Hose on the trail, Lean Horse 100, Amreican Discovery Trail Marathon, and I'm tired!

Hello everybody!!!!

Hope you're all strong, healthy, and running happy and injury free! I know it has been a while, but finally life has begun to settle down just a bit and I have time to update my blog!

My fifth Badwater 135 was a total success and PR, thanks to my crew members who all went above and beyond to get me to the finish line. I wasn't sure if I was ready to run another 100 miler in less than two months, but when I asked myself one of my favorite questions," if I had a year to live, would I do this?" the answer was ,"go for it!" So about six weeks later I found myself at the starting line of the Lean Horse 100, in beautiful Hot Springs, South Dakota.

If you've never run Lean Horse, I highly recommend it. Jerry Dunn, the RD, and his volunteers, are fabulous! It is a very well organized, scenic race. It is a good first time 100 miler, and can also be used for a PR. Along with the good spirits and encouragement of lots of the other runners, the volunteers, the fantastic aid stations,(there were Rice Crispy Treats!! Yum!) the RD, and of course my ever loving, patient, and supportive husband, I managed a PR, despite having horrible blisters the last 16 miles. I'll be back to run this one for sure!

The week before Lean Horse, we found ourselves volunteering for the Pikes Peak Marathon, perched on a narrow strip of single track trail, about a mile from the summit, on what is known as the Cirque Aid Station. The Cirque Aid Station is my favorite, and I think it is safe to say that it is a favorite aid stations amongst the runners. The efforts that the RD and volunteers go to in order to create this aid station are extraordinary. On Wednesday, a bunch of volunteers drove to the summit of Pikes peak to unload all the supplies for this aid station, and also run a hose down the side of the mountain to fill the three huge trash cans for the water and gatorade for thousands of runners. Our efforts paid off: the runners were very grateful and in good spirits, and we kept the water supply going, although it sounded kind of funny after a while yelling out "HOSE ON THE TRAIL!!" to warn the runners not to trip on the hose laid across the narrow trail that filled the water barrels.A big congratulations to Matt Carpenter for yet another win!!! Matt is always an inspiration!

Seven days after winning Lean Horse, I ran the American Discovery Trail Marathon in Colorado Springs. The ADT Marathon is one of my favorite marathons in the country. Not only is it right in my back yard, but it is well organized, and you get a nice shirt, and finisher's medal. I didn't PR as I had hoped, and my knees were killing me after ten miles, but I still managed to get Boston qualifier time.

Now it is time to work on my book, and take a few weeks off! Congratulations to all the finishers of the Pikes Peak marathon, the Lean Horse 100, and the ADT Marathon! Next up is the Mountain Cha Cha in Pagosa Springs, CO, and the brand new Crested Butte Fall Colors Half Marathon, on September 25th and 26th!

Barr Trail Mountain Race Toilet Box!

Just days after finishing my fifth and fastest Badwater 135 (thanks crew people....race report soon to come) I got the opportunity to volunteer once again at the Barr Trail Mountain Race, in Manitou Springs, Colorado.

I love Manitou Springs! You won't find any bog box stores, or strip malls here. But what you will find are awesome trails, a diverse population, lots of trees, flowers, and mountains. It is also home to the Pikes Peak Marathon and Ascent, as well as the very successful Barr Trail Mountain Race, that goes from the Cog Railroad staging area to Barr Camp and back.

Some friends of mine worked the sweat check at the start. As I drove over to volunteer in the wee hours of the morning, I remembered I forgot my box for all the runners to put their things for after the race in. Fortunately, there were plenty of dumpsters brimming with boxes Sunday morning. My husband helped me fish out a really good box, complete with a picture of a toilet on it. I told him that not just any woman would be willing to go dumpster diving at 5 in the morning with him. Ah, the memories!

Here is a picture of the toilet box, now a BTMR heirloom, and some pictures of the race too.

Leadville, Mt Elbert, and a marmot......

A huge thank you to everyone who showed up to run, crew, and hike this weekend in Leadville , CO.

Friday's night run was just what I needed to get me revved up for the Leadville Trail 100, after finishing a tough Badwater 135 less than two weeks ago. Ultra runner extraordinaire Theresa promised me that there only were chipmonks out in the woods at night.....a beautiful full moon over Twin Lakes gave us some really good views. With the exception of some cpmers, we had the woods to ourselves.

On Saturday we found ourselves going up and over Sugar Loaf, my favorite part of the Leadville Trail 100 course. It got pretty hot, (for Leadville) although some evening thunderstroms cooled things off just as we were finishing up. Thanks to Jeff O, June and Theresa for keeping me company.

Sunday we all hiked up Mt. Elbert. The climb was steep, but worth it, because once on top we were surrounded by great views of Rockies. Lots of wild flowers of every color, and one very hungry marmot, made for a happy, successful weekend.

Here are some pictures!

Final Update for Leadville Runs

Hi All,

At 8pm, we are meeting at 8pm at the Leadville Fish Hatchery for a night run. We have at least one persona who has offered ta drive those of us who are running a ride to Twin Lakes, from which we will run to our cars left at Fish Hatchery.Please bring your own headlamps and water bottles, gels, and other snacks and warm clothing you think you may need. So far it looks like it is going to drop only into the 40's Friday night. but it is Leadville, so who knows!

Saturday morning we are all meeting at Mayqueen at 8 am, and getting a ride to Fish Hatchery. From there we are running up "the Loaf", and will love those three false summits! Once we get to Mayqueen, we will refill from our cars, and run back to Fish Hatchery. Will the fun ever end?!

NO! On Sunday, starting at 5 am, weather permitting, we are hiking up Mt. Elbert, about 9 miles round trip. If the weather is bad, we will come up with an alternate training run.

See you in Leadville, where I hope it is cooler than Badwater!

More Leadville Run Updates!

As planned, we are going to meet at Twin Lakes at 8pm for a fun night run to the Leadville Fish Hatchery.

On Saturday, we are going to meet at 8 am at MayQueen, so we can leave a vehicle with our supplies, and then drive to Fish Hatchery, so we are actually starting at 8:30 am.

More soon!

Training Runs in Leadville!

Anyone looking for some good mountain running, here is your chance!

On Friday night, we will meet at 8pm at Twin Lakes, and run to Fish Hatchery, for a total of approximately 14 miles. Bring your own headlamps, water bottles, gels, warm cloths, and anything else you might need. After we all finish the night run, we are heading back to Leadville to sleep.

On Saturday morning, we are starting at 8:30 at the Fish Hatchery, running up Sugarloaf, all the way to Mayqueen, where we will refill water bottles, get more gels, shed layers, etc....then turn back around and run back to Fish Hatchery. This is about 26 miles total, with lots of climbing, so make sure you bring everything you need.

I am in the process of working out the details of who will leave their cars at which location. Look for another post on my blog later this week.

On Sunday, we are starting off at 5 am to hike Mt. Elbert. The route we are taking is 9 miles round trip, the perfect way to end the weekend!

See you in Leadville!

Training Runs in Leadville

Hi Everyone!

It's hard to believe running out here in the beautiful California desert in 100 + degree weather that I will be running in possibly near freezing temperatures in Leadville, CO later this month.

If anyone is interested, some friends of mine and I are planning a series of training runs in Leadville, CO.

The first one will be a night run on Friday, July 23rd.
The second one will be a day run, out and back on Saturday July 24th. Be prepared to run at least 20 miles.
The third one will be more of a hike, where we will be summiting Mt. Elbert. Mt Elbert is Colorado's highest mountain. It is a Class One climb, which means even I can do it! It's a beautiful hike, and when you're done you can brag to your friends that you summited Colorado's highest 14er.

These training runs are free, and a great way to meet people and make new friends.All runs, except for the climb up Mt Elbert, will be on the Leadville Trail 100 course. However, this is in no way affiliated with the official LT100 race. You can use this as a training run for any of your upcoming ultramarathons.In my opinion, if you can run in Leadville, you can run anywhere!!!! Bring all your own gear, fueling needs, hydration, and any secret, magic foods you think you might need.

All the full details, (time, place, distances) will be posted on my blog when I get back to CO from running the Badwater 135, which for me starts at 8 am on July 12th. Good luck to all the runners! It looks like it is going to be crazy hot!