Running for a reason - why getting out of your head and into your heart can make you love running

All the amazing volunteers that made this race possible

So I started my running "career" in 2011 to honor someone I knew who took his own life.  After 30+ years of hating the idea of running, even a block down the street, I became involved with the American Foundation of Suicide Prevention and ran the Tinkerbell Half marathon while raising money for this great charity.  What I found is that I came to love running because it was for something outside of myself.  My running has evolved and I've grown to love it for me but the race I ran this weekend reminded me of why I started running initially.  It allows me to fully appreciate that I am able to do this thing calling running, even if I will never take 1st or qualify for Boston.  Even turtles have their moment! And that's what I love about Running with the Bears Half Marathon in Greenville, CA.  Everyone is celebrated, from the winners to those last runners crossing the finish line. And what I find the most amazing is that all the proceeds from this race go to Mountain Circle Family Services, which helps foster children in the area. I've done many races but none that 100% of the proceeds benefit a charity or foundation. 

The first thing about this race that is unique is the location.  It's in a fairly isolated area of northern California, nestled among the pine trees and pastures.  Most of the races I've participated in are located in big cities or towns, where you have to share the course with traffic unless they close the course and even then, you are running through bustling neighborhoods where there is a lot of activity, cars, etc. Greenville and Taylorsville (the actual little town where the race starts/finishes) is very tiny where the townspeople all seem to know you and give a little wave as you drive by on your way to one of the few motels or campgrounds available for race weekend. If you run this race, you will need to put in your reservation well in advance.  I was on the waiting list for months at one of the locations and only because the awesome race director, Josie, put in on facebook was I able to secure lodging.  I will know better next time!  We headed to packet pick up, where I was greeted by one of the wonderful volunteers who gave me my bib and goodie bag.

My goodie bag was overflowing - and this isn't even the one they hand out to charity runners!

That is the second thing about this race that sets it apart from other races I've done.  Disney races cost hundreds of dollars and while you do get a beautiful medal, your goodie bag is pretty much nonexistent.  Most of the other races provide you with a few samples, some coupons along with your shirt plus your medal.  Not RWTB.  You get a bag stuffed with all kinds of cool stuff, including your own personal bear bell.  You know, in case you come across one on the race course!  We got our wristbands for the pasta dinner and the hoedown as well before heading off to find our motel.  RWTB offers a pasta dinner Friday night and then Saturday night after the race, the volunteers and race director put on a hoedown with dinner, dancing, live music and fun for the younger folks.  We would be back later for the pasta dinner and the charity runner recognition ceremony.  The family and I checked into The Hideaway and met Bink, the owner.  The place reminded me of my grandfather's fishing lodge so I felt at home immediately. We were provided with a warm welcome and got our things settled into the room. The rooms were small and rustic but clean.  And the property was very pretty.  There were deer in the yard which added to the charm.  We hopped back into the car and headed out for dinner.  At the pasta dinner, we were given an option of vegetarian rigatoni or sausage rigatoni along with a salad and garlic bread.  The kids gave a thumbs up to the cookies and brownies.

 Shauna Rossington, who is the Executive Director of Mountain Circle Family Services, started the presentation and talked about what the foundation does for the foster kids in the area.  She also talked about their ski/snowboard program and how it benefits the youth.  After she did a short presentation, she brought up one of the young men who had been in the system.  Not only did he NOT become a statistic, he was getting ready to start school to play football and work on his AA degree.  Being a psychiatric nurse who works with adolescents that are frequently either wards of the state and in foster homes or come from very broken homes, this entire race and its mission hit home. Identifying with what they do made it even more special to participate in this race. Josie was up next; she is the fabulous race director for this race and what a job she has accomplished!  Great things come in small packages and she's no exception. Standing around 5 foot nothing with eyes that smiled and a friendly face, Josie talked about how this race came to fruition. Having some knowledge about what it takes to put on a race of any length, whether a 5k or a marathon, I understand how much work this took.  And to top it off, RWTB is a Boston Qualifier, which is not something every marathon can say. After introducing herself and brief history of the race, they brought up the charity runners. 

My friend Cherie was among the many charity runners who raised money for the foster kids

This is where the magic is - the runners who raised thousands and thousands of dollars for these kids.  And RWTB does an amazing job of recognizing them.  I know bigger races recognize their charity runners as well but not in the same way.  From special goodie bags (you thought the regular runners received a lot in their bags?  Charity runners' bags were even more packed) to personalized shirts, the charity runners were shown appreciation from the race organizers.  After all the speeches, dinner and presentations, we headed back to the room to call it a night. 

I was up early and had arranged to hitch a ride (about 20 minutes) to the start line with one of the gals from the RWTB Training facebook page. Breakfast was a banana and PB sandwich about 2 hours prior the start.  Gathered up my hydration vest filled with Tailwind, my Huma gel that I would take 15 minutes before the start and hopped in Shari's car. I have always loved the running community and the camaraderie it brings.  Where else can you get into a car with a perfect stranger in the middle of nowhere and immediately strike up a conversation?  We stopped to pick up Cherie at the Taylorsville campground then drove up the road to the start.  It was pretty chilly at the race start but being a cold weather runner, this was not bothersome in the least.  It just meant the weather probably be near perfect for the race.  Cherie and I said goodbye and good luck to Shari then headed off for our warm up run. We ran for the 5 minutes coach had told us to then went up the porta potty line to wait while consuming our gels.  Race organizers noticed the long line and took a poll on whether to delay the race a few minutes so everyone could get in their bathroom stop.  What race does that?  I was happy because I really didn't want to start the race without a pit stop first.  I've had some stomach issues and was concerned they would come around again during the race.

The delay was only a few minutes and we were off. I said goodbye to Cherie as her scheduled paces were faster than mine and settled into a comfy rhythm. Another unique thing about this race are the dogs.  Lots of pups running in the race with their humans, complete with bibs.  It was great, although I suspect the person who stepped in the fresh dog poop didn't think it was so awesome.  Oops. At the first mile, I came up on aid station #1, which had a 1950's theme, complete with a gorgeous restored Cadillac and a waitress ready to take our orders.  I was on a "no stopping" pace but I did take the time to look around and smile.  If this was any indication of the upcoming aid stations, I was in for a treat.  After mile 2, it started to get warm enough to take off my shrug. This really was my ideal running weather.  Low 50's and lots of shade on the course. You really feel like you are running with a few of your buddies in the middle of a beautiful valley.  Horses were galloping through the fields while the cows mooed at us running by.

The course really isn't too challenging but has enough small rolling hills to make it interesting.  I was really enjoying this and was right on my scheduled paces, which made me incredibly happy.  My legs felt great and it was right then I realized if I kept this pace, I could possibly PR.  The next aid station were the minions....very cute and extremely encouraging.  I contemplated stopping at the adjoining porta potty there but the line was just too long and at that point, I wasn't ready to throw away my PR just for some GI discomfort. 

As I headed around the corner and onto one of my favorite parts of the course, I took in the beauty of Indian Valley.  Really a lovely place for a run and if I lived here, this would be a regular running route for me.  The next aid station was fabulous (and the station that won for best theme and food).  It was a MASH themed station - while I didn't eat any of the snacks, I heard they had award winning peanut butter balls.  Maybe next year. I was taking in all the sights when I noticed something going on out in the field by this lone cow.  It was hard to see because I was looking directly into the sun but there was some small creature right under the cow and at first, I thought it was a dog or coyote. But the cow didn't appear to be afraid or trying to get away but kept nudging the creature.  I found out later on it was a calf who had just been born minutes prior. So yet another thing that sets this race apart....where else can you see a cow being born during your half marathon?  Hmmm? 

As I checked off the miles, keeping my scheduled paces and feeling accomplished, my stomach had other ideas.  At first, I tried to ignore it but to grew worse and worse.  I temporarily forgot about it as I reached the point where we started to see other runners as they hit the turn around spot for the half marathon.  I was looking for Cherie.  I was hoping she would be coming through soon or I wouldn't see her at all because that meant she was on pace for a PR.  She's been chasing this PR for close to two years and I know how much a PR would mean to her at this particular race. So I had my eyes peeled and then there she was - smiling and looking strong.  We high fived each other and then I was on my own again.  The turn around spot had the belly dancers out and tons of yummy looking snacks.  Unfortunately, I was only interested in a porta potty at that point.  I was still on my scheduled paces and in fact, at the halfway mark, I was at 1:12 which meant if I could keep up that pace, I might PR.  But as I hit miles 8 and 9, it wasn't meant to be.  I had stop....twice.  So while the goal of a PR was no longer a reality, the fact I had been able to maintain the paces given to me by my coach was enough to make this one of my better races in a long time.  If I can get the stomach stuff figured out, I will have my PR.  The difference between how I felt during this races vs. Colfax was night and day. My legs felt heavy and tired at Colfax from the get go.  During RTWB, my legs felt great.  My race times are almost identical for both races but I felt much stronger during this one.

I should mention there is a spot at the end of the course called Illusion Corner.
  And with good reason....as you come around the bend, you see the finish line and it appears to be pretty close.  What you don't realize is the course hugs the side of the mountain and is a tad longer than what it looks to be.  Not nice but having a sign that says "1.7ish miles to go" helped a lot!  I knew at that point just how far I had to go which settled my mind and stomach.  Less than two miles to the porta potty!!  LOL. I continued on, trying to keep up the pace in those last few miles but every time I tried to speed up, my stomach said "nope".  So I texted my hubby and told him it would be about 12-13 minutes for that last mile because I was having to walk a lot.  The winner of the full marathoner passed me in the last mile....amazing!  I will mention here how terrific the weather was - not only is most of the course shaded by beautiful trees but the temps were hovering around the high 50's/low 60's.  Damn near perfect weather. That is enough reason alone for me to run this again!  As I headed into the last .2 miles, I could hear and see the finish....yay!  I have always tried to finish races strong, even if I feel like crap. This was no exception.  I could see two folks ahead of me and I intended to pass them.  One was a 10k'er still trucking along and another was a gal I had been leap frogging with over the last few miles.  I passed them and crossed the finish.

Finishing strong!

I knew my time was close to Colfax and I was happy with that.  I had to stop twice along the course, losing minutes but had I not stopped, much more would have been lost.  And as a FB buddy stated "there are times it is not a good idea to leave it all on the course". Thanks, Dawn!  RWTB had all kinds of post race activities, from a polar plunge to complimentary massages and yummy treats.
I hopped on the massage table and spent 25 minutes getting a lovely post race massage for my calves, hamstrings and lower back.  As we were on the tables, we hear Cherie's husband, son and friend all get called to the podium for placing in their age group.  Good timing, huh?  Oops.  And my amazing friend and running buddy not only got a PR but came within 22 seconds of third place.  She rocks and I'm so happy for her that the PR she has been chasing for all this time was finally obtained at a race I know is close to her heart.  Best part was she looked like she had just been out for a stroll and not running hard for a PR.  We snapped some photos and then it was time for my family and I to head out for some lunch in nearby Chester/Lake Almanor. 

The volunteers not only were there to congratulate the winners but many stuck around for the last runner to cross the finish.  Even the race director escorted a runner across the finish. 

This race celebrated its last place finisher by giving away a new pair of Brooks running shoes.  It also happened to be the runner's 70th birthday the following day - what a nice birthday present!  RWTB does a great job making every runner feel special.  If you are not someone who enjoys a super competitive race atmosphere, this is the perfect venue for you.  While it IS a Boston qualifier and I believe there were several who did qualify, it's apparent that the average runner/walker is appreciated just as much, if not more.  Josie outdid herself with the amazing medals - I've run many races and this medal is right up there with my Disney medals.

The fun wasn't over yet.  We had lunch, drove around scoping out campgrounds for our trip next year (yes, I'm already planning on running this again), cleaned up and rested for a bit then headed back to the facility where they were holding the hoedown and dinner.  We were greeted by more smiling volunteers and grabbed a table.  They had a small petting zoo and bounce house for the kids plus live music going.  Dinner got started a little after 6pm and then Shauna and Josie introduced another foster kid who was a success story along with a runner, Steven, who came all the way from England to run a little marathon in Greenville, CA.  Pretty cool.  Between the race and the charity runners, around $30,000 was raised for foster kids.  How wonderful is that?  I love knowing that 100% of the money was going towards the foundation.  I don't know of another race I've done where that is the case. 

We took part in the Turkey Pie Bingo which quickly turned into the Goat Pie Bingo.  Basically, you buy a square for $10 and if the animal poops on your square, you split the pot 50/50.  Mr. Goat decided to poop in three different squares so it was split up among those winners (we were not one of them...booo). After it got dark, one of the volunteers was handing out sparklers. I've not seen or held a sparkler since leaving Texas.  They are illegal in Nevada and it was great to see them all lit up in the dark.  Folks were dancing, kids were running around and others were relaxing on blankets out on the grass.  A lovely way to end the race weekend.  We would be heading back to reality the next day but I'm already planning our trip next year.  I can't wait to come back and enjoy the small town hospitality, run among the horses and cows....and maybe, just maybe get that PR.  Josie and Shauna....you ladies have something magical in Running with the Bears.  I hope you keep it a small race with that rustic charm.  There is something special you created in Greenville and I look forward to experiencing it again next year.  I will be back as a charity runner next year and hopefully contribute my part to the foundation.  I will look at my foster kids (that I have as patients) through a different set of eyes from now on.  And thank you for reminding me what it feels like to run for a reason.