JANUARY REPORT

12 Months, 12 Trails, 3 Sole Sisters!

This month was Kris' turn to pick and theme our trail run.  She decided to pick the Wilson Creek Trail area.  Ah the imagination that one took! I'm sure it had nothing to do with the fact that we had a race there!

Her theme was awesome!!

We raced with this little charm attached to our hydration belts.  Unfortunately,  Kris' got smashed. Read our blog about the race to find out how that happened!

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!

Is it ever too cold to run?

We did squeeze in another trail run today!  I left my house and the temp read....

What to do?  Well, I'm already up, I'm already dressed, I already in the car!!  Might as well go!!
It warmed up quite a bit and as I got closer to Michele's the temp had risen....

This was going against our rule of running only when it reaches double digits! But...We were doing it anyway!

I had been running so late this morning that I didn't get in a very good breakfast.  Luckily in my trail bag I had one of these.  I started to eat.  "Hmmm....I have tasted this flavor before.  It tastes like..."
"Seven-meal." Michele said.
"No, not that." I replied.
Michele started laughing!  "I said it's 7 now!  The temperature!"
Oh!  Haha
This is our drive to the trails.  We are frozen, tired, hungry and giggling all the way!

When we got to the parking lot at Camel's Back Michele gasped! "I forgot my watch! I was so worried that I would forget my hat that I left my watch!"  So today she did what Runner's World calls a 'Gadget free run'. Well, never fear, I have my watch!

The parking lot was EMPTY!  Not one single car in the lot.  Our starting temp was 5 degrees. Off we go!

The run was the exact same course as Monday so nothing new to report there.  I kept fogging up my glasses so I had to run the first mile or so without them on in order to keep my gaiter over my nose.  My eyelashes started to freeze together!

Here you can see some of the ice crystals forming on them!  At the end of the run of my hair that had peaked out of my hat were frozen and crystallized too!

It was COLD!  When we finished our run it was 7 degrees! WOW! WE are crazy!  But we were dressed correctly and really didn't feel too cold!

After the run we went in search of Hot chocolate!  Michele's husband said that coffee shops have hot chocolate.  SO we went to the Moxie Java drive through.  This was an interesting experience.  First Michele orders two small hot chocolates.  He asks if any of them would be for a child.  WAIT! Does that mean there is coffee in them?  No he says.  That seemed like a strange thing to ask us then.  Then he asked if we wanted whipped cream. Mmmmm YES!

He then tells us to pull the window wefqeiubq.  That was not a typo. We couldn't understand what he said.  We pulled to the first window and nothing happened.  "I don't think he's at this one."  I said.  "Pull to the next one."  SO Michele did.  When he opened the window  he said 'you missed it'.  Whoops he must have said window one!  After he left to get the hot chocolate Michele wondered, " How do you drink Hot Chocolate with whipped cream on top?"

So, she just licked off all of the Whipped cream, took a sip, and yelled out.  

"Does it have coffee in it?" I gasped.

"No, it's hot!" She laughed.

I figured it out that you let the hot chocolate go through the whipped cream as you sip it, yummy!

Great run today. Cold weather but beautiful in the trails!  Yummy treat afterwards!  And a fun filled drive home of laughter!!

Two days of great snowy trail training completed!  We are ready for Saturday's race! Watch out because here come the Soul Sisters....TEAM AWESOME!

Much Needed Therapy!!!

We have both had a tough week of life drama.  Plus, the weather has been TERRIBLE!  Not only has there been snow but the temps have been in the single digits.  On a couple days we were forced to stay indoors and run on the dreaded hated treadmill!  We were both at our limit of limits!  If I didn't get a trail run in soon I was going to go crazy!  We needed therapy!  Trail therapy!  SO this weekend we planned a Monday morning run.

"We are going no matter what!" I told Michele. "No cancelling!"

Later I received a text from Michele that gave hints of her backing out due to the cold and snow....

 I was so happy that she is not a wimp after all!
We opted to run Camel's Back.  We have a nice favorite loop that we do; Lower parking lot up to Kestral, turn left and do a little of Crestline, then left on the first Redcliffs Trailhead.  We run this down and across the road then head up Chickadee.  From there we veer onto Redwinged Blackbird which drops us back down by the Pond Loop and to the Parking lot.  It is a great loop approx 5.6 miles.

Our start time kept getting bumped back because it was sooooo cold!  I woke up to 5 degrees.  By the time I did leave and reach Michele's it was 10 degrees.  We only run if it's double digits at least so, Here we go!

Yaktrax on? CHECK!

Watch find Satellite? CHECK!

All exposed skin covered up? CHECK!

We were dressed in a ton of layers!  We were trying out our gear for this Saturday's upcoming race; Wilson Creek Frozen.

At first our legs were so wobbly trying to get used to the uneven snow surface.  It was packed down really nicely but I kept stepping in snow holes that I couldn't see.  This made me feel like I had really weird ankles and was quite funny.  Eventually I got the hang of it.

What a beautiful run.  We didn't see any other runners.  What a shame that so many people were missing out on this awesome crisp morning!

Therapy session completed.  Running in the whiteness, the quiet, it is so energizing.  The big things that seem to be problems get smaller with every step you take on the snow packed trail.  You just feel better.

We headed home feeling refueled and pumped up!  So pumped in fact that Michele sent me a text before I had even arrived back home...

"Can you go again on Wednesday?"

"YES!!!!"

SNOW! SNOW! SNOW!

Will we ever get out onto the trails?  It seems we have had more snow this week than the past three years combined!!  While a lot of people are probably still hitting the trails and enjoying the beauty of snow-trail running, I cannot!  See I live on the top of this really steep hill with three insanely sharp switchbacks!  The hill is just under a half mile long!  When it snows, I am stuck for days until the plows and sanders come.  Unfortunately, we are like LAST on the list of hills to do in the ENTIRE county!  So when it snows, I am stuck at home!  But, I can still run by my house!  Did a great YAK TRAX run yesterday!

 

It was a lot of fun!  But I really need a trail run!!!!!!

HAPPY NEW YEAR!

Our group trail running goal this year is called....

12 Months, 12 Trails, 3 Sole Sisters!

Here is the basic idea.  Each month one of us will pick a trail to run with a theme attached.  It can even include SWAG!  Then the challenge is to get that trail ran in that month, either together or solo.  We each assigned out the months:

Kris: Jan, Apr, July, Oct

Michele: Feb, May, Aug, Nov

Jodi: Mar, June, Sept, Dec

It should be pretty interesting.  We know all the trails now and which ones are really good!  It will still be 52 weeks of trail madness....for sure!!! 

So it is January 1st and we are waiting on Kris!