As I head into my 7^th season of ultra racing I decided to start 2012 off differently. I’m making a decision to share my journal of racing experiences. So with this New Year I think it only appropriate to kick off by reporting about a race that really surprised me. There are many ultra races going on all over the country and the world these days. They all lend a different experience to those who venture into this realm of endurance sport. Each of us has our own method(s) for getting through an ultra race. I don’t profess to have all the answers or solutions to having a “great” race. What I do have is a strong will and some very practical experience paired with academic knowledge. As you read my racing journal throughout the season, please feel free to leave a comment. Perhaps by the end of the year, I will have enlightened you in a way that helps as you grow in your own knowledge of endurance training and fitness development.

 It’s going to be a great year!  

Live Well. Finish Strong. —Bree

Bandera 100km-Bandera, Texas  January 7^th, 2012
Montrail Ultra Cup/USATF National Championship

“I always tell people how brutal this race is. They don’t believe me. It’s difficult to explain. There’s not a single course out there as rugged.”
-Joe Prusaitis, Race Director Bandera 100k

Two Days Before Race Day

I arrived in San Antonio on Thursday before the race and made my way to Bandera with my friend Rob Evans. (more…)

by David Cotter, RD and George Ruiz, Assistant RD
photos by Baldwyn Chieh, George Ruiz and Donald Buraglio

To be amazed or astonished is the English translation of “Maravilla.” That is how the day unfolded for 33-year-old Jorge Maravilla of Vallejo, California, as he patiently ran under control before taking the lead of the 2011 Tahoe Rim Trail 100 Mile Endurance Run, going on to win the Road Runners Club of America (RRCA) National 100 Mile Trail Championship. (more…)

By Casey Jay
cjay@community-newspapers.com

Bree Lambert didn’t take running very seriously when she was young, but she did discover a certain satisfaction in winning.

“I always beat the fastest boy in my class,” she said. “I’d figure out who he was and make it my goal to outrun him.”

That motivation seems to have stuck. At the Tahoe Rim Trail Endurance Run on July 16-17, Lambert won the 100-mile women’s title and beat all but eight of the male competitors. At age 43, she also showed many younger runners that age is just a number. (more…)

by Greg Lanctot

After nine years as race directors for the Rio del Lago 100-mile Endurance Run, Norm and Helen Klein wanted a change. RDL was on hiatus in 2009 and for the tenth “happening”, Molly Sheridan and Jimmy Gabany, from Desert Sky Adventures, took over; to mix things up a bit, they added a 50-km distance.

Read the entire article here.

by Mark Tanaka on Saturday, January 8, 2011 at 3:05pm

Bodily fluids.  Have to deal with all of these at work.  But sometimes while at play too.

Lake Chabot (where the race begins and ends. Taken years ago, from a different angle than seen during the race, held Saturday, October 9, 2010)

(more…)

By Kirk Flatow

“I found my talent for endurance events when my daughter was born,” said Bree Lambert.

What was it about motherhood that started Bree toward her 2009 USA 100-Mile Trail Championships at the Tahoe Rim 100 race? Did becoming a mother give Bree insight into what is truly important in life? Was there new motivation to search for additional purpose in life? Did Bree want to be a role model for her daughter?

(more…)

My Race Season Kickoff….Ends with a trip to Sierra Doctors Urgent Care

When you prepare for an ultra marathon you never prepare to get injured. At least I didn’t the day I ran American River 50 mile, it was a beautiful morning. (more…)

Reported by Howard Nippert; July 18, 2009

High in the mountains where the air is thin and the views are spectacular, overlooking Carson City, Nevada to the east and Lake Tahoe to the west, is the setting for the Tahoe Rim Trail 100-Miler. The event served as the 2009 RRCA National Ultra Championship. The course, the weather conditions, and the competition were fierce. The course boasts over 20,000 feet of total elevation change, with a high point of 9,000 feet and a low point of 6,800 feet. (more…)

By Chris Vongsarath
San Jose Mercury Newspaper

Bree Lambert can run 100 miles in fewer than 24 hours. And on her first try she was the fastest woman in the running. (more…)

In the women's field, Bree Lambert of San Jose captured the top spot for her first-ever 100 mile championship title.

Erik Skaden of Folsom defended his title in the Tahoe Rim Trail 100-Mile Endurance Run, crossing the Spooner Lake finish line in the wee hours of Sunday morning with a time of 20 hours, 27 minutes, 32 seconds.
(more…)