"Born To Die"- Marin Ultra Challenge 50k

"Feet don't fail me now, Take me to the finish line

Oh my heart it breaks, every step that I take"

-Lana Del Rey

It was totally fitting that Lana del Rey's song Born to Die and those lyrics were the first song I heard when I pressed play on my ipod. It was dark and I was pitter pattering behind Jenny Capel and another lady. We were winding up the first climb under the lights of the Golden Gate Bridge. It was spectacular. It was also starting to hurt.

Ready to Roll with my lucky T shirt.

Toeing the line at the Marin Ultra Challenge 50k I didn't quite know what to expect. Being the weekend after dead week and before finals week, I didn't exactly have the time to do extensive homework on this race. Before the race began, I studied the course map and sharpied the outline of six hills on my arm so I could keep track. (Elevation tat old school style)

Going up that first hill, right from the start, was definitely a good kick in the rear to wake up and get running. I lost contact with Jenny but kept her within sight. Winding up the SCA trail towards Coastal reminded me a lot of CCC- with little lights zip zagging their way up the hill and melting in with the stars. I was so happy that I had managed to last minute find my headlamp in the depths of my car. Going downhill, I let gravity do it's work and rolled along towards Fort Kronkite. It was getting a little bit more light out, enough that I could switch off the headlamp. I had a very short conversation with one guy who asked if I was doing the 50 mile. I laughed and said, looking at my watch, if I were in the 50 mile I would be in deep trouble later. He laughed and replied, "I'm in the 50k, too, but I'm starting to think I'll be in trouble anyways"

I had almost caught back up with Jenny, but the man and her skirted up Hill 88, or as I like to refer to it, "the hill of eighty-hates". I hate that climb, no matter what distance race I am doing. Stairs, steepness, soul-suckingness. I powerwalked the stairs and somehow made it up the rest of the climb. I was heavily rewarded with one of the most stunning sunrises I've seen; gorgeous colors in crisp air veiled Mt. Tam and the hills on that side, as well as golden sunlight caressing the Headlands and setting fire to San Francisco and the Golden Gate Bridge.

Home sweet home. Thanks Daddy!

Taking in the sunrise, I was also greeted by Kara Teklinsky and her friends out for a run- I got a nice high five from her. (Thank you! Made my morning!) Heading downhill on Wolf Ridge, something in my stomach wasn't right. I had started taking in my gels at forty minute intervals with one right before the start, and a salt tab the first hour (and then subsequently at forty minute intervals). Unfortunately, my usual breakfast was too heavy for that kind of big effort and fast exertion. (steel cut oats with almond butter, blueberries, scrambled egg, coffee & almond milk). It made it known that that was the cause, if you know what I mean. This was at mile 8ish, but I only had stopped for less than three seconds, and continued rolling downhill towards Tennessee Valley. At that aid station I filled my bottle and continued down the road towards Coastal. I wasn't feeling comfortable or very good at all. I took a glance at my watch and apparently I was going 7:20 pace. Well no wonder! I didn't really slow down though... At this point, I was running alone; I had passed a couple men, but nobody stuck with me. My shorts had been falling down on all the downhills and "flats", which was super frustrating, but I didn't dare stop to try and fix them... Oh, well.

Jorge telling people what to do and me studying. Typical.
PC Michael Stricklan

I have always known Coastal from Tennessee Valley to Muir Beach to be deceptively tough. Though, I think going into that section knowing it would be tough, made it not seem AS bad... I still wasn't feeling great going along here, probably just the uncomfortable-ness of running hard and nearing the halfway point. So, to compensate, I took a Clif Double shot espresso gel at my forty minute mark. I took two with me as these guys work "magic" as my emergency revival reserves. At Muir Beach, I was ready to go.

Running down the road and along Redwood Creek, I felt I was moving pretty well. My stride felt good and I was happy to be back in my favorite place. In the weeks prior since Bandera, Meghan has given me some fun workouts and they've really boosted my confidence. One of them, I had struggled to do in the past year when she had given it to me, but in February, I nailed it and so I had that happiness in my back pocket. She's been such an incredible coach & role model in my life- I can't believe its only been ONE year that she's coached me! I thought about her a lot and tried to channel her TOUGHness & Badassery. On this section of trail, I passed several men (I kept hoping to run back into Jenny, but she is just too good on the climbs!). I took one unmarked turn and thought I had gotten lost. However, I knew where the next climb was and that the trail would take me there, so I kept going. (Don't worry, I was still on course after all; benefits of racing home turf!) Heading up Miwok (pronounced "Me-Walk"), I was struggling. I was in the paincave and had been from the get go. I was trying to hold on for dear life. I had the worst cramps ever (period pains I'm pretty sure) but it could've been from the Gu. I just didn't want to eat at all, but I knew I had to. I kept wanting to slow down or stop, but I knew that I was already in this so I couldn't quit, and to run faster would mean I would finish faster.

Coastal mid Gu.
PC Nate Dunn

Reaching the top, I was ecstatic. One of my favorite downhills in Marin was Dias Ridge trail to Muir Beach (again). I was running at full speed down, sliding around the switchback turns. If I wasn't in so much discomfort, I would've had a lot of fun with that. There was one man who was with the SFRC group run that talked to me for a bit. He was telling me about his Ragnar team and how he was training for that. He was also talking about his Way Too Cool 50k and who won and how everybody in the area did (I didn't have the energy to tell him I already knew- haha!). He was very nice and cheered for me / shouted encouragements when I was heading into the Muir aid station. (He was peeling off to head up what I call the "Muir Bitch Climb"- Thank god we didn't have to do that). On this little out and back I finally saw Jenny! I knew I was close! I rushed in, filled my bottle, grabbed a dixie cup of coke and rushed out ASAP.

The entire time going up Middle Green Gulch ("Middle Mean Gulch"), I could see her little black skirt and blue singlet weaving above me. She is too tough on those climbs and I couldn't catch back up. Heading back down to Tennessee Valley I was in a world of pain.

The song playing on my ipod resonating deeply:

"Hold on tight, it's a roller coaster ride we're on.

So say goodnight, cause we won't be back again.

Up and Down (I'm) All around,

Say Goodnight And Goodbye" - Jonas Brothers

Finalllllllyyyyyyy

I was grunting up Marincello and probably making a scene but I didn't care. (I have no nicknames for Marincello other than some special words). The hill seemed never ending because as soon as it was finished, come Alta, and then the deceivingly not flat or downhill SCA. At the top of Marincello I heard someone call my name and I forget what she said, but it turned out to be Lauri! (Thanks girl!) It was really nice to hear a familiar voice and was the kick in my butt I needed to get into higher gear. I was almost done, I could push extra hard now. On Alta, I saw Mrs. Semling, a teacher from my high school out for a hike. She said good job on my "fifteen mile run" (didn't have the energy to correct her, nor was I able to form words) and said she'd tell Mary Churchill, my high school coach & friend, that I was doing well- haha little did she know I had plans with Mary for later!

Once I hit the SCA trail going down to the bridge parking lot, I tried to let it all hang out there. I had no water left, and less than two miles to go. That downhill hurt like a bitch. Just when I was getting to the parking lot though, I saw Dylan Bowman on a stretcher and an ambulance/ fire truck crew helping him with Harmony. I had no idea what had happened, but it freaked me out seeing him like that! (He had suffered in the heat and had severe dehydration, but is on the mend now and thankfully okay!)

aaaaannnndddd I'm going down....

Winding down the road towards the finish, under the Golden Gate Bridge, I caught sight of Jenny. I was determined to catch her. I ignored the sirens going off in my legs and tried to move faster, faster faster... She just kept getting out of reach each turn! According to my watch, I was running 6:20 pace trying to catch her- damn her legs can just keep rolling out of reach! I finished the race 30 seconds behind her in 5:06 for 4th place women's, 24th overall, and 2nd (well that's a first!!) in the 20-29 AG. I immediately sat down on the ground and a couple people came over to say goodjob. (I don't exactly remember, but I do know that Victor came over asking if I'd lie down in a fetal position for another picture haha!) My legs hurt a LOT after, but I was so happy to be done and so happy I was able to push myself and keep pushing myself. I got to chat with friends after the race and was so happy to see them. However, it was short lived as I had to wake up at 4:45 am to drive back to SLO for work the next morning (boy was that rough), and study for finals (ugh). I had wanted really badly to think about or talk with fellow racers about stuff that will be covered on my Immunology final, but I was literally unable to think , I was in such an incapacitated brain fog!

Next up, I have Leona Divide 50m! I'm so excited to explore SoCal's trails and try at another 50m distance- this time actually racing it! I also have registered for Pine to Palm 100m and I'm very much looking forward to that.

What Finals Week does to you....

HERE is my strava data from the race.

It's a known fact Sparkles make you faster

Gear Used:

TNF Ultra "Heart Attack" Cardiac shoes

Stance mid-calf compression socks

TNF Better than Naked shorts & Stow N Go Bra (to hold my Gu and ipod!)

Gu- Salted Watermelon x3, Roctane x2, Clif Double Shot Espresso x2. 

S!Caps kept in my Nathan water bottle

Whoops Julbo sunglasses & Petzl Tikka RXP headlamp

A little Soul Searching

A couple weeks ago, I entered Geoff Roes' contest on IRunFar. The rules were to submit a short essay answering the simplest and most difficult question in my athletic career: Why do you run? I have been asked this on countless occasions: by my unsuspecting, curious lab partners; by other runners hoping to find common grounds; and many times by myself. This question allowed me to consider experiences and feelings as to what draws me out the door at any hour of the day. It was an insightful exercise and definitely made me appreciate all the little things that culminate into my pursuit and passion for running.  While I somehow made the final three cut, I actually entered the contest with no intention of winning anything; just simply to share my thoughts and unveil some deeper meaning for myself, so, voila! The results of the contest can be found HERE.

A Rad Group of totally awesome friends I have made in SLO.
PC Tera Dube

Why I Run.

My footsteps crunching through the dirt creates a sort of rhythmic pattern of sounds. I focus on that for a little bit; duh dum duh dum… The tunnel of light guiding me forward casts creeping, shadows looming behind trees. They whisper to me in a language I cannot understand, but at the same time, it’s as if I’m one of them, gliding along. For the first time in 16 hours, I am alone. There are no monsieurs grunting a bonsoir, no fanatic fans practically falling off a balcony screaming ALLEZ, and no lights anywhere around me. I can only guess by the way the ground is sloping up that I am nearing that last climb. My ipod has died. I am already 23 miles farther than I have ever run in my life with about 8-10 left, praying I don’t get lost. Coming around a turn, I gaze upon an unending trail of star-like headlamps stretching up, up, up like a zipper. This is all I remember from the last nine hours of my first 100k race- the CCC in France.

            Most 20 year olds prefer to stay out all night or spend all of Sunday in the library. So why do I wake up at 4:30 am to run for 6hrs with a group of folks, who, most of which, are twice my age? I do it for moments when everything clicks and I get at least 3ft of air bounding over rocks, roots and wildflowers. For the sunrises, sunsets, and that bewitching golden hour. For that tingling, numbing sensation and when the tears come pouring out, unwarranted in the last mile of a race. For the smiles, high fives, and stories received from the dude that I just bonded with while suffering in the heat during miles 20-27. For the moments that are so full of pain and anguish and despair, my ego gets a serious reality check. But mostly for the candid routine of tying my shoes, because it’s not so much of why I do it, how I do it, etc, but that it makes me who I am.

Run With Us by Strava (HERE) also highlights these feelings...
PC &VC Luis Pena

My "First" Fifty. TNFECS Race Report

This weekend was everything I had hoped for and more. If you read my last blog post, you'd know that going into this, I was doubtful and hesitant. I had zero expectations of what would happen, and if anything, that I would blow up and fail. I was nervous and scared for the most part. CCC 100k was easier in that it was NOT that runnable due to the steepness and elevation gain, and so that made walking more efficient and totally okay.

This is usually everybody's A race. With a prize purse like that, who wouldn't put all their eggs into one basket? The competition was thick and I had no idea where I would play into all of this.

Meghan told me to go into it casually, this was not the focus, to take it easy until mile 45, then push hard.

Ma Clique. PC Brett Rivers

Friday before the race I had so much fun. I got to run with Bryon Powell, Eric Schranz, Mario Fraioli (IRunFar, UltraRunnerPodcast, Competitor Mag) as well as most of the TNF team- it was a fast taper run! whoops! After we got to collaborate in a research and development meeting about footwear and apparel. I had never been to one of these so it was super interesting! I also got to see all my SFRC friends and Mary, whom I had missed very much! My friend from NYC/VT Rachel Long flew out to do her first 50, too, so that was awesome catching up with her. All of a sudden the day had gone by and it was time for bed!

3 am. Ugh. Such an early start! I ate my oats, egg, blueberries, and coffee and my Dad and I headed to the headlands. Of course, being the rookie that I am, I forgot body glide (real smart for a wet and muddy course) and frantically had to borrow from super accomplished TNF ultra runner, Kami Semick (embarrassing!). The gun went off and we all filed out in a frenzied dash. I tried to keep it under control, but so fast! I was in the elite wave (!!), so everybody was on edge. The first two loops went by quickly and quietly. It was effortless. I got to share the sunrise with Michael Stricklan and the climb up Miwok to Tennessee Valley. That was mile 14, where I would see my crew- my mom and sister, Nicki. Wow. They were on it. Each time I saw them, Nicki would take the trash from my front pocket, my mom would put gels in my back pocket, and I would switch my water bottle for a full one. I don't think I spent more than 60 seconds at any aid station. At this point and at Cardiac later, I saw Bryon Powell taking pictures and I thought, oh no, if I'm seeing him I MUST be going way too fast! But It was such a comfortable pace! I kept thinking about an inevitable blow up...

Fast Start! PC TNFECS.

Running down the coastal trail and along the cliffs by Pirates Cove was magical. The fog and sun loved the landscape in a way I had never seen before- it was incredible. I made a friend and we talked for a bit. The he took off or I passed him, I can't quite remember. Before I knew it, I was at mile 18 at Muir Beach. Ellie Greenwood was there, unexpectedly, cheering runners on. I hit the station just under 3 hours. Which shocked me! Down the road, I saw my mom and sister cheering for me. I did not know they would be there, but it was such a welcome surprise!

Clowning around in the dark with Stricklan! (PC)

Next up was a giant climb up starting steep and then gradually tapering off to Cardiac. I thought for sure this was where the inevitable end would be. Last time I ran up this, it was an epic fail of all proportions. I was running up with a man from London, and we enjoyed some words, especially his accent! Then, I just kept running up and up and up- feeling perfectly fabulous. I caught up to Stricklan and passed him, getting some words of wisdom. At the Cardiac aid station, I grabbed some coke and refilled my bottle. The volunteers commented on how pretty my sparkly nail polish was! haha Running through Pantoll station, I again saw my mom & sis- another welcome surprise! Then onto my favorite trail in the Mt Tam area- Matt Davis.

Depiction of a "funsies" 50 mile race looks like.

Cruising through the redwoods and rushing streams was so delightful. I purposely splashed through it all! The out and back to McKennan Gulch was, in my opinion, especially tough and where I felt the worst all day. Not because it was necessarily difficult terrain or steep, but because the singletrack was so narrow and runners were whizzing past you in the opposite direction so fast. There was very little room for error. And constantly having to step up off the trail felt weird and kept me out of rhythm. However, I got to see so many familiar and smiling faces that I passed going out and back. I think this was the best part of the race, too. The community was really alive and flourishing. 99% of all people shouted out encouragements; "good job! way to go! nice work! hey kelsie! looking good! etc." It made me smile, laugh, and put a pep in my step.  Heading down into Stinson on the technical, wet trail was a little dodgy. I made a friend and we kept each other company with great conversation- he was a nurse so we had lots to talk about, which took my mind off of the task at hand.

"I'm listening to Demi!" love my crew!

Getting into the Stinson aid station, I again saw my family. I felt like I was a NFL player entering the superbowl the way that spectators were cheering and lining the road like a tunnel. Here I took two advil, which I could have done without, but I thought might be nice to take the edge off the stiffness. My new friend and I started the climb out of Stinson and up Steep Ravine. I kept thinking, okay, now this is where you'll blow up. After all, Stinson beach was mile 33.5 and I had hit my second best 50k time. But I just kept running up and soaking in the energy from the redwoods and greenery. A hiker was going down the trail and asked which way Stinson beach was. I flexed and laughingly responded in an Arnold Schwarzenneger-like voice, "The beach is that way". haha I couldn't resist and it was the PERFECT moment for that kind of stunt!

This is what 90% of the day looked like

Up at Cardiac, I prepared mentally for a long, hurting downhill back down the way we came up. By now, all the 50k-ers and marathoners were out on the course and so the trail was not only heavily trafficked, but destroyed. It was super slick, muddy, and dodgy in every way possible. On one of the sharp turns down Heather Cutoff I slipped on some mud and totally ate shit. literally. I was now covered in mud, my water bottle nozzle was brown and I was chewing on some grainy gross stuff for the remainder of the race. But I just laughed it off, thinking how silly I must look. I eventually caught up to friend Mario Diego and a female 50 miler. This gave me a little incentive to push a bit so I could stay in front of her. Finally seeing another woman after AGES sparked the competitive nature in me. However, I had a HUGE climb out of Muir Beach, so I was a bit uneasy. Up until that climb I felt like I literally had fresh legs and had just started running; the 40+ previous miles had no effect. This climb was the only spot in the race I really walked. Sure, I took a few steps here and there up steep parts, but never really, "walked". This was a grinder. I set my sights on a guy in a red singlet and tried my best to keep up fast hiking. I was getting a bit tired by the top and thankful for the downhill to Tennessee Valley, mile 45, where I'd see my family. This aid station was BUSTLING. Tons of people and so much commotion. I didn't really pay attention to anything that was going on, except for my mom and sister. I grabbed two Gus from them and my new refilled water bottle and immediately started heading up Marincello; the last climb.

All Business heading into Tennesse Valley

My eyes set on hunting down Luanne & Jon

At the start of the climb, I saw Jon Bretan, who was coming out of a rough patch. He looked at me and went, "kelsie?! okay, if you're running up this, I have to, too." And then he took off. Thank god, because I was prepared to walk this one. But I slowly tried to keep him in sights and make my way up the hill. Meghan had said to go hard the last 5 miles and so I was really pushing at this point. My ipod died, I was tired, mentally hurting and now physically feeling all of those miles before. I wouldn't call it a low point, but it definitely wasn't comfortable from here on out. As we neared the Alta aid station, I shared a couple meters with a man in an orange shirt. He told me he had two daughters and that I was super inspiring for him and that he cannot wait to tell them I was up there running with him for 50 miles. He was the one who really turned it on for me. He told me, "okay, you will definitely break 9 hours, now you have to go for it!" I'm so grateful for that extra push and boost in confidence. I took off down the hill, giving everything I had. I caught Luanne Park, fellow Tamalpan, and also Jon Bretan. We raced it in together. I felt like I was sprinting. The cheers from the finish line were audible and I was gritting my teeth. That last little uphill on the road really, really sucked. I felt like I might have kicked too early and that I'd pass out right before the finish. But I heard my name and kept going. God, that finish line felt so good. I was so happy to cross it and be done!

The Best feeling.

I finished 112th overall, 18th female, and 1st in my 20-24 age group in 8:57.03. I really was astounded at the whole day. I had so much fun, smiling, laughing, dancing and singing along the course. I got to splash through mud and make friends, while seeing so many others. The aid station volunteers and spectators were so efficient, helpful, and set the bar extremely high for all other races. I am still in shock that I felt so good for so long and so comfortable at that distance.

The damage.

Jon Bretan & I

Post race, I got to hang out with some awesome friends, share in our accomplishments, trade stories, and recover well. I even got to swim in the Pacific Ocean for "ice bath" recovery! Now, I feel perfectly fine. My body isn't sore and I have no fatigue. So, I am super excited for Bandera 100km the first weekend of January! Western States ticket, I'm coming for you!

Rob Krar & I

Blue Skirt Posse- this chica is awesome!

This race and weekend wouldn't be possible with all the friends & family that support me so much. I am so grateful to my family as they are my #1 fans and the best support crew! My coach, Meghan Arbogast, has the best advice, and knows how to push me hard in training in just the right way. We work so well together and she is ever so patient with some of my whining and self-doubts! My trail running family up in the bay offers encouragement and advice that I would be lost without. A big thank you to The North Face for giving me the confidence and believing in my goals as an athlete.

Gear used:
TNF better than naked singlet & skirt
TNF arm warmers & Ultra Cardiac shoes
Petzl Tikka RXP headlamp
Nathan 18oz handheld bottle (2)
S! caps every hour
14 Gu gels (every 40 min, then every 30min 2nd Cardiac on)
coke 3x at various aid stations
Stance compression 1/4 calf socks.
Taylor Swift & Drake & Others on the iPod shuffle

Running with Mono

Two weeks ago, I found the reason I had been feeling so crappy lately: I have mono. Mono is a virus that is transmitted primarily through saliva- sharing drinks, meals, etc. Once you get mono, the virus is always in your system, but it is just inactive. It can be reactivated through physical exertion, compromising the immune system, and high stress. People that are infected with mono typically are exhausted all the time; and the only real remedy is lots and lots of sleep and rest. It can last from weeks to months and the severity of the symptoms range greatly.

It's affecting my running- I can't run on flat roads!

According to my blood test, this is the second time I have had mono, however I cannot remember when I would have had it the first time! My guess is that I got it reactivated either right before my CCC race (I was sick ALL raceweek) or the race pushed my immune system and bodily stress over the edge with the lack of sleep, physical exertion, weather, etc. The lines are blurry between race fatigue and mono fatigue, so I am unsure as to when I got it. However, my doctor said anywhere from four weeks ago to 2.5 months ago. I also apparently have Lyme disease, which is bacterial infection most commonly transmitted by tick bites (guess I should go bushwacking to find new trails!). It can be cured by early treatment of doxycycline antibiotics, but it also causes great fatigue. So, in short, there is a small party of virus and bacteria in me that is raging so hard I need to sleep all the time.

My heart was happy here

My best friends

I don't have too drastic of symptoms though. I'm tired, mostly in the afternoon, but with naps and long nights of sleep I'm fine. I can handle my schoolwork and my training and work. If I do too much in a day without much of a break then I get super fatigued, but I am exercising the concept of listening to my body. If I feel like I am digging myself in a hole or my run feels like more of a drag, then I will just turn around and wait for another day. Two wednesdays ago I was supposed to do mile repeats hard with a HR monitor to see where I was at. I only did 3/4 of the ones assigned. The third one was so much slower and I was so spent by then. During my recovery jogs in between I literally felt like I was going to fall asleep. So I stopped and just did my cool down. Thursday I did not run. I was so stressed and had three big tests spread over an 8 hour period of straight class & lab. It just wasn't going to happen when I got out of class at 8pm. All that weekend I was so exhausted and didn't have the time to run the miles given with all the sleep I needed.

These fall colors, unreal!

This past week I put in all my required miles, which felt like such an incredible accomplishment! However, my wednesday workout was again crap. But I am working on that! This weekend I took a little getaway to Tahoe. After work on Saturday night I drove up to the mountains and crashed on Rory Bosio's couch (She is the most generous and sweetest!). She had just finished a hospital shift so she spent the day sleeping in and other activities while I joined my coach Meghan Arbogast and Mark for a run. It was a lovely "22" miles (garmin read 21- were calling it 22) from Spooner lake, up to Marlette Lake, through the aspens to Snow Valley Peak, then back along the TRT course to Spooner.
My heart was soaring with happiness to run through the lovely trees, the fall colors, the glistening lake and smooth granite. I danced through the first 13 miles smiling, laughing, and skipping along.  However, I hit a wall of exhaustion. I normally never feel any fatigue from the altitude, but this was definitely due to my compromised immune system. My legs were fine, but I felt like I was sleepwalking at some points! It was a fabulous day and I loved running with Meghan. The next morning, I got to do a short loop in Rory's backyard up Donner pass and it was great! I felt way better and like I could do that loop again and again. It was sad to leave the mountains and head back to SLO, but it is like I am emotionally recharged.

Meghan charging ahead

Queen on her throne

It's hard because I have so many goals and obviously want to be the best I can be in several areas- school, running, and my job. It's hard that I am not consciously in control, my immune system is. I can't force myself to study for more than four hours at a time, which sets me back in the competition for As. My workouts, which before gave me such joy and accomplishment, are crap and a struggle. My long runs aren't all that long and I grow more tired as the miles go on. However, I guess this can be a sort of character building experience. It is so emotionally vexing to not be in control and frustrating to be trying so hard, but to no avail. It is also hard to deal with since I have not done anything in terms of causing injury, but I guess abide by time. A lesson in patience, which I am so bad with. I'll give it my best effort, but I guess eventually it will show.

Anyone up for a swim?

Ultra Trail du Mont Blanc: CCC 100k Race Report

Race day.
I could not sleep the night before. I was so freaking excited. It was really hard to calm down and get some rest. In the morning I woke up and ate breakfast and drank my coffee, then made my way over to the square. For us, since we started in courmayeur, Italy we got a free ride through the tunnel from chamonix. My mom and grandma came along too and it was so cool to show them the first climb and to see courmayeur. I love that town. It's so small, very Italian, and just has a great vibe.

Everything laid out & ready!

Getting in the start corral was nerve racking. They were playing dramatic music and the French-Italian announcer was shouting into the mic as if he were announcing a soccer game! There were thousands of people all crowded into the street. Of course, Gina Lucrezi, new friend & badass US runner, and I had to go to the bathroom ten minutes before the start so instead of just peeing on the side of the road we opted to climb out and go right next to the bank in the trees in front of everybody. Hahaha my mom and grandma were appalled but such is ultra racing!

101km to go

My grandma, mom & I!

During the start and our run trough the town streets there were gopro drones flying all around and people were hanging out of every window, balcony and street corner cheering us on with cowbells and horns. I've never experienced anything like that and I couldn't help but grin and wave to the families.

After taking a tour of courmayeur, the race gets right down to business with a 10km climb to tête de la troche with ***m gain. We poured onto a single track trail and immediately started hiking. I pulled out my poles and followed the long train of runners up. It was pretty cool to look up and see a line of runners zig zag up the mountain and then below see the line trail off into the trees. Up at the top, everybody started running fast downhill to the first aid station, Bertone. Once there, I took a sip of coke and kept on my way. At this point I was running and at a very breezy pace. The trail rolled up and down with sweeping views of the glaciers and mountains. It was breathtaking. Before the race I had completely forgotten to sharpie the course profile and aid stations on my arm so I was kind of running blind as to where I was headed. I knew there was another big climb ahead, but I didn't know where and kept getting "faked out" by mini climbs that looked giant.

One of the Aid Station parties

I then pulled down my pants for all to see. #chafingsucks

Two really important questions I learned to ask were "c'est loin la refuge?" (Is The refuge far?) & "combien kilomètre jusqu'à la refuge?" (How many kilometers to the refuge?). At the bottom of the first downhill I came to the first big aid station, Arnuva. People were lining the course on the way cheering and yelling your name. "Allez Kelsie allez!" "Tres beau!" At that aid station I had some coke, coffee, filled my water flasks, and drank some soup. The soup and coffee were amazing and quickly became the aid station staple. They also had giant platters of fruit- dried and fresh, salami, dried sausage, chocolate, tea, and I'm sure other things. I tried not to linger and just went on my way. At the aid stations and major checkpoints, they had volunteers out there scanning our bibs, which was pretty legit and cool.

Soon we started climbing again up to the col du ferret. It was another long monstrous climb, but the views were again insane and I actually enjoyed it! The wildflowers on the hill were every type and color imaginable and the light shining through the clouds hit the grass in such a way as to illuminate each hill and cascade of rock. At the top I stopped to put my poles back in my pack as I had 20km of downhill. Kim Gaylord had told me earlier before Europe that the downhill and valley part was super runnable so I was looking forward to banking some time. This was not the case. I was having issues not being able to go to the bathroom and my stomach cramped the whole way down. It was painful and I was very slow. It was also very steep and painful. The downhill and rolling gravel road alongside the river to La Fouly. La fouly was a giant aid station and once I scanned in, the announcer shouted to the crowd "Kelsie Clausen arrive à la fouly! Elle est américain et la pommier espoir femme!" (Kelsie arrived at la fouly! She is American and the first espoir female- Which is my age group). At this station I drank my coffee & coke, ate bananas wrapped in salami (go down faster) and drank my noodle soup. I was confused about the course and thought champex, the halfway mark, was much closer. I was surprised la fouly was so big because I thought champex was just down the road maybe 5km... Thankfully I had eaten (thinking I could breeze through champex) because when I asked how far to champex, a man replied "quatorze kilomètre". 14 kilometers. Fml. I started running, weaving through the woods along the river. I was having a really rough low point and was super discouraged that champex was far. I was already about 7-8 hours in and feeling very crappy. I walked-jogged along, and just kind of sulked. I was so far deep in the pain cave at that point and was kind of falling apart. Then we got to go a little uphill and weave through a forest trail. On my shuffle, a song I really liked came on so I started singing along. I started moving faster, passing people on the uphill while actually running. I was bringing myself out of that dark place. I don't think all the men I passed liked that some young American girl singing Taylor swift or some Disney song was flying past. Eventually we got to a small town and we weaved through it. Champex was taking forever to get to, but at least all the families and townspeople were out waving and cheering. Small children crowded the roadside and held out their hands for high fives. I felt like a super star whenever this happened.

Not my finest moments

We came out of the town and started climbing up this giant hill with no town in sight. I asked around but nobody spoke English. A man pulled out a map of the profile and showed me that we had a big climb to get up to champex. Again, the course threw a curveball that I had forgotten about. Ugh. I got back into my dark hole as it was too steep and hard to sing and the miles were catching up to me.

Putting my head down leaving Champex. Primal Mode: <ON>

I finally got to champex and was welcomed by my aunt who ran with me into the aid station. I was so relieved to see them after 9 hours it was incredible the emotions I felt. My mom rushed around inside to get me some food and I sat down for a bit to eat it and prepare my pack with picky bars and gels for the next bit. My grandma and aunt watched from behind the wall as I sat sullenly looking at my feet and sipping my soup. I had no energy to do anything and just felt like crap. Everybody in the aid station also got to see me pull down my pants and put stuff all over my inner thighs for the chafing. I walked out of the aid station 12 mins later with my family for a bit. I told them how long it might take for the next climb and descent to trient and then I was on my way.

I ran along the lake and down a sort of fire road that was flat. Something must have just clicked because I started to feel better and just busted up the climb to bovine/ la Giete. Kim had said this was a really difficult climb to get a rhythm on and feel good, but I thought I was cruising up. I didn't think it was too bad. It had started to rain in champex so I had my rain jacket on and buff since it was cold. Up near the top there was a giant field full of the biggest cows I had ever seen. I had heard the cowbells and so I thought it was the top and people cheering. But my spirits were brightened as I really loved the beautiful sound the bells made. At the top it had gotten dark so I traded out my petzl rxp for the buff. The man said I had cinq 5 km to trient and I took off. I was running/flying downhill. I really owe a lot of it to the petzl. The light was so bright and the reactive setting helped when I would look ahead to see how much more downhill there was. I came into trient and was again greeted by my family. This stop was very efficient and I walked with them out again very quickly. I don't think I ever spent more than ten minutes at a station other than champex. My main goal was to keep moving towards the finish. I didn't want to stop for a while just because I knew I could stop at the finish and wanted it to be done faster.

Happy in Trient

The next climb up Catogne was harder in my opinion. There was lots of really rocky and scree-like sections or creek crossings. I had noticed two women I was yo yo-ing with all day and I got a little competitive. On the downhill to vallorcine I passed a woman and rushed to get out of sight so she couldn't chase me. But that downhill was a lot harder and it took me a while to get down. I felt like I was hiking downhill and I had to use my poles to support myself as my hamstrings were gone and my quads were beaten. I commiserated with an Aussie for a bit but then he took off. I got into vallorcine and it was just my mom there. I took a Tylenol pill and rushed out (I saw another woman there and wanted to get in front of her). My mom had told me I was around 13,14th at champex and so I was super excited that I might break into the top ten. Leaving vallorcine, I grabbed a dry pair of gloves and started running. It was rolling along the river and I finally knew this part of the trail. I knew what was coming and where to go. For the first time all day, I was completely alone. There were no headlamps in front of behind me and nobody along the course. It was just ten after midnight when I left so most of the little town was probably asleep! I ran past a bar and everybody was out blowing vuvuzelas and cheering and told me I was very fast and looked good. (In French of course). When people are out standing in the middle of the night to watch you struggle run by, you can't help but smile and shout back "merci beaucoup! Bon soir!!" From vallorcine I knew I had one more climb up col de montets to the tête aux vents then it was "all" downhill to flegere and chamonix. I had tunnel vision for the finish. Everybody had told me that the last climb was the worst and the slowest and the hardest.

Excited to be running through the night?

But I flew up to the Tête aux vents. I passed so many people on such rough terrain. I didn't feel any pain or soreness or fatigue. I was too excited. I could see why it would be so hard, because there were lots of big steps and parts where I actually had to use my hands to climb up rocks. At the top the officials told me I had dix 10km to go. I took off running thinking flegere was close and it was all downhill. It was not. It was super rocky, not runnable terrain, and rolling (mostly uphill) to flegere. The rocks were wet and slick with mud and the rain. A couple times I had to get on my butt and slide down for fear of tripping and falling. This part was discouraging. I retreated back into the dark corner of my pain cave and stayed there. My iPod died and I was left with silence and darkness all around me. The worst part was that I could see the lights of flegere (the last aid station at a ski lift) but it seemed I wasn't making any progress. There wasn't anybody around me and I realized it would take me maybe another hour to get to chamonix. My feet were tired and sore and I didn't have any more gels with me. (After 8 hours the picky bars got really old and I had to keep forcing them down. I abandoned eating them after 15 hours when I got to vallorcine). Finally I made it up the very pronounced hill to flegere but saw a woman just in front. I snuck my way past her and completely bypassed the aid station. I just wanted it all to be over as fast as possible. The downhill to chamonix was long and hard. It was steep and hurt a lot. I needed to use the poles and slowly made my way down. Once I hit the pavement road I started running. I knew the course weaves trough town so I was mentally prepared for the fake outs. I ran as fast as I could (probably jogging speed) through town. It was shocking to see so many people out and about cheering me on. It was 3:45 am after all!!

All smiles.

Rounding the final turn and seeing the grand arch is the best thing I had seen all day. I crossed the line amidst photographers flashing pics, families cheering and an official shouting like the man at the start. I immediately sat down and started bawling. All the emotion I didn't have to energy to feel pent up for almost 19 hours came pouring out. I didn't know how to react after finishing the hardest thing I had ever done. I had run 101km (63mi), climbed/descended 6110+m (20,000') in 18:53 minutes. I was 275th overall, 21st female and won my age group as the youngest finisher (ever?). My family was there to congratulate me and share the amazing moment.

No words.

I really can't describe the finish in words or even expressions. It felt so good and so deeply affected me that this is pretty much all I can say about it.

After the race, I went back to my moms hotel and tried to sleep. My legs were in so much pain that all I could do was lie there. In the morning I got up and did some more walking around which really helped. I felt better as the day progressed. Unfortunately, I didn't really have much of an appetite. The only thing I ate post race was a pizza, some bread and gelato.

How to recover properly

Gina & I!

In the afternoon, I got to watch the first utmb finishers arrive. When François arrived you would have thought the queen of England was finishing. The streets were packed with people, the announcers going crazy, the dramatic theme song blaring, cameras everywhere. He had broken the course record and it was just so exciting to watch it all unfold. A couple hours later I went back to watch rory bosio, who I'm very proud to call my friend, win for the second year in a row. I felt overwhelmed with happiness to see her cross the line. She did all her little jumps and dances and curtsying for the cameras and crowd in typical utmb drama fashion.

This girl rocks!

Later that night we all went out dancing at a local bar. I'm still impressed how late she stayed out and all her dancing shenanigans... You must get a superpower if you win!! Haha

Sunday morning there was the award ceremony. It was verrrryyyy long and dramatic and all in French. It was thrilling though. I'm very inspired and now determined to return for the full utmb and make my way onto that stage. For winning my age group I won the best prize ever. I got a TNF backpack with a gift certificate to TNF and a big cowbell with an inscribed leather handle. The cowbell is now one of my favorite possessions. It has such a beautiful sound and sentimental worth.

My most prized possession!

Unfortunately my time in chamonix has come to an end. I spent 26 days in the most beautiful, cultural, fun mountain town. I am already dreaming of coming back and I already miss it greatly. The opportunities I had, the people I met, food eaten, the trails run and sights seen will forever be etched in my memory as the trip of a lifetime.

J'ADORE FRANCAIS!

I am so so grateful for everybody who had helped me get here and finish this amazing race. My family has been so supportive of me running at all hours of the day and night to prepare and going to the aid stations to crew me. That was the highlight to get me moving along and I couldn't have done it without them. The community of runners and friends have me shocked with their love and care and congratulations. I'm taken aback by all the support. My coach Meghan is awesome. She is a badass ultra runner and has really helped me build the confidence and physical/mental ability to get through something this epic. I completely trust in her training, advice and have very much appreciated her feedback. I would be stumbling aimlessly around Mont Blanc without her!

I also want to thank The North Face for all their support and kindness. Their apparel was so great that I had no need to touch the other gear in my pack. The many people behind the brand that I got to meet have been so kind and encouraging as well.

Lastly, thank you to Taylor Swift and Disney for getting me out of the bad times :)

Gear used:
Salomon sense 12 set
Black diamond Z poles
Salomon waterproof gloves (required gear)
TNF e tip gloves (much warmer)
TNF t shirt, long sleeve, arm warmers, capris, feather lite jacket and rain jacket, rain pants
Victory sports design buff
Lulu lemon beanie
Julbo sunglasses
Swift wick socks
Salomon sense ultra sg
2xu calf sleeves
Picky bars & Gu gels
2 Petzl rxp headlamps

Bittersweet