Start Me Up - January 2022

Somehow more than six months have passed since I last sat down to write in this space. Some pretty great things happened in that time too: Kerrville Triathlon, DRC Half Marathon, Rockledge Rumble, the North Texas Turkey Trot, and Dallas Marathon Half. Maybe I will circle back and catch these sometime, but for now I am going to focus on more current times. I have missed blogging and I have decided to try to do monthly recaps in 2022 instead of individual race recaps. We'll see how this goes!

New Year's Day 

When you wake up to spring weather and January 1st is on a Saturday, you go and ride your bike! I hadn't been outside on my bike since late October so it sure felt great to hit the open roads with Mr K and Colleen. We had to take advantage of the mild morning because by nightfall temperatures had plunged to below freezing with a strong north wind. Insert cliche about Texas weather here....

Hotcake Hustle 10K

I had gotten away from running races even before everything was cancelled in 2020. I found myself in a pattern of racing one or two really BIG races each year and let many of the shorter, smaller races go by the wayside. Now that races are back, I realize how much I've missed them and I made it a goal to race at least once each month. January 8 brought the first race of the year: the Hotcake Hustle 10K. This is a longstanding local race, but I'd never run it before. The NTX Turkey Trot was the first 10K I'd run in years and my goal was to run it just a little bit faster than I'd run that race. 

I haven't done much speedwork, but I have been working on running steady, focused, and patient. The weather was in the upper 40s with a light rain - pretty good for running but pretty miserable for standing around before and after the race. I really enjoyed this course through Oak Point Park, especially after the turnaround in mile 4 because I knew that the there wouldn't be any more hills and that we would get a gentle downhill. This worked perfectly with my plan to keep things steady and controlled until mile 4 when I planned to let her rip. I got it done 5 seconds faster than the Turkey Trot so I took that as a win for the day. The biggest win, however, were the post race pancakes that I enjoyed with Mr K and Colleen.

Too Cold To Hold 13.1

On January 29 I ran the Too Cold To Hold half marathon at White Rock Lake. This was one of my favorite races back in the day and it felt great to get back to it after 7 years away. Where does the time go? Race morning was bustling as there was also a 5K and a 10K in addition to the half marathon and we saw many familiar faces. The weather was a perfect 35 degrees with big sunshine and very little wind. 

My plan was similar to the Hotcake Hustle - run steady through the first half and then gradually pick up the speed until mile 10 then let her rip. My goal was also similar: run just a little bit faster than the Dallas Marathon Half in December. This would be another step in regaining my running mojo, a process that I started back in November. I got off to a great start and ran smoothly and conservatively until the turn around just after mile 7. White Rock lake was simply gorgeous and it was easy to focus on the beautiful surroundings and just cruise. Once I got past the turnaround, I was able to focus on runners ahead of me to pick off while steadily dropping the pace. I was in such a good space mentally, it feels so good to break out of that negative headspace I had been racing in during the last couple of years. 

I executed this race exactly as I planned and crossed the finish line 2 minutes and 15 seconds faster than my run at Dallas Marathon half and over 6 minutes faster than the DRC Half in November. My comeback is well underway!  I also got to race in my Coeur Sports 2022 Ambassador Team kit for the first time. I feel fortunate for another year of racing on this team and I try my best to be a positive force on the race course. 

2022 Plans

What is coming up in 2022? I plan to run Cowtown Half in February and Grasslands Trail Half in March. That will take me into my favorite season - triathlon season - where I have some big plans. I'm super excited to be racing Musselman 70.3 in Geneva, NY this July! 

Several of my Coeur Sports teammates will be racing as well and I'm so excited to meet many of them in person for the first time. I will also be racing Kerrville Triathlon Festival 70.3 in September. 

I have been selected as a race ambassador for Kerrville Triathlon and I'm really excited to return to the Kerrvillle and "the most scenic triathlon in Texas"  You can join the fun - use discount code KennemerKerrTri2022 for $10 off your race registration. 

I couldn't ask for a better start to 2022! I'm looking forward to great year of training hard and racing happy. 

Life isn't about waiting for the storm to pass....except this one time....

For the first time since September 2019, I got the opportunity to race a triathlon. There were so many obstacles between 2019 and this race day - a global pandemic that shut down racing entirely for most of 2020, a stress fracture that left me unable to run for approximately 8 weeks in early 2021, and severe thunderstorms on race morning - to say that I felt fortunate to race would be a huge understatement! Ironman Des Moines 70.3 was finally here!

The days leading up to the race were pretty terrific, I got to leave the state of Texas for the first time since February 2020 and go on an old-fashioned road trip with Erik across some states that I'd never seen before. The day before the race Erik and I met up with some of my Coeur Sports teammates for a short ride over part of the race course. Even though it was my first time to meet my teammates in person, it felt like seeing old friends again. The connections that we made during the pandemic year were invaluable and while it was a huge bummer that I never got to race in my 2020 kit, I wouldn't trade the friendships forged during a time of isolation and no races. The ride was fast and fun and it had me feeling really excited about the bike course that we would be racing the next morning.

Photo: Ruth Rickey

The forecast, however, was not looking as promising as that bike ride felt. I decided not to worry about the weather because it was beyond my control, but I really hoped that the race would happen, otherwise, we just took a really long drive to Iowa for a short bike ride.  The communication from Ironman and the race directors was spot on - we were never left guessing and our safety always appeared to be top of their mind. We received notification the night before that the race would be delayed approximately one hour, I really appreciated the extra hour of sleep. Upon waking on race morning, we received another notification asking us to stay in a sheltered location and wait an additional update coming by 7:30. Eventually I got dressed, ate some breakfast, and we headed to the race as the rain was still falling. Upon arrival, we learned that the race would start for age group athletes at 9:40 and that the bike course would be half of the usual distance (27 miles instead of 56). 

It was still raining as Erik and I made the one mile walk from the car to Transition, where my bike was waiting for me. I still wasn't sure that this race was happening and I felt nervous about riding on wet roads with all of those people (this race was huge with 2354 finishers!). I would be lying if I told you I didn't check the Ironman Lubbock website to see if they had openings for the next weekend (back-up plan, anyone?). But once I got into Transition, I found my groove and went about setting up my stuff. It has been so long since I've done this that I took a little extra time to double check everything. I left my sunglasses there as an after thought, not expecting to need them with continued rain in the forecast.

On the way out of transition, I ran into Erin who was also up from DFW for the race. It was great to have someone to talk to as we waited for our turn to start the swim and I also knew that Erik would enjoy hanging out with her husband Steve while we were racing. At 9:53 Erin and I found ourselves at the start line....at long last it was time to go!!

Swim                                                                                                                                        This was my first time to race the 70.3 Half Ironman distance since Ironman Waco in 2018 and the swim in that race was cancelled due to flooding...so going back from there this was my first time to race the 1.2 miles swim distance since 2016 (all my other race swims since then have been at the full Ironman distance of 2.4 miles). I have gained so much confidence in open water swimming since then, I was interested to see what my time would be. The lake was small and shallow and thanks to the recent heatwave, the water temperature was somewhere around 78 degrees. I heard from others that they felt there was a lot of contact in the swim, but I didn't think much about it while I was swimming. There were pockets that were more crowded and there were swimmers that I had to just get around because they were inconsistent in their speed and sighting. As I hit the halfway mark, I felt really grateful that I was not swimming the full Ironman distance that day. I was thrilled when I crossed the timing mat and saw 44:09 on my watch -- a 9:27 improvement! 

T1                                                                                                                                            I had my eye out for Erik as I began the run to Transition. I spotted him amongst the crowd and gave him a huge wave and smile as I began the very long run into transition....I'm not kidding when I say long run....it was .58 miles long! Maybe I should practice barefoot running straight out of the lake if/when I do this race again. When I *finally* made it to my bike I was grateful that I kept my sunglasses because the sun had come on strong while I was swimming. I got my bike and headed for the exit where I spotted teammate Elaina...10:47 later I was on my way to ride.

Bike                                                                                                                                          The bike course was 27.1 miles, half the distance of a typical 70.3 triathlon, but I wasn't sure what part of the course they cut and I was hoping that the portion of the course we rode the day before was still included. I took it more conservatively in the beginning than I would have liked, but I found myself nervous around other people on their bikes. I credit that to not racing (or even being close to strangers) in over a year. Once I got out to the main road I settled in and pushed the pace a bit. Soon enough I recognized our route from the previous day and I felt even more settled. There were a few times that made me feel nervous as the crosswind caught my bike. Thanks to the recent rain in Dallas, I did not get the opportunity to ride much on my race wheels and didn't quite have the confidence on them that I would have liked. The course was an out-and-back and it was fun to cheer for teammates along the way. I hit the u-turn and saw some of my fastest bike splits on the way back. I didn't think much about speed or power and focused on having fun. It was a blast! This is a great course - roads are smooth and the route is fast! Again, I found myself riding more conservatively as we entered Water Works Park and neared the end of the ride. There is always something to work on for future races. I finished the bike in 1:25:05 with an average of 19.35 mph.

T2                                                                                                                                            Back in transition, I switched into my run gear and sprayed myself with sunscreen. I'm also thankful that I kept that with me, although it did not do much good as I still got a pretty good sunburn on my back. I definitely felt rusty in there and could have been more efficient. Fun bike was done and now it was time to run. Transition time 4:54 - another thing to work on for the next race.

Run                                                                                                                                          Normally running is my jam. I came into triathlon as a long time runner and it is the event that I feel most confident at....except lately. Recovering from a metatarsal stress fracture in mid-December set my running game back a bit. This was only my 2nd time to run 13.1 miles since the injury. My confidence for anything over about 8 miles has not returned and I don't think that my endurance is quite there yet either. My plan was to find a steady all-day pace, click off some miles, and walk the water stations that were located every mile or so. This worked fine for me during much of the first loop and I held a steady mid-10:00 pace through the first 7 miles. My fastest mile was 9:40 and came during mile six when I saw Coach Jess, Ruth, Erik, and Steve - those cheers helped me so much! The second loop turned into a death march with the heat and the sun beating down on me. There is precious little shade on this course. I was walking more than I planned to or wanted, but forward is a pace and I was still moving! Seeing Kecia, Michelle, Sarah, and my other Coeur friends on the course gave me a boost here and there. Those smiles go a long way! I got a little more pep in my step during that last mile and I was so excited to turn that last corner and head for the finish. I think that you should celebrate every finish line because they are never promised. Being on that red carpet, hearing the announcer and the crowd again was pretty incredible and I tried to take it all in and really appreciate it. How lucky am I that I get to do these things that I love?! Run time: 2:32:14.    

Total time: 4:55:51

As my friend Kecia so perfectly stated, we are so privileged that we got to race on Sunday in Des Moines. I'm happy with how I handled the weather delay and the change in the bike course. I'm beyond thrilled with how I swam and I had an absolute blast riding my bike. I'm grateful that I can run 13.1 miles because when I signed up for this race I wasn't able to run a step. I have a whole list of things to work on and I'm thankful for that too because the challenge will keep me engaged and focused. I am grateful for Erik's support and encouragement both on race day and beyond. He listens to me ramble on and on about this sport that I love, he loves to ride his bike as much (or more than) me, and lately he has provided excellent kayak support for our weekly open water swims. 

This race knocked off the dust and reignited my fire. My fire for racing and triathlon has been lit!  have a fun calendar ahead of me this summer and I'm ready to do the hard work leading into Kerrville 70.3 in September. It feels great to be back to doing what I love, I didn't realize how much I missed it.  

We now return to (somewhat) regular programming....

The last time that I laced up my shoes to race was March 1, 2020 at the Cowtown Half Marathon. I probably didn't have any business running that far on that day as it was only two weeks after my first ultra marathon at Black Canyon and I just wasn't recovered. I ended up walking the last two or three miles of the race with that same hip and knee pain that plagued me in the later miles of the 60K at Black Canyon. It was my personal worst half marathon time, but hindsight being what it is I'm really grateful to have been out there that day. I remember the crush of people during the post race celebration and laughing and talking with friends while being covered in sunshine. None of us had any idea what a stark contrast our world would be just two weeks later.

March 1, 2020 - my last live race

I kept myself entertained well enough during the remainder of 2020. I enjoy racing, but it is not the reason that I train and I stayed plenty active running, cycling, and swimming once the pools opened up again in June. I enjoyed having the fitness to go after any potential adventure or virtual race that came up. I rode my road bike all summer and ran trails once we started meeting up socially distanced in groups again. I signed up for TransTexas in July and I virtually ran and walked almost all the way across Texas before having to shut it down just a couple of weeks and less than 100 miles from the end. I ran the Dallas Half Marathon virtually on December 12 and had one of my strongest half marathons in a couple of years. I felt great, it was a great day - until later that night I noticed a tender spot on the top of my foot. Things seemed better until I went out for a run the following Tuesday morning and had to shut it down and limp home after 3 miles. It would appear that I had a metatarsal stress fracture, I found myself in an incredibly nerdy flipper shoe throughout the holidays and I did not run for 8 weeks.  

All smiles after my virtual Dallas Half - if I only knew

I've never been more thankful to be a triathlete and poured myself into swimming and cycling while I was not able to run. I joined up with the Coeur Velo live cycling workouts via Zoom and it was one of the best things to happen to my cycling fitness. See? There is always a silver lining if you keep your mind open! I'm still enjoying these workouts super early on weekday mornings and the structured long trainer rides on Saturdays got me through until the weather got nice enough to ride outside again. I am thankful for the community that the Coeur Virtual Cycling Club has brought into my life. The swimming and cycling kept my fitness nice and strong and I even got a little bit of a jump on training for my next big race - Ironman 70.3 in Des Moines coming up this June.

Coming back from a stress fracture is not as easy as they make it sound. I started limited running in February and slowly rebuilt from there. After a various tweaks and pains (not in my foot) related to a compromised gait, I finally started to feel like myself again. I wanted to put a race on my calendar and the Cowtown Half on May 8 worked out perfectly. It would give me something to aim for and would be a good benchmark on where my running is heading into the last block of training for my 70.3 in Des Moines.

After 60 weeks.....race day was here. I've run 13 miles more times than I can count, but I felt the familiar pre-race jitters as we drove to Fort Worth early Saturday morning. I was not expecting a fast race, but I was hoping for a healthy race. It would be my longest run since the injury in December and I just wanted to cover the distance without any pain other than fatigue. The course was modified from the usual course, we ran in reverse with some new sections that I'd never seen. The Cowtown Half is a challenging race to begin with, but they promised us even more hills in this edition.

Start lines these days are very anti-climatic. It is common for a race to give you a start time and you simply walk up and cross the line when it is your turn to go. Erik and I walked up together and then we were off! I watched him disappear into the distance as I settled into an easy pace to start the race. It was my hope to run a relaxed pace and then kick it up at the end if I had anything left. Spoiler alert: this did not happen. 

If felt so good to be running in a live race with other people! I made sure to thank every police office directing traffic and as many of the volunteers as I could. Miles 1-5 were my fastest then things started to slow down from there. I think that it was a combination of the humid weather, the strong winds, the course, and my rusty mental racing game. Sundance Square and the Stockyards are my favorite parts of the Cowtown course and we were through them by mile 6. I also noticed that I didn't feel much wind during any of the early miles, which told me we would have to face it eventually - likely in the later miles. And we did! I started to walk up some of the hills at this point, thinking that it would save me some energy for the flat stretches.

Around mile 9 we entered a park and it was my least favorite part of the course. The path was long and somewhat narrow, the air was heavy, and there just wasn't much to see. I think that this is where my rusty mental game started to get me as I lost focus through here. I was ready to be done! I was also reaching past my longest mileage in months and I know that my endurance isn't quite where it needs to be. I stopped to walk out a brief but sharp side stitch when my Coeur teammate Christa ran by and called out to me. It gave me a boost and I got back to it. 

There was one more long and steady hill to climb and I hiked up it with as much purpose as I could muster. It is amazing how much better I felt knowing that the hills were done and I was able to pick up the pace in that final mile. I found myself with a huge lump in my throat and tears in my eyes as I crossed the finish line. I looked around and tried to take it all in and feel the moment. We have all been waiting so long for these moments that feel so "normal" to return. I will never take a start or a finish line for granted again. Not only were races cancelled for a year due to the pandemic, I was physically unable to run at all just a couple months ago. I am so lucky that I GET to do these things that I love so much! 

The post race hangout was not quite the same, but it was nice to see so many faces that I haven't seen in person for so long. I cannot say enough positive things about the Cowtown race officials and their attention to detail to provide a safe racing environment for us. I'm so appreciative that they made it happen despite the delay on the calendar and the multitude of other challenges I'm sure that they faced. It was the perfect "comeback" race for me and provided closure and a fresh start to the gradual return of normalcy. 

Next up - Ironman 70.3 Des Moines. My first 70.3 since 2018 and I can't wait!

Black Canyon 60K: I am an ultra marathoner

(insert cheesy TV sitcom flashback music here)

Back on February 15, which feels like a lifetime and a whole other world ago, I ran my first ultra marathon - Black Canyon 60K - outside of Phoenix, AZ. I was still processing it all and preparing to write up my race story when the world came undone and my mind shifted to processing other things like living and working in the mist of a global pandemic. At long last, I have circled back around to writing up my Black Canyon 60K race story.

I had many worries and frustrations in last month or so leading into the race as I developed a raging case of poison ivy (thanks, Knob Hills) and a doozy of a sinus infection. I had to dial my training back in the final weeks because I did not want to go into race week with any lingering illness. Thankfully I was feeling pretty normal by the time we flew out to Phoenix early Thursday morning. We flew out with Ninja, Baha, and Karen - Ninja and Baha were running the 100K and Karen served as crew extraordinaire.

 Erik and I stayed in Prescott Valley, which is north of the race start at Mayer High School. The scenery was gorgeous and we were so excited to look out at the horizon and know that we would be running out there, on the Black Canyon National Recreation Trail - starting at Mayer High School and ending in Black Canyon City. This was going to be a big adventure for us both! 

As we drove north towards Prescott Valley, we climbed up to elevation and eventually we began to see leftover snow on the ground. After we settled into our Air BnB, we headed up the road a little more to visit Prescott. Erik and I once ran the Whiskey Row Half Marathon and it was fun to revisit the little shops and restaurants on Whiskey Row. There is nothing like a small mountain town and I was soaking up the crisp air and the laid back vibe.

Friday was filled with a short shake-out run and packet pick-up. We continued to marvel at the scenery as we drove down to Black Canyon City for packet pick-up. This is also where the finish line is for the 60K so we took a moment to scope it out and take a few pictures. I was feeling such a mix of excitement and maybe a little bit of dread as I knew that it was going to be a long day of constant motion. The longest I'd run before this was a marathon and the longest I'd gone on trails was the 22 miler that I did a few weeks before at Running the Rose in Tyler. I love the anticipation that comes with triathlon: tired of swimming? great, you can ride your bike! tired of your bike? awesome, time to run! But ultra running was a whole new game for me - nothing but running for a long, time.

The alarm was early, but not too crazy early as the 60K did not start until 9:00. We parked our cars at the finish line and they shuttled us back up to Mayer High School for the race start. Aravaipa Running (the race company) handled this like a well-oiled machine. In fact, Aravaipa Running puts on a terrific race - a well-marked course that never left me questioning and amazing volunteers and aide stations. Highly recommend! Karen was waiting for us at the high school as she had dropped the 100K runners off there and saw them off for their race start a couple hours earlier. It was nice to have a friendly face there with us as we waited in the high school for our turn to start. I appreciate the laid back vibe of a trail race, it is like no other race start.

When it was time we headed out to the high school track where we took a lap before heading off towards the road that led to the trail at the beginning of our adventure. Erik was just ahead of me in the first few miles of the race and while we did not have a plan to stay together, it became apparent that we would, it would have been a lonely day out there all alone. I felt so winded in the first couple of miles - before we even got to the trails - and I hoped that I would settle in and find a rhythm. Maybe I was nervous, maybe there was a little bit of altitude, eventually it went away and breathing felt a little more normal.

Start to Antelope Mesa (7.7 miles)

My rough plan for the day was to make it from aide station to aide station - there were five of them, between 5-7 miles apart - and then the finish line. The air was so much drier than home, so I made sure to drink plenty and to eat my Spring Energy gels on schedule.  Once we got off of the road, the trial became single track and I felt some pressure to hold my pace because the trail was still a little bit crowded at this point. It did open up after a few miles and runners were able to spread out more. There were some pretty big ruts from horses in this section and I focused on picking up my feet. The horizon really began to open up and the views were breathtaking - lots of people stopping for pictures in here. It was at this aide station that I discovered bean dip rolled up in tortillas was the equivalent of gourmet food. I'd never tasted anything so delicious!

Antelope Mesa to Hidden Treasure Mine (12.9 miles)

This section felt like a runaway rollercoaster at times - winding and narrow single track with a drop off on one side and a mesa on the other. As luck would have it, Erik and I ended up in the front of a long train of runners. Again, I felt the pressure to keep up the pace as there was not much room for runners to go around if they wanted to go faster. Erik was particularly tested by this section as he has a fear of heights and the drop off was just enough to make him feel pretty nervous. We were able to pull over when the trail widened out and several runners thanked Erik for the pull.  We got into the aide station at Hidden Treasure Mine at just under 3 hours and I was beginning to feel a bit "over it." I might have run that last section a little faster than necessary, considering the long day ahead of us. 

Hidden Treasure Mine to Bumble Bee Ranch (19.4 miles)

I rallied and focused on keeping a steady pace into Bumble Bee Ranch - the biggest aide station and essentially the halfway mark. The first half of this race is a big net downhill and I'd read several race reports from runners past who said it is like two different races and also warning not to take the first half too fast. They were not incorrect in these statements. I got past my low spot and I felt really good coming into Bumble Bee Ranch. I planned to take a longer break here and to restock my pack from my drop bag that was waiting here for me. This aide station was a buzz with people and activity (see what I did here). As I got the flashlight from my drop bag, Erik said "I'll bet you won't even need that!" but I wanted to be prepared just in case (a bit of foreshadowing there). 

Bumble Bee Ranch to Gloriana Mine (24 miles)

Less than 5 miles to the next aide station! I knew that there had to be a catch here and there was in the form of a big climb directly out of Bumble Bee Ranch. That paired with tons of rocks on the trail made for slow going. I just didn't trust my feet or my technical running skills and took it much slower in this section. I ran when I could and walked when I didn't feel confident. The views were stunning and I enjoyed looking around and just seeing the giant cactus, blue skies, and rock mesas. During this section Erik and I noticed a runner near us and Erik started talking to him. He was recently retired and traveled the country running or volunteering at ultras. Talk about living the dream! As we journeyed on together, the aide station seemed like a mirage peeking out from around a bend and then disappearing. When we made it there, our new friend sat down and pulled a tuna fish sandwich from his pack. I can't eat a tuna fish sandwich on a regular day and I can't imagine eating one after it had been in a pack for 24 miles, but he seemed perfectly happy - like it was the normal thing to do. Erik and I left him there, eating his sandwich and headed off on our way.

Gloriana Mine to Soap Creek (31.2 miles)

As we headed off towards our next stop, things got a little tense as Erik had an incredibly strong cramp and we both got grumpy with each other. It wasn't long before Mr Tuna Fish passed by us, looking stronger than ever. This section might have been one of the toughest for me as well, as I began to walk more and run less. I had an unusual pain in my right knee and running made it feel as if it might buckle. It was also aggravated by some of the long, downhill stretches that we encountered. I suspect that it was related to fatigue from the downhill pounding in the earlier parts of the race. I think that there were some creek crossings in this part, but it is a blur at this point. Erik was super patient as I gingerly made it through the long descent before mile 30. I know that he was regaining strength with the cooling temperatures and was able to start to run again. Another steep uphill and we found ourselves at the Soap Creek aide station.

Soap Creek to Finish (37.4 miles)

The volunteers at the aide station were very nice, but things were getting more sparse as we were bringing up the rear. I was hoping that I could get a taste of Coke here, but there was none left. No more delicious bean dip roll-ups either. My heart sank a little when the volunteer mentioned that it would be dark and getting colder when we finished in 2 hours. A 2 hour 10K - that seemed like an eternity at this point and I was not encouraged, but I kept moving. I found running to be difficult by this point, but walking felt fine. I have no doubt that Erik could have gone on, he had found his second wind and was running ahead of me a bit, but he did not leave me. It was getting dark and I reached for that flashlight that I didn't think I would need. Come to find out, Erik did not pack a flashlight in his bag so it was one light for the two of us. About three miles from the end we came to a huge river crossing - in the pitch dark - I had no idea how I was going to make this happen, but there was no way I was stopping now. As luck would have it, we ran into a very enthusiastic fellow runner who had a spare light for Erik. I'm beyond thankful for that and for him because I'm not sure how we get through the river crossing without his light. So there I am, calf deep in a cold river in the pitch dark laughing my head off because how did I even get here and can I be done now? The mile with that river crossing took 28:00 - quite possibly the slowest mile of my life - but also the one filled with the most adventure.

The final couple of miles following the river were filled with climbing and switchbacks. I could see lights behind us and up (literally up) ahead of us and I wondered what the scenery looked like in the light. I'll bet it was as beautiful as the rest of the sights we'd seen that day. I could see the lights of Black Canyon City in the distance, but they looked so far away. Just keep moving forward, MK.

A quarter mile or so from the finish I hear a familiar voice from the darkness - it was Drum! I was so surprised because I wasn't expecting her to be there, she'd just moved to Arizona a few weeks before Black Canyon but she did not think she would make it to the race, I wanted to burst into tears. It is such a relief to see a familiar face when you are so tired after doing something so hard. We ran the last little bit to the finish line despite my leg feeling like it might fall off and 10 hours 58 minutes and 43 seconds after we started we crossed the finish line.

Black Canyon 60K was so hard and it seemed impossible at times. It took me over 2 hours longer to finish than my goal and initially I felt a lot of disappointment in myself. Do I enjoy ultra running? The jury is still out on that one. I would like another shot at the 50K - 60K distance, a do-over, before I consider anything longer. I learned a lot of lessons and I have some ideas for how I'd change my training for another one. But at the end of the day (the very long day), I enjoyed an adventure with Erik on an amazing trail, in a beautiful state, and I did something I'd never done before. These are the adventures that keep me coming back for more.

Running the Rose: Sunshine in the Piney Woods

There was not too much time to dwell on my struggles at Knob Hill because the very next Saturday I headed out to Tyler State Park for the Running the Rose 22 miler.  I wanted to get a good test run on things like nutrition, hydration pack, and pacing in the final weeks before Black Canyon 60K.  My attitude - and the race conditions - could not have been more opposite, complete with an email from the race director saying the trails were "the most perfect they have ever been." The forecast promised beautiful sunshine and mild temperatures and I would see lots of friends on the trail.  I was pumped!

I spent a good part of the week leading up to the race trying to rest up, rid myself of the congestion that started at Knob Hills, and fight off a raging case of poison ivy that resulted in a trip to the doctor.  On race day, I woke up with the congestion and a slight cough, but my energy was much improved over the week before.  I was so excited about spending a day playing on the trail amongst the tall pine trees and sunshine.

We found Karen and Jason as soon as we got there and then quickly saw many other friendly faces from Dirt and Vert, Team Ninja, and Dallas Dirt Runners. I love the feeling of community at a trail race.  It is like we are all hanging out at a campground and then a race breaks out. There is not a more relaxed race vibe out there and is such a stark opposite from my other love - triathlon.

The race was an 11 mile loop that you run twice.  Rob, the race director, seemed to take glee in reminding us that there were five big hills in the first two miles.  I knew that the trails at Tyler were hilly, so this did not phase me too much.  I also knew that my first few miles would be slow as I made it over these hills and we all joked as we took off and found ourselves standing still waiting as the line of runners went up and over the hills.

The best part of visiting East Texas is seeing Julie!

My first three miles were a little conservative as I was following a couple of other runners who were going slower than I needed to.  I took this as an opportunity to get through the hills without burning too much energy right out of the gate.  I went around them near the first aide station and never looked back.

After that it became a steady game of run when the trail was runnable, practice hiking when the hills came, and experiment with eating and drinking from my pack. The aide stations were at 3 miles and 8 miles on the loop plus the start/finish.  I made it a point to skip the 3 mile aide station and go all the way to the 8 mile stop each time because the aide stations at Black Canyon 60K are approximately 7 miles apart.  Some parts of the trail had two way traffic and I made it a point to smile at and encourage the other runners as we met.

Mr K called out to me as he was near the 8 mile mark (I was still a mile or two away), he had a great smile and looked like he was having a good day.  It is always a relief to see him out there and know that he is having fun.  I started out in arm warmers, mittens, and with an ear band on my head, but I had pulled those off before I got to the rest stop as it the sun was warming us up nicely.  I had someone at the aide station put them in my pack for me, grabbed some Peanut M&Ms, got a refill on my electrolyte bottle, and I headed back towards the trailhead to finish the first loop.

Photo: Trail Racing Over Texas

The trail got a little bit busier towards the end of my first loop because there was a 7K race and those runners were nearing the end of the trail at the same time I was.  It was fun to hear the cheers for them and see them get their medals.  I got that first loop done in 2 hours 15 minutes on the dot, which was in the range of my projected pacing. I circled through the start/finish aide station, filled my bottle again, grabbed a cookie, and headed off for the second loop.

The start of the second loop was very different from the first loop as the runners were so spread out now and there were no traffic jams in the hills. There were times in the first loop that I had no idea which direction I was headed in and I felt more familiar with where I was in relation to the course the second time around.  Just more of the same - run some, hike some, drink some, eat some, encourage other runners, and enjoy a beautiful day amongst the piney woods.

Photo: Julie Lewis

I did grow a little impatient in the back part of the course because we passed within sight of the aide station a couple of miles before the course took us there. I just really wanted to be there because I knew it meant I would officially be headed towards the finish. That section of the course was very runnable and I just put my head down and did the work. Soon enough I made it to my desired break spot, got another refill and another cookie and joyfully headed out the finish the last 3 miles.  I did not survive on cookies alone, I was giving the Spring Energy gels a test run during this race and they did not disappoint.  The Speed Nut was an especially nice boost as I started the second loop. I was also giving Nuun Endurance powder a trial run in the bottle in the front of my pack. Two thumbs way up! Of course, I always give a shout out to Coeur Sports and their fitted run shorts. Those things have become my go-to for trail running, the pockets on the side of the legs is especially handy for discarded mittens and arm warmers.

On the return I saw Ben, race director of the infamous Knob Hills race from the previous weekend, and he told me that Mr K had fallen and scraped up his hand pretty bad. Seems I'm either rolling in poison ivy or he is leaving blood on the trail - you can't take us anywhere.  I met up with Karen soon after that and she told me the same thing about Mr K's hand.  This was a big day for Karen, she broke her ankle at a race on this trail over 6 years ago and this was her first time to go back there. I'm so proud of her for facing her fears and slaying some dragons that day!

Photo: Julie Lewis

The cough and congestion that I had been fighting all week really started to rear its head in the closing miles and I found myself coughing way more than was comfortable.  Despite that, the difference in how I felt from one race to the next was huge.  I could hear the hum of the finish line now after rounding a few more bends I could see it.  I was about to finish my longest trail run ever! It took me 4:45:22 and I was the 12th female to finish.

I crossed the finish line, collected my medal, and found Mr K in the med tent getting his wounds cleaned up. They were not serious, but I was glad to see he was taking the time to get them washed out so that they would heal properly.

Post race at a trail run is just the best - we visited from friends from all over, shared many laughs, and gave Karen the biggest cheer as she came across the finish line. There was sunshine and blue skies and I had that "happy tired" feeling that only a day of work can bring.

All in all, I would say my tune-up race for Black Canyon 60K was a huge success.  I walked away feeling good about my efforts and knowing that my hydration and fueling strategy should work for me.  It was a big confidence boost to get that longest trail run under my belt.  In some ways it seems daunting to think that I will run fifteen more miles at Black Canyon, but I know that I can do it.   New challenges are supposed to be a little bit scary and I'm ready to see what I can do.

Knob Hills 25K: Looking for rainbows, finding poison ivy

As runners go, I tend to be one of those annoyingly happy types.  I am overwhelming positive with life in general and that is over the top with running because it is something that I love and feel fortunate that I have the health and means to do it as much as I like.  I guess even the most positive person has a rough day every now and again and mine happened to be at Knob Hills 25K.

I would like to start with giving huge praise to Ben and his team at the Denton Area Running Club for getting this race off the ground. The mid-January race date has been a challenge for them with the race being completely cancelled last year and it was in danger of the same fate this year.  The week of the race brought a large amount of rain to an area that was already damp from recent rains.  The trail was not runnable, so rather than cancel the race a second time, the organizers found a way to make it go by crafting a 5K loop for us in the pastures and roads around the Scout Barn.  Five loops would get you a 25K, ten loops the 50K, round and round we went until we met our distance.

I can handle a lot of running conditions, but I despise mud and wet feet. I blame my very first trail run, Grasslands Half of 2010 which was slick with heavy clay mud from start to finish and my first marathon, run in 40 degrees and a downpour.  The trauma is real, y'all! I woke up in a "mood" dreading running in 25K of mud.  The folks from the race had posted a few pictures of the course the night before and I was just not excited about any of it. I was a grumpass from the very beginning, I'll admit it. I also had a little bit of a sore throat and just felt "off." Mr K and I headed off to the race, he feeling super pumped and me threatening to quit if I stopped having fun.

The best part of racing is seeing so many friends, both old and new.  It was great to catch up and visit before the race got started.  I also knew that Ninja, Baha, and Ali were already out running their 50K and I looked forward to seeing their faces on the course as well.

The rain from the week had moved out and the sun shone brightly on us, a saving grace since sunshine makes everything better. I started the first loop with some caution, just hoping to get a feel for the course and see where and how bad the mud would be.  In less than a mile Ninja and Baha came whooping and hollering as they ran around me, "encouraging" me to pick up the pace.  We were in a pasture for just over two miles and I cringed as my feet hit the cold water and mud.  It wasn't as bad as I thought it would be, but I was happy to be on the gravel and road part of the course because I felt like I could really run and make up some time.  I barely noticed the hill on the return but it would not escape me on future laps. I saw lots of friends and smiling faces on this out and back and it gave me a boost.

One loop down, not exactly having fun but not exactly hating it either - let's keep moving.  I have no record of my lap splits because my timing chip failed and there is no record of me even doing this race.  I think that this is hilarious as it is one I wanted to forget before it ever started....but the data nerd in me would love to see how my laps shook out.  I would guess that I got a little bit faster on the second one because I was feeling a little more confident of the terrain.  I kept getting scratches from the thorny bushes on the side of the course, but I avoided some extra mud here and there and I was fine with this. I didn't feel quite as springy when I got to the road sections this time and I was realizing that the hill on the return was going to have to be dealt with each time.  I was seeing Mr K on the road during these loops and he always asked "having fun yet?" I would just shake my head and keep on running.

If I had to pick a point when things really started to go south it would be during the 3rd loop. The middle usually the hard part of a race for me, too far from the beginning to have the start line excitement and too far from the end to be excited about finishing - just stuck in the middle.  I spent much of this loop asking myself what was wrong with me.  I was less than 10 miles in and I felt like I'd been running all day, and I felt so tired, like I could lay down right there and sleep for a week.  I tried to get myself going again, but I was overwhelmed at the thought of two more loops after the one that I was on.  This all should have been a clue that I was not feeling like myself, but it was too hard to tell if it was my attitude or my actual body telling me that it wanted to quit.

I made it through the road section again, this time walking the hill on the out and back and a good part of the road into the Scout Barn.  I told myself if I started the fourth loop then I would finish the race.  The question was, did I really want to start that loop? I took a break, ate some M&Ms at the aide station, and started walking with tears in my eyes.  About this time Ninja came around, looking spry and happy and on his way to a second place finish in the 50K.  I told myself to suck it up, if he could do ten loops of this I could manage five.  I also told myself I could walk as much as I wanted to, just to keep moving forward.

The sunshine was so beautiful, but the wind had really picked up by this point and I got cold on some of the exposed spots.  There were times when I could see the barn across the field and I considered just cutting across and calling it a day at ten miles, but I kept on moving.  It wasn't fast and it certainly wasn't pretty, but I finished that fourth loop.  I stopped for some PB&J and I got to work on the last loop - I was going to make it.

There was probably even more walking by this point, I just felt like I had nothing left in my legs.  A few runners caught up with me and a few of them passed, some of them not moving much faster than me.  About a mile in I met up with a girl named Marisol.  She said that she was doing the 50K and she was on her sixth loop and was having a hard time.  I'm so happy that I met her because having some company and wanting to give her a boost of positive energy helped keep my energy up.

As I ran past the Scout Barn and towards the road for one last time, my gang of hecklers were gathered near the finish line.  They all seemed to be taking great joy in the fact that I was having such a grumpass day.  Am I really that annoying with my positive energy? Apparently so! In any case, it made me smile a bit as I headed out for that last mile or so.  I could hear Marisol near me and we stuck together for that last little bit before I crossed the finish line and she kept going.

16.5 miles, 3 hours 35 minutes and 5 seconds - I'm not sure I've ever been so happy to be done with a race.  I'm not sure I've ever been that close to quitting a race.  As long as you learn something, it isn't a wasted day and I learned a few lessons that day.  As the evening and weekend went on, I felt worse as my energy level decreased and the congestion increased.  My attitude wasn't great, but it looks like that was more a result of how my body felt versus my mental state.  Might it have gone better if I had a better attitude, despite not feeling 100%? That answer is hard to know too. In any case, I listened to my body and took a few days off just rest and sleep - and wouldn't you know it, when I ran again later in the week there were rainbows and unicorns all around!

The raging case of poison ivy that I picked up from the course was a whole other story though.....I need another shot at good old Knob Hills, crossing my fingers for dry trails next year.

Dallas Marathon Half: Celebrate Every Finish

The second weekend in December is Dallas Marathon Weekend and it will always hold a sentimental place in my heart.  I've run the half marathon every year since 2008 except with the exception of two years. In 2011, I became a marathoner when I ran the full 26.2 miles and 2013 the race was cancelled due to Icepocalypse.  However, the race has been a fixture in our lives for even longer as Erik has donned a dress and...ahem...enhancements...to "man" the Dolly Parton hills on the marathon course since 2002, long before either of us imagined that we would one day take part in the event as runners. It was also Erik's first marathon in 2008.

It is one of my favorite days in one of my favorite cities.  After years of experimenting with different start lines and course variations, I feel like this race is finally coming into its own.  The new start/finish line in the shadow of Dallas City Hall, with views of Reunion Tower and the Omni, just seems "right." I cannot speak for the marathon course, but the half covers everything from Highland Park to Deep Ellum and is challenging with the first nine miles climbing steadily uphill the entire way.

The weather always seems to be a story in this race too.  I have run in everything from 70 degrees and high humidity to temperatures in the 30s with beautiful sunshine to 40 degrees and pouring rain (that one makes for a great first marathon story!).  The forecast leading into the weekend was promising, but it ended up being around 60 degrees, foggy, and very humid for the 8:30 start (what is up with an 8:30 start for a marathon?) and it got even more challenging when the fog burned off and the sun came out mid-race.  I really felt for the marathon and ultra marathon runners who started in later corrals.

When I signed up for this race earlier in the year, my plan was to have done some solid speedwork so that I could run a fast-ish race.  Life happens and little quirky, quasi injury things happen and that speedwork just didn't happen.  I have also been focused more on learning to be a better trail runner as I prepare for Black Canyon 60K in February, my first ultra. I was in the middle of building miles and would not be going in with rested legs. I also knew going in that I was not trained for a fast road half marathon so I was prepared to get some miles and have some fun.

As I stood in the starting corral, watching the runners around me and listening to the announcers, I felt overwhelmed with gratitude that I have the ability and the means to run 13.1 miles because it sounded like fun.  Good health and good fortunate are no guarantees and I never take a start or finish line for granted. I'm also very grateful for this race each year because it benefits Texas Scottish Rite Hospital, which is an amazing children's hospital that serves patients who have complex orthopedic needs and neurologic disorders. They treat all patients regardless of the family's ability to pay and they serve many of the students that I work with day in and day out.

After a beautiful rendition of the National Anthem, we were off and running.  One of the local television stations covers this race every year and I've managed to be a face in the crowd a couple of times so I always look for the cameras and wave.  When I spotted them I gave a smile and a big wave and I found out later I made the coverage again. It is the little things, y'all.

There was nothing out of the ordinary about the race itself.  I tried to set a steady pace and hang with it as long as I could.  I saw friends in the crowd along the way, including Santa Stude and Amy C. near Turtle Creek.  I always look forward to seeing the Lake Grapevine Runners and Walkers at the water stop near mile 7.  While there, I found myself in a conversation with Steve, who I usually only see during summer sunrise swims, then I suddenly remembered that this was a race after all.  Back to work!

My friend Jesse zoomed around me around mile 9 and asked if I was having a good race. He was moving so fast that I didn't see him again after that. I began to get tired of it all around mile 11, which was not surprising because I had not run that long at one time on the road since earlier in November.  The sun was fully out now and I noticed that my pigtails were so soaked that they were throwing sweat, good thing no one was next to me...eww.

It is almost a straight shot back to Downtown after passing through Deep Ellum and I caught a glimpse of Reunion Tower every now and again. I forgot to bring any nutrition and I was hoping to find some gels on the course, but there were none. One of my lessons from Ironman Wisconsin was that I need to take in calories on the run, looks like I have not learned my lesson well.  This is an area that I will be focusing on as I continue to train for my ultra.

The last couple of miles always take forever, but at long last I made it to the finish line.  I smiled as I took it all in and celebrated another finish.  It was a tough day with the high humidity and warm weather, but any day I can run 13.1 miles through a city I love and cross another finish line is a day worth celebrating. As I progressed through the finisher's chute I was handed a medal, a bottle of water, tamales, other random snacks, and a finisher's shirt.  Pretty sure that is the first time I've ever been given a finish line tamale and I hope that this is a practice that the Dallas Marathon keeps. I would run another 13 miles for a good tamale.

The sunshine and blue skies were the perfect backdrop for all of the post race celebrations. I took a moment to reflect back on the last twelve months. It was during this race last year that my plantar fascia rudely tapped me on the shoulder and told me that we needed to have a talk.  The beginning of 2019 was frustrating and there were days when I couldn't run a step, but I got through it and I grew as a runner in the process. As I reflected back on the race, I had a moment of panic wondering how I would be able to run 37 miles when 13 seemed like such a challenge.  But then I reminded myself that is what training is for and I have been working hard to prepare for Black Canyon 60K ever since.  I've been building miles weekly and training is going quite well.

So there you have it, another Dallas Marathon Half is in the books.  It was the perfect way to wrap up another year of running adventures.  Here's to a great 2020!