Wednesday, May 30, 2012

Nanny Goat 12/24/100 Insanity

Nanny Goat was the brain child of Steve Harvey who one day was talking to his friend Shelli Sexton on how he would like to do a race to help raise funds for wounded warriors and have it in a looped format. Shelli suggested her horse ranch property in Riverside CA. And Steve and his wife Annie started putting on this stellar event.
My finishing medal on completion of 32 miles. With some very dusty Cascadia trail shoes.
Every trail runner that signs up can choose between a 12 hour format, 24 hours or 100 miles the rule being if you make it to mile 86 before the 24 hours Steve will give you an extra 4 hours to complete a 100 miles to which you could earn your self a coveted light blue buckle!
there was never an issue of what nutritional product would get me through this event even if I was only doing a scaled down version I took extra for my friends.

When it comes to running gear Brooks USA will always save my day
The event 1 mile loop started and finished in a barn!! Yes that is right a BARN!!

My friend Paul had managed to get our group a special stall even had Hay freshly laid on the floor the decoration of Hawaiian Style seemed suitable for a Ranch setting!

So it was very simple, run one mile loops until you drop!! The week before I had badly turned my ankle and had spent 4 days with no movement and my ART and sport doctor David Bolton after giving my ankle ultra sound and a worried look said mmm, a 100 miles??? make sure it is well taped and do not run.
My friend Nathan Swift came to the rescue like a knight in shining armor he had my ankle taped in no time and I really had no movement what so ever ! Did I mention that is what he does!
So at 8am on a Saturday morning at the Sextons horse ranch in Riverside Steve and Annie Harvey gave us a running brief which deserved an award and 165 trail enthusiasts set off on to the one mile loop.
Before the first mile in the barn all smiles for the adventure ahead.
with good friends Ray, Paul and Patty at the fun race brief
You knew as soon as you started this one mile multiple loop it was going to be a different and fun day indeed
 take a right onto Gopher alley I walked this section...
another right and I saw an amazing Caballo Blanco the white horse reminded me of Micah True his spirit lives on.



plenty of spectators.

The mile loop really was amazing, I walked the first mile just to get a grip on whether my taped ankle would hold up to the course and I was not to be disappointed! 
Going through the Orange groves was special nothing like freshly squeezed Orange Juice hand picked from CALIFORNIA!
At the end of the Orange grove section was a bump of an uphill onto a small piece of asphalt turn right again and this was were you could see all the runners returning form the out n back section before making a left and a left back to the tents, RVs and decorated stalls in the barn to complete the mile!
I enjoyed the asphalt as I liked to see the other runners.

At the end of each loop this 11 year old called Colby would be ringing a cow bell and cheering on the ultra runners.  

    

 My personnel goal was to do about 5 loops but because my ankle was so well taped I walked jogged 18 miles before I decided to stop and ice my ankle. I really felt good as I was certainly not pushing a pace so decided to change into a different running skirt and fill up my bottles with perpetuem and I was good for another few miles.
After mile 18 I iced my ankle changed my socks and pampered my self for 20 minutes.

After thoroughly icing my ankle spraying both legs with Kool n Fit spray I put on my race face which is a smile and set off for mile 19 I could not believe my ankle was holding up to the abuse I was doling out, even if I was being over cautious It was a blessing to be able to do these miles and I was ALL smiles.
I set off in the hope of making a marathon the sun was coming out and I was surrounded by so many inspiring trail runners volunteers and great support.
Our Ranch hosts were every where, picking up garbage, emptying trash, giving iced water hosing down the ground cover

Added music nothing like a bit of beach boys to keep the motivation going.
Passed this 32 times now I know what horses must feel like when they are doing the HOT WALK!
Annie Harvey makes sure that Nanny Goat gives the best aid station possible.
Gosh did I also mention with every loop we also passed an aid station which was so well stocked I only needed to rely on my own perpetuem, they had Hammer Heed, hammer gels, endurolytes, as well as fruit, pasta, tri tip, veggie burgers etc..I kept to Hammer Nutrition as it was pretty toasty during the day.
All smiles as I realize I have done 4 more laps than I thought I had and 32 miles was finished!!!
Sam finishing 50 miles and I was happy with 32 walking/jogging combo and Steve gives us our unique awards.
While my friends continued their quests for 100 miles I decided I needed to recover and so I took my reclining chair out into the sun to watch all the action, I had brought my Compex Sport Elite unit so I could recover and enjoy the running party as it unfolded right before my eyes.
Compex doing its job while I make new friends.
My friends decided to do the 12 hour event and Steve obliged with a great photo finish

Our friends Wayne and Ray came out to support but ended up enjoying our celebration

Had to wear the jester hat (thanks Colby)
So to sum up my event I finished 32 miles without re injuring my ankle I had gone to give extra support to my friends and made new friends too. The event that Steve and Annie put on is like no other I am aware of. the theme is definitely have fun, the food and aid station support out standing, the medals are priceless and the Ranch animals make good spectators.
Next year I also want to get a light blue one hundred mile buckle but more importantly raise funds for Wounded Warrior Project
Always a good event when sponsored by Hammer Nutrition and you get a piece of Bling!
A huge thanks to Hammer Nutrition, Polar USA, Rudy Project USA, Brooks Running, Ocean Potion suncare, Triall3sports, Kool n Fit, Fuel belt, Nate Swift, David Bolton and my awesome friends. Most of all my husband who totally supports his crazy Little English Muffin.
Next Year I hope to get the blue buckle apparently according to Steve 165 runners racked up 10,518 one mile circuits. His web site is
www.oldgoatrunners.com

My info for my walk /jog can be found here
 https://www.polarpersonaltrainer.com/shared/exercise.ftl?shareTag=652b0545a73291af0bd83f820c6374f3

Monday, May 21, 2012

A 27 mile training run for Angeles Crest 100 miler,

It must be mentioned before sharing my adventure that I joined this training run for two reasons;

1. I had volunteered to pace my friend Ray Mena at AC100

2. I thought it was also good training for my first 100 miler the following week.

this is just part of the group that ran that day.
It was already stifling hot at 7.30am and we had been told it would be a self supported training run of the last 27 miles of the Angeles Crest 100 mile trail run. I had a full pack of water and a handheld bottle of Hammer Fizz, Heed and perpetuem my special mix. I was dressed in Brooks Running Cascadias, Skirt and yellow top, the brighter and cheerful the better!!
We began the run at Chantry flats and would end the run at Alta Loma park . I started my Polar monitor when finally we began running on the correct trail!

Slip Slap Slop I am slathered!! from top to toe going to be a hot day on the trails

I have my anti fatigue caps & endurolytes as part of my defense against the elements today!


All smiles at mile 4.8 felt as if I had already ran 10 miles LOL Summer is doing the 100 this year!
I thought smiling was best as the uphill to the Mount Wilson road was a beast of a climb!









In some places it was just me and my shadow battling out the heat and climb surrounded by beautiful views.

Glorious!

The Toll road was a relief from the up hill, as it wound its way down the side of the mountain towards another trail and we had not even done 7 miles yet! The sun was really intense and all I could do was put one foot in front of the other!



From the Toll road
Smile Ray!!

wow the day was magnificent

Ray runs down the toll road

 After that we ran down the Toll road there had been a rock fall so a little rock climbing was in order, as I ran down this dirt road I thought how cool it was and lost my concentration and rolled my ankle I found my self on the ground with no one around me as I let out a scream of pain. I took out my kool n fit and soaked my sock around the ankle area... After nursing my ankle for a few minutes It felt better to begin to hobble and finally running to the Idle Hour Canyon were Ray was and we passed over a wooden bridge which had been built by volunteers from 2001 AC100. then would you believe it more climbing!!!


The course was being marked by yellow ribbons and I was so grateful to see this ribbon, as I continued the trail became less maintained and I began to question my self as to whether I was on the right trail, I had lost sight or Ray and could see no one behind me my mind began to play tricks and I thought I saw a bear...tree stump, a snake,,,twig you get the idea yes?



I was on the look out all day for snakes, mountain lions and bears but only saw beautiful butterflies it probably was too darn hot for these critters to be out on the trails!

go this way??Ya think!

I had just walked a long section of single track the sun was just beating down and I still felt good but a little worried about dehydration, walking was a good alternative as did not require a lot of energy, I had started taking 4 endurolytes and 2 anti fatigue caps an hours, I had been eating Hammer Bars/ gels and really wanted to keep a good protein and carb intake in easily digested form and water intake esp. in this heat. What saved my bacon this day was the perpetuem solids.

A felled tree keeps me on the correct trail also seen its fair share of graffiti.


I had no water purifier tablets but trusted the water running off the rocks and filled my hand held bottle, I should have filled my pac too but clearly was not thinking.






 Burn t tree stumps gave the surroundings a surreal feeling.



A trail angel was on the trail with water just after the bend.

The next section was a lot of up hill and a huge downhill single track which I was just ecstatic about! Keep moving forward I would tell my self, do not look down and you will be fine, but it was so hot I had like a tsp water left probably walking would be the best idea...


I very carefully tried to jog some of the single track and was just amazed by the view below, I was worrying about water as I really needed fluids, I tried to suck all the water out of my pac, and have never been so grateful than to see a runner who had run all the way up this trails with bottles of water in his back pac! Talk about a trail angel. He told me he could only give my 3/4 of a bottle as other runners were behind me I thought that was great! I was able to take a gel and my supplements, and the news was 6 more miles of single track LOL... I decided it was time to put some Beach Boys music on, so I searched for my little pink I Pod and started running happy!


 I start to get a runners high at around mile 18 to 19 I felt great was not affected by the heat and was really enjoying reading the History of were I was running and the railroad too. (Although some punks had managed to write graffiti on the info boards...shame) I looked at my Polar Monitor and felt happy my heart rate was looking a little more normal and I was feeling great!

All smiles with 9 miles to go

At the top of the climb I was REALLY happy to see a little asphalt.. before rejoining a single track again!

smelling the cowslip?

Still signs of the fire with new growth around!

I reached the Millard Camp ground and was SO GRATEFUL to see Hal Winton who had water and refreshments his words were only 4 miles to go well done!! Yikes 4 miles awesome I ran with a jump and a skip 4 miles thats all how difficult could that be, I tried to think what it must feel like being told 4 miles to go at mile 96...would I be laughing with joy or shuffling in discomfort...at the moment I was happy. Only 2 miles to go it is single track and going down hill and unbelievable I roll my ankle again, this time the pain is intense I fall to the ground with a performance worthy of an Oscar and let out a piercing scream, I close my eyes and begin to hyperventilate then a feel a cold cloth go around my ankle and another runner had stopped to help me, I slowly calmed my self down, the ankle throbbed but was not broken. The runners name was Kam, I was so grateful he offered to walk with me the final two miles and gave me lots of encouragement and help. I have never been so grateful to see the car park at Alta Loma park, and due to a few hiccups never got to see Ray for another two hours. But soon every one of the trail runners were off the course, we all had survived an incredible hot and dusty day on the trails and was time to recover.


Well I sprained my right ankle pretty badly Dr Hammer my mini pin is not amused as that means no running for a few days or weight baring activity....

But had a great run!


And at the moment I do not foresee the Angeles Crest 100 on my bucket list and really hope I can run Nanny Goat next week.