CAUTION This trail is Strenuous! Inov-8 Roclite 268 review

Summer of 2013 Mother/Daughter camping road trip

I spent the summer traveling & camping in a tent with my 13 year old daughter.  I feel pretty darn lucky she still likes to hang out with me so I took full advantage of it with a good old fashioned Mother/daughter road trip! We are both outdoorsy gals that love to spend the day hiking and running trails- then ending it around a campfire cooking a good burger and roasting marshmallows.

We left on our trip with no definite plan.  I handed my daughter the Garmin GPS and a few travel brochures and said "pick a State or National park, where every you want to go and we are on our way!" She would choose, type it in the Garmin, and then I drove where ever it told me to go. We traveled through Wisconsin, South Dakota, Texas, Illinois & more... We had tons of fun every where we went but my daughter had a clear favorite park. Petit Jean State Park in Arkansas. It has awesome trails with beautiful mountain overlooks! 

Inov-8 Roclite 268

This sign screams...I dare you...RUN THIS TRAIL!!!

Traveling to all these parks was exciting! I got to wear my Roclite 268's on many different kinds of terrain. 

This was a fun uphill- I suggest clicking on the picture to enlarge to see how rocky the course is

The picture above is on the Cedar Falls trail at Petit Jean Mountain. The trail head of this challenging trail has the bright read sign that says "CAUTION THIS TRAIL IS STRENUOUS- If you have health problems you are advised not to hike this trail". How can a runner read this and not think? Run me! Run me!!  It is a 2+ mile round trip. The trail goes on a steep downhill to the Cedar Fall waterfall. It's 3/4 of a mile downhill, then some flat trails that run along a river with anything from smooth dirt to big rocks. The trail ends at the waterfall. Then you get to turn around and run back up! The run back was my favorite part! Everyone was walking so they all thought I was a little crazy (can't deny it, I am), I had fun giving it my all !

I love these trails!

I wore my trusty Inov-8 Roclite 268's. These are the trail shoes that I wear for 100 mile races to 5 mile speed runs. On this day I would try them on a quick run across slick sandstone,  wet rocks, steep inclines, moss covered trail. Some pretty challenging stuff.  The Roclite's, gripped and held my feet in place perfect! They proved many times to be a great all around trail shoe.

My feet measure a 10 female, medium width. I always size up for running shoes since I am a long distance runner and my feet tend to swell. I buy the Roclite 268's in a women's size 11. They fit comfortably snug at my ankles, heels and at the top of my foot by my shoe laces. This is perfect for holding my feet and ankles in place. Then the shoe widens out in the toe box. This gives me enough room for the swelling of my feet, but they are not so loose my feet are moving around in the shoes. The toes have a flexible non bulky heavy duty piece of rubber on them that is great for protecting my toes when I inevitably catch a rock or root. The sole is lightweight, sticky, and easily bendable. They grip to everything and give me a solid "feel" of the trail while giving my feet a comfortable ride.  I run confidently knowing they are going to stick, hold my feet in place and breathe.

Inov-8 Roclite 268's are my perfect trail shoe! 

This is a smooth part of the trail 

I love this rock path!

Black Hills 100k- Beware: this does include a mountain lion

photo by Royal Hartwig

Race morning my nerves were high. I was super excited to get to run the Black Hill trails. I have been wanting to try a mountain race with plenty of elevation change. (The 100k has a total elevation change of 21,662 =gain/loss.)  I've run Lean Horse 100 mile twice, it's nothing like Black Hills 100 but it's the same Race Directors, same general area of South Dakota.  It feels familiar/homey & there are plenty of great attractions for the family. So I decided I would make BH100k my first long distance mountain race. 

An injury I suffered in August of 2012 had me worried about my endurance. The injury forced me to take some time off  running but I didn't really manage the recovery well. I was stubborn...in denial...and kept trying to run before my body was fully healed. I would get a few weeks of training in, then I was injured again.  Because of that I had months of inconsistent training and an injury that would not go away. ( please learn from my mistake & don't do that, it wasn't fun). Finally I learned and I took the time needed to get fully healed. Then I built my mileage up slowly. This meant I was going in to Black Hills with only 7 weeks of consistent training & only 2 long runs (hmmm...still maybe not the brightest idea). But I was sure nothing hurt, my body was healthy, all I was lacking was training. I thought mentally I could get myself to the finish line. I didn't care how long it took, I had to finish. I love distance running and it had been way to long.

At the start line I was sick to my stomach from nerves. I felt like it was my first ultra. I was happy to see Joy and Julie (from Chicago area). They were so warm, positive and smiling. Everything they said helped calm me down. ...trail people are awesome!

My families feet before the race (Royal Hartwig, Tasha, and me). My shoes are the pretty turquoise and navy once on the top right. Be sure to look at my after picture

The race starts and finishes at Woodle Track and field. A really beautiful stadium. I took off nice and easy, chatting with everyone around me, my stomach settled quickly once I started running. I got on pace with a man from Texas that had finished Bighorn, Leadville and Western States. I figured he knew how to manage a mountain course and I enjoyed talking with him so I decided to stay at his pace. He was walking the longer climbs and running the downhills really easy. If I was leading I would have ran the downhills faster but I thought it's probably smart to go at this more conservative pace. We ran for quite a few miles together and had a great time.

Eventually my girlfriend Jessica Pendelton caught us. She is running the Gnarly Bandit series. I wanted to run with her so when she passed I stayed at her pace. She is an excellent climber. I had to work hard to keep pace with her on the uphills. Although I was feeling like I could run the downhills quicker. So I decided to go ahead on the downhills. It was no effort for me to run these & I wanted to take advantage of that. Once I would hit another climb Jessica and the group I was running around would start to catch me on the top. I needed to run these downhills quicker to stay the same pace as them. I felt like I was running at even effort on up and downs. I wanted to be sure I didn't wear myself out on the climbs. I had no idea how my endurance would hold up. Usually you can trust your training but I did not have a big base.

There were quite a few mountain stream crossing. They were rocky and the water was cold & crystal clear. They had ropes to hold onto as you crossed. The cool water felt great on my feet. I had extra shoes in case I wanted to change but my shoes dried quickly after the each crossing. I never felt the need to change shoes all day. I was wearing my Roclite 268's. 

I caught a man that I see at races all the time. He was running with one water bottle and had ran out of water and he was thirsty. With the blazing sun & dry South Dakota heat that was easy to do. It had happened to me earlier in the day and I downed many glasses of liquid once I got to the aid next station.  Since I was carrying 2 water bottles I gave him one of mine and ran with him and his friend for awhile. It was fun hearing their trail stories....did I mention...I love trail runners

Pictures don't capture the amazing views

I got to the Dalton Lake Aid Station and saw my husband. For the last 10 miles I had a headache and was feeling nauseous. I didn't want the nauseous to get out of control. This has been a problem for me at 100 mile races. Basically every race I run I'm trying to learn how to run a 100 mile race well & that means learning how to manage my stomach. So I decided to sit down and let it settle.  I ate some pasta salad, watermelon and a drank an ice cold 7-up.

After the race I realized the nauseous/headache was from being over 5,000 feet. Looking at the elevation chart, every time I was above 5,000 feet was when I was having problems.  I would start dropping back down I would start feeling normal again. 

When you leave Dalton Lake Aid Station your at mile 29 there is a 2 mile out then back. That out and back was tough. It was a uphill the entire way. Steep, loose rocks, hot, plus I was pretty sunburned. I'm not used to that mountain sun. It was challenging but it wasn't anything I couldn't handle, I was feeling positive. I was really happy with how I was doing. It felt really good to be running an ultra again.


I hit the turn around which according to my Garmin was close to 32 miles. Then it was downhill to Dalton Lake again. I was able to run quite a bit of that. A few sections were steep and it was causing a little twinge in my knee so I walked some. There was one point that I saved a runner going the wrong way. He was thankful. I had saved a runner on the way up as well in the same area. The course was marked correctly but it was a little confusing because of an arrow that was on a sign that was not a BH100 course marking.  

Dalton Lake headed back up to over 5,000 feet

I came back to Dalton Lake Aid station. Had some watermelon and 7-up... delicious!. I had watermelon at every aid station. That was the best! Plus ALL the aid stations had ice. AWESOME! I don't know how they lugged all that watermelon and ice out to these remote aid stations but I certainly appreciated that they did. Leaving the aid stations with a couple of bottles of cold ice water was a real treat in the hot mountain sun. Thank you RD's/volunteers for taking such good care of us!

On the climb out of Dalton Lake I felt pretty good but once again when I got above 5,000 feet... Heavy headache, nauseous and moving slow. I was struggling to run areas that were run-able. I was thinking about what Shelley Cook said to me before the race, "Michele, we both know running ultras is more mental than physical".  Okay, ...so I told myself don't mentally let yourself stop running.  I had decided before the race I would never stop giving full effort. But this part was challenging me. My legs were not trashed, I was just exhausted/sluggish. My head was a "squeezing" headache and my stomach was not good. I would try running and not make it very far. I started watching my garmin way to much. I would be moving along for what felt like a very long time and find out I had only went a quarter of a mile. "okay ...don't give up...remember full effort"

I was so happy to get to run these trails. It was a treat of a lifetime

When I got to the next aid station I sat down for quite a long time. I would guess 40 minutes. I wanted my head to stop pounding and my stomach to get back to normal.  For about a second- bad thoughts creeped into my head... It was going to be getting dark soon. I would only see my family at one more aid station. I didn't know if I would start moving so slow that I wouldn't be able to stay warm. Plus- I have to admit I was worried about the mountain lion. They mention them 3 times in the runners packet. Plus I had seen one (close up) while I was running Lean Horse 100 so I knew they were around. At LH100 I was with a pacer. Now I was going to be out during feeding time alone and in the dark... a little creepy

"push those negative thoughts out"-I decided I had sat down way to long. I needed to get moving. This long break now put me about 1 hour behind my goal finish time. I put on a long sleeve shirt and a hoodie and started the climb out of Elk Creek Aid Station. Once I was moving I was feeling much better. I realized I had to many clothes on. I took off the hoodie and tied it around my waist.

I got to an open meadow area with tall grass. I was thinking "this is probably where the mountain lion like to hang out". About that time I heard a soft "meow...meow..."  This was in the middle of the mountain range...It was not an area I would expect to see a stray cat. I don't know what baby mountain lions sound like but full grown ones do sound kind of like a house cat with a much deeper vocal cord. When I saw a mountain lion at Lean Horse I heard it first, it sounded like a purring growl. I doubt this was a baby mountain lion but it didn't help me from trying to stop thinking of them. (note: this is not the part of the story that includes a mountain lion)

We were blessed with a beautiful sunset on race day

I got to Bulldog and aid station captain extraordinaire Anna Ball was there. I knew I could still make it to the finish in my goal time but I was going to have to speed up the next 10 miles. I told Anna I couldn't remember what kind of climbs I'm going to have. I had ran all this earlier but that was a long time ago. Anna said, "There is a big climb out of here then a long undulating down hill to the next aid station. Then you'll have one more small climb after that but I don't quite remember what that ones like"  ...personally I think she chose not to tell me about that last climb because it was a doozy, good call on her part

So I left Bulldog with this great calming description in my head. I climbed without ever giving up. I got to the top and started running, one big long undulating down hill to the next aid station. I could do it. I just kept going. As I clicked off the miles I was starting to get really close to being able to hit my goal finish time again. I was feeling awesome. Once the altitude sickness went away I was running well again. If I felt confident enough to race I could have ran faster, but without having the mileage base I wasn't being aggressive. I was running at a pace that I felt I could keep forever, then taking short walking breaks here and there. Finishing was my goal and I did not want to miss a turn, get sick, or do anything that would jeopardize that.

I got to the Alkali Creek Aid station. I could do it. I could finish in my goal time. I had really made up a lot of time in that last section. I beat my husband to the aid station. Him and my daughter had set the alarm and took a nap, they didn't expect me this early so they were still sleeping. Royal (my husband) says now he should know better. This wasn't the first time I had done this to him at an ultra. He's watched as I've left an aid station looking like "death worn over... then come running through the next at an all time high. I didn't mind missing him, it gave me a little confidence boost to know I had came back so well...in my head I was all cool like "yeah, I beat them here". I can be a little dorky, I know...  Plus it helped me get in an out of the station faster. All day I had been hanging at the stations longer than I normally do because it was fun to talk with my family... Love my crew.... Royal and Tasha

I left the aid station and very quickly got to the last climb. Wowzie...It was a steep. I can't imagine how hard that was on the tender legs of the 100 mile runners. I finally got to the top and the downhill was just as tough.  I tried to run as much as I could but I wasn't managing it very well. The rocks were loose, it was steeper than what I normally run on.  I felt like I was braking every step, this hurt my right knee a little. Plus there were lots of big rocks that were grabbing my toes and trying to trip me and it would have been a long fall. I  wasn't experienced running on this kind of trail. I was doing the best I could. I knew I was going to have to start making up pace soon because I was again falling behind.

I eventually got to more a runnable area. I started running at a steady pace, something I could hold until the finish line. I thought this section was a little confusing. I did not get off course but I had to stop and think a few times to make sure I was going the right direction. There were places you could have made a wrong turn. It was marked correctly but I would have liked to see a few more confidence markers in this area. 

In this section you are running through meadows and woods. Every once in awhile you would be able to see the Sturgis Woodle track/finish line in the distance. That was pretty cool. I wasn't feeling overly anxious to finish. I was enjoying the fact that I could still run. I made it to town and got off the trail onto a paved path.

I was now super close to the finish line. It also looked like I was going to finish in my goal time. So after running through the mountains all day long I'm now running on a concrete city path. I can see the finish line... It was right there... Not even a quarter of a mile... When.....

"YIKES".... off to the left I see two glowing eyes staring at me.  I notice the color of the animal. It was a tawny gold color...oh no...was this a mountain lion? Then the animal laid down...hmmm... I stopped. What the heck am I supposed to do. I wasn't sure if it was a mountain lion but I didn't want to run by it and find out. It didn't seem like a deer would be standing in the grass, spot me and lay down. "let's see...think..." The path went along side a road. Maybe I could run the road to the stadium. I decided to turn around and go back to the road. This was maybe 1/2 mile. I certainly didn't want to just wait and see if in fact it was a mountain lion and it was going to come after me. I got back to the road when a male runner came along. I told him think I saw a mountain lion up ahead. He says, "Cool ! I saw 3 of them today, no worries...they like prey that is knee high or below". He just kept running along. So I followed. I let him get ahead of me. I stayed back to make sure he got by the area that the big cat was- then I went. I just looked straight ahead and prayed. I made it safely by and to the outside of the stadium.

There weren't any markers directing you to the correct entrance.  I saw someone and asked them which entrance to go in. It was the closest entrance, kind of obvious- but I just wanted to make sure I went to the right one. I got on the track and ran to the finish line. I felt really good. I was really happy with how well I ran and how good I felt at the finish line.

I could not have enjoyed that race more. I enjoyed talking with a bunch of awesome people. See amazing views. Travel for miles on the beautiful Black Hills trails. I love running long distance on amazing trails. A short run or hike is not enough for me. I love working my mind to manage my body, then I enjoy the tiredness I feel at the finish. I could not be more thankful to be able to run these races. I am so thankful to the race directors and volunteers for all the work that goes into these events. I'm also thankful for the people that were the pioneers of long distance running. If it wasn't for them I would have never realized this was possible. I feel so good about the day & I can't wait for my next race. That one, I plan to race hard!

Much love & happy trails~ Michele

Finishing was my award but I was happy to take home this buffalo skull for 3rd overall female

Got-er-done!

Big Bear 12 Hour Trail run- Bloodied, Bruised and Smiling

 Appalachian Mountains, West Virginia

Tasha and Me- I love her so much! This is the ceramic trophy I got for 3rd overall Female

 Bloodied Bruised and yes Smiling!-getting to the starting line

 Mental Struggles- Earlier this year the face of evil struck my family. It has been a traumatic experience but we will be ok. For us not to be I would have to believe that the Devil rules the world and I know that is not true. Training has been tough because mentally I’ve struggled. I was unsure if I could keep my mind clear enough to finish an ultra. My spark was missing. I know that running/training/ and performing well at races makes me happy. So I did my best to keep my routine. I struggled to find the joy on the trails that I once did but I want that happiness and pushed my way through many mentally tough runs. I knew I had to keep myself fit because I love racing. Even if I wasn’t feeling it now, I was working towards the day I got my joy back.

“Love the life you live, live the life you love” Bob Marley

I chose Big Bear 12 hour trail run as my next goal race. This race is set in the Appalachian mountains of West Virginia. It is a 6.5 mile looped trail race. The object is to run as many miles on the course you can in the time given. All the miles would be run on the 6.5-mile loop. I like looped courses and was excited to experience these mountain trails. I adore running on different trails through out the county. They all have their own personality.

The RACE: Big Bear 12 hour trail run: Bloodied, Bruised and yes Smiling!!!!

The race had a record number of entrants and the RD had closed registration before I signed up. I called Heather, the RD, and she kindly allowed me in. I was paying at packet pick up. My husband Royal Hartwig, my daughter Tasha (age 12) and I drove to the race and arrived at 9:20pm. Packet pick up was supposed to close at 9pm. It was a long drive for us, we tried our hardest to get there in time. I was happy to see that a very pregnant Heather, was still there. I got my race number and she explained to us where the race start was. There were tents as far as I could see. I asked if all these campers were for the race and she said yes...Wow! That was a lot of people. Most of the runners were already tucked in resting up for the race. I wish we could have got there earlier, I bet it had been a fun night.

We were surprised to see a spot open right by the race start. It seemed too good to be true…. a close walk to the race start. Plus easy access for my husband and daughter while they were crewing for me all day. We set up our tent in the dark and had a good night sleep. We found out the next day why this premium spot was open…it was where the rattlesnakes hang out. Yikes!!! I was quickly finding out I’m not a mountain women.

I walked to the race start with my family. My husband is telling me “take it easy, 12 hours is a long run, be sure to drink”, you know…all the normal stuff. My daughter is hopping along happy. She loves races! I’m the luckiest mom in the world because she thinks I’m awesome. She can’t understand why I’m nervous because she is sure I’m going to do great…I gotta love that. My main concern was staying mentally focused. I had my music ready and lined up towards the back of the pack. The race started and we all took off across an open area then filed in to the single track. This went smoothly. Everyone broke up and we were running right away.



Race start!

 Coming from Illinois where we have been in a drought I was immediately struck by how lush everything was. The trees and foliage were thick and green. Vibrant moss covered rocks. I saw the most colorful mushrooms I’ve ever seen growing. The ground was slightly wet. Parts of the trail were rugged rocks and parts were soft pine forest trails. The humidity was so thick I wondered if it was raining but once I got to an open area I realized the air was that wet. It was a really great course.

I cruised along at a comfortable pace listening to my music. I kept checking my Heart Rate to make sure I wasn’t getting carried away with my pace. I was enjoying the course and carefully “danced” my way through rocky rugged trail. I did not want to fall.  I wore my Inov-8 Roclite 268’s. The grip was excellent; I was easily able to run on the wet rocks with absolutely no slipping. The only thing I had to make sure of was to pick my feet up high enough not to catch a rock or root and fall.

I was nearing the end of the 1st loop and I got behind a guy that was running at a perfect pace for me. I stuck behind him and we started passing people. The course gets very rocky here. We had just passed a guy and I thought I better check my HR and make sure I’m not running to fast, I took a quick peak…Boom…down I went hard…total belly flop on the only dirt patch I’d seen for awhile. I guess I found out I was running to fast to check my HR (ha ha…cracking myself up). The guy I had just passed (Tony Mollica) stopped to see if I was okay. I said I was and he could go on. I immediately got up and assured him I wasn’t seeing stars. Tony was very kind. I needed to start running again. My thigh had hit a rock and it was throbbing. I reminded myself to be careful. This trail was much different than what I normally run on. “Okay Michele…pick your feet up while you run!”





This is the Hot wheel loop

At the end of the loop you go over a metal bridge and do a little hot wheel loop before going by the scoring table, this made the loop 6.5 miles. I came in past the timing tables-dripping wet from the humidity, scraped up thigh, blood oozing down my leg and covered in dirt- I drank a glass of water, filled my water bottle up with Gatorade, grabbed a cranrazzberry shot block and was on my way on the second loop. My second loop was uneventful. I cruised along enjoying the course. I was aware of my throbbing thigh but positive it was going to be a good race.

I finished my 2nd loop feeling warmed up. Adrenaline was flowing and I wanted to speed up but I was carefully pacing myself. Save some energy for hour 11. I filled my bottle with ice water and ate a honey stinger pink lemonade chew and it gave me a great boost. I was happily trotting through the forest listening to my music. I even sang out loud a little having a great time. I spotted the guy I had been following earlier a short way down the trail. I got a little excited to catch up with him when…boom…down I went again. My toe caught the rugged trail and on my way down my knee connected with rock. Instant-total-pain! I lay on the ground moaning in pain. A few people passed me asking if I needed help and I told them all I was fine. My knee was locked and the knee cap had immediately swollen to look like I had a tennis ball under my skin. I poured some of the ice water on it and took an advil. I thought my day was over and that I may have to crawl back to the starting line. After laying on the ground for about 10 minutes I decided it was time to get up. I got up and was surprised I could walk on it. I decided to keep moving forward on the course. I could at least walk an ultra today. I walked a few steps and decided to try and run. That was it, I was running again. I worked at running the course just like I had the first 2 loops. Walk the big hills, push the down hills, and pick my feet up through the rocky area. The good thing about the fall was now my thigh wasn’t hurting…only my knee was throbbing.



Timing table- I'm dirty

Before that loop was over I spotted the good pacing guy sitting on the side of the trail. I stopped and asked him if he was okay. He said he was fine just feeling extremely sleepy. I said, “get up and run with me to the start/finish line, I have some starbucks double shots and that will wake you up.” He sat there a minute and said, “okay, I’ll go with you.” We started running, he was surprised that with my bloody thigh and swollen knee I was still moving at the same pace we had been running earlier. He kept up with me for a while saying, “see that’s all I needed, someone to talk to” then I slowly pulled away. (He went on to run 45.5 miles…nice job)

I eventually caught up to a man named Gene on the course. I had noticed him getting ready in the morning. He had slept in his car near our tent and I would guess he was in his late 60’s or early 70’s. He had put on the largest knee brace I have ever seen. I wanted to talk to him in the morning but did not want to disrupt his race morning routine. So when I caught him I decided to walk and talk for a minute, I said, “I saw your from IL, I live in Crystal Lake IL, where do you live?” to my surprise he was from Arlington Heights which is close to me. I told him about our local distance running clubs MUDD and New Leaf. I was extremely impressed by Gene. He was very friendly and started telling me about all the races he has coming up. A tiny part of my “racing” brain was saying…you should not be walking…but Wow. This guy loved the life he lives. I was so inspired by him and all he has coming up, the Grand Canyon, Lean Horse and much more. I walked with him until the next aid station and was on my way again. I had a new kick in my step after hanging with this cool guy for a while. I quickly cruised back in to the timing stations.



Pit stop

 My bloody swollen knee shocked everyone. My husband was worried wiping all the dirt and blood off me. My daughter thought I was tough and cool and was high fiving me. I told them I was pumped and having a blast! I refueled and took off again. After the two biggest falls I’ve ever had trail running I had learned a quick lesson on how high I need to pick my feet up when running mountain trails. I never fell again that day. I ran a couple falls out, but never went down. I was learning.





Focused

I knocked out a couple more loops. At times my energy was high and I felt like a real mountain runner cruising through the trails. Then at times my energy level dropped and I was mentally making myself continue to run. I was trying to run every section the same as I had the first time through. I had been 7th female most of the day. My husband had been watching the board. He had noticed the women in front of me had all went out fast and each lap were getting slower and slower. My laps were staying fairly consistent and slowly I was gaining on them. On the 7th loop I jumped to 4th overall female. I wasn’t paying attention to this; I was just running my race. My husband decided to drive out to the aid station to tell me my position. He arrived during one of my low energy times. My ipod and garmin had both just quit working and I was dragging along. He told me the scoop. He said all you have to do is run this lap and the next just like you have been running them all day long, and you will catch the 3rd place women…Crap…I wanted to slow down…but not as much as I wanted to catch that women. I found the strength and started running a good pace again. Nothing crazy, just running the course like it directed me to. Power walk the big hills, push the down hills and cruise through the flats. I was back on again with a purpose.



Tasha pacing- tough trail chick

I finished the 7th loop and came in to the scoring line. My husband and daughter were waiting. I had done exactly what I needed to do-I caught her. Royal said Tasha wanted to pace me and he had checked with the RD to make sure that was within the rules, she said yes. Royal wanted to know if I was okay with that. Holy cow YES!!!! I could think of no better way to end this day than to run with Tasha! Royal came with just in case I had to push the pace a little or Tasha had problems. 6.5 miles of rugged trail wasn’t going to be easy for her. I was so proud she was challenging herself to this!



Having fun on final lap!

I left for my 8th and final loop the happiest I’ve ever been at mile 45.5. My little girl wanted to run with me! We had so much fun that lap. She is a total cool Trail chick! She wanted to make sure I came in 3rd and she ran at a good clip. We stopped and took a picture on a pretty rock. We danced and sang as we ran having a great time. With about 2.5 miles to go Tasha was getting a little tired. She was running fine but she was afraid her pace was going to slow and told me to go ahead. I smelled the finish line and did not want to get caught by the girl I had passed so I kicked up the pace and ran the last 2.5 miles in strong. Yep…I finished 52 miles feeling good and was happy with staying mentally strong all day. I found joy on the trails!!!! It was such a fun race!

I love my family and I love running trails! The race left me with confidence to sign up for my next 100. I’m sure I’ll have some tough days ahead but today I’m happy because I’m healthy and able to run trails and I am surrounded by good friends and family.

“Always show more kindness than seems necessary, because the person receiving it needs it more than you will ever know”. Author unknown .



Kettle Moraine 100k- June 4, 2011

Chuck, and me ready to go! I've learned a lot from him and appreciated him doing a bunch of training miles with me. On one of my training runs with Chuck we did 4 hours on the hilliest part of Kettle. Chuck is faster than me. My training schedule called for me to speed up to "marathon" effort pace. We were almost back to our finish and I'm dying, Chuck just casually says, "I'll race ya to the finish!" you know, I kind of wanted to kick him!

Preparing for Kettle 100k

Kettle Moraine 100k, my first goal race of the year! I decided I needed to make some changes to my training in preparation for this race. First step, good training plan. I started by backing off doing races last year around November and replace it with quality training runs. I felt I needed to have months of consistent high mileage, work on a smart race fueling, pacing, and speed work. I hired Cari Setzler from Running Depot in Crystal Lake to write my training schedule and coach me.


Soon she had my mileage high and with no little injuries going on. She had me running 7 days a week, many times twice a day. Plus she added extra core work to my schedule. (This was a huge benefit) It was challenging working 40 hours a week, taking care of two kids and coaching 2 nights a week -on top of a high mileage training plan. But I was completely focused on getting myself ultra fit. I never felt overwhelmed because this was something I wanted to do. I soon learned how to manage my time better. Many times I was starting my second run of the day at 10:30 pm, then I would get up early the next morning and run again. I got completely comfortable with this. I knew the training was working. I ran Winona Lake 50 as a training run without tapering, and it actually felt kind of easy. I was able to keep a faster pace at Winona 50 than my Kettle 100k goal pace was. This was a good sign.

I had my goal pace in mind but I know weather plays such a huge factor in what we are going to be able to do on race day. I also know everyone has to deal with that weather, heat or rain- so we just have to come in to the race at our own personal best fitness level- then do what we have trained to do. With my race pace goals I thought I would have a good shot at a top five finish, but my main goal was win 1st overall Master Female.

Tasha, me and Royal Hartwig

Tom Wilson- my pacer from my first 100 mile race JJ100

Me and my friend Tom Wilson. He paced me to my first 100 mile finish at JJ100. I was so happy to see him! He is a strong runner that has finished many of the toughest 100 mile races in the country. I greatly admire him. THE DAY BEGINS....




Kettle Moraine 100 mile/100k Starting line
I was as prepared as I could be. The weather at the start of the race (6am) was already 73 with very high humidity. The temperatures would rise to the mid 90s before the day was over. I knew any tiny nutritional, pacing, or hydrating mistakes would cost me big on a day like this. I just needed to keep my head on straight, remember to drink, eat and take salt. Plus keep a close eye on my heart rate so I knew I wasn't using to much effort early on.


I started middle of the pack. I wanted to start slow and ease in to it. It was the first time I had tapered all year, It was so odd running on fresh legs. I had to be careful not to go to fast. The course starts out on the Nordic loop. I kept my heart rate low and was running just a little faster than my overall goal pace. This was good. My race plan was to keep the same pace through out.












When I finished the Nordic Loop my shorts were sopping wet from sweat. This was the first time all year that had happened to me. I didn't feel especially hot, but I figured I better be extra careful hydrating because I was losing a ton of water. I had a great crew, my sweet 11 year old daughter and my wonderful husband Royal. They would help me remember to do everything I needed to take care of myself today.

















I was cruising through the hills and rocky trails having no problem keeping pace. I had practiced many times the months prior to the race on these same trails with many different shoes. I eventually decided my Inov-8 FlyRoc 310's were the perfect shoes for this course. They are very helpful on the rocky sections. I was running and feeling very comfortable. Drinking 2 bottles between each aid station and taking my salt every half hour. I was getting my calories from Hammer Perpetuem, Lemon Sublime Gu's and Honey Stinger Waffles. My goal calorie intake was 300 calories per hour. I was using Hammer Endurolytes for salt. One on every half hour and 2 on every hour. If I was feeling funny, I would add an extra salt or Gu. I was also careful to slow my pace after eating to keep my stomach digesting my calories. I was feeling good and hopeful the heat was not going to kill my goal pace.

Then the open fields came. Very soon in to the open fields I realized keeping my goal pace would hurt me. I did not realize it was in the 90s with almost 100 % humidity already. I just knew keeping the pace I had practiced a million times was not going to be possible for me today. I couldn't understand why. I had run so many miles on very tired legs and could always keep pace. Today I was tapered and 16 miles in to the race. I made a very smart decision at this time. Don't watch my pace, just move forward at a pace I felt I could keep in this weather for the remainder of the race. I was still keeping an eye on my heart rate, not letting it get out of the comfortable area. I ran the entire open meadows at a conservative pace.












The killer open fields!



After leaving the open meadows the course heads up to Scumpernong. Part of the way is easy Pine forest trails and part of it is fairly challenging hills, all wooded. I was more tired than I thought I would be at this point. During my vision of how the race would go, I thought I would get to the 50k mark feeling fresh. I had done so many long training runs on this course. I knew my body but today was brutally hot and humid, the first of the year. What I had practiced was not going to work today. This just meant I had to dig deep early.

I got to the 50k mark and saw so many of my friends and family. It was great seeing everyone! I smiled, gave high fives, and lied to everyone about how great I felt. Then I turned around to go run the same 50k back. The good thing about the turn around was getting to see all my friends on the ways back. Seeing them was uplifting every time!

When I got to the next aid station my husband gave me my Ipod. This was a HUGE help. I cranked my music high and was feeling great. Suddenly I was running through the trails quickly and keeping my heart rate low. I blew by a few women at this point...Woo Hoo!!!! One of them was the only Master female that had been in front of me. Yee Haw!!!! I was feeling freakin Awesome!

That lasted until I hit the open fields again. It was hot, I was tired, but this was my race! PUSH... PUSH... PUSH.... I had blown by those women so quickly I knew if I was able to run that open field the entire way, I would get a good lead on them. I know my training kept me going, the meadows were brutal. I was prepared for them mentally and physically and I was able to run them on the way out AND the way back in!!!! Yeah baby!!!

My 11 year old daughter Tasha was at every aid station. When I came in she would give me ice, fill my water bottle. She would encourage me "your doing great Mom, your 1st Master Female and 4th overall ". I wanted her to see me work hard. I wanted her to know it wasn't easy for me. She had her big 5k the next morning that she had been training for. I wanted her to be inspired by my performance. I wanted her to learn from me and show up motivated at her race the next day - to do her personal best! I was planning to show her how to dig deep and gut it to the finish line!

My Mom and Son were driving up to see me cross the finish line. For some reason my Mom worries about me running long distance. She has not been to one of my races yet. I kept thinking I should tell my husband to call her and tell her not to come up. I was pretty sure I would collapse when I crossed the finish line, and I didn't want to worry her. But every time I got to an aid station I was more focused on refueling and would forget to tell him.

I arrived to my final 7.5 miles. Bluff aid station. I hadn't thought there would be a chance in the world I may need a headlamp here, but since the heat had slowed my pace I needed to grab a headlamp. The good thing was now I was able to have my husband run with me. I had originally thought I would come in to early to be allowed a pacer.

I asked my husband, Royal Hartwig, if he could set my Ipod to play Rhianna over and over again. He did and for the next 7.5 miles I blasted her song S & M while singing loud. Okay, now you have to picture this...44 year old white women, that is tone deaf and knows about every third word to the song- running through the forest, singing risky lyrics at the top of her lungs. Normally I would be way to self consious to do something like this, but this was what was getting me to the finish line! I had to keep running because I didn't want any women to catch me now!

My husband says I was keeping a great pace. It was hard. I never gave up the entire day. I ran flats and downhills and walked the big hills. We almost made it in before dark. Soon I was to the markers counting down to the finish line, 5 miles, 4, 3, 2, 1 !!!! Then just as I passed the one mile mark I saw this tiny little girl in a blue Team Inov-8 shirt standing in the middle of the trail. I said "Tasha?" She says Mommy!!!! I was so happy, I hugged her and we started sprinting to the finish line! I finished in 15:11 as 4th overall female and 1st Master Female!!!! The next morning Tasha got up and ran a super fast 5k. She was pushing so hard to the finish line. She said it was the most focused she has ever been in her entire life. She said she could not hear anything around her and she felt like she was floating! She kicked some major booty!!!! Honestly, that was my biggest victory! I'm so proud of Tasha!