Trail and Ultra Life

Packing for a Toddler With Special Needs (Originally Posted on AllWomenAllTrails.com)

The packing has begun!

Normally I wouldn’t even start until a week or two out but with a toddler that’s different. With a toddler with special needs it’s extra different. Then there’s that vacation before the vacation (HEY look! I’ll get a vacation from my vacation haha).

The guest room is currently acting as a staging area for gear layouts.

Clothing layouts are being done, taking a picture to remember, and put away. After all I still need those clothes between now and then.

Working on first aid kit (don’t forget the pup)

Food..well that’s complicated. I have an idea of what I’m bringing, most of which is set aside I packed in a grocery bag. But toddlers are picky eaters. I have a feeling some of his food needs will change between now and then, therefore requiring a last minute grocery trip to get more goldfish (because #dontforgetthegoldfish ) and some other new snack he’s become fascinated with. I also have to consider his drink needs and that he doesn’t do well on just water or electrolyte drinks. He needs milk of some sort. This part I’ve decided to just deal with. They make his favorite almond milk in single serve boxes – so even though it will suck to carry I will bring 1 per day. He also LOVES chocolate milk and requires probiotics and digestive enzymes daily. Bonus my favorite “recovery” drink is essentially all this in powdered form just add water. Even tastes like chocolate milk and his pediatrician and dietician have both said it’s completely fine for him to have (Thank you Skratch Labs !)

So the other part… the hard part… what do I bring for him? I’m not talking about clothes or food or basic gear, I mean to help with his special needs. My son is autistic. He has a history of self harm – should I bring his helmet which will be awkward to carry, hot to wear, and he’s never worn on the trail before- eh probably not but I’ve thought about it, especially when there’s a meltdown mid hike. Or the weighted blanket he loves – helps him sleep, relatively small, but weighs five pounds all by itself – again maybe not, that’s the weight of my pack and sleeping set combined. What about a chewy, a special ‘toy’ specifically designed for chewing on – DEFINITELY – we have carried one on every hike and he uses it almost every time and it weighs basically nothing. A blanket to cuddle – of course I mean a small blanket isn’t much, he’s only 23 months when we go, plus there will definitely be chilly nights- why did I even query this one?

tart of gear layouts day 1….lots more sitting there now.

The list goes on. And I haven’t even touched on sorting out diapers. We cloth diaper. Which has actually made so many things including hiking better, but I still haven’t quite nailed down how many to bring (I’ll wash daily).

Definitely coming together but time to step it up and sort out the rest of the kinks.

Last major hike before leaving on our pre backpacking vacation.

Facing Fears… Again (Originally Posted on AllWomenAllTrails.com)

Anyone who knows anything about fires, especially in the Rocky Mountains, has heard of the Hayman Fire.

June 8, 2002 the fire was started due to negligence by none other than a ranger. It burned 138,114 acres and there were 6 fatalities, making it the largest fire in Colorado’s history still to this day. I was 8 years old and remember it vividly. Many of my friends were evacuated. My family built houses extremely near the fire. Even “in town” the smoke dropped ashes.

Burn severity map of the Hayman Fire of 2002.

I’ve visited the area several times of the course of the last 17 years since the fire blazed. The last time I multi-day tripped through Lost Creek Wilderness I was in part of the burn area. It’s the driest area of an entire wilderness that is mostly full of water. Last time I was there was 14 years after the fire and the new trees were only 3-4 feet tall.

Take that in for a minute. At elevation, AFTER FOURTEEN YEARS, trees are only a few feet tall!

The looming storm. This photo was taken around 9:30 am which is extremely early in the day for storms to roll in in Colorado.

The burn area is still full of many of the trees that burned. Many have fallen in storms, many remain standing dead as lighting rods. The only other thing in the area is large granite formations. They are gorgeous, don’t get me wrong, but also spooky.

You see big cats live there. One of two mountain creatures I’m truly afraid of. The last time I was in the area there was cat scat on the trail, fresh, and a looming storm. It was dead silent. No birds chirping, no squirrels bickering, no hawks screeching…NOTHING…not even a breeze. I found myself in the midst of what became a massive thunderstorm and the only place for shelter is where the cats live…and I knew for sure one was in the area- probably watching me.

Thinking about it gives me the creeps. This year I will be spending a lot more time in the burn area. At lower elevations you almost can’t see the remnants of the fire and it’s not really that big a deal. At higher elevation it’s definitely still noticeable and I’ll have my precious wee man with me.

So as creepy as it was, I keep hoping those days will be sunny and full chirping birds and bickering squirrels and go on knowing I will just have to face that fear…again.

The storm rolled in within 20 minutes, bringing lightning, thunder, and over 5 hours of torrential downpour.

Planning Through Set-Backs (Originally Posted on AllWomenAllTrails.com)

This trip is HUGE. 90 miles with a kid and a dog. 6-7 days carrying 60% of my body weight. You don’t just go do this without some prep.

Your body needs some training. You need to plan food. And make sure you have all the gear you need.

So what happens when you hit a major set back? Out of the blue I got pneumonia and became septic less than 2 months out from this trip. Was in step down ICU and told to expect 3 WEEKS of recovery. I am missing my race that would’ve been epic and fun. I’m on oxygen support and needing extra physical and occupational therapy. That’s a lot. I need a walker to walk. I have 1 month before we leave for CA.

I have 1 month to bounce back so to speak. In the next month I need to get back to where I was a week ago before this stupid illness left me in bed hacking up a lung.

So I how do I keep planning?

I work with my therapists diligently and do ALL my homework. I force myself to eat so my body can find strength. And I work on the rest of the planning that isn’t really physical.

At least I’m home but still need O2 and a walker.

That is, finalize:

-packing lists

-food plans

-routes

-emergency prep

-pack fitting

And making sure my son still stays active and gets in his work.

Set backs happen. You have to try to stay positive. It’s hard but you have to or you won’t get there.

A glimpse into food prep from my last trip.

Miles and Miles of Trails (Originally Posted on AllWomenAllTrails.com)

I’ve had my route planned out for some time now. I’ve requestioned it about a thousand times and I still like it!

I’ll be hiking approximately 90 miles in the course of 6-7 days with my then 23 month old autistic son! That means carrying all the gear. It’s officially been decided my four legged, Riley, will be joining us too. He will love this adventure and knows these trails just as well as I do. Our last trip was just us two, now I get to share it with my son.

Getting in some “practice” at Mt Sanitas.

Little Man’s version of practice. Showing off his hat we’ll be bringing with us.

The idea of taking a small, young, autistic child with me is daunting. But it’s also so exciting. The outdoors are his favorite and we’ll be getting away from the city and a lot of the things that set him off. More to come on planning with a special needs kid later.

For now the route.

Riley will be so excited to go! This area will be a bit different after a couple logging projects in the area to help the forest be healthier.

Excited to make this summit with the little man. We tried to make it in a day hike last year and didn’t quite make it.

This is how I have it typed up…which looks kind of silly when you take it out of context.

Route

Payne Creek/Brookside 607
8 miles To Craig Creek 608
#1 camp 4 miles down Craig Creek day total 12

2 miles To Ben Tyler 606
5.5 miles To CO trail set 5
#2 camp 7 miles down CO Trail Seg 4/5 meet day total 15

8 miles Brookside McCurdy 2 miles to lost park
#3 camp 3 miles down Brookside day total 13

Take 607 3 miles to Bison
4 miles To Lake Park 639
7 miles To Hankins Pass 630
#4 camp near Hankins Pass day total 14 miles

4 miles To Goose Creek 612
9.5 miles to Wigwam trail 609
#5 camp near Wigwam merge day total 13.5

1 mile To rolling creek 663
6 miles To CO Trail
3 miles To Payne Creek 637
#6 camp or push to home day total 10

9 miles To 607 then 3 miles to home

Total approx 90 miles

This will to some extent be an outer loop of the wilderness area. I’m getting super excited as the day draws nearer.

Map needed for this trip. This time I’ll actually need both sides!

How to Spot an Ultra Runner (Originally Posted on AllWomenAllTrails.com)

Ok, so you’re on a backpacking trip with the plan to cover a 24-26 mile loop over the course of 2 nights/3 days and all the sudden some lady with absolutely no gear comes passing you and you’re at mile 15. What the heck?!

My dear friends let me introduce to you an Ultra Runner!

My man ‘pacing’ our friend up Hope Pass during the Leadville Trail 100 Mile Run.

First off what is an Ultra Runner?

We are the crazy people who run distances farther than 26.2 miles (marathon). We tend to run that distance as our weekly (YES WEEKLY) long run. So when you’re on the trails here are some tips to know you’ve spotted one such rare beast called an Ultra Runner.

1: We are only wearing trail running shoes, shorts and a shirt (maybe) and sometimes a hat or sunglasses.

2: Our gear consists of as little as nothing, whatever fits in those tiny ass running short pockets, maybe a handheld bottle with a small pouch that doesn’t even fit most phones, or a hip belt or pack UP TO 12L. And my friends that’s a big ass pack. Oh and we may or may not have poles with us- but I can guarantee you that our pair weighs much less than one of yours – this also means we’ve been known to be stupid enough to not have enough with us – so we love you when you save our asses by offering your extra food or water!

Sometimes our “gear” is hilarious and only has a small purpose….we carry it anyways…. like said stuffed fish.

3: We are running…..out in the middle of nowhere, up that crazy mountain, through that big river (ok sometimes we might power hike, walk, or even crawl…but we gotta get home. Remember – we don’t have sleeping gear!)

4: We are miles into our day before you’ve even taken down camp – and that extra cup of coffee you brewed- we’d love to chat for a minute and help it not go to waste.

My dear friend of https://lightningpickles.wordpress.com/ running across our CO Rockies …. Damn, that view!!

5: We eat WHILE we move – but hey, if you invite us to sit with you for lunch and we have time we probably will!! Because SITTING!!

6: Your 26 mile multi-day backpacking loop is our long training run – PLEASE keep sharing your trips! We read these to plan accordingly and they can save our lives- especially when you talk about where water is available!!

7: We are probably covered in mud or trail dust – no we usually aren’t really THAT tan.

8: We have a watch, but not just any watch. It’s a fancy GPS mile recording, heart rate tracking, Strava linking, performance checking, backtracking fancy ass watch (they make really awesome ones that are great for any type of back country trips!)

And sometimes we hike…. 9: When we do backpacking trips we cover more ground than most and start as soon as it’s light, they are just power hiking training trips – simply because we honestly don’t know how to slow down or not get up and going (example: backpacking with my 23 mo old this coming summer we plan to cover 90 miles or 14 miles per day on average). 10: You’re on a multi day trip and see us on two different days but we had dinner at home and slept in bed in between and still covered the same miles you did – while I love my bed I am jealous you get to sleep under the stars – it’s just really hard to run and carry sleeping gear. Don’t be intimidated. Sometimes a chatty walk break about craziness is exactly the boost we need to make it home. So flag us down, wave, say hello, help take that crazy picture (because it’s not real if it isn’t documented right?) and know we love these trails just as much as you.

Me in the Leadville Silver Rush 50 Mile Run….ALL SMILES

Carbon Valley Half Marathon- The After

Words. Sometimes there are none; sometimes there’s too many

I just ran the Carbon Valley Half Marathon for Autism while pushing my wee man. I carried with me names of others with autism for each mile. And your damn right I finished.

Honestly I can’t believe I didn’t cry when I crossed that finish line – probably because I was so pissed to be finishing with 2 flat tires (aka unable to sprint to finish). This race meant SO much to me!!

It was my:

-First official half Marathon

-First stroller race

-First race since son was born

-First race since Leadville DNF (2016)

-Longest run since son born

-Longest stroller run

That’s a lot! A lot to be grateful for. 13.1 miles 2 hours 20 minutes and 13 seconds of grateful. The course is relatively flat: 11 miles of steady climbing and 2 miles to finish. The course is over 50% “smooth” dirt and some pavement.

I went in with a ‘goal’ of averaging about a 10 min mile

Miles run for:

.1 Kyle (my Son’s Father and my Boyfriend)

13 Myself

12 Edan

11 Hunter

10 Annabeth

9 Tedy

8 Silas

7 Atlas

6 Avi

5 Bayla

4 Jack

3 Tyler Jr

2 Jasper

1 Edan (to help me start and finish!)

I am so grateful to have been able to participate in this event. It was so special to me and to share with friends whose hearts it is also very close too. For some awesome shorts of the race and I go check out their YouTube from after the races. https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=1kI-gU30PgU&feature=youtu.be

SCORE! Budget Saving Deals (Originally Posted on AllWomenAllTrails.com)

Disclaimer: No affiliation with any links provided in the post. No commission being earned.

Backpacking, hiking, running … supposed to be the ‘cheaper’ sports. Just lace up and go. But anyone who’s done even the slightest bit of research knows that it still ain’t cheap.

So with a major trip coming up that requires a major purchase (a pack in my case) how do you save money?

First off, not everything needs to be new. Check out Craigslist and the Facebook marketplace for local used stuff. I recommend staying away from used shoes unless they are a pair someone tried once and just didn’t work for them. If you are an REI member they have Gear Swaps once a year and often have killer deals in their garage sales (now available online too YAY). In CO I also recommend checking out local small gear shops. We have tons scattered around the state. And a newer up and coming bigger store is Feral Mountain Co. (https://feralmountainco.com/)

For new stuff: The biggest money saving thing is to remember that 90% of the time last year’s model is just as good (sometimes better) than this year’s new model. Closeouts can pretty much always be found 25-50% off their original retail price. For example, I’m getting last year’s model of the Deva 80 pack by Gregory. This year’s model retails at $349.99. I’m getting last year’s model for $179.99!! That’s $170 saved just for getting last year’s model.

Previous models are regularly found on discount sites. They often carry clothes and footwear seriously discounted as well. All have reasonable return policies too for when it doesn’t work out. These are my favorite to check out and all run their own sales and coupons too. (No affiliation with any, just sharing)

Sierra.com

Backcountry.com

TheClymb.com

MooseJaw.com

For the newest and latest REI often has great sales, especially around Memorial Day and Fourth of July. Plus their members discount days, 1 year return policy for members, and the opportunity to earn dividends (aka money back), makes them a great choice. Also, most major gear companies run their own spectacular sales. If you can wait for major sale weekends I suggest you do and shop around.

If you’re a blogger with major audience or a professional in the outdoor/fitness industry in some capacity, chances are you probably qualify for some pro discounts too.

Going the distance…with an infant?! (Originally posted on AllWomenAllTrails.com)

I often get double checked on my distance when sharing my adventures with my son.

With my upcoming backpacking trip people keep asking how far I think we’ll go each day. And then their jaw drops to the floor when I answer 12-15 miles.

Most people don’t realize my background. I’m an ultra distance trail runner. That means I run further than 26.2 miles at a time on mountain trails. I’ve been doing this for years.

Me running in the Leadville Silver Rush 50 mile run

My last multi day trip was 155 miles in 3 days. The longest day was 55 miles. That’s all carrying about 30lbs dry weight (not counting water weight). So when you compare that to miles carrying weight and sometimes a kid that’s not too bad.

We’ve also been hiking together since he was a few months old; working on building my strength carrying him and his tolerance to altitude. So far our longest single day hike (leaving after breakfast and being home before dinner) was 12.34 miles and gaining about 2300 feet in elevation.

First overnight with the wee man. This pack doesn’t fit right and made for some rough times.

So when I say for a multi day trip I think we can do 12-15 miles each day, I’m not joking. If you break it down. 12 miles per day at 2 miles per hour (30 min mile) is only 6 hours of hiking. That means more than enough time for lunch and breaks and naps and never rushing out of camp in the morning. We’ll be going in July when sunrise is before 6 am and sunset isn’t until well after 8 pm. This leaves more than enough time to have daylight for all activities without setting up or taking down camp in the dark.

Another consideration is that my last multi day trip was in the same area. We’ve also done lots of day hikes in the area. I’ve hiked every single mile of trail in the wilderness area we are going. So while I don’t have our exact route planned yet, I know the area very well.

I know many people think I’m crazy and that’s ok! It’s crazy fun and I love it.

Memories from my last multi day trip in the area we’re going. This was about 5 pm after a day of torrential rains.

First overnight with wee man. So peaceful once I got him down to sleep. We share a double sleeping bag.

Pre-Planning and the Darn Budgeting (Originally posted on allwomenalltrails.com)

REI…

Anyone with even the slightest sense of adventure could easily spend thousands of dollars here. Plus they work as a Co-Op and advocate and work towards saving our precious environment. What’s not to like?!

Our family probably only visits two other stores more frequently- the grocery store and local running store (Runner’s Roost Lakewood).

They have just about everything adventures require.

So to the point. Why was I looking at summer adventure gear when we were expecting a good 9-12” of snow the next day?

Simple- I have a super epic trip planned with my wee man! This summer is crazy, with ultra distance trail races, remodeling the kitchen, family time, and birthdays. But the big trip is just going to be me and my mini me (and probably the dog).

Kitchen remodels aren’t exactly a safe environment for a 23 month old who gets into everything. And construction and toddler sleep schedules don’t mesh. So I figured it would be better to go backpacking!!

We hiked all summer last year. This year he’s walking and running! It will be so much fun. But also requires quite some planning.

It’s not like a 23 month old can carry his own stuff….so I will carry it ALL…plus him a good majority of the time.

I’ll also need extra gear I wouldn’t typically carry by myself (I’m a minimalist when it comes to gear). So to REI we went to start figuring out what I need that I don’t have and planning a budget (eek money).

On our way up to Shelf Lake. Little man’s highest elevation hike so far at just over 12,000ft

Things I need:

A new pack. Mine isn’t big enough to carry everything and my larger one doesn’t fit right anyways. What am I thinking: Gregory Deva 80L (which is actually 76L)

A ‘kitchen sink’ aka a collapsible wash bucket. Why?! Diapers!! I decided it would be much simpler to use cloth instead of trying to pack ALL the disposables a trip would require. No one wants to pack those out anyways. With cloth we wash and sun dry (July = nice and toasty) and use again. This means less space taken up by diapers and no carrying a ton of dirty ones.

Pack towel!! There’s a ton of water where we’re going. I assume there will be water splashing times that leaves me a soaked child.

Left: Break time! Right: No one wants to carry dirty diapers.

Maybe need:

Charging system for phone. Normally I don’t carry my phone but multi-day trip with the wee man means bring it just in case. Plus -WATERPROOF CAMERA!! (There is actually cell service on and off through the area we’re going)

Gear straps. Might need to strap things on to outside of pack. Definitely want some sort of ‘clothesline’ for diaper drying on the go.

Soft bottles. My dogs chewed up my favorite ones. I prefer these as the weigh almost nothing and can be stuffed anywhere in the pack.

A little pack for the little man. This will be decided last minute depending on how much he’s hiking on his own during day trips. This will be a 100% just for fun item because kids always love to do it themselves.

When you take into consideration the upcoming member sales and Memorial Day sales you can estimate this to cost around $300-$500. This doesn’t include any food costs.

So pre-planning is done!! Next up – logistics of the where.

This is why we pre-plan and plan. Sometimes it just sucks and you need to be ready.

The Bell and Bowl: Tips from a physical therapist

I want to take some time to talk about posture, specifically in regards to the pelvis and ribs.

I also want to note how scary it is to share pictures of myself. So yes these are me. No they aren’t photoshopped. No I don’t have a perfect flat stomach. Yes I have scars. But it’s real…and also shows how much posture can change how you look.

While this posture is crucial for running and I’ll mostly be talking about it in regards to that, it’s also important to everyday life.

The way my physical therapist put it is:

Think of the pelvis as a bowl and the rib cage as a bell. When properly aligned the bell and the bowl line up smoothly. When misaligned, more often than not the bell sticks forward and up from the bowl.

Ok great so how do I fix it?

Think about first lining up the bowl. Don’t let your hips tip forward. Use your gluten (your butt) to pull hips back and slightly down.

Then the bell. Draw your belly button back towards your spine and let the bottom of your ribs come down with it.

When running, don’t over puff out your chest. Your back should remain relatively straight. The forward lean of your upper body should be the same angle of lean as your lower legs.

For me I find when I get ready to pick up pace I tend to lift up with my chest. What I’m working on doing instead is to imagine lifting forward while maintaining the bell and the bowl alignment.

Having the image of the bowl and the bell is the best visual cue for this posture I’ve ever had.

Image courtesy mcmillanrunning.com Thanks for the best visual while moving

To work on it becoming my regular posture I start every core exercise I do by making sure I’m lined up. Then when I’m doing my exercises they are being done in the right posture; therefore strengthening the correct way.

It takes practice. Tons of it. And when you’re tired you’ll revert to bad posture. The more you work on it the more it becomes your natural posture. So keep working on it.