Mini Old Goats recap....

My WOLF

I've learned that you can't invest your whole life into pleasing a person who is not yourself, and you can't sacrifice so much that you compromise doing what you love. When two people are happily traveling their own journey and just happen to be moving in the same direction-maybe thats love. Struggling and anxiously working to make a relationship work is perhaps not love at all, but wasted effort. Like running with your arms flailing and waving around. Useless.
 ~Vanessa Runs from her book "The Summit Seeker"



On March 23rd I raced Old Goats 50 Mile. It was my fourth time running this race, and I finally have to say I think it was my last. I love this race, and I sincerely love the race director Steve Harvey. Its an incredibly well organized event with ample amounts of love invested into it. You can see it in every race Steve does, and I simply cannot say good enough stuff about this awesome man, and his great events. I myself  have had just about enough punishment from the Old Goats course, and I gladly look forward to volunteering next year. Jesse and I both raced Old Goats this year(see pic above of him on course) and he crushed it. He came in second behind his fellow wolf Chris Price, and Chris also crushed it. Like absolutely demolished it. He broke his own course record by I believe 7 or 8 minutes(not sure of exact time), and he probably could have ran faster. I do know he was racing smart, and wanted to save some for the second half. I am 100% sure he can run a sub 7 on this course. He is a beast!! 

I had a kind of decent day, and managed to finish within a few hours of the boys. I believe I ended up 14th overall?, and first female. Not my best day out on the trails by any means, and my slowest time ever on that course by allot- minus the first year of the race when it was two miles longer. To be perfectly honest I was a bit of a disaster the entire day, and was pretty darn glad when it was all over! 

I had some mishaps on race morning that were totally unnecessary and could have easily been avoided. In a nutshell I needed up with none of my usual Carbo-Pro for the first 24 miles, no gels from miles 11-24, and going off course for a few miles. It honestly just seemed like it was one of those days. What could go wrong went wrong, and I did my best to stay positive, and not let it break me. My bonus mileage added 35 minutes to my regular split time of the first 21 miles on that course!! I was just a mess by the time I arrived into the Blue Jay aid station... mile 21 for everyone else..mile 23? for me. The pics below explained the state I was in mentally on the course and at the finish. I have no idea why I was actually walking into the Trabuco aid station. Geesh! Run Keira its a race!   

At the finish with Steve Harvey, and a million clips in my hair? Don't ask.  

Just strolling along?? Ugh!


The race did turn around for me though at mile 30 when I finally caught and passed Maggie. She was having GI issues, and told me she would wait at the next aid station at the top to make sure she was ok to go on. I was worried as she recently had kidney issues at Brazil 135, and I love Maggie with all my heart. Maggie is so tuff.  I admire Maggie so much. I gave her a quick hug, and kept powering up Holy Jim. I was able to pass seven men on this climb, and it really did bring life back into my step. I made it to the top of Trabuco, and was so happy to see Deborah Acosta!! I love Deb, and she gave me some kind words, and then pushed me to get outta her aid station. Giddy up!! I powered my inner Kate Freeman, and told myself if I wanted off this course I was gonna have to work for, and run!  So thats exactly what I did. I ran decently fast down Main Divide, and eventually I caught up with Peter Cross at some point, and we chatted away for miles. He is a stronger runner than me, and was running almost everything at this point. I was so impressed. We laughed how all we could keep down was Coca Cola, and were chugging it at every aid station along to the finish. Funny cause I honestly have not had soda in almost six years. It saved my ass that day!! I humbly have to say something. I hardly ever stop at aid stations. Its in and out in a flash. This was not the case last weekend. I spent 15 mins at aid stations in the last 22 miles of this course drinking soda, and doing god knows what. I was just not myself, and a total disaster.

I was so excited to cross the finish line!! What a gnarly, rugged, and tough course this is. It really is the toughest 50 mile course I have ever done. Its just relentless, and for the first time I realized what its like to survive that course when you are having a bad day. Man what a difference from my previous years on the course. I was thrilled when Steve gave me a copy of Vanessa's new book "The Summit Seeker" for my award. I have read this book twice since I got it, and highly recommend it! Its amazing! I also got an awesome travelers coffee mug(thank you Steve), and a bunch of other cool swag. You rock Steve!!

I am so proud of Jesse for having such a great day on that course. He is so amazing, and I know he was really stoked to get in such an awesome day out there. I cannot imagine my life without him, and having someone to share all this with! We celebrated Saturday night by going out to dinner with Dad and Mom (Jesse's parents) and then Sunday we even managed to get up and go for a little run/hike in Griffith Park. Awesome!

I leave tomorrow to go to Oregon for the week for a team trip with Patagonia. Very excited. So excited. I cannot even wait!! It will be hard to be apart from Jesse for the week, but both him and Tyler can manage without me. I am a little worried what they will eat, but thank god for Chipotle! Yes I proudly cook everything for them, and have no problem admitting that. Next to running I LOVE to cook, and spoil my man like the king he is! ;o)

As soon as I get back it will be my next event(and brand new!) the Griffith Park Trail Marathon. This event sold out as fast as we got the website up, and I cannot what for Saturday April 13th to arrive!! Giddy up!

I raced in my Patagonia Women's Fore Runner Evo's, and  I love them. They are the perfect shoe for my feet. Not to much of a shoe, somewhat minimal, but plenty of support and cushion for gnarly trails. They are now my go to shoe of choice whenever I hit the trails. LOVE them!!!

On,on,on with life my friends, and have an awesome week!