What's Your Word?

At the start of every new year, I decide on a new motivating mantra or word to guide me for the next 12 months. For Trail Sisters, I wrote about my two words for 2017. Enjoy!

This photo, taken atop McAfee's Knob on the AT by Hallie Hegemeier in 2010, perfectly captures my mantras of "Open" and "Listen" for 2017.

Dirty Mothers and Trail Sisters

I'm very excited to be a contributor to Trail Sisters, a new social media platform and very cool "community of women inspiring others to lead healthy lifestyles while adventuring outdoors and protecting Earth's playgrounds." I had been following this group on Instagram for the past few months, having stumbled upon some fantastic photos and interesting posts from a variety of women in the trail and ultra community. My first post is here and I will be continuing to write blog posts both here and on the Trail Sisters site. Enjoy!

Ten Years of Hellgate: Letting Go

Waving farewell at the finish. (photo: Michelle Andersen)

When I crossed the Hellgate 100K finish line for the tenth and final time on Saturday, I turned around and saluted the course. I had been bidding adieu for the past 16+ hours to every section, saying goodbye to an old friend for the last time. There were no tears and no regrets at the end, just a lot of gratitude for time spent together and the lessons learned. I had finished in my slowest time ever --16:24-- but was thrilled nonetheless. I had taken a calculated risk for this final ride, gambling that the warm 50 degree temps overnight and 70s during the day would not be an issue; I was wrong. After 42 miles of cruising comfortably near PR pace, on the hot grind up from Bearwallow Gap, the course once again reminded me who was in charge. And that's the way it should be.

 "We" first met when I was 43 and relatively new to the ultrarunning community, and over the next ten years my relationship with Hellgate grew from one of fear and dread to one filled with gratitude and respect. The fact that the race has been part of my birthday weekend each year added special meaning to the adventure: running from night into day, under full moons and in quiet forests, I was able reflect on my life, my choices, and the people I loved, and celebrate the gift of another year. It was the perfect birthday present.

But Hellgate is also a race. I honed my closing skills on the final six mile climb and descent from Blackhorse Gap more than once. I learned how to pace, to stay alert overnight, and to eat, to adjust when things went wrong, to suffer, to dig deep into the pain cave, to take risks, and to fail. I ran the course in deep leaves, snow, ice, cold hard rain, and hot, beating sun. I started out as a wide-eyed newbie and grew into a more patient, intelligent, and mindful ultrarunner under its watch.

Finishing with Annie. I hope to return the favor and pace her in one day. (Michelle Anderson)

I once called Hellgate "the final exam" because it came at the end of the racing season and demanded my full attention and preparation. One can try to dial it in at Hellgate, but that typically results in a huge smack-down. A successful finish requires patience, courage, and a sense of adventure. I have been lucky to have run the women's race with some of the greatest runners in our sport: Krissy Moehl, Amy Sproston, Bethany Patterson, Justine Morrison, Helen Lavin Scotch, Kathleen Cusick, Annette Bednosky, Rebekah Trittipoe, Kerry Owens, Donna Utakis, Sheryl Wheeler, Megan Stegemiller, Alexis Thomas, Vicki Kendall, Alyssa Godesky, Amy Albu, and Jenny Nichols are just a few women who have inspired me, pushed me, and made me better over the years. As I ran the last brutal miles  through the Forever section on Saturday paced by my good friend, training partner, and Crozet Running teammate Annie Stanley, I had fun showing her the landmarks to look for, just as Ryan Henry had shown me years before. The repetitive creeks, the pine tree grove, the final descent to the aid station. The shiny tops of the cars! We laughed at my bumbling and stumbling, took a selfie, shared our goals for the future. Breathed hard on the climbs. Exhaled on the descents. During those special miles with Annie, I felt like I was passing the baton to the next generation of courageous women who will take on Hellgate and be changed for the better. It felt just right.

As we neared the Day Creek aid station, we came upon my husband Rusty, who had biked from the finish to ride us in. I lingered and thanked the volunteers one last time. Most years I wouldn't have wasted any time to get in and out of Day Creek, but not on Saturday. I took it easy and savored the fact that I wasn't racing the clock. It was just me, Rusty, and Annie hiking up the mountain. The sun was setting, and there was a wonderful warm breeze blowing. I had never before taken the time or energy to lift my head to notice the incredible views on this climb. I made sure I did this time.

Cruising up to Blackhorse Gap one last time with Annie and Rusty

The greatest lesson of Hellgate for me? We are a family. We watch out for one another in the darkness and help each other find the trail. We share our fuel, our water, our gear. We set a good pace and help one another keep up. We spend our night and day crewing, volunteering, and supporting. We pace the last miles with good humor and patience. We cheer when our friends succeed, and share their pain when they are disappointed. We bond together, and are forever changed, on the Glenwood Horse Trail every year because David Horton, Charlie Hesse, and George Wortley decided to create an adventure called the Hellgate 100K. Thank you, gentlemen. Thank you so very, very much.

David and me at the finish line

My retrospective of Hellgate, 2005-2009 in video and photos. I'm so glad I took the time to capture these people and these views. Best viewed on a laptop.



Hellgate all-time results, reports, and top 10 age group times are here.

Good Times At The Sufferfest

I ran the VHTRC Women's Trail Half Marathon for the first time in 2002. I knew absolutely no one. I drove up from Charlottesville in the dark, after having found information on the race just a few months earlier thanks to the pull-out (paper) Trail Runner Magazine race calendar. The course was actually over 13 miles and a bit harder in those days. I won my 35-39 age group in 2:12:46, and absolutely loved everything about it ---the low-key vibe (I was coming off triathlons...), the friendly shouts of support between the runners on out and back sections, the great aid stations, the fun awards ceremony, and most especially, the inflatable water wings that I was given at the last aid station to wear for a prize (a gift cert for Montrail trail shoes). I immediately went home to learn more about this crazy, fun-loving group of runners via the club website. I was hooked -- on trail running, and on the VHTRC.

Just a few of the Charlottesville and Crozet gang before the start

 Fast forward 13 years: Thanks to the support and friendships gleaned from the VHTRC, I've run a few ultras, and have a few more WHMs under my belt. I was very excited that this year, 17 women from our little running mecca of Charlottesville/Albemarle were coming up for the fun, most of whom were new to trail running. They were headed to the right race: the WHM was created by Chris Scott in 1998 with the support of the VHTRC to encourage more women to run trails. It has a welcoming atmosphere for women of all fitness levels and experiences who are eager to try a longer distance or different terrain without the intimidation factor that can come with larger, coed races. I've often been asked by some of my male friends why women-only races are necessary, and I tell them that the WHM and the Charlottesville Women's Four Miler are excellent examples of events that encourage women and girls of all fitness levels to run a race where the emphasis is on participation and support instead of hardcore racing and splits (but let's be clear, the WHM has its share of hardcore racers...I am one!). At a time when women  are still in the minority in trail and ultra races, an all-women's trail race in 2015 is still as important for encouraging new female trail runners as it was in 1998.

This year I came into the race feeling healthy, fit, and ready for the heat after a solid training block for the Bighorn 50, and more recently for the Mountain Masochist 50. In past years, the heat and humidity have had their way with me, and my times on the newer 12+ mile course have fluctuated between 1:56:45 in 2006 to 2:01:34 in 2012. I was hoping to break 2:00 this year, and was confident that the weeks of hill repeats and tempo runs, combined with long miles with the Dirty Mothers had set me up nicely for a faster time.

Crozet Running team mates and pals Michelle Andersen, Annie Stanley and Becca Weast before the start (pic by Aaron)

I even wore (ironically) the trucker hat that Gary Knipling had given me at Western States this past June. If the trucker couldn't get me swift times on this very Left Coast type of trail, then nothing would! We lined up for the start and traditional pre-race serenade of "Happy Trails to You" by the VHTRC Men's Chorus, a few tips from super RD Tracy Dahl (herself a road-to-trails convert after meeting hubby Keith Knipling), and then we were off for the "sufferfest," as I fondly call the race. Woop!

I asked photographer Aaron Schwartzbard if he thought I could break 2:00 from here. He said, "Ummm...yeah!"

 The trail is very fast and runnable, with a few short, steep climbs in the first 7 miles and longer grinding climbs in the last 4. Annie went ahead and Becca settled right behind me, and we made good time through the Do Loop with the rest of the top-10 women. I passed two women in the Do Loop ---channeling my weekly Man Maker hill repeats-- and then another in the last few miles. I came into the aid station at Fountainhead with about 1:00 elapsed and headed out for the last 4 miles on a mission. This section is where the runners can see one another on the out and back, and it also has Team Gaylord's fabulous aid station with a Mexican theme (and special Mexican Fun 'Punch"). Despite getting heckled for not stopping to taste the punch, I made good time back to the finish and hoped a sub-2:00 was in the bag by the last mile to go. It was only in the final 100 yards when I realized I would also get a PR, and when I saw the clock at the finish, I was ecstatic to see a time of 1:55:34!

It was a great day for everyone. Annie finished her first WHM on the podium with a third place 1:50, and Becca was right behind me for a PR of 1:57. Michelle ran a 20-minute PR of 2:06, and we had a blast cheering on all the other ladies as they finished. Heather Clark, a road runner and relative newcomer to the trails from Crozet, summed up the day perfectly with her Facebook post of the top-10 things she loved about the WHM (yep...laughing about #8!):

1. Packet pickup was a manner of minutes
2. Potty line - ummm none
3. Pre-race serenade
4. Shaded course with beautiful views
5. Hiking with purpose is encouraged
6. Cheers from everyone on the course
7. Sharing fuel / water with runners struggling
8. Hanging out with Elite Runners - Annie, Sophie and Michelle
9. Being with an incredible group of "Dirty" women
10. Smoothies - enough said

Are women's-only races still relevant? After reading this and talking to our friends after the race, I offer a resounding YES. Nothing beats being able to shed our other roles of wife, partner, and/or mother for a run in the woods with like-minded women and friends cheering us on from both sides of the trail, and to experience that feeling of satisfaction upon completing a goal that months ago seemed out of reach. Of course coed races offer a similar experience, but the vibe is different. And, if a women's-only race increases the numbers of women running on trails and roads, that's enough for me!

Thank you Chris Scott, the leadership of the VHTRC, and all the previous WHM race directors for your vision and for nurturing this event for the past 23 years, and especially to RD Tracy Dahl and this year's amazing volunteers for making the WHM a classic VHTRC event. Club members of all generations and genders were marking trail, manning aid stations, taking photos, recording results, making smoothies and cheering runners: the very best of what makes the VHTRC so special.

Super RD Tracy Dahl awards Michelle Andersen her age group prize: homemade granola

 Long live the VHTRC Women's Trail Half Marathon!

 2015 Results, Photos and more are here .