed on a treadmill.  I started with a warm up and then the treadmill incline was increased ever 2 minutes until I was almost to exhaustion.  This took just over 14 minutes at 6.2 on the treadmill maxing out at an incline of 7.5.  It was relatively easy for the first 11-12 minutes, but when I fatigued I was done very quickly.  My max heart rate was 180 and after a 2 minute recovery I was down to 130. This is a quick recovery!

My VO2Max is 46ml/kg/min. The oxygen uptake average for woman in my age group is 31-33, the excellent category for VO2max tops out at on most charts at 45ml/kg/min for woman.  Seattle Performance works with endurance athletes and they came up with a revised chart reflecting this population.  On this revised athletic chart I am still in the excellent range but fell short of the “Competitive Endurance” rating of 50kg/ml/min.  This is the story of my journey….. I have labeled myself as “first housewife off the bench”, just shy of the real deal but having enough talent and desire to not settling for jogger status.

Now that I know my VO number I have a new goal (post 100 miler) to improve my VO to the coveted 50kg/ml/min.  This can be done by building base miles over a 8 – 10 week period.  These miles must be done below lactate threshold so as to teach the muscles to uptake oxygen and utilize it more efficiently.  I will focus for the first time in my running life on using heart rate for training purposes.  I have always trained hard and rested too much in between.  Having this new information will help adjust after the race should I have some post race depression.  It may also require an invetment in the new Garmin 405

The training that I will do to improve my endurance and aerobic power will be done with my heart rate at, near or below 155 beats/min.  My lactate threshold is at 174 beats/minute.  This is very close to my max of 180, the goal will be to build my body’s ability to have a bigger buffer between lactate threshold and max effort.  In other words give myself another gear.

Another part of the testing was a calorimetry resting test.  This measures the amount of calories burned in a non workout day.  I burn approximately 1600 calories a day just to exist and not workout.  This is good to know also as I have not been able to maintain my weight during this preparation for the Western States 100, I have since started counting calories to put some weight on for the race!  Can I say almonds are awesome for this purpose….so are breve lattes.

I am little scared as the big day approaches.  Kept my mind on the race today and made sure I only thought positively. 

Workout:

• Type: Run
• Date: 06/16/2008
• Time: 14:00:00
• Total Time: 1:01:01.00
• Distance: 7.2 miles
• Average Pace: 8:28.47/mile