31-miler . . . Check!

 

Way Too Cool Race Review    


I can cross ultra off my list of things to do!  Whoo-hoo!  Yesterday I ran the Way Too Cool 50K.  Even though it's still a little painful to walk today, I can honestly say that I enjoyed it.  The course was beautiful, the trails were in pristine condition, and the weather was perfect.  I am happy with my race, too -- ran it in 5:15 -- finished 214th overall (out of 698) and 12th (out of 96) in my age group.  I think I ran a pretty smart race, too.  Didn't start off too fast and fueled when I needed to.  The best part (besides Goat Hill -- ha ha!) was randomly seeing Dave & Jack!  At about mile 29, we had to cross a road, so there are volunteers directing traffic.  Guess whose car was first in the traffic stop right when I was crossing the road?!?  Ours!  Dave & Jack came to see me finish.  The timing couldn't have been more perfect! 

Thanks to NorCalUltras, my running buddies, and Dave & Jack for a super fun weekend!

      

Ready or Not ...

Tomorrow's the big race!  Around 8:00 am, I'll embark on the longest run of my life (so far) -- Way Too Cool 50K! 

I'm excited!  No expectations, so that takes a lot of pressure off.  I just want to enjoy my time out on the trail.

I guess (and hope) I'm ready.  The miles are in the tank.  Hopefully Cool is ready for me!

Perfect Race = Lots of PRs!

Just a quick shout out to all my rockstar friends who ran the Napa marathon last weekend!  Both NSET and EnDUrance Reno had a great showing.  And, lots of PRs!  Way to run fast, my friends!  You all rock!

Winter Running, Part Deux!

Yay -- another snow day!

Snow day = delayed school start = a little extra sleep and a morning run without rushing about.  Except for the head wind that literally stopped me in my tracks going up Somersett, I got a fun little run in.  Love getting the day off to a good start!
 

Welcome Back, Winter!

Snow, snow and more snow!  While I'm appreciative of the mild winter we have had so far (it has allowed me to get in many more trail runs than expected), I really do enjoy running in the snow.  It is so peaceful and pretty.  This morning was an epic snow run.  No matter which direction we were running in, it was snowing right in our faces!   I didn't have a visor on, so my eyebrows felt like Bert's -- from Sesame Street.  A big icy unibrow!  The thick snow made it a little more slow-going than usual since our feet felt heavy, but it was still a great run!  It was so bright out, and the trees looked so cool.  I wore my trail shoes for more traction, but also because I need to break them in a little more before Way Too Cool.  It was an added bonus to get them cleaned off!  I look forward to a few more snowy runs.  I will try to remember to wear a visor, though!

Happy Valentine's Day!

Over the River and Through the Woods

Up a few hills. And through more & more woods! 

Today a bunch of us went out to Cool, CA for the Way Too Cool training run.  It was great!  It's nice that we now know exactly where to go on race day.  It was also helpful to preview the course.  A little muddy today, but a super fun course!  I could do without remembering Goat Hill, though.  That's got to be one of the toughest climbs I've ever experienced!

There was an awesome potluck afterwards, too.  The ultra crowd is very generous, laid-back and fun to hang around.  I wonder what kind of distances I'll start doing if I hang out with them a little more ...

My ultra adventure is to be continued!