Yes, its been quite a while since my last blog. I have been busy I guess you could say. We left off by pedaling the California coast over 17 days last December through January. That experience changed me in so many ways. I learned my love for adventure is limitless and does not just express itself in running. JB and I met amazing people along the road, saw kindness in tough times, fell more in love with one another and rode hard, long days in downpouring rain. JB celebrated his 31st birthday and I celebrated that life can be truly simple with everything you need contained in just a few packs.
Day one of the ride
The greatest gift that I could have ever imagined came to JB and I on our 8th wedding anniversary: a new life. Our first child, conceived in what I thought impossible circumstances, riding 70 miles a day, my clumsy self falling many times, sleeping very little and whittling down to a pretty lean body mass. Our little miracle, who has been something we have wanted from the moment we met each other, has found the best possible way to enter our life. And so here we are, 8 weeks away from meeting our child.
The little one at 20 weeks
Its been a wonderful pregnancy. I have been running and working out the whole time, with no sign that I might stop anytime soon. My normal running routine has been extremely scaled down to just what is comfortable. At 6 months, my energy peaked and I was able to complete a 15k that was hilly and challenging. It was just fun to be out there and I really didn’t care about times or performance.
Almost 5 months pregnant... I thought I was pretty big...just wait
As I enter my 8th month, I am still able to do 4-5 miles about 3-4 days a week. And there are weeks I find myself spinning more and running less. I am still lifting light weights for arms and legs. The baby seems to not mind when I run and sometimes I can feel he or she curl up and just take a little nap. All studies suggest running while pregnant is totally fine. But, I feel like a total slacker compared to Paula Radcliffe, who somehow manages 50-60 mpw pregnant…wow! But then again, I have no aspirations to bust out a 2:15 marathon anytime soon.
7 months...
So onward we go, preparing our life for this new arrival and new adventure…
On December 16th, the day of a new moon, JB and I will set out from the Oregon border on our bikes to pedal 1100 miles in 21 days. We will head south, cycling the entire length of Calfornia and sometime around January 8th or so, we should reach the border of Mexico. We are partnering with the San Francisco SPCA to promote second chance pet adoptions over the holidays as well as raise some money for the shelters in need. And here’ s the cool part, we are taking our newly adopted dog, Scooby along with us in a very nifty little bike trailer.
Scooby
Our animals are like kids to us. When we lost our first dog, Mr. Big, to lymphoma in October, we felt compelled to find a way to give something back. Its kind of amazing how a dog can make you smile after a tough day or hearing your cat’s purr is all you need to fall asleep. In other words, life without our furry buddies would be pretty boring. So it seemed simple enough. Take two of our life passions and put them together and see what we get. Endurance sports + love for animals and poof, Pedal for Paws was born.
Here’s where it gets interesting for me. I haven’t been on a road bike for more than 5-10 miles at a time. Yep, “ignorance is bliss” might be the motto for me on this one. JB is a bit more experienced than me- last December he rode 200 miles in 3 days in snowy conditions. So I am banking on the fact that I am fit from ultrarunning and have taken a few spinning classes here and there. But here’s where I know myself and how I know I will see this through- the mental game is my strength. I can finish anything I set myself out to finish. I will be especially motivated, thinking of the animals and the needs they have, and that seals the deal in my mind. I am not particularly worried about the pace. We are being pretty generous with our time frame, just in case the weather is extreme on some days. We will need to cover about 50 miles a day. However, if we take a day off, that means 100 miles the next day. So it could get a little crazy very quickly.
JB December 2009 ride
This will be a simple and exciting adventure and yet, very different from our usual running trips or races. We will be updating facebook, twitter and the Pedal For Paws webpage very frequently from here on forward. Please come out and ride with us or just keep us and the animals in your thoughts as you enjoy this awesome holiday season. If you can spare any dollars, please donate! 100% of the monies go to the SPCA (no admin fees on our end). They need you!
Begininng early September, I decided to just run by feel- no formal training schedule, no races in mind. I ramped up my weight workouts with P90X as well as just good old fashioned gym workouts. It was time to give my hamstring a chance to recover as well as my plantar fasciitis – both of these injuries on my right side. Might be a coincidence, or maybe I am striding too hard on that side of the body. Either way, the last 7 weeks have been really insightfull. I have enjoyed some fun weekends, with and without running…. But I also learned alot about myself.
For the first weekend, I actually slept in and went to brunch a few times- but by about 2pm, I couldn’t stand it any longer and like a caged cat, I needed to run, even just for a bit. A week later, my friend who is battling beautifully, a brain tumor, held a 5K fundraiser. I won first female and it hurt like hell.
Late September, JB and I went to Santa Cruz and camped, wine tasted and I craved running on the beautiful trails, so I went.
Santa Cruz trails
In early October, we had our good friends Hal and Carly down for the Bluegrass Music Festival. We all sang and danced and then went running all over SF. At least three of us are still picking blackberry thorns out of legs and arses. You’ll just have to guess what happened there and it wasn’t from the trail running. The following week, JB and I lost our dog, Mr. Big, to lymphoma. We cried a lot and guess what, I went running that whole week and cried many times on the trails. It felt right and frankly its the only thing I knew to do.
I guess what I learned is that I am not seperate from the run. It is intertwined into my life and it cannot leave me, even while taking a “break”. It helps me be a better person and in the end, its what I want to do when I am happy, when I am sad and when I know no better.
Moving forward, I think I will plan for a fall 50K and even if I don’t, I will be out there running, somewhere.
JB running a half marathon in Santa Cruz
Bluegrass Festival, Hal Koerner, Carly Varner, Jen Benna, JB Benna
When your horoscope on the day of a big race reads, “fake it till you make it,” you know you are in for quite a special day. Going into Cascade Crest 100, I was pretty psyched and very ready to get on with it. I have had a pretty competitive season of running and have really loved it all, but the big dance for me was this race. Not to mention, this was my idea of celebrating my 30th birthday! Yeah, no trips to the spa, no shop till you drop with the girls, not even any champagne toasts. Running 100 miles gives new meaning to ” the dirty thirty.”
I had assembled my crew- Mom, Dad and JB! My Dad suprised me with bright yellow crew tee-shirts that said ” You Got This!” I was just blown away at how thoughtfull it was! It was also brilliant, because I was able to see them coming into aid stations and they kept me moving. I probably only spent 20-25 minutes total in aid stations! That is amazing and I would have turned in a much slower time if they hadn’t helped me speed through, anticipating my every need of food, drink, encouragement and the occasional scolding for not eating all my carbs!! (Haha, Thanks Dad)
Anyway, the morning of the race was the most leisurely I have ever experienced. With a race start of 10:00am, I slept in until 7:00, ate huckleberry pancakes and had plenty of time to say hello to my friends- Roch, Chris, Walter, Justin and lots of others. The weather was just perfect- cloudy, cool and even threatening to rain. After Charlie delivered the pre-race speech, the national anthem and crew instructions, we lined up. My heart was really beating fast. I was full of emotion and drive. I knew going into this race, that I was going to try to push it, race it a bit and see what would play out. I knew a couple other girls were fast and it would take alot to crack top 5. But this was my chance and I felt trained and prepared enough to test myself. Because really at the end of the day, it is a true battle with your own demons… and by demons, I mean the mental and the physical pain that are inevitable.
The start to Tacoma (mile 23)…. Climbing, climbing, climbing briskly but still to the point that it was fairly easy. I enjoyed the cool weather, the trees and just finding a rythym in the race. I had a very high heart rate, but I knew it wasn’t real- it was nerves and that takes a while for me to get calm. I ate, drank and the stomach was good. My right hamstring was pulling at me though and it made me nervous. I also had pain from my plantar fasciitis on the right foot that was playing into the race very early on. No matter though- if something isn’t torn or making me scream from pain, I vowed to keep going. How could I DNF a race on my 30th bday. I got to talk to lots of runners and we all commented on how the day was just perfect weather. The first section peeled away quickly and before I knew it, I was nearing the first crew point. I was very excited to see my crew coming into Tacoma Pass and sure enough, they were ready for me too. They were like an Indy 500 pit crew. I was moving pretty fast and I could see they were a bit nervous about this. I was at 24 hour pace and even wondered myself if this was a bad idea. But, 30 seconds later I was moving up the trail on to the next section of the course.
Finally we got onto the PCT and it was lovely. The trails still had some climbing- but nothing too steep or dauting. Just lots of good running and conversation with my new friends Ronda and Allison. They were great ladies to spend time with on the trail- Allison Moore- blazing along her first 100 miler and Ronda Sundemeier, a seasoned and strong runner. They helped me forget about some of the longer sections between aid stations and we held a good pace for a long time. In fact, Ronda and I went back and forth for about 68 miles- it was very cool and helped motivate us both, I am sure.
Coming into Mountain Meadow at Mile 40, I had just battled about 7 miles of intense nausea. I barely ate anything and even drinking water was not going so well for my gut. This was a low point. I saw my crew, told them I didn’t want any more Ensure’s and that I would see them at the next aid station. If I lingered, I knew I was on the edge of complaining and letting the stomach get the best of me. Best to just keep moving.
Coming into Olallie mile 47, I told my mom “Your girl is back!!” I felt back to normal and got to enjoy a piroguie, courtesy of Scott McCoubrey and team. It was yummy and just what I needed. I still sped through the aid station and put my headphones on to get me to Hyak and mile 53 where I could pick up my pacer/husband extraordinare. At that point Ronda was running number 3 and I was running 4th woman. I knew it would be a battle through the night and that anything could happen. The section to Hyak had changed and over 750 feet of additional climbing and decscending had been added for this year’s run. It probably added a good 15 minutes to times this year. The downhill being much more tedious than the uphill.
Coming into Hyak, I ran with my Mom the 1/4 mile into the aid station. They had everything ready for me and JB was set to go. He was antsy and his legs had lots of energy! Good, I thought, I can use his energy to push me. I quickly drank some coke, put compression sleeves on my calves (which I defintely recommend on these long runs) and grabbed my extra torch handheld light. I was moving so fast, I almost forgot my nathan hydration pack and my Dad yelled at me to get it- Wow, that would’ve been bad. Then JB and I took off. Two miles into the paved uphill road, we saw something moving in the bushes. We stopped and looked closer and saw a very large deer that appeared to have broken legs and upon further inspection, we realized this poor thing had just been hit by a car. It was suffering. This took me into a low, low place. I was tired and could not deal with how bad this was. JB, being a techie, had his phone with him and called my dad, who promised to call the Forest Service. It was the only way I could keep going. I love, love, love animals and this was a blow for me to see in the middle of my race. I pushed the thought out of my head as best as I could and we kept moving uphill. In fact, we climbed 3,000 feet on road and then forest road for 7 miles. It was a grind. JB threw on his iphone with this compact speaker and played music to the delight and possible dismay of other runners. It was definitely fun for me. We rolled into Keechelus ridge and rolled right on out for a seven mile descent into Kachess Lake Aid station. This was a bad section for me. My gut was not happy and I had to make several stops for that. Also, a large blister had formed on the ball of my right foot and it was not helping me with speed on the downhill. After what seemed like forever, we made it to the aid station. I changed my socks, JB tried to lance my blister, which was not successful and so we taped it and sped off for the “Trail from Hell.”
The Trail from Hell was like the Blairwitch Project. It had nightmare written all over it. It is 5.5 miles and takes most runners 90-150 minutes to complete. It did not disappoint. We climbed over about a hundred downed trees, navigated a single track near steep drop-offs, and still had steep uphill climbs and descents over roots, rocks and mud puddles. I actually had fun on it, until the very end when after crawling on my stomach to get under an awkward log, I stood up and said, this feels like boot camp and I am done with it! We came into the aid station and I woolfed down about three quesadilla sections and noticed the second place female was in a chair, sleeping off the destruction from the previous section. Her pacer was super nice and told me how great I looked and to keep going!
JB and I plowed ahead for the next 2.5 miles uphill on forest road where our crews were wating for us. Another uphill grind. We played music and tried to run/walk up the hill as best as we could. We saw my parents, who were getting a little loopy from staying up all night. JB turned up the music and we all danced to the beat for a few minutes while we drank some Red Bull… it was awesome. I took off uphill and about 20 minutes later the caffeine kicked in and I was at my all time high for the race. I was singing every song outloud and running uphills. JB told me to slow down, but apparently, Led Zeppelin’s “Stairway to Heaven” was cranked up too loud and I didn’t hear him. I finally looked behind me as we made our way to No Name Ridge (mile 80) and realized I was pulling away from even JB. So I thought, maybe I should walk a bit. We checked in at mile 80 with over a 30 minute gain on time. I was pumped. This was probably the last time I was pumped for the rest of the race. It all got real interesting from that point on.
The next 20 miles went something like this- more steep, steep climbing, legs hurting, stomach being a pain, and motivation was a little lackluster. The only moment of brilliance was the sunrise after No Name Ridge- the beauty of the Cascades in full glory. I took in the moment and thought of it literally and figuratively as a new dawn, a new decade for me. It was amazing, but too bad my legs were not. The cardiac needles were rough and I had shaky legs. The needles were no joke and I started to get a little mad about it. I wanted to move faster, be more efficient. We made it to Thorp Mountain and just kept plugging. Getting to French Cabin, mile 88 at 8:18am was still putting me at around 24:30 hours or so. I just needed to put my head down and move it. Mile 88-96 were a true battle. The kind of test you put to yourself when you want to know what you are made of. With sore knees and a few more falls ahead of me, my downhill legs didn’t have it this time. JB and I certainly did not make up time on this section and in fact, I lost quite a bit. I got to Silver Creek, mile 96 at 10:18. I had nothing left in me. But we were so close. Okay, head down and legs moving. JB got in front of me and I told him to count down the miles so I could keep an okay pace to the finish.
4 hot, tedious miles on a mix of paved road and gravel and the finish was in sight. I made it, I survived and I was so happy! 25:03 and 3rd woman in! What a race, what a course, what a birthday. Hugs and smiles all around and I was done. 20 minutes after finishing, I was decompensating and going down fast. I had to lie down in the dirt to keep from fainting and then I started puking. The medics came over and took my BP (100/60) and my pulse (140)… not good. I insisted on walking into the medtent and agreed to getting an I.V. One Saline bag later, I was feeling a bit better. I guess something was not right in those last miles. My hydration and electrolytes off somehow. I still don’t know why this happened.
Today, I am just downright happy. On top of the world and confident that I can run strong. I am also finally sleeping well again and am looking forward to lots of walks this week with maybe a short run this weekend. So many thanks to Mom, Dad and JB. Memories to last me my whole life.
Race week is here! The Cascade mountains are calling. I am getting really excited to run the race on Saturday. 100 miles, 21,000 ft of gain and 21,000 ft of loss… I also get to celebrate my 30th birthday that day… This is certainly a way to remember the beginning of a new decade! In preparing for the race I like to read some of the quotes that motivate me. Here are a few of my favorites:
A lot of people run a race to see who’s the fastest. I run to see who has the most guts.”
– Steve Prefontaine
The body does not want you to do this. As you run, it tells you to stop but the mind must be strong. You always go too far for your body. You must handle the pain with strategy…It is not age; it is not diet. It is the will to succeed.”
– Jacqueline Gareau, 1980 Boston Marathon champ
“When you get to the end of your rope, tie a knot and hang on.” - Franklin D. Roosevelt
The road to success is line with many tempting parking spaces. – Traditional Proverb
“Happiness comes of the capacity to feel deeply, to enjoy simply, to think freely, to risk life, to be needed.” – Storm Jameson
“The best way out is always through.”- Robert Frost
Whew… its time for a breather. JB and I drove to Point Reyes yesterday to try a new trail for the last of my long training runs. We got a late start because I slept in and then we made french toast and watched an episode of 24 that we had on DVD. I mean isn’t that what Sunday’s are for.. that and some good running, of course. Finally we got out the door with full Nathan hydration packs, lots of Hammer gel, Cliff shot blocks and Sharkies. As we drove through the Marin Headlands near Interstate 1, we could see the telltale sign that summer is coming to an end as the parking lot of Muir Woods was overflowing. The minivans and SUV’s full of people were there waiting to get a glimpse of the glorious Redwood trees that lie deep in the quiet of those shadows. Only a few weekends in August remain! JB and I were seeking more refuge and quiet and so we kept on driving in the mad traffic. Finally after almost 2 hours in the car, we put on the GPS, tightened our laces on the shoes and started up the Palomarin trail near Point Reyes Bird Observatory. The views were incredible and the weather was pretty warm. We planned on 6 hours and 30 miles for the day with an out and back on the Glen Trail, the Coast Trail and the Backroad trail. The first 5 miles went by in a flash- the legs felt good, the lungs breathing in rythym, and my best running pal in the whole world by my side made me want for nothing more. Soon we ran into Ultrarunning veteran Chuck Wilson who informed us that he had just saw a bobcat not far from where we were headed. I was hoping that little guy would still be around when we got up the trail. No such luck… But Chuck did tell us to go run on the Sky Trail up to Baldy point and we headed that way after consulting the map.
As we came to the intersection where Baldy began in a huge climb, a couple of older guys sitting by the side of the trail, muttered to us” You’ll be sorry!” JB and I glanced at each other and smiled and then replied- “I don’t think so…” and took off running straight up the hill, laughing the whole way. The old guys watched us and the perplexed look on their faces was priceless. Not a regret in sight as the trail steepened and we downshifted into climbing mode. What an awesome trail, an awesome view.
We pushed it hard for the next 5 miles to the turnaround. We found the water spicket, refilled our packs and bottles and started back. We were making good time and were on track for our goal. The next 14 or so miles peeled away pretty quickly and JB and I found ourselves on the edge of the land with blue ocean and a sunset on the horizon. We paused and took in the views of the coastline and I took the time to be grateful for my family, my health and the ability of my legs and lungs to let me see so many places in nature I otherwise would not.
Cascade Crest 100 is 12 days away. Lots of rest, mental re-focusing and a game plan is what I will be working on. Of course life goes on, so work and responsibilities don’t go away. But, I know that’s what makes life so interesting.
Saturday brought about an amazing revelation- I really love lactate threshold runs… Masochistic? Nah, not really- I think its a sign my fitness is getting to a nice place. Starting out at the Heather Cut off trail near Muir Beach in the Marin Headlands, I ran up to Pan Toll on a fairly steep but still fast trail. Pan Toll is just below the sumitt of Mt Tamalpais. I did this repeat twice for 45 minutes each climb. I knew I was going pretty fast, because running down still took me 35 minutes! 2 hours, 53 minutes and 17 miles later I was happy and soaking wet from the sweat and humidity. It was just a great day!
I used to dread these climbs because they are so hard, but now I like to think of them as “hauling ass hill repeats.” Before my coaching with Scott (Jurek, as in 7-time winner of Western States 100, ultrarunning guru), I never incorporated speed work or specific lactate threshold work. What does a long distance runner have to gain with those workouts anyway? Lots and lots, as it turns out. Experienced runners who are looking to gain fitness must do so by going into their anaerobic threshold metabolism. A very interesting study published on the Running Research news website, cited an exercise physiology study looking at ways to increase lactate threshold in runners by doing the following: Runners that averaged around 75 miles a week were told to drop their mileage to 45 miles a week and in substitution of that mileage ,perform a progressive series of hops, jumps, bounds and explosive sprints three days a week. The study found these runners increased their lactate threshold by 6.8 percent in nine weeks!
Hill work in Eastern Nevada over the July 4th holiday
How do you find your lactate threshold? The best way to figure it out is to run a 10K or 10miler as fast as you can. Lactate threshold is what you can hold for about an hour. Make sure to wear a heart rate monitor and the heart rate that occurs at that level of running is very likely your LT. Another awesome reference guide is to pick up the Daniels Running Formula available here, which takes you through your exact chart for your speed.
So here’s to the hills and all the speed you can find..
On Friday I did my uphill interval tempos on the Miwok trail in Marin…and since work was pretty crazy this past week, I ran all out and had a blast getting all my stress out. I got my mojo back and by the time I was done, I yelled into the misty, foggy trail- “Damn it feels good to be a gangsta!” An original sentiment you ask? No- just a great song from a favorite movie called “Office Space” Check out the video below for a sample of this cult classic!
When you are toeing the line at a race, you look around, you size up your competitors and then you start to compare yourself and ultimately question yourself. Am I that tough? Can I run that fast? Do I look as fit as that girl with the awesome quads? All these questions start to slice into your mind and the self confidence leaks out, little by little.
In the last few months and more specifically in the last few races, I have began to chant a motto in my head while running- “Keep your energy inside yourself, keep your energy inside yourself…” Basically this is my pep talk to stop worrying about where everyone else is on the course and to run my own race.
I have noticed how this has dramatically improved my ability to get in the zone. Sure, I still can’t help but stragetically count myself among all the ponytails weaving in and out of my sight, but I don’t fret about it and I know that if I stay within myself and run my best, I will have a fun day with results I can be happy about.
So this motto has become even more important lately as life ebbs and flows and stress sneaks in and sucks the energy right out of you. Work is crazy, life is crazy and my training has all of a sudden seemed daunting. I am tired, sore and for the last week, I have had a lots of little chats with myself (and the cute little devil on my shoulder) about getting going with the daily workouts. I actually gave into that little devil last weekend after a tough 26 mile run that should have been followed up by uphill tempos the next day. I got in my car to drive to the moutain and just sat there. I couldn’t run that day… the joy and desire weren’t there and that meant something was wrong.
Mr. Big running in the zone.
I actually listened to my body and after a heart to heart with my coach, Scott, I think I am finding my energy again. I am trying a few things to get it back and am hoping to redeem myself on a nice run this weekend. I am confident my mojo will come back as I cycle through the final training phase for my upcoming race, Cascade Crest 100. (Yes, this is a change from my previous planned, Headlands 100. More on that later). For now, lots of sleep, modified runs, and well, just being still when I need to be. I want to feel great so that on August 29th, I am overflowing with joy and energy to keep me moving through the Cascade mountains. Just when you think you might have learned something great, the lesson comes back round and now I am finding out again how to keep my energy inside myself.
Okay, so yeah, I do really like food. And as a runner, food is my powerhouse. It can really make a workout feel solid or if eating badly, it can make a workout and a stomach, a problem. I find the more quality things I eat, the better I run and feel. I do really like cooking, trying new restaurants and having a good glass of red wine almost every night. I thought I would list the staples of my diet and the vices that also find their way in every now and again.
Enjoying that glass of wine
Foods that power me-
Oatmeal or whole grains for breakfast with yogurt and lots of berries… good food
Coffee with breakfast, sometimes more than one cup…. can be bad if it makes me shaky
An apple- my favorites are granny smith and fuji
For lunch, I try to do a protein, like turkey and mix it with a whole grain bread and lots of spinach
More fruit in the afternoon… grapes that are slightly frozen are awesome.
Raw almonds- power food and so satisfying
Dark chocolate- a square or two a day is usually enough to keep me happy
Pre-workout snack- a small cup of Kashi cereal
Dinner is usually baked salmon with lots of veggies or maybe a grilled turkey burger usually without a bun.
A good glass of red wine
VICES
I have a sweet tooth, so baking for me is like therapy, which usually means I taste while I bake… bad…
A second glass of wine…
Frozen yogurt (probably way too much sugar, but I love it)
SAN FRANCISCO FAV’S
Estela’s Fresh Sandwiches- they have the best veggies sandwiches ever
Green’s- a fine dining experience for vegetarians… a yummy treat
NOPA- a great restaurant with a fun atmosphere and within walking distance to me- a problem for my checking account
Whole Foods- I swear I feel healthier just walking in there
Peet’s Coffee- I don’t think anyone can make a better Skinny half-calf double latte
Farm Fresh to you- Organic, Sustainable produce and fruits delivered right to your door.
