Almost Time to Go

Well, I am finally chilling out. I put the suitcase in the vehicle, so I would stop adding stuff to it. I'm as ready as I will be.
Early bed tonight..I have a stupid early wakeup call...2am. Well, I need to be at the airport at 0430, it's about 1.5 hours to the airport..but there's a winter storm heading in. So I am giving myself a little extra time. I'll probably sleep on the plane. I usually have to take a pharmaceutical to get through plane flights, I have a bit of anxiety..not the flying, or fear of falling out of the sky. That doesn't bother me. It's the whole process. I could never travel as part of my job, the stress would kill me. So if I take a 1/2 of a little white pill, that pretty much zones me out and I can sleep!

I'm very excited to see everyone tomorrow and looking forward to the race!

Episode 13 of Trails and Tribulations in Up!

Click here to go over to the Trails and Tribulations web page. This is another Rocky-influenced podcast; an interview with Brett Blanker, podshow host of Zen and the Art of Triathlon. Brett is an Ironman triathlete who is running the 50 Mile Race at Rocky Raccoon.

I've been a fan of Zen for years now. I started listening to his podcasts back in 2005, when I first discovered them. Brett talks about training, but usually a whole bunch of other stuff too. Very well done podcast, check him out!

Packing

It's evident that I haven't packed for a race in a long time. I've got stuff strewn everywhere. It's a good thing I started now; I've found 1/2 of my backup light so far.
I pretty much have everything in my dropbags, and then realized they need to go into my suitcase. And TSA could conceivably pull everything out. So I'm not too concerned about packing the drop bags meticoulously, I will have time when I reach the hotel to repack.
But how do I fly with Perpeteum? It's a bit creamier color than cocaine, but will the bags make it to Houston? Can you tell I'm a newbie to flying to a race? (Well, the blog title is ultranewby after all). I think I will contact the oracle known as the ultra list, I know this is a topic that's been discussed there.

About MMT..I'm disapointed but there are other races. And other years for MMT too. I just felt if I couldn't get my training to the level it needed to be for MMT, then I shouldn't attempt it.

I'm out

Kim:

Here is a copy of the message that you sent from the Massanutten
Mountain Trails 100 miler Web site to Stan Duobinis, the RD of MMT.
_______________________________________________________________

Message sent on: 1/27/08

Hi Stan,
I need to withdraw from the 2008 MMT race. Can you send me confirmation
of my withdraw?
Thanks, hope to make it to MMT maybe next year!
Kim

Fish or Cut Bait

The time is approaching. With changes in my staffing in my very small workplace, I'm very unsure of future (meaning March/April) training plans. I have a feeling, if I can't replace the position quickly, I'll be working weekends myself. Which is actually no problemo, but that means a day off Thursday the week before, and a day off after the weekend worked. Which cuts into my trips going to either Laurel Highlands or MMT for training runs.

I don't want to run Massanutten if I haven't trained for it properly-or at least to the best of my abilities. And I'm not sure if I will be able to get out for enough long runs.

So I guess I will sit and stew upon this ontil January 29-the cut off for a full refund from MMT.

New Episode of Trails and Tribulations is Out!

Click here to visit our Trails and Tribulations website. This is a recap of the Across the Years Race, where Lynn gives us his post race report on ATY.

Arggh.

One of my staff members resigned today. And his last day is the day before I go on vacation and another pharmacist is on vacation. So that means I screw up my vacation plans. Which actually impacts my husband's business and our out of country (New Zealand) guests. And this screws up my running plans. Grrrr. I'm quite pissy right now.

A change of plans

A change of plans!
I looked at my work schedule next week..a computer upgrade which means a very long workday on Tuesday, followed by an out of town meeting (all day) on Wednesday, which means getting all my stuff packed and set by early Thursday evening, because my flight out of Akron/Canton is 6am!
So it makes more sense to spend Saturday and Sunday at home. That way I can get all my stuff packed on Sunday, items checked off the List, and have everything ready for early Friday morning.
I'm very sorry not to make it up for the Buckeye Trail Race though. "Everyone" runs it, or volunteers at it, so it was more seeing all my friends :(

TRAIL Run

Oh my. What a nice run. Although I had forgot my socks and had to dash into Walmart to buy a pair, I still got outside in plenty of light. The temp was about 32, there was about an inch of fresh snow on the ground-and I was on trails! Truly in my element. While I don't mind so much running on roads out in my deserted countryside, it's still not the same as being out in the woods. It just feels different, to constantly speed up and slow down, watch your footing and yet keep an eye out for deer in the vicinity, than "plodding" down a road. More dancing.
This was one of those runs where my little mind went through many gears, thinking about all my various trail friends-Mike, Josh, Andrew, Rob, Tony, Brian, Dan, Adam, John, Anthony (and I haven't even met him yet LOL). I even thought about the fact that I don't have a "girl" friend to run with. But you know what, I wouldn't confide any more in a female than I have with my male friends out there.
I even got to a few spots where the trail is relatively flat (it's pretty much up and down) and got to really work my legs a bit. The trail was snow covered, which made it a bit treacherous, because I couldn't see the slick rocks or logs underneath. All in all, a lovely time spent on the trails. I feel rejuvenated. Although the trail is only 2.6 miles long, I feel I got 10 miles of endorphins out of it!

I want to run outside.

I want to run outside. In the light. I want it to be light until 8 or 9 pm. So I can leave work and decide whether I want to run a 4 miler or an 11 miler around the block. Whether I want to run my trail two times instead of fighting to get one loop in. Whether there's too much ice on the roads to chance it.
Tomorrow's weather sounds hopeful: Periods of snow. High 33F. Winds SW at 10 to 20 mph. Chance of snow 80%. Snowfall around one inch.

If I bring the right clothes to work, I should be able to coax myself out for a run in the park and ONTO my beloved short trail route. I haven't been on that in awhile.

I did 20 minutes of ab work, then 20 minutes on the stair climber. It's getting easier, so it's time to add more time to it! My gym is having a resolution contest, about dropping weight, body fat, who will burn the most calories..etc, so I signed up for it-any motivation is good, right? My gym guy was surprised when I didn't count my 5 minute warm up on the treadmill. It's a warm up! I don't count that as any official anything! The funny thing is, with this contest, the only things that count are calories you burn at the gym. I pointed out to one friend there that I have a 100 mile race coming up, so I won't be at the gym around that time. And I will be more concerned with getting miles of running in, outside the gym, that calories burned at the gym. Shucks. Wish I could count the calories burned at a 100 mile race~it would be an easy win!

The time has come

I think, it is time for me to start the Lists. For the 100 mile race. Yes I know it's still 12 days away (holy moley it's less than 2 weeks!!) but I like to be organized. And this is my first 100 where I am flying to the race start. (People at work have to be smart alecks, "why don't you just run there yuk yuk yuk") I guess I will carry all essential items on the plane and pray the rest of my luggage follows me to Houston.

Why is that?

Why is there high fructose corn syrup in pickles? I picked up some bread and butter pickles and happened to read the ingredients. Ok, I'll get some dill pickles-nope, they have HFCS in them too. Maybe the Kosher Dills did not have any, I'll have to check those out later. Until then, I guess I can add cucumbers to my garden list for the summer-if we pickle them ourselves, I will know exactly what I am eating!

Just an Observation

It was 10 degrees when I got up. It's now 9 degrees. The Trail Goddess misses her trails. However, today doesn't seem to be the day I get back on them. Sigh.

Check out my new Header!

Is that cool or what? My number one fan,
Mike made that for me! What a nice present-thank you so much Mikey!

The pic is taken on the infamous "Love Log" on the YUT-C 50K course in Mill Creek Park, Ohio. It got its nickname because you have to practically make love to it to get over it. My strategy is to hop up on it, lie flat, and roll over it.


Outside/Inside Run


So much for the long run today. I started out on a long run-then discovered, two miles down the road, I didn't slip a water bottle into my waist pack~duh! I decided to just do the four mile loop around the block and get back to the house. When I did, I was pretty sweaty and getting a chill-it was about 30 degrees out. So I stripped off the layers of clothing, and ran another 4 miles on the treadmill. Not a long run like I wanted, but I was really cold once I came back inside, and I was not going back out into that.

Where did the week go?

I didn't realize I hadn't blogged until Mike pointed it out. Between workouts, recording podcasts (I think we did two this week) watching movies, schoolwork, reading other folk's blogs, I didn't realize I was a bit behind.

Workouts

None on Sunday, drove back from WV that day.
Monday-20 minutes core, 10 minutes stair climber
Tuesday-nada. We interviewed (podcasted) that evening
Wednesday-4 miles running/jogging on the treadmill
Thursday-15 minutes core, 25 minutes stairclimber
Friday-40 minutes elliptical. Maybe I worked off half the peanut butter chocolate milkshake I had--man that was a heavenly treat!

Movies
2 Zombie flicks this week.
Gangs of the Dead grouped cops and latino and black gang members against the zombie corp. Not too bad of a film-I figured it would be worse. Worth the 1.50 rental. I would give it a C on the Zombie Meter.
Night of the Living Dead 3D Version yet another remake of the all time classic! Very pleasantly surprised. Follows the original story line almost to the end and then deviates. Apparently would have been 3D in the theatre-although was it ever in a theatre? I would give it a B- on the Zombie meter.

Weekend Plans
some sort of run tomorrow. It depends on how cold it is. Tomorrow is supposed to be the warm day. I want to get 20 miles in; will I? I'm not planning anything until the morning. The only nice part about winter is the waiting around til the warmest part of the day to run. I'm not too keen about running by myself in cold temps in case something happens. Perhaps tomorrow would be a good hill repeat day-my car is right there, so I am less than 1 mile from rescue at any point.
Sunday it's going to be in the teens. I'm envisioning either a long treadmill workout at home, or a nice long workout at the gym.

New Vegetable

Haven't got one for the week. I've been eating my canned mustard greens from a can. They are actually really good. I think I have a new crop to plant for my garden this year.

Beets!

I'm still playing catchup! This was a post I wrote last week, just never had time to get it out!

Beets!

I tried a new vegetable this week: Beets. I’ve always hated beets. My mother used to can them, and the smell just made me sick in the summer time. Hence, I’ve always avoided beets in any form.

So I thought it was time to revisit beets. They are actually one of the best, nutritious vegetables out there! I was amazed! Beets are an excellent source of the B vitamin, folate, and a very good source of manganese and potassium. Beets are a good source of dietary fiber, vitamin C, magnesium, iron, copper and phosphorus.
I roasted the beets in the oven, cut them and ate them with a bit of butter. They were okay. Tasted vaguely-beety. I will try them again, maybe with more spices. I was thinking of roasting them and eating with lemon juice and olive oil. They had the consistency similar to a potato, and I thought, “well, I’d rather just eat a potato”. But when you look at the nutrition profile of a beet vs a potato-I’m going to try the beets again!

The beet greens were excellent. I’m becoming a huge fan of dark greens. I wilted the beet greens in a sauté pan, with slice toasted almonds, onions, and mushrooms-mmmm mmmm!

I was a good girl today. I had an out of town appointment, then bought some groceries-man, fresh vegetables are EXPENSIVE right now! and then went to the gym to work out. Of course, the gym was pretty crowded with the resolutionaries still. I did about 25 minutes of core work, and then hopped on the stair climber for 10. Funny, no one else seems to like the climber..

New Episode of Trails and Tribulations is Out!!

We've made it to Episode Ten, and we're kind of on a roll, we have some good stuff lined up out there.

Andrew and I interview Deborah Sexton, an ultra runner and aid station worker. Last year she Captained the Aid Station at Dam Road, and we talk to her about her experiences there. Good stuff!!


AND

speaking of podcasts,



Anyone running Rocky, this should be a nice treat for you. Brett is a triathelete, and I have been listening to Zen and the Art of Triathlon since I discovered podcasts! I remembered Brett had done a recording on Rocky (cuz I got a good memory!) and he graciously reloaded his 2005 videocast. Click here to see a videocast of the 2005 Rocky Racoon Trail Race! Brett has a really excellent podcast too. Even if you are not a triathlete, you don't have to be to listen to his podcast.

WV Trail Runner Club Kumbabrow Forest Run

I started on the annual club run a little early. I wanted to get in as much time and miles as possible without spending the whole day on the trails-there was the annual meeting and Willie's beer to sample back at the Lehmann Estate.

I arrived at the park office and had no trouble following the map and trail. This was nice single track trail and jeep road, with each new trail marked clearly.




There was also rhododendrons everywhere! Just something we do not have in my area of Ohio. I was sure glad they weren't covered in snow like we encountered on the Slim Pickings FA back in November.














As I ran through this area, the trail opened to a clearing to the left, for this view:







I ran off the ridge, down to the road below. The instructions told me to go left, 0.25 miles down to a jeep road to the right. I went down the road, but saw no jeep trail. I went a little farther, nothing. Hmm. So I retraced my steps and saw what might have been a jeep trail-but it also looked like a tree had fallen. So that must be it. I ducked through the tree branches, and saw more rhododendrons. So I just bulldozed my way into them. The rhododendron thicket just got thicker. I ended up just walking on some branches. I knew I wasn't on the trail, but now I was stuck in the middle of this thicket! I decided to bushwhack down to the river, where the shrubs looked less thick. I finally burst out of the thicket, and then just took the road back to the park office.

This was good timing, since the gang was just showing up for the official start. I was told I didn't go far enough down the road to find the jeep trail. We took the official group picture, and started off. The group was all doing different lengths, and I just decided to repeat the same loop. I ended up running with Ashley, and as we hit the same road portion, met up with Charlie, who, like me, couldn't find the trail. The three of us kept going up the road (of course the road went UP!) and it was about a mile. That must have been Lehmann distance, eerily similar to a Horton mile..

Charlie had pulled a hamstring, so he and I stuck together as Ashley, the young un, ran on ahead most of the time. I did pass her on the downhills, as she's pretty conservative and I was having fun flying down the hills.

At the end, we got to splash across the river-a bit chilly in January. I had about 4 hours of time in, so I was done for the day. It seems pretty lame, 4 hours for 15 miles, but I don't know how long my bushwhacking lasted in the bushes, and I didn't stop my watch as I waited for the runners to assemble-I would guess at least 10 or 15 minutes for that.

Then it was back to the Lehmann estate for the annual West Virginia Trail Runners Club annual meeting. The club has members in Ohio, Virginia, and Maryland, along with the Mountaineer main group. These are a great bunch of people. I wish I didn't live so far away, it would be nice to run with and socialize with them more often.

Thursday's Hill Repeat

I'm playing catch up.

I didn’t get a chance to post my workout from Thursday nor my cool elevation map. I did ONE hill repeat. I went over to my mile hill, started at the top (best place to park my vehicle) ran to the bottom, and power walked up it. The 1 mile uphill was 14.35. Then I ran/jogged down the hill again, and power walked up it-15.49 for the second ascent. Okay time. I was out of time due to company coming over. As I walked back to my vehicle the cold rain began-ha! Timed that one well!


I will be doing more work on this hill. It does not have a lot of vehicle traffic, so that is a plus.

Tahoe Rim Trail Documentary

The 2007 Tahoe Rim Trail 50K/50M/100M Endurance Runs

On July 21, 2007, 400 men and women from around the world participated in an ultra distance endurance run on the world famous Tahoe Rim Trail. Some opted for the 50K or 50 mile distance, while others elected to run in the exhausting 100-Mile National Championship Event.

This dramatic 56 minute television special chronicles both the story of ultra running and the colorful history of this event, told by the participants and volunteers.

The net proceeds from the sales of the Tahoe Rim Trail Endurance Runs DVD, A Glimpse of Heaven and a Taste of Hell benefit the Tahoe Rim Trail Association trail maintenance program, the Lake Tahoe Nevada State Parks backcountry mountain bike safety patrol and the South Tahoe and Carson City High Schools' cross country programs.

This was a very well done, informative documentary on the Tahoe Rim Race. I would recommend this to other ultra runners, especially if this race might be in your future plans-nice tough course!

I watched this while walking on the treadmill. I cranked the incline to 10% and vowed to stay on it while watching the ultra documentary. Kind of hard to quit while watching other runners punishing themselves. I did 3.31 miles in 53.45. 16 something minute miles. I need to get faster on this incline. Rinse, repeat, do it again!

Kimba's Birthday Run

I was actually pretty excited about my long run today, but it was still hard to get out the door!

I was planning to run to Gnadenhutten, a tiny village along the Tuscarawas River, then to the village of Port Washington, then over to the "outskirts" of Newcomerstown. I knew I could replenish with water/Gatorade by running to 'town'.

The run to "Gnade" as the locals refer to it (pronounced J-nade) was 11 miles, at least 8 miles was all new route to me. I enjoyed the back roads and hills and ups and downs while running and listening to podcasts.

I googled a bit of history about the Gnadenhutten massacre, and found it unhappily, to be kind of typical for American expansionism:

"The Gnadenhutten massacre, also known as the Moravian massacre, was the killing on March 8, 1782, of ninety-six Christian American Indians, including sixty-eight women and children, by American militia from Pennsylvania during the American Revolutionary War. The incident took place at the Moravian missionary village of Gnadenhütten, which was located near what is now the town of Gnadenhutten, Ohio."

I found my AS in Gnade, in the form of a gas station/mini mart in the center of town. I passed through the historical center, also the old cemetary, full of astonishingly old grave markers. Gnade is a very old town, as Ohio was once the 'western frontier'. I got some water and an energy drink, and headed down River Road, aptly named, toward my second town, Port Washington. As the elevation map shows, I was down in the river bottom for this section.

History of Port Washington, or "Port" as known by the locals..all I find is that it was important in the days of the Ohio and Erie Canal. Locally, all I know about Port is the local bar, the Village Pump, often featured the local drinking clientele getting up on the bar and doing impromtu strip teases..and there was a sign in the bathroom which said "Please don't piss in the sink". LOL. No, I have never been there. The Village Pump was shut down for tax evasion of all things.

I got to the outskirts of Port, realized I didn't need a water refill, so decided to go on to Newcomerstown without a trip into Port. I climbed up a very tall hill, and then kept wondering why I wasn't hitting the State Route.

Then I noticed the name of a side road, Pettry Hill Road. Huh. I had taken a left on Pettry Hill earlier in the day. Then I noticed the same noisy natural gas well across the road. WTF? Somehow I had now looped back on my route. I wasn't going to hit the SR this way.

No worries, I took the next road to the right, this was parallelling my planned route on the SR. I ended up back on familiar running territory soon, and was home before I knew it!

Nutrition: I used Perpeteum and was good. I had two small PayDay bars with it, but I am pretty pleased with the Perpeteum. I think I am going to start Rocky with using Perpetuem, that should help get me in and out of the AS without stopping at the buffet.

Birthday Run

27 miles in 6.04. It may sound really slow, but check out my elevation. It was a very hilly route!
Details to follow!

Treadmill Workout Today

By the time I got home from errand running, the cold sleety rain had begun. I didn't feel like starting a run, by myself, into that. So I did a treadmill workout.
I walked one mile on the tread, at the fastest pace I could do it at. I need to improve on my fast walking.
Then I ran one mile.
Then I cranked the incline up to 10% and walked as fast as I could for one mile. I was able to do this more comfortably than the first time I walked this!

Then I repeated all three again. This was a good workout-I wasn't getting too bored with just one pace or one incline for very long.

I am really hoping for good weather tomorrow, I want to have an epic run!

For my Birthday

My husband, asked me again, what was it, exactly, that I wanted for my birthday-that he had already agreed to last week?

I told him, I wanted two training weekends at Massanutten, with no complaints or issues about me being gone all weekends entirely-and I would try to include him in with the weekends, if it worked out. (These are weekends into March)

I reminded him. He asked if that was all I wanted, and I said yes. I'd rather have the time committment (time=money for me these days) than any thing else. Who wants diamond earrings when they could go run around the Massanutten Mountains for a day or two!

I would rather have the time, and experience on the trails, than baubles, myself right now. I can accumulate things anytime; right now I have the health and ambition to forge new experiences for myself--that's the present I want!

TGIF!!

I worked out at the gym today...really needed to, after the potluck at work. Actually, for us, it was a considerable "healthier" potluck than most, but I still ate my share of chips and dip.

So I hit the elliptical trainer, set it to "intervals" and got a very nice 4.6 miles in on it. I then switched over to the stairclimber, did 10 minutes on it. I hopped off, drank some water, felt I really wasn't challenged enough on it, so hopped back on for another 10 minutes.

Just a very good workout, had those nice endorphins flowing today!

I'm looking forward to good runs both Saturday and Sunday here outside, it looks like we're going to catch some mild temperatures.

Goggins Badwater 2007

Worth waking up to!!

Workout

Not too much to blog about lately. It's one month to Rocky. I think I have already started the "taper madness syndrome" -yep buying new stuff. I got a new skirt and new skirt/capris from Atalanta Athleticwear. I ordered a new pair of running shoes-Monrails Vitesse. These were recommended to me for rocks; so they should be on the way.
New Year's Day I didn't do anything adventuresome like jumping into my pond for my own personal polar bear splash; I stayed inside and watched the "Biggest Loser marathon. I also watched this while on the treadmill, I did 100 minutes at 8% incline. My tread resets at 100 minutes. So then I cranked the incline to 10% and walked another 10 minutes-that was a good workout! I think I am going to have to try starting out at a 10% incline and going for 10 minute increments, to try and build that up.

Today was stair climber at the gym after my abbreviated core workout. I did 20 minutes on the climber. Although I was sweating profusely, I just didn't feel that challenged. SoI cranked the level up one notch, and hopped back on for 10 more minutes. That did the trick-but not until about 8 minutes in, my legs were starting to cramp up. I'm making progress!

Happy New Year