Archive for the ‘Running’ Category

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Running – Federal Cup 5K Race – TRICARE TRI-UMPHANTS Win (again…!)

Saturday, May 19th, 2012

2012 Federal Cup 5K Race Champions
TRICARE TRI-UMPHANTS Win Federal Cup 5K Race (Picture Courtesy of Greg)

The day after climbing Swanson’s Arete, I competed in the 2012 Federal Cup 5K Race. It’s an annual event, with participation from various federal agencies in Denver. TRICARE TRI-UMPHANTS are the reigning champs, so I was excited to be part of the team in defense of our title.

I was pretty worn out from climbing the stairs up the side of the Redgarden formation, so I wasn’t expecting to win (like I did last year!). I ended up getting 7th place out of 105 women and 2nd place out of the 33 women in my age category, with a time of 22:55 (7:23 min/mile pace). Not too shabby, but definitely short of my goal (under 22 minutes).

The crux of the race was the incessant rain. My poneytail was totally soaked and it kept thwapping me in the face, which wasn’t all that pleasant! However, I felt very comfortable running in the cold. It was a nice contrast to the heat from the year prior. All in all a superb event and I’m glad I ran.

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Trail Running – CMC Doudy Draw and South Mesa Trails

Saturday, March 17th, 2012

In the month of March, I led two fantastic trail runs for the Colorado Mountain Club. Trail running trips were a totally new option for the CMC Boulder Group! I had to write guidelines and get them approved before I could take victims (I mean participants!) out on the trails.

CMC Trail Runners Near Mesa Trail
March 3, 2012 Wayne, Susan, Dough (back row), Clare and Daniel in front row. Great day for a run!

The first run was on the South Mesa Trail at the base of the flatirons, just south of Boulder, CO. We had a small but intrepid group. The wind was fierce, but we all still had a great time.

St Patrick's Day Run
March 17, 2012 Dan & Joan, Dennis & Clare, and Doug about to have a great run!

The second run was up the Doudy Draw, at the mouth of Eldorado Canyon. I really like the Doudy Draw trail because it starts out steep, but as you climb up the draw, the views open up and the way back is a scream!

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Day Hike – White Rock La Madre Springs Loop, Red Rocks, Nevada

Saturday, January 14th, 2012

Start of White Rock La Madre Springs Loop Hike

I had been meaning to take my annual trip to Vegas, but time was never right. Finally, I decided, I better just make it happen. Although climbing was not to be the main event, this trip! One of my best bud’s, Rachel, is pregnant so I wanted to spend some quality time with her before the little one arrived.

So, instead of climbing, we decided to go for a lovely loop hike at Red Rocks. The White Rock La Madre Springs loop hike is a wonderful way to spend a couple of hours! In VFFs, it’s even more fun. Rachel, our friend Erin (also a climber), and I enjoyed an unseasonably warm and windless desert December day.

Erin is getting married soon, so there was also much talk of her wedding plans. What a girrrly hike we had, it was full of delightful discussion-babies and weddings galore! (more…)

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The Fig Adventure Race

Saturday, November 5th, 2011


On Saturday, I woke up at 4:45am Eastern Standard time.

Barry and I ate a simple breakfast while Ann and Jane cooked up eggs & more. At this hour, I just shove food down the hatch and hope it stays down! I can’t eat anything complicated-a little rice or a banana is sufficient.

Ann’s other drove us the 30 minutes to the race start, thank goodness! We were all much too groggy & pre-occupied with last minute race preparations.

Big Bone Lick State Park Rangers
Overall, I was very happy we worked so smoothly as a team. The hurdles we encountered were mostly caused by our lack of experience and I believe we were all very proud that we finished. It is definitely a challenging and serious undertaking to do the Fig!

Jane & Ann Study the Map Barry - One Tough Kayaker Ann, Our Expert Navigator Team Gets Checkpoint #5
We found out later that one team capsized in the river and became hypothermic, one gal broke her nose when she went over her handle bars, and one team did not finish because they got lost and had to walk back to an aid station-following railroad tracks.

Barry did crash his bicycle, but thank goodness he was okay enough to make it the last couple of miles to the finish. He’s one tough dude, that’s for sure!

Clare Kayaking on the Kentucky River
Thanks to my companions: Ann, Jane, and Barry. I will look back at my first Adventure Race with fond memories. Wobbly bacon, the repeated offerings of warm gloves, kayaking advice & help on the river, and the frequent stops to make our “bladders gladder”! What an amazing day!

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Running – Deadwood Mickelson Trail Marathon, South Dakota

Sunday, June 5th, 2011


After training for 6 months, I ran my first Marathon. The Deadwood Mickelson Trail Marathon in Deadwood, South Dakota. It was a proud day for me. What made it the best was Dennis. My loving hubby was at every possible aid station cheering me on, and it was really awesome. At times, I was really feeling the race and having mental problems, but knowing he was there really kept my spirits up.

Deadwood, South Dakota is a wonderful little town nestled among the mountains. It has a lot of grit and is an old miner town. The marathon event was planned to a tee and the community really makes racers feel welcome! There were aid stations every few miles with bananas, apples, m&ms, pretzels, and bagels pieces. There was also goo, electrolyte drink, and lots of cool water.

For a carb load up, the night before, I would recommend eating at Roma’s Ristorante. It’s about 20 minutes drive from Deadwood, but it’s worth the drive!

The biggest challenge with this marathon was at mile 9, I had an encounter with a very mean woman from Texas. She accused me of drafting off of her. We were running uphill with very little/no wind at probably a 9.5 min/mile pace. In other words we were both going…slow! How assinine!

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