Way Too Long

OK, it's been way too long since my last post. My bad . . . I have just been totally overwhelmed with preparing for and then cleaning up after the big ultra . . . The Finger Lakes Fifties. This year I did not sign up for the Vermont 100, which I have done the past three years. Last year I realized that after putting so much of myself into getting The Fifties together, I just couldn't make that switch from race director back to runner in time to get myself ready for Vermont. So this year I didn't even try to. And I have to say that despite the fact that I felt like I was in withdrawal this past weekend with not being at Vermont, it was the right decision to not do it. No way I would have been ready. I have not been able to put in some really solid training runs for at least a month leading up to The Fifties and now that it's over - two weeks plus after - I am finally getting my mojo back on. The trails await me! So much to do, so little time. So as to keep myself on track and make myself feel at least a bit more accountable, I am going to put it down in writing right now what the plan of attack is . . .

* Stop eating so much crap! I have been living on instant sugar energy to keep going with race preparations and then feeling too tired to put much thought into eating the right stuff. It's time to get my training mind in order. Balance the diet: protein, carbs, veggies, and lots of water. Lay off on the beer for a bit and reserve it for the reward after hard training and racing.

* Get Joe in gear. Joe is doing quite well in his preparations for his big summer ultra - The Summer Beast of Burden 24-hr run. The plan is to run 66 miles in the given 24-hr period. I am confident that he can do it as long as he paces himself during the heat of the day, stays hydrated and electrolyted, and listens to his pacer - me - finally, I get to be the whip-ass! Rock on - what goes around, comes around, my lovely crew-man! I can't wait to help him reach his goal. Still more training runs to go, but his is on the right path.

* Gear up for the Green Lakes 100K. This will be my first attempt at the 100K at this event - actually my first real 100K race! I have completed 100K before during my 100 mile attempts, but have never actually run a 100K race flat-out, so I am really excited for this. The biggest issue with this race is the lap-thing - EIGHT laps! This is going to be a real mental challenge to keep going each time I come through the start/finish area, but Joe will be there cow-belling me on.

So that's where things are at right now. Other than that, I am glued to the Tour de France and am totalling rooting for Andy Schleck who, after yesterday's chain disaster on the climb, must have a gut full of anger that will bring him back to the yellow jersey. The kid's got style and he's an amazing climber. I am confident he will make his move on Contador.

And then there is Tri-Nations rugby starting up again. I have to admit that I haven't been able to get away from The Tour to even watch one game. This is a great tournament - New Zealand, South Africa, and Australia pitted against each other - and I don't have any emotional attachment to any of the teams, so it doesn't matter who wins! They are all super teams but I have to admit that if I had to pick one, South Africa - winners of last year's Tri-Nations - is my team for this year.

Time to get out for a run - maybe I will check out Joe's Mountain Madness 30K course today for a run. If you're up for a good run on August 15, check us out! It's huge fun. CLICK HERE for a tour of the course.

Until next time - cowgirl up!

The Body Forgives What The Mind Forgets

If you looked at my bruised and battered body right now, likely the first question would be “why?”. Why indeed. Kids play hard and look like this, but shouldn't adults know better? I haven't looked this beat-up since my days of mountain biking. Oh, that's right . . . I was of adult age then, too. And now I'm . . . 40 . . . and it's great to be a kid! And I just keep coming back for more. Right now I hurt and am tired. Thank goodness the body forgives what the mind all too quickly forgets.

Why do some people run long distances? It certainly can't be because it feels good - because those of us who have done it know that it hurts like hell - physically and mentally. Could it be for that ecstatic feeling that you get when you cross the finish line? Hard to say - you don't want to even think about the finish line because making it there is never a guarantee. But then, what is the “finish line”? The finish actually comes when you have gone as far as you can; when you have laid it all out there and have nothing left. It’s when you have gone beyond the point of where it is pointless to keep going, gone beyond what is reasonable and sometimes beyond what is safe. It’s the point where you find out what you are truly made of; where your passion keeps you going for that last little bit. That’s what attempting to run 100 miles is about for me. It’s the challenge. It's about constantly looking for the finish - and never knowing where that may be.

I have now attempted four 100 milers. The first one I went as far as I could and didn't reach the official finish. I reached my finish for that day, but completing the event was still unfinished business and so I had to go back for more. In my next attempt I crossed the official race finish line. Business finished, right? Nope. I craved more. 100 #3 - too sick to keep going after 83 miles of nausea. This sucked - I wouldn't do it again, right? Wrong. Time to go for broke; time to go to a new location and try again. Go for the hills. Go for the rocks. Go where there are lots of nasty, gnarly, disgusting creatures and sheer drops that would scare the hell out of me. Yes, that's what I wanted. And that's what I got. Enter Massanutten Mountain Trails 100 Miler . . . one of the hardest, nastiest, unforgiving 100 milers on the east coast.

A lot of money, training, time, and devotion from your friends is required to prepare for and get through the actual event and it’s a lot of pressure to perform. But that's the great thing about running ultras and the friends who support your addiction - they are there for you, no matter what. When you are disappointed in what you haven't done, they point out what you have done. They support you, feed you, clean your dirty feet and wounds, change your nasty stinky socks, and they lie to you. That's what friends are for. And, once again, I had a great lying, loving crew of Joe, Karen Fennie, and Jill Fickbohm (the "virgin" in a group of ultrarunners, who now knows what 100-milers are really about) who ignored my tears, bitching, and pleas to stop and kept me going. Even when the possibility of reaching the official finish line within the time limit was no longer even viable, they wouldn't even think about letting me leave any unfinished business out there in the mountains.

So rather than bore you with the step-by-step run (and the term "run" is totally relative when you refer to the MMT course), let me just give a run-down of the highlights and remembrances.

Maybe these images will intrigue you into trying one of these events yourself!

• Packing the car and the rear-hitch carrier the morning of our departure for Virginia. And then Joe coming into the house and saying "I hate to even ask . . . do you think we will need The Clam?" (The Clam is the roof-top carrier. Those of you who have traveled with me to ultras know what a "light packer" I am - NOT!).
• Filling The Clam, the car, and the rear carrier and the four of us packed into the vehicle and not being able to see out of the back window! Somehow I think we resembled Sanford & Son as we rolled down the highway!
• Joe trying to sever my right arm as I tried to pack just one more bag into the already overstuffed back of the car and him closing the door on me. My first of many bruises.
• Foregoing the hotel room and opting for a tent to sleep in - OK, so I think this is really what put my packing limit over the top! Sleeping out in nature with only the sounds of a light intermittent rain, bugs hitting the sides of the tent, and the coyotes howling in the distance was actually quite relaxing.
• Waking up race morning feeling eerily rested and ready to hit the trails.
• Hitting the first trail and actually being able to run . . . but not for long . . . the climb up Short Mountain brought the entire group to a sweat-drenching hike, where us runners were pretty much bent over with chests touching knees as we climbed higher and higher.
• Catching glimpses between rocks and branches (and repeated ear-popping) just how high above the rest of the world we were.
• Never actually being able to take in the views and run at the same time. If I was running, my head was down with eyes on the trail. If I wanted to take in the views it required coming to a complete hault. Running and sightseeing at the same time almost assuredly meant kissing the ground - which I did - HARD - several times.
• Running along a sunny trail, feeling good to actually be running, and having to hit the breaks fast to avoid stepping onto the four-foot black snake that was stretched across the trail. The runner behind me assured me that the snake wouldn't hurt me, but just to be sure I made him go over it first.
• Having to go for 9-10 miles between aid stations and many hours without seeing my crew.
• Reaching an aid station in the dark and not being able to have my pacer with me for another 9.5 miles. I have always had someone with me when I run in the dark. This was my very first experience running alone in the dark . . . and doing it on a high ridge and over rocky trails. I am scared of the dark. Dead leaves curled up and hanging from tree limbs really resembled bats hanging and many times I had to stop and really assess the situation before going by.
• The incessant chirping of the whipporwills, howling coyotes, and moving glow eyes in the dark kept me very much alert to my surroundings.
• Reaching the 68 mile aid station, still in the dark, resigned to stopping since I knew there was no way I would reach the finish line in 36 hours now. I had already been going for almost 24 hours.
• Choking down french toast while my crew and a very persistant woman working the aid station tried to tell me how bad I would feel for "DNF-ing". The finish would be when I was not allowed to go on anymore, not stopping just because I hurt. They tried to convince me that I would feel better when the sun came up. Having not the mental fortitude to argue, I got my fanny out of the chair and started the death march.
• Leaving that aid station crying but moving. Adding on some extra feet here and there as wrong turns were made, but still being able to keep going.
• Seeing that second sunrise and still feeling very much awake and alert and able to make the ridiculous climbs up the ridges and over rocks but crying and yelling obscenities with the pain that came from each foot coming down on yet another rock.
• Being at the top of the world and taking in the views through tears.
• Having a wonderful pacer in Karen who, despite my swearing and crying, kept telling me how good I was doing and how proud she was of me. How can you let someone down when they can keep giving you these good vibes during what you think are your worst moments?
• Finally making it through what I thought was only supposed to be a 4-mile section which actually was a 9-mile section and seeing Joe and Jill waiting for us. And then having to hit the pavement to get back to the aid station. And I thought rocks were hard on the feet!
• With about 1 mile to go to get to the aid station and after 28 1/2 hours of being on my feet, knowing that I was not going to be allowed to go any more, I reached my finish. And sat on a guardrail and waited for Joe to get the car and pick me up.
• 28 1/2 hours on my feet and completing 76 miles and feeling just as awake and alert as the moment the race started. Sorer, stinkier, and much hungrier, I was content with what we had accomplished.
• Receiving my "MMT Visitor's Award" (picture at the beginning of the story). Way cool.
• Getting to a hotel with a real bed, putting my feet up and downing two beers with my wonderful crew. And after a nap, heading out for dinner where I actually was able to sit up and stay awake, and enjoy two "mucho margaritas" with my wonderful crew. Cheers to us! Another Pork Slap Ale when we got back to hotel room, and my recovery was well under way.
• Waking throughout the night to eat . . . salt & vinegar chips, peanut M&Ms, Combos, cold french fries, and a piece of cold fried fish left over from dinner. And still being hungry when I woke up in the morning.

So this was my adventure through the Massanutten Mountains. Not a 100 miles this time, but likely one of the greatest adventures I have and will undertake. It was the scariest, hardest, most awesome thing I have ever done. I did more things that I would never have done on my own because they are high on my "fear factor" list - and did them without even thinking about it. You do what you have to do. But it is so much easier to get through them with a lot of help from your friends.

Will I try another 100-miler? At this time I am ready for a break, ready to get some strong 50-milers in and get ready for a 100K in August. But 100 miles? Never say never. I may be bruised and battered, tired and whipped, but remember . . . the body will forgive what the mind will inevitably forget.

CLICK HERE for a link to some of the pics of the weekend. More to come when the Funsaver gets developed!

Cowgirl up! Pick 'em up, put 'em down, RAWHIDE!

Trying, Testing, Playing, Having Fun

OK, so I will admit that again I have been extremely pitiful with posting . . . maybe some ADD setting in along with my OCD that keeps me from being able to sit at the computer long enough to do so. Not that I have been up to much since my lasting posting, but I have been doing some product testing to see what works and what doesn't, a little bit of racing but not really - more like just having fun getting in runs with lots of friends. So here's a few things that I have been trying and some good realizations . . .

The Concept II Rower: this machine is an animal! A sprint on this thing will outdo any sort of running speed workout that I have ever tried! I LOVE IT! Gets the heart rate up and gives a total-body workout, especially strengthening the quads and back, compacting a greater workout into a shorter period of time when I don't have time to get out for a quality run. And it just makes you feel strong. And you sweat . . . a lot.

INOV-8 X-Talon 212's: I first bought these sneakers to use for the Beast of Burden race back in February and immediately fell in love with them. The fit is excellent and the grippiness of the soles like nothing else I have ever worn. On March 10 I did a good hilly 22 mile training run with a good portion of it on some rocky terrain. First realization: probably not the best shoe for running on rocky terrain for me. My stature requires more support. Overwhelmed with the choices of shoes that INOV-8 puts out and really not knowing what may be the best shoe for running on rocky terrain, I consulted my friend Yassine who runs for Team INOV-8. His advice was to try the Roclite 295's. Funny . . . they were just the shoe that I had been looking at and thought might be a good try. First run in the Roclites was a mere 5.5 miles but I really like them; flexible yet supportive and grippy and lots of room in the toe box. Looks like I have found a new love.

Vibram Five Fingers: I have been so wanting a pair of these so I finally broke down and bought a pair. I really really like them. I wore them for a full day of walking around and they felt great. One thing though . . . I have to say that it was very weird walking into a public restroom with the VFFs . . . couldn't get over the feeling that I was in a public restroom in my bare feet. But that's another story of OCD. Anyway, I have been running quite a few miles in the New Balance WT100s, which are basically pancake flat, and I have come to enjoy the feeling that I am very in-touch with the ground while running. I figured that since I have been running in such a flat shoe that transitioning to the VFFs would be no problem . . . so I went out for a run in them. So, of course, I followed my usual way of doing things. If a little is good, more must be better. I felt very comfortable in the VFFs so I figured a little 4.5 mile jaunt would be OK. When I got home I felt a bit of tightness in the calves but I massaged them and rubbed arnica gel in them. Well . . . the next day I was absolutely crippled! OK, so maybe 4.5 miles for the first run in the VFFs was too much. Live and learn. I went through lots of arnica gel, arnica tablets, Ibuprofen, muscle rubs, and some agony for 4 days before my calves felt back to normal. Guess the transition needs to be a bit more controlled. Patience . . . I need patience. Not my virtue.

If you have time . . . a really interesting blog is John Fegyveresi . . . a guy I met a couple of years ago when he came up and ran the Finger Lakes Fifties. Really nice guy. He is out hiking the Pacific Crest Trail right now and he is posting whenever he can . . . it's great; makes you feel like you're out there. He is also trying to raise money for the American Heart Association with this hike and is doing it in memory of his father. For more information and to donate . . . the Donald J. Fegyveresi Memorial Fund (AHA).

Heineken Cup rugby is in full swing. Setanta Sports, the sports channel that supports my rugby addiction, is no longer available on satellite. I just about had a stroke when I heard this. Where would I see my rugby? I follow rugbyrugby.com on the computer which provides stories and stats, but it's not the same! You have to see the action. FoxSoccerPlus took over the satellite channel and FORTUNATELY they are continuing the provide excellent rugby coverage. Withdrawal averted. UNFORTUNATELY . . . my Munster team has not been doing well and suffered a loss to Biarritz yesterday. I couldn't believe it. No H-Cup title for my men this year. Guess I will cheer for Tolouse; the French have been playing well this year (they won the Six Nations title with a grand slam this year).

So not much else going on. Cowgirl up . . . the trails are dry and inviting . . . time to get off the computer and get outside!

Catching Up After The Races

OK, I have been slacking a bit in the reporting department - having more fun running and not wanting to take the time to sit down and put the reports in writing. The weather has really been great to get out and run, so I have been taking full advantage of it.

On March 13 Joe and I went to the Annual St. Patrick's 4-Miler in Binghamton. I have always said (and still stand by this) that this is by far the best race we do! It's a mere 4 miles, but it is tough! The great thing is that it is early enough in the season that I haven't gotten into my "ultra shuffle" and still have a little pent-up speed in my legs.

Actually, the really great thing about this race, aside from the people who put it on and the volunteers, is that Joe and I go all-out with our outfits. This year we made a few alterations - I am certain that we spent more on the outfits than we did on the race entries!

Race day weather was cool but there was a bit of humidity in the air with some decent winds. I somehow managed a 27:52, only 7 seconds slower than last year's time! I'm certain that the hair created a little extra wind resistance!

This is truly the best race with a great feast and excellent beer after. This was my first race this year as an "old lady" Master - and I actually won the female Masters division! And, still maintaining my weight to keep me in the Athena division, I pulled-off a first here. It was a really really fun time with friends and a great day for running.

Now . . . onto the HAT Run 50K, which was held on Saturday, March 20. This is also one of my favorite races, mostly because after a long winter and being tired of the snow and cold we go to Maryland, it's warm, the sun is out, the flowers are in bloom, and we get to reunite with our ultra family.

This year the weather proved to be the biggest challenge for me. It was waaayyyyy warm - high 70s, maybe it even cracked 80. I just was not acclimated to it yet. But still, I had fun even though I ran my worst 50K time ever. I wore my Inov-8 X-Talon 212s which I absolutely loved. And I didn't fall once!

Not sure what was up with the water that was being served at the aid stations. I had planned to run with just plain water in my bottle and use Hammer Endurolytes and Hammer Gel (rock-on Huckleberry flavor!!!!) as my fuel. After the first short loop through the woods (about 4 miles) I decided to top-off my water bottle before heading out on the big loop. Shortly after leaving the aid station I took a big gulp and nearly tossed my breakfast. There was a very chlorinated taste to the water which made it totally non-palatable. At the next aid station I dumped the bottle and filled it again with new water, only to find the same problem. Not good; it was way too hot out to not be drinking well and I was not able to tolerate the taste of the water, which meant that I wasn't drinking as much as I should. I started running with my friend Doug who told me that he was drinking the HEED, which helped to disguise the taste. So at the next station I filled my bottle with HEED and discovered that even though there was still a hint of the awful taste, I could tolerate this. So the HEED and hot salty french fries got me through.

Joe completed 17 miles before giving in to the heat (he was smarter than me, I think!), Lorrie pulled-off a sub-6 hr run, and Karen bested her last year's time by something like 25 minutes! And even though my time was my worst, I take heart in that I got some really good trail time in and it counts as "time on my feet" in my training book for MMT 100!

So as for races, it's sort of fun time now. Yesterday was the Annual Forks XV (15K) road race, which was good fun. I did an 11-miler before the race and finished the race in 1:13. Next up is the Skunk Cabbage 1/2 marathon on April 11, which I plan to do as some add-on miles in my training log.

The weather is up and down, hot then cold, sunny then raining. Even had a bit of snow the other night, which fortunately did not last!

In the world of rugby . . . France pulled-off an amazing grand-slam win in the Six Nations tournament. I'm am totally a fan of Ireland, but I have to say that they played pretty pitifully this year. Now it's onto Magners League and Heinneken Cup and rooting for my Munster team (and keeping a close eye on my other fave, Leinster).

You Can't Bitch About The Weather

(Ryan, Jim, and me just before heading out to the snowy start . . . note: smiling and dry . . . smiling would be the easiest part of the run; staying dry would be another story!)

My brain probably thawed-out several days ago, but with the sun and temps in the high 30s-40s range around here I have to admit that I have been more tempted to be out running than writing on my blog. But I have been doing a lot of thinking about the race and thinking about what an experience it was and now it's time to put the thoughts down in writing.

First of all, let me just say that the inaugural Beast of Burden race was all that I expected and more. I originally registered for this event because I have never done a winter ultra (or a timed 24-hr event) and I really wanted to see what I could do in some extreme weather. Well, then Mother Nature pulled a fast one and gave us a lot of not-so-snowy days - and aside from a couple of wickedly freezing days - pretty balmy temperatures. Now, running in the cold is not too challenging for me; I like it a whole lot and I actually breathe better in the cold. So if the snow was not going to be a factor and all I had to deal with was the cold, maybe this Beast thing wouldn't be too tough after all. And then, two days before the race, we got WHOMPED with snow - like 3+ feet of it at our house! Holy crap; now I had to wonder if I was really ready for this! Well, the weather is what it is, so hence the title to this story - you can't bitch about the weather. I mean, really, what did I expect when I signed up for a WINTER ultra?! Let the games begin!

Once we were able to get out our front door - and then out of the driveway - it was off to Lockport. We drove up in rapidly falling snow for 100% of the drive. WOW - Cowgirl Up! It continued to snow during dinner, after dinner, and when we got to the hotel and went to bed. And then we woke up on race day to what? Rapidly falling snow! Temps seemed to me to be in the very high 20s-30s, which made clothing choices difficult. How to stay dry without getting too warm? Well, I would have the first 15+ miles to consider this and then make changes when I got to Joe in Middleport.

With a starting field of 42 I spent a lot of time running alone, which gave me a lot of time to think - and rethink - my goals for the day. Eventually I managed to run for 16 hours, 50 minutes, completing 63.79 miles. A respectable run in my book, earning me my very first ultra buckle! This race posed many new and different challenges that no other ultra has provided me - a unique experience that I will definitely try again. Here are some of my highlights of the day (and night):

* Starting the race in absolute snowglobe effect. This was probably the best of times, getting to run as a group and talk with each other. This lastest for maybe the first 3.7 mile add-on loop. Then it was into my own head.

* Race Director Sam Pasceri ran in the 100 mile event. This was really fun to have the RD out there experiencing the same torture as the rest of us! I got to see much more of him this way than I would have with him just standing around at the start/finish area and he was so encouraging and fun.

* SNOW - lots of it! I was certain that the flatness of the course would be my major obstacle, since I love hills and the opportunities they provide me to walk, use different muscle groups, and a time to eat while still moving. However, the snow made the footing challenging (see my next point). Also, the blanket of snow on the surrounding area really did a number on my eyes. I started out without wearing eye coverage and the brightness of the whiteness noticeably bothered my vision during the first 15 miles. Thank goodness I brought shades! I tried the sunglasses but they caked-up too easily with the falling snow. I think they needed coating with Rainex. Glad I threw the ski goggles in the car - they were the ticket. I knew I would look like a dork out there running in ski goggles - but I had lots of good dork company with many others - including Sam - looking like giant bugs running with ski goggles on. This really shaded the white, kept the snow out of my eyes, and saved my vision. Do you know how much a snowflake in the eyeball hurts?! Blisters got nothing on this pain!

* The temperature - well, it was too warm for me. The temps were, I think, reportedly in the 30s, although it felt much warmer than that! At one point I ran with my jacket open and just a sports bra underneath. The warmer temps also wreaked havoc on the snow, making it mushier and the footing more difficult. My ankles definitely got a workout!

* Three aid stations - it was a mental game during what seemed like long looming miles before getting to each oasis of warm food and drink. The volunteers were always cheerful and provided some really great eats of HOT pizza, grilled cheese sandwiches, and soup. The hard part was having to leave the aid stations . . . after running alone for so long it was so nice to talk with someone, which made it was really tough to leave.

* I managed to keep my energy at a pretty constant level with Hammer Gel. Who knew I could love a gel? I am so in love with Hammer's new Montana Huckleberry flavor - it rocks! And it tastes even better cold.

* I got lonely at times. 42 runners spread out over a 12-mile trail = lots of time running alone. I ran with my friend Jim off and on, but at one point I had to call Joe on my cell phone just because I was lonely and wanted to talk to someone.

* The cell phone - thank goodness RD Sam encouraged us to carry them. Joe was great driving from end to end of the course bringing my next change of clothing with him. However, at one time I was so interested in getting into my new dry clothes and eating that I forgot to tell him what to bring to the other end for me. So with my phone with me I was able to call him and tell him what I needed, which meant not having to run another 12 miles in cold wet clothes.

* Schwag bags - really excellent! We were just piled with great stuff - a fleece-lined running shirt, socks, all sorts of good running stuff, and a really neat flashing blue light. I wore my little blue light on my waist pack and Joe said he could see me coming from quite a ways out. And then a cool t-shirt when we finished. Let's see . . . $99 to enter the race, all the food and drink I could handle, a bag full of cool stuff to use and wear . . . basically the RD paid me to run!

* My downfall - the slush storm that occurred during the night. I really was having a good go at keeping myself mentally up and I felt quite warm when I headed out after completing 50+ miles, so I made the mistake of wearing just a light shirt with a light jacket. Unfortunately I was not moving fast enough to stay warm when the slush started falling from the sky. I got soaked and rather cold. I re-warmed at the Gasport aid station under a nice heater but just before hitting the Middleport station I was greeted with another wet, cold slush downfall. I hit the Middleport aid station a little worn and cold and that's when I decided to call it a finish. After three cups of coffee with Bailey's Irish Cream I felt way better and I think if I had this to drink about 1/4 mile earlier I would have had the mental boost that I needed to get dry clothes on again and head back out.

* Oh, the best part. I can't forget the clothes dryers! At each end of the course there were clothes dryers. Joe was so great - he took my wet clothes, got to the end of the course that I was headed to and dried my clothes so that I had warm, dry clothes to change into at each end! This was, by far, the best perk of the race and really helped my mental state. Because, in case you didn't know, I am all about being comfortable during the race. And if that means continually changing clothes, then that's what I will do. I know that I lost a lot of time doing this but I also know that if I didn't do this I wouldn't have gotten as far as I did.

So, did I have a good race? Well, it wasn't really a race for me as much as it was a challenge. And not even a challenge to see how many miles I could do, but really to see how I could handle the the changing elements as they came up. I think I had a good run, was able to stay fuelled and not mentally bonk, which has been my downfall in the past. My body can handle way more than my brain can, so if I can just keep my brain in it I feel that I can do well. So now that I have had my winter fun I am ready for the snow to be gone! It's time to hit the trails - as soon as I can find them!

Cowgirl up . . . the HAT Run 50K trail awaits!

Preliminary Beast Of Burden Thoughts

OK, it's been a couple of days since tackling The Beast Of Burden 24-hour run and what a major blast it was! Thank you so much to Sam Pasceri for creating this winter fun! My feet have recovered from the trenchfoot but I think my brain is still snowbound.

CLICK HERE for full results of the 24-hour and 100 mile races by Score This!! timing.

For a really excellent video by Jeff Tracy, go to http://score-this.com/results.html and click on "Beast of Burden video". It will make you feel like you were there! Dress warm!

CLICK HERE for some pics by my wonderful crew honey, Joe.

Eventually I will come up with a report of my race that I hope will do justice to the wicked conditions that all of us runners, crews, and volunteers had to endure. This was really a great event and I am already planning on giving it another go next year.

Valentine's Day

Since doing some long runs in the cold and snow it was time to have some FUN! Thank goodness for the annual Heart of Heart's 5K race sponsored by the Wineglass Running Club. This is always a super fun event and the word "race" is, well, optional. The race offers a couple's division where couples must complete the 5K run and cross the finish line together. So it was a nice day to run with Joe - and in our usual holiday fashion, we fully accessorized! This race was always one of Diane's favorites, as the Wineglass group was truly family to her. So Joe and I donned our "Diane's Team" shirts in her honor and, OK, so maybe our taste in the rest of our accessories has gone downhill a little, but we knew that Diane would totally appreciate the effort!