332 more days til Big Horn 2015

I clicked on the Big Horn Wild and Scenic Trail Run site today. This is what was on the home page:

I guess it is time to start training.

Seriously, I have to go back and complete this race. It is driving me nuts. I hate failing. I know, I know, I didn't fail. I just had too many problems but I showed remarkable courage. Blah!!! I know that I didn't meet the goal I set for myself. How do I know? Because when I click on the 2014 Results link, my name is not there!! Oh well, wait til next year.

Meanwhile, my dog Scout is having some problems. She can't run. It's as if her legs will not switch from a walk to a run. She wants to, but she just can't do it. She was running 10, 15, even 20 miles with me. I noticed her gait was strange. I also noticed that she was lagging behind. I finally figured out that she was unable to stay with me because of her gait.

We've taken her to the vet. From there, we were referred to a veterinary neurologist. He, unfortunately, doesn't have an answer. There are lots of tests that he can run, from nerve transduction testing to a MRI. These costs big bucks. I could probably justify the expense if I thought we would get a definitive answer. He doesn't really have a hypothesis regarding the problem. His original thought was myasthenia gravis, but her test result was negative.

So we're back to square 1. My question: do we continue the testing? As it is, she can manage a 4 mile easy run, if it isn't too hot. This is not why I got her; I wanted a companion for my long runs. I can be content with a 4 mile dog. But what if there is something wrong, which if found, can be corrected? More importantly, what if there is something which if not found and corrected, will kill her?

Poor little Scout. Cheryl says she is an alien dog, sent here to love and be loved. Someday the mother ship will call her back and learn much from her regarding love, life, happiness, and mountains.

Don't explain and don't complain

Big Horn did not go as planned. Sigh. Big sigh.

Started out ok, then faltered, then got sick, then quit. At 33.5 miles!!!! What? Are you serious? OK, not whining. A friend of mine, from back in Ohio, had a motto: Don't explain and don't complain. You take what you got and you don't make excuses.

We had a good time meeting up with friends, looking at the wild flowers, and being back in Wyoming.

Now what? I'm all trained up for a 100 miler. I only ran 33.5 miles. My drop bags are still packed. Wait til next year? Give up? Find an alternate race?

I have been looking for another 100 for the month of July. Are you serious???? I keep going back to the Grand Mesa Ultras link: 60K, 50 miles or 100 miles. I have read some reports from previous years. Sounds like a) it gets hot, b) the trail is hard to follow, c) there is one crazy steep up and down, and d) there aren't many people running it. Oh yeah, mosquitoes! On the plus side, there are many places where crew can meet you and it is an interesting area.

Or, maybe I should concentrate on the races I am already signed up for.

Why do I do this?

Waiting for Big Horn Wild and Scenic 100 miler

After the Jemez 50K, I headed out to see the grand kids. One of their semi-regular activities is a run through the neighborhood to the nearest playground. Some of the kids prefer to bike, but Avery is a runner. It was great fun, running with the kids and Jonas!!

My planning for the trip was based on a) following a hard 50K with some down time, b) getting back to elevation well before the Big Horn race, and c) allowing time for me to catch a cold and recover prior to the race. Not that I'm a pessimist, but I often catch a cold while traveling and especially when I see the kids. However, this time I remained totally healthy. YES!!

Some things, though, cannot be planned for. My father has been on the decline for months. I went to see him in April, afraid that it would be my last visit with him. Last week, I got the news that he was not doing well. Friday, he died. Now Dad was not just an ordinary man; he was an inspiration. He worked, hard, all his life. He loved unconditionally. He was my cheer leader for 60 years. He taught me to love the woods.

I remember when I was preparing for the Leadville 100 back in 2004. It would be my first 100 mile attempt. I told him about it and he was pretty amazed. He told the folks at the Assisted Living facility that I was prepping for a 100 miler and they assumed that he was confused. Surely his daughter was only training for a marathon. When I completed it, he bragged on my accomplishment, "My daughter ran a 100 mile race in Colorado." Again, they figured he was confused. Then a writer for the Laramie Boomerang ran an article on the race and my finish. One of the employees brought the clipping to the Assisted Living and posted it. My Dad's memory was vindicated and his pride was evident.

The funeral will be Tuesday. I will be back to Albuquerque on Wednesday. I will do my  best to remember the good times and the lessons he taught me. I wanted to finish this run in time for him to brag once again. I really wanted him to live forever.

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!!!