Sun Top Mt training run

I am in the final stretch for the White River 50 mile race. Last weekend, I did the training run on half of the race course. Along with other race entrants, I ran along Skookum Flats and up to the top of Sun Top Mountain. It was a nice day. I tried to push myself hard to get a good 23 mile training run.

Skookum Flats trail. This is a "tree overpass."

Bridge along Skookum Flats trail.

Northern view. I think the Corral Pass half of the race is over there.

 

I made a new friend, Christy, on the way up to Sun Top mountain.

Look-out tower at the top of Sun Top mountain.

The Mountain from Sun Top mountain!

I never get tired of seeing this old man.

Tolt Pipeline Fat-Ass 13.1

My friend, Ellen, and her friend, Adam, set up the Tolt Pipeline Fat-Ass races and they are a great hill training tool. The course had 3 separate out-and-backs with 2 major hills. One hill was at about 0.5 miles and the other was at 6 miles. I missed the turn around for the first out-and-back and added about 2 miles on to my run. I had not run on the Tolt Pipline trail before. It is a great place for a training run!


First big hill at 0.5 miles

The top of a hill!

First turn-around that I missed. The sign had fallen down and twisted so that it was facing the side of the trail.

Millersylvania 50K

I am feeling committed to succeeding in my White River 50 mile race next month. To keep my distance running up, I signed up for the Millersylvania 50K. I'm so glad I chose to do this race. I hadn't been to Millersylvania State Park before, and it was a beautiful place to run!

The was a Rainshadow Running race. The course was five 10K loops, and one part of the trail was underwater. Just as my shoes felt dried out, I was back at the water and getting wet all over again. There was a lot of sand under that water and it made it's way into my shoes each time I ran through it. Water aside, the trail was really nice to run on. It was soft and wide.

The lake at the start of the race. I felt like I should have been getting ready for a triathlon!

Soft, smooth path

Fern meadow

Boardwalk

More lovely trail

Teanaway Marathon

photo credit: Taryn Graham

Okay, I am refocusing from the 100 mile race search to training for the White River 50 Mile Endurance Run. I raced the Teanaway Marathon this weekend. It was a family camping affair. It's hard to believe it was just a week ago that I attempted the 100 miles at Pigtails.

I did this race in 2016 and it was hot. This year, I felt much better on the course.

We drove over to the Teanaway River the day before the race and set up our tent. We played in the river for the afternoon. On race day, I ran the marathon, my hubby ran the 10K, and our kids ran the 5K. The kids really rocked their race!

Hubby on the 10K course (Photo by Taryn Graham)

The kids rocking the 5K course (Photo by Taryn Graham)

The marathon course was 2 laps on a 13.1 loop, and it was truly beautiful. Here are some photos from the marathon.

 

Breakfast by the river before the race.

Unfinished Business

My DNF last week is nagging me. I can't not finish a 100 miler now. I keep reminding myself that 70+ miles is a respectable distance, and I wasn't really training for a 100 miles in the first place, but I feel strongly about needing to finish what I've started.

I am looking for a 100 mile race in 2018 to sign up. I don't mind traveling far. I would like it to be scenic. Elevation gain should probably not be more than 20,000 feet. Let me now if you have any suggestions!

Pigtails Challenge

My first attempt at a 100 mile race. Also, my first DNF. I would have loved to go through life without a DNF, but here it is. I have run Pigtails before. I did the 100K distance in 2015. Since I may not be in shape next summer to attempt this distance, and since Pigtails is a relatively easy way to do 100 miles, I decided to give it a try. It is a 9.2 mile lap around Lake Youngs Water Shed. There is an aid station every 9.2 miles, and one in between at approximately 4.5 miles. Each odd lap was clockwise and each even lap was counter-clockwise.

The race started at 6:00 am on Saturday. I had until Sunday at about 3:00 pm to finish. This was a very generous amount of time. And I could have made it at the pace I was going, if I hadn't just given up after 70 miles. Here are the highlights:

- Bear on trail mid-morning. Scared the shit out of me. Especially since there was a recent cougar attack and death not far away.

- After bear, ran with my new friend and also bear encounteree, Laurie for the rest of the daylight hours. We also planned to stay together all night. But her hip started hurting and she quit after about 55 miles.

- When Laurie quit, my friend, Sheila, arrived and took a lap with me! We finished the lap at 11:00 pm when it was dark out. Sheila was such a trouper to keep me distracted with conversation.

- Then, I took a lap with my husband. The kids were at the aid station and refused to sleep in the tent Husband set up. They were in their sleeping bags in the car. Daughter called Husband's cell phone every 30 to 60 minutes to ask when he would be back. We walked the lap and it took 4 hours. Ouch. It was now 3:00 am.

- I had 3 more laps to go. Husband agreed to do the next lap with me, and we knew it would be daylight when we finished it. At this rate, I had 12 hours to go. Or maybe less if I felt better again when the sun came up.

- I decided to quit. The race director, Terry Sentinella, was very gracious. He didn't shame me or tell me to get back out there and keep going. He said that it sounded like I just needed to do more mental training and gave me some helpful hints. He said to break the course down into small chunks. "I'll go to that next corner." Or, "I'll go to the next telephone pole." Really small chunks.

Going strong early Saturday morning.

Aid station at approximately 4.5 miles.

Wildlife that doesn't scare me. I did not take the time to pull my camera out to take a picture of the bear that was trotting down the trail at me.

My all-day running partner, Laurie.

Sheila was my night time company for one lap.

Aid station at approximately 4.5 miles at night.

Twilight 12 Hour

I ran the inaugural run of this race in 2016 when it was called Starlight Overnight. So glad I could come back to Flying Horseshoe Ranch and do it again. This time we rented a nicer cabin that had carpet and a heater! The run started at 7:00 pm Saturday night. The laps were 2.3 miles long.

 

After 10 laps, I found myself running all alone. Those next two laps were challenging as I was tired and lonely. Then, the next 2 laps I had runners in front of me and behind me. I passed some and some passed me. Those laps went by so quickly! I ran until about 3:45 am Sunday morning and stopped after surpassing the 50K mark. I showered in the community bathroom, went to bed (that bed was calling to me on the trail for hours), and got up a few hours later for a pot-luck breakfast.

 



Pre-run meeting with race director Gretchen.

We climbed the hill at 6:45 pm to arrive at the start of the race.

My family ran the first lap with me. Then, they came back at 10 pm with their headlamps on and ran another lap with me. It was so cool to run with them in the dark.

The moon came out, so it wasn't completely dark except when you were in the trees.

Some parts of the trail were in a deep rut. Here, it was easier to run beside the trail on the uneven ground than to stay on the trail. One part of the trail was really swampy. After a few laps, and after people tried going wide around it, it became a mud bog several yards wide.

Time to shower and go to bed for a few hours.

My support crew!