She Runs the Wasatch

On the Eve of an Ultra

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If all goes well, by the end of this weekend I will be an ultramarathon runner, a title I’ve thought about for a long time. It’s been years since Western States hasn’t gone through my head nearly daily. I’ve done a lot to bring myself inches closer to that goal, but on Sunday, I will be getting 31.5 miles closer. On Sunday, I am taking the largest step forward I possibly can in making my goal my reality. Normally, I’d assume this would make me nervous… but it’s not. I don’t feel nervous at all. This feels like the natural progression of things, as if this is clearly what needs to happen.

For Colfax, I knew what my goals were, I knew how to play it and what I needed to do to have a great day. This time, things are a little less clear. I have no time goal. I feel like 6-hours is probably a pretty good estimate, but I won’t know much until I get to the trail. The race is made of three 10.5 mile loops, each of which has about 2000 feet of vertical gain. That is a lot more than I am used to covering here in Kansas and I don’t really know what will feel like a comfortable pace. This race is truly a wait and see. My only time goal is to go for a negative split, something I’ve never been able to do in a trail race.

I’ve gotten my gear together, my drop bags, food, and everything that I will need to cover the distance. All that’s left is a few slow miles and two nights of sleep before I toe the line in Omaha. Am I scared? Yeah, a little. But I am not nervous. I know I can do this and every time I think I can’t, I’ll remind myself of why I am here. This is the beginning of my journey to Squaw Valley. However Sunday goes, this is just the first step. I’ve always found that the hardest part of a run is simply getting out the door. Well, here I am, getting out that door.

Getting Ready to go Ultra

Thanks everyone for all of the supportive comments last week after my update. I am in the final week before my race, and to say that I am nervous is an understatement. Running 31.5 miles wont be easy or pretty, but I think I can get it done. I still have some last minute details to get through, and I am not entirely sure what I am going to eat on the course (I know, a little late, right?). Most things I’ve tried, besides GU packets, bother my stomach and I really don’t see myself being able to down GU for 6+ hours.

Last week, my iPod shuffle kicked the bucket on a run. It’s been my running partner for some time now and I was quite devastated when I realized that my sweat had killed it. Fortunately for me, AudioFlood makes an awesome waterproof version of the shuffle. It came in yesterday, just in time to have some music during my race! I’ve been downloading music from the library and itunes to make sure that I have plenty to listen to for the many hours that I will be running in Omaha this weekend.

So, now I’m pretty feeling ready! At least as ready as one feels before they take on their first ultra marathon…

And since you haven’t seen how Elly is doing for a while, here’s a beautiful pic of her from yesterday.

Do you run with music? What player do you use? Any song suggestions for my race?

Long time, no see!

It’s been a while… hasn’t it! I hope everyone has been doing well during my absence. I’ve been reading blogs here and there, but I really haven’t had the urge to write, until now. I don’t know if I am back back, but I am relatively back. A lot has changed since the last time I wrote, so I’ll let you know what’s up.

Last you heard from me, I was fresh off a new half marathon PR and was about to run Chicago. I was prepping a 10K and was gearing up for a marathon PR attempt.

Well, I PRed that 10K! I got an age group win and even my picture in the newspaper!

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I, unfortunately, didn’t run Chicago, though. I know that may come as a surprise. I was certainly ready for the race, and was not injured, but I was just not feeling it. I didn’t have a real passion for the race and I knew that the overall cost of going out there was going to be huge. I just didn’t see the point in heading out to a race that I wasn’t terribly passionate about.

So, what am I doing? A lot of trail running.

As most of you know, I am hoping to get into the ultra running scene with the intention of one day running the Western States 100. Crazy plans, I know. And up until recently, it’s just been this thing that I talk about (to everyone) and never actually make any moves towards doing it. I became frustrated with that model and started looking up Western States qualifying races. It turns out that you need to run a 50K to sign up for most 100K’s. So, that’s what I am doing. On Oct 23, I will be running the GOATZ 50K in Omaha. Frank will be there to help “crew” me, although I doubt I’ll need much crewing for a 50K. My only goal is to finish the race, which qualifies me for many of the WS qualifying 100K’s. I haven’t picked out a race yet, but I do have a few in mind. Finally, I feel like I can actually say that I have made a step towards running my dream race. I want to make Western States a reality, and I actually feel like I am actually doing it (or at least trying).

As crazy as that sounds, I have more planned. I have been putting a lot of work and training into running a road marathon. I also know that there is a PR in me somewhere, so I am going to go for it. I’ll be headed to Tulsa on Nov. 20 for the Route 66 Marathon. Because I will want to PR and run hard at that race, I will keep GOATZ easy (and try really really hard not to get competitive). To qualify for most 100K’s, you only need to finish a 50K. Needless to say, there will be a lot of walking in Omaha in order to not trash my legs. I already have a few 20-milers under my belt, and I have one more before I start the taper for Route 66. I feel pretty ready to hit the roads to race.

That’s what’s new for me! What’s new with you? Any big races coming up (or just over)?

Chicago Training Update

I hate writing training recaps, so I am going to make this one short and sweet. Training for Chicago has been really up and down for me. Unlike the near linear progression I had during Colfax, Chicago has been one step forward, two steps back. Although the training has been hard, I did have a breakthrough race last week (more about that in my recap post later).

I’ve really had a hard time finding motivation and inspiration for this race, but I’ve kind of made a decision. I have been trying to fit myself into a new category, a 6-day-per-week runner, and I am simply not that. So, I have basically abandoned the Hanson’s plan and I am going back to what I did for Colfax… because you know what, it worked. Training is about finding what works for you and sticking with it. I know what works for me and I am going back to that.

Well… this week I took things pretty chill. I was recovering from my races and Longs Peak Summit from the week before. I took a few days off and did some nice slow running.

M: Rest

T: Rest – was still really sore

W: 8 Miles Easy

T: Another Rest Day

F: Worst Track Workout Ever (4×800)

S: 10 mile Long Run

S: 6.5 miles easy

Total: 30.7 miles

Not bad for a first week back after a wild and crazy weekend. My track workout was supposed to be 6 x 800, but I just couldn’t finish it. I felt like absolute crap and called it quits. Usually track workouts are a real confidence booster for me, but unfortunately, this one was just a drag. The long run the next day was pretty great, so I guess that made up for it.

This week I am going to step it up a notch. I only have 6 more training weeks before the taper, so I’m gonna make the best of it. Things are shifting over to more marathon specific work, including a lot more time at marathon pace. I’m pretty excited to hone things down a bit and get myself feeling ready for Chicago.

I didn’t take a whole lot of pictures, so here is a pic from our paddle this weekend:

And of course, here is a pic of the cutest cat in the whole world:

How was your training? What is your next goal race?

The #Lifepoints Adventure Grant

This is copied from a post on Frank and I’s adventure blog. Check it out and follow us to keep up with our adventures. The #lifepoints adventure started this weekend, so we’ll have a post up soon to tell you all about it. Another thanks to Picky Bars for helping us out and making our adventures real!

No one thinks of wilderness when they think of Kansas. It is the wheat state, strewn with cattle and large industrial farms. If you do a Google search for preserved land in Kansas, you will find virtually none. Kansas seems like a desolate place for outdoors enthusiasts and certainly not a place to find wilderness. But if you dig a little deeper and are willing to search a little harder, you will find the rivers. The Kaw River, the Arkansas River, and the Missouri River are the only open access waterways in the state, and they are also some of the best wilderness in the state. These rivers are some of the few remaining places where you can get a sense of what the original settlers and the Native Americans saw when coming to the prairie. Still, when I tell people I live in Kansas, they assume I can only get a dose of wild after a 7-hour drive to the Rocky Mountains. Our goal: To convince people that this is simply not true, that there is wild hidden in their backyards, snaking its way between cattle ranches and fields of wheat.

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A few months ago, I came across a grant to fund an adventure, the Picky Bars #Lifepoints Adventure Grant. Frank and I thought hard about how to apply. Do we write up something to fund a backpacking trip through the Rockies or the Ozarks? Surely, that would be picturesque and maybe even win us that grant. But we decided otherwise. Our goal has always been to get people EVERYWHERE outside. That includes Kansas. So, we applied with an idea to get as many people as we could on the Kaw River. Needless to say, we figured we’d never hear from Picky Bars again.

Well… we did hear from them. Apparently Picky Bars agreed, getting people outside and into the wilderness, in even the least likely of places, is important.

Here we are, planning another adventure! Each weekend in August, we will be paddling sections of the Kaw River from its origin in Junction City to where it meets the Missouri River in Kansas City. We are having both experienced paddlers and novices join us throughout the trip and we’ve designated sections that are especially good for getting kids out and on the river. And did I mention that we get a free kayak?

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Thanks, Picky Bars, for helping us make this vision a reality! We’ll be posting updates about our adventure here on our blog.

Follow our adventure!

Twitter: @thisyogiruns

Blog: wildplaygrounds.wordpress.com

Or join our adventure!

Prairie Fire Meetup

First Vlog Ever (special appearance by Elly)

Hey everyone!!!

I did my first vlog entry!! I went ahead and answered Kristina’s Running Vlog Survey. I also want to give a shout out to Meg for doing the survey as well. Elly is featured on here and stayed on my lap for the entire video. Watch it and let me know in the comments what you think. Also, go ahead and answer one of the questions or do a vlog of your own!

What was your first race ever?
What is your favorite race?
Do you like to run with a pace group?
What is your dream race?
Who is your favorite runner?

Kristina, you and I are totally going to Western States one day! You’re definitely going to head up my crew. Meg also volunteered to be my pacer! 🙂

Rocky Mountain 5K Race Recap

I ran the Rocky Mountain 5K as part of the Elk Challenge, which was to race both the 5K on Friday night and the half marathon on Saturday morning. This is the recap for the 5K, and I’ll post the half marathon recap soon!

I was in wave 1 for both races and lined up at the front for the 5K with the intention of taking things slow and saving my energy for the half the next morning. The race announcer came on speaker to say that if you wanted to be in contention for an overall award, it will be based on your gun time, not your chip time. I looked around to see who was there and to size up my competition (at this point I had no intention of going for an overall award). The women around me looked no faster than I was, so I got arrogant, took a chance, and went to the very front of the starting line. All intentions of taking things slow were going out the window.

I could see that the first mile began with a giant hill. It looked daunting and hard and I figured that if I took things too fast, I’d be very sorry later.

Well, the race started and I took things too fast. I got to the top of the hill at around the half-mile mark and noticed that I was running a sub-7 mile pace. I backed off (a lot) and just cruised on the flats. At this point I was the first place female, but I was running scared. It is not easy to run in the lead and it was really making me feel a little stressed out. I wasn’t sure how far back the 2^nd place girl was, but I was inwardly hoping that she would pass me to take the pressure off.

And then just after the 1-mile mark, the 2^nd place woman passed me and I felt like the pressure was off. I pulled back a bit and reminded myself that I had a half marathon the next day, which was a target race for me and a potential PR. I kept the 1^st place girl in my sights, but really had no intention of going after her. I was already feeling a little tired and was desperately trying not to push myself too hard. Miles 2 and 3 were mentally tough, but I was doing a good job passing some of the men and kept my women’s overall place.

Just before the finish line, there was a female elk chilling out. I was pretty excited, since how often is it that you see an elk during a road race. Just as I was coming into the finish chute, I heard the announcer say my name, hometown, and place. It was pretty exciting coming in to a rather big crowd and party.

My final time was 23:55, not bad for a hilly course at 7,500 feet!

I think I was most excited about my NPS pass.

After I grabbed some food and water, I was shuffled over to where the awards ceremony would be. After about 20 minutes of waiting, they called the winners up to the podium and gave us our medals and National Parks Passes (yes, a won a National Park pass… pretty much the best thing ever). I’d never stood on a podium at a race before, so this was pretty freaking exciting.

A beautiful and perfect setting for a 5K.

Frank and I walked around a bit, trying to shake off some of the lactic acid. I was over the moon with my 2^nd place, but I knew I had to get to bed soon to be fresh and ready for the half the next morning.

To be continued…

Getting My Confidence Back

I know that I have not blogged in a while… Really, I’ve been feeling down in the dumps about running and figured I was having the training cycle from Hell. I had tons of aches and pains, confidence issues, and just generally didn’t feel up to running. It all culminated in me straining my hamstring while teaching a workout class. I took 4 days off of running and figured I had ruined any chance of a PR at the Rocky Mountain Half Marathon and of course, any chance of a 3:45 at Chicago. Up to this point, I had only ever run a 1:51 half marathon, which does not indicate that a 3:45 marathon is possible.

So, I decided to run at Rocky Mountain anyways. I figured that Colorado had always been good to me. I tend to kick butt at altitude (weird, I know), and the scenery is great, so if I bombed the half, I could just enjoy looking up at Longs Peak. There was a 5K the night before the half, so I was going to just use it as a shake out run and hope for the best the next day.

I am going to write up two separate reports, but I’ll give away the ending now. I placed 2^nd in the 5K, winning myself a National Parks Pass, and I had a 4-minute PR in the half, bringing my time to 1:47:29. I don’t know who I was this weekend, but I hope that runner shows up in Chicago. I now have a half marathon time that is comparable to a 3:43 in the marathon. I feel a lot more confident and comfortable heading into the rest of my training. Honestly, it was an amazing weekend and I think the confidence gained from this will help propel me to Chicago in October.

So, what now? I guess I just keep going. Despite the time off, I am going to jump right back into my marathon training with the same 3:45 goal. I have not decided if the Hanson’s plan is totally for me and may deviate from it a bit as the weeks go on. The structured-ness of the plan does not really play to my strong suits and can, at times, leave me with a lot of confidence problems if a run does not go as well as it should.

I’m working on my race recaps, but for now, I’ll leave you with a picture of my medals as proof of my best running weekend ever.

Any time I doubt myself, I’ll need to turn to this picture.

Thinking Out Loud: Running and Penguins

Hey Everyone! Today I am going to be linking up with Running with Spoons for Thinking Out Loud! I am going to be talking about some random stuff both running and travel related.

1. I did my track workout yesterday and it felt great. I had no weird pains in my legs at all and just generally had a solid workout. I kept a little closer to my paces, but was still sneaking a tad under. The workout called for 5 x 1km, a pretty brutal distance. Each repeat was at about 4:27-4:35 (yeah, I know, a little quick). However, later in the evening, I went for a short walk with a friend and wouldn’t you know it… the pain was there. It doesn’t seem to bother me when I am running fast, but I need to take things easy often. I wasn’t even running… so I have no idea why it was bothering me. I’m heading back to the Chiro today, so hopefully I’ll return with some answers.

2. Frank and I love to travel together and we’ve been talking about doing a big trip for a while. He had a few places that he wanted to go, but felt that I should get to choose this time. So, he asked “if you could go anywhere in the world, where would you go”? This was an easy answer. I’ve always dreamed of going to Patagonia, a mountainous region in South America that lies on the border of Chile and Argentina. Well… we bought the tickets last night. In January, I will be trekking through Patagonia for three weeks. I can’t express to you how excited I am, so instead, I am going to post a few photos of what Patagonia is like.

patagoniaglaciers1 — And giant glaciers!!

patagoniapanguins — And f-ing penguins!!!!!!!!!

3. I am three weeks out from the Rocky Mountain Half Marathon. It is really a checkpoint to make sure my goals for Chicago are realistic. I ran this race last year for a 5 minute PR, despite the 1000 feet of elevation and starting altitude of 7000 feet. My PR in the half is currently 1:51:03, but to run a 3:45 at Chicago, I should be somewhere around 1:47. I feel like I am in better shape than I was last year, where I ran a 1:51:44, but shaving close to 5 minutes off of last year’s time sounds like a lot. I am not sure if I should consider reassessing my goals, if this race doesn’t go as it should. I am sure that I’ll be posting a lot more about this race over these next few weeks, but I do feel like there is a lot of pressure and I am not sure if I can run 8:10 pace for 13.1 miles. I guess we’ll see…

4. I ordered “Running your First Ultra” by Krissy Moehl, which features plans for 50k’s all the way to 100 milers. It should be arriving on Friday. Despite the back issue, I am still serious about doing this (also the Chiro said that this shouldn’t be a problem). I have a few races picked out as potentials in December. I’m hoping to run the race before heading on our epic adventure through Patagonia.

Hope you are having a great week! Thanks again to Amanda at Running with Spoons for hosting the linkup!

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What has been on your mind lately? If you could go anywhere in the world, where would you go?

A bump in the road to Chicago

Did anyone watch Olympic trials last night for the women’s 800 m? It was insane! A crazy fall resulted in a wild shake-up and an unlikely champion. If you haven’t seen it, you should watch the video!

So… my training…

A lot has happened this past week and I should probably go back to my Colfax training to describe the whole story.

While I was training for Colfax, I started having a weird pain and weakness on the outside of my right leg. I thought it was IT-band syndrome or maybe a strained muscle, but this just felt different. I continued to run on it and tried to put it out of my mind. It worked! I ended up making it to Colfax feeling good and healthy, and never felt the pain once during the race. I ended up taking some time off to recover and everything seemed to be fine… so I just forgot about the pain and moved forward figuring that it had healed itself.

Fast forward to my first 45-mile week of Chicago training…

I started to feel the pain again, but this time in my left leg (strange, right?). I again, choked it up to some IT band pain, since it ran on the outside of the leg. However, I was concerned that it was switching sides and causing a lot of weakness below my knee. Last week it got so bad that I was having trouble running. I figured it was time to see someone about this. I mentioned it to a friend and she suggested that I see a chiropractor, since it was likely in my back (the whole switching sides thing).

On Friday morning I made a trip to a chiropractor. I described the pain and he agreed, it was likely my back. He felt around, poked me on my spine and SI-joint and used some weird hammer thing to push things back into place. His conclusion: I probably have a herniated disc on the L5 joint. Ugh!! He didn’t think it is a running injury at all, but does think that running brings out the symptoms. Probably if I were not a runner, I would go along with my herniated disc as if nothing were wrong and never even notice it.

So… what now?

Well, I am going to see the chiropractor for a few visits to try to get everything back into place. He said that he felt optimistic that this would be a relatively easy fix and that I wont need to take time off from running. If he can’t make the pain in my legs stop, I need to go get an MRI to see if the herniation is really bad or if there is some stenosis (narrowing of the spinal chord… something I very much don’t want as a 29 year old). He did tell me to cool it a bit with the mileage until we get this under control and to go back to 5 days of running per week instead of 6. Since speed work isn’t typically what hurts, I can still do that, but I need to stop if I am in pain.

What does this mean for Chicago? Well… I am not sure. I am going to take these next few weeks pretty chill, since the most important thing is making my back healthy. I might need to rethink my goals a little, and that’s okay with me. At the moment, nothing is changing, but that doesn’t mean that nothing will change a few weeks from now. I am going to take things day-by-day and hope for the best.

I did some trail running yesterday and didn’t feel the pain at all and I am going to do a nice easy workout tonight. Assuming that the pain is not there, I’ll go ahead and do my track workout tomorrow. I’m not too upset about this, since I am confident that it will be under control in the next few weeks or so. Timing wise, I feel like this isn’t too terrible. I am still many weeks away from Chicago and have plenty of time to train.

Long story short, I have no idea what is going on, but I’ll let you know when I know!

How as your July 4^th? Any fun adventures over the weekend? I’ll post about mine soon.