I Qualified for Boston!

Posted on May 21, 2013 by Christie

My friend, Ryan shared this with me this week and reminded me of how appropriate this quote was for my journey to qualifying for Boston! I couldn’t agree more!

I ran my first marathon – The City of Trees Marathon on October 4th, 2009. It was 40 degrees and raining the entire race. It was wonderful and hard and definitely one of the most difficult things I’d ever done to that point (and that’s saying something from a woman who’s given birth without an epidural 5 times!) I had set a goal of running the race in 4:45, but crossed the finish line in 4:57:33. It was such an emotional and glorious moment to suddenly become a “marathoner!” I could not imagine running any faster than the 11:21 pace I maintained for that 26.2 miles!

Here I am running my first marathon in 2009! My finish time that day: 4:57

But, that is one of the things that really seems to drive our kind — the “runners” in the world. We love to challenge ourselves, push hard to achieve our goals and once those are mastered, we make new goals and go after them, too! One of the first thoughts that went through my mind as I soaked in my ice bath after the race was, “I bet I could do the next one FASTER!” And once I got on that path, it wasn’t long before I started daydreaming about pie-in-the sky goals — especially the biggest one of all for most marathoners — to one day qualify for Boston – the Holy Grail of running achievements!

I've loved Boston so much, we went there on vacation and I ran the entire marathon course just for fun, dreaming of one day running it officially back in 2010.

I’ve loved Boston so much, we went there on vacation in 2010 and I ran the entire marathon course just for fun, dreaming of one day running it officially.

At that point, I’d already bought several books about the Boston Marathon, about it’s rich history, about Kathrine Switzer and her first run there in 1967 (where she was the first female ever to run it with a race bib) and how the race director, Jock Semple tried to attack her and remove her race bib and kick her out of the race partway through.

The infamous photos of the 1967 struggle between Kathrine Switzer and Boston Race Director Jock Semple. Her boyfriend knocked him out of the way and she finished the race in 4:20! Go Kathrine!

It angered me and surprised me to think that women had been unable to freely race in a marathon just a little over four decades ago. And, women weren’t openly welcomed into Boston until 1972, which coincidentally was the year I was born!

Here’s a picture of Kathrine and Jock in 1972 at the start of the Boston Marathon – the first year women were officially allowed to enter the race. He had apologized for his bad behavior in 1967. This photo shows progress in the mindset of those who thought women could not and should not run marathons! Kathrine’s first Boston marathon time was 4:20. Her PR was Boston in 1975 when she ran a 2:51! She was truly talented!

From the moment I learned that little fact, I felt a connection to Boston and the history of women runners. I felt it was my destiny to one day run the race myself — one of the benefactors of women like Kathrine Switzer (and my own Mom who started running in the 1980′s and was the first woman I knew who ran a marathon the year she was 40!) They blazed the trail! They showed me the way and I knew it would be an honor to have things come full circle and freely come to race in Boston one day.

I think I'm looking at my Dad and thinking, "Dad and Mom, would you come cheer me on when I'm 40? I know it will help me qualify for BOSTON!"

I think I’m looking at my Dad and thinking, “Dad and Mom, would you come cheer me on at a marathon when I’m 40? I know it will help me qualify for BOSTON!” P.S. Bring a cool sign! I’ll like that little touch!

But, there was the qualifying problem. Boston, unlike most other marathons, won’t allow you to just sign up and show up on race day to run. Instead, you must run a marathon on a USA Track and Field certified course in a qualifying time (based on your gender and age!) At the time I was dreaming about Boston, my qualifying time would have been 3:45:59 since I was 36. That was a difference of about an hour and 12 minutes FASTER! Talk about a pipe dream! But, it was already engraved on my heart as my destiny — so I kept training, kept running, even when others stopped joining me for training runs or gave up on their running visions for awhile. I spent many years running alone along the roads in Nampa, Idaho, dodging sugar beet trucks in the summer and heavy traffic. I wasn’t close to a greenbelt so I made do with what I had. And, little by little, I started to improve.

I can't tell you how many times I've nearly been hit by a falling beet from an over-full truck going 50 miles per hour down Cherry Lane in Nampa on a training run! It made for some quick foot action, that's for sure!

I can’t tell you how many times I’ve nearly been hit by a falling sugar beet from an over-full truck going 50 miles per hour down Cherry Lane in Nampa on a training run! It made for some quick foot action, that’s for sure!

About 6 months later I ran my second marathon. I’d been training for and ran my first ultra marathon just a few weeks before, so I wasn’t expecting a very fast time when I signed up for the Famous Potato Marathon – and that’s good – because I actually ran slower with a time of 5:14:13, but I wasn’t discouraged! I’d done a difficult half marathon (with 8+ hard miles of uphill) and my ultra within the same month as this race, so I was seeing myself accomplish several races in a short period of time, which was cool, too and it was helping me develop my strength and endurance (even if my speed wasn’t improving much yet.)

This finish photo always cracks me up! This was my 2nd marathon and my kids were chasing me as I final kicked it home! Though the final kick was sweet, my final time was my slowest of all 7 of my marathons: 5:14!

By my 3rd marathon, I got more focused. I printed out a Smart Coach plan from Runner’s World and I started training more seriously for speed. When I ran the City of Trees in October of 2010 (one year after my first marathon) I shaved off 36 1/2 minutes off my time when I crossed the line in 4:20:59! That was a huge improvement and gave me hope that Boston could someday happen for me – if I kept working hard! But, I still had a long way’s to go. I needed to shave another 35 minutes to “BQ” (runner lingo for Boston Qualify!)

I was more focused for the City of Trees Marathon in 2010 finishing with a time of 4:20:59 – a huge PR!

My focus was averted temporarily as I sought to run longer and longer distances in ultra marathons on the trails I’d fallen in love with. I didn’t run another marathon until the Famous Potato Marathon one year ago — just two months after my first 100 mile race! I had no idea what I could do and had not trained on the roads hardly at all during my ultra prep, so I was amazed when I crossed the finish line comfortably in 3:48:41! A PR by more than 32 minutes! That’s when my quest for Boston became more than a dream. It started to seem so much more likely!

A huge PR at Famous Potato Marathon in 2012! 1st in my age group and 10th woman overall with a time of 3:48!

There was just one catch. Though I was about to turn 40 and the standards would have allowed me to run a 3:50:59 to qualify, new standards had been put into place that required me to run faster than ever!!! They shaved off the 59 second grace window that had applied for so many years and then took another 5 minutes off the time, basically requiring everyone in all age groups to run nearly 6 min faster to qualify! My job just got harder! I needed to run a 3:45:00 or better to BQ! If the standards had not changed, that would have been the day I qualified for Boston! But, with the new standards in place, I needed to run 3 min and 41 seconds faster! I was NOT discouraged! I was pumped!!! I was so determined to go into laser mode and just focus as hard as I needed to to reach my dream goal!

I had moved to Boise late in 2011 and had the amazing luck of having a good friend who is much faster than me ask me to start running with him more in the early mornings. This benefited me in a couple of ways. Being able to run in the dark, before the kids woke up meant I was able to get in more miles (my weekly average went from about 30 miles a week to closer to 45-50) and I was having to push my pace more to keep up with my fast friend (even on his easy days!) I also suddenly had access to the Boise Greenbelt for safe running on long stretches of asphalt without a beet truck (or any traffic) in sight and I could hit the trails and run in the mountains almost from my front door, so I was gaining strength in my legs from climbing a lot more mountains – several times a week! I had been noticing an improvement in my endurance and my strength and my speed over several months when I ran the 3:48 race!

Me and the “Fast boys” – Ryan and Derek who’ve helped to get me in BQ shape in the last year and a half!

I set my sights on a fall marathon with a lot of elevation loss (something I thought would play to my strength of running fast downhill.) That race was the Pocatello Marathon and it didn’t go as planned. I was on pace for a BQ until mile 18, when the wheels just fell off and I started to walk – and pretty much walked the rest of the race until I crossed the finish line in a disappointing time of 4:27:01. I had not trained specifically for a downhill road race. I had hoped my good luck at the previous marathon with very little road training or any speedwork would mean I could just “wing it” and do well at this race while still training for ultras in the mountains. I was wrong! It was a lesson learned! But, I did not give up!

My buddy April and I both were seeking Boston times when the wheels fell off for each of us. This is us coming to the finish realizing just how FAR we’d sunk in pace!

My friends Ryan and Derek continued to push me hard in training and they both knew how much I wanted Boston! Derek said something to me that really spoke to me this past winter. He said, “What is difficult for you must become easy!” From that point on, when the boys ran roads with me in our midweek runs, we ran my BQ pace – or faster – every single time!!! I started to train at the pace I needed to qualify! It was hard at first and I couldn’t hold it long, but as the weeks went by, I started to find it more comfortable and by the time I showed up at the Redding Marathon in Jan of 2013, I knew I was ready (or close!) I had even ran a 20 miler at 1 second per mile faster than BQ pace in training!

You know you gave everything you had in a race when you look like THIS at the finish line! A PR – but no Boston – yet! 3:47. Still needing to shave 2 min and 22 seconds off to qualify!

That was the most comfortable marathon of my life! It truly did feel like a training run until the final 4 miles or so (when it started to hurt and I could not muster the energy to push it home a bit faster!) I enjoyed the hills, the beautiful bridges we crossed and the route. I crossed the finish line in 3:47:22 – a PR but not a BQ! I had ran a smart race and my Garmin said I’d done the 8:34 pace I needed for the duration – but – the certified course, being done on a very curvy route turned out to be a 26.5 instead of closer to 26.2, so I just missed it. Being a race director myself (and someone who has personally helped certify 4 marathon courses) I should have known better! If you don’t cut every single tangent the course will be a bit long and I should have assumed from the start that I needed to run a little bit faster the entire time to reach my goal. It was another lesson!

I ran my second 100 mile race in March of 2013 (about 2 hours faster than the year before), then I set my sights back on qualifying for Boston in May at the Famous Potato. I felt fitter and more focused than ever before! Ryan had gotten the marathon bug and was training hard right along with me (for his own goal of a 3:10 or better) and having that camaraderie was good for me! Even though we run different paces, we would meet together, do the warm up miles as we talked and then each push hard for the speedwork and tempo work, then cool down together. I think we both pushed each other to do better and that was a big help! For about 6 weeks, we abandoned our beloved trail running and just focused on preparing our bodies to qualify on the asphalt!

Ryan and I (and sneaky Dennis our photobomber friend – who also qualified for Boston) just before the start of the Potato Marathon 2013!

And, it paid off!! This past weekend, on May 18, 2013, I made history (for ME) by qualifying for Boston!!! I did it!!!!! I can’t believe it!!! Despite having to stop for potty breaks several times along the course, I ran across the finish line in 3:40:44 — a full 4 minutes and 16 seconds faster than I needed to! My family was there to cheer for me along the route (including my parents, which meant the world to me), so many of my friends were either running the race or were there cheering or pacing, my amazing friend Lucia, who has ran Boston more times than any woman I know, paced me the last 6 miles and kept me steady and I got to high-five Ryan as he grinned at about mile 18 for me and 22 for him as he went on to qualify for Boston with a 3:08, too!

This is me and my wonderful friend, Lucia (in her Lucky Purple gloves that I’m sure gave me Boston qualifying Magic) at about mile 22. I was all smiles and felt strong!

It was an amazing day! When I crossed the finish line, my dear friend Dennis yelled at me, “C. EB” as he likes to call me. I was having a hard time catching my breath and when I looked up and saw him with his arms stretched out I went to him for a congratulatory hug. That’s when it all suddenly hit me like a ton of bricks — the quest was OVER! I’d actually DONE IT!!! I started sobbing, just so overcome with gratitude and emotion and RELIEF and joy! I did it! I really did it! I finally qualified for Boston!!!

I was overcome when I saw my family and lifted my hands and shouted out, “I’m going to BOSTON!’ I couldn’t stop crying tears of relief and joy! 7 marathons but I finally got it!

My parents were there with the video camera and my Mom said, “Where are you going now?” and through tears, I threw up my arms and yelled out, “BOSTON!!” My five kids gathered around me and hugged me and said they were so proud of me! “You did it, Mom! you finally did it!” My husband hugged me and said, “I knew you could!” which meant the world! Later, Ryan found me and we posed for a picture. I’d named our little team, “Boston and a Belt Buckle” – meaning I wanted to earn a 100 mile belt buckle and a Boston qualifying time in the same year. We’d both earned our 100 mile buckles at Antelope Island Buffalo Run in March -and less than two months later, we were standing near the finish line where we’d each BQ’d!!! That couldn’t have gone better!!

“You did it, Mom!’ the kids said! I told them, “Big dreams will not come easy! Just keep at it and you can accomplish what you wish for!”

Thanks for the support, Dad and Mom!

So, if you are dreaming of Boston and it seems like an impossible dream, I want to encourage you to never lose hope! I went from a 4:57 marathoner to a 3:40 one. Anything is possible if you are willing to believe in yourself, work really hard and keep on picking yourself up and trying if things don’t go right the first time! It’s worth it to keep after your goals! You can do it!!!!!

Antelope Island Buffalo Run – My 2nd 100 Miler and a PR!

Posted on March 27, 2013 by Christie

Antelope Island Buffalo Run

Six weeks ago I strained my soleus muscle in my calf while heading uphill on black ice on a 22 mile training run, when I slipped on the road and fell as a car was coming towards me. I was limping as soon as I picked myself up and immediately I worried all the training I’d done over the winter would slip down the drain as I recovered. The injury was just a grade 1 strain, but it was bad enough I was not supposed to run or even take leisurely walks on it for several weeks. I knew the Buffalo Run 100 miler was fast approaching and instead of joining my pals on extended long runs to peak for the race, I watched my log book go week after week without a run added. It was a little stressful!

Thankfully, with a chiropractor, who is also an athlete working diligently on the calf to break up the scar tissue and encourage healing and frequent visits to my sports massage gal, I was able to recover in time for the race — barely! The longest run I did in those 6 weeks was a 13 miler less than a week before the race – and most of it was walking! Thankfully, my training had not slacked during the winter months, though and I had been in good shape prior to the accident hitting about 70 miles per week for the two weeks before I got hurt, so I was banking on my prior mileage and experience to get me through the Antelope Island Buffalo Run 100 for the second time!

To add a little more pressure to the day, the race was taking place from March 22nd – 23rd. The 23rd is my youngest daughter’s 6th birthday, so I’d decided that the coolest gift I could possibly give to her would be the belt buckle after I crossed the finish line! I decided to be as conservative as possible to nurse the injury and hold back to increase my chances of just finishing the race so I could surprise my daughter at the finish!

In the days leading up to the race, I expected to be nervous or worried. I’d certainly been terrified the year before when I’d shown up at the starting line of AI since it was my first 100. This time was pleasantly different for me. Even with the worries about the injury, I felt relaxed, slept well and felt calm as I approached the starting line. I never assumed I’d finish, as these things are insanely difficult and even the strongest of runners can encounter injury, bonking, stomach issues and mental breakdown throughout the 25-30 hours on the course, but I did come to the race ready to give my best and to walk away with no regrets no matter what happened – and that acceptance of “what will be will be” put me in a good mental place.

We looked like tiny ants being herded by this buffalo

One of the coolest things about the race this year was the huge turnout! Jim Skaggs puts on a great event and apparently word had gotten around that this was a 100 not to be missed! Last year there were about 60 people at the starting line and 34 finishers. This year, there were closer to 100 starters! The weather this year was much colder than last year! I’d woken up to see snow falling outside my hotel window in Layton, a few miles down the road. The winds were strong, even at the noon start and the clouds were covering up the sun. I was bundled up and ready to face a much chillier race than the year before.

Getting ready in the hotel before I saw the snowstorm outside. Added tights before the race.

I moved all the way to the back of the back as the racers lined up (Karl Meltzer, dressed in his signature Hoka One One white and blue tank and shorts rightly at the front) and reminded myself to stay back there for as long as possible to be conservative. Almost immediately I caught sight of a pal of mine I’d met the year before – world-famous blogger and ultra runner Cory Reece!! He was festively decked out in a red jacket with a matching sock monkey hat that his young daughter had asked him to wear and his characteristic bright smile! I was thrilled to see him, since I knew he and I were similar paces and figured we’d get to share some fun miles together. I also said hello to my friend, Ed Eddinghausen (who as usual was dressed in his court jester outfit and also being cautious since he was coming off of a 160 mile race the previous week!)

I heard the countdown and we all took off! My five children were ringing cowbells and cheering on the sides and waved at them and blew kisses as I passed. My husband was taking photos and I smiled at him and said, “I love you!” just as I rounded the corner off the main road onto the path, passing a few buffalo standing just a few feet from the colorful congo line of runners. I relaxed, checked my HR and settled into a super easy walk pace, sticking to my plan of playing it safe and not going out too fast.

Me and Cory at the start of the race on the Fun Train already!

I soon found myself in some pleasant conversations with those around me and the miles just seemed to tick by rapidly. One woman recognized me from my blog (which was a nice surprise) and another gentleman shared that there were four generations of his family doing the race that day – including his 81 year old father! It was amazing to hear people share their stories and I had such a fun time getting to know some new trail friends.

When we reached the Elephant Head aid station and turned onto the path to do the out and back, the faster runners were speeding back already and it was fun to see the front of the packers duking it out! That is one of the things I love best about this race is the chance to see so many other runners out on the course and get a chance to say hi or give encouragement to those ahead of you or behind you! The vibe is always positive here!

I had the pleasure of starting this race with several other Boise Trail Runner friends which was also fun. 7 of us had shown up to do the 100, so during this section I was able to cheer for my faster friends, Ryan, Lyn, Sam, Sean, Emily and Amy and several other buddies I’ve met at previous ultras, which was fun! I was in great spirits and the calf was holding up fine as I reached the turnaround spot and leaned down to choose a sticker from the box (the way the RD knows you’ve actually gone all the way out to the turnaround.) Cory and I were together here and word on the street was that there were some sweet Justin Beiber stickers in that box. Since we’re both parents of kids who might consider that cool, we decided to choose one of those. It turned out all the front runners were suffering from Beiber fever, though and all that remained were fairy princess stickers, so we each chose the prettiest fairies we could from the selection!

Just as we were finishing up, I heard heavy breathing (a rarity at the back of the pack this early in the race.) Cory and I looked at each other then looked up and saw Karl Meltzer himself running like it was a 5k coming straight at us! Our jaws simultaneously dropped to the dirt and star-struck, I squeaked out, “Um.. can I get you a sticker, Karl?” I don’t think he heard me since he had earphones in, but for a brief, shining, moment, I was shoulder to shoulder with Karl Meltzer (who was several miles ahead of me since he’d done the other loop section of the course first and was just finishing this bit up before heading back to the start/finish for the 20 mile check in) in a race as he hurriedly ripped a fairy right in half, slapped it on his bib and took off! As the dust whirled in his wake as he zipped off, Cory and I just stared, wide-eyed at each other and he said, “What just happened?!!” I said, “I have no idea but it was SO blogworthy, dude!” and we both started to laugh like hysterical schoolchildren!

The bulk of the climbing of this course happens in the first 20 mile loop section that we were on (which we get to repeat from miles 50-70.) We were through the majority of the worst by about mile 12, when I started to feel the urge to let myself run just a bit to test out the leg (and have a little bit of fun.) I said goodbye to some of my pals and eased into a gentle jog. I could see my friends Sean, Emily and Amy about half a mile in the distance and decided it might be time to catch up. I didn’t rush, just let the ground pull me closer bit by bit and it was a lot of fun to finally find myself side by side with them about mile 13. I thought some of them would join in, so I just kept doing what I was doing, but none of them stayed with me. I saw my friend, Sam’s bright yellow shirt up ahead another half a mile and decided I’d focus on that next. I still walked every uphill and kept the pace conservative, but I was feeling really good!

As I rounded the fence back near the start finish, my husband snapped a couple of pictures of me and told me I looked great! I told him I was sticking to my plan (as my average heart rate was still about 30 points lower this year on this section than the year before.) I had done the first loop last year in about 4:07. With holding back, surprisingly, I did the first loop in exactly 4 hours this time! That was awesome to see! I checked my number into the aid station and then kept moving down the road, feeling amazing.

Coming in to mile 20 after the first loop.

Despite the strong winds, the temperature started to feel a bit better through this section as we headed to the path along the Salt Lake, which is one of the highlights of the course! It’s just breathtaking with the snow-covered Wasatch mountain range in full view on the other side! There was a lot of mud through this section and my feet got a bit wet, but I didn’t mind. It was actually all part of the craziness of ultra running and I welcomed it.

I relaxed and enjoyed the scenery along the water. I love the trails on Antelope Island and most of them are very runnable, so I just enjoyed the day, staying conservative and doing plenty of walk breaks to keep things low key. My family drove along taking pictures and cheering when they could see me which was very motivating! My 12 year old son, Wayne Jr came to run a little section with me and my youngest daughter, Savannah also got to get a nice hug here, which are probably my favorite photos of the day!

Wayne Jr and I running a little stretch together! A highlight for me!

About mile 28 coming into Lower Frary Aid Station

When I arrived at the Ranch at mile 33.3 or so, I was feeling like a million bucks. I saw my buddy, Vince Romney and his lovely wife Chris and we hugged and said hello! Then I headed into the (REAL) bathroom there and got myself ready for nighttime running. I put on my headlamp, pulled out my ipod (since I’d enjoyed hearing music through this section last year) and put on my gloves. I sipped some broth, said my goodbyes and headed out. The first song that came on almost made me burst out laughing. It was ABBA’s “Gimme Gimme Gimme a Man After Midnight.” My pacer (my friend Derek) was told to expect me at around midnight and it just seemed like a hilarious coincidence!

ABBA the 70's singing wonders got me through

ABBA reminded me that I’d be getting a PACER after midnight!

These lyrics really DO fit, if you think about it. I was by myself at this point and looking forward to some company to take me to the next day (and to the FINISH!)

There’s not a soul out there
No one to hear my prayer

Gimme gimme gimme a man after midnight
Won’t somebody help me chase the shadows away
Gimme gimme gimme a man after midnight
Take me through the darkness to the break of the day

It was starting to get really cold, but I had a smile on my face still. My feet (unlike the previous year) felt amazing in the Brooks Pure Grits and things were going pretty well. I did start to fall behind on fueling/hydration here though. As the wind picked up, the sun went down and I didn’t feel as thirsty or hungry, so I was just taking little sips of broth at each of the aid stations and very little else. I know better, but I was heading myself straight into bonkland.

At mile 44, I was back in the Mountain View aid station, huddled out of the wind and cold with two other male runners. We chitchatted for a couple of minutes while I sipped yet another serving of beef broth (my stomach was starting to really hate the sight of beef broth by this point but I thought the warm liquid and the sodium would help.) As the nausea started to bother me from that point on, I slowed down. The winds picked up, the temperature dropped further (down to a real feel of 8 degrees by the middle of the night), snow had fallen twice already and I was starting to feel kind of miserable. There was a lot of shuffling from miles 44-50.

When I arrived at the start/finish area and the huge tent with heaters inside, it was like seeing heaven! I was so relieved to step inside out of the weather. My watch said I’d been running for 11:18 min (which meant I was about 45 min faster on the first loop than the previous year, which was exciting!) My pacer was there and two other friends who were there waiting to pace other runners. I was so happy to see them all! I was shivering so badly and low on calories. Derek, my rock star pacer, quickly jumped into action setting up his little heater to warm me up. My friend Christine put a sleeping bag around my shoulders to help me feel warmer and my friend Jon started asking about other clothing I had to change into to warm myself up. That’s when I realized that most of my running gear, fuel, etc was not in the tent. My husband and five children had left the island to head back to the hotel for a night of sleep and the majority of my things (including the extra batteries for my headlamp) were with them. It was my own fault! I had not really gone over what I might need throughout the night and my husband had left me a small bag with the exact items I had mentioned earlier in the day I’d want – including one more light jacket and a pair of shoes and socks. Amazingly, my friends quickly went into action, one handing me her extra thin jacket to put on, another (Derek) offering me his ginormous, thick ski coat he’d been wearing while he waited for me! This coat would take on the nickname of “The Man Coat” for the rest of the night. It made me look like I was still that 200 lb lady from 6 years ago and it made me feel like I was basking in the Florida sun instead of freezing my buns off on a stormy Utah night! It was exactly what I needed!

Picking up my pacer, Derek. He told me he’d drag me by my pigtails to the finish if he needed to. I appreciated his determination and his MAN COAT!

Derek told me to rest my eyes while I sat in the camp chair and he went to work making me a grilled cheese sandwich! I was so touched by the outstanding help of my friends and knew that they would help get me through the rough patch. Unfortunately, I was so nauseated, that when he offered me the sandwich I picked at it and ate about two bites before I told him I was sorry but that was the best I could do at the moment. He had me sip some Gatorade and we headed back out into the night. We’d taken probably 40 minutes getting my needs met so it was around midnight.

I was so slow through this section and not a lot of fun to hang out with I’m sure for Derek. I just slogged along in my man coat, putting one foot in front of the other, sucking on a peppermint trying to get the nausea to ease. It didn’t. It got worse. I didn’t want to drink or eat so I think I had maybe 3 sips of broth and a couple sips of water for the next 20 miles as I walked over the mountains following Derek.

By the time, Derek and I were in sight of the 70 mile spot, it was 6 am (I’d been running for 18 hours) and the 50 mile racers were just starting. They came up the trail at us as a swarm of bright headlamps and thundering feet. I heard lots of encouragement as they passed us and it was a little mental boost. My Garmin battery died just as I got into the tent and so did I. My husband was there, looking concerned (since I looked like a total wreck and was behind schedule.) All I wanted to do was lay down. This was my dark place for the race — the point where I just wasn’t sure I could find the will or strength to go on. I was so cold, just shivering – even in the man coat and multiple layers. I felt like throwing up, though my stomach was totally empty. I had no energy and I was tired and sore.

I wandered around looking for a place to lay down and couldn’t find anywhere. Finally I settled on the drop bag tarp. I just flopped to the ground, curled up in fetal position and lay there shivering. My husband leaned over me and said, “Not there! It’s covered in water from a hydration vest leak or something.” I didn’t care. I looked up at him and for the first time, let myself shed a few tears as I told him how awful I felt and how worried I was that I could not finish in this condition.

Derek was already on top of things, having set up the camp stove again and was working hard at making me a grilled cheese sandwich. Wayne went to find me some hot cocoa and within a few minutes, they started to bring me back to life – bite by bite and sip by sip. That’s the thing about these races — many times nutrition is the greatest obstacle for the racer. When you don’t get enough water, carbs and electrolytes into your system, it’s like having a car without any gas. No matter how fast the car can go when it’s got some fuel, it’s a useless pile of metal sitting alongside the road when it runs out. That’s what happened to me — I was out of gas and they were doing everything in their power to change that!

Though I love running in the dark and actually do the majority of my training by headlamp, it had also gotten to me. So, I asked Derek if we could stay in the tent until the sun was out. I’m glad I did, too, because when the sun came up, Cory was just arriving back at the tent from his 70 mile stretch and I was eager for some company! It was exactly what I needed! We’d taken more than an hour in the aid station, but by the time I left (still donning the sexy man coat) I was a totally different runner again! I felt energetic, happy, revived and EXCITED to run again!!

Coming back to life with Derek, Cory and his pacer!

Derek is a pretty funny guy and does great Jim Carrey impersonations – my favorite being his Vera De Milo one from In Living Color. He started doing his silly impersonations and had Cory and I and Cory’s pacer totally cracking up! He also started to signal to me every time we passed another mile by doing a heel click, which was freaking awesome! The mood became light, the conversation picked up and all of us felt alive again!

Derek did a great Vera De Milo impersonation during the last 30 miles to keep me laughing!

In fact, I warmed up from the beautiful sunshine (oh glorious sunshine how I missed thee in my darkest hours!!), that I had to remove the man coat a few miles later and get a pair of sunglasses instead! I was in great spirits after this. Derek took total control of my fueling and started feeding me Cheese It crackers – just one at a time – and waiting for me to ASK for water. This was a good sign since before I could not tolerate anything. I’d sip Gatorade, we’d run a mile and we’d do it all again. Over and over. It worked perfectly!

Fun times again with Cory who made the miles zoom!

In fact, I couldn’t believe how AWESOME I was feeling. I was definitely tired and my right big toe was sore from smacking it hard into a rock in the night on the second 20 mile loop (Derek’s famous words when I yelped, “Hey, it’s just a TOE. You don’t need that for running” which had me laughing. I smiled at all the runners, hugged my friends along the way and snuggled my kids at the aid stations. I was on fire again!

Derek giving me the heel click signal each time we passed a mile!

In fact, it was a complete contrast to this same section one year before where my blistered feet had me hobbling the last 50 miles. I did have a few blisters, but nothing like the year before and that just made me count my blessings. By mile 94, I felt like I was going to PR. It seemed crazy, but true!

Derek was the perfect pacer for this race for me! He took amazing care of me, shared his man coat and kept me smiling to the end! I may owe him my first born as a proper thank you!

I actually tried to pick up the pace from that point, but just as I got to mile 97 a huge blister on my left foot burst and I gasped with the sudden excruciating pain! I tried to walk on it and couldn’t believe how painful it was. That’s when I stopped, turned to Derek and said, “How in the WORLD did I run 50 miles with both feet covered in these last year?”! Sub freezing, windy weather, snow and bonking are NOTHING compared to this! I am insanely lucky that things have gone so very WELL this time!” And that was my attitude the rest of the race. I had to slow down the pace because of the blister, but I had a smile on my face.

Derek and I got closer to the finish line and I was passed by my friend Graham who was doing the 50 miler. Here is a quote of what went down at this point, that I had to share in his own words because he said it all so well:

Craziest most enjoyable finish for me yesterday…with 1/2 mile left I decided to push HARD and finish strong. I look up and see Christie Combs Ebenroth and we are like “hey there:)!”. Then Derek Call says “Go! Race him to the finish, Christie!” Sweet cheery Christie flips a switch and her normal friendly smile is gone, replaced by this…this look like I’ve just become a threat to her kids and all she loves and takes off! I thought what the?!? and kicked it up a notch…running mostly out of fear. It’s a good thing I did because a guy i had just passed decided he was going to run me down. I never expected to need a big kick at the end of 50 miles, but me and this other guy were in a 50 yard dash neck and neck like the gold medal was on the line, heads back full speed hoping our legs would hold out(well I was hoping mine would. and it was probably nothing like that, but it felt like it. Emily or Sam may have a much different take.) we crossed the finish line with nothing left.(I almost ran over Sam Collier andEmily Schuh Berriochoa watching the finish…I remember thinking, well if I black out at least I’m amongst friends)

So, it was definitely action-packed! As soon as Derek had told me to race, I went into final kick mode, loving the feel of pushing after slogging for so many miles — but I quickly remembered the plan — the fact that it was my daughter Savannah’s 6th birthday and saw the faces of my 4 other kids running towards me wanting to run across the finish line together the way we had the year before and I pulled back to let them catch up.

Derek’s two sons joined in, his youngest, little Cody, age 6 wrapped up in a blanket and we all held hands and ran towards the finish line together, grinning from ear-to-ear! Just as we hit the second timing mat, we raised our hands up in unison and went down into a bow! It was totally awesome!

Coming victoriously over the finish line!! What a glorious feeling! What goes through your head the second time you cross a 100 mile finish line? “Woo hoo! The first one wasn’t a FLUKE!”

Jim Skaggs handed me my coveted finisher prize — the black and silver belt buckle that says Antelope Island Buffalo Run 100 Mile Finisher – and I said to him, “Today is my daughter’s 6th birthday and this is her present from me.” And I turned and handed it to her. She looked up at me with her big blue eyes, her blond curls framing her tiny face and I saw the surprise in her face! Then she broke out into a huge grin, grabbed the buckle and threw her arms around me and said, “Thank you, Mommy!!!”

Happy Birthday Savannah! She was so excited about the buckle!!

It was the perfect race! I’m so thankful the calf injury held up, that I stuck to my plan and that things went so well! I PR’d by almost two hours too!!!! Now, that’s a bonus!!!!!! Finish time last year was 30:11. This year was 28:24. Not bad!

9 Days Until The Buffalo Run

Posted on March 13, 2013 by Christie

Good news! The injured soleus muscle seems to be fairly healed up – and just in the nick of time! The Antelope Island Buffalo Run 100 miler is only 9 days away! I was really sweating weather or not the calf strain would heal up in time to even attempt it. I took two weeks off when the injury hit, then eased very gently back into using it — doing 31 miles of mostly slow walking in week three, a little cross training – some yoga, a spin class, lots of stretching and a few visits to my chiropractor for ART and Graston therapies and then slowly beginning to run again last week. I also went to see my sports massage gal who does an amazing job of working thoroughly into the muscles, breaking up the scar tissue and loosening up my tight-as-can-be runner muscles to get me into a good position to heal in time for the race!

It seems to have worked! I have now been running some of my regular routes at paces that aren’t horribly different from before the injury. I’m taking more walk breaks and wearing compression calf sleeves and remembering to stretch after the runs — but I’m getting there!

This morning I ran with a group of friends, including my pal, Derek who will be my pacer at Antelope Island! It was exciting to be thinking ahead to race strategy and nutrition needs instead of holding my breath wondering if I would even be able to make the trip! I’m pretty pumped! The best part is that this year there are about 20 local pals from the Boise area heading down to Utah for the race! It’s going to be a party!!!!

My change in mindset from fearful injured runner to eager racer took a little bit of soul reflection and a big leap of faith, honestly. Sometimes it’s easy to get caught up in the worry of “what ifs” when you’re facing the idea of testing the injury in a race. It’s a risk to move forward and trust that you’re healed enough to begin running again – it’s a whole other kind of leap of faith to go from barely running for 4 weeks to racing a 100 miler! I’ve decided to take the leap!

Here are some words of wisdom I ran across as I was making my decision that bolstered my resolve and gave me the courage I needed to move forward with my plans!

It is better by noble boldness to run the risk of being subject to half the evils we anticipate than to remain in cowardly listlessness for fear of what might happen. – Herodotus

The time to take counsel of your fears is before you make an important battle decision. That’s the time to listen to every fear you can imagine! When you have collected all the facts and fears and made your decision, turn off all your fears and go ahead! – General George S. Patton

Redding Marathon 2013 Race Report

Posted on January 24, 2013 by Christie

Sundial Bridge Illuminated at Night - photo from SWEAT Running Club

I turned 40 in November. I am really hoping to qualify for Boston this year as a cool way to celebrate that milestone in my life. When I heard that several of my friends were signed up for the Redding Marathon in California, I was instantly intrigued! It’s been an exceptionally cold winter in Boise, Idaho and zipping off to some California sunshine to run a race sounded like a lot of fun!

Though I wasn’t officially training for any particular race, my overall training has been going exceptionally well this year. I was starting to see my weekday runs on both roads and trails get faster and I was really starting to think that my body was gearing up for a great year! So, with 4 weeks until the race, I signed up too and joined in on the fun – a road trip to Cali to run a marathon as fast and hard as I possibly could!

Famous Potato Marathon 2012

My PR was at the Famous Potato Marathon in May of 2012 when I was 10th female, 1st in my AG and ran a 3:48:41. I had no expectations when I showed up at the starting line and was shocked that I shaved 32 min off my previous best time! I did miss qualifying for Boston by 3 min and 41 seconds but the fact that I was in the ballpark really boosted my confidence! So, I hoped that with some really solid training under my belt this year, that I would be able to close that gap and finally get my BQ at Redding.

Palm Trees outside the Oxford Suites Inn in Redding, CA

I have to say that arriving in Redding was such a visual treat! There were a row of palm trees outside my hotel room, the temperatures were in the 60s and it was oh-so-gloriously SUNNY!! We stayed at the Oxford Inn and Suites and from the moment we arrived, we felt well taken care of by the friendly, attentive staff. The hotel was clean, attractively decorated and we loved seeing the swimming pool open and ready for business in January! We liked our room, the hotel was quiet and we loved the free hot breakfast with foods like hash-browns, scrambled eggs and sausage each morning! Mmm mmmm!

My friends and I at Shasta Dam

In total there were 8 of us from the Boise, Idaho area (plus my sweet husband who had come along to cheer me on at the race and be my amazing support system! Thanks, honey!) I highly recommend bringing along other runner friends when you travel to out of state races. And Redding was a wonderful place for sight-seeing, eating out and taking pretty scenic pictures to boot! Our group spent the day before the race picking up our race packets at Fleet Feet, getting a yummy lunch at Luigi’s, checking out the race start at Shasta Dam and carbo loading at Olive Garden before turning in early for a good night’s sleep and we had a lot of fun!

Packet Pickup at Fleet Feet. I am wearing the super cute race shirt in the photo! Love it!

I had studied the course and the elevation chart at www.findmymarathon.com and knew that it was hilly and that I’d have to a pace myself wisely. I felt confident that if I could relax and run a smart race, I’d probably do well and I felt I had a good shot at my goal.

My husband drove me and my friends Billie and Julie to the start about half an hour before the race began. We spotted five deer nibbling on the green grasses just outside the visitor’s center at Lake Shasta Dam. I took it as a good sign that it was going to be a great day! We arrived early enough that I was able to walk right up to the row of porta potties and use one! The temperature in the parking lot was probably close to 35 with 15 mph winds! I was freezing but knew I’d warm up once I started running and I also knew the high was predicted to be mid 70′s for the day. I was wearing a tank top, shorts, my calf sleeves and a light running jacket and thin gloves and they were just about perfect for the start.

I had a funny conversation with a man in line ahead of me at the bathroom (when I lined up for round 2 a few minutes later) that made me laugh. He said his wife had gotten sick, so he’d made her sleep in the guest room, while he bargained with God to let him show up at the race healthy and that he’d trade being sick the day AFTER the race instead! Smart plan! I also met a young guy wearing sandals and socks. He was getting lots of questions from curious runners asking if he was going to run the “whole way” in those things! He said, “Yeah” – and he really did! We would turn out to be a pretty similar pace and I would refer to him as “sandals” every time I saw him out there, as in, “Looking strong, there, Sandals!” Oh yeah, we bonded!

Posing with my friend Sam who DID qualify for Boston later that day! Woo hoo, Sam!

When it was time for the start, I lined up about halfway back in the pack, knowing I didn’t want to go out too fast. I knew the event was not chip-timed but hoped it wouldn’t hurt me later for making that decision. Someone said “GO!’ and we were off! I relaxed, settled into my warm up pace and was happy to be running! In the first mile, we ran across the Shasta Dam which was a pretty awesome way to begin the journey! The views were spectacular of the mountains covered in thick trees, the bright blue sky and Lake Shasta! Wow!

The runners take off and cross Shasta Dam in the first mile of the Redding Marathon.

I soaked in the beauty in mile 1 and soon after the course started to go downhill – literally! I love downhill running and this race had a few really enjoyable sections of it with mile 2 being the fastest of all! I passed my buddy Sam here and our friend Bill who was pacing him. Knowing they are both really solid runners, I expected them to pass me back as soon as the swift downhill section gave way to the flatter parts of the course, but that didn’t happen. I had decided early on to feel out the pace – to NOT obsess over what the Garmin was telling me about my pace and instead to just tune into my body and run exactly the way it wanted to run that day. I hoped by doing so, I’d ration my energy appropriately and be able to turn it up a notch at the end if I needed to to chase my time goal.

From the start, I felt really good. I was well trained, had tapered and rested and felt amazing! I can honestly say this turned out to be the smartest race I’ve ever ran as well. I walked through every single one of the 14 aid stations, switching between cups of water and Gatorade at each one. I ate a GU every 45 min – an hour and I took an S cap each hour to help maintain my salt balance. It seemed to work really well, too. I felt fueled, my energy stayed consistent and I had a smile on my face throughout the race! I also made it a point to thank each and every volunteer I encountered, letting them know how much I appreciated their help! I chose to do the race without carrying any water at all. I think that was a wise decision for me too. There was plenty of water on the course, so there was no need to slow my time down by carrying any (although it could be argued that by walking the 10-15 steps through each aid station so that I could get every drop of water inside my mouth instead of up my nose may have balanced things out.)

I had promised myself to only check the Garmin at a few points during the race: the half point, 20 miles and then each mile in the final 6 to try to push harder if I could to reach my 3:45:00 goal. I had printed out the approximate paces at www.findmymarathon.com, which takes into account elevation gain and loss for each mile and knew I needed to be at the half point by about 1:50 or so. I hit that point at 1:49 and felt really pleased with how things were progressing! I had hit a 1:47 half at the Pocatello Marathon in September and then tanked in the second half and was hoping I was playing my cards a little smarter this time by holding back. At the 13 mile aid station, one of the volunteers said, “You’re looking strong!’ I said “I feel wonderful!’ She told me to keep it up and let me know I was 6th place female! That really cheered me up and I kept my focus as I headed out.

Me at a little past mile 13 right on target!

I knew I needed to hit the 20 mile point at around 2:52 or so and hit that at 2:50! I was elated! I knew I had a little cushion, but not much to reach my goal. I ran into the aid station and started pumping my fists in the air and smiling! A lady said to me, “You look great! How do you feel?” I replied, “TOTALLY AWESOME!” She said, ‘Good luck, AWESOME!”

The course was really beautiful! We ran through an old train tunnel at mile 4, which was insanely cool (and yes, I did hoot and hollar as I ran through it), and we also crossed 3 bridges during the race, which were also neat highlights! The views were spectacular! The asphalt running path runs alongside the Sacramento River, which was a pretty distraction. There were lots of mountains and trees and lots of greenery alongside the trail to keep things enjoyable. The most noteworthy thing about the course is the hilliness, though! I felt that all my training in the Boise Foothills on trails really paid off here since there were lots and lots of ups and downs throughout the entire course. There were also lots of twists and turns and curves in the path, which means it’s more important than ever to focus on cutting the tangents if you want your Garmin to come anywhere close to 26.2 in the end. Though I’ve helped certify three courses myself and knew this, I found it easier after awhile to just relax and run the curves normally (which meant I did add some distance onto the race, which probably hurt me in the end.) My Garmin showed 26.5 at the finish line.

Though there wasn’t much of an opportunity for my husband to see me in the race, he was able to see me at the start, at about mile 9, 13.5 and about 19, which was still pretty awesome! I always feel happy to see him cheering me for at my races and it always boosts my mood! So, though the crowd support was minimal in this event, the volunteers along the course were second to none! They were helpful, friendly and very clearly called out, “Gatorade” or “water” as they held their cups up, which I appreciated! My favorite aid station was the one where every single volunteer (including the three men) wore pink tutus and neon pink wigs! That definitely brought a smile to my face!

The fatigue and the warmth of the day started to tug on my pace in the final miles. The undulating hills, which I had loved earlier became a mental challenge, but I pressed on. When I finally saw the famous Sundial Bridge (the only bridge in the world that is a functional sun dial) I had mixed emotions! My Garmin showed I had already gone 26.3 miles, that I was on pace for a BQ, but once I actually saw the bridge and realized I had to do a little more path just to get to it – I knew there was no way in the world I’d be able to get my 3:45:00 time I’d hoped to earn. But, I quickly dismissed any negative thoughts from my head and told myself, “That is NO excuse to not run each and every last step as hard as you can!!” and I started pumping my arms and legs as furiously as I could to final kick it home!!!! The bridge, I have to tell you, is so freaking cool! Looking down, I was running on glass and could see the water beneath me. Crowds lined the bridge and cheered as I ran and I felt revived! I pushed and pushed right until the finish line which I crossed in 3:47:22 – missing my BQ by 2 minutes and 22 seconds. My Garmin showed I’d ran an average pace of 8:34 for 26.5 miles and I knew I’d needed an 8:35 or better to BQ, so I had to at least give myself a pat on the back for sticking to my goal pace — even if I didn’t quite make it in time.

Crossing the Sundial Bridge to the finish! Kicking it in!

A volunteer placed a really beautiful, brag-worthy medal around my neck. I was thrilled! I’d run a smart race, I PR’d by over a minute on a much tougher course than the Potato Marathon (which has only 130 feet of elevation gain vs the 600 or so in this race) and I was really proud of myself! There were 201 marathon finishers that day. I came in 51st place, 6th female overall and 1st in my age group of 40-44. Even though I didn’t get Boston, I feel like I WON! I had a big smile and no regrets as my husband congratulated me and I flopped to the ground to catch my breath – a sure sign I’d given my all to the course and had ran the best race I had in me on that day!

I gave all I had in the race. This is how totally spent looks.

My friends and I enjoyed pie at the finish party (PIE!!) Mmmmmm and I received a really cool silver plaque for winning my age group along with a cool mug that had the cutest marathon tagline I’ve ever seen: twenty-six two with a view! Perfect! I will definitely be proud to drink my morning cappuccino in that!

I love my plaque for winning my age group! Really COOL!

My pals and I at the finish line! We loved the Redding Marathon!

Looking Back 3 Years Ago Today

Posted on January 5, 2013 by Christie

Bertha and I at Leon’s Fat Ass 50k in 2011

3 years ago today I attempted my first ultra marathon — and quit after 23.33 miles in the snowy Boise Foothills when I had GI distress and needed a bathroom (this was before I’d grown accustomed to baring my bottom in the wild!) As I rode home in the car that day, I remember wondering if I’d ever really be able to make it the entire 31.07 miles of a 50k someday.

Three months later, I showed up at the starting line of another ultra – the Weiser River 50k — and this time I did get to feel the satisfaction of crossing the finish line – and it felt awesome!

Bertha and I racing at Weiser River 50k in April of 2010.

Every year since that first freezing January morning in 2010, I have shown up at Leon’s Fat Ass 50k to do the race again. In 2011, I got off course and did so many bonus miles that my husband refused to let me run the second half of the race (so — 20 miles done instead of the full distance.) In 2012, I had my year of redemption finally and raced much, much faster than previous years AND got to cross the finish line!!! It was a glorious feeling – and carried a lot of meaning for me since it had been my first experience at an ultra distance back in 2010.

Today, the race happened again, but this time I was not in attendance. I was volunteering for the Treasure Valley Weight Loss Challenge at Humphrey’s Diabetes Center in Boise. I had the privilege of greeting about 850 local people who are committing themselves to losing weight and getting healthier in 2013! I showed a few of them my before photo and enjoyed some wonderful conversations about achieving really difficult weight loss and fitness goals when you really commit yourself to them! It was an inspiring and fun time getting to give encouragement to others and give my time to a worthy organization. I’m glad I went.

Foothills 50k Frenzy

Posted on October 22, 2012 by Christie

I had been looking forward to running the Foothills 50k Frenzy since last year when my friend and fellow race director, Jenny put on this event in our very own Boise Foothills! I was filled with anticipation and excitement when I headed out into the light rain towards the race (which conveniently is less than 20 minutes from my front door – a real treat since I often have to travel for doing my ultras!)

I had been asked to sing the National Anthem at the start and I think I was more nervous about that than racing! I said hello to several friends and grabbed my bib and goody bag at the start, then headed towards the long, long line for the porta-potties. Usually I need to use the facilities at least a couple of times as I deal with my nervous bladder, but unfortunately, while still in line the first time, I realized the line was moving so slow that I would not be able to even get one shot at it! So, like any good ultra runner, I headed off to find a private spot and peed there, beneath some wooden bleachers in the dark, chilly morning.

Then it was time to get the party started, so I headed over to the start line, grabbed the microphone and waited for everyone to line up. The crowd grew quiet and I saw many familiar faces smiling back at me, which calmed me down and then I begin to sing. Last year when I sang the Anthem, I was so nervous, my voice was shaking. This time, I felt more sure of myself and relaxed and actually enjoyed the moment. When I was done, I rushed over to the racers and found myself a good little spot, turned on my headlamp and got ready to race! Several people patted me on the back and said, “Good job!” That made me feel good. Then it was time! They counted down and we were off!!!!

I made it a point to not go out too fast. I pulled back on the pace right away and let the crowd surge ahead and thought to myself, “It will be more fun to chase people down at the end than have them pass ME there!” And, I settled into a relaxed, steady pace and started to look around and enjoy the early-morning views, the sounds of the footfalls on the trails, the steady stream of lights ahead of me zig-zagging up the hillside, the city lights twinkling below and the nervous, early morning chatter of many racers. It was a wonderful time. I kept thinking about how many times I’d ran these same trails in training and how often I’d been running at exactly this time with a few, hardcore friends who don’t mind getting up before the sun for our runs. This time, I had plenty of company and it was funny to hear many of them say things like, “I’ve never seen the city lights from here before! I usually run later in the day!” It felt like all of these runners were out trying out my usual running time and they were enjoying it!

A couple of miles in, my stomach started to act up. I had been in a rush to leave the house and had not had time to use the bathroom there and here my stomach was reminding me that it still needed to take care of business! Unfortunately, in the Boise Foothills, it’s mostly sagebrush and medium grasses — not a great place to find a good hiding spot to use nature’s bathroom! At about mile 5, I knew I couldn’t hold off any longer and walked down over the side of one of the hills as far as I could to get out of sight of the racers and then, I shut off my headlamp and did what I needed to do. About 15-20 people passed me here, way up on the trail.

I fell back in line and settled back into a comfortable pace and watched the day gradually turn from dark into light. It was one of the prettiest sunrises I’ve seen all year — all pinks and oranges, grays and whites. It took my breath away! Not long after, I could tell I needed another private bush moment, but there was nowhere to hide as it was getting lighter out. I knew there was a spot around mile 10 that I’d used in training and I just focused on getting to that wonderful place with lots of trees to hide behind!

It turned out, I wasn’t the only one holding out for a great spot to get indecent! There were four other women hiding amongst the trees and bushes doing the same thing. I lost a few more minutes here, but it was time well spent! As I was coming out from the bushes, a couple of men said, “Great! Is that a good spot to use the bathroom?” And I had to break it to them that there were still several other women already back there. They sulked and said, “NO FAIR! Where’s the men’s room around here?” That made me laugh!

I was really enjoying the day after that stop! I felt warmed up, relaxed, in a good groove! I glanced at my watch and felt pretty pleased to see that despite the two pit stops, I was right on pace with where I’d hoped to be at this point in the race. I didn’t really concern myself at all with my watch or the paces, though. I ran by feel and was intent on staying steady and strong for the entire race, so I could finish strong.

My husband Wayne was running an aid station at mile 11.5 and I focused on getting up the steepest climb of the day to get there. I was glad I’d done this section three times before so I knew what to expect as it’s kind of a long, steep haul to the top of the ridge road! I passed a few people here, which surprised me since I was just power hiking and not running at all. It was a real confidence boost to see how much stronger I’ve become at powering up difficult climbs in the last year! I picked up the pace and started to run once I heard my husband’s loud music booming out over the mountains. It made me smile and gave me a little swagger as I raced up to see him and several helpers on the top!

Wayne handed me the Frappuccino I’d asked him to buy for me and I thanked him and headed out to the turnaround point a mile past his aid station (which is also mostly uphill!) Not long after the aid station, I realized I needed to take a quick pee, so I headed off down a little ATV trail for some privacy. As soon as I had my shorts down, I looked up and saw another runner gal who’d been following me and said, “Oh! I’m sorry! This is the wrong way. I just needed to pee!” She was embarrassed, laughed and headed back onto the correct road!

Back on the road, I was having the time of my life! I love out and back sections of races since you get to see the smiling faces of the other runners who are ahead of you. I exchanged a few hugs and high fives through here and really started to take in the view from up high. We were running through the forest, the fresh scent of rain still strong and pure in our nostrils. There was a heavenly mist just hanging over the mountains and all around us. It felt kind of magical, honestly — just lovely and I could not stop smiling!

I reached the 12.5 mile turnaround and heard my Uncle Mike yell out, “I know that girl!” That made me grin and I said hello, then turned around and started to really fly downhill back towards Wayne’s aid station, this time getting to say hi to my fellow racers and pals who were behind me. It was a ton of fun!! I spread out my arms like a bird and just ran, and let out a “WEEEEEEE” as I went!

Wayne gave me a kiss at his aid station, I grabbed some bonus TP and then I headed back out. I had made it a point from the start to get in and out of aid stations as quickly as possible. I don’t think I spent more than 60 seconds at any aid station all morning and I was pleased about that. The section from the Ridge Road to the next aid station is mostly downhill. I relaxed, fell into a comfortable downhill pace and soon found myself running stride-for-stride next to my pal, Matt! We had a great time catching up. We hadn’t seen one another since Wilson Creek Frozen 50k in January, where we also ended up running stride-for-stride midway through the race. We ran for several miles together and he said to me, “I can’t believe how fast we’re going! It doesn’t even hurt!” I told him chatting and running downhill were two of my favorite things and the best way to gobble up some trail miles pretty fast! At the 18 mile aid station, Matt stopped to get some grub and I just wooshed right on by and up to the next trail.

In miles 18-22, there is a lot of climbing again. I settled into my power hike mode and made sure to eat the peanut butter sandwich in my Nathan pocket. I glanced at my watch and knew I was having a great day and that I was right on target for what I’d hoped to achieve. I caught up to my friend, Randy in here and we enjoyed running together, him leading on the ups and me leading on the downs for several miles. It’s always nice to run with a friend! I got a bit ahead right before the aid station at mile 22, where I saw the first porta potty of the day and knew I needed to use it. The only problem was there was a line! Since I was having an unexpected visit from Mother Nature, I knew I had no choice but to wait and use the bathroom and deal with my female issues, so I did. Finally, the restroom opened up and I dashed in there, took care of what I needed to and then headed back onto the trail to complete the final 10 miles of the race!

I was really feeling on fire by this point! I’d conserved my energy, eaten and drank well and not dilly dallied at the aid stations and I was totally on target to have a strong finish! I was ready to really race the final stretch! I saw race photographer, Michael Lebowitz in this section, laying on the ground in the golden grasses snapping pictures as the runners went by. I leaped when I saw him and he said, “Do it again!” I did and I grinned and thanked him for being there as I passed. I was right behind Randy. Michael (who knows us both), hollered out to Randy, “How are you feeling?” Randy said,”Not great!” Michael said to me, “How about you?” I turned to face him as I ran backwards and said, “Like a MILLION BUCKS!” And he said to Randy, “You’re about to get chicked!!” We laughed and ran on.

Not long after the steady climb finally gave way to some awesome downhill! I took off like a rocket and felt so grateful I’d saved something in my legs for this section! I weaved and bobbed and passed several people, saying, “Good job!” as I passed each one. After several good, solid miles, I spotted a yellow shirt up ahead! It was my neighbor and good friend, Frank! I couldn’t believe I’d caught him! I sneaked up behind him as quietly as I could and then said, “BOO!” to him. He looked so tired and really happy to see me. I hugged him and told him that he was doing an awesome job on his first ultra! He said, “I’m so tired. Everything hurts.” I said, “We’re almost done, Frank! We can do this! Just hang in there for 3 more miles!” I pulled in front of him and said, “Follow me, Frank! Just chase me down!” and we ran like that for awhile, nice and relaxed. We were on cruise control, footstep by footstep approaching the finish line! Frank got a second wind here and I let him past and yelled out, “Go, Frank, GO!!! You’re doing great!” then watched that yellow shirt sail off into the distance ahead of me. I was happy for him and happy for me. We were both having a wonderful race!

As I wound along the final stretches of the trail on the path covered in the golden leaves of fall, I couldn’t help but feel grateful. Grateful that I was healthy, that I was running, that my friends were all over this course, excited that I had people waiting at the finish line ahead to welcome me and cheer me in. My heart was full of joy as I finally reached the stairway to heaven! This final section has about 55 wooden steps up a steep hillside. I saw my friend Billie at the top, clapping and cheering for me! I made my way up the steps, grinned at her and said, “I’ve got a race to finish!” and then headed off with their cheers loud in my ears, pushing me onward!

I summited the final climb and could see Frank’s yellow shirt down below and heard the crowd cheering him into the final home stretch! That totally motivated me and I started to pump the arms and legs with all I had left. I ran strong and felt the cowbells and cheering pulling me forward. I threw up my hands and pumped my fists in the air as I came across the finish line, a huge smile on my face — in 6:26 — a time I was really, really pleased with!! They handed me my hand-made finishers coffee mug (a prize I will truly treasure by a local ultra runner and artist) and I got a hug and kiss from my husband.

It was a wonderful race! I can’t wait to do it again next year!

3 Years Ago Today I Ran My First Marathon

Posted on October 14, 2012 by Christie

My Dad took this shot of me about 15 miles into City of Trees Marathon 2009

I was caught by surprise when I saw the City of Trees Marathon race in progress while I was out running errands this morning. A flood of emotions came rushing over me as I saw those runners gutting it out on the streets of Boise – just as I had done three years ago today.

Just past “The Wall” at mile 20 and near a graveyard that I joked I could just keel over and die into. This photo is deceiving. I was walking and repeating, “This is so hard” over and over just before this. I rallied and mugged for the camera though!

The City of Trees Marathon of 2009 was my first marathon. It was 40 degrees, the sky was gray and it rained the entire race! I was so nervous and excited at the starting line that day! I’d never ran more than 20 miles and in fact, had only gone beyond the 16 mile mark for the first time in July leading up to this race, when my best friend, Bertha had taken me running on the Boise Greenbelt and kept encouraging me to keep going when I just wanted to lay down in the sweltering heat and DIE at about mile 12!

Bertha was my hero! She’d already ran two previous marathons and I could not believe my incredible luck when she agreed to train with me – a total newbie who could NOT keep up with her to save my life! We had grown up together in the small town of Homedale, Idaho, a little farming community only 5 miles from the Oregon border. Though we’d played together as young children, we’d lost touch as we grew older and only bumped into one another again at Wal Mart more than two decades later. We ended up becoming friends on Facebook, which led to our chatting about our common interest in running, which led us to becoming close friends and running partners in 2009. It was a wonderful summer!

Though I had grown up with a fit, athletic, runner Mom, I only took a slight interest in the sport in my late teens, often joining my Mom for local fun runs and I never signed up for anything beyond the 5k mark! I do remember once doing a race called The Oregon to Idaho - which started at the state line in Oregon and had us run the 5 miles right back into Homedale, ending at the City Park. I remember my 35 year old, spandex-clad Mom kicked my 18 year old butt that day and I walked a LOT of that 5 miles! Luckily, not many other teen girls were signed up for the race and I won my age group! Mom won hers too.

Though Mom dragged me along to a few small races, I hadn’t yet developed the passion she had for running long distances like the marathon. She completed her first (and only) one the year she was 40. It was the Great Potato Marathon in Boise. It rained the entire time. My Dad and I were there to hand her bananas, powerbars and Gatorade along the course (I didn’t know it was called crewing back then) and we were there when she finished the race. She’d taken a wrong turn and ran a few bonus miles, so the finish chute was torn down when she came to the end. It didn’t matter – not to her or us! Tears flowed freely and the pride swelled in my heart to see my Mom accomplish something I couldn’t even fathom - running an entire marathon! I promised myself that one day, I would experience it for myself!

This photo was taken a few weeks after the birth of my fifth child. I struggled with depression and anxiety and had been fighting my weight for a decade by this point. I really wasn’t sure I could change (glad I was WRONG!) It would be one more year after this photo before I was willing to make some big changes in my life so that I could start chasing my dream of becoming a marathoner.

I didn’t know that I would end up overweight, out of shape and the busy Mom of five children before I was ready to make my own path into the marathoning world. My Mom ran her marathon in 1995. I didn’t run my first until 2009 — 14 years later – same city, same RAIN! My husband and five kids were there that day to see me cross the finish line. But, the person that I wanted to be there most that day — my hero — my Mom — was there too! She and my Dad had driven along the course, holding up signs that said, “You can do it, Christie! Your’e already a winner to us! and “Pain is temporary, but PRIDE lives forever!” It was an emotional, wonderful day. My dad even had a little trophy (an almost exact replica of the one he had made for my Mom when she ran her marathon) that he handed me at the finish line. It made me cry and I still consider that trophy one of the most valuable treasures I own.

Seeing the racers out today took me back in time to that day, three years ago, when it was my first time on the marathoner’s journey. The exact point of the race I saw today brought back me in that same location, feeling giddy and attack hugging Bertha every few steps and saying, “Can you believe it?! Look at ME! I’m running a marathon!! And, I’m with YOU!!” Bless her heart! I think I annoyed her to death those first few miles with my overzealous enthusiasm. Luckily, she pulled away from me within a few miles and went on to run a PR race — beating her best time (and her hyperactive running partner) by about 15 minutes! It was an amazing day for both of us.

Bertha and I on Federal Way, racing in the rain!!!

I want to encourage you — if you’ve been secretly dreaming of attacking some huge goal like running a marathon (or a half marathon or your first 5k or your first ULTRA!) Whatever your heartfelt desire is, however you want to put your body to the test — stop secretly wishing or pining for your dream! Go out and make it happen!!!!!! I’m so incredibly happy that I didn’t give up when I was a size 14, overweight, busy Mom of 5, who hadn’t exercised in over a decade! It seemed ridiculous that I wanted to run a full marathon when I hadn’t even completed a half marathon yet. I could not run an entire block in May of 2008 when I decided to change my life! But, I started getting outside 3 x a week for half an hour and just doing what I could do — which mostly involved walking. Slowly, I got better at it, became stronger and my weight started to fall off. I went from a size 14 to a size 4 from running. Running changed my life! It helped me realize my dreams! It made me a calmer, happier Mom — a better version of myself. Please don’t let any excuse hinder you from looking your naysayers in the eye and telling them that you ARE capable, that you WILL achieve your dreams — and then GO DO IT! I’ll be cheering you on!!!!

Pacing Rachael at IMTUF 100

Posted on October 9, 2012 by Christie

I had the great honor and pleasure of pacing my good friend, Rachael at http://imtuf100.com/ over the weekend! It was a wonderful experience to run one of the most difficult courses (with more water crossings, log hoppings, mountain side scrambles than I’d ever experienced) in temperatures ranging from sub freezing in the night to nice and comfy under a beautiful blue October sky in the afternoon for nearly 100k as a pacer! I now say pacing is how you “Try before you buy!” an ultra marathon! After helping my pal chase her dream down and complete this race in 35:38:09 (which is for a 105 miles I should mention not just 100 – because how can you have too many beautiful, challenging miles when you’re doing this stuff?!) I feel pretty certain I’d like to toe the line next year and find out if “I” am TUF, too! The finisher prize was a gorgeous, leather belt — to hold all those belt buckles we 100 milers like to collect! What a genius idea! Looking forward to next year when it’s my turn!

I’m overwhelmingly proud of my gal, Rachael! She was tough, focused, she gave me her all out there and she never, ever, ever, wanted to quit — even though many other runners did. 33 started the race, 15 DNF’d it and 1 finished after the official cut off. THAT IS TOUGH! And, yet, she rose to the occasion, she did what she needed to do and she proved herself strong enough to go the distance and fast enough to do it under the cut offs! It was a pleasure to be invited to pace my friend and an honor to be there by her side for nearly an entire day and night! Thank you, Rachael for allowing me to be part of your dream-chasing! I’m so happy for you!!!! You rock, sister!

Harvest Classic 2 Mile Race

Posted on September 15, 2012 by Christie

When I was in my late teens and during my college years, my “marathon mama” used to drag me along to her races on the weekends sometimes. One of those races was the Harvest Classic put on by the Nampa Recreation Center. It really is a great little event and quite well organized. I love the small-town feel, the sweet schwag; they give gift cards to TCBY, gift certificates to Domino’s Pizza and a few other really good restaurant freebies in the goody bags, plus chapstick and a free pass to the Nampa Recreation Center (a value alone of about $8.) They also give race shirts and a chance at 20 really great gift baskets (half go to the 1 mile race and the other half are shared by the 8k and 2 mile race.) There’s a live band, bounce houses, an outdoor climbing wall and delicious baked potatoes, chocolate milk, TCBY frozen yogurt (with the vendor actually juggling small cups of the sweet treat today, which was funny!), Domino’s Pizza and a Franz bread truck handing out a free loaf of bread to every entrant. Not bad for my $20 entry fee or my kid’s $10 per child one! A real bargain if you ask me!

So, Wayne and I brought the five kids out today to enjoy the race, just like my Mom had done with me all those years ago. And my Mom didn’t want to miss the fun, either! She rode her bike onto the course and waited to cheer me on about about 1.25 miles in which was a highlight!

My kids had a great time at the 1 mile race and I got to cheer and take photographs at the finish line. I had ran off to the porta potty for a quick pee after they took off and as I was running back to the finish line I saw my son, Wayne Jr, standing, hands-on-knees and grinning already DONE! I looked at my watch and realized he’d done less than an 8 min mile! I was so proud!!! Next my son Josh finished in about 11 minutes. Then, hot on his heels, my husband came running across with my baby – my 5 year old daughter, Savannah, who had the most determined look on her face as she crossed! Finally, my oldest daughter, Rebecca (who is incredibly thoughtful of her younger siblings and agreed to run with her 7 year old sister, Anneliese) came across the line holding hands as Anneliese cried and clutched her side. Running a race is TOUGH business sometimes!

I gave them all hugs and then they sat on the side as I lined up for the 2 mile race to start. One of my favorite parts of this race is that they warm up the crowd with three Zumba instructors from the Rec Center on a stage off the course. It was so much fun! Last year I got so into the shimmying and shaking that I accidentally danced my way right into an elderly lady! I was much more mindful of my flailing body parts this year and no further injuries were suffered by those lined up near me.

I had written my time from last year on my hand: 15:43. I knew I could beat it and that was the goal today. Last year, I came in 5th female overall and 1st in the 30-39 age group. This year, I was hoping to do better. When they counted down and I took off, I was mindful to hold back on the pace and not get carried away with the crowd. I was pretty amazed when I realized there was an older gentleman speed-walking next to me, hips swinging lightening fast. I glanced at my Garmin and saw we were doing a 7:08 pace! Wow!!!

I eased up and let the crowd surge as I carefully played out my strategy – start conservative, stay steady, then accelerate little-by-little until the final kick. Goal was a negative split. My first mile went well – a 7:32. My average pace last year was 7:51 (something I’d made note of on my hand and focused on beating.) I knew I was doing good and I felt comfortable. I was passing people one by one from the first quarter mile as their too-fast starts caught up with several of them.

As we left the busy street and turned onto a small running path just as my Garmin beeped for 1 mile, the exhaustion started to come. I was halfway done, but still had a mile to go. I remembered this spot from a year ago and how much I’d wanted to walk here. This time I did not feel any desire to walk. It was difficult, but I felt I could manage it and keep it up for another mile. My Mom cheered for me right about here and that was a nice mental boost! Inside I was smiling, but outside I was total focus and heavy, even breathing. I gave her a thumbs up and raced on.

I saw my friend, Julie up ahead, maybe a tenth of a mile or so. I was elated! Julie’s a much faster runner than I am and I had expected her to take the win, so I knew there was a good shot I was in second place. That bolstered my resolve to stay steady and strong and fight the pain and weariness to the end.

We left the path with 3/4 of a mile to go. It was getting hotter and I was tempted to slow down, but I didn’t allow myself to. I just kept plugging along – steady, smooth, forward. As we rounded the corner and got within 1/2 a mile of the finish, I realized it was time to see if I had any “turbo boost” left in my legs. I eased on the gas just a hair. There wasn’t much extra there but I gave it everything I had.

I was still chasing Julie and knew I could not catch her but used her as a rabbit, chasing her down to the final turn. Once I saw the finish line and the crowds, I forced myself to give every last ounce of push I had left and, with my face wrenched up in agony, I crossed the finish line in 14:57 — an improvement over last year’s time by about 43 seconds! I was 12th overall and 2nd place female, to boot! Yeah!!!!! That last mile was, in fact, a negative split. A 7:25 pace.

Wayne and the kids were there taking photos and cheering and they all hugged me and told me I’d done a good job! It was a wonderful race!

Julie came in first female and beat me by about 20 seconds! She is amazing and I was happy to congratulate her on a well-executed race!

The family headed to the baked potato bar, loaded up some spuds and then grabbed some frozen yogurt and water bottles and sat down in the shade and enjoyed the day! It was awesome!

Idaho Wine Run

Posted on September 13, 2012 by Christie

Looking for the kind of race where it’s more about the simple pleasures in life.. good wine, serene views of the winding Snake River, vast, ripe, fruit orchards along rolling hillsides, the majestic Owyhee Mountains in the distance and good friends to share the journey with? Well, look no further. I have the perfect race for you! My husband and I are about to give Idaho it’s first wine run – a marathon, half marathon, 10k and 5k through the Snake River Valley Wine Region called the Idaho Wine Run on September 30th.

I grew up near Ste. Chapelle (our host winery) and wanted to invite others to experience the spectacular beauty of the area and indulge in the delectable local wines.

Ste. Chapelle, Bitner Vineyards, Vale Wine Company, Fujishin Family Cellars, Huston Vineyards, Hat Ranch Winery, Sawtooth Winery and Hell’s Canyon Winery as well as the delightful little restaurant the Orchard House will be taking care of our runners and offering tastings along the hilly courses and at the finish. Aid stations (and the wineries) will also be offering the usual road-side fare typical of road races: water, Powerade, orange slices and lots of cheering and smiles to encourage you on your journey.

The local Pearl Izumi team has also offered some of it’s runners to lead pace groups for those of you with time goals. This is an opportunity to let someone else focus on the pace while you relax and enjoy the scenery of the open countryside. The event is also walker friendly for those who prefer to take their time, take a few photos along the way and enjoy the day without rushing.

There will be custom wine glasses (or custom sports bottles for children and those who would prefer that to a wine glass) at the finish line as well as medals for all finishers!

At the finish party, you’ll have chocolate covered strawberries, cheese and crackers, fruit and other delicious treats that you can savor while enjoying the music of a live band. White Willow Massage will be on site offering free massages. A local Scentsy rep will be raffling off great prizes. And, what else will you be doing at the after-party? You guessed it.. more wine tasting!

We hope that you will join us, on this, our inaugural year at Ste. Chapelle on September 30th. Bring a friend – or several and treat yourselves to a day of running, wine tasting, relaxation and breathtaking views! Sometimes, it’s more about the journey and the pleasure you had along the way.

For Marathon Mama readers, I am offering a special discount code. Use code “mm” to save $5! Hope to see you there!

www.runstechapelle.com

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