Up and Down (and Up and Down) Alger Alp

I am going to West Virginia for two weeks to visit family and friends for the Easter holiday so I decided last minute to jump into the Alger Alp Half Marathon to see some good friends, enjoy the beautiful spring weather and get in a solid effort before switching coasts.

1st Place Female, 3rd Overall

The Alger Alp Half Marathon is part of the Bellingham TrailRunning Series and is directed by Candice Burt, who has just returned from winning The Zion 100. If you are interested in checking out some of Washington's finest trails, Candice's races are hard to beat. 

I have run up Alger, which is 15 minutes south of Bellingham, only once and it was when I had just moved to Bellingham. I forgot how brutal it can be. The Half distance is a double climb up to the peak and has an elevation gain of about 2,900 feet. My plan going into the race was to run the climbs fairly hard and relax on the down hills so as not to beat up my legs. I didn't want too much pounding on my legs as I am finishing up a tough training week and heading into another one.

Finishing strong thanks to La Sportiva, Align Chiropractic,
Terrain Gym and Bogg's Trail Butter.

After the race I got several questions as to why I had bright pink masking tape on my knee. I visited my chiropractor, Dr. Chris Lockwood at Align Chiropractic, on Friday and he put the kinesio tape on my knee to help support the surrounding muscles and tendons for injury prevention. Due to the combination of his adjustments, mobility exercises and tricks like the tape, I felt great the entire run.

Every finisher received this sweet pint glass!

Thank you to Candice and all of the many volunteers who were out on the course today.

I also want to thank Seven Hills Running Shop for the generous prize of a $100 gift card for their store in Seattle, WA. I will be coming by soon to pick out a hydration pack! Thanks!

Burpees, Fartleks and Graston: Training Update

I am in the thick of an aggressive training period in preparation for my next cluster of races starting with the Don’t Fence Me In 30k in Helena, Montana on May 10^th. I am averaging 70 miles a week exclusively on trails (which is like 10-20 miles more on roads) and 2-3 workouts at Terrain Gym. My weekly running workouts are a variation of tempos, progressions and fartleks.

The cool kids.

My long run is a 30k in the Chuckanuts with two of Bellingham’s most passionate trail runners. Nichole and Mark (and Reuben!) have taken me under their wing while Tad has been out nursing a hamstring injury for the past several weeks. Four hours in the mountains fly by in the presence of their company.

I feel as though I have had a mini breakthrough at Terrain. I no longer feel like the clueless new kid and can walk into the gym with more confidence now thanks to Tonia’s guidance and expertise.

500 step-ups with a weighted 25# vest.

Fun Fact: Tonia’s mentor, Rob Shaul, trains Mike Wolfe who runs for The North Face and is one of the best ultra-runners in the country.

She has me doing a mix of work capacity, strength, and core and mobility workouts. A work capacity focus is a circuit of intense exertion for a certain amount of time or repetitions. An example would be X amount of burpees, box-jumps, suicide sprints and pull-ups and repeat for 10 minutes. It is tough! I am used to my heart rate gradually increasing. With work capacity, my heart jumps overwhelmingly from 0 to 200 in seconds.

I am about a quarter of the way up the strength learning curve. Push-press, hang-cleans and Curtis P’s were not previously in my vocabulary. Slowly but surely I am getting better with technique and breathing. I have to admit, the calluses on my hands make me feel pretty bad-ass. 

Core and mobility is far from just abdominal work. It targets everything from pelvic floor muscles to the diaphragm. Muscles are popping up out of nowhere and I have had soreness in some of the oddest places. It has really been eye-opening realizing all of the muscles that I have been neglecting to strengthen in all my years of running.

Dr. Lockwood putting me back together.

I am able to do all of this work with the much appreciated help of Dr. Chris Lockwood from Align Chiropractic. Thanks to his sponsorship, I have been seeing him weekly to tend to minor aches and pains and to keep the “mojo flowing,” as he likes to say. Knee pain after my long run last week was gone in just two adjustments and Dr. Lockwood has helped me keep my hamstring tightness under control by showing me some specific exercises and stretches that teach the body how to mobilize the muscles and respond appropriately. I have had tightness around my knee that causes a “clicking” sound when I extend and then bend my leg. We have been treating it with some light Graston work to help break up any adhesions that are causing restricted muscle movement and reduced flexibility.

Mountaineer Maple..Mmmm

Trail Butter continues to fuel all of my efforts. My current favorite application of TB is to spread it on brown rice cakes and serve it with plain Greek yogurt. The TB gives the yogurt just enough sweetness and the nuts add a nice crunch. I go through about a jar of week –good thing Brad and Jeff are so good to me!

"Good, better, best. Never let it rest. Until your good is better and your better is best."

-Tim Duncan

Hillbilly Half: Second Stop in the Sportiva Mountain Cup

My level of anxiety was considerably less going into this race than for the Moab Red Hot three weeks ago. For one, no extensive traveling was involved. Flying to a race comes with its own repertoire of worries: carry-on versus check in, lost luggage preparation, liquids in baggies, delays, germs…the list goes on. No, for this race, just a 2 ½ hour drive south the day before. Can’t decide what to pack? Bring everything. No problem.

I also had the opportunity to check out the course two weeks ago. Knowing the course prior to a race always relieves a significant amount of nerves for me.  And, to be honest, I was so worked up over the Moab Red Hot that I was still too tired to be that emotionally strained.

Don’t worry; I was plenty nervous the morning of the race. The Hillbilly Half is a tour of Capitol Forest, just outside of Olympia, WA. Runners, volunteers and support crews gathered at the Rock Candy Mountain Trail-head in mild weather conditions. The Mountain Marathon took off at 8:00 a.m. and the Hillbilly Half thirty minutes after. During my warm up it started to rain a little, then a lot.

Into the woods. Photo from race volunteers.

We took off, climbing up and down a gravel service road for the first mile and a half before disappearing into the woods. Within the first half mile, I was alone. A group of La Sportiva men took off ahead and I had dropped everyone behind. Being alone in a race is always a tough spot. You have to be careful to not become complacent and lulled into a pace that you only think is ‘fast.’ You must constantly check in and monitor your effort. Luckily just before 4 miles I started to catch up to the marathoners and their encouragement pushed me onward. That is, until I came up to one woman.

The encounter was on a single-track trail with a foot deep of mud water on one side. I approached the woman and said “coming by!” I don’t know if she heard me, but she didn't budge. I came up on her, put my hand lightly on her shoulder and said excuse me with no hostility at all. Her response was shocking, completely baffling and made me question humanity. She dropped a couple F-bombs in conjunction with some name calling. I told her there was a race going on (which I thought was obvious?). Apparently she was f***ing jogging and I disturbed her peace and tranquility. Maybe she just started and her endorphins had not kicked in yet. Whatever the case, she scared the crap out of me and I ran the next mile in disbelief of what just happened. I was scared she was going to get me disqualified, spread rumors about what an awful human being I was or trap me into a dark corner after the race.

I came to the turnaround which opened back up on to a service road. Within seconds of the 180 degree turn, I saw that there was a woman right on my heels. I immediately ditched the idea of having a GU and took off for the 6.5 mile sprint down the mountain. Then as fate would have it, the crazy woman was coming up the road. As I passed, she called me the worst name in the history of vulgar language. I am too embarrassed to even insinuate what it was. Just think about the worst name you could call somebody and then kick it up a notch. I couldn't believe the hostility of this woman. It was a definite ‘Curb your Enthusiasm’ moment. I never got angry. I think I was too stunned and hurt. For a moment I felt tears well up into my eyes, but shook it off because I had a race on my hands for crying out loud.

In the heat of the chase.

I ran as hard and as fast as I could. Terrified of another traumatizing encounter, I apologized profusely for getting in the way of runners coming up the mountain and thanked those who stepped out of my way. When I popped back out on the service road for the final mile and half descent, I knew the 2^nd place was right on my heels. Unfortunately, I didn't have the speed or the strength to hold her off. Sigh. Well done, Paige!

Regardless of the psycho woman and getting passed with a mile to go, I am happy with my performance. I was only 2 minutes off Megan Kimmel’s course record and I just felt good. Now I have a solid 6 weeks of training before my next race; plenty of time to get in quality miles, become stronger and faster and hopefully be able to hold off my competitors in the last mile.

Stereotypical Pacific Northwest weather continued to rear its ugly head after the race. The wind was blowing sideways, tents were being blown over and everything and everybody was soaked. But that didn't stop all of the wonderful volunteers from feeding us deliciously warm food and cheering in the finishers. Thank you!

I ran to the car and changed into a completely different outfit hoping to disguise myself from the profane spewing monster should she show up at the finish line.

A big thank you to Guerilla Running and race directors, Rachael Jamison and Craig Dickson, for staying calm, cool and collected in the midst of chaos. (See their FB page for stories of flying bullets, confused logging trucks and a stolen car chase.)

Thank you to everyone at La Sportiva, Ian and Everett for all of your support. Congratulations to all of the fine performances by the La Sportiva ambassadors; way to represent!

Thank you to Seven Hills Running Shop for helping to sponsor the race and for the $50 gift certificate- awesome!

Thank you to all of my other sponsors: Trail Butter, Terrain Gym and Align Chiropractic. 

Trail Butter Give-a-Way!

Are you trail ready? You can be by entering to win THREE 4.5 ounce pouches of Bogg's Trail Butter. LIKE my Facebook page and RE-SHARE the announcement on FB. When I reach 250 page likes, I will have a random drawing and announce the winner. 

Mountaineer Maple Trail Butter relaxing at Arches National Park.

***Coming this Spring, single serve 1.15 ounces of Trail Butter to make eating well on the go even easier! Trail Butter is launching a campaign that is seeking to raise funds that will cover enough squeeze packs to supply their current locations, as well as pursue new retail and online opportunities. If you want delicious, convenient nutrition to fuel your lifestyle, show your support and help spread the word.

Please visit http://www.crowdsupply.com/boggs-trail-foods/trail-butter for more information and to pledge your donation.

Moab's Red Hot 33k

The Moab Red Hot 33k kicks off the 2014 La Sportiva Mountain Cup series. The 33k is held in conjunction with the Red Hot 55k. Both races are point to point, starting at the Gemini Bridges Trail Head and ending hours later at the Poison Spider Trail Head. 

I joined Megan Kimmel (Asics), 5 time La Sportiva Mountain Cup winner and Brandy Erholtz, (New Balance) 5 time member of the U.S. Mountain Running Team on the starting line. After a few words from race director, Chris Martinez, we were off at 8:30 am sharp climbing 300 feet in the first mile. Brandy took it out and I stayed comfortably behind. Once we crested the top and started down to a fast flat section, Megan and Sarah Kjorstad passed by. I didn't feel comfortable going with them so I let them go, unfazed. After all, we were at mile 2.

Up and over the first climb.

I soon found myself right in the middle of a conversation between iRunFar's Bryon Powell and another guy, literally. I listened to them chat back and forth across me until we caught up with the pack of 3 women at the start of the technical portion of the race. Megan pulled away at mile 5 and Sarah dropped off soon after. It was then up to Brandy and me to navigate the "Hot" portion of the Red Hot: the infamous Gold Bar and Golden Spike Trails. Fortunately though, we were not alone. I am very thankful to have had Bryon Powell and two other men's eyes looking out for the strategically placed stripped pink ribbon. The bare desert landscape does not lend itself to easy marking. Everyone had to keep their eyes peeled for ribbons tied to dead branches on the ground or wrapped around large rocks.

Three miles to go!

I am used to running the wet, slick terrain of the Pacific Northwest, not through deep sandy washes. But it was fun to be able to scurry up and down the slickrock in my Helios; I stuck like a spider. I pulled away from Brandy approaching the last aid station at mile 14. I continued to run with three men, one of whom was very encouraging and cheered me on. Thank for your kind words; I am sorry to have missed you at the finish line. I crossed the line in 2:35:16 several minutes behind Megan and with Brandy not far behind.

Brandy (& baby), Megan and me.

Congratulations to fellow Bellingham-ster, Jodee Adams-Moore, who placed 1^st in the women's 55k.

Bellingham representin'!

The most painful part of the day was the 0.3m walk to the car. Every inch of my legs ached and I had to forego the cool down. Instead I went back to the hotel and sat in the tub. We returned to the Poison Spider Trailhead for the awards ceremony. Tad and I got to hang out with Everett, the La Sportiva Representative. He had bushels of Bushido's available for everyone to try.

Resting on my laurels at the La Sportiva tent.

Those of you who know me are aware that I am a pretty anxious person. To say I was nervous for this race would be an understatement. Fear of the distance, fear of taking a wrong turn, of getting lost, of falling into a canyon and having to cut my arm off with a dull razor blade... yeah, you get the idea of what goes on in my head. I am so happy that I achieved what I set out to do: be competitive, gain experience and have fun. Because I have been able to train injury-free for 8 months now, I am finally to the point where I can be among the women that I look up to and aspire to emulate in my running career.

Thank you to race director, Chris Martinez, co-race director, Justin Ricks (who also won the men's 33k!) and GrassRoots events for putting on such a great race that showcases the beauty of Moab. If you are interested in running a trail race in the Moab area, check out some of the other Grass Roots events. 

Thank you to La Sportiva for sponsoring the race and me. My Helios were AWESOME!

Thank you to Brad and Jeff and all the folks at Trail Butter for fueling me before and after the race.

Ozark Original enjoying the sights at Arches National Park.

Thank you to Terrain Gym for making me strong enough to hang tough up and down the slickrock at altitude.

Thank you to Align Chiropractic for making my body feel awesome from start to finish. (It needs some work now!)

Thank you, Tad, for putting up with me on this trip. I know it wasn't easy!

Next up for me in the series is the Hillbilly Half-Marathon, down the road in Olympia, Washington on March 8^th. 

Until next time, Moab.

Go-to Fuel: Bogg’s Trail Butter

I am elated to have Bogg’s Trail Butter fueling me through 2014. Bogg’s Trail Butter is based out of Portland, Oregon and has come up with an innovative concept to literally eat on the run. Trail Butter is a combination of almonds, peanuts and hazelnuts, dried fruits, seeds, nectar, honey and sometimes even chocolate, all mixed harmoniously together in an easy to handle-pack-squeeze-eat-spread pouch. This recipe of real food is the perfect blend of sugar, fat and protein to keep me-and YOU- fueled on a long trail run, a climb up the mountain, down the slopes and even through a long work day.

Trail Butter comes in three flavors: Ozark Original, the three-nut blend with raisins, cranberries and semi-sweet dark chocolate; ExpeditionEspresso, the three-nut blend with ground roasted coffee beans and dark chocolate; and Mountaineer Maple, the three-nut blend with walnuts, pecans, cashews and real maple syrup. Yeah, I know!

As you can probably tell, I am pretty excited. Not only because Trail Butter is delicious on anything from bagels to bananas, but because the company stands for two of the things that I am most passionate about: healthy food and a love of the outdoors. It is really important for me that I only eat high quality food that will help me to achieve my goals. That is why I am so excited about Trail Butter. Real, simple, healthy ingredients made by people who care about health and wellness as much as I do.

Team Trail Butter is about community; bringing people together to make a positive impact in the world. They value relationships and environmental sustainability. They support their community and athletes, inspire epic adventures and appreciate the natural beauty of the world around us.

Check it out for yourself and discover the inspiration behind the conception of Trail Butter.

Are you trail ready? I sure am!

New Year, New Shoe

I am excited to announce that my new shoe sponsor for 2014 is La Sportiva. 

Ultra Raptors blazing through the Chuckanuts.

La Sportiva is an Italian company that specializes in making technical footwear for mountain running, climbing, hiking and mountaineering. The La Sportiva factory is located in Ziano di Fiemme, a small mountain village in the heart of the Italian Dolomites. What started out as a mission to create a durable, rugged shoe for the local farmers and mountaineering guides, grew into a global business for mountain-based sports. You can tell the quality of their products just by holding it in the palm of your hand. The footwear is substantial and supportive and I am confident that my foot is protected with each step. The apparel is made with the finest materials to keep you warm, dry, comfortable and still stylish. I have only begun to experience the quality of La Sportiva. I am anxious to delve into all that La Sportiva has to offer and to share my experiences with you.

Another facet of La Sportiva that I am proud to be a part of is that they possess a strong passion for the mountains and the environment. Their zest for sustainability and community is apparent in their active involvement in organizations such as Soles4Souls, Bike to Work Day and Adopt-a-Road.

The North American team is composed of some very talented individuals living throughout the country. Not only are they accomplished athletes, but they are genuine, supportive individuals that come together to share their passion for the mountains and trails.

Focused and ready for 2014.

My racing schedule for the year is tentative, but barring any injury, illness or unforeseen setback, I will be participating in the La Sportiva Mountain Cup Series. The Mountain Cup Series has been going on since 2008. It is comprised of some of the best trail races in North America, praised for their challenging courses, epic beauty and exceptional quality. The top 10 runners in each race will be scored according to their placement and at the end of the series, the scores of the best five races will be tallied for a shot at a piece of the $25,000 prize package.  In addition, bonus points will be awarded to a competitor for every runner beaten in a race who was in the top 10 in the overall standings.

The 2014 La Sportiva Mountain Cup Schedule.

2/15/14 Moab’s Red Hot 33k, Moab, Utah

3/08/14 Hillbilly Half Marathon, Olympia, WA

3/08/14 Assault on Garland Mountain, Waleska, GA

4/05/14 Hell’s Hills 25K, Smithville, TX

5/04/14 7 Sisters Trail Race, Amherst, MA

5/10/14 Don’t Fence Me in Trail Run, Helena, MT

6/07/14 Rothrock Challenge, State College, PA

7/05/14 La Sportiva Vail Hill Climb, Vail, CO

7/19/04 La Sportiva Table Rock 25K, Stinson Beach, CA

8/02/14 Jupiter Peak Steeplechase, Park City, Utah

For more information on the series and the associated race Websites, you can go to the Mountain Cup site at http://www.mountaincup.com/.

Clockwise from Left: Wmn's Boulder X, Wmn's Wildcat, Wmn's Ultra Raptor

To check out the latest line of apparel, footwear and accessories scan the La Sportiva site at http://www.sportiva.com/ . You can also visit the La Sportiva Mountain Running site at http://mountainrunning.com/ to meet the team, read race reports, search for results and catch up on current La Sportiva news.

In addition to competing in the La Sportiva Mountain Cup Series, the U.S. Mountain Running Championships is on July 6, 2014. It is back in Lincoln, New Hampshire for another assault up Loon Mountain. Having run this course before (see previous blog post), it will be nice to go back to a familiar location. There is only room for improvement given my last performance.

Keeping cozy in the Siren Hoody.

My goals for 2014 are ambitious; endeavors that could not be achieved without the help of many. Over the next few weeks I will be highlighting my sponsors who have volunteered their time and expertise to help me get to where I want to be. I am very thankful for all of these opportunities and I am 100% committed to working hard, performing well and representing to the best of my ability.