A Most Interesting Year Comes to a Close

2019 by the numbers:

12 Races (various distances)

440 racing miles (approximately)

Total miles: unknown

Total racing vert: unknown

By the sound of the title, you may be wondering, "Well...was it a good year? Was it a bad year?" Well, it was both of those, but there were also some pretty ugly moments thrown in as well.

She's headed to the wild west, folks.

I am using the word "interesting" as a way to fully encompass the experience that was 2019. It was a year with very little pressure to perform, and a year to put on my big girl pants and do a lot of big things on my very own. I raced far more than many would approve, but I had a whole lot of fun training and meeting new people along the way. My super supportive husband continued to be amazing, as always. Our boys have become used to mom being away for weekends (and a couple weeks) at a time to do what she loves. All in all, it was a fabulous year filled with wonderful opportunities, accomplishments, and knocking out a couple bucket list races.

The Good

Wow! Where do I begin? For starters, I won both the South Mountains 50K and Conquer the Rock 50K. I still feel as if I have a way to go in order to "crack the code" on a fast mountain 50K. There are downhill parts of each course where I know I ran too conservative, using the excuse that pulling back will help me later. It's hard to tell if it did, really. I want to take more chances in the future, and do it despite where I am in regards to position among the other women. Still, the best experiences from both races were when I met people along the way that eventually became good friends.

In January, I got in to the Leadville 100.

This year, I went back to The Georgia Death Race and cut an hour off my 2017 time. I was so thrilled! While people on the socials were expecting more out of me as a result of my 2018 resume, I disregarded it all and went in and raced on my own terms. I hadn't trained exceptionally well, but I had done some fine tuning at the 50K races I had done recently. As a result, I came in 6th female and 14th over all. It was a privilege to be among the big group of women who cracked the top 20 that day.

I stayed really healthy all year.

Quest for the Crest was, as usual, extremely challenging but so rewarding. It was my third and final time to run, and I gave it all I had. It resulted in a second place finish (for the third straight year) and top ten over all. Once again, though, the final result was secondary to the experience of getting to spend the day in Mt. Mitchell State Park.

Traveling to Wyoming in June, as it turned out, was a very very good idea. I had an amazing time with my friends Marty and Sergio. Getting to travel to a destination race that far from home with people you train with is a rare occurrence for much of the ultrarunning community. I hadn't seen the mountains out west in years, and the Big Horns were beyond what I expected.

Me when I found out I got into the Barkley Fall Classic...another lottery!

Leadville was just magical. I was fit, I had learned important lessons over the summer, and I did pretty much everything right for someone on her own with no crew, pacer, or high elevation at which to train. Things went well--I can't complain about a top 10 finish--and I would definitely return. The other thing that impressed me was my recovery. Whether it was a result of altitude, good nutrition, or fitness, I left asking myself if I had, in fact, just run 100 miles.

I ran a 5K PR.

Finally, in October, I ran my first marathon in years. I had a blast training with my Without Limits marathon training group. After missing some key long runs and speed work sessions, I wasn't super confident in my ability to PR. Not only was there a PR, but a BQ by 18 minutes (Boston 2021!), and I had a lot of fun!

The Bad

While many might not consider going off course "bad," I think doing it three times in a race is no good. GDR's frustrating "where am I?" moments came in the first few hours, and thankfully, I was able to quickly put it past me and press on.

I looked and felt ready for every tough challenge, but they were still irritating

The Joel Johns Classic 50K brought along a bit of bad by way of nasty heat and humidity. What I thought should have been an easy race that might take under 5:30 to finish, ended up being pure misery by mile 20. I hadn't had any long, strenuous efforts in those conditions all summer, and I ended up learning some good lessons on what to incorporate into my nutrition plan for Leadville. This was, by far, my hottest race all year!

Oh, Leadville. How I love you, but how I disliked the pooping. In the final hours, I got really cold (no surprise there!). I'm still not sure what I could have done differently to avoid the potty breaks, but it's annoying to think that they might be what kept me from the sub-25 buckle. Next time...

The Ugly

Alright. Not completely accurate, but you get the idea.

I really try not to let the "ugly" overshadow all the great things that happened in 2019. I want to give it very little space here, but as Frederick Douglass once said, "If there is no struggle, there is no progress." I logged many miles, but also notes over the course of the year in order to look back and see what changes needed to be made.

Ugly hit me pretty hard at Big Horn in June, and I won't soon forget the mud and freezing cold that rendered my legs feeling incapacitated. I struggled with recovery from the moment the race ended, and into the next few days, like never before.

The Barkley Fall Classic is a "one and done" for me. I had another, but worse than, Joel Johns episode with the heat. I got to the prison slightly panicking, but at least knowing that the cause was low blood sugar. I was very close to quitting for the day. After almost 15 minutes, I was able to continue the race, go up Rat Jaw, and fly down Bird Mountain and toward the finish. Sadly, the drama wasn't over yet. I received an email a couple days later "giving" me "an opportunity" to explain my fast time from Rat Jaw to the finish. I wasn't given a finish time or result until I emailed pictures of my bib to prove I had gotten all my bib punches. Gahhhhh!!! With a "no GPS watches allowed" policy, it's virtually impossible to prove yourself in the situation. Many people like this race and its challenges, but I'm out kids.

To close out the year, Hellgate gave the parting gift of relentless freezing rain and a very bumpy ride on the struggle bus in the few miles before I decided to DNF. The weather was just fine for me for the time I was out there, but another eight hours seemed (and still seems) unbearable. I have much to learn about running in cold, damp weather, but the main lesson is patience. I left with a bruised right leg, a funky foot, and my first every DNF.

In Closing...

2020 is going to be downright crazy. 2019 was, by and large, my year to explore and meet goals. 2020 will be my year to get super fit and take some risks.

Well, look at that. She's headed west. Again.

I'm going to Western States in June, and I'm still in some shock that I got in through the lottery. Twelve weeks prior to that, I'll have the privilege of running the Hellbender 100 nearby in North Carolina. The only thing left is to find out if my friends and I get into August's Ultra Trail du Mont Blanc (UTMB).

I plan on involving my family more this year. These things are so much more fun with them. I really do have the best husband and sons, and they are so supportive and patient with me. Best wishes to everyone out there getting ready to get after their passions and pursuits. 2020 is going to be a great year!

(Photo credit: IMDB; The Good, the Bad and the Ugly)

***Update: What is this nonsense, 2020???***

I have no words for the STRANGE turn life has taken.

--Covid-19 Pandemic--unreal

As a result, Hellbender 100 was postponed until November of this year (WNC weather is basically the same in April as it is in November? Maybe?) I was really getting pumped about being back on the Mt. Mitchell State Park trails. Sad.

WSER100 is canceled and I'll be running it in 2021.

I didn't get into UTMB with my group entry, so I'll try for bypassing the draw in order to run CCC next year. Fingers crossed!

I hope and pray you all are safe and healthy during this time. (Insert lots of heart emojis, ha ha.)