Baker Lake New Year's Eve Run

Baker Lake New Year's Eve Run:
A Frigid 50k in a Frozen Forest

By Kathy Vaughan

     The rhythmic sound of crunching footsteps and heavy breathing were all that I could hear as the beam of my headlamp led me off into the distance along the winding trail. There was a frozen world all around me, but I could only see what was just ahead. Barely ten minutes into the run, I crossed the Baker River on a snowed over suspension bridge and continued towards the sounds of rushing creeks ahead in the darkness.

     Ras and I had camped at Kulshan Campground the night before, staying warm under layers of sleeping bags and blankets in the single digit temperatures. We awoke at 2:30 in the morning to start heating water to fill two thermoses of coffee, one for either end of the 15.5 mile out-and-back trail we planned on running four times. We would have a change of clothes, food and water at both ends as well. We were all set to run the self-supported Baker Lake 100k Fat Ass. 

Watch 'Out Of Darkness', the companion video to this trip report.

     First, we had to drive to the Baker River Trailhead at the other end of our out-and-back route to begin. Our first leg would be running back towards our awaiting camp. We parked the car and made our final preparations. It was now time to start. When we returned to the car in the afternoon, we would have completed 31.5 miles of our intended 63 mile distance for the day.

     As we crossed more and more creeks along the trail, we began to see how much they were slowing us down. Many were swollen and braided. The crossings were tricky and took time. The rocks were glazed over with slick ice and so we had to test each rock before we could trust it. The creek crossings were so icy and treacherous that the local fauna was using the bridges instead of getting their feet wet. This was evidenced by almost perfect bobcat prints melted into the icy bridge surfaces by warm feline paws. One creek we crossed by shimmying over a mossy, slanted log and another one Ras had to throw a huge rock in to use as a way to step up to a larger boulder. This was taking a lot of energy and I started realizing doing this for all of the creeks, for four out-and-backs along this trail, was going to become daunting and maybe even dangerous. Slipping into one of these creeks and getting soaked in cold temperatures like we were experiencing on the trail could quickly become a life or death situation. 

     In between crossings and icy patches on the trail, I tried to pick up the pace and run strong. The dark didn't slow me down on the smoother sections of single track and I tried to keep up a good tempo on sections where I had to pick my way through rocks. Ras followed behind and soon we had some miles under our belts. The sky stayed pitch black forever it seemed and stars twinkled above. Finally, the sky lightened in the distance and soon the snowy white peak of Mt. Baker appeared majestically on the opposite side of the lake. I couldn't wait for this light in the sky created by the rising sun to bring a rise in the day's temperature. The cold made it so we kept moving well, not wanting to stop for even the slightest minute. My merino wool under layer was beginning to feel damp and I planned on changing into a dry one as soon as I got to the camp. I kept my wool buff pulled around my face, an additional wool hat on my head and the hoods from my sweater and jacket pulled up over my head as well. 

     As we moved along the trail, we were also slowed by many blow downs and debris. Some trees were huge to climb over; some still had thick branches we had to push and crawl our way through and still others had frozen, slick surfaces, making stepping around and over them challenging.  

    This was the seventh time I have run this trail, one other time as a 100k Fat Ass in the summer, and I knew it pretty well. There were definite landmarks I knew to look for and we were passing by familiar established camps. I had made it through all of those miles of single track and creek crossings without soaking my feet, but I made the wrong choice about what way to head through a flooded section on the road and soaked my right foot all the way through not even two miles from our turn around point. I would now be changing into dry socks as well and trying to dry my Altra Lone Peak 2.0 in the bathroom at the campground, using the hand blow dryer. I loved that feature of this campground bathroom and had looked forward to getting warm in there for a few minutes anyway.

     After about 4 hours of running, Ras and I got to our First Up shelter. We each grabbed what we needed from our supplies and headed into our designated bathrooms to do what we needed in order to head back out into the winter weather. I poured myself coffee from the thermos, grabbed some baked Thai seasoned tofu and my dry sweater and socks. I pulled my down puffy from my pack to help keep me warm while I ate and dried my shoes and Buff, damp from my condensation. I peaked my head out the door to see if Ras was ready, and continued with my stuff until he was done. Then we put what we needed back away in our Easy Up shelter and began our climb back up the road towards the Baker Dam and the single track trail that would take us to Baker River and our car of supplies.

     We saw a backpacker heading onto the single track too, just as we approached it after our 1 ¾ mile climb. He was pretty loaded down and looked to be in for a big adventure. After exchanging friendly greetings with him, it seemed like he was just going out to spend New Year's Eve alone in the woods, a great way to bring in the New Year. We wished him well and trotted off down the trail.

     We were listening to our Mp3 players now and not visiting much. The daytime temperatures were noticeably warmer and even comfortable. I was down to a single Smartwool, with an additional wool sweater tied around my waist to put on if needed, and to help keep my backside warmer. It worked pretty well. We hit a really nice sunny patch, complete with mossy sitting logs and decided to take advantage of this moment of warmth. We soaked in the sun while having a snack and then continued on our way. I enjoyed this section and this time of day quite a bit and I was really feeling confident about our ability to complete the mileage. There are fewer creek crossings on the end of the trail closer to the Kulshan Campground and the going was quicker and smoother.

     But after about 3 ½ more hours, the sun dipped lower in the sky, the creek crossings increased and the coming night would bring on even colder temperatures once again. I kept pushing myself along the single track, running up gentle hills and letting my pace open up on downhills. I became used to the frosty, crunchy surface, in contrast to the frozen dirt or icy patches. Each section took different care and it made for exciting running. I remember the snow covered bridge crossing with bobcat tracks that was still ahead and the 3 sets of downhill switchbacks. I knew it would feel long at the end, longer than finishing a supported 50k where my pack was light and friendly faces greeted me, filling my water bottles and handing me snacks. There had been frozen moments of loneliness in the hours so far and I wondered how I would go on all night for this many hours more, for a second 50k on this trail in these conditions. I so wanted to go on and earn a buckle, and struggle through the mental and physical ups and downs it takes to  complete something like this. 

     We got to the final section of the trail that meanders through the Baker River bottoms and runs alongside the river itself for a stretch. It passes by rocky caves, where drafts of cold air are evident in the summer, but at this time of the year, the cave's air felt warmer than the outside air as we passed. Now it was just time to push it out strong all the way back to the car. The trail was fairly rolling or flat and there were no good excuses to not run. I got to the car, not knowing how Ras was feeling, but after spending many miles on the trails with him, I knew he wasn't his regular self. As soon as we got in the car and began to let it idle, the heat started warming us. I changed into another dry Smartwool sweater, dry sports bra, and dry socks. I opened my Bombay Potatoes Tasty Bites meal and began snacking, silently visualizing the rest of the run. I poured coffee for myself into my travel mug and sipped on the hot drink gratefully. It felt so good to have something hot to drink. 

Notches, like the one pictured above, were cut into trees to place a springboard for loggers to stand on. This allowed them to make their felling cuts above the swell at the base of the tree.

     Finally, Ras admitted he wasn't feeling well. He hadn't felt right from the beginning of the day. He knew he could complete the distance, but he really didn't have a strong desire to finish it in these conditions. He was concerned about the creek crossings through the night and the danger a dunking could put us in. I agreed that the crossings were dangerous. With this first half having taken us 10:31 to complete and still needing to finish this break and have another one at the Kulshan end, I just knew it could take another 12 hours to complete the 100k. Once out on the trail, our only option would be to run the 15.5 miles and spend at least 5 more hours to get to Kulshan. That would still leave our car at the other end, not at the camp. We would still want to run back to it for the final 15.5 mile stretch. Heading back out onto the trail was a big commitment.   

     I've run through many miles of pain or hard-going before. I knew I could do it. I just didn't think it was smart to do it in the cold temperatures with potentially sketchy water crossings. It was hard enough to see the ice on the rocks and scout the crossings in the light in a fresher state; the dark and tiredness brought a different challenge. A part of me wanted to attempt this challenge and see that I could finish it. I wanted to head back out on the 31.5 mile commitment. Because the wiser part of me spoke louder, and because of the team aspect of this run, the decision was made together to not continue. 


GEAR LISTS

Kathy

1. Ultimate Directions Peter Bakwin vest with 2 bottles carried up front
2. Hammer Nutrition Perpetuem Caffe Latte flavor – 1 10 0z flask consumed (I had other's ready, although I did not end up using them)
3. Tasty Bites Bombay Potatoes
4. Gu Salted Caramel, Vanilla and Strawberry Banana gels
5. Caffe Latte Chia Gel from Chris Barry @ Seven Hills Running Shop
6. Coffee from thermos prepared in the early morning
7. Wildwood Baked SprouTofu Royal Thai flavor – ½ package 
8. Smartwool Knee High Length socks x2 (extra pair in pack in case of delay, with soaked feet, due to injury)
9. Carhart Wool/nylon Blend socks (changed into these at the half way point)
10. Buff Wear brand merino wool buff
11. Smartwool brand merino wool neck warmer
12. Felted wool ear flap hat
13. Smartwool mid-weight sweaters, 1 with hood x3
14. Wool v neck sweater
15. Brooks Thermal weight hooded jacket
16. mp3 player by Sony
17. Black Diamond headlamp with fresh batteries and 3 extra AAAs in a ziplock baggie
18. neoprene ankle wrap
19. chemical handwarmer packets x2; 1 footwarmer packet; 1 toe warmer packet with adhesive backings in case of IT Band flareup
20. Ibex brand merino wool tights
21. Sugoio Insulated tights
22. Altra Lone Peak 2.0s
23. Marmot Down Puffy Jacket carried in pack
24. Mont Bell Down Puffy Pants carried in pack
25. Firestarter sticks x2 plus a new Bic lighter
26. Ziplock baggie of 3 Tums, 2 Reed's Ginger Chews, 8 ibuprofen, 2 Aleve, 1 ½ Vicodin (in case of pancreatic attack, enough to alleviate pain so I can get myself out to help)
27. one Iced Ginger Clif Bar
28. Burton Light Weight Snowboading Gloves in morning and Swix Cross Country Ski gloves in the warmer afternoon; kept dry pair of Swix gloves in pack as hands perspire and a dry pair of gloves to put on in an emergency stop situation is important
29. Dirty Girl pink camouflage gaiters
     
  
Ras

1. What An Adventure (WAA) Ultra Bag
2. Altra Lone Peak 2.0s 
3. Injinji toe socks
4. Smartwool light weight base layer
5. Pendleton wool button up shirt
6. Polar Penguin insulated work gloves
7. UltraPedestrian fleece beanie
8. Buff Wear brand merino wool buff
9. Camouflage fleece beanie
10. Dirty Girl Camouflage gaiters
11. Black Diamond headlamp with fresh batteries and 3 extra AAAs 
12. Sugoi insulated tights
13. coffee from thermos 
14. Maple Almond Butter sandwiches on Ezekiel 4:9 bread
15. Clif Bar
16. GoPro Hero3
17. Black Diamond Ultradistance Z-poles, one collapsed in my pack, one used as a camera boom
18. REI merino wool glove liners and Swix overmits (carried but didn't use)
19. Mont Bell synthetic puffy (carried but didn't use)
20. Smartwool arm sleeves (carried but didn't use)
21. Tasty Bites Bombay Potatoes and coffee during the drive to the trailhead
22. Tasty Bites Punjab Eggplant when we returned to the car
23. Sony Walkman mp3 player
24. SPOT transponder

Low Fat Vegan Nacho Cheese Sauce

Reliving The Indulgences Of My Youth:

A Simple Recipe For Low Fat Vegan Nacho Cheese Sauce

by Ras

     I am a junk food junkie. That may come as a surprise, since I am a proponent of sustainable, healthful eating and innovative race fueling strategies, such as fat fueling and preferring whole foods over gels and mixes. But the fact is, I loves me some junk food. I make an effort to choose to eat well the majority of the time, but like any addict, there's always a little voice in the back of my mind attempting to lead me into temptation.

     In this context I can honestly say nachos are my crack. I've never met a nacho I didn't like, running the gamut from gourmet platters of real bubbling melted cheese over chips in respectable restaurants to mini mart plastic clamshells of tortilla triangles that you self-serve cheese sauce onto from a pump dispenser. And for some reason, one thing I really miss in vegan food is that low-brow nacho cheese sauce as is served in a nationwide fast food chain whose name sounds disturbingly similar to "Toxic Belch".

     Obviously, the sauce is just a component of a good plate of nachos. So to make a properly satisfying vegan version, what's needed is a cheesy tasting sauce that can fill the role of nachos cheese in the recipe. All of the other ingredients for a great plate of nachos are already vegan: tomatoes, olives, onion, and avocado, among others.

     I have refined a recipe for Low Fat Vegan Nacho Cheese Sauce which has that hot, saucy texture and a cheesy flavor, and which ties the other flavors together perfectly. If you have experience cooking from scratch, you will probably recognize the fundamentals of a gravy recipe, with nutritional yeast, yellow mustard, and jalapeno added to take the flavor in a new direction. Here's the what and how of it:

Low Fat Vegan Nacho Cheese Sauce

Ingredients:

• 3 Cups unsweetened plant milk (soy seems to make the thickest and richest sauce, but almond, rice, hemp, or any other kind of vegan milk will work)
• 1 1/4 Cups nutritional yeast
• 1/4 Cup whole wheat flour
• 1/4 Cup softened Earth Balance (or other brand) vegan margarine
• 3 Tablespoons yellow mustard
• 1 teaspoon granulated garlic
• 1 teaspoon granulated onion
• 1 teaspoon ground black pepper
• 1 1/4 teaspoons salt (the salt can be omitted, but it is a predominant flavor in nacho cheese sauce)
• 1/4 teaspoon smoked paprika
• 3/4 Cup minced pickled jalapenos, to taste

     Begin slowly heating the milk in a saucepan on medium low. Unsweetened milks don't scald as easily, but be careful to heat it slowly. As the milk heats, combine all the dry ingredients except the nutritional yeast in a small mixing bowl or glass measuring cup. Mix thoroughly with a fork. Then add the margarine and combine with a fork until completely blended to make a seasoned roux. As the milk nears the boiling point, add 1/4 cup of the hot milk to the roux and blend with the fork until smooth. The more patient you are with this step, the smoother your sauce will be. Add another 1/4 cup from the hot milk and repeat this step. Then add the diluted roux to the saucepan of milk and brink to a simmer. Thoroughly stir in the nutritional yeast until completely blended. Then add the mustard and minced jalapenos, reduce heat to low, and simmer lightly for 2 to 3 minutes, or until sauce achieves desired thickness.

     Spread tortilla chips on a plate, ladle sauce over them and add toppings as desired. My favorite combination is black olives, diced tomato, chopped green onion, and diced avocado, as pictured below. Other toppings can include refried beans, textured vegetable protein, or seasoned soy curls, among myriad other possibilities. This nacho cheese sauce is also good served in a small bowl on its own to dip chips in, or in burritos. One of Kathy's favorite uses is to spread it on bread to make a grilled cheese sandwich and then add sliced tomato, onion, and fresh basil leaves. This sauce keeps and reheats just like gravy. Enjoy!

Vegan Nachos Supreme, complete with holiday appropriate color. iFeliz Navidad!

Winter Running Gear:
Kathy's 13 Essentials for The Trail and Ultrarunner's Winter Adventure Kit

By Kathy Vaughan

      Winter running is magical. The air is cold and fresh. When the sun is out, the blue sky in contrast to the pristine white of the snow is beautiful. Running in falling snow is refreshing and invigorating. Stars glisten in the dark, night sky while sparkles are glistening in the snow from the beam of the headlamp's glow. It feels so good to come inside and get into warm clothes, eat a good meal, while sipping on a hot drink by the woodstove after being out in the winter weather. It is well worth taking what you put in your Winter Running Kit seriously so that these aspects of cold season runs can be enjoyable, no matter how long you go out or how many miles you cover.

1. Altra Running Lone Peak 2.0:  These running shoes have a wide toe box, which allows ample room for a thicker wool sock or two pairs of socks. Its a good idea to order a half size larger than your normal shoe anyway, and this provides the room you need for winter socks and summer swelling. The lug sole on the LP 2.0s is really aggressive and provides great traction in the snow for both downhill running/lunging and uphill climbing/kicking steps. On plowed roads, the lugs give awesome traction on the smoother/slicker surface. The velcro Gaiter Trap allows for using gaiters which helps keep out some of the snow. I love how they perform in the snow and highly recommend them for winter running.
   
2. Hats:  It is good to have a mix of wool, fleece or balaclava style  hats with you on runs, layering them as needed. A shell or merino wool sweater with a hood also works well as a hat layer. I like that with a hood up, my neck stays warm as well.
   
3. Chemical Hand Warmer Packets:  I like to have 3 packages with me on a long run. I can then open one package, using one inside each glove. This allows me an unopened emergency packet for myself and an additional one for my running partner.
   
4. Firestarter:  It is good to have some form of firestarter in your pack in winter weather and cold temperatures. Stopping even briefly when wet with sweat from exertion, can cause you to cool down surprisingly quickly. If you find yourself in an emergency due to injury or illness involving yourself or your running partner, it might be necessary to build a fire to stay warmth. I like to be prepared for this with a lighter and some firestarter sticks. Cotton balls saturated in petroleum jelly (Vaseline) is another lightweight and effective idea.
   
5. Extra Base Layer:  It is good to have a dry layer to change into on a long run if necessary. If you stop for any reason and your under layer is wet, it is easy to get chilled fast. Quickly putting on a dry layer, sets you up to stay warm after the stop or in an emergency.
   
6. Extra Dry Wool Socks:  Wet feet from snow or sweat get cold very fast. A dry pair of socks is important to have to change into in case of an emergency prolonged stop. Wet feet in wool socks stay warm while moving, but once stopped, they cool down quickly.
   
7. Merino Wool Base Layer:  I like Smartwool Mid Weight sweaters. My favorite is the style with a hood and thumb holes on the sleeve cuff. The hood is really useful as a head layer over hat(s) that can be removed easily while moving, once warmed up.
   
8. Merino wool buff, neck warmer, or balaclava (as mentioned in “Hats”):  I like to have a head layer that I can pull around my entire face, as needed, and easily pull away as I get warm. The Buff Wear brand of head buff comes in a merino wool style and I have found it to be one of my most useful pieces of running gear, year round. It is long enough to adjust exactly as you need to around your head and face to protect yourself from the wind and cold. The wool is soft, warm and allows for breathing through the fibers while it is covering your mouth and nose. I have also used a Smartwool merino wool neck warmer that is good for pulling around your mouth and nose, but is too short to pull around  your head. A balaclava is like having an extra hood along and it can also be pulled up over your mouth and nose as needed.
   
9. Two Pairs of Running Tights (Insulated and/or merino wool): In the coldest parts of the winter, I layer with merino wool as a base tight and an insulated North Face or Sugoi pair over those. This allows perfect warmth for moving and brief stops in 20 degree temps and lower.
   
10. Headlamp with Fresh Batteries (And a set of extras):  In the winter, dark comes early. It's good to be prepared with a headlamp with fresh batteries and a set of extra batteries on any trail run. You never know what will happen, and running/hiking out in the dark when getting caught in it unexpectedly,  is rough.  It's worth the weight, as is everything mentioned in the above list.
    
11. Down Puffy Jacket and Down Puffy Pants:  I like to have these stuffed into my pack if I am going out on a trail run in the cold temperatures where I will venture for more than two hours away from home or my car.
    
12. A Warm Car Blanket:  I get chilled quickly as soon as I stop running in the winter time. I like to have an older wool blanket that I keep in the car to throw over the top of me for the car ride home. It keeps me warm while I change into dry layers.
    
13. Swix Cross Country Ski Gloves: These gloves keep my hands warm even when wet from perspiration. They are designed for high aerobic winter activity which makes them perfect for running. They have out performed all the running-specific gloves I have tried. 

UltraPedestrian Training Challenge

UltraPedestrian Training Challenge:

Winter Strength Training For Bipedal Hominids

by Ras

     Winter is a great time to change things up on your training. Throughout most of the year a lot of my training is 'Lifestyle Training,' meaning physical conditioning resulting from the way I live my life. Forest thinning, cutting firewood, trail work, climbing scaffolding and balancing on ladders wearing a heavy tool belt, hiking saws and tools around, building fence, and other physically demanding labor provide me with both strength training and 'time on my feet,' which contributes to endurance. 

     The decreased employment of the snowy winter months is the perfect opportunity to focus on specific aspects of strength training and cross training that don't get targeted during the busy trail season. This winter 2014/2015 I'll continue with what has worked well for me in years past, including running in the snow unweighted, with a weighted pack, and occasionally dragging a tire; Fartlek Fridays; cross-country skiing; and a small amount of trials bike riding, jiu-jitsu, and kickboxing. In addition this winter, I've planned out a regimen making use of 30 Day Challenges of increasing difficulty to build strength throughout my structure with an emphasis on my legs, but with enough core and upper body work to balance it out.

Turning Adaptability To Your Advantage

     The success of Human Beings as a species can fairly accurately be ascribed to a single broad trait: adaptability. We are amazingly adaptable on every level: physiologically, psychologically, socially, environmentally, and in a myriad other ways. We thrive when challenged. Ease slowly kills us.

     In training this can turn against us. Doing a set amount of exercise that requires a set amount of effort on a regular schedule quickly reaches a point of diminishing returns. The human body adapts so well that a regular and unvarying fitness regimen is downgraded in the body's perception from a challenge to nothing more than the expected workload. To continue to reap benefits, the type of exercise, duration of the workout, and required amount of effort need to be varied. New and different challenges will keep the body striving to adapt, thus increasing strength, fitness, and athleticism.

     Toward that end I planned out the below regimen for myself. Each 30 Challenge is, indeed, challenging. And every 30 days it changes and becomes slightly more difficult. My goal with this series of challenges is to give my body an optimum amount of time to adapt to and benefit from an exercise, and then change it up and step it up.

What An Amazing Time To Be Alive

     The interwebs are an amazing training tool. By just performing simple searches on YouTube, the average person nowadays has access to training tips and video tutorials that are exponentially more varied, detailed, and abundant than what was available to professional coaches and trainers just a decade ago.

     If you want to participate in any of the 30 Day Challenges I'm using to train this winter, simply search up on YouTube how to do the exercises. Watch a number of videos from a variety of instructors. Note their differences and similarities in form, technique, and methodology. Then feel free to choose the version of the exercise that best fits your fitness level and training goals. Each of the graphics below includes Optional Badassedness, simple tweaks to make the workout more challenging, but feel free to create your own or use a method from a video. The main thing I want to put across here is that there is an amazing amount of information available online for free. Doing your own research to develop a custom training plan is astonishingly simple in this day. Take a little time and start becoming an expert on a topic no one else can know better: yourself.

     For all of these exercises you can find both easier and more difficult variations. For example, if you aren't quite up to full push ups, you can do the variation pivoting on your knees instead of your toes. Or if your push ups are rock solid and you have a lot of upper body fitness, you can include a stability ball or dumbells or kettlebells. You can customize each challenge to fit your needs, or even vary them from day to day to keep it interesting and accommodate your other training, which may vary in intensity and, thus, the wear and tear you take.

     At the beginning of each month I will post the graphic for the challenge(s) I'm doing on my personal facebook page, and will post frequent updates on my progress and what optional badassedness I am doing, if any, to keep me accountable. I will use the hashtag #UPtrainingChallenge, and anyone who wants to join in can do the same. Share the graphic out on your social media and use the #UPtrainingChallenge hashtag so we can keep track of one another's progress. 
       

Challenge #1: November
30 Day Squat Challenge

     I have somewhat weak glutes, so when Kathy suggested a 30 Day Squat Challenge, I jumped on board, beginning November 1st. I was able to complete every set on the assigned day, erring on the side of caution on a couple of occasions and doing a few more than necessary when I couldn't recall the exact amount for the day. I've definitely been feeling this in my quads and glutes. And these Challenges are great mind training, as well. Many of the days I didn't want to do my allotted squats, and making myself do them when I was unmotivated also exercised the mental skillset that helps keep me moving deep into a race, adventure run, or thru-hike.

Challenge #2: December
30 Day Lunge Challenge &
30 Day Push Up Challenge

     In Challenge #1 I built up some new leg musculature. For Challenge #2 my goal is to use Lunges to maintain that strength and build more, while refining the focus to movement more specific to hiking and running. I'm doing to stated number of lunges per leg, so for day 1 that's 20 lunges per leg for a total of 40. And I am doing walking lunges; again, in order to more closely mimic the movements for which I'm training.

     During December I'm doubling up by including a push up challenge in order to bolster my upper body fitness in preparation for January's challenge. The goals below are modest and should be fairly doable.

Challenge #3: January
30 Day Burpee Challenge

     January's Burpee Challenge promises to be a difficult one. Widely considered one of the best all around workouts, burpees are a great old school body weight exercise that can be done anywhere there is room. As far as straight strength training for the legs, this is letting off the throttle a little bit from November's Squat Challenge and December's Lunge Challenge. But by doing full fledged burpees, with a push up in the middle and a jump at the end, I'll be stepping up my core fitness as well as building some explosiveness in my legs, all in preparation for February's Extreme Squat Challenge & Dip Challenge Psycho Double.

Challenge #4: February
30 Day Extreme Squat Challenge &

30 Day Dip Challenge

     The numbers on this one are intimidating and promise to push me toward my limits. But I was able to complete November's Squat Challenge handily. So beginning this challenge with the final number of reps from November's challenge seems like a logical progression, and a great way to round out my winter's strength training.

     I use trekking poles when running and hiking, so I chose this Dip Challenge specifically to target my upper body in a way that will apply directly to poling. I use my own poling technique I've developed which differs slightly from traditional nordic skiing type poling. Rather than using long poles and reaching forward with them to pull myself, I use short poles and plant them even with my feet or slightly behind and push myself forward. In essence, I use the poles to tip myself forward, helping perpetuate the forward lean at the ankles which is the foundation of the physics of my form. I included this Dip Challenge in my plan to build strength specific to this technique, as well as to keep my structure in balance in light of the heavy leg workload I am taking on with the Extreme Squat Challenge (above). I chose a plan where the rest days coincide with the rest days for the squat challenge that I am doing simultaneously.  

Go Ahead, Call Your Shot

     One of my favorite parts of a Fastest Known Time attempt is posting the goal ahead of time. Publicly stating what you hope to achieve, and then dealing with all the ramifications of publicly declaring it, is part of the thrill and part of the risk. These, and numerous other, 30 Day Challenges are a fun way to do that same thing on a smaller scale. Posting a workout online and publicly declaring your intention to complete it is a little bit of a risk, but not a huge one. However, the knowledge that others are watching my progress helps keep me focused and livicated and pursuing my goal. On more than a few occasions during November's Squat Challenge, I did my squats at 11:30 at night, right before bed, in my underwear, because I knew I would have to answer for it if I didn't complete that day's set.

     So please feel free to follow my workouts on my personal facebook page, and be sure and call me out if you catch me slacking! 

When Life Has Plans Of Its Own

When Life Has Plans Of Its Own:
Another Lesson In Endurance

By Kathy Vaughan

     October was beginning and the first Saturday of the month I would be running my 14th ultramarathon, the Baker Lake 50k. Baker Lake was the first ultra I had ever run and my first trail race ever, back in 2011. I was pumped up for the race and ready to run a Personal Best. I had been out on five unsupported ultra distance adventure runs throughout the summer, several of them lasting all night long. I was well trained and feeling awesome.

     With the beginning of October, came the return of some classic pancreatic pain which I have gotten for many years. It comes and goes but had returned 1 ½ years ago with a bout of pancreatitis and a week long hospitalization. Since then, I'd been in the hospital a couple of more times and I did not want to wind up in there again. I was having some cramping in my upper abdominal area that was radiating around to my back. I continued my taper for Baker Lake and went about life as usual.

     Baker Lake went as planned. I saw lots of friends, enjoyed the entire race and took 31 minutes off of my previous year's finishing time. It was also my 6th  Baker Lake finish. I was happy with how the day had gone and feeling excited about my autumn running plans. I still hoped to get out on the Kettle Crest National Scenic Trail before snow would make it impassable and I had lots of other trails in mind to explore throughout October and November. Ras and I had our 3rd annual Highlands Halloween Hundred Trail Un-Run coming up the 3rd week of the month and the first of November, I was planning on running my first 12 hour run, Carkeek in Seattle.

     Avoidance is a tactic some people use when going at a situation that is too scary to tackle head on. This happens when I feel the beginning of the ache, the sign that I am having issues with my pancreas once again. As an endurance runner, I can ignore pain and push it aside. I can go about my day. I can go on really long runs. The runs make me feel better, mentally and physically. I went about “business as usual” for two weeks, trying to pretend the pain was not really there.

     Finally, I asked Ras to drive me down to the local ER as the pain had become unbearable and was wearing me down. I was very tired and I really wanted some relief. I was starting to feel concerned about why I was having this pain once again. We arrived at the small town hospital and a group of local community folks were gathered in the lobby area which doubles as an espresso stand. It was loud and chaotic as I approached the admitting desk. A young lady came out from a back office and I told her I thought I might be having pancreatitis. She unlocked an office across the hallway, led Ras and I inside, and called for a triage nurse to come into the office. I noticed her nail polish was flaking off and she and the nurse exchanged unprofessional giggles over the phone. I handed the lady my ID and insurance information. She verified my address and the male nurse walked in. He stood at a distance and in an unsympathetic voice asked what was going on. I repeated to him that I thought I was having pancreatitis which I have a history of and that I was in pain. 

     He led me back to the examination area and took my vital signs. I did not like the way things felt. The nurse was standoffish and seemed surprised that I was not running a fever or vomiting, as some pancreatic patients do. Alcoholism is the number one cause of pancreatitis and he asked if I drank alcohol. I have not since my early 20's, and so I told him this. All of this information is in the records held at the hospital on me, as I had just spent 5 days there in March. It did not seem as though he had accessed these records. A doctor came in. He also stood at a distance and never approached the bedside, let alone did he examine me in any way. He asked some questions. I was sure to tell him that I had pancreatic surgery in 2007 and had been fine until these bouts of pancreatic pain had returned recently. He ordered blood work and the nurse hooked me up to an IV. I was given some fluids and one dose of pain medication through the IV. The doctor returned saying my blood work looked great and I could go home. He never looked at my records or contacted the specialist I see at the University of Washington Medical Center. He gave me a prescription for 6 pain killers and told me to go home and stay on liquids until the pain went away. The pain didn't go away. I set appointments with my primary care provider and my specialist. I couldn't get in to see either for over 10 days and by the time I did get in to see my PCP, I had a fever and full blown pancreatitis. 

     I don't like this story. I don't like what I went through or the ignorance of the Emergency Room doctor at the hospital in the town where I live. I ended up spending a week in the hospital and when I saw the specialist last week, she ordered an MRI which showed a 2cm x 2cm cyst in my pancreas, like I've had before and like I thought I might have again.

     Now I wait to hear what the doctor says the treatment will be for this cyst. Last time it was surgery, although this time it might be possible to simply drain the cyst through an endoscopic procedure. If the cyst stops causing pain, it might make more sense to take a “wait and see” approach. The doctors are very hesitant to give me a prescription large enough to handle the days of pain. I've been told they don't want me to mask the pain and ignore a serious problem. They don't use consistent reasons or even reasons that make sense.  

     There is one good doctor I've been able to see throughout this process, Dr. Silla. She was the ER doc when I was admitted in March. She is an endurance athlete herself, insightful and intelligent. She was on the phone with my specialist within minutes of me entering the ER. She took it seriously and believed that I was in pain. She was kind, warm and efficient. She was the best doctor I've ever seen in Okanogan County and I wish she could be the doctor that could give me my care during this process. She came in to speak to me once I was hospitalized and apologize for the other doctor's behavior, the one who turned me away, telling me I didn't want to be hospitalized as “There are sick people in there, people with the flu.” At the time, I was arguably as sick as anyone with the flu.

      The specialist I see at the University of Washington Medical Center is at least 6 hours away. I like to incorporate a run on the mountain pass any time I am making a trip over. Ras and I had decided to do a run to a place called Stiletto Peak before we left, but as we approached the trail head on the pass, the rain was coming down in sheets and had snow mixed in with it. Clouds hung low and thick fog obscured the surrounding peaks. We decided to continue past the Stiletto Peak trailhead and run along Ruby Creek instead, staying down in the lower elevations. We would certainly get wet on this trail as well, but we would be out of the colder temperatures and the wet snow.

     I love the Ruby Creek trail. The creek itself is loud and roaring. It tumbles over huge boulders and settles into serene pools as it makes it's way toward the confluence with Panther Creek where the trail begins. The trail drops down from the North Cascades Highway through a short series of switchbacks and then crosses the confluence of the two creeks on a strong bridge. After crossing the bridge, the Ruby Creek trail heads off to the east and the East Bank trail along Ross Lake heads off to the west. 

     The rain was falling softly now and the sun was trying to break through the clouds. The brush was very wet alongside the trail and I was immediately sopping. I didn't care though and the fresh damp air smelled good and I welcomed it as it brushed over my face. Huge maple leaves covered the trail in a thick blanket that hid slippery rocks and roots. The trail dipped and climbed along the bank of the creek, sometimes narrow, dropping off to the rushing creek below. I ran along easily, feeling joyful to be out. I felt like I could go forever, even though this run was only a 6.6 mile out n' back. I knew this trail yet it still held mysteries for me. I hadn't captured all of it's best viewpoints yet, or dipped my toes in the icy cold water at the point of the trail where it becomes level with the creek for a stretch. 

     A collapsed cabin, being overtaken by briers and moss, sits almost at the point where the trail meets up with the bridge at the turn around. This bridge leads to another trailhead parking lot and a couple of more cedar cabins, still standing. The trail straight ahead continues towards a steep climb into the high country of Jackita Ridge and the Devil's Dome Loop. I have done this loop several times and it is one I highly recommend. It is tough, but well worth every bit of effort it takes to complete. Last year it was the UltraPedestrian Wilderness Challenge course. I completed it with my adventure buddy Lisa Eversgerd and this is the blog I wrote about our trip.

     Ras and I turned around at the bridge to run the 3.3 mile return trip to the car. It felt so awesome to be out in this lush forest. Huge ferns lined the trail; large cedar, hemlock and fir trees towered overhead;  the musky smell of damp earth filled my nostrils and my mind was clear, relaxed and alert. Again I was filled with the desire to continue this run for hours and hours, knowing that it would soon be cut short. I looked forward to other runs I would do while on this visit to the “wet side” of the mountains. Living at 3,500 feet in a high mountain desert, I thrive on these opportunities to enjoy the coastal and western Cascade forests. Ras and I would be staying at my parent's home in the Anacortes area, just miles from Deception Pass and Ft. Ebey State Park trails. I have run races in both of these parks several times and have some familiarity with the trails. I was planning on getting some miles in these parks over the next few days.

     Back at the car, Ras and I changed into dry layers, got out some road trip snacks and continued on our way towards Anacortes. The next morning we would need to be in Seattle for my appointment by 8:45 AM. My parents were out of town, so we would be staying in their home. We wanted to get a few groceries on our way there and possibly purchase a new juicer. During my pancreatic pain, I have to stick to liquids and fresh squeezed juice is a healthy way to be able to do this and still take in some good nutrients. Lisa had lent me her juicer for a couple of weeks and Ras was enjoying using it as well. My favorite juice had been apple, carrot and ginger. Fred Meyer was our one stop shopping trip in Burlington as they have a really nice natural foods section and appliances. We got the less expensive juicer and as soon as we pulled it out in my parent's kitchen, we could see it would be inadequate. This was a bummer, but we would be able to exchange it the following day for the more burly model. 

     The specialist was thorough and easy to talk to. She decided I should have an MRI/MRCP of my pancreas and an ultrasound of my gall bladder to help determine the cause of the recurring pancreatitis. It was easy to get scheduled the very next day for these imagings, which was awesome as we had come so far for the appointment. Taking care of as much as I could while in the area was ideal. I am allergic to the contrast solution used for the MRI, so I had to get some prescriptions filled that would help prevent an allergic reaction from coming on. I had to take strong doses of Prednisone and Benedryl at intervals leading up to the test, as well as a relaxant to help with the claustrophobic feelings of the MRI machine. I had a blood draw at the hospital to check calcium and triglyceride levels as well.  

     Ras had a talk to give later in the evening at Seven Hills Running Shop about his unsupported Washington Pacific Crest Trail OKT. We also had plans to meet our daughter Angela for lunch. She is a senior at the University of Washington and it would be easy enough for her to meet us at the medical center when she was done with her morning class. She met us in the lab area and seemed more than ready to continue on to a more pleasant environment for our lunch date. I was going to have to stick with soup, so we decided on PCC, a market where we could do some shopping and each pick out whatever we wanted for lunch from their deli. This is somewhat of a tradition for our family when we visit Seattle anyway, so it worked out just fine. Our other, more indulgent tradition of vegan pizza from Pizza Pi, would have to wait for a different day. I enjoyed a delicious cup of split pea soup with lemongrass. Angela and I shared a yummy rosemary roll as well. We had lots of time to visit and it was so nice to spend time with my 22 year old college student daughter. She had just finished a math mid term, that she later learned she had gotten 92/100 as her score. I am so proud of her and I love that she is a product of homeschooling from 3rd-9th grade, mostly in an off-grid cabin in the woods along a creek.

     By the end of the next week, I was able to speak with my specialist regarding the cyst. She let me know that the pain was probably from the cyst, but the cyst itself might have been caused by pancreatitis. She didn't know. She wrote me a prescription for more pain meds and pancreatic enzymes. She instructed me to continue on the thickened liquid diet I'd already been on for about six weeks. I started taking the enzymes and within a couple of days, the pain had subsided greatly. I felt more like myself and ready to think about the future again.

     I continued with 30 mile weeks during all of the most painful times of this pancreatic bout. I suffered from pain for 6 weeks straight, the only time of relief was during the hospital stay. I began walking the hospital halls as soon as I was able. I continued with my 30 day Squat Challenge, even throwing in two sessions of 60 squats each while I was in the hospital.  I continued training for Baker Lake 100k Fat Ass (the Tofu Trot I would be running with Ras and Lisa) and the 18 mile anniversary run with Ras to celebrate our wedding anniversary. I kept all of these goals in mind. I continued my Fartlek Friday sessions, pushing through strong discomfort and blood sugar fluctuations while doing so.

     I got in a 5 hour run in Whistler Canyon in 20 degree and lower temps with Ras and Lisa, training for our Baker Lake run. This was the day when I noticed a definite turn around in the way I had been feeling. This was the day that I felt like I exited the pain cave. This was the day that I ended the run and had the familiar high feeling of the endorphin rush. I had run well on the final stretch of downhill and I it had felt like I still had my game. It felt amazing.

     I spent several other days with Lisa, going on runs in the high country of the Okanogan, followed by several hour sauna sessions in the little cedar structure she made herself. The sauna sits beside a creek and feels like a special spot that only exists in fairy tales. The saunas are always followed up by homemade vegan food that we share with each other and fresh squeezed juice or kombucha. We sip on healing, chilled herbal teas while sweating in the sauna, replacing the fluids lost in the process. Lisa makes herbal soaps with essential oils and the final time in the hot room is spent soaping up and rinsing off with the creek water, warmed just enough on the wood stove. These are the ways I heal from the intensity of a bout of pancreatitis and a five day stint in the hospital. 

     There are still big question marks in my life right now. My life has plans of it's own of which I am currently unaware. The house that Ras and I have been caretaking for five years is now on the market and we will have to move out soon. We are already looking for the next opportunity, the possibilities endless yet sometimes not seeming so. We have both been working temporary, seasonal jobs since we returned from thru-hiking the 800 mile Arizona Trail in the spring. It has allowed us to make ends meet, but not to set aside money. We want to return to the trail, to hike and run for 5,000 miles, covering a series of long distance trails in the months of spring, summer and autumn of 2015. This is my dream, the dream that I share with Ras. I must maintain my health in order for this to happen. We must find a place to live and store our belongings when we aren't on the trail. We must find a source of income and a way to fund our trip. Our three cats and two elderly dogs will need a well chosen care situation while we are out wandering. The solutions to these challenges will come with time, energy and effort. I choose to approach my life as if there are zero limits to my dreams and goals.

There are no barriers to my life. The gateways to wisdom and learning are always open, and more and more I am choosing to walk through them. Barriers, blocks, obstacles, and problems are personal teachers giving me the opportunity to move out of the past and into the Totality of Possibilities. I love stretching my mind, thinking of the highest good imaginable. As my mind can conceive of more good, the barriers and blocks dissolve.     Louise L. Hay

Trail Trot Terror

Trail Trot Terror:

My First 50 Miler, The Runner's Trots,
& The Acoustic Properties Of Port-o-lets

by Ras

WARNING: THIS IS AN ANECDOTE ABOUT GASTRO-INTESTINAL DISTRESS AND CONTAINS GRATUITOUS SCATOLOGICAL REFERENCES. IT HAS LITTLE OR NO REDEEMING VALUE AND IS PRESENTED FOR ENTERTAINMENT PURPOSES ONLY. IF YOU THINK YOU MAY BE OFFENDED BY THE EVENTS DESCRIBED HEREIN, PLEASE DO NOT READ THIS ARTICLE. 

     In April of 2011 I ran my first 50 mile race, the Mount Si Relay & Ultra Runs. It was another first for me in that it was also the first, and so far only, time that I have suffered any serious sort of gastro-intestinal distress during a race. Enough so that by the end of my tale you may think that the event being named the Mount Si Relay and "Ultra Runs" is not only apropos (apropoo?), but, perhaps, a bit too on the nose.

     Rest assured: I did not accidentally become the Tim Sylvia of ultrarunning. Nor did I suffer a wardrobe/biological malfunction of such memetic magnitude as is pictured below (fictitiously, thanks to Redditor totalitarian_jesus). But I did suffer a widely shared, if not archetypal, experience among endurance runners, commonly referred to as the "runner's trots." Despite the humorous euphemism, this is a genuine biological phenomenon.

     In addition to being my first 50 mile race, Mount Si was only my third ultramarathon. And at that point in my life, it would be the farthest I had ever traveled by foot in a single push. I was new and still learning. (Now I'm less new and still learning.) I had not yet begun any of the fueling experiments that I now find so fascinating. In fact, I can't recall exactly what I was eating during ultras at the time. If I had to hazard a guess, I would say this was during my bulk refillable gels, Perpetuem, and Vespa phase. But I really didn't know what I was about when it came to fueling.

     On the morning of the race everything seemed fine. I remember seeing a restroom or two along the course early in and thinking that I didn't need to use one, but it was good to know they were there. Then I didn't see any for a while. Then my intestines started rumbling. Then they started feeling loose. Then I started to worry.

     I had to find a restroom or a Sani-can. I had needs that could not be taken care of behind a tree. And much of this course was suburban gravel trail, not at all conducive to well timed moments of privacy. So I found myself running from one aide station to the next hoping against hope that I would happen upon appropriate facilities before things turned ugly. I was essentially performing a continuous kegel exercise the entire time, as I ran on, clinging to the hope that I would happen upon a Port-o-let in time.

     I passed desperate miles wherein I would occasionally have to stop and walk in order to maintain control of the shituation. Finally, a little more than halfway through the race, I sighted an aide station ahead, with a Honey Bucket front and center. I beelined with a puckered behind, making one last desperate push to quickly cover the ground between me and my Sani-can salvation. A few other runners were just heading out of the station as I darted into the porta-potty, assumed the position, and, to use the Pirate vernacular, I let 'er rip. And this is where the shame began.

     The layout of the aide station was such that you first came up to the drop bags, on the left side of the trail, and the Honey Buckets across from them, off to the right side of the trail. The actual 'aide' part of the aide station was another 50 feet further along the trail. Unfortunately, 50 feet was no where near far enough to give me the privacy I needed, much to my chagrin and that of the poor, beleaguered volunteers. 

     
     The initial blast emitted by my biological processes produced as much sound as anything else. Equal parts alpenhorn, tuba, and raspberry, the timbre, pitch, and tonal qualities of the noise I emitted were simultaneously concussive and ululating, albeit in a baritone register. I believe it was the low end properties of my performance that reverberated so resoundingly through the plastic walls of the porta-potty. I essentially turned it into the soundbox of an unholy instrument comprised of the eliminatory end of my digestive tract amplified through a six foot tall molded polyethylene elongated cube.

     Although I was inside this aural camera obscura, as it were, I had immediate input from those outside as to how well the sound had carried and how horribly its import had been conveyed. This information took the form of a distraught cry of, "Oh, God!" from one of the aforementioned volunteers innocently manning the aide station some 50 feet away. There was no question; no ambiguity. They knew that whoever was in the Port-o-let had been either the victim or the perpetrator of something horrifically uncouth.

     After I finished taking care of business I felt great. I had done what needed doing, the storm in my innards had passed, and I was ready to get running again, except for a Damoclean sword of shame poised above my head, suspended by a single frail hair of anonymity. I was trapped in Schrodinger's Cat Box. As soon as I was observed I would die of embarrassment. So I waited.

     Although I doubted I could completely avoid being seen exiting the Sani-can,I had two possible means by which I could potentially, if you'll pardon the contextually unappealing visual, muddy the waters. Plan A was to wait until I heard other runners stopping at their drop bags across from me, dart out amongst them, and feign as though I had been with them all along and had no connection to the unseemly events which had played out so recently in yon porta-potty. Plan B was simply to wait so long before making my egress that the volunteers would presume I was an unconnected third party who had come along to make use of the facilities after the fact, and that they had somehow failed to observe the exit of the perpetrator.

     As it turned out, I soon heard runners stop at the drop bags across from me and I made my move. Quick like a bunny, I burst forth explosively from my confines, and was lost among the other runners at their drop bags before the door could slam shut and the volunteers could look up and single me out. I finished at my drop bag and moved up to the aide table along with my new found peer group. I made a solid effort of conveying the sense that I was a serious runner, newly arrived, simply in need of water and a few calories, and in no way associated with the recent unpleasant goings on 50 feet away.

     From the friendly smiles I received and the manner in which the volunteers were unabashedly able to look me in the eye, I concluded my ruse had been successful. They failed to associate the man before them with the cacophony that had assaulted their senses only a few short minutes ago. I counted myself lucky to have made a clean getaway. And if they were just pretending not to know out of politeness, then that is a kindness for which I will forever be grateful.

     To this day, my face reddens in shame any time I call to mind that horrified cry of, "Oh, God!"