"tiramisu doesn't need a party dress"

hi everyone!  I will get to the title of this post in a minute. :o) It's a quote from JJ Jessee when I was lamenting on my lackluster presentation of a tiramisu I made for breadzilla fest this past weekend. I just placed it in a much too m large tupperware container. ( hopefully it didn't effect the taste:o)

This past weekend I was lucky enough to meet with the IMTR's and go on a 23.6 mile trail run on the AT/govt road in Damascus.  It was 34F and we experienced some freezing precipitation up on the ridge lines, but it didn't dampen the experience-- it just made it even more of an epic adventure than it was already! I was able to witness some of the prettiest fall foliage and  best panoramic views Damascus has to offer.  I couldn't get over that even though it wasn't a clear day, just how far and how much I could see. Very Nice:o)

 I also got the treat of meeting for the first time and running with Annette Bednosky! SUPERSTAR!!!:o) ( she would probably cringe at that title but she is such a rawk star!! strong, strong runner and insanely fast on downhill sections!!!)  I have to admit, I was a little nervous about meeting her because I was aware of all of her accomplishments and that she is such an extremely talented and high caliber ultra runner. Annette is SO sweet and has such an awesome personality!! Meeting her wasn't intimidating at all, quite the opposite! I just found her very friendly, warm :o)  I throughly enjoyed running with her and gleaning from her experience.  I am extremely thankful post run she made me sit in the stream to "ice" my legs. This was something I DID NOT want to do. I was SO cold already and then to sit waist deep in a cold stream was something I wasn't up for.. However, I went along and sat as long as I could stand it ( which wasn't long-- a couple minutes tops). Sunday morning, it was like a miracle! I wasn't sore in the least in my legs.. quads, calves, hamstrings.. all good.. my toenails are a different story but I think it's been several  long runs in the making.  So I am a firm believer in ice baths now. :o)

After the run, I headed back to the lake house and took a shower. Then I went over to beth's to hang out for a couple of minutes with all the group. Beth's boyfriend, Dan had an uncle who had that day came off the AT for a break and visit with his family. He was through hiking from Maine to GA and Dan picked him up at Marion and brought him to their house. It was great to hear his stories and adventures! I wish him the best of luck as he continues on to Springer Mtn, GA!!
 I walked up to JJ's house where Breadzilla fest was in full swing. My friend and old neighbor JJ Jessee had made his own brick oven in the shape of a dragon and cooked for friends, family and neighbors on saturday 36 pizzas! it was a foodie's DELIGHT!!  YUM! I only got to stay for about 15 min at Breadzilla but I stayed long enough to snag some gourmet pizza!!! :o)  and bring my tiramisu to share! :o)  Here are some pictures from before the group run:

 Then we were waiting for annette and was giving her a couple of minutes so we took a group picture:

Then about 8 miles into the run we stopped to fuel up and annette took a picture of the group wearing all  nathan gear.  I borrowed this picture from her blog.

 and lastly here are some pictures taken by my good friend and FIERCE trail/ultra runner Beth Minnick of BreadZilla fest several minutes after I left. I just really wanted you guys to be able to SEE for your own eyes JJ's magnificent creation! :o)

 That is all for now! My recovery from the long run is going well. I  lifted and ran 6 miles on monday on marathon pace and it felt very easy and non labored.  I did plyometrics today and plan on lifting and running tomorrow.  Race for the Cure 5k is this weekend( I will be very pink):o) and Haunted Half is on Halloween! WOO!

laurel's run ascent 11 mi trail race

It was pouring the rain when I woke up this morning. I got up, let out my little yorkie fred and put on coffee and water to boil for my oatmeal while I got dressed in my new floral print moeben skirt/sleeves and north face racing singlet. I mulled over in my mind what the race course could possibly be like.. would I even have a good time at this race? wouldn't I end up wet, cold and miserable?? WHY exactly was I going to run this race??

I tried to shut out all my negative thoughts by thinking of my two good buddies Jim Bowers and Gil Furr I would get to see at the race.. they would be slogging through the rain and mud right there with me. If anything that was my one motivating factor is that I KNEW Jim and Gil would be there rain or shine!

So I ate my oatmeal, finished my coffee, kissed brock good bye and loaded up the FJ and headed on down the road to Church Hill, Tn. I met up with Gill at the red light where you turn off of 11w to Laurel's Run Park.. This park boarders bays mtn. It is very pretty it's right beside the holston river, there are several shelters and a nice looking playground.

Upon arriving, I registered.. the shirts where long sleeve and VERY nicely done. AND I got a free polar insulated water bottle.. NICE! and a coupon for a free sweet tea from Pal's ( thanks mark!)

I figured that the beginning of the course would be muddy, but once I got on kiner hallow trail that the trail would probably drain fairly well and not be too slick. I decided to use for the first time my compression socks.. thought I might as well try them out, figured they would at least keep my legs from getting muddy! I wore my brooks cascadia 4s and inov8 gaiters.

We lined up and the race began! I took off with the lead group of guys and obtained the lead for the females and just kept the lead for the race. I wore my nathan hydration pak so I had the luxury of getting plenty to drink and eat the whole race:o) I grubbed on Gu chomps the whole time. The race course pretty much climbs from 1, 100 ft to 2,400 feet elevation at the fire tower so my legs were ON FIRE:oP I just tried to not walk and push myself onward and upward! I have to mention that the trees were SO pretty!! even though it was cloudy and rainy-- it was SO beautiful and I really was humbled to just get to BE THERE running on that trail. *THAT* was why I got up this morning.. to go run in the mountains!!!

I was VERY happy to get to the fire tower. stored my sleeves and my garmin that wasn't really working for me properly this morning in my nathan pak and took 2 motrin and a salt stick tab and headed back to laurel's run excited that the hard part was over and I knew the next 5 miles were going to be FUN FUN FUN!! I was really pretty hyper at this point and high fived EVERY runner I saw coming towards me and yelled "woo!" alot and told eveyone how awesome they were running. Then I just enjoyed the ride on some of the sweetest sections of single track in the kingsport area!!!before I knew it was back running past the falls and skating around in the mud trying not to lose a shoe!

I ended up finishing first overall female ( no clue what place I came in overall maybe 10th??) in 1:52.

at the beginning of the post is the picture of my trophy:o) I had such a great time at this race! mark skelton did a fantastic job! I really can easily say I enjoyed this race even more than bays mtn 15 miler!! it was practically ALL single track with some very technical sections ( except for the small section to the fire tower) thankfully I never saw any yellow jackets!!

the compression sleeves for my legs worked VERY well!! I am in LOVE!! with them! and I think they look pretty darn cool with my moeben skirts!:o) I definitely picked the right shoe for today. The cascadia's are light but SUPPORTIVE great for more technical runs and they do great in the mud!!! :o) I really hope they don't change a THING about those shoes when the 5's come out in a month-- they are PERFECT as they are!!!

Thanks to my new friend Frank for letting me use 2 of his pictures he took during the race of the trail and of laurel run falls! He has an excellent race report at :

http://hurryslowlybuthurry.blogspot.com/2009/10/laurel-run-ascent.html

and I borrowed a picture from SFTC website of my buddy Gil and I ( I'm in the mtn hardware hat) at the pre-race meeting.

ROC 5k

This morning I ran a 5k race in my hometown. Maybe I am wrong, but I am fairly for sure this is the first road race in Richlands, VA in over a decade. ( at least one that I have ran) The course for the 5k was basically in a figure 8, and really different from any of the training runs I have ran in Richlands. It was great to get to run in my town see so many familiar faces. It was 44F and foggy at the start. I felt like the cooler fall weather was really going to be conductive to some faster times. Brock, my son Jack and my Dad all came to the race to cheer me on!!:o)

One of my brother Brian's good friends from Roanoke, Lenny came and ran in the race AND won OVERALL with a time of 19:48!! I was so happy for Lenny! He is an awesome person!

It was also great to see the richlands/garden trail runners representing at the ROC. Michael Helton set a PR for 5k and he just ran North face Endurance Challenge 50k in DC a couple of weeks ago. He and Jared Baliey both won their age groups! great job guys!!!:o)

Alas! no PR for me today. I ended up finishing in 22:07 and placed 3rd overall female.

here are some pictures from the race. I am so tired typing this!!:o) been a long day!

next week I am planning on running the laurel run ascent 11 mi trail race and then the Race for the Cure 5k on Oct 25th.