Thursday: Wt Training Again

Yes, I was sore once I started working out. I knew it! You can't slack off forever and not pay the price! Next weight workout will be Monday. Hopefully by Wednesday I can start putting the hammer down.

This is Burning River Weekend! It's going to be fun! I'm going to try and get a 4 mile run in, around my parent's block, and sleep in as late as possible. For me, this means about 730am.

Then I will have a nice filling breakfast of some sort courtesy of the 'rents, and then check the Burning River Live Webcast. Hopefully I'll be able to log in, check out who the front runners are, and see if I need to hustle to get my aid station set up!

It looks like it may be a few degrees cooler. Like 82 for a high instead of 88. I hope that makes a difference with the runners!

4 mile Treadmill run today

Not too bad! Much better running in AC than the 90 degree weather outside!


Kinda nice, too, not to stressing over the race this weekend (sorry BR runners). I have been watching the weather now too, hoping for some cooler temps for the runners.



I'll be packing my vehicle tomorrow, hopefully I won't forget anything for the AS.

Hey hey hey a workout today!

Got back to lifting weights. My muscles will be sore for the next round on Thursday.
I'm wearing my contacts for working out too. I got on the elllipitical, with sweat pouring into my eyes, and it was extremely annoying trying to dab the sweat out of my eyes around my glasses.
I hate wearing glasses.

Still another post with no running

I stopped at the gym today, and reupped for six months. Not belonging has kept me from going (what a surprise) but I felt better already for shelling over some money and saying "I'll be back".
I've got to get my motivation and passion back for working out. I (personally) have had a rough year but I think I'm finally over it. Time to get back to working out, endorphins, long runs, eating better.
There was a 5K advertised at the gym, a local race, but it's this Saturday! and hey that is Burning River Race 100!!! I will be captaining at Happy Days Aid Station, Mile 70.3. We will be an experienced bunch of ultra runners (except my parents) who will take care of you and kick you quickly back out on the trail! (I've already told my dad to not talk to everyone that comes in the AS...he will talk your leg off!)

I am really looking forward to this..seeing old and new friends who better be still in the game at mile 70!

Summer Time!

I had a meeting Friday night about Burning River 100, so I then spent the night at my parent's house. Saturday morning Mom and I dug up about $200 worth of plants from her garden, so I then drove home, rototilled up a bed about 3 feet by 12 feet and planted everything.

Ouch!

My quads are still stiff! I went for a 3 mile walk on Monday, rested Tuesday, and decided to run today. That turned into a 1/2 mile jog and then a 2 mile walk. Wow, my quads are still stiff. I think it is due to the more technical terrain I was on. I am used to my quads being stiff from the straight ups and downs, but I believe with all the shifting around on the rocks, I got an extremely good workout on the legs.

I'm spending a bit of time on the internet this evening. I am attempting to upload my first podcast just to my server right now; then I will see what the next step is. I recorded my Big Bear Lake race report as a podcast. Don't worry, I will announce it when I go public, after I figure all the steps out here!

12 Hours of Big Bear Race Report

The Big Bear Lake Race is on the Big Bear Lake Campground grounds. This is a 6.5 mile loop. It is a nice, pretty flat, technical trails. Very rocky!

Race morning dawned hot and humid. We had a good turnout of WV Trail Runners at the race, although we were all surprised at each other-maybe we should communicate more LOL!

For the 12 hour race, there were solo runners and team relays. Heather Parks, the Race Director, had an increase from 17 runners in the inaugueral year to about 67 runners this year. There were 17 solo male and 7 solo female runner fools. The relay runners took off while the solo runners dawdled around at the back of the pack. I chatted with Angela, a runner friend that I had met at Rocky and Umstead, before moving a bit ahead of her down the trail.

I had no goals for this race, although Dan Lehmann gave me some right before the race. He said I should be about to finish 6 or 7 loops. I wasn't really setting any goals until I saw the loop. And then, since I forgot my watch, I figured I would just go out there and run and have fun!

It's a beautiful trail, a great day to be in the woods. This trail is very runnable, a nice gradual downhill in the first few miles, a little climb. It's very technical (or very technical to me). We're up on top of a mountain, kinda, so it's mainly many rocks. The woods were nice and lush and it was just nice to be out in nature. I kept my eyes peeled on the first loop for the bear-there was a momma bear and cub spotted the day before. (The first two runners on the loop-the bear was on the trail!!!)

With this being a loop course, I carried just one handheld and did not wear my waistbelt-boy that was nice not to have that constriction! I did stuff some ClifBlok Shots and a gel into my skirt's pockets. I did drain my handheld as I came up to the first water stop around 3 miles in.

The next section, to the next unmanned water stop was my favorite. I think the unmanned water stop must be around mile 5 or so, because it's then a short distance back to race headquarters. This also contains the pine woods maze that I so enjoyed in the 20K race there. After the unmanned water stop, I pop back out of the woods in no time back to race HQ.

Nutrition: WIth this being a short loop course, AND it being so hot out (we had a high of 90 degrees!!!) I went with liquid nutrition. I had Boost on ice in my cooler. I drank one of these on each trip back to HQ, and did also eat some gels and Shots and a few bananas on the rounds.

As I started loop # 4, I found I was really getting hot. I was getting a headache, which I hoped was not the start of heat exhaustion or stroke. I was stupid enough to still only be carrying one bottle of fluids between AS, which gave me the dilemma off cooling off my head, or putting the fluid inside of me.

Tony really helped me out here. He was on a relay team, and feeling the heat of the day too. We walked and ran a mile or two together, which made the loop go by much quicker. He pulled away in the pine woods, but I felt much better having had his company-thanks Tony!





As I came out of the woods on this lap, I saw most of the West Virginia Trail Runner contigency lounging in the shade at the edge of the woods. I called out to them "you better not be drinking beer yet!" Bradley indicated that he was only on rootbeer, and he had stopped after five laps, he'd had enough of the heat.





I entered the extremely hot HQ tent, and they asked if I was done. "Heck no!" was my answer, and got a little cheer from the runners. Heck, sure it was hot, but this was a 12 hour run. The idea was to run most of the 12 hours, wasn't it?



It's funny, as I kept running laps, that I would notice something different in the woods on each lap. I saw some really cool mushrooms that I missed on a previous lap. I spotted three deer stands on loops five and six previously unnoticed. The loops were long enough so that I didn't get bored on them, yet recognized enough landmarks to know how far away each water station was-ultra running is ultra running, whether it's point to point or loops, you run them AS to AS.



As I was finishing loop five, I wondered what time it was. I figured if it was past 530pm, I wouldn't go back out again. Imagine my surprise when I got back to the HQ and found out it was 358 pm! Of course I'm doing another lap!

Dan snapped a pic of me as I finished up the race:

and I am my usual happy self out there. I really had fun, even though it was extremely hot.

On the whole, I managed my nutrition very good. The icy Boost, supplemented with some gels, bananas, and some jelly beans provided enough nutrition. It was much easier to get down than dealing with a bunch of solid food.

To my surprise, as the awards were announced, I was 3rd of the 7 females! Top female ran 9 laps, 2nd was 7 laps, and I ran 6 laps for 39 miles. I think, if the weather had been a bit cooler, I could have ran a bit more, and a bit faster. I was very pleased with my performance. It was a rocky, technical course, and I enjoyed being on it.

There was plenty of pizza after the race also! For a 25 dollar fee, aid station, pizza afterwards, and free camping at the race start, this was a very good deal!

Post race, the WV Trail Runners settled in around the campfire for hotdogs, hummus, marshmellows and some of us had a beer or two. I actually was very good, (and really tired) and didn't over drink, knowing that I was still dehydrated. In fact, my last drink of the evening was Gatorade!

I love this bar

Big Bear Lake Race

Yep, that's me, in my usual happiness being out on the trail..and trails I got, six times over!
Very good times. Although very hot and humid! Placed 3rd of 7 of female solo runners, very pleased with that. I ran 39 miles. A longer post to follow tomorrow!

Busy Day!

Man! I hate when I have to work and have to stay away from the internet for Badwater updates!
Jorge won it, with Konya not too far behind. I got to run with Jorge at Rocky Raccoon-or rather, he passed me many times. He is a pleasure to watch run. He was cranking out 7 or 8 mile pace, just looking like he was running an easy marathon, as he passed me. And he always threw out a smile and a 'good job' as he went by.
Rita Barnes and Jeff Schmidt, two fellow Buckeyes, are still going strong out there!

I worked til 7pm last night and got out for a slow jog/fast walk in the park after work. Mainly, I was trying out my H2 microphone and seeing how I sounded as I walked or jogged, recording.
Today, I got 30 minutes in on the treadmill after doing about 2 hours of food prep after work. The Fresno Running Club (minus the Babcocks, who are on vacation) are coming over for a cookout after work tomorrow. I was pleased to get the motivation to hop onto the treadmill, even though I was tired and not really in the mood.

I actually have a race this weekend. At least my camping gear has been repacked and is in my vehicle already. I just have to get the race stuff ready. This is my 12 hour, timed race, so I am looking forward to having my own personal AS set up at the start finish.

Progress!!

I lost 4.5 lbs last week, being the first week that I truly made an effort with WW, measuring out portion size and eating very healthy. I'm pysched!

My 5K Race Report

That's right, a 5K report, not a 50K..

I went over to the Longaberger Homestead and participated in their 5K Race for Hope. There was both a 5K run and walk. When we arrived, I felt like my body type fit in better with these folks than the usual ultra runners I hang with.

I was seriously out of my element here, it was just so different to be at a 5K, and a 5K for charity reasons. I went for a mile jog, because I knew I needed to get my muscles warmed up a bit. I did my usual pinning of my race bib to my shorts, folding it up-the "ultra" way. When I ran into Jana, another ultra runner, I did note with amusement that she had her bib pinned that same 'ultra' way.

Oh yeah, the race! My goal was to break 30 minutes. Oh, and finish the race, that was goal # 1. Goal # 2 was break 30 minutes. We're OFF, and I'm running too fast. The Garmin tells me I'm running around 9 minute pace, so I back off a bit, and run the first mile in 9.36. Mile 2 I ran in 10.00 flat. The third mile, we turn and run back into the sun-eww, hot on the asphalt, I pulled my visor way down over my eyes and just kept my eyes on the pavement a few steps ahead.

I tried to chick two guys in the last mile, but they surged and managed to pull ahead of me. Mile 3 was 9.57, and I burst across the finish line in 29.56 Woohoo!! Made my goal!

And then I was done! And it was 0830 in the morning!

Packing for the 5K

Ok, should I bring all this stuff, or should I pare it down a bit?

Run with a Purpose

Weather: Sunny and hot. About 87 degrees. I set out to run a 5K in the local park, on the paved bike trails. I ran it in 34.58. So, I think a reasonable goal for my 5K Race this Saturday is to finish under 30 minutes. With cooler temps, at 8am, and a reasonable taper (don't run on Friday) I should be able to do it!

Actually, this was a good run for me. I started out too fast, and the sun and the hot temperatures had me gasping quite soon. I didn't bring a MP3 player, or water bottle, just the Garmin to let me know how I was doing. It felt good to push myself. I realized, I haven't pushed myself in a long time. That's something that needs to be done!! I wanted to walk, and called myself a wussy if I was going to walk "it's just 3 miles for pete's sakes"! So I didn't.

You know, you still sweat alot in hot weather regardless of whether you run 3 miles or 10 miles?

So Maybe I'll Run a 5K

Perusing the emails, I saw one which mentioned the Longaberger 5K
located at the Longaberger Homestead which is not too far away. And it's July 12.

I haven't run a 5K in..two years? What does one wear to a 5K? Can I leave my waist pack at home? Not carry a water bottle?

And run fast..well, I do need to work on getting faster. I don't understand anything about speed work. My first round of speed work is losing some weight.

But I might do this race. It's for a good cause, it's at theLongaberger Homestead , which means I oould go shopping afterwards (I haven't been at the Homestead in about three years..)


Not familiar with the name Longaberger? Longaberger is the name of the family who made a fortune out of weaving baskets. These baskets are sold in home shows by consultants. Women (ok, usually women) pay large sums of money for these handwoven bskets. Each are handwoven, in Ohio, and signed by the weaver.

In the late 1990's the Longaberger basket machine was truly in their heydey. In our county, it seemed like at least there was one or two family members employed by Longaberger. Baskets were snapped up.
Then 9-11 happened, and suddenly there was not the spare money sitting around households to buy more baskets. Longaberger began laying off people. I believe they are still struggling...and the basket prices have not dropped!

In the past, I was a staunch supporter of the local economy and purchased many Longaberger baskets. Then my husband went into the basket business himself, and launched Amish Baskets made by our neighbors down the road, so now I buy Amish baskets! (Much better prices, check them out!!)

Pics from the Island

In the Good Old Summertime

Hello summer! Don't these berries look good? These are wild black raspberries, picked fresh this morning on our estate. We have tons of bushes, with many more berries to ripen. The amount of rain this year has been really good for the berries. We also have tons of blackberries, which will be ripen in a week or two.

I got out for a 4 mile run after berry picking. Ugh! Legs felt horrible. Shins were completely tight, until about 3.5 miles. This was my first run in a week, so I guess there was a reason I felt horrible.

Dennis and I are going to South Bass Island (usually called Put-in-Bay) for a few days of R&R. We're riding the bikes over, so I will keep up on excercise with the bikes, and get in some running while there too.