I couldn’t have asked for a better trail race debut. The Gnarly Bear was indeed - gnarly - but totally worth it. All the runners were treated so well that I'm definitely coming back for more next year (although I don't know if I'll be able to beat my time from today). The weather was amazing for this late in the season and the trails at Kelly Canyon beat EVERY other trail I’ve been on. To top it off, the views from the peaks were breathtaking.

I know this sounds weird, but my only goal for today’s race was to not walk (aside from stopping to refill my handheld at aid stations). Everyone who ran today knows it’s pretty much impossible to run up the Face (i.e. black diamond in ski terms) at Kelly Canyon without walking, but I did it. I didn’t walk once. The entire 25 kilometers. With 3,000 feet vertical elevation gain. It took me 15 minutes to run my 9^th mile straight uphill - but I didn’t walk.

So now that I have some experience under my belt I can offer some advice for other aspiring trail runners.

1. Pace yourself. I know it seems hard to find a pace with constantly changing elevation, but it’s not about speed, it’s about effort. If you feel you are overexerting yourself early on in the race (regardless of how fast or slow your pace is), you will be road kill by the end J So slow up - you know the story of the tortoise and the hare. Well, I felt like the tortoise at the beginning but I remembered that slow and steady wins the race, and that's what happened.
2.  Fuel properly, early on, and regularly. Don’t skimp and wait for aid stations. Bring what you need along with you. I found the perfect gel that worked for me – Huma – and I packed what I needed in my handheld along with water. I had a gel every 30 minutes per advice from Pat Bragassa, and I didn’t hit the wall like other runners.
3. Train ahead of time. Don’t go out and do a trail race cold turkey. You’ve got to practice running the same distance and/or estimated finish time. And you’ve got to get some experience on the trails too. The only thing that kept me alive the last half of the race was the fact that I knew what to expect because I had practiced on it before.
4. Enjoy your time on the trails. It’s all about fun, enjoying the views, and destressing. Stop and chat with people you pass (or people that pass you), cheer other runners on, and keep yourself pumped. Two weeks ago I when I practiced on the trails I was having so much fun enjoying the scenery and chatting with a running buddy that we took a wrong turn. But it was worth it because we got to see a moose and her baby (at a safe distance, of course). Were we bummed we took the wrong way? Of course not! Because we were having fun and enjoying nature in its fullest.
5. Set a goal and see it fulfilled. Whether it be to make a new PR, have more fun, fuel better, or like me - not walk, etc...
6. So who's in it with me next year?

My kids playing in a lake to get a break from the stroller (and yes, I packed a change of clothes and extra diapers)

As a mother of two, numerous people have asked me how I’ve managed to fit in exercise time each day. I’ll share a few of the things I’ve implemented over the past few years that seem to work.

1. Schedule your exercise time at the beginning of each week. Plan with your family so that they know what to expect, how long you’ll be gone, if you are bringing the kids along in the stroller, and where you’re running (in case of bad weather or an emergency they can come pick you up).
2. Get a babysitter on your hard days. For example, I have a scheduled, permanent babysitter two days each week (same time, same days). Every other day of the week I push the kids in the stroller.
3. Prepare for anything to happen. I bring everything imaginable with me on a run: snacks, snacks, snacks, diapers, wipes, extra clothes, coats, hats, gloves, blankets, water bottles (for myself and the kids), and the weather shield for the stroller. I figure that my kids weigh 60 pounds together, plus the stroller weighs about 40 pounds, so what difference will an extra 10 pounds of weight make? It’s better to be over prepared than to have hungry, cold, or fussy kids.
4. Stop and have fun. When I go running with my kids I try to go places where I can let them take small breaks to get out and play. Sometimes we’ll stop at a playground, other times we’ll pass a lake and I will let them get out and play in the water, or we’ll go to Great Harvest for free slices of their delicious bread.
5. Plan for multiple routes. I realize that with kids anything can happen. So when I go running with them I plan to go the bare minimum – 3 miles. But if they are doing okay at three miles, I’ll go another two miles, or four, or 6, etc…
6. Run when your kids are happy. That is most often accomplished if they have full tummies. A hungry kid is a grumpy kid.
7. Or go running when your kids are sleepy. Sometimes the easiest way to put kids down for their nap is pushing them in the stroller. That way they’ll sleep the entire time and you can go as far as you want.
8. Fuel yourself. Take good care of your body before, during, and after your run. Eat a healthy meal or snack 2 hours prior. Bring energy foods with you on your run and consume them as often as prescribed. And don’t forget to refuel when you are done. It’s hard enough trying to run by yourself on an empty stomach, but it’s even more difficult when you add a stroller and two kids in front of you. You’ll be better off to take care of your kids if you also take care of yourself.
9. Have fun too. Make sure you laugh and smile the whole way. I will often sing songs with my kids, point out things in nature, tell them jokes, and just have random conversations with them.
10. Remember, you are not supermom. It’s okay to stop and walk. If you try pushing your kids in the stroller for the first time and you work yourself too hard, it’s easy to get burnt out fast. Go easy and slow to begin with. You’ll eventually find you can go farther and faster the longer you keep it up. Even I stop and walk occasionally (did I just admit that?).
11. Give your kids more outside time than what they get in the stroller. If they enjoy playing outside, they’ll like being in the stroller. If you kids are indoors all day long, getting in the stroller might not be appealing to them. My kids probably spend a combined total of 5 hours outside each day, and they love the stroller because it means spending even more time outside.
12. Getting in a hard workout with the kids: Some days it’s hard to find a babysitter so you have to bring the kids with you. I have found when this happens it’s best to go somewhere my kids can run around in a contained area while I closely supervise them. Fenced in tracks are great locations – bring toys along for the kids to play with in the jumping pit (they love sand). You’ll be guaranteed at least 30 minutes of an uninterrupted workout.
13. Want to get in a strength workout too? In my mind, pushing kids in the stroller is somewhat of a strength workout. But that doesn’t cut it if you want to tone all your muscles. So I’ve done some internet searching for good core, leg, and arm exercises that I can do right in my home (free and cheap). I have found the best place to do those workouts are in my kids play room. That way they can play while I get in my strength conditioning. All it takes is 20 minutes every other day.
14. Start now and don’t quit! If you want to be in good physical condition when you are older, now is the time to start. Don’t come up with excuses. Don’t wait until tomorrow to exercise, do it today. I’ve told several people that I want to be able to run with my grandkids when they are in middle school and high school. I know that’s really far down the road of life, and I’ll be much slower than I am today, but I want my posterity to see the importance of a healthy lifestyle through my example.