Category: Run!

2024 Antelope Canyon Ultras- DNF. (yes that date is correct)

Sitting on the side of the road, dry and heaving, barely able to stay upright, was not how I wanted to find out that Paige, Arizona, did not have Uber.

Let’s backtrack. I didn’t share with many people that I signed up for my first ultra marathon in March 2024 (yes, I am very behind on posting). It was a 55K out in Page, Arizona, called Antelope Canyon Ultra. The course looked amazing, and I thought it would be perfect for my first as it had a 12-hour time limit. Honestly, I didn’t think I was going to need those 12 hours. Oh, I was so stupid.

I spent some time in Nevada a couple of days before the race. I went to Valley of Fire State Park and spent a little time in Vegas before heading for Page. I picked up my bib on Friday, excited for Saturday’s race. I even bought a hat and a pin, joking at the booth that buying a 55K pin was jinxing it because what if I didn’t finish?

Race morning dawned dark and cold but that’s a good thing when you’re planning on running 34 miles over the course of the day. I went to the McDonald’s drive-through for a sausage biscuit and my go-to trail breakfast. Used the bathroom at the race before the start and then headed to the start line. We were only half a mile into the race when I realized I might have a problem that I didn’t anticipate.

The race had advertised itself as a slightly sandy course which if you’re a trail runner sounds just fine. I had spent numerous weeks in Arizona running in Sedona, as well as the Grand Canyon, so I thought I wouldn’t have a problem. Half a mile in and we were all crawling because we were going through literal dune sand.

I’m talking inches upon inches of sand filling up your shoes and getting in your socks. We were half a mile in, and I felt like my shoes weighed 2 pounds more than when I started. But I told myself, how much more of this could we have? We hit the first aid station, which got us a very small break from the sand, but it was by no means over. I was admiring all the views, but couldn’t wait till I got to the Rocky section that had to be coming. Right? Mile four brought us to another aid station where my mother sat down, shook out her shoes, got some snacks, and used the bathroom. I just sat there wondering how much longer we were going to be in the sand.

The rocky section covered a couple of miles or ran right along the edge of Horsehoe Canyon. Honestly, this was my favorite part. Also, not gonna lie if this was probably the sketchiest part as we were right up on the edge of those cliffs, and there was not a damn thing keeping us from going over the side. We are running above Horseshoe Canyon, and it was awesome. I was also getting a little warmer, so the water down below looked pretty sweet, except for the fact that it was like 500 feet below us at that moment. There were a couple of extra sketchy portions which daredevil me loved but other people were kind of freaking out a little bit. Coming up off the canyon’s edge and we were headed back towards where we came from across the highway, and once again, into the sand.

We then spent 3 miles running along a sandy dirt road. Honestly, this dirt road didn’t bother me; the sand was not as deep here. If this had been the level of Sandy dunes for the entire race, it would have been tolerable; however, this was not the case. We looped back to the same aid station we hit at mile four, and my mother asked if we were thinking about quitting. We knew at this point we could hitch a ride back to the start and get the half-marathon medal since we had at least finished 15 miles. I refused- I said I had come here to run 34 miles, so I was going to run 34 miles. Although let’s be real, there wasn’t a whole lot of running happening. It was a whole lot of slogging.

We slogged back through the sand the way we came when we started to hit that very first aid station again, which was now a full aid station. At this point, we were informed that our watches were reading incorrectly and we were actually a little farther ahead than we thought, but this wasn’t the emotional boost I had hoped for. We then had to slog back towards the start close enough to hear it, not close enough to see it through some of the heaviest sand of the day.

I knew we had a 10-mile runnable loop coming up, so I was looking forward to it. However, we crossed the street to slog through some more sand, and suddenly, runners were coming back our way. Realizing that I had to run this 10-mile loop and then come back through this heavy sand to the finish and I think it might’ve broken me. And it wasn’t just me- people who were Hella fit were equally slogging it out with me, saying that this was bullshit.

By now, I was about 20 miles in, and the steepest climb of the day was ahead of me and I was so over it. We made it up to the top of the 10-mile loop, which was hard-packed trail. Hallelujah. That part was amazing. At least it started out that way. My mother pulled ahead of me again, saying she had stomach issues and I was just slogging it out. Honestly, I was kind of in a dark place for this 10-mile loop. It’s about 100 feet in the air, right on the edge above Lake Powell and dark place me was thinking about how easy it would be to fall over the side and just be done. Not good. At this point, we were almost three hours over when we thought we were gonna finish, and only around mile 25. I had been in the sun for longer than I had planned, and I was mentally going down. I continued my way around the upper loop, just struggling it out. I realized I had stopped sweating and was turning clammy and becoming super shaky. I was having serious issues.e

We got to an aid station at mile 27, and I used the restroom and had a full can of Coke to see if it helped. I had been fueling throughout the day, but I don’t know if I wasn’t fueling enough or if it was so much time in the sun but something was off.

At this point, the loop made us cross a busy street of traffic, and then it continued to go around the golf course. My brain was beginning to put together that we were going to have to go down and then go back up a hill to get back to the trail leading us back to horrible sand, which would then be a 2-3 mile slog to the finish. At least that’s what my brain was telling me. I was having trouble staying upright at this point, and I kept pausing to dry heave. Runners coming past me kept stopping to check on me at that point. We came down from a trail to cross another busy street, and I went down on the sidewalk and didn’t get back up. I felt so weird and just overwhelmed that I just couldn’t continue on. I was just past mile 30 at this point.

This was also the point at which I realized the race wasn’t prepared to actually bail you out if you needed to be bailed out. I went down and I was sitting on the sidewalk, just done, I wasn’t moving. And when it comes to running and races, I don’t quit. I’ve run numerous stupid races where I should’ve quit because of injuries or illness. The fact that I was sitting on the ground, unwilling to take another step, was not like me. Runners were passing me, asking me if I was OK, and I was barely just waving them on.

I told my mother to run on without me and I would just sit there. Oh, should I mention we’ve been out there long enough that it was now pitch black, and we didn’t bring our headlamps? A runner passing us contacted a friend at an aid station and told them to tell the volunteers that a runner needed help; however, no one came. I got enough energy to pick up my phone to see if I could find an Uber. Guess what? Page, Arizona, doesn’t do Uber or Lyft. Or it didn’t then.

My mother, at this point, decided that she wasn’t going to finish without me, so she was trying to figure out what to do. We ended up getting her a running route back to the parking lot where the car was, which was shorter than getting to the finish. She ran back to the car and came back to get me. We then drove back to the race finish because this race is very explicit that if you bail on the race, you need to tell them, or you will be fined. So once back to the start line base, I was checked out in the med tent and a little pissed off at myself because I came this far and failed. We then were able to get a half-marathon medal because at least we completed the half-marathon. Well, sort of, you know, 30 miles, but whatever. The race representative at the med tent said that he would take care of dropping me, and we ended up leaving.

I knew I needed to eat food and hydrate, but honestly, I still felt like I was gonna throw up. I was able to eat some French fries from McDonald’s. I don’t even like McDonald’s French fries. After a hot shower, I felt a little bit more human. There must’ve been a breakdown in communication with the representative who said he would tell them that we dropped because we then proceeded to get text messages and phone calls from the race saying we had been on the course for a long time and hadn’t finished, were we OK? I appreciate those calls and confirmed that we weren’t out on the course.

So yeah, went all that way to not go all the way.

My first DNF also. If I had picked a regular 50K, I might’ve been able to finish, but I’m dumb and chose a 55k and ended up having to bail. Also, I fucking hate sand.

Tap Tap

throat clearing

Is this thing on?

I spent lots of time debating if I was going to renew the blog and then the genius of auto pay made the decision for me.

It’s been a long time since I’ve posted and if we’re being honest, I barely posted last year. I have great thoughts about blog posts all the time on the run, but then can never actually manage to sit down and type them out. I also write books on the run but again don’t type them out.

My attention span no longer agrees with typing these days, dreary. Which is a bummer because sometimes I actually feel like I have things to say, but I can’t seem to actually follow through.

Not to say that’s a bad thing as do people really read blogs anymore? I do but I I’ve turned into a lurker who reads but does comment.

I’ve been feeling adrift in both life and running for a while now. I also miss writing so let’s see what I can do to anchor myself. I no longer resemble the person in the “My Story” page and I am wondering when and how that happened. I don’t think it’s realistic to think I’ll get back to that point either in running or personality but maybes there’s a middle ground worth looking for?

Also, when I was trying to log back into the blog I accidentally broke it so if it looks a little funny right now oops.

Since I last posted, I attempted my first ultra marathon, got lost at a trail race, finished dead last in a trail race and somehow finished a race at Broken Arrow Skyrace and didn’t finish last. Stories I’d like to write down even if it’s just for me.

So to anybody still out there -hello again.

2023 CIM Recap/Rant

On December 3, I completed my third marathon- CIM.
Not that I have a medal or anything to show for it. Well, four blisters.
Ok, maybe I am a little bitter.

Race day did not go according to plan but then I didn’t really have a plan either. Recap down below.

Rant incoming-

This race just made me mad. Race check in was confusing. The line started in the middle of the room but then went off to the side in a weird way. A volunteer snapped at me because I was confused. The volunteers checking me in though were awesomely polite. Then the shirt table was in an odd spot with no real line structure. I was cut in front of twice. I wonder what it was like when it was busier- worse?

The line struggles continued on race morning. There was bus drama and hundreds of runners were still stranded which ended up pushing the start time back. The announcer was boasting the most bathrooms ever for prerace but the organization was nonsensical. Granted, it may not have been as bad farther away from the start but the bathrooms where I was were organized in a U shape. No one knew which line was which or which bathroom they were for, it took forever. I was literally in the portapottie when they started singing the National Anthem. Oops.

The trouble continued once I finished. The nearest water was 2 blocks from the finish line which on a warm day seemed very far. There weren’t snacks left for the runners and the hot food booths had closed down. There were no medals and none of the volunteers knew why. They thought maybe they had run out and the race director would email us. Another race person snapped at a group of us for lingering too long. It hadn’t even been 5 minutes. My brother also said that the water containers had been empty when he had finished and he had run a 2:51:16.

The buses were also gone and the gear check had closed. This race does not like slower runners. The buses and gear check both close at 1:30, for a race that starts at 7 or 7:10 ish like my race day, that math just doesn’t compute. Especially since slower runners don’t usually cross the start until 15-20 minutes after the gun goes off.

The medal confusion continued. The race director later doubled down that medals were only for those who finished under 6 hours. Except I know multiple runners who finished under 6 and did not get a medal. Even my brother had medal confusion 3 hours earlier- he said that when he finished he was told to choose between a backpack and the race medal. I don’t understand how a race that sells out months before race day does not order enough medals.

Also, if it really is time based like the RD stated then where is the consistency? Previous years, slower runners had received medals. If slower times don’t count per the RD, then why are they listed in the “official” results like “official” finishers? I know some people say it’s because they need to reopen the roads but they didn’t. Roads were fully closed and we all got to finish. I never once saw a sweeper or was told I couldn’t finish.

I’ve run races with 4 times as many runners and things were better organized. I’ve also run races with hard cutoffs like Big Sur. There were buses ready at mile 21 ish to pull runners off the course if they couldn’t make the cutoff.

So, CIM- what the hell??

Race Recap-

The course itself is fine, other than people are crazy- it does not feel net downhill. I actually prefer the first half to last half. I liked the rolling hills although I was cursing them at the same time. Plus some of the streets we were running down were picture perfect fall scenes. Pretty much all of the race pictures I took were from the first 13 miles.

The volunteers were amazing and all of the aid stations were well stocked. The cheer stations were on point and still going strong as I ran or hobbled past.

I had a great first 13 miles and was feeling pretty good. I was on track for a 5:45 finish. However there was some, um, “clenching” going on for miles 8-13. Just after mile 12, I ran for an available portapottie. It didn’t help, I only made it another mile before the wheels came off and never came back. It was starting to warm up and I was feeling hot. I overheated, I cursed and I cried. But I kept going. I power walked those next 13 miles and crossed the finish line with a time of 6:11.

My brother actually ran back to meet up with me around mile 23 and brought me a cold Gatorade. Serious, life saver.

So no, it was not my day in a variety of ways but I still finished another 26.2 miles.
Will I go back to CIM? Not likely.

So Far…

Hi, it’s me. I’m the problem.

At this point I am so behind on post I planned that it just stresses me out every time I think about it. So I try to ignore it and move on, but then I think. of something I want to say, plan it out in my head but then get stuck when it comes actually putting fingers to keyboard keys. So instead of stressing about the missed posts, I am writing a short recap of 2023 so far.

January– Chill and cold, I kept the running at steady for me but nothing to really note. I ran one race- Fort Ord Trail Run. I ran the 10k while my brother did the 50k. I remember the morning being so dark and cold that I froze but massively overheating during my race. The course was pretty and green but there was very little shade. I also somehow lost my favorite headband during the race. Boo.

February– I had a work trip for the first time since COVID. It was fun but also stressful. I had one of my massive dizzy spell days and couldn’t even work. Then I ran the Ventura Half Marathon 2 days later. Oops. It was one of my slowest races, coming in around 3:09ish. 1.5 miles in my stomach rebelled in a very bad way and the best I could do for 13 miles was power walk. There was no running unless I wanted to live in the port-a-potties, ha! My brother lapped me while running the marathon. Also I was bummed that course had no beach views. We started in Ojai and ran to Ventura.

March– Vacation! It was off to Arizona for some time in Sedona and the Grand Canyon. There was snow on the ground and I packed for the cold. Instead it was sunny and 70ish and I melted and ending up getting sick from the sun, Which all came to a head in a blow up in the Grand Canyon. Oops. Oh and then the canyon tried to kill me when my shoe caught a piece of rebar and I went down way too close to edge of the South Kaibab trail. Thanks to the kind strangers who helped me up. I did write about my Sedona days- The Subway and the Mesa Brin. Also, ran the Oakland Half Marathon in March, post here.

April– A month of no races, boo. Steady miles for me but no races. Cant remember anything else, ha.

May– Oh May. I did some great trails- went back to the Pinnacles for another round. Headed back to Henry Cowell for some time in the Redwoods. This hike also featured my 2 largest water crossings yet. I also sliced up my legs on some branches which combine with falling into a creek the following weekend brought on the leg drama I wrote about here, And I stopped.

June– The leg drama bled over into the first 2 weeks of June. The issues on my legs turned into a chemical burn from too many failed attempts trying to fix the first issues, ha! I barely ran as running just made things worse. I felt so lazy and was missing racing too. I may be slow but I was having fun running races this year. But then I went to Yosemite. OMG, so many people, so many people. Still amazing views though.

July– I greeted July with a 10k Trail race (Golden State) back up at Fort Ord. Again I roasted in direct sunlight. Did turn in my fastest Inside Trail race 10k time though. Then I had a birthday that was a not the happiest of times but that’s getting older, right? Ran another of my favorite races towards the end- Rock to Pier- which turned more obstacle course like over 6 miles of beach than I had thought. The beach has changed a lot this year from all our early year rain. We were jumping rivers and rocks and piles of seaweeds. Granted if I hadn’t cared about wet feet, the rivers would have been no big deal. But who wants wet feet first thing into a race?? I also started training for CIM. And quickly realized I chose the wrong training plan, oops.

Outside of running, I feel like parts of my life are running me over with a truck and then backing up for more so that’s cool, cool. I’ve been stuck in a funk I can’t shake and it’s made writing seem so hard. I plan things out in my head but then lose the desire to actually type or write or anything. I said that already didn’t I? I am trying to kick that though, so maybe this post is my first baby step back?

So what have I missed?

Can’t Stop Scratching

I am so behind on posts. I still need to do my Grand Canyon post as well as 2-3 race recaps. Can’t actually remember at this point truthfully. I mean to write, really do but then Squirrel!!!

Let’s talk about my current squirrel— itching!!

A few weeks ago I headed up to Henry Cowell State Park for a Mother’s Day hike with my mother. Actually that should be a post too, oops. I thought it was going to be very user friendly (I was wrong) and didn’t wear compression socks or full pants. Ended the hike with a few scratches on my legs, worst ones on my left. No big deal, right?

Headed out for a trail run the following weekend, again no socks or full pants. By the evening, those week old cuts had swollen and turned bright red. Over the next week, my legs got uglier and uglier. Eventually work badgered me into going to urgent care on that Friday. Where I was told I had poison oak and an infection. I managed to avoid poison oak my entire childhood growing up in the sticks and my first 10 years trail running. Grrrr. They prescribed a steroid cream and a course of antibiotics. Problem solved?

It’s funny that we thought this was bad. Had no idea my entire leg was about to look like this.

I started using the cream right away but eased into the antibiotics as I had a big hike planned and the bottle warned against too much sun. Other than that I did not read any of the side effects as I know I am a little suggestible when it comes to those. Hiking and running that weekend wasn’t exactly comfortable for my legs but wasn’t horrible. I also kept everything covered this time.

I did a slow couple miles on Memorial Day-Monday and my legs burned. By Wednesday, my legs were red and swollen and itched so damn bad. I couldn’t wear pants only skirts so I was trying to hide at work. You never realize how often you cross your legs or ankles until you shouldn’t do it. And then my right leg was contaminated. Boo. I’ll spare the you the pictures.

I felt so bad I actually ended up going home sick on Wednesday. Air hurt, showers made me cry. My skin felt like it was on fire everywhere even the parts without poison oak. I tried all the things to stop itching- the steroid cream, Gold Bond Itch, Benadryl ointment, calamine, technu, nothing seemed to help. The itch had turned to pain that was keeping me awake at night. And I have a high pain tolerance. What the frak? Plus I was beginning to have other random issues too.

So… yeah those antibiotics? Guess who’s allergic???? Me! For the love of Pete. But at least an answer of why I felt so crappy.

After days of lazing about, err resting, I attempted a slow walk on Sunday. Very bad idea. Between the rash and an occurence of my sometimes present Hiker’s rash- that’s a fun one- anyone heard of it? I regretted my choices. I’ll spare you the pictures. Dove into a cold shower and jar of Vaseline. Tiny bit of relief, hallelujah.

So yeah, that’s me right now. How about you? What you up to? Ever have poison oak? Ever heard of Hiker’s rash?