Jay Peak & Beyond……

September 8, 2017vtrunnermom 2 Comments

“It hurts up to a point and then it doesn’t get any worse.”

~Ann Trason

This quote can relate to many things in life, especially Ultra running. This past weekend my family and I ventured to the Jay Peak Trail Run in Jay, VT. Driving up on Saturday, the sky was blue, the air crisp, two eager boys in the back, ready to tackle their 5k.

The boys stride for stride at the start of the Green Circle 5k

What I like about the this weekend is we make it a mini vacation, with a side order of running. The facilities are top notch, rooms are gorgeous, we were lucky to get one overlooking the mountain this year. Great restaurants, a general store, and don’t forget the amazing Waterpark to get your splash on or relax in the giant outdoor hot tub! A must do on Sunday night to soak your tired muscles…….

The boys enjoyed their 5k, but were eager to get to the waterpark afterwards, what kid wouldn’t? The waterslides and lazy river are so much fun…….we had many races against each other…we came to realize that whoever rode down the slide with hubs, was clearly going to win!! Hehehehe

We grabbed a nice lunch at the Pub, it was the most beautiful, picture perfect VT day. Not a cloud in the sky, near 70….you couldn’t imagine any bad weather coming in on the horizon. Yet we knew, they were calling for frigid temps and lots of rain…..EWWW… After getting our packs ready and laying out our gear, tailwind, simple squares for the morning….we chilled and put on a movie and settled in for the evening. Our alarm would be going off at 5:30am.

I thought I was buying oatmeal……maybe the worst pre race breakfast ever!

BUZZ, darn alarm…..I jumped up and started getting breakfast together and making our oatmeal….WHAT THE HECK IS THIS?!?!?!?!? What I thought was oatmeal was some sort of pancake batter thingy. I made mine ultra thin and you can see hubs made his thick. Thank goodness we bought english muffins….

We walked down to the start, it was cool, no rain yet. Some people had rain jackets, others just a tank top and shorts. I decided to go with my Skylight Inknburn tech and Mermaid shorts. I love me some Inknburn……. I don’t love being too hot, I heat up rather quickly while I run, but I did pack a rain jacket. Hubs and I always laugh when we stand around at the start, because as we look around, we have packed the whole house into our packs, and others have nothing. I always feel like I’ll need something and I want to be ready, but boy, I gotta learn to minimize!!!

At the start..go team RunFar

And we were off on our 35.5k, adventure… so a 22 miler with two loops. Each loop has an elevation gain of approximately 3500+ feet. They label these races as Quad Burners and that is 100% true!!! We start off meandering by the lodge and up into a nice slightly elevated groomed trail….climbing roughly 700 ft. Then the BEAST climb, pretty much up the face of Jay. The third mile has an elevation gain of 1200+ ft! In ONE mile!!!! I could feel my legs burning a bit, but the rain was holding off so we could see the majestic view below us!!!

Rain was at a minimum during loop one

As we reached the top of that climb, we entered the “mossy forest”…as I aptly named it. Gorgeous, rugged, gnarly, rocky, rooted trail. After this brief climb you are almost to the top where there is a cool lodge building. Teenaged boys handing out water, bananas, and such. They looked so cold! Thank you to all the volunteers for being out in the frigid temps to help us runners!!! Much appreciated!!!

almost to the top! Storm’s a brewin’

From there, lots and lots of downhill to reach our out and back down the Long Trail. This is a hard section for me, because as you are making your way down, all the front runners are hiking back up, FAST. It’s difficult mentally knowing it’s about a mile down and then the same mile back up….but there is a cool aid station at the bottom and oh did those Oreos taste AMAZING!!! Thanks ladies……

From the top of the Long Trail section, it’s pretty much a coast home for the last five miles. Nearly all of your massive climbing is done in those first 6 miles, don’t get me wrong, the last five miles aren’t flat, but there are more sections that are runnable. Numerous runners had trekking poles, I think they would have been extremely helpful on the steep downhills, it was hard at times to hold yourself back. As we headed into our tenth mile, the rain started coming down. Luckily we had our rain jackets stuffed in our packs….they kept us warm and somewhat dry, even though our base layer was wet…I did feel warm enough. With eleven miles done, we had the midway aid station at the starting area, and then it was back to the intense climbing and repeating the loop again…….I actually enjoyed it way more the second time, I was tired and my quads were barking, but I knew what was coming ahead and that after six miles, we would be in the clear.

*This is the “mossy trail”…..haha hubs called it an awful trail as a joke…we just kept laughing at the conditions……I have to say it was an epic day! 40’s and rain and mud….best trio for an ultra!!!

I just love this race! I totally recommend it, it’s not easy, but you know you’ve done something after you conquer Jay!!!!!!!!!!! We’ll be back for sure in ’18!!!!

Looking ahead…….I may have, accidentally, maybe, uh, hmm, signed up for my second 100!!!!! AHHHHH…..I’m really pumped for this one, because I will be meeting up with all my RunFar friends. We will be racing the Javelina Jundred in the beautiful desert of Arizona this upcoming October. Hubs and I are flying out together (thank you Mom and Dad for hanging with the boys…..and we get to celebrate our 26 year anniversary of being together to boot <3) Looking forward to meeting the amazing folks at Aravaipa running who put on the JJ100, and to finally meet my fellow RunFar athlete/friends face to face. I’m so proud of what RunFar stands for. Running for them is a constant reminder of our veterans serving our beautiful country. I want to continue being a voice, sharing their message…….getting veterans the help they need with PTSD and mental trauma can hopefully save lives and saves families. RunFar’s mission is to raise awareness about veteran suicide and PTSD while providing scholarships to the children of fallen United States Military service members that have taken their own life. Please take a moment to check out their website, grab a sweet RunFar trucker hat/shirt or send a few bucks their way…every little bit helps…..thank you….

I leave you with a cool video from RunFar….enjoy and keep inspiring others…..

RunFar video

Click on above link to see what RunFar athletes are up to in October…….

See you on the trails…………

Krista xoxoxo

A wee bit windy at the top!!!!

boys cheering us at the finish!!! Best kids ever!

Speed Bump……….with a side order of Redemption…& a lot of purpose!

June 4, 2017vtrunnermom Leave a comment

“If you fall short, you don’t cross that arbitrary line, it doesn’t mean you suck. It just means that you have ambition, that you try to do big heroic things. That’s what matters. A DNF should be a badge of honor. It means your dreams are boundless.

~Mishka Shubaly

Thank you to my friend Andrea for messaging me this above quote after my DNF at Pinelands……really meant a lot….

Memorial Day weekend is best spent with family, friends, and remembering the veterans who have given us the freedom we know today. Driving up to Maine, hubs, the boys and I were super pumped. We couldn’t wait to get there, the drive was smooth, except for the car in front of us on I93 hitting a deer….so sad. I couldn’t wait to see friends and hang out at our little pre race potluck BBQ together, before race day. I have to say, the running community is really special. So much camaraderie and encouragement between everyone. So happy to be part of such a great group of people.

The Grill Masters…Charcoal vs Gas

We went to L.L. Bean and picked up our bibs before heading over to the venue for dinner. Great to see Jen (who is an Inknburn addict, like me) for the first time. So proud of her for running her first 50k!! She smashed it, I think she’s hooked!!! Also got to hang out with my BFF, Julie and her family, and got to meet her lovely friends….So fun hanging with our four running buddies, Jim and Amanda and their adorable boys and Jon and Astrid..it was like VT moved to Maine…

We settled in for the night, and the boys had the movie “Vacation” playing on the boob tube…I heard giggling and reciting of the movie (mostly from the big kid….aka Hubs) as I packed my gear and got stuff ready for the morning. Amanda was sweet to offer to bring our boys to the start of their 25k around 9:30am, since hubs and I had to be there at 5:40am.

The VT crew..hubs, myself, Reeve (what a cutie grabbing my cheek), Amanda, Jim, Astrid, Jon, Hugh, Julie, and Naia before the 50 start. Love these people!!

It was super foggy at the start. We settled towards the back of the pack, got the chance to see Heather who was running her VT 100 qualifier!! (She by the way, rocked the friggin course!! Congrats Heather!!) The start was calm and relaxed….we settled into a nice pace around 10 minute miles and then we were doing about 5 miles an hour, for the first 15 miles. It’s nice to bank some time in the beginning when you’re fresh, yet still run smart, which we were. Then the wheels fell off…….. I dropped at mile 20, finishing just the first loop of the 50. I had to stop and use the “forest” bathroom at least seven times (TMI..I know) on the last five miles of that loop, thank you to my hubs for hanging in there with me…our time was really dogging by that point…..I knew at about mile 15 something wasn’t right. I was taking in my appropriate tailwind and bars, but couldn’t keep anything in. My stomach would gurgle, and sharp pains ensued. I tried Rolaids with no relief. My body wasn’t digesting correctly like it normally does. I’ve run lots of 20+ mile runs this year in training, nothing like this has ever happened. Hubs was really worried about me, I could see it in his face. We ran into the aid station where our team tent was. Hubs loaded up with more tailwind and headed out on his second loop, after making sure I was ok. I told him I would sit and rest and see if I could keep fluids/food in. If I could, I would get back out on the course. I had plenty of time. The weather was near perfect (it was the mud that everyone kept talking about, the fields were saturated by the immense rain we’d had). So I sat, ran to the bathroom, sat, ran to the bathroom. Ate and sipped…..I felt like I lived in the gross porta-potties all day…..ewwwwwww. I decided it would be a no go, and made my way to the timer to turn in my bib….wah, wah. I knew my boys were somewhere on the 25k course…..they were flying and it took hubs nearly ten miles to catch them. (The 25k loop is done twice by the 50k and three times by the 50)

my boys on their way to their 3rd 25k finish!!!Beasts!!!

It was nice having friends/family come off loops and see the determination and happiness on their faces. It was a nice distraction for me. One point in particular was when Julie and Naia came off their fist loop on their 50k..both looking to finish their first ultra!!!!!!! I helped Julie with her blisters…and tailwind refilling. I got the nicest message from her after I got back to my hotel room (I was feeling a wee bit sorry for myself….) She wrote…… “For what it’s worth, having you at the tent my first lap made my day and I am eternally grateful for your help and support at that point. Maybe you were meant to be there at that moment…I sure needed you.” This is why I run, this is what it’s all about. Connections, people, friends helping each other, encouraging one another. That really brightened my spirits, when I needed it the most. So Jules (and Naia) way to epically ROCK your first Ultra together, I can’t wait to see where the trails lead you…….love you to the moon and back girlies…..

So thank you to all my friends and family who reached out with encouraging words about VT100. Somedays, the fairytale in your head doesn’t play out. But, I live to run another day with these beautiful people in my life.. and I’m thankful for that!!!!

Hubs at the 50 finish!!! He’s an animal and my HERO!!! Pic by the famous Allyn Genest

Congrats to all who ran Pinelands, we will certainly be back next year, celebrating Memorial Day weekend in running fashion with friends and family…..

Follow Up Since the 50 debacle

After Pinelands, I went to see my Chiropractor, Dr. Beth (who is a complete Goddess and Savior to me and my family) She felt my stomach had not recovered fully from the stomach GI thing I had 5 days before Pinelands (the stomach I learned from her takes 10 days to regenerate…I’m learning so much about how the body works)and that she feels my bloating in my everyday life is from a lack of acid in my stomach…who knew!? The whole time, I’ve been feeding myself Tums, Rolaids, anything to help…which in turn was hurting me worse. I’ve been following her advice: take 1 tbsp of Bragg’s Organic Apple Cider Vinegar with a bit of water before each meal. I’ve felt wonderful this week…

I decided to map out 50 miles on my Strava map and run my own “Brownsville Redemption 50 miler” …as I affectionally named it. I awoke Friday morning a little nervous…I didn’t know how of would feel and I was still a bit worn out from the weekend. Thankfully hubs was going to crew for me out there, bringing me tailwind, extra food, grilled cheese and of course his smile and positive attitude……As I laced up my shoes and headed out the door, I was thinking of my Grandpa Blitt, who had passed away the morning before. He was 95 and lived such a full and exciting life. He fought in WWII, was an incredible artist, some of his paintings would blow your mind……His spirit was with me all day…….I’m forever grateful for that.

There was no fanfare, no accolades, no cowbells….just me, my breath, my every foot fall. The backroads of VT were so peaceful that day, I never saw a runner, biker or horseback rider. I felt as if I were all alone, yet had so much strength wrapped around me. Thank you Guy and Justin who helped and encouraged me throughout the miles…….I’m so grateful for my family always………

50 miles done!!!!!

*************************************************************************************

I’m also excited and humbled to be a RunFar Athlete

This is what they stand for and was taken from their website:

“We believe that the brave men and women who have protected our country respectfully deserve to have their families protected as well. Through the Sergeant Sean Northcutt Scholarship, we will provide educational benefits to the children of these fallen service members who have lost the battle at home. Founder of Run Far, CJ Schneider III, veteran of the United States Marine Corps, is an Ultra Marathon runner whose goal is to bring people together through fitness to raise awareness for Veteran suicide and PTSD”

“Run Far is all about inspiring runners to reach goals that before seemed nearly impossible. It’s for those with dreams of adventure & successes, and for those who want to put a little more good back into this world.”

Donate to RunFar

Sergeant Sean D. Northcutt Scholarship

Sergeant Sean Northcutt, Proud Veteran of the United States Marine Corps, served multiple deployments in both Iraq and Afghanistan. After honorably giving 8 years of his life to his country, Sergeant Northcutt was diagnosed with PTSD and depression prior to transitioning into civilian life. After a long fight with these horrible illnesses, Northcutt took his own life on July 20, 2015 at the age of 31, leaving behind a widowed wife and two children.

Sergeant Northcutt lived a life filled with immense pride and discipline in everything he did. He carried himself with the love of his family, country and fellow service members. Northcutt affected many lives in a positive way in his short time on earth. Ideally, those who benefit from this scholarship will emulate the principles by which Northcutt lived, thereby keeping alive the legacy of our fallen Hero, Brother, and Friend.

I’m so excited to be part of the #teamrunfar. Together we can help veterans and their families……every dollar counts….Thank you.

RunFar hats

100% of every purchase and donation goes towards the Sergeant Sean D. Northcutt Scholarship fund.

Run Far hats (they are pretty awesome!!!)…100% of every purchase and donation goes towards the Sergeant Sean D. Northcutt Scholarship fund.

The moral is…..do not give up, do not let thoughts/or failures tear you down. Get back up and fight another day…….

Happy Trails….and thanks for following my running journey….

Krista 🙂 xoxoxoxoxoxoxo

Five days till the 50!! Yippee Skippy!

May 23, 2017vtrunnermom 2 Comments

“Do the work. Do the analysis. But feel your run. Feel your race. Feel the joy that is running.”

~Kara Goucher

The clock is ticking…….Is it me, or does Spring seem to be flying by??!? I love spending Memorial Day weekend with family and friends at the Pinelands Trail Festival, so pumped that this weekend is right around the corner! It’s such a great race, endless distances from a 1k kids race to a 50 miler. The vibe in Maine is relaxed and it’s always a treat for this Vermont girl to see the ocean on the way up on our drive. This race will be a great warm up for VT100 coming up in July. It’ll be a family affair, the boys are running the 25k and hubs and I will both be running the 50…….I’m sure we’ll see the boys out on trail…..They’ll do one lap, and we’ll do three, so chances are they will pass us! Can’t wait to meet some new peeps and hang out with my precious dear friends…..Happy Tapering everyone!!! Can’t wait to see you all!!!

The past three weeks have been HUGE for me in the mileage department. I’ve logged 122.4 miles with an elevation gain of 19,402 feet thus far in the month of May!!! Including two Mt. Ascutney climbs (getting myself ready for those relentless long hills of VT, remember the ones with scary names?!?!!) I’ve been adamant about having my training elevation mimic that of the VT100. Granted, most of my training loops are crazy hilly, so it’s not that difficult to achieve that. Last week it was in the upper 80’s, low 90’s and my 19 miler kicked my bootie!!! I’m focusing on eating smaller portions more frequently during longer runs. I really have to get more heat training runs in, I’m waiting on Mother Nature tho. This weekend actually looks picure perfect, 62 and partly cloudy, let’s hope the rain holds off…..

6 miles into our 19 miler….it was hot! Love this shot of hubs running down one of our favorite back Vermont roads….

Loving my Last Horse Runners hat….check them out

I hope your May training is going well……..I’ve had a few rest days. Trying to preserve my legs and be careful of injuries……My shins were definitely sore after my last hike up and down Ascutney……feels good to rest the bones……..lots of hot baths filled with epsom salts and lavender….I kinda like tapering…….

Soon, packing will begin…….

Fun happy clothes….InkNburn of course! Now which outfit….hmmmmm
Hydration Tailwind Check!
Bars Simple Squares….. I will have extra if anyone at Pinelands would like to try some!! Come see me!!
Socks Only Injinji…..knock on wood no blisters…however the compression didn’t end up working for me. My calves locked up in the first mile of a 22 miler I did….Luckily hubs came to the rescue and brought me my shorter socks…….not sure why my legs disagreed with compression. As soon as I switched, all was right in leg land…
My running supply drawers I made for races…….holds everything from Lube, tampons, bobby pins, rolaids, tums, pens, bandaids…..you name it, it’s in there. Also works great at home, I always know where things are……

Sweet drawers!

fuel for one of my long runs…..

And please, please, please turn on the Charity Miles app…..I’ve logged 429.28 miles in 2017, which is $107.32 for the charities of my choosing……..Every Mile Matters……..

When you love a book so much, you read it again…. “Running with Raven”

I’ll let you know how the 50 goes! It’ll be a great test to iron out any kinks before VT……I’m a little nervous. My only other two 50’s were at the VT50….home turf… Of course, it’s a kick ass hilly one, so I’m hoping this one will be a tad easier…..but who am I kidding, 50 miles is 50 miles!!!!!!! Thanks for following my running journey………..

Happy Trails, & see ya at Pinelands!

Krista 🙂

xoxooxoxoxo

Runamuck 50k Recap……..

April 13, 2017April 13, 2017vtrunnermom 4 Comments

“When you begin to believe, that is when you will be on the right track to try and accomplish whatever you have set out to do”

~Bob Hodge

I love Vermont and I love Vermont Ultra-running races. Again, I chuckle, because for me the word, RACE is comical. I’m what you call slow and steady….grind and pound out the miles. Guy, and our friend, Fred and I arrived at the Runamuck 50k around 7:30am. The race starts and ends at Suicide Six ski area, a lovely ski mountain in the beautiful hills of Pomfret, VT. This is the first year we’ve run it, which is funny, because the last few years the course ran right by our house. With surgeries the last two years on my elbow, the timing was never right…..so I was pumped to have finally made it here!! We saw our two great friends, Jon and Astrid right away…always so nice to catch up with these two…. I loved the feel of the race as soon as we arrived. We met race director Jonathon Vass, who was super welcoming, helpful and smiley ….. a great attribute for a RD. At the check in table, there were pads of paper, pens and bibs scattered…..”pick you number, write down your name on the paper”…..”now you’re good to go.” Love it! Simple, quick…smart! I picked out number 52 and headed back to the heated car….it was freezing!!! No sun, high winds at the foot of Suicide Six, and spitting snow. BRRRRR.

Waiting in line at the porta-potti I met a sweet runner named Jasmine….we talked about InkNburn, training, and running goals & aspirations….a long line…..I seem to meet the best women waiting in that line at races 😉 I also got to meet Kimberly for the first time, which is awesome to meet a fellow blogger and runner in the flesh! Jonathan gathered everyone for a quick pre chat, around 100 runners lined up and were off. It felt like a true grass root event, again VT rules! We headed about 3+ miles up Stage Rd, paved, slight incline….but the adrenaline was pumping and we were chatting it up with fellow runners. We were running along side a very accomplished VT 100 miler (he has run it since 1993…HOLY WOW), who was making it look incredibly easy, I slowly backed off……I knew it wasn’t a pace I could keep, it was fun while it lasted!!

After coming off the pavement, we hit a dirt road, Lime Pond Rd . The roads were icy in spots, so you had to watch your footing, and yet at times, they were squishy, which was nice on the legs. It felt like you were either climbing steep or descending steep, there was roughly 3400 ft of elevation gain. Not much in the way of flats….VT never is, you think I’d be used to it by now, born and raised here.

heart-shaped pond…always on the lookout for hearts along the way….<3

At mile 12, there was a lovely aid station with tons of goodies. We got to see Astrid ( vttrailgirl )and her pup, Aggie volunteering, it’s always a boost to see friends on the course. I gobbled down 3 squares of PB&J and loads of potato chips! I had already drank one and a half 17 ounce bottles of Tailwind and a Simple Square Coconut bar. First 12 miles flew by….there was a huge downhill into that aid station, so we were cranking off some 9+ minute miles, which is pretty fast for me.

A nicely stocked aid station….thanks Runamuck!!

There were open stretches of dirt roads where the wind would nearly take your breath away….I had to chuckle at our friend Fred….he started with no outer layer, hat or mittens…..Thankfully Astrid was at the aid station to lend her buff and a spare sweatshirt. The hard problem for me on this run, was where can I pee??? There are no leaves on the trees yet and it was hard to find spots to duck in….I had to pee so bad at one point that I had to scoot behind round bales that were lined up on the side of the road….It was hard to blend into nature with my colorful rose sweatshirt…..hehehe..women problems….

After the aid station there was another huge climb that seemed to go on forever…..when you come upon those you know you will be doing a lot of power walking. I feel this is an area where I have to get better with my training. Run the doable hills, yet adding power walking to my training will be key for the VT100. I know there will be stretches on the 100 that I will be walking for what seems like an eternity, so I have to build my muscles for that. I seem to get tight in my hips and my back with walking, so it’s a must that I train for that.

The boys…..love the signs…on ski poles….

With about 5 miles to go, I felt I could push little more. Originally I wanted to finish around 7 hours, but it was looking like 6:15 to 6:30 was going to be achievable. I really got a second wind as we passed markers headed down the hill (ones we had passed on our first loop coming up…I made a mental note on the first go round….I think my endurance riding has helped me with loops, because on horses rides, you are always doing loops it seems) so I knew we were getting closer to base camp. Hubs and I got into an amazing rhythm, letting the miles just melt away with each step.

Yup…show that hill who’s BOSS….love people who put signs out….TY!!

It was a nice descent back to the finish line via pavement. We kept moving forward, slowly gaining on a gal ahead of us. It was nice to have her in view, because it was so FLAT to the finish, I needed something to focus my mind on. For some reason, and I can’t figure out why……I get a little nauseous right before a finish line, it doesn’t matter the distance. I am a bit of an anxious person, but I can’t figure out why this happens to me. About 1/8 before the finish, I felt like I was gonna dry heave…..but I had my mantra in my head, as I always do and I kept saying, “This will pass” Sure enough, 20-30 seconds of stopping, I gathered myself and pushed to the finish line with a time of 6:16:25 a 50K PR for me!!! We were 82nd out of roughly 100 runners…..I’m still mind blown by the times, such amazing, talented, speedy runners out there, the winner finishing in 3:35, way to go Brian!! …..kudos to you all, no matter where you finished….31 miles is a long way on your feet!!!

Overall, a wonderful race in VT. Loved the local feel, actually loved everything about it. We got finisher prizes of Darn Tough Socks and a beautiful pin and stickers. Hubs and I even got a “Couple” award. Lunch for two at Harpoon, heck yes!! Thanks Jonathon, and all the volunteers and sponsors for putting on such a stellar race. We will defintely be back……

What worked

My InkNburn clothes were perfect. Capris, and my Rose sweatshirt kept me toasty all day with no rubbing or chaffing…my only running clothes I wear… Someday I will wear shorts again…..

Tailwind (Mandarin Orange) about five 17 ounce bottles for the duration, less than I thought, but it was so cold.

Simple Squares (3 of them for the race) These went down so well….organic, gluten, soy, dairy free…pure yum!! (if you wish to try them, use code vtrunnermom15 at Simple Square website for 15% off.

PB&J, Chips

Injinji toe socks, no blisters

Buff, gloves

Salomon pack

Strava GPS

Charity Miles

Redirecting my mind at times/Using my mantras

Asics GT 2000

What didn’t work this time

PB crackers (too dry at mile 26 for me) ugh…didn’t go down well at all..YUCK

If you are looking for a fun, fast, Spring race in New England, be sure to look this one up! We’ll be back for certain!