Gettin’ Down and Dirty at the Dirty 30

Really happy with how my Golden Gate Dirty 30 race went yesterday. At this race, you could choose the time you start based on the time you expect to finish. Since I was shooting for a 6:18-6:30 I started at 8am which meant I was with the really fast peeps! We all started off pretty fast considering we immediately started going up a decent sized climb. After a couple miles I decided if I were going to have a good day I just needed to do my own thing and slow it down a bit up the climbs....which meant I let a lot of people pass me. I think I may have been last in that group, as I passed the first aid station without stopping, I looked back and couldn’t see anyone behind me. 

At one of the intersections, a woman told me I was in 10th place but I tried not to be concerned with it and just did my thing. The course was so pretty so I made sure that I enjoyed the trail time! It was also a really rocky course so it took a lot of concentration not to fall. At this point, I was in my groove and started passing people that were in the 7 hour start time and then some that started with me at 8am. I passed a couple girls that I thought started at my time which meant I was moving up in the field. As I passed one woman that had started with me, I told her to come with me and I asked where she was from, what she was training for....we ran the sketchy section together and all the way to the 17mile checkpoint. I was in and out of there in about a minute. I looked for her before leaving and was going to see if she still wanted to come with me and continue to share some miles but I didn’t see her and didn’t want to waste time so I just took off. On my way out I saw Courtney Dauwalter cheering folks on and got a high five from her. 

We immediately hit another climb so I made sure to eat my nutrition (M&M’s) on the way up since I didn’t really spend much time at the aid station. It felt good to pass people on the uphills and even better to reel them in on the downhills. I love downhill running because I just go for it. It’s more technical running where you have to fast turnover. It takes a lot of concentration because you are always looking ahead and acting fast on your feet!

On the last BIG climb up to Windy Peak, I saw two of my friends Sam and Melissa. They were a little ahead of me on the climb - on the way down I passed but soon after Sam came with me and since she too is a really really strong downhill runner she got in front and led us to the finish. There was a woman in front of her that I had passed a little earlier in the race but then she passed me again but that I had my eye on. I wanted to pass her and it was like Sam read my mind because right at the last corner Sam stepped off and let me go by and I was right on that woman’s heals, I asked to pass and she said there was no room so as soon as we got on the flat ground with the finish line ahead of us, I kicked it in and put 5 seconds on her for a 7th place finish! I kind of felt bad passing her in the end but we had been back and forth already and after all, it is a race. 

Pic Cred: Wendy Stalnaker 

Overall it was a really good day, no stomach issues, no real breathing issues...and I just felt strong! It was fun afterward too because we had a lot of friends there :) Good times!

Pic cred: Bj Howell

Pic Cred: Melissa Renee

Pic Cred: Wendy Stalnaker

Race stats:

32.2 miles

7250ft of Vertical Gain

6:37:40hrs

7th Place woman/2nd Age-group 

Quads Rocked at the Quad Rock 50 Miler

This past weekend I ran the Quad Rock 50 Miler. It was, as many had told me, a difficult race. With about 11,000ft of vertical gain/loss, it slowed me down a lot. All was good, I was feeling strong and happy and in 6th place. However, a little after mile 14 I was bombing down a loose, rocky section and my left toe caught a rock and before I knew what was happening I was skidding down the path on my belly, hands out in front in Superman style, my legs taking the brunt of the fall. I got up to make sure I was ok, I was bleeding and my right knee felt a little funny. Soon after as I was trying to analyze my situation, a woman ran up and asked if I was ok, she offered to stay with me but I told her I was fine and to go on ahead. I followed her but my pace had slowed...I was both a little shaken up and still feeling some pain. The first thing that went through my head was, just quit at the 25mile point (the halfway checkpoint), at this checkpoint, you could evidently stop and it would not count as a DNF but as if you finished the 25 miler. But after a couple more miles the pain I had felt seemed to disappear...but since I was already feeling negativity from the fall, I had to fight the DNF demons that kept telling me I had a reason to drop. Just drop, people would understand...but then the fighter in my brain said no way, you’re not even really hurt, don’t quit...nobody else will know but you will. You cannot live with that! So as I reached the 25mile turn around point and people made a big deal about my blood and offered a chair, I simply said, no way...I’m not sitting. I grabbed some more fluids and was on my way. I “ran” or shuffled almost the entire climb, only power-hiking on the super steep sections.

 As I reached the top of that “first climb in the second half” I started to develop a cough, this is something that has happened in many races before so I just thought, no big deal...just super annoying. Lots of runners asked if I were ok because every couple feet I was coughing. As the miles ticked by this also messed with my head...maybe another reason to drop? But, I didn’t let those thoughts stay in my head. My pace had slowed but I was still running. Several women passed me at this point and I guessed that I was somewhere around 10th place. 

The last 10 miles are kind of a blur. I did come into the final checkpoint at mile 49, took one last swig of cola to get me to the finish, however, soon after leaving that checkpoint, I got a wave of nausea (first of the race so I’d say that was a win) and vomited up everything that was in my stomach. I didn’t care because I could see the finish. As soon as I crossed the finish-line I couldn’t stop coughing and actually wasn’t able to catch my breath. There were some EMT’s there that brought me into the ambulance and gave me a breathing treatment which really seemed to help. They also had me go to the ER where they took an X-ray of me and prescribed an inhaler and told me I should see a pulmonary doc. Not the best way to end the race but I’m so happy I stuck it out and didn’t let the negative talk win! 

This is why I love Ultrarunning...your brain has to fight with your brain to push through and finish what you started. Now, I can’t help but wonder, how the hell am I going to run a 100 miler in a couple months?!?! 

My Stats:
50 Miles
11,000Ft of Vert Gain/Loss
11:33:31 hours
11th Place Woman

The Springs

It has been 57 days since moving to Colorado Springs and as I'm sure you can imagine, things have been quite busy with lots of changes, adjustments and new experiences. One of the biggest of changes is that I've decided to leave my job in the government and pursue a new career path. Even though there are a lot of things I enjoy about IT, I have felt a strong desire to go into a field that I'm more passionate about. So, I've chosen to take the opportunity of this move to do just that. I'm applying for my Masters in Health Promotion at UCCS. Hopefully, I get in this Spring but since I had to rush to meet the application deadline, I'm prepared to wait until Fall to apply, if it comes to that. In the meantime, I'm at home with Adelaide which is both challenging and amazing. I love seeing her development and enjoy knowing I'm playing an active role. I'm also trying to train/run as much as I can and for the next 5 weeks I'm in Core Power Teacher Training so that I can become a better Yogi and teach, if I so choose. I'm really enjoying Yoga. This is my 3rd week in the 8 week program and it's great...challenging, but great. Yoga is so amazing! I wish everyone would practice so they too can benefit from it. I really enjoy the feeling of control, strength and connection with my body and mind...it is so empowering.

Some other notable changes are, we are buying land in an area called Crystal Park, our property is a little above 8600ft with a view of Cameron Cone and little bit of Pikes Peak. Once we close we will begin the building process which I'm pretty excited about. Until then, we are living in a cheap not so great apartment...but it's worth it since soon we will be living IN the mountains...a dream come true.

Since being back in the states, we have traveled twice to Phoenix to visit our besties, we've been snowboarding in Breckenridge, Colorado and in the Snowbowl, Arizona. I realized this last trip that I hate my snowboard and that I'm ready for a new one. I tried out a Never Summer Infinity board and fell in LOVE! It was a-maz-ing. I could not believe what a difference it made to my riding. I was able to fly down the mountain, have complete control, transition and ride better than I ever have.

Other than going to my races we have one big trip planned...we are going to Peru. I cannot wait. I'm going to get to see where my grandmother is from, meet lots of family and FINALLY see South America and hike Machu Picchu! It's going to be an amazing vacation...especially because my Aunt & Uncle, Cousins and our best friends will be joining us. It will be a truly epic trip!

Addie is growing and speaking so well. She understands everything and is really starting test boundaries. She's amazing though, so sweet, loving and really really smart. Her vocabulary is huge, she tries to repeat everything. The other day she had several new words all in one day. She can now say "me, YoYo, green and bowl". She is also putting sentences together...three word sentences such as "that's daddy's bike" "that's momma's bike" It's pretty crazy.

I've signed up for several US races so far for the year, unfortunately, I won't be able to run the European races I was planning on running. But that's ok, because I'm excited to run in the US...I've never raced anything over a 15k here. It's going to be a very new experience and I'm kind of excited about it. I'm going to do a race in Arizona called the Mesquite Canyon, then I'm running the Broken Arrow in Lake Tahoe and as of today, I'm running the Pikes Peak Marathon.

Okay, so that's about it for an update. Things are going well...I'm excited for each new adventure that comes my way.

- Namaste ;)

Enjoying my first run in Red Rock Canyon Open Space

Addie and I in Garden of the Gods

Barr Trail

Snow Bowl, AZ with our amazing friends!

The girls having some fun in Phoenix :)

Ran up Camelback in Phoenix

A little International Women's Day selfie :)

Addie and momma at the park enjoying a sunny day in March

Climbing the Incline

Our property on Sunrise Peak in Crystal Park

View of our future home from Barr Trail

The Manitou Incline

Addie and I with Pikes Peak behind us