WooHoo- I Got Two Votes!

The results for the ultra-runner of the year voting were announced this week. In no way was I in contention for the award, but seeing my name on the "also receiving votes" list was kind of like getting a gift from a secret admirer! Definitely an honor to be mentioned with so many great athletes.

Full results here.

Back To Bandera

A short while after JFK I read an article on the McMillan Elite Team training in Flagstaff. In the article, Coach Greg McMillan described how he selected people for his team. He stated there are many runners that post fast times but he is interested in the winners - people who have shown that they can win big races not just run fast. Reading between the lines, I realized Greg McMillan thinks I am a loser!

You see, my 2010 started off with me breaking the Bandera course record by 42 minutes...and losing by three minutes. At MacDonald Forest I ran faster than the 2009 winning time, but was second to Ashley Nordell by two and a half minutes. And then the real crusher was JFK, when the 9th fastest time in the race's 48 year history was 21 seconds too slow for a victory.


To me the disappointment wasn't in finishing second, but rather the idea that maybe something was holding me back. That moment of self-doubt, fear, and insecurity at mile 46 of JFK haunts me. And so I vowed to stop being a loser in 2011.


Now in no way do I mean that I plan to win all my races or that I am only running to win. What I mean is that I want to believe in myself, to not be intimidated by others, and to not be limited by fear and doubt. At the end of the day, win or lose, I want to look back and say, "I fought hard and I have no regrets."



After JFK, I changed my physical training very little (though I tried to get a bit more technical stuff - something that is pretty hard to do here in Oregon. "Technical" for us mostly means mud, not rocks and poor footing!). However, I did add what I call Stuart Smalley Training: "I am good enough, I am smart enough, and doggone it, I am a fast runner." Basically, a lot of positive mind set and self affirmation type of stuff.


Now I am not exactly one for touchy feely, new age Kum Ba Yah sessions, but I do think ultras have a huge mental component and so going into a race in the right frame of mind is really important. So I set off for Bandera feeling good about myself, ready to test out my fitness and my new Jedi mind tricks.


I had the pleasure of traveling with some of the members of the Sunsweet running (and comedy) team: Meghan Arbogast, Craig Thornley, his wife Laurie, Dan Olmstead, Jeff Riley and his wife Laura. I had a lot of fun with them cracking jokes, bonding over pedicures, and laughing ourselves silly over sexually frustrated burros.

"I love my Ducks!" (Thornley's photo)

But Saturday morning, the comedy show was over; it was time to race! Meghan and I noted Liza Howard as a top contender, with the "scouting report" on her that she would go out fast and be good on the rocks - the exact opposite of me! Other fast chicks on the entrant's list were Darcy Africa (DNS) and Alison Bryant (DNF), but with those two out, the race basically played out between me, Liza and Meghan.

Wipe those smiles off of your faces; It is time to get serious! (ph:Olga V.)

Knowing I start slow, I lined up in the mid-pack, but the race photographer made me move to the front for more female representation. Within about ten seconds of the race start a big mob passed me by and I saw Liza dart into the lead for the ladies with Meghan hot on her heels.

Look at me lining up with Geoff Roes!

And they're off...and I am already behind! (photos: Olga V.)

I felt a little sluggish to start, legs kind of flat, but I just kept thinking I always start slow and need time to warm up. Look at that positive thinking at work! ;) I ran in third for about 30 minutes, when another woman came darting by me and took off up a hill. I didn't like that, but I wasn't about to speed up either. I hit the first aid station in 55:30 - about three minutes faster than last year. And then I was way up on my split for the second section, too. It seemed like a fast pace, but heading into the flat section I made up my mind that I wasn't backing off. I think maybe I run too conservatively at the beginning of races and since I was here to race, I made up my mind that I would gamble, push fear aside, and see what came of it.

The flat middle section is MY section on this course. In a post-race interview, Roy Pirrung asked me, "So what is your strength - uphills, downhills, or technical stuff?" I kind of just laughed and said,"None of those really. The flat non-technical section was where I really excelled." Not exactly the type of skills one should brag about at a trail championship! But on both loops this is where I closed the gap on Meghan and the only parts where I was able to eat into Liza's lead, particularly on the second loop.

I passed the woman who had blown by me (who I later learned was Amber Monforte, third place finisher at White River) early on in this flat section. And then about half way between Chapas and Cross Roads, I was shocked to spot Meghan at the top of the powerline grade just as I was starting at the bottom. She couldn't have been more than three minutes ahead. I knew I was either running really well or really stupidly to be that close to Meghan. Even more surprising, as the section wore on, I was getting closer so that by the time I left Cross Roads she was maybe only 100 yards or so ahead. I finally caught up to her a few minutes later while the trail was still relatively flat. She turned around with a friendly greeting, her hands in the air, and an excited yell of "Pammy!"

But before we could hug and exchange best friend charms, Meghan picked up the pace. I knew she was testing me, but I only stayed with her for a minute or two before these words came into my head: "Ok, Pam, you proved your point. Now don't do anything stupid to f*ck up third place!" (My Jedi alter ego has such a potty mouth!). I am still not exactly sure what "my point" was, but I decided to abide. It wasn't fear, it was just me be smart and sticking to my race. As the trail once again got hilly and technical, Meghan floated away.

I cruised through to complete the first lap in 4:41, which seemed smokin' fast especially compared to last year's 5:08 first loop. Now time to hang on! I had seen Meghan on the short out and back to the start/finish so I knew she was only a few minutes ahead, but I didn't know what kind of lead Liza had on Meghan. What really bothered me was that 4th place was only six minutes back. I was really hoping I had put more time on her than that.

Back to the first section and I was six minutes slower to the first aid station. Twenty-five miles to go and I was already losing a minute a mile. Based on my split analysis from last year, in my mind the "gold standard" for consistency at Bandera is a split differential of less than 40 minutes. I kind of pride myself on my consistency (excluding hundred milers at this point in my career) and I was really hoping not to die after the first fast lap. The next section I was down another six minutes. Well, I reasoned, six minutes for each of the six sections will still keep me within a 40 minute difference.

At Chapas (AS#2), the gang of Laurie, Craig and Laura (who deserves all star crew recognition for juggling six different runners in three different races!) were out to cheer and crew. They wore shock all over their faces at seeing me so close to Meghan, but they were full of kind words and cheers. I kind of had a mild panic attack at this aid station waiting for some kind stranger to get me some Mountain Dew from her car. She was hustling but the few seconds felt like an eternity and I couldn't even wait for her to get back. I grabbed a bottle with Coke and ice and just bolted. The crew later politely told me that I was "extremely focused" at the aid stations, which I am pretty sure was code for "You need to take a frickin' chill pill!" But I didn't want to lose any time. (I spent over three minutes at this aid station last year, and I lost the race by just over three minutes, so I had good reason to get out fast).

Then back to MY section. I spotted Meghan early and knew I was closing. With a bottle full of ice, I couldn't exactly sneak up on her. More like I announced my presence with maracas! This time I was first with the greeting and she responded with lots of encouragement. But now it was my turn to test her. Run, and just keep running, and don't look back.- The words echoed through my mind. I hit the powerline grade and NO WAY was I walking. Right before the aid station I tried to look back, but it wasn't a good view so I couldn't tell where she was. But climbing up the Three Sisters, I looked back from the top and saw her at the bottom. This was the same place she dropped me on the first loop, so I fully expected her to make it up here again. But I was going to do my best to put that off for as long as possible. I kept telling myself, "You have to run this hill because Meghan will be running it." I was so winded when I got to the top I was finally glad to have a very rocky trail for a slow descent.

The rest of the race I pushed and pushed thinking Meghan was only a minute or two behind. I got to the last aid station and the volunteers told me I was only a few minutes behind Liza. I knew I was running well, so for a brief moment I had thoughts of running her down. "How many minutes exactly? I need to know," I asked in a tone that I hope did not sound too bossy. But the woman's first instinct was to protect her hometown girl: "That's not fair to Liza because she doesn't get to know exactly where you are."

Are you kidding me!?! Tell me the Goddamn time!

Fortunately, that is not what I actually said. Instead, I asked, "Well can you give me an approximate time? I am sure her crew has given her an approximate idea of where I am." About eight to ten minutes was the answer. I was pretty sure she wasn't lying and I knew Liza was too good on the rocky stuff to make up that kind of time on a technical 4.9 mile section unless she totally blew up. But I was still convinced Meghan was two minutes behind me, so I ran hard. In fact, I was only one minute slower than my first time around. I needn't have worried as Meghan was actually 25 minutes back by then, but I wouldn't have believed that if you had told me, I was that scared of Meghan passing me in the final miles.

I seriously hope I wasn't flapping those chicken wings like that the whole race! (ph: Olga)

I finished the second loop in 5:06, for a finish time of 9:46. I may be the only person who has broken a course record by more than 40 minutes two years in a row and not won the race - a very dubious distinction! The split differential was 25 minutes, not quite as consistent as last year's 14 minutes, but I'll take it considering my time was 50 minutes faster! Liza had a stellar 9:35 for the win and Meghan went under the previous course record and claimed the master's title with her 10:19.

The men also had a slew of speedy performances, with winner Dave Mackey taking an hour off the course record and the next three guys also destroying the old mark, including Dan Olmstead who missed the money by 23 seconds. Trust me Dan-O, I feel your pain!

I wasn't the winner on the day, but I most definitely don't feel like a loser (despite what Greg McMillan might say!). I felt good about myself all day, I wasn't intimidated on the course, and I was ready to compete. In the end, I fought hard and I have no regrets.

Frozen Trail Run Fest 50k

What better way to prepare for the holidays than a 5 hour mudfest in nearby Eugene? Last Saturday, December 18th, was the inaugural Frozen Trail Runfest down in the Mt. Pisgah arboretum. Nothing frozen about the trails, though, just some serious puddles, bogs and mud!

26 brave runners opted for the 50k, while over 125 others chose from five non-ultra distances. The morning was cold and the sky looked ominous as the 50k started at a very casual pace. I ran the first mile or so with Dan Olmstead at the back of the lead pack. We both were there with the same idea: to get in a good long run with a little technical before heading to the Bandera 100k in three weeks.

Having fun in the mud (all photos by Long Run Photography)

The course was four slightly varied laps around or over Mt. Pisgah and the course map looked more like a child's scribbles than a helpful guide. The instructions to the map read something like: White loop, start white, then purple, then white, then white loop, then white trail to green loop back to white to the finish. But the course was exceptionally marked such that what was incomprehensible on paper became an easy to follow route on foot. Well, that is to say the directions were easy to follow; the running was not so easy. Much of the trail was unavoidable thick mud and there were many ankle deep "lakes" to splash across. With a dose of optimism, these vast puddles became an opportunity to wash some of the mud off ones shoes. All of the mud plus 3970' of climbing (and much of it quite slick) made for a fun, albeit slow, day. The rain held off for most of the day and I even got a sunbreak as I summited Mt. Pisgah at mile 28.

At 42 degrees and sunny, it was practically balmy on the summit! I even had to unzip my jacket!

Doesn't it look like I had fun? Check out the thigh-high mud! I did that all without falling.

Every runner dreams of being crowned champ with a plastic pine bough.

Dan and I say,"Bring it, Texas!" ;)

I came home just a wee bit muddy!

That reminds me - I still have a lot of muddy clothes in the laundry room sink to attend to!

This was a fun event that definitely upstages Hagg Lake for Oregon's muddiest ultra! Eclectic Edge events did a great job this year filling voids in March and December, by offering two new 50k's. While the Frozen Trail Runfest was a small event, it was challenging and unique. I could see this becoming a perennial pre-holiday event.

Results

Epic Battle At JFK

I signed up for the JFK 5o miler last July, while I was still in a post-Western States stupor. Somehow, I got this silly idea that JFK would make the perfect race trifecta along with American River 50 and Western States - the two biggest ultras in the country and the most prestigious - which is how I found myself on the Maryland starting line last weekend.

Last minute entrants Jill Perry and Amy Sproston beefed up the competition on the women's side, but I didn't think that they would detract from my main goals, which were 1) PR at 50 miles (AR50 = 7:14); 2) get a 100k World Championship qualifier (sub- 7:15); and 3) place top 5 ("in the money"). I didn't really expect to be in the hunt for the win.

It was a bit chilly at the start, but on the whole it was perfect weather for an ultra. The course starts with 2.5 miles of uphill road before hitting the Appalacian Trail. I started nice and slow and could see Jill, Amy, USA 24 hour team member Ana Piskorska, and several other women out ahead of me. I passed Ana before hitting the trail, but anther woman in a shimmel and spanks moved ahead of me.

I caught up with Jill right before the first aid station and stayed to chat with her a bit before moving on. At the aid station (mile 4) I hit the port-a-potties, so had to repass Jill a short bit later.

The AT was everything everyone promised: leaves, roots and LOTS of rocks! It made for some awkward footing at times, but I just tried to stay as smooth as possible. Around mile 7 somebody yelled at me,"7th Woman." Within the next mile I passed Spanks-girl on a rocky uphill section and fell in with a couple of guys for the rest of the AT.

The Appalacian Trail (Brightroom, Inc. photo)

I was using Greg Crowther's split's from 2009 (plus 1.5 minutes/mile) for an estimated finish of 7:06. I came off the AT at 2:24, 3 minutes ahead of schedule.

The splits (in case I was too boneheaded to remember three numbers!)

Next was the 26.3 mile long tow path section. I was expecting this to suck, because everybody said it was flat and boring. Somehow, I assumed this meant "straight" and I just envisioned running down a dirt road where you could see for miles. But the path had a thick layer of leaves and lots of curves. It wasn't exactly a surprise around every bend, but it was enough to keep it from being boring.

I immediately joined up with Doug, a member of the Air Force from DC who was running his first 50 miler. We ran together for the first 10 miles and I really enjoyed his company, maybe a bit too much as we were doing 7:20's (Garmin pace) and I didn't think I should be going faster than 7:30's. But I was feeling great at that point and my handsome military companion kept giving me compliments, so why would I want to part from him?? You gotta love a guy who thinks I look too young to have a six year old. Also, you gotta think he needs glasses!

I told Doug I thought I was in 6th and he was surprised as he didn't think that many women were ahead of me. Our clip kept us moving past people and he was always pointing out the women ahead and trying to guess which ones were early starters before we caught up to them. But in addition to the early starters, we passed three of the front running women and I knew none of them would be giving chase.

Doug left me at mile 25 to change his shoes and so I finally slowed it down into the high 7:30's. That's probably where I should have been from the beginning but it is so easy to get pulled along when you are feeling good. I was still feeling pretty good, but I noticed that after mile 28 I was watching for the mile markers and counting down how many miles left on the tow path. That's always one of the first signs of tiredness for me when I start thinking about what I have left instead of just running or staying focused in the now. But my pace didn't really falter and by mile 34 I realized I only had to do 8:30 miles for the rest of the race to come in under 7:15 and that made me feel pretty confident. Also, several people were telling me I was second female, one place higher than I thought, so that was a nice boost, too.

Cruising the Tow Path (Brightroom, Inc. photo)

Between mile 34 and mile 38, David Horton came riding by on bike. He introduced himself and gave me an update on the race. Basically, he told me I was all by myself in second, several minutes behind Amy and almost ten minutes up on third. Around that time I noticed my pace slipping into the 7:40's and I pretty much resigned myself to second. You can't make up time if you are slowing down now, can you?

At mile 38, I was sad to see Jill on the sidelines from a foot injury, but it was nice to have her energy. She was cheering and screaming for me and told me I was just a few minutes behind Amy. I figured she was exaggerating to keep my motivation up and I didn't really take her seriously. I just kept on at my pace, still figuring second place was my lot for the day. But when I turned off the AT two guys were cheering and saying that I was only one minute behind, that I could catch her. And on the turn ahead I could see Amy so I know that they weren't lying! Oh, man, time to dig deep!

The road section seemed a lot hillier than I am sure it actually was and we had a pretty good headwind, plus I was tired, so these miles were slower than the tow path miles, but I was closing on Amy, ever so gradually, just as you are supposed to do.

I came into the mile 46 aid station just as she was getting ready to leave. In terms of race strategy and tactical maneuvering, this is where I made my fatal error. In retrospect, I should have skipped the Aid Station and left in step with her, but I am not good with fast decisions and I am not used to thinking about "going for the kill." Mostly, I just run and if I am running faster than someone I pass them without thinking about it. I was filled with uncertainty and doubt and my energy was flagging big time. At the time I felt like it would be a good idea to get in a few more calories to keep my energy up till the finish, so I stopped. But realistically, how much good did 3 ounces of Coke do me??

When I came in I also said something to Amy about being so tired...What was I thinking?!? I watched the World Series of Poker, so I should know - YOU ALWAYS BLUFF! Make 'em think you've got the nuts even when you've got rags! I've got to learn to play some mental games!

Amy immediately took off. She had been told she had a good lead and I am pretty sure my presence gave her a good boost of adrenaline and gave her some extra motivation. She opened up about a 20 second lead right out of the aid station. I kept telling myself only four more miles, push the uphills, work the downs, but Amy seemed to be doing the same. She looked back a couple of times, so I know she was worried, but it didn't matter, I seemed to stay the exact same distance behind the whole time.

Several people have said to me that they wish they could have seen the finish of our race, but the finish wasn't exciting... The race was over at mile 46. Amy crossed the line in 6:57:16; I finished in 6:57:37. (Doug finished his first 50 in 7:06!)

Finally-the finish! (Brightroom, Inc. photo)

Amy looked totally dazed at the end. I didn't think I was doing too badly, until I walked over to the medal table to ask for my finisher's reward. The lady very kindly pointed out that I was already wearing one. Not only was I oblivious to the huge hunk of metal hanging from my neck, but I somehow didn't even notice that somebody had slipped this thing over my head! The lady then left her post, saying "why don't I walk you into the gym?" I guess I was looking pretty toasted!

Admittedly, I was kind of disappointed after the race and kind of pissed at myself. I felt like I had her and she got away. I made up at least a seven minute gap and then fell 21 seconds short. 21 SECONDS AFTER 50 MILES!! Come on!

But JFK has a wonderful race director in Mike Spinnler. At the awards ceremony, he really put things in perspective. Not only did he emphasize how fortunate we were to be there running in a free country thanks to the sacrifices of our military, but he also had an emotionally stirring account about the race between me and Amy: (to paraphrase)

"This was the closest race in the history of JFK, not the closest women's race, but the closest race ever. These two women pushed each other so much and to see them finish was truly inspiring because they were both totally and completely spent. It was obvious they had given it their all and raced their guts out. This was like a prize fight between Mohammed Ali and Evander Holyfield, only these two went at it for 50 rounds, completely beating each other up.

In these duals somebody has to come out the champion, but these ladies are both winners. In the end they finished only 21 seconds apart and both broke the 7 hour mark, something only 5 other women have done here."

I was practically in tears by the end of that! It certainly helped me to see the day for the great race that it was. I may have made a mistake or two on the course, but I really did give it my all and I never gave up. I didn't get the win but I PR'd by 17 minutes, I ran the 9th fastest women's time ever at JFK, I broke 7 hours and I got a qualifier for the 100k World Championships in Holland next year! As the saying goes, winning isn't everything, right?

Congrats to all the finishers and especially to Amy, because I know I made her earn it!

Ready For Varsity

Autumn Leaves is a low key event in nearby Champoeg State Park. New Race Director Bret Henry and his wife Gail did the local ultra community a great service by resurrecting this race after a one year hiatus in 2009 and some problems in 2008. The course is a very flat, 6.25 mile loop mostly on paved bike path, but with about 1.5 miles of gentle trail each loop. The 50 mile runners, 50k runners, early starters, and (at 10am) 10k runners in combination with an out and back section made for a run where there were always people around, but not so much as to feel crowded. The course is billed as perfect "for your first ultra event or for the experienced ultra-runner to get that PR you always wanted." I fit a little into both categories as this was my first ultra after taking most of September off, but because it was the "easiest" course I have ever run, I also wanted a PR.

The RD's: "The beautiful Mrs. Henry and that guy" (those are Bret's words, not mine!)

I think in a race with two or more ultra distances, the "main event" is always the longest one. Ultra runners operate on a "more is better" mentality, so I think the competition/participation tends to center around the long event, but for me, the 50k was the right option. I joked all week that I was only running the JV event. That was not to belittle the 50k, but I just wanted to keep the race a light-hearted affair and not make too much out of it in my head. Also to keep things light hearted I decided to play along with the "costumes encouraged" aspect of this pre-Halloween race. So I broke out the costume box (doesn't everybody have one of these?) and found an old dress from a 60's party. My pre-race activities included finding all the right accessories to complete the look. I even spray painted my shoes white! Unfortunately, the shoe tech materials don't take paint well so the shoes turned out more "Nurse Ratched" than pseudo-white vinyl awesomeness, but A for effort, right? ;)

Go Go Girl! Get it? Cause I go, go! I know, genius, right? ;)

The first lap needed a headlamp for navigation and served as a warm-up. I was in 5th or 6th place behind a handful of guys, at least two of which were 50 milers. My second lap was significantly faster and I worried that I would pay for it later, but I managed to stay pretty consistent for the rest of the day. I moved up steadily throughout the day and finally caught the second place guy on lap four. The last lap was fun because all the 10kers started about 5 minutes before I completed my 4th lap, so there was a lot of new energy on the course for my final loop. Plus, the 10k back of the packers were really displaying their Halloween spirit and I traded a few laughs with several other decked out ladies when I passed by. Now why weren't there any guys or more ultra runners in costume??

Who hired these clowns?? Just kidding, Geof and Larry!

The first place guy in the 50k was a 2:20 marathoner from Eugene (a town that seems to be over-flowing with 2:20 marathoners!) who was running his first 50k and didn't have any problems going 5 miles beyond his usual distance. He was definitely out of my league and kept me from enjoying an overall victory by pummeling me with a 3:21 finish. But I surprised myself with my pace and even ran my second fastest marathon ever (3:13) en route to a 3:51 finish time. My time was 8 minutes ahead of third and it broke the women's course record by 31 minutes. Mostly though, I am just psyched to feel like I am running well and enjoying it again!

For you gear and equipment types out there, here is a list of the high tech stuff that I wore to achieve my 50k PR:
- The Original Inc, 100% polyester dress in fluorescent orange. Surprisingly comfortable, though I'd recommend this for cold weather only as polyester doesn't "breathe" very well. However, when I run in tech fabric I usually smell like a homeless person by the end of the race (TMI??), but the polyester was stink free! I was pretty shocked by the washing directions: "dry clean only." Seriously, who dry cleans polyester?? Fortunately, it has withstood multiple machine washings with no ill-effects.
- A new pair of sock sleeves (aka Benmoes), K-mart, $2.00, some assembly required. I needed to combat the cold but not detract from the over look. I think the words "war is pointless" and the peace symbols on the converted socks added a special touch, tough it may be a bit of a faux pas to mix the iconic 60's styles of the go go girl and the hippie. But I figured I had a little bit more leeway since I was born in the 70's.
- Joe Boxer hot pink gloves (K-mart, $1.00). Classic ladies magic stretch gloves in a bright new shade!
-Hot pink hair band (K-mart, 3/$2.00), to match the hot pink gloves!
-Injinji knee high compression socks (Free Western States schwag)
- Spray painted (white) Brooks Adrenaline Shoes. As mentioned, this didn't exactly achieve the effect that I was hoping for, but even more disappointing was that nobody seemed to appreciate that I had sprayed my shoes. C'mon people, where is the love??

My post race attire still needs some work.

Happy Halloween!

Rest And Renewal

As a pathologist, the cornerstone of my job is the diagnosis and evaluation of cancer. But the reality is that over 90% of the specimens I see are benign. A good portion of my work day is spent evaluating acute (inflammation, ulceration, necrosis) and chronic (scarring, healing, hypertrophy) reactive processes in tissue. But it was only in the last couple of months that I have come to appreciate the differences between acute and chronic fatigue.

Western States was a bit of a Pyrrhic Victory for me: I won the battle (or at least got F10 in the battle!), but my body was ravaged by the effort. The nine weeks between Western States and Angeles Crest weren't fun. Running was a chore and mechanically, things just didn't seem to be working right. Somewhere around mile 37 of Angeles Crest, the full weight of my ongoing exhaustion hit me and by mile 50, I was ready to surrender. It wasn't a good outcome, but it forced me to accept how tired and beat up I really was.

All I can say is that I was in a pit of deep, chronic fatigue. I don't mean that in "Chronic Fatigue Syndrome" kind of way, but rather an on-going cycle of physical exhaustion.

A couple people said, "You probably have endocrine fatigue." It is a term I have seen on irunfar.com before, too. I don't know what endocrine fatigue means; it is certainly not something that was covered in medical school. Frankly, I don't buy into it at all. For starters, I had my endocrine levels tested, and they were all fine. I've had several other friends with fatigue issues at one point in their lives, and (with the exception of one person with post-partum hypo-thyroidism, not running related) none of them have ever had out of whack endocrine levels. I also talked with an endocrinologist colleague of mine about the possibility of adrenal malfunction secondary to intense physical activity and he looked at me like I was from Mars before he politely said,"I have never heard of such a thing." However, I do believe there was some physiologic alteration that was underlying this and that it wasn't just "burn-out" or "all in my head" (That's what all the crazies say, right?). Seriously, though, my resting heart rate was constantly elevated, but even more noticeable was my elevated breathing rate, even at rest. And things just got worse with physical activity. I wonder if this was some sort of alteration in autonomic nervous system functioning, but I don't really have any proof of that either.

Whatever the underlying mechanism, low mileage for nine weeks hadn't helped. Taking day or two off didn't really help, and so the only option I could see was to take time off - completely off, not even any cross training - and truly just REST. (Ryan Hall sounds like he has recently had similar problems and came to the same conclusion, not that I am trying to compare myself to Ryan Hall!)

Three and a half weeks of nothing. People asked me if it was hard to give up running for that long, but really it was easy. Who wants to run when each step hurts, your legs ache for hours after a run, and even the easiest of paces feels like a monumental effort?

My 36th birthday marked my return to running. It seemed symbolic, to start on my new year, but really that was not my intention. The real reason I started running again that day was because a friend called me up and said, "Hey, let's go for a run and then let's get a group together to go out for a beer for your birthday." What can I say, not all decisions are based on profound reasoning. ;)

So I have been back for one month and I feel great. I was definitely out of shape when I started back, but I didn't even care. It was just so nice to have my legs moving in a fluid motion again and no aching afterwards. It is amazing how fast the body progresses and remembers, too. In just 4 weeks my 1000m repeat times have dropped 30 seconds (mostly that reflects how out of shape I was the first week).

During the past month, I have done four runs of 20+ miles. I have felt good on every one, but I am always dead the rest of the day. That is nothing new; I experienced that way before I was an ultra-runner as I remember how much I cherished a nap after my marathon long training runs (in the pre-kid era). Yet the first couple of times, it put me in a panic: "OMG, did I just do too much? Am I headed back to that awful place?!?" But I now see this as acute fatigue, something that is essential in training to signal adaptation in the body and improve fitness. It is tiredness, but is something the body can bounce back from in a day or two. The key, of course, is allowing your body that time to recover, to keep those incidents of acute fatigue from piling up and morphing into something worse, such as an injury or chronic fatigue.

Live and learn. And get plenty of rest.

Ultra Husband and The Free Bottle of Wine

I consider the 2008 McKenzie River Trail Run was my first official ultra and I LOVED it. The course is beautiful and very runner friendly with 3,000 feet of elevation loss, but enough technical footing to make you feel like you worked hard for your finish. I was excited to go back this year, but I was even more excited for my husband who was running his first ultra!!

After AC, though, I knew racing was out of the question. I just don’t seem to have my “race legs” under me right now and I knew I didn’t want to just try to survive another race. I considered running with my husband Mackenzie (aka Mac, but I am using his full name in honor of the race!), but in the end I decided a complete break from running was in my best interest.

So last week I e-mailed the race director telling him that I wouldn’t be running, but that I’d still like my goodie bag.

OK, normally I wouldn’t care about picking up a cotton T-shirt, but this year MRTR was giving out Free Bottles of Wine! Now, I am not even that much of a wine drinker. But this was a Free Bottle of Wine, so I wanted it very badly. Plus, I felt like it would be super sneaky to get a Free Bottle of Wine from a race where I had Free Entry; I’d be achieving a Free Double Whammy! (Did I mention I am cheap??).

My parents graciously agreed to babysit the offspring, so Mac and I set off Friday night for McKenzie Bridge, two care-free cool cats, looking stylin' as we cruised down the highway in our mini-van.

We stopped at check-in, where I reminded them that I wouldn't be running, but still they just handed me my Free Bottle of Wine without any hesitation. They didn't even card me!

The exalted Free Bottle of Wine

After dinner, we headed to our cabin at Cedarwood Inn. We had a king sized bed and no kids, so you know what that means. That's right, we went straight to sleep without even reading any bedtime stories! Good thing, too, cause Mr. Nervous got up super early to pin his number on four different ways, fidget with his Garmin, and tape his nipples. It took me back to 2008, when the night before McKenzie River, I tried on four different sports bras and made swinging arm running movements in front of the mirror trying to decide which one to wear in the race, even though I had logged hundreds of miles in each of them.

On our drive up to the start, there were several insane people hitchhiking on the highway, but they were holding up race numbers, so we could identify their psychosis as masochism and not serial killer-ism, so we picked up our first hitch-hiker!! Woo-hoo - a lot of firsts going on this weekend!

We hung out with a lot of the Corvallis crew until the start. After the runners were off, I helped a friend shuttle cars to the finish. We got done just in time to make it to AS#1. We got to see the fast guys on their way back from the 1.5 mile out and back and everyone from about 10th place down going both directions, so we did lots of cheering. Unfortunately, when it was time to leave, my mini-van had become a medi-van as two runners had taken nasty tumbles in the lava rock sections and were out for the day. One of the casualties was my friend April who was keeping Mac company on the course when she rolled her ankle and ended up with a bad sprain (Mac was obviously charming the ladies right off of their feet). I hated to see her day end like that, especially since she was one of only three people (and the only woman) on track to finish all seven of the Oregon Trail Series Races, but I did really enjoy her company for the rest of the day as I crewed Mac, helped a few Salem friends, and cheered for runners.

We were befuddled by construction and running late from the injuries, so we didn't make it to AS#2, but got to AS#3 early enough to see all but the first six guys. Mac looked good, but was pissed about the five yellow-jacket stings he had taken in the last section.

On to AS#4. Mac still looked good, but he had lost his appetite. He kept staring at the AS food, but couldn't find anything to eat.

We skipped AS#5 and went straight to the finish to see many of the people we knew finish it up. Mac finished his first ultra in 5:49!! I can't exactly say his face was glowing with pride as he crossed the line; it was more like a pale green tinge with vacant eyes. But he did it and I am super-proud of him! You can read his account here.

Mac's efforts to become a ultrarunner kind of made my quest for a Free Bottle of Wine seem just a tad bit shallow and trivial. So when I got home, I gave my* Free Bottle of Wine to my parents as a Thank You for watching the kids.

(* - By "my" I really mean Mac's because we are married and what's his is mine. It may be shallow and trivial, but it is still a Free Bottle of Wine and I am not giving it up that easily! Besides, Mac has pride and self-satisfaction from MRTR, all I have is the Free Bottle of Wine!)