Katcina Mosa 100K

This is the race I said I would never do again, 

that was in 2002, it is also the first Ultra I finished.

 I was out for Squaw Peak this year so I asked John Bozung if he would switch me to this to save my entry fee, he agreed and here is my race report. 

Drop Bag Prep!!!!

I was pretty stressed out the week before because Ryan was in Mountain View for prescribed burn prep and got extended a day. Wasn't sure if I was going to have a crew at all and was terrified of going solo but willing and I prepared  for that worst case scenario. Slept like crap all week, worked out a little to much at the gym and was too stressed out for my own good. FLASH BACK.....I could insert my Squaw Peak report that I posted on the website here......... Stupid shingles outbreak.......awesome. For those of you that are not aware, this 'rash' is basically a result.. for a select few individuals...of having chicken pox.. or more technically a  disease caused by the varicellazoster virus, especially by reactivated virus, characterized by 
skin eruptions and pain along the course of involved sensory nerves.
It is generally a great time and you want to rip affected skin off of your body. IT SUCKS!

Race Profile

So, Ryan finally got the okay to take 2 un-interrupted days off and we headed to Springville to set up camp and get settled. Had an awesome site at Cherry Campground about 1.5 miles from the start/finish. Settled in, drove to pick up race packet and headed back to camp for a delicious salad, some yummy wine, a fire and an early bedtime. 
3 F***ING AM in the morning is NOT the best time to start a race!
Ryan is the best though and made me coffee and we headed to the start..uneventful except for the cars zooming by and a bunch of runners in the middle of the road, not a good combo...lucky for us the 2 miles of pavement to the dirt road was uneventful and was the most road running I have done ALL year.
It had rained the night before and it was cool and humid and a little trippy because the weeds on the side of the road looked like they were glowing because of the dew. For 10 miles you climb up to about 8500 ft. I felt sleepy and good and was making great time. There were these adorable little owls along the road and they would fly right towards your headlamp, it was pretty cool and I wanted one for a pet. Well enough of the Narnia moment, you know that morning urge that you get and you take care of business on a comfy toilet, well.....my urge was one that has NEVER happened to me on a run. Let's call it pull your skirt down now or you will shit your cute skirt urge. Lucky for me and them I was between runners. We were still on a 'wider' dirt road and I turned my headlamp OFF! Not comfortable, done talking about it.
Made great time into Aid 1 and 2 and 3 ...was fueling well and felt 'normal'. After leaving Rock Canyon at mile 16ish I started to feel a little nausea...and I was super swollen and bloated, but figured it would pass. I started to take in more salt to try to fix this and kept taking in calories. 

This was beautiful! 

Up to Lightening Ridge Pass was a haul but beautiful and this was the only place I took a few pics. I was enjoying the terraces courtesy the 1920's and view from up there...it was awe-inspiring. Felt compelled to relax and run the down hill and it felt great, passed a bunch of runners (which NEVER happens to me) and as I neared Aid 4 at Big Springs I felt happy. Then the random moment happened, I slipped on a wet bridge right before the aid station and tried to catch myself.......I somehow hit my heel on the end of the bridge or something...all I know is my already swollen, hurting feet (again a first for me) were not feeling right. Cramping on the left and the Achilles heel area on my right foot was feeling weird. I changed socks and lubed the feet, put a PBR  in my pack that Ry had secretly put in my drop bag, a few hammer vanilla gels and hobbled off up the trail towards Windy Pass.
I have hiked up Windy Pass lots of times to help out on Squaw, trail work, etc. this was THE most torturous journey I have had up that mountain. I had to hold my pack still so it didn't rub my stupid rash, my feet hurt, and I felt SLOW! Thank god for that PBR because I was not going to drink it until I was at the top.
Warm water, warm beer, itchy skin, me, and my all of a sudden really shitty attitude.....on top of the mountain. 
This is where I knew my feet were done.
I was not having fun anymore.
I wanted to barf.
My ass was chaffed.
Did I mention my heel F***ing hurt. Not the, I can deal with it uncomfortable feeling....but actual pain that I knew wasn't good and could lead to no running for a long while.

I had a true come to 'Jesus' meeting with myself for the next 9 miles, debating pain, being comfortable with a certain amount of pain, was I going to finish this race, did I really care about finishing this race, purple butterflies, bees, HUGE aspens, walking when I wanted to be running, the feeling of razor blades being stabbed into my feet, being grateful that I was out there, being pissed that I was out there, turning music off cause I needed to concentrate, wanting to see my hubby, thinking about 6 miles of road at the end, drinking warm water, running out of warm water, thinking of throwing my shoes off the mountain, wanting to lie in a river of cold water, looking forward to the spring, the spring not running worth a shit, etc. etc. etc.tried to think of ANY reason to continue on, I had nothing.....
I was in a really bad spot.........
Mile 38 (fluffy part)
My husband is handsome, and he is my best friend. He took me to the truck, sat me down, gave me a beer and then we talked. I told him my feet were done. He got fresh socks and shoes and made me put them on and told me before I made a decision I had to do the 1.5 mile out and back to make it to 40 miles and then decide. I did NOT want to do this, but because he is my best friend I said I would. It hurt like hell and took me way too long...I did think about what he said; BUT  I was done with this particular run and happy about it, I was faster than I have ever been for that distance 40 miles(12 hrs) on a really hard course. Also, I really wanted to hang out with my husband, I really did NOT want to run on the road, and I did not want my stupidity to ruin the rest of my summer/fall plans.
Ryan made me do a DNF interview that I am completely embarrassed by but if enough of you want to see it I will post. He wanted proof that he did all he could to encourage me to finish. 

So it was decided, my very raw ass and I with my best friend drove back to camp.....I immediately sat in the stream by our camp with a good view of the road where we could see runners headed to the finish. Yes I did take a naked bath in that stream, do not judge! 

Bath time, Beer time, Cheer time!

Watched the fish eat bugs and my husband tried to fool them with his fake flies.....NOT one moment of regret like I have had in the past with a DNF... just happy and content about what I had accomplished and ready to recover so that I can run with friends and have more fun on the trails  in the next couple of months. Ryan and I sat by the fire, drank some beers, and talked about adventures for the future and cheered runners on from our campsite. I felt really good about my decision and felt extremely lucky to have a few extra hours with my best friend before he left (Sunday) to another fire. I am icing my swollen 'Achilles heel' and writing this...... 

feeling excited to get back out on the trails. 

Race Ratings: 

Beauty=7 (it was dark for a lot of the race) Toughness=9 Race Shirt=2 Me Post Race=6