Extreme Running Tour de Walmart

It was the best birthday run ever!

This was also a fantastic birthday. Not only did the weather gods smile on us, but the whole weekend was a celebration and appreciation of so many things. I am so fortunate to be where I am right now, and I am so grateful for the friends and support I have in all aspects of my life.

A quick recap is in order here, so skip the next few paragraphs (italicized) if you've already read the previous post on this.

I got this idea when I was rehabbing my ankle injury last fall. I noticed that my bike routes took me by several different Walmarts in the area. Walmart has never been much of a part of my life, I have gone there out of convenience when it's the only store in town where I can get all of the race food and supplies I need, usually in small towns in out of the way places like Okeechobee, Florida or Pahrump, Nevada. Last summer in Badwater the trip to Walmart was an adventure in itself thanks to my crazy crew.

One day last fall I figured the distance of a ride that went by all 4 Walmarts within about 15 miles of my house, in Fort Collins, Loveland, and Timnath. It was 48 miles if I did a loop from the house. The magic number, 48, matched my upcoming birthday. The idea was hatched and I forgot about it. Then this winter I became hooked on girl beer, thanks to our neighbors. Michelob Ultra 3.2 with pomegranate and raspberry flavor. Great recovery drink after a long run. I couldn't find it anywhere but Walmart.

On a recent girl beer run, I saw some awesome Walmart fashion and it reminded me of the idea. Since I needed a 50 mile training run, it was perfect. I invited some friends and though there were a few conscientious objectors, the idea appealed to a lot of people. Dennis said he would crew! I decided I would liven up my running wardrobe by buying one article of clothing at each Walmart, and wear it.


Extreme Running Tour de Walmart

Leg 1

Jen showed up at my house at 7:30 am, and parked in front. Her friend was going to meet us around 9 am and pick her up so she could make it to an event later that morning. Jen got the usual treatment that guests get in our household, an escort to the bathroom by Iris.

Dennis took a picture of us before we took off. We were both half asleep. We got started a little later than we planned, but I thought we might make it up at the Walmart stops. I figured on about a half hour stop per Walmart to shop, get through the checkout line, resupply at the car, and take pictures.

It was a cold but perfectly clear morning. We couldn't have had better weather. I had told Tom, Ginger, and Morgan my ETA for Walmart #1 on Highway 287, and I had my phone. Jen and I proceeded south on the Power Trail. First potty break, the porta-potty was in use! We waited a few minutes but then I decided to find a tree.

When we got to the top of the hill on south Lemay by the reservoir, where the road curves, Jen's friend stopped, took a picture of us, and Jen tok off. The plan was for us to stay in touch by texting and she would try to join me later, possibly on the final leg.

I continued on the last 3 miles solo to Walmart #1, where Dennis, Tom, Ginger and Morgan met me with birthday hats. I arrived just a few minutes late, and we went inside for our shopping stop.

I found the purple camo bras that I'd seen on my girl beer run weeks earlier, but again, they were out of smalls. On the next rack there was the same bra in black, in a small. It wasn't quite as "Walmart" as the purple one, but Ginger assured me that I couldn't go wrong with black. So I decided to go for it.

We went through the checkout line. Morgan and Ginger insisted on buying the bra for me, even though I had a Walmart gift card, that a friend in Colorado Springs sent me in advance of my Walmart tour. They told me to save it for one of the other Walmarts.

Our cashier was a sixty-ish looking woman with long blonde hair. She was really nice. Morgan and Tom told her what I was doing and she didn't seem to believe it.

We went outside, I refilled my bottles and got a snack and a drink at the car, and we took off for Walmart 2. It was still cold but warming up. I kept my warm shirts on, since I freeze even when other people are wearing singlets and shorts.

Leg 2

We proceeded east along the Loveland bike path and caught the path around the west shore of Boyd Lake. The morning was warming up, and the view of the mountains was spectacular. We were moving at a fast pace, and didn't take too many walk breaks. Just before we reached the underpass at Highway 34, we saw a runner coming toward us. He looked familiar. It was Felix!

Once we crossed under Eisenhower, we ran across the field directly to Walmart, where Dennis was waiting with the camera. I was starting to get hungry. We took our Walmart pictures, then went inside for shopping.

This time I struggled. I saw several items, again, no smalls in the purple camo bra. So I opted for the matching tank top, which they did have in a small.

Since Felix was there and familiar with the fashion tastes of our friend Ed, we decided to pick out something that might match one of Ed's running outfits. Ed likes to wear running skirts and he has several in different colors. When I saw something eye-catching, I asked Felix if he thought it was Ed. He agreed it was perfect.

We went through the checkout line, and our cashier was another sixty-ish looking blonde with long hair. I asked the others if they thought there was some profiling going on at Walmart. They told her what we were doing, and she laughed, and wished us luck.

I stopped at the McDonald's inside Walmart before we left, to see if they had any salads, thinking I could get something to keep me going other than the bars I had in the car. The answer was, no, we don't have salads here.

No salads at the Walmart McDonald's. Should I be surprised?

Leg 3

Ginger and Morgan were done at this point so Felix and Tom and I took off north on the bike path. Before we left I removed one of my long sleeved shirts. I was running in shorts for only the second time this year! The new sunglasses I won in Paige's blog giveaway worked great- lightweight, comfortable, and plenty of protection from the sides.

Felix ran through the park with us, until he turned around to go back to Walmart 2. Tom and I were on our own. Running through the park we passed two people on bicycles who slowed down and started talking to us, it was one of my coworkers and her husband. Kathleen is a massage therapist in the oncology department. They wished me happy birthday and then saw us again at the north end of the park.

Leg 3 was the longest, about 13 miles. I realized my phone battery was getting low and it was getting hot outside. I called Dennis to ask him to meet us before the third Walmart so he could recharge my phone and bring us some cold water.

Tom and I kept running north on Timberline, but by the time we turned off onto Kechter, we hadn't seen Dennis. I called again, hoping there was enough juice in the battery to get the call through. This time he answered. He'd been out in the yard. He met us a few minutes later. I changed into my t-shirt, and he had ice water. What a relief! It was hot, it felt like it might be in the mid-70s.

I also got a text from Jen asking me to let her know my ETA at the last Walmart so she could meet me there to run home. Tom planned to stop at Walmart 3, so it looked like I would be solo for the 4th leg.

The trickiest and scariest part of this run was crossing the overpass at I-25 and Harmony. It took us forever to cross Harmony, the traffic was so thick. Eventually we got across, but had to negotiate a deep ditch in the middle of the median, which we didn't anticipate. It felt like the Grand Canyon! Otherwise I felt pretty good on this stretch.

Tom and I got across the overpass no problem and descended the dirt hill down into Walmart #3. Dennis met us with food. He got burritos at Chipotle on the way out to meet us. I was starving and scarfed most of it down in a few minutes.

We went inside and I had a hard time deciding on what my garment choice would be. I finally settled on an animal print tank top. Tom insisted on buying this one. We got through the Walmart pretty fast. Our cashier this time had short brown hair, about the same age as the others. When Dennis and Tom told her what I was doing, she told us we could have started at the Longmont Walmart and added another 17 miles. I said, "I'll save that idea for another birthday!"

Leg 4

Tom went to his car, and I asked Dennis to meet me on the other side of the overpass at Strauss Cabin Road so my phone would have a chance to finish charging. I ran back over the overpass and met Dennis on the dirt road. After a quick pee break I took off to complete leg 4, about 9 1/2 miles. The sun was getting lower and I took a long sleeved shirt with me just in case, and my MP3 player. I started walking up the dirt road and posted some pictures on Facebook, letting the burrito digest.

Once I got off the dirt road onto Zeigler heading toward the Environmental Learning Center, I started to feel pretty good. I'd texted Jen with an ETA of 5:30 to 6 pm at Walmart 4, but I was running at a great pace and by the time I got past the ELC and onto the Poudre Trail, I realized it was going to be be 5:30 or sooner. I re-texted her, and she was already there, grabbing something to eat at a nearby restaurant.

As I got closer to Lemay, I passed a couple of seedy-looking characters on the bike path, wondering if it would be safe to be out there after dark, even with Jen. I knew I could run back along Lemay and then make up the miles in my neighborhood if necessary. I continued toward the Walmart and by the time I got there, it was only a few minutes after 5. That burrito must have revived me, because I was hauling ass along the last few miles of the Poudre Trail. My legs felt incredibly fresh for 40 miles in.

I arrived at Walmart, and heard a whistle in the parking lot. It was Dennis. I texted Jen to meet us under the flag in front, and we did our photo op and went inside. I was really struggling with finding something to buy, but eventually settled on a bright turquoise tank top and Jen and I got matching animal print headbands.

We did a few extra tenths of a mile in this Walmart, we went all the way to the back of the store to find some drinks that weren't sugary. Finally, I used my Walmart gift card, and still have a couple of dollars left over!

One of the managers was on the floor and Dennis must have told him what I was doing, he greeted us and said we saved the best Walmart for last. Our cashier at this one was a young man, who listened to the story and told us that he thought his 8 mile run before work was long that morning. I told him to keep running.

Leg 5

When we got outside, I got back into my tights and took gloves, headlamps, and warm shirts. I was starving again. Just across the street was a Taco Bell, so Jen and I stopped there, and I got a bean burrito and a taco, and used the bathroom.

I scarfed it all down and we took off by 6 pm. It was nearly an hour break at this Walmart, but it didn't matter, I had accomplished my mission of hitting all 4 Walmarts, and it was still light outside. After some debating of our route, we decided to just go for the bike path, since we were together, had our phones, and it was still going to be light for a while, long enough to get through the creepy part of the bike path.

Once we got out of the river bottom, it warmed up and the sunset and night sky were incredible. The stars came out, and we were serenaded by coyotes around the ponds before we turned onto the Spring Creek Trail. I felt great on this section, too, running well after I digested the food. I told Jen I was so pleased with how I felt, since this was nearly 20 miles longer than my longest run since last July. My legs really did feel good.

We arrived at my house at 7:30 pm, less than 12 hours after we started. Not bad for nearly 50 miles with at least a couple of hours at Walmart breaks.

After taking some finish line pictures, where I think Jen & I looked better than we did at the start, Iris escorted Jen to the bathroom again and she took off for home. Dennis had food waiting for me. I felt good, not stiff or sore, and stayed up for a while uploading my pictures from the day. If you want to see the entire Tour de Walmart photo album, you can go to this link.

What an amazing birthday, and what an awesome group of friends to share it! You can't ask for anything better.

Save money, live better. Always.

Blue Moon Across the Decades 12 hour run

As I think about the year ahead, I will focus on the good things that are coming my way, and I'm letting go and dropping the burden I've been carrying from the difficult events of the last year. I am thankful for the gifts in my life, and for the opportunities I had to grow and learn. Life is an ultra, and every finish line is the start of the next adventure.

I planned the Blue Moon Across the Decades run as my solution to missing Across the Years. I only wanted to do 12 hours over the two days, no big mileage goals, I'd be happy with 50. I only wanted to run 6 hours and then I could walk the rest of the time. I needed it for my head more than anything. This would be my longest run of 2009 if I went over 30.

This year has been pretty rough. In the past couple of months I've begun to see things more clearly, I've learned a lot and I'm doing a lot of personal growth, figuring out what I want and how to help it happen. I'm on a journey to steer my life back in a direction that feels right, that takes me back on the path that I know will lead me to happier places. Running, as always, is a big part of that and I haven't devoted nearly enough energy to it all year. I've allowed the energy-sucking forces to take away from my enjoyment and participation in my favorite activity. I can't let that happen anymore!

Since I haven't trained much all year, I didn't need to exhaust myself by running all night, trying to put in 100 miles or 24 hours or some big goal. I figured a 12 hour run would be enough to get some miles in and get my head cleaned out of some junk, and get focused on the good stuff ahead.

I took almost all of last week off, I was sick with a cold. I did one snowshoe run of 30 minutes that week. My legs felt sore each time I ran once I started up again. Weird. On December 30th I ran 11 miles, 5 in the morning by myself and then met Catharine and several others for a 6 mile moonlight run on the Poudre Trail. Afterwards we sat at Starbucks and talked, and I bought some snacks for my run the next day.


December 31 started like any other day in our household. The Buffaloes got their treats, went outside with mom to look at the sky, and ate their breakfast. The moon was full and setting in the west. It was 13 degrees outside our kitchen window. The humans had coffee and got ready for their day. Dennis got ready for work and I prepared to go on my run. Iris brought me her duck.





It was 10 degrees when I started, just after the moon set and the sun was rising in the southeast. I put on two pairs of tights and four layers on top, a set of gloves under my mittens, a neck gaiter, earband, and hat. I had my lightweight pack, just one bottle, a few gel packs, and my MP3 player.

I told the girls I'd be back to take them later but I needed to start my run alone. I wanted to get a good chunk of miles in before I had to make any stops.


I went west on the Spring Creek Trail out to the stadium before I turned around. I saw Larry from the running store but no one else I knew. There were few runners out so early. I got back to the house at 10:30 and got the girls' leashes. They danced around all excited. I wanted to take them for a decent run but they were pulling me on the ice and I didn't want to risk injury with my already tired legs.

Catharine and I made plans that I'd check my email when I got back to the house and if she could, she'd run with me to finish her mileage for the year. She had 7 miles to go on her annual goal.

I took the girls home after just 2 slippery treacherous miles on the ice. I promised them we'd do more after New Years. Our neighborhood never gets plowed. The streets are too small. I thought I was paying taxes too, but I guess that's not enough to get your street plowed after 2 blizzards. It's like 4 wheeling over a mogul run in the intersection at the end of our street. It's been cold and nothing has melted yet.

Regardless, I went home, refilled my bottle and drank a bunch of gatorade and water. I changed into dry clothes and left the house at 11:30 to meet Cat at the clinic. She met me coming up the Power Trail. We did our seven miles to get her goal for the year. It was a clear, perfect day, not too cold but we didn't get too warm, either.



Catharine reached her year goal of 3500+ miles, 3503 to be exact. That's 70 miles a week all year. I've never done mileage like that, I told her. Awesome job, Cat! We took a quick break for a photo op and then she went back to work and I ran home.

Becoming friends and running partners with Catharine over the past year is one of those gifts I am so thankful for, something I didn't expect or anticipate, but was meant to be. Who would have thought that here in Fort Collins I'd meet someone my own age who likes to run as much as I do, is open to doing the ultra distances and gets the same crazy ideas for training runs that I concoct in my head, that most people consider insane running plans.

It's one thing to have someone to share those miles with, but to find someone who can make just the right amount and topic of conversation, makes our runs that much more meaningful. We have a mutual friend, Steve, who knows we are two peas in a pod and when he found out we'd met each other and were running together, he said, "That's trouble!"


When I got home from the section with Cat I was starving. I had 27 miles in. I had left a can of soup on the counter to remind myself to eat, but I didn't need a reminder. I devoured the soup and made a sandwich. I drank more gatorade and took some magnesium. I took a long break, changed clothes again, and headed out for the rest of the daylight. I only needed a little over an hour to get my 6 hour running goal, and I wanted to do 8 hours on my feet for the first day, which would leave me only 4 hours for January 1st.

I decided I would run until the moon rose. I went out the bike path again. I walked a solid hour to let the food digest and I saw several foxes, and four deer. I thought about what it would be like to be circling the track at Across the Years, and thought of many of the runners, wondering how they were spending their holiday and what their running plans were. It was starting to get to late afternoon, about my favorite time of day at ATY. I always love sunset and going into the night. I'd stop and eat whatever food they had for us at the aid station, and get more warm clothes on, recharge my batteries and get out again, ready to listen to music and move forward under the night sky.

But this time I was on the bike path in Fort Collins, the sun was setting, and it was getting dark. I forgot to bring my light. I made it home at 5pm just before dark and left Dennis a note on the counter. I grabbed my light, put an extra layer on, and took off for my final 40 minutes.

When I got home it was exactly 8 hours of moving forward since I started, I had 6 hours of running in and 2 hours of walking, and I had 40.4 miles the day. The moon was full above the street and it was bright on the snow.

The girls greeted me with barking, smiling and howling. Dennis came home with some champagne.




































I had a typical night of sleep that night. I woke up in the middle of the night, couldn't sleep for a while, then slept until 5:30 or so. I got up and made coffee, started the day again as usual. It was slightly warmer, 15 degrees outside the window. I wanted to drive over to the Roost and use my car as my aid station. The Roost was opening at 9 am for a sale and Cat and the others would be there to shop and then to run at 10 am.



I left the house and made one stop at Starbucks around the corner. I got a hot chocolate with extra whipped cream and some so-called "low fat" banana chocolate chip coffee cake for the road. Eric, the awesome barista there, asked me how things were going in the world of crazy running. I told him what I was doing and I asked him to make that hot chocolate good for 20 miles. He said he calibrated it for 18, so he dumped a little more chocolate in there for the extra miles.




I parked at the Roost. No one was there yet but I could see Steve and the others inside setting up for the sale. I took off and did my first leg of about an hour and 20 minutes, stopping in the store after 9 am to do a little shopping. I got another pair of shoes and a running bra. At 10:00 I took off with Cat and the other runners, there was a group of about 20 of us. We ran about a 4 1/2 mile loop. The morning was getting warmer and the sky was clear. The clouds lifted from the front range and we were treated to these incredible views of Longs Peak, the Mummy Range, and Horsetooth Rock.






























After the group run I decided to finish my last hour and change from the Roost. I said Happy New Year to everyone and took off for my final 7 miles. I did quite a bit more walking the second day, trying to get my fast walk rhythm again, even though I felt good when I was running. I had no idea what distances I was covering the second day since I don't run on those roads on a regular basis. I managed to get 17.4 in the four hours. I finished back at the Roost at 12 hours on the nose, with 57.8 miles for the two days. I went inside the store and had some water, hung out for a while talking with everyone before I left to go home.










When I got home, I took a shower, ate something, got comfortable and wrote down some goals for the year. Then I crashed on the bed with Iris for about 45 minutes. Dennis told me he could hear me snoring from all the way downstairs. Afterwards we went out for sushi. When we got home, I sat upstairs quietly for a while, reflecting on the run and the coming year, ready to take in all the good things ahead of me.

Then I went to bed before 8:00 and slept a solid 9 hours, without waking up! If 70 miles in 3 days is what it takes to sleep, I'm all for it! I hope I can spend this holiday next year back at Across the Years, but whatever happens is okay with me. I plan to be running, somewhere.












Happy New Year!

OFITG 45 Km

Today I ran my age at the One Foot in the Grave 45 Km run, or Rigorous Mortis, as JeffO called it...

The day was cold to start! It was 24 degrees when I left the house and a fog was burning off that left thick ice on the car windows. I drove to Grandview Cemetery and got there at 8:00, and found Jeff O'Reilly checking out the entrance to the cemetery, looking for live bodies.


We drove into the cemetery and found a good place to park, at the halfway point on the one mile loop. After some pre-run snacks, adjusting our layers to the outdoor temperature, and a photo op, we started out on our 28 mile run.

According to my calculator, 45 Km is equal to 27.99 miles, and I told Jeff I hope he didn't mind if I rounded up. One nice thing about being this old is that when you run your age in kilometers, it still turns out to be an ultra.

After just a couple of laps, Ping showed up and ran about 6 miles with us. Dennis and Austin came by and slowed down enough to run about 100 meters with us but they were so fast I didn't get a picture. They promised to join us at the Rio later.

At exactly our halfway point, Felix showed up and ran the last 14 miles with us. We talked about topics ranging from old cemetery stories, to the advantages and disadvantages of aging, how lucky we are to be alive and in good health, and what we want to do with our bodies when we die. I told them I want my ashes scattered over Devil's Cornfield in Death Valley. I used to think I wanted to be scattered over Hope Pass, but as of this date I want to go to Devil's Cornfield, subject to change.

It was so cold in the morning that the snow hadn't even melted by mid-afternoon in some shady places in the cemetery. It turned out to be a beautiful day, even though I stayed bundled up, I think I am permanently adapted to the heat after last year's sauna training.

The only thing I forgot to do was break out my new Sauconys. I'll have to run in those this week. I wore Drymax trail socks and my Addictions. No blisters, no heat rash.

Nick came out when we were close to 20 miles, and he helped us pick up the pace somewhat for a few laps until Dana had to go do an errand and Nick watched Alistair until we were done running. Morgan came out to the cemetery to cheer us on and go to the Rio. She already ran at the Colorado Marathon training run that morning. Felix, Jeff, and I kept going and finished the 28 miles. We all went to the Rio afterwards, where Alistair got a bowl of ice cream as big as his head.

At the Rio, Tom from the running club met us there, along with Austin and Melissa, Dennis, Morgan, Nick, Dana & Alistair, Felix, Jeff and me. We had margaritas and food, and it was the perfect way to celebrate a birthday, with my awesome friends who share my love of running. Felix's slideshow of the day is here.

I passed the test, I can run my age in kilometers. Now I know I can finish the races I've signed up for so far. And Morgan and Dennis and I made a pact to do the Memorial Day Double Double again, so my spring racing plans are coming together. I felt good throughout the run, we took it slowly and did some reasonably short walking breaks, but I ran most of the 28 miles and I felt younger by the end.

Off to plan my next little adventure...