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The Lake Sonoma 50 Relentless Roller Coaster

April 26, 2022 by Aude Hofleitner Leave a Comment

The Facts

Location: Lake Sonoma, CA
Distance: 50 miles (watch recorded 49), 10,200ft elevation gain
Date: April 9th, 2021
Time: 9h 16min
Result: 8th Female, 2nd Age Group, 29th Overall
Weather: Sunny (low 40F, high 75F), some breeze.
Course: Trail except the first 2 miles on the road. Mostly single track


Support: Aid stations every 5-8 miles with drop bags at three location (one aid twice), lots of opportunities for crew (though I didn’t have one), no pacer.

https://www.strava.com/activities/6956916987

Summary

This race brought a roller coaster of emotion that mapped really well the roller coaster trail with all of its ups and downs! Contrary to roller coaster rides though, it finished on a much higher point than it started. I learned and had a lot of fun in the process (and have been recovering as hard!).

My amazing coach, David Roche, sends a prep email before major races and it did so much to carry me on this 50 mile journey with 10,000+ft of elevation. Focusing on the celebration and the memories no matter the results, knowing that I had put the work and that the outcome of the race didn’t change that, preparing for a bad day and deciding in advance how I would respond.

Pre-race: Strong winter training but unfortunate banging of the knee on the corner of my bookshelf a week before the race

This was my second 50 miler after American River last year. With double the elevation, I was quite intimidated but I felt strong with the ramp up to this race. I used every weekend as an opportunity to go down to Auburn or Reno to run on the trails and get some elevation. From getting really sore from an easy 14 miler with less than 2,000ft of vert in early January, I ramped up to a back-to-back weekend of 20 and 16 miles totaling 8,000+ft of vert, sprinkling some fun shorter races and a strong performance at Way Too Cool 50K where I beat my time from 2020 by over 40 minutes.

With just a week before the race, I banged my knee on the corner of my bookshelf. It really hurt at the time but I didn’t give it much thought until my run the next day. I did 12 miles on course and there have been few runs that I so wanted to be over. My coach suggested I take a couple of days fully off. I still did a shakeout the day before the race, which felt fine but I woke up on race day with the knee feeling sore. I had been playing all scenarios in my head over the past days and my mind was going back and forth with some dark clouds as I was trying to keep the positive narrative. If I had to drop at the first aid, I’d party at the aid station and cheer Ryan on his race (he was running the Marathon) that started a bit after mine.

The Race: Roller Coaster of emotions

Warm-up: I didn’t feel like doing a warm-up. If the knee wasn’t feeling good, shouldn’t I minimize the total amount of running I did on it? Ryan nudged me a little and I trotted a bit around the parking lot. I was holding back tears but then thought about all the energy around me. The #dirtdisco that was about to start, all the runners about to push themselves really hard, and I decided I should at least give it a try.

Mile 1-10: The first 10 miles ended up being the hardest as I was feeling tense and fighting with the dark clouds! Then I was feeling tense about feeling tense and the fact that it was using some precious energy. I eventually exclaimed out loud about the views and the sun cheering us on which got me to start chatting with a friendly woman (Jacklin you are amazing!). I saw the amazing Makiko around a switch back, and got my mind focused on other things. First aid station was coming up and I could definitely keep going. Next goal, half way point! I was gaining a bit of confidence and just enjoying being on the trail.

Warm springs river crossing (Mile 11).
📸 : Jacob Banta from Let’s Wander Photography

Mile 10-25: I saw Gina who was amazing at Madrone, then the cheering crews a mile further up. I crossed paths with the top runners on their way back with Vince killing it in 6th. I was feeling strong, the downhills were starting to feel a bit smoother and the uphills felt powerful. Half way point was coming up, and I also didn’t have reasons to drop. Let’s go!

Mile 25-38: I was regularly passing people, which is definitely a mind booster. Back at Madrone Aid, Gina said the knee isn’t going to get worse by now, which I acknowledged as likely true and added a bit of positivity. It’s not that the knee wasn’t bothering any more but it was more lack a background playlist that is part of the ambiance but you don’t have to listen to. It was getting warm (especially being used to my morning runs in the 10-20F!) but I welcomed the breeze and any shade.

Mile 38-40: Back to Warm Springs Aid with 12 miles to go. By then I trusted that I would finish. It was warm and legs were starting to tire but I still felt pretty good and so happy about having made it so far. The river crossing was also coming up which means an opportunity to cool down a bit. Even with the water level only being at ankle level, I splashed water all over myself before continuing. At another creek crossing, a couple of people were carefully crossing while avoiding to get their feet wet. I took my hat and used it as a bucket then continued crossing while splashing myself. I continued the splashing at every single creek crossing. I was starting to see a few marathoners and it felt great to have a bit of mutual cheering after the quiet miles on my own.

On the way back with 10 miles to go!
📸 : Jacob Banta from Let’s Wander Photography

Mile 40-48: With 10 miles to go, my stomach started to rebel from eating all the gels, drinking all the sugary water while having limited energy since so much was already being used to move my legs up and down the trails. I thought that if I threw up that would just make me even more of a trail runner. I was hiking more but the hiking still felt strong and the running felt good when I was.

Mile 48-49: Familiar features started to appear… Only 1.5 miles… the power line… the road crossing… then views of the finish area… I got a magical energy boost that got me to “sprint” (or whatever sprint looks like after 9+ hours of running!). I had made it. Ryan had finished hours before and I fell in his arms, so happy, so exhausted! The results also turned out better than I would have hoped on a great day, without the knee thing. I finished in 9h16, as 8th Female and 29th Overall! My A dream was a top 10 (✅)  close to 9h (✅)!

The magic of the finish line
📸 : Jesse Ellis from Let’s Wander Photography

Post-race: Recovery and celebration

I found a FatBoy bean bag in the shade and literally collapsed there, trying to process all the feelings and the exhaustion that was suddenly infusing my body. Ryan was (as always!) the most amazing, bringing me water and giving me all the love and attention. We ended up meeting Laura who finished a bit after me and enjoyed sharing all the emotions from our respective adventures. After cooling down for a bit, we made it back home, I managed to drink a protein shake, had a nice Tecnu rub to try to clean some of the poison oak, a thorough tick check, shower and relaxed with the legs up the wall. We went down to Corner Project and I managed to eat a surprisingly large amount of food even though my stomach was still not the happiest (I still had to get a banana and peanut butter at 3am!).

All the finish line feelz
📸 : Ryan Herring
Recovering as hard as I partied!
📸 : Ryan Herring

As usual, I slept terrible the first night and was hobbling around with my knee retaliating the next day. I’ve been recovering hard and the knee is slowly but steadily improving. It seems like a bone bruise from knocking it on that bookshelf… which obviously didn’t exactly improve from running 50 miles on it! This is bringing a bit more biking in my life (likely a good thing and I’ll try to keep it up!) though I am also looking forward to getting back on the trails and longer runs.

Gear, nutrition and hydration:

I wore my Salomon pack with two 0.5L bottles. As usual, I had all my nutrition from gels and Roctane. Besides a few gels that I had brought with me for the first 12 miles, I ate and drank what was on course. I was trying to go through at least a bottle every hour and a gel every 30-40 minutes. Given the amount of calories in Roctane I was definitely close to 300 calories / hour. After several hours, I find it hard for my brain to keep track of when I last had a gel. For example, I want to eat a gel at 5h45 into the race, I look at my watch and it’s been 5h53. Did I just eat a gel less than 10 minutes ago or has it been close to 40 minutes already?? I have no clue!! Is it better to skip one or take an extra and risk upsetting my stomach??

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Aude Hofleitner (@aude_hofleitner)

I almost didn’t take my pre-race photo but eventually decided to still do it as I still wanted the party to be on. I received incredible support from my friends which was exactly what I needed to get my mood going on race day.

Next adventure

I am running the Laugavegur Ultra Marathon (55K) in Iceland on July 16th! Looking forward to a great adventures among Geysers, snow fields (and thigh high river crossings!)

Thanks

More than ever, I would not have done this without the support of Ryan. He was the most supportive before the race, without ever showing a doubt of me finishing (even if he may have had some). After the race, he took care of my recovering body. He patiently waited for me as I was limping around and slogging up or down the stairs.

My coach, David Roche, was also an essential part of this journey: giving me confidence in my training, even though I felt like I wasn’t doing enough vert; helping me have the right mindset when there was already a kink in the plan before the race started; and overall being part of my journey for the past 2.5 years!

The incredible running community of DPMR who inspires me with all their welcomeness and incredible adventures. And the SFRRC trail runners who got me started on the trails a few years ago, and continues to be super supportive even if I don’t get to share as many miles with them anymore!! Special mention to Gunnar, who mentioned he was planning to sign up for this race and planted the seed in my head (which didn’t take long to germinate!)

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April Newsletter is out! Listen to board members R April Newsletter is out!
Listen to board members Renee, @ycamjack and @aude_hofleitner talk about the club and the great plans for 2022 thanks to the awesome folks from @themile99interview !

Talking about plans for 2022, join us for the Summer Picnic on June 5 and the Newbies on Tuesday, lead by @_buelna_ and co-hosted by @tahoemountainsports 
(also don't forget track on Wednesday mornings!)
And as we're all getting excited about race seasons and the upcoming party at @canyonsenduranceruns , meet our member @armstrong81.denver who will be running the 100k.

We also have the #bookofthemonth featuring A Beautiful Work in Progress from @themirnavator and opportunities to give back to the community by signing up for the @brokenarrowskyrace Elite Housing program.

#unafraid #trailrunning #runningcommunity #runninglife #runningmotivation #donnerpartymountainrunners #tahoe #tahoerunners #mountainrunners #DPMR #TruckeeTahoeTrailRunning #WeRunTrails #ultrarunning #raceseason #trailrace #canyons100k
The Donner Party Mountain Runners is excited to pr The Donner Party Mountain Runners is excited to present the inaugural Pt Mariah Trail Marathon.

Join us on Saturday, August 6th in Truckee / Soda Springs, CA for the Point Mariah Trail Marathon! There is a full marathon option as well as a 2-person "partner" marathon option.

With immense gratitude to @truckeedonnerlandtrust, the course will primarily run through the protected Royal Gorge land near Soda Springs, CA. Special thanks to our other land use partners at @skisodasprings and @tahoenationalforest.

Point Mariah offers expansive views of the Granite Chief Wilderness, the Pacific Crest Trail between Sugar Bowl and Squaw Valley, and the breathtaking Royal Gorge of the North Fork of the American River (one of the deepest canyons in the western US).

All the details for this fun, unique, and challenging trail race can be found on our website: https://donnerpartymountainrunners.com/point-mariah-trail-marathon/

Sign up on UltraSignup: https://ultrasignup.com/register.aspx?did=93003

We hope to see you in August -- as a racer or volunteer!

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The March Newsletter is out with the most amazing The March Newsletter is out with the most amazing content. You don't want to miss it! https://tinyurl.com/dpmrmarch

The New Point Mariah Trail Marathon organized by DPMR. 
Newbies runs and Track workouts returning in the spring. 
Volunteer Opportunities. 
Tips for backpacking with kids. 
The Book of The Month presenting Mental Training for Ultrarunning by Addie Bracy.
A highlight of Angela Stark who recently joined the board. 
Discussion about the best traction devices. 
A race report of Racing Gnome '22

#unafraid #trailrunning #runningcommunity #runninglife #runningmotivation #donnerpartymountainrunners #tahoe #tahoerunners #mountainrunners #DPMR #TruckeeTahoeTrailRunning #WeRunTrails #ultrarunning #bookofthemonth #racereport #pointmariah #trailrace #trailmarathon
Racing Gnome was back this weekend. Congrats to al Racing Gnome was back this weekend. Congrats to all the runners and thanks to the volunteers who made this possible. And who knows, maybe a snow race also called for a short break in the dry streak...?

📸: @travelwoo @ispyfred 

#unafraid #trailrunning #runningcommunity #runninglife #runningmotivation #donnerpartymountainrunners #tahoe #tahoerunners #mountainrunners #DPMR #TruckeeTahoeTrailRunning #WeRunTrails #ultrarunning #snowshoe #racing #flurries
The DPMR February newsletter is out (link in bio)! The DPMR February newsletter is out (link in bio)! Dive into some great info on our snowshoe race, ultra crewing advice, 2022 goals talk, weather musings, the book of the month, a COVID 2022 Q&A with Dr. Andy Pasternak @tubadrew, and get to know @kimyamauchi!
Add your name to our email newsletter list on the website to make sure you receive it. Enjoy!

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The Racing Gnome Snowshoe Race is Back! Always a The Racing Gnome Snowshoe Race is Back! 

Always a fun and challenging event– join us for the return of the Racing Gnome Snowshoe on February 13th! There will be two events- a 5K and a 10K distance race. All experience levels are encouraged to race!

As a benefit of membership- this event is FREE for DPMR members and just $10 for non-members.

Thanks to a generous donation by Alpenglow Sports, as another benefit of membership we have a limited number of snowshoes that are available for use. These will be available on a first-come-first-served basis and we cannot guarantee they will be available for your race. Several local Truckee-Tahoe shops also rent snowshoes if you don’t already own a pair.

Check out details 
https://donnerpartymountainrunners.com/snowshoe-races/

📸: Helen Pelster

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The snow is here... Time to get out the snowshoes The snow is here... Time to get out the snowshoes and enjoy winter Wonderland! Perfect day on the Donner lake rim trail and humans and our furry friend had a blast! Join us for our next snowshoe group run (or hike depending on conditions !). And thanks to @alpenglowsports members can borrow a pair of @atlassnowshoes for free!!

#unafraid #trailrunning #runningcommunity #runninglife #runningmotivation #donnerpartymountainrunners #tahoe #tahoerunners #mountainrunners #DPMR #TruckeeTahoeTrailRunning #WeRunTrails #ultrarunning #snowshoe #winterwonderland
Our member appréciation picnic was a blast : beau Our member appréciation picnic was a blast : beautiful trails, great company and tasty tacos from Golden Rotisserie... What else should we ask for? Even the dogs enjoyed the party!!

Thanks to board member Kathy @justimaginemktg for putting the event together and everyone who volunteered and helped. 
Thanks to Helen Pelster for capturing the moment 📸. 
We also got to celebrate one special member : our president and #unafraid leader Diane @ispyfred 
Thanks @keeptruckeegreen for the reusable plates. 

#trailrunning #runningcommunity #runninglife #runningmotivation #donnerpartymountainrunners #tahoe #tahoerunners #mountainrunners #DPMR #TruckeeTahoeTrailRunning #WeRunTrails #ultrarunning #picnic #runningparty #memberappreciation #legacytrail #truckeeriver
**End of Year Member Picnic & Run This Sunday!** **End of Year Member Picnic & Run This Sunday!**

Yeah, it's last minute but that's how we roll (and run) these days! The weather forecast looks great and we'd love to see you this Sunday for some good old-fashioned DPMR socializing.

We'll meet for a group run of up to 10 miles: out and back from Truckee Regional Park - along the Legacy Trail and onto the dirt road along South River Street or maybe the Sawtooth Trail.

Catered picnic starts at noon. Look for us along the river at the Lower River BBQ site. Special thanks to Keep Truckee Green for providing the reusable dishware for this event!

**Date: Sunday, Nov 21st
Time: Group run at 10am, Picnic 12pm-3pm
Location: Lower River BBQ/Picnic Area, Truckee River Regional Park**

This event is FREE for members and their families! No one goes hungry ... so please RSVP to help us get a count for food and drink.

RSVP Here: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/dpmr-end-of-season-picnic-extravaganza-tickets-34187454597

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October News Letter is out. Check out the new arti October News Letter is out. Check out the new articles on the website. 
Hear from DPMR Board Member Steve about the Strategic Planning session he lead to determine our strategy and goals for the next 2-3 years, and to identify the underlying values and principles that will guide us in our decisions and activities
Meet Mike Turner (@ canyonbagger) through his Member highlight
If you are looking for treats, the Cowboy Cookies recipe is here for your, courtesy of Renee.
We also have an inspiring race report of the Castle Peak 100K showing that Meggie is #unafraid
And for our book of the month, see the notes from @aude_hofleitner about Chasing Twilight @bestrunningjournal with a special interview of one of the author, who you likely already know… our own @adamkimble818 

#unafraid #trailrunning #runningcommunity #runninglife #runningmotivation #donnerpartymountainrunners #tahoe #tahoerunners #mountainrunners #DPMR #TruckeeTahoeTrailRunning #WeRunTrails #ultrarunning #bookofthemonth #castlepeak100k #cookies #fueling #trailrace #racereport
Happy snow day... Hilloween is upon us!! Join DPMR Happy snow day... Hilloween is upon us!! Join DPMR for its Halloween hill climb Sunday October 31st!! 

See website and Facebook event for details. 

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Run, friends, 🍁🍂 and 🍻! It's time for the Run, friends, 🍁🍂 and 🍻! It's time for the 2021 DPMR Pub to pub run. See you at the brewery and barrel house of @alibialeworks in incline Sunday October 17th at 8am. 
Check out the post on Facebook or on the website. 

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