Friday:
The original plan was to head to Flagstaff early on Friday and spend the night. But financially it was not going to work out. I was going to send Ian a message saying that I wasn’t coming, but I realized with a 7:15am start time it was totally possible to drive up in the morning. (Ian Torrence is not only a friend, teammate for Aravaipa, an awesome RD but also a running coach.) I drive up to Flagstaff for a training run without giving it a second thought. I still had some concerns about racing. My training has been a bit erratic. My mileage hasn't been where I would like it to be on a consistent basis. Also, I haven't really had a lot of long runs lately, only a few 18 to 20 mile runs. That’s doesn't work for me. I really need to be running closer to the actually distance. So for a marathon to 50K I want to have run that distance or a little more for at least 3 of my training runs. For anything longer I would split into 2 runs on the same day or 2 long run days back to back. The last concern was that I don't run well when I am super stressed. And I am super stressed right now. But despite all of that, we decided to head to the race on Saturday morning for the Flagstaff to Grand Canyon Stagecoach 55K.
Saturday:
Everything was going okay. I had packed up the night before. We had coffee, got dressed and headed out the door on time. The drive was pretty boring, I was so nervous that I wasn’t talking much. I don't know why we turned on maps. We know where Snowbowl is. But for some reason we decided to turn use maps and it took us the wrong way. At first we just went with it because we thought it was trying to avoid having us drive through town and use Milton. That was not the case. G-d only knows where it was taking us! So now I am stressed about getting there on time because we have gone out of our way the complete wrong way. In the end I got us turned around and headed the right direction with plenty of time to get to the race. As we turned on Snowbowl Road, about a mile from the start, I made Norm pull over so I could go to the bathroom. I could NOT wait! We still made it to the start line around 6:50. Plenty of time to get my race bib and use the bathroom several times before my 7:15 start time.
We line up and the race starts. I didn't really want to be out front, but no one else was going. I didn't really feel like I was running that fast. Since it was my first time running this race I had no idea where I was going. I really wanted to someone in front of me. And then lo and behold here comes Jim Walmsley and his bodyguards. Ok, they aren't really his bodyguards, but they way they were running that was what it looked like. Some guy gives me the heads up from behind "Jim Walmsley is coming" It's not the second coming and I know Jim, he can go around me like anybody else. I like Jim a lot. He has always been super nice to me. But I am still not stepping out of his way. He gets the same treatment as everyone else. It did help having Jim and his crew (Coconino Cowboys, although I didn't see one cowboy hat. Kinda disappointing.) in front of me because the trail was hard to see (if there actually was a trail). It was grassy and over grown with rocks underneath. Trying to watch the ground and look for course markers in the trees was a tricky task and slowed me down more than I wanted. Once on a proper trail it was easy to follow where to go. It was beautiful trail, but don't let any one tell you it is smooth. It’s rocky and plenty of roots, but the kind that are hard to see. It didn't help the sun was filtering through the trees. Beautiful for a hike, but not great for my old lady eyes when I am trying to run. I was also trying to make my way through the 100 mile runners without being an asshole. Lot of stumbling and tripping and one fall. After that I told myself to take it a little easier. I could pick up the pace later. While the climbs weren’t terrible I could feel the altitude affecting me. I don't feel it in my breathing, where I feel it is in my legs. When I have trouble with altitude it leads to me feeling like I can't get any energy to my legs. Fall number two happened going down a short embankment where my legs slid out from under me and I feel to my ass.
The original plan was to head to Flagstaff early on Friday and spend the night. But financially it was not going to work out. I was going to send Ian a message saying that I wasn’t coming, but I realized with a 7:15am start time it was totally possible to drive up in the morning. (Ian Torrence is not only a friend, teammate for Aravaipa, an awesome RD but also a running coach.) I drive up to Flagstaff for a training run without giving it a second thought. I still had some concerns about racing. My training has been a bit erratic. My mileage hasn't been where I would like it to be on a consistent basis. Also, I haven't really had a lot of long runs lately, only a few 18 to 20 mile runs. That’s doesn't work for me. I really need to be running closer to the actually distance. So for a marathon to 50K I want to have run that distance or a little more for at least 3 of my training runs. For anything longer I would split into 2 runs on the same day or 2 long run days back to back. The last concern was that I don't run well when I am super stressed. And I am super stressed right now. But despite all of that, we decided to head to the race on Saturday morning for the Flagstaff to Grand Canyon Stagecoach 55K.
Saturday:
Everything was going okay. I had packed up the night before. We had coffee, got dressed and headed out the door on time. The drive was pretty boring, I was so nervous that I wasn’t talking much. I don't know why we turned on maps. We know where Snowbowl is. But for some reason we decided to turn use maps and it took us the wrong way. At first we just went with it because we thought it was trying to avoid having us drive through town and use Milton. That was not the case. G-d only knows where it was taking us! So now I am stressed about getting there on time because we have gone out of our way the complete wrong way. In the end I got us turned around and headed the right direction with plenty of time to get to the race. As we turned on Snowbowl Road, about a mile from the start, I made Norm pull over so I could go to the bathroom. I could NOT wait! We still made it to the start line around 6:50. Plenty of time to get my race bib and use the bathroom several times before my 7:15 start time.
We line up and the race starts. I didn't really want to be out front, but no one else was going. I didn't really feel like I was running that fast. Since it was my first time running this race I had no idea where I was going. I really wanted to someone in front of me. And then lo and behold here comes Jim Walmsley and his bodyguards. Ok, they aren't really his bodyguards, but they way they were running that was what it looked like. Some guy gives me the heads up from behind "Jim Walmsley is coming" It's not the second coming and I know Jim, he can go around me like anybody else. I like Jim a lot. He has always been super nice to me. But I am still not stepping out of his way. He gets the same treatment as everyone else. It did help having Jim and his crew (Coconino Cowboys, although I didn't see one cowboy hat. Kinda disappointing.) in front of me because the trail was hard to see (if there actually was a trail). It was grassy and over grown with rocks underneath. Trying to watch the ground and look for course markers in the trees was a tricky task and slowed me down more than I wanted. Once on a proper trail it was easy to follow where to go. It was beautiful trail, but don't let any one tell you it is smooth. It’s rocky and plenty of roots, but the kind that are hard to see. It didn't help the sun was filtering through the trees. Beautiful for a hike, but not great for my old lady eyes when I am trying to run. I was also trying to make my way through the 100 mile runners without being an asshole. Lot of stumbling and tripping and one fall. After that I told myself to take it a little easier. I could pick up the pace later. While the climbs weren’t terrible I could feel the altitude affecting me. I don't feel it in my breathing, where I feel it is in my legs. When I have trouble with altitude it leads to me feeling like I can't get any energy to my legs. Fall number two happened going down a short embankment where my legs slid out from under me and I feel to my ass.
It was a little chilly at the start.
Off we go!
At the 1st aid station I drink a cup of coke and grabbed 2 nutter butter cookies. James Bonnet told me I looked cold and gave me shit for falling. I mean come one, falling is kinda my thing at thing at this point. I ate one cookie while jogging out of the aid station and put the other in my pocket. I left my gloves at the aid station and immediately regretted it. It was out and back to the aid station, which meant I could see how far behind me the 2nd place lady was. Unfortunately she wasn’t as far back as I would have liked. I only had about 4 minutes on her not counting the amount of time she would spend in the aid station.
I had told Norm to just meet me at the finish so I was surprised, but very happy to see him at the first crewing spot right after the aid station. My hands were freezing again in the short time that I had not been wearing my gloves. I knew I had an extra pair of gloves in my bag. I was thrilled to see Norm standing there with my bag. I dug out my gloves and headed off again. Pretty soon after I left Norm my stomach was bothering me. Not terrible, but not great. But I was also feeling hungry. I ate the cookie while walking a climb. I also went pee 3 times in the miles between the aid stations. It was about 10 miles. That’s ridiculous. My only guess is that it was nerves. When I get nervous I need to pee. And I was definitely nervous that the 2nd place lady was going to catch me.
Then there were the hunter’s. I saw one guy in full camo carrying a very large crossbow. A short while after this I saw two guys in full camo carrying very large guns. This is not exactly what you want to see when you are running through the woods.
About the time my stomach was feeling better I also hit some smooth downhill single track. It felt so good to be moving fast. I started thinking the course record wasn’t out of the question after all. I was also hoping that I was putting some serious distance between me and the 2nd place lady. No offense to Aly.
The aid station seemed farther than I thought it was suppose to be and that was stressing me out (it wasn’t, but you’ll have to read the rest). But I kept my pace up and felt good coming into the aid station. I was starting to think that maybe the gluten from the cookies was bugging my stomach so I was really happy to see Norm again. I was able to get my baggie of peanut m&m’s. It was just 2 cookies so really it shouldn't have bothered me, but I couldn’t figure out what else it could be.
I left the aid station determined to get some serious speed going. I knew it was described as rough road, but I was going to be on road basically the rest of the race. How bad could it be? The was a small section of single track and of course I fell here. I also started having stomach pains. I have no idea why. I was trying to run as much as possible, but my stomach was getting more and more painful. I was seriously unhappy with my pace on this section. I should have been moving much faster. My stomach would get better and than get worse. It was a battle to keep moving. And I started to worry about water. I asked another runner if he had enough to share and he gave me a bit of his water. I took one sip and I was screwed. Some sort of raspberry electrolyte was in his water. My stomach can’t handle electrolytes mixes at all! I can do okay with Skratch if I am careful with the amount, but it still gives me a gas and cramps. So back to that sip. Almost instantly my stomach starts to cramp. I really wanted to keep running, but it felt like someone was using both hands to wring out my stomach. I was in so much pain, but I forced myself to run…jog… I don’t know. But to be able to do this meant that I was making some noises I haven't made since I gave birth to my kids. So thankful that no one was around me. It probably was only 5 minutes, made a little more before the intense cramping went away, but it seemed so much longer. I was also fortunate to come across the water drop. I dumped the tainted water and filled up my bottle. Feeling better about my situation and knowing I was close to the finish I was determined to run the rest of the way. Off I went and with a mile to go I picked up the pace, but mile 34 came and went on my watch with no finish line in site. I can't see it, can’t see where it might possibly be and I hear nothing that sounds like a finish line. I completely fell apart. I spent the next mile walking and crying. Not power walking, but pity party walking. A guy comes up from behind and says some encouraging words. I am not about to put up with his happy bullshit. I start running along side and say “the course is long. Where is the finish?” He answers, “no the course is right.” I ask what his watch says and he tells me he isn't wearing a GPS watch, just a normal watch. I start walking and think in my head “well how the hell do you know how long it is or isn't?” See what great mood I am in? Ugh.
Now, I am use to trail races not being the exact distance. Normally this is not a problem for me, but I have been struggling for miles. I need this race to be over. Finally I see Michael Carson and his camera and I want to kiss him! But instead I say is ‘Where the fuck is the finish line?” Right ahead he tells me. I try to pick up the pace. I think I was complaining to him about the course being long and my stomach cramps. Finally I finish. I cross and people are congratulating me and saying great job. I said something along the line of “that wasn’t great, I did terrible, let’s just go home now.” Nice attitude huh? I was just so disappointed in myself. I know probably sounded ungrateful, but that wasn’t the case. I was just pissed at myself.
I start talking to other runners and guess what? The course was NOT long. The course if anything was a bit short. I have consistently been having problems with my Suunto lately. The pacing has been off for sure. THE COURSE IS NOT LONG! Now I really feel like a cry baby.
Ian was so nice and I got some awesome prizes. I got an awesome blanket from Babbit Ranches. It might be one of the coolest prizes I have ever received. I also got a really coffee mug. I have already made it clear that if any one but me touches it, they die. (Lots of teenagers in this house, you have to be very clear and specific.)
We hung out for a bit after the race before heading home. It was so fun to see so many friends at the race. Kuddos to my friends who ran the 100 mile race or paced for it. I heard water was freezing in bottles over night. 29 degrees overnight is not really ideal running weather. You guys are amazing!
Thank you to Ian for putting on an awesome race. It was a beautiful course. I even enjoyed running through the ranch because I happen to love cows. It’s a course that offers a little bit of everything. You should definitely put it on your list for next year!
I had told Norm to just meet me at the finish so I was surprised, but very happy to see him at the first crewing spot right after the aid station. My hands were freezing again in the short time that I had not been wearing my gloves. I knew I had an extra pair of gloves in my bag. I was thrilled to see Norm standing there with my bag. I dug out my gloves and headed off again. Pretty soon after I left Norm my stomach was bothering me. Not terrible, but not great. But I was also feeling hungry. I ate the cookie while walking a climb. I also went pee 3 times in the miles between the aid stations. It was about 10 miles. That’s ridiculous. My only guess is that it was nerves. When I get nervous I need to pee. And I was definitely nervous that the 2nd place lady was going to catch me.
Then there were the hunter’s. I saw one guy in full camo carrying a very large crossbow. A short while after this I saw two guys in full camo carrying very large guns. This is not exactly what you want to see when you are running through the woods.
About the time my stomach was feeling better I also hit some smooth downhill single track. It felt so good to be moving fast. I started thinking the course record wasn’t out of the question after all. I was also hoping that I was putting some serious distance between me and the 2nd place lady. No offense to Aly.
The aid station seemed farther than I thought it was suppose to be and that was stressing me out (it wasn’t, but you’ll have to read the rest). But I kept my pace up and felt good coming into the aid station. I was starting to think that maybe the gluten from the cookies was bugging my stomach so I was really happy to see Norm again. I was able to get my baggie of peanut m&m’s. It was just 2 cookies so really it shouldn't have bothered me, but I couldn’t figure out what else it could be.
I left the aid station determined to get some serious speed going. I knew it was described as rough road, but I was going to be on road basically the rest of the race. How bad could it be? The was a small section of single track and of course I fell here. I also started having stomach pains. I have no idea why. I was trying to run as much as possible, but my stomach was getting more and more painful. I was seriously unhappy with my pace on this section. I should have been moving much faster. My stomach would get better and than get worse. It was a battle to keep moving. And I started to worry about water. I asked another runner if he had enough to share and he gave me a bit of his water. I took one sip and I was screwed. Some sort of raspberry electrolyte was in his water. My stomach can’t handle electrolytes mixes at all! I can do okay with Skratch if I am careful with the amount, but it still gives me a gas and cramps. So back to that sip. Almost instantly my stomach starts to cramp. I really wanted to keep running, but it felt like someone was using both hands to wring out my stomach. I was in so much pain, but I forced myself to run…jog… I don’t know. But to be able to do this meant that I was making some noises I haven't made since I gave birth to my kids. So thankful that no one was around me. It probably was only 5 minutes, made a little more before the intense cramping went away, but it seemed so much longer. I was also fortunate to come across the water drop. I dumped the tainted water and filled up my bottle. Feeling better about my situation and knowing I was close to the finish I was determined to run the rest of the way. Off I went and with a mile to go I picked up the pace, but mile 34 came and went on my watch with no finish line in site. I can't see it, can’t see where it might possibly be and I hear nothing that sounds like a finish line. I completely fell apart. I spent the next mile walking and crying. Not power walking, but pity party walking. A guy comes up from behind and says some encouraging words. I am not about to put up with his happy bullshit. I start running along side and say “the course is long. Where is the finish?” He answers, “no the course is right.” I ask what his watch says and he tells me he isn't wearing a GPS watch, just a normal watch. I start walking and think in my head “well how the hell do you know how long it is or isn't?” See what great mood I am in? Ugh.
Now, I am use to trail races not being the exact distance. Normally this is not a problem for me, but I have been struggling for miles. I need this race to be over. Finally I see Michael Carson and his camera and I want to kiss him! But instead I say is ‘Where the fuck is the finish line?” Right ahead he tells me. I try to pick up the pace. I think I was complaining to him about the course being long and my stomach cramps. Finally I finish. I cross and people are congratulating me and saying great job. I said something along the line of “that wasn’t great, I did terrible, let’s just go home now.” Nice attitude huh? I was just so disappointed in myself. I know probably sounded ungrateful, but that wasn’t the case. I was just pissed at myself.
I start talking to other runners and guess what? The course was NOT long. The course if anything was a bit short. I have consistently been having problems with my Suunto lately. The pacing has been off for sure. THE COURSE IS NOT LONG! Now I really feel like a cry baby.
Ian was so nice and I got some awesome prizes. I got an awesome blanket from Babbit Ranches. It might be one of the coolest prizes I have ever received. I also got a really coffee mug. I have already made it clear that if any one but me touches it, they die. (Lots of teenagers in this house, you have to be very clear and specific.)
We hung out for a bit after the race before heading home. It was so fun to see so many friends at the race. Kuddos to my friends who ran the 100 mile race or paced for it. I heard water was freezing in bottles over night. 29 degrees overnight is not really ideal running weather. You guys are amazing!
Thank you to Ian for putting on an awesome race. It was a beautiful course. I even enjoyed running through the ranch because I happen to love cows. It’s a course that offers a little bit of everything. You should definitely put it on your list for next year!
Finish line!
Really happy to be finished. Photo Credit: Sweet M Images
Photo Credit: Sweet M Images
Search and Rescue on horseback
This cow was judging me. You can tell by the facial expression.
