The first race of the year is tomorrow Sat. Jan. 8th. Bridal Trails Winter Running Festival 50k. Last year I came in 2nd, tying with Daniel Probst because he kept me company the whole time and had the brightest head lamp ever. Last year's time is still my 50k pr 4:13:34. For the uninitiated, Bridal Trails is a horse path in a forrest in Redmond, a suburb of Seattle. The race is a loop course, 5.2 miles per loop on super soupy, muddy, slippery horse trails. The beauty is that it starts at 3:00ish in the afternoon which means the first loop or two are at dusk, the last four are in the inky blackness. One aid station, many runners, lots of fun. Bridal Trails was my first trail race when Allen Skytta roped me into being part of a 50k relay team. I was training for Boston Marathon and found myself running wild through the trees in the mud in the dark having a blast. That was my first trail run and my last Boston.
I have added a logo to my blog for Udo's Oil "Oil the Machine". This is because I love the stuff. Last year at Chuckanut 50k, the prize for winning the masters race was a big bottle of Udo's Oil 369. I brought it home and decided to give it a try. I added Udo's Oil to my post run recovery regiment and found it worked really good with making my body happy. I am no scientist and haven't the time to break down everything to the calorie or carb, I go by what works for ME as an individual. I found mixing Udo's with a protein powder and So Delicious coconut drink, mixing it, then gulping it down post run made and still makes me really happy. Then I ran out. Then I ran Hardrock. I came back from Colorado sooo depleted I needed to find something to fill the 100 mile void. I ran/drove down to the store and bought another big bottle of Udo's 369. Mentally and physically it made me feel more recovered. I talked to Udo's about a possible sponsorship because I believe in their product so much. They said they would think about it and then they sent me a 3 bottle care package which I've whittled down to 1.25 bottles by now. Udo's is a major sponsor for Chuckanut 50k. I am working with Krissy on the food for the race and how to incorporate some Udo's into the menu. If they sponsor me or not, I'll still use the 369 and I'm even more motivated to retain my master's title so I can win another bottle.
