Final 2012 travel...

Direct from San Francisco I flew to Austin with Jenny as we both needed to be there for The Running Event. TRE is a trade show focused on specialty running stores. A little stiff and sore from the 46 mile race and a morning flight, I was encouraged by the warm weather and word of the local natural springs. Jenny and Scott introduced me to a few of their Austin favorites which included the Barton Springs. A complete highlight for anytime and especially this one for my sore, raced legs.

Set Up.  photo: my iPhone

The show was much larger in terms of vendors on site this year and as a result the halls felt more quiet, perhaps because the store representatives and buyers that normally fill the smaller space were more spread out. Our UltrAspire, Patagonia Footwear and Black Diamond booths looked great all lined up together and entertained some great meetings. There was a more relaxed vibe compared to last year when we were first launched the UltrAspire brand, but still effective time for the brands. Touring around the hall it was fun to check out some of the other vendors' products and connect with friends from around the industry.

photo: my iPhone

Outside of the show we enjoyed the eats, sights and sounds. The restaurants in Austin are amazing and it seems hard to go wrong. Connecting with the Terranovas and the Rivers for dinner one night was a treat as well as cruising around near our hotel back to some favorites from last year. HopDoddy being my favorite followed by hot chocolate at Amy's. On our final night there we had the opportunity to experience a small taste of the Austin music scene. Austin City Limits was filming the Neon Trees and Sue had a connection that got us tickets into the Moody Theatre. Not quite my music taste, but fun to see a live show. I also got to see James McMurtry at The Continental Club, a definite Austin experience.

Before I knew it I was back at the Austin airport. My only travel mistake of the year corrected I hopped on an afternoon flight to Denver, was scooped up by my sister and delivered to Boulder. We enjoyed a few hours of the evening before I had to unpack and repack. The next morning I was delivered back to the airport for a flight to Rochester, NY. Fortunately the flights went smoothly and I landed in good hands on the other end. A quick weekend event to speak at the MedVed Running and Walking Center, preceded by the morning Oven Door run and brunch at Sherry and Dave's made for a full Saturday morning and afternoon. I enjoyed the runners and running community that is strong and familiar. The trails available right from town are a lot of fun and with the leaves covering most of the trail it made for a beautiful morning run.

photo: my iPhone

Good time with good friends made for a relaxing evening of learning recipes, watching movies and some much needed down time before the Sunday morning run and my flight home. Perhaps the personal highlight of the weekend was the opportunity to feed the chickadees during the middle of our Sunday run. 

The first of many to land on my hand.  photo: Sherry Kessler

Note the chickadee on my head!! photo: Sherry Kessler

After nearly two weeks at home (a record amount of time in the last couple of months) I am now in Salt Lake to celebrate the holidays with friends and family. More time at home is on the horizon and something I look forward to filling with grounding, regrouping, settling and maybe a bit of planning for what 2013 will hold.

TNF 50...

A crazy couple of weeks leading up to this wonderful time at home. I have been playing catch up around the house, on the computer and out and about with friends and family, but not yet on my blog. Sometimes somethings have to give. I had grand plans of writing an Africa post each week... and I hope to get back on that schedule.

My thoughts now are about my final whirlwind of travel starting in San Francisco at Campsite 222 (really our friend's amazing home, not a campsite as many people at the race thought :)). The North Face 50 miler ended up changing routes and the once 50 mile course showing off some of the best trails in Marin ended up being limited to two 23 mile loops on the south end of the park, mostly double track trail. The early 5am start had us running with headlamps for the first 2 hours. The start happened while I was still connecting with Jen and I gave her a hug and chased after the pack of speedsters. I was amazed at how quickly everyone took off and rather than killing myself to catch up, I settled into my music and my own pace.  Before I was through one song I teamed up with similarly paced Peter, shut off the Shuffle and we chatted each other through the darkness and stuck together nearly the entire first loop. It was so nice to run with someone and comment, laugh and complain a bit about the rain. I really didn't think it was possible to be that wet. Soaked through we would turn a corner, into the wind and then realize that it was indeed possible to be a bit wetter. I thought for sure my face would be pruned by the end of the first loop. The trails were quickly churning up under our feet and we could only imagine what loop 2 would feel like after so many runners (not only 50 milers, but also 50k'ers, and marathoners) had added their impressions to the trails.

On the first major descent we came across a down runner gasping for air. Ashley had twisted her ankle and was trying to weight it only to find that the effort to stand took her breath away. We stopped to try to help, told her to zip up her jacket to keep warm. She insisted that we carry on. We tried to help her stand, but saw that it wasn't the best just yet. We looked at our time and ran down the hill to the aid station to let someone know how far up the trail she was.  Fortunately someone else had already alerted the aid station and people were headed up to gather Ashley. Not too much later, Jenny, Jen, Kelly and Topher were huddled under an umbrella when we came through Tennessee Valley.  Certain that I would be freezing they offered a great selection of hats and clothing, but I traded water bottles, gave them a shrug and carried on. It really wasn't that cold when you were moving, just stupid wet.

After the first loop runners were able to pick up their pacers. There was a bit of an out and back so, amongst others, I got to see Bethany come back with Ben, Lizzy come back with Devon and as I rounded the corner into the starting field I saw Jen waiting for me with a big smile ready to roll and slip and slide. SO much fun to join up with Jen!  She checked in with how things were going and we got to chat as we continued to move. On our way out we saw Joelle and Rory and Tina... most of these girls were definitely ahead of me and were now somehow behind me. Jen confirmed that people had gotten lost on some of the earlier loops in the dark. Bummer.

Kelly and Jenny were ready for us at Tennessee Valley again with another bottle swap and good cheers and as I recall now the second loop started and finished well, but I definitely had my lull for more than a few of the middle miles. Jen stayed on me, kept me moving and when we were within the single digits (miles left to run) my momentum picked up again and we were able to make up some ground. After passing through for the 4th and final time at Tennessee Valley Jenny and Kelly ran a few steps with me to trade a bottle and take my long sleeve shirt.  In spite of the rain, it really was warm.  I made it my goal to run the final hill while doing so on the first loop with Peter and Jen helped me achieve that with a steady clip up and over the crest. With the finish pretty much all downhill we let go for what were the last few miles of the year. Why not? Last race for 2013, slipping and sliding with a good friend, laughing a bit now that I was feeling a bit better. It was a great way to finish out a fun summer and fall of running and racing.

Fun muddy finish photos and a great greeting from friends who had endured the rain and mud all day to be there for myself and other runners.  Special hot chocolate and a dry top were good for a bit, but with the weather as it was it didn't take much to tear me and our group away from the finish and back to Campsite 222 for a hot shower, hot soup and some time by the fire.

photo: Galen Heavrin

photo: Jenny Jurek

Perhaps my favorite part to the weekend was the opportunity to hang out at a runner party hosted by Dean followed up by dinner with a smaller group at a great mexican eatery. The end of the racing year felt complete having run a few hard miles followed by time away from the trails with people I love to spend time with on the trails.

photo: Jenny Jurek

photo: my iPhone

VO2Max and TNF 50 thoughts

It is pouring. It is funny, the last time I think I listened to the rain pound down like this was the nights leading up to UTMB this summer. Now we sit cozied up at Campsite 222 waiting to hear the decisions around TNF's Endurance Challenge races this weekend. Jenny and I are signed up for the 50 miler. Our girls weekend in San Francisco inbetween other travels to Austin and New York.

Earlier this week on my last full day in Seattle, after a fun 12 days visiting family and friends around the Thanksgiving Holiday, I checked in with the awesome peops at Seattle Performance Medicine. July 2011 was the last time I'd suffered through on their treadmill for a VO2max and Lactate Threshold test. It was a great test, in fact the best test I'd ever run. 65 marked my VO2max, 185 max heart rate and my Lactate Threshold was right up there as well. Good numbers to ride on and always great information for understanding where the body is at in training. Since my LT was right up against my VO2max Dr. Cooper prescribed some short sprint (like 30 seconds) repeats to help put some distance between the two, giving me another gear when it came time to dig deep during a race. I learned a lot about my nutrition and how that was aiding my great numbers and ability to access my endurance capability. All positive. All helpful.

Also helpful, but not nearly as positive were the numbers I got back Monday after suffering on the treadmill in the SPM office once again. Brady did a great job executing the test and I really felt like I'd reached my max. Not so. Significant decreases in all stats, I wondered if it was the same person running. I feel pretty fit after all of the miles racked up while overseas last month and considering all of the travel and bouncing around I feel like my energy is relatively good. My body fat% is low, but lean and mean is good, right? Not always. This test was a good reality check, big miles and travel wear you down.

As I said, all helpful. Also good to keep in mind is that these are just numbers. At this point there is not much I can do between now and this weekend to change the numbers, all I can do is keep my mind. I am excited to line up with the amazing group of men and women that have decided to journey to San Francisco and give the TNF50 miler a go. With $10,000 on the line, why not? My parents asked me if the money changes the feel of the race. For me, I feel like this late in the season to add on another 50 miler the money makes it a "heck, might as well try." It draws in a great group of people for a last hoorah of the year and puts us on some great California trails to enjoy for one last race of the season. So here we are, rain or shine.

Run around Kilimanjaro - photos Day 2

A shorter day on the trails...

Simon leading the way for the second part of the day.

First site of camp.

Snack Time!

Kiplet (head chef) busy cooking up another amazing meal.

View from camp/tents.

Dinner!

Run around the Roof of Africa, Day 2

These stories are pulled from the journal writings I made at the end of each day... photo post to follow.

Our standard breakfast seems to be porridge (I add peanut butter, honey & jelly), scrambled eggs, toast with honey, papaya, banana, tea & coffee.  All are great starts to the long running days.  Today we also had avocados which make this girl smile.  When it came time to make our lunches for the day I snagged a few of the leftover pieces to make a salty avo sandwich.

Cruising with Simon

Today's run was a bit shorter and on significanlty more runnable terrain.  The day was a bit more mellow without also coordinating with the film crew and the running was much more open, smooth and less technical.  A bit more exposed to the sun, but it felt great to move and open up the stride.  I mostly stayed with Iddy (one of the guides and an enthusiastic one at that) on the first part of the day and then with both Iddy and Simon later in the day.  Iddy has great enthusiasm for running, his own strength and encouraging the group along with the English that he has learned.  He has made us all laugh and appreciate him more with his sprints to the top of the next rise followed by grabbing one of our hands and placing it on his chest to feel his relaxed heart rate and to show us how quickly he recovers.  It was awesome to share a few miles with Simon and have the time to chat about the terrain, his family, upcoming race plans and however the conversation flowed.  I also appreciated his strong stride and pace to push me a long a bit and make my lungs work.

After cruising by our camp for the night at about 25k, we opted to run an additional 5k to move us a little further along the route.  At our day's finish Willy and Joseph, our drivers, picked us up along the road near a township.  We had a few kids join us on the sidewalk and ask for sweeties and money as well as an adult, who was obviously enjoying a few beverages in the early afternoon, tell us of his woes.  We had a clear view of Kilimanjaro as well as an amazing vista of the Kenya / Tanzania border.  At times during day 2 and day 3 we were tip-toeing back and forth between the two countries.

Snow Camp Cottages is where we landed for the day after the quick ride back to camp.  This facility is mostly set up for climbers as it is near one of the starting gates for a route up Kili, but as prearranged by Simon and his crew our tents were set up on the lawn amongst the trees and flowers.  While I write the kitchen is cranking out another yummy meal - lentil soup with crepes, talapia, boiled potatoes & carrots and banana fritters for dessert.  We have already indulged in popcorn, peanuts and hot chocolate as post run snacks.  The showers were freezing, but it felt good to get all of the muck off and shave my legs.  I've got a couple of run wounds - thorns from day 1 and a stick I clipped jumped up and took a bite out of my ankle.  Nothing to worry too much about, just don't want it to become an issue.

Total of 30ks and about 3000ft of climbing in just under 6 hours of running.  We are enjoying the extra time in camp the afternoon to sort our tents, read books, relax, snack and kill time until dinner.  

Run Kit for the day:

Patagonia: Draft T - pink, All-weather boys shorts, Cross-over sports bra, Ultra LW Merino ankle socks, Gamut shoes (new S13). Houdini Jacket & Merino 3 wool gloves (in pack just in case)

Additional clothing: rainbow Buff

UltrAspire: Surge & Isomeric Pocket Handheld

First Endurance: Optygen before, EFS shot flask

Black Diamond: Gizmo Headlamp (in pack just in case)

Additional Nutrition: Clif Bloks, avocado sandwich, boiled sweet potatoes

Run Around Kilimanjaro - Day 1, photo post

Following are some photos from the first day of the Stage Run to help illustrate the story.  I hope to post a few short videos too...

meeting Simon's parents (day before starting the stage run)

A view back over Mbahe Cottages and Simon's land

one perspective of my suite

Comfortable space to meet, eat and share stories by the fireplace.

An example of our amazing meals.  Plenty of vegetables from the garden to fill our bellies.

Local swim hole near Simon's property

Tree planting ceremony

Mr. Kilimanjaro has climbed Kili 365 times.  He asked me to be Mrs. Kilimanjaro.

Our official start.

This first aid stop came about 2k into the run.  We were a bit surprised, they did not come this frequently for the rest of the trip...

Steep, straight down descent.

Amazing 300' waterfall along the wall we just descended.

Camp on night 1.

Evening sliver lining.

Run Around the Roof of Africa - Day 1

These stories are pulled from the journal writings I made at the end of each day... photo post to follow.

"Pole, Pole" a young kid commented as the National Geographic camera man went blitzing past us on the grassy slope and subsequently slipped, feet first downhill with his massive camera held high.  Hoisting himself back onto his two fee he acknowledged the kid, gathered himself and continued on to capture his next shot.

This was actually day 2 of my time in Tanzania, by day 1 and the official start of our Run Around the Roof of Africa.  We started by walking down from the Mbahe Village Cottages perched up on the hill at the end of "town" meaning the end of the power line.  Simon constructed each guest home on his parents' property (Dad 87, Mom 70) and has developed the land to accommodate all guests.  He built a hot water heater heated by fire, providing the best shower in Tanzania. Installed solar panels and a generator to provide power when needed (usually from 6-10 both AM & PM). Developed gardens in most open spaces growing passion fruit, kale, chard, tomatoes, strawberries, carrots, coffee (primary crop) and many, many more amazing fruits and veggies.  He has established an impressive bee population and the honey is incredible!  His parents still tend the animals including pig, goats, chickens and cows.  The land is well utilized, comfortable to move through and completely sustainable.

water heater

Our group (Andrew, Steve, Jerry, Jake, Simon, Sigfreid, Iddy, Tim, Kate, Joseph) reluctantly left the comforts of the Mbahe cottages after a hearty breakfast and jogged the 1.5k downhill to a tree planting ceremony organized by Simon.  Simon's guide company Summit Expeditions and Nomadic Experiences (SENE) is focused on the problems of Kilimanjaro and the positive impacts that can be made around action and education.  One effort that was explained to us today is tree planting to help sustain the soil and preserve their resources.  There was time taken to address both Swahili and English and explain our efforts.  A bit of ceremony around the process and my favorite part was getting a couple of kids to help me plant two trees.  "Make a friend" Simon said and with dirty hands we shared a couple of funky handshakes after securing the trees in the pre-dug holes.

the crew getting started

We then made our way to the gate, the entrance to Kilimanjaro National Park and had another gathering to celebrate the first official circumnavigation run of Kilimanjaro.   This is Simon's dream, to share these trails and his community with his trail running friends that he has made from all over the world.  He has obviously gone to great effort in all of the planning and so far this is a dream trip.  After a bunch of photos & video and our group completely hamming it up for both, we took off like a herd of turtles to start the first day of our adventure.  

Day 1 was planned to be about 40k's of running, but all told we ended up about 35-37k and gained about 5900' of climbing all between 5500 and 6500ft, so we saw countless clubs and descents.  All very short and steep and most off camber.  We continually ran through farms, gardens and amongst people.  It was as if the game of telephone was being played spreading the work ahead that the (white) runners were coming.  Kids would run barefoot and in beautiful stride along with us for surprising distances.  Everyone would stare and stare without awkwardness and seemed to not realize that we knew they were staring until we waved, smiled and said "Jambo!" (hello).  Those simple greetings would wake them from the stares and either trigger a return greeting or a massive case of shyness and giggling.  I tried the few Swahili words I have picked up, but it isn't even enough to engage, only acknowledge.

The first day included a lot of filming opportunities with the National Geographic team.  We would see them pop up in a variety of places along the route and our group did great sticking together and kept moving so we could cover our distance.  At the end of the day we ran to our lowest point of the day and as the trail turned to a double track and then dirt road the number of people along the path increased.  As the tents for our evening camp came into sight, set up on a soccer field near the village school, the masses of people became overwhelming.  After a long day of running in a completely foreign environment and countless memorable interactions I sensed we were all impressed and wow'ed by this attention from the village.  We finished up on the field with at least 150 kids filing in behind us.  We taught them how to give a hi-five and Kate and Steve (better versed in Swahili) were able to interact and share a little bit of their conversations with us.  It was a complete emotional rush and high to finish day 1 this way.

Highlights from the day included:

1) the amazing gorge.  We saw a couple of baboons as we descended and were amazed by the waterfall 300' up.

2) Kenny Rogers, "The Gambler" blasting from a home high up near the forest line 

3) Seeing the crew at 2k and 22k for cream cheese and sun-dried tomato spread sandwiches along with sweet potatoes.

4) Camp arrival!

4) Dinner started with hot chocolate, sweet corn & sweet potato soup with bread. Chicken legs with brown rice & amazing peanut sauce, green beans & mushrooms. Fruit salad for dessert.  Our crew piled into a large tent for a sit down dinner.

5) We were in bed by 8:30pm... sometimes I get excited about going to bed early.

Run Kit for the day:

Patagonia: Tester tank, Tester shorts, Cross-over sports bra, Ultra LW Merino ankle socks, Gamut shoes (new S13). Houdini Jacket & Merino 3 wool gloves (in pack just in case)

Additional clothing: Buff

UltrAspire: Surge & Isomeric Pocket Handheld

First Endurance: Optygen before, EFS shot flask, Ultragen at finish

Black Diamond: Gizmo Headlamp (in pack just in case)

Additional Nutrition: Clif Bloks, Honey Stinger Waffle

Mt. Masochist 50 mile Trail Race

An involuntary full body stretch woke me up to the fact that the pain and instability I had dealt with since my fall on Wednesday had diminished.  Upon further inspection, the kneecap was tender to the touch, but that wasn't enough to stop me from joining the group for the 30th Anniversary of the Mt. Masochist 50 miler!  Yahoo!  At least I could start and see how things went.

Our small group of girls made our way to the start area and huddled in the car in-between porta-potty stops while waiting for the final minute to strip off the down sweater and head to the start line.  I met up with the Patagonia crew as we lined up and took the opportunity to snag a photo.

In the race's 29 year history the course has remained the same (as much as a trail race can).  For the 30th running, due some permitting issues the race organization took the opportunity to delete a majority of the early paved road miles and put us on trail.  Awesome improvement!  The necessary headlamps lit the way for the first hour of the race where we rejoined the route and carried on.  I got to run stride for stride with Alyssa for a mile or two and we chattered along about Africa, and her recent cool work opportunity.  

photo: George Plomarity

photo: George Plomarity

Right about mile 2 there are two feet soaking water crossings.  I took my time to get across hoping to avoid another fall and Alyssa splashed right through and was gone.  A couple of overseas triggered bathroom stops and an overwhelming urge to lay down and sleep (jet lag) added interesting challenges to the day and I found myself having to focus to stay awake and move forward.  With the nature of the course and the long double-track sections that allow you to see your path for a ways to come, I found that I could see Alyssa for most of the first half of the race when we came to a long straight-away, but I could not make up any ground.  Thankfully I had remembered to charge my Shuffle and the combination of music and caffeine did the trick to keep me moving.  I found myself thinking, "don't give up, you never know what will happen."

Alyssa ran a super strong and extremely smart race.  At the halfway point she disappeared and even on the long straight-aways she was out of sight.  The day was weird in the sleepiness that I felt, but also strange in the strength I found in spite of it.  We were through the halfway point at least 15 minutes faster than I have ever been through before, I was running climbs that I normally power hike and a steady rhythm continued, even when my mind thought otherwise.  The multi-day running has an amazing impact on building strength and improving recovery.  The body learns quickly that it better repair because there will be more tomorrow.  I can't help but think the huge improvements I saw in my knee each day and then finding this strength when I should be completely wiped from all of the travel were both benefits from the stage run.  Additionally, it was a very solo race in that I spent most of the day alone and in my own head.  After 8 days running around Kilimanjaro with a group of guys chattering and experiencing the Tanzania countryside the quiet was a bit foreign.  Just keep moving.

Another first in the race's history was the significant amount of snow on the second half of the course.  After we climbed out of the halfway point of Long Mountain Way Side the white stuff on the side of the double track started to show, then increase and then after about mile 30 we were in 6inches to 3 ft (due to drifts) of snow for the remainder of the run.  The 15 or so people ahead of me made all the difference as they did the hard work of breaking trail for the rest of us.  The snow was beautiful and the sunny, clear day made it feel as if we'd transported from fall to winter in less than an hour.  It was incredible.  

Perhaps the best known section of the second half of the Mt. Masochist 50 is "the loop".  A roughly 4 mile loop of technical trail that comes at you around mile 33.  This year the loop included an additional out and back to the summit of Mt. Pleasant making it a little longer than five miles.  On the out and back we were able to see a bit of the rest of the field and it was nice to get out of my own head and cheer on other runners.  The top 4 women were all really close which served as good incentive to just keep moving.

The familiarity of the course was a nice benefit, I haven't run Masochist in at least 5 years, but I found myself able to see what was next and knew when to push and when to chill.  When we came into the last aid station which marks 4 miles to go the crew told me that Alyssa was maybe a minute ahead, which coming out of the loop they told me she was seven minutes ahead.  I first wondered if something was wrong and then questioned my next move.  My pace had stayed steady for most of the race, but with 4 miles downhill to go I knew my body would "smell the barn" and as long as I kept powering down the calories the finish would come quick.  It was Alyssa's 10th Masochist finish and I guessed from how she had looked back for me each time there was a straight-away in the first half of the race that the win was something she really wanted.  She'd run strong and super smart all day, putting time on me and running her race.  Should I back off the pace a bit and cruise in? The thought crossed my mind more than once and even after the race when I was talking with friends (mostly guys) they couldn't believe that I even questioned it.  I will give credit to my bud and Western States pacer Justin for his quote that rang through all the way to Virginia and motivated me to run my race and to race.  "Close the door."  

I couldn't see Alyssa ahead even though there were some long switch-backs.  I did see someone on a bike, but he quickly disappeared down the hill.  With all the snow I focused on my feet and turnover.  After crossing a rocky creek bed I glanced up and saw Alyssa's white shirt a few hundred yards ahead of me... just keep moving.  Close the door.  I picked up speed after the tricky footing and Alyssa moved closer and closer.  The intersection leading to the Fish Hatchery was just ahead and as I moved by I said something about her great race, but kept pace and even accelerated as the road pitched steeply downhill and I let everything go.  I saw Horton changing out of his bike clothes as I made the bend and he made some sissy girl comment before I was out of earshot. :)  Only a minute or two later I came across the "1 mile to go" mark and looked at my watch - 8:35 and change.  Just keep moving.  A left hand turn on the road to Montbello and the sight of the finish line came into view and Clark and Horton were waiting on the other-side to great me.  8:41 and change.  The speedy last mile took my breath away and I stood there with hands on knees gasping trying to get everything back under control.  Just keep moving, you never know what will happen.

Alyssa finished just two minutes later and I was there to give her a hug.  All of my thoughts and worries about stealing her finish were present, and it wasn't much later that we were able to chat.  Perhaps one of the best compliments I have ever received came from her in those minutes after we finished.  "I wasn't just beat by anyone, it was okay to be beat by you."

George and Mark feed hungry runners... perhaps 400 quesadillas alone were prepared within feet of the finish line.

The finish line of most ultras is probably one of the most fun places to hang out and the 30th time for the Masochist was no exception.  After changing clothes and indulging in the tomato soup and turkey/cheese quesadillas prepared on the spot by the Patagonia guys we continued cheering runners through well after dark.  Due to the snow, Clark made the decision to extend the cutoff from 12 hours to 12 and a half.  The last 30 minutes of that race were the best I have witnessed and cheered for, perhaps ever!  In those 30 minutes 53 runners crossed the finish line.  I wandered back out on the road to cheer runners in and loved each one's effort and smile when they saw the finish to their goal within site.

Congrats to Eco-X for pulling off an incredible event!  To the 236 finishers and 293 starters, awesome effort, it was a treat to be out there and cheer each other on.  And a post about Mt. Masochist would not be complete without a mention of Dr. David Horton (I call Horton), amazing history you have made here and I am so thankful for the experiences and advice you have brought to my life.

Race Kit:

Patagonia: Draft T, All Weather Zip Long Sleeve, Active Hipster, Cross-over sports bra, All Weather Capris, Merino LW ankle socks, Gamut shoes, Houdini Jacket, LW wool gloves

Additional clothing: Buff

UltrAspire: Isomeric Pocket Handheld

First Endurance: Optygen before, EFS shot flask and Pre-Race during, Ultragen at finish

Black Diamond: Sprinter Headlamp

Additional Nutrition: Clif Bloks, Honey Stinger Protein Bar, Coca-Cola at aid stations

Otter African Trail Race

After being easily lulled to sleep by the crashing waves of the Indian Ocean the night before and sleeping incredibly soundly that night, the 4am rumblings of my cabin-mates were welcomed.  The bowl of Jungle Oats porridge with peanut butter drew a couple of funny looks from the lodge staff, but the warm bowl of hearty fuel sat well for the 50km shuttle ride to the race start.

The chatter and jokes of the predawn ride filled the small van as we journeyed out of Storms River, back up to the N2 highway and in to the Nature's Valley access.  The memories of my hike there seven years prior came flooding back... we had walked the final 11k's to our pre-planted car, shoulders weary from the heavy backpacks and bellies hungry for something other than camp food... Snapping back to the now, now a fellow runner wished me good luck and we piled out of the vans to stop at the lou so as to not make a mess of the beautiful beach start.  A short ride down to the beach and the chilly morning air kept the 12 passengers sitting tight rather than jumping out of the van too quickly.  The view out the windows was rather inviting though with the amazing sunrise, waves crashing on the wide, open beach and the cliffs rising up from the ocean less than a kilometer away.

With my dibber secured to my watch the countdown for the men's abangeni began and 27 top South African and a few international athletes took off for the sponsor flag posted 400 meters out along the beach.  At the flag runners turned left down the beach, across a shallow inlet and on to the cliffs where the real trail began. Thirty seconds apart the remaining runners left the start in groups of 4.  Each runner had to "dib" their dibber to start their time before taking off.  About four groups after the mens abangeni the eight leading women (based on times from the previous day's 4km prologue run) formed their own abangeni.  My time placed me 5th in this group and we lined up and left quickly to warm up after waiting in the cool wind.

The adrenaline of the start coursed through the group and we quickly gained the ridge line and caught the group of men that had left immediately before us.  The first 5-8kms were beautiful, cruise-y single-track running.  I caught a glimpse up the jagged coastline and felt the inspiration of the day to come.  Having hiked the trail seven years before glimmers of the rocky shoreline views including dolphins & river otters occupied my mind as the k's clipped by.  It wasn't long before a super smiley ranger greeted me with cheers and then warned me of the technical descent starting... now!  We danced down the trail, awkward rocks and roots galore as we headed straight down to the beach and the Andre huts.

Race Kit:

Patagonia: Draft Tank, Cross-over sports bra, Tester fabric shorts, Merino LW ankle socks, Gamut shoes, Houdini Jacket

Additional clothing: Buff

UltrAspire: Surge Hydration pack

First Endurance: Optygen before, EFS shot flask and Pre-Race during, Ultragen at finish

Additional Nutrition: Gu Roctane and Gu Chomps

Word Glossary

now now - right now. As opposed to just now which means in a couple of minutes (15-2 days)

lou - bathroom

dibber - timing chip, each athlete has to "dib" their chip into a reading device to register their time at each pre-determined point

abangeni - "challengers" to compete for the podium runners had to race in this group of runners

prologue run - each participant had to run a 4k course for time the day before the actual race.  This seeded runners in their heats and place the top runners in the abangenis

Magnetic South - race organization

oaks - guys, dudes, buds (male)

tar - road

The Otter Trail is a protected hiking trail in the Tsitsikama National Park.  People wait years for a permit of 8-12 people to hike the 42k trail in 5 days, where they stay in established huts along the way.  The traditional route is from Storms River (east) to Nature Valley (west).  The brothers of Magnetic South have historically poached the trail and run the route multiple times.  Five years ago they asked permission of the parks to hold an organized event/race.  After a presentation on the conservation values of the race organization they were granted a trial permit for 3 years.  At the end of the first three years an additional five years were granted.  The Parks representative complimented the runners and Magnetic South for leaving the trails better than found and for respecting the parks while increasing the value of the experience for everyone.  "You have left only footprints, but you have left your footprints on our hearts.

"JUMP! They had fortunately shown a video the night before at the pre-race event of the scramble into Bloukrans. "Jump away from the rocks so that you do not catch your legs on the mussles and jagged rocks.  Then swim."  The Bloukrans crossing was about 50 meters across right at the river's mouth to the Indian Ocean.  Fully submerged after my launch off of the rocks I came up with a gasp and inhaled a mouthful of salt water and the shock continued with the chill of the ocean.  In spite of the shock, the group of six runners that I had traversed the rocks with, amdst the powerful gusts from the film crews' chopper, kept our forward momentum through the river.  Popping out on the other side, completely soaked in sea water, my feet slipped with every step.  After finding balance we moved toward the trail leading back up to the cliff crest.  

Up, over, down, across the beach at another inlet, find the trail on the other side, and repeat, repeat, repeat.  Eyes locked on the trail ahead, smelling the sea, but barely finding more than a glimpse of more than my next step is how the course continued.  I found inspiration from my surroundings, not from looking around, but from RD Mark Collin's presentation the previous night.  His Mom taught him from an early age the importance of conservation.  The family would regularly travel to the beach and rather than spread blankets and set up a picnic, they would instead pick up trash.  "The beach is better because we visited."  Mark and his brother John along with their wives have continued this mind of conservation in their event production.  Inspired by the wildlife and work to protect animals, such as leopards, their goal is to leave the trails better than they found them.  Large portions of the entry fees and sponsorships are directly donated to the parks.  Magnetic South draws inspiration from the wild terrain around them and works to ensure the opportunities to have these experiences will be there for years to come.

The women's field stayed hot on my heels, but just out of site so I did not know what my lead may be.  However looking ahead, when the terrain permitted, I could see the men's field spread out in front of me.  I would be lying to say I didn't utilize the thought of catching them as motivation.  I made it my goal to place among the oaks of the men's abangeni.  At the halfway point at another river's mouth, Oakhurst, nutrition sponsor Gu had set up a "munchie point".  I took the time to fill my bladder with water as the humidity was taking its toll.  The beautiful setting made it hard to hurry the process.  A mostly dry, sandy riverbed opened out to the sea, rocky cliffs on either side contained the little oasis; it looked like a great spot to hang out and cheer runners through.  South African female runner Landie Greyling passed through the aid quickly with a couple of guys, so I didn't waste much more time to zip things up and getting back to it.

Race marshalls claim that there are eight significant climbs in this race.  To me it felt like there were at least eight climbs after the munchie point.  Kilometer for kilometer the Otter Trail keeps coming at you.  Rocky awkward steps up and down.  Steep short climbs to power up if you have anything left and quick feet, balance-y descents that require focus to ensure you stay vertical.  We crossed in front of a magnificent waterfall with about 3km to go.  I only caught a glance as it was amidst the final push through beach boulder rock hopping, following the painted yellow otter prints along the way.  With 2km to go the trail smoothes out and I could see the banners marking the trail's end.  From there we finished on the tar.  My thought was that I would finally be able to run, but my body tired from the hopping, climbing, jarring found making stride almost foreign.  Continued forward motion and great cheers along the way the final finish area soon came into sight.  With only 100 meters to go I was joined by a young lad carrying the American flag.  We journeyed down the finish shoot together and got to break the tape with hands and flag held high in celebration.

The Otter African Trail Run was one adventure on the 10 day GoTrail #getultrainspired Tour.  We hosted three clinics to motivate people about trail running.  We covered countless miles of the South African coast line driving from spot to spot.  We met beautiful people and amazing hosts along the way all contributing to the inspiration of the tour.  A couple of days in each location was only enough to get a taste of what each region has to offer.  Sometimes those tastes have a lasting effect and draw you in for more experiences in the future.