The Lake Tahoe Half Marathon

This morning I took part in a Fall tradition here in Lake Tahoe – The Lake Tahoe Marathon events. After several years at the Marathon, and one year at the Triple, this year I thought I’d take my first go at the Half. Most of my friends gave me some justifiable ribbing about not returning to defend my title at the marathon, but I had other plans. Truth be told, I know the likelihood of ever winning that race again is slim, but I also know I’ll be back. I love that marathon!

I have another marathon coming up in a few weeks, and while I considered running the full at LTM and just “going easy,” I knew it would never happen. Well, at least I know myself. I’d convince myself I was just going to go easy, but then I’d get to the hills and start getting all competitive or something. Yup, that’s exactly how it would go down. So I decided that the safer “training run” route was to stick with the half. I could run as hard as I wanted and I knew that I would still have plenty of recovery time before my upcoming marathon.

On Saturday, I’d warmed up for the event with Jamie during a trail run in the Desolation Wilderness. It was predicted to be a very summer-like weekend, and it did not disappoint. A rugged trail run in the high-country, followed by a swim and a nap on the beach at Sand Harbor, was the perfect first half to my weekend.

Sun rise over Emerald Bay Saturday morning on my way to the trailhead into Desolation

Sunday’s race didn’t start until 10:20 A.M. so that we could finish with the mid-pack of the marathon. I’d planned to park at the starting line in Rubicon, at mile 13 of the marathon, instead of taking any of the various shuttle options. This allowed me to sleep in and get a few things done around the house in the morning. Not only was it a bit strange for a pre-race routine, but apparently all that extra time is not good for my brain. I was in a bit of a sour mood, and I spent more than a few moments contemplating skipping the race all together. Why on earth that sounded like a good idea, I’ve no clue, but fortunately I snapped out of it in time. I know from experience that such a choice would only serve to make my temperament even more acidic. Idiocy averted, I pinned on my number and headed down the West shore.

A Scottish bagpiper entertained us, until a man with a shotgun sent us barreling downhill onto the course. I stayed reasonably back from the front line so that I wouldn’t start too fast, but I took note of some of the women jack-rabbiting into the distance – one in a blue sports bra and white cap and one in a black tank top. If I ever caught up to them, I’d know I was near the front. Then, I settled in and tried to figure out how to pace myself for a half-marathon.

My splits can essentially tell the story of the elevation profile. Anything close to a 7-minute mile was downhill (miles 1, 2, 6, 8 and 9), close to a 9-minute mile was uphill (miles 3, 4 and 7), and close to an 8 was either mixed (mile 5), or it was flat and I was really tired (miles 11-13).

Mile 1: 6:45
Mile 2: 7:01
Mile 3: 8:50
Mile 4: 8:33
Mile 5: 7:29
Mile 6: 6:40
Mile 7: 8:31
Mile 8: 6:23
Mile 9: 7:08
Mile 10: 7:10
Mile 11: 7:43
Mile 12: 7:31
Mile 13: 7:30

Thanks to Turi for the following photo sequence on the Hill from Hell, at miles 3 and 4 of the half-marathon. This hill was a lot easier with only two fast miles on my legs, rather than the 15 already incurred by the full-marathon runners.



I fell in right away behind a woman in a red t-shirt that I guessed would be a great person to pace off of. She looked to be a few age groups above me, and the well-defined muscles in her legs screamed “fast!” I knew there were women ahead of us, but I wondered if she might not end up winning the event. She just had that look. I tucked in behind her up the big hill, and tried my best to hold on. She pulled away a bit, but was still within range when we reached the top. I’m typically a strong climber, so the fact that she’d made ground on me on the uphill was telling me that it wouldn’t be easy to pass her.

Miraculously I managed to do just that on the ensuing downhill. I figured I’d see her again on the next uphill, so I didn’t get too confident. I just kept plugging away, and enjoyed the intense beauty of Emerald Bay.

I downed a GU even though it was only about mile 5 or 6. I figured my stomach wouldn’t be interested much farther along than that, and breakfast felt like a long time ago. Somewhere through here I spotted Turi moving through the pack of marathoners. I was surprised to see him, so I wasn’t totally sure it was Turi, but the Running ‘Round Reno shirt confirmed it. It’s always kind of a boost to see a friendly face out there, so I was stoked.

Heading up the hill on the other side of Emerald Bay, we passed the 10K start line. That meant only about 6 miles to go. I was starting to feel it a little bit at this point, but I have to confess that it was an intensely enjoyable kind of pain. Running up that hill, I was focused on a girl in a white tank top who I was pretty sure was in the half marathon. She was running too fast to be in the marathon, and all the 10K and 5K runners were well ahead of us. I decided that with only 6 miles to go, I had nothing to lose, and I was going to enjoy pushing myself a little bit. I worked the uphill to gain here, feeling the lead as it built heavy in my legs, gazing on the crystal blue of Lake Tahoe, feeling the sun radiating on my shoulders, and smiling all the while. I reeled her in bit by bit, but I just couldn’t quite pass her. No matter. I’d thoroughly enjoyed giving it a go.



I finally saw blue-sports-bra-white-hat girl in the distance, and the white-tank-top girl and I were both catching up to her. I flew down those steep switchbacks on the South side of Emerald Bay like I never have before. Yes, I was passing the cars. (Okay, maybe that’s not saying much since those are 10 mph hairpin turns, but still, I was having a blast!)

I never did catch either one of those women, but I really enjoyed giving it my best shot. The last 3.5 miles of this course are completely flat, and I’ve always found them to be a total sufferfest during the marathon. It’s amazing what a difference is had by running only half the distance. They weren’t easy, but they didn’t feel nearly as bad this year. I made my annual quick gaze upon the brilliant spawning Kokanee salmon during a creek crossing, and headed in along the bike path to the finish.

The way these events are timed means that many race distances are finishing at once. It’s a little confusing, (as in last year, when the officials weren’t sure if I was finishing the marathon or some other race), but it does make for a very lively finish line, which is fun. Based on the women in front of me (blue-bra-white-cap, white-tank-top, black-tank top, and of course last year’s winner, Sarah Raitter) I figured my best-place-scenario was fifth. I’ll take it!

I was gathering myself for a little chill time on the beach when a marathon finisher claimed her recognition of me from my blog. How flattering! (She’s in training for her first ultra at Helen Klein in November. Good luck, Erin!) This came as a small irony in the wake of recent questioning from a fellow blogger as to whether I was ever recognized randomly from my blog. My answer, of course, being “no.” But she was also the second person that weekend to give me a shout out from the blog. I won’t even try to explain how the first guy to recognize me was the exact same guy who recognized Donald at Glacier Point a few weeks ago, which is what prompted the question about getting recognized in the first place. Has anyone else noticed that this running community is smaller (in a good way) than we give it credit for? I love runners!

My finish time of 1:38:51 felt more than acceptable. Given the fact that my PR for the distance is somewhere in the neighborhood of 1:35, (on a flat course at sea-level) I was happy to be under 1:40 here. I did indeed end up as 5th place woman and 17th overall. (Complete results here.)

My recovery routine consisted of a good soak in Lake Tahoe, a hot dog and a beer, and a stretch-out on the sand in the sun. Wow. I probably could have stayed there all day, but I could feel my crabbiness still simmering just beneath the post-race glow. I high-tailed it out of there on the first shuttle before official results had been posted.

Back home, a long dog-walk and a much-needed nap preceded a solid night of homework. After a soothingly beautiful taste-of-summer-in-fall Tahoe weekend, it was time to get back to reality.

Tahoe Races Calling Your Name

Ah, Autumn in Tahoe. The crowds are gone - the kids long since torn from their wakeboards and BMX bikes and forced into desks, noses in their textbooks. The caboose on the long train of playa-dust-covered motor homes, strapped to the hilt with bikes and costumes and pieces of art-car scraps, has finally rolled through town on its way back to 'real life.' The first rain has soaked up the moon dust, but also kept the mountain bikers safely home sipping Sierra until the clouds clear. The sky is enormous, and the trails are empty.

And they're calling your name.

The beautiful, quiet, and nearly perfect trail running conditions alone should be enough to get you up to the mountains before the first snow flies. Additionally, I'd like to tempt you with some of my favorite local races. I've run them all, and I adore them. I'll be missing most of them this year due to schedule conflicts, but I'd love for all of you to go, have fun, run your hearts out in the mountains, and then tell me all about it. Please!


Lake of the Sky Trail Runs (9/11/10)

Taking place on the Tahoe Rim Trail between Tahoe City and Brockaway Summit, LOTS offers distances of 8 miles, 18 miles, a marathon, and 36.4 miles, plus 2-person relay categories for the marathon and 36.4-miler. You get a laid-back atmosphere with beautiful trails and great aid stations. I've always had a great time here!



Race Website
My 2009 race report



Emerald Bay Trail Run (9/19/10)


This was, without a doubt, my favorite new race of last year. Short, flat, fast and with incredible lake views. What more can I say? This 7-mile course blew me away. I'm pretty heartbroken that I'll miss it this year.




Race Website
My 2009 race report



Lake Tahoe Marathon (9/26/10)




The Tahoe Marathon puts on an entire week of events from which to choose. There is quite honestly something for everyone. From multi-day ultras, to biking around the lake, to speed golf, you will definitely find an event to suit you (or any member of your family). I've run the Triple and the Marathon, and this year I think I'll be trying my hand at the half. If you haven't yet registered, you can get a 10% discount with the coupon code 'brugmanblog'. Pretty cool, huh? As far as I'm concerned, that's the best benefit of a 2009 win. That discount is good right up until the day before race day.



Race Website
My 2009 race report




Frog Creek Benefit Run (10/2/10)

2009 was the first year of the Frog Creek Benefit Run, a 10-mile trail run that is a benefit for the OHF foundation for medical research. This race is put on by a friend of mine and Truckee local who hosts the start/finish at the family-owned Frog Creek Lodge. The race features a beautiful setting and a laid-back atmosphere, along with unbeatable single-track on the PCT near Donner Summit.


Race Website
Turi's 2009 Race Report


Autumn in the mountains is its own special bliss. Aside from the LTM Half, I'll be busy with other adventures and miss these races. But I'm loving the cool-weather trail running right now. Smooth, damp trails, and the only people I run into out there are friends, whether I knew them before or not. Given the fact that the kids are trapped in their desks, and therefore, I am as well, it's a sweet release.

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

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!

Lake Tahoe Marathon: The Brief Recap

I'm not sure when, or if, I'll have time for the full blown LTM race report, so in case I never get around to it, here's the short and sweet version.

Sean and me at the finish (photo by Steve Yingling/TDT)

First, here's a link to the Tahoe Daily Tribune article, which they managed to get posted about 3 hours after I crossed the finishline. (Impressive!) You can read the exact same article at the Sierra Sun, but they give me the headline instead of Sean. Funny!


I'll tell most of the story via highlights. Let's get the negative over with first.

The Lows:

• Arriving at the start with a swollen and sore throat, still feeling sick (although slightly better) after several days of illness.
• Hearing Peter's tale of Super-Triple race cancellation.
• The last three miles where I really, really didn't feel like running anymore.

Okay, that's it, now on to the "Hi's"

• Catching a ride to the event with Reno legend Lynyrd Skynrod. (I mean, how lucky can a girl get, right?)
• Seeing numerous friends at both the start and finish, including Peter, Turi, Sean, and Bryon, plus all the new friends I made out on the course.
• Getting my own "pace car" (read: guy on a bike) while in the lead for the second half of the race .
• Running along the shores of Lake Tahoe.
• Winning, and taking home $500 for the effort. (Plus, I totally cemented the truth of my theory on shirtless chicks, right?)
• Slicing over a half hour off my best time for the course.
• Cheering on, and getting cheered by, so many awesome runners and walkers.
  
• Swimming in Lake Tahoe.
• Chilling with friends on the beach after the race on probably the last "summer-like" day of the year.
• Lynyrd suggesting that he, Sean and I all pool our winnings and put it on "black" at the roulette table. (I about died laughing!)
• Just getting to run after taking the whole week off due to illness.
• The unending flood of well wishes after the race from people I didn't even know.
  

If you think it sounds like another beautiful, amazing Tahoe day, you're right!

I keep thinking about all the myriad of things I could say about this race, and it's just overwhelming to think about. This was the first race I ran in the Tahoe area, back in 2001, after having lived in Truckee for just a year. I won the Triple back in 2003 as my second ultra, and afterward swore I'd never run another road race again. (78 miles of pavement is no bueno! It was also 3 years before I ran another ultra.) My time on day 3 of the Triple, 4:12 I think, was still my course PR until this past race, despite having run "just the marathon" (or the "J.V event" as Sean called it) on two other occasions. My only real motivation for running it this year was the realization that I am supposed to be training for a road 50M and I haven't set foot on pavement in 4 months of running.

Even though it wasn't my goal, and I recognize that it is rather slow for a winning time, (last year's winner ran 3:05) there's still a certain amount of symbolism in winning what is essentially my home town marathon. Pretty nice.

I fell down on my picture taking duties on this one, but I noticed Peter and his crew taking plenty, so keep an eye on RunLakeTahoe for his race report. Turi also has a nice report up already with pictures.

Thanks to Les for another great race, and the fleet of volunteers. I'd like to give a special shout out to the kids at the Hogwarts themed aid station at mile 23. I felt way too awful to show them the enthusiasm that I really wanted to, but they were definitely my favorites. I believe getting handed a cup of water from the chosen one himself was key to my victory. Thanks Harry!

Lynryd Skynrod: An Interview with "The Real Deal" from Reno

One of my favorite things about running (and blogging) in recent years has been all of the wonderful people I have met. Most running events, and ultras in particular, are imbued with friendly positive vibes and the runners who radiate them. We runners can be competitive, sometimes that’s part of the fun, but after the race everyone seems quick to offer each other a heartfelt “good job.” Smack-talking is frowned upon, and even elite racers can often be seen near the finish line long after their own race is done, cheering for the mid-packers. Race reports on blogs extol the virtues of fellow runners, race directors, volunteers, course markings, scenery, race schwag, you name it.

And then there’s Lynyrd Skynrod.

Proudly hailing from Reno, NV, Skynrod burst on to the local racing scene in 2007 with impressive finishes at the Squaw Mtn. Run and Reno Journal Jog as well as a win at the Tahoe Triple. Sporting slicked black hair, a handlebar moustache and a Marlboro dangling from his lip, Skynrod is anything but your typical runner. Although he’d look more at home among a pack of Hell’s Angles or NASCAR fans than on a marathon starting line, looks can be deceiving.

Lynyrd Skynrod on his home turf (photo courtesy of coach Jackson Fairbanks)

Skynrod can claim bragging rights to a marathon PR of 2:39, although he claims that will drop following this Sunday’s Tahoe Marathon. His best posting in the half-marathon distance came last spring when he won the Rockin’ River Half Marathon in Reno with a time of 1:12:52. Last fall, he also claimed victory in the Tahoe Triple, with a cumulative time of 8:33 for the three marathons.

Clearly Skynrod is more than just a one-hit-wonder on the racing scene, but what can we learn from this elusive character? I tracked him down at the Gold Dust West casino after last Saturday’s Reno Journal Jog to find out.

I have to admit, I was initially intimidated about approaching Lynyrd Skynrod. A friend of mine, who is a speedy local runner himself, recently confided to me, “That Skynrod guy is a total ass!” Nonetheless, I was intrigued by this aberration among runners. I knew enough to ply him generously with Jim Bean, and after enough shots and a few beers, the words were flowing like the sewers through Reno after a summer storm.

It only took 3 shots to convince Lynryd that I was not actually Emma Garrard of the Sierra Sun, and to start talking

When did you start running? Have you always been athletic?

Course I’ve always been athletic. I been racin’ since I was 11, dirt bikes that is. I kicked ass ’til that one time I endo’ed onto some razor wire fencing and ripped open the tendons in my left wrist. Didn’t heal right. Never used them breaks much for dirt bikin’ anyway but once the circuit hears you don’t got no stoppin’ power, you end up blacklisted from all their events for liability reasons. I heard you also get blacklisted if you’re suspected of substance abuse.

Do you prefer roads or trails?

The hippies can have their trails. Motorcycles, cars, and people all go faster on fresh, clean, asphalt. I’m a big fan of all things fast and a marathon on the dirt is just never gonna be as fast as a marathon on pavement. Maybe I’ll change my mind if they ever move NASCAR onto a dirt track. That’s not a bad idea, but as it is there ain’t a monster truck driver who stands a chance against Dale Jr. and I’m pretty sure that’s cause it’s a dirt sport.

What do you do with your time besides training and racing?

Yer lookin’ at it. I prefer a cold one and a smoke to any kind of work or hobby. Of course I’ve got a few business ventures on the side to supplement the race winnin's but my associates don’t appreciate me talkin' about ‘em in public. Don’t need to bring the dang Feds sniffin’ around again.
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How do your friends and family feel about your running? Are they supportive and do they come to races?

I'm gonna be honest with you. I don’t like reporters and questions and such and you ain’t a reporter I guess so you got that goin’ for you, but why does everybody gotta ask me about my family? Do I look like a family man to you? I gave some square fella that story once and I don’t feel like repeatin’ it, but I will tell you this: you won’t see any blood relative of mine at any races. Friends? I haven’t been able to lure any of them out to any races yet and I can tell you exactly why. No incentives. Not one of these races have a damn beer garden at the finish. The entry fees are so high at some of these things that you could buy a keg with the money collected from one runner, but instead the organizers are blowin’ it on charities and pocketin’ the rest from what I can tell.

What’s so great about living and running in Reno?

What’s so great? Best damned city in America’s all. I like to think of it as one of the last great waterin' holes in all the US of A, where the danged government and stupid liberals haven’t yet taken away all our freedoms. Yep, an oasis of freedoms is what it is. Course they did come over and started taken away smokin' indoors couple years ago, and technically prostitution isn’t legal in this county either, but you can see what I’m gettin' at.

Um, okay, and the running?

Nope, they haven’t taken that away yet.

What are some of your favorite races and places to run?

Shoot, in Reno? I can’t think of anywhere that’s not good for runnin'. You got Virginia St, McCarran Blvd, 4th street, and there’s probably 15 miles of paved river trail, which is not only good for runnin' but there’s sections that are ideal for squattin’ if you’re down on your luck. You also got easy access to Glendale Blvd and that spot where contractors’ll pick you up and pay you cash for carrying their heavy crap. You hear what I’m sayin’? Cash, and then Uncle Sam can’t get his dirty mitts on it. That’s right.

What is your preferred distance?

That’d be the one with the cash prize. 'Round here I suppose that'd be the marathon and the half marathon. Jackson says “I cater your training to the marathon” so I s’pose that’s what I prefer. Mostly I just prefer to earn some extra money to keep me livin’ the good life.
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What is atypical training week like? Do you cross train, or just run?

Yeah, Jackson’s got me on a runnin' schedule and I stick to it when he’s around. Usually there’s a few days of speed work, where he chases me around on a damn bike with a taser for when I fall off pace. Then we do pain threshold drills on those days too. There’s board drills, bamboo drills, badger snare drills, and some others. I’m pretty sure he got the idea for those while he was a P.O.W. Do drills count as cross training? Then I get to recover the rest of the week and do what Jackson calls the “unnecessary and overly common long run on pavement” on Sunday.

Tell us about your diet. What are your favorite foods for training and racing?

I think Dog n' a Draft is the official meal of Reno these days, and the price is right. You know what’s hot now, though? Energy bars. I could go a whole day on just one of them things. These damn scientists are gonna have us eatin' outta tubes next thing you know. That’s what I’d invest in, if I were you. Tubes.

You had an impressive performance at the Tahoe Triple in 2007. What type of training did you do for the race and how did this differ from what you have done for marathon training in the past?

That season Jackson told me “We’re doin’ less speed and more endurance and pain threshold drills.” Oh man. I remember runnin' further and on pavement more often and somehow that bastard Fairbanks got a hold of one of them electric cattle prods. He called it the “whiphammer” and that damned thing would knock me flat on my back. Training like that’ll make a man grateful to only have to do three marathons in a row.

I noticed there are photos on the Tahoe Triple website of most of the champions from the past three years except you. Why do you think that is?

That’s probably cause I like to keep a low profile. Hell just the other day some bald guy comes up to me and says "You Lynyrd Skynrod? You’re like the Kaiser Soze of runnin’. I got the RGJ callin’ me trying to get a hold of you." Now, I didn't know who that bald man was and I’m not positive about who this Kaiser Soze fella was, but I’m pretty sure he led the German army in WWI. And that’s exactly what I’m sayin’ to you. I’m in your face like a blitzkrieg.

In an article last spring in the Sierra Sun, Emma Garrard suggested you could be the alter ego of a local runner from Truckee. How do you respond to such allegations?

I get that kinda crap all the time, and now they’re callin’ me a Californian. When you’re in the spotlight you gotta be ready to get slammed with the lowest of insults. Like Jackson says, “Lynyrd, you gotta rise above,” and that’s what I plan to do.

So, d’ya know where she lives?

What goals do you have for the Tahoe Marathon this weekend?

Let’s see, I got’em on a piece of paper here somewhere. Okay, 5:55 per mile for the first 5 miles and then pick it up from there. Jackson says that pace should win it and if I’m feelin’ spry, I could go for the course record. Course record’s 2:28 I believe.

What’s next for you? What races are on your list and what are your goals?

I know Jackson has plans for me. He talks about havin' me set that world record in the Triple Marathon and havin' me qualify for the Olympic Trials in the marathon. This year isn’t the year for either of those things though. Right now just this Tahoe marathon and then maybe a few more half marathons in the spring. I figure marathoning’ll be our focus for the next few years. Fairbanks knows I’m not fond of leaving this state so I don’t know why he thinks I’m willin’ to go to any of those other marathons. Lake Tahoe is plenty far into California and hell will freeze over before I cross those damn mountains to the west. He keeps sayin’ “what about the Vegas marathon?” and I keep tellin’ him everybody knows Vegas is really just Los Angeles sprawl. Then he says “What about St. George? That one’s fast and it's only about as far out of Nevada as Tahoe,” and I keep tellin’ ‘im any state tha’s known for religion makes me nervous and that town's even named for a saint.

Well, that’s all Lynyrd would give me before he became more interested in smacking the cocktail waitress on the ass, but I was pretty pleased with our interview overall. (Especially considering Lynyrd rarely speaks to the press.)

I will always prefer the elite runner who wants to stick around the race and cheer for others over guys like Lynyrd, but I can appreciate that he is shaking up the scene a bit. It goes against the mindset of most ultra-runners, but in Lynyrd’s world, nice guys really do finish last, and there’s no prize money for second place. (Most of the time there's none for first either, but I didn't want to point that out to Lynryd.)

One other thing I learned: watch out if you’re going to spend an afternoon in a casino with Lynyrd Skynrod. To my chagrin, I was incapable of driving myself home after the interview and I had gambled away all of my cash for cab fare. Andrew was not pleased when he had to drive to Reno to pick me up, and it didn’t go a long way toward convincing him that running is not a crazy stupid sport.

Lynryd enjoys a typical post-race meal after the Reno Journal Jog