Steamboat Springs - 2024 RRR continued

Mindy and Pete arrived in Silverthorne the day after we arrived in Breck. They enjoyed hikes, fishing, and visiting Mindy's high school friend they stayed with. On the day before the race (Thursday, the 12th), we met them in Frisco for a big breakfast before heading to Streamboat.

Jedi and Ann had been in Steamboat since the 9th, having driven out. Tanya and Bucky got there on Wednesday. They'd stay with Kenny and Tammy, who'd driven there from Utah after Tammy's Wasatch run, until we got in when they'd switch over to our condo. It was a TMR party! We were all going to meet at Mountain Tap Brewery for an early supper. Rick and I hit Olympian to do drop bags and packet pickup. It was the least crowded we've ever seen it! I did the Bunny ears photo op this time. I figured I didn't do it previously and didn't finish. Why not change that one little thing, too? Lol.

Soon, our huge contingency of Trail Monsters were together at the Brewery. Beers and pizzas filled the table as did laughter and love. Ann, George, Tammy, Kenny, Tanya, Bucky, Squirrel and Marms, Rick and I made one special group. As we finished, I reminded everyone I needed to get a burger to go for my pre-race breakfast. I went to the Irish pub a block up the street. Was I surprised when my bill was $30.xx! Holy shit, that better be a good burger, but if it did its job, it would be worth every penny. Our group went its separate ways back to our condos. Tanya and Bucky were now moved in with us.

Jedi and I were both taking the early start (women over 50 and men over 60 could opt for it). This year, they were actually giving us two extra hours, an additional hour from previous times. My strong desire was to finish in the 36 hours given to the rest of the field, but I'd definitely take it in case I needed it. Plus I hate the start of races with everyone all together; the small group of older runners was the perfect size in my mind. Little did I know that the extra hour would make for an annoying conga line of fast runners coming at me when heading up the technical climb of Fish Creek Falls. Sigh.

I went to sleep fairly easily, but would wake up at 1am, unable to go back to sleep. The start wasn't until 7. My alarm was set for 5:30am. Sure, I tried to fall back to sleep, but when it was around 4am, I tried to figure out how I could be up and not wake everyone else. They were going to be operating on very little sleep in the coming hours and I would need them. 

I was so relieved when others started to stir. Evidently, Bucky slept terribly the entire time in CO so I probably could have had some company for some of those hours. To the burger! Meh, it wasn't that great reheated, but at least it was huge. After 3/4, I couldn't stuff anymore in. It did seem almost double the normal burger out. 

I had brought so many and so many different weather running clothes. If we had the rain and hail of the first year, I would want multiple changes of clothes, especially warm ones. The weather was pretty sure of itself; it would be dry. It turned out to be warmer in the day light than last year, but colder at night. I think I had my drop bags just right. It helps that Rick could get to Dry Lake and Olympian, probably where the biggest decisions need to be made. I was going to start just like last year: shorts, tee (this time my Team Scout Patagonia shirt from Lost Valley <3), sleeves, and my mushroom sprint hat. I was using poles again, but planned to put them away this year except on big climbs or downs where footing wanted me to use poles. Thanks, Todd, for the quiver. I really think it was part of the solution to my lean/bend.

Anyway, let's get this race going!!! Rick drove Tanya, Bucky, and me to the start. He drove back to the condo and then walked done to see me off. Ann and George joined soon. Normally they would have beaten me to the start, but they took the bus from their condo. Then Kenny, Tammy, Pete, and Mindy showed up. Tammy gave me her jacket to where until start. 

It's a good time to stop. Next post is "Go!"

2024 Run Rabbit Run 100 - Training

I'm not even sure where to start this account of Run Rabbit Run 2024. Maybe, like before, I'll give some lead up to the race. You can read about RRR2023 to see why I needed to return.

From 2023, I learned that I would have to work on my core in addition to my usual training. KB made a video for me of some good ab work. I did that about 4 times per week. Than I added something I never thought I would: yoga. I knew Bucky had done classes so got his recommendation for a place. I thought I would do a class a week until my running training plan kicked in on April 1st (I totally loved that I officially started training on April Fool's Day and the race start was Friday the 13th. Seemed right.). Then I said I'd keep doing yoga until my miles got longer. Well, turns out I really liked the classes and felt they were doing a lot for me, including my core, flexibility, and balance. I opted to keep going and to take out a day of running from my weekly schedule. Mostly I did my long runs on Sundays. By combining it with OSGR, I had company for a large amount of the miles. Squirrel would try to join for the last miles most weeks. Monday would be my back to back longish run. I usually did those miles at Pinelands to be able to run (most of the other places we run are so technical, I end up walking more stretches). Tues was a day off from running so a core day. Wednesdays I would head to Lost Valley for hill repeats. Thurday was yoga class and a core workout. Fridays it was back to Lost Valley for more repeats. Saturday was another day off from running so another core workout. I would pick one other day during the week that made the most sense to fit in my core work. And all the days I did my core, I included yoga than I had learned.

Even running just four days per week, my total mileage was staying very close to last year's. I hit nearly 70,000' of elevation gain at Lost Valley alone. One of the factors that made this training cycle harder was our brutal weather. The heat and humidity were relentless. Even with starting earlier than I would like, my hill repeats would be in the 90° temps with dew points in the 70s. I told myself that it mimicked elevation's lack of oxygen. Most of the long runs were in the same weather. Having Billy and Squirrel along helped on those last two longest runs. Misery does love company!

I took it as a really good sign that I was looking forward to taper. I think I'd done enough. With an uptick in COVID, I did stop my yoga classes a couple of weeks before I really wanted. I tried to do them myself, but that's no where near what you get out of a real class. Oh well. Like I said, I think I'd done enough.

H^3, FDFs, LV HRs and PS

Today might have been the type of day I'd rearrange my training plan for, maybe do an easy run instead of the repeats, adding a few extra to Friday's. It was predicted to be in the 90s by 10am with feels like temps in the 100s. Sigh. But Piper is having surgery to remove another sebaceous cyst tomorrow. Friday, the day I also do hill repeats will likely see me acting as a human cone for Piper. She just can't handle them, even the soft, pillow ones. I figured I get out early (for me) and tough it out as long as I could.

I think when I pulled into Lost Valley the temperature was in the high 80s. It was the definition of hazy, hot, and humid. My Coros shows I started at 9:01am. Seriously, for me, that's pretty good. As usual, I planned to do the dirt road as a warmup, but when I pulled the poles out of the quiver at the first incline, I couldn't get one of them to extend all the way. The lock wouldn't lock. I worked at it a bit, while feeding the dear flies. I didn't see any of the usual guys at or around the lodge so I headed back to the garage area and snagged someone before they headed in. He was able to make it look easy to extend the pole all the way. Thank you!!! Back to the warm up.

Warm up was a joke. I was already dripping sweat everywhere. Still, gotta focus. I just did one of the dirt road warmup laps before I started up my slope. The deer flies focused on my forearms and hands since they were busy with the poles; it was hard to do anything about them. Damned deer flies were soon promoted to fucking deer flies. Grrr!!! I managed to kill a few, but they all were full of my blood. Fuckers!!! And now one hand is swollen and everything is itchy.

I have a rule that I don't drive to run for anything less than 5 miles so I made myself hang in there for the minimum. It was well into the 90s when I stopped. I grabbed my bag and a cold bubble water from my cooler then headed straight to the air conditioned lodge. I sat for a long time, trying to stop sweating before changing. I went out to wring out my shirt a couple of times. It really didn't help; my sweat puddled below the bench. Finally, it slowed enough, I changed, grabbed a little Coke from my cooler to drive home with. I am beyond grateful we bought my new car already. I don't think I could have gotten into the subaru without AC. Golden Boy's air conditioning is heavenly.

A Vision Softly Creeping

It's time. I was back at Lost Valley yesterday to start my hill work for my goal race, my only race, Run Rabbit Run. While I was running, a parody of Sounds of Silence came to mind:

 Not perfect, but it captures something. Oh, and the repeats were harder than I remember.

RRR - the Aftermath, um, er Afterglow

I had planned to write more about the next few days after the run (the title belonged to the planned post), but it has been too long now. We come home to Rick coming down with COVID and TWMiH needing course marking and details worked out, and run, to immediately going into course marking for the Big Brad Ultras (the most intense marking of all the races).

What did happen in the days after, while I was out doing all the jobs and having all the alone time with Rick isolating in the bedroom, I began to go over the race. I was killing it. I really was. I felt good about my training, my return to Tailwind, but was thinking about how close I was. Uh oh, was there already a Rocky sequel in the planning stages? I think I needed more core strength. I know I did really well, but I could finish, couldn't I? What if I really worked on my core? I think I want to find out. 

Then at Hell, Jedi told me he was going to do RRR next year. Hmm, I told him that Rick wouldn't want me talking to him. Rick always jokes that my 100s were all Jedi's fault. Well, before Hell I was 75% sure I was going back, after 85%. Now I would say I'm going back. I'll probably use my same running training plan, but add a core routine.

RRR - Trudging and a New Type of Fun

Eight point two miles to Long Lake. I was now in my shorts, Tammy's TMR tee, and my white TMR hat. This was how I wanted to finish. I think Tanya can verify that for a good stretch of this leg, I would still do a form of running whenever the trail was smooth. Now, pretty much at a 90 degree angle, I could only see the trail right in front of me. I could bend my neck to look ahead, but couldn't do that very long without my neck really complaining. Once when I stopped to stand up (my back felt much better, well less painful, when standing up, but I couldn't move forward that way), Tanya told me to lift my arms straight over my head. She said Tami K taught her that and would say, " XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX" Well, damn. My arms could barely lift my hands to head level. No stretching for me. OH! I could try my fake kitty yoga. I got down on all fours in the trail and tried a few of my "yoga" poses. Yeah, that wasn't helping. We only could laugh at me as she helped me stand back up.

I knew we were getting close to Long Lake, but I was definitely having less and less running or power walking sections. I complained to Tanya, "I wish there was something that didn't hurt. Sigh. Tanya was kind, yet firm. There was no talk about stopping ever and she encouraged me to move faster all the time. I know one time when I was griping about my back, she said, but you're still going!! Yeah, what choice do I have. She agreed, there would be no helicopters! 

There's the aid station!! Someone asked if I wanted to see the medic. Yes, please. They plopped me in a chair and the medic came over. He asked if I wanted the massage gun, CBD oil, or, hmmm, I know there was another option. I said I wanted everything. While he was getting the tool, I coughed in unison with my aid station chair neighbor. We bonded over the cough...so much dust inhaled on the trail. She asked about my back. I tried to talk about it, but said, I think I'm going to cry. It was more relief that maybe I could get some relief. Everyone was all, go ahead and cry. The consensus was there is definitely crying in ultras. I more just had tears leak out.

The gun was painful, but I think it might have been helping. Then came the CBD oil. Then a regular ol' massage. I asked him what he thought about ibuprophen. He said as long as a person is well hydrated and peeing (oh, hell, I was peeing way to much...did I mention I would fall over when I tried to squat??!), that (3) 200 mg tablets were fine to take every 6 hours. Well, I'd had the one Mindy gave me which was still in the dark I think. And then I had raided the one I'd had in my pack for years somewhere before Summit. He handed me three.

Tanya had put some pancakes in foil for me at the last aid station that had them so I could have more along the way, but we were now out. They had hash browns. Why not. I don't like to take advil, but I really don't like to take things on an empty stomach. I downed one and started on a second. Tanya checked on hot chocolate for me as soon as we pulled in. They'd just dumped it; it wasn't moving. Somehow, Tanya got them to make some just for me. She was good at getting the aid stations to give me something I wanted. I took two of the pills and thought to save the other one...I really don't like taking anything.

Karl Meltzer came over (it's his aid station). He said, "you're what we call a leaner. I've been one myself, but I've never seen anyone as bad as you." Wow, I'm sure he's seen a lot. I said, well, you can't go 89 miles and give up. I've got lots of time. He said, "What's your number? I want to see if you finish." 800. 

We better go. 6.8 miles to Mt Warner. Whoa! I stood upright and took a few steps. The guy had helped. Let's get going!!! I don't think it was even a half mile before I was totally folded again. Shit! I'm going to take that third advil. Not that the first two did anything. Tanya thought that it hadn't had time to work yet. 

She said it would be great to get in a few 20 minute miles, but we could do 25 min miles and still probably make the cut off. She tried to get me to put in some running stretches. Could I? I don't know at this point. I do know that sitting was the only position where I wasn't in pain. I looked for rocks of the proper height. We don't have time for you to sit long. OK, just a few seconds. I may also have fallen off a few that I thought (or hoped) were the proper height. 

Did I mention that every now and then my right foot would cross over my left? I'd end up either 45 or 90 degrees to the trail. WTF, Tanya. She said, well, you're not just bent, your twisted too. I think we both had to laugh. How much longer to the aid station? Just 5 miles. JUST? JUST? ok, just keep going. 

Tanya started running by my side...this was single track so she was in not very nice footing. But it was like we were doing kid's candlestick bowling and the kid needed the bumper in the alley to play at all. Tanya was my bumper to keep me in the lane. She may still have the bruises to prove it. More and more runners started to pass us. Most tried to give encouragement or salt tabs. Lol, I wished it was something salt tabs could solve. Tanya thanked them and cheered them on. I don't think I said much.

How much farther? Just a little over 3.5. No. No! NO! We've been out here forever. I'm not sure when I realized that Tanya was really not discouraging me from taking breaks. Hmmm, we were not going to make the cutoff. Yeah, Tanya said we could put in a few 25 minute miles, not 45. 

Tanya, this isn't type 2 fun or any of the the others. This is type 0 fun. None. And then we both laughed. Ok, it sucked. It seemed never ending, but we could still laugh. Then she said we should keep moving though because we wanted to be out before dark. I'm really trying.

Was it around 2 or 1.5 miles to go when the 100 mile sweeper came through. He was a pharmacist and worried about my kidneys being the problem, especially when I mentioned ibuprofen. No, no, I am peeing more than fine and the ibuprofen was in response the the back pain, not the other way. He was very nice, but very, very chatty. Tanya finally tried to shut him down. We need to focus on moving, not talking. She's a forced. A pink one, but no less powerful.

It was starting to get dark and chilly. We needed to be done. I was done. Sigh. Finally, finally, the aid station. They were breaking it down, but they were concerned and wonderful. I think I got a can of ginger ale and Tanya wrapped me in a space blanket. I could sit in a chair!!! I was pretty painfree, or at least in comparison, that it just felt good to be.

The aid station was run by a family, dad, mom and three young kids. The kids said everyone told them about us and were worried. I said to the dad, can you make sure you record me? I want credit/proof I made it. Almost 96 miles. It would have been all down hill from here. I said to Tanya that it was probably good that I timed out. Could you see me trying to go down the hill bent like that??? I would have been eating dirt. No way could my arms have supported me. 

They gave us a ride back to town in a very tall pick up down the bumpy dirt road. That sucked, but I was in a sitting position with a great seat heater and the heat blowing right on me. I texted Rick that we were getting a ride in the sag wagon. They dropped us in town close to the start/finish. I didn't recognize where we were at all. The dad said if we walked over to that row of lights, it was escalators that would take us down to the field. It would have been another funny video if someone filmed the mom and Tanya trying to help me out of the truck. 

So bent over me, my poles, and Tanya started toward the row of lights. Across the way, a guy in a suit or at least neatly dressed yelled over something like, "Hey hundred runner! Rabdo?" Both Tanya and I assumed he was with the race. He hurried over. We said we were making our way to the escalator and that I didn't have Rabdo. Agian we talked with a stranger about my peeing. He said for me to hop on; he'd give me a piggy back ride. Huh? Um, no. The next thing I know he's scooped me off my feet and is literally running with me to the lights. 

This is where I realized he was not with the race. He said something about having to be somewhere. I realized he'd been drinking. But then, there we were at the top of the escalators and he was running the other direction. He did save us a slog. I think Tanya got a good hold on me as we made our way down the escalator. Um, we're still not  where we need to be, but there are chairs over there that are near fire pits. We went to sit and warm. I called Rick. We sort of described our location and waited for them to find us.

I thought about the end of Rocky where Apollo Creed says to Rocky, "There ain't gonna be no rematch" and Rocky says, "Don't want one" I don't know if my body is Apollo and my brain is Rocky or the reverse, but you get the idea. Rick did point out to me there were many more Rocky's after that. 

Ok I think I lied. I'll do one more wrap it up installment. But, at least I covered the 96 miles and 20,000' of elevation.

RRR - slowly I bent step by step....

So the title is a reference that mostly old people will know. Abbot and Costello, the Stooges, and Lucy all did versions of the skit.  It's not that funny, but it's what popped into my head. I didn't even realize I was starting to bend at mile 70, but people mentioned how bad I looked in the pics. Oh, those are nothing...Tanya stopped taking pics or messaging the people when I got bad. She was, um, busy.  But back to the story.

Mindy got me back to Dry Lake. It was still cold, but I knew it would get hot before too long. I wanted hot chocolate, of course, but there wasn't any. There weren't any saltines either. Pancakes? All gone. I'm pretty sure it was here that Tammy made me a hot chocolate substitute by making coffee with cream and maple syrup. Not bad! Tanya seemed to finagle some pancakes out of them, too and made me a second cup of coffee. Feeling pretty good. Tammy also gave me her short sleeved patagonia TMR tee for later. I love our people.

I hope I said thank you to Mindy. I am pretty sure I gave Rick a kiss. And then Tanya, Tammy, and I were off. It was cold, but bright sunshine. The trail was rockyish, but okay. Then we ran into a guy standing in the trail. He was a little freaked. There's a moose! He said it was right in the trail, but had moved a little off. We thought he was far enough and facing the other way that maybe we could go...till we saw the other bull moose on the trail. We were so close to these guys. Tammy broke into song, "You are my sunshine, my only sunshine..." very loudly. The moose didn't take any time, but moved right off. Enough that we felt okay to go. The guy let us go first. In fact, he seemed like he might be faster, but was definitely good with me, Tammy, and Tanya leading the way.

So I knew there was some kind of climb, but I didn't hear about it from Craig or PT. I think the rain made the climb out of Olympian so bad for them, they didn't think to warn me about this one. I know that Tanya had been a little worried about staying with me for the climbs. I'm normally a very good uphiller while her strength is downs. She had told me that if she was struggling on the up to just go, she'd catch up. Well, not only was I not worried since I would have 70 miles on me, but her body loves Colorado and elevation. She and Bucky are like polar opposites. We started to climb and climb. I kept glancing back but she was right with us. 

The climb just kept going. I looked up and said no way am I going up there! But that's just where we went. Shit. Tammy was getting stronger or I was getting slower. Either way, she said she was going ahead and that we'd catch her on the down to Summit. I knew exactly what she meant, but we didn't go the same route that we'd come out so there never was that long dirt road down. We'd never catch her. Go, Tammy!!! 

I was probably 75 miles in now. I told Tanya the right side of my back was really getting sore. It seemed like a knot, but I couldn't put my finger on it. Wait, I'm confused...Billy's Rabbit Hole is around mile 77.  I thought I remembered Tammy eating the pizza they made there. Was that a different runner? I really don't know. I couldn't even look at the pizza. The smell alone made me want to hurl. I am pretty sure they had hot chocolate though...unless this is where Tammy made me my coffee, cream, and maple syrup. That's seeming very likely now. Maybe this is where she left us. 

At any rate, I know things started getting worse out of Billy's. Is it this stretch where I fell, doing a little of a roll out, but still hit my head on a rock? The runner and her dad behind me were really concerned. I said I was pretty sure I was ok, but they seemed to want to make sure I'd tell the next aid station about my head so that. They were really sweet, but I was fine. Tanya confirmed that my roll out pretty much made the fall innocuous. Plus I still had a fleece headband on that likely cushioned me from the rock. My head didn't hurt in a short time. But my back continued to increase it's complaint.

What the fuck! My left lower back was now way more sore than my right. How did that happen?! Tanya offered to try some massage. I was starting to lean forward more, but I was still moving well. Then I noticed I was leaning more to my left. "Tanya, I'm a leaner!!" This was a surprise and revelation to me. I don't even understand the phenomenon. She said I think you are.

When we pulled into Summit, I was pretty bent forward. I wanted to change into my shorts and the tee Tammy lent me. An aid station person suggested going over to her car where I could open a door to provide some privacy. I was heading there trying to figure out the doors when Tanya was there with a chair for me. I was able to sit behind a car door and change. I don't know if I could have without the chair. Ok, all new clothes and just under 20 miles to go with lots of time. 

We set off. I don't think I was totally at a 90 degree bend yet, but I was well on my way. I could stand up straight, but I couldn't take any steps if I did. My legs could only work if I was bent. Seriously bent. What the fuck??? 

I think it was before I was totally bent that I couldn't squat to pee without falling over.  Unfortunately, I had to pee pretty often so was tipping over. Tanya and I couldn't help laugh at me. What else to could we do? But the good thing is I was peeing a lot and it was nice and pale. You wouldn't believe how many people were concerned about my peeing.

That's it for this installment. Bedtime.