Start of Las Vegas Marathon Pictures

At the "Fabulous Las Vegas" sign

Being interviewed by the local CBS Chanel from Las Vegas (they asked about my picture taking in the marathon...I even mentioned my 700+ pictures from the Death Valley Marathon!

With Tristan at the beginning of the marathon. He was in front of our Hotel and aparently did not realize I would REALLY late and almost stopped cheering for runners.

In front of the Excalibur (the hotel we were staying at). I think it would have been easier if I took a right here instead of continuing on the course another ~26 miles!

At the start of the Marathon. Notice my Hefty Couttoure outfit (it was a bit chilly). In fact because rain was potentially predicted I carried it the entire race and now can be "green" and reuse it in a future event (I'm thinking Disney Goofy is it's next exposure).

Death Valley Marathon pictures part II (comments to be added later)

At the Furnace Creek Ranch prior to the race (what a nice resort!) And such a great day for a race-mid 50's to mid-70's during the event.

After the start at "about 8 a.m.", what a nice treat to be able to sleep in, then essentially role out of bed to participate in the race!

Running in the "Wilderness" during the race. I am being extra cautious of potential wildlife that might be ready to attack or eat me!

My "good luck sheep" enjoying a beverage along the course! I thought the sheep was really cute so bought it right before the race. He did a good job of sitting on my fanny pack (thanks to a few safety pins) and kept me company

Showing off my new "bling" after the finish at the Furnace Creek Visitor Center.

Pictures from Death Valley (vacation not marathon)

At the highest Dune (on Friday at least) within the Sand Dunes. We started about 2 miles to the West of this picture and climbed various dunes until we reached this summit.

A crow at Artists Pallette along Artists Drive. In this section of Death Valley one can see many different colored rocks including red, orange, yellow, green, brown, among others. It is a very pretty drive.

At a Salt Lick at Badwater. I love salt, so I was really happy here! It was good quality (strong) salt! However sadly an "incident" occurred while taking this picture.

At Badwater, the lowest point in America (250+ feet below sea level!). In the summer it can get quite toasty here however, during our trip it never was above 75 degree's which was very pleasant.

At the Warm Spring pool at Furnace Creek. The water was a very comfortable upper 70's and the scenery of the mountains and desert was just spectacular!

Tristan and I had a great time at Death Valley and Las Vegas and are ready to pack our bags to go back!

However, there was of course at least one incident that mars our experience (actually several). But this one has to do with the picture of me at the Salt Lick by Badwater. Tristan and I walked around Badwater exploring the sights (including the salt flats). I got the brilliant idea to get a picture of me simulating licking the salt. I hand my camera to Tristan then bend down (which is tough considering I have the flexibility of the tin man from the Wizard of Oz). I have my fanny pack with two full bottles of water (they warn you of dehydration and I take this seriously!) I finally am really close to the salt and one of my bottles gets ejected from my fanny pack. It slams into my finger at high rates of speed. In fact a few seconds after my pinky is hit it turns black and blue. I am in excruciating pain. I think my finger might need to be amputated. Not only is it bruised somehow my soda bottle scraped off some skin. In getting up I get some salt in my wound. It is TERRIBLE. Tristan mocks me alot for this injury but I would like to point out that it is Five days later and my finger still is tender. And perhaps it will still need to be amputated. I guess I am lucky it was my pinky which is a vestigile organ and not my opposable thumb which is the only thing that separates me from my primate cousins....

A few pictures from the Death Valley Marathon 2008

Here are a few pictures from the Death Valley Marathon. I have 795 more on my camera's digital stick (although only about 200 are of good quality). To show more of my experience I will post more later, but here are a few highlights of my race.

With my friends Richard T., Lauri F., and Joe C. (from left to right) after the finish of the marathon.

With Lauri before the start of the Death Valley Marathon

With Tim E. and Lisa B. before the start of the marathon

Running along the course early in the race (in fact I am running backwards to maximize the sun exposure but minimize the glare...hence my sub-optimal performance:-)

With my new friend Larry at the finish (apparently he has read my blog...in fact several folks came up to me to get a picture with me, guess dressing in pink and carrying "Sparke-ley" makes me stand out).

Actually someone asked me about silver "Sparkely", I had to confirm silver sparkely is retired except for 50 and 100 mile races.

Success at Death Valley and Las Vegas Marathons

This evening Tristan and I arrived back from my first Double Marathon.  Both courses were beautiful and interesting in their own way.  And I got to see many old friends and make new friends along the way.  But this double was TOUGH.  I can't figure out if it was my 50 miler 2 weeks prior, the 2 days of hard core hiking (including 2.5 hours hiking/stumbling up and sliding down the "Sand Dunes" as was recommended by my friend Jamie) or that I am just a sissy.

I will write more tommorrow and include some pictures.  I took 800 during Death Valley and 400 during Las Vegas (and went through two camera batteries in each event...thank goodness for digital camera's).  

I also learned what happens in CA does not stay in California and what happens in Las Vegas does not necessarily stay in Vegas (let's say I would not recommend drying one's unmentionables in a rental cars window's in the presence of my "friends" with camera's and other "friends" I have and graciously share our room with think it's okay to startle freshly showered people clad in only a towel looking for unmentionables to put on...maybe I need new friends or maybe I need friends who do not carry camera's around:-) 

Ready, Set, Marathon: Death Valley and Las Vegas Marathon 2008

Here are some pictures of friends who I anticipate seeing at the Double Marathon this weekend
With my friend Lauri F. at the dismal start of the Richmond Marathon mid-November

With my friend Richard T. at the Niagara Ultra 50 km this past June 2008 sponsored by the St Catherines Road Runners club at Niagara on Lake.

With Lisa Bliss during the Umstead 100 mile race this past April 2008. I had just finished (~29 hours) and she had finished in about 18 or 20 hours!

Tomorrow Tristan and I fly to Las Vegas for a running/hiking vacation. I will be doing my first "double" marathon and am a bit nervous. I know I have run marathons on a weekly basis, the Disney Goofy, 50 milers and 100 milers but I have never run marathons on consecutive days.

Tomorrow evening Tristan and I fly Southwest from BWI to Las Vegas (I am using my frequent flier miles for a free trip, yahoo!). During our vacation our tentative plans are to get up early Thursday to drive to Death Valley for some hiking. Friday we will continue hiking and swim a bit in the spring fed pool at Furnace Creek Ranch. Saturday I will run the Death Valley Borax Marathon while Tristan plans to hike Telescope Peak. Sunday I get up very early to start the Las Vegas at 6 a.m. (ugh!!). Monday, I am not sure of our plans but we are debating between hiking Red Rocks, lounging by the Excalibur pool or trying to gamble our way into enough money to make up for all our TSP retirement loses (and considering Tristan and I are statisticians and originally math majors we should be able to gamble and win, right??)

During this trip I know I will be meeting up with many running friends. My friends Richard T. and Joe C. from the Niagara Ultra will be running (and in fact my friend Richard is doing packet pickup at Las Vegas so Tristan and I can maximize our time at Death Valley). During the weekend, my friend Lauri will be staying with us (and hopefully driving me from Death Valley to Las Vegas so Tristan does not feel rushed on his 15+ mile journey up Telescope peak 11,000+ feet). I am looking forward to seeing Lisa B. from Umstead. I noticed on her blog she is nursing an injury but hopefully is well on her way to recovered. Finally I know many of my friends in the Marathon Maniacs and 50 States Marathon club are also going to be at both marathons (with a 2.5 hour drive separating the marathons, it is not a bad two-fer).

If I have the opportunity to get internet access, I will try to post any highlights of this trip; however, I am not overly optimistic about this.

Critters and yucky weather

Sagwa begging for some turkey day treats! Sagwa loves people food and will sit and meow pitifully until we feed her. Because we are suckers, it takes about 2 mew's before she gets some treats.

Powder Puff scolding us for some reason (I think because we are not giving out lots of tasty Thanksgiving Day leftovers). Puffi is a very amusing and yet demanding cat. I would suggest she is the decision maker in our household (which several telemarketers may be able to attest to since we will put the reciever to her ear when they call and ask for Mr or Ms. Massie---Tristan and I are both Dr. Massie, so Puffie fits Ms. Massie--and she rules our household:-)

Yesterday Tristan and I went for a small hike at Lake Frank in Rockville MD (one town over from where we live). Lake Frank is part of the Rock Creek Park system which starts at Lake Needwood, goes by the National Zoo and ends at the Potomac River in Georgetown. It was a beautiful day Saturday.

Today, the weather is miserable. It is rainy, about 35-40 degrees and gloomy. On a positive note, I was able to change out my summer and winter cloths. Now I just have to hope that it is not 70 or 80 degree's in the near future. Although I did keep out some warm weather clothing (and even packed some) for our upcoming trips to

*Death Valley/Las Vegas Marathon

*Disney Goofy Marathon

*Arizona Rock n Roll Marathon and

*Mardi Gras Marathon.

I am optimistic all of these marathons will be run in 60 or 70 degree temperatures!

Working in a ghost office and an e-spam incident from Tuesday

Today I had to work. It is not a Federal Holiday and I refuse to take a personal day to shop on the day after Thanksgiving. So I was one of about 6 people in my office. I had high hopes of accomplishing lots but in reality did not do so. I have a presentation to give on Monday but did not get much of it done. I also have several template letters I need to complete for a conference I am co-organizing next September, but again I did not get much of this done either.

Throughout the day I kept waiting for something exciting to happen. For example, a few days ago a "random" subset of the organization I work for (~1000 people) were sent an e-mail providing an update about some new initiative (think Dilbert initiatives!). There was no preamble to this message and it was not very clear the goal of the commication. I noticed my husband was on the e-list so I quickly e-mailed him predicting that an e-uproar would occur. Within 15 minutes of recieving the initial e-mail someone used the "reply to all" feature and suggested the e-mail was not appropriate for them. Pretty soon, there were about 20 more e-mails using the reply to all suggesting the e-mail was not appropriate to them.

I sent Tristan an e-mail predicting someone would request people stop using reply to all in suggesting the intial e-mail was incorrect. Soon enough there was a response requesting others not reply to all. A string of about 25 e-mails asking for others to stop using "reply to all" then ensued. It was getting out of hand! Then two people asked to be kept on the e-list because

Person 1: was lonely and liked e-mail
Person 2: wanted to be kept in the loop

Person 2 was e-attacked for trying to stay in the loop (Person 1 was not but Tristan thinks this person was being sarcastic). Then there were responses to these responses

So for those of you keeping track there were 30 e-mails suggesting the person is not appropriate for the first e-mail, then there are 25 e-mails requesting others not reply to all, then there is new demographic complaining about the folks who are replying to all asking others not to reply to all. There were about 10 e-mails to this effect. By the end of the day, there were over 100 e-mails related to this.

This went on for 3 hours!!!

It cracked me up. Sadly I think I lost every bet I made against Tristan related to this escalating nonsense. He expected people to respond quicker and more frequently and he did not even have to enter the fray to ensure his numbers were met!

Happy Thanksgiving 2008! (& a few more JFK 50 miler pictures)

A few more JFK 50 miler pictures and a time to give Thanks!

Gliding my feet (because I don't have winter Drymax socks...actually I am not sure if they make maximum protection socks for winter)

Diet Mountain Dew, the Beverage of Champions, right?? Mountain Dew really should sponsor me because I pound this stuff like a champ!

Excited(?) about Weverton cliffs...okay not very excited about the prospect of the cliffs, but excited that they signify the end of the AT! And I have not fallen, Wahoo!!!

With the Bridge by Harpers Ferry. What a pretty day for a 50 miler (well at least at this time...pretty quickly the winds really picked up and clouds came in. But on a positive note, it never rained, hailed or lighteninged!)

Runners along the road heading into Williamsport. Again it is a really beautiful day and the sunset was spectacular. All it needed was to be about 40 degree's warmer and less wind and I would have been REALLY happy!

It's Thanksgiving and because I just ran the 50 miler I can eat whatever I want today!

To start my day, I volunteered at the Bethesda Turkey Chase. I pondered participating in the 2 mile walk or the 10 km run, but decided to simply volunteer then walk the course backwards cheering runners. I had a cowbell and gave the runners what they wanted (More Cowbell!) After walking 2 miles backwards on the course cheering on runners I was happy when I saw the volunteer bus picking up course marshalls--I wimped out and took it back.

After finishing volunteering/cheering, I met up with Tristan and Gilligan at the Fractured Prune for hot donuts. We got a dozen , YUM!

And that starts my list of things I am thankful for:

1) Hot Donuts, Ben & Jerry's Ice Cream and Potbellies Ice Cream Sandwiches

2) A great family

3) Sweet critters (who are well behaved most of the time:-) By the way, I don't mean sweet=tasty!!!!

4) My health including the ability to run for distances I cannot even imagine

5) Many great friends

6) Lots of laughter (and reasons to laugh)

7) That I didn't get killed by lightening in the Vermont 100!

8) To live in a country where I am free and can participate in the political process

9) A roof over my head, food on my plate and everything I might need in life

Happy Thanksgiving!

More Pictures from JKF 50

Here are more pictures from my JFK 50 miler adventure!

Taking a moment to enjoy an aid station. But boy, do I look COLD! The beverage I am holding is likely to have either a sheen of ice on the top or the beverage probably has a consistency of a slurpee. Next year perhaps I will bring some Turkey with me on the run (Wild Turkey that is)

Cindy sure is bundled up isn't she? Just so you know, my Reston Runners T-shirt was down most of the time, but at aid stations I had to put my 2 outer gloves in my pocket. This entailed exposing my midrife (well it would have had it not been below freezing!)

With my friend from the Coast Guard who I ran this with several years ago. He is such a great guy! I consider this race a reunion of sorts with him and several others from the Coast Guard!

With my friend/fellow runner Marcy (last year Cindy and Imelda crewed for both her and I). She is really fast (well at least compared to me)

With Anne Lundblad, last years top female finisher! This year she did not run because of coming off an injury but she supported her husband who came in first. She is really nice!

NOTE: I think in the future I need to ask the people who are taking my picture if I look presentable. Nearly every picture of me has some component that could land me on the front page of the Enquirer with the caption "What not to wear!" In my defense with the sub-arctic temperatures I was barely comfortable during much of the race and at several points I was freezing.

My husband and I used to watch this cable show "Man vs. Wild" on the Discover Channel. The host, Bear Gryllis would go on these wilderness survival adventures in which he would teach us vital skills. One of his mantra's was the importance of staying warm. His suggestion to do this was do a set of "Push-ups". If this is an optimal way to get warm, I really think I should have done alot of pushups during this years race!

In our household sometimes Tristan complains it is too cold. My advice to him is similar to my parents advice to me when I was growing up (they said "put on a sweater"--but that is so 70's!). Now, I tell Tristan to do some Push Ups! Of course when I am cold, I just nudge the thermostat up to a warmer temperature:-)

More pictures and a link to my race experience article

Cindy, my crew and Helen the crew organizer from Reston Runners prior to the JFK 50 miler start. It is bitterly cold at this time (as per the bank clock it was below 19 degree's in the valley)

Here I am above Weverton cliffs on the Appalachian Trail. You can see runners passing me while I take my self portrait. I just really did not want to run down the 18 switchbacks...the bane of my existance!

I am about to get on the C&O Canal but for some reason I decide I should choke myself (notice my hand is around my neck). It is pretty amusing what I am doing to myself in some of my self portraits. Sadly I do not always take a glance to see if my pictures are okay and sometimes I cannot see the details. Once they are on my computer well after the fact I realize my errors!

Here I am along the Towpath on my way to Harpers Ferry. The rapids behind me are class I/II rapids that Tristan and I have going tubing down (which is lots of fun in the summer...in the winter I imagine it would not be quite as fun!)

I am so excited about not getting reflective wear. I have to take a picture of me taunting the volunteers! Just kidding, I just mentioned to them my excitement about not being stuck wearing the "vest of shame" which I have worn the last 3 years! I think the one young lady is a bit puzzled by my antics.

I have written an article about my JFK 50 miler experience. It took me longer to write my experience than to run the race (but what else was I going to do Sunday afternoon...it's not like my legs were ready for more than a few steps!). Uou can read my 11 page disertation here. Seriously it is long. In fact my friends at the Reston Runners entitled it "JFK 50 mile: The race is not long and neither is my article". They crack me up!

I love this race and hope my article gives you all a glimpse into my experience. I laughed, I cried, I was angry, I was sad, but in the end I finished. It was good times!

I truly am indebted to so many people who helped me in this ultra as well as previous ultra's. Most of all my sister was a great crew. I will miss her next year when she runs the race. She always attended to my needs, offered positive words of encouragement, kept my spirits up and even ran with me for a bit on occasion (even with a hurt paw).

Cindy hates cold weather as much as I do, yet she was out there at every aid station I asked her to be (all I requested was Gathland, Weverton and 38 special). She even showed up at Antietam where she crewed for both Tristan and I. I will miss her as my crew for JFK. Hopefully she doesn't bail on crewing for me at Umstead or Vermont 100. I really will have to make sure I look very ill, unhappy and pained at my next ultra's to stop all my crew from joinining me on the course:-)

Alas, I love ultra's. I think they allow us to test ourselves, push our boundaries past any thing we think is possible and give us an amazing sense of satisfaction at the end. There is no other experience that is quite as fulfilling. I am already to sign up for another one (although considering I am already in Umstead and Vermont 100 there is little more that I could possible impulsively sign up for isn't there??)

JFK 50 miler story: Why I ran so fast in my last miles

JFK 50 miler is my favorite 50 miler.  Unfortunately it is also my least favorite 50 miler.  But this emotional ambiguity is part of the ultra experience.  I have not done any other 50 miler distance races; however, I do find JFK to be lots of fun.

During JFK this year I was lucky enough to have a great time and share lots of laughs and just really enjoy myself.  Unfortunately by not faking misery and unhappiness I have now lost another crew member (first it was Tristan-although he sort of kept getting fired and now my sister says she is retired from crewing and will be running next year).  This really sucks!  Now I have to break in a new crew next year.  Although I heard a rumor I may get Imelda back as my crew (and she is organized and really helpful).

Well, Cindy might have been getting close to getting fired because she ended up missing my finish.  Apparently I have a problem with suddenly speeding up at the end of races.  I thought this was only a problem in marathons, but apparently I can pretend a bear is chasing me and start running faster at the end of 50 milers.  In the last 6 miles I was passed by only 6 people and passed about 15 people (including my friend from the last several years: Don Meyer who I feel terrible about passing, he is so nice and funny and quite the character).  I also went from running 15 minute miles to sub-10 minute miles.  

Although my burst of speed at the end was slightly precipitated by giving my half zip thick shirt to a runner who was clearly hypothermic.  I had seen her running at mile 27 or so when this runner passed me.  Unfortunately right after we passed the mile 46 aid station, I ran up behind her and observed her gait was really bad (staggering a bit all over the road with completely straight legs...it was not good).  The first year I ran JFK I had a similar issue and was very cold.  But this year with high temperatures in the mid-30's at best was not a good year to be slowing down.  And at this point the temperature was dropping precipitiously as the sun was slowly setting.  I asked her if she was okay but the poor young lady was just crying.  She said she was in alot of pain.  There was nothing I could do about that.  But she was shivering.  I said I would go get help and started running ahead.  But after about 50 feet I realized I would probably warm up, so I turned around and jogged back to her.  I took off my half zip thick shirt and gave it to her and started running to get help.  I finally got to the next aid station (they were spaced about 1.5 miles apart) and found someone to help me.  I told the first spectator I saw that there was a girl was in really bad shape about 800 meters back.  It was easy to describe her because my shirt and jacket were an ensemble.  By the time I made it to the aid station about 200 meters further on, the volunteers were able to confirm medical was on the way to help her.   By this time I realized I needed to keep moving to make sure I did not get chilled.    So I learned a bit about myself during this race.  I learned that if I am highly motivated that I can run alot faster for alot further than I thought.  I also confirmed that there is nothing wrong with having too many layers or too many back ups.