Tahoe Rim Trail 100 Race

The three weeks between Western States and TRT went okay. We went out paddle boarding, did a couple of swims, some easy spins on the bike, and maybe 4 or 5 runs. My first "run" after WS lasted about 20 minutes and it felt like I was carrying an elephant on my back.  Uuugg, I wasn't sure this was going to go well.  My longest run ended up being about 10 miles. Ryan and I picked a new for us trail that starts in Meeks Bay and heads towards Desolation Wilderness. The trail passes a bunch of granite lined lakes and was quite stunning. Next time we'll explore a bit further.

Crag Lake

The week before the race I was feeling weak and puny. I went to a hot yoga sessions that I left about 20 minutes in because I was feeling dizzy, my vision went grey, and I almost passed out. Not sure if it was the heat, the new meds, or just simply my body recovering from running 100 miles.

The day before the race we headed down to Carson City for packet pick up. It was over 100 degrees.  Another hot day!! Boy can I pick them. After Western States I was looking forward to a cool day in the high Sierra. Because Ryan was running the 50 miler I didn't really have a crew or pacers like at WS.  He did tell me he might run the last 20 miles with me. The real bonus was his parents were going to be waiting at mile 30 for both of us to come through. We packed up a small cooler with 2 ice water covered towels for when we came through. With no real crew or pacers I stressed about what to pack in drop bags and where to leave them. In the end I packed up 2 drop bags. One I left at Tunnel Creek and the other at the start/finish at mile 50.  We passed through Tunnel Creek 6 times on the 100 miler, I left all kinds of gear there for whatever the day and night and next day would have in store. My other drop bag I left at the start/finish where I would be coming through at mile 50. My plan was to change shoes, socks, and put on my pack with my lights. Because I haven't done this course before and wasn't sure how my legs would feel I didn't know how long I'd be out there. I figured and hoped that I'd at least make 50 miles before it got dark and would need lights.

With the 100 miler starting at 5am and the 50 miler starting at 6am Ryan got stuck getting up super early with me and driving to the start. He got the new van all set up and built a bed in the back the week before and we got the mattress and sheets the day before after packet pick up down in Carson City. His plan was to get a couple hours sleep after finishing his race and before meeting up with me at mile 80.

It was still dark at the start and I decided to carry my small headlamp. It's not the brightest and I don't like running at night with it, but I'd only need it for about 45 minutes. I was surprised to see people start without a headlamp. The first mile or so is on a fire road with fairly even footing, but after that we turn left onto a single track. I felt good on the first climb. It was still nice and cool outside and I wanted to enjoy this as long as I could. Feeling good and the cool temps lasted until about Tunnel Creek. The first time we get to there we make a right hand turn towards Red House (6800') and run straight down towards the Carson Valley losing about 1500' of elevation. As we dropped towards the valley I could feel the heat rising up from the valley and I settled in for what would be a hot day. I still felt okay by the time I got to TC and made the right hand turn towards Mt. Rose. From there we follow the Tahoe Rim Trail until we get to the Tyrolean downhill where we bomb down a 2000ft descent to Diamond Peak. From TC to Diamond Peak I started cooking. I managed to run out of fluids and gels and started getting dizzy. I slowed down and tried to minimize the damage. By the time I got to DP and Ryan's parents with the heaven sent icy towel I was seeing spots. I decided to take my time at the aid station and eat and drink everything I could. I probably spent 15 minutes there trying to cool off and put down some calories. Normally I don't drink Mountain Dew, but this ended up being my go to drink. I reluctantly left the DP oasis and started up the 2000 ft in 2 mile sand hill climb. Yep, I was looking forward to doing this again on round 2. I took the climb slow and stopped every couple minutes to catch my breath and catch the view. It is really stunning and if I was going to be suffering I was going to enjoy it. Although the climb is mostly in full sun exposure there were a couple lone trees and I would stop and sit in the shade when I could. On one of these stops near the top I could see Ryan climbing. He quickly caught up and we chatted briefly shared a quick kiss and he power walked away. Once at the top of the climb the trail basically follows the TRT all the way back to the start finish. The views are stunning and I spent most of the rest of this loop walking the climbs and jogging the descents. I still felt like I was overheating and slightly dizzy, but it wasn't getting any worse. At the end of the 50 mile loop Ryan, his parents, and Merick were waiting for me. I sat down and while Ryan changed my socks and shoes Merick and the parents kept my hands full of food and drink. I put on my vest with my 2 headlamps and had Ryan pull out the jacket and gloves.  I was definitely not going to be needing them between now and DP. It was still hot hot hot. Ryan let me know that he finished the 50 in a 9:30 PR for him and was 1st masters!  He also let me know that he was done and wouldn't be running the last 20 miles with me. I was actually enjoying the solitude and was looking forward to the next 50. When I left the aid station I noticed that I was finally feeling better, and I was excited for the sun to go away. I started the next climb and actually felt good and alternated running and walking. I just hoped that this feeling would last.  My goal at this point was to make it through the descent to Red House before it got dark. It was a steep rocky descent and I wanted to get this done before the lights went out. I made it through Red House and mostly back up to TC before the sun went down. Once the sun went down the course was magic. There was a full moon out reflecting off the lake and it while it was still hot it was much better. I ran the descent towards DP much faster than the first lap and was treated to Ryan and Merick waiting for me. I had him add the jacket some arm warmers just in case I might need them and quickly moved on. Round 2 on the sand hill was worse and better than round 1. Better because the sun was down and it was much cooler, but worse because my legs were much more tired. I kept is slow and steady up this climb but the miles were adding up (80 miles). I wasn't sure I would be able to start running again at the top of the climb. At the top I did the walk to fake jog to finally really jogging thing that you do when you're legs are cooked and don't really want to work. After a while they started turning over and it felt okay to be running again. After stopping at TC (85 miles) for the 6th and last time I looked at my watch and knew I was going to be really close to getting in under 24 hours. I was still feeling fairly good and was just making sure I stayed on top of my nutrition and kept moving. The climb up to Snow Valley Peak (9214') was stunning. At this point the moon was lower in the sky and orange. It was one of the most memorable views I've ever had, but I still just wanted to be done. There was only one 7 mile descent between me and the finish and I had just under 90 minutes to get it done to beat the 24hr mark. The descent lasted forever and I was starting to hurt at this point. I couldn't just fly on the descent. I moved as best as I could but when I was at the turn about 2 miles from the finish I could see I was just going to miss the time. I finished in 24:04 and was completely happy with it!!! I thought I'd be bummed at missing a sub 24, but I was stoked with how well I rallied on lap 2 and how hard I pushed on the final descent.

Above Marlette and Tahoe

All in all a great day(s) for both of us. Ryan had a PR run and then crewed the last 50 miles. I finished my second 100 of the summer and ended up finishing 14th overall and 2nd woman. It was a really hot day and night and the finish rate was 59%. Thanks to the race organizers for putting on a great event, the amazing volunteers, Merick, Ron and Gail, and Ryan for all their help.

A New Normal?

It's been a busy spring and summer, but not in my usual busy summer way. Ryan and I have been playing in the mountains, but not nearly as much as usual or as much as we want. It's been an amazing but challenging year. We've had some major life changed in the past year with getting married, new jobs, and moving up to Tahoe.

The biggest struggle for me has been working night shift. I now know how extremely lucky I was as a new grad getting a day shift position right out of school.  I've always been a morning person and embraced early morning masters swim and going to bed at 830pm.  My secret talent used to be sleeping. I would sleep a solid 8+ hours a night and take naps in the afternoon.  Moving up to Tahoe meant working from 7pm to 730am. What I've found over the last 7 months of working night is that I am definitely not meant for night shift. I felt horrible all the time. Imagine getting on a plane and flying halfway around the world and switching time zones by 12 hours every 4 days. Then imagine not really getting the crap sleep that you do on an airplane. It felt like I was getting a series of 20 minute naps instead of really getting into deep sleep. We tried everything to get better sleep from blackout blinds, white noise machines, melatonin, valerian, and finally benadryl. None of it was working. I couldn't sleep during the day or night. To top it off I started gaining weight like crazy despite starting to train for Western States. I probably only swam a handful of times this spring and summer, but I did keep running. Ryan was getting more into ultra running and had signed up for his first 50 miler. I had a minor setback in February to March with an ankle sprain that left me sidelined for 4 weeks, but by April I was running pain free again. I kept plugging along with training for Western States, but I was feeling increasingly fatigued and the weight gain continued. I was up 25 pounds from December. It was frustrating. We were running about 60-80 miles a week and eating healthy. About a year ago Ryan and I switched to a plant based diet.  We eat vegan at home and cook most of our own meals, but fudge the rules a bit when traveling or dinner with family.

May 18th was a turning point. I was signed up to race the Silver State 50 miler in Reno. It is a fun former hometown course that I have always really enjoyed. I started the race excited, but I just never felt right. I had no energy and wasn't enjoying the day at all. At about 25ish miles in I sat down on the side of the trail and all I wanted to do is take a nap. The great thing about trail runs is getting off the course once I knew I was pulling the plug. I walked most of the last 8 miles just to get to the aid station where Ryan was waiting for me. I was really heartbroken about dropping, but I just had nothing in me anymore. We drove straight from the race to the clinic to see if we could get labs drawn to find out what was happening.  About a week later I got the call that I needed to get in to see a doctor because of abnormal thyroid levels. BOOO!! My TSH (thyroid stimulating hormone) levels were elevated meaning my thyroid wasn't working like it was supposed to. I'm not sure if night shift was the trigger for my thyroid meltdown, but it sure didn't help. I'm not a big fan of taking medication, but I knew I couldn't go on feeling like I had for the past 6 months. I was depressed, emotional, and felt a bit like I was going crazy. After talking with the doctor I started taking synthroid for my thyroid and sleeping medicine so that I actually get some rest.

So here I am 6 weeks into taking medication and while I don't feel 100% I do feel like I'm digging out from under this avalanche that hit me. With the sleeping meds I'm able to get 6 hours of solid sleep. Yes, it's not ideal for me, but it's much better than not sleeping at all. Amazingly the weight is coming off with no extra effort (10 pounds in 6 weeks). My moods have been more stable and I'm feeling much more like myself. I get labs redrawn next week to make sure my TSH level is where it needs to be and to adjust my synthroid dose.

I ended up surviving Western States (more on that later) and am getting ready to run Tahoe Rim Trail 100 this weekend. I'm not sure how my legs are going to feel, but it is so exciting to start feeling normal again. Thanks Ryan for being the best husband and being my rock as we went through all this.

family run time on the rim trail

 Yosemite trip, 50 miles in 3 days

Ultraman Hawaii and the aftermath part 3 (aka the Honeymoon)

So I have to say an extra special thanks to my wonderful husband. He put up with an ultra romantic taper week, a 3 day race, and a 3 day recovery before we actually got into full on honeymoon mode. It was his first trip to Hawaii and he got there just in time to experience the taper. Him, "what do you want to do today". Me "sit inside the condo and watch TV. I'd like to move as little as possible today." I'd point him in the right direction for a fun run or ride or he'd take part in my short training sessions for the week.

Would have been really nice to come here at night, but not enough time.....

Lava tube in VNP.

Sea arch in VNP

Petroglyphs at VNP. Over 23000 images. Definitely worth the nearly 2 mile round trip hike.

 

Waterfall near Hilo

Dad and Ryan "hiking" near Hilo

The day after the race we quickly packed up the bike and wheels and shipped them home. My backside wanted no further part of them. They are still boxed up in the garage. My dad was still in town for a couple days so we did a couple trips. One was to Hilo and to the Tsunami museum and a couple waterfalls. The next day we went to Volcano National Park. The highlight was a night snorkel with the manta rays. It is impossible to describe how amazing it was. The mantas would skim the snorkelers on the surface and then the divers on the bottom. This went on and on for about 45 minutes. I can't believe I waited so many years to do this.

Manta snorkel!!

After a couple days recovery we headed off to Maui. I booked the smallest plane I could find! The little inter island connectors are the best.

Goodbye Kona

Molokini

Hello Maui!

We had to cut our Maui section of the trip a bit short so that we could get home and finish our pre employment training for our new jobs and to find a new place to live. It was kind of sad to leave early, but we were super excited to get moved and start our new lives. We did make the most of our Maui time and got up early for a Haleakala sunrise. Never thought I'd be this cold in Hawaii. After sunrise we went from freezing to roasting as we hiked into the "crater". 

Good morning Big Island.... the mountains in the background.

Silversword plant. It grows from 5-20 years before flowering once and then dying. 

After cutting our trip short we decided we now had a reason to come back to Hawaii soon and finish our honeymoon. 

Ultraman Hawaii and the aftermath part 2

Day 2 bike 170 miles. We leave from Volcano and finish up all the way on the other side of the island in Kapaau. Day 2 bike is always my favorite of the three days. There is nothing better than spending a day on the bike and it's one if not the most scenic rides I've ever done.  After the brutal wind on day 1 we were treated to a magical day 2. There was no rain on the descent from Volcano, and the skies stayed clear the rest of the day. We were also treated to no wind at all! Well there might have been a light breeze over the Kohalas, but after last years gale force winds it felt like nothing at all. 

On the descent from Volcano my goal was to stay towards the front of the group and stay out of trouble. My legs felt fairly good, but I was eager for the turn onto red road to give them a go and really see how they felt. My goal for the day was to keep my effort comfortably hard, but I also wanted to put some distance on Kathy. With my weak training this fall I knew I was going to struggle on the run and was eager to have a bit of a buffer. Luckily my cycling legs decided to show up and I felt fairly strong the entire day. I kept my effort fairly consistent, and I started feeling stronger about halfway through the bike. I had my lucky spam musubi on the Hamakua coast and as always it seemed my magic fuel to help me fly up to Waimea and then up the Kohalas. The Kohalas are my favorite section of the course and I was feeling great until just after the crest. I think I hit a pothole in the road and I heard a crack. I looked down at my wheels and everything looked okay. There was a little bit more wind as I descended so I decided to take the corners fairly conservative. As I hit the breaks going into one of the corners I heard a strange sound coming from my back wheel. I let go and the sound went away. I looked down to check it out and everything looked okay. I gingerly finished the descent taking it super easy on the corners. The finish line is just after the end of the descent so I decided to take it slow and get across the line as safe as possible. I finished and said something to Ryan about my wheel making funny sounds. He took a closer look and noticed a crack in my rims. I'm so glad they made it through that descent. Whew, safely made it through day 2. Time to load up the bike and break out my running shoes.  Bike time 8:09:27

Day 3 run 52.4 miles. The run finishes up our tour of the island. It starts in Hawi and finishes up back in Kailua Kona. I remember in years past when I did Ironman and I thought the ride back from Hawi took forever and was such a long way. Now I get to run the last half of the bike course..... and it is a long way. The run hurt from the first step. Yikes.... it was going to be a really long day. Kathy and Yasuko started out fairly quickly. I looked at my garmin and I was running just over an 8 minute mile and that was also too fast. Even though I know better I went with the 8ish minute miles knowing all along that I would pay for it later. Kathy and Yasuko were quickly out of sight. There was no way I was going to be able to hang today and I knew the day would be all about damage control. I just focused on taking on calories and hydration and kept moving forward. At about 19 miles in we make the turn up from Kawaihae and I could see Kathy about 2-3 minutes ahead. I put my head down and just kept moving up the hill. This is the point in the race where it really starts to get hot, and I was already sweating more than usual. This is where I asked Ryan to get out and start pacing. We got really lucky and picked up a 3rd crew member on day 3 that enabled Ryan to get out and pace run with me. Thanks so much Angie for all your help. The rest of the run my goal was to keep Kathy in my sights. We seemed to stay about 2-3 minutes apart the entire run back on the Queen K. It was great to see her crew and "fun" trying to hang on for the last 33 miles. I can honestly say it was the hardest run of my life and I never had those up and down moments that are my norm for ultras. It was a down the entire way and a constant mental struggle. Finally we hit the stop lights going into town and I seemed to time it perfectly to hit each one red. Stopping, waiting, and then finally having to start up again felt horrible and by the 5th light I was having Ryan run ahead and hit the button. I'm not sure it did any good, but it made me feel a bit better. Finally we rounded the corner and crossed the line in the old airport.  Run 8:12:06

Total time for the 3 days was 25:29:09 and was my slowest time ever here. Overall though it was the hardest and most fun I've ever had. Yes, I know that doesn't make sense, but it was super special for me to have both my dad and my husband crewing for me this year. 

Most of my crew. Don, Karen, Dad, and Ryan at the awards

Alexandre Ribeiro kicked butt on the mens side.

http://www.hawaii247.com/2012/11/25/ultraman-2012-ribeiro-monforte-repeat-as-world-champs/

Ultraman Hawaii and the Aftermath Part 1

So this is a very late race report, but I do have lots of really good excuses. It's been a busy month with lots of new changes in our lives. After the race Ryan and I finished up with 10 days of real honeymoon.  Since we got home we've worked just about every day between the old and new jobs, and on our one off day we moved into our new house in Tahoe. 

The race in a nutshell was more that I could have hoped for, but it hurt much more than usual. I guess there is a penalty for missing so many training days.

The swim 6.2 miles: I was fairly excited to start the swim this year. I'd been swimming well leading up to the race and was feeling comfortable in the water. Off we swam...... and swam and swam and swam. I have my swim crew (Karen and Don) blow the whistle every 20 minutes so that I stop and drink and take in some calories. I like my energy and hydration to be topped off because after we swim 6.2 miles we have a little 90 mile bike with about 8000 feet of climbing. I was feeling strong, but as I started to add up the time I could tell that I wasn't going to come in anywhere close to my previous races here. When I could see the coral at the bottom I noticed that all forward movement had stopped. The swim treadmill wasn't much fun, and I wanted out of the water. The current was kicking my butt and the wind and chop on top had me drinking or inhaling ocean water. I don't think I have ever been so happy to get out of the water before. Swim 3hr 31min

 Off we went with such high expectations. I heard that paddle crews got to see a whale. No such luck for me, but I did swim through a pod of dolphins about halfway through.

 Marty was the one out of the water this year in under 3 hours.

Ryan wondering what is taking me so long. Hey, I was checking out the dolphins.

Woohoo!!! Dry land. I think at the time I was thinking never agin, but 4 weeks later I'm thinking maybe.....

My pitt crew hard at work. Dad is dumping water over my head to clean off the salt water.

Bike day 1 90 miles: Day 1 bike is always a bit of a struggle for me and this year was no different. It's strange because I like riding up big hills, but the swim just knocks me out. I think what made this year so tough was the swim conditions and spending about 40 minutes longer in the water than I had planned. Coming out of the swim I didn't feel good. My tongue was swollen and felt like it was covered in carpet. I didn't feel bad, but it never felt like I could hammer on the bike. My crew was doing a great job of keeping me fueled and entertained. It was a real treat to have my dad and my husband crewing for me this year. The winds didn't pick up until around Ocean View, but I kind of enjoy them. The longer I ride and race the more I embrace the weather conditions. I tend to train in the elements whatever they are so race day when the wind kicks up it's kind of an advantage. I took it fairly conservative on the descent to Naalehu and began the 30 mile climb to Volcano. I was still riding in second behind Kathy Winkler and didn't seem to be making up any time. She was killing it! About 10 miles out from the finish I finally started feeling a little stronger. Bike 5hr 36min

Only 90 more miles to go today.

Timothy Carlson 

Marty Raymond on the green machine.

 

 I think my crew only made one wrong turn during the race. Good work dad, Ryan, and Angie!

End of day 1 ice bath. Good times!!