Up, Up and Away! Sangre de Cristo 50 Recap

YOU KNOW YOU’RE HIGH UP when you breathe hard after drinking from your water bottle. What does one do after a fun Indian Creek 55K at 7,500 feet last year? Sign up for a longer race at a higher altitude, of course. And so my niece Robin and I journeyed to the southwest Colorado mountains …

Continue reading Up, Up and Away! Sangre de Cristo 50 Recap

Growing a Pair, and Heavy Breathing

Just one week until my next big ultra - the Sangre de Cristo 50-miler in the Colorado mountains. Average altitude: 10,000 feet, with 10,000 feet of elevation gain and loss. Why? Reasons. Last year’s Indian Creek 55K (7,000-8,000 ft) with my niece Robin turned out fine, so naturally I signed up for a longer race …

Continue reading Growing a Pair, and Heavy Breathing

Smell My Wisdom!

The other day I was at Zingerman’s Bakehouse loading up on some treats. For those of you unfamiliar with the Zingerman’s family of businesses, I’ll just say they are an Ann Arbor institution, renowned for their high quality and service, with prices to match. As the counter guy was ringing me up, and I was …

Continue reading Smell My Wisdom!

Lookout Mountain 50: Digging Deep

I pushed up Lookout Mountain, my hiking poles sticking into the damp trail. Somewhere up ahead (emphasis on “up”) was the top, and more importantly, the finish line. I was 51.5 miles into a 50-mile race (!), with, supposedly, just a touch longer to go. But I was still winding my way through dark singletrack, …

Continue reading Lookout Mountain 50: Digging Deep