Colossal Vail 55K Race Report

I finished. 

It was a great day.

I was happy running all day. 

Colossal Cave Park

As I was driving to the race from Tucson to Vail, I thought, so many things could or could have gone wrong to get to the start. At times, I can be worst-case-scenario girl. I traveled 2,600 miles to run 34 miles in the desert. All my flights were on time, rental car went well, I wasn’t murdered, I didn’t oversleep, and I didn’t get a flat tire on race morning. These are the things I think about. So much can go wrong.

The afternoon before the race I started preparing all my gear and realized that for the second time at a big race I forgot the lid for my reservoir. Since it’s not attached to the reservoir I always leave it by the sink. I forgot to pack it. I had to run to Summit Hut, just one hour before they closed to buy a new one. Seriously, that was the worst thing that happened; it was a good race weekend.

The start of the race was cold; 40 degrees. As the race started and we headed into the desert the wind kept me cool. I wore two layers and gloves. Even as the sun glared down on us the wind kept me cool and comfortable. The course was absolutely stunning. The pictures do not do it justice. 

I started slowly and walked when it was really rocky. My legs didn’t feel fatigued until after mile 12. I only had a few moments of feeling bad but for the most part I just felt good and happy. I ate and drank according to the plan. I cheered on runners coming back from the turn around and that gave me energy. 

A few weeks ago I bought Altra Olympus running shoes. They are super bulky, heavily padded shoes. They were the most expensive shoes I’ve ever purchased but the specifications said they were good on technical, rocky trails so I wanted to try them. 

My favorite running shoe

They were worth every penny. My feet felt great the entire time and now, they are my go-to running shoe on trails. 

At the 17 mile turn around I knew I was going to finish. I knew everything was going right. The aid station volunteers were amazing and helpful. Oreo cookies with frosting are now my favorite aid station food. I used Tailwind the entire time. I ate bars and gels and peanut butter and jelly sandwiches. 

The course was a mix of hard packed dirt, small rocks, big rocks, slabs of rock, and sandy wash crossings. There was even a brook that was flowing from the rain the day before that I had to rock hop. The Arizona Trail is amazing and varied. I’m so glad I came. 

The final downhill to the finish I pushed it and was so happy. I was the only person from New Hampshire to race. I got my finisher railroad tie, drank some chocolate milk and headed back to the hotel. So Happy. 

As I drove into Tucson to meet Kassandra for dinner, the Catalina Mountains stood guard. They are a stunning mountain chain rising up from the desert. I miss Tucson. I spent three years in Tucson learning about the desert by running and mountain biking all the parks that surround the city.  

Hiring a coach was the best thing I could’ve done. She helped me prepare for the race by giving me a plan that made me strong and helped me create a race plan to get me to the finish. Thank you Coach Kathy.

I’m so thankful for my health, my friend Kassandra and her family who I got to see and catch up with, and everything and everyone in my life right now. Thankful.

Friday Night Sunset from hotel in Tucson

Training Update, Race Plan in Place

I leave for Tucson in just four days. I’m pretty excited for the desert but there is so much going on here that it’s also hard to leave. Someone asked me why I would fly across the country for a long weekend to race. My only answer: it’s what I do. I love to travel but at the same time I hate kenneling my dogs. I love seeing new places and going where I’ve never been, but I hate the air travel part. 

Contradictions

As far as the race, like most things, I just don’t know how it’s going to go. I’ve been on the course and I have a very specific race plan (Thanks Coach) including how much food and water to eat and drink between aid station. I know what I’m going to wear and I feel fit. My plan while running is to think about the Presidential Traverse and how I got to the end despite the pain. I’m going to think about Leadville and how this race is a mental training test. I’ve done everything my coach said, except for one training run after my booster shot. I’m ready.

All I can do now is finish my 12 miles today, 8 miles tomorrow, and the rest of the plan leading up to Saturday. I can’t wait.

Training Update November Edition

Everything is Good. Hard. Fun. Difficult. Complicated. 

I could probably write that sentence about how I’m feeling every day and it would still be true.

Also true: I’ve done every training session assigned to me for the last two weeks.

I’m tired.

Today is a 22 mile trail run and I have a fun run planned. I’m going to go find new trails (to me) over in Oak Hill on the east side of Concord. Concord (NH) has so many great, well-maintained trails.

Oak Hill Trail System Concord NH

Today is going to be Good. Hard. Fun. Difficult. Complicated.

The goal today is just to finish the miles and get my body ready for the 55K in three weeks.

I will be in the desert in 3 weeks. I get a chance at redemption at Colossal Vail 55K.

Here’s me in 2014 before the 55K. This was the first year of the race and I didn’t finish. Dec 11 my plan is to finish.

I get to see Kassandra in 3 weeks.

Tumamoc Hill 2014. We will hike this next month.

Ironman and seeing the Southeast

Some things just don’t work out no matter how much we would like them to. Case in point, Saturday November 6 and Ironman. However, I have the distinct good fortune of being able to turn it around and learn from it and move on to the next thing. You see, I’m in it for the long haul and one setback, or in the case of Ironman in 2021, two setbacks, isn’t going to get me down.

In transition, before the swim, Ironman Florida

Saturday wasn’t my day in the water. The current took me off course and readjustments and waves made me swim 3 miles instead of 2.4. My swim speed wasn’t good enough to finish by the swim cutoff. I’ve never not made a cutoff in Ironman. My swim segments were always good. I’ve always felt good in the water and Saturday I still felt good. I can battle waves and jellyfish bites and current, I’ve just never been fast. With buoys moving and everything else, I just couldn’t cut it. It’s just such a bummer. 

I ended up cheering on Mark all day and he did great and finished. He did amazing. 

Mark at the finish

On the Friday before the race as we were hanging out in our beachside condo, Mark suggested coming back to Houston with him and joining him on this (boring) road trip on I-10. I totally read this as let’s stop in all the cool places along the Gulf on the way home. I looked at a map and we could go to: Mobile, Biloxi, Baton Rouge and New Orleans. I’m in. I immediately changed my flights from flying out of Panama City Beach to flying direct from Houston. 

I love going where I’ve never been and the southeast was completely interesting. We drove through a bit of Alabama, Mississippi, Louisiana and southeast Texas. I’ve been to Jackson, Mississippi but all the other places were new to me. As we were driving Mark asked me how many states I’ve been to and I had not thought about it a long time. I am working on my marathons-in-every-state goal but didn’t know how many states I was missing from just seeing. I initially thought I had three left: Oklahoma, Arkansas and North Dakota. Later I realized I haven’t been to Michigan. So I have 4 states left. 

Biloxi
Bourbon St. New Orleans

I love traveling and seeing new places and that is what Ironman Florida was for me. I thought I wanted to stay extra days and sit on the beach and swim in the ocean, but I like to keep moving. Being able to pivot, roll with it, move on is my super power. 

What’s next: Tucson in December for my 55K race. I ran 20 hilly miles yesterday and gearing up for big miles. I can’t wait to see my friend Kassandra and the desert. Life is good – it’s just all perspective.

Lessons Learned from Volunteering at Aid Station 9 at Midstate Massive 100 Mile Run

Everything I read the year I trained for the Leadville 100 Run in 2019 said to volunteer at a 100 mile race. I did not add that to my training plan. Advice also included running at night, hill repeats, intervals and practicing throwing up while running. I didn’t do any of these things. 

Now that I’m training, again, for Leadville in 2022, this time, I will do all these things, so first things first – I signed up to volunteer at the worst aid station – 11pm to 5am. This meant, most likely no sleep for a day which I knew was going to be problematic at some point and definitely screw up long training days needed as I train for Ironman Florida in 3 weeks. 

My BFF Jeff said yes to joining me since I didn’t know what to expect. I knew there would be an EMT there but really it’s all I knew. 

We arrived at 11pm and then runners started coming in at 11:30pm. 

What I learned at the Midstate Massive Ultra:

  • Have a plan for dropping at remote aid stations – it’s up to you to get a ride home, not the race organizers.
  • Know the course and download the maps. The app for this race had a speaker stating they were arriving at aid station 9, how many miles and their pace, plus it stated their approximate finishing time. WOW. Annoying but cool. Many people ran extra miles because they missed turns or were following others. This course has a way of doing that, though.
  • Get lean. The runners who were arriving first were lean. Weight matters.
  • The runners were so thankful we were there. Be Thankful.
  • Stop, take break and think about what you need at aid stations. 
  • Be thoughtful about who you choose as a pacer. This person must know your gear and what you like when you are completely out of it. I saw great teams out there. Pacers knew what to do and what their runner liked. They got their bottles and bladders out quickly and efficiently. I saw a couple who were running the 100 mile race together and they complimented each other perfectly. I saw one woman runner who was running her first 100 and her pacer/husband/boyfriend said all the right things while she was doubting finishing. I knew she would finish. I told her – You Will Finish This. Find your person

I’m sure there are more lessons but these were the ones that come to mind after sleeping for 12 hours. 

I can’t wait for my 100 mile race and training properly for it. Bring on the 2am runs.

Woman seeking pacer for Leadville 100 August 20, 2022. Must be motivational, but not too motivational. Must be used to running at 10,000 feet and higher. Contact blog writer.