El Vaquero and Skyline Marathon

WARNING - long overdue blog post....enjoy my ramblings.

 Afton, Wyoming 2015 - El Vaquero 50K and fishing with this guy! Go early and stay late is the theme of running races this year. I haven't run as many as I would have liked to but I have been stoked to spend time mixing running and family time.

 Ryan catching fish is a given, me....not so much.....they hate me I think.

 It rained sooo much the day before the race and continued to be a conglomerate of weather conditions all day long! I felt great climbing and this view was amazing at the start of the day. No idea who this girl was but found out later she was suffering with hypothermia and had to be evacuated out by horse..... been there done that before and my over-preparedness was a definite bonus for this day. Note my lovely poncho...this saved me from freezing my ass off!

 I LOVE this race and the views are amazing throughout, was eating, drinking, and feeling great except for the fact I knew a pretty large thunder storm was brewing and I was not looking forward to the return trip as it would be directly in my path at the highest point on the course.

Views and more views I could have kept running for a long, long, time except for the rain, hail, wind, mud, falling in a creek, being cold, thunder and lightening......kind of the theme of the summer for me. I just tried to embrace the weather and not freak out too much. The mud made for some slow slogging on the last section of climbing and so hopes of getting a good time were pretty much out the window. I felt much stronger climbing than last year and I was looking forward to running the downhill back to the campground. Not a stellar time but I ran to the finish feeling great! Was especially nice to get to the water-pump and see my husband there serenading me with his guitar!

RATINGS: Beauty=9 (weather) Toughness=10 (mud&climbing) Race Sweatshirt=10 I love tye die!!
Me Post Race=10

 PATAGONIA PLEASE SPONSOR ME SELFIE. 

No shame in trying right? Wyoming fishing recovery day.

 The coolest water pump ever, yummy water too!

NOW BACK TO O-TOWN! and the SKYLINE 50K, Marathon, and Half that I did not run but worked...okay I ran most of it.

Marking course for Skyline Marathon and 50K, it was nice to enjoy good weather and the scenery.

Hiking in with Noah and Carter my nephews, Skye and Wynter and my Dad. They ran the Lewis Peak aid station for the race. They did an absolutely fantastic job and were troopers despite getting rained on the night before while sleeping out under the stars. 

These cute girls were the most fashionable backpackers ever, brought dresses and prayer flags for the occasion! I love them so much!!!! Felt like it was a successful race but was truly exhausted by the time I got home that night. Kuddos to all race directors/organizers out there...you are a rare breed.

I definitely learned a lot this year about 'working' a race.... I am SOOO grateful for volunteers and friends and family who go above and beyond for these races. I don't mind marking course but put in way too many miles in two weeks including teaching classes in between. My husband is the best for putting up with me being on the phone constantly and obsessing over details. I definitely prefer actually running the race but also had a blast hanging out at Aid Stations, meeting new runner friends, sharing beer and stories, ultra runners are fun, entertaining people.

Did I mention that I am so thankful for friends and family!  

Thanks to everyone that helped out with Skyline!

Bryce Canyon 50 Miler 2015

Bryce Canyon 50 Miler! 

A look into my deepest love of red rock and my strong fear of lightening and the craziness of Mother Nature.

 This girl is awesome, we went early and stayed late into the weekend so we could make it a vacation for all of us. Wynter McBride is a great fire starter, a patient cousin and all around beautiful person.

AND NOW! PICTURE OVERLOAD!

 Start of the race, run in reverse from last year, with clouds and mist galore, I felt like I was in never never land and was completely mesmerized for the whole first half of this run. I probably started out too fast but after not running for  a few weeks I just needed to go.

 The clouds are behind me and were ALWAYS looming behind me, I felt like that crazy storm from the day before was chasing my slow ass the whole run.

 I am in LOVE with red rock, it makes me sigh and feel so happy and content. I felt pretty dang good coming up on this view. Shared camera moments with some runners and tried to stay ahead of the clouds. 

 I think I have a pic from this same spot from last year and this year was completely different, I felt good, was hydrated and was still running downhill....so much better!

 LOVING the views, the reverse course gave this course a totally different perspective.

 Sorry for the next few selfies! BUT I was having fun and wanted documentation. Met some great girls on the trail and it was great to share beers and soon to be almost (Squaw Peak 2004) the most crazy moment ever in my running life.

 Storm still chasing me and my PBR and yes potato chips...I am hooked and it is so wrong!

 AND the storm caught me and others going up up up to a very unsafe high point of the course. The two runners ahead of me kept saying we have to get up and over! I took time to put my poncho on and carried on. I promised my husband that I would hunker down if necessary as the hail, lightening and rain hit the day before like a hurricane! This photo is me after I dove under a juniper while lightening hit WAY too close to me. Hail to follow and I needed a better spot to stay safe. Ended up running down the trail and luckily was summoned from the trail by runners who saw lightening hit close by; ended up hanging out with 4 other runners under some dead-fall and a random poncho until the storm past. The hail was crazy and it hurt like hell hitting your body. It was a river of ball barrings running down the trail after. Thank goodness for my skiing skills down the trail after the hail quit. Wowzer!

 Funnel cloud (at least that is what I saw) holy SHIT! Following me into the last aid station, wanted to cry but knew I had an emergency beverage before moving on to the finish....ate an offered PBJ thanks to random runner and half of a warm PBR and after a deep breath went off into the windy abyss.....

 After the storm into the sun on the way to switch back hell to the finish..did I mention altitude and steep ass trail, and I needed to take a number two.... I know too much info but it happens, not usually at mile 40+ though AND just FYI I did find a random potty 3 miles from the finish, no door and yes I still used it.! this was the only time I felt like I was going to puke during the race! Lucky for me it did not happen this race! Miracle.

 This is actually after the race in Bryce with my favorite polygamist dress and Ryan and Wynter. I am so lucky to have them support me. I put this here because I thought of my family a lot during this run. I love them and feel grateful I get to take the time to do things that help me keep my sanity and that they come along.

 Walking stick umbrella, let's just say I wanted to be prepared after the last 2 days of crazy weather!

 Wynter and I with our large umbrella.

I think my face says it all, I just wanted to sit down and holy shit that was hard and I am so happy I am done and now I can eat some gosh dang food and drink some cold beer!!!! I am also super proud of a PR for this 50 (and other comparable) knocked some time off of last year for sure. I usually don't' care about times and such but was very happy about getting to the finish line when I told Ryan I would be there! 12:56!!

RATINGS:  Beauty=10 Toughness=10 Race Shirt=9 Me Post Race=10 Race Swag Bracelet=awesome

Buffalo Run 50 Miler

BUFFALO RUN...... 

I was NOT ready for this run.... although I tried to be ready. Needed to give it a shot and be alone and without distraction for a minute.... so why not run 50 miles. I signed my Dad up for the 25K for his B-Day present this year.... I knew he would enjoy running on the island and would like being out there in the solitude..... he needed this as much as I did. 

 This run was totally not about me.... I was running this for other things... sometimes life has a way of telling you what is important and not so important. I know the last year has been hard on my family and me. We lost a great man. My Grandpa James Mason  passed away.  Also a few days before the race my Grandpa Charles Galloway broke his hip.... he is a wanderer.... loves beautiful places.... he is a photographer of people and places. I talked to him not 30 minutes before he fell about how many

 photos he has to share to those that would care to see them.....

Some moments...like photos in a box will never be seen....CJ

Later in the race...before Lower Frary.. I was feeling better at this point

 Rallying.....

 Ummm shoe change...... it helped but not sure what the hell I am doing here.

 PBR and CHIPS.... not my normal race food but this race....well it worked! 

So, not scientific or anything but every half warm PBR I had after mile 33 worked wonders on my mpm. Interesting...... 

 BUFFALO..... I love these beasts. 

I was so happy to see my sister Mindy and her boys Kris and Noah a few miles after this pic.!!! It is amazing the energy (just like those buffalo) that those you love give you when you truly need it. Everyone has rough patches and everyone has demons in their lives.... running ......just running helps me .... I am pretty sure lots of people feel this way.  Everyone runs to something, away from something, about something, not knowing something.... I know when I run or shuffle or walk I sort things out and know that those somethings are okay, or at least in a process of being okay..... 

Hey Grandpa, Wish you could have taken pics you crazy wandering man.... love you.

 Sunset on the island....after almost everyone is gone.... bliss.... it is so peaceful and beautiful. Love just crawling into my warm cozy bed (back of the truck) and sleeping to sounds of the island.

 Michael and Ryan packing up after the race....lots of breaks were needed and Jim still made it off the island before dark!

 

My Sis took this pic.... I love it... My Dad is so amazing, my husband and ultimate pacer is too. I am lucky.

Finishing 50.

BEST moment..... leaving the island and deer were coming across the causeway...beautiful.

Thanks Jim and your lovely wife Karen for all your hard work

El Vaquero Loco 50K

This was during a 'training' run...I have been nursing injuries since June so my training consisted of 'lazy' runs where if I wanted to stop and take a break I did...or if I wanted to explore some random side trail I did that too....not a bad training regimen. My goal going into this run was to #1 ENJOY and #2 FEEL GOOD

 After a training run hike with my fun girls! They are the best supporters and I was SO excited that they were coming with me to Wyoming! 

 LOVE this race Hoodie! It is my favorite!!!! Had a lovely pot luck with all the HUMR friends and did a little rope swing pre-race soaking.... So much FUN.....

FIRST 25K-I was a Disney Princess for 4 hours

 Had a rainy night of restless sleep and woke up FREEZING! Made coffee and got my gear ready, I am pretty OCD about being prepared when going to high altitude because of a past experience at Squaw Peak 50 being caught empty handed in a lightening/hail storm. Walked down to the start with Skye and Wynter and pretty much gave the girls a hug and off we went. I did not study the race profile so that I would just enjoy the ride. Talked with Misty and Forrest a bit and then just focused on climbing. Caught up with Jim and drafted him all the way to the top of heaven. It was so beautiful and I felt good so I just took off on the downhill. I seriously felt like Pocahontas and "Just around the river bend" was  on repeat in my head for a large portion of the first half of the race. I had way too many thoughts to just stop build a shelter and explore for a week or two out there. I told myself to run as much as possible and hope my body cooperated, all my lazy runs must have paid off because I felt great all the way to the turnaround, pretty sure the scenery had a lot to do with it. It was great to see my girls helping out at the aid station and as usual Pam and Lane are the BEST!!! Had half a PBR and some snacks filled my water and was out of there...except I forgot my water bottle and had to turn around and go get it haha! 

SECOND 25K-Wild Flower Heaven

 I took time to take a few photos on the way back to the finish...felt pretty good but my tummy was starting to not feel so good, I experimented at this race and only drank water and only ate 'real' food which seemed to work great for me up to then, so thank goodness they had 'real' sugar Mtn Dew at the aid station where I was wishing they had some whiskey;) This helped settle my stomach a little. It was fun to see HUMR boys Aric, BJ and Ryan at the next few aid stations and bonus for me they were having their #BRE !!! It was nice to share some climbing pain with familiar faces. The waterfalls and streams were amazing and felt great on sore feet. I was and am always still in awe of nature and it's absolute grandness...I absolutely needed this time in the mountains so much and it was very healing for me mentally. The last 5 miles were hot and I was ready to be done and lie in Cottonwood Lake. Finished in 8:28 ish, met both my goals of enjoyment and my I felt great both mentally and physically! That was a seriously hard 50K

 Had the campground pretty much to ourselves and a hilarious girls night of poker using sticks, rocks and my leftover race candy! My 13 year old Wynter kicked our trash! The moon was beautiful and I slept fantastic.

RATINGS: Beauty=10 Toughness=8 Race Shirt=10 Me Post Race=10 (after a beer or two)

Simply the prettiest color I have ever seen. 

Beautiful Clouds

Bryce Canyon 50 Miler June 2014

Beautiful Trail Run/Walk 

with Friends and Nature

My goal this year was one, to get faster and also to enjoy every moment I happen to have out running both solo and on this particular run with friends who in the end don't know how much their companionship meant to me.

Beautiful Primrose on the trail...couldn't help but to stop and 'smell' the flowers

Bryce started at 6am and I was happy I did not have to get up super early. My awesome husband also got up and made me coffee pre-race!!! LOVE him!  Also, due to glamping accommodations (showers, pool, hot tub, store) at Ruby Inn was able to utilize real bathrooms before the shuttle to the start of the run.

Trees always amaze me with their age and beauty, this one was huge, old and beautiful.

Start of the race was amazing chatting with Debi Farka and enjoying feeling good and ready for a day on the trails.

Old water tank that I thought was really cool....was wishing it actually had water in it to get into at this point it was getting warm and I was dehydrated.

I was stunned by the beauty of the red rock and the sunrise of the morning....was hard to focus on running because I just wanted to look around. Lucky for me and those in front of me I did not tumble to my death...lol It was really fun to run a bit of this section behind Aric Manning who is always fun to be with on the trail. 

I felt great the first 18 miles of the race, just cruising and being happy to have the opportunity to run. Knew I was a bit dehydrated by mile 18...okay a lot but it was still early and I could try and catch up. Was eating well and so figured I would be fine. Thanks to a great HUMR crew I had everything I needed and encouragement to DRINK more...and after half of a deliciously cold PBR I was back to the trail.

Later in the race where you catch your breath because of how beautiful the Bryce area is.

This point  in the race is where things started to fall apart for me and also where I found Breein, then Forrest, then Misty and we all hung together until just before mile 40... and the anticipated HUMR aid station. I was having a serious knee issue and was having a really hard time running ANY downhill with efficiency but thanks to these 3 trail friends they kept me moving forward and kept me from feeling sorry for myself because we were all having issues at one time or another out there. Lesson for the future that helped immensely...fix what you can fix and just deal with what can't be fixed...i.e. nausea ....focused on fixing...meds....food....salt.....more water. Knee....couldn't be fixed so I just taped it and tried to endure the slow downhill. That was typically difficult for me because I LOVE the downhill and had such high expectations for myself at this particular run. So I focused on spending miles on the trail with friends and had fun talking about kids, running, adventures and also enjoyed the silence and scenery that was shared between the 4 of us HUMRS.
THANK YOU Forrest, Breein and Misty so much for keeping me out of a 20 mile pity party and making my day so enjoyable. I had to fall back in the last 14 ish' miles and pushed on with the Plain City Power Walk in my head....inside joke between Ryan and I but very effective when you can't run. Last 5 miles were spent with Mark from Boston on my heels and we helped each other push through the beauty to the finish, even hobble/running a little when the home stretch kicked in. It always amazes me out on the trails the people you meet and how silently you motivate one another to keep moving forward.
Finished in 14 hours 17 minutes....not the time I was hoping for, BUT my best 50 mile time to date! I am not a fast runner EVER but I realized that it is the people, the journey and the destination that make it worth the effort.

Random trail photo where I met two runners that both happened to be from Argentina and did not know each other. Thanks for snapping this shot to prove I was out there.

And this guy, couldn't do it without my #1 crew man, getting me to Bryce, hanging out and glamping at Ruby Inn and exploring/fishing before race day, visiting Bryce after and being my best friend.

Ryan McFarland doing what he does....

The Finish Line of Bryce 50 Miler...this is a very fake smile..I was sooooo happy to see Ryan and all the HUMRS  as this was a really challenging day for me and many others out on the trails.

RATINGS: Beauty = 10 Toughness = 8 Shwag  = 8 (loved the choices and my arm warmers are cool) Me Post Race = 5