Rocky Raccoon 100 Race Report

Rocky Raccoon was everything I was hoping it to be plus more! I went into it a bit tentative--I was under trained in December due to some foot things and then I tried to cram train (which isn't too smart). My body was fragile going into Rocky, but it held up and made me excited for the racing year ahead! .

The weather was perfect for running! It had rained the whole week prior, but stopped in time for the course to be mostly dry and mud-free! I went into the race with a basic pacing plan. The course is five 20 mile loops, so I decided to try to be around 3 hours per loop. I had my Garmin 405 on, but in the thick of the trees, it was hard to figure out my pace. So, I just ran by feel trying to be between 9-9:30 minute miles.
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We started out in the dark at 6:00am on Saturday. The temperature felt mild to me so I only needed a long sleeved shirt. Right away, I found myself running with Connie Gardner and Liza Howard. I reminded myself to not worry about them--just my pace. They took off ahead and we played a bit of a yo-yo game for the first loop. I finished the first loop in about 2:47 which was much faster than I wanted to be, so I slowed down for loop 2.

Heading into loop 2, I had some awesome conversations with many runners. I love running with people and hearing their stories. Then I caught my foot on a root and fell hard. I smacked my head off of the ground and was a bit dizzy at first. I was frozen on the ground for a moment, but was able to shake it off and continue on. That reminded me that I was getting too comfortable with the conversations, so I need to keep my focus on the course and my pace.

David was at the next aid station with a new bottle for me and I told him the story. He probably thought that I would deteriorate quickly after that. I saw the look in his eyes, but luckily was able to return to normal and finish loop 2 in about 3:05.

Loop 3 is always very exciting because I knew it was my last one alone before I picked up my pacer. I really tried to push this loop because I wanted to get in as many miles before the sun went down. I finished this loop feeling strong about 20 minutes behind Liza, the lead woman. I don't know my time for the loop because my good old Garmin had enough and the battery died.


Loop 4 & 5, I ran the last 40 miles with Pete M. from Texas. He is running buds with Meredith. She was kind enough to set me up with him prior to the race. Pete is a great pacer--he didn't talk too much, tried to push the pace, and just let me do my thing. When we did talk, I found out that we have a lot in common. We both teach 6 & 7 grade math, so we had fun swapping stories. Pete is a fantastic pacer and a super fast runner himself! The last 40 miles really went by quickly. I really don't remember much except I didn't fall at all in the dark on loop 5 which is a small miracle after all the falling I did in 2009! I give credit to wearing TWO super bright Black Diamond headlights.

I do remember the last 8 miles because I got the worst hiccups, which is a first for me in a race! They were those deep ones that shake your entire body! It was actually kind of funny because we were running deep in the forest at night with nothing around and then you'd hear my obnoxious hiccups! Another reason Pete is a great pacer--he didn't complain! We got to the last aid station and Dave handed me my final bottle as I tried to finish strong.

I got to the finish in 16:54 only about 3 minutes off my time from last year which was good enough for 2nd female and 6th overall. Liza ran an incredible race and finished in a speedy time of 15:45. She is super nice and will be a factor at Western States this summer! I am please that I held up after the rocky start to my training for the year!
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David and I spent the rest on Saturday with Meredith, Paul, and Pete at our hotel. We had some amazing BBQ that Meredith brought from Austin. After that, we all passed out! Sunday morning, we were able to enjoy breakfast together again and my friend Tammy joined us before we all headed home. What a great weekend!

I want to thank my amazing husband, David, for all his support ALL the time! Thanks to Drymax for keeping my feet dry and blister free in the Maximum Protection socks. Thank you Hammer for fueling me (I love their new Huckleberry gel flavor). Thanks to Pete my pacer and Meredith & Paul for the pre and post race fun!

There is not a better way to spend a weekend! Results here.

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Rocky Raccoon 100 Pictures

The Rocky Raccoon 100 was another amazing day! I had a blast running, seeing old friends, making some new ones, and overall loving the experience! Enjoy the pictures--race report to follow!

Badwater Bud- Jonathan Gunderson and I playing chase all day.

The finish! 16:54!

I took a tumble on the second loop--hit my head hard too, but felt ok to keep running!

My amazing pacer Pete! He paced me 40 miles!

Meredith and I at the finish! She had an amazing day in the 50 and a HUGE PR!

Tammy and I--she had a PR in the 50 too! Unfortunately she is probably still stuck in TX. Flying back east is a challenge right now!

My Texas fire ant award and belt buckle!

Extremely dry and blister free feet thanks to my Drymax Maximum Protection Trail socks! Only 1 pair the entire race!

Ready for Rocky!

It has been a busy week with parent teacher conferences in the evenings, but I got through them easily thinking about what I was in store for this weekend! David and I are heading to Huntsville, Texas again for the Rocky Raccoon 100. I made my final decision to go on Tuesday--wasn't sure because of a few pains from the gym's stair climber. But, I am excited to know that I'll be making the trip! I had a blast there last year and am looking forward to sharing the trails with over 700 people entered in all the races! Joe Prusaitis puts on an amazing event and I can't wait to have some time with friends, feel that racing feeling again, and just plain old run for a long time!

Endurance Planet Pod Cast

Last week, I had the opportunity to talk with Kevin Patrick from Endurance Planet. This is a cool site that is all about endurance sports! Kevin is an ultra runner himself, so it is always fun to talk to people who understand the sport! If you want to listen to the interview click here.

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Runners Roost Appearance

This Saturday at 5:30pm, I'll be at the Runners Roost in Lakewood, CO with Gus from Drymax. Gus will be doing a sock demonstration and I will be doing an ultra running Q&A session. If you are near Lakewood, CO come on out for fun and Drymax freebies! I am excited to get to meet some more fellow Colorado runners! Thanks Sonya from Runners Roost for setting this up!

Also, a huge CONGRATULATIONS to everyone at the Brazil 135 this past weekend! Brian Krogmann rocked the challenging course coming in an impressive 3rd overall! Anthony Portera showed an amazing will to finish crossing the line in 53 hours! Congratulations!

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The Ghost Town 38.5 Race Report

The Ghost Town 38.5 was an awesome event! It is definitely more than a race. The race director, Susan Reynolds, really makes it a whole experience with a Greek theme and amazing meals! It is really well organized with very helpful volunteers. In 2010, the race celebrated it's 5 year anniversary, Santa Fe celebrated being a city for 400 years, and it has been 2,500 years since the battle of Marathon.



Morrison exploring the beautiful Gila National Forest (near Hillsboro, NM) on Saturday

Me with about 8 miles left in the race.

This is the "running man" cactus David spotted while waiting for me to finish.

Hellenic dancers performed at the pre-race festivities

All finishers received chile ristras from Hatch, NM.

Happy feet (please excuse my chipped nail polish) after wearing Drymax Maximum Protection's prototype trail sock and no blisters!

Let me tell you, it was FANTASTIC to be running a race again! This race had a little bit of something for everyone. It is run on roads, fire trails, and more technical trails with flat sections, rolling sections, and downright steep parts. There was dirt, ice, snow, water, and rocks to nagivate over. For me 38.5 miles is really short--I secretly wished I could run the race twice! The week prior, I ran 164 miles (with 90 miles done last Saturday and Sunday), so I went into the race as purely a training run.

'I was trying to push out of my comfort zone during this race. It felt fast to me from the start, but I kept telling myself that this isn't a 100 and that I should feel uncomfortable. I remember looking at my Garmin at one point and I was running 7:10 miles (something that I am not used to doing in a race)! There were some out and back sections where I could see what was going on up front. It was great to see Nick Clark, AJW, and Pete Stevenson battle it out. I also saw the eventual women's winner, Rochelle Wirth. She is a 50K sensation in Minnesota and ran strong the entire way!

'I am very pleased with my efforts at the race after my high mileage week. I will be trying to throw in shorter races now and again so I can work on my turnover (even though I don't necessarily like to run fast)! What a great weekend!

Complete results will be posted here.

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Off to the Ghost Town 38.5

David, Morrison, and I are off to Southern New Mexico for the Ghost Town 38.5. One of the bonuses of being a teacher in my district is that we get MLK day off, so David and I thought it would be fun to check out this race. It startes on Sunday, so we'll also get time to see some of the area. It is early season and a short race for me, but looking forward to getting back to racing. I've read tons of great things about this race and how wonderful the race director is....you can camp on her property and they have a big pre-race party and then a post-race one too. Plus, I get to check off another state on my quest to run an ultra in every state. I can't wait to get out on this beautiful course! Have a great weekend everyone!
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