Girl Power 14 – Waldo 2

Cougarbait

I am “O fur”, shutout, skunked, on the snide, cursed, not even DFL….just DNF –for the second straight year..I’ve dropped out of two ultras ever…Waldo…and Waldo…last year it was the Killer Bees that stung me out…this year it was the Legends of the Fall.

For me there are all the other ultras..then..there is Waldo, I peaked for this event, I trained, I dieted…I ran my little training cycles, all the stars were aligned, I just PR’d at 50 miles by 1 hour and 47 minutes at PCT 50…I was ready.

At the sound of the bell I ran brutally slow…keeping my HR rate below 150 bpm that’s Z2 in HR zones — for the first 30 minutes on the steady climb up to the Rosary Lakes..that was the plan — part of my well scripted plan…Ronda and about 15 runners were in a congo line patiently following me up to the Rosary Lakes. Nobody passed because 1)I am too big and wide to pass or 2)I am too big and wide to pass or 3)Because it was dark and I am too big and wide to pass…then Kristin Jossi (KJ) (friend and training partner) decided to pass me at the top of climb into the lakes — we exchanged pleasant good mornings. Once at the lakes I allowed my heart rate to go move to LZ3, 150-153..that’s it..I slowly pulled away from the congo line behind me..I caught John Price and Kristin Jossi (KJ) (sometimes friend and sometimes training partner) on the climb near the PCT/Maiden Lake intersection…I passed KJ …..and then KJ – (fellow competitor – yeah I met her before) passed me back on the descent toward Gold Lake, I think that’s first time ever she has passed me going downhill…I wasn’t going to go any faster than my race plan…so I let her go!!! ;(

I came into Gold Lake 12 minutes faster than last year without breaking a sweat..was in complete control…as I crossed the road up to Fuji I passed KJ (rival and Montrail runner), I hit bees…went X-country…John Price got stung…KJ (arch rival and some Montrail chic) caught me…and she passed me back on the way up to Fuji..I hit my Fuji Up aide station split within 1 minute of when I wanted to….I ran and walked up Fuji trying to keep up with Mike Burke who was just walking..I ran in HZ3 and LZ4 zones…that’s an easy climbing gear…not even pushing at all..I passed KJ (heated foe – sponsored chic) on the way up and she was her way down, we glared at each other….then..you guessed it…I caught that KJ chic on the descent of Fuji and passed her again…came into Fuji Down aide station — it looks just like the Fuji Up aide station by the way..did anyone else notice that??!!!…Now I am 3 minutes ahead of projected pace…had a problem with one of my hand-helds…can you believe friggen Mon-KJ-Chic passed me back at the aide station — I wasn’t having any of that!!….I headed toward Mt. Ray…caught KJ…passed her ass back..yeah…for good this time Girl Power Sister –take that!!! The goal was to run the first 4 hours easy…that’s exactly what I did…I shifted gears at 4 hours and hit MZ3 — that’s 155-157 HR…I was gonna stay there all day except for the climbs, which I was gonna push 3 AT (Anaerobic Threshold) efforts, one out of Mt. Ray, one up to the top of the Twins and the final AT push up to Maiden…yeah..I was burying KJ longtime rival once and for all while I was at it!!!! If she passes me one more time that’s it, we are going to octagon to fight it out in the ultimate fighting championships!!

As I was entering Mt. Ray in full graceful flight…um..eh..as I was plodding into Mt. Ray…I couldn’t believe it..I must be dreaming…Kelly, my wife was there with my 2 girls…Kelly was wearing a cheerleader outfit?!!! COME ON!!!???? I couldn’t get her to do that our honeymoon night…and here I am in a middle of an ultra!!! Wow…now that’s support!!! I hit Mt. Ray 1 minute ahead of my projected pace…yeah…and more importantly….3 minutes of my new found cage match nemesis….Mon-KJ-Chic…yeah!!! Then about 10 minutes out of Mt. Ray it happened….no…KJ didn’t pass me again..I fell…I fell harder than I’ve fallen..bounced even — I think it had somethng to do with the ultimate fighting karma I was experiencing..I knew immediately this was a bad one…my hip, lower back and SI joint in one shot…I barely walk/jogged my way to the Twins…then decided I would have to walk out of the Twins anyway if I dropped there, so I started toward Charlton where my family was waiting for me with signs, pom-poms and who know what else…I am staggering down the trail toward Charlton…walking..then..behind me comes my arch rival ultimate fighting enemy Mon-KJ..yeah…she tries to throw me off by acting concerned and speaking some physical therapy gibberish ..then proceeds to try and drop me…I bit my lips…bitterly chewing my lips trying to block the pain and keep up with her…she wasn’t beating me to the lake…no way…I caught her…she stopped for a nature break…I passed her….she caught me….passed me back…we traded paint and elbows…oh..now it’s Roller Derby time!!!….She falls (I didn’t shove her..honest!! hee-hee)…I stopped briefly…contemplated passing her…helped back to her feet..then I took off…Ha, ha..take that…now where both banged up….she catches me…again!!! Passes me back…Girl Power 12….CB 11…..I pass her back…..we catch Dan Harsburger…thankfully, KJ stops to talk to him….I run as fast as I can while she is chatting with Dan….she catches me again….you got that right…passes me back…Girl Power 13….CB 12……we hit the lake..she takes pity on me..knows my family is gonna be there cheering for me…so….she allows me to pass…ughhhh Girl Power 14….CB 0…I just got chic’d…in the worse way…she let me by…Kelly was there, no cheer leading outfit…but still wearing heels — wow!! Smiles on everyone’s faces…KJ (again friend and training partner) exchanged hello’s….but that was it for me..no more running…at the end of the day…Waldo won — as did Girl Power, my wife for being such a great support and KJ, for dragging me into Charlton…I will be back next year!!!