Here we go again

Is it time already? To figure out what races I will run next year? I am getting emails that this or that race is 75% full or the price will increase in one week or registration will open in a couple days. I can't think that far ahead.

But I will be trying for the Quad again this year. And I signed up for Bighorn again. Other than that? Who knows?

My best running buddy, Sadie, is doing great at 8 years of age. She's the one on the right. Scout is only 3, but she is not doing so well.

She has the heart of a trail running dog but the vertebral column of ... well, let's just say that there are some congenital abnormalities. I resigned myself to not having her to run with. I figured we could walk together or maybe even trot around for a few miles. But over the past couple of months, she has had more and more pain. We finally took her to the neurologist. She had a pretty extensive surgery to try to stabilize the lumbo-sacral region. While it would be absolutely wonderful if she could run again, it will be fantastic if she can walk.

End of the 2015 Racing Season

I finished off 2015 with a bang. Three big runs over three weeks. Whew!!

First was Mt. Taylor. This was my third time running it and definitely my slowest (and hardest). That mountain just chewed me up and spit me out. Not sure why. No big deal. I finished.

Here's a comparison of my new shirt with the shirt I wore to the race:

                        

Not much time to recover from that before it was time to load up our little trailer and head to the Grand Canyon. What a trip! Met up with Jen Goyette and stayed on the North Rim for a few days. We had challenged each other to do a Rim to Rim to Rim rike (rike = run + hike). We were at the North Kaibab trail head by 4:30 am. Surprised to see a table and canopy with a bunch of people with clip boards. Turns out some folks from UNM Emergency Medicine were conducting a study of Rim to Rim folks that weekend. We let them weigh us, take our pulse and pulse ox, and answered a few questions and then we were off.

We had plenty of food, plenty of water, headlights and batteries and enthusiasm. Watching the sun light up the canyon walls was amazing (Jen said lots of things were amazing).

Our biggest obstacle of the morning was at Cottonwood Campground. There are toilets there and we were more than ready for them. Alas, they were both occupied by men who seemed to be in distress. We heard lots of groaning and other disgusting noises coming from each toilet. Finally one of them opened up. The man who emerged seemed to be ok but the smell was horrible. We took turns in that one because the man in the other one still did not emerge.

Then we were off to Phantom Ranch. No intentions of stopping there, although we did check in with the researchers once again. We told them how much we drank and what we ate. They took our trash!! We stopped to say hi to the mules and were off again.

We hit the Colorado River in good spirits, ate a sandwich and headed up Bright Angel Trail. Totally beautiful. It wasn't hot, thank heavens!

We had a bit of rain at the top and then figured out how to take the shuttle buses over to South Kaibab Trail head. We also bought wonderful sandwiches. Mine had a little container of hummus, which I cleaned out with my very dirty fingers.

About two miles down South Kaibab trail, we came across a trio who were backpacking. Now, South Kaibab is a steep trail. It is about 7 miles long and ends at the river and Phantom Ranch. There is no water on the trail. The older man of this trio had dropped his pack and was sitting on a rock, covered in sweat. He asked us, "When does this trail level off?" OMG! He was in way over his head. I just pointed to where the trail got really steep and indicated that the river was "down there." Dude, it's the GRAND CANYON, not the grand plateau.

On down we went, still having fun but also realizing that we had miles to go before we would sleep. Jen kept me entertained pointing out different kinds of rocks.

I was more interested in what they looked like, than what they were. 

And of course, I was looking out for animals.

At Phantom Ranch, Jen pointed and said, "there's my shitter." I looked up to see the man who had been in the toilet at Cottonwood Campground. He hadn't made it far, but he looked much better than when we saw him in the morning.

We ran out of daylight when we were just starting back up North Kaibab. We pulled out the headlights again. The big excitement was having bats fly right up to my face. I could see them clearly in my light, but they never touched me.

We stopped to look at the stars and the Milky Way. Truly beautiful. We also saw that there was lightning in the distance, even though there were no clouds overhead. Time to move our butts up the trail. We did get wet and cold but made it back to the car before midnight.

Does it get any better?

Recovering from Devil Mountain with the Grandkids!!

Wow!! Devil Mountain 50 miler was mean! I couldn't decide whether I should do the 50K or the 50 miles so I figured I would wait until mile 23, aid station 4. Gecko, organizations of the race, are really  nice about it. If you signed up for the 50 miler and want to drop to the 50K at aid station 4, that is totally fine. You are eligible for awards and a finisher medal.

So, I made it to the aid station and still felt really good. I had been running back and forth with a woman in my age group for a while. She was going on; of course I would go on. Little did I know what would befall me at this same point on the way back (ominous music in the background).

The two of us continued for many miles together. Made it to the turn around and took a page from the book, to prove we had been there. Headed back, still talking and laughing. Continued to aid station 6 and knew we had a tough 8 mile stretch to our next stop, which had my drop bag with food, warm clothes, and lights. Eight miles but it was only 5 pm. Plenty of time to get there before dark. Plenty of time....

Where did all that time go? Seriously, how could it take that long to get to the aid station? It was getting dark, I was out of food, I was wet, and the aid station was missing. The woman running with me had a small flash light so she took off. No way could I stay with her, since I couldn't see the trail. Where is that aid station? I was finally convinced that we had by-passed it (later found out that we did indeed by-pass it....the trail to the aid station was like an exit ramp and we stayed on the freeway, missing the ramp).

Not funny anymore. Hungry. Cold. Tired. DARK!!! Seriously dark. I could see just well enough to follow the trail from one glow stick to the next. And then I couldn't. Each time I headed out from the last glow stick, I tripped over something and fell on my face. Went back to the glow stick, put on my emergency rain poncho and hunkered down to wait for the next runner. The next runner never came. I WAS the next runner; I was DFL at this point. OK, time to try out my emergency whistle. Turns out I was very close to the road, but I couldn't know that. One of the race directors came out to retrieve me and we walked a mile or so together. Got a ride back to the finish. The good news: I had a bunch of friends waiting at the end. So nice to have friends.

Next morning, got up and went to the pancake breakfast and then drove home. The kids (all four grandkids and Jonas and Alexis) flew in that evening. I was exhausted but determined to keep up with the young'uns. Not an easy task. Did a short run with 9 year old Avery on Monday and again on Wednesday. He has a really nice, easy stride.

All the kids left today. The house is quiet. Too quiet. Way too quiet. Sigh.

Going public

Why do I announce, to anyone who reads the blog or listens to me rant, my intentions to run a particular race? It is easier to just keep quiet, go to the race and then if all goes well, I can post/talk/brag about it afterwards. And if I "fail," no one will know that I tried and I will feel no shame.

Going public is a deliberate tactic. It provides that extra motivation. I can't quit; everyone knows I am out here trying.

Blah!!! I wrestled with this before Never Summer 100K. I decided to put myself out there. I did not succeed. Perhaps I failed. Perhaps I just quit. Whatever....doesn't matter. Let me tell you about this race.

Beautiful day for a run. Got to spend some time with new friends and old friends. Sauntered for a while. Went up a mountain, down a mountain, up a mountain, down a mountain. The Diamond!!! What the heck was that about? I swear, that sucker was so steep that, if I leaned forwards just a bit, my knuckles dragged the ground in front of me. I took a couple of breaks. Once I stopped and looked up to try to see the top. I almost fell over backwards, I kid you not!! It was that steep! Seriously!! As I was trudging along, one foot at a time, I could hear a snare drum, beating out a nice, slow cadence. Nothing to fast, just a steady rhythm. The most interesting part of this section of the course was that we kept crossing a trail that had switchbacks. How I longed to take that trail....switchbacks, a real luxury. Found out later that the switchback trail is "not on the maps" so we weren't allowed on it. Instead, we went straight up the damn mountainside where there was no trail.

All was good until about mile 35. I started getting a little goofy. Decided I didn't want to eat the peanut butter and jelly roll ups at the aid station. Didn't want the drink they had. Didn't want any of the foods I was carrying. Mile 44 aid station: Decided I didn't want to continue. Seriously, I was out of gas. But, the aid station volunteers told me I could only quit if the medics said I was too sick to go on. They didn't want to deal with a whining quitter. So I sucked down some broth and noodles and headed back out on the trail. Figured I could quit at the next aid station.

The trek from mile 44 to 50 was excruciatingly slow. It was dark. I was alone. In fact, I was DFL...no one was behind me. I started getting cold. I tried to force fluids down but they came back up. I barfed out the broth and noodles I had at mile 44. When I got to the aid station at mile 50, I fell into a chair, grabbed a blanket and put it over my head. I said I was quitting. I refused to take the blanket off my head. "Are you ok?" they asked. "Sure, I am fine," I said from under the blanket. "Do you want something to eat." "No."

I got a ride back to the start/finish. Only then did I emerge from the blanket (don't  know whose blanket it was but I took it with me, even through a change of vehicles). I brushed my teeth, discarded my muddy clothes, and crawled into my sleeping bag. Blah!!!

I am not going to tell anyone what I am doing this Saturday (in Pagosa Springs, at Devil Mountain). Nope....not going to announce it.

Never Summer 100K is around the corner

According to the GNAR website, the Never Summer race has lots of "charm." I guess charm, in this case, includes overgrown trails, mosquitoes, confusing paths, streams to cross and mud up to your shins (oh crap, I hate mud).

Oh well, in that case, I have nothing to worry about!

Yeah, I am gonna crush the course. I am gonna go out there and run like I own the Never Summers. I am gonna stay hydrated. I am gonna eat 200 calories every hour (EVERY hour). I am gonna tape my feet so well that the tape will NEVER come off. 

I am gonna run through the mud with a smile on my face. I am gonna whiz through every aid station, grab a cup of Coke, some taters, a PB&J, some chips. I will refill my bladder and NEVER SIT DOWN. 

I am gonna take my best headlamp and I will even learn how to turn it on! I will elude the mountain lions, run with the moose, spook the deer, and chase the bighorn sheep.

I am gonna do everything right this time. And even though Grandmas are allowed to have pacers starting at mile 30, I am gonna do this one all by myself. No pacer, no crew. Just me and the mountains.

The RD has posted lots of pictures on Facebook. Below is a sample of what I have to look forward to. Unfortunately, I may also experience mosquitoes, mud, the dark of night, perhaps a storm with thunder and lightning and hail. 

It is easy to be excited and positive now, with the race more than 2 weeks off. It is easy to remember only lessons learned from Bighorn and forget the total mental meltdown that I experienced.



















I will finish up my specific training and then enter the taper zone. I have learned that I can never predict what will actually happen and how I will respond. Keeping my fingers crossed.

Bighorn 2, Dusty Ole Gramma 0

Interesting race. Love and hate. Hot and cold. Mud and dust. Feast and famine....ok, now I am being silly.

There is no good reason for my DNF. I was ahead of schedule and then I was behind schedule. Basically, I was inflexible. I didn't want to eat. I didn't want to step in the mud. I didn't want to run in a second day of heat.

Yep, Friday was very warm. I was conservative until it cooled off. Then I became more conservative. Did I mention mud? Hit the turn around and decided to re-tape my feet. Got cold sitting there trying to make my fingers work. Got warmed up. Left the warmth to go back on the course. Got cold. Went back to the aid station. The end.

There were several highlights. Running with Al from Baltimore. He called me Grandma.

Almost stepping on a bunch of mice!! They kept running across the trail in the dark. Yes, I am sure they were there. Ranie said she saw a bunch of dead ones when she ran back down the trail.

The flowers were magnificent!! The Little Bighorn River was amazing! The canyons were stunning. Running with Ranie is always fun.

Talked with Serena Eley, a young physicist from Los Alamos labs, before the race.  She said she was a sprinter and hadn't really done any ultras. She finished 3rd woman!!!!

The biggest downer? Not getting to run with Cheryl Duran. I really, really wanted to show her the flowers and canyons and rivers.

I pledged never again. I am sticking with that decision. Never again will I attempt Bighorn 100. It is bigger than I am.

I pledged to never attempt another 100 miler. I pledged to withdraw from Never Summer 100K. I pledged to switch from the 50 mile to the 50K at Devil Mountain. In less than 24 hours, I was online looking at Javelina Jundred. I was looking at the course for Never Summer. I was perusing new shoes (magic shoes, AKA Altras, with more cushioning?), checking out different nutrition plans (Tailwind), etc, etc.

Why? WHY??? Why can't I be content with a 50 miler once a year? Why do I keep pushing? Honestly, what the hell is wrong with me? I don't want to be average, or normal, or just a 50 miler. I want to be extraordinary!

My magic shoes are dead!!i

Oh no, there are holes in the uppers and the bottoms are becoming slick. My magic shoes only  lasted about 4 months.

The Altra Superior 2.0 is my new fave. This poor pair has seen a lot of trails since January 22.

Let's see, they have done three 50 k's, a 45 miler, a 50 miler, and heaven only knows how many training miles. They gone in the snow, the dust, the mud, the sand and especially the rocks. They have earned their retirement.

I have another pair!!! Just like these only gray. I took them out for a 30 miler on Sunday. They felt like magic but they betrayed me! I stubbed my toe and lurched forward, hurting my butt muscles. Then I did it again and this time it hurt worse. And again. And for-heaven's-sake-what-is-wrong-with-me AGAIN. The final time I really hurt my butt muscles. Really. Like ouch!!! Like, oh crap I have to walk home. Seven miles of pain every time I moved my leg forward. Crapola!!

OK, these magic shoes need to be broken in a bit, I guess. They feel great right out of the box, but they must be just a little different. 

I love my magic shoes! They will be ready for Bighorn!!!

Powder River.

Let 'er buck!!

Retired?

I'm  retired!! After way too many years, I can put my books and red pens away. I am done! Went to my last graduation. Twenty years of teaching undergrads and grads plus numerous years of being a researcher. Wow. Done.

So, what do I do now? I can run, but only so much. I can be with the grand kids, but they live so far away. I can write that book....uh, no I can't.

I figure it will take a while to settle in. I want to set up the garage so I can do some woodworking. I want to learn to weave. I want to explore New Mexico. I want to GET THIS HORRIBLE CARPETING OUT OF THE HOUSE and put in flooring.

But first, I want to get ready for Bighorn. Yep, it is only 31 days away. I can't imagine running 100 miles. I can't imagine covering the ups and downs of that course. And yet, I have paid my money, made my reservations, lined up my pacers and crew and announced to the world (only a few people were paying attention) that I am going to try it again.

Training is almost finished. I went out on Sunday to do my last long run. Tripped, lurched forward and pulled a muscle. I guess now I work on recovering.

And go see my grand kids!!! Woot!! Wanted to do a race with them bit it isn't going to work. Linus, Elise, Avery and Isaias.....I will see you this weekend!

Cactus to Cloud 50K

Woot!!! This one was something special. We started just outside of Alamogordo and finished in Cloudcroft. It was a hard 50K!!

I rode the bus to the start sitting next to someone from the Dallas area. His legs were super long. OK, just a little thing I remember.

Anyhow, the race started uphill almost immediately. We climbed up through this canyon. Dog Canyon. The Mescalero Apache used this canyon, or so I was told. They would ascend the canyon and fight off the cavalry. What a great area for defending yourself.

Will Ortiz and I at the start.

  So this trail went in and around the canyon. Then we would come out into an open meadow. It was incredibly cool. I felt as if I were part of the history. Silly, yes, because I have no roots here. None. No right to call this my land, but I felt very much at home.

After about 10 miles, we reached the highest point on the trail. I thought I could run a bit, but the trail was littered with baby heads. You know, those rocks about the size of a grapefruit or cantaloupe. The ones that roll when you step on them. The ones that will help you break your ankle. I kept my pace reasonable. When the trail was good, I opened it up. When the trail was super rocky (or steep), I just remained patient. I passed a bunch of folks during the last 12 miles.

I really liked this race. Guess I was in the right frame of mind.

So close to the finish line

To the end....of a race? No, to the end of my working life. I am retiring in one week. I have one more class to teach.Two sets of papers to grade, one exam to make up and grade, one more graduation to attend.

So close. Bittersweet? Yes, always. Who am I? I have spent every year since 1960 in an academic setting. Wow. Unbelievable. I wanted to teach one class a semester as an adjunct but that isn't going to happen, at least not as things stand now. Guess I am going cold turkey.

I have compared this past year to a long race. Very weird that it will end and no new one will begin.

I will have time to run. I will have time to race. I'll even have time to sleep. 

I complained a lot about the Behind the Rocks Race. I bitched about the missing aid station. Since then, I have run two more races. Local races. Just-for-fun races. I ran Valles Caldera half marathon only because my good friend Melinda wanted to do it. She has done half marathons before but always with a pacer/coach. She wanted to prove to herself that she could do it on her own. My deal was to go with her but not be with her during the race. We started out and I never looked back to see how she was doing. Somewhere along the way, most of us half marathoners took a wrong turn. We then ended up at a T....do we go right or left? Some went right and then turned back. Some went left. As it turns out, neither was correct because we shouldn't have come to this T. 

I went right and kept going even when it was obvious that I was going the wrong way. I eventually ended up at the finish line, running approximately 15 miles. Melinda, meanwhile, went left. This took her to the finish line by cutting off two miles. Her well planned, and well executed, race was screwed up due to a couple of misplaced flags. She did the training and ran a smart race. I was laughing most of the time. Yeah, the course was messed up. Yeah, I ran a couple of extra miles. Yeah, so what? Unlike Behind the Rocks, I was just having a good time. Who cares? I got to see an elk!! 

Sometimes you get pissed when the RD screws up; sometimes you just enjoy the ride.

I am a big pissed off that the academic "RD" has screwed up and I won't get to teach next semester. Think I will just put a big ole smile on my face and enjoy my freedom.

Breaking your rules

I realized I totally broke the rule, "Don't complain and don't explain." I explained and complained about my race at Behind the Rocks. Bad, bad. Maybe I should add a qualifier, "except when the RD does something stupid."

OK, that is over. Today I am totally psyched to run Cedro Peak on Saturday.
http://stepoutdoorscolorado.com/cedro-peak-ultra/race-info/

I know the course, the RD, Kim King, is meticulous (some might call her anal/compulsive), the weather will be good and I am totally ready.

I am getting soooo close to retirement that I can almost taste it. Only one more month. Mary Ann and I have way too many plans for traveling this summer/fall. Bighorns, Laramie, Cloudroft, Bryce, Gould (CO), Grand Canyon, Canyon de Chelly, and Hershey, PA.

Hershey, PA to see the grand kids. I miss them. Think I will try to get us all signed up for a 5k on Memorial Day. Can take them to buy running shorts and they will get a new T-shirt. Oh boy, oh They only think their Gramma Gail is old and dusty.

Behind the Rocks 50 miler: Moab

I was really psyched for the Behind the Rocks 50 miler. I was also really psyched about going to Moab. I hadn't been for a very long time and I was eager to revisit Arches and Canyonlands. I was not disappointed. That area is truly magnificent.

The race was put on by Mad Moose Events. I like the name. I think this is a money making venture. I have avoided such races. I prefer the ones put on by a running club or for a charity but I made an exception for this race. It was the right place, at the right time, and the right distance. I needed to test myself on a 50 miler.

The start was down right chilly. Thought I was freeze for the first 20 minutes but I also reminded myself that, in just a few hours, I would be begging for a cool breeze. We ran along a ATV trail for about 13 miles. Not my idea of fun, but the day break was pretty great. I was having a pretty good time, kicking up the dust. I expected sand but it was really powdered dirt. About three inches deep. Soft landings!

As expected, it heated up. We had some really cool bike trails to run on, some incredible scenery, and some crazy downhill scrambling. By noon, it was almost 80 degrees. I was very glad I bought some new 50 SPF sunscreen. Also glad I applied it liberally. There were no clouds and no shade. Just sun.

Mary Ann and my good friend Dee were planning to meet me at an aid station. To make a long story short, it was very slow going from the 4th aid station at mile 26 to the 5th aid station which was supposed to be at mile 33. When I finally saw the parking lot where I expected the aid station to be, I swilled the last of my water. But when I arrived, there was no aid station. I continued to run, to another parking lot. No aid station. A mountain biker gave me a bottle of water. I continued and finally found the next aid station at mile 35. The race director had just decided to skip one aid station. Are you freaking kidding me? In the heat of the day, with no shade, he just skips an aid station??!! I was pretty mad about that, but went on my way.

I was not the only one in trouble. I saw two men lying by the trail, in a tiny little patch of shade. One stayed there but one joined me. A man and woman came along and joined us. And another man. That made 5 of us. We vowed to stick together, not knowing if there were be reliable aid. By this time, puking was the name of the game. We went at the pace of the slowest runner, which was incredibly slow. But there was no way we were going to leave someone out there on their own.

We did make it, 45 minutes after the cut off. It was cold and dark, but we stayed together. Sheri, Damjan, Ernie, Mark and I were DFL but we did not DNF....or did we?

I emailed the race director and tried to be jovial but still let him know I was not happy about the missing aid station. His response?

Sorry to hear you had a bad experience on Saturday. You are correct there was a water only aid station that wasn't there ..... I'm also sorry for allowing the final 6 runners to continue 45 minutes after the cut off.  It forced my volunteers to be on course for an hour longer than planned .....In the future I won't allow that.

I will not run another Mad Moose Event. 

The Quad is done; Next is Moab

The Mt. Taylor Quad is over. I did not do as well as I had hoped, but I did "good enough." Got my doubler scarf.

Next on my list is Moab's Behind the Rocks 50 miler towards the end of March. Looks like fun, right?


It is not a killer up and down course:

I'm hoping that this will be a good, early season test of endurance. I am also hoping we will have a blast in Moab. My college roommate (Dee) will be there. We're renting a little house outside of Moab for a few days. Dee is an artist. She will likely spend a lot of time painting. She is also bringing me a loom. As I retire, I want different ways to play and I think weaving may be a lot of fun!!

Retiring....on yes, in 76 days. Will miss that part of my identity but will not miss the faculty meetings, the feeling that I am always behind, and that I can never truly take time off.

Prepping for the Quad

The Mt. Taylor Quad is coming up. I have done my training: I have biked 14 miles so far in 2015, skied about 5 miles and snowshoed 3 miles. I have run a lot. The only thing to do now is figure out how to pack, right?



Of course, it all depends on the weather.

Let's pretend that it is 45 at the start, expecting a high on the mountain of 45 and a high back in Grants of 60. I will start with bike shorts (no chamois), calf compression sleeves and knee warmers. Short sleeve shirt, long sleeve shirt, jacket. Hat and gloves. I did horribly last year on the bike. Thought I was going to fall over since I was going so slow and couldn't turn the cranks. Oh, and I kept having problems with shoe/cleats. This year, I have a "new" bike that is quite fine. I figure the bike will save me 20 minutes!! That's why I haven't bothered to train. The bike will do it all.

The transition from bike to run bag will have a couple of bars and gels. Running shoes with screws for traction. I will get rid of the knee warmers and the jacket, the hat and the gloves. Oh and the helmet. This is the easy part. As long as the road isn't icy. I hate running on ice. Won't be any faster this year than last year.

Transitioning from running to skiing will be a bit more of a challenge. On go wind pants, hat and gloves, and jacket. This bag will have food! There will be food in every bag. Last year I almost starved since I left all the food in the bag at the start/finish. My skins will be on the skis. I will have new poles. Going up hill is just a slog. No skiing involved. My pack will contain my snowshoes and shoes. Trying to decide if I want the shoes already strapped in or not. If they are strapped in, then they won't "stack" and I will have to carry the big pack and put them inside. If the shoes aren't strapped in, I can strap them to the back of my pack and put my shoes inside the pack. Not a big deal. No faster for this section.

After struggling to the ski/snowshoe transition, I just drop off the skies, put on the shoes/snowshoes and head on up. Which shoes? My Keens? Nice and light but the strap kind of hurts my foot when I wear them with snowshoes. Whatever. Technique is not important for this uphill section. Breathing is important. I will hit the top and then start my flight back down. Question is, do I stop and have a shot or just keep on flying? Only if they have Wild Turkey!!

Back to the ski transition. Will change out and repack my shoes and snowshoes, grab some calories and get ready for the scariest part of the race. Downhill. On skis, On ice. With turns. I am terrible! Last year I had to take the skis off and walk a bunch of the turns. But this year, I have new skis with metal edges. I haven't bothered to train for this leg. The skis will do it all. I should save 30 minutes relative to last year!

How can 3 miles downhill on cross country skis take 2 hours? I think it did last year. But finally, if I am still alive, I will be able to leave the skis and the snowshoes behind and grab my running shoes again. I should be really psyched by now. I can fly downhill. That will be the best part. I will need food. I have to feed my face. And drink some water. Plenty of water.

Back to the bike. Change shoes, eat some calories and throw on the helmet. This time I will go fast on the downhill. Not like last year when I was afraid to go fast. This year I will fly. All the way to the finish. I should save another 20 minutes here.

So, as you can tell, I am going to do great this year. Absolutely fantastic!!

New Shoes

Oh boy, oh boy. I have new shoes. These shoes are going to be perfect. I'm sure of it!! I am coupling the Altra Superior 2.0 with the Keen TR86.







The Keen shoe is fairly minimalist and quite cheap; the Altra has lots of cushioning but still flexes. I think switching these two off during Bighorn 100 will be the perfect strategy. I will start with the Keens, and wear them during the first 50 which has some nasty uphill sections.

At the half way point, I'll switch into the Altras. More cushioning and a big ole toe box will be like heaven. They will be fantastic for the downhill sections

I am going to be so ready this year!!!!

But first, there's a 50K (Sugar Loaves) down by Los Cruces on January 31. Then I have the Quad....I think I'll go skiing tomorrow. Gotta get used to the new skis. I am going to be awesome!!

I wish. I hope. Oh please......

Physical Therapy!

Jenny, a running coach, said my broken ankle may have been a blessing in disguise. I did not feel blessed; I felt damned unlucky!

But, I have finished up my physical therapy at Peak Motion http://www.peakmotionpt.com/. Their theory is that movement is the best medicine. They set up a program that kicked my butt. Seriously, I spent 2 hours there, twice a week for six weeks. I worked out....hard. I had to carry a towel around to mop up the sweat.

Now I am running again and I feel stronger than I have in years. My knees are better, my ankles are better, I am faster, I can (almost) jump. I am pretty excited!!

So what's on the schedule for the spring? Lots of fun. First is the Mt. Taylor Quad. I want my Doubler scarf.  Last year, I made a really stupid mistake. I left all of my food in the wrong drop bag. It took me over 7 1/2 hours to finish the race and I did it with only a banana and one gel. I was ravenous by the end. I thought it was going to be an Alferd Packer finish.

This year I will have my  own bike and I WILL HAVE CALORIES!

But the big event is Bighorn 100. I am focused on it. There will be a number of races along the way as preparation: Behind the Rocks 50 miler in Moab the end of March. Cedro Peak in April....I just need to decide whether 45k will be enough, or should I do 45 miles??? A new race in New Mexico, Cactus to Cloud 50k in May. Will probably do Jemez 50k towards the end of May. And then I will RETIRE!!! And play and play and play! And complete Bighorn!!!

I will complete Bighorn!