Stumbling and staggering up and over Snow Valley Peak, pain radiating down my legs with every step, blisters exploding underfoot like deep shards of glass, I fantasized about “getting” to drop at the next aid station – mile 93 – surely they won’t let me go on when they see my feet. Nearly 24 hours into the Tahoe Rim Trail 100 – my fifth one – all I could think about was dropping. My pacer, Javier, practically ran circles aroundRead more
Posts filed in: sports
Western States 100
Two days before the race, Mone’ told me that Cortney, the famous pastry chef for Squaw, was super excited about all things Western States. When she heard I was doing it, she asked for my autograph. I said, tell her yes, in exchange for a piece of her red velvet cake, and Cortney replied:
“tell her if she finishes Western States I’ll bake her a whole f#$%ing cake.”Read more
Marin Ultra Challenge 50 miler 2018
In the week leading up to the Marin Ultra Challenge 50 (MUC for short), I was pretty terrified. I believe I was suffering from a mild case of TRT-PTSD, after the last race I’d entered, the TRT100, didn’t pan out so well. I went into that race feeling strong and ready, but my stomach rebelled and I spent a lot of time in a heap on the side of the trail. I’d trained consistently leading up to MUC, thanks to guidance from Coach Meghan, but after TRT, I knew that anything could happen.Read more
Silver State 50 Mile Race Report
This past weekend I ran my third consecutive Silver State 50 in Reno, Nevada. This race is a favorite of mine – due to the gorgeous scenery (a mix of high-desert, alpine, wildflowers, and views for miles), incredible volunteers, and an amazing Race Director (John Trent). We kicked off race weekend with a bear sighting on a run with Linn (her first bear encounter, which appeared while I was telling her my crazy bear v. car story), followed by dinner and drinks with LinnRead more
Squallywood with the kids
My kids, Avian and Stephen, age 11, are currently taking a one-year sabbatical after being on ski team at Squaw since they were five. I am a beginner compared to them, but they still humor me once in awhile and agree to ski with me. I love watching them on the hill- so carefree and happy. And I learned some of their tricks, including how to avoid long lift lines, how/where to get free cups of whipped cream (yes, fullRead more
Tahoe Rim Trail 100 2016
Thrilled to have my sister Lynette (aka Net or Netty) fly out from Michigan to crew for me at the 2016 Tahoe Rim Trail 100, I excitedly drove my “new” 1983 VW Westfalia down to the airport in Reno Wednesday to pick her up. This would be the ultimate crew-mobile! Within 20 minutes of getting Net from the airport though… Lynette, Avian, Beverly and I got to take our first ride in a tow truck. The driver gave me his card,Read more
Tahoe Rim Trail 100 – 2015
(warning – some graphic content in here) I began my 3rd attempt at 100 miles, 2nd time on this course, at 5am Saturday morning, surrounded by friends and fellow Donner Party Mountain Runners. The Tahoe Rim Trail Endurance Runs are practically in my backyard, on the most beautiful trails imaginable, they are filled with familiar faces (we had 25 DPMR’s running the events!), and the volunteers, and especially the race director, George, are all incredible. The course covers about 101.6Read more
Silver State 50M race report
Preparation About 6 weeks ago, frustrated with nagging injuries that had really diminished the joy I get from running, I hired a coach, Meghan, to help me get on track. When I first saw the plan, which included three 3-mile days per week, I was disappointed. Doesn’t she know I need to run at least 6 miles in the morning to be “normal”? This was very different from my current non-plan, of running whatever I felt like, whenever I had the time. ButRead more
Speed workout – 800s
There is nothing better than the post- speedwork feeling of accomplishment (unless while doing said speedwork, you discover that your sister, traditionally slower than you, is now faster). Many times, I will go for a slow 45 min run, and feel sort of lazy and worthless afterwards. But after a speedy session, I feel like I am ALIVE, and the high lasts long after my shower. While visiting Michigan, I convinced my sister, who had never tried speedwork, to accompany me toRead more
running with ghosts and swimming with seals
After having the worst day of my adult life yesterday, and waking up to more complications this morning, I found myself repeating expletives in my head as I drove my son to his 3 hour soccer camp. After I got the kids checked in, I checked out, and hit the back road to Martis Valley. I forgot how fast I can run when fueled by anger. I climbed the trail up towards The Strand (Glenshire), crested the top, and then turned back towards Waddle Ranch instead. TheRead more
jp chronicles 