Chamonix Week 2

This week was beyond epic in so many ways.

Italians do it better.

Hanging out with Tim Olson in Courmayeur!

On Tuesday I took the bus under Mont Blanc to Courmayeur. I was planning on just doing the first climb and really get a good feel for it, as it is the hardest and worst of them all. (Of course). I step on the bus and sit down to none other than Timmy Olson, 2 time Western States 100 winner & CR. It was great to chat a bit and then he graciously led me up the first 5k hiking to Rifugio Bertone and showed me the way (Who knows where I would've ended up without him!). Then he took off and I continued along/up a ridge to Tete de la Troche. (The top of the first climb). It was supposed to be 10k of uphill but only ended up being about 5 miles, so I was pretty confused. I looked at a French hiker's detailed map and discovered I had gone up the UTMB bypass route and took some other way to the top. I then went down to Courmayeur and followed the route I was supposed to go up. In short, I did the loop backwards, whoops! But the day was gorgeous, I caught my first sight of the summit of Mont Blanc, ate incredible Italian pizza and gelato, and had a blast bombing down switchbacks through fields of wildflowers.

Foggy above La Flegere

Wednesday it was POURING rain all day, so no gorgeous vistas. However, I met up with Ashley Arnold, super cool TNF runner & dancer, for a rainy run through the forest around Chamonix. It was so nice to have such great company and so fun to dance around the puddles! Her advice and her chill attitude was so welcomed.

Above Le Tour

Col de Balme

Friday I took the train to Vallorcine and ran back to Chamonix with the intention of doing the last climb and descent (10 miles) of the race. I got directions from a french runner on the start of the route and headed up and up. (In the pouring, freezing rain). This was really a turning point for me in terms of my training here. I've been majorly struggling on the uphills and getting my footing on some of the steep, but friday I finally found my rhythm (thanks to the Chicago soundtrack!) and was skipping and running all the way up. That is until I got to the ladders... I arrived to a rock face and the only way to go was up these metal ladders, about 10ft+ long and scattered up the mountain. It snaked around and just when I thought I was at the top, there'd be three more... I lost count after 12... It was miserable. I was getting blown by huge gusts of freezing wind, pelted with rain and my gloves were soaked holding the ladders. I was so afraid of falling off. (It would definitely have been to my death as I was very high up...)

A Refuge above Col de Balme

But then I got onto a rolling ridgeline and was feeling great. (After I changed into a dry longsleeve and new gloves) A french guy caught up to me and we started talking. He is from Annecy and is training for the CCC too! So we ran together and had fun talking. He had a nice map and seemed to know where he was going, and I had absolutely no plan or anything (haha!). We got to La Flegere and started running down... All of a sudden I see a flash of neon pink and Rory Bosio, '13 UTMB winner & CR, is running up the trail. She promptly informs us we took the wrong way, and I took a UTMB variant on my climb up and completely bypassed the trail (duh ladders are not in the race...) And we chatted for a bit before going on our ways. The guy I was running with was stoked haha. The run ended up being pretty sweet and I felt awesome.

Making faces at 2800m

Saturday I got another ride up to Le Tour and CRUISED up to Col de Balme! I felt incredible and just kept wanting to go up and up and up! It was SO beautiful and I even saw some snow! After, a couple friends and I went to a bar and had some red wine for recovery and a delicious meal of macaroni, salad, and melon! So Euro!

So much fun to slip n slide through the fresh powder!

Polar Bear Plunge anyone?

Sunday was pretty amazing. I got an email saturday night from Rory Bosio if she wanted to adventure all day and I promptly responded yes. So I biked to her place and we drove to La Gorge by Les Contamines. We ran-hiked up to Col du Bonhomme through wildflowers, fields with cows and then snaked along this ridge. We started going down huge patches of snow and were pretty much skiing on our shoes. Rory, being a skilled Nordic skier, took off and I was left slipping and sliding and falling on my butt after her. We then scrambled up to this other ridge and took in the INCREDIBLE scenery. This was our highest point at 2750m (almost 9000'). We literally rock climbed our way down to these two beautifully blue alpine lakes. We sat down for 45min-an hour and ate and talked and jumped in! (got some applause from the hikers haha!) Then we ran down to the finish. Not including the lake, it was 17.5-18 miles & 5:05 hours of fun adventuring. Down at La Gorge we sat by, tanned, and swam in a lake with tons of french picnickers. And then devoured some gelato. It was such a fun adventure and she is such a cool, fun, awesome person. Girl talk was very fun and we had a lot of laughs... :)

View from Col de Bonhomme

Unintentionally twinning with Rory- Tete d'enclave

This week I ran 62 miles and climbed 18,900'!!!!! Best part was, I felt so at ease and comfortable running all of that! (Or hiking). Now for the taper!!!!

Time to Enjoy the views & rest!

Chamonix- Trail, Ultra & Mountain Running Mecca

After several flight delays (Thanks United), I finally arrived Wednesday night. I immediately went for an easy 4 mile run around town to get my bearings. What a vibrant, beautiful city framed by the most picturesque mountains I could imagine and lush green forests. After my run, I went down to the center of town to get something quick and cheap to eat. I found out that the French, instead of putting it to the side, stuff the fries into the burger along with everything else. It was sooo filling, but very delicious.

After my first Vertical Kilometer

I went back to my hostel and crashed. The next morning, I woke up and went for a run. Now, this was no ordinary run, this was a run up the Chamonix Vertical Kilometer course. A VK is a super steep run, with over 3000' elevation gain in just over 2 miles. This is on tight switchbacks up a ski run, which later turns into a scramble so steep ropes and ladders and footholds were needed to be built into the rock. It took me an hour and five minutes to "run" up. I immediately collapsed onto the platform for the Gondola at Plan Praz, an elevation of 2000m (6562'). I didn't know how else to go down, and didn't want to risk getting lost in the mountains, so I went down the VK route. bad decision. It was more of a hike as it was very steep and I did NOT want to turn an ankle! However, the view of L'Aguille de Midi and the Mont Blanc range is unbelievably worth it.
I came back and just hung out in the city and explored some more.

Le Tour glacier

The next morning, I went with the guy that owns the hostel- Aaron- to Le Tour. He paraglides for sport, so while he and his friend went flying, I tried running up the La Refuge D'Albert 1er and the Le Tour Glacier. I really really wanted to touch, see, and run on the glacier. I got up to the ridge in and was zoning in on it. But I was on a really high/steep singletrack, alone, along a ridge that was super windy. There were also chances of a storm later in the evening and the clouds rolling in did not look too good. I went with my gut and just decided to turn around. Wow that singletrack was awesome to blaze down!!! As soon as I got back to the start and found Aaron, it started pouring rain and thunder loudly clapping. A giant bolt of lightning also struck very close to the trail I was on just 35 minutes ago...

Going crazy over the view and wildflowers

The long, technical, back way to Le Brevent. With views of the Aguilles Rougues Nature Preserve

Saturday I had my best run. I went up the VK route (improved by 7 minutes), and then continued up. I took the route less traveled by to Le Brevent. Literally though. It was super technical and long. It wound its way along the backside of the ridges. It gave beautiful sweeping views of the Aiguilles Rouges Nature Reserve. It was so high, I even got to run in some snow!!! (Exciting for a coastal Californian...) And I saw some of the locals super close up and personal. I finally made it to the summit of Le Brevent (altitude 2500m- about 8300'). It was so hard and so steep and so long. I examined strava and realized that I had climbed 6000' in about 6-6.5 miles. Craziness. I took a few pics, and then descended back to Plan Praz the fireroad, shortcut and took a new, epic singletrack down to where I started the Vk. The singletrack was winding switchbacks through a meadow of wildflowers, which quickly turned into a beautiful green forest. I was so joyful and happy running through it!

after 6000' of climbing, Le Brevent is conquered!

Earlier that morning, I met up with Timmy Olson and his sweet family at the local farmer's market. My dad would've loved it. They were selling every produce imaginable, meats, cheeses, cooked foods, wines, jams, honey, baked goods.... All for very cheap. They also were selling clothes, trinkets, jewelry, puppies (and a baby pig!), mattresses, Salomon shoes, etc... It was all so foreign and interesting!

Sunday, I was so beat up from such an exhausting week of traveling, so many vertical feet climbed in not so many miles, and so I took an easy short run along the River L'Arve to Les Houches and back.

Met a couple of these guys heading up to Le Brevent

Over this week I've had my share of explorations, practicing my terrible French, being noticed as the dumb American on a mountain, and I'm loving every second of it. I feel so comfortable and at home here. The community and culture is incredible and I'm trying my hardest to assimilate into it!! The trails are so steep and unlike anything I've ever encountered. The mountains can change everything in such a short amount of time. I'm very nervous, scared, anxious for CCC. But I am also excited and loving every second. I cannot wait to run around this beautiful massif and see these mountain towns.

Do I look ready to run 100km in the Alps?!

I am so grateful to everyone supporting, encouraging, cheering me on. I treasure every nugget of advice and all the help I am getting. Huge shoutout to everyone that's making this wonderful opportunity possible.  I am eager to represent all my friends, the SF bay area, Cal Poly, TNF Flow and young female athletes with huge dreams!

Je vais a Chamonix!

As I sit here in the airport, waiting for my flight to take off I am overwhelmed by many emotions. I am scared, nervous intimidated and anxious for the biggest challenge I have yet to face coming up in three weeks. But I am also excited, happy, and eager to start this new adventure and new chapter of my life.

I trust in my training and the homework I have done. My mileage has been at an all time high and I have never felt better, which I owe to my awesome coach, Meghan. Even my easy weeks are 5-7 miles more than I have ever done.  My workouts have all felt smooth and at ease. My long runs have been executed and I have practiced with my pack and poles to the best of my ability. I have climbed as many vertical feet as I possibly could and done several night hikes/runs to simulate running through the night.  It is almost strange how comfortable and unafraid I feel now running alone in the middle of the night!

View from the top of Tam. 2780'

My best training run to date was last Sunday.  I had 30 miles scheduled and it was a hard and trying week. Not one run felt comfortable, good, or had any ease.  It felt like work each step and I did not get into a groove of any kind. My weekend was super busy, with runs barely squeezed in, work, babysitting, and visiting friends.  This led to not much sleep and a lot of standing up, making me even more tired than I already felt.  Sunday came and I had work, so I planned my long run to do after I got off at 4 pm. I wanted to imitate Fernando’s run of the Double Dipsea & Double Mt Tam summit and knew it would take a very long time since it had 9000’ of vert.  (Exactly half of what I would do in my race!) After work I parked in Mill Valley and started my run around 5 pm.  I started on the Dipsea and it was so hard. It was a struggle and I was tired and slow.  I got out to just past the 5 mile rock and decided to turn around. I didn’t need to go all the way into Stinson and I had already done the climb up Cardiac and the stairs, which was good enough for me.  I ran back to Mill Valley’s depot and started up the arduous Hill Climb route- 5k with 2500’.  It was also slow and painful. I tried to run up as much as I could but I ended up alternating running and powerhiking on Temelpa. I got to the top right as the sun started to set. Wow what a sunset! I then turned around and descended back down the hill climb route.  I got the Depot again right as it started getting dark. I switched on my headlamp and started right back up.  It was again slow, but I am pretty sure my splits were just about even- maybe a couple minutes apart.  At the top I was tired, hungry, and just done with the whole thing. I was hating how much I struggled to put one foot in front of the other.  That week just sucked. By mile 10 my ipod had died too, so I was alone with my thoughts as well.  I went down Railroad grade this time, hoping to have a faster descent and smooth sailing in the dark.  I wasn’t afraid of any night time critters, but desperate for human interaction, I called my best friend Taylor.  We chatted on the phone and updated me on the movie she was watching. Boy was that nice. However, reception at the top of mt tam was terrible, so soon I was by myself again.  Usually, I can sail down RR grade at most 7:30 pace.  I was barely making 9 min miles.  I was in anguish when I would get to certain landmarks, frustrated I wasn’t farther.  I just wanted the run to be over.  My body didn’t hurt physically, but mentally and emotionally I was destroyed.  I finally got down to the depot and finished my run around 11:30 pm. I had gone 27 miles and climbed 8500’.  I definitely did not want or need to add on the extra three miles. I had been running and out there by myself for almost 7 hours and I was wiped out.

Sunrise from another Tam summit run.

Even though the pace was terrible, my fatigue off the charts, and my overall sufferfest unmatched thus far in my career, it was the best run I could have possibly done.  Mentally I stuck with the plan and gutted it out, even though I was alone and having a terrible time.  I got through it and my mindset is hardened. Being able to get through the bad patches and keep moving despite the circumstances will be my best preparation for CCC.

Karl the Fog tasting the trees from Railroad Grade

I am confident in my abilities and grateful for the opportunity.  I am so excited to represent The North Face, San Francisco Running Company, Cal Poly, and young women in the running world on an international stage with the Alps as my audience! Thank you so much to all my friends and family who have supported me- giving advice, running together, mentoring me, and the well wishes! I feel very loved and grateful for everything given to me to get to where I am and where I am going.  See You in Chamonix!!

The Long, Long Trail

The proposal.

Over my winter break in December, Mary had asked me if I wanted to join her on a 270, 11 day fast packing trip across the length of Vermont on The Long Trail. I naively agreed.

The Views!!

I had not done much research and just assumed it would be a cool training trip for CCC in terms of testing nutrition, time on my feet and having a pack on. I would use every piece of gear I needed for CCC. I had been to Vermont twice before to pace her and a friend in the VT100 mile race. I thought, it's just hiking, how hard could it be?

Starting the journey

Being 20 years old, training harder than I ever had, I was thinking I could pretty much do anything; 270 miles in 11 days would not be a problem. I did not think much about the trip until I finished school mid June and all of a sudden I was to fly out in 6 days. Mary had been texting me all week telling me everything I should and probably needed.  Hmm, the list was more extensive than I thought, which led to many last minute trips to REI and SFRC. Even to Jorge's doorstep a half hour before I was to leave to borrow a sleeping pad!

I flew to Vermont Saturday night on a red-eye, planning to have most of Sunday to relax and get ready for the trek. Unfortunately, due to a United fiasco I was delayed and spent all of Sunday in the Newark airport. I arrived in Vermont at midnight. Obviously I was not going to start at the Canadian border with Mary at 6 am the next morning, so I would meet her later in the evening.

Climbing up a ladder in Devil's Gulch

One of the shelter's we slept in!

I arrived on the trail to meet Mary for the last 5 miles of the night. I had my borrowed pack all set to go and ate a quick on the go dinner before we set off. My energy was high and my excitement uncontrollable (despite carrying a 30lb pack!) I hopped and skipped and pranced through the gorgeous greenery and chatting wildly with enthusiasm. Mary had already done 18 miles so she was not as keen to be jumping about.  That evening I had my first taste of what was to come. We hiked two miles an hour, impossibly slow compared to even a tired day while running. We climbed up steep hills with no switchbacks and hiked down equally steep descents.  We arrived to the shelter we were to camp at and quickly set up our sleeping bags. We wanted to get as much shut eye as possible before a long, big day.  The shelters are scattered along the trail and often have fantastic views of the landscape you ordinarily cannot see through the dense forest. A trickling brook nearby supplied our water for the next day.

Stuck between a rock and a hard place

Yup.

Going to sleep was very interesting that night. We heard little mice crawling about and had to rearrange and hang our food several times. Mary and I ended up sharing a bunk to quell our nighttime fears.  Before shutting my eyes I caught sight of a flashing light in the corner of the cabin. I frantically told mary that I was going crazy already and was scared. Turns, out, I had just seen my first firefly. I had a restless night and was woken up around 3 am by two hikers coming in for the night.

Sun, Sun, Mr. Golden Sun

GREEN!

In the morning we awoke to a gorgeous sunrise, ate a quick breakfast and were on our way! The best idea I had was to put my instant espresso into a Salomon soft flask and slowly sip all day; it was wonderfully welcomed. The hours go by so slowly but also so fast it is incredible. Every time we got to a shelter we stopped to consult the map and eat a quick snack. We hiked through several different types of forests. We would be traipsing through ferns up to our waists and sloshing through some thick mud. It was unclear whether the mud was thick enough to support our weight or if we would sink down into it.  The trees changed from aspens to birch to everything in between.  We climbed several steep uphills and struggled down the descents, 1000' per mile sometimes for 3 or more miles. It was tricky because a lot of the trail seemed to not be a trail at all; the only way it seemed to exist was purely by the hikers coming through. The trail was never smooth or easy. It was always hopping over the mud, balancing on the logs that were sometimes laid down, or literally rock climbing up or lowering yourself down. I felt like it was a game of the ultimate trust fall every time we descended as we had to grab ahold of the rocks, roots and trees to go down or pull yourself up.  Devil's Gulch was kind of crazy. We had to climb up a ladder, go "bouldering", and walk across slick, treacherous wet rock. I am more surprised than proud that I did not take any tumbles that day. After 10 hours of hiking, we met Mary's husband Mark at the road crossing.  He took our packs, refilled our water bottles and fed our ravenous stomachs with some food.  I ate some salami, Fritos chips, french fries and maybe something else. It was incredibly delicious.  We would then hike the next 6 miles without our packs and only water bottles to meet him again.

Starting again at Sunset.

Peaked.

Mary taking it all in

Mary's feet were killing her and starting to blister; ours both had been wet all day, so I'm sure mine were starting to blister as well.  At that road crossing, I felt fine and eager to continue into the night. However, as soon as we started, I started to feel the fatigue and weight of the previous 10 hours. I wandered like a zombie behind Mary. I felt as though I had tunnel vision, only seeing where her feet meandered around the trail.  I felt somewhere between drunk and sleepwalking. I wasn't very talkative and my feet started to really kill me. They were so sore and tired! I stumbled along the trail not caring if I stepped in mud or hit a brach with my arm. After 12 hours and 47 minutes we reached mark again at the next road crossing. He picked us up and took us back to their camp, as we were very close by, for the night. I don't even remember falling asleep.

Top of the World

The next morning we awoke to a classic Vermont downpour. We gathered a light pack of just necessary food and water as we would see Mark again that evening, We started hiking up the road and soon came to a river crossing. Knowing we would get our feet wet all day we just hiked through it, not caring. the trail continued up and up, we soon found ourselves bushwacking up a flowing river. We did not doubt it was the trail as the trail was ridiculously crazy, but we did not see the white vertical rectangles painted on trees along the way for quite some time.  We were soon frantic and turned around. We found the trail again and saw where we had made a wrong turn. However, we lost an hour and a half and added 3ish miles of hiking! It was so disheartening and just added mental discomfort to the bleary day.  The trail of course, wasn't any different from what we had been doing off trail, but it was harder.  We hiked up and down waterfalls. The rocks were wet and water oftentimes flowed over them in small rivers.  It was tough, even with a light pack, to haul yourself up and over the obstacles.  Going down was even worse as it was uncertain every time you put your body weight down over one foot if it would be supported or slip out from under you. We were also paranoid looking for the white blazes indicating we were not lost.  You would start to wonder, "has it been too long? where could we have gotten off course? We are definitely lost!", but then moments later one would appear.  The previous day was filled with talking and stories and occasionally singing. Today, there was nothing. We hiked in near silence, concentrating on our footing and finding the trail, but I think it was also due to exhaustion.  Hours came and went. The rain continued on. A small respite from the unforgiving trail was a short hike up a downhill ski run. Haha! that is a break!  Mary accurately described the trail as "The trail that keeps on giving!"Soon (9 hours later), we met Mark on the road. We were tired, wet, hungry and mentally drained. We decided that after 18 miles in the pouring rain and over that crazy, course, we were done. We would not attempt to ascend and descend the highest peak in Vermont: Mt Mansfield, which loomed before us through the fog.  We went home to a welcomed hot shower and food and rest.

I would not continue with Mary the next day as my feet were killing me and I was so exhausted. I did not want to push myself over the edge before CCC. Mary had a tough day climbing Mt Mansfield in the clouds and crazy rocks at the top. I soon joined her the next evening. I even took a shakeout run on Thursday up the mountain behind Lake Elmore. Thursday night we had some pizza and then hiked straight up a ski mountain, of course not on the groomed open downhill, but on the technical side trail. We had to climb ladders drilled into the rock faces because it was so steep.  We finally reached Stark's nest, a warming hut, on top of Mad River Glen ski slope. We woke up to another lovely sunrise and went on our way. This time, our day was cheerfully welcomed.  It is hard to describe in more detail the days and the trail, but it was more hours and hours. I soon grew weary and my feet started to hurt.  The hours and miles dragged by and we began to feel desperate; where was this shelter we were staying at? We eventually reached it, ate, and fell fast asleep, sorta. At Skyline Lodge, there were several other hikers, both for the night and through hikers, so it was a tight squeeze and not much sleep amongst the snorers.  In the morning we packed up quickly and started hiking. Mark would meet us 5.5 miles at the next road crossing and I would end my journey and he would hike with Mary for the rest of the day and night. Mary ended her journey the next day because her quad and knees were killing her.  The words I have for describing this trail and adventure are as follows: deceptive, rugged, rural, relentless, beautiful, degrading, giving, green, fun, technical, and interesting.

Done.

And Done.

It's hard to think that you couldn't finish something. It's much easier to mentally make yourself feel better about losing in a race. Okay, maybe I didn't have their experience, didn't know the course, didn't put the miles they did. But to lose to a trail is a whole other story. It's a bit disappointing knowing you didn't have it in you to complete a goal or to even keep up with Mary. It is incredibly humbling to have to stop because your body just cannot handle the terrain and the long hours. Even though I am 20, I have a long way to go; I am not indestructible nor immortal.

chicken nuggets anyone?

This past week, after TLT, I have resumed running and enjoyed Vermont with Mary and her family. We went to Shelburne farms, hung out by the lake, and I even raced a 5:50 mile road race in Montpelier an hour after eating at Ben & Jerry's (very lactose intolerant...)

5:50 ain't too shabby!

Big thanks to Mary & her amazing family for inviting and taking care of me on this awesome adventure. Also thanks to my family for supporting me in my crazy ideas of fun... Onwards to CCC!

Ben & Jerry's! Just had to indulge... 

The destruction.

In terms of gear used: S-Lab light jacket, Salomon Bonatti Jacket, Sense Ultra SG, 2XU calf sleeves, TNF Better than Naked Shorts, Tech T shirts, Arcteryx pack, Marmut sleeping bag, S-Lab 12 set pack, Black Diamond Z poles, Mammoth & NuGo bars, Tailwind, SFRC buff, WS100 visor, Black Diamond Headlamp, Injinji socks, Salomon long sleeve.

Best way to end the school year: Run a 50k!

Rodeo Valley Inside Trail 50k

June 8 I raced the Dipsea as a tune up for another training race, Inside Trail's Rodeo Valley 50k.  Meghan suggested mid May that I sign up for a 50k to practice racing, hydration, and etc for a faster long run.  We chose this race as it was in the Marin Headlands so I knew the trails, it had a good amount of vert, and it was easily accessible from SLO.  Unfortunately, it was the day after finals week.  Finals week was filled with studying & stress as well as the labor of moving my things into a storage locker for the summer.  Not the best pre race events, as I didn't think much about the race until 5 pm Friday night when I was driving up from SLO.

I had zero expectations for the race. I just wanted to get in a good long run of 50k distance after surviving finals week and maybe get competitive with the other women. (side note: I hadn't even looked to see who was running or what the competition was like).

My gameplan was similar to how I have approached my 50ks in the past: survive the first 15 miles and just run how I normally run for long runs. Stay on top of nutrition and hydration and sing some tune in my head or chat with others to stay calm and relaxed.  Then the second half, assess how I am doing mentally, physically and competitively and then go after it. When I get to the 15 mile mark, depending on the race, I'll fixate my goal onto something- a place, a time, or whatever.

Saturday morning raceday came. I ate my usual oatmeal and coffee with almond milk two hours before the projected 8:30 am start and arrived at the line at 8 am. I chatted with a few folks and learned where the loops went.

The Crazy Awesome Course!

The race went off and everybody started out super fast. I held back the reins and chugged up Coastal, the first major climb, at a decent pace. It was probably a little faster than I should've started out at but I let the crowd carry me.  I power walked the steep part as it would be stupid to run it and run it hard that early in a race.  On SCA and Miwok, I made an effort to not bomb the downhills to save my legs for later.  It was already hot out and getting hotter.  I had a bladder in my pack so I continually sipped on my water every so often and made sure I was taking in my gels every 40 minutes.  Every twenty minutes I would alternate with gels and salt caps.  The course took us through a small loop in Tennessee Valley and the climb up Miwok and over wolf ridge just killed me. It was the worst part of the day. I felt slow and tired and hot and exhausted.  I didn't feel like I could do well or anything. I knew quitting is never even an option for me, so I didn't quite know what to do with myself. So I just kept running.  I felt better on the rolling hills along the Coast- wow what a view! When I got back to the Tennessee Valley aid station I had a sip of coke and put some ice in my sports bra. The race had turned around for me mentally and I was feeling more energized.

I charged up the Old Springs climb feeling really good. That climb felt like nothing! We headed up the steeper climb right after to hill 88, which was tough but the wildflowers made it all worthwhile.  With sweeping views of the hills and ocean just over thick bushes of multicolored pea flowers, it was hard not to feel inspired.

Finishing the first 30k loop

At the top of Hill 88 I knew it was a rough and treacherous downhill back to the start/finish area; perfect training for unknown European trails! I took them as fast as I could- not quite dipsea status as I still had another 20k loop to do, but fast enough to feel the exhilaration and near-danger from flying over rock slides and on the edge of cliffs. When I got down to the road it was 2.5 miles left of relatively flat until the Coastal climb again.  I did not realize how much I was moving until I looked down at my watch pace- 8:30s or faster! Hmm... I felt really good at mile 18 and was dropping those times? The last 20k should be a cinch and I should not stop for anything other than water! I found out at the aid station that one of the leaders got off track of the course and there were maybe one or two other women in front of me.

The excitement that I could podium or potentially win got to me and I quickly fell into race competition mode. I was constantly looking ahead, scouring the trail for a female that I could pick off.

I didn't see the next woman until we were heading down Marincello around mile 21. Boy was it hard not to run screaming down the hill to get in front of her. I knew that if I did, I might not have the legs to stay in front of her and potentially get whoever else was in front of us.  I raced through the aid station, getting ice in the sportsbra again and filling up my 16 oz soft flask, which was faster than my empty bladder.  I had caught up to her at the aid station and took off up Old Springs before she finished filling her pack.  I kept a steady effort up and up and up to hill 88, occasionally looking over my shoulder to gauge how far back she was.  Going down hill I knew I could turn a corner to get myself out of her sight and make her think I was way farther ahead than I actually was.  A somewhat bad thought I had too was that she was much older than I was and I could most definitely go screaming down the hill no problem, while she might have some trouble with footing or the impact on her quads.  So I took off, flying faster and faster downhill, not looking uphill for fear of falling, all the while running scared thinking she was on my tail.  I got to the bottom at the aid station and asked what place I was in. The woman who took the course wrong was in front of me and had probably already finished but I was in "second"!! I looked up and couldn't see her on the trail so I knew I had secured a considerable gap over her.  I did not know how much time I would have since I could not see up the trail very far.  With two miles left I ran as hard as I could on the flats to the finish. I sprinted my heart out fueled by the idea of possibly winning (by default somewhat). I was so excited I was grinning ear to ear.  I rounded the corner to see my Dad and grandparents waiting for me and the cheers of the other runners at the finish.

You can't see it but I had been grinning the last four miles...

Wow. So exhilarating! I ran 5:27 and earned second place female and 14th overall.  The woman who "won" had run the course incorrectly. She did the full pink loop first and then the pink and orange loop.  They gave her the first place win though instead of me.  She also ended up beating me by just over an hour. Even though I have no idea what kind of pace she runs at and what she is capable of, I cannot help but doubt she even ran the full course.  She had explained to me trail by trail the course two minutes before the start- how could she have missed the tennessee valley loop unless on purpose? I am not bitter she took the win from me, just questionable. I had heard she wasn't the most gracious racer at aid stations and with the race director after she had made the mistake, so I assume she needed the title more than I did.  Afterall, it is just a local trail race that happens almost every weekend. There were no high stakes or press or anything.  I had never placed better than top 5 in a race before, so taking second was definitely awesome.  I am super excited for what's to come and my recovery since the race was very quick- I am itching to get in more miles! It is so hard to hold back the reins sometimes!

Happy to be done!

Another Dipsea in the Books

I seem to have some sort of subconscious streak of signing up for races the weekend before finals week every quarter, so naturally, a trip up to a Bay for the Dipsea cost valuable time in terms of studying for my 7 am Ochem final on Monday.

Liz Gill & I at the start acting Touristy!

I love the Dipsea. It's a fabulous race that really celebrates the community and the trails. I have done it every year the past four years. This year I had finally earned my invitational spot; I was allowed to bypass the ridiculous entry lottery.

Since I had a race a 50k the next weekend, I did not want to push the pace- my only goal was to earn invitational status again by placing in the top 450.  The morning of the race I met up with a friend Liz Gill at the start and we warmed up and chatted with the other racers.

The race started off fast as I was in the biggest, fastest woman's group of the invitational section. I power hiked the stairs two at a time as I always did and just kept running uphill. I didn't stop running and just kept passing people. I kept steady, not wanting to push too hard.

Cresting cardiac and seeing everybody and all my friends got me super jazzed up. if I was already smiling, I was grinning then.

Up Up and Up!

The volunteers and cheerleaders at the top pushed me to run faster and "gun" it down towards Stinson. I didn't want to injure myself on the stairs so I took them one at a time while being as cautious as possible.  Several runners went down hard in front of me and it looked pretty grim.

That is the one thing that I do not understand. Unless all it takes to get a black shirt or invitational status is to red line it Mill Valley to Stinson, why be so aggressive? In years past, including this one, I have been shoved aside into the bushes countless times or nearly mauled by people running their hearts out and doing anything / everything to get ahead of me.  Maybe because I am never truly competitive in this race or have another one coming up that I am not so aggressive, but I do not see the point in sacrificing the next 3 weeks-6 months in one bad turn or fall from wanting to be 234th instead of 236th.

Top of Cardiac! What a relief to start downhill!

  

With that being said, I arrived in Stinson beach, healthy, smiling, and happy with a good hard effort. I ran my way to 274th place in a time of 1:14. Considering that my PR was set last year at 1:13 in the fog and felt like a redlining effort, and this was a tempo effort in the heat, I think it was a great indicator to how much I have grown as a runner and the strength I have acquired from ultra running. I am also pleased that even with all the miles, I can still maintain my speed. Last year I had PRed in the 5K and done a lot of road and track races leading up to the dipsea. A part of me is curious as to what I can do with a 5k or mile on the track, but I know that is not something worth going after, as trail running and long distances are my true passion and newlyfound strengths.

My very supportive mom

My Best friend & best "crew" cheering me on at the finish