2007 in the Rear and 2008 Ahead!

Hm, it took me a bit of searching around, but I think I figured out that being tagged is kinda like tag in elementary school, which means I'm "it." And in being "it," I'm supposed to answer some questions about me. As you'll notice, I wasn't so good in always choosing only one. So...

1. Most memorable moment on the trail (3)...

-Mile 75.5 to 76 of the TRT 76 miler, I mean TRT 100 miler. On the first loop, that 1/2 mile took me maybe 5 minutes. The second time, that 1/2 mile took me 30 minutes to cover. I had severe stomach cramps for the previous 23 miles, was walking completely bent over to try to make them go away, even though it was pretty warm I was moving so slow that I was freezing, and I was puking my guts out. I would walk a few steps, sit down for a few minutes, shiver uncontrollably, struggle to get up, puke, walk a few steps, repeat. That 1/2 mile was one of the hardest 1/2 mile stretches I've ever done in a race. Read all about it here (scroll down to the July 27 post).

-Miles 68-70 of the Tahoe 72 miler (yeah, I love racing at Tahoe!). After trailing Akos Konya for the previous 63 miles, by up to 40 minutes, I finally caught him. He was struggling and I went by him hard. He surprised me and responded. The next 3 miles were an epic battle, 6:30-6:40 for each of those miles on the icy pavement. With 2 miles to go he made the move. I was red-lining and I was done. He beat me by 2 minutes. It was awesome! Full report is here (scroll down to the October 15 post).

-During boot camp with Ashley Nordell and Matt Hart, Hart took a nasty dive in a gigantic boulder field and landed right on his head. We were literally at least 3 hours from any trailhead. He ended up being okay, but man, it was scary.

2. Best new trail I discovered in 2007 (2)...

-Graves Creek to Anderson Pass in Washington's Olympic National Park with Matt Hart and Jamie Gifford. Beautiful views from the Enchanted Valley, great company, caramel Power Gels, Hart's first Baby Ruth, humidity, puking...sweet day!

-El Vaquero Loco course that Ty Draney was cool enough to show me. I never knew there were other trails this cool so close to the Tetons.

3. My best performance of the year was (2)...

-Yakima River Canyon Marathon. I had a well-defined and tough goal, I trained hard and specifically for it, had a plan for the race, and executed that plan almost to perfection. I was happy.

-JFK 50 miler. I had a well-defined and tough goal, I didn't run big miles, did lots of tempo and track work, rested lots, let my body heal, had a plan for the race, and executed that plan almost to perfection. I was happy.

4. I do not know how I previously survived without...

Caramel Power Gel. Holy crap, this stuff is good! Jamie Gifford introduced me to it on the Graves Creek to Anderson Pass run. It tastes just like the caramel you put on green apples. Mmmmm.

5. The person I would most like to meet on a trail in 2008...

April, she's my sister. She's really gotten into running the last few of years, and she's even run a couple road marathons now. I'm trying to bring here over to the softer side of running onto the trails. I've been trying to talk her into running the Rumble for a couple years, and have extended an invitation to her again for 2008. I would be super stoked if she accepts it.

6. The race I am most excited/scared about in 2008 is...

-Boston Marathon. I am very excited to run through the Tunnel of Screams at Wellesley College! I ran the Yakima River Canyon Marathon specifically to qualify for the first corral at Boston. My winter and early spring training are going to be specifically for Boston, where my goal is to step up and run sub-2:40.

-Western States. I'm 2 for 5 in 100s, and those 2 aren't anything great. I really believe I have a good hundred in me...I really hope it comes out at Western. One of the goals, sub-Bien.

Merry Christmas!