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. It was agreed Rob would support me throughout the race. The trip took nearly a full day of traveling from San Jose to Los Angeles, then on to San Antonio. By 6:30pm Thursday we were heading on the 410 west to the town of Bandera.  The town is SMALL with a population of  974.  It’s about 2 blocks long with popular restaurants like Old Spanish Trail Café aka O.S.T. and Busby’s Barbecue. There’s a local market, Super S Foods where you can get groceries if you don’t feel like dining out before the race. You won’t find any familiar food chains nearby. If you are used to grabbing a Starbucks or Peet’s, you won’t find it in Bandera. You are better off bringing your own special food supplies as Texas is more known for beef and chicken fried steak.

Many of the homes in Bandera are ranches.  Rob and I had the pleasure of staying at the Bar Double R Ranch. The ranch is home to Richard and Paula Tompkins and also serves as a bed and breakfast. The couple was incredibly

hospitable and made time to show us around their ranch on Friday morning, after Rob and I returned from a pre-race warm-up run. Richard introduced Rob and I to his pet longhorn steers, Tex and Ranger.  I’ve never seen a longhorn up close so this was one aspect of my trip I didn’t expect, but thoroughly enjoyed.  When was the last time you were in a pasture with Texas Longhorns?

Race Day

The race was scheduled to start at 7:30 am and was only 10 miles from Bar Double R.  For the first time EVER I woke up at 5:15am, got dressed and sat down to a nice  breakfast of hot oatmeal, biscuits with apricot jam/peanut butt

er, and coffee. It was amazing. Richard, Paula, Rob, Debra (another guest) and I enjoyed our meal without rush. By 6:30 we were out the door and by 6:50 we were at the race site.

When we arrived at the start there was the usual pre-race hustle and bustle.  This year Joe (RD) there were over 700 runners participating in the three distances (25km, 50km, and 100km).  All distances started at the same time in slightly different locations from the finish. Since the 100km event was a Montrail Ultra Cup/ USATF National Championship race, several elites came in from different parts of the country to compete in the event offering cash winnings and entry slots into the Western States 100.

Now let me backup a bit, before the race I had a lengthy conversation with Joe (RD) inquiring about the course. I wanted to know what to expect and although there were blogs written, photos, etc. I wanted to hear directly from Joe what the course would be like. He was very frank and said, “It’s brutal”. He said, “It’s very technical with lots of rocky climbs and descents.  It’s got sotol cactus scattered throughout that will prick your skin and leave spots of blood where it’s pierced. “By the end of the race you’ll know where it’s got you and it won’t cause infection but is a bother.”  I don’t know about you (reading this) but I have to say…I don’t like running on any trail that is going to prick my skin and draw blood. I don’t even like running on trail with obvious poison oak. I’m highly allergic and have visited the Urgent Care on several occasions because of overexposure.  I thought to myself, “rocky and technical terrain I can handle …but cactus!”  I spent the next several days after my conversation trying to think of a way to protect myself from the evil sotol come race day.  I didn’t come up with anything, but after giving it some thought and talking to my fellow runners; I determined I’d just suck it up and consider it part of the deal. There’s an aspect of running ultras that can be gnarly. Those of us who love being out on trails, realize you never can be sure of what you’ll get come race day.  The grit in running trails is they aren’t always perfectly groomed.  Bandera defines a kind of ruggedness that is “true grit”.

Back to the Race

So there I was ready to run with over 200 runners, anticipating the start.  Part of my race preparation involves anticipation of the “suffering” to come. Might sound extreme, but it helps get my mind ready. I was ready for the Sotol, ready for the rocks. Bring it on!  My strategy was to run the first 50km conservatively and cautiously.  I’m glad I did because the first 10 miles from the start to Nachos is where you get a clear picture of what Texas “rugged” looks like.  The terrain is crazy technical with rocks that move under your feet. There are drop offs that can propel you forward in a way that will hurt if you don’t land upright. The Sotol is not abundant but apparent throughout specific parts of the course. In some sections you can dance around it, others you have no choice but to run through it and relax as it takes jabs at your skin. A few times I’d look down at my legs to see just how bad I was whipped by the blades as they swiped my skin.  First I thought, not to bad just a few drops of blood here and there, by the second loop I could feel welts coming up as the lashing had taken its toll.  I ran the first 50km in under 5 hrs. , my goal was to run the second loop just as fast if not faster.

My Wall

It’s interesting when you run a 100 mile ultra there’s time to make adjustments.  100k you don’t have the luxury of time to work through your low point.  By mile 50 the body generally shifts from sugar to fat burning and it’s important to keep moving forward even if you feel like your bonking.  When I hit mile 53 I felt as if someone unplugged me. I wanted to stop and have a seat. My stomach was churning from the ups and down of running the jagged terrain. I couldn’t keep myself moving forward fast enough. It was at this point that Rob’s role as pacer was instrumental. Rob knows how to apply pressure through words. I think a great pacer is one who is able to detach from the runner and focus solely on the task at hand. Rob knows how to move me forward when my brain becomes fuzzy. It’s like having someone hand you their oxygen mask to breathe from when your tank is almost out of air. They know you need it in order to swim to the surface. That’s what a great pacer will do for you. So as I took my air and began to move forward more quickly, I came out of my “funk” and began to pick up speed. Before you know it I was running again and knew that I wouldn’t make my goal of completing the race in 10hrs., but just finishing it would be enough for that day.

The Finish Line

I crossed the finish line 11hrs. and 25 min. after I started. It had just become dark. I placed 4^th female and 20^th overall. When I later spoke to Joe, he said less than 50% of the men and women’s National Championship field completed the race. Over 215 people started and 153 finished.  I’d say that’s the toughest race I’ve ever done to date. Joe was right “Brutal”.  Texas may be flat but it’s certainly not groomed. I had a friend ask me if I thought I’d run it again, my reply, “I’d consider it”.

I think at every race there’s an opportunity to learn something. I call this the ULL (Ultra Lesson Learned).

So with that the ULL for this race…

• 1) Bandera 100k is “TOUGH”
• 2) Don’t Mess with Texas
• 3) Sotol  hurts
• 4) If a race director says a race is tough…believe it!

Thanks to my sponsors: Brooks, Nathan, GU, and Running Revolution in Campbell, CA.

For all Bandera 100k results check out: www.bandera100k.com

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.

The race was the polar opposite of last year’s TRT Endurance Runs, which took place under blazing heat. This year’s event was run with frigid morning and nighttime temperatures and over numerous snowfields left from the record snow fall on the Carson Range of the Sierra Nevada. Runners were treated to numerous snowdrifts that were steep enough that volunteers cut steps into them to ensure safety and many runners talked of a snow slide that resembled a luge run. Daytime temperatures were longsleeve cool for many but nighttime and morning temperatures were at or below freezing on much of the course, chilling aid station volunteers and sending many runners into an almost hypothermic state.

Paul Hopwood set the early pace, holding a two-minute lead as he entered the Tunnel Creek aid station with the top six men and top three women all within 15 minutes. Coming into the Diamond Peak Lodge at the 30- mile split, Hopwood held onto a slim lead, with Jon Olsen, Thomas Reiss, Jacob Rydman, Jorge Maravilla and Simon Mtuy all within two minutes of each other and looking incredibly fresh. The women’s battle with past TRT champions Bree Lambert and Roxanne Woodhouse ensued with Lambert opening a nine-minute lead at Diamond Peak and Jennifer Benna within striking distance.

The big climb back to Tunnel Creek is where Olsen and Maravilla passed Hopwood for the lead and the pair would run together until the downhill section from Snow Valley Peak to the 50-mile aid station.

At the halfway mark the race could not have been closer as Olsen held a slim two-minute lead over Maravilla, Reiss and Rydman. Lambert opened a 30-minute lead over Woodhouse as Woodhouse battled stomach issues for about 30 miles and ultimately had to drop from the race at the 50- mile mark. Benna was slowly clawing her way into contention.

By the time Olsen hit Tunnel Creek at mile 61 it was a two-man race. It was on the uphill flume leading out of the Red House where Maravilla made his move.

“I have all the respect in the world for Jon and I was amazed to be running with him so late in the race and my legs still felt fresh. Jon said to go ahead and the trail was a runnable section so I really opened it up… On the sandy hill climb I climbed as hard as I possibly could, even running some of it to show Jon I had the legs,” Maravilla said.

By the time Maravilla arrived at the Diamond Peak aid station at mile 80 he had a 40-minute lead and looked fresh and excited. With 20 miles to go he blasted up the Diamond Peak climb for the final time. Maravilla cruised into the finish in 18:48:19 looking like he could go around again, and giving race director David Cotter a bear hug.

“This was my first 100 miler, I knew I could have a good race but with names like Jon Olsen and Thomas Reiss I just wanted to be sub-24 hour. As the race went on and the course and conditions begin to take a toll on the others I just felt strong and fresh the whole time. When I made my break in the Red House loop I opened a gap and never looked back. I’m so pleased to have won this spectacular race!”

Reiss ran an excellent 20:58:30 for second place and Olsen held onto third place with a time of 21:27:06.

As the men’s race was decided, the women’s race was just heating up. Jennifer Benna was steadily reeling in Bree Lambert. Down by 34 minutes at 50 miles, Benna had cut the lead to 20 minutes at mile 61 and eight minutes at mile 80. By the time they hit Tunnel Creek the final time at mile 85, Benna trailed by 13 seconds. “At Diamond Peak my stomach was starting to act up and I was told by my crew that Jen was closing in on me, which was not what I wanted to hear. On the climb up Diamond Peak I had a brief moment that I was hurting and thought, ‘Do I really want to push it to hold her off,’ and I was okay with second place. Then my safety runner, Rob Evans, said, ‘This is not okay, you are leading the race, you can do it.’ I took the rest of the climb to regroup mentally for the final push,” said Lambert.

“I was shocked to see Jen come into Tunnel Creek virtually on my heels. Lon Monroe handed me a cup of soup and said, ‘You have to get out of here.’ I really hammered the next two sections to Snow Valley Peak. I know the course very well and that helped. I was confident in my ability on downhill running to hold onto my lead.”

By Snow Valley Peak at mile 93, Lambert had opened a slight gap of three minutes. She finished in 23:07:43 with a 16-minute margin of victory, claiming her second TRT 100 win and second RRCA National Trail 100 Mile title. Benna, coming back from having her first child less than a year ago, arrived in an excellent condition and ran with great focus and patience to nearly pull off an upset. Nonetheless, a supurb effort to finish in sub-24 hour at 23:23:34. Susan Donnelly rounded out the top three with a finishing time of 30:59:05.

The Tahoe Rim Trail Endurance Runs is in its 11th year for the 50-mile and 50-km and sixth year for the 100 mile. It is also the RRCA 50-mile and 50-km Nevada State Championships. There were 108 runners who toed the start line and 65 who finished, for a 60-percent finishing rate.

TRT From A Pacer’s Viewpoint
by Toshi Hosaka

What were you doing from 3:00 p.m. to 3:00 a.m. last Saturday?

Let me tell you what I was doing. I was hauling some serious ass with Sean Lang in Tahoe. On the first 50-mile lap, Sean was in 10th place. After the second 50-mile loop, he had caught five runners and finished fifth in 21:54, improving his time by an hour and 30 minutes from 2009 and grabbing the age group win from Jacob Rydman by 40 minutes. This did not come easy.

With someone like Sean, who is already motivated, you’d think there would be nothing to worry about being his pacer, but no. I was worried when it was almost 3:00 p.m. and I still hadn’t seen Sean at the 50-mile checkpoint. I was even more worried when I saw him running towards me wearing a silly hat. But I trusted his strategy, and fashion sense. You need that kind of trust in pacing.

At the Tunnel Creek aid station, we made a strategic move to leave while Pierre-Yves Couteau was changing his shoes. Then we caught up to Simon Mtuy on the ridge and picked up the pace going down to Diamond Peak Lodge aid station.

We caught up to Jacob Rydman and his pacer not too far from the aid station. They did not respond when we passed them, but we picked up our pace. There was no time to relax as I saw their headlamps flickering after we had finished the snow section. They had not given up yet. We decided to skip the Snow Valley aid station and race on to the finish.

We bombed the downhill on the single-track in the woods and to our surprise, Sean saw another light ahead.

We caught up to Paul Hopwood; he had turned off his headlamp so we wouldn’t see where he was, but now he couldn’t find the trail! Sean quickly found the course marking and blasted off at blazing six-minute/mile pace. My stomach was churning, but I followed and Paul got right behind us. We ran this crazy pace for a couple of minutes at mile 94 or 95 and we just could not shake him off. Finally, Sean let Paul pass him. Little did we know that he fell and twisted his ankle while he was chasing us, his ankle swelling to a size of a tennis ball.

The race was not over yet. The clock was ticking and it was 2:40 a.m. when we arrived at Spooner Trailhead. If we finished before 3:00 a.m., Sean could go sub-22! He quickly stripped off his hydration pack and jacket, and took off. It was the longest two miles.

We were running by the lake and we could hear the cheering, but the wooden pathway to the final stretch would not come soon enough We finally reached the finish line and the clock said 21:54. Sean’s wife Heidi was waiting for us at the finish; Sean had won his age group. What a way to celebrate their five-year anniversary.

It was an awesome journey.

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.

This is the second time the Cambrian Park resident and elite ultra runner has come out ahead in this grueling event. At her first attempt at Tahoe Trail Rim in 2009, Lambert finished in first place for women, with her closest competitor more than 30 minutes behind her.

The 100-mile length of the course means many participants are running for a full, 24-hour day or more. Lambert crossed the finish line after a mere 23 hours, seven minutes and 43 seconds, beating her previous time by nearly half an hour.

And as if the time and distance alone weren’t enough, the runners are faced with varying temperatures, high altitude and unpredictable terrain.

“All the ultras I compete in are mountain races,” Lambert said. “In this case we had everything: We had snow and water because of the run off, we had to cross creeks that were just under our knees, we had high winds, cold, cold temperatures at night and heat during the day.”

But none of that stops Lambert from achieving victory. To date, she has competed in four 100-mile ultra races and finished first in three of them.

Along with breezing through ultra races, Lambert runs her own business as a performance coach and fitness trainer while caring for her 10-year-old daughter. But her path to success has been almost as winding as the trails she now blazes.

Lambert moved from southern California to the Bay Area at age 19 to finish her college degree. While attending San Jose State University, she first began to consider putting effort into running and completed some 5k and 10k races.

From there, she was turned on to triathlons, completing her first one at age 20. Lambert began with sprint distance events, which generally include a half-mile swim, a 15-mile bike ride and a 5k run, and eventually progressed to Olympic distance triathlons.

She also decided to jump into mountain bike triathlons and qualified twice to the national championship level. Unfortunately, she then hit a roadblock that put all of her races on hold for a while.

In 2003, while mountain biking in Los Gatos with a friend, Lambert lost control and took a very bad fall from her bike. She had to be airlifted to Valley Medical Center where doctors informed her that she had fractured her pelvis and broken her collarbone.

One doctor also told her she would never participate in ultra racing again, but Lambert wasn’t about to let that stop her. After her injuries healed, she was skittish about getting back into mountain biking and instead picked up where she left off in regular road triathlons.

She eventually completed a half ironman, which includes 1.2 miles of swimming, 56 miles of biking and a half marathon of running. But again, life took a bit of unexpected turn for Lambert in her early 30s.

She went through a divorce and became a single parent, and while those things might take some people out of the running, Lambert pushed through.

“Eight months after I gave birth to my daughter I was in Lake Tahoe racing the national championships,” she said. “It was pretty exciting.”

She also realized at that point what she really wanted to do with her life.

“I said to myself, ‘I know I’m good at fitness and I have a passion for it, but how am I going to provide for my daughter?’ ” Lambert said.

She went back to school and earned a master’s degree in kinesiology and started her own business. The name of her company, Live Well Finish Strong, represents the theme Lambert lives by.

“I get to be a role model for my clients,” she said. “They’ve been my cheerleaders and I inspire them to push their limits. You should be able to model what you teach, so I push them and show them that I push my own limits.”

What’s next for the ambitious ultra runner? She said she would like to find a way to use her original college degree in broadcast journalism.

“I’d love to take my broadcasting experience to my work,” Lambert said. “That would be awesome.”

To keep up with Bree Lambert, visit www.livewellfinishstrong.com.

Kurt (brother), Ellen, and Matt (son)

On July 17^th, Ellen Harris completed her first half marathon in Napa.  After months of committed training she ran a successful race in 2hrs. 18 minutes.  Although she had no previous running experience, Ellen followed the coaching plan laid out by her coach and achieved her goal.

”I was ready to embrace a challenge when I started training with Bree Lambert in February 2011.  While I already had a strong foundation in various types of cardiovascular and strength training activities, I contacted Bree in order to set a goal for myself and prepare to run a half marathon to benefit the Crohn’s and Colitis Foundation of America.  This cause is close to my heart because my teenage son was diagnosed with colitis last year. After months of training with Bree, I successfully completed the event.  I plan to continue running and thank Bree for all of the running wisdom she has shared with me. “

Ellen is a mother of two teenagers and continues to  participate in a variety of fitness activities such as: Pilates, Kickboxing, Zumba and now running!

We have been working together for some time now.  He impresses several folks at “Ray’s Built Tuff Gym” (where we train) every time I run him through one of my famous obstacle courses.  Steve will tell you that living an active lifestyle with a fitness focus has improved his confidence. “The knowledge that I am doing something positive for both my physical and mental health; the interaction with Bree and the other wonderful individuals I have met at the gym, all come together to create a positive, rewarding and enjoyable experience.”

One of  Mr. Steve’s fitness goals when we began working together was to get back in the saddle. His “bike” saddle that is! He envisioned himself riding 100 miles. Well, I’ll tell you what…he accomplished that goal last summer.

Mr. Steve (far right) with TNT cycling buddies.

He rode 100 miles around Lake Tahoe with a group from Team in Training.

He said, ” It felt great.”

While some folks might find exercising a struggle to fit in on a regular basis, Mr. Steve sees it another way. He says, “I don’t think it is about the struggle- the struggle to get up and go to the gym, the struggle to stay focused on the exercises, the struggle to get past the soreness after you exercise is all part of it. I recommend only thinking about the positive. If it wasn’t a bit of a struggle I don’t think I’d value it as much.”

That’s what fitness is about…value. It’s a value of yourself and commitment to taking care of your whole self. It’s all part of my motto to “LIVE WELL and FINISH STRONG. ”

Mr. Steve is doing  just that!

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.

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)

BLOOD

Aside from being a likeable guy, I like it when Chihping Fu and I run racees together, because he brings his camera and takes lots of photos, which I can use in my blog reports.

Chihping Fu

This is not without risk, even in race like Firetrails, which as hinted by the name of the race, is relatively untechnical. Near the turnaround, while snapping a photo, he tripped, wiped out and figuratively ate dirt. Literally he bled. Sometimes that happens on these races. I’ve done this several times myself.

SWEAT

Luckily, it never got so hot during the day that the temperature became an issue. The last few aid stations I dipped my Moeben sleeves in water, but no ice in the cap.

VAPORIZED SPIT

Lots of my teammates from the Rhomobile Quicksilver team showed up to run. The team goal is to earn team points in the PAUSATF Ultra Grand Prix. And even though our chief rivals, Team Tamalpa, could care less, we do, because I think winning gets us some partial race fee reimbusement. And glory.

So, at the start, I was running with a group of my teammates– Jean Pommier, Sean Lang, Toshi Hosaka (whom I met first at the 2nd Second Saratoga Fat Ass in February). We Rho runners ran and chatted 1.5 miles until the bridge. Jean had his camera and told me he was not planning on running fast this year, and was intent on taking lots of pictures. Nonetheless, he along with Sean (and they both ran Rio del Lago 100 mile three weeks earlier) and Toshi pulled ahead from me. (Toshi would finish 2nd fastest rookie.)

I was breathing too hard. This wasn’t a pace I can maintain for 48 more miles. I lost them. I could make an excuse of having run too long several times a few days before while in Ohio, but most of it is that these young guys are too fast for me (well, Jean is actually three years older than me. He would take a gazillion pictures and finish 18 minutes ahead of me and finish his blog report 3 months faster. Show-off!).

photo by Jean Pommier

Nonetheless, it felt good to work it, to breathe hard this early in the race.

A large part of the improvement curve in 50 mile races is improving your willingness and ability to breathe hard the whole 50 miles. Perhaps some people can extend this to 100 miles, but I can’t. But 50 miles is still runnable. I’m not much faster than when I started running ultras 7-8 years ago. I’m just pushing it at a given level longer.

URINE

I was starting to feel the urge to void on the long downhill to the turnaround in Tilden. It would have made sense to try to pee on the return up hill, but somehow I though that a steady stream of runners would prevent me from doing that decently. So I took a minute to go behind a tree behind the aid station (to which volunteers pointed when I asked if there were a portalet). As it turned out, I was being peeranoid.

Later through the redwoods around mile 39 some runner I don’t know catches up to me to ask if I peed on the trail. There were some other pee marks before me, but I told him yeah, probably. Sounding a little…pissed, he complained that he had to walk through it. I apologized. He seemed relieved to have gotten that out. Then he dropped back with his pacer at an aid station, his pacer handing him back a bottle to be filled, which struck me as muling, but even if he had caught up with me later, I probably would not have mentioned it.

If anyone is pissed off at me, you are free to complain to me here in my comments. Generally I try to pee to the side, but depending on the trail, this can be quite technical.

FECES

What did I eat yesterday? Bad pit stops x2 early in the race, once right past Bort (mile 7.9) having to dig the hole with my foot, and the porta-potty at the 2nd aid station at Skyline (mile 15). This resulted in passing and being passed by this one guy trying again to break the 50 and over course record (which he didn’t, but admirable try) until I, being 7 years younger, was able to pull ahead.

Regarding the pit stops, I luckily could later write off 5 minutes lost on my 2010 form, and be done.

Too much information, eh? But I started this bodily fluids theme. Fluids.

Hey– finally finishing and publishing these long overdue race reports feels kind of like taking a big dump.

VOMIT and TEARS

After the race, I had fun hanging out. No cell reception in the park, even to text, so I either had to borrow others’ phones or walk up to Lake Chabot Road. I wanted my wife to bring our kids so they could eat dinner there, and I could hang out longer. It’s a very festive, family friendly affair, the post-Firetrails Cafe.

On the way home, my younger son complained of a stomach ache, but he’s always crying wolf about his tummy and other things, crafty, manipulative kid that he is, so neither mommy nor daddy took him seriously. Finally, he proved his integrity by spewing thin vomitus all over our couch. Followed by hourly repeats most of the early night. Lots of sheet changing crying, not lots of sleep.

By next morning, he was able to take in fluids, and by Sunday evening, back to his baseline.

I assumed it was from one of the pasta salads he wolfed down at the picnic, that his older brother ignored, and that this was a toxin mediated (as opposed to direct bacterial or viral infection) based on the fast on and off symptoms (no diarrhea).

Two days later, my working hypothesis is debunked, as his older brother comes down with the same thing.

CEREBROSPINAL FLUID and/or BILE

Heading back through Chabot around mile 45, from Brandon Trail to Cascade Trail, this very large African American guy was screaming and making threatening gestures, and even attacking to a couple of marathon runners coming through. I encounter agitated psychotic patients infrequently but regularly enough at work. He sounded like he was about to lose it. When I arrived at the last aid station, I told the volunteers, who had already been warned, and had called the park rangers. Poor guy. Fortunately no one got seriously hurt. He was heroically calmed down by the the husband of writer/blogger/ultrarunner Sarah Lavender Smith (who was incidentally the first female rookie finisher— congrats!). her much better written race report

A few other select kudos:

by Jean Pommier

Bree Lambert won women’s race. Since I came 4th overall on our team, my points counted with hers for our Rhomobile Quicksilver mixed team in the PAUSATF Ultra Grand Prix.

Erika Kikuchi, who decided to run this last-minute almost on a whim.

A few friends, familiar and new, finishing their first 50 mile run (this will not be a new blog report tradition, but I thought I’d clap for them publicly):

John Ostezan (left), who paced me the last 25 miles at TRT100, Jean Pommier (not a rookie) at right. Jean’s race report and his race album of 329 photos

Stephen Wright

Baldwyn Chieh

Baldwyn Chieh (not his first 50 mile, but he’s been injured so long, it counts). His inspiring blog report. How can my stupid post on bodily fluids be as inspiring?

with non-rookie Clement Choy on right

Heather says, “Each day is a challenge for me in trying to meet my fitness goals. Life comes and interferes with even the best fitness intentions. It’s easy to get derailed by long work days, business trips, and social events.  It’s my tendency to splurge during those times.  This makes it difficult to achieve any fitness goal. In order to change, I must really dig deep and remember what I’m trying to accomplish, rather than have that piece of bread!”

The biggest lifestyle adjustment for Heather has been selecting the right foods to eat and exercising portion control. She says, ” It’s an area I work on every day. I’ve  learned to stop being mad at myself  if I slip up and make the wrong choices or skip a workout.”

Heather has started to take pride and ownership of her body .  My current fitness goals are mainly to get healthy, lose weight, gain muscle, and become an overall healthier person. My motivation to achieve these goals it to fit into clothing from any store,  prevent illness , and  prepare my body for future pregnancy.

She says, ” I like training with Bree because she makes you feel comfortable in the body that you currently have and helps you envision the body you will have. Recently, I wanted to change my training sessions from the functional work Bree normally would do; to sessions focused only on strict resistance circuit training , to help get ready for my wedding.  Bree stepped out of her personal comfort zone and addressed this challenge head on with motivation and focus. ”

Everyday is a new day, a new challenge, and I must find new motivation to keep going!

I'm just a normal person who is working toward fitness.

ABOUT ME

I was always active as a youngster and teenager and even keeping up dance aerobics through college. I never had a weight problem until the birth of my second son in my 30′s. By then I only exercised sporadically and really felt the “aging” process
as I turned 50.  I was often stiff, with a sore back and losing a lot of the natural balance I had as a youth through gymnastics. My vocation as a piano teacher wasn’t helping in any activity or weight loss goals I might have.

About 3 years ago I decided something really had to change and thought that getting a personal fitness trainer might be the way to go. I worked with a knowledgeable instructor for about a year and a half and saw my fitness level really improve. In the summer of 2009 I began training to walk a half marathon as a way to keep me motivated with my goal to lose weight and be more fit. I was really excited about completing the half marathon and had lost at least 20 pounds by then.  Many people commented on how “fit” I looked and often asked if I planned on doing any more events. I really knew by then that I needed to “keep going,” both in doing events and improving my fitness.

In early 2010 while searching for another event, I happened upon a trail event and discovered then, that I liked trail events better than street events. There is something quite exhilarating in looking down from a mountain top knowing your own two legs got you
there! Shortly after that time, my personal fitness instructor hadn’t time in his schedule for me any longer and recommended I work with Bree. Wow! Here I was, coming to realize how much I enjoyed trail events and now I was getting to work with a trail race expert!

Eventually, my goal is to run my races not just walk them and Bree assures me that will happen. But until then I will happily continue working with Bree, becoming more fit and stronger as I plan on entering at least four 10K or longer events in 2011.

1)      What did you find to be the most difficult aspect of being coached for this ultra?

 Wow, there is nothing difficult about being coached for an ultramarathon by a champion female athlete. If I had to pick something I would have to say, making time for an appointment to meet in person. It was absolutely the most beneficial part of my training but being a single mom and working full time limits my flexibility so, I really had to make the meetings a priority.

2)      Can you name 3 benefits of having a performance coach to prepare you for your race?

Uh, I could name at least 10 but I’ll give you the top 3.

1.      Technique; Your unique style provides a combination of endurance, strength and speed training tailored to fit my needs without overtraining. I thought I would have to put in a lot more miles to prepare for an ultra. Instead we layered the various aspects in shorter more intentional and intense workouts to get to my overall goal.

2.      Fuel; I have come to believe that fueling and hydration in preparation for and during a long run is equally important as the physical training itself. I hear so many stories from people that have bonked during a marathon or suffered heat stroke or dehydration during training yet they refuse to take gels, fluids and salt. You showed me how meticulous planning for fuel throughout a run can be the difference between finishing and placing.

3.      Inspiration; You have been such an inspiration. I couldn’t have imagined what it would be like to run for 24 hours. Now I have a vague idea. I loved being a part of the support crew for your 100k “training run.” I learned so much from being a part of the preparation and supporting you at the aid stations. My friends and family think I have achieved greatness but I still feel like a beginner! It was only 31 miles. Next year I’ll do a real ultra!

3)      What did you take away from running your first ultra event?

 The human body is an amazing machine. In six months my body has adapted to continuously increasing mileage with rigorous training injury free. Fifty kilometers was hard but I have yet to reach my limit.

 4)      What makes you want to do another?

 I want to discover my limit. How far can I go? How fast? How high?

 5)      What do you think best describes your coaches (Bree) training style? Would you recommend her to help others with similar running goals? Why?

Foremost, Bree is passionate about her work. It seems like she absolutely loves figuring out what will work best for me and then she can’t wait to share her ideas. Bree’s style requires maximum effort and minimum mileage. When I feel like I can’t run any faster, farther or higher I go a little bit more. That combined with emphasis on proper nutrition, fuel, core strength and flexibility.

I would definitely recommend her to help others with similar running goals. She is meticulous with her planning, passionate about her clients progress and truly an inspiration as an athlete and a woman.

Betsy and Bree