fun pre HG long run, vicki's death march picto blog

Well, recovery from MMTR has gone pretty well. I was a little surprised a couple days after the race, how "normal" I felt, and proceeded to ease back into training with cautious optimism. I've been doing some intervals and a couple longer runs, and this past weekend did my last long run before hellgate at SNP with the VHTRC. :Vicki's death march! I had SO much fun running in the mtns big climbs, rocky trails ( that reminded me of Middle Earth on LoTR) and great companionship with a zaney cross section of people who make up Va happy trails... Love running with these guys! never a dull moment. It was a beautiful day, ( a little warm!) met so many new friends and enjoyed spending time with old ones!

here are some pictures from Vicki's death March:

Sophie, kara, Laurie and I at the falls
a Happy David Snipes
just starting out on the fire road, already a warm morning
group shot at the falls

Quatro's "presidential" profile shot
Gary Knipling and I
sophie is either yawning or letting out a primal scream here.
Q- the coolest texan I know.
ham who is very tall.
view of old rag from hawksbill
on the summit of hawksbill tallest peak in SNP

myself, sophie and kara with the massenuttens in the background
a trash can at the stables that a bear had mauled.

SO here I am less than 2 weeks out from HG. Longest race for me to date-- first 100k and it's a doozey of a 100k. I'm looking forward to Epic fun, sharing the trail with so many great ultrarunners. and really, just celebrating what a great year and journey it's been. I've learned so much this year. and I know I still have so much more to learn.

I love night running, I enjoy running in the cold/love winter sports.. so I'm not really scared or worried about those aspects of the race. I know it's going to HURT, and be LONG and take awhile... I've come to terms with all those things when I registered for the race and not fearful about those things. I've accepted this to be " it is what it is." and I'm just ready to run in the mtns with all my friends, and see how the journey unfolds and HAVE FUN, and eat tons of AS food. :)

MMTR 2011: REDEMPTION RUN

Wow. What a weekend. What a journey. It's amazing to be sitting here typing this out. Last year, post MMTR ( where I blazed the course in 11:07 and had the toughest day) I was licking my wounds: I suffered from a severely bruised ego and deflated self esteem. I pretty much wrote a SUPER long, whiney race report offering up ALL the excuses of why I ran such a crappy race. Maybe I just needed that justification for myself, but let me tell you, that 2010 MMTR stayed with me like stepping in a big pile of doggy poo-- you know how the stink stays on your shoes ALL DAY?? That was EXACTLY what it was like. I had zero desire to run Masochist ever again.

THEN Sophie ( dear sophie!) and martha wright talked me into signing up for LUS after holiday lake this year. I decided to do it, but man, I shuddered to even think of going back there and face my demons. I decided to shelve even THINKING about it. That's right I'll pull a Scarlett O'hara.. I think about it tomorrow, for Tomorrow is another day.

Little by little as my fitness and training improved over the summer: I lost 15 lbs by not doing anything in particular really different, other than running and working out tons. I felt lighter, fitter, leaner, meaner, tougher... and then I REALLY started thinking about Masochist, and how I was going to face it again.

and even more importantly, I wanted Redemption.

So the week leading up to Masochist I had a really great sense of calmness about it. I KNEW I had done the work. I did have a little snafu with my ankle on my LAST hard workout of hill repeats on the AT ( it's a bear of a workout! I ran every 2 weeks -- that and running in hurricane section of Mt Rogers was my salvation for this race-- it got me UBER PREPARED) 2 weeks before MMTR, I was just ROCKING my hill repeats and SO excited because I was running so strong, and on the downhill of my next to last one I rolled my ankle HARD. So hard I couldn't run on it anymore and had to walk out of the woods, I then spent the next 3 days with my foot in a bucket of ice every hour I was awake---I would ice it for 10 min. over and over and over. but I wasn't really upset or freaking out ( other than the first day I hurt myself, I was PISSED it happened to me and the timing of it all-- but I quickly accepted the situation and moved to actively try to fix the problem) felt if it was meant to be, then it was going to happen. So what did I do???

I threw a party. And that really was a great distraction. I didn't worry that I wasn't running, I worried about picking up my house and making a menu and going grocery shopping. I had SO much fun cooking for my friends! I think I'll have another before Umstead 100.

So the wens before MMTR I did a test run on single track with the IMTR's and the ankle seemed to hold up well. But my mojo for downhill singletrack was gone. I was very careful and focused about foot placement.

okay, so I get to Lynchburg, meet up with Brock ( who is working up there) and we go check in, I happily laid out aLL my gear for the next day, went over the crew plan with brock ( what he's supposed to hand me at which AS) and then went to packet pick up where it was SO great to see ALL my friends and get my CAT shirt to run in the next day!! okay, I committed a faux pas here. I peaced out and didn't go to the racers meeting. I wanted to sleep. I so left at 7pm and took two benedryl, set my alarm for 3:45am and it was LIGHTS OUT. I was asleep by 8pm and I had the BEST nights sleep EVER. I didn't wake up until the alarm went off. Got up, dressed, ate poptarts.. left Derek and Christian rode to the start with us.. more fun socializing at the start.. it was cold 32F and I really just felt relaxed.. not scared or fearful like last year.

So for the start of the race, I ran SLOW. I ran alot with BOB, but then he went on, and I just kept it about 9min pace.. and it felt like the entire field was in front of me. I came through the first AS, and I was #143. so I was WAY back there. no worries. I watched the sun come up and it was SOO beautiful. Sophie and Marlin caught up to me, so I decided to hang with them and we just had a good time, laughing and talking.. and I did that pretty much with EVERYONE I ran with.. just had a good time and enjoyed my day Loving the fact I was going to spend ALL day in the mtns and

mile 13.. and I can FLY!! don't I look like the hulk?

I FELT it.. the magic of MMTR-- I was too self absorbed and into my pity party to feel it last year.. WHY MMTR is such a special, special race-- it's practically tangible! I decided right then to harness all this awesome positive energy that was OOZING from every direction: the runners, the volunteers, the mtns, the sun, the blue sky, the trees and pretty leaves.. and just SMILE ALL DAY LONG and be-bop on down the road to montebello! and I was LOVING my slime green CAT's shirt! GO CATS!!!

I pretty much sat in until mile 29 and then decided to push a little harder because I really was feeling awesome and wasn't taxed at all. I had a great climb up buck mtn. got to run with rick, kathleen and marlin some more.. then I was SO excited to get to the loop!! That was a very special part of my race! I LOVE the loop. I thought of my friend JJ Jessee , and really just tried to smile and run the loop hard for him, because JJ is awesome. I thought of ALOT of the people in my life while I was running, I thought of my friends, the IMTR's, my family, my kids, my brother Todd, My sweet dog maverick who I knew would LOVE to be running with me. and I know I sound a little flakey talking about all the positive energy-- but in the loop I just felt LOVED and I felt SECURE in myself and my ability. and it just made me run faster and push harder, and it felt great-- I had a permagrin the entire way.

Out of the loop: brock pulls me over to hand me an Ensure and tell me I'm 11th woman and 10th is just a little bit ahead of me. I had my mouth FULL of brownie and I look at him and say: " top 10 gets a goose down jacket." with brownie crumbs flying in all directions while I'm talking ( spouses who crew: THIS IS UNCONDITIONAL LOVE-- you see the good, the bad and the ugly.) and I guzzle the ensure and sprint away.

brock telling me what's up-- out of the loop

I get to salt log gap and Jamie Darling's crew is all upset because they missed her. I realize now that is WHO I'm after.. They had a gel and I 5 hr energy for her. I had looked at the clip board, and knew she is just 3 min ahead.. so I told her crew that I'll take her stuff to her, because I know I'm going to be seeing her here shortly.:o) So alas! about a mile or two later.. I see pink up ahead... more than happy to deliver her things to her, and slide on down the trail 10th woman.. THEN I see another lady.. and pass her-- we end up passing each other back and forth a couple of times.. racing in and out of the last AS. and then she finally catches me and drops me on the downhill. curses! oh , well I tried to be 9th. I just couldn't run on those rocky jeep roads that fast as she.. she rocked the downhill. I later discover this was meredith terranova.. Who is very cool and glad that I met her-- we both pushed each other hard and that was fun and intense to race with her:) and she kicked my butt the last 2 miles-- I admit it.

okay, so am on the road, my last 1/2 mile or so to the finish, and I'm just running as hard as I can. I'm SO HAPPY not to be finished, because I actually felt like I had alot left in the tank.. but SO HAPPY to have had a good day and SO much fun in the mtns. I can't believe it's legal to have that much fun and feel THAT GREAT!! . SO HUMBLED.. by how many people helped me to get to that finish line: brock : is an amazing crew at races, and no way could I train and race if he didn't support me, and cheer me on, my parents and brock's parents who watch my boys for races and training weekends, Eric Grossman, Sophie Speidel, the people who I train with aka MY FRIENDS! the IMTR's ( LOVE YALL!!!) , this fall I ran alot with: VHTRC and the CAT's -- thank you to these two groups for being so inclusive and making me feel so at home on the trails with you. So I have this HUGE support network..

PURE BLISS!!!!~

So me crossing the line 9:45:33 and 10th woman at MMTR, while much of the race was solo, the journey getting there involved ALOT of people. THANK YOU to everyone. I really am SO blessed and lucky to have so many wonderful people in my life. So happy to be apart of this wonderful community. and congrats to ALL my friends who ran MMTR! ERiC Grossman won over all! Sophie was 6th and won LUS, Kevin Townshend ran his 10th MMTR, Rob French ran LOW, LOW 9 hrs and won masters. Martha Wright won Masters for the Women. Congrats to Bob and David ( CAT's) who ran their first MMTR!

HELLGATE! HERE WE COME!!!

TOP 10 women for MMTR 2011

SWEET SWAG!! patagonia goose down coat for the top 10

the 2 women responsible for me even running MMTR! Sophie,martha, and myself in our patagonia LUS hoodinie jackets. Sophie is LUS women's champion, Martha is the LUS master's Champion, and I squeaked in with 3rd in the LUS series.

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???