Black Diamond Icon 2012 Headlamp Review

Last year, while preparing for Western States, one of the few pieces of new gear I purchased was the Black Diamond Icon headlamp. I wanted something bright, and that was definitely it. This year, Black Diamond upped their game by releasing a new version of the Icon that is twice as bright as the previous version. The old Icon is to Western States as the new Icon is to Hardrock, and I knew I wanted to test this lamp to see if it could guide me through the San Juans.

Features of the 2012 Icon:

• Quad-powered LED has 200 lumens, a distance of 100 Meters, and up to 75 hours of battery life on the brightest setting.
• Two single-powered LEDs have 35 lumens, a distance of 10 meters, and up to 75 hours of battery life on the brightest setting.
•  Waterproof to 1 meter for up to 30 minutes
• 230 grams with batteries (4 AA)
• Battery indicator light
• Dimmer, which allows you to fine tune your brightness with either the quad LED or the two single LEDs.
• Strobe light
• Red light, which is activated without turning on the white lights first.
• Lock mode, which prevents accidental turn-on of the light (and draining of the batteries) while it’s in your pack.
• Everything is operated with one, glove-friendly button.

My experience (and my husband’s experience) with this light has been a resounding success. I used it to light our way up the Bright Angel Trail in the Grand Canyon in March, and one of my running companions went out and bought the Icon for herself the very next week. I used it on morning runs throughout the winter, when its waterproofness came in very handy. My husband used it climbing big walls this spring in Yosemite, and he definitely wants this light for himself. (I have to keep a sharp eye on it to make sure it doesn’t take up residence in his backpack!) I used it when pacing a runner at WesternStates, and a friend of mine even takes it along mountain biking in case he gets caught out in the dark.

The Icon lights my way across the Middle Fork at mile 78 of Western States.

My favorite overall feature is the straight-up brightness of this light. 200 lumens! You can light up the world with this thing. It shines the same distance as the old Icon, (100 meters), but with the additional light you can see more of the surrounding terrain rather than just a narrow, focused beam. I also like the dimmer, which can help prolong battery life by avoiding the brightest setting when it’s not necessary, as well as give you a low enough light to be useful around camp or even for reading. A final favorite is the lock mode. Have you ever pulled your headlamp out of your pack at dusk to find it had accidentally been on all day and was now worthless? Yeah. Lock mode is good.

Unlike the old Icon, this light doesn’t have a rechargeable battery option, but you can use rechargeable AA’s in it. I also learned a fair amount about battery life and usage reading the literature. Even though it says 75 hours of battery life on superbright, it will be quite dim by that point – nowhere near 200 lumens anymore – so your functional battery life may be quite a bit less. This is a good thing to keep in mind when racing.

The only downside I see with this light is its weight. This may not be an issue, depending on your activity. If you’re ultralight fast-packing though, you may find this nearly half-pound to be too much. I don’t mind the weight in my pack for running, but I found that after about 4 hours of wearing it on my head, it weighed heavy. My neck felt a bit tired, and the light pressed into my forehead uncomfortably if I wasn’t wearing a hat. I prefer the light to shine from a lower angle though, so this is easily managed during long jaunts by removing the top strap and wearing the headlamp around my waist.

Last year, while pacing at Hardrock, I learned how important a truly bright light can be to keep you oriented, safe, and on-course. I'm glad I've got the new Icon to do just that for my own journey at Hardrock this year.

Overall, I would highly recommend the new Icon to anyone who wants to travel safely in the wilderness at night.


If you're more of a visual/auditory learner, this video shows you a great rundown of the features and how the headlamp works.

**Product provided for review by Wilderness Running Company**

Journey to Zion: A Runner's Account

"A man can worship God among these great cathedrals as well as in any man-made church"

- Isaac Behunin, Mormon pioneer

At the edge of the town of Springdale, UT, just before the entrance gate into Zion National Park, there is a little coffee shop where sunlight streams in the windows and people sit at the handful of tables, clutching steaming mugs while they plan the day's adventures. That morning, Jamie and I were among them, and we lazily devoured breakfast burritos and sipped coffee while reading through the information on our planned hike for the day: The Narrows.

"Do you really think we need all this gear?" I asked skeptically, looking up from the brochure. "Waterproof pants? And special boots?"

Jamie shrugged and took another sip of coffee.

We'd come to Utah to run through Zion Canyon after last year's trip left us both touting its wonders to anyone who would listen. If you're going to name a place Zion, it had better have some spectacular offerings, and I have to hand it to the early settlers of Utah: They got this one 100% right. There are few places on earth as captivating as the red walls of Zion National Park.

We had one more day before our planned group run, and I wanted to see a part of the park we wouldn't get to see on our run.

We discussed other options for our hike. Maybe a hike that would be less complicated than walking up a river through a narrow canyon?

"Let's just do it," I finally declared.

"I mean, we're here, right?" Jamie agreed.

It was absolutely the right call.

The Virgin River flows down from the high country, slicing through the earth and winding its way out the mouth of Zion Canyon. Our path would take us upstream from where the trail ends, through the walls of an ever-narrowing canyon. There's a reason this is one of the more popular and well-known hikes in the park, but since it was a Friday and not peak-season, the crowds turned out to be minimal.

Once in the park, we walked down the easy trail in our too-big dry-pants, clutching walking sticks and full of bright anticipation. After a mile or so, our trail came to an end, and other hikers found themselves forced to turn around. We felt like grand adventurers as we left the trail and stepped boldly into the icy waters of the Virgin River.

Unlike moving on a trail, walking through the Narrows is slow and requires thoughtful choices about each footfall. As we picked our way upstream, we constantly crossed back and forth from one side of the river to the other, using our sticks for balance. At times, the water was thigh-deep, and other times, we could hit a dry bank on one side and scramble over the rocks.

All the while, the red walls closed in, giving us the feeling that we were headed deep into the Earth itself.

To say we were enjoying ourselves would be a vast understatement.

After the magic of last year's Zion trip, I knew it would be difficult for this sequel to live up to my expectations. Attempts to recreate a perfect experience can so often end in disappointment. It was already apparent though, that no such fate would befall this weekend.

The canyon became colder and darker as we continued our casual pace upstream. The walls grew so close together that the November sun could not penetrate. Soft sounds of water lightly rushing over stone were amplified by the imposing stone walls, and conversation became minimal as we immersed ourselves in our own thoughts and the majestic beauty around us. I had never been anyplace like the depths of that red canyon.

We spent about five hours exploring the Narrows, and while it is difficult to pick out one highlight from this weekend trip, I do think choosing that hike was the best decision we made.

That evening we caught up with Stacy and Donald in Springdale for dinner and went over plans for the following day's run. Stacy, of Wilderness Running Company, was our logistics coordinator, and the mastermind behind both this, and last year's Zion trips. If it wasn't for him, none of us would be there. Donald - bad-ass runner, fellow blogger, friend and pacing buddy - also made the trip out from California to join the group for a day on Utah trails. After Jamie and I finished gushing about our day in the Narrows, we solidified plans to run about 30 miles the following day. Bellies full of calzones, she and I headed back to our hotel in a state of satisfied bliss, looking forward to another day of adventure in the park.

Saturday morning started early, with the four of us heading from the Zion high country down the Wildcat Trail. After about six miles or so, we would hook-up with the West Rim Trail and run the same route that we'd run on the first day of last year's trip, down into the canyon and up to the East Rim. A glowing sunrise held all the promise of a perfect day.

There is little better than sharing a new and glorious trail with good friends who also happen to be excellent running partners. Add to that the mild fall weather and breathtaking scenery, and it would be difficult to conceive of a better day. Once again, Zion delivered beautifully.

After a few miles on the West Rim Trail, the photo stops began in earnest. I figured we may as well take the whole day to run our 30 miles, right?

The fall leaves were in fierce competition with the canyon walls for brilliant displays of color, and I spent most of the day smiling, gawking, and making intelligent exclamations like, "Wow!" and "Oh!" and "Beautiful!"

Fortunately, I wasn't the only one engaged in such tourist-like awe.

I made a brief detour with Donald out to Angel's Landing, and I'm fairly certain he set the fastest-known-time-while-impeded-by-tourist-traffic for the trip. Luckily, neither one of us fell off, and I'm pretty sure we didn't knock any tourists off either.

Just past the turn-off from Angel's Landing, the trail descends sharply toward the canyon floor. I chased Donald down a long series of switchbacks while I grilled him about why he never became a rock climber. If his antics across Angel's Landing were any indication, he was sitting on some un-tapped talent. I kept up my insistent pestering all the way to the river, where, just like last year, Lisa had set up a fabulous picnic for us.

We regrouped with Stacy and Jamie while I happily stuffed food in my face. My recent training mileage had amounted to approximately zero, so my legs were already feeling the 20+ miles for the day. I knew they had another eleven in them though, and I kicked back on the picnic bench, downed a second can of Coke, and gazed up at the golden cottonwood trees, feeling both physically and spiritually sated.

As difficult as it was for me to tear myself away from that peaceful scene, I also knew the beauty of the trail that lay ahead. With both my stomach and my hydration pack re-filled to capacity, I trotted down the road a few pounds heavier, in pursuit of my three companions.

The East Rim Trail climbs quickly from the canyon floor, and I was happy enough to ascend because it meant I could walk instead of run. I still needed time to digest, and of course, take more photos.

The trail headed into the very wall of the canyon, and colors changed from red to white, and sometimes back to red again. We ran along rock walls, leapt small drainages, and skirted deep gorges. The day continued its easy rhythm, each person taking the lead on occasions which felt right.

As is my way on these kinds of days, I gradually fell toward the back of our little group. I was tired, and felt no need to push myself. The need that I felt in fact, was the emotional dragging-of-feet that seizes me at the end of a day like this - a day that has been anticipated for so long. I ached to stretch it all out just a few more minutes, to soak it all in.

Donald kindly waited for me to run in the last couple miles, and we shared the trail in companionable peace. I had already begun my off-season hiatus from running, and this day was a brilliant reminder of why I would be excited to return to training in a few weeks time.

Explorations of beauty like this, when you're with friends, but yet still feel the solitude of the wilderness and a connection with the Earth that brings a sense of inner tranquility - well, these are the best days on trail, the best days to be an ultra runner. And it was these thoughts that were drifting through my mind, when, without warning, we found ourselves at the end of our beautiful run.

I know there will be more days on stunning trails with good friends, but days like this one are special. My trips to Zion have taught me that sometimes it's worth it to make the extra effort to go somewhere new, somewhere a little far away and a little hard to get to. Sometimes it's a great idea to travel with new people, whom I don't know that well, who then become excellent training partners, and even better friends.

Sometimes running through nature's cathedrals is the perfect tonic for soothing a tired spirit and reminding a person why she loves this passion called running.

Where I've Been

Autumn has proven to be a busy time of year this go-around. I do think however, that when one is too busy adventuring to find time for blogging, it can only be considered a good thing. And that, my friends, is essentially the state of things.


Following is a list of what has been keeping me busy in the past several weeks. They all really deserve blog reports of their own, but said reports may or may not materialize. Depends how much adventuring is in the near future, I suppose.



1. Long trail runs through Desolation Wilderness with Jamie


2. The Long Beach Marathon


3. The Girls on the Run 5K, Halloween edition


4. A long weekend of outdoor bliss in Zion National Park


5. A 5-day school field trip to the Marin Headlands Institute

Ginny Weasley graces the GotR 5k. My friends thought I was a total nerd, but I got tons of recognition and compliments on the costume from all the kids in the race. Learned this day: Running fast in a pencil skirt is not easy.

The beginning of The Narrows, ZNP. This weekend included a day spent exploring a magnificent slot canyon, and a day running through paradise with good friends. Life doesn't get much better.

As a teacher, you know that when your classroom looks like this, you're doing something right.

Vertical Athletics - Superstar Top Review

Author's Note: If you're looking for high-performance base layers, but you don't fall into the "tall" category (or even if you do!), you'll want to check out my Icebreaker review, recently posted over at the Wilderness Running Company. Check it out here!



The moment I saw the Vertical Athletics booth across the room at the Lake Tahoe Marathon Expo, I was drawn like a magnet towards the sign that read, “For Women 5’8” and Above, and Men 6’2” and Above.” Running clothes for tall people? I was in love before I even saw what they had to offer.

To be honest, I don’t consider my five feet, ten inches to be unusually tall. Yes, I’m tall, but I’m not that tall! Nonetheless, my biggest complaint about most clothes, and athletic clothes especially, is the length. I’m always sizing up to large tops when they are long-sleeved, and I am definitely not a size large. I just can’t stand sleeves that don’t come all the way down over my wrists, or shirts that allow cold air to tickle my belly while running.

So when I found myself fingering all the clothes at the Vertical Athletics booth, I was in heaven. Finally, someone made clothes to fit me!

Vertical Athletics was started by volleyball player and renaissance woman Renee Krieg, who found herself with my same fit challenges and decided to do something about it. She designed Vertical Athletics clothing specifically to meet the needs of tall athletes. The garments aren’t just longer, they are specifically designed for tall, athletic men and women with appropriate knee, elbow and waist placements.

When I spoke to Renee at the LTM Expo, she told me that she was 5’11” and she sized herself as a medium when designing the clothing line. I tried on both a small and a medium in the Superstar Top, and ended up going with the small. You will definitely have to reconsider your usual size when shopping at VA! Fortunately their website has a helpful size chart. The pictures with each product also tell you the height of the model and the size he or she is wearing, so you have some idea of what a size medium looks like on a woman who is 6’1” (or whatever the size-height combination is).

Before the Kokonee Salmon Trail Run in the Superstar Top. (Not the best shot to show the top, I know, but I hate the modeling poses!) I'm on the far left with the pigtails and the red top. See how it has plenty of length in the waist and the sleeve comes down over the top of my hand? I love that!

In addition to creating high performance clothing, one of VA’s goals is to have as little impact on the environment as possible. Many of their garments use Cocona fabrics, which are made from coconut shells and offer excellent moisture and odor management. (I have a number of shirts made with Cocona, and I really like them.) Other environmentally-friendly fabrics offered by VA include Eco-P.E.T. Tech Fleece and Organic cotton.

The Superstar Top, which I happily purchased at the LTM, is your basic, high-performance, long-sleeved running top. I could have chosen a medium, but I prefer more of a slim-fit. Even in a size small, I had plenty of room in both the torso and sleeves. It’s made of Eco-Drytech with Cocona fibers, and it performed beautifully for me all winter, both as a stand-alone top, and as a base layer under a jacket. It dries quickly and resists odors. I made sure to keep it out of the dryer to avoid shrinking, and it has maintained its fit perfectly.

The Superstar Improved Top

Currently, the Superstar Top is on sale at VA, but with limited sizes. The top has been redesigned as the Superstar Improved, with a lighter-weight fabric and slightly lower neckline, and you can find a full selection of size and color choices in this one. If you’re looking for a great, all-around workout top, I think this is the one to get! VA also offers a colorful array of popular headbands, as well as short and long-sleeved tops and pants for both men and women.

Post-LTM in the Superstar Top

Renee’s own story is enough to make the company intriguing. A competitive volleyball player, she was also a platoon Sargent in the Army, as well as a top sales consultant for both Mary Kay Cosmetics, and Pre-Paid Legal Services. She then studied Apparel Manufacturing at the Fashion Institute of Design and Merchandising in LA. From there, she designed and launched her own clothing company, Vertical Athletics. I can only imagine that with such a diverse array of experience, talent and hard work behind it, Vertical Athletics is destined for success. I hope so, because I can’t wait to see what new, beautiful clothes they come out with!

Recofit Compression Calf Tights Review

If you’ve looked around the starting line at a race recently, you’ve probably noticed at least a few people running around in what appear to be funny-looking knee-socks. These are not merely runner-fashionistas. No! They are runner-fashionistas with very practical, performance-enhancing, recovery-aiding, compression tights.

Apparently compression technology in clothing has been around for quite some time. This was news to me, as I had never heard of it until last year. The idea that a piece of clothing could aid in recovery from an athletic event seemed laughable to me. A number of my friends and family are in the medical field though, and they all met the concept of compression clothing as a well-known fact.

“Yes,” said one doctor, “a little vaso-return could certainly help your muscles recover.”

Vaso-return? What the heck was that? So, I decided a little more investigation was called for.

The system of veins, valves and muscles in your calf and foot are sometimes referred to as the “second heart.” They work together to return de-oxygenated blood to the heart and lungs. As the muscles contract, the veins are squeezed and blood is pumped upward. The valves prevent the blood from going back down toward the foot. I actually found all of this to be quite fascinating.

Compression tights have what is called graduated compression. They are tighter at the bottom, on the foot and ankle, and gradually looser as they go up the leg. The tights act similarly to the muscles, compressing veins even while the legs are at rest, and helping to return blood to the heart and lungs.

As my friends indicated, and a little internet research immediately confirmed, compression tights/hose have been at use in the medical industry for years. They are recommended for minor to serious leg swelling in order to help prevent deep vein thrombosis. They are worn by post-op patients, pregnant women and many people who just spend a lot of time on their feet. Hmm, time on their feet? The benefits to the ultrarunner were becoming quite obvious to me at this point.

I thought of it this way: What do we do when treating minor injuries? RICE, right? (Rest, Ice, Compression, Elevation) And don’t we do these things as well to aid recovery, even if uninjured? I know I’m a fan of putting my feet up the wall for 20 minutes or more after a long run. If I was smart, I’d climb into a bathtub full of ice after a pounding workout, like many of you do. (I do this occasionally, but it takes WAY more self-discipline than I normally have.) And I’ve certainly been known to engage in the “rest” portion of the equation quite happily. So why not compression as a recovery aid too, right?

Elevation + Compression = Recovery!

The RecoFIT (which stands for Recovery Fitness) line was developed by Bolder, CO runner Susan Eastman Walton as an answer to her own shin splints and aches endured from running. As she puts it, “RecoFIT Compression Components are the result of whining, and I’m the whiner!” They offer calf sleeves and arm sleeves, and I was lucky enough to test out a pair of the calf sleeves.

The calf tights feature a gradient compression and Resistex carbon yarn. I had to look up Resistex myself to find out what that was all about, and the product website gave some intriguing information. Resistex carbon yarn is a continuous filament made of conductive material based on active carbon and textile fibers. The fibers have an antistatic and dissipative effect and protect from electrical interference. Is this helpful for an athlete or a person in general? I’m really not sure. But, here’s where it gets really interesting: The Resistex site also claims results from athlete-testing with the fabric show a lower temperature variation in the body, a decreased oxygen need, lower respiratory rate, lower heart rate, and decreased lactic acid concentration. So, there you go.

Miracle fabrics or not, I found that I loved my RecoFit calf sleeves! They have a wide range of sizes so that you can get an accurate fit. They are left and right specific for maximum compression benefit, and the flatlock seams don’t rub.

I mostly wore them after long runs or races to aid in recovery. I found they were so comfortable that I not only enjoyed wearing them, but I happily slept in them at night. (My husband thought this was weird, but I’ve long since gotten used to his quizzical responses to my behavior.) It sounds silly, I know, but I sort of felt like I was getting a gentle hug on my legs. Very comforting.

I finally decided to wear them in a race when it was time to hit the roads. I hadn’t done much road running all season, so I put these on for the Lake Tahoe Marathon in hopes of staving off some of the pounding that roads always put on my legs. They turned out to be the subject of much conversation during the race. (So, ladies, if you’re looking for an excuse to talk to the cute runner next to you, you might consider wearing some of these to your next race.) It seemed like everyone had a comment or question about them! The best feedback I could give fellow runners during the race was that they made me feel “springy.” And in case you’re unsure, I can tell you that springy is great way to feel in a road marathon!

I definitely felt good in these both during and after the race. I couldn’t really come up with any scientific way to determine how much they aided in recovery, but I can tell you that I loved wearing them and I definitely felt like they helped ease some of the seemingly-permanent knots in my calves. I didn’t have any soreness after the marathon. I also wore them during the Helen Klein 50M (which is all paved), and a number of days following the race in order to help recovery.

Crossing the line in RecoFITs at Helen Klein 50

Something else I found to be impressive was the versatility of the fabric. They added warmth on cold days, but they never made me feel overheated while running on hot days. They fit well, and since they were sleeves instead of socks, I could wear my preferred socks while running.

As you may have realized, I have become a compression clothing convert. I think the calf sleeves probably offer the most versatility (over compression socks or full-length tights), but I see the benefits of all these components for runners or other athletes. Since they aid in recovery, I can especially see the benefit for stage-races, or anyone doing multiple races close together. If you haven’t tried compression sleeves yet, I strongly suggest giving them a shot!

Product generously provided by Wilderness Running Company

Brain Sundries

The alarm went off at 4:15 yesterday morning. I had a stack of school work to get done, and I'm starting to think my hours of productivity are somehow tied to the sun. Perhaps I am solar-powered, but these short days seem to leave me with too much to do, and not enough time. By some miracle, I plowed through an enormous amount of work between 4:15 and 6:00 am, and I'm starting to think these may become the golden hours of my day. I've never, ever been a morning person, but I'm realizing that some things change with age.

Lately, I've been plagued with a million writing topics, and not enough time to write. And when I say "plagued," I do mean that my own medley of thoughts is keeping me up at night. You'd think an avalanche of inspiration would be a good thing. If you're a backcountry skier though, you know how deadly an avalanche can be. Yes, I'm feeling buried alive under the sundries of my own brain. Strange, no?

So, perhaps the early mornings will help me sort it out. Perhaps not. In the meantime, here's a small purging of thoughts from the frightening inner-workings.

I'm cooking up a series on the best trips of my life. Now that we're done with "The Aughts," and well into...what are we calling this decade? Someone get back to me on that one. Anyway, it's giving me pause to think about the last ten (or fifteen) years. My brain is definitely marinating something along the lines of "Five Epic Trips," only with a more creative title. (Hopefully.) As a little preview I can tell you that it involves crazy road-trips, the search for the Gobi Bear in Mongolia, and, of course, everything in between. I think it is these ghosts of adventures-past that are haunting me the most right now. Truthfully, I've done some pretty amazing shit in my life.

I'm also cooking up my race schedule for 2010. At the moment I've committed (as in - put my money where my mouth is) to only two races: AR50 in April, and TRT 100 in July. The biggest constraint I've put on myself this year is to cut the cash I'm spending on races. I loved my '09 race schedule, but those entry fees really add up. Here's a possible/probable schedule:

Tahoe Rim Tour 13 mile Snowshoe Race - January

The Great Ski Race - March

AR 50 - April

Diablo Marathon - April

Silver State 50M - May

TRT 100M - July

Where's Waldo 100K - August

Tahoe Marathon - September

I'm a little bummed because I really loved all the shorter races I ran last year. I'll probably throw in a few of those, depending on my personal schedule at the time, but they'll have to be limited. I also don't have any new races except Waldo, which may or may not happen - again, depending on other life plans. I've been wanting to do this race for a few years now though, and I'm really looking forward to it.

I can't seem to wrap my brain around a reflection post on my 2009 season. I promise you that one is coming. It's just that...there's so much. Personal reflection is possibly my favorite kind of writing to do, (narcissism, anyone?) so I can't figure out why this one is coming so tough for me.

I have at least three more gear reviews on deck. These do come tough for me, even when I love the gear. Actually, I think that's why I do them. Personal challenge. (Seriously!)

And speaking of gear, you should be reminded of the upcoming deadline of January 15. This will mark the end of Wilderness Running Company's Nathan sale. If you want to take advantage of the sale, use coupon code nathan20 at checkout on the WRC site to get 20% off. You can read someone's sweet review of the Nathan Intensity and HPL here. The 15th is also the date by which you need to subscribe to the WRC blog in order to get in the drawing for a free Garmin 405. Even if you don't need a Garmin, Stacy writes a very compelling blog. Subscribe already! And, as if you needed any more incentive to roll with the WRC posse, you can also follow them on Twitter. Doing so will get you into another drawing, this time for a Garmin 405 with heart rate monitor. Sweet! (This is like, the second chance drawing for all the losers! I mean, not that you're a loser or anything...)

And in the tradition of saving the best (and/or worst, depending on your perspective) for last, there are the thoughts of the upcoming TRT 100 miler keeping me up at night. Is it really possible to be this preoccupied by something that is still over six months away? I did see, just today, the current list of entrants. I have to confess, I was completely thrilled at the number of familiar names on the list, at all distances. There were a few notably absent names as well (you know who you are), but the race isn't full quite yet, and I have my fingers crossed for you guys. I am so excited to see everyone, I almost wish I could be present for the 50M/50K start just to see you all off! But looking at my own name on the 100 miler list, well, it evokes a feeling that can only be described as nausea.

And it occurs to me that now might be a good time to start running again.

Fun times with friends at Tahoe Rim Trail!

A Holiday Mash-Up

Snowshoe running, cookie baking, 2010 race thoughts and a few discounts. It's time for a smattering of winter-time ramblings!

But before all that, I want to remind you about the Garmin giveaway from Wilderness Running Company. If you subscribe to their blog, they’ll put your name into a drawing for a Garmin 405. I’m here to tell you that I have been checking their blog, and I only see a few of your names in the comments. Why haven’t you signed up yet?? Get on it, people! Also, they’re still offering 20% off all Nathan products, and will do so until at least a week after they restock on Intensities. Just use the coupon code nathan20 if you’re shopping. (Don't worry, I'll let you know when this sale is over.)

Now, on to the mash-up!

Lake Tahoe Marathon and other 2010 races

In case it escaped your notice, 2010 is right around the corner. Chatter in the blogosphere shows most of you happily putting together your upcoming race schedules, or grumpily complaining about getting shut out of your preferred race lotteries. (Okay, you’ve actually been pretty good-natured about it, but whatever.)

Anyhow, in order to assist your race budget for the upcoming year, the Lake Tahoe Marathon is offering an exclusive discount to Daily Adventures readers. Just enter BrugmanBlog in the promo box during sign-up, and you’ll get a 10% discount on your entry fee. This discount is good all the way up until Sept 22, so I’ll certainly be reminding you again, come spring and summer racing seasons. (But for now, you may want to drop a hint to your significant other that an LTM entry would be a great holiday present.)

The Tahoe Marathon RD also hosts a marathon in Maui on January 24th, called the Maui Oceanfront Marathon. After reading Scott’s report of the XTerra Worlds on Oahu, I’m pretty sure a race in the islands should be on everyone’s list at some point.

As for me, I too, am trying to put together a race schedule for next year. I’d like to make another foray into the world of the 100-miler, but choosing the right one is proving to be a challenge. The 100-miler is, of course, the central sphere around which the rest of my races will spin, so it’s the only real question on my mind at the moment.

One of the reasons I chose not to enter the lottery for Western States this year, is that I don’t think I’ll be ready for a hundred miles that early in the season. I’m looking for an affordable race on challenging, beautiful, mountain trails, not terribly far away, that falls in late July or August.

I've narrowed it down to Wasatch, Cascade Crest or Tahoe Rim Trail. Unfortunately, I’ve pretty much ruled out Wasatch, since, falling in the first week of September, it’s too much in conflict with the beginning of the school year. Maybe a few years down the road, when I have more senior status at my school, it will be okay to take off for 3 days during the first week of school, but probably not right now. Maybe that’s a good thing, since I could probably use more experience before tackling this race. But I’ve seen the pictures and heard the stories, and this race is definitely in my future!

CCC seems to fall at the perfect time of year (the end of August), and for that reason, it has risen to the top of the list. I can’t really come up with a good reason not to do this race. It looks awesome. The only problem is that they are going the way of the lottery this year, so entry isn’t guaranteed.

And then of course, there’s my old friend, TRT. I’ll certainly be returning to the 100-miler on this course eventually, probably more than once. Whether that will happen this year remains to be seen. If I run CCC, then I’ll run the 50M at TRT. If I don't get into CCC, the I'll probably do the 100 at TRT. Decisions, decisions!

Snowshoe Running

Last weekend, Jamie invited me to take part in the Northstar Snowshoe race series. Despite living in the snowy Sierra, I have never been a snowshoe runner. A new adventure? Count me in!

Left to right: Tina, Jamie, me and Jennifer. Ready for snowshoe running!

I arrived at Northstar's mid-mountain in plenty of time to hang out with Jamie, Jennifer and a number of other runners. I was glad Jamie only wanted to do the 5K, even though there was a 10K option. I may not have experience at this snowshoeing thing, but I knew that tromping through the snow would be exhausting. I do find it amusing that a couple of ultra-runners found 10K to be too intimidating of a distance to tackle, but hey, it’s the off-season!

I got my rental snowshoes strapped on and ran around for a little course preview. Apparently it was not all on groomed trail like I’d imagined. Uh oh.

The race proved to be exhausting and totally awesome. We all took off from the start with snow flying everywhere, and after about 10 seconds I was breathing heavily. I figured I was going about 15-minute pace, so I was pleasantly surprised with my finish time of 38 minutes. I was also surprised to find out that I had won. Um, excuse me? Yes, all those fast, studly women ahead of me were running the 10K. Suckers!

Afterwards, we all stood around collecting a bounty of prizes. Jamie and I both won snowshoes for taking first and second in the 5K, plus we all collected a few raffle prizes from an impressive pile of booty. I love small races with big prizes! Mostly, though, I loved hanging out with the girls, laughing in the sunshine on a warm, Tahoe day. I love runners.

I’ve also used my new snowshoes 3 out of the last 4 days since winning them. Twice I just went hiking, but today I ran 3 miles. Wow. It is a killer workout. My favorite thing I discovered on today’s run though, is that when the snowpack is firm like it is right now, you can run anywhere. I mean, you don’t need a trail. You can just take off through the woods, because all the hazards are covered by a thick blanket of snow. Today I ran with my dog through an endless expanse of white, sparkling in the brilliant sunshine, blissfully generating my own heat through the 20-degree air, lungs heaving, legs burning, and blue sky as far as we could see. Freedom to go anywhere. Ahh.

Cookies

Of course we’ve saved the most important item for last: food. For any gift, I’m a big fan of things that don’t take up space. As far as I can tell, the last thing most of us need is more stuff. And, if your house is anything like mine, cookies don’t take up space for long! Thus, cookies=great gift.

Another gift I like is also of the homemade-and-doesn’t-hang-around-too-long variety. Homemade granola! So here are a few thoughts, photos and recipes from this year’s holiday baking escapades.

Strawberry-Banana Granola with fresh blueberries.

The granola recipe stems originally from this recipe from my “High Trail Cookery” cookbook full of backpacker-friendly foods. [Items in brackets are my own additions.]

1. Preheat oven to 300F. Brown in a cast-iron Dutch oven, stirring frequently, until golden:

½ cup whole wheat flour

½ cup soy flour

½ cup sesame seeds

½ cup wheat germ

½ cup oat or wheat bran

[¼ cup ground flax seed meal]

[¼ cup buckwheat flour]

2. Heat gently in small saucepan:

½ cup honey

½ cup corn or soy oil

3. Add honey mixture to flour mixture, along with:

½ teaspoon vanilla extract

1 cup [or more] chopped nuts of your choice

¾ cup shredded coconut

6 cups rolled oats

[¼ cup chia seeds]

4. Mix granola thoroughly and spread in 9x13 glass pan. Pour evenly over the top ½ to 1 cup cranberry (or other flavor) juice.

5. Bake at 300, for 30-35 minutes, stirring a few times during baking. [I cook mine for 60 minutes because I like a crunchier texture. Also, about halfw

ay through baking, stir in 1 cup dried fruit, such as strawberries, bananas, cherries, cranberries, raisins, etc.]

For gift-making purposes, I usually double the recipe, and make several different flavors by choosing different nuts, fruits and juice for the varieties. This year, flavors were “strawberry-banana with pecans” and “cherry with almonds and macadamia nuts.”

Dehydrating strawberries and bananas for the granola

Cookie-baking was an adventure, as I went with all new recipes this year. I was inspired. But, alas, I forgot to make modifications for high-altitude on the first batch, so I was also a little frustrated. Don’t ask me how I forget these things, since I never bake anywhere but at high-altitude. Anyway, subsequent batches were much prettier, even if they all tasted yummy.

I had apricot-pecan crumb bars, strawberry window shortbreads, peanut butter chocolate cookies, and chocolate peppermint patty cookies. Yum!

And with that, I'll wish you all a happy holiday season and blessings in the new year!