4 Diapers Later

Have you ever had one of those moments that you really just can't believe is actually happening? Like, when you close the front door only to realize that the keys are still inside and you had locked the door already? Or how about that moment you get all the way to work only to realize you left your cell phone on the night stand? Or that moment that your son is still going #2 (poop) and you don't have a diaper ready? Yup I am talking about that moment. 4 epic diapers later.......

 It was my shift as we call it around here. Meaning I was in charge, feeding, diapers, burping, cuddling, all me.   My wife was resting and it was up to me to keep the fort down. Up until this point I have been really good with the diapers, he has only peed on me once......um......Ok......maybe twice, or three times, I sort of lost track, but hey, who is counting. Certainly not you, but I bet you are.

Anyways, I decided that I would change his diaper. I went to the changing table and took off the dirty diaper, only it wasn't dirty. (I am still learning) When all of a sudden my son goes #1, and pees. I do what anyone would do and quickly grab the clean diaper (Diaper #1 here) and cover him so he doesn't get everything soaked. Crisis diverted right, nope. As I am cleaning him from the incident #1, he goes #2. Now there wasn't any warning, it just came flying out. It startled me and I screamed a bit. I froze not sure what to do, and then I realized he was still going, so I quickly grabbed a clean diaper (diaper #2) to catch the remaining #2. OK that has to be all of it, right. So I gather diaper #2 up and throw it away and grab a clean diaper (diaper #3) and put it on him, only I didn't realize that I missed the mess on the changing table from the explosion and I had just placed the clean diaper in #2.

Are you laughing yet?

Because I wasn't.

Now I grab another clean diaper (Diaper #4 if you counting) and quickly get that on him this time being sure to miss the mess on the changing table. 4 diapers later of what should have been a simple task turned into a 2 person task as my wife came to my rescue. You see what I didn't tell you was I screamed again and she came in to see what all the fussing was about. She helped on diaper #4 as by this time I had it under control.

4 diapers later he is all changed.

Now I am sure this will happen again or something like it. This was one of those moments that I replay over and over again in my head and say "Did that really happen?" and the answer each and every time is "Yes, yes it did happen."

This is something no one tells you, but that is OK. I laugh at myself just about every day over something. I am learning something new every day and I love it. I don't mind the dirty diapers and the sleepless nights, in fact those moments I am sure will be long forgotten as he gets older.

I am enjoying when he is sleeping and grunts and stretches is little tiny arms above his head and he holds his breath until his face is red and grunts some more and then whimpers just a little whimper but enough of a whimper, then I pick him up and look into his sweet little eyes and he smiles, like ha, I just got you to pick me up. Hehehe. Those are the moments I love.    

A Simple Cup of Coffee No More

It is amazing how routines can change just like that. Change is typically something hard for me, I love routines, I am all about them. Change is tough for me, ask anyone I know. So it is hard to believe I have adapted to my new routines rather quickly and without fighting them since the new addition to our family. It didn't freak me out or turn my entire world upside down or into complete chaos, in fact the new routines were rather simple and something that just naturally developed, a unspoken routine I would say.  

Yawning

 It all started this morning that had me thinking about routines. Typically the first thing I do when I wake up is enjoy a cup of coffee, I look forward to coffee just as my dogs look forward to being feed. It is a constant, something I am familiar with, something that starts my day on the right foot so to say. No, it doesn't have anything to do with the caffeine, just the simple motion, the simple routine of making coffee. It soothes me so to say. That is the best way I can describe it. Soothing.

This morning as I was sitting in the living room having cuddle time with our son, I just smiled to myself, this simple act of cuddling was now my new routine. I look forward to our special one on one time each morning. A time for us to bond and connect over the little things in life right now. Those little things being dirty diapers, feedings, cuddle time, more dirty diapers, and best of all story time and connecting with my son.

Now the first thing I do in the morning isn't reaching for the coffee cup, but rather reaching for my son and soothing him when he starts to cry. We have our morning escape, just the two of us in the early morning hours, just the two of us and eventually when everything calms down and he is settled back in then and only then can I enjoy my coffee, although sometimes I make it, but I don't always get to it on my schedule.

A simple cup of coffee no more, but rather a time to cuddle and connect with our son.  Morning coffee is one of many routines which have changed and I am sure as he gets bigger and older my routines will change again. But for now coffee can wait.

One Step Forward is Another Step Closer to the Finish

Besides the new addition in our family I have been focused this week on running and getting back on track with training. I have a very supportive wife, who encourages me to sign up for races and also to go run. Not only does she encourage me to sign up for races but she reminds me that she will be there as well. With that this week I have been running.

Traildog Toby standing watch while JCM takes a nap

Monday- 6 miles, 4 with Traildog Toby and 2 with Remi, who by the way is 130 lbs. A big strong dog, so running with him is more of a cool down for me as Traildog is more of a tempo.

Tuesday- Hill Repeats times 6. Now that was fun. I always enjoy hill work outs because I feel stronger immediately following the work out.

Wednesday- Rest day, super tired from being up with the little guy JCM, so I took a nap, a 3 hour nap.

Thursday- Mile repeats, 1.5 warm up followed by mile repeats times 4, 1.5 cool down. This was fun.

Friday- 4 miles, recovery

Saturday- Long Run, 23 miles on the trails in Cool.

Before this 23 miler, my longest run was.......will I can't remember my longest run. I think it was 18. Like I said before this week my training had been inconsistent, I was dealing with going on LOA from work so handing off my workload was a bit stressful which had me doing long hours, then JCM was born and now that we have a few routines in place I can once again focus on my training.

Saturday's run was in Cool. It was the training run for the Way Too Cool 50k, it was the last half of the course which is beautiful and very runnable. I carpooled up there with some friends and we decided that it would be best if we started early, to avoid the large amount of people who will be at this event. We started bright and early just when there was enough light to see.

It was a bit chilly at the start but warmed up as the day grew. We hit the trails and just enjoyed the quiet and each others company. I didn't push the pace on the descent into the canyon, I kept my pace nice and comfortable and found myself in the back of our group of 5. We hit the quarry fire road and the pace quickened, but again, I just kept it nice and easy, power hiking the hills. Soon we hit the single track and I found myself in the middle. By this time I was warmed up and in a good space so I really enjoyed this section. We were keeping a nice and steady pace and were making some good time. My legs at this point felt good unlike last weekends run where I ran out of steam during the last 4 miles of our 14 mile run. The views along the trail were incredible and the trail was lush and green.

We hit third gate and I was still feeling rather strong. We transitioned into a very steady power hike and just put our heads down and kept on moving. My motto for the day, "One step forward brings you one step closer to the finish"

We hit the aid station at about mile 12.5 or so and I enjoyed the sweet bubbly carbonation of Coke and 2 squares of PB&J. This next section is my favorite as you can make up a bit of time as it is totally runnable and I always like to test myself. I quickly took the lead and increased our pace for a few miles. During this stretch all 5 of us put together a nice stretch of constant running. It felt good to open the legs a bit. We were also approaching Goat hill. Goat hill is about .7 of climbing, and this would be a nice little test for my legs. We arrived at goat hill in no time and started the climb. Trailmomma climbed it like she owned it and quickly put some distance on me. I guess all those stairs she climbs at work have been really helping her. (I wonder where I can find some stairs). She looked strong, so did everyone else in our group. I felt good going up and my legs were holding together as well. Soon we were at the top and were greeted by another aid station. Here I took in a gel and I knew we only had about 5ish miles to the finish.

During the descent I could feel my quads a bit, but everything was holding up just fine. We kept a nice steady clip going down and power hiked the hills. Soon I could hear the cars on 49 and knew were getting closer. We crossed 49, and had only 1.5 to go. Trailmomma took off up the climb. She had some unfinished business on this hill. Let me tell you she owned it. We all did as a matter fact. The home stretch was near. "One step forward is one step closer to the finish" I hit the parking lot and felt pretty good about this training run. We were consistent, my body and mind held up for 23 miles on the trails and overall it was a strong training run.

After we finished we hung out and I caught up with all my running friends. It was good to see everyone and I can't wait to do it again. This was a strong week of training for me, now I just need to be consistent and remain focused all the while balancing my home life and family time too.

Just chilling 

Story time with  my son, I read books each night to him

Oh please mom, not another picture

Precious little boy

JCM, is doing great, though I think he has his days and nights a bit confused. He is a super chill baby and I am enjoying spending as much time with him as I possible can.

A New Addition

It has been a very long time since my last post. There has been a lot going on in the previous months. One of the most important things I have been up to is getting ready for parenthood. Will, can  you actually get ready for parenthood? Nope, but I like to think that I could. My wife was pregnant with our first child (I am hoping for more), I was training for my races that were late in the season, I was working full time and we were also looking at buying at a house, all of this I remind you was during 4th quarter. 4th quarter is where things get super crazy busy at work, I work very long days filled with a ton of stress, pile on house hunting, a pregnant wife and trying to run and I had created a very chaotic life. But, with all this chaos there was always a light at the end of tunnel so to speak and that light was the pending arrival of our son. He couldn't get here fast enough.

As the months turned into weeks which turned into days, all I could think about was spending time with my family. Wow, my family, not that sounds different, but I love the idea of it. Soon we were weeks away and each day I would lean into my wife's belly and whisper, "Any day little man, any day. When ever you are ready you can come out. It is safe." He of course had his own idea of when he was going to grace us with his presence and will, I just had to be OK with that.

Soon we were only a week away from his due date. It was my weekend off from work, and my wife encouraged me to go run long on Saturday, as I had a race I was training for. I hesitated and asked "Are you sure?" She insisted. That Saturday I ran with Trailmomma and another friend and we knocked out 20 miles. Of course I had my phone on me and so did Trailmomma, just in case there was a call/text from my wife saying to hustle back. Trailmomma's phone went off a few times, and each time it did we would pause and check the message. Lucky for us it wasn't my wife which meant we didn't have to do a tempo run back to the car.

Trailmomma jokingly said "Watch you run 20 miles today and just as you go to bed I bet she goes into labor." We had a good laugh and I said "At least he would have waited long enough for me to get my run in."

Fast forward to Sunday night at midnight, only about 12 hours later, and yup you guessed it my wife is in labor. I strolled out to the living room to find my wife writing down her contractions and telling me they are 10 minutes apart. I casually suggested that we watch a movie, to keep our minds occupied as it was too soon to go the hospital. We did just that. But soon enough the contractions were 5 minutes apart, and we called Labor and Deliver who advised us to head on in. We did, but only after we had both showered. It was 3:30 am and we were headed to the hospital. We were admitted as she was close to a 7. They made us comfortable and we settled in. Then it was time to start pushing, it was 11:25am. My wife was amazing and at 11:41 am our son was born. He was delivered by the nurse and medical student as the doctor didn't have time to get to the room, the little guy didn't want to wait and wanted to make his entrance exciting.

Wow, our son. He weighed in at 7lbs 8oz, 20 1/4 inches long, and was the most handsome, adorable, precious little guy I knew. I just about cried when he was delivered, it was such an emotional experience and one that I will always cherish.

We have been home now for about a week, we only stayed the one night in the hospital. The three of us are getting our routines down and each day we learn something new. In the first week of his life we have had many firsts. A first being he peed all over me one time during diaper change, we lost our first little sock during an outing, I experienced how a little guy could clear an entire bedroom with his powerful farts.

Our first outing was hysterical. My wife and I and JCM had an appointment, we had to get lab work then head over to the doctors. Time kind of got away from us and soon we only had 15 minutes before we had to leave. My wife took JCM to change him. When she took his diaper off he peed everywhere, all over the wall (yes, that really happens, it is no joke) all over the changing table and all over his clean outfit. She had to change him, when she did she set him down, but had forgotten about the early incident and now he was soaking wet again and had to be changed. 3 outfits later we are ready to leave. I grab the diaper bag, (I  know my role) and we are off. We made it to the lab and doctor appointment, we then have to run and get some paper work. Will, during the walk from the car to the office, we lost his sock. We retraced our steps but couldn't find it. Our first time out and we loss a sock, I am sure it will not be the last sock we loss. We learned a lot that day, and we still laugh about our first outing. We have gotten much better each time we have to go somewhere.

We have pretty much been bonding and getting routines in place. I typically take the 3 am- 7 am shift, as I am up from my work schedule. This way my wife can get some much needed sleep. I always enjoy this special time with him. Just the 2 of us. We bond over feedings, changing dirty diapers and just cuddling. he just melts my heart. I can honestly say, I don't mind getting up with him as this is our special time together, sometimes we just stare into each others eyes. During this time, I also enjoy reading to him, which I think he likes. I am sure as the days and weeks go by it will be very difficult for me to go back to work, but right now I am not thinking about that, right now I am just enjoying every second I have with him along with taking as many photos as I can.

On the Trails Again

This past week I have slowly been getting back at it. As in running/training again. On Thursday I started with 6 hill repeats. I needed to wake my legs up per say. Then on Friday I did a nice and easy 6 mile recovery run. I was feeling pretty good. Mentally, it helped to be focused again on running/training. This weekend I had big plans in store for me and Trailmomma, I emailed Trailmomma and we decided upon 16-20 miles starting at the base of stagecoach and doing the Clementine and Overlook loops. We wanted to do loops as the day was going to be super hot. Soon enough our little run of two turned into 5 of our running friends. Awesome, it's always better to run in a large group especially when it is hot.

We arrived at the base of Stagecoach around 6:25 am and were ready to start running around 6:30. It was already muggy when we started. We ran the Clementine loop first as I knew the mountain bikers would be out this nice weekend and I wanted to hit the loop before they started.. I was feeling pretty good, but I also noticed my legs were still recovering from my 50 mile adventure from a few weeks ago.

We finished up the Clementine loop and refueled at the car, I added some more ice and water to my hydration pack and enjoyed a banana and used the restroom. I also realized that the chaffing I had experienced at TRT was not 100% healed and was aggravated and hurt.

Soon we were ready to tackle the next 10 miles which we call the Overlook loop. We climbed the "fully exposed" Stagecoach and I just pitter pattered up this 2 mile climb. Power hiking every so often and just taking in the spectacular view. The climb was warm, but there was some shade, even though I still believe it is fully exposed. A little joke between Trailmomma and myself.

At the top of the climb the group regrouped as Miss P. and Karen tore it up. We hit the pavement and continued on our way. We had a little turkey sighting that made Trailmomma's heart skip a beat. I of course just laughed about it. We hit the water fountain and immediately dosed our bandanas in hopes of staying cool as it was getting really warm. Luckily we had stated early and would hopefully be done before the heat just drained us and baked us in the canyon. Miss P. lead the way and I took up the rear, just keeping the group in my sights. We hit the overlook in no time and again, cooled down. Now we only had 4 miles to go, but it was in the canyon and that was going to be hot.

I was feeling it in my legs and the chaffing was uncomfortable. We saw a lot of our friends on the trail at various points and it was nice to stop and catch up for a bit. That is the great thing about trail running, you can see a ton of your friends even though you may not have started at the same point and it makes for a nice day. We hit the waterfall and again cooled down. Only 2.5 miles to go, but the heat was zapping our energy. I was slowing down and I was sucking my water down. It was hot. The fire road to No Hands Bridge was super hot as it was exposed, but we kept a nice steady pace. We arrived at No Hands crossed over and made our way to Stagecoach for a nice 16 mile run.

I was done, the heat and my legs had had enough. Which was fine, as this was my first weekend running and 16 miles was a nice start. I am looking forward to hitting the trail with these amazing ladies again, the miles ticked by quickly and it was great to on the trails again.

What do I have planned in the upcoming months you may ask? I don't know, I do know that I am enjoying being on the trails again. I look forward to focusing on my fitness and maintaining a nice base.

Tahoe Rim Trail 100 Mile Race Report 2014

"A Glimpse of Heaven...........a Taste of Hell" is the motto for The Tahoe Rim Trails Endurance Runs. I was once again signed up for the 100 mile run. I had some unfinished business that I hoped to complete this go around. Like any race or 100 mile run this run is challenging. I have been coming to Tahoe every July for the past 4 years. Running the 50k twice, the 50 miler once and now attempting the 100 mile for the second time. I was determined this year that things would be different, I trained hard, I focused on my fueling, I had an amazing crew and pacers. All was set, now all I had to do was run.

The night before the race my crew and I reminisced over the past few months of training. We laughed and laughed the night away. Trailmomma has been my running partner for years, but this past year she was with me for just about every long run and boy did we have stories to tell. I think sitting there around the kitchen table and sharing and remembering our runs was one my favorite parts about the trip.

The morning of the race I awoke really early. I couldn't sleep, I had some major anxiety and when the alarm finally went off I bounced out of bed full of energy and ready to start the morning. My wife made me eggs, pancakes, ham, and strawberries. I enjoyed this meal like it was going to be my last. We arrived at the starting line about an hour before the race started and I found us a nice spot on the benches to relax and take in all the excitement. Soon it was time to head to the starting line. I kissed my wife and said " I will see you at diamond." and off I went into the cool morning.

Photo By Trailmomma, what was waiting for me on the kitchen table

Start To Hobart:

Right Before the start

The start to Hobart begins on a fire road. I quickly settled into a nice a pace. Soon the line began as we squeezed our way onto the single track trail. I wasn't in a hurry, I didn't try to pass anyone but there were plenty of runners passing me. I wasn't moving slow, I was moving just as quickly as the runner in front me. It was a comfortable power hike as we were climbing, or I should say snaking our way to the top before a nice descent down to Marlette lake. This year I took it all in. I took the time to look up ahead and also below me as the lights from everyone's flashlights were pretty amazing to see. Plus it kept my mind occupied and focused on the current task at hand, to make my way to Hobart aid station, roughly 6 miles. I arrived into Hobart on schedule and quickly gathered my drop bag and enjoyed a Special K breakfast bar. It was easy to eat as it was soft and tasted really good. I was also fueling with Power Gel as I had stopped using the prepetuam as I was getting sick while I trained with it. 

Hobart To Tunnel Creek:

I was in and out of Hobart rather quickly and started the climb up to peak and a gorgeous view of the lakes. I again settled into my pace and focused on the next 5 miles to Tunnel Creek. I knew that trail was super runnable once I crested the peak and I had a nice downhill section into Tunnel Creek. I also knew not to open up to much as the day was just beginning. I arrived at the downhill section and enjoyed the nice smooth rollers and switch backs to Tunnel Creek. I passed a few runners, but I didn't push the pace.I was running comfortable. I was excited to get to Tunnel Creek as my some of my crew were going to be there, I always enjoy seeing a friendly face or two when I am on this trail. Trailmomma and her friend from Canada Be-Well-Run would be at Tunnel Creek and with each step that brought me closer to Tunnel, the bigger my smile became. I arrived into Tunnel right on schedule, and quickly grabbed my drop bag and supplies, refilled my pack and departed. Trailmomma and Be-Well-Run were both waiting for me and cheering loud. It was awesome to see them. 

Photo by Trailmomma, Leaving Tunnel Creek #1 on my way to Red House Loop

Tunnel Creek to Red House Loop

The next section of trail was a 6 mile loop with a massive descent to the lowest elevation on the course. This descent is a quad buster and bone jarring. I took it conservatively on the descent. Here I saw a lot of the front runners and some of the faster 50k and 50 milers started to pass me as they started an hour after us. It is pretty cool to see and even better on the climb back out to offer and receive words of encouragement. I started the slow climb on the fire road. Running some here and power hiking some there. I hit the red house aid station and quickly did my best at making a ice bandana and cooling myself off as the day was getting warm, a bit warmer then previously reported. I knew this next section would be a grind so I just put my head down and continued on my way. Finally I hit the real climb out and slowly started to make my way back to Tunnel Creek. It was tough and it was hot. I just put my head down and carried on. Soon I could see my crew and Trailmomma comes running down to me and asked "How are you?" a harmless question, I quickly say "Why?" a not so harmless answer. She was a bit concerned because in years past I have run this flat section. I was feeling that climb out. I quickly avoided her question and looked at Be-Well-Run and asked "How did you enjoy the climb into Tunnel Creek?" she said "This isn't about me it's about you, how are you?" Such a great crew!!!!! I of course needed some calories and to recover from the climb so I entered Tunnel Creek and took my time getting situated. 

Photo By: Trailmomma, coming out of the red house loop, still smiling 

Photo By: Trailmomma, getting weighed for the first time, down 1 pound

As I entered Tunnel Creek I immediately was weighed. I was down 1 pound from Friday's weigh in, nothing to be concerned about. After weighing in I went and grabbed my drop bag and ate a special K bar, grabbed my bottle to help cool me down during the next 12 miles and picked up a few more gels. Then I sat down in the chair and emptied out my shoes, they were full of sand and pebbles, plus this gave me a moment to breath. Then I gathered my things and used the restroom and told my crew "At diamond have ensure and gatorade ready, I will see you guys there." and off I went to the cheering of my crew. (I also forgot to cross the timing mat, but my crew saved the day and told them)

Tunnel Creek to Bull Wheel to Diamond Peak:

Now I was on the longest stretch of trail, but I wasn't alone. My friend Tina who was also running the 100 miler was with me. We talked and talked, which made the 3 miles fly by. We arrived at bull wheel grabbed some food and started on the 9 mile stretch. I was carrying my water bottle to help keep my cool, as last year I burned up going through here. This year I wasn't going to make the same mistake. I started to notice my energy levels getting low, so I ate a special K bar and took in a gel. Soon, instead of power hiking I was running again. The fuel was what I needed. I pushed on keeping a nice comfortable pace, power hiking some here and there. Then I made that left turn and knew I had 4 miles to Diamond peak and my crew. On this descent though my stomach I had a stomach cramp and had to walk some of the downhill, which was fine as it saved my legs. I was near Diamond Peak so I changed my focus on what I needed instead of how I was feeling. I wasn't feeling terrible, but I also wasn't feeling good. The descent seemed to never end and all I wanted was for the descent to end. Soon, I could hear cheering and I knew I was close. I popped out of the trail and hit the parking lot and my crew immediately went into action. 

Arriving at Diamond Peak Aid Station

I told my crew I had put together a nice 12 mile section, in fact so much better then the previous years. I was stoked about that. I was focused coming into Diamond Peak. My crew took my pack and cooled me down as I walked to check in. Once I checked in they showed me our spot and I went to the bathroom. I was having a bit of discomfort (put lightly) and I needed to address it. I used the restroom, and it hurt. I was chaffed pretty good in that area and it was bleeding as well. In  my efforts this year to keep cool by squirting myself the water my shorts chaffed me in the groin. It hurt, I was swollen, but I was also determined. After the bathroom, I emptied out the pebbles and sand in my shoes, ate some food, drank some coke and was ready to go. 

Diamond Peak, taking care of the sand and pebbles

Photo By: Be-Well-Run, (I should have tried to keep my shorts dry)

I also soaked myself with the hose. I was overheating and it felt so good to cool down. My crew was fantastic here, they had me in and out in no time. I was excited to see them and also excited that this year I came into Diamond Peak in much better condition then last year. 

Kuni and I

Diamond Peak to Bull Wheel:

I was now on  my way up the 2 mile climb of the ski slope. Kuni walked me out a bit and told me to take my time on this climb. I had plenty of time, in fact, he told me to slow down, that it was ok to walk the downhills. I thanked him and off I went. I had my water bottle to keep me cool and I was fueled up. The first mile of the climb isn't that tough, I hiked it and I would pause in the shade when there was some to recover. Soon Tina caught up to me and we both worked our way up the hill. We would pause in the shade on the steeper section, and soon we were pausing every so many feet. It was brutal, but you know what, I was doing better then last year. As we climbed I looked to our left and noticed a storm cell coming in. I told Tina about it and that I hoped it hit us on our way to Tunnel Creek and not Snow Valley. I could hear the thunder in the distance. We climbed and climbed and eventually made our way to bull wheel. Once at bull wheel, we enjoyed the best tasting water mellon I have had this year (Ok, it has been the only water mellon I have had, but it was delicious.) We took some time here, I ate another special k bar and a gel. That climb took a lot out of me and I knew I needed the calories. 

Bull Wheel to Tunnel Creek:

Tina and I were both on our way to Tunnel Creek. It was 3 miles pretty much downhill to the aid station. I had a nice pace going, but I was also uncomfortable, the chaffing was getting worse, and causing a lot of pain. I sat down and emptied a boulder of a rock out of my shoes and then carried on. By this point Tina was a good distance ahead of me and moving well. I was feeling pretty bad and all I could focus on was the chaffing. I couldn't move past it. It burned. I eventually arrived at Tunnel Creek along with some sprinkles. Here I weighed in again and was down another pound, again nothing to be worried over the volunteer said. After weighing I grabbed my drop bag. I ate a Honey Stinger Waffle, a gel, a quarter of a pay day bar, and drank some coke. I took my time in this aid station. I also put the water bottle in my drop bag, and pondered over grabbing my rain jacket. (I had packed a wind breaker in my Hobart drop bag, my rain jacket in the tunnel creek drop bag, and my crew had a wind breaker at the 50 mile marker) I decided against (a decision that would prove costly in the miles to come). It only sprinkled a bit, so at the time I wasn't to concerned about the weather. 

Tunnel Creek To Hobart:

I left tunnel creek hoping that the calories I had just put in would help me get back on track. I also had plenty of food and gels in my pack to refuel on my way. I knew that this next section would have a lot of power hiking and the only thing was, my legs left empty. I didn't have any power in them. I slowly made my way up each switch back and just kept moving forward. This was not good. What just happened? I couldn't believe how bad I was feeling. I tried to focus on the smaller picture of just getting to Hobart and not how many miles I had left. But it was hard, I cried some on the way to Hobart. I was struggling. I kept thinking that the calories needed some time to digest and that I would start to feel better. I kept moving forward switch back after every switch back, the process was slow and painful. The sun was no longer out and the storm clouds at any moment would open up. I slowly arrived at Hobart and just looked at the volunteers. The color was gone from my face and I eventually asked for some warm soup. I sat down and pondered what to do. I grabbed my drop bag and ate a waffle and a gel. I also grabbed my light wind breaker. I sat back down, looked at the volunteers and asked about the situation on snow valley. She responded "It hasn't been evacuated yet. But it is cold up there." I said thank you and packed my wind breaker. Before I could stand up a tremendous boom sounded and streak of lightening danced in the sky. The volunteer was again looked at me and said "Well, it is evacuating right now with that." I held my breath and could only think, I am getting ready to head that way into the storm. 

Hobart to Snow Valley:

I left Hobart, not fully recharged, but ready non the less. I was hiking my way into the storm and secretly hoping it wouldn't be that bad. I mean I was only going to 9,250 feet. I deep down knew better and quickly increased my power hike. I didn't know what to expect, but with each step forward the thunder slowly grew. It started as small growl and slowly grew the higher I got. Then the lightening came, it was bright and seemed very close. I would count until I heard the thunder and then another crack only this time it scared me and I screamed. It was close, closer the I ever want to be. The thunder and lightening were really close and there wasn't anything I could do. Then it slowly started to rain, I unpacked my wind breaker and put it on. Just in time as I placed my hood on my head, the hail came down in buckets. I was in a hail storm and each pelt of hail hurt. The lightening was till dancing around me and the thunder was loud. Then it poured buckets of rain and the trail slowly vanished to river. I saw some runners running to tree line. I followed and asked what they are doing as I knew if I stopped hypothermia would set in in these conditions. The guy looked at me and said "Do you want to go to the aid station." I said "yes." He said "Ok, let's do this together as if we stay here we will get hypothermic." I said "Ok" and off we went. I were sprinting on the trail with the thunder and rain. It was raining so loud we could hardly here each other when we spoke. We picked up a few other runners and together we made our way to Snow Valley, which I was pretty sure would be empty and not be a safe place to stay. We crested the last small hill and were completely exposed with the lightening dancing where it choose. We rushed into the tent and were greeted by a volunteer who told us they had to evacuate and that it was best to keep moving as stopping now we were at risk for hypothermia. I quickly drank a ensure thanked the volunteer and started down the river trail. 

Snow Valley To Spooner Lake (mile 50):

My feet by now were killing me. They were completely soaked and freezing from run off. I couldn't keep them out of the puddles/river. The chaffing was even worse now and I was cold, I couldn't feel my hands. Each step on a rock my feet screamed at me. They were tender and sore from being soaking wet. I was suffering, but that is all part of a 100 miler. The question was how much and how long could I suffer. I slowly made my way down to the tree line and here it wasn't as cold, but I was still cold. I knew my crew was probably worried about me as I was off schedule. This 7 miles was longest thus far for me. It was pure torture, each step caused bolts of pain to shot through my body. By far the worst was the chaffing as the rain didn't help me. I slowly made my way down. Eventually I arrived at the lake level and soon I saw Kuni, my pacer and friend. I became emotional in seeing him and quickly told him about snow valley how I had gotten caught out in the storm. He looked at very supportive and said "so you experienced yourself a mini Hardrock." You see Kuni had just completed Hardrock the weekend before and had run in far worse weather then I, so yes, you could say it was a mini Hardrock experience for me. He walked me into the 50 mile aid station and my crew went to work. 

My crew and others trying to keep everything dry including themselves. 

Mile 50:

They rushed soup to me and were just thankful that I had some kind of a jacket in. I told them I was cold, the chaffing was out of control and my feet were killing me. My wife told me to sit down so that she could assess the situation and fix my feet. We took my soak off and she said "oh wow, your feet are water logged." They were so water logged, we couldn't repair the 3 blisters I had. I had a blister on the sole of foot and on both pinky toe. Last year I had blisters in between each toe, so this was far better then last year. The bad part was we couldn't dry my feet out, they tried, they put foot warmers on my feet. I also shared my concern in regards to the chaffing. It was really bad, so bad I could hardly run. I looked at my crew and knew I had a tough decision to make. They could see that I was torn with what needed to happen. I wasn't able to run due to the chaffing and  my feet were water logged. I looked at my wife and told her to turn in my chip. I was pulling the plug here. It was a serious blow to me. I came into mile 50 mentally ready tackle 50 more miles, but with the chaffing and water logged feet, physically I couldn't. The chaffing was/is getting worse and with me just sitting there, I was on fire it hurt that bad. I kept apologizing to my crew and pacers as they had invested so much time and energy to support me all day and through out my training. I felt like a failure and a disappointment. They kept reassuring me that it was ok, that ultimately it was my decision and a tough one at that. To this day, I question myself on that call. But ultimately in the end, there was no way I could have gone on. 

My amazing crew: Be-Well-Run, Trailmomma,and Rachel my wife (we are expecting our first baby)

Well I be back........maybe......is there another race this season?........maybe?.............

Thank you to my amazing crew for being there all day and braving the storm. Thank you to my very supportive wife for supporting me through the many long training days, I love you so much. Thank you to my friends and family for believing in me, I may have fallen short, but I am not finished.

Western States Memorial Day Training Run Day 1 (32 Miles)

This weekend was the Western States Memorial Day Training Run. Day 1 consist of 32 miles from Robinson Flat to Foresthill School. This runs would take us through the two most difficult climbs, Devil's Thumb and Michigan Bluff. The temperatures in Sacramento were to reach the upper 90's, which meant it was going to be very warm in the canyons. There are a few aid stations along the way, Dusty corner, Deadwood cemetery, Michigan Bluff and Foresthill.

I have run this year now every year for the past few years. This year just like last year I started early. My friend drove a small group of us to Robinson Flat and we started before the busses arrived. Trailmomma was very excited about this run as I was too. We arrived in Foresthill about 5:45am to check in, use the restroom, and get our gear in order. We jumped into Tina's car and off we went to Robinson Flat. This would be my first time running this section of trail as the trail has been closed due to last year's fire.

Once at Foresthill it was time to get our run on. Today's goal was time on my feet and being smart. Trailmomma and I started off and we power hiked our way to some spectacular views before descending down the single track trail. Today's run would have a lot of ascending and a lot of descending, and the name of the game was don't blow up the quads.

We arrived at Dusty Corners aid station where I refilled my hydration pack as the next section would have a good long descent and and a very tough Devil's thumb climb and it would be about 11 miles until the next aid station. I also grabbed 2 squares of PB&J and off we went. The day was warming up and I have not been able to get much heat training in.

We cruised on the fire road just focusing on the task at hand. We hit the single track and the long descent down to swinging bridge. This year due to the fire we would be crossing the river with the aid of a cable instead of the bridge as the bridge was burned in the fire. I couldn't wait to hit the bottom as the water was going to feel refreshing. I was in the lead with Trailmomma right behind me and a small group of runners about a switch back back. The trail was loose with leaves and the switch backs were pretty tight. As we continued down my foot clipped a rock and I was going down, only I saved the fall at first but then I face planted and my legs kicked up. The downhill momentum wouldn't let me save myself. I was covered in dirt, leaves everywhere, dirt in my mouth and I hear Trailmomma ask "Can I get a picture?" I shouted "NO!" got up as quickly as I could and continued on. My legs were shaky, me head hurt, and I was covered in dirt. As we continued down, I brushed the dirt off and stopped at a creek crossing to clean up and also to cool down. I was pretty frustrated with myself at this point because of the fall. As we continued down, my left knee started to hurt and my left quad was banged up a bit so the descent was taking a lot of of me.

We hit the bottom and made our way to the cable crossing. The river felt very refreshing and came up to our waist. I wasn't very excited about the climb we had coming. Devil's Thumb is a challenging climb, it is steep with a lot of switch backs. During this climb I started to really dip. My energy level plummeted, my leg strength was non existent, I had to stop numerous times, and my legs were shaking. I was in trouble and I knew it. I told Trailmomma to go ahead, but she just looked at me and said "I am good here." She knew I was hurting, she stayed with me and offered encouragement. As we climbed I ran out of water in my pack, I was dry and we still had a ways to go. This was not a good situation to be in. I kept putting on foot in front of the other. Mentally though I was in a all time low, I just wanted to be done. And when I say done I mean done for the day, not just done with this climb. I knew that I needed fuel, and that I had somehow not fueled properly in the miles earlier. I told myself that once we hit the deadwood cemetery, I would spend some time there fueling. We climbed and climbed, I stopped and climbed some more then stopped and climbed some more. We were getting closer to the top, but it just felt like the climb would never end. As we neared the top, I looked at Trailmomma and said "I am out of water." She quickly grabbed "her jugs" and offered them to me. She had 2 small bottles plus her pack, so she had plenty of water. The water tasted great. We finally hit the top of the climb and slowly made our way to the pump and the aid station. I told Trailmomma that I was done, she just chuckled and said "No you are not."

At deadwood aid station (The Pump) the volunteers filled my pack, I enjoyed 2 cups of coke, some chips, half a payday bar, some PB&J and a GU. I also grabbed some GU as the Powergels I had weren't tasting that great. We also soaked our bandannas thanked the volunteers and were on our way. I slowly started to feel better, the leg strength slowly came back and mentally I became focused. On the descent I had to take things slower as my knee was still giving me some issues. We made our way down and with each land mark I knew we were getting closer to the bottom. Once at the bottom I took in another GU as what goes down must go up. We had about a 2.5 mile climb to Michigan Bluff.

This climb I was feeling strong. I kept a nice steady clip and passed a few runners along the way. I was getting pretty excited the closer we got to the top because from there it was only 6 miles and the day would be over. We climbed and climbed and the heat in the canyons was felt by all. I took in a GU as I started to feel my energy level drop. The GU kicked in and we were moving again. We were almost to the top when we saw a runner on the side of trail not looking too well. I asked if there was anything he needed, maybe some salt. He said he didn't have any salt and Trailmomma quickly offered him 2 salt tabs. Then maybe 5 feet in front of us another runner was getting sick on the trail. I looked at him and asked him and his partner if he needed anything, a gel, salt? His running partner said she had 1 gel. He asked for some solid food, Trailmomma again came to the rescue and gave him her gluten free bar. But before we moved on I had a great idea, I looked at Trailmomma and asked "Hey, do you have any ginger chews?" She did and gave each runner a ginger chew to help settle their stomachs. They were both appreciative and as we continued on I joked with Trailmomma about how I gave her fuel away and too be sure she refilled at Michigan bluff in case I needed something. We were nearing the top and I knew. As we popped out and hit the fire road to the aid station I was excited.

We had arrived at Michigan Bluff. Here I again refilled my pack, enjoyed some chips, some coke, a PB&J and  GU before we moved on. Even though we had roughly 6 miles it would be a challenging 6 miles with a scorching sun. It was warm out, we power hiked the long hills, but quickly transitioned into a run during the flats and short hills. We were both moving pretty well and that was good feeling. We hit the single track and took our time as we switch backed it down to the bottom. At the bottom we cooled off in the river before the final climb of the day. This climb would be the shortest, but very  hot as it was exposed. We climbed and ran when we could. Soon we hit the paved road and it was a amazing feeling knowing we were just about back. We kept a nice power hike on Bath Road and made the left turn to the school, where we trotted in with smiles on our faces.

It was a challenging day for me in the canyons. Mentally I had a tough time staying positive, but in the end it was nice to see the perseverance and determination come through. I had many lows and I mean super lows, but I bounced back and kept moving forward. Overall it was a strong mental training run, one with many lessons I shall carry with me into TRT100. I started the day with a smile and I ended the day with a smile and that is what matters. Thanks Trailmomma for your encouragement during the lows and the laughter all day. I can't wait to go back out there.