pre- MMTR oct training!

I'm going to admittedly be a slacker here and just have pretty much a photo blog for this post.

The past couple weeks have been AWESOME! We've been blessed with a WONDERFUL and BEAUTIFUL fall. I still literally smile everytime I walk outside and see all the pretty leaves. I love the cool temps and lower humidity! ITS AWESOME. a trail runners paradise!

The first weekend in october, I drove up to Charlottesville to run the Wild Oak Trail with sophie and the VHTRC!

Sophie was nice enough to invite me up for a weekend of back to back runs. I stayed at her lovely home and met her beautiful family. I always say that sophie is the hostess with the mostest, and it's so true. I had such a wonderful time staying at her house ( I felt so at home and at ease with her family)

here are some pictures from the Q's flickr from the run.

Twot was NO JOKE. It was a challenging technical course with some big climbs and big descents. I was glad I decided to wear masochists for that run! MARLIN YODER! thanks for running with me ALL DAY LONG. THANKS For not rolling me off the mtn, even though I begged you to at one point.

Sophie and I then went on to Blue mtn Brewery for some Oktoberfest fun!

and the next morning we ran on the AT with Jack, Sophie's super Aussie! It was a GREAT training weekend.

Then a couple of weeks ago, I embarked on a training run with another tribe of trail runners whom I just LOVE the CAT's. ( Charlottesville Area Trail Runners) I say all the time that IMTR's love CAT's! I feel so much comraderie with these guys. Same way I feel at home, at sophie's house. I feel AT HOME running in the blue ridge mtns with the CAT's.

So I drove to lynchburg for the night and then met fellow IMTR, Guy Love sunday morning to go drive towards montebello and run the priest and 3 ridges! I have ALWAYS wanted to run this run ( well, for about 2 years now) and I was SO excited I was actually getting to run this, AND The weather was perfect! it was cooler about 40 at the start ( and windy and cold up on the 3 ridges) but about 70 by the time I descended the priest. I ran with Bob and Neil all day long and just had the BEST time talking to them about everything under the sun. The climbing the priest I got to run with David and Quatro, caught up with Guy ( because he waited for me) and so we had a great group on the overlooks at the priest.

post run, we had a lovely tailgate.. which is one thing I REALLY have grown to look forward to at the end of any run that Quatro Hubbard is attending. :) seriously, post run tailgate in the trail head parking lot is WHERE IT's AT people.

here are some pictures from that day:

tailgate party in the AT parking lot!

That was my last BIG long run then, I've ran a couple 17 milers in the hurricane gap section and I took some pictures of those runs.

And I ran bear tree gap loop 10 miler, the leaves were unreal, but didn't take my camera that day but fellow IMTR dennett dwyer did. If he ever posts pictures, I'll link them up. yes, dennett I'm writing your name in this blog post so all your e-stalkers can google you some more!! They'll be so sad I don't have any pictures... oh wait, let me see.. nope, no more pictures...

HERE is a link to my Picasa so you can see all my other oct running pictures.

okay, so somewhere in there.. all this blissful fall running, I'm supposed to be ready for MMTR. I know what I need to do, having run this course last year. I feel I am ready fitness wise. I'm MUCH fitter than last year. I have much more time on my feet than last year. and my recovery times are less than what they were last year. SO I hope that translates into a more successful run, a faster one-- and an more enjoyable masochist than the one I experienced last year! :o) I want to have FUN. I want to ENJOY the moment and just grab life with both hands and give it a bear hug. I want a JOYFUL 50 miles! That's what I want. Even if I don't obtain those things on Nov. 5th and things aren't idealistically like I envision them to be, the journey of getting to MMTR has been FANTASTIC this year. I have gotten in some super challenging and beautiful runs and got to share the trail with some of my favorite people. I love my ultrarunning ,trail running family-- and road running family. I am so blessed to have so many great friends in running. I love yall!!!

Can't wait to see all my friends at MMTR, it's going to be like a big family reunion! SO many friends running! good luck to you all! and hellgate 100k! i'm in! so I'm excited about that! my plan is to start slow, to suffer with dignity:op and FINISH!!

New River Trail Challenge and MMTR training

hey! it's been awhile since I've last posted. I had a fairly easy and quick recovery from Cheat mtn 50. I was THRILLED because last year I REALLY struggled, and it hampered my fall training, thus resulting in a lack luster experience at MMTR 2010.

SO back in the swing of things the past couple weeks, I've gotten some great training runs in with the IMTR's and solo. I'll just highlight a couple of my longer runs on single track for a minute:

1. Beth, Joey Licata and I ran Orange Dot 17 miler on Sept 10th. Beth ran REALLY strong. Really happy for her where she is with her training. I feel she is going to tear up Ridge to Bridge marathon. Orange Dot is a very challenging route ( at least I think so) but I have to say, we all tackled it and ran much faster and stronger than in previous runs on the same route. I think it just means we are getting better and not bonking when we run! :o) It was just a very nice day, good weather and it was bittersweet because Joey is moving away pretty soon. :( bummer. It's been so awesome to get to know him the past 2 years. Some of my favorite trail running memories are from running with him, and he was just so great to be spontaneous-- I could call or text him at 10 pm on a friday and say "let's run 20 miles tomorrow at 7am!" and he would answer back immediately with "AWESOME!" So few people are like that. fun, adventurous, reliable. etc. Joey is good peoples, and I wish him the best at his new project-- hope to meet up further down the trail!

2.Then Sept 17th-- I was feeling a little flat and tired wussed out on racing Bays Mtn 15-- and beth got 2nd and Pr'ed big that day! go beth! I ran 16 miles on the AT with Tim Lamie, Guy Love, and Kevin Townsend and his border collie named "holly". It was cool, rainy and foggy and we started there behind aliese and jim's house on the AT and ran towards abingdon gap shelter ( out 8 miles) and then descended back down the mtn 8 miles. It really is SO much climbing to run it this way, but I really need that for masochist. and the last 8 miles went by SO fast.. it's amazing how much faster and easier it is on the way down:o)

3.Then on Sept 20th I ran 17 miles from Summit cut ( where the AT crosses 58 before lost mtn shelter) I ran this one solo and got a shuttle from sundogs. Again it was kinda a rainy, cool and foggy day. I really didn't mind at all because I feel we've had such a hot summer. I welcome the cooler temps! I started off this run on a weird note because really ALL summer I've lamented to anyone who would listen, about the fact I hadn't seen any bears. The past two summers ( 2009 and 2010) I would see them almost every run! Well, I was feeling GREAT running down the mtn past lost mtn shelter and I rounded a bend just HAULIN it and there was a cub running about 5 ft in front of me freaking out scared and he scrambled up in a tree. I was pretty shocked because he was such a little bear and i knew his mama was somewhere close. I had my iphone in my front pocket so I took it out and snapped a picture.. it's SO blurry but I was in a super hurry and wasn't about to try to stand there and focus and take a better one. I was surrounded by rhododendrens and the bear cub was in a tree on the right side of the trail.. in front of me. So in order to proceed on, I was going to have to go under the cub.. I couldn't back track because the shuttle was gone and my car was 17 miles away in Damascus at Sundogs.

THEN I kept hearing this weird noise... to the LEFT of me on the other side of the trail.. and it was MAMA.. she was making this jaw popping and snorty/wuffy sound at me, and when she would do that the cub would climb higher. I never SAW the mother, I wasn't about to get down and look in the rhododendrons for her, but I FELT her there and HEARD her and she was close to me. SOO, I just did what we did at SNP riprap 2010.. I just raised my arms to make myself look tall and calmly just started walking and talking in a calm voice.. and went on down the trail about 100 ft past the cub I turned and no one was still moving.. so I started jogging away.. i was afraid to run fast because I just wanted to be "casual" and not give anybody ( IE MAMABEAR-- no relation to IMA) any reason to think I was afraid or any reason so chase me. lol here is the picture I took:

in hindsight, I should of went WAY around the situation and just bushwhacked, but I seriously was just not thinking out of the box there.. it was like I had blinders on. I was just thinking go up the trail or go down.. I really hope common sense prevails if I ever have a next go around with mama and cubs.

The rest of the AT run was uneventful, but I did have a good run and ran strong, I was back to the car in 3:05. I didn't think it was that bad of an effort. and I made some new friends who work at sundog ( namely Joe, the super nice driver who took me up the mtn) and I got to have a trailside chat with Steve Webb, who is one of my favorite residents of D-town. He was really the first friend I made in damascus in 2005.

On sept 24th, I ran something a little different!! a couple of weeks ago follow IMTR Dennett Dwyer asked myself and Paul Gadola to be on his relay team for the NEW RIVER TRAIL CHALLENGE. The relay is held on the New River Trail and it consists of a 40 mile bike ( Paul recently biked the Contential Divide Trail and avg over 100 miles per day so he was in great shape from his adventure) 12 mile Kayak ( Dennett is a really accomplished Kayaker so that is his forte) and 13 mile trail run on the new river trail ( which was my leg). I had ran New River 50k last year, and knew it was going to be flat and intense for both the bike and running legs. ( and I didn't really envy Paul for what he had to accomplish! Really didn't envy Dennett either because the longest kayak section I've ever done in a race has been 3miles and that was tough for me! so I was happy to just merely be running:o) I was really excited about trying something different, with some new friends-- and super happy to be on the team "DAMASCUS MOONSHINERS" and yes, I really did feel some pressure to step up and run hard to prove myself worthy to be called a "damascus moonshiner" because, while I don't live in damascus, I do spend an awful lot of time there, and have many many good friends who live there and wanted to make them proud! :o)

The name of the game for TRI relays is "hurry up and wait." I was running last leg so I had like 4 hours before I had to run once the race began. That part was enjoyable. I spread out my yoga mat and laid by the river for an hour and just chilled out and looked at the trees above me swaying in the wind and that was nice-- Jenny doesn't get too many downtime moments like that!

Long story short on the Tri relay: Paul got us in a solid position, he rode 40 intense and fast miles and then had to peace out and go to work. He did such an awesome job!!! Then Dennett on his kayak leg passed people and got us closer to the front, and then I passed 2 more teams and we ended up 1st in the mixed divison and technically 3rd overall. ( but of course, we were awarded the 1st place trophies for mixed) STILL it was a very cool and fun event. Definitely plan to run this again next year. Where I had ran New River 50k in 2010, I knew what to expect has far as the half.. and to be honest, yes i had to run way faster than for ultras but it was SO freaking awesome to be finish with a race after about an hour and forty min!!

Also having my first official wolf hills double ipa from a growler nonetheless, made new river challenge a great day.

Cool shirt that Paul gave me the morning of the race! and my trophy:o)

Team leader Mr. Dwyer and I with the trophies ( while poor paul was prepping for oktoberfest with a toothache)

NEXT UP:

going to C-ville to stay with Sophie and run "hot twot" ( the wild oak trail) this saturday with the VHTRC and then check out the Crozet music fest and then Run on the AT afton to the humpbacks on sunday before heading home.

more training in the form of another big back to back weekend in a couple weeks and then haunted half craziness and MMTR.

2011 CTR 10k

Myself and the 2 CTR academic scholarship recipients ( who volunteered at the race)

this is what the race is ALL about!!! Helping students reach their academic goals!

volunteers jj, rick, and beth during the pre-race thunderstorm
IMTR Tim Lamie
We all loved Jim Bower's outfit
Robin Grossman and I before the race
We loved Jim's outfit so much, I asked for a 2nd photo
Former 9th district congressman Rick Boucher made a cameo appearance on the Va creeper trail
CTR 10k start
beth getting drenched after doing a good deed: putting up my mom's sunroof
VERY happy to have John Mongle and Jock the superdog volunteer at this year's race!!

RESULTS FOR CTR 10k HERE

RACE PHOTOS HERE and HERE ( thanks so much to John Mongle and Andy Bunn for being my race photographers this year!

My family and I were just SO overjoyed at the turn out this year. It was SO amazing at the start of the race to look out and see just a SEA of friendly faces and friends!! THANK YOU to ALL who participated, who volunteered, who sponsored or was connected to the race in anyway! Thank you to all my trail running, ultra running and road running friends who came out and supported the race either by volunteering, running or getting their friends to come run! I am just SO continually humbled by the kindness of the running community. I love you guys!

I really worked SO hard on the race, so it was amazingly WONDERFUL that everything went smoothly, and I really truly hoped everyone ( runners, walkers, volunteers, spectators) ALL had a great time. I really think having the race during the evening worked VERY well and we plan to do that again next year.

one special volunteer, Rob French and his wife drove all the way from high point, NC to volunteer for Todd's 10k. The next morning I hosted a "morning after" fun run on the AT at Mt Rogers to just blow off some steam and have fun! Rob came and ran with Ginger Stewart ( another great friend, volunteer, runner and cyclocross goddess) This was Ginger's first trail run on technical and she did GREAT!! and here are some of the pictures of from the morning run on Mt rogers:

rob, myself and ginger at the start of the run! it was 59F much welcome break from the heat!

AT at mt rogers

ginger Rocking the single track!!

Charlottesville weekend/Cheat mtn moonshine madness 50 mile trail race - 2011

Taking in the view of the blue ridge near monticello/montalto

Running down a cool trail near the end of mine and sophie's run

wow! the month of august has just flown by! following the race ( as in CTR 10k), I had a nice little taper for cheat mtn, and Brock and I decided to celebrate our birthdays by going to Charlottesville, VA to see Dave Matthews and Tim Reynolds play. We decided to spend a couple days in charlottesville so we could go to monticello, check out UVA campus/city of charlottesville and just spend some quality time together.

My good buddy Sophie, as always, was the SUPREME Hostess!! She gave so many wonderful suggestions regarding what to do, where to eat, where to park etc while in charlottesville ( SO grateful to her because all her suggestions where RIGHT ON!) THEN that saturday, the morning of the concert we met at Greenberry's parking lot at 6am for a fun 2hr run on some trails near Carters mtn/monticello/montalto. So great to get to socialize with my friend, and just take in a wonderful sunrise view of the valley/blueridge! post run, breakfast at greenberry's before sophie had inservice at the school. Then brock and I went up on the parkway, hung around rockfish gap and hiked a little on the AT, THEN went to lunch at Blue mountain Brewery! YUM!

The concert was awesome! easily the best Dave show I've seen, and the most stage banter. it was VERY cool to hear all his stories between the songs. Charlottesville was GOOD to us! We so enjoyed our stay and I always love running in that area!!

That sunday on the way home, I got to pick up MY birthday present to myself: a little australian shepherd puppy 8 weeks old named Maverick!

isn't he awesome?!

So that was a great way to take up my focus OFF of cheat mtn the week of TRUE taper by getting to know this little guy and teaching him how to fetch and be housetrained! He is SO SWEET and just such a good dog. So smart! I could go on and on about little maverick. I'm so excited about having him for a running partner as he gets older!

So this year for Cheat mtn, I opted for a different experience. YES, I could of done things that were WAY logistically easier but I just really felt the need to have this ALL INCLUSIVE experience. I wanted to run well. YES, I did.. but I also wanted Brock to come, and the kids ( they could go camping at the start finish! even if that meant brock couldn't crew for me) and maverick couldn't be boarded because he still lacks one more puppy shot he gets in a couple weeks PLUS there is Fred, my yorkie, it would probably make him feel bad if we boarded him and took the new cuddly puppy, right?? SO just EVERYONE got to come to ELKINS! I met Brock in Beckley, WV on thursday evening ( he has been working out of town so much and the kids missed him the previous weekend where we were in charlottesville. so they were GLAD to see their dad!) We rode up to Days Inn in Elkins ( the only pet friendly hotel there in elkins and it really wasn't that bad! we had a great experience!) and I pretty much just chilled out and hung out with brock , kids and dogs all Friday day..

I had packed all my race gear/drop bags/ recovery bags beginning of the week and had everything well organized and exactly how I wanted it. So that was a load off my mind to not have to fool with ANY of my gear ( in a small hotel room with 2 kids and 2 dogs going wild) I took a little nap- amazingly! and then about 4 we went to the Race Headquarter in Beverly, WV at the 4h camp. Set up the tent, got my race # and got ready to run! The kids had a BLAST running around the camp and playing on the playground! They were so excited to be there!

Jack got to meet David Horton:o) /Jack and Todd were the BEST cheerleaders at the CMMM start EVER

and both my awesome doggies loved going to Cheat mtn too! We kept them on a leash, and they weren't on the course or at any AS.. I think those are REALLY simple rules for people to follow! It was great to be able to include them and have them there with us this weekend! I def won't bring my dogs to all my races etc.. i think there is a time and place for everything and some ultras it's just more logistically REASONABLE about whether or not you can have a pet there. There are some races, it's just not a good idea. but in this situation, It just made our little family weekend ( with mommy running a 50 miler in the middle) just more fun for the kids and for us to include the dogs! thanks adam! :o)

The 4-h camp is just such a wonderful staging area for this event. It's pretty there. I really enjoy the scenery, the grounds are very well maintained and nice. I love it.

It was SO great to get to see all my friends! RD Adam and Kadra, his wife were back from his AT thru-run? it was WAY, WAY faster than a hike! but wasn't a speed record attempt it was more this was a once in a life opportunity to do the AT ( northbound) -- so they both took off time from their professions/careers for a couple months and just went for it and succeeded! It was so wonderful to see them again, and just so extremely proud of their accomplishment/AT adventure they shared. GOOD HUMANS!

My good friends Rick Grey and Kathleen Cusick made it to Beverly. Then Todd Bumgardener ( who is just an awesome ultra runner!) I was lamenting about how several of our friends I ran with last year didn't make it. but as rick pointed out, it's a different year. You really can't replicate races.. even though the course is the same, EACH year is something different and special. Rick, you are right. I really will try to be more appreciative of that aspect about races when I repeat them.

Me before pre-race! rocking the aidstation.com patagonia shirt I won at highlands sky! Chelsie Viar wore hers too! there IS a picture floating around of us together with the shirts!

pre-race meeting: so many familiar and friendly faces! I have to give a shout out to two cool people: 1. BOB!!! this made the 3rd race I've ran with him, and is just the nicest runner from NC and Cheat this year was his first 50!! GO BOB!!! Bob is planning on running Umstead next year, and it's just been SO cool to watch him progress as an ultrarunner and see him at races! Congrats, Bob! You ROCK!

2. Dani Seiss-- Dani is so sweet and just an amazing soul! She ran MMTR and JFK back to back last year.. I had the privilege of running up straight mtn with her at MMTR! She wrote the best race report I feel EVER about Terrapin mtn 50k. Very intelligent and just a wonderful person to be around. :o) I was happy to be able to converse with her before the race.

SO the race started! I shouted to my husband and kids that "mommy loves YOOOU!" and we were off. There was definitely a feeling of familiarity on the road. I was HAPPY to be there. I had mentioned to my husband after, RDing todd's 10k earlier this month, all the family responsibilities, car repairs etc.. just the stuff in life you have to deal with-- running the 50 miles at cheat mtn is the EASY and FUN part!!! it was just making it to the race was the challenge!

SO that is how I viewed it: THIS WAS MY NIGHT to have a blast running in the mountains just ENJOY myself!! If I had a mantra the entire night it was "good effort" I just little by little on each section tried to expend the right amount of effort and energy.. I tried to stay steady and consistent each section. keep my heart rate and breathing steady and just stay in control aways. I ate a gel and took a salt tab every hour on the hour. I ate a nutella sandwich AS 2, chicken soup and a quesadilla AS 3, drank an ensure AS5, and some yummy butternutsquash soup and sweet tea at AS7! so I ate alot this race in addition to the 10 gels, 10 S!caps, 3 nuun tablets and 3 Vespas, and 2 5 hour energies consumed during the course of this race!

Rick and I coming into AS 3.

I stayed up with Rick and Kathleen ( leap frogging back and forth) the first 23 miles. Then decided to slip on up the road into the darkness and just run the rest of the race solo. I'm a very social runner, but I did enjoy the solitude and quite time the woods had to offer. I really have had some ups and downs this spring summer with my training and ups and downs with life in general. I felt GOOD and STRONG for the first race in a while ( promise land and highlands sky were both pretty rough experiences.. and really enjoyed just going at my own pace and working through my rough patches under the cloak of night and the canopy of spruce trees. and thankfully I experienced more UPS than downs!! I really did feel pretty strong most of the night. I LOVED the single track sections of this race! mud and all. they just are SO rolling and the climbs aren't that tough.. it may just be tunnel vision from the head lamp, but they seem so runnable? rolling ridgeline is my perception of the inclines of the single track. so I would run both up hill and downhill for the single track mostly. YES, it was boggy and muddy in some sections.. but I didn't fall this year ( yay!) and either skirted off to the side to try to miss the mud or just would run through it. I have to admit, I loved running this course for the second time because I knew where I was and pretty accurately remembered everything and it was just great affirmation when I would pass a section I was hating life in 2010, only to be LOVING the section and SO THANKFUL to be alive in 2011!! I was a little sad to leave them and be on the FS section back down the mountain, for me this was the toughest part of the race, mentally. because you SO want to be finished, but have to complete this section to reach the finish. and this section is SO VERY MMTR :oP which was weighing heavily on me by the finish of this race that in nov, I have MMTR which seems way harder ( in some weird way!) because it really shouldn't be!

I do have to mention it was WAY more humid and warmer than 2010. I sweated so much and never really felt confident that I had my electrolytes in balance. I think that is why my time was a little slower than last year, as was many of my friends.

I'm not even really sure of my time because I forgot to turn off my watch. I think I ran 10:20? anyways I got 2nd overall female and was EXTREMELY happy to be finished and to return to my tent and give kisses and sweaty, muddy hugs to Brock, my sweet boys and the doggies too. Looks like I was able to do and have it all in this situation!! a good race and have my little traveling vortex of chaos RIGHT there with me!! Thanks to brock for watching the kids ( and dogs) while I ran in the mtns all night long! love you!

THANKS SO MUCH to Adam, all the volunteers for such an amazing race experience. WVMTR is such a wonderful group. They work very hard to make sure everyone has the best time out there. Adam's race is so organized and WELL marked.. both reflective markers on trees and markings on the roads. You will NOT get lost at this race. The AS... well, you guys saw my list of food I ate.. it's not your run of the mill AS fair.. they have that too... but the volunteers go out of their way to just have AMAZING YUMMY food!! ( plus these guys are up ALL night making sure everyone is well fed, hydrated and safe!) kuddos to the volunteers!

they always say 3rd time is the charm???

bear run/wolf run 2011 /preparing for CTR10k 2011

hey! well, the month of July has found me training for my next ultra Cheat Mtn Moonshine Madness 50, running some shorter, more fun races, and getting every detail completed in my preparations for CTR 10k. The 10k I RD in memory of my brother Todd, and is the main fundraiser for an academic scholarship in his honor.

BEAR RUN

The bear run is held at Linville, NC at the base of Grandfather Mtn.

It's run at the same time as the Highland Games, and many scottish and irish ( american) clans camp out and have all sorts of competitions and celebrate their celtic heritage.

It's a VERY scenic run STRAIGHT uphill. for 5 miles. not joking. It's pretty tough! this race fills really early ( like may) 800 people ran this year. and you can't buy or trade bibs, state police are there at the start making sure no one is banditing the race. They don't mess around!

start of the race

I sat in traffic for 4 miles bumper to bumper from boone to linville. I was so nervous about even MAKING it to the race. I finally arrive at the field where they are parking everyone. Get my number, realize I FORGOT MY SOCKS!!! doh! so I just rubbed blister shield on my feet and taped up the back of my heels with athletic tape so my rogue racers wouldn't rub a blister.

on my way to get to the portapotty, I found two of my great friends Hank and Natalie ( who are the RD's of some killer races: " crazy 8's, white lightening bike race, race for the cure 5k, haunted half marathon" etc. GREAT people. Love them! Natalie was dressed up in the spirit of the Highland games and I really need to remember to do that next year!

one of my favorite things about this race is that you get to run up "Forest Gump Curve" The movie Forest Gump was filmed here for a scene when he was running.

Okay, so the race started and I felt WAY back.. the race was chip timed but no mat at the start?? so really what's the point? it felt like FOREVER just getting to the start line, and there was a BAD bottle neck kept waiting for things to thin out.. I got to run uphill about 5k, ran through the highland games ( which was a RUSH) everyone cheering and giving you high 5's ( offering you beer) I passed Ed Marsh, and then met up with Ashely Funderbunk, this cool ultra running chick from Charlotte, NC that I knew beth was buddies with and we ran together alot. then you continue to climb for 2 more very steep miles to the summit at the mile high swinging bridge. ( yeah the race thinned out big time here, I finally got my elbow room) I was SUPER surprised once I crossed the line to get a mug for being in the top 40 women ( who knew? I sure felt like I like 600th!)

So I was pretty happy with my swag! I rode the bus down with my buddy Doug Blackford whom I NEVER saw during the race because he was a gazillion light years ahead of me. Doug realized he had left his drop bag on top of the mtn and had to ride back up, so instead of meeting the gang for pizza in blowing rock, I headed back home to bristol via 421. ( and got so car sick I had to stop twice to puke) never going that way again.

Then this past tuesday I got to run wolf run 7 miler at Bays mtn. This years race was pretty rough. It was 88F and 96% humidity at the start. I think it just made for brutal conditions! I know I suffered during that race! ( even though it was short and over in an hour) You trade off the short races for WAY faster and far more intense. I ended up 6th overall female and won my age group. ( YAY! another pint glass) Ran 3 or 4 min slower than last year ( it was way cooler last year) I hate I'm not going on and on about wolf run. It was AWESOME to see so many of my road and trail running friends from SWVA and NETN, but seriously just concerning the race: it was fast, it was hot, there is a MONSTER climb at mile 2, that you never really recover from, and I suffered the whole race and was happy to finish. :oP but the social aspect was awesome. lol. here is a picture of me finishing Wolf Run.

So now I'm just pretty much focusing on my training, getting things ready for CTR10k on august 13th and then running Cheat mtn 2 weeks later on august 26th. My birthday is the 22nd so I just pretty much look at Cheat as my birthday run and my way to reward myself:o)

I really feel Todd's race is going to be the best yet this year. It's in the evening this year, and I got alot of positive feedback because of the time change, so hopefully that will translate in a rise in #'s!

highlands sky 41 mile trail race=Technical sections with a capital T.

mile 17 of the highlands sky course. yep that's a trail

A surprised Jeremy and his sweet GF Sara

pre race antics --give ME the towel-- beth!!

I think Kathleen saw someone using the bathroom in the woods

another famous M&N shot

Ashley Dolin and I at 19.7

mile 39.. only 2 more! hurtin just a little! ( i'm a good faker)

AAH! running on grass after all those rocks-- SO nice!

my super duper awesome finish with my kids, keith and rhonda from VHTRC

AAAH!! popsicles with the kids and getting to sit down! HEAVEN!!!

Highlands Sky!!! Where to begin? Well I'll start by saying I went into this race extremely undertrained. Post PL, and the month of May was pretty much a waste concerning my training. I had a handful of 20 milers under my belt, and a week of "heat training" 2 a day runs 6-8 miles the week before when we had our family vacation at the beach. The sheer thought of running 41 miles was pretty daunting and overwhelming. SO I just chose not to think about it. I'm usually pretty hyper before each race. Obsessing over every detail, course info, nutrition plans and gear selection. For this race, I seriously came up with my nutrition plan and learned a little about the course the thursday before the race with a little help from my" ultrarunning chick mentor". I pretty much just threw some gear in my running bag and didn't think too much about anything.

I KNEW I needed to try to take it easy the first 20 miles, ( being patient for these longer races is really hard for me) and then the plan was to really focus and run strong the last 20.

The kids, fred ( my dog) and I met Brock in beckley, WV. I decided to rent a cabin and have this be a fun family weekend in addition to my race. Pre- race meeting on friday was SO fun. It was great getting to hang out and talk to all my friends, meet new people and I won a friggin SWEET patagonia top that has "the aidstation.com" on it. I LOVE it

The new patagonia tops are such an improvement! Best running shirt EVER.

Anyways, I went back to the cabin, laid out my gear, got the kids ready for bed, and went to sleep myself. I woke up at 3:30, got ready and walked down to Rick and Tammy's room, and hung out with them until it was time to leave for the start at 4:45.

The ride in the family van was fun as always with beth, doug blackford, kathleen cusick, tammy's sweet nephew Mason, Rick and tammy grey.. I wasn't really nervous at all because I knew I wasn't going to really be racing. I was just going to strive to be comfortable as long as possible and then just hang on and finish.

The start was a little quick on 2 miles of paved road before we got on the trail. Got on the single track and we immediately began climbing: and thus a BAD BAD bottleneck. I just tried to be patient and get around people when I could and let people around me as well if they wanted to run faster. It really just ended up that Bill potts and I ran through the stinging nettles to pass up some trains:oP it was all good! I lost beth and kathleen about mile 7, had to make a pit stop ( FUN!) then ran some with rick and doug but lost both of them about mile 16. lost Doug at an aidstation and then rick on a technical super rocky and muddy section of trail in the roaring plains wilderness.

I was still feeling good and comfortable, and I stayed this way until about mile 26. BUT I have to say I was SO shocked how technical some sections were SO rocky.. like miles of super rocky trail. and so muddy haha. WELL, IT IS A TRAIL RACE.. but I seriously hadn't ran in a race this technical EVER.. only on training runs at Mt. Rogers is about the only thing I can compare the technicality of this course to.

about the marathon point, I was running with my new friend from middle TN, Bruce on the road across the sky did I hit my first low point. I just tried to work through the rough patch the best that I could. We got to the end of the road across the sky ( this section was AMAZINGLY beautiful) and I just tried to eat all I could. I was very hot and felt pukey. so when I would get to an aidstation, I would find the ice bucket and get my head/hair wet and take the sponge to the back of my neck. Then I would drink ginger ale.. both of these really seemed to help me feel better. I did get a little upset ( inwardly-- I didn't have a melt down- but was probably close) on a couple more rocky and muddy sections because 1. I felt this was a VERY hard race and 2. frustrated at the terrain because I felt I was going so slow and would never finish. GRR! THEN I would remind myself how wonderful it was to just BE there in this breathtakingly beautiful place! Yes, it was a race and I kinda needed to hurry.. but really, this is RECREATION. FUN. I wasn't at the front racing for some award, so there really was no need to get my panties in a wad over some big sharp rocks and mud holes. After I stopped fighting with the trail and just accepted what lay before me at each turn, I found myself running MUCH MUCH better. I was relaxed and having fun!.

going to the "butt slide" section which is a steep muddy descent for about .5 miles I met two really cool people: Keith Moore and Rhonda Stricklett. I leaped frogged with both of them for the next couple of miles and then stayed with them for the final push, and I got such an energy boost just being around these two. They were both so nice and positive! :o) It was a joy to get to the finish and see Brock and my boys! and ALL my friends were there:o) The kids had so much fun with their dad while I was running, they played on the climbing wall and the euro- bungee and rolled down this steep hillside and played with other kids who were there. This was a VERY family friendly event!! VERY NICE!

Sweet end to a very epic and challenging day.

Dan did an excellent job with this race. It was so organized and the volunteers were amazing. The aidstations plentiful. The finishers shirt is another really cool patagonia top only it's blue with pink stitching and the race logo on right side of the chest. Very nice!! The post race BBQ was yummy and The mtn states brew plentiful!! Thank you for such a wonderful experience WVMTR!

I'm already excited about next year because I know what to expect now!! ( as far as the course!)

I felt like I learned so much at this race. The positives is that I kept moving along better during my rough patches and worked through them. My nutrition plan was bulletproof this race. I got hot, but I never felt bonky or deathmarchy and my fingers never were swollen. Also, Im really happy I just got this run in so that I can gain fitness from the time on my feet and the fact I ran 41 miles! that was a great long run for me! so YAY! I feel like I can just build from here and get back to where I was.

Right now I'm getting everything Prepared for the CTR 10k ( my brother Todd's Race!!) shirts, awards, and ALL the details! The race is going to be on August 13th at 6pm this year. We are opting for an evening race! So exciting! I love races in the evening/night!

plan for a long run the next day August 14th at Mt Rogers for all my ultrarunning friends who are coming to town to support the race!! :o)

So I'm going to run some shorter races in july:

The BEAR at grandfather mtn, NC

WOLF RUN at bays mtn, TN

and CRAZY 8's 8K ( world's fastest 8k!)

Then either I will run cheat mtn 50 or Iron mtn 30-- I haven't made up my mind! :o)

Rip Rap/ wild cat 21 mi run

This weekend I was lucky enough to get invited back to Sophie's now annual run that starts at sugar hallow near Charlottesville and loops it's way through SNP via AT and a series of spurs that cross skyline drive to run past several extremely pristine swimming holes.

This was JUST the break I needed!:o) brock had been working out of town for the past 12 days, and as much as I love my two boys ( more then life itself) I was SOO grateful for the silence at the beginning of my windshield session driving up i=81 ( and then WSP by the time I reached the staunton exit several hours later)

Not being whiney or a baby, but May hasn't been an easy month. just being factual. I was sick pretty much for a month with the coughing.. not sure if I had pneumonia then allergies or a sinus infection. All I know is that I'm still coughing and snotting around here a month after promise land. ( and 2 rounds of antibiotics), Then my aunt passed away after a courageous battle with cancer for several years and her funeral was the day of MMT, so I obviously didn't get to pace my good friend kathleen. It was no question WHERE I would be, or what the right thing to do was-- however, it was very distressing to me that the day before the race, I had to bail on my friend when I knew she was counting on me to be there. Kathleen was VERY understanding and kind of course! It just killed me that I didn't get to follow through with my commitment to her. AND I lost a family member that was so special that I loved very much.

Then someone got in my car in my driveway one night and stole my ipod touch, which isn't a big deal in and of itself.. I know I won't see my ipod again, but it made me SO mad that someone was in my driveway around my house and in my car while the kids and I were sleeping--

Last but certainly not least, Thursday evening the kids and I ended up driving through a TERRIBLE storm of EPIC proportions-- I really can't even convey the severity of this storm other than it had high winds, thunder lightening, baseball and golfball size hail and this crazy fog that made it IMPOSSIBLE to see anything. ( a funnel cloud was spotted where we were, but I couldn't SEE anything just hail and flying tree limbs ( amazed the windshield didn't break on me) but the hail did TERRIBLE damage to my new car...:o/

SO that being said-- i'm thankful the kids and I are safe.. that storm was so scary, I was beginning to wonder at one point if we'd make it home. The car can be fixed, the I can go to best buy and get an ipod.. it was the emotions intertwined with these events that was getting to me more than the material possessions.

but needless to say, I was left feeling pretty wrung out and limp like an old dish rag and NEEDING to get out in the mtns TERRIBLY.

I spent the night in waynesboro and arose the next morning SO excited about being outside, seeing my friends, getting my feet wet, my legs muddy and sweating in the humidity of our mtns!!

I got to the parking lot at sugar hollow about 6:30 and pretty much immediately my buddy and personal hero, bill gentry pulled up and we excitedly got to talk about his 72 hr run from two weeks ago. Then one by one all my old friends and ( then I made new friends) too began to trickle in.. Gary Knipling, Sabrina Moran ( waves frantically- jenny loves ya! :), Quatro!! Marc Griffin ( my favorite canadian )and Sophie-- my ultra chick running mentor/ the hostess with the mostest! Sophie assembled a GREAT eclectic group of runners from all over VA.

We were treated with AMAZING views, UNREAL showing of the Mtn laurel this year, and of course: swimming holes!!

" the into the wild bus" of charlottesville

Bill Gentry!!!

one of the breathtaking overlooks:o)

mtn laurel on display for us to enjoy

My buddy Marlin Yoder met us at the parkway on top of the mtn and I was SO happy to get to run so much with him. Marlin rocks!! and he won the wet t-shirt contest between him, sabrina and myself:

I made several great new friends: Harry Landers and Neal, Christian and David ( who were so nice to share their lunch with me post run)

The run was just what I needed: a sweatfest in the mtns to help me for upcoming highlands sky, eye candy to reward ALL my hard work, and much needed socialization with some cool, like minded, fun, adventurous people!

I left to travel back home, tired, muddy, smiling ear to ear about the days events and all the fun I had. :o) Then I had a great remainder of Memorial day weekend with Brock and the kids! we swam and cooked out ( one trip to urgent care on monday due to a puking toddler-- but now all is well) Life isn't perfect, everyone has peaks and valleys. Things can ebb and flow, I really think the past month has really been a lesson in being flexible, not letting the negative get you down, and to focus on the positive, focus on what is GOOD and RIGHT in your life. I'm so incredibly lucky to have such a wonderful, supportive, loving family and an outstanding network of friends who are there for me. I appreciate you guys so much!! ((HUG))