Commitments 2015

     May- Badwater Salton Sea, Borrego Springs, CA Crewing for friends on a point to point race beginning below sea level at the Salton Sea and finishing 81 miles later on Palomar Mountain, within San Diego county. It requires a team of 3 runners completing the total distance together side by side within a 28 hour time limit.

     July- Hotter Than Hell Dusk to Dawn, New Orleans LA.  A 10 hour endurance run starting at 8:05pm ending at 6:05am the next day. Putting in as many miles as I can on a 2 mile loop around the Historical Audubon Park in New Orleans. 

     July- Badwater 135, 'the toughest foot race on earth'. Death Valley National Park CA. Crewing for a friend. It's 135 miles of road running from the lowest point in the USA -280 ft below sea level to the portal of Mt Whitney the highest at 8,360 ft. Extreme heat conditions, completing the run within a 48 hour time limit.

      September- Race of Ages Manchester, TN. Crewing for my Husband and friends. Race of ages is a unique endurance race that gives you an hour to run for every year of age- example 48 years old 48 hours to complete as many miles as you can on a flat fast one mile loop. I'll be camping, cooking and cheering them on while their going round and round. 

      September- Maui Marathon I had so much fun last year running I'm going to do it again. It's such a  Beautiful course. 

      October- Huntsville Half Marathon, Huntsville, TX . Those rolling hills keep calling my name and I gotta run with 'my dad' again. 

       December- Snowdrop 55 Hour Ultra Event, Sugar Land TX I'm going for another 100 mile belt buckle with my husband. This year they're even offering a 150 mile belt buckle. Craziness is trying for the 200 mile belt buckle. Woop Woop! 

Destin part 2

       Running the 24hr event last year was a last minute idea as I was already signed up for the 50 mile race. I had run the 50 mile course 2 times before and there were a few slots available for the 24hr run so I decided to give it a try, I had nothing to lose and I had proven myself on the sand at 50 miles. I need to give credit to Nick Holscher for sort of asking me, pulling me and putting forth a well thought out argument to enlist me to his race. Nick is the Race Director's brother (Zane Holscher) and is in charge of 24hr event. I actually enjoy running in the sand so 24 hours sounded like fun. As it turned out I was able to complete 88 miles and that was enough to be the female winner.

     Driving home from Destin last year with my husband/coach we talked at length about the race and some things we could change or improve upon and one thing led to another and the idea came up 'why not train to break the female course record'. I need to also point out that some of that inspiration came in part from Connie Gardner directly. Connie is the current female record holder (which is the female world record in the sand) and a very accomplished ultra runner. Last year she ran the 50K race in Destin on Sunday. She came out and ran the first few miles at the start of the 24hr run on Saturday as a warmup and cheering session. She ran next to me and we talked for the first few miles. Later on Sunday afternoon she came out again and ran with me a bit giving me a ton of encouragement. It might sound a little silly but it meant so much to me that she would take time to help me out on the course. One of the very cool aspects of the Ultra running community as a whole. Everyone is truly interested in helping others achieve their goals. It's a sport where you can run side by side with an elite athlete and one of the top female runners in the world. So, that was my goal and mission for the year. Train and try to break that record.

    Jean's definition of my husband/ coach.... Unconditional love and desire to push me hard and often to find my limits. I'm sure I have pushed back a few times. 

    My friends Kent and Diane who came in from Louisiana, stepped up to the plate this year from the moment they arrived in Destin. Having a very different race plan from last year, they kept me spot on with my hydration and nutrition giving me something every 2 miles. They took care of my gear changes and were ready to take care of any other problems that might have happened. They were also my photography staff and Diane kept others updated through text messages and calls. A very full day's work anyway you slice that up! Diane and Kent also knew I wasn't going to break the record early in the race and still remained my biggest cheerleaders urging me forward when I needed it the most. They kept me laughing and focussed while pacing me up and down the beach on Sunday morning. Thank you Diane, especially since I know that your passion has nothing to do with the sand. Thank you Kent for always being at the ready and never missing a beat. I can't tell my crew enough how much they are truly appreciated! There is a runners social on Monday, a great place to relax, drink a few beers and share all of the weekend's stories! We always visit the local sponsors afterward to thank them for their support so it was even more special this year since we got to share that with Kent and Diane.

       Jean's definition of true friendship.... Helping crew and feed me with continuous encouragement non stop for 24 hours with very little pay, actually no pay at All! 

       I ran with Kevin Kline at the Houston Marathon this year. He created The Snowdrop Foundation, raising money, awareness and providing paid college scholarships for pediatric cancer patients. While we ran, he was telling me stories of people who get the name of one of these children and run their race in honor of them and personally give their medal to that child. I thought that was an AMAZING thing to do!! I already donate all my medals to Bling For Bravery, an organization that works in conjunction with Snowdrop, but I wanted my races to become a little more personal. Having the name and background of a child so I could run for them. It's truly inspirational and will see you through when you need to dig deep. Being uncomfortable, tired, hurting and sore for a few hours suddenly becomes a lot easier when you consider that there are children who feel that way all day, everyday.

     Jean's definition of inspiration... Paige, a 14 year old young lady who is in the middle of battling childhood leukemia. She has had 10 months of pushing through treatments and is now in a maintenance phase that will continue on for another 2years. Just the thought of what she's been through was more than enough help to push me through the night, running with 25 mph headwinds nonstop for 14 hours. In the big scheme of things, not that tough really. Paige is the one doing the real "Heavy Lifting"

A few days ago I had the very distinct privilege of meeting Paige and giving her a necklace I wore through my race for her. She's what inspiration is all about! 

This is the bible verse Paige's mom gave me before the race. She said it has helped them persevere. I wrote it on my arm for the race. Thank You All!!!

Destin part 1

   The Destin Beach Ultra weekend isn't all about crazy long distance running. To kick the weekend off there is a 5k race for family, friends and crew to enjoy the sun and sand Saturday morning. My friends Diane and Kent who drove in from Louisiana to help crew and my husband all joined in the fun and got those first early miles in on the sand. I watched and helped out the race director, Zane, handing out finisher medals. It was such a beautiful morning with perfect temperatures and conditions. I just couldn't help but think to myself this is shaping up to be a great day. As my crew finished their run they enjoyed a few post race beers and we were off to take on the rest of this perfect day.

    Kent accompanied me to the packet pick up and trail brief at 11am, I think under strict orders from my husband/coach to make sure I didn't use too much energy. The Destin Beach Ultra has created so many long lasting friendships for me and I always enjoy catching up and seeing my long distance family. After that it was back to the condo for my power pre race lunch and nap before the 4pm start. The weather was still picture perfect and beautiful. I was actually a little jumpy, nervous and excited thinking this was shaping up to be a record breaking day! I really wanted the chance. Wow, it's surprising to see how fast the weather can change.

The start time temperature was a perfect 61 with gorgeous full sun, falling into clear skies and nighttime temperatures of 42. I've been on the sand several times before and trained for every detail of this course, I was ready for this race. Ok, because I don't live right on the coast line I did forget one thing...the Wind! The full brute force of Mother Nature and her howling screaming wind decided to pay us a visit. It is extremely hard to train for that kind of strong coastal wind.

 

    When the race began at 4pm it was high tide. Everyone was having a difficult time picking a line to run for the one mile out and back course. If you ran high on the beach you were in the deep fluffy powdery sand or you could run low and deal with the strong surf and your feet staying wet. I chose to stay up higher on the beach. My plan was to break the milage up into smaller parts, finishing every 20 miles under 4hours. Starting out it takes me awhile to settle into a good rhythm. I wasn't worried about losing a little time in the wind because I knew I could make it up on the second set of 20 miles especially since everyone said the wind wouldn't last that long. The wind was a steady 22-25mph with gusts up to 30. I couldn't even hear my crew talking to me unless I was right next to them. Wearing clear vision glasses at night helped protect my eyes from the wind and blowing sand. Talk about a free spa treatment of sea salt and sand microdermabrasion! I came through the first 18 miles in 4:28 and that was not a good start. But I remained focused, positive and determined to push through. I was told that 4 people had already dropped out of the race after only 5 hours. Wow it had only just begun! My legs were really starting to feel the effects of the deep sand and wind pushing me back. I had to figure out quickly how to conserve energy, I decided to power walk into the wind then at the turn around run with the wind at my back hopefully making up some time. Not enough time though, after 7 hours I was still way behind schedule to break the course record or even get close to it at this point. Finding out 3 more people had dropped out, I readjusted my goals trying to stay strong and positive. High tide was receding and exposing the hard compacted sand so it was time to try and take advantage of this new running surface. I got a second "wind" even though Mother Nature wasn't letting up. I had completed 58 miles in 14:30, the sun was rising with a new day ahead and the wind decided to calm down. Finally WooHoo! With a smile on my face all I could do at this point was keep moving forward. My legs were trashed and I was beaten down by the night's constant wind. My crew kept me going throughout the night with hot food and drinks and always encouraging me forward. By 1:30pm on Sunday only 2 1/2 hours remained in the race I was at 78 miles. Digging deep my new goal was to reach 90 miles. My feet had been wet for awhile now and I was feeling a blister begin so I took the time to change into dry socks. It was a big relief but it also cost me some time on the course. No worries though, I knew if I kept up a steady pace I was going to be the Female Winner. I crossed the finish line with 84 miles completed. I was the female winner and 3rd place overall. 

    Stay tuned Destin part 2 blog.... My Amazing husband and crew and Paige the inspiration that pushed me throughout the night. 

Ok here's the deal....

    Training is finished. It's time to rest and do the taper thing, no more early morning long runs, no more speed workouts and no more 1am treadmill runs. I have dedicated an entire year of hard training and sacrifice for this one specific 24 hour run. The goal - to break Connie Gardner's 116 mile record. My races last year have all been training runs, always keeping my eye on the prize... The Destin 24 Hour Event. I will give everything I have and pour all of my energy into this run with every stride. There have been days I'm afraid I may falter and just as many days that I am absolutely confident in myself and my ability to break this record. On Feb 14th starting at 4pm, I will leave it all out there on the sand, my heart, my soul and my guts. In 24 hours I will find out my limits and learn a little more about myself. Win, lose or draw, I will not look back and say what if... there will be no regrets. I know I've trained and worked to the very best of my ability! With all that confidence said... Ready Set Go! 

Houston Marathon

  As a child, I grew up on hog farm in a small town in Michigan. I remember always looking up in the sky when a plane would fly by and my dream was to one day become a flight attendant and travel the world. I worked very hard and never lost sight of my dream and I was able to achieve that goal. Dreams do come true, they require effort and most importantly a belief in yourself. 

   Another dream of mine came true on Jan 19, 2014 when I completed my 10th Houston Marathon in a row to earn the Houston Marathon Veteran status. Being a marathon veteran doesn't give you any special super powers, but I did receive a really cool, totally awesome long sleeve shirt with 10 hash marks on the arm sleeve. 

   The Houston Marathon weekend starts out with the expo on Friday and Saturday and the race on Sunday morning. There are plenty of vendors selling everything from shoes, clothes and gear to multitudes of running knickknacks and baubles. Bring your credit card and stay awhile for your gear shopping dream. There is plenty of information available about upcoming events around the country. The local running groups are also represented, so you get to catch up with people you haven't seen in a year. That is always fun because of the shared crazy passions for running. This year was my 11th Houston Marathon so I finally got to wear the special veterans bib preprinted with my name and the 10 years as a participant.

It didn't help me run faster but it did give me an extra smile for the effort. Sunday morning at 4:30am my friend Kevin showed up at our doorstep to drive my husband and I downtown to the Convention Center for the start of the race. A benefit that is greatly appreciated and a treat not to have to deal with traffic and parking. Another huge hug and thank you Kevin! It's a tradition he has done with me every year that I have participated. It should also be pointed out that Kevin is not really an early morning guy! It makes his efforts that much more special. He also follows me around the course to 5 or 6 different spots cheering me on with his great enthusiasm. 

    I ran the Marathon this year with a fellow runner and the founder of the Snowdrop Foundation, Kevin Kline. He was pacing a young lady, Lisa, who flew in from Michigan to run her very first marathon and they asked me to tag along for awhile. We all ran together and got to know each other a little better. Around the halfway point I gave them a few more words of encouragement and left to run ahead. This was a training run for me, getting some good work in for my big goal race in Destin. I did make my required stops for a beer at the Michelob Ultra beer truck at mile 21 and at mile 25 for another beer with the Harley Davidson group. WooHoo! Traditions make everything better. I always feel a special excitement seeing so many spectators along the course cheering the runners and calling out their names. Wow, very inspirational! I saw and ran next to some of the other veterans who were wearing bibs that had 26, 30 and even 35 years of running. Very Cool! Maybe some day I'll get there too, dreams and passions are amazing to have, just believe in yourself. When I crossed the finish line a volunteer put a finisher's medal around my neck and congratulated me on a great race. I picked up my finishers tech shirt, a commemorative etched mug and got my picture taken. Number 11 complete!! Can't wait for next year. Sign me up, I still have a ways to go to get to that 30 year Bib!

   A very special Congratulations to Lisa on completing her very first marathon and to Kevin Kline for pacing her and allowing me to be a small part of her experience! 

Snowdrop Ultra 55 Hour Team

      I hope my race report was informative and maybe even inspired a few others to consider participating in one way or another at the next 55 Hour  event at the end of the year. You can find out more about the event at snowdropfoundation.org

    I need to give special thanks to each of the many volunteers who worked around the clock and made this event so incredible while keeping in mind the purpose and children of the Snowdrop organization. Everyone of them provided the runners with smiles, encouragement and the ability to solve any problems necessary while making each and every runner feel like they were All there for them personally! That can be a tall order and not always easily done. Truly an amazing group of people.

Kevin and Trish Kline -creators of The Snowdrop Foundation

Patty Godfrey -Race Director 

Kevin Godfrey - Chuckwagon Chief Cook

Robert Smith with TTR chip timing and crew

The medical aid staff 

The crew who worked exceptionally hard getting the course repaired from the rain 

All of the other volunteers who worked tirelessly as well 

My husband and I will be back next year to run again and to help raise funds for this amazing cause. 

To all of the volunteers who I could not mention by name, we will make it our goal to meet each one of you, thank you and not forget your names.

See you in December!

The Buckle

       Beyond any realm, reach, or reality.... completing 100 miles with my husband, going stride for stride and crossing the finish line to earn our belt buckles together was truly an awesome and unforgettable experience. 

 The Beginning ......

  ** In 1955, the late Wendell T. Robie with a party of five horsemen rode the Western States Trail from Squaw Valley, Ca over the northern Sierra Mountain Range to Auburn, Ca proving that horses could still cover 100 miles in one day. He subsequently founded the Western States Trail Foundation and organized the annual Western States Trail Ride, also known as the Tevis Cup “100 Miles – One Day” Ride. The prize for crossing the finish line was a handmade belt buckle. In 1974, Tevis Cup veteran Gordy Ainsleigh joined the horses of the Western States Trail Ride to see if he could complete the course on foot. Twenty-three hours and forty-two minutes later Gordy arrived in Auburn, proving that a runner could indeed traverse the rugged 100 miles in one day. Receiving his belt buckle prize. In 1977, 14 men from four states participated in the 1st official Western States Endurance Run, which was held in conjunction with the Tevis Cup Ride. Now the two events are held on separate weekends. The Western Stares Endurance Run is the oldest, most sought after and one of the hardest 100 mile races. Aways reaching its full entrance quota and draws athletes from across the nation and around the world. All trying to collect a belt buckle of their own. 

  ** the above paragraph was taken in part from the Western States Endurance Run website WSER.org  

    Trail running has evolved and become a popular way to test the limits of the human body and spirit. Now running a 100 miles in most race events allows you a more lenient cut off time to still receive a prized belt buckle.

  

 My belt buckle was earned at a very unique and amazing event. The Snowdrop Ultra 55 Hour Race allows all entrants plenty of time (55hrs) to run, walk or crawl to 100 miles. The Snowdrop Foundation helps raise awareness and funds for Pediatric Cancer Research at Texas Children’s Cancer Center.