WESTERN STATES HERE HE COMES

After three years of training over thousands of miles and running qualifying races (from 100km to 100 miles), Nick has made it into Western States!!!!!! Western States is (arguably) the most competitive and oldest Ultra Run in the US, selecting 261 entrants, 50 on waitlist, out of the nearly 5000 that enter the Western States lottery. To enter the lottery, you need to successfully complete a qualifying race to get a lottery ticket. I'm so excited for my love!!!!

After running for a total of ~27 hours (16 hours in the rain) with trench foot, Nick completed his 100 mile RIO del Lago November 2017

After completing MIWOK's 100 km race March 2017 through the redwood forest

 Nick is a proud member of Quicksilver Running Club. :)

How to train a runner: Inaugural Run

Certificate Of Completion Dara Moss HAS COMPLETED THE 10K With an official time of: 1:08:12 Overall Place: 3638 of 5551 Gender Place: 1393 Division Place: 212 Overall Pace: 10:59 Silicon Valley Turkey Trot November 23, 2017 

The BEFORE photo

On a cool 56 degree F day in San Jose, I set off on my first official run since the 10K Cystic Fibrosis Walkathon of 1998. My wonderful cousin organized family representation in the Turkey Trot. While my cousins were completing the three mile walk, I opted for the six mile run since they both cost the same amount of money.

 Given my total inability to run since 2004 because of knee injury, this was certainly a challenge. I did 3-4 mile training runs once a week leading up to the Turkey Trot and a 6 mile hike with my cousin a few days before the run. My knee complied for the first couple training runs and then started asserting its painful opinion closer to the race.

My goal: To survive the run. If I had to walk? I would walk.

 I was also running with my Ultra man, who recently completed a 100 mile trail run. He "ran" [light jog] next to me the entire time, jumping over orange cones, high-fiving nearby runners- including police cadets, while I huffed and puffed my way to the finish line.

For Nick, 9 miles is a warm-up. A six mile flat loop throughout San Jose was a walk in the park. As you can see in the photographs, he looks refreshed before and after the race. I, however, am a hot mess. Literally.

The AFTER photo

DNF= Did Not Finish. I was concerned about completing the run on time. If I passed the cut-off time, I might have received a DNF. Which means that Nick would have received his FIRST DNF! He ran a 100 miler and DNF'd two weeks later in a light 6 mile jog. :) How could he explain that to his Quicksilver Running Club?
After I finished running, my knee, which had a painful twinge from mile 2 onwards, submitted a declaration to me.
" Dear Dara,
I have kept you stable for 12 years and this is what you do to me? Respectfully, I submit my demand: I refuse to move another inch. You had to sprint to the finish line? Really? I will taking at least two days off to recover. Please ice me, take ibuprofen, and leave me alone.
Thank you.
Love, your knee"

So here I lie. On my bed. My knee continues to yell at me.

Perhaps I was too ambitious and running is not for me?

Pimp My Race

The Before Photo of my fiance Nick

I  met a man at Burning Man who had a unique tent. The tent looked like a simple, large, white-colored average tent from the outside. On the inside, however, the tent was a palace, much like what one would expect to see on Aladdin. The floor was covered in thick, Persian rugs. The bed was a four-poster wooden bed. He had running appliances, including a fridge. To top it off, he had constructed his own shower. Running water in the middle of the desert? That certainly is an oasis.

How to pimp an ultra run? Let's start with your own, personal, large changing tent, care of REI. This year, all the warriors who ran Rio del Lago a Western State qualifier, did so in pouring rain, up and down mountains of rock requiring technical skills. So having the option to change clothes is wonderful. Having the option to do so in your own, personal tent? That makes this a five star experience! All that was missing was a propane heater. :)

https://www.rei.com/product/101407/kelty-blockhouse-privacy-shelter

The gentleman featured to the left is from Sacfit Running Club, a unique club welcoming those of varying abilities, where even I, with my first 3 mile run under my belt, would be welcome. I stray from point. This gentleman kindly set up this tent and had a special stool with which to sit. He gave me permission to post this photo.

True to ultra form and ultra camaraderie, he offered my fiance the use of the tent. Nick, however, declined. He did use the stool and is very grateful to David and Kathy for this.

A number of other ultra families/crew members had erected different structures to make mile 44 and 74 more inspiring! One had constructed a shelter and had enclosed a cot with blankets and food. The cot was more then likely set up for the crew member, patiently awaiting their runner for 2-3 hours at a time.

Nick's dad and me are his crew. This is the first 100 miler I have crewed Nick for, so I learn intricacies from his dad, such as how to set up his gear. We have hours of entertainment. The more tired we become, the more entertainment in the form of mathematical calculations we have, estimating Nick's arrival time in correlation with sleep time.

This is Nick with his dad, looking very refreshed at mile 45

As Nick continues running all day and night through the mud and the rain, he begins to develop bilateral foot pain. 'It's probably a blister,' he tells himself. 'I can just run it off,' he assures himself. He makes it to Team Nick, located in his dad's truck next to the suave-looking-tent-featured-above, at approximately 11:15 pm. Mile 74. Hour 18+.

"My feet kind of hurt," he tells me. I encourage him to take off his shoes, as we had clean, dry socks and a change of shoes. "I think I should just keep going," he tells me."I'm kind of afraid to see what they look like," he adds. I didn't realize what he was afraid of until he finished the race, hours later: he may have seen something that would end his race. All the time, energy, and dedication could have been lost.

Runners Superstition: if you change your shoes, that could be bad luck. If you sit down or seek medical attention, that could be the end of your race.

At my urging- I'm a nurse so can you blame me?- he sits down and takes off his shoes and socks.

I know what the problem is instantly. This is not a blister. This is a deadly killer resurrected from World War I: Nick has Trench Foot. His feet have extreme pallor, are cool, and pruned. His right foot is bisected down the middle with a three inch non-bleeding but deep laceration, and his left foot has a problem developing over the right part of his foot. This is no good. I tell him what's wrong with his foot and tell him he is going to require medical intervention at some point. "I won't go to a doctor," he assures me. "You will require medical intervention though at some point," I advise. My sweet warrior has been running through rain and mud for 16 hours at this point. 

He doesn't want to waste any more time. See? Warrior!
We (Nick's dad and me) dry off his feet as best we can, get him into dry socks and shoes, and he continues on his way.

9 miles later at Rattlesnake Bar, his feet are really hurting him. His feet look slightly improved from mile 74, but the pain is too much. There is a medical aid tent and the nurse cleans and patches him up so he can finish his race.

And does his finish? Yes he does! His feet don't allow him to run as much as he would like, but he does finish his 100 mile race! Because that is what Ultra Runners do. They persevere.

Meanwhile, I nearly fail as his crew member. While his dad waits for Nick in his truck at the finish line, I go to my nearby hotel to sleep for two hours...and I sleep through my alarm...for two hours. The glorious sunlight through the windows jars me out of my coma and sends me running for the car to get to the finish line in time. Nick's dad had also slept through his alarm but assures me Nick hasn't crossed the finish line yet. Perfect! I make it to the finish line...three minutes too late to hear his name. Darn it! I am elated that his dad witnessed it and has taken a photograph of Nick.  I learned Crew Lesson 101: if you take a quick nap, make sure you set multiple LOUD alarms. Nick is happy I am with him and gives me a big hug. I am happy to be with him, and to celebrate his amazing success. 

The Finish line

Nick perseveres for 27+ hours without sleep for 100.5 miles. He amazes me.

[Some ailments are non-negotiable: GI related issues (nausea, vomiting, diarrhea), falls leading to injury (fractures), etc. If Nick hadn't changed his socks and shoes at mile 74, the trench foot would probably have hindered his success. Thankfully, it didn't.]

Congratulations to all the Rio Del Lago Ultra Runners! You are all truly warriors!

How to train a runner: HIRE A FREE ULTRA RUNNER TO TRAIN YOU

What the Heck is an Ultra runner?

When I first started dating my boyfriend, Nick, he casually told me that he is an Ultra Runner.
“So you run marathons,” I assumed.

“The runs are a bit longer than marathons, but yes. Anything over the distance of a marathon is an Ultra.” Anything OVER 26.2 miles. Who better to train me to run then an Ultra Runner? I hired Nick to train me for free.

According to Nick, the vast running population run shorter distances. Ultra Running is comprised of only ~1% of the running population.

To really truly understand and appreciate the dedication of an Ultra Runner is to attend a race, visit the different aid stations to see the runners run through, and watch them cross the finish line. It requires extreme time, dedication, passion, endurance, and strength to succeed in a race, particularly 50 milers, 100 km, and 100+ milers.

Ultra Running is a way of life requiring months/years of training- not just in running but in all aspects of life including: maintaining a healthy lifestyle with good nutrition, learning and adjusting fluids and electrolytes to meet increasing training demands, researching technical skills to improve race time, and volunteering before/during/after races clearing trails, or whatever their running club requires to qualify for races.

Not anyone can just sign up to run 100 mile race. Most of the popular 100 mile races held in national/state parks only permit a certain amount of runner passes. The race will hold a lottery for those who have run qualifying races.  Some of the passes are given to notable running clubs who have lottery systems for distribution requiring specific volunteer requirements for entrants.  Runners cross their fingers that their number will be called in the lottery system for that race. Western States Endurance Run in Squaw Valley California, for example, is the oldest 100 mile run in the world. Due to its prestige and popularity, it is very difficult to get selected for this run. According to their website, the US Forest Service limits them to 369 runners. In 2017, they had 4248 applicants. A runner must successfully run a qualifier, successfully get a ticket, and pay ~$410 for the entry fee. http://www.wser.org/

My Advisement for possible communication differences with an Ultra Runner

 1) Nick’s perception of distance is somewhat skewed. And by somewhat, I mean EXTREMELY skewed.

He took me for a “little hike” three months after surgery to “strengthen my legs.” At three months, I was fully weight bearing and still had significant muscle loss. 

10 miles later, I found myself huffing and puffing, glaring at my atrophied leg, sitting in the mud while other Muir Wood area tourists strolled by sending me sympathetic looks.

One day, four months post-op, he takes me to his favorite running spot, Quicksilver, which I lovingly refer to as Nicky’s Playground. Nick is running and I am hiking at opposite ends of a looped trail. We agree to rendezvous on the path. After climbing a mountain behind avid stroller moms treading up without any difficulty, I get a little bit lost. Realizing my one mile uphill detour is inaccurate, I turn around and head back the same way I had come. Although not on the agreed path, Nick finds me easily. At this point, it’s mile 4 for me. We walk down the trail and I am tired. Perhaps it’s from being out of shape or my muscles not being strong enough, but I am tired! I ask him how much further along the path is.

“Oh, we’re almost there. It’s just a couple minutes more.”

 By a couple minutes, he means 2 miles.

I have learned the hard way that Nick’s idea of mileage is not how others would define it.

For example, when he says, “I went for a little run” this could mean anywhere from 10-20 miles.

           While training for MIWOK, he came across a few rangers on his running trail. One asked him how far he ran, and he responded, “Not too far. Just a little one today.” The ranger continued inquiring about the trails and he indicated the distance of the water tower. “That looks very far,” the ranger had said.

“It’s only about 26 miles.” So a “short” run for Nick is a marathon.

This was our conversation tonight:

“How far did you run today?” I asked.

“Oh, just a few miles.”

“7?” I ask.

“10.7…I am out of shape!” he insists. He ran MIWOK, a 62 mile run, a month ago and since then took a few weeks off of serious running. Instead, he’s been doing more yoga. Today is his first serious day running since MIWOK.

“This is on top of the 5 miles we hiked together?” I asked.

“5.3, yes.”

“So that’s what, 15 miles total?”

“16.”

He’s out of shape? Says the man who woke up at 3:30 am for work, worked 9 hours, hiked 5.3 miles, ran 10.7 uphill in the mountains, made dinner, and waited up to see me after I finished work at 10:40 pm? I think not.

So now MY perception of “normal running” is skewed! To juxtapose the seriousness of this, one day the entire neighborhood of Willow Glen shut down for the annual 5 km (~3 mile) run, requiring shutting down whole streets, restrictions on parking, etc. On the same day, at the same time, Nick’s running club Quicksilver was holding their 50 km/100 km race in the mountains with 13,000+ feet of elevation gain and a 17 hour time limit.  I, who have NOT run in 12 years, was thinking, “WOW! 5km? That’s nothing!”

*I'm not one to talk...My perception of temperature is skewed by yoga. My idea of too cold is anything less than 105 degrees.

  2)Ultra Runners train for distance running: only carrying essentials.

Nick is a minimalist…and as an Ultra Runner, he has trained himself to go for runs with exactly the amount of Gu (secret runner carb packets that help you run faster), water, and possibly salt tablets he requires. Nothing more. During races, Ultra Runners can swap out non-essentials (ex/ headlamp for pre-sunrise running), refill water, etc. at aid stations, so they only carry what they need.

I am a hiker who was trained as a Wilderness EMT at some point and also was a child during the Northridge Earthquake of 1994. I need to feel prepared at all times.
Nick has been trying to transition me towards the Ultra way of thinking: get rid of all the dead weight in the bag. Why do I need a large spray of bug repellant? Do I really need two first aid kits? Why do I have an emergency aluminum blanket when we are going for a day hike in the summer time when nighttime temperatures don’t reach anywhere close to freezing?

I won’t let him look in my backpack. He might find my lucky Daffy Duck figurine I found on my first ever Geocaching adventure with my friend Scott and question its position in my backpack.

It’s true…my backpack is probably heavier than it should be.

How to train a runner? Start to wean them off of non-essentials in a backpack. And then transition them away from a backpack altogether. Move them towards a vest or belt.

I’m just not ready to let go of my backpack.

3) Look like an Ultra Runner, feel like an Ultra Runner

Nick has approximately 26 boxes of shoes…all different shoes. Primarily Hoka One One. He has a closet dedicated to storing all the shoes. After going to MIWOK and acting as his inefficient crew, since I had never been to race and didn’t know what the role of crew was, I learned that Ultra Runners have a very distinct look about them. Men and Women of all ages sporting particular brands. Although I mention brand names here, I by no means am endorsing them.

Nick, on the other hand is a Patagonia wearing, Hoka lover.

Nick is an Ultra Runner and looks like one. 
At the beginning of MIWOK, Nick looks like this. Headlamp, neck Buff (SPF shield can be used as headband as in photo above, face cover, etc.)arm warmers (not featured here), and jacket. Although it was 46 degrees and had significant windchill, the jacket was given to me before the race. The arm warmers and headlamp were given to me at an aid station.

 
By the end of MIWOK, Nick is sporting his Patagonia hat, his race vest (mesh vest with two pockets for water), two water bottles, Quicksilver t-shirt rolled up, GPS watch, Patagonia shorts, Injinji toe socks, and Hoka shoes.

I may only be walking, but Nick is training me as a runner. If I visualize myself running, I will run.

But I need a good pair of shoes. My hiking/walking/every-outdoor-event shoes have been much abused over the many years I’ve had them. The tread has worn away, there are small holes, and it’s not waterproof anymore. So why not try Hoka? My mom also surprised me with Patagonia running shorts.

Am I being indoctrinated, I wonder?

Every sport requires particular gear, though, so why not Ultra Running?