Signed up for my first 50 miler!

After seeing Jason finish Western States I got the bug to sign up for a race. I love being a part of the crew and watching so many people push themselves and accomplish their goals. At Western States I saw people throw up and keep on running, I saw blood stains from falls, I heard other crew members trying to coax their runner into eating or drinking even when they didn't want to. But mostly I saw a common bond among each other to push themselves past the point they might not have known they could.

I have been toying with the idea of signing up for a race in the fall in Michigan. Jesse Scott will be running his first 100 miler at Woodstock and I wanted to also sign up for a race. They offer everything from a truly naked 5k to other distances such as 5 miles, 13.1, 26.2, 50k, 100k and 100 miler. This is where Jesse took 1st place at his 50 miler last year and won a lava lamp. It's also the race I started a half hour late and only in the way I can mess up a race I ended up running the 5 mile course instead of the 13.1 course I signed up for.

The atmosphere of the race is truly awesome! They take the hippie theme to heart and have yoga on the lawn, people dressed in full hippie attire and live bands. I know I can complete a 50k. Running my last trail marathon gave me a confidence boost and likewise running in the mountains for the past 2 weeks has done the same. I know I can finish but is that enough?

My goal isn't to run fast but to complete something I never thought possible. While crewing I talked at length with Jeremiah (who paced Jason and is a much accomplished ultrarunner himself) about running ultras. I'm still in awe of people that run 100 miles. I will never say never but at this point in my life I can't fathom running that distance. Jeremiah and Jason have both assured me I could run one but I think they're just being kind or foolish. It's always a nagging thought in the back of my mind.

The day after Western States, we spent the night at our friend Michael's house who was gracious enough to put us up for the night. At dinner we traded running stories and I still couldn't get Woodstock out of my mind. After a few glasses of wine I told Jeremiah I was thinking about signing up for the 50 miler instead of the 50k. Of course, he's an instigator/enabler, I'm not sure which but he told me to go for it.

As Jason and I headed up to our room to go to bed I asked if he had his computer handy. I logged on and in an alcohol induced blur I signed myself up for the 50 miler. Of course I needed a partner in crime so I also signed up our friend, Mark Robillard for the 50 miler too! Why not make it a running party? I was so drunk/tired that I couldn't finish typing up Mark's form so I asked Jason if he could finish it for me. Luckily, Mark was up for the challenge too :)

We start living out of our trailer on July 18th and I'm excited to be able to run in a variety of new places. My hope is to find a marathon to run a month before in Colorado as a good training run for the 50 miler. I'm already missing those mountains so much I had to find an excuse to go back!

My goals for this race will be:

#1 Have fun!
#2 Finish!

Western States Crew Report

We were set to fly out on Tuesday morning (6/21) and half the battle of getting to a destination race is figuring out who will watch the kids, how we will get them there, packing, phone lists, insurances cards and other variables. We met Jason's mom on Monday and dropped off the older two kids. Ty was being watched for the first part of our trip by our daycare provider and later by my niece and mom. We dropped Ty off the night before at the daycare provider's since we would be leaving ridiculously early. With our bags all packed we went to sleep. Things looked good.

Or so we thought. At around midnight (fuzzy brain here), we received a called from daycare. Ty threw up and the policy is to keep kid's home for 24 hours. Normally, not a problem but we had a plane to catch in less than 6 hours. My mind was scrambling thinking of possible alternatives. My mom was out of town, maybe I could change my flight and Jason could go on without me. We told her we would call back in a few minutes.

I took a chance and called my niece figuring I would wake her up. I forget most of the world is not on my senior citizen schedule and doesn't go to bed at 9 every night. She was still up. In my sleep haze I think I told her I would buy her new jeans if she would watch Ty for me. She was an hour away and I told her I would get Ty and meet her. When I hung up Jason asked "Did you tell her you would buy her jeans?"...I was sleepy! :)

We picked up Ty, met Stephanie and headed back home. I was in need of some sleep so I went back to bed for 30 minutes before we left for the airport. We arrived within an hour and 45 minutes of departure. I automatically went in the Frontier line since we had flown that airline last week. As I was looking at the departures I didn't see Houston. Oh damn! I'm in the wrong line.

Once through Continental's check in, we headed to security. The line was longer than I have ever seen it at our small airport. I worried we wouldn't get through security in time to board the plane. As it turned out, we made it with not too much time to spare.

We landed in Houston after a very bumpy ride. Storms were all around us and in a 50 seat plane you can feel every one. Some people's low moment are during child birth or at the end of a long race. I dislike small planes and turbulence so I told myself I'm getting wine on the next plane!

We originally had an hour and a half layover which turned into a half hour due to the storms rerouting our plane which made our arrival an hour later. Time to sprint to the next plane. We became those crazy running people in the airport. We skipped the escalators to run the stairs and flew through the airport with no less than 60 seconds before they shut the door to our plane. Whew! We made it.

We met a friend and his wife for dinner that night in Reno. He was coming up on Saturday to help crew for Jason. It turns out 2 of our 3 crew from Michigan missed their flights in Grand Rapids due to a long security line. It turned out not to be that big of a deal for us in planning. Instead, we got them the next day and had lots of material to tease them about.

Since we were there a few days before the race we got to check out the surroundings and aid stations beforehand. We also ran up the mountain which was the same start that Jason would be making on Saturday. I think I have found my calling in running and it is mountains! There is something about them that truly speaks to me and makes me feel like I could run forever.

Me and my running love!

The night before the race, we turned in early. Jason was up by 3 and I rolled out of bed about 25 minutes before start. I had planned on getting up earlier but my alarm didn't go off.

Jason just before the start

The energy around the start line was buzzing. I love seeing the start of ultra's and this one was seemed even more surreal. We headed a little ways up from the start line to get pictures. One guy really got out front at the start line. Here he is below and a few seconds later you see the front runners.

The rabbit

The frontrunners

In my excitement to cheer on Jason I forgot to take a picture of him coming toward me so I snapped one of him from the back. Those are some nice calves!

Jason's backside!

With Jason off and running we had quite a few hours to fill before we would see him. Due to the snow, our first crew access was at Michigan Bluff which was at mile 55.7. We headed back to the room and lounged a bit. I told the guys "Let's stop talking and only Facebook each other" which only lasted 5 minutes.

Mark lounging

Our crew "support socks"

In Mark's boredom/hunger he decided to play short order cook for us. He cooked both Jeremiah and I some scrambled eggs. Then he said he was going to "experiment". I've learned not to encourage this behavior in the future.

It started out simply by looking for a fat to cook the eggs in since we forgot to purchase oil or butter. He thought strawberry flavored cream cheese might work. Turns out it just melted into vapors. He scrambled the eggs and added some wine...your guess is as good as mine. If not wine, why not a little coffee? Next came crumbled Cheetos, Doritos, salt, pepper and unless I'm blocking some other ingredient from my memory, I think that was it. They didn't taste as bad as I thought they would but I can't say I will let Mark cook "Leftover Surprise Eggs" anytime in the future.

Mark's eggs...his smile looks fake...I'm not sure he liked them as much as he claims

Afterwards to burn off those eggs we ran up the start line again. We didn't make it to the top since we had to check out of the hotel by 11. We made a few stops along the way and eventually made it to Foresthill Aid Station.

From there the plan was to have Mark & Michael take the shuttle down to Michigan's Bluff to wait for Jason. If he checked in there at 8:00 pm or later he could pick up a pacer. Mark would be the pacer and Michael would take the shuttle back to Foresthill.

Jeremiah and I waited at Foresthill and when Jason ran through there he would become his pacer until Highway 49 where I would pace Jason. While tracking Jason's progress online, he was doing really well. It looked like he would be coming into Michigan's Bluff well before 8:00 which meant Mark would not be able to pace him.

While waiting, I snapped pictures of other runners coming through. I got to see many of the women front runners coming through Foresthill. I talked to other crew members, talked Jeremiah's ear off and waited for Mark to text that Jason came through Michigan Bluff.

Jeremiah waiting...

We got the text. They said Jason looked great. He was lucid, smiling and running strong. He was well before 8 so the guys would take the shuttle back. Originally, at Michigan's Bluff we thought Jason would need his flashlight and headlamp but since he was so early I knew he wouldn't need either before getting to Foresthill where we would see him next. In case the guys didn't make it back I wanted to make sure he had some light so they gave him the headlamp.

The guys made it back in plenty of time so I went to aid station (we were parked pretty far away from it) to take pictures of Jason running in before they weighed him and did a medical check. He was still looking great. Happy, smiling and looking good!

Jason coming into Foresthill looking a hot mess!

Coming out of weigh in and on to the car

I ran with him from the aid station to our car. We chatted a bit about how the run was going. He said he felt fabulous, had a blister he wanted to pop and needed to change his clothes. I took some pictures of his feet, they looked pretty nasty but sadly we all wanted to look at them like the dorks we are.

Some beat up toes

Look at those sexy abs!

We hurriedly got him the supplies he needed, a change of clothes and his flashlight and he was off with Jeremiah as his pacer.

Leaving with his pacer, Jeremiah

I like to compare crewing to what I think it might be like to be a celebrity assistant. You're on call 24 hours, you get little sleep, you deal with all kinds of odd requests and you have to come up with some pretty creative solutions. Jason's shoes (besides the pair he was wearing) were really wet. The sun was going down so drying them outside wasn't an option. We had a little bit of time between aid stations so we decided to go in search of a laundromat to dry the shoes.

Dirty shirt!

We used the GPS to search for one. What did I do before this handy device? We arrived at Mrs. T's laundromat....I pity the fool who forgets the fabric softener!..ok, I digress. Maybe I'm the only one that envisioned that sign on the door in my head when we pulled up.

Mark with the laundry

Michael as the laundry supervisor

We dried both Jason's clothes and his shoes. We noticed a sign on the door that said "Doors automatically close at 8:45". It looked like there was a locking device and since we were there at 8:20 I said we should leave just before 8:45. The guys were worried the shoes wouldn't be completely dry, I was worried we would be locked in there instead of being able to crew. I voted for leaving before and they said "We will not be stuck in here. I'll throw a rock through the window".......Ummmm....or....OR ...we could leave before 8:45.

A sign made after my own children

The shoes were almost dry so we left before the locks could activate. We took the scenic mountain route which had lots of windy roads. I managed to get honked at and passed on the right when I didn't realize I should have gotten in the right lane to let people pass. A little ways down the road, I pulled off and let those behind me pass. I am a courteous, albeit, slow driver.

We got to the church parking lot and knew we had a little bit of time but sleep seemed to be out of the question. I was too wide awake so we decided to take the shuttle down. From the drop off point of the shuttle to the aid station it was approximately 1.25 miles. It was dark out so we had our lights and headlamps on. It's a cool sight to see a bunch of lights bouncing around when it's completely dark. The stars are so beautiful to look at from the mountains. It almost seems like there are a 100 times more stars in the sky.

When we got to GreenGate I felt a little sleepy so I laid down on my backpack on the hard rocks and dozed off. When I'm tired enough it doesn't matter where I am, I can sleep. I slept for about 30 minutes and waited for Jason and Jeremiah to come in.

Me at Greengate after my nap

I didn't bring the bigger camera but I wanted pictures so I asked Mark to take a few from my phone while I got whatever Jason needed. When Mark goes on trips he typically takes no less than a thousand pictures so I was confident he would complete his task.

I laid out every possible thing Jason might need. He told me he might need a change of clothes and shoes. I laid out the Bag Balm (for lube), batteries (to give him a fresh pair for his flashlight and headlamp), Slim Fast, Red Bull, S-Caps, alcohol wipes (for popping any blisters he might have), antibiotic cream (feet) and bandaids (still feet).

Jason and Jeremiah came in. It's go time! Jeremiah gave me an update on Jason. He said he was running well and felt good. He thought at this point that he was on pace to run sub 24. I asked Jason if he need clothes or shoes and he said no. He only needed batteries. I had the bag out and ready to go so I handed it to him.

Apparently I had the wrong because they weren't the right type of batteries. He needed lithium, not the common alkaline variety. He needed the Dom Perignon of batteries, or Cristal if I'm going to be even more current which I'm sure I'm not :) As I'm searching for the batteries, I notice Marks' not taking any pictures so I tell him to get on it. I searched one back pack and couldn't find them. I checked the second bag and I found them.

I notice Mark only took 1 picture. Mark! Take more pictures!!! Normally this guy is snapping away like the paparazzi and he's totally fading on me :) Batteries in, kiss Jason, and they're off!

The one usable picture Mark took :)

Time to walk 1.25 miles back to the shuttle. I looked at the pictures Mark took. Ok, he only took 4 and 2 are black. At least I got one good one! (Note to self: don't let Mark take critical pictures). We joked on the way back that we failed our celebrity. We had everything out but the lithium batteries. We walk 2.5 miles, lay out everything and didn't have the one thing he needed.

We headed to the next aid station, Highway 49, where i would be pacing Jason into the finish. Originally I thought it might be in the light of the day but he was cruising right along so I would need night running gear.

We got to the aid station with plenty of time to spare. It was 2:00 a.m. and getting cold. I layered up in 2 shirts and Jason's pants with my running gear on underneath. I figured I would take off the layers when I saw Jason coming in because it was too cold to stand around in my running skirt and short sleeves.

We had an estimate of when he would be coming in so we kept watch for the flashlights bobbing to see if it were them. Each time I was ready to take off the layers and pace Jason. I had one false alarm and took off the pants. I found out I might have a future in quick-changing :)

At 3:05 a.m. we saw them coming! Layers came off and I ran to the aid station to meet them. Jeremiah told me he was in a current low (not too shabby for mile 90!). He went over what I needed to get at the aid stations. Jason asked me if I were ok running technical trails at night and I said I got it! In all honesty, I had never run technical trails at night but I was not about to let that stop me.

We took off with only 6.5 miles to go! Jeremiah said I had a little less than 2 hours to get to the finish in under 24 hours and I was confident I could help Jason get there if he needed a little added encouragement.

It was my first time doing a little night trail running and it turns out I loved it! It was so much fun hopping over rocks and giving the trails your full concentration. I felt so focused and connected to nature at the same time. I did not know what I was missing out on!

Jason was running strong and I never had an issue with having to help him speed up. He preferred to lead so I stayed a few steps behind him. We passed a few people on the trails and Jason is always the gentleman. It doesn't matter if he's at the first aid station or the last, he is the nicest runner you will ever meet. He thanks the aid station workers and always says hello or gives words of encouragement to fellow runners.

Soon after that first aid station, we ran over No Hands Bridge which was beautiful. It was decked out in white lights and we joked this was our romantic date night! We continued running and on to Jason's last climb before meeting Jeremiah and Mark at Robie point which was about a mile from the finish.

The whole time we were on trails, Jason looked great! The second we hit the roads it was as if some of the air was sucked out of him. Roads are Jason's cryptonite! Luckily, we met Jeremiah and Mark and we were making him laugh into the finish.

Jason with his finisher's medal

When we got to the track there were people, lights and it was a proud moment knowing that Jason was going to finish but finish in under 24 hours. We ran around the track and watched him run in. I'm lucky enough to be able to share these moments with him but the reality is that he was the badass that just finished running 100 miles! I love being able to crew for him and watch him accomplish what he does. I know he went into the race not caring about times or even finishing but doing it because it is something he loves and it's wonderful to be a part of that! I will forever be his biggest fan and admire the way he runs the race!

My hero!

Colorado Recap & Western States

Just a few quick highlights of my trip to Boulder & pictures.

* I am truly in love with Colorado. I didn't take my watch or any music and I didn't miss it at all! Running in the mountains was truly one of the greatest running experiences I've had thus far! Getting used to the elevation was interesting and at times felt like I was starting from scratch as a runner. I felt out of breath quickly and perpetually dehydrated no matter how much water I drank. The freshness of the air was amazing. One morning, my daughter said "The air smells so good!"

I ran on Mount Sanitas & Green Mountain and wished I had time to run countless others. Everyone has those things they love most about where and why they run and this was mine. The scenery was breathtaking and the physicality of running the terrain and elevation levels felt like home to me. It felt like this was where I truly belong as a runner.

Jason and I running up Green Mountain with Jesse

* The kids were great to travel with. From the plane ride to the whole stay, they did a fantastic job. When we hiked trails with them, my daredevil daughter caused my heart to stop a few times with her ability and desire to climb rocks. I'm not the hovering type of parent but I admit this time I hovered a bit. She later told me she wished she was older so she could climb ALL the rocks : ) It was easy to get my kids to eat healthy foods because there were so many available options. We got grapes from the store and my son said "These must be in season because they taste so good!"

Gorgeous view

My sidekicks!

Ava hopping up the trail

My gorgeous niece Stephanie who was a tremendous help.

* I missed our fellow running bum friend, Jesse. Jason and I both ran with him during our stay. It was great having a trail tour guide. I never think it's possible to top the laughs we share but each time we laugh more than the last. By far, one of the best moments was (in the most kind way) seeing Jesse fall and having his GU packet deploy like an air bag. Once I realized he wasn't hurt, I laughed hard. His first response was "Oh man! It's my favorite flavor too!" No worries about his bum...he's assured us it's fine : )

Not sure what we were doing here, but Jesse and I on a break up Green Mountain

* My first barefoot 5k race was a success. I finished in 25 minutes and some seconds. I wasn't officially registered so I don't know the exact time. I think I finished 3rd or 4th overall woman out of about 100 participants. The course was interesting because it looped around into various terrains including grass, concrete and gravel. The gravel was a little tough on my feet, resulting in a few cuts, but nothing too bad. The Naked Foot 5k was one of the best races I have attended. Between the organizers, swag and attendees, it was fun from start to finish.

My handsome hubby at the Naked Foot 5k!

* We are leaving tomorrow morning for Western States 100 miler that Jason is running. It's been a crazy, busy time but tons of fun.

Naked Foot 5K (Boulder, CO)

Tomorrow I'm headed to Boulder, CO for a bunch of events. It will be me, Jason, Ava, Reese and my niece going along. We are flying and it will be the first time my kids and my niece have ever flown. I decided to leave Ty home since his age is one that isn't always easy to redirect. He's recently found his voice and makes sure he tells the older two siblings to "Stop it!" and is very demanding when he doesn't get his way. All normal for a 2 year old but something that I worried about when flying with him. Secretly, I worried we would be those people who got kicked off the plane.

We have a host of events to attend including a group trail run, a clinic by KenBob Saxton, a meet & greet and the Naked Foot 5k race (which will be my first race barefoot). I plan on taking a ton of pictures and will have a full report afterwards!

In other news, our new date to embark on our traveling adventures has changed to July 18th. Jason has the opportunity to travel to Germany (yes, I'm completely jealous!) so we are canceling the Seattle event and will take off after he returns. So I can procrastinate a little bit longer on getting rid of those last final items in my house. It's been a long and tiring process. I didn't realize how much stuff we had until it was time to get rid of it. I will be taking pictures of our travel trailer and what we'll be bringing with us on our other site soon! RobillardAdventures

Post Race Blues

Last Saturday I had one of the best races I've ever had. I felt great afterwards, I pushed myself but didn't feel like a complete wreck afterwards, I met great people, I ran with my heart and overall amazing time. The day after the race (Sunday) I was still feeling great. Still riding that post race adrenaline high.

The next day (Monday) was a whole different story. I crashed and I crashed hard. I was physically exhausted. All I wanted to do was sleep. I felt antisocial. I didn't want to talk to anyone I just wanted to sleep and keep to myself.

By Tuesday I felt even worse. I still felt sore but not so sore I couldn't get around easily. Mostly, the bottoms of my feet were tender from running over rocks and roots. I thought maybe I needed a little run to lift my spirits so I thought I would run some barefoot hills, one of my favorites!

The route I run is up a sandhill and down a hill, around, then back up. The total distance is .75 miles and I like to run it 4 times. I finished one loop and decided to call it quits. I was still a little too tender and my heart wasn't it in.

I thought my mood would have lifted a little but I was still down. I went home and took a nap. Overall, I was grumpy and couldn't seem to find a way to pull myself out of it.

I told myself on Wednesday I would go swimming. No matter how sore I am I love swimming. The cool water always soothes my sore muscles. I felt marginally better but still a little down.

By Thursday I was up for running again and ran 6 miles with Sharon. Whenever I run with her it seems to go by in a blink of an eye. I always feel like we're just chatting and the running is an after thought. I was feeling considerably better

By today (Friday) I feel back to normal. At first I thought it was just a post blues thing from road trips I had taken with my friends. But after this race, which I signed up for last minute, I'm thinking it's not necessarily from a big build up but maybe what running physically takes out of me and the recovery process.

I talked to some of my other running friends and I found that I am not alone and was curious if others have experienced the same thing. Does anyone else experience some post race blues?

My Dirty Little Secret

I've got a secret...ok, maybe it's not dirty, unless I'm talking about the muddy trails I run, but it's still my secret. I'm a bit of a scaredy-cat when it comes to running trails by myself. Trails are my passion and I feel most at home when I'm running them. Usually Jason and I will run them together or we run in larger groups. I feel I can be such a badass in other ways but this is one thing that is tough for me. I recently wrote a blog post about facing my fears when it came to traveling with my family this summer (here) which led me to this post.

I feel I've grown as a person in so many other ways and wanted this to be something I finally tackled. Why do the woods scare me? Part of it, I know, is I learned at a very early age that the world was unsafe and dangerous. As I've stated before, my earliest memory is of my dad, drunk, looking for my mom with a shotgun. But there are other things, which I cannot talk about yet...maybe someday, where I have been hurt and I know terrible things can happen.

As a result, I like to be aware of my surroundings especially if I'm going somewhere alone at night. I think being aware means you will less likely be targeted.

I don't know if other people feel this way but I think of all the possible scenarios that might happen and what I would do in response. If I'm walking in a parking lot at night I put my key between my fingers to use as a weapon and I make sure I'm always observant of others around me. When I'm running by myself I constantly scan my surroundings. If a truck stops and turns around I pay attention to the driver. If I'm with my kids I pay attention to anyone who might look at them a little too long. I don't feel like I'm obsessive or dwell over any of these events but I am always aware.

I think trails trouble me a little more because they are more shielded by the cover of trees and foliage. I worry that if I'm not out in the open and something were to happen there wouldn't be anyone to help or any way to escape. But this is also what I love about trails. That I am alone and I encounter far less people. I love the solitude and quiet of the woods.

I have gotten over some of my other fears by repetition. The more I do something, the more it becomes a habit. While it may be uncomfortable at first, it becomes second nature eventually.

I compare it to when I first started running. That first mile was tough but I pushed through and made it mile 2, then 3 and so on. The more I ran, the easier it became. I know I can face my fears but still be mindful of safety.

I don't want to let my fear get in the way of my enjoyment of what I love to do. While I can be fearful, I am the one who chooses how to respond to that fear. So I headed out one morning to run the trails by myself.

I parked my car and got a little unnerved when I saw two company trucks parked next to me talking to each other. I made sure I was observant and they saw that I noticed them. I wanted them to know I wasn't blissfully unaware of my surroundings.

This day was about conquering my fears so I got my gear together and started running. In a weird adrenaline filled way I think the fear propelled me forward and I ran faster. Sometimes I would jump over the logs and sometimes I would step on them and jump off. I pushed myself faster and faster with a few glimpses behind me. I listened to the noises I heard around me, always aware of my surroundings.

I ran fast up the hills and really started to just enjoy myself and how connected I felt with nature. It was a cool day with gentle rain which felt very comforting and cooling. I saw 3 deer as I headed up a hill and smiled.

I have a little back story with deer. When I was two weeks from my due date with son, Reese, Jason's father passed away unexpectedly from a heart attack. It was such a hard time for us. On one hand we were filled with happiness from expecting our second baby but filled with grief over losing such a loving, caring, selfless individual. Seven days after we got back from the funeral I gave birth to our son. It was such a mixed bag of emotions. When we brought our son home that day we saw a deer in our front yard.

I took it as a sign from Jason's dad. He was an avid hunter and outdoors-man. What were the chances we would see a deer that day of all days. We have never seen one before or since. It could be a huge coincidence but I like to think it was his dad welcoming his grandchild.

So seeing these deer gave me comfort in an odd way. I continued on with my run and took a wrong turn and saw more deer and wild turkeys. I love the woods because you never know what you'll find out there.

At the end of the run, I felt fantastic. It was only one run but for me it was a huge accomplishment. I know the only way to conquer my fears, realistically, is to face them. I'm looking forward to more trail runs by myself.

Glamorous Life of a Runner (Race Report from Trail Marathon)

Most people don't know it but the life of a runner is pretty darn glamorous. I thought I would detail all of the highlights with my most recent Yankee Springs Marathon Trail run race report.

It all started last weekend when Jason called and told me about his great run he had at his recent 50 mile race. I started thinking about what distance I wanted to run the following weekend. It would probably be alone and I can easily talk myself out of the distance. I'm not always the most disciplined in finishing solo long runs so sometimes I like to sign up for a race. Without a running partner I knew I would be weak...so race it was!

I signed up the Tuesday before the race, a trail marathon. I felt pretty good that I could sign up for such a race within a week's notice without it being a goal race for me. Granted, I'm not fast, but it felt good all the same.

I asked my mom if she could watch the kids and she said ok. She has a busy social life and asked what time I would pick them up. I gave her my best estimate and she said it would be fine.

I didn't really think much about running the race before hand. I did try to hydrate more a few days before the race than I have in the past. I also did a little more carb loading the night before. For dinner I had a gluten free, rice crust pizza with roasted vegetables which is now on my favorites list. It was tasty!

So race day, the glamor begins. My mom spent the night at our house since we had to leave ridiculously early. I awoke at 3:30 a.m. (yikes!) and went through my morning routine. At 4:15 we were out the door. You know, like a movie star getting ready to go on set early.

Jason was volunteering but would be staying longer than me so we drove separately. What? No driver?

When you're out driving at 4 in the morning you wonder what others are doing on the road. Are they drunk? Did I see weaving? Maybe they're runners too....

The race was an hour away and we arrived in plenty of time. Jason was manning his aid station at 5:30 and I went to packet pickup. The mosquitoes were out in full force and hungrily nibbling away at my tasty skin. One last quick dash into the woods to pee and it was time to line up.

The race started at 6:00 a.m. and as I lined up and heard the guy say "Now, remember this is for the double marathon starters only." What? Oh, damn! That's not me. Our race, the marathon, must start 15 minutes later. So I hopped out of line and asked someone the start time.

It was 7:00 a.m.! I could have slept in a whole hour! I had an elaborate gift for screwing up start times, getting lost while running and any other mishap you can think of. At least I was early and not late.

While waiting for my start, I got the chance to chat with others racing that day. One ladies boyfriend was training for Leadville and another had ran behind me in a previous marathon. It's always fun talking to other trail runners in the area because you know the same races and usually the same people.

Finally it was time for the half marathon and marathon to start! I didn't have any race jitters or nervousness that I sometimes get. I was running this race for pure fun and enjoyment. At the beginning, they announced they added an additional out and back section to the race so it was going to be a little longer distance than 13.1 and 26.2. They said they wanted to make sure we got our money's worth! This really makes me laugh because only in a trail race can you add distance and people are like "Oh, ok".

The race started and I was off! In the beginning of the race there were two guys holding back a branch that was overlapping the path. A lady ran by them as they held it and said "Aah! You don't have to do that. We're trail runners!" which made me smile.

What I love about running races is the people I meet and talk to while running. They are the best! There is no explaining or shocked faces when you talk about why you love running and the distances you run. Everyone there just gets it. I talked to several ladies about local trails they ran, races they have been in and a mutual love of hills.

At first I'm always a little shocked because I'm not used to someone actually agreeing with you when you say you like getting muddy on the trails. One of the ladies I talked to said she was a little disappointed at Dances with Dirt race she ran because she thought she would get a lot dirtier than she did. There is just a mutual sense of adventure and a love of nature that goes hand in hand with trail running.

The first half of the distance I chatted almost the entire way with others but most were running the half marathon so I didn't see them on the second loop. The second loop I ran I was pretty much alone the entire time. At some points it was very hot. I think the weather that day was mid 80's and humid. The one section that I felt I lagged the most was a small portion of a dirt road. It was out in the open, hot and not trails. I walked a portion of it and felt happy to be heading back into the woods.

On the trails themselves, there was sand, rocks and giant mudpits in some sections. I ran through almost every single one. It felt so good! Someone commented on my formerly blue shoes, now black and I said "Well, I'm a muddy kind of girl!"

Even though it was so hot, I felt I did a really good job keeping hydrated. I was also a lot more conscious about fueling. In the last couple of longer races I don't think I did the best job of eating and that will definitely kill your running. I felt really strong the whole day even though I have only run a trails two or three times in the last month and nothing longer than 7 miles.

The last two miles I was ready to be done. I didn't know just how much added distance there would be so I wasn't sure just how fast to run. I ran a little harder and it felt good so I kept up the pace. When my Garmin showed 26.2 miles my watch time was 5:55 which would have been a PR for me by about 11 minutes. I was guessing that the out and back added a mile to the overall distance so I picked up my speed and went even faster. I looked down at my watch and I was running a 8:25 pace and kept it under 9 minutes for the entire last mile. Again, at this point it felt good and I was ready to be finished.

Finally, I saw the end and crossed the finish line. The clock said 6:15 and my Garmin showed a distance of 27.5 miles! At the finish, they asked my age and told me I placed first in my age group! Whoo hoo! That meant I won a gift certificate to a local running store! It turns out I was one of two ladies in my age group but who cares? I still won it! I've never won anything at a race before.

Overall, I felt really pretty good the entire time. I know it was hot and humid out but I really enjoyed the whole experience. I realize just how much I missed running on trails and how they always lift my spirits. I didn't feel like I was as trained as I was for my last trail marathon last fall but I ran stronger this time around. Running Smiley is good for me!

It was time to head home and pick up the kids. I had to walk a half mile back to the car. At first that didn't sound too bad but a few hundred feet into it my muscles got really tight. Where was my driver to take me back to the car? Halfway back to the car, I saw a fellow racer lying under the tree. He told me he couldn't make it back to his car so he was resting. Sounded heavenly! But I had to get back to pick up the kids. Since I thought I was starting at 6, the estimate I had given my mom was going to be off by an hour. You never want to upset the person watching your kids, they might not volunteer in the future!

I was doing a slow shuffle back to the car. I wondered if I offered to pay someone $10 would they take me back to my car? I was guessing not purely from a smell standpoint alone. I came to a fork in the road and could not remember which direction I had taken that morning. This was a critical decision because I did not want to turn back. Luckily, I chose correctly!

I hobbled into the drivers seat. What? No driver to take me home either? I just placed in my age group after all. Doesn't that mean something? (please note sarcasm here).

I checked my phone. 4 missed calls & 2 voice mails. Uh oh! I've angered Grandma! I called back and I told her I was leaving but it would take close to an hour to get there. Needless to say, she wasn't all that happy. On the drive back I was starving but didn't dare stop since I was directed to kindly pick up my children. So I just drooled as I passed any food establishments.

I got to my mom's and hobbled inside to get the kids. Ava asked why I was walking funny and I told her I ran 27.5 miles. She told my mom "Mom, ran a long way so she's walking funny". My mom replied with "Maybe she runs too much". I told my mom I won first in my age group. "I don't know what that means, you run all the time." Ahh! Such accolades for my running :)

I was going to be on my own with the kids for 3 hours before Jason got back home. I compare my kids to the Seagulls on Finding Nemo. Instead of them saying "Mine! Mine!" my kids replace it with "Mom! Mom" but otherwise sound the same. "I need a sandwich. I'm thirsty! He's touching me. Stop it!" and you get the idea....

Still hungry, I had to scrounge around for leftovers after realizing I didn't have many food supplies in the house. I probably should have gone shopping. I'm going to have to fire my personal assistant and chef!

And while I'm poking fun at the idea that running is glamorous and I might be misunderstood as to why I run, I wouldn't have it any other way! It makes me feel alive, it keeps me physically fit, it makes me smile and it's good for my soul.