WR50 REVIEW!

Finally, right?

So Mike and I left for Crystal Mountain Resort early Friday before the race and seriously, I have never been to a cuter hotel in my life. I know, I have been to Leavenworth and what could be cuter, but seriously, this was it. Quiant. Scenic. Tiny! When I walked into this room, I couldnt help but laugh. To our right was a sofa, behind the door was the sink, behind the sink was our bathroom - shower and toilet, next to the sofa was an end table, then an armoire, then a folding chair (folded) and the window. About 12 inches from the armoire is the foot of the full size bed and 1 night stand. Yep. No room for the second night stand... It was so tiny. Lovely room though. Lacked a TV, but oh well, it was really nice. The restaurant at the hotel was lovely, and wow, you are in a valley between these GIANT mountains. Skiiers love it, obviously, but there is no snow, so the place is pretty dead.

Fast forward - Pasta dinner - we eat with Chandler, he is pretty cool, has a sense of humor I can appreciate. Then after wondering around and reading in the room while Michael wonders around, we run into Allen and his girlfriend Tonya. We chat a while and then I am all for the chocolate cake. We ran into someone Mikey knows from Sunday SRC runs and meet his friend from PA who needs a ride to the start/finish. We agree to meet him in front of the hotel early the next AM and head to bed.

So now Mike, Adam and I are heading the start/finish area and it is packed! We run into John Berta who asks me to take his second water bottle and give it to him later, this race was well organized, lots of aid station and the weather was not unbearable at 6am so he didnt need to double fist. I also find a lone spectator named Jessica who is there supporting her friend Tom. I offer to let her ride with me to the next aid station at Camp Sheppard, which is a few miles down the road and then to the Corral Pass Aid Station - which I had been to on the training run, but was crew - not advised. She came along and I was grateful for the company because Chris wouldnt be joining me until Buck Creek at mile 27.

I am happy to fill Jessica in on the fun part of this kind of spectating, you actually have a role, she would soon see! I cheer Michael Sanders, Brian Morrison and a few other runners that I am familiar with in the lead pack and then Mike and I make the water bottle exchange at Camp Sheppard and I also make an exchange with John Berta... We wait for Tom and he just blows by us, it is only mile 3.whatever at that point. They havent even found the hard part yet.

Jessica and I haul up to Corral Pass and I am telling her on the way up that this is supposed to be a very scenic area and wouldnt you know, we got up so fast, we actually adventured out of the aid station (no runners had come in yet) and we do indeed find that this is quite possibly the most gorgeous place in the entire area! What an unbelievable few of Mt. Rainier on a perfect sunny morning. I am also telling Jessica about the pictures that Glen takes of the runners when we round a hill on the trail to run right into Glen! Weird luck. We turn around because we have heard that runners should be coming through very soon. I have all of my Mike-gear in the stuff sacks and I am waiting and waiting. I again trade bottles with John Berta and finally he comes out of the trees and into the aid station - asking for his other water bottle strap. What the heck? Double fisting was so not in the plan! The other water bottle strap is in the freaking car a good 500 yards down the road. I start to run and when I am running back from the car (very winded) he is walking toward me. JERK! I didnt run so you could follow me, I ran to get you back on the course ASAP! He tells me he needed a minute with me, the climb up to Corral Pass was not pleasant for him. This gave me a little bit of cause for concern and when he left, no only was I upset that I didnt have the stuff he needed when he wanted it, but that he was not having the race he wanted to have and I wasted some of his valuable time... I got emotional, so silly and so embarassing, but I pulled myself together in time to see Chandler, Owen, Allen, Gwen and Tom come through and help them get on their way... It was very good to actually see them, help them and get back down to Buck Creek.

Chris was waiting at Buck Creek and we headed to the aid station, much to my dismay, John Berta made it through that aid station without trading bottles with me... I felt back and I was pissed at myself that I didnt get there in time to get him his fresh bottle. Its taking forever and ever for Michael to come through and when he finally does, he seems to have found his groove again and my concern about his rhythm and pace were abated. Soon Chandler came through and decided to call it a day because his knee was giving him hell. I felt really bad :( soon again, Owen and Allen came through and then Tom, who was hopped up on something hilarious he was just so full of energy! We headed to the next aidstation, which was right before the Skookum Flats, we would not have access to the Sun Top aid station under the threat that our runner could be DQ'd for even going up the road... I completely understand.

We were there waiting and waiting and finally we see the lead pack coming down. John Berta was right up in the front of the pack, he ended up taking 6th! What a great showing! Its taking forever and ever for Michael to come down and finally, he is fully charged and moving. I am so proud and we hurry back to the Buck Creek Start/Finish area because I will not miss his finish... Jessica will wait for Tom because she now has Tom's car.

Mike took forever covering the Skookum Flats and I am now pacing and stressing because he is not meeting his time goal and he is not going to be happy, but thanks to Chris and Devin, we have already determined that Mike is just setting his PR-establishing the bar to meet and beat next time. Finally, he rolls in at 8:44, I didnt cry like I did before, but there he is, finishing his first 50 miler! Soon after, Allen comes through and I am happy to see him too - he and Chandler are tied for my second favorite runners and he tells me "After the aid station, I realized I forgot to thank you, then at the next aid station, I forgot to thank you again, so THANK YOU!" And I got a hug. I am such a sucker for hugs. Thanks, Allen, made my day!

So Mike's next race is the "Return to the Scene of the Crime" - his first Ultra was Cle Elum Ridge 50K last year... and this year we are going back. Chandler and Allen will be there too and if they need me, I will be at the aid stations waiting for them. (Of course, there is only two at Cle Elum Ridge that I can access... but I will be there!) Yay for almost 5 weeks later, still having the recollection to do a review. I promise, Mike, Cle Elum Ridge will be reviewed sooner...

White River Weekend

Its time for the main event of the Race Season... in this corner, Michael Havrda hailing from Kenmore, Wa, weighing in at some pounds, he is a long distance, down hill specialist with a passion for Gu, Nuun and single track running and in this corner, White River 50, hailing from Crystal Mt., Wa weighing in at a hefty 50 miles round trip with grueling down hills and rolling, rambling up hills that will try to defeat your spirit. [Picture this in a Bruce Buffer voice...]

It is time, less than 48 hours from now Michael will be off and running at White River. He is excited for pizza. Yes. Most excited for PIZZA. I am excited for the race, I am excited to pack around his stuff and keep him moving at aid stations. I am excited to have Chris join me halfway through the race. I am super jazzed about the event and I will provide my detailed account again after the race.

Good Luck Michael!

Sunburn = Die of Cancer?!

So yeah, I got sunburned at the second White River preview run and it was totally my fault and it was pretty fierce. My forehead is STILL red... my arms, still red. I bought some SPF 30 sunscreen for my face and SPF 50 spray for the real deal coming up in less than a week. Every sunburn brings me closer to having some dermatologist hole punching moles and freckles out of my body for byopsy and I want none of that, I have seen Zach's scar and I prefer myself unscarred.

Every thing is settled for WR50 in less than 10 days! I have confirmed doggy-bear boarding and I have Friday off so that we can get moving at our own leisurely pace the day before the race. I have also forbidden Michael from taking me to school on Thursday night. I am still saying he cant come on Tuesday but he is arguing... I will see how well we are doing with getting to bed on time on the non-school nights before I sneak out of the house and drive myself to school. :)

Our usually school night tradition is that I will go to Business Calculus Marathon on Tues-Thurs (6-9:45pm) and Michael will hit Cougar Mountain to keep himself from getting bored at St. Edwards. Then he can also go to the gym. I dont get out of class early, expect maybe 15 minutes, so Michael and I dont get into bed until probably 10:30 or later. Usually later because I forget to take my iron and cant lay down (what is that about anyway?!) I am very excited about White River, I have new letters to add to my Team-Havrda shirt, including adding my name to the back... I got the letters on discount at Hancock fabric, yay, cheap stuff!

Peanut Butter & Honey Sammiches on a Mtn!

Happy Fourth of July! I am late, but oh, well!

My 4th was uneventful, I did laundry, tried to sleep while stupid people shot off dumb fireworks. On Saturday I went with Michael to Mt. Si so that he could run up and down it. Its as enjoyable as you would think, except I sleep, which makes it quite wonderful! That area of town is nice though and its an OK drive. We didnt leave as early as we would have liked, so the trail was pretty crowded.

On Sunday, Michael and I went down to the White River race course where Seattle Running Company was holding a course preview run. I was the only person other than the race director from SRC (Scott) who was not running. I followed Scott around like a lost puppy, because the alternative was sleeping or reading. After we went to meet the runners to make sure they made it onto the course, we drove back to Greenwater and then up to Suntop to where Scott was setting up the aid station. The road was a bit bumpy but I had a really great time driving up it... I am beginning to like driving the Toaster on the Forrest Roads. We drove into the mist, which is always interesting.

Scott offered to let me make 15 peanut butter and honey sammiches for the aid station and I happily accepted because yes, I am that kind of person. Once the runners started arriving I tried to help them - fill their bottles, get them running in the right direction, etc. Michael came along close-ish to the front of the back, dirty with skinned up thighs... he apparently "superman'd" while running. He was pretty okay, just a bit sore.

After seeing most everyone come through the aid station, I went back to the start/finish area and waited for Michael. I saw Brian Morrison finish, so I started mixing Michael's after-race drink and I waited for him at the end of the trail. Its a funny thing, runners, they seem to find it beneficial to sit in freezing cold water, so Brian and a few others disappeared to the river, which is fed by glaciers, to soak out the soreness. When Michael arrived, Brian had finished and suggested Michael head down to soak himself... We wondered that way and Michael settled in for 5 minutes. I didnt walk down to the river to spend 5 minutes there, so I told him to say for 10. No sense wasting the effort to get there!

I had a great time. I like to spend time with Michael that way because he loves to run and I like to take care of him.

Five Years - Still Just as Happy! (Maybe More!)

Yesterday was the 5 year annivesary of the first time that Michael and I met. We are happy and in love and getting our lives moving in the right direction together. We werent off track before - just doing the twenty-something thing of enjoying life and we werent balancing everything equally like we are now. We have overcome great obstacles in our lives to find happiness together and our strength, love and loyalty to each other is only growing stronger.

Michael and I have found so much happiness and comfort in each other and we genuinely support one another in our interests and our trials. I take great joy in being the Crew Chief while he is running and I am very happy to take care of his needs as he records mile after mile. I also get a rush from trying to make sure I am always on top of his needs, that I am fully prepared so that his "pit stops" at the aid stations are seamless. I am a "planner" by nature and so is Michael, we could drive each other crazy with the list making and double checking, but since its an affliction we both share, its okay.

Yesterday, I made pasta and we played soccer. I am feeling it in my left leg today, but its okay, a little Advil and I will be just fine. We are 38 days from White River 50 Miler (WR50) and so we are abstaining from fast food and eating out, partially because I have a quarter of tuition to pay (yes, I have one more pre-requisite before going to UWB, sucks!) and we have to get a hotel room and board puppy-steins over night and the other may reason is because we must keep on the health eating track to make sure that Michael is as fueled and ready to go as possible on July 26th!