First race of year was a GREAT one!

January 18, 2014.  I roll out of bed at 3:30 AM.  It is a Saturday.  Why am I crazy enough to do this.  Everyone in the house is sound asleep.  I try to be quiet as I eat my peanut butter bagel and gather my bag and trail shoes.  I head out the door knowing they will all sleep in until at least 10 or 11 AM.  I will have already be half-way through with my race by then.

I try to become more alert and awake as I drive to Michele's.  The goal was to go to sleep early last night, 8-ish or so.  Right when I was drifting off to dream land my phone started going off....argh!  Now I'm awake!  Who is texting me?  It's Kris!!  She is wishing me good luck and warning me not to leave Michele on the course.  Last year we left Kris and she fell, resulting in a DNF.  I sigh as I reply a short note.  She responds with a quick "you are supposed to be asleep."  It's 10:30 PM.  "I am."  I type back and put the phone down.  Sleep doesn't return very quickly.

The fog is really thick as I pull into Michele's driveway.  We had changed out meeting time to be earlier so we had more driving time in the dense fog.  When you aren't sure where you are going, it's smart to go slow.  Tired and nervous we head towards Melba for the Wilson Creek Frozen 50K.  We are planning on running the 20.3 mile course.  Race start is 7:30 AM.

Driving slow in the DARK and FOG

The drive is sketchy to say the least.  Visibility is probably 20 feet and it's pitch black out!  Combine that with the fact that we had NO idea where we were going....it was exciting for sure.  We pulled over twice to let other cars pass us who wanted to go the speed limit.  Not sure if any of those drivers made it to their destinations alive or not, but we did.  Slow and steady.  I may not support that when I'm running but definitely when driving.



When we got to the race start area there were parking helpers directing you where to go.  It was 6:45 AM, we were still so tired.  Michele rolled down her window. " Are you volunteering or running?" The guy asked her.  "Vol....Oh! Running!"  Michele was so out of it, she couldn't quite remember why we were there.

Earlier in the week I had told Michele that our goal was to finish in under 5 hours.  She said her goal was going to be to finish.  The morning of the race I tried again, "Our goal is to finish in under 5 hours! 20.3 miles in under 5 hours!"  She smiled and said, "That can be your goal.  I don't feel well and my goal is just to finish."  Why is it when she sets a goal for us I am 'always in'?  But when I set a goal, she never goes along with it??



We checked in and got our race numbers, mine was #141 and Michele was #134.  After listening to some advice from other runners we folded the bibs pretty small before we pinned them on our legs. That was it...time to get ready to go!  The conditions were perfect! Last year we had run the 10.8 course and the race start was -5 degrees.  Although we had to deal with the inversion, the trail was packed frozen and the temp was bearable, a great day to run in the Owyhee Mountains.


There were 136 runners who lined up on the starting line.  Of those, 90 were running the 50K and 46 were doing he 20.3 miler.  It was still a little dark so we had our headlands on.  And yes it was foggy.  This terrible inversion has been sitting around for weeks.  I really miss the sunshine!





What can I say?  We ran!  We ran and ran.  The first aid station was at mile 2.5.  It came up quick.  Michele's pack was bugging her so we had to stop and make adjustments. Tempus Photo and Design got some great shots of us approaching the aid station.

Once we were through the aid station and feeling good suddenly BAM!!  Hills began.  Oh my did they begin!  It was almost like running in to a wall they were so steep!




Six miles of intense climbing.  Some spots were so steep, it was steeper than stairs!  It was so incredibly hard.  But it was worth it because......the views were breathtaking!

Above the fog at last!

Watching the sunrise!

 Neither Michele nor I had brought our cameras.  We both regretted it.  Luckily some other runners shared these shots on facebook that I copied.  This is one of the rewards to trail running. You get to see and experience vistas that other people will never get the opportunity to experience.

Finally, we came to the summit, one last major climb to go and it was a doozy!  We trudged up the summit, Michele was getting a little slower as each mile progressed.  She had been fighting a cold and it was beginning to win.  At the top of the summit was a bag.  You had to retrieve an item from the bag to prove you had gone up to the summit and back down.  Inside.......?



That's right! a plastic army man!  I stuck him in my pack and waited for Michele.  On top of the summit held a beautiful view and the SUN!  It was shining and recharging all of my batteries!  It felt so good to just stand there feel it's warmth shining on my face!  I knew eventually I would drop back into the cold, foggy inversion, but for now I was on top of the world!  This is known as Wilson Peak, Elevation 5,358 feet.  When we started we were at 2,816 feet.  The climbing had definite been intense.  Michele grabbed her army man and we headed back down the summit to continue the race.


Our next and last aid station was at mile 13 this is referred to as the 'Mud Pit'.  The great thing about these aid stations is that you know at least 1-2 people at them.  Nellie Pryor was working this one with her family.  With some words of encouragement from Nellie, a swig of cold Coca-Cola and some peanut butter filled pretzels I was ready to kill this race!

I could tell Michele was needing to slow it down.  How could I tell?  She told me!  I think her exact words were, "I need to slow down.  You don't.  Go on ahead."  That's what great about having a GOOD running partner, they recognize when it is time to split.  I was eyeing that goal of finishing in under 5 hours, so I took off.  This part of the course lived up to it's name "Mud Pit".  This was the muddiest part of the race, in fact this was the ONLY muddy part.  I had to stop every so often and scrape mud off my shoes when they were getting too heavy.  Michele later told me she could see where I had been at each mud scraped rock.

The course was some rolling hills for another couple miles.  The terrain was still so cool to look at.  At he top of every hill I would turn to find Michele and wave.  Slowly she disappeared.  That was it, now I was on my own.  My only concern?  I do not have the best skills in tracking.  In other words, I tend to get lost easily.  I prayed that it would not happen today.  I carefully kept my eye out for the yellow flags which marked the trail to follow.

Then it happened, I had to re-enter the inversion....

Ugh, I knew it would happen eventually.  The only cool part of the inversion is the frosty layer it places over all of the vegetation.  It is like running in a mini-winter wonderland.  Every once in awhile I would pass another runner.  This was so exciting, not because I was passing people, but because it gave me the reassurance that I WAS in fact going the right way!  The conditions were perfect and I was really enjoying this race.  Every mile I would re-calculate my progress on making the under 5 hour goal.  It was looking like I just might do it! Dropping down the next hill I suddenly took a turn and found myself on a frozen creek.  No yellow flags around anywhere.

Had I studied the course map?  Well, not actually 'studied'.  I had looked at it a few times.  Was this the right way?  I carefully made my way along the creek wondering if I was lost.  In a few spots I did see mud and dirt, that meant runners MUST have come through here right?  Despite seeing no more yellow flags I continued.  I swore I could hear runners above me, this must be right.  Every fiber of my being said to turn around and go back, but I continued along the frozen creek instead.

To my joy, up ahead I saw yellow!  I was going the right way after all.  I climbed out of the creek bed and continued on my way, happily passing fellow runners as I ran.  There was some more climbing but for the most part I was feeling great.  I really kicked up my pace, the time goal was still within reach.  The next thing I knew I was at 20 miles on my watch.  0.3 miles to go!  I was going to do it!!

I passed 20.3 miles with no sign of the finish line.  Then 20.4.  Then 20.5.  Oh no!  Where was I?  I slowed down to figure out what had happened.  Then a runner came by me, Joelle Vaught, the most amazing female Ultra runner around.  I asked her if I was going the right way?  I knew she was running the 50K.  "Yes!" she smiled and added, "about a half mile to go."  A half mile?  I wondered as I again picked up my pace to match hers, where had I gone wrong out here on the course?

It was so good to see the finish line!  I finished with 21.05 miles!  I felt good, legs slightly tired, and my time!  Even with the extra distance I had done it!  I made it under 5 hours!!  4:58:12!!  So excited!  I also found out that I did NOT take a wrong turn any where.  A lot of other runners had similar mileage.

Michele?  Well at the frozen creek she doubted the course and turned back to double check, adding an extra ten minutes to her time.  But she was glad she did.  She came across the finish line with the same question I had....21 miles?

We did it and we both felt great!  Not exactly an ultra yet, but a step in the right direction!  We have both run marathons, but this was different.  This was extreme mountain trail racing.  So much harder and more enjoyable than any marathon!  I have a feeling this is going to be a great running year!!

Wilson Creek FROZEN!!!!

Well, today was the day of our race.  As we drove out to the start we kept watching the temperature drop lower, lower, and lower! We had hired a driver for this race.  Someone to have the truck started and warm when we finished, someone to take pictures of us at the start and finish, someone to drive us home when we were too tired.  That someone was Michele's awesome husband!

We talked about how CRAZY we were to be doing this as we headed closer and closer to the race!

Here is some info about the race we were about to attempt:

The 10 mile loop (actually 10.8 miles) contains ~2200′ elev. gain.



Then we got this encouraging message via e-mail the day before the race....

 Bring handwarmers, scarves, plenty of layers, and an emergency whistle. There are many sections of the race where access is limited or non-existent. Plan for how you are going to keep your water from freezing, and keep enough fuel with you to sustain you should you be out there for longer than expected. BE PREPARED TO TAKE CARE OF YOURSELF,and be prepared to help another runner out if necessary.

Now that makes you want to run doesn't it?

We got there safe and sound.  When we headed into the warming tent to get our numbers I told the volunteer my name.  She looked my name up and said "#475."  The other volunteer said, "Oh I just gave that number to someone else."  Dead silence, I just stood there.  What do I do?  The other volunteer kept looking as she said, "I know I just gave that number away."  Michele said," no you just did #375."  Luckily it was Michele who was right and I got my number okay.

At race start it said -1 degrees!  Miraculously the only thing cold on me was my toes!  We got in line for the bathrooms.  I told Michele that if we went in together we would get to stay in the warmer area TWICE as long!  These weren't porta potties they were bigger permanent buildings.  She laughed and when it was my turn she ran in with me.  I can only imagine what the people behind us thought. Kris didn't join us!   Hey, while each of us took care of our business, the other person had their back turned!

We came upon a lot of friends and people that we knew.  That was fun.  Kim brought it to our attention that MY name is NEVER in the blog!  I realized that was true!  Hah! So, my name is JODI!! I am Michele's younger sister and am slowly growing to be wiser.


The start was soooooo cold!  We were dressed in plenty of layers, but not moving around was making us cold!  Kris was trying to take a picture of herself while screaming, "THIS IS SO STUPID!" The race photographer snapped a photo of her while she did it!  It's funny to see the two shots side by side!




This whole week Kris has been really sick and we weren't sure if she would race with us today.  But she showed up, ready to go! Is this a good idea?  Too late! They finally lined us up to start the race, AT LAST! I was getting cold and needed to start running!!!  Our toes were numb.  I mean it!  We had absolutely NO FEELING in ANY of our toes! Michele said, "First one to feel their toes gets a dollar!"

The race start was signaled by a shot gun! Yes, a real true life shot gun! I LOVE IDAHO!!

I am on the right, Michele is next to me with the blue jacket.  Kris is right behind us (you can't see her in this picture)

The trail at first was packed really nice.  It was COLD but doable.  I started to feel my toes at about mile 1. That's about the same time that Michele did too so nobody won the dollar!  Kris started falling behind. This was weird, not like her.

Then the snow started to get powdery and deeper and uphill making it much more difficult to run in.  We had our Yaktrax on, but traction wasn't an issue.  It was the depth of the snow.  We trudged on, doing a good deal of walking now and then.  Kris kept falling further and further back. Each time we stopped to wait for her we discussed the fact that she was too sick to be dong this race today.

Then I had decided that since this was a long drudging run, I wasn't going to look at my watch.  I knew it would be mile 4 when we reached the first aid station.  But, I was afraid that if I kept looking at the mileage it would make the run seem even harder.  So, my watch was tucked way up into my sleeve where  I couldn't easily get to it.  Just then Michele yelled out, "That's mile 2!"  AAAaaahhhh!!  I forgot to tell her my decision!  "Michele!" I yelled, "I didn't want to know!!!"

After what seemed like forever, we spotted our first aid station!  That powdery snow, going uphill was a tough one!  Here we are coming into the aid station.

At the aid station we decided Kris was too sick and needed to opt out of finishing.  We tried to convince her but she just yelled at us!  Stubborn woman!!  She told us to go forward without her!  We didn't want to leave her but she kept yelling at us to do it!

Before we headed out though we enjoyed the wonderful aid station that was Rocky Road.  It was fabulous.  The volunteers were friendly, the food/snack choices were awesome and plentiful!  I ate some frozen peanut M&M's that really hit the spot.  Then we had a cup of frozen slushy Coca Cola that was delicious!!  I never drink caffeine and I wasn't sure what this would do to me.  "Watch out!" I called to Michele as we resumed running, "I just drank caffeine!"

We did ask Kris one more time if she was sure and she waved us off.  If we had stayed I think she would have started cussing at us!  So we headed out.

The race report now has two parts, Jodi and Michele's and then Kris'.

Jodi and Michele....

What an awesome run!  The scenery was breathtaking!  The trail was no longer powdery and we even found sections that were mostly dirt!

As we ran by the frozen Wilson Creek there was this man that we kept passing, then he would pass us, then we would pass him etc.  This was mostly because I would stop to take pictures.  He didn't seem to be very happy.  We kept making references to "leap frog" when we passed each other.  Finally I told Michele that I wanted to pas him once and for all and be done with it!  So I sped up.  As I passed him I cheerfully said, "Leap Frog again!"  the I heard Michele behind me say "Ribbit Ribbit"  We got a grunt and not much else in response. One thing I have learned in running these past few years is this...If you are not enjoying it, then it is time to stop.

Michele coming up he trail along the frozen Wilson Creek.  The last picture before we leap frogged grumpy runner for the last time!

Before you know it, we had the finish line in sight! Just like that!  What a great run!  I never felt cold (after my feet warmed up), never hurt, and enjoyed every step of the run!!  As we crossed the finish line they hung a shot gun shell across our neck!  Our friend Holly had a cold sprite ready for us and Michele's husband was standing there cheering us in!  Michele had said several times during the race and again at the end, "I would do this again."  I totally agree!

Kris....
Well Kris finally did decide  to not finish the race.  Unfortunately it wasn't because she listened to her wise, loving and caring friends who were worried about her.  No it was the ROCK that made up her mind!

Here are the medics checking her out.

Poor girl! She ended up with a cut chin, scraped nose and cheek, and bruises EVERYWHERE!  She also got a slight concussion and her husband had to wake her up every three hours.  Hmmm.... he may ban her from running with us! That would be a shame!