Harding Hustle 50km beat the heat!

Its going to be a HOT ONE! that is what I remember thinking when I saw the weather forecast for Modjeska Canyon. But that did not phase me too much as heat and humidity are something I am familiar with it would be about making good race choices on race day.

Race briefing

The race began at Tucker Wildlife Sanctuary, and some of the proceeds of the race would go towards this amazing facility check it out at

 http://tuckerwildlife.org/default.asp

It was already pretty toasty at 6.20am and there was quite a climb waiting for me to tackle! I had sprayed my feet and insoles with Kool n Fit, had a light breakfast and I had opted for a hydration pac so I could keep hydrated even though there was well stacked aid stations every 4 miles I just did not want to chance getting a heat related ma-lardy resulting in an expensive air evacuation!

With Thomas as mile 5 just after leaving the Laurel Aid station

I really enjoyed running with Michele.

To reach the 2nd aid station at Maple Springs I followed quite a nice fire road, a few little rocks but nothing too technical at all and the grade really was not that steep BUT the heat was a factor, I checked my Polar Monitor as I wanted to keep my heart rate at a steady zone 3 to 4, as always the beginning of a race the adrenaline races but after a few miles the body gets into a Rhythm. I stuck to my plan and had 3 endurolytes every hour with race Cap supreme, Anti Fatigue cap, Endurance Amino 2 of those and every 30 minutes an expresso Hammer gel. 

Maple Springs 9.40 miles 4500 feet

Heading up to Aid station 3 only 1.60 miles away but all up hill.

Maple Springs I would see this aid station twice and there was plenty of ice to refill my pac too.















It is amazing that 1.60 miles can be so beautiful and then to see a mirage called aid station 3 was priceless.

The views were amazing!

Aid station 3 was pretty important as I would use that station 4 times!!

At this aid station there is a wee climb to Modjeska Peak my heart dropped I had done this climb once before and I knew this would be a dig deep and keep smiling effort! The good news was it was only 2 miles round trip the bad news is I would have to do this twice!!!

I put my best game face on a BIG smile I had a nice cold cup of defizzed Ginger Ale to help keep my stomach in check and set off up the single track rocky trail. Going up I was fine, I enjoyed the views and shouted out words of encouragement to the runners already on their way down, a few dirt bikes passed and kicked up the loose dirt and the smell of gasoline hit my nostrils but at least if I wanted to bail I could hitch a lift back!!! I smiled all the way to the peak at 5,384ft! 

Modjeska Peak 5,384ft with Lake Matthews in Corona in the back ground.

 On the turnaround I felt anxious as did I mention I have two left feet when descending downhill on a trail which I had no clue were to put my feet. There was a photographer on the corner less than 20 feet from the summit as I went past him in very slow motion I said high and something like I know I am slow, and 10 feet later I ended up on the rocky declivity doing a face plant worthy of a TV role only my face missed the rocks and I just grazed my knee but it really took the wind out of my sails! A little trail rash never hurt any one no bones broken my spirit a little shaken I descended that mile slower than I had climbed it!

A very modest amount of graze !

After descending and getting to the aid station and checking in I was informed I had 3 miles of climbing to Santiago Peak which is the highest point in Orange County and then 3 miles back at which point I would re climb Modjeska peak! I thought are you KIDDING ME!!!

Santiago Peak Aid station 5,689 feet 

That 3 mile climb was HOT HOT HOT and dusty too I saw only two mountain bikers pass me and as it was out n back was able to keep my spirits high by clapping and smiling at the other runners already on their descent. I was so happy to see the Aid station with my friends Daniel and Barbara manning the station.
 My pac was refilled and ice added, I took my Hammer Nutrition endurolytes and ate half a hammer bar washed it down with water. I felt a little headachy and I decided to walk a little and really hydrate I avoided the salt tablets and greasy potato chips I knew my body needed fluid and I needed to slow my pace and recover as at Altitude there is less air pressure to drive valuable O2 in to my lungs and my heart has to work harder to deliver the O2 to my working muscles!

All smiles as I near the base of the one mile out n back again!

I get to the dreaded one mile climb again, there is no use in complaining every one has to climb it twice, so I jogged and power walked back up to the peak and came back cautiously but did not fall a second time. Then I was all smiles it was all downhill from here!

I headed towards Maple Springs my smile a mile wide the worst was over and did I mention it was HOT! 

Just 9.40 miles left!!

With just 9 miles and some change left to run I can almost jump for joy it is all down hill from this point well except about 1.5 miles of two little climbs combined. I felt good and played catch up as I liked the company to run with other runners so that really motivated me to run faster!

My friend Ray was helping at the final aid station

3 miles and modeling the latest in Buff fashion!

The final 4 miles was like running in a furnace, but I kept it together with my electrolytes, and not over taxing my energy, I knew I was near the finish and kept visualizing 4 laps around the track for 1500! At around two miles to go the course went up hill again just about half a mile but it felt good to use different muscles and it was just hot!  Soon I was running all the way down a descent towards a road I was so happy I was going to finish this wee run and was almost skipping the final few meters!

Jessica Race Director of Dirty Feet Productions.

A Yorkshire lass, and Irish Lad and a Scottish Gal! We just needed some one from Wales to complete the quartet.

My friends Juan and Tina who did a great race too.

Paul and I help with a bit of sponsor time!

RECOVERITE!

The Finish shot!

Nuff Said.

 Below is a link to the map and my out put for the 32 mile trail run. The temperatures on the trail were 107 degrees!!

 https://www.polarpersonaltrainer.com/shared/exercise.ftl?shareTag=7a839177e028688aad1d95f94e0d660f

Below is some interesting info when the weather gets HOT!

KEEP HYDRATED fail to keep up dated on getting fluid into your body and your blood volume with decrease and if your body runs low on fluids it will not be able to create a cooling affect ..dehydration will follow and that is never good. and your heart rate will begin to get rapid..

I took my hammer gels every half hour and plenty of water to dilute the gels as the gels are complex Carbohydrates the body burns more Carbs when under intensity and you need fat and protein for energy production but if I did not keep putting in my gels I would start to BONK ( feel out of energy)
 I can tell if this is happening as I think I am going harder on the trail and my heart rate is getting slower!!! SO I made sure I kept well hydrated and on top of my nutrition. Below is an excellent article from Hammer Nutrition it also has a link to electrolyte replacement I highly recommend to read.
http://www.hammernutrition.com/blog/hydration-what-you-need-to-know/
 Heat and Humidity can cause your heart rate to elevate as it tries to cool down the body as with intense exercise the body forms a lot of energy on the form of heat so the body must sweat to dissipate the heat! When the body gets hot the heart rate will rise up to 10 beats faster!

There were a few runners on Saturday that I saw with swollen fingers and dizziness at the finish line, some were walking and spaced...if its hot begin hydrating early and slow your roll! Listen to your Body and fuel it right, In hot weather it is bet to keep to a liquid diet to help the body fuel the muscles required to do the work and cool you down instead of digesting solid food! Slowing the pace and enjoying the race and scenery.

BIG thank you to Polar USA for sponsoring the trail running series and for sponsoring the Harding Hustle, Ocean Potion for all the suncare they gave to the racers, HAMMER NUTRITION for keeping my body healthy and fueling it correctly , Rudy Project USA for my Pink Fluros, Brooks Running for great Trail Cascadia shoes, Kool n Fit for their conditioning spray,  Juan and Tina for the lift to and from the race venue and all the awesome Volunteers of the Harding Hustle who suffered in that intense heat making sure we the runners were well looked after.

I had a blast and loved making new friends on the course!!

Billy Goat...It ain't but one hill....

Well on 5 hours sleep, 3 scuba dives and Catalina Island adventures beneath the water, I found myself on route to Billy Goat trail run organized by the Biggest and baddest goat there is Steve Harvey and his wife Annie.

My husband Al took me to the race venue Indians Trucker Trail.

I was super excited to run this event as I had not ran since the Triathlon 2 weeks ago due to an injured foot. I had rested gone insane from not running or cycling, on Thursday I had been given the blessing to run by my sport doc, I jogged an easy 3 miles...mmmm

Race swag extraordinaire

,

I turned up with Al my foot was not hurting I was super excited to be at the Indian Trucker Trail...I knew there was a long 6.5 climb I was more afraid about the 6.5 mile downhill and busting all the good I had done for my foot in one nano second.

Hammer told me to be careful sprayed my feet with Kool n Fit

The race began at 8am ish...the sun was already out Steve shared some words of wisdom and we were off....un beknown to me and much to the amusement of spectators and other runners my little dog Hammer barked up a super storm as he did not get to run too!!

finding my groove (photo thanks Chase)

Steve Harvey that Old Goat was not joking it was up hill and the sun was nice and toasty. I tried to keep an even pace all the way to the 3 mile aid station, grabbed a cup of Heed and continued to the 6.5 mile turnaround station. I opted to run with my fuel belt so I had my nutrition all dialed in at a moments notice.
 Breathe taking scenery and I was careful with my foot. At the turnaround I took an Apple cinnamon Hammer gel washed it down with 4 Endurolytes and then it was all down hill.

Sunbeams

Great Vista

Hammer giving me doggy energy

That descent was brutal I tried just to jog and keep it together there was no negative split on this event I was slower going down the hill but at least I kept my foot centered and tried not to land hard on my heel.

I cannot lie I was so grateful to see the finish line, I had 5 runners over take me on the down hill and had there been another mile descent that list would have been doubled or even tripled!!

Jean and Naomi

Shannon & Naomi

Amazing Steve Fry!

Hammer with Chase

Always nice to see Michelle.

Hammer resting he was bitten on his paws by red ants!

The finish line was rewarding and I can add another Goat Medal to my collection. I finished a respectable 4th Female overall, and my foot is okay at mile 9 I hit the trail wrong did a few hops and skips and remembered to land lightly! 2 hours 21 mins and a few seconds I will take that below is my data and map from the run as saved by my Polar RCX5.

https://www.polarpersonaltrainer.com/shared/exercise.ftl?shareTag=a849b90e5efdfd74cfe9ebcf4e4feea0


For more information about the Old Goat Races here is the link.

http://www.oldgoatrunners.com/


 A huge thank you to Hammer Nutrition, Brooks Running, Rudy Project, Polar Heart rate monitors, Ocean Potion, Kool n Fit, Fuel belt and my Husband for taking me out there!

Cascadias got the job done!

The Bling.

Secrets of a wetsuit swimmer....

I brazenly declare my love for my Aquaman Wetsuit which I use for triathlons especially in the cooler waters of California and the 6.2 mile Ocean swim in Hawaii...

Tri Slide to protect from chaffing..

I love trislide, I spray this product around my neck, ankles and wrists, and also under my polar strap. It is an awesome product and no chaffing and does not harm the neoprene in my wet suit it is water proof and sweat proof, no mess easy to apply spray and lasts for hours! Not only that but even reduces hot spots on my feet while running!!!
The wet suit makes me feel like super woman, my hips become high in the water and my legs can dangle.. well may be a little flutter kick to keep circulation going and hip rotation too.

Swimming in Hawaiian Waters 2012.

 The Aquaman Wetsuits are cut higher in the legs and arms than most suits this is so it is easier to put on and putting on the suit you should never dig in your nails to pull up the suit, I put the suit as high up the calf as it will go , the wet suit should feel snug but I still have flexibility to rotate my arms.

Getting ready to swim in Lake Anna State Park

Another thing that I do is practice in my wetsuit before the race, in race mode my adrenaline is pumping and the mass starts can get pretty knarly so I try to swim strong and get away from all the kicking legs and flailing arms, and unlike lap swimming my heart is pumping raising my core temp and I get warm in my wet suit...I have no surprises on race day...practice putting the suit on and taking the suit off too. The Aquaman suit I have zips from the neck down and when I get out of the water I pull the chord down to unzip while running to transition!

Care for your wet suit is important, while you should not use your tri suit to swim in chlorinated water I do from time to time at clinics so I make sure I rinse my suit really well in fresh water and I let it dry never in direct sunlight and I use a nice wide hanger to store it.

I use my wetsuit for all my Ultra triathlons in doubles, triples and Ultraman. and I also use it for the local races for the 700m 1500m and the 1.2 mile swims. Learning how to take off the suit will save valuable minutes in triathlon shorter courses.

http://www.aquamantri.com/homepage/

Before I begin my swim I always go to the water and flood my wet suit and rinse my face. Be careful about applying lubricants and I do not put on any lotions around my face so my goggles will seal and be careful not to get lubricant on your fingers and then touch your goggles.

Also if you are unfortunate to rip your suit :
Minor repairs, using neoprene glue, can be performed on the spot, if necessary.

For the Triathlete USAT has two rules regarding wet suit for the swim portion:

Article 4.4 Wetsuits of the USA Triathlon Competitive Rules states: “Effective January 1, 2013, any swimmer wearing a wetsuit with a thickness measured in any part greater than five millimeters shall be disqualified.”

10. Wetsuits: Each age group participant shall be permitted to wear a wetsuit without penalty in any event sanctioned by USA Triathlon up to and including a water temperature of 78 degrees Fahrenheit. When the water temperature is greater than 78 degrees but less than 84 degrees Fahrenheit, age group participants may wear a wetsuit at their own discretion, provided, however that participants who wears a wetsuit within such temperature range shall not be eligible for prizes or awards. Above 84 degrees, wetsuits are prohibited.

Yes there are differences between a wet suit for triathlon and a scuba suit the neoprene is much more buoyant in a triathlon wetsuit and also the design is more hydrodynamic and the suit is more flexible to make swimming more proficient. 

 

Happy Racing!

Relay Champions at Trievents Bonelli Park./ cycling back to health.

Hammer (the Min Pin) myself and Al a winning combination!

It has been a long two years for AL, who managed to do the unexpected and break his femur while scuba diving at Catalina Island in 3 places and even detaching his ACL with a broken piece of femur!

Opting for non invasive surgery meant it would be a long slow recovery but he would have no metal pieces in his leg. He wore a knee contraption and huge brace which covered his whole leg, a handicapped sign on the truck and a wheel chair!

In January 2013 he felt good enough to begin riding his mountain bike again so I dusted off the cobwebs on mine so I could tag along, it was great to have my cycling buddy back again! So we decided we would do a few triathlon relays together Al would do the cycling portion and I would swim and run. That way we could enjoy each others company in training and in racing more importantly get Al to come along to the triathlons which I just am simply passionate about!

 Relay number 1.

All smiles before disaster ensued.

Our first relay was on April 6th at an Xterra in Bonelli park. we figured home turf and great training we should podium...mmm

I swam and then exchanged chip with AL he set off for two laps of the mnt bike...

At the finish line me and my man!

 After 50 mins had past I realized something must have had happened to AL...yup he had crashed as his front wheel blew out! on a hot turn. Our event was over. He went to medical and was cleaned and bandaged up and he told me to go finish the run it would be good practice!





The next morning was the first relay in the Trievents series at Bonelli Park, Al was pretty banged and bruised but we decided to go to the tri any way and give it our best shot!

swimmer with bandaged cyclist !!

Despite Als injuries we made the Podium in first place what a difference 24 hours makes!

Podium with Hammer!

At the second trievent a month later we also placed with a third place, Al had had a mechanical but still finished the bike and I had an amazing run! we also at each event put up a Booth representing Polar Monitors and Hammer Nutrition.

The second in the series was a little more cycling and running. The day went well and it was awesome to be part of the grassroot event! Trievents really is growing into its 31st year!


The final event of the series is in June, and there was around 800 triathletes signed up for the express and Championship events that is HUGE for this triathlon. The sun was out plenty of smiles to be shared.

I had Hammer Nutrition samples and info, the latest Polat Monitors and even Ocean Potion sunscreen.

 The swim was 1500 meters, I was with the mens group as I was mixed relay, on exiting the swim I handed my chip to Al who was dealing with a cracked rib and asthma while he was cycling I took photos and encouraged and cheered on the other triathletes I just love these events!

I was all smiles on the 6.2 mile run, I was being conservative as I had hurt my foot if I kept my feet in a straight line they were okay going up the hills I went side ways but I got the job done!







Al and I made the top spot on the podium and of course we included Hammer who is my running buddy on my long runs! We met amazing athletes made new friends and chatted with old friends!
We also were the number one relay team combined in all the 3 events! SO not bad for team work!

I presented the overall champions in both races with a brand new Polar RCX5 monitor and also raffled off two FT7 Polar monitors. And gave out samples of the Hammer Vegan Bars.

Proud team Polar powered by Hammer Nutrition!

There are many reasons to do triathlons, but when I get to share my passion of the sport with my husband it really is a cool thing and to think the doctors told him he would never be the same on that leg he broke!

On the note I have to rest my foot it needs to run happy and not in pain.

With Hammer , Al Hammer and Cookie!

A HUGE thank you to Hammer Nutrition, Polar Monitors, Rudy Project, Brooks running, Serfas, Kool n Fit, Ocean Potion Suncare, Profile-Design, Aquaman Wetsuits, Covina Masters Aquatics, Williams Wheels. Fuelbelt. Trislide. and Triall3SPorts.