Palo Duro 50 Mile Run, Palo Duro Canyon, TX

Three 50 mile races in 14 days! Despite being tired and a little achy,every foot step is a blessing. Especially when that footstep narrowly missed a tarantula crawling across the race course of the beautiful Palo Duro 50 mile ultramarathon in Palo Duro Canyon, TX, which is just outside of Amarillo , TX. They say they make things BIG in Texas. This must include the spiders.

I managed to tie for third place, along side a friend and running partner of mine. Although bad weather and poor traveling conditions forced me to stay put for my fourth planned 50 miler, I still plan on running at least two more races of at least marathon distance before the year is out.

Here are some cool photos of what the locals call the "Grand Canyon of Texas."

#2 Le Grizz 50 Mile Ultra Hungry Horse, MT

I love the Le Grizz 50 Mile Ultramarathon! The scenery is spectacular, the RD is very nice, and the course is runnable, and if you are looking to PR at a 50, this is a good course for that.

This year's race presented quite a challenge. A cold front moved through, and it was zero at the start! Hard to believe that I was running in a lush, warm, deciduous forest just seven days ago, and now I was standing in the middle of a boreal forest on an icey, snow covered road. What was even more amazing was that a record number of people showed up at the start! Including an 83 year old man, and a man who ran the race now 28 times! There goes my "now that I am approaching 40 I can slow down a bit " excuse.....

My quads were hammered from Tussey, and I was getting over a cold, but I still managed to finish in 9 hours and 39 minutes, with the help of my husband, and mom, dad, and youngest, (most lovely) sister, who came up to beautiful Hungry Horse Montana to crew and cheer me on. Thanks you guys!!!

Here are some pictures of the coldest le grizz 50 Mile Ultramarathon on record.

Four 50 Mile Runs in One Month. #1 Tussey Mountainback

The Tussey Mountainback 50 Mile Ultramarathon in Boalsburg, PA was the first of what will hopefully be four 50 miles ultra-marathons in the month of October.

Fall colors and temperatures in the mid 60's and low 70's greeted my crew and I along this moderately difficult course. But the fall colors of Pennsylvania helped make up for any discomfort,( and there was quite a bit) along with great race organization and one very fat timber rattlesnake. I read that a rattle snake's venom is more potent in the fall, and that over the past few decades, their venom has become more toxic. I don't care to find out!

I ended up finishing third female overall, in 7 hours and 56 minutes. Here are some pictures of this beautiful, hilly course.