Wonderland Gear List

Items used to make it around the Mountain:

Patagonia: Merino 1 Tank (for Spring 14), Draft Tank, Cross-over sports bra, new version of the favorite All-Weather Skirt, Merino LW ankle socks, Gamut Footwear

Additional clothing: Buff, Merino mid weight glove liners

Julbo:  Tracks sunglasses

 UltrAspire: Omega (Use this code for 20% off your UltrAspire order!!  9FUbzvTj)

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

Black Diamond: Icon Polar and Sprinter 

Additional Nutrition: Clif Bloks, Clif Z-bars, Honey Stinger chews, Miso soup, Mate Tea, ginger chews, tums, Sportiene, Ginger beer

Pro-Tec: pre and post run self massage - Travel Roller

Timex watch

JUST IN CASE: (in the crew bag, not used)

Pro-Tec IT Band and Patellar Tendon Strap 

Patagonia Houdini Jacket (in Omega pack but never had to wear it) and Houdini Pants, Merino 2 longsleeve shirt. Tsaili 3.0 shoes

Avocados, Tortillas, PB&honey, sweet potatoes, black licorice, coffee, bananas, oranges

Better than Expected

Life doesn’t always give us opportunities to execute better than we’d hoped/planned/expected.  Friday, August 24 around 11am I had an amazing realization that spurred me on with a smile and excitement as Darcy Africa and I were finishing up the last 2 miles of the Wonderland Trail around Mount Rainier.  It was a moment of disbelief (as we all know how hard it is to do math after having been up all night) and I couldn’t believe that we were not only going to break our personal goal of finishing in a day or under 24 hours, we were making our way back to our starting point closer to 22 hours.

The Wonderland Trail is a spectacular hiking trail that runs the circumference around Mount Rainier through the Mt. Rainier National Park.  Depending on the map or guide book the trail is around 90 miles (I’ve seen it posted as 93 and 96 also) with a beautiful elevation profile that totals around 48,000 ft of change.  In 2010 I hiked/ran the trail with a close friend in a little over two days and got to see the trail’s beauty and the countless magnificent views of Rainier and have loved this icon of the Pacific North West since.

To be honest, I cannot recall how Darcy and I chose the Wonderland Trail as an adventure this summer.  I can imagine that on one of our many runs together we got to talking about FKT’s and adventure running as opposed to racing and perhaps the conversation evolved from there…?  I do remember meeting up at Peko’s Tea House after a run a couple of weeks before Hardrock with my maps and iPad and making our plan for our run around Rainier.  We involved our friends, family, sponsors & photographers in these first group emails setting the stage for a great plan.  Decisions were made around direction, time to start, gear to carry, weather to plan for… Plane tickets were purchased, Fred Marmsater was hired to shoot photos… The excitement built quickly in this small group of planners.

Human seatbelt for Matt

Picnic & posting in the park

In the weeks leading up to our run around Rainier Darcy won Hardrock, I started a 6 week road trip including stops at Karl’s Speedgoat 50k and Gary’s Squamish 50 miler and we kept in touch about plans and details through a few text messages and emails.  One planning call between Darcy, Fred & I put some of the final details into motion and before I knew it the crew started to land in Washington and the five of us piled into Simba (my Honda Element) and made multiple grocery store and eating stops on the way out to Rainier.  We posted to the FKT Proboards the intent of our run while enjoying lunch in a park near the airport.  The first official announcement after months of planning.

Even with the best plans there is usually something that goes wrong.  It doesn’t have to go horribly wrong but in all of my years race directing the Chuckanut 50k I have learned that something will come up and it really is just about how you handle it.  Well, in making the campsite reservations online two weeks before everyone arrived, I somehow miss clicked the calendar and booked our two campsites for August 28, the week later.  Fortunately Fred arrived early to scout and was able to land a good spot and my parents arrived a few hours before us also picking out a spot and quickly and easily solving my mistake.  So, we got that out of the way, the rest of the trip should go smoothly… and it did.

We spent Wednesday afternoon preparing gear and eating.  Basit kept us entertained with his appetite and stories and everyone piped in and helped out keeping the energy fun and light around the evening campfire.  At Fred’s advice we pushed our estimated start time of 11am back to 1 or 2pm to adjust for running the more beautiful sections of trail in the daylight hours and slept soundly in our tents not having to worry about an early alarm. 

The lazy morning was nice and we moved through gear bags, packs and food choices without time pressure.  We each made detailed notes about what we might possibly want at each of the four places we would get to see our crew, immediately also noting that all of that would likely change once we arrived there.  We packed our UltrAspire packs, changed clothes, ate a few more calories and around 12:45pm decided that a start closer to 1pm felt good so piled into a few vehicles to make the short jaunt over to Longmire, our official start.

Last minute nerves started to kick in for me which also brought more energy and excitement to get this underway.  Seven of us would make the journey around the mountain that day and night.  Two girls running, three guys crewing and two more guys documenting.  Those in vehicles would drive over 500 miles to our 90+ miles of running.  No one would sleep more than a short nap, everyone would see the peak light up like fire from the evening sunset, we all kept track of time and location and got to see beautiful views of the impressive mountain.  We were soaked from the humidity and cooled by the evening air, we saw various animals on each of our routes and told jokes and sang songs to keep awake during those ridiculous hours that fall between night and morning.  We worked together to do all of the little things to accomplish the bigger goal.

Finally starting this run was funny to me.  Our small group of supporters stood around with us at the trail intersection giving hugs and good luck wishes.  Matt helped Darcy start the Spot device that would track our route.  With cameras focused on our watches we started the time and ran away from our support and into the trees.  My first comment to Darcy was that we were finally doing it!  All of the months of planning and we were now officially on the clock.  My second comment was to bring up the fact that we had never talked about what would happen if either of us faltered, stomach, injury, etc.  We chatted only briefly and decided that we hopefully wouldn’t have to deal with that, and if we did, we would deal with it then. 

The trail was wide enough to run side by side for quite a while and instead of talking about what we were actually doing, it felt more like a one of our Boulder runs.  I have a hard time calling my time on trail with Darcy a training run, because we run to catch up on life and chat about everything but running, splits or goals.  After being gone from Boulder for three weeks we had enough to catch up on to make it through the first 35 miles to Mowich Lake and our first crew spot. 

The west side of the loop is mostly in the trees and has six notable climbs on the profile, feeling good we cruised through the climbs, perhaps a little faster than intended and also sucked down our water supply much quicker than planned and found ourselves looking for good sources only three hours into the run.  Our first stop came with good timing, but we realized that we should have probably tried using the steripen as Matt suggested in camp.  It didn’t seem to be working, but in the meantime I was holding the bladders and Darcy stirred the steripen through while the mosquitos went to town on our shoulders and backs.  I was trying to use my knees to wipe my arms (picture that!) and Darcy told me to make friends with the bugs.  We ended up opting to treat the water with some tabs Basit gave us and had to wait another 30 minutes to drink.  In that time I noticed my clothes started to dry.  I’d basically been soaked through with sweat since the start, but was now starting to dry.  Once the 30 minute mark hit and we started to drink again it almost felt instantaneous that I was responding to the humidity as I should.  There was one more point of running dry and searching for water as we approached our last decent before Mowich.  The source we finally found was perfect and better yet, Darcy figured out how to use the steripen!  We were able to rehydrate and start sweating again immediately.

It felt like darkness happened quickly, the sun was setting and the sky filled with amazing hues of pink.  We caught a glimpse of Rainier’s summit through the trees and marveled.  It looked like it was on fire!  I started singing Micheal Franti’s “Yell Fire!” and we cruised up the final climb to Mowich lake.  Fred and Austin had met us near the bottom and were capturing the last minutes of daylight as we chugged like a train to the top of the climb, each taking turns in front to maintain the steady pace.

Basit met us on the trail and sprinted ahead to let the guys know we were up for soup and ginger beer.  Turns out we caught them a little off guard, everything was ready, but they were not expecting us for another 30-40 minutes.  We cruised in to our first point under 8 hours feeling good, hungry and enjoyed chatting with our guys who had everything dialed to get us back on the trail.

We figured we had 9 hours of darkness.  We each took our iPod’s, but hesitated putting in music as we ventured back into the night.  This section of trail was familiar to me once we got around the lake and knowing Darcy’s mad downhill skills I stepped aside and she pulled us down the steep trail.  As we dipped down into the deeper, thicker trees I believe the hair stood up on both our necks with the realization that something may be watching us.  Our verbal noises transitioned from conversation to random yells, chirps and whatever we could think of to ward off large lurkers in the spaces our headlamps couldn’t make out.  At one point we decided to each turn on our music and sing as we journeyed through the night.  I can only imagine what that might have sounded like had someone or something come upon us.

Not long after leaving Mowich Lake we came across a detour for the Northern Loop trail.  We were confused and worried that we’d missed a turn and pulled out the maps I’d laminated and tried to make sense of where we were.  Between the two of us we figured it was one of two places and kept moving forward knowing that we would know in less than a half mile.  We crossed another trail sign that put us on the Northern Loop and we opted towards the Carbon Glacier and soon after came across another sign posted with another detour explaining that the access to the Wonderland Trail had been rerouted.  In the recesses of my mind I remembered Ellen and I making our way through this same detour years ago.  I double checked that the Spot was still blinking to note our 0.3 mile detour add-on and we continued down the trail and returned to our noises and singing. 

Through the night Darcy and I seemed to take turns feeling good and pulling the pace while the other slipped in behind.  While climbing I felt my stomach would tighten up and it kept slowing me down and made it so I didn’t want to eat. Darcy stayed strong on the climbs and I used that as motivation to keep pace rather than slip into walking.  As night hours do, there are memories and there are blurry times where time seems to just pass and the orb of light in front of your feet is a time warp.  My mind tends to wander to friends and wondering what they might be doing.  I have to remind myself to keep eating in spite of my stomach and opted for a few caffeinated gels to help bring my mind focus back. 

After a high point  in Berkeley Park and looking down at a long descent we could see the beam of another headlamp shining back at us from the other ridge.  That must be Sunrise – the point the guys were going to run back to and make sure we made our way down into the White River check point.  When we finally met up with them Matt and Basit said it was like watching a video game as our two headlamps bopped down the trail on the other side of the valley.  It was so nice to see the guys and to run along with a few more feet.  We didn’t have to expel as much energy on noise making and as we dipped lower I felt my body come back to life a bit, my stomach relaxed and I slipped into an easier pace.  The guys ran ahead to let Mark, Fred and Austin know that we were close and we followed into the parking lot to find hot soup, mate, coffee and plenty of snacks to refuel.  With all of the humidity I had to deal with some chafing and we both took new headlamps to make it through till dawn.

Bellies and packs full we headed out of White River and back on to the trail.  The next time we would see the guys would be in 19 miles and at that point we had decided we would switch to handhelds and try to move lighter for the last 13 miles.  The sun would be up and the end would be near.  All of these thoughts were encouraging.  With a couple more hours in the dark we were back to our noises and singing and now added clapping to the regime to help save our vocal cords.   Later in the route in this direction, there are not as many climbs, but they are more significant.  The climb up to Ohanapecosh Park was beautiful in the predawn moonlight.  The terrain changed to a rocky landscape and a few snow patches got my attention to ensure a safe crossing.  Now closer to 6500 feet my stomach started to tighten again and I could feel Darcy get stronger.  I wondered if my three weeks at sea level were a factor, but pushed that aside, because overall I felt much stronger as a whole and had attributed that to my time in Boulder and Colorado’s mountains.  We kept our eyes out for the trail signs to keep on track through the campgrounds and finally started the long descent to Box Canyon where we would find our team.  About 2-3 miles from the bottom Darcy stopped to use the trees and I blew my thousandth snot-rocket, which led to a nose bleed.  An uncontrollable one.  I moving well on the descent and I wasn’t about to let blood pouring down my face stop the rhythm, so after doing the mental scan of my pack I came to my gloves as the only option to help slow the mess that was forming down my front side.  At one point Darcy, running behind me, asked to see.  I turned around and her face told me all I needed to know… ridiculousness.  The best part was that the guys didn’t even flinch at the amount of blood.  Mark asked if it was all from my nose (gauging if I’d fallen and had a head wound) and helped me pour water on my tank top to wipe up the drying red spots on my face, arms and legs. 

Box Canyon was a longer stop and as we left we justified that we had needed the time to refuel and regroup.  Neither one of us were able to eat much on the trail anymore so the time with the guys was key for the remainder of our miles.   We ditched as much as we could and headed back out for our final stretch.  Only a few steps out Darcy noted some serious pain in her foot.  Very focused and super intense.  I looked to see her limping just behind me, eyes down and focused purse to her jaw line.  Basit had run out with us and offered to get some advil which she accepted.  Our pace slowed a bit.  Looking back on the moment now, I never questioned if we would finish.  I wondered how long the last 13 miles might take, but I never questioned us making it back to Longmire.  I wonder now if I should have questioned her finishing on such a painful foot.  At least have suggested her to consider any long term damage.  But I really didn’t doubt that we would both finish.  I know she is tough, I know if I were in the same situation I would bear down and try to motor through and I think this deep knowing is why I didn’t even question in the moment and also why I wasn’t surprised when something kicked in for her and I was again working to keep up with her on the climbs.

Mark surprised us along the trail to offer some encouragement and joined us for the few miles to Reflection Lake, the last time we would see our crew.  He helped us think to minimize our load even more keeping only a bottle each, the Spot and the few items I had stuffed into the Spry as we cruised through that final aid point.  We started passing more and more hikers on this stretch and some of them knew of our effort.  All of them stepped kindly aside to let us pass and had some kind of encouraging comment.

One last river crossing and we saw Fred and Austin framing up some final scenic shots.  Rainier was to our backs, but we both had our heads down bouncing from rock to rock and across the log bridge leading us to the final sign… 1.7 miles to Longmire.  Safely back in the comfort of the woods the trail widened again so that we could run side by side.  This is the moment I looked at my watch and saw that it was 11am and felt the surge of adrenaline cause goosebumps on my arms and legs.  Not only would we be under 24hours we were closer to 22.  We didn’t pick up the pace, but we kept running steady.  The trail was smooth and mostly downhill, Darcy started to recognize a few landmarks from her little warm up run on Wednesday and when we finally rounded the last bend to the sight of our crew, my parents and cameras Darcy reached for my hand to finish the final yards together.  Both smiling and even laughing at how well this had all turned out.  Better than Expected.

Kickoff! Speedgoat 50k

It's been a nice little break from racing.  My psyche reset, I felt my training coming along mostly just because I have loved spending time on the Boulder trails and getting up high in the Colorado mountains.  Time in Leadville, Silverton and on top of some peaks has been rewarding outside time, connecting me with this state I moved to over 18months ago, but am just getting to know.

About a month ago I got the itch to run a race and checked in with Karl about the possibility of checking out his Speedgoat 50k course.   After a few high miles and hearty workouts it seemed like that would be a great test as well as an awesome fit to the start of a developing road trip.  The Speedgoat 50k would kickoff my 6 week road trip filled with lots of fun visits, some great running and time in Utah, Washington, Oregon and California.  My logic for living out of Simba again?  Rather than ping back and forth through DIA every other week, it seemed to make more sense to just pack up the things I need and stay out for the duration.  I needed to be in Salt Lake for the OR show and Speedgoat fell the Saturday before, a perfect start.

Yesterday finding my way to Snowbird with some good friends that were volunteering made the start to the early morning mellow.  A little back story on these good friends, Lesli and I met while crewing Karl on the Red Bull Human Express October of 2010.  Living in a motorhome for a month crewing Karl every 5 miles, 50 miles a day has a way of bonding people.  There will forever be a connection between this small crew and the many stories that came out of that journey.  I feel lucky to get to connect the dots and spend time with her & her husband while also running Karl's race.

race start captured by Matt Trappe

The energy for the race quickly built as I got closer to check in and the the starting line.  The Ultraspire crew was there selling cups along with the collection of awesome supportive sponsors.  It felt like an event, well organized, good energy, efficient check-in, many speedy runners readying for the day, an obvious start/finish arch... yet had the good ultra feel with Karl on the mic going through the rules of the course and having us repeat our responsibilities as runners.  

The course profile does not lie.  The 8 mile climb out of Snowbird is a legit start and does a good job of spreading out the field fast.  With enough double track to keep people flowing and not creating a congo line and a runnable grade that left me questioning... will I be able to run this grade at mile 20?  But I wanted a test and I ran what I could and power-hiked when needed.  A few dips down gave the legs a break before returning to the relentless up and we soon found ourselves cresting the top of Hidden Peak.  With the mass number of spectators and cameras I couldn't help but feel like this was a taste of racing in the Alps, in fact the closest I think I've felt on US soil.  Here we'd been climbing for 8+ miles and when we reach there top there is a good size crowd ringing cowbells and cheering us through.  The ease of the tram allowed volunteers and spectators to easily reach the top and provide some good energy to the field of runners.  Nice touch Karl.

Descending the other side found a series of photographers and with the abundance of wildflowers it was obvious why they chose that spot.  Matt Trappe posted some of his photos today and he did a great job capturing some of the beauty we were privileged to pass through.   My mental strategy was to adopt the motto 'take it as it comes'.  I had only heard stories about nearly cresting a peak only to be diverted back down a few hundred feet and then twisting back around to truly go for the summit.  Or how about off-trail, super technical, wicked steep climbs, quad busting descents; all indicators of a challenging event... I decided I didn't want to have any expectations of what the course was going to be like.  This coupled with trying to test my body and fitness made it a little difficult to jug how to spread the peanut butter and I may have wound up a bit thin for those last two climbs, but oddly enough I enjoyed those tough spots the most.  With the technical terrain, bouncing around on rocky descents, charging through off-trail uneven ground and breathing in the thin air there were countless times during the day that I was thankful I had spent time running up high, especially pacing Darcy for the final miles of Hardrock.

The climb to Baldy was taken directly from the Hardrock 100 course description and the final ridge line ascent bringing us back to Hidden Peak was absolutely gorgeous.  You could look ahead at the skyline and make out the silhouettes of the runners working hard in their final uphill push.  An image I have captured in my mind.  Trusting that I would find some downhill speed I tried to suck down the final bits of my EFS liquid shot for a bit of energy, pushed my water bottles off my knees in hopes of gaining a few inches each step.  

At the top I handed off one water bottle to a volunteer with the request of putting it in my drop bag and kept running.  Time to Run, by Lord Huron (funny video, but I like the song) filled my ears and it seemed more than appropriate after the long hike up and the turn over I was now hoping for.  Emma had past me heading into that last climb and while I kept her in sight on the climb I could not find her on the descent... but I still wanted to give it a try.  It is fun to try and run fast at the end of a challenging run like this and throwing in the technical boulder field section and the steep gravely hillsides, pushing the pace also required a lot of focus.  The only person I caught in those final 5 miles was Jon, the blue shirt I had been following all day.  It felt a bit wrong to blow by him in my pursuit of the finish line and another place forward among the women, but testing my turnover rolled me down the hill a bit faster.  

I didn't know where I was among the field, but using the chase helped in the final push and test of my body and fitness.  The obvious Hoka arch awaited in the final switchbacks down, you could see it, but it seemed to be just one more switchback away.  When I finally rounded the last corner and through the arch Karl stood on the other side with a pint glass and Speedgoat medal, but more was the proud look on his face.  I'm not quite sure, but it felt like a proud Papa smile.  Proud of the course, proud to see me finish it, happy to hear my enthusiasm for it.  Thanks for a great run Speedgoat.

Perhaps my favorite part of running an ultra race is the people that come together around it.  Such that we end up in these beautiful places running, it seems to make sense to stick around after and enjoy each others' company, hear the stories that happened throughout the day and share a bit of life outside of our time on the course.  Snowbird and the Cliff Lodge were great places to spend the evening with fellow runners and round out an awesome event.

RACE RESULTS

Race coverage: iRunFar.com on Twitter 

Race Kit:

Patagonia: Draft Tank, Cross-over sports bra, new version of the favorite All-Weather Skirt, Merino LW ankle socks, Tsali 3.0 shoes (2.0 currently available)

Additional clothing: Buff

UltrAspire: Isomeric Pocket Handheld x 2 (Use this code for 20% off your UltrAspire order!!  9FUbzvTj)

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

Julbo:  Ultra glasses

Additional Nutrition: Clif Bloks, Honey Stinger chews

Pro-Tec: pre and post run self massage - Travel Roller

Reset the Psyche

I enjoyed a wonderful hour in the Leadville coffee shop writing a blog post with the same title on my iPad, but when I went to sync it with the website the hour's worth of work was lost.  Technology is great... when it works.  Hopefully I can recreate the gist of what I was trying to communicate. 

recent run to the roof of Colorado.  Mt. Elbert 14,433ft

Returning home from Japan the beginning of May took me into yet another crazy month of life changes, moving, travel, visitors and not a lot of time to just be.  It may seem that a schedule like that is something I thrive on, and perhaps I do, for a spell, but there is definitely a need to chill out and feel grounded.  Once the dust settled around the end of the month I made the call to pull myself out of the next scheduled race and forced some time here in Boulder to regroup, recover and reset.   

Admittedly, the first look at a calendar that didn't have a scheduled flight posted for the end of the week, or the next, felt weird.  What was I supposed to do with a whole 7+ days?  But it was only the first look that caught me off guard, after that it was easy.  Cooking meals with more than one pot, hanging photos, yoga, kickboxing, catching up with friends, climbing, discovering new running loops and secret spots in Boulder, keeping up with expenses and work from the comfort of my home, writing, catching different events in town including concerts and speaker series, all things I long for when I'm living life on the road.  Speaking of the road, Simba (my car) hardly leaves the driveway, I ride my bike for pretty much everything I need to do.  Finding rhythm in time at home is incredible.  I know I love it and need it and am thankful when I take it.  

It was out on one my new running loops on perhaps the only misty morning in Boulder since I've been back that I realized I was training hard, racking up miles and lots of activities as if I were training for a race, but without the race date looming on the calendar there was more of a freedom around being out in the mountains or adding in a second workout that had me psyched.  I know and realize that taking on race after race, big adventures and/or lots of travel all takes great energy.  Running a 100 mile race alone taps the body at such a deep level, likely deeper than we can even fathom, that if we don't give the necessary recoup time (which is as different for everyone as our preference in shoes) the chances of burn out, injury or both escalates.  When there is time to be without the worry of recovery, tapering or timing, I find that I just do what feels right.  The down time breathes a new space and life into my soul, resetting the system and resetting the psyche.  Having time and space to do just that is key for my longevity in this sport.

Psyche reset.  Now time to look ahead. 

I also love bopping around, exploring the world outside the "Boulder bubble" and I look forward the plans that kick in this weekend.  The Estes Trail Ascent takes place this weekend and I am excited to sit on the Nutrition and Hydration panel on Thursday.  Friday has me headed back to DIA for a trip to Reno and Tahoe for the opportunity to be a part of the Alpenglow Mountain Festival.  Alpenglow is an active Tahoe retailer that is driven by community and getting people outside.  This weekend will be a great opportunity to run trails and engage with people about their passions.  Patagonia Footwear has made it possible for me to be a participant and speaker over the weekend and I look forward checking it all out.

More plans and adventures are coming together for the summer and some of those plans include keeping me right here in Colorado, exploring my new back yard of the Rocky Mountains as well as time right here on my backyard deck.

Ultra Trail Mount Fuji 161km (100 miles)

I rarely take photos during a race. Training runs, yes, I've carried my iPhone for Strava and used the camera to snap a few shots, but racing... very rarely. As part of the mandatory gear at UTMF we needed to carry a phone that could make a call while in Japan. My little compact French phone used at UTMB didn't fit the bill unfortunately, so my iPhone in it's Ultraspire sleeve did the trick and was hard to resist when we made our way around the beautiful Mt. Fuji. I gain a lot of strength from my surroundings, both the environment and people. This race was more proof in how I respond to the energy around me.

When I left Boulder on March 1 in Simba headed for Washington I knew I had a couple of busy months on the horizon, but I had no idea the impact life would have on my final preparations for the UTMF 100. There were a lot of lessons to be learned and relearned (I swear I've been here before!) in those two months spent traveling. The Chuckanut 50k, time in Hawaii, road trip to California, Coyote Backbone, food poisoning, rally Simba back to Boulder, home life changing, bad travel luck, presentations in Canada, Elite Immortal retreat in Zion and then on a plane to Japan! It went by almost as fast as reading that run on sentence...

Perhaps it is because of so many years experience, now I think I know better and should be better prepared, where before when more green I could only take a wild guess and hope for the best. In the final preparations the morning and afternoon of the race I kept expecting some nervous energy, but instead I was completely calm. I spent a couple of hours at the UltrAspire booth mostly chatting with the staff and then made my way out to the parking area to find that the girls (Kay and Motoko) set up a tailgate lunch for us. I finally changed out of my jeans around 1:30pm and was back near the starting area around 2pm. I got to see the PNW crew and share a bunch of good luck wishes. The crowd was massive and I believe around 2000 people were lining up for the start. After giving the girls hugs, I was whisked towards the front thankfully and we squeezed through the archway and out onto the road to start the race. Cameramen seemed to be everywhere, on bikes, in the crowd, hanging out of cars as we made our way through town and out onto the trail.

After a couple minutes of running I caught up to Claire from team Salomon and wished her good luck. I could only see one ponytail swinging up ahead of me and I told myself to let it go and just settle in. I really had no idea how things were going to go and I didn't need to burn a bunch of energy trying to race now. The focus became inward, listening to my body, fueling frequently and taking in some of the beautiful views of Mt. Fuji just before sunset. There were little bits of conversation here and there, but with my limited Japanese (Gambarimasho! - "Let's give it our best!) I ended up slipping into my own pace and the songs/rhythms that were in my own head. The ponytail came back to me on a dirt road climb. It was hard to see her face as she had her Buff covering her mouth and nose to protect and help with her asthma. The Australian accent wished me well as I cruised up the mellow climb. Her long legs passed me again as I filled my bladder at Aid 1. This time I kept pace as I could see her just ahead on the road section. Once back on the trail she pulled over (I assume for a pit stop) and I didn't see Shona again until the press conference on Sunday morning, but my crew kept tabs on her and kept me posted through the end of the race.

The evening went by quickly. We got to see crews at Aid 2 and Water 1 before heading into the night. I took my Roch modified (battery pack separated) Black Diamond Icon Headlamp at Water 1 and remember turning it on low as we started the climb. The section after Water 1 and before Aid 3 I later called the Torture Chamber. It was a long ?? mile section filled with technical trail, riddled with short steep climbs and descents that beat me up. I ran out of water about 90 minutes into the section and was mad at myself for not filling up more. There were safety check volunteers along the course and I repeatedly asked for Mizu (water) but they were not supplied. As we popped off of the trail not far from the aid there was a young family set up with a water jug and I took time to fill my Ultraspire cup twice. Minutes later I was in the aid station and thankful to see the girls. Even though it was a shorter section and the evening was cool, I took a bit extra water so that I could catch up on hydration. I was treated to the local favorite, Yakisoba noodles and impressed everyone with my chopstick skills and rapid eating. I have always said how embarrassing it is at how much and how quickly I can eat during a race and this time it was captured on video and film.

Running into the night with the full moon was beautiful. I was thankful that my only visual was not locked into the broad beam of my Icon and that thanks to the moonlight I was able to make out some details of the night sky. I spent a majority of the race running solo and was really only around people while in the aid stations. In rounding one particular bend Mt. Fuji came into sight and the moonlight bouncing off the snow capped peak was the highlight of the race. It was absolutely beautiful, magical and served as a source of energy, a reminder of why I do these long distance races/runs. One reason is to spend time with people, another is for the moments taken in with vistas like that.

During the night we covered a bunch of miles on double track road. My bear bell was quietly tucked into my pack and I hadn't thought about it the entire race until all of a sudden I felt like I should make some noise. Running solo I started to hum and look around. My headlamp caught two orange glowing eyes just off the road up on the hill. My hum turned to a yell and my legs picked up the pace. I kept glancing over my shoulder and saw the eyes watch me. My yell turned to a loud growl trying to sound intimidating and I kept watching as I moved down the trail. Many tactics ran through my head, but the eyes stayed put and I moved away. The quicker pace helped me click off a few more of the very runnable miles.

The night turned to morning and I found myself still able to give a bit and run well. I hit the "No Run Zone" just before sunrise and thought I would enjoy the mandatory hiking break, but found myself disappointed as the trail was some of the best we'd been on up to that point, perfect for cruising along, smooth, soft... but we had to walk. It was on your honor, it was cold and I wondered how many people truly walked that entire section. The trail finally pitched up enough that made the hike more necessary and as I broke through the trees the early predawn light helped make some details of Fuji easier to pick out. We were on one of Fuji's shoulders and the closest to the peak that we would be during the race. At our high point there was a small group of volunteers bouncing around to keep warm. They pointed me to make a right turn and told me it was now okay to run. A super cool decent on crushed volcanic rock facing directly into the sunrise and taking me in to Aid 6. It was still chilly, and as we walked out of the aid tent I couldn't help but snap this photo of our little team.

My pace felt steady and my body mostly felt good through about 75 miles, which truthfully surprised me. I was hoping to maintain that energy and pace through the remainder of the race, but was soon reminded the toll of 100 miles. Especially these 100 miles. Similar to the earlier torture chamber the course took runners over some longer sections with multiple climbs and descents. I kept checking the profile when I was with Kay in the aid stations and again while on the course but then gave up because it didn't seem to match up, meaning there were many more climbs and descents than charted. Some so steep that there were ropes strung up for safety. I recall working my tail off, huffing and puffing, hands on knees making my way up a particular section and coming upon a camera guy. He easily recorded and bounded up the trail next to me capturing my little sufferfest on film. And perhaps more impressive another following me on one of the descents. He made his way down on the little side trails letting me have the slightly more groomed path and still kicked my butt down the hillside. I was impressed. My knees were really starting to talk to me on the descents causing me to shorten my stride and favor them a bit.

The final Aid stops were harbored deep in the little towns making for many pavement miles. There were countless volunteers in red jackets that helped guide the runners through the turns and into the aid stations. At Aid 8 or 9 I received some much needed help from Koji of New Hale. He dug into my hamstrings while I sat and ate and also taped my hammie to help relieve the pulling on my patella which was causing the pain in my knees. I also submitted to take 2 advil to admittedly help take the edge off. I also received news that Shona was only about 1 hour back. I couldn't help but wonder if my pace continued to slow if she would be able to cut into that buffer. Fortunately I was able to find a bit of relief from Koji's help and keep moving forward. No longer able to push, but still kept moving.

The final miles will forever be burned in my memory. The team really pumped me up with Udon noodles, some stretching techniques to relieve my screaming hamstrings and knees and a bit of laughter at the craziness of what running 100 miles does to your body. From A10 we made our way through town and onto an exposed dirt road winding up through a clearcut area. The afternoon sun was the warmest I have felt since landing in Japan and there was no where to hide on the first couple of miles. The road did turn to trail higher up and the course continued to climb towards the powerlines. Those 3 miles to the top took me 90 minutes. A slow slog, but huge effort as my body was tapped and I felt the only thing I could do was to keep moving forward. Near the top another runner moving better than I fell into stride behind me as we switched to a slow run down the single track to the awaiting pavement below. "A little uphill" was what the volunteer at the top told me... but at 90+ miles, 2 miles on a gradual road climb was a nightmare and my thoughts were anything but positive about this section. We made a turn onto a downhill dirt road which turned to pavement about 3 miles later and on that descent I started to wonder if Shona could catch me at this pace. Kaburyaki-san jumped out of a car to cheer me on and I had to ask how much further. He said 3-4km on the road. I soon passed through a peaceful Shrine and onto the road where a sign stating 3km to go was posted. Looking ahead the only path that made sense was to cross the highway bridge and run along the waterfront back to the start... I could see the sponsor tents and canopy for the stage. To have that visual and feel like it is not getting any closer even though your legs are churning underneath you is a difficult pill to swallow. I took one last hit of EFS liquid shot, put my head down and tried to encourage my turnover. I made it over the bridge and gasped when I saw the flight of stairs necessary to drop me down to the final waterfront stretch to the finish. It felt like the final snap in breaking me. I heard the volunteer that had told me to make the turn give an audible gasp as I reached for the handrail and limped down the stairs. My knees hurt so bad I wanted to cry, but something stubborn inside told me to just keep moving forward. The supporters waiting on the path were encouraging me to run, of course they want to see the first woman finish in good form. It took a couple of deep breaths and an effort to push off back to a jog. Now looking straight ahead, straining my eyes to find Kay and Motoko for the last time I focused on piecing myself back together. We rounded the corner together and as the number of people alongside the finish increased so did my smile. All of the feelings of being completely shattered were pieces I could start putting back together. So many outstretched hands awaiting a hi-five, instead of running through, I paused. I stopped to connect eyes and hands with the happy crowd. I felt them giving me their energy and I accepted it to help me heal. A couple of little girls had dandelions to give to me so I put one behind my ear and crossed the finished line with a handful of flowers and arms linked with Kay and Motoko.

It will be a spell to heal from this effort, it will take time. I acknowledge that I was not ready for 100 miles, especially these 100 miles. But I hope that in taking pause to rest and reflect I think I can encourage the process along.

The post race ceremony started as soon as we arrived back at our hotel, the Hamayou Resort. The staff there was incredible in their care of our team of three. We got to use the bath house, where I didn't think there was enough soap or hot water to clean me, checked into a comfortable room and made a request for pizza. The staff ordered, paid for, picked up and delivered the pizza to our room and followed that with a beautiful strawberry cake and a bottle of sparkling wine as a congratulations. We slept a solid 10 hours and were treated to breakfast the next morning and visits with the staff before heading back to the race finish for a press conference and the awards ceremony. The reality of my foggy brain and aching knees were only minor hinderances amidst all of the excitement and celebration that continued through the afternoon. It was nice to have the time and opportunity to see many of the faces that had cheered me on during the race and thank them for their support and their words or actions that helped me make it through. The moment where they called us all on stage was a complete adrenaline rush, to stand before a crowd like that is an unreal feeling. It brings up incredible emotion, inspiration and a feeling of giddiness... I only hope I don't do something too goofy in my overwhelmed state. The beautiful gifted trophies from a local artist will be a special reminder of the challenge endured while on my third visit to Japan.

How I cherish the moments like I have when taking time to right. I started this blog a couple days after the race while staying with Kay. The wind was howling outside, I sat well fed on Kay's couch with my swollen legs elevated, the girls were napping, so the house was quiet other than the clock ticking on the wall and the tapping of my fingers on the keyboard. This morning I write in bed. Again the house is quiet because my roommate is still asleep. The sun is shining through my window over my shoulder and the rumble of my hungry tummy seems to be the only other noise. These moments offer time for reflection. When times are busy it is hard to to reflect. The more I travel, the more I realize I need to make time to write or at least pause to take it all in. The moments just before the finish of this year's Mt. Fuji was exactly that for me; a great lesson in pause.

Canada Tour: Montreal, Ottawa & Toronto

Tours are exciting. Tours make me nervous. Public speaking doesn't come easy, but I love the challenge.

Easy 11am departure from DIA and I even scored a close parking spot.  There was no line at the check in counter and the clerk checked my bag through for free. The security line was a breeze and I was at my gate with 40 minutes to spare. Unfortunately that is where I sat for the next 5 hours. We did board the plane on time, but then due to "something" that showed during a safety check we were told to sit tight for additional inspections. Then we were able exit the plane. Re-board. Then instructed to exit again this time with our belongings. Back to the waiting area. I personally tried to remain calm and read my book. With few notices over the extended time period, around 3pm I noticed a line building at the gate. I rose to inquire and found out they had canceled the flight. I took my turn in line and by the time I got to the desk I was given the last seat on the 4:40pm flight to Toronto and a connecting flight to Montreal, leaving at midnight putting me to my destination 11 1/2 hours after I was supposed to arrive. The last question I asked before boarding that flight to Toronto was, will my luggage make it?

I arrived in Montreal, sans luggage. My saga continued with by my pre-paid hotel room not being available when I arrived at 3am in the morning. Maybe it was my unlucky day. But somehow I was laughing when the hotel clerk told me about my room and asked if I could sleep on the lobby couch.  They covered me in a room at the Sheraton around the corner.

A whirlwind tour ensued, Montreal, Ottawa and Toronto. Speaking in each city to crowds of 50 to 500 people. All without luggage and without any assurance from Air Canada as to where my luggage was or when it would arrive.  But we made the most of it.  My gracious host, Pierre, allowed me to sleep in and picked me up to enjoy brunch with the buyers of La Cordee.  Afterwards we stopped by the store for a sneak peak.  I hope to return, see more of Montreal and have the opportunity to interact with the running community there.  

We made the two hour drive to Ottawa and jumped right into the preparation of the Bushtukah SWEET womens night.  470+ women filled the room, did some shopping, enjoyed snacks and sweets and then gathered for the remainder of the fun evening. Fashion shows and raffle prizes kicked off the event.  I was the first of two speakers to present to the large group.  It was awesome and a bit intimidating to stand in front of such a crowd and speak to my passion.  I realized how much I get out of interacting with people and the energy that gives me.  I really appreciated the women that stuck around after the event to ask questions and chat.  First Endurance had mailed plenty of samples ahead of time that quickly disappeared as the crowd departed.

​The next morning we demoed the Patagonia shoes with a few of the Bushtukah staff and customers.  A nice tour of Ottawa with a similarly paced group made for a great start to the day.  It was nice to move for a few miles before sitting in the car for the five hour drive to Toronto.  We arrived in time to check into our hotel and make our way over to the Patagonia store to enjoy dinner with a few of the staff.  What a great group!  So gracious and enthusiastic about running! They even helped outfit me... after being in the same travel clothes it was nice to change things up a bit.  We had a great time with the 50 person crowd that night.  Great interaction.  Fun stories and questions came up. Raffle prizes are always a bonus and we had plenty thanks to Patagonia and First Endurance.

​Toronto Spirit!

Brushing my teeth that night I received a call from the front desk, "are you expecting your luggage?".  Well, no I wasn't expecting it, I thought it was on its way back to Boulder, but I will come get it.  Sure enough the bag I had completely given up on was waiting for me at the front desk.  The good news was that I was able to share the Julbo Sunglasses and Pro-Tec product samples with the run crew the next morning. ​ ​We took advantage of the nice weather and the group took the opportunity to try out the Patagonia Trail running shoes.

With just enough time I jumped in the car with Jason and learned a bit about his project to help protect the Green Belt in Toronto.  Turns out 40% of Toronto is covered in canopy and a few groups are working to maintain that as well as protect the trails and waterways that run through.  We did about an hour worth of filming, then hurried back to the Patagonia store for a shower and then made the drive to the airport.​

Fortunately my flight home was much better. This time I had to pay for my luggage, but the clerk was kind to put me in a exit row for the extra leg room.  I was home on time and got to enjoy 7 days in Boulder.  In that short time I've run in shorts and a T in 65 degree spring weather and slipped in the slushy snow of winter.  The Front Range in April.  I don't know that I will ever understand the weather patterns here.  What I do know and life keeps teaching me, is that from anything from presentations, to travel, to running, to weather... It is all there and coming at us.  It is how we choose to deal with it, hopefully with humor and humility, that makes up the stories we call life.

Run Around the Roof of Africa, Final Thoughts

In a surreal feeling I find myself in a Giraffe Cafe, drinking a second latte watching the sun rise and soak into the airport tarmack.  I am starting to think the reason that travel between Moshi, Tanzania and Boulder, Colorado is so long is becuase I need the time to switch gears and realize that there is more than distance that separates these two significant places in my life at this moment.  So many differences in how we live, what is available, what we believe and how we experience it is necessary to allow the mind and body time to absorb it all.

This definitely feels like a life impacting trip.  My drive and energy for travel is renewed and is also inspired.  It makes some of my other trips seem unnecessary in comparison.  I felt myself, heart & spirit open in a way that feels familiar and I remember but seem to have lost a bit in my crazy wanderings that double over each other and at times leave me spinning .  I am so thankful for the time to spend running in new terrain, with simple focus on the here and now; the basics of running, eating and sleeping the focus.  When given a bit of free time I found the simple tasks that filled the time were more rewarding than cumbersome - like writing, reading, communicating with the group, laundry and even a bit of meditation.

The last day of running was by comparison to the previous three, much more mellow and easier.  About 20k in a little over 4 hours got us to the Mbahe gate around 1pm.  After videos and photos we meandered the trails back towards Simon's house.  I was admittedly feeling like our finish felt a bit anti-climatic, like there was something missing, like the energy of a grand finish didn't quite click when ​we touched the gate.  A 1.5k walk to Simons and hot showers was cut short with a stop off at the local swimming hole - a beautiful waterfall fed natural rock pool.  The perfect place for the shoes & socks to disappear followed by the packs and shirts.  Steve and Simon jumped the 3meter cliff with an easy "3-2-1 See Ya!" count down.  Kate followed quickly behind, then Jerry.  Jake had his tired achilles soaking below and Andrew was capturing the energy on film.  Iddy and Siggy (our guides) were taking their time and all were cheering me on yet I found myself gulping air at the edge, being a ninny.  I could run the 270k, but couldn't bring myself to push off the edge.  "It's the finish line!" Steve offered.  "You are not truly done until you jump!" Simon furthered.  "Come On!" Andrew crouched waiting for a final shot and likely anxious to get into the water himself.  The group tried counting down and that seemed to make it worse.  Finally when things quieted just a bit I reached to plug my nose, curled my toes over the edge and then pushed off out over the cool pool below...

Under water I felt the smile creep across my face and I could hear the cheering grow as my bubbles raced me to the surface.  FINISHED!  Now that was a suitable finish to our great trip round!​

We egged on Siggy & Iddy as well.  Iddy went first and we noticed he couldn't swim that well and Jerry pulled him in, but then he went back for more.  Siggy took a bit more encouragement and I even crawled back up on the rocks to jump with him.  Better prepared this time Steve was ready.  Siggy burst back through the surface and the look of fear on his face struck me deep.  Steve was there and ready thankfully.  Siggy basically climbed on Steve's shoulders forcing Steve under and I grabbed Siggy's arm and talked/swam him to shallow section.  His relief was evident as his feet hit ground.  About a second later Steve broke the surface with his big Hawaiian smile.​

The afternoon and evening were pretty chill.  The hot shower felt amazing and I soaked my laundry in the intentionally plugged up shower floor while we indulged in lunch.  I read, finished laundry and chilled before making my way back up for more eats and the wrap up celebration.  We ate local cuisine with the entire group, sang songs in Swahili and spoke freely about how much fun we had on the trail and in realizing Simon's dream.  

Wagon Wheel was stuck in my head for most of the later part of the run and on the final day I wrote my own version called "Runin' 'round Kili".   Kate helped me sing it as my contribution.  My first song and first time to sing in front of a group of strangers.  It was a blast, but I could tell the white girls needed to take a few lessons :)​

The rhythm and voices of the Tanzania's completely trumped my meager effort and I was more than happy to clap along and laugh.  It was a good night's sleep.​

Run Around the Roof of Africa, Day 7

The group is definitely feeling the days adding up.  Not moving all that fast and the terrain doesn't help.  It is gorgeous & challenging & Simon is keeping everyone laughing so it is all good. My body is weary & I can tell I'm dipping into the reserves a bit to get this done.  Still psyched to be here and have this experience.  I think I am going to hire a guide to take me up Kili for my birthday.  We won't make the top but I would like to see how high I can get & scout the route a bit.  Dinner was brown rice, peanut sauce with chicken, fish, broccoli and cauliflower & fruit salad four dessert.  I sat around with Andrew after dinner to chat a bit about films and moving making from the adventure side.

I've been waking right at 6 the last couple of mornings.  There has formed a routine to packing up my belongings from the tent, getting dressed, running for the bathroom, making my way to breakfast, etc, etc.  This morning Andrew did an interview and I felt a bit off/brain-dead.  Like I couldn't really wake up.  Hopefully he got a couple of good sound bites.  We had to drive nearly 2 hours to get back to our point so we didn't start running until almost 11am.  With such a late start and everyone moving slow we still were pushing day light and ran in with headlamps.  Only one day to go...  

We came back through the Kilimanjaro Mtn. View Lodge and took a descent break there.  It was pretty cool to check it out from below and make the climb all the way up.  Time hasn't even been a thought out here. Knees are getting sore, but I am surprised how well they have held up considering the descents - technical and super steep - that we have done.  Last day and finishing party tomorrow!

Start: 10:44am                   Run: 8:05:49                     Climb: 6224

Descent: 5965                  High Point: 6447               Low Point: 4629

Chuckanut 50k Reflection

I've posted the Chuckanut 50 k article on the race updates page, this is also the article that will appear in the next Ultrarunning Magazine issue. Written on the North Shore beach of Oahu, this RD planned her recovery long before the race even took place. While in Tanzania last October I met a super fun couple that offered up their place as a visit. I warned Steve & Kate on the spot that I am the type of person that will take someone up on an offer like that and once again I did. I got to enjoy a couple of days with my family in Washington amidst wrapping up final race details with Heather & Ma. Then, using miles to make the jump across the pond, I landed in Honolulu on Wednesday afternoon.

Upon arrival, I was promptly lei'ed and whisked out to Hali'ewa and their sailboat for our first activity, a whale tour under sail. It was a sunny afternoon and the whales did not disappoint. After several spottings we were treated to a baby showing off; constant breaches and rolls above the surf just 100m off the port side. It was a beautiful sight. The long weekend was filled with good miles, good eats, some downtime on the beach and early nights to bed to catch up on lost sleep. The adventures kept each day exciting including learning to fly an Ultra-Lite with Paradise Air, jet-skiing, farmers market, visits with HURT friends and exploring the north shore trails.

Always good to plan the recovery, time for reflection & downtime as much as the event, training and prep. It is easy to jump right into the next thing (the story of 2012 for me) and not take the time to create the memories and stories of the accomplishment. On my way to the airport the morning of my departure I took part in the tradition of spreading the flowers of my lei in the ocean (careful to remove the bow and string) signifying my return not only to Hawaii but to this place of reflection.

Run Around the Roof of Africa, Day 6

Started the day leaving the cozy river camp after another filling breakfast.  It was nice to visit with Simon's family this morning.  They came up to camp with us for the night, but we were too tired to catch up last night.  Before we started back running, we had to drive back to where we had left off so an hour of bouncing around in the car was our warm up.  We enjoyed great views of Kili for most of the morning after a photo in from of Meru (the opposing peak).  From this point we were running closer to the high villages and a majority of the ribbons had been taken down by the children (was the guess).  Because of this, we took a while to cover the first 12k (like 3 hours).  We were mostly hiking today as the terrain was not forgiving.  We are back in the canyons of the south side with dramatic ups & downs.  

We had some cool descents & hot climbs, and moved slow.  At one point we even had to use a rope to climb a steep embankment and rejoin the trail.  As the sun made it's way through the sky we got the feeling it was going to be another long day.  We had to keep moving on the last section as the sun was going down.  Iddy, Jerry, Steve, Jake and I stuck together.  I found myself running just enough ahead so that I could keep my eyes out for markers.  That worked well until the markers ran out.  Made for an interesting evening & wrap up to the day.  Turns out the marker guy took us lower (away from the mountain, more into the towns) when we were supposed to stay high (closer to Kili and skirt the top of town).  Iddy didn't have a phone because he had put it in the car to charge.  There was a loud sermon being broadcast over the village as we were descending into town and into the sunset, now making our way on Iddy's guess.  It was an eery feeling to be moving into the night amidst the bellows of the microphone and the looks from the village people as we passed through.  We obviously stuck out and their question of us running through town was as obvious as our loss for where we were.  We caught up to Menase who had been marking the course.  He had Simon on the phone working out a plan.  Simon had waited for Tim and then taken the planned high route trying to catch up to us.   Tim was back a ways so after coordinating a meeting spot the Menase hung up the phone and started talking to the locals.  

From the helpful bit of Swahili that Steve understood we were basically trying to make our way to the church.  Funny thing was there are multiple churches and unlike home, the streets are not named, directions are given by landmarks.  Was it the one back up on the hill with the bellowing speaker?  What about the one down near the school house.  We had guys in jeans and bling running along with us trying to help find our way.  It was uncomfortable in the moment not knowing where we were, but looking back on the experience I am in awe and have to giggle a bit at the thought of all these foreigners running through town.  Guys running alongside convinced they knew where to lead us.  Us following blindly.  Then making it to another corner of town and being handed off to the next local expert.  We eventually popped out from a side street and saw the team Land Cruiser that would take us to pick up Tim and then up to camp.  It was a welcome site!  2+hours driving in the car to finally land at camp, another mini-adventure to wrap up the day.  A super sweet spot, at the Kilmanjaro Mountain Huts and a burly drive to get there.  Next year, the route will stay high :)  We got to enjoy a hot shower, which was a welcome treat and a yummy dinner of beef stew, rice & veggies, hot chocolate & fried bananas for dessert.  The camp hosts performed their Kilimanjaro songs for our tired group.  It was hard not to smile, but mustering the energy to join their dance didn't happen amongst the sleepy runners.  It's after 11pm as I write.  Long day.

Start 9:19am                 Run: 9:13:25                 Climb: 7031

Descent: 7149             High Point: 6125            Low Point: 4764