Ryan and I have been getting ready for the Wapack 50 trail race and he was rearing to go and I was anxious about the distance.  I have run long distance before but never tried to do anything other than just finish.   I decided I wanted to finish between 12-12.5 hours.  The Wapack course has almost 12,000 feet of elevation gain and is so darn rocky!

The last couple of weeks I did some rock climbing with Courtney at Rumney where she even talked me into leading an easy pitch!  I did some fun mountain bike and road rides too!  I went on a nice swim with Alton in a chilly lake!  I did some nice runs in the whites and focused on getting ready for this run.

photo courtesy of Courtney Ley

The day before the race Ryan took me fishing and showed me his fish catching skills!  I showed him my casting skills.  He caught 4 fish, I caught one!  It was fun to remember how much I enjoyed fishing!!!  Then we went to check out the logs that arrived for our new log home!  So many exciting things going on!  We even get our puppy next weekend!

We started at 5 am where we got to see our friends and fellow racers.  It was a chilly start-35 degrees and there was frost on the ground!
I knew it was going to get warm so I dressed minimally and dealt with the cold start.  Luckily the race starts by taking you up and over Watatic which was a rocky, rooty ascent.  This peak is also the crux for most people as you have to run out to the other side of the Wapack trail and then return to the start/finish only to go back over Watatic for 3.5 miles and then turn around.  I was prepared to stick it out.

When the race started I focused on my pace, letting people charge ahead of me.  Today was all about having enough left in me to cross that finish line.  The trails were in great shape and there was some mud, but nothing too bad.  The wildflowers smelled lovely and I got to witness a beautiful sunrise!  The views from the ridge were amazing!  Mount Monadnock was very clear and looked massive from this ridge!

I felt very comfortable and focused on my pace and nutrition.  As usual my mind wandered and I was solving all of life’s problems in my mind.  I chatted with many other runners and enjoyed the goofy conversations that usually occur at ultras.  After Windblown ski area my belly gave me some trouble and I had to hop off the trail for poop #1.  I have just accepted this inconvenience as part of my racing.  After that I was back on the trail enjoying the sunlight coming through the trees.  I came up on the ridge and lost the trail for a bit and luckily another runner came up behind me and the two of us figured out where to go.

We chatted for a bit and then I was zoned out again until I was at Miller Park where Cooper and Miriam were at the aid station.  I filled my pack with water and made the trek to the rocky, steep mess up Pack Monadnock.   I just approached it like I was out on Denali climbing and found myself soon at the top where I came upon a very sad looking Ryan.  His quad felt torn and he was not able to race.  He was in the top three and I cried when I found out he had to drop.  He gave me a hug and a kiss and told me to go on and finish.  Now, that is a sign of a great relationship!  One of the hardest things to do is to put on a smile and tell your partner to finish while you are not able to.  At that moment I decided I was running this race for him.

I charged down the hill to the turnaround only to find that the drop bags never made it there!  OMG!!  I was out of food and almost panicked but held it together, took a ton of go from the aid station and ran back worried about what I would do now.  I cranked up my tunes and found myself singing and dancing my way back up the hill!  I guess it was nothing a few good songs couldn’t fix!

I managed to get lost again and luckily another runner coming from the other direction was lost too!  I yelled out “where did you just come from?” and he pointed to the trail and he asked me where I just came from and I pointed it out to him.  Nothing like teamwork to keep things moving!  I headed to Miller Park again and was thrilled to have Miriam tell me my drop bag had made it to that aid station!  I stocked up on food and ran down the trail.  By that point I had about 26 miles in my legs and I was in that peaceful place that I love so much!  My pure grits were a bit slick but they were super comfy too and were holding up nicely to this rocky race!

photos courtesy of Miriam Wilcox

After the next huge climb I was back on the ridge loving the cool breeze.  The air was very hot and I think it hit 82 degrees!  I had to start
taking some salt pills and really started drinking a lot more.  At one point I started to hallucinate and realized I was just getting a bit dehydrated.  I drank a ton of water and started to feel better.

Once again I felt like a machine!  At one point I started crying because I couldn’t believe how good I felt and even though I didn’t feel fast I felt like I knew how to run!  I had to stop for poop #2 and I felt really good after that pit stop.  I was able to pick up the pace a bit and smile even more!  I was having a blast!

Before I knew it I was at the windblown aid station eating and filling my pack.  I was so excited to be getting closer to the next turnaround!   I had to make one more poop and that was it!  Going up Windblown felt effortless and I just walked up it so well!  When I got to the top I cranked the music and picked up the pace.  Soon enough I was at the Binney Hill aid station where I got my pack refilled with water and saw Adam on his way to the finish.  I think I called  him a bastard and threatened to catch him.  Ha, I never saw him until I got to mile 43!

I was so excited to have 10.5 miles left and I felt like a rock star!!!  I had a blast running the next few miles to the start/finish where I eyed a nice looking cake and got a big hug and kiss from Ryan!  He seemed so happy for me!  Adam and Miriam were there with Cooper giving me such nice encouragement as well!  It was such a blur to me but I only remembered seeing the four of them and then telling Ryan I would see him in 1.5 hours.

As I took off down the trail I started thinking that I should have said 2 hours.  I had no idea how things would go for me but I wanted to get back to the finish before the 21 mile racers ate all the cake.  I cranked up my tunes and motored up that damn hill as quickly as I could.  I got lost on the summit and lost about 4 minutes hunting for the trail but soon found it and tried to make up some time.

I ran the best I could to the Binney Hill aid station and was stoked to get there so fast!  I thanked the aid station workers and ran like the wind to the finish!  I have no idea where the strength came from or the speed but I felt incredible!  I had to hike up the steep rocky section to the summit of Watatic and then charged to the finish!  I saw I had a shot at breaking 11 hours and was on a mission!  I started talking to myself telling me that I got it and can do this!  I was shocked that my legs could move like that after running 50 miles!  I crossed the finish line and it was a blur!

photos courtesy of Miriam Wilcox

I found out I was the first woman, fifth overall, and now have the women’s course record which I broke by 47 minutes!  My time was 10:52!  I was shocked, excited, confused and just wanted some cake!  Everyone said I had to wait and then Ryan stood in front of me, got down on one knee and asked me to marry him!  He put the most beautiful ring I have ever seen on my finger as I said yes!  It was so incredible to look around and see our friends, Ryans dad and girlfriend, and of course Cooper there with huge smiles!  It was the most amazing moment of my life!  Being surrounded by fellow racers made this just awesome!  Ryan and I met at a 50 mile race, Wapack was the race that changed his life and now he was making Wapack the race that changed my life!  We could not have been happier!

Photo courtesy of Miriam Wilcox

Norm gave me an award and some maple syrup for the win and of course I got my cake!  I don’t want to say I am fast yet but I think I am learning to run!  It is amazing to see what a little hard work can do!  Of course I couldn’t do it without Ryan letting me chase him around the hills, Jack for guiding me on my journey,  Brooks for making such awesome shoes and clothing, Acidotic Racing for letting me be a part of their team and of course all of my friends who keep me company when I am training or just needing someone to chat with!  Thanks for the pictures and all you do for us Miriam and Adam! You are all the best!  And of course I love my Ryan!  Thank you for making me the luckiest girl alive!

The last couple of weeks have been fun!  After three weekends in a row of racing I was ready for some down time.  I had seemed to recover well from the 5k and Nipmuck but Traprock did me in.  I felt beat on my rides, runs, and swims the week after the race and was looking forward to feeling better!

By the weekend I was ready for a longer run.  Ryan had talked about the Belknaps many times before and I was super excited when he suggested running them!  We met up with Rob and spotted a car at Gunstock and then drove to the Mount Major trailhead.  It was a chilly start and we moved up the hill nicely, shedding layers along the way.

It was overcast and comfortable as we went up the hill.  When we got to the top we were treated to really nice views of Lake Winnesapauke and I soon began to wonder what it would be like to swim across it.  After some nice views we were off and headed to Gunstock.  Up and down we went as the day became more comfortable.  The singletrack was pretty sweet and the trails were a blast!

Along the way there were nice views up high and the view from the top of Gunstock was great!  We flew down the long dirt road to the car where we refilled our water and our snacks!  We ran into Jen who was doing some AMC glacier skills courses on the small patches of snow left on the mountain.

Next we were headed back up Gunstock which was a heck of a climb!  The views from that mountain were really cool!  It started to get darker in the sky and it started to rain.  It was just a sprinkle for a while but then the temperature dropped.  The trails were awesome and by the time we got on the Quarries it was pouring!  I started to shiver and didn’t have enough clothes with me for 40′s and raining!  I made sure to keep drinking and eating.

Along the way we saw a pile of moose bones, the poor thing must not have had a good winter.  We carried on and by the time we stood on top of Mount Major I was shivering!  It was so cold and rainy!  We headed toward the car and we had to take a quick stop where Rob took the keys and ran down to the car.  The stop made me get so cold and I was beginning to worry about hypothermia.  Ryan stayed close and we ran down to the car where I was so happy to put on dry clothes and get some warm food in my belly!

The week brought lots of the usual wackiness, a few nights of no sleep due to long and early/late work hours and by Friday morning I was just beat.  Friday night I received an email telling me that the mountain bike I ordered back in March finally arrived and was ready to pick up!  It is not like me to order a bike that is not even out yet but after that bike demo in Moab I knew I wanted that Yeti and knew it would be worth the wait!

Bob at Souheghan Cycle Works had told me about it back in January and wasn’t sure when the bikes would actually be in production but he said it would be worth the wait.  When we happened to be out in Moab during a demo of these Yeti 29ers and I had a chance to try the bike I knew it was meant to be!  It was such a sweet ride and I couldn’t wait to have one of my own!

When I saw the bike Saturday morning it was beautiful!  The flat black square tubing and funky frame design was sharp!  The bike also had my favorite combo- SRAM/FOX!  It looked sharp and I was so excited!  I just hoped it rode as well as I remembered it riding out in Moab!  Ryan picked up his Rocky Mountain Altitude 29er and we were so excited to take the bikes out!  Unfortunately we had other plans for Saturday and Sunday but Monday we would ride!

I met up with a team mate and new friend Robin on Saturday for a 50 mile road ride.  I almost bailed when I saw the forecast of 25 mph winds but Robin said it would be fun so I agreed to go!  I was so nervous about holding her up and made sure she knew this!  We met in my area because I had to go to Milford and it would be warmer down south.

Ryan had put together a route for us where he took in the wind direction and executed a perfect ride where we had mostly tail or cross winds and also beautiful views!  New Hampshire is such a pretty place to ride!  Robin and I chatted the whole time and really got to know each other!  We have so much in common and she didn’t mind my slow pace so it was a great ride!  It was sunny with a slight chill in the air.  The roads were mostly quiet and I felt pretty good overall!

Soon we were done and it was great to spend a few hours with such a great person!  We parted ways and Ryan was home shortly after me and we took our new rides out on the rail trail and they felt good!  We were so excited to take them out on some real trail!

Sunday we met up with Rob, Tuck, and Carter to run on the Wapack.  I wanted to do 24 -26 miles and Ryan needed 16.  We started at the Watatick parking and ran on some great trails!  I was feeling the ride from Saturday in my legs on the climbs but was fine on the flats and descents.  I took a huge fall on one descent and really wailed my left hand, knee and chest.  I sucked it up and kept on running after a quick moment to catch my breath.  My hand was useless the rest of the day.

I also was testing out a new running pack, the Ultraspire Surge.  It is an awesome pack and I loved it!  I swear it was made just for me!  Plenty of room for all of my junk and it carried very well!  I was very pleased with my purchase!  Of course I had on my Pure Grits which I just absolutely love!!!

The weather was perfect and I hope on race day it is just as nice!  By the time we got to mile 16 Tuck was tired and Ryans run was over.  Rob and I continued on for 4 miles up and ran out of food!  We were bonking hard and it was a struggle to get back to the car!  We pushed on pretty good and were ready to eat some real food!  Ryan and the pups were enjoying a nice break and we all went out for some food!

I slept really well that  night and was excited to try out my new bike after work on Monday!  It was worth the wait!  We went to Bear Brook and I was blown away with how fast the bike is, how well it climbs, how fast and smooth it descends, how awesome it corners and how when you put power to the pedals you fly!  The bike is like a rocket and I was enjoying it thoroughly, even on tired legs from the weekend!

My cleats started to come loose partway through the ride and I was having trouble unclipping from my pedals.  I must not have tightnend them enough and I was frustrated that I forgot to bring my multitool!  It essentially ended our ride at only 9 miles.  It was still great to get out and we had a blast on our new bikes!  I can’t wait to ride it again!

As for this upcoming week I have lots of working as a hygienist and helping Ryan with the housewashing!  It will be another crazy week and I am looking forward to the weekend!  I am hoping to get in a partial day of rock climbing Saturday and get a few miles on the road bike and then run somewhere on Sunday!  Only a couple of weeks until Wapack!  EEEKKK!!!!! Run Happy!!!!!

This weekend was one that I was excited for and nervous about.  I signed up for the Traprock 50k and have not run that far since last fall.  I was nervous about the distance.  I knew I would finish but wasn’t sure if I remembered how to pace myself.  The 50k distance is my biggest challenge.  It is short enough to be fast, not long enough to be slow but takes me outside of my comfort zone.  I was told that I needed to get up the first climb towards the front of the pack in order to get up the singletrack hill and that was the only advice people gave me.

I woke up ready to run, feeling butterflies and excited to see all of my friends!  Ryan and I stayed at a long time friends house (Al and Jane) and it was really exciting as this was going to be the longest distance she had ever run!  I remember how special my first ultra was and it was exciting to know Jane would get to experience it that day!

Jane and Alan are awesome hosts and made us feel at home and welcome at their house.   We all got up nice and early and even got to the race early enough for front row parking!  Jane created the play list for the race and it was awesome seeing everyone that morning!  The weather was sunny with a slight chill in the air, but was about to get hotter real fast!

photo courtesy of Scott Livingston

We had our pre-race briefing and off we were!  I tried my best to get up the first hill fast and then settle into a comfortable pace.  I executed my plan perfectly!  As soon as I got to the top of the climb I returned to a nice pace where I could carry on a conversation.  I chatted with all sorts of runners, it was great!  The trail went from loose rock to sweet singletrack to rocky ledge, killer ups and awesome downs!  I am not one for running loops and felt really good on the first loop which just seemed to fly by!

I was so happy with all the support from the aid station workers, friends I passed on the out and back and friends spectating!  It was awesome to come up a big hill to a bunch of friendly faces and of course the Livingstons who do so much for the running community!  I pounded the broken pavement back to the singletrack and motored up the hill and back down to the start finish.

photo courtesy of Scott Livingston

Everyone was cheering for me and I handed my water bottle to Betsy and she filled it as I was directed to the turnaround and grabbed my bottle and some gu chomps to chow on going up the hill.  I felt really good and enjoyed round two up the staircase and soon became ill.  I had to take a pit stop to do a number two and got back onto the trail.  I soon began vomitting up my chomps and having violent stomach cramps.  It was also getting very hot out at that point. I downed a few of my salt tabs thinking it might help me.

As I carried on I felt worse and worse.  My stomach cramps started to overtake me and then my Ipod died.  At that point I considered dropping at the end of the second lap but took a deep breath and decided to pull through this.  Fortunately I met a really nice guy who kept me company for a lot of the second loop.  We chatted a lot and it kept my mind off my ill stomach.  At one point we were on the ridge and a huge black snake was halfway across the trail!  I screamed out “Holy Crap” and  stopped.  We took a good look at the snake, determined it wasn’t poisonous and gave it some space.

We continued up the hill and I kept drinking water and was not able to down any food.  We ran together on the terrible pavement section and were soon on the nice dirt hill!  I motored on up the hill determined to finish my second loop.  My legs felt great and I was upset that my belly was acting up.  I got to the turnaround, grabbed a bottle of Roctane, two Gus and some chomps.  I took some sips of the Roctane and it just was not agreeing with me.

I tried to have a Gu Gel and threw it up.  I just wanted to finish and gave it my all to focus on running and not how I was feeling.  I got to the lollipop and could barely make it off the trail to do a number two and I did not care if anyone saw me.  Luckily nobody came upon me.  I ran back to the aid station feeling awful and figured the harder I could push the faster this would be over.

What was hard for me is that my legs felt incredible but my stomach was so ill!  I just tried to smile and then did my best to visualize myself at Sawtooth around mile 90, exhausted and feeling bad.  I imagined I was so close to the finish and all I had to do was get to the finish.  This self visualization really helped me stay focused on my run and put aside how I felt.   I came up on the next aid station and choked down a banana!  People were already congratulating me on winning but as we all know, the race is not over until you cross the finish line.  So much can happen, even close to the finish.  I did not want to let my guard down.

photo courtesy of Jess Dockendorf

Instead, those words made me decide I was going to run everything to the finish.  I pushed on down the long hot rotten pavement, looking forward to the soft dirt singletrack.  Soon enough I was there, I tried walking a bit of it and ran into Jane coming back on her last loop.  I must have looked awful!  She looked fresh and smiley.  She gave me a huge hug and pointed out a lucky ladybug on my shirt.  I thanked her for the kind words, told her to enjoy her last lap and then I heard a voice in my head tell me to run.   Her little chat put a smile back on my face and I pushed on the best I could and was soon looking down at the finish line.  I pulled it together and got myself moving to the finish as quick as I could.  I got choked up again and crossed the finish line with tears in my eyes and couldn’t even see my time.  I was so proud of myself for pushing through those rough moments!

photo courtesy of Alex McDaniel

I got huge hugs from Jack and a nice smooch from Ryan.  Once my body realized it was done running I started to feel stiff and sore.  I worked hard in that heat.  I stuck around to watch all of my friends finish and it was so great to see Jane come through well under her goal of 8 hours!  She looked fresh as a daisy!  Frank came through looking great, Jess had an awesome 2nd trail run, the striders were showing their papaya all over the course, Ben got first, followed by Jack and Ryan who also had great runs!

Steve congratulated me with an awesome plaque and I finally got that pint glass!  Kevin was the comedian at the finish line and had us all cracking up to the very end!  What an awesome race and it was great to see all of my Striders at the race, see old friends and meet new friends!  Ultrarunning is a very unique crowd, probably some of the most down to earth people you will ever meet!  Of course Scott was there taking incredible photos that I appreciate at each race he is at and Deb was there with him working the aid stations with their absolutely adorable kids!  I wish her luck at her race in Arizona next weekend, I am sure she will rock it as usual!

For my run I owe a huge thanks to Ryan for letting me chase him around in NH and believing in me, to Jack for guiding me on my journey to Sawtooth, for Adam for hooking me up, to Acidotic for supporting me, to Brooks for letting me be a crazy fanatic, to my friends for believing in me and to Amber for giving me the tools to take away the pain I have suffered with for 12 months, you gave my life back to me.  I have a few weeks off from racing and am working on being ready to finish Wapack 50 in May.

Run Happy!!!!

This weekend was one that will keep me smiling for a few more days!  To start Ryan and I spent Friday working on stuff for his business and got out for a nice easy short run.  We were racing the Nipmuck 16 on Saturday and wanted to be rested up for it.  The run on Friday did not feel too good and I was not very optimistic about my run at Nipmuck.  I hoped to get a good night of sleep and wake up ready to race!

The Nipmuck 16 is a very special race to me as it is the first trail race I ever did!  Years ago my friend Doug had teased me into running 16 miles in the woods when I had only run 5 miles on the road a few times prior to the race.  I wasn’t one to turn down a challenge so I ran the race and finished close to the back of the pack.  I had so much fun and was already planning my return!  I even talked Doug into showing up to run the race this year and it was great to see him, Michelle and the boys!

I had run the race a few more times with a PR of 2:53 and was thrilled with that time!  I wanted to ultimately run 2:40 someday and in 2010 I was on bedrest and in severe pain from a back injury so I was not able to run Nipmuck and in 2011 I was on crutches from a fractured pubic bone and two tears in my adductor muscle.  I was ready to race this year and finally started listening to my body, doing my physical therapy and training.

I woke up Saturday morning so nervous and I had no idea why!  I could barely function and had no idea what to expect.  I had to take several months off from running, biking and all activities that required fitness.  I could feel my body becoming weak and slow and it was really frustrating.  January 1st I did a presi traverse and felt like I could not climb at all and I had no endurance.  Here I was four months later at the starting line of a 16 mile trail race not having any idea of what to expect.  I wanted a PR and I wanted to finish.  I took a deep breath and focused on enjoying the run and smiling my way through the next few hours.  I had to remember that my goal is Sawtooth in September and all of these runs between now and then are training runs to prepare me for finishing that darn race!

The race started and I went out at a comfortable pace, letting people pass me.  I was surrounded by my CT running club the Shenipsit Striders (there was so much papaya!)  I decided to pace myself and see how it went.  I was beyond shocked to be up front with a woman I have idolized since I ran Nipmuck for the first time.  Deb Livingston is the person I have admired and looked up to since the first time I saw her run and here I was right next to her!  I immediately thought I went out too hard and tried to just focus on how I felt.  I felt good and tried to keep my pace steady by making sure I was holding a pace that I could have a conversation at.

Soon I was on singletrack after yapping with so many people running up the hill.  I lost touch of my place and just relaxed.  The course was dry and dusty, not very typical of Nipmuck 16.  There was a gentle breeze and the sun was bright and the air cool.  My pure grits felt amazing on the trail and my Brooks running skirt felt so comfortable!  I began to zone out and imagine myself at Sawtooth, looking up at the Northern Lights, with Kari pacing me and just chatting away about how fun the course is.  Soon I was at the first aid station and had to snap out of my daydream to refill my water bottle.

Photo courtesy of Scott Livingston

I ran up the hill after the first aid station and enjoyed the next four miles.  It was so nice outside and I was feeling so good!  I began to wonder how far I was behind Deb and was excited to see her on my way to the turnaround.  I started to wonder how close I was to the leaders because nobody had blown by me yet and I was not that far from the turnaround.  I then saw all the leaders bombing down the trail and was looking for what place I was in.  I was excited to see Ryan in 4th place and looking strong!  When I got to the rocky descent to the turnaround I soon realized I was the first woman!  I had no idea what to think but a part of me was really excited to be in the lead and the other part of me really confused as to what was happening.

photo courtesy of Scott Livingston

I am usually a descent runner but I am never a fast runner.  I didn’t know what to think except that now I wanted to see how long I could stay in the lead.  I saw Deb just a few minutes behind me and knew she would catch me but I figured I would try to hold her off for a while longer!  I also had looked down at my watch at the turnaround and saw 8.85 miles and realized that the course was longer than usual with the new start and was closer to 16.9 miles.  I had to watch my pace.

My body felt really good and I danced through the rocks like never before, ran every hill and ran down the singletrack effortlessly!  I was so confused, why was I feeling so good, was I really fast today?  The sun was beating down on me a bit more and the air was a perfect temperature for running.  I started having delusional thoughts of winning this race and soon zoned out and started thinking about what it will feel like crossing the finish line at Sawtooth.  I then thought about the last year of my life and how awful it was to be injured and in pain for almost a year.  I was so thankful to be painfree on this day and to be feeling so strong!

Soon I was back at mile 12 and was still in the lead!  I was confident I would be caught soon and even said that when someone said I was in the lead.  I took a deep breath and hoped I had not worn myself out for the last 4 miles.  I hopped over the fence and got on the trail trying to maintain a solid pace.  I had to walk two of the big hills and at some point my GPS watch lost sattelite reception for about 20 minutes and I had no idea where I was or what was left.  I focused on running the gradual hills, hiking quickly up the steep and long hills and motoring on the flats.  Soon I was on the last descent into the woods and I opened it up as much as I could.

I wanted that win and knew it was all downhill to the finish.  What I didn’t realize was how close I was to the finish.  As soon as I saw people standing below at the finish I broke out in tears of joy!  I never thought I was or could be a fast runner!  I was so teared up I could barely see the rocky trail to the finish.  So many thoughts raced through my head.  I had no idea what happened that day but I was so proud, so greatful, and so blown away with my time of 2:31:58!  I must have looked awful running to the finish, smiling and crying at the same time!  It was a day that I will remember for a long time and I owe it all to Ryan, Jack, Amber, Adam, Brooks, Acidotic Racing and all the people in my life who let me chase them on their long runs, give me inspiration, and the people who believe in me.  I am a very lucky girl!

I got out for a nice 5 mile run with Ryan today and did an easy 6.4 miles on the road bike.  I am a bit nervous about the distance of Traprock next weekend but as long as I keep a smile on my face and remember to stay focused on my key race this year it will all be okay!  I am looking forward to seeing my friends again next weekend!

This past weekend I got the itch to try my first 5k.  I have run many long distance races and have done some xc races but have never done a road 5k.  So, I went online to find a 5k for the weekend.  I ended up finding a 5k in Gilmanton, NH that looked fun.  Ryan decided to run it as well.  I wanted to break in my new Brooks Pure Flow shoes and figured a 5k would be a great start!

We woke up early and drove to the race with snowflakes falling from the sky.  It was quite different than the summer weather we had about a week ago!  Trying to decide what to wear we both did our warmup run in jackets as it was really cold out!  After the warmup we got back to the car and decided to ditch the jackets.  I wore gloves to keep my fingers nice and warm.  We went over to the starting line and I had no idea where to stand amongst the almost 400 people surrounding me.  Ryan told me to start toward the front and I felt so out of place.

After a quick smooch the race began and I went out in a full on sprint.  Somehow I was right behind Ryan in the front of the pack and knew I had to slow it down or I would completely blow myself up.  I pulled back a bit to a pace that I knew I could handle for the 3.2 miles and was soon passed by a real fast girl in yellow and another pretty fast girl in pink.  I tried to hang on to the girl in pink but could only keep her just in sight.

It was such a funny feeling as I was breathing very hard but not dying and my legs were turning as fast as they could.  I have never tried to put so much speed to my legs and it felt strange!  Mile one happened so fast that I had to start laughing!  I am used to running ultras and found it so funny that 1 mile could pass so quickly!  Soon enough we were at the bottom of the hill and faced with a big, steep dirt road to run up for the next .75 miles!  It had about 325 feet of gain before descending to the finish line.  At the top of the hill I cracked a huge smile knowing I was in third and pushed as hard as I could to the finish!

I came across the finish line with a big smile (as usual!) and was thrilled to have won $75!!!  Of course Ryan was waiting at the finish for me and gave me a big hug!  Ryan had a great race as well!  I was shocked to maintain a 6:37 pace for the race!  I never thought I was capable of sub 7 minute miles for any distance!  This race was a huge confidence booster for me!

Later that day we had to meet with our builder and  got to see the electrical conduit being run to the house and got to meet our electrician who seemed very nice!  It is so hard for me not to just jump in and start working.  Having a house built for you frees up a lot of time but everytime I go to the lot I realize how much I miss having house projects and running power tools!  I am sure when we move in I will be occupied with landscaping!

After running a few more errands we got home just about 1.5 hours before dark and I did a much shorter than planned but solid road bike ride.  I got in about 13 miles and rode up the Uncanoonics (1,166 feet of gain!) which have a killer hill to the top and I felt strong!  I was able to average 14.4 miles per hour which is not super fast but good for an early season ride!  I am really looking forward to some longer rides as the weather improves!

Finally, after not getting much sleep this week due to my work schedule I was able to get 8 hours of sleep.  I had been very dehydrated on Saturday and did my best to drink as much as possible but I woke up with a headache and dark brown pee.  It made no sense as I drank a ton on Saturday and woke up a couple of times at night to drink.  The morning run was going to be a challenge for me today.

Ryan and I met Adam at Bear Brook and the plan was for me to run 9 miles with them and then I would go back to the car and get in 17 miles and they would do 26 miles.  When we started out on the run I felt awful.  My head was pounding and I could barely see straight.  Every muscle in my body ached and I was frustrated as I drank a large bottle of water and a large orange juice that morning!  I contenplated turning back but after drinking a bunch more the headache was finally gone.

I started to feel a bit better and kept on chasing the boys and Cooper and at mile 12 we arrived at our water stash where we refilled our bottles and hit the trail again.  We split off at the top of the trail so I could do my shorter run and they could do the full loop.  I was certainly not feeling 100 percent but was feeling a lot better than I did that morning.  It was really nice running alone.  I got to see a deer jump in front of me, lots of squirrels and chipmunks and a huge blue herron flying over a marsh!

I was doing great with navigation and arrived at an intersection and was clueless as to where I wanted to go.  I stopped to ask a couple walking by and they were lost too.  Just as we were parting ways a guy with his smart phone walked over and showed us the trails.  I was back on the trail for a while and then managed to take another wrong turn and was now realizing I would be doing more than the 17 miles I planned on doing.  I started to get frustrated and took a couple of really bad spills.

I got myself up off the ground and finally found a spot I recognized and was soon out at the road and back in the car.  I really enjoyed the run and felt good considering my dehydration issue.  After stretching and drinking more water I crawled into the truck for a nap to wait for the boys to finish their run.  The hot sun on my black clothes felt so nice and I just dozed off peacefully.

So, for anyone looking to run a new and challenging marathon or 50 miler in New Hampshire go to this link for more details!  Ryan is the RD and along with Acidotic RACING we are planning to put on a great show!  The course is fast, fun and technical so put it on your calendar!  http://www.acidoticracing.com/bearbrookmarathonultra.html

Next weekend I am excited to race the Nipmuck 16!  I know I will have fun!

I have been working very hard lately to get back in shape and keep myself from being injured again.  I am running up to 16 miles in a clip and feel good the entire time!  This is so exciting and even better I am pain free!  My new favorite place to run is the Fells because something clicks each time I run there and it just feels right!  Ryan and I also have been getting out on our road bikes a bit and have been enjoying getting our butts back in the saddle!

New Hampshire has some incredible road riding and mountain biking.  It also has incredible trails for running and hiking!  Moving here was one of the best decisions I have made!  Ryan and I have been watching the progress on our home being I also realised the other day that I seem to have an obsession with shoes and toys that make my life more interesting!  As I sort through my pile of stuff I feel that I should share how I came to find my favorite running shoe.

So I was able to finally find my favorite running shoe but let me share how I got there.  In 2004 or 2005 ( I really can’t remember) I decided I wanted to start running.  So, I did what most people would do, I went to a running store.  They gave me a few choices to pick from and I went with a $50 pair of Nikes that were bright blue.  I got a nice snug fitting shoe and headed home for a run.  I ran about 2.5 miles downhill and on flat ground before deciding it was time to head home.  I was happy about going on my first run until I turned around.  The next 2.5 miles were grueling, uphill and I think I either cried or swore all the way home.

When I got home I was happy that it was over and decided I would start running one day a week.  I was so sore the next day and all I could think about was how I was going to run that loop without stopping.  A couple of run attempts later (I was still walking most of it) a friend jokingly dared me to run a 16 mile trail running race.  I am not the kind of person to say I can’t do it so I showed up to the race planning on being out there for 6 plus hours.  I had never run on a trail before and had no idea what I was about to get myself into.

I finished the race, well under 6 hours but walked most of it and crossed the finish line with bleeding feet and a few lost toenails.  Trail running lesson #1-buy a shoe that is roomy.  Nobody cares how small or cute your feet look at a trail running race.  Lesson #2-learn to run on trails before doing a long race.  Lesson #3-you are capable of so much more than you think you are.

So, about a week later when I was able to walk without limping I saw a flyer for a 26.4 mile trail marathon a couple months later.   I went to another running store and found the Addidas Supernovas.  I found my next shoe and target race!  I think I ran a couple of times before doing the Nipmuck Marathon where I got to about mile 19 and I was unable to put any weight on my knee. I collapsed and at the turnaround started to crawl on the trail to the finish line.  The aid station workers thought I was insane and my response was “I can crawl 7 miles.  I am going to finish”.  Thank god the lady wrote down my number and told me she was giving me a DNF.  That would have been an awful long 7 miles if I did it on my knees.

I went to the Dr and spent the next 7 months recovering from IT band syndrome.  I started to run a couple miles a week that January and showed up at Nipmuck 16 to finish much better than the previous year and I was able to walk the next day!  I did a few more trail races to get ready for the Nipmuck Marathon and showed up happy to finish that beast!  Now my weekly mileage was maybe 10 miles a week at that point, probably more like 5 but I was ready!

To my surprise I crossed the finish line and went home to sign up for the Vermont 50.  I did a couple of runs that summer but none longer than 14 miles (maybe I did a 20 miler?) but I did not run weekly.  I showed up to the race laughing at myself and how funny it was going to be to run 50 miles.  It was funny until mile 37 when I broke down in tears from the pain I was having but the tears were short lived and I somehow got myself across the finish line in under 11 hours.  I could not walk for 2 days after that race and swore I would never do it again.  Well, guess what, once the pain wore off I did it again, still without training and still had fun!

Running a fall 50 miler became my stupid human feat every year and I also made it a point to not train for the race as it was way funnier to show up untrained and finish than to take it seriously.  Then in the fall of 2010 I managed to somehow win Virgil Crest 50 in my Addidas Supernovas and a huge smile on my face!  At that moment I began to wonder what training would do for me.

A breakup, a move and a new relationship later, my new boyfriend Ryan talked me out of my Addidas Supernovas and into some Brooks Cascadias.  I was very reluctant but soon took a liking to my new shoe but really had trouble with the lack of traction on the rocks of New England.  He then had me try an Innovate Rocklite 268 which felt like a slipper to me but didn’t have the protection I was looking for.  I was wailing my toes on rocks and didn’t like feeling all the rocks under my feet.  Then I broke myself and had to take some time off from running to spend some quality time learning how to use crutches.  I got pretty good at trail crutching as I just couldn’t stay out of the woods.

When I ditched the crutches I bought a pair of Hoka One One Mafates that were to be my recovery shoe to help my pubic bone stress fracture and muscle tears heal.  I loved those things and in between ending up on crutches again and trying to run they softened my ride.  I kinda liked the way those shoes ran!

I then bought a pair of Green Silence shoes to run with on the road and a pair of New Balance Minimus shoes for the trail.  I could barely run more than 5 miles at a time but found the Green Silence to feel incredible on the road!  I loved how my foot felt naked yet protected!  The shoe performed great on all grades and really made me enjoy the road!  As for the Minimus it quickly became my new favorite!  I loved how free the shoe made me feel until I started getting some rock bruises and then I was back to the Hokas which made me PR at every XC race that summer!

Next I tried the La Sportiva Crosslite 2.0 which literally disentegrated at Massanutten and felt like a rubber mat after 50 miles.  The shoe was wicked comfy but it just didn’t work out.  I later got the La Sportiva fireblade which had incredible traction and an amazing upper!  I ran Virgil Crest 50 in it but it wasn’t enough protection for my wimpy feet!  I needed more and was on the prowl for some new shoes!

I had been seeing ads for Brooks Pure Grit shoes and saw they would be released October 2, 2011.  Well, the day before the Nipmuck Marathon I bought a pair of the Pure Grits (mens was all the store had) and drove to CT to run a trail marathon in my new shoes.  I knew it was risky to be running in brand new shoes but was dying to find the perfect shoe.

Well, not only did I PR at the race but I felt amazing!  My feet were so happy!  I then won Vulcans Fury and attribute it to the shoe!  The Pure Grit feels like your feet are naked but have incredible cushion that feels like a Hoka but allows your foot to bend and also to know what is under your feet.  The traction is a bit slick but the overall fit, ride, and cushion are untouchable!  Another incredible thing with the Pure Grit is how it seems to propel you forward effortlessly!  I fell in love with that shoe the moment I put it on my foot and my race improvement shows that it works!

I strayed away from my Pure Grits briefly and also managed to re-injure myself and tried out the Go Lite Tara shoe and Limelight.  The Go Lite shoes do not have enough protection for my wimpy feet but they do have the most amazing traction I have ever used!  Even on the wet, mossy New England rock they grip as good as my climbing shoes!  Whatever rubber composite they are using should be standard in all running shoes.

After straying away, recovering from my re-injury and regrouping I started running again in my Pure Grits and realized they are the shoe for me!  I also picked up some Pure Flows for the road and they perform just like the Pure Grits except the upper is a little beefier.  I did get a pair of Pure Connects which gave me bruises on a 10 mile road run (Are you seeing my trend with the wimpy feet!) so they have turned into my new gym shoe.  I got out on the Brooks Cascadia 7′s last weekend and really enjoyed the comfortable ride and awesome protection but still go back to the Pure Grit.  I wish that the  rubber compound on that shoe would grip better on the slippery moss covered rocks of New England it would truly be the perfect shoe for me!  And that is how I found the shoe that makes my feet happy!  Also, the Brooks running skirts and tops are so comfortable and for the women who are small chested like me the Epiphany top make you look good and fits wonderfully!

Other products that I seem to love are the Amphipod Fuel Belt, ultimate direction handheld and tall bottles, Gu gel flask, Garmin 910xt, and Trigger Point products!  The Amphipod fits a small frame and rides comfortably, the ultimate direction bottles fit nicely in small hands, the Gu flask is also really nice in small hands, the Garmin 910xt is worth every penny if you are a multisport athlete and the Trigger point feels as good as a massage!!!!!  A note on the 910xt-I have very small wrists and somehow the watch fits my wrist better than the 405!   I plan to soon try the ultraspire surge pack when it becomes available.    When did I become such a gear junkie!

Doing my first 5k ever tommorow in Gilmanton!  Wish me luck! 

After the winter that never came I now find the days getting longer, trees getting buds and birds singing their spring tunes in the morning.  Winter is my favorite season but with all the signs of spring starting to show I am ready to call it a loss and move onto spring!  Since our trip out west I have been getting caught up on errands, working a bunch, and trying to help Ryan with starting his new business!  I had the opportunity to watch Ryan work on Friday and I was blown away with how he can clean a house without blasting it with high pressure water!  It was literally sparkling when he was done!

We also took some time to meet the mom and dad of the dog we plan to get and he should be born next week!  We are so excited and the wire fox terriers are so adorable!  I hope my kitties don’t beat him up too bad when we get him in a couple of months!  On another exciting note our home is coming along nicely.  The foundation is being dug and will soon be poured.  The logs for the home should arrive in another month and then the real construction can begin!

We are extremely excited about the new home and having a builder do all the work gives us free time to play but I must admit, a part of me misses the manual labor of building and renovating homes!  My old fixer-upper was quite the project but when I finished painting the last wall and looked back at the house I felt such a sense of pride knowing that my own two hands turned that run down mess into something special!  Then having the opportunity to renovate another home was also another one of those feelings of pride and accomplishment.  Having a home built for you takes some of that feeling away but I am sure once the home is built and we get to work on decorating and landscaping I will once again find that satisfaction of getting my hands dirty and to continue learning something new!

As for fun stuff we have been staying in the low lands.  The snow up north is quite soggy or very scarce.  We are taking some time to do other things like runs on snow free trails, mountain biking, and road biking!  I love the change of seasons because as one ends and closes the doors on some sports, it opens up more for others!  Each year when I put away my ice tools, winter boots and big pack it is like a new experience to learn to run or ride again on bare ground!  When the roads clear up there is nothing like a road ride on my bicycle!  Rock climbing is ready to start up again and I am hoping to be doing some open water swimming in the very near future!

The trail running has been great and last week something really incredible happened!  I was out on a run with Ryan and as usual my breathing was heavy and my legs were a bit sluggish.  We ran again the next day and all of a sudden something clicked!  My heartrate dropped, my breathing settled and my run got easy!  I thought it was a fluke until the weekend came and I ran about 16 miles and felt great!

Not only was it exciting to run strong for 16 miles but it was even more amazing to be running pain free!  I don’t have any idea what happened but I am not going to complain about it!

I also have been getting out on my mountain bike a bit and am really looking forward to my new Yeti 29er arriving in May!  That bike has had me so excited since I first tore it up on the Yeti at the Moab demo!  I sure hope it gets here soon!  The trails are a bit muddy right now but when they dry up they are going to be incredible to ride on my new toy!

Another exciting thing that happened was I locked down a pacer for Sawtooth 100 and am super excited to have her share in this adventure with me!  The course looks amazing and I am confident that she will pull me through the tough times and keep me smiling all the way to the finish!  This race will be a wonderful way to spend some time in a place where I may get to see the northern lights!

This past weekend my friend Courtney who is slowly turning me back into a climber joined me on a 16 mile trail run.  What was special about this run was that it was the longest she would ever run and I would be there to share it with her!  We went to the Fells and did two loops under sunny skies and trails full of doggies and their owners!  We did a steady pace and the first loop just flew by!  The second loop was going to be warmer so we refilled our bottles and our bellies at the car before heading out for round two!

The next loop we did in reverse and it sure did feel a bit hillier but Courtney held on and finished the loop with a smile on her face!  Hmmm…..I really think she could do a sub 3:30 for Nipmuck 16 but she doesn’t want to race.  It is funny, she is trying to turn me into a full blown climber again and I am trying to turn her into an ultrarunner!  Maybe we can start up a sport called ultra climbing?  Either way, we always have fun together and I am looking forward to climbing with her again soon!

As for this week, let the work week begin!  May Ryan get more house washing calls!  And may the weekend bring something fun and exciting!

maybe someday I will climb these!

As our departure for a back-country ski trip in Telluride, Colorado came closer the snow pack became more unstable.  We looked at the avalanche danger and it was getting worse.  We decided to quickly change our plans to do some running and cycling out in Moab, a climb of Mount Elbert and a run in Boulder.  The day we were scheduled to leave New Hampshire got its first major snowstorm of 2012.  Somehow our flight left on time.

We landed in Denver and got our luggage and waited for what seemed like forever to get our rental car.  After getting the car we saw that there would be a big storm hitting Colorado so we did the drive to Moab.  It was snowing pretty hard and the drive was challenging but we got to Palisade late in the afternoon.  We got pulled over for doing 35 in a 25 and the officer was kind enough to let us go with a warning.  They also told us where to park for a hike of Mt Garfield.

We drove up to the trail head and started up the steep wet climb.  It was a mix of snow and mud and it sure was slippery!  The ascent was steep and the mud was sticking to our shoes like we had never seen before.  We had about 3-4 inches of mud on the bottom of our shoes and it was not making traction any better!  We got within a half mile to the summit and there was a slippery off-camber section that made us feel unsafe.  If one of us were to slip there was a huge drop below and we were not willing to risk it.

We hiked back down and enjoyed the beautiful views and the wild horses on the slope below us.  It was such a pretty town and a nice evening.  We got back to the car with several pounds of mud on our feet and finished our drive to Moab.  We got to the slickrock campground and set up our tent in one of the funny “stalls” that they had set up for tents.

We nestled in our sleeping bags for a good nites sleep and awoke to an  inch of snow.  We weren’t sure what we would do that day so we started by finding some breakfast.  We went to a cute little breakfast shop in town where we happened to meet some locals who told us that we should go running in the Needles of the Canyonlands.  Funny thing was that the guy who told us where to run had a dad in New Hampshire and the woman we met that was a ranger at the Canyonlands was a La Sportiva mountain running team runner that Ryan met in 2009 at a race!  Small world!

We took the advice of the kind strangers we met that morning and drove through snow and car wrecks to arrive at one of the most beautiful places I have been!  There was about 6 inches of snow part way into the park and as we got closer it was down to two inches.  The sun started to come out and the red rocks glowed beneath the white snow and under the dark blue sky.  It was almost surreal entering the park and looking out at the amazing rock formations surrounding us.

We got to the trailhead and started our run on a couple of inches of snow and bright sun.  The first five miles were challenging with the ice and snow but soon the snow had melted off and we were running on soft dirt trails, smooth slick rock and through narrow slot canyons!  It was amazing to be running in such  wild terrain!  As the snow melted our paces increased and we had run 16 miles that were truly spectacular!

We made the drive back to the campground and hopped in our sleeping bags for a chilly night in our tent.  It actually wasn’t too chilly in our -20 degree bags!  We got a great sleep and woke up to return to our new favorite breakfast shop for some more of that delicious granola, yogurt and bannana dish!  After filling our bellies we drove to Poison Spider Bicycles where we picked up a couple of Rocky Mountain Element 29ers to try.

We went to slickrock and hopped on our bikes.  The terrain was a bit intimidating at first and we accidental did the loop in the wrong direction but we love a challenge and didn’t mind.  We had a great ride and enjoyed every minute of it!  The Rocky Mountains were a blast to ride and we both decided that we wanted one!  After a great ride on the slickrock trail we drove to Bar M to demo some Yetis.  We did a 4 mile loop on a trail there and went to try a Yeti but they were all done doing demos for the day.  I was bummed!

The next day we woke up and did a nice 10 mile run on the Jackson trail in Kane Creek Canyon where I tried out my new Brooks running skirt.  Definitely two thumbs up on that skirt!  It was such a fun run and I felt so good!  We had spectacular views and had some fun in a pothole and all the fun terrain!  After an awesome run we went out to Bar M and I was finally able to get on the Yeti 29er!  It was amazing!  I almost gave up on being able to try one and at the last minute the nice girl at Poison Spider Bicycles came back early so I could test ride the bike!

That bike accelerates like nothing I have ever ridden before!  It cornered very well and rolled over rocks like they weren’t even there!  I immediately knew it would be my next bike!  I did about 4 miles at Bar M and flew through it!  I thanked the guys for letting me demo the bike and we drove back to Palisade where we attempted to climb Mt Garfield again.

The conditions were much better but were still slick at the top.  I had some issues with some of the icy areas but Ryan helped me through them and we stood on top of that beautiful peak!  It was flat and we could see forever!  We looked out at the mountain ranges as well as down at the peach trees in Palisade!  After enjoying our time on the top we came back down and hopped back in the car to finish our drive to Boulder.  We had called for info on Mt Elbert but were told the avalanche danger was too high so we decided to do some running in Boulder.

We arrived in Boulder late at night and had to rent a hotel because there were no campgrounds there.  We got up nice and early and got some breakfast before making our way to the trailhead for Green Mountain.  We started out on the trail and I was physically beat.  No running for me that day, just hiking!  We got to the summit under icy conditions and were treated to a great view of Boulder and snow covered mountains off in the distance!  Ryan and I hiked it for the first lap and then I went to chill out in the park while Ryan went to run the loop.

It was a nice sunny day and I enjoyed hanging out in the park waiting for Ryan to come back from his run.  He showed up smiling and he had a great run up the mountain!  We got some dinner and went back to the room for some sleep.  We woke up to our last day of vacation and decided to run the Mesa trail.

We ate an early breakfast and were soon on the trail where we came across the Pearl Izumi ultra running team on a photo shoot!  It was pretty cool to see some of the ultra worlds finest out on the same trails we were on!  I was able to pull six easy miles out of my body on awesome trails!  The sun was shining and the scenery beautiful!  We got back to the car and made the sad journey to our room for showers and then checkout.  After a small lunch we headed to the airport and got on our plane.

We were both sad to have our vacation end.  The trails and scenery were spectacular and looking forward to our next trip out west!  It was hard to come home to snowy trails but nice to see my kitties again!  I ordered up a Yeti 29er through Sohegan bikes in Milford NH and can’t wait for it to arrive!  As for now it looks like I will be doing my running in my Brooks Cascadias that I put screws in and plan to order up a new pair of Pure Grits for the racing season! 

A while back while on a hike Ryan and I had spotted some ice that looked like i may be climbable.  I immediatly sent out a txt to my friend Courtney asking her if it had been climbed.  I described the location and what it looked like.  She responded that it looked like it has no recorded ascent and what day could we try to climb it.  Me, of all the people she knew she wanted to drag my ass up an unknown climb?  I was excited, nervous and honored.

As the day approached we knew that it would be an interesting day of route finding and trail breaking.  Someone had caught word of what we were planning and made the approach towards the ice but didn’t actually get to the face.  We went back and forth on bringing snowshoes and decided to bring them.  I made sure my pack was as unorganized as possible before our hike in so I could keep up with my reputation of being a “junk show” on the trail.  Personally I think Courtney would prefer to keep my hidden in the backcounty because if she showed up on a climb with me and my packing skills she may get lauged at!

courtney loves my packing skills!

The snow was deep and our decision to bring snowshoes that day payed off.

When we got the first glimpse of the ice in the ravine we were so excited!  With a snowstorm approaching we moved on forward, excited about our adventure!  The climb looked smaller than we had hoped but still pretty nice!  There were a few routes and because I was not going to be leading and we didn’t know what lie ahead we chose a nice twisty route up!  Courtney did a fine job of leading and the route she picked felt like a spiral staircase!  When we got to the top of the first pitch we tried to peek around the corner to see if there was more ice.  We could not tell.

Courtney led up the next pitch and soon I was on belay.  I swung my axes up over the bulge and gave a couple of nice kicks into the short pillar.  My second kick was apparently too aggressive as I broke a chunk of ice off and both feet let go and my left axe broke loose.  Now I was hanging off of one arm which was starting to go numb.  I wiggled like a worm, scrambling to at least release my right arm and after some more struggling managed to get back up to my axe enough to get myself back in control and at that point had no choice but to traverse the pillar.  I got across and up into the snowfield where Courtney couldn’t figure out what the heck was going on.

I told her I fell and we looked out to see the storm gaining strength.  We packed up our climbing gear and started into the trees.  Ya, this is where it got interesting.  Literally, we were in chest deep snow, swimming.  We were grabbing onto limbs to pull ourselves through the thick pine.  Finally we put our snowshoes back on and it helped a bit but still not much.  This was by far the worst bushwack I have ever experienced, totally spruce trap hell!   It was a freakin battle and we knew there was a trail up ahead but just did not know where.  Somehow we were still laughing about the situation!  After having to dig Courtney out of a nasty spruce trap and a few bulldozer moves we found the trail.

What a relief!  We were so close to the summit and tried to follow the trail to the top but it turned into sprucetrap hell again and with the visibility less than a couple hundred feet we chose to retreat and hopefully follow this old unbroken trail out to a trail that is currently in use and hopefully broken out!  As we carried on down the trail we found some broken trail and had some good laughs down to the car.  I could not think of any other person who would have gone out there to do an unknown climb, get stuck in an awful spruce trap battle, not have much of a clue about whether or not the old trail existed and put up with the weather deteriorating while still laughing and smiling.  I had way too much fun and really can’t wait to become confident enough to lead again so we can share leading!  At least I was able to share trailbreaking! 

Saturday came and Ryan, Courtney, Jason and Gillian joined me for the finish of my New Hampshire 48!  It had snowed and we made the drive to the trailhead which took an eternity!  Once on the trail Ryan pulled out some party hats and we wore them on the climb.  We looked more like the monkeys from the Wizard of Oz instead of hikers which made it funny!  As we passed people on the trail we were asked whose birthday it was and everytime we came up with a funny answer!

After a bunch of laughs on the trail we were on top of Cabot and Ryan continued to impress by pulling out a bottle of champagne, an inflatable trophy and party blowers for the summit celebration!  We froze our butts off celebrating and after a quick chat decided that we would descend the same way we came up and pass on the bulge and horn.  We had a blast coming down the mountain and just like that my quest was over!  Time for another one!

Ryan and I went for a really nice 13 mile trail run and I was surprised at how good I felt!  I was tired and a bit sore from the last two days of adventure but felt strong overall!  We kept to a slow pace and enjoyed the time together!  The trails were in perfect condition and I am so excited to be running again!  It feels like it is too good to be true and I cannot thank Amber enough for making me feel better!  She has some talent!

sometimes we can look nice and proper!

Ryan and I are looking forward to our vacation and hope to get some good running and biking in!  If the weather is kind to us we plan to stand on top of Mt Elbert, Colorados high point!  Yippeee!  Another one to add to my list of US high points!! 

As the crazy work week whirled by I kept focused on the weekend and the weather.  For a few years now I have wanted to do a single day Pemi loop.  Last time I did a winter pemi it took three days.  Ryan offered to take me on the tour de pemi and our friend Adam joined us.  I knew I was not going to be fast and made sure they knew it.

We started out around 7:30 am and got onto the lincoln woods trail with microspikes.  We moved well and there was some fresh snow that had fallen.  By the time we got to the Bondcliff trail we put on snowshoes.  I was using a pair of Ryans snowshoes as I didn’t want to trash my Dions or be held back by my MSR’s.  This was a mistake.  They were too long for me and didn’t seem to fit well with my stride.  I whined for a while before just dealing with it.  I didn’t want to be slow and bad company.

We got to Bondcliff and it was breezy and cold.  The views were extremely limited but I was so happy to be finally out there doing my pemi!  We carried on up the hill in the wind to Bond and then got our butts into the woods for a bit.  Ryan and I scooted off to do West Bond as I never climbed it before.  After summitting West Bond in a cloud we marched back to the trail and made our way out to South Twin.

Adam had taken off to hit North twin and Galehead so we followed his tracks to South Twin.  The trail was very tracked out down to the hut and we ran into some familiar and new faces on the trail.  It was still cloudy and blustery as we made our way to Garfield.  This has traditionally been where I start to fall apart and this trip was no different.

I started to feel the day in my legs and I was eating like a pig all day!  We stood on top of Garfield and then hurried back down into the trees to make the brutal climb up Lafayette.  It was pretty slow going and the tracks had ended.  Ryan broke trail (there wasn’t a ton of snow but enough to slow us down a bit).  As we ascended we turned back to see that Adam had caught us.

It was perfect timing as we did not want to be separated at dark, especially on the ridge.  It was windy and bitter cold on the ridge and we quickly stopped taking pictures.  I sucked up my exhaustion and pushed on the best I could.  This was no place or time to be slow.  I could feel my hands and legs getting numb as I chased the boys across the ridge.  As the sun descended we were treated to incredible lighting and soon darkness.

It was so surreal looking below at the lights of civilization while being whipped around on the ridge, cold, beaten and torn.  I paused as I looked below and somehow the lights made me feel warm.  I looked off the side of the ridge looking towards Owls Head and saw a black abyss.  It was strangely beautiful.

Right before we were all about to turn into Popsicles we were in the trees and safe from the brutal wind and cold.  The adventure was almost over and we just had a Liberty and Flume to go over before the downhill trot to the car.  I got up Liberty in descent shape and pushed myself up the long jaunt to Flume.

Adam and Ryan stopped for a second to send out a text and I moved on ahead to face my fear of the ridge on Flume.  I took a few deep breaths as I looked to my right, down below where if I fell I would not stop for a while.  I held my breath and walked across the narrow ledge.  I thought it was over until I got to an icy side hill with a nice sliding board down the mountain.  I stopped and started analyzing the situation.  I did not like the lack of traction in my snowshoes and I was tired.  Soon Ryan appeared and showed me the way across.

On tired legs I moved across to safety and we did the long march back to the car under a star filled night.  It took just over 14 hours and I could not have been more tired but I was smiling inside.  I finally did my one day winter pemi loop!

Sunday was interesting.  I woke up with bruised feet and a very sore and tired body.  I procrastinated all morning before finally getting off my butt and going for a run with Ryan.  We went to Beaver Brook where he talked me through my entire run.  My pure grits made my feet feel as good as they could.

I felt sore, dizzy, out of breath and exhausted but Ryan stayed right by me, telling me I could finish the 12 mile run.  I fell hard a few times and brushed off the dirt and kept on running.  I could feel the burn in my legs on the uphills and at some points had blurry vision.  Ryan gave me a good laugh on a very technical section when he pointed out the porcupine cave.  I had never seen so much poop in my entire life!  I am glad I am not a porcupine.

After what felt like forever we were back at the car and Ryan took off to do a few more miles while I did some grocery shopping.  Back to work for another wacky and busy week of making money.  Looking forward to next weekend!