Last long run before.....Big Horn

Jemez Mountain Trail Run 50K was set up as my last long run of training for the Big Horn 100. I debated about going for the 50 mile vs 50K. Last year I started the 50 miler and dropped at mile 36. I was so hot I thought I was gonna die. I couldn't face that long trip around the caldera. Hot and dusty is not for me. I chose the 50K. Thank heavens.


It was a totally different experience this year. We tried camping (RV) in the mountains. Went up on Thursday and things were good. And then it rained. And hailed. And rained Thursday night. Friday morning? The RV battery was dead. We debated about buying a new battery or heading home. Since it was cold and raining, with rain predicted for Friday and Saturday, we headed home.

Saturday morning race start was 6 AM. I left the house at 3 AM and drank a thermos of coffee and ate an egg salad sandwich on the drive up. It rained on the way. At the start, it was dry but I had seen the forecast. I didn't bother with sun screen or sun glasses. I did take a rain poncho and a long sleeve shirt.

Everything was going well. I power-hiked the major climbs. My feet were fine. My GI system was fine. It was warm and sunny (sun screen?????). About mile 20, some mostly naked man went streaking by. That was Tony! He was running the 50 mile race and was way ahead of everyone else.

About mile 25 or so, it started to drizzle. There was the occasional sound of thunder. The wind picked up. The temperature dropped. And it began to rain in earnest.  I made it to the end wet but feeling good. Others were not so lucky. Seems there was a blizzard going on at the higher altitudes. They stopped the race and worked on getting runners off the mountain and warmed up.

As a training run, it was a success. I did not feel bad, my feet were good, really couldn't complain. I had plenty left in the tank. However, the thought of running the course two more times was completely unfathomable. Seriously. How will I complete Big Horn? I am muy loco!!

Training or Having Fun?

Training for a 100 miler can be fun but after a while, it becomes work. WORK! I am tired of work!

The whole idea of training for a 100 miler (or any race!) is stress and recover. You need to stress the body but then you need to recover. I have been stressing my body for weeks. Doing 50 miles a week, running back-to-back 20 milers, racing with a cold, keeping the pressure on. Every day...do I run? How far? How hard? Where? I am losing the fun.

But, I am getting close to the end of training. This week will be easy and then next Saturday is a 50K. Then I get to recover. I want to recover. I want to have fun with running, want to be impulsive, not tied to a training schedule.

But, the doubt is sneaking in. THERE IS NO WAY IN HELL I CAN RUN A 100 MILER. Why  not? Because I don't have the motivation. Why did I sign up for this ridiculous race? Why do people run 100 milers? Why in the world did I think this was a good idea? Think about it: I will hurt all over. I will be chafed all over. I will be exhausted. Hungry. Thirsty. Exhausted. Totally and completely exhausted. Why would I put myself through that? I don't even like getting up early. Why would I skip a whole night's sleep?

Because, no woman 60 years or over has completed this race. I will have the record. I will be the first. Good heavens, does my ego rule my world? Evidently it does.

This is not the time to make decisions about going or dropping out. This is the time to start recovering.

Run ya little piss ant!!

Life just keeps trudging along. My  father is nearing the end of his life. He has worked hard. All his life. He has earned some down time. He sleeps most of the day now. What an inspiration he is. I love that man!!!

I suppose that both he and my mother instilled in us our sense of drive. Mom was more concerned with accomplishment; Dad was more concerned with work. What a combination.

Last week I was settling in for a short taper in preparation for Cedro Peak 45 mile run. On Wednesday,

it was apparent that I was coming down with a cold. I slept most of Thursday and blew my nose most of Friday. Got up at 0'dark 30 and drove to the start. A buddy said, "Starting a 45 mile race with a cold is like running the second half of a 100 miler. You just do it." So I did.

Being selfish

I think most of us will admit that ultra-running is a selfish endeavor. We do it because we want to. Sure, we might run a race "in honor of..." or "in memory of..." but we are still doing it because we want to.

When I first moved to Albuquerque I didn't know anyone and I didn't know the trails. I ran a few times with folks from a meetup group (ABQ Girlfriends on the Run), but they mainly ran roads and I only run trails. After a few months, I decided ABQ needed a trail running group so I started the Sandia Trail Runners meetup. We now have 137 members. Admittedly, there are many who have never attended a run and there are several who have run once and never returned. But there are a bunch of people on the list.

I started the group for totally selfish reasons. The funny thing is, when I run with the group, I can't be selfish. I always stick with the slowest runner. I never leave someone on the trails alone. This means that I sacrifice (you like that word? Sounds like I am a martyr.) my  own training. I end up going much slower than I would like. I end up not running with those who run my pace. I generally enjoy the slower runners more than the faster runners, but still....

My question is, would I do this if I were a man? Would I stick with the slowest runners or would I be out there pushing myself to stay up with the leaders, or at least the faster folks?

I am planning a Double Crossing of the Sandias the first weekend in May. While I would love company, I fear that I would end up baby sitting someone. I would rather go on my own. Bummer!!!

My own private diary

Daylight savings time starts this weekend. The trees are leafing out. Spring has arrived. Yeah, yeah, there will be cold weather but it won't last. We are in full training mode. When I go to the trails, I see people who are training, not just walkers. Folks are running hard, looking good, preparing for another season. I love it.

Next week is the Run through time Marathon in Salida. Snow? Maybe. That'll be fine with me. 

Filling up the Dance Card

There is a lot of talk among the running groups about what races people are signing up for.

My first run will be in Salida, CO: the Run through Time Marathon. I have done this one several times, but only once on the new course. I LIKE the new course. The challenge for this one is the weather. There may be deep snow, it may be COLDER than crap. It may be totally awesome. This one is March 15th. http://www.salidarec.com/ccrc/Run-Through-Time-Marathon-2014.htm

But before that, I will be doing the Mt. Taylor Quadrathalon. A short little bike ride followed by  a short run, a shorter cross country ski and then a really short snowshoe. You top out at 11,300 feet. Oh, then you turn around and go back to the start. The downhill ski is the part that has me scared.

Then I'll do the Cedro Peak 45 miler, the Bighorn 100 and who knows what after that.

The crazy thing is I just turned 60. Are you kidding me? Sixty years old? Ancient. I feel ancient. I am working so hard to act enthused about this. I am acting like it is a great opportunity to place in races. But I am really freaked out. Really. Freaked out.

Even older

This Dusty Ole Gramma is getting even older. Yep, another birthday. Entering a new age group. Time to pick some races and take home some medals, right?

It is winter and this is the time of year when picking a race schedule is so much fun. You think you can do anything....when it is the off season. How about a couple of hundred milers? Sure, I can do that. Multi-day events? No problem. Multi-sport events? You betcha!

I finally made a decision: Big Horn 100 http://www.bighorntrailrun.com/. I've done the 50K twice. I've done the 50M twice. Time to step it up. My plan had been to run Leadville this year. They seem to have really screwed up though by letting too many people in the race. And Leadville is a huge production with numerous crew stops, no place to stay, etc.

Big Horn is smaller and simpler. And harder? Maybe. It seems that people are more independent. Sure, you can have pacers. You can have crew meet you a couple places along the course. But overall, 100 milers seem to just go out and do it.

Let the training begin!!!!