Donner Lake Olympic Triathlon, the Sequel. Spoiler alert - I didn't cry this time! lol

I wasn’t supposed to be doing triathlons this year. And I definitely hadn’t planned on coming back to Donner until next year. But as fate would have it, the universe placed me in a position to be able to get a little revenge on the course that taught me about what determination was back in 2015. And how when we aren’t physically able to do something, our brain kicks in and gives us that mental push. When I did the Donner Olympic three years ago, I had signed up on a whim. I thought since I was swimming as cross training for my marathon, it was a slam dunk to do an Olympic triathlon. I mean, I was swimming 2000 yards twice a week in the pool and had cycled exactly twice, 20 miles at a time on flat road. Made sense, right? This is how irrational I am – my only other triathlon had been in 2013 and was a sprint. I hadn’t done once since. But I like to do stupid things from time to time so I hit “register”. How bad could it be? Then I spoke with a coworker who had done this race in the past. Her eyes got wide and she said to me, “you know that bike course is a killer, right?”. My heart dropped into my stomach. She was a very experienced cyclist who loved to ride hills. If she thought it was tough, I was probably going to die. Well, I didn’t die and you can read my race report a few pages back on my blog ;-)

Saturday before the start of the sprint w/hubby, a newbie triathlete

Back to the present year….I had hurt my foot in December at work and just as my foot was feeling better, I injured my knee rock climbing. The entire first six months of the year was shot in terms of what I had planned, running-wise; I was doing a LOT of swimming and cycling while my foot was rehabbing. I could swim and cycle without any issues but running was another story. So, I decided to register for Big Blue Adventure's Donner Lake triathlon and originally was going to do the aquabike – this race had been haunting me for three years and I knew I needed to get back on the mountain for a little redemption. I wasn’t trained for the swim and I definitely wasn’t trained for the run; my only goal was to best my bike time from 2015 (which wouldn’t be very hard; I am embarrassed to say what my time was that year….lol). Having done Coeur d’Alene 70.3 and thoroughly enjoying the hilly bike course there, I was ready to challenge myself at Donner. The icing on the cake is that my husband decided the Donner sprint would be his first triathlon. He’s not a triathlete and has always been in the gym, throwing around heavy weights. So I was thrilled when he decided this was his year to find out why I liked this triathlon gig. So I was able to support him at his race on Saturday, where he placed 2^nd in the Clydesdale division and then I was able to race on Sunday with him supporting me.

The most fun I've had in the swim at a triathlon

We were having fires in the area and I was worried about the air quality but it was a beautiful day for the sprint and I was hoping for the same on Sunday. It looked good out when we started the swim. I have to say…this was the best swim I’ve ever had. Not time-wise (I swam WAY off course and did an extra few hundred yards….lol). But I felt great and never had any anxiety. I have huge open water anxiety and it’s taken me a very long time to even be able to swim in something other than a pool. I was super relaxed and chill for the swim which set up me up for a good time on the bike, mentally. As I headed out of T1 and towards the road that would take me up 1000ft in the first few miles, I was grinning like a fool. Three years ago, I was so anxious and not enjoying myself at all – that’s what not training at all for an extremely challenging triathlon like Donner will do to you mentally. But this year was so different. I threw it in my easy gear and just spun my way up the mountain. I didn’t kill myself going up the hill and ended up hitting the summit about 20 minutes faster than three years ago. 

On my way up the mountain, feeling good! 

Then came the fun part – hauling ass down towards Kingsvale and Soda Springs. In no time at all, I was at the turn around. Donner is truly a gorgeous course and there is very minimal traffic on the open part of the course (they close Donner Pass road for the race). I was having a great time taking in the trees and fresh air that I didn’t even mind all the climbing back to the summit. It’s funny because you would think the first few miles going up Donner Pass from the lake are the toughest but I really think it’s the back end of that course. It’s a sleeper; you don’t realize what a grind it is until you are past the turn around and heading back towards the lake. Once I hit the summit, it was time to fly. This is what I had been waiting for – I’ve been working on my descending skills for a while now and today was a chance to open it up and have a little fun. Before I knew it, I was at the foot down stop – they have you come to a complete stop at the bottom of the mountain and put a foot down. This is for safety purposes as the road you cross is open to traffic and most riders are coming down that hill at a high rate of speed. My top speed down the mountain was around 40mph and I actually got into the top 20-25 on Strava in that segment (big deal for this back of the packer girl!). I remember passing my husband and laughing while telling him I killed the bike course (I think I beat my 2015 time by over 20 minutes).

The most fun you can have with your clothes on ;-) 

The run at Donner is great! It’s a lap around Donner Lake which is really pretty. It’s mostly flat except for the backside which has one monster hill then a few rolling hills. I was very familiar with the run course as I had done a few laps around it while training for my first marathon. The hardest part is running through the campground where folks are BBQ’ing and lounging around in the water – so tempting to stop and join them! The smoke from area fires had started to creep in by that time and it was affecting my breathing a little not to mention I had to walk most of the run because of my knee and foot. But I had already prepared myself for that so I was in no hurry. I had a few runners pass me and compliment me on my bike descent down the hill. That was nice to hear – I’m a fairly new cyclist and have worked hard at getting comfortable on the bike. As I came into the finish, I was so happy to see that I took 17 minutes off my previous time. Even better was how I felt. When I did Donner last time, I was totally wrecked and crushed. It was the hardest race I had ever done, marathon and 50k included. So coming back and feeling as good as I did was my ultimate goal. Especially since I wasn’t trained for open water swimming and I had to walk the run portion.

Post race, it was time for food and drink. I don’t drink so hubby got my free beer which he was happy about….lol. Everyone kind of hangs out at the beach on the grass and enjoys the beautiful Sierra sun. I always tell everyone if you are looking for a challenging triathlon in an amazing location, you can’t go wrong with Donner. It’s a terrific destination race; I just happen to be lucky enough to be local. I've raced quite a few events with Big Blue Adventures and have never been disappointed. Whether it was a trail run, a triathlon or a road race....Big Blue's races are some of my most favorites. 

Turning lemons into lemonade. Or turning asphalt into dirt :-)

Photo credit: Scott Rokis photography 

Since the trajectory of 2018 had to change due to the foot acting up, I decided what better time than to revisit something I love……trails. My goals of training for and racing a 5k, 10k and half marathon through the first six months of the year had to be scrapped. I was just grateful to get in whatever miles I could without my foot barking at me. The logical thing to do when you are not trained past 8 miles and haven’t been on trails/hills in two years? Sign up for a half marathon (which you know will NOT be a half marathon distance because Kevin’s races never are) that has over 2500ft of elevation gain. I did get my coach to sign off on it and I knew better than to have any expectations from this race. I would consider it a power hiking excursion more than anything. I also didn’t know how the foot would behave. I had run 8 miles without any pain in the foot but anything longer was the unknown. So as race day approached, I braced myself for the possibility that I would spend the time after 8 miles dealing with an angry foot. That was a bit of unknown that had me a little worried.

We would be running just below that snowy section

Another wrench that was being thrown into things was the weather. Trail races pretty much always go on, rain or shine. The forecast was predicting cooler temps (40’s) with pretty high winds, gusting up to 50-60mph along the ridgeline. Which is where I would be running. Fun times. So I snagged the appropriate outer layer on Running Warehouse, (a Salomon that performed beautifully) and prepared myself for whatever Mother Nature would throw at me. There were so many DNS’s for that race, it was crazy. There were at least 10 of them and only 13 finishers, yours truly being one of them. If there is one thing I've learned from the years of working with my coach, it's to not let bad weather scare you (unless there is lightning; I respect that and stay indoors). So why let a little cold, a little rain and a lot of wind deter me from a fun morning on the trails? 

Photo credit: Scott Rokis photography

Trudging up the muddy trail in the first few miles

I had forgotten the rude uphill section for the first 5-6 miles of this race. It’s definitely a power hiking section. I was trying to keep my average pace for the entire race under 17:30 so I knew that I had to at least slog my ass uphill at a decent hiking pace to even things out for the back half. I stopped to take a lot of photos and just enjoy the morning. Ash Canyon is so very pretty and that morning was no different. There was a decent amount of mud on the way up but once to the top, the trail was in pretty good condition. Some patches of snow here and there but otherwise, a clear trail where I could actually get to a running speed.

Some of the melted snow forming a little creek

Funny story. Anyone who knows me knows how terrified I am of mountain lions. So I was in last place, all by myself out there and just trying to push aside any thought of big cats. I was heading up a series of switchbacks when all of a sudden, I heard this crashing noise like something coming through all the sagebrush on the side of the mountain. I let out a blood curdling scream as my entire life flashed before my eyes as I thought “this is it….it’s a mountain lion barreling down the hillside to attack me” (I’m so dramatic). I dared to glance up and saw not an animal but a huge log rolling towards me down the hill. The wind had managed to push a felled tree down the slope. I sped up just as it rolled into the trail behind me. I remember breathing a sigh of relief as I kept running then looking around to see if anyone had witnessed my ridiculous performance. So silly. But it did reinforce why I don’t wear earbuds while I run – being vigilant and aware of my surroundings helps keep me safe.

The section where a felled tree almost took me out

Beautiful views of Carson City down below 

As I headed down the switchbacks on the backside of the course, I was thrilled. I was making good time and knew I would be able to hit my goal of a 17:30 pace. Not being trained for hills and trails, my knees and hips were definitely mad at me BUT there was no foot pain at all. I kept waiting for it to come and it never did. My foot felt fabulous. I passed up one runner so I was no longer DFL and then as I hit the last big hill (who in the hell puts a hill at mile 12 or so of a half marathon??), I passed up a young man who was looking like he bit off more than he could chew. Anyone who signs up for Kevin’s races should just assume it will be hilly AF and always, always longer than whatever it says. I’ve learned the hard way…..lol. I hit the top of the hill and then almost got knocked off my feet by the wind gusts in the meadow (I later found out they were having 50mph wind gusts down below so I know they were at least that strong).

The last hill to climb, around mile 12 

As I headed down the last set of switchbacks, I looked at my Garmin and was so happy to see my time. I would be finishing in under 4 hours which was my goal for this race. Had I been trained, my goal time would have been much more aggressive but I was pleased with how I was feeling at this point. I crossed the street and hit the last ¼ mile section on the bike path then saw my husband and son at the finish line. It was great to see their faces after spending almost four hours alone with nothing but my own thoughts (haha). My time was 3:45:43 and the distance was 14.3 – that averages out to 15:47/mile. The course ended up having over 2800ft of elevation gain. I beat my goal by almost two minutes per mile and was still upright….woohoo!! And I had just run over 6 miles longer than my longest run in months and months. Not a peep from the foot. All was right with the world.

Literally up the side of a mountain :-)

Photo credit: Scott Rokis Photography

After I got home, I started thinking about how much I had missed trails. I wanted more dirt, more hills, more trails. And I would end up getting that over the next few weeks. Suddenly, my spring went from racing short distance road races to signing up for races that were way outside my comfort zone….at least at this point in my running where I had been solely on flat roads for a couple of years. But doesn’t the saying go “growth happens outside our comfort zone”? Or something like that.....more to come ;-) 

My kiddo meeting me at the finish line

If Your Dreams Don't Scare you.......

Finish line at Canyon Meadows marathon

How did 2016 top the previous year? As I continued to grow and be able to reach outside my comfort zone, I decided I was going to train for my first ultra. In November 2015, I had registered for the Folsom Lake 50k which would be that following year in April. To my surprise, I also had my name drawn for the Tahoe Rim Trail 55k which was in July. I started training in January 2016 and had a terrific time exploring all the trails in my hometown that I never knew existed. To say I live in a gorgeous place for trail running is an understatement. Tahoe has no limits when it comes to beauty on the trails. I ran my 4^th marathon in March as a training run for the Folsom 50k. It was a trail marathon with about 3600 feet of elevation gain. My theory was that if I could survive 26.2 miles with that many hills, I would be "okay" for 31 miles that *only* had 3200 feet of elevation gain. LOL. Now this one and done marathoner was running a marathon as a training race? That was crazy to me. But I had such a good time and that particular race is still in my top 5 favorite races. Five weeks later, I ran Folsom and while it did not go as planned, I wouldn’t change that experience for the world. I finished but it was about 30-40 minutes slower than my goal time. I was 3rd to last and finished with 13 minutes left before the 8:30 cutoff. 

A hard fought finish

I learned a hell of a lot about myself. I learned just how mental running is and I found that giving up on myself was no longer an option. To run for 20 miles with some pretty bad GI issues and not give up made me realize how much I had developed my mental strength along with my physical. My body had given up; my mind had not. I also learned how important it is to really have focus when it comes to training and that sometimes, you cannot have it all. After a few weeks of easy running for recovery from the 50k, I decided to give up spot for TRT55k because frankly, my heart just wasn’t in it and that was not a race you can toe the start line of with half assed training. It has around 7000 feet of elevation gain and starts at an altitude of 7500 feet. Not to mention there were over 100 people on the wait list who had more desire to run it than I did – I didn’t want to take away a slot for one of them.

Singletrack at the Folsom 50k

So I enjoyed my summer and then headed into training for my fifth marathon. Yes, #5 – how in the hell did that happen? From wanting to fulfill a bucket list item and run ONE marathon in 2014 to training for my fifth? I blame my coach. It’s all her fault….lol. Because by this time, I had grown to really love running. Just for the sake of running. It was my meditative time, my time with the Universe. My selfish “me” time. The time where I would solve life’s problems. Well, not really but it certainly felt that way on some runs. I learned to run without music – just the sound of my breathing and quiet footfalls. I learned to really listen to my body and honor it. I learned not to push through pain and learned when it was okay to take a few days off.

Still smiling with about a 10k left to go in the marathon 

In December 2016, I ran marathon #5. It was another race that taught me just how strong I had become, mentally. I started the race knowing I could have some cranky hamstrings at some point. I had been having some back pain (unrelated to running and more due to my SI dysfunction that plagues me). I wasn’t sure how the race would play out but as always, I looked forward to that challenge. It’s one of the things I love the most about marathons – the mental aspect. It’s always fun in some weird, sadistic way. This particular marathon was also very symbolic for me. I had signed up to run it in 2012 after catching the excitement of the running bug. I had knee surgery that fall and could not do the marathon. Then I registered in 2013 but ended up injured and could not run it again. I was starting to feel like this race (California International Marathon) was cursed for me. So being able to toe that start line on December 4^th, 2016 was a very emotional day for me. There were quite a few tears as I headed out on that first mile. I ran that race hard and I ran it smart. Just as I suspected, after mile 15 I had some issues with my hamstrings. But I’m so very proud of the fact that I paced as well as I did, even having some issues. It was by far my best paced marathon ever. I crossed the finish line with an 18 min PR, taking my time from 5:26 to 5:08. No, I didn’t get my sub 5hr marathon. That will happen. I have no doubt. But what I learned that day is even when my body is struggling, I can apply what I’ve learned mentally and still come out with amazingly well run race.

My best paced marathon thus far

It's been nice to see this kind of pacing improvement

I had surgery two weeks later and was unable to run (or swim and cycle) until February 1^st, 2017. I had registered for yet another big, scary goal – my first half Ironman, which is a 1.2 mile swim, 56 mile bike and 13.1 mile run. I trained so well for that race, missing only a few workouts and completed my first 70.3 with a smile on my face and happiness in my heart. My mental strength played a role on that day as well – it was over 90 degrees for race day and anyone who knows me is very aware of how much I detest racing in anything over 60-65 degrees.

But I was able to apply what I had learned in all my previous races and finish feeling strong, beating my A goal by almost 20 minutes. I had a few weeks of recovery then jumped right back into training for marathon #6. I still shake my head when I think about how this overweight, injury prone, scared girl has managed to run six marathons. It doesn’t seem real on some days. Like, someone else ran those and not me. Just a few months after my half Ironman, I ran the Chicago marathon in memory of my father-in-law with the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society. I’m still touched by all the folks who donated and supported me through that journey; it meant a lot to me and I know it meant a lot to my mother-in-law. I ran with Pops in my heart and even though it was a slower race than I trained for (the heat did me in on that day, with temps reaching close to 80 degrees), it was still my 2^nd fastest marathon.

After Chicago, I started thinking about what I really wanted from the year 2018 in regards to running goals. Of course, I would love to get a sub 5 hr marathon. However, I realized that I hadn’t really RACED a 5k or 10k in a few years. I’ve run them as training runs but never really trained for speed in those shorter distances. My PR’s are from 2013 and I’m long overdue for some new race times. That being said, my focus will be on shorter race distances through June/July after which, I will be focusing on marathon training for my December marathon. So I don’t have a lot of impressive sounding races on the schedule for 2018 but I’m giddy with excitement when I think about what I AM signed up for – and terrified at the same time. Racing a 5k and 10k are scary goals for me. Wanting to PR every race distance is a scary goal. I may not accomplish that goal, I may fall short on a PR or two. And that’s okay. If I don’t try, I will never know. I also am setting a goal to run 1250 miles. I think that’s reasonable. I have run almost 1400 one year – that year when I ran two marathons and a 50k. I figured since I won’t be running a lot of longer distance races, 1250 should be a challenging yet reachable goal.