Run for Regis 50k, Marathon, and 1/2 Marathon Race Report& i2P ATACAMA begins!

I2P: ATACAMA!
So, coach Ray Z is off on another adventure! Follow along on the website: http://impossible2possible.com/atacama/home

Ray will begin his adventure to run the length of the Atacama desert beginning on January 22nd. Best wishes Ray!

I2P: JORDAN!
Ages 17-21? LISTEN UP! I2P will be choosing 4 of you to go on an expedition, expenses paid - to Jordan! Get more details (as well as the application) at: http://impossible2possible.com/docs_pub/Jordan_Youth_Expedition_Application%20Instructions_v5.pdf

Youth Ambassadors will run an average of a marathon per day for up to 10 days, a total of 200+ miles!

RUN FOR REGIS RACE REPORT
First of let me start out by saying Run For Regis was an incredible event. Tanya Cady, Race Director did an amazing job - and the volunteers were nothing short of spectacular! To stand there, helping us snot faced runners in freezing temps...KUDOS to all involved and this is one run I will most DEFINITELY return to.

This past Tuesday I spoke with Ray who gave me my running schedule for the next couple week's worth of Beast of Burden training. That included a 30 miler for this past weekend. Conveniently I got a message from fellow NERC board member Tanya Cady that evening offering me a spot in the sold out Run for Regis trail event. 50k? PERFECT timing! I jumped at the chance to run with my trail buds!



"Race" day
Before I left home I made the decision to not wear my Garmin for the run. This was just a training run for me, and I didn't want to be bummed with my pace running in all the snow, so I left it. This decision was both good and bad. Good - for the reason I just mentioned, bad because I wanted to work on fueling every xx mins. Also bad because while the final results show me running for 36 miles, I don't really know with 100% certainty how far I went (ha, more on that later!)

I arrived at the race location early to get my bib number and talk with my buds, problem is everyone was so bundled up I barely recognized anyone! I got my stuff and was freezing my butt off standing around so I went back to my car until it was time to start.

Start
The race started after Tanya gave a moving speech on the reason behind the race. Many crazy runners ran off into the woods, hoping to warm up fast! It didn't take long, so I was pretty happy about that. For a quick second I was in first (a very quick second!) and then our local speedy runner Terri Lemke took the lead and that's how it stayed. Terri's a crazy fast, strong runner! Congrats to Terri on her 1st place for the 50k distance!

Mid race
I merrily went about my way, and from what I could tell was keeping a steady pace. I was pleased with that as keeping a constant, steady pace was my main objective for the day. For hydration I had brought my handheld for the race because I knew it would be way too cold for my hydration pack - that the water in the tube would just freeze rendering it useless. Well - my handheld didn't do any better. At first the nozzle froze, so that left me fumbling around, unscrewing the cap when I needed a drink. Then, that froze. I couldn't unscrew it anymore - so no liquids. Not to mention carrying that thing with huge mittens on was a royal pain in the ass. I wound up ditching my water bottle at an aid station. "No problem" I thought, the aid stations really aren't that far about, it will be fine. SURE fine if you don't get off track! Which, I did. IMAGINE! ME?! NOOOO! I was on Salt Fork loop and still in second, but very thirsty. Happily trotting along the trail I saw someone coming onto the path (the entrance to the trail, right after you run past the lake). Things didn't click, I wasn't paying attention, and just thought "what the heck was that guy doing? Going pee?!) For a nano second I thought maybe I should check and see if that's where I should leave the trail and head to the aid station, but it didn't look familiar (wouldn't as I was running with my head down the whole time!)I told myself that was not the exit point. It was in fact the entrance/exit point. NICE ONE. **NOTE TO SELF** Go with my instincts from now on. After running for a bit the ground started to look familiar, logs started to look familiar, and I knew what I did. I was SO thirsty at that point, as I was thirsty the first go around that loop but of course, due to my blunder, missed the aid station. Now I was REALLY dying. This is the only point in the race where I feel like I slowed down. I almost ALMOST grabbed some snow and enjoyed. Saw my friend Mark Anson, and hardly said two words to him. Felt bad, but I just wanted to get to that aid station that I was supposed to be at a LONG time ago and chug water! I pushed on, making damn sure to look where I was going now, so I didn't miss the "Home" sign again. One point I need to make - the trails were well marked, I just plain and simple wasn't paying attention. I don't think there's more anyone could have done to mark the trails any better than they had been. It was all me baby! UGH! Something I most definitely need to work on. I have one goal race, one big one that this kind of stuff WILL NOT go well for. So anyhoo....some portion of Salt Fork loop x2 - don't really know what's considered the whole loop as I'm still not too familiar with the CVNP. Since, as I said before my I left my Garmin at home I do not know the exact mileage, and I have not looked at any maps, but someone from Run for Regis decided it was 36 miles according to the race results. Whatever the exact was distance it was a great training run for me and I'm pumped I got more miles in. If I would've gone into this one racing I would've been bummed and mad at myself, but right now I'm glad I got to run more!

And on the race results....So the results are posted already! So fast! You can check them out here at: http://www.wrtr.org/docs/2011RunForRegisResults.pdf

Much to my amusement instead of placing me with the 50k peeps Tanya and crew made me my own category, 36 miles! I had to laugh when I saw that - pretty much made my day yesterday! Another thing I noticed about the results: EVERYONE was accounted for, whether they ran the distance they wanted to that day or not. It doesn't matter if you ran 3 miles or 30, your name was there. If you had the cojones to drag your butt out of bed early in the morning Sunday and toe the line your name was there. That speaks volumes about Tanya, and the Run for Regis. Congrats to all the runners, volunteers, and most importantly - Tanya!

CONGRATS Terri Lemke!! Woman's 50k winner!!