Wilderness 101 Race Report - the Details

I seldom post to the blog anymore, but some things are post-worthy like riding 100 miles on a mountain bike.  The Wilderness 101 is staged in tiny Coburn, Pennsylvania, on the outskirts of Bald Eagle state forest.   The race loops 100 miles from there, through Rothrock state forest, and back through Bald Eagle state forest ending where it started.    Here’s a recount of the ride and what it was like for me:

The start to 1^st Aid station – 20 miles:   To be in a pack of 200 or so riders embarking on a 100 mile adventure is a pretty incredible feeling. We were rolling on road for two miles at about 15-17 mph all in one big group.  Guys, girls, old and young, pros and weekend warriors, all together on mountain bikes cruising along.  Then a left turn started us up the first climb that broke up the pack.  Leaders took off, those just wanted to finish hung back, and a huge group of tweeners made up the middle.  Donna and I led the hanging-back group (we think… you never turn around and really look).    At the top of Sieglerville/Millheim road, we made a right and starting some cruising on rolling fire road.  Of course after every climb and flat is a downhill which led us to Decker Valley road, under 22/322, then onto Crowfield fire road for more cruising into Penn Roosevelt State Park to the first Aid Station.   Donna was good with hydration/nutrition an opted not to stop except to pee.  I refilled my camelback and got some Heed in my water bottle. 

Aid Station 1 to Aid Station 2 – 40 miles in:  From the Aid Station, we started to climb up to Thickhead Mtn Rd to another great downhill, Detweiler.  We both were feeling pretty good and flipped each other the bird as we passed each other (Brett told us to do that J).  This downhill was fairly smooth with little rocks.  The whole day was ups and downs and after the Detweiler, we climbed another fireroad toward the first Singletrack of the day, Longberger.  This trail had three narrow bridges which we walked.  I face planted in one of the rock gardens and did not ride the rock garden that folks were sitting at to watch.  After the singletrack, we cruised on Laurel Run fireroad into Aid Station 2.  Donna and I were having a blast working with each other in our twosome paceline.  We hit Aid Station 2 ahead of schedule in under 4 hours.  So were averaging over 10 mph at this point. 

Aid Station 2 to Aid Station 3 – 60ish miles in:   We both were still feeling pretty good.  From here, the climbing really began.  Greenlee fireroad was a bear to climb and took forever.   That was followed by Croyle Run downhill, rocky singletrack.  And then came another climb, what folks call the hike-a-bike – Alan Seeger road.  Yup, I was walking the top of this one but Donna road the entire thing.   Here’s where I get confused on trail names and where we were because the course was changed.  Donna and I split up after Alan Seeger, but met again at Aid Station 3.   I was starting to feel “weird.”  She said, just keep eating and drinking.    I was thinking Alan Seeger was after Aid Station 3, but I can’t recall.  Anywhos… Donna and I split after one of the climbs leading into Ruff Gap trail (very steep, rocky downhill) and we didn’t see each other after that.    She said she was feeling really good on all the singletrack and finished in a great time of 11 hrs and 58 minutes.   Me?  Read on:

Aid Station 3 to Aid Station 4 – 74 miles in:  Here’s where most of the singletrack was.   I was feeling bad here.  Everything was starting to hurt.  My hands, my wrists, I was sort of cramping.  My neck hurt and I had to stretch it every now and then.  I was getting off my bike a lot to give my hands/wrists a break and it hurt to lift my leg over the bike seat.  I was not having fun.  I was ready to quit…. But I couldn’t!  It was nothing but singletrack for many of the next 14 miles and not a person around to ask for a ride back.  I guess that was a blessing in disguise.  I walked almost all the singletrack.  The rocks hurt.  I was cussing them.  And the trails were very rocky.  Sassa-something was rocky and Beautiful trail wasn’t so pretty to me. In fact, that’s the one that I was really cussing on the sloped, side-of-the-mountain, rocky, downhill.  Grrrrr… I was saying.  Several people passed me at this point including a girl that I thought was in my age group (she was) and it was really hard to get off the trail on the side of a mountain.  I was miserable.  I cried.  At the end of the trail was more fireroad climbing which at this point I was walking almost everything because I was in a snit and determined to quit.  Someone drove by and stopped and said, “Are you ok?  I’d give you a ride but I’m all filled up.”  I said, “I’ll keep struggling on.”  He said Aid Station 4 wasn’t far.  Another blessing in disguise.  I hit Aid Station 4 with the thought in my head I’m quitting.   I asked the guy what mile it was and what were the trails like and anymore climbing other than Stillhouse.  He didn’t know (Aid Station 4 wasn’t as good as the first 3).  Something came over me and I started filling my camelback, eating, and got on the bike to continue.  It was strange, but I decided to finish after making up my mind I was quitting. 

Aid Station 4 to Aid Station 5 – 89 miles in:   I walked most of Stillhouse road, as were several other folks at this point.  At the bridge, (out – had to cross steel girders or go down to the creek – I crossed the creek), I met up with the girl that passed me and low and behold, a second wind came over me and I started riding…with vengeance.    I passed her on a climb (yes was riding now!) and didn’t look back.   I believe it was the thought that I was going to finish and the end was near.   There was one more piece of single track that I was praying wasn’t rocky and it wasn’t.  But little did I know that Panther Run road would be one of the rockiest, long, downhills of the day and I was praying for it to end and SOON.  The jarring was incredibly painful.  Some guy passed me on a fat bike and I was thinking how nice that ride must be in rocks.   When Poe Paddy came in sight along with Aid Station 5, there was a glimmer of hope and excitement that the end was near. 

Aid Station 5 to the End:  The gal in my age group came into the aid station just behind me.  While she was refilling, I asked how far and they said 6 miles.  And this cute little kid said, “But it’s real easy, you just cross the creek and ride a flat trail to the end.”  Music to my ears… I can do that without any water refills or food.  So I hopped on the bike and headed to the creek.  The guy that was crossing the creek with me said, “that’s not a creek… it’s a river.”  I slipped at one point and got soaked, but made it across.  Bike shoes on slippery rocks don’t mix.  Once on the other side, we were on smooth, old rail trail and I was in high gear at this point.  I just wanted to finish and was pushing to get it over with.  

Finish: 12 hrs. and 51 minutes.  Happy to finish and vowing to never, ever do it again.  Hard, hard, hard.  Super-happy with the fitness I gained, but dang it takes a ton of time and commitment to train and be ready for this thing.     Aid stations and volunteers were awesome (except aid station 4).  Can’t say I was too happy to make podium, but the organizer gave the awards before the 2^nd and 3^rd place girls came in so no recognition for the old gals except that first place girl.    No, I really don’t think I’ll ever do it again.

 

 

Defining Racing

The general rule of thumb for any fastest-person-wins event is that it’s a race.  It’s organized, it’s timed, and the fastest people win, so what else could it be?  In the cycling world, riders put in long, hard hours in the saddle to prepare themselves to endure distances at high heart rates to better their chances to win that race.   And those that work the hardest and have the genes that make them a perfect cyclist usually do.  Yet, there’s another group of cyclists out there that put in the same amount of time to be ready for that race yet seldom step up to the podium.   Are they still racing?  What do those that win think of those that don’t – especially those that bring up rear.  Someone has to take that coveted DFL spot.  Well, I’d say while beauty is in the eye of the beholder, racing is in the spirit of the rider.  

There’s a huge population of mountain bike cyclists out there that win a lot and are really, really good; but, many of them are reaching that point that they may not step up to the podium any longer.  They are in their forties.  And the aging process simply won’t allow them to win forever (so the scientists say).  Crossing over that magic line might be painful, yet they will continue to climb on their bike and ride for hours.   They will put in as many hours as the pros, but might finish a bit later than them.  So that begs the question, are they still “racing” if their genes and age won’t allow them to go any faster.   The answer may be easy for a select few of dedicated, professional riders who can’t bear the thought of not winning.   I overheard an individual saying one time “if you’re not really racing, what’s the point” (of being in a race).    The point is many cyclists fall into the I-love-to-ride-my-bike category and might care a tiny bit about NOT getting that DFL spot, but really care only about finishing the event.   They might enter races because they enjoy the challenge of training and preparing themselves physically to endure the event.   Fitness gurus say to reach beyond your limits – maybe the non-winners are doing just that -- entering a "race" that goes beyond what they achieved in the past.  Maybe the training benefits of good health and fitness (and longer life) inspires them.  Maybe the energy of race day with all the mountain biking camaraderie that comes with it and stepping up to the start line inspires them.  Maybe they are riding for a cause – a loved one with a disease that keeps them from being active.  Maybe they just want to get out of the house and enjoy nature.  Whatever the reason, ultimately, they love to ride.  So the next time that person steps up to the start line to “race,” and comes across the finish line long after the winners, yes sir, in their hearts they were racing.  They just might define it a bit differently than some.

               

"Mastering" Training for a Mountain Hundred Miler

Just when you think you have the training dialed in and the plan is in place for the next 5 months, along comes a couple of coaches who say that master athletes (age 40 and over, some say age 50 and over), need to approach things a bit differently – more recovery.

Music to my ears.

Most coaches follow a periodization training concept -- you do base miles for a period of weeks/months (usually over winter), build for a couple blocks of several more weeks, then get ready to race with race prep and tapering.   All of these "blocks" are typically three weeks of training at a certain intensity or specificity, then a week of rest including easy, active recovery and reduced training hours.   Lynda Wallenfals of LW Coaching, throws a twist into those blocks for Masters athletes.  Her philosophy is that aging athletes need more recovery time.  So she uses a three week training block: two weeks of training followed by a week of recovery.   Lynda also emphasizes the need for strength training, technical ride skills and high intensity workouts.   From the LW Coaching website:  Aging is linked with loss of bone and muscle mass in sedentary adults over the age of 35 years but not in active athletes. Use it or lose it. Increasing muscular strength increases resilience to injury, contributes to consistency and keeps you in the game as you age. 

Joel Friel - a well-known coach from way back when - just published a book Fast After 50 that gets into the nitty-gritty of approaching training to ward off the effects of age.  He writes a nice description of the book in his blog here.  He too talks about strength training and more recovery along with higher intensity workouts.   But we can't forget the every body is different rule.  What works for one may not work for another.  Nutrition plays a big role in recovery also.  Do you do a recovery drink after a workout?  Are you eating lots of fruits, vegetables, lean protein?  Are you getting enough protein.  It's such a science to dial in the proper nutrition.  So we need to try what might be best for our body.

Needless to say, my training plan got an overhaul.   I won't shy away from one week less of training.  Two weeks on with a week off will work out just fine.  This aging thing isn't so bad after all. 

 

 

The Amish Side of Mountain Biking

Use it Up

Wear it Out

Make Do,

Or Do Without

Words to live by when you retire prior to retirement age.  I caught myself dipping a bike tube into a sink of water looking for the leak with full intentions of actually patching the hole.  When I couldn’t figure out how to use the patch kit I found in the drawer (no instructions… imagine that!) and hubby was more interested in baking a loaf of bread, I ended up ditching the tube like the majority of folks.  Then I realized, most folks don’t even use tubes these days.  Along with the 29er movement in the mountain bike world came tubeless tires.  Most bikes on the trails are the latest and greatest size with Stans No Tubes sloshing in the tires.  So where do all the 26 inch bikes and tubes go?  To folks that swear by using it up, wearing it out, making it do, or doing without.   My little bike will have to do for now and I was grateful my friends threw their 26 inch bike trash my way when they were cleaning out.  My 9 year old Specialized Epic came with tubeless rims and tires.  It was the latest and greatest on the scene at that time and they served me well.  The tires on the bike now are going bald.  I have Stans No Tubes for in the tires and I have valve stems, but no tires.  A new set of tubeless 26 inch mountain bike tires will cost me about $100 (my preference is Continental Mountain Kings).  Enter my friends trash – a set of brand new 26 inch tires – but not tubeless.  The brand doesn't seem to matter much when you aren't paying for them.  Hmm, I have free 26 inch tires and a stash of 26 inch tubes.  So I could set my bike up in new tires for nothing.  Yes, I’m going to make do with what I have and put tubes on tubeless rims on a 26 inch bike and race with the big guys.   Maybe I should break out the straw hat and suspenders for the ride too.   Or better yet, hook my bike up to the team and let them pull me over the trails. 

 

So How Do You Train for 100 Mountain Miles?

Bicycling Magazine's Selene Yeager recently posted an article, Cycling Tips: Train Your Brain that mentioned a little about the physical aspect of preparing for a race and a LOT about the mental fitness needed to finish.  That mental preparedness goes into the physical training too for any event you are training for.  From the very beginning of my active lifestyle, if I "thought" I could, I did. I couldn't swim, yet I wrapped my brain around learning to swim at age 42 and landed myself in the pacific ocean at the world Xterra competition.  I "thought" I could finish 7 days straight of mountain biking, riding over 5 hours each day at the age of 50 and low and behold, I did.  I thought I could stand in whitewater rapids on a paddleboard and I do.  But for every one of these adventures, the attitude is what makes it happen.  And that's what it takes to start the training process for 100 mountain miles.  I think I can, I think I can.  It sure helps to have a solid training plan either by hiring a coach to help you out, or purchasing one of the many canned plans on-line such as former professional mountain biker, Chris Eatough's plans which are specific to many mountain biking ultra-endurance races.  There's a method to the madness of training and it's not just about riding a lot.  Easy days mixed with harder days, endurance and specificity (climbing!) weeks building upon each other then ending with a rest week, and monitoring your heart rate during training sessions are all key elements of a good training plan. Then we get back to the head games.  There are tons of days that you won't "feel" like riding and if you'd let that attitude take over, you'll never cross the finish line. The exception is actually being ill or overtrained -- then you listen to your body and stay in bed.  But if your health is good, just tell yourself to do it.  It will be cold, it will be raining or snowing, and it will be hot and humid.  Your brain will play games with you.  You simply have to train your brain .... be positive and focused on the end results.   CBS News correspondent Anderson Cooper did a story in December on Mindfulness which basically is being the present moment.  That's the kind of focus we are talking about in training your brain to focus on the task at hand and to be ready for that 100 miles in July.  It's 12 degrees outside and the indoor cycling trainer is the only way you'll get in that 3 hour ride on the training plan.  Your heart may say stay in the bed but the head says grab the best movie or pedal-pushing music you can find and get in that saddle.  That's training your brain.  While in the saddle, be in the moment watching Will Smith and spinning those legs at exactly 135 beats per minute and you'll get that job done.  The brain said you can, and you will.  

Hello 2015 - A New Year, A New Adventure

My last post was almost two years ago.  Ever since Facebook came on the scene, blogging seemed passé and time-consuming.  Looking back over the years of blogging, there's a bunch of informative posts, so why stop?  So here we are again.   A new year and a new post.  Last year was huge in my adventure world:  I achieved a certification to teach whitewater standup paddling.  Only a handful of girls nationwide hold that honor.  I'm grateful and humbled to be one of the few.   As part of the Canoe Club of Greater Harrisburg, classes are held in June and July of each year for those learning to stand for the first time, or those that want adventure and seek standing on whitewater.  More info later on the CCGH once schedules are set.

Each year I set an "out-there" goal --  something that seems a little more than I can handle so that I focus and work harder.   Even Tony Horton of P-90X fame talks about sign-up for something big... something out of your normal realm.  So this year my plan is something that's been on my bucket list now for almost 10 years:  the Wilderness 101.  It's a 100 mile mountain bike race in Central Pennsylvania, near State College.  Lots of mountains and trails to climb and ride totaling about 10,000 feet of climbing.  I'm super-excited to work toward this race in July.  Training has already begun.  More to come on that also.

Just wanted to welcome you back!

But You're Retired...You Have Time to Ride

Retirement conjures up images of "playing" all day, doesn't it.  Getting on your bike and riding for hours any day of the week; spending hours in the garden; hopping in your boat and just drifting along on a lazy, sunny afternoon; or maybe hiking the entire length of the Appalachian Trail with no thoughts of work or stress.   I was warned that once retirement is official, the busyometer will be full and little time will be available. You think you are busy while you work?  Just wait until retirement.  That wise soul couldn't have been more spot on.  You spend an entire work career waiting for the day when you don't work anymore to do all those things you'd like to do but work seemed to get in the way.  That's 30-40 years worth of planning and when the big day comes, boom - it's all at your doorstep waiting to happen.  Volunteer for a couple organizations, house maintenance, expand that garden, take up knitting, clean out the attic, organize the potting bench, go through a couple decades of receipts and clean out, make flowcharts of expenses and keep track of everything, put in a new fence, build new trail in the woods and so on, and so on.  Whoa!  That's a bunch of shit to do now that retirement is here.  And it seems overwhelming.  So you decide to prioritize.  This can wait, that can wait.  I'll put that off for another year or so. Oh, that's not as important anymore so let's just forget about it for now.  Today I have food to plant, grow and harvest and elderly parents to tend to - everything else will have to wait for now and that includes going on day-long adventures into the woods.  That first year is spent getting the feet wet and settling into your new-found "career".  Sure, you do a bunch of those little things that you put off for too long but the bigger stuff tends to be put on hold.  It took that first full year to finally figure out how this retirement thing will fall into place and yes, just like when I worked, time management comes into play.  Hubby had me paranoid there wouldn't be enough money and now that we calculated and analyzed every cent coming in and going out, I feel slightly more at ease that I don't have to grow the majority of food and there are some things that ARE cheaper to buy; thus, the garden isn't going to get as much attention as it did last year and playtime will increase.  Time Chunking is my plan of attack this year.  There are xxx things to do and xxx hours in the day, so each one will get a chunk out of the day.   This year, I'm gonna ride that bike a little more and get on that paddle board more often... there's a chunk reserved just to play and I'm gonna take advantage of that.  It's supposed to be retirement - a time to sit back and relax and enjoy life for a change.   That, we are doing - enjoying it all - we DO live in paradise, after all.   It just takes some time to figure out everything else and after a year of trial and error, that time has come.  Saddle up... gear up...load the V-dub... let's head to the woods and water, Honey.    

Lucky Stars Twinkling on the Megatransect Challenge X

“You’re Stronger Than You Think You Are.”

Those words greeted the racers at about mile marker 20-21 of the 26-mile off-road trail challenge – the Megatransect (a.k.a. “MEGA”)  - in Lock Haven, Pennsylvania. How true the prose rung in my ears realizing at that very point, I was going to finish my very first marathon – not a flat, hardtop, easy 26 miles like normal folks do – but a 5,500 elevation gain, rocky path marathon.  And here’s the kicker:  I didn’t do any run-hike-specific training for which makes for a noteworthy blog post and a little sharing of life’s lessons on human spirit and the wonderful bodies we occupy.  Yes, we all are truly stronger than we think we are.

 I finished the Transylvania Epic in 2011 – a 7-day mountain bike stage race in Rothrock State Forest that took 8 months of training to prepare for riding for about 30 hours in 7 days.  My life revolved around training and preparing for that thing.   We were physically ready and yes, we finished it.  It was something we were very proud of completing.  After that, I wanted another challenge equally hard and I picked an off-road marathon.  I blogged about it here saying if I can get in on registration, it was meant to be.  If I didn’t, oh well.  Low and behold, I got in and the race sold out in 90 minutes.   That meant it was time to start training – again.

Just like preparing for 7 days of mountain biking, I devised a training plan with a couple key races to help build distance and endurance.   The first big race was the 16-mile Hyner Challenge in April.   During February and March, I slowly added mileage like all the textbooks say, and come Hyner race day, I finished – but not without stress.  I ached the last 4 miles and prayed I could finish.  My body was crying for me to stop.  I bloggedabout the aftermath here thinking I simply wasn’t cut out for long-distance running.  A few weeks later, I bagged the 18-mile Rothrock thinking my body can’t take the pounding stress.  Summer went by and I assumed I wasn’t doing the Mega.  It really bothered me there were no transfers or refunds – especially since SO many folks couldn’t get registered and wanted to be part of it.  In August, a friend of mine (and his wife) decided to do a 27 mile hike without much training.  I thought, “huh, if he can do it, I can too, right?”  He finished with a couple weekends of long hikes prior to the 27 mile day.   But life got in the way for me and I never was able to get out and do some long training hikes as planned, and I continued to ask myself, “Can I hike 26 miles without training AT ALL for it?”.   Two weeks prior to the Mega, I picked up the inspirational saying book a co-worker gave me for retirement and turned to a page that said, “I will stop doing things the same old way just because I like to play it safe.  I will be daring and courageous and refuse to allow fear to control my actions.”  At that moment, I decided to change the “Can I?” attitude of doing the Mega  to, “I can.”  I decided to race, see how far I get and be satisfied with whatever happens.    Don’t get me wrong, I’m not much of a couch-potato and didn’t go into this thing unfit.  I life weights, do a little biking, run about 4-5 miles twice a week and do a LOT of organic gardening.   I garden for hours on end:  walking, lifting, pulling, stooping, and digging for up to 6 hours straight.   I often wondered if this “exercise” would benefit me someday.  I believe it just did. Those 6-8ish hours a day of being on my feet paid off.

Race day:  nervous as all hell having virtually no trail running training and was still a little fearful I couldn’t do it.  The inspirational side of me said, “just savor every second and soak up the beauty of this mountain.  Smell it.  Look at it, and just enjoy the journey every step of the way.”  And that’s exactly what I did for the next 10 hours.  From the moment the race director said “go” until the sprint to the finish line at just under 10 hours, I simply savored each rock, every conversation with fellow racers, and thanked all the volunteers.  I felt bad for folks in pain and immediately thanked my lucky stars for my generally pain free body.  I watched people go down steep trails backward to avoid the excruciating knee pain going forward.  I thanked my lucky stars again.  I listened to folks “complain” about the “horrible” trails and immediately thought how magnificent Mother Nature was to create such beauty.  I stood in awe at a majestic mountain reflecting in a lake and nearly cried.    I watched folks wobble, fall, and crawl over boulders as I hopped from boulder and boulder with perfect balance and once again, thanking those lucky stars.  Town folk lined the streets and cheered us on.  One particular family had hand-made signs out “You can do it!”  “Face the challenge head-on.”   The young gal had pompoms and was cheering for us.  It was heart-warming.   She especially liked the gentleman dressed as a football player carrying the football for the race. 

And I teared up.  I was about to finish something I never, in a million years, expected I could do.  I started running.  I was SO excited to be SO close to the finish I couldn’t contain myself.  The only pain my lucky stars threw me was a tiny blister that flared up AFTER I started running those last 4 miles.  I ran through it.  The finish line was in sight and the clock said 9:57.  I cheered and jumped in delight that I made it under 10 hours.   The crowd clapped and yelled too.  It was a moment almost as exciting as popping the cork on the champagne bottle to finish 7 days of mountain biking.  Definitely two of the most rewarding moments in life I’ll never forget.

 The human body is strong, very strong.  The only thing that holds it back is your brain and the fear you feed it.  Human spirit is equally powerful.  Again, the failure is only what your thoughts say it can’t do.  Follow your heart and instincts folks… don’t let your thoughts get in the way.

 

  

My Latest Endeavor

I might blog about it or I may not have time. 

2nd in a 5K??? Whodda Thought!

"What is your average pace?" Asked Lisa at the start.  "Oh, about a 12 minute pace" said Chili.   End of race: "Twelve Minute pace my ass!"  Chili finished 2nd in her age group only 30 seconds behind the winner at 28:38. Yes - a shocker: It was a friggin 9:30 minute pace.  Holy shit... I don't think I EVER ran that fast.  Of course I don't think I EVER ran a race on a totally flat rail trail before either.  Yes, 12 minutes includes hills.  So 9:30 shouldn't be a surprise on flat... but it was.  A pleasant surprise!  I was also feeling pretty good and just went with it.  I normally don't push myself too hard... I just don't.  But today I did.  It was a good day. The race was the Rattlesnake Run 5K at Lehigh Gorge State Park, Glen Onoko access.  We did a 24 mile bike ride afterwards. 

Switchin' It Up - a Long Boat Kinda Day

This boat hasn't seen water in almost two years and today she finally got out for a spin. It was so nice to do a little endurance paddling below the Dauphin Narrows while Rick paddled the white splashy stuff with a couple of his buds. My arms got tired after only an hour moving at a good pace, but it was a good tiredness. The average heart rate was 129 for the entire hour which is actually a pretty good rate for paddling constantly. When I get up into the 150 range, I feel like my arms are going to fall off. When the hour was up, I just lounged around for another half hour and took in the beautiful day.  It's nice to switch things up every now and then. 

Time to Change It Up?

Tractor tires leave huge ruts in wet fields and I believe I've fallen into one and need to figure out how to get out.  My hard core (as some call it) exercise program has virtually disappeared since I stopped the training for distance running.  I gave myself some time to heal my abused legs and feet and got a little to comfortable laying in the bottom of the rut.  Don't get me wrong, I'm still doing my routine morning core work, walking/riding with Ricky, and an occasional 3-4 mile very slow run, but it definitely falls into the "Same old, same old" category in the Top 5 Worst Exercise Habits.  I've been doing more hiking, walking, riding with Rick which is really cool, but its not getting the heart rate up enough to improve fitness.  Yes, our exercise regimen is the minimum daily requirement of exercise to stay healthy, but not enough to gain a little muscle. What to do?  Should I focus on learning the play moves of play boating? Throwing a play boat around definitely takes some serious energy as I found out this winter in the pool sessions.  I'd be tired in a half hour and start missing rolls.  Or maybe I should go back to my exercise roots of the eighties and start pumping iron again.  Weightlifting is one of the best osteoporosis preventatives, so I can't go wrong doing a couple reps every day.  Then there's my current passion (obsession?), the garden.  I always felt I was getting 3-4 hours of exercise everyday working in the garden.  It turns out, gardening is an activity and I still need to exercise.  If the heart rate doesn't rise, its an activity, not exercise.  Yes, any movement is good, but aerobic exercise is better.  Or maybe I need to find something completely new to really mix it up.  What could that possibly be when I've climbed just about every mountain at this point and have no plans to spend anything on anything new.  I like my friend's comment, "when was the last time you did something for the first time?"  Hmmm... thinking that through a little points me to getting some use out of that play boat.  What did I get if for, anyways?

What's It Like to Live in Paradise?

Chasing a dream…finding that perfect locale that you can call “paradise.”  A deserted island, a mountain top, miles of untouched sandy beaches, a rooftop oasis in the middle of the city – it all counts as “paradise.”   We think about retiring someday in paradise.  Costa Rica?  The Mediterranean?  Maybe Bali is your paradise dreams come true?  Travel destinations near the equator are touted as “paradise” and most folks are quick to agree.   Maui comes to mind as a prime paradise destination with warm sands, warm nights, and warm water – all the time.  But reality is paradise is a figment of our imagination and if you know you – I mean really know you -- paradise can be anywhere, anything, any situation.   Being content, happy, and satisfied is part of paradise.  You can be in paradise sitting in your bubba chair with the remote in your hand.  A drug addict is in paradise on the high of his life.   A chef creates his paradise in his kitchen.   Touring your favorite micro-brewery and sampling the sweetness at the end is bound to bring on paradisiac thoughts.  Some believe just having a place on earth – any place on earth - is paradise.    The truth is paradise is any place or state of extreme happiness.  Are you happy?  Welcome to paradise.

Old Bones and Distance Running

"Listen to your body."  These are words that roll off the tongue of many coaches, doctors, co-workers and friends when an ailment arises and one starts to complain.  Heck, sometimes we might even listen to our own gut feelings and actually do something about it.  I've been registered to do some distance hike/runs this year and after the first one - the 16.3 mile Hyner Challenge -  something wasn't feeling too good in the old body.  I pondered the thought, "maybe I'm not cut out for ump-teen miles at a time" even though the other determined half of me said, "ferget about it... just hike through the pain."  Well, I chose the worried half and quit hiking/running anything longer than 5ish miles.  A month later, I feel better than ever.  My feet no longer hurt, my toes aren't tender anymore, the bones on the top of my feet aren't aching, my ass cheek isn't hurting all the time, and the rest of my achy, tired-feeling body returned to its energetic, can't-stop self again.  There's some truth to listening to your body.  I found a good article in the NY times on running distance, and in there was this comment:  Exercise early in life can affect the development of tendons and muscles, but many people don’t start running until adulthood, so their bodies may not be as well developed for distance.    Yup, that's me -- I didn't start exercise until early forties and then it was biking.  The running didn't start until mid-forties and that really wasn't anything longer than about 8ish miles.  I did a half-marathon two years ago, but haven't really done anything longer.  So this year's mega-distance tryouts obviously answered the question of Can I Do It?  Nope girly, you can't.  Your old bones aren't seasoned enough for distance hiking/running.  But it's a blessing in disguise because my bikes were starting to feel very dirty with all the dust they've been accumulating.  I'm back in the saddle again.  Maybe not as much as years past, but biking nonetheless. And the best part?  It doesn't hurt anywhere.   Listen to your body!

A 16.3 Mile Jaunt in the Woods

The 6th Annual Hyner View Challenge is in the books. This "Challenge" is a 16.35 mile trail run with 4,226 feet of climbing that a thousand or so folks muster up mental and physical strength to complete.  And if the 25K isn't enough, there was a 50K option this year and yes, 98 runners finished it. The weather was perfect at 50ish calm degrees and a slight sprinkle cooled us off after a climb.  To call this thing a "challenge" is an understatement.  Hyner View is in Clinton County and it sits atop a tall mountain and offers the spectators a breathtaking sight to see.  Today, the runners started at Pine Creek level and climbed the side of the mountain to that view and then went on to climb two more mountains equally epic.  The climbs were steep, rocky, and long.  The runs back down those mountains were not as steep, but rocky and long just the same.  90% of the Hyner Challenge running was on trail - beautiful, well-maintained trail. Someone put a lot of TLC in maintaining the trails. They were pristine.   The race itself was very well organized -- they had to be -- there was over a thousand folks registered.  As the 25K folks lined up to start, you could see the 50K folks in the distance approaching the summit of Hyner.  It was pretty cool to see that.  The 50K folks started at 8:00 am and the 25K started at 9:00.  Both were mass starts.  This caused a slow-down when everyone funneled into a single line on the singletrack.  Obviously, those out front didn't experience this wait.  The first climb spaced people out, but there was always someone within sight both in front and behind during the whole race.  By the 2nd mountain climb, many were walking, even on the flat sections.  By the final mountain climb, folks were cramping up.   And after that last climb, there was 4 more miles to go.  The final 2.5 miles was mostly downhill on singletrack (some rocks) and some road and after 14ish miles, running downhill and pushing to the finish was not an easy thing to do.  The highlight of my run was seeing these absolutely beautiful wildflowers on a couple of the switchbacks.  Purple triliums are magnificent in their natural setting and caught my eye in the midst of a rocky climb.  They certainly took my mind off the task at hand for a couple minutes.   I was impressed by the folks that came out to run/hike this thing.  Young and old, male and female, fast and slow.  I commented to a "local" on one of the trails that its nice to see folks walking. I loved his comment, "This is a competition against yourself."  So true. 

Humdinger Results

Humdinger 2012 results:

FEMALE AGE GROUP:  51 - 55
    1   123 Susan Hamilton       56:23.0
    2   289 Phyllis Sieber          1:15:53.5
    3   273 Andrea Sapiente      1:23:29.8
    4   342 Jill Wiest                 1:26:53.4
    5   320 Donna Thompson    1:32:36.2
    6   282 Erica Shames            1:44:19.6
    7   246 Valerie Pratt              1:46:30.8
    8   286 Nancy Shrom            2:02:03.9
Full results here.

The Clown and the Amish in the Humdinger Trail Run

There’s nothing like a day of laughter, exercise, beer-drinking (you got beads if you drank a glass at the water stops), and all-around good times. Today was one of those days and Sheena and I had a blast running in our get-ups. She was a perfect mismatched clown and I was, well, let the pictures speak for themselves. The stares were in full force ‘cause folks just weren’t quite sure if it was real or not. One gal said to me at the start (as I was mouthing to the race director that we couldn’t hear him): “oh, I get it – it’s a costume. Some people were saying there’s an Amish guy running the race.” Oh what fun.

"Oh, I get it.... it's a costume.   People were saying there was an Amish running the race."

An Amish in the group!

Sheena heading toward the finish.

The winner of the best dressed was a young man dressed in a dress with full makeup.  He looked beautiful.  Greg and Rick heard him talk at one point and thought for a second it was a girl.   Sheena was faster than me and unsure of her time; but I finished in about 1:28.  We won’t know where we placed amongst our age groups for a couple of days.  They just put our names on a big board and you have to stand and take the time to read each one to see where you finished in your age group and I didn’t feel  taking the time.  Great day, great weather, great fun. Thanks Sheena and River Town Race Series.  Full set of pictures courtesy Ricky Brown here.

Happy runners eating soup, Courtesy Rivers Town Race Series.  Yum!  Thanks guys.

Run, Run, Run... or, Hike, Hike, Hike

The Humdinger 7.1 Trail run is coming up in less than two weeks (March 3) and the Hyner Challenge 16.4 Trail run is April 21.  Folks on the Hyner Ultra Hike Facebook group are asking tons of questions that are answering bunches of thoughts I too had.  The biggest... do I have to run this whole thing and feel like I have to "compete."  I'm thrilled to find out, NO.  If I wanna walk the whole thing, I can.  If I wanna run some, walk some, I can do that too.  The last person to finish last year took 10:04 and the last gal in my age group was just under 9 hours.  The fastest gal in my age group was around 4 hours.  That's quite a spread and I'll fit snugly in between the two.  Ricky and I hiked 8.5 miles yesterday (all walking) on some steep, rocky terrain along with smooth trail and it took us 3 1/2 hours.  Rick quit at the 6 mile marker and I pushed on to get some more mileage.  Judged on that time, if I decide to hike the entire Hyner Challenge (unlikely), it should take me about 7 hours to finish.  Realistically, I'm guessing I'll be done in 5ish hours with a combo of slow run/fast hike.  But the nice thing is doesn't matter -- when I finish, I finish.  I really like that.

Winning At Losing

The Chubublicans did it - we won! Week 6 results of the 6-week DCED Biggest Loser competition were kept hush-hush until today at the finale - a pizza party!  And the winner is.... the Chubublicans with a total weight loss of 89.4 pounds and 7.14%.  I'd say that's a success.  Congrats girls!

Week Five Results - Loser at Work

There's only one week to go and my team, the Chubublicans, are still in contention to win.  The scorekeeper won't share the overall tally to keep the incentive going for everyone to work hard, but one of the Chubs team members is keeping her own score and based on her numbers, we're still in first after week five in both total weight loss and percentage. The weight loss totals are very close with a 3 pound difference between first and second.  The Chubs are at 79.9 total pounds lost after 5 weeks.   The percentage of weight loss is the key to win and below is what we think the standings are after week five.  It pays to have a lightweight on the team to boost the percentage!  I'm not a numbers person, and hubby is, and he thinks we have a pretty good buffer from the second place team and could possibly win.  Of course I'm exercising my ass off trying to drop another 2 by Tuesday to keep that percentage high.  I'm tired though.  And ready to eat some cake - or anything with SUGAR.

TOTAL Percentage Loss of All Teams:
Thin It To Win It                   4.85
Processing Not Included        3.18
Victorious Secrets                 3.42
The Number Crunchers         5.89
Chubublicans                         6.37
Mission Slimpossible            3.07
Winners                                 5.682
Reducing Government Waste  5.05
Burgers in Our Sites                 4.48