NC to NC Phase Four – CO Thanksgiving!

Sorry for the delay on posting y’all! Spoiler alert: I made it to Virginia… Woot. But I digress, so let’s go back to where we left off.  Where was that? Oh right, at Denver Airport with Mom. This was just after exploring Utah and long after packing my worldly possessions. Needless to say, I was excited to get to Boulder for Thanksgiving! Tuesday evening we just hung out and enjoyed each other’s company. The highlight was when my brother first came in the house and my niece Rachel shouts, “Grandma, your son is home!!” That night, and the next two days, Rachel was extremely happy to see Mom but less than thrilled about Aunt Karen. That was okay by me because it meant I got to snuggle and play with my second niece, Ava, without interruption.

Wednesday we sent the girls to daycare as usual and Meggan went to work for the day. Mom took the car to stock up on groceries for the week while Brother and I settled into our project for the day. He had asked for help going through his wardrobe and I was more than happy to oblige. Our goals were to weed out items that were past-the-point, identify gaps to fill with new items, and to determine whether other items were work appropriate anymore. After three hours of trying on almost everything in his closet, we had a fairly long list of suggestions to add and a large pile for donation or sell. My biggest thing was to speak less and listen/question more. For example, “You have said that you don’t love the color of that shirt, that it feels big through the stomach and short along the bottom”. In that instance, I would advise that three strikes against that shirt would qualify it for donation and Brother would either agree or make a case to keep it. He did an excellent job at staying focused and taking my criticisms. The biggest gaps we found, which we kind of knew going in, were well-fitting and more traditional pieces of work clothes.

After a quick lunch with Meggan, we went to the mall with Mom and had an extremely successful visit to Banana Republic! Side note: For those of you with slim males on your Christmas lists, BR has tailored, slim fit, no iron button down shirts 🙂 Wednesday evening after work and daycare, we decided to try out a nearby restaurant with the family and I had an amazing salmon filet with really good bread and steamed greens. Yum! That’s where the above pictures were taken (the girls were there too, but were having too much fun watching the cooks in the kitchen to pose for a picture).

Thanksgiving morning we had decided to go into Denver and explore the Nature and Science Museum where their family now has a yearly pass. Mom and I hadn’t been before so we all had fun playing in the Discovery Zone (Ava is shown there above). We saw the visiting whale exhibit, climbed into a huge whale heart, saw dinosaurs, explored the Australian Outback, and saw fossils. After a quick snack, Rachel and I took off for the space exhibit. She was really excited to put on the outfit above and look for moon rocks. She then commanded a shuttle launch to Mars with me as her co-pilot and saw shooting stars. It was actually really fun and she’s the perfect age to play! That afternoon and evening we relaxed at home, set up their Christmas tree, and ate leftovers. With Meggan working two days of break and us wanting to get out and enjoy the nice weather, we concluded that spending hours in the kitchen was not something any of us wanted to do. We were outside that afternoon and Rachel rode Sparkle, her two-wheel bike all by herself for the first time!! Jason was obviously enjoying himself as well 🙂

That being said, on Friday Meggan threw a pork tenderloin in the crock pot and prepped a bunch of veggies before work. I helped monitor the meat throughout the day and had instructions on when to put the veggies and casserole in to cook. That evening we had a cousins party! Our second cousins Kyla (and her daughter Lily) and Keane (with his wife Kelly and daughter Liv) as well as our cousin Kelsey (with her new husband Eli and their dog Bodhi) all live in the Boulder area. Another second cousin, Tim, is working up in Summit County this winter so he came along too! The four girls played and all of the adults shared stories and caught up on extended family. Grandma helped put Rachel and Ava to bed and the other parents took their little ones home. Then Jason, Meggan, Kelsey, Eli, Tim, and I stayed up for several more hours playing games. Below is a picture of the group playing Killer Bunnies, which is a crazy game that is an Oliver family favorite.

Saturday we went to a nearby park for biking, walking, playing, and just having fun as a family. The weather was in the low 60s, which is unheard of in Colorado in November but this California girl was not complaining! It was nice to see my nieces play and watch their growth and development even in the last few months since I saw them last. That afternoon we played games at home, wrapped presents to leave for Christmas, and just relaxed together as a family. After dinner at Sweet Tomatoes (the same as Souplantation for California people), we called it a semi early night. Mom and I were set to leave first thing Sunday morning so I spent a little time packing the car and making sure that there would be room for everything and us. I managed to squeeze in everything and was happy that Meggan had taken Funshine through a car wash on her way back from work one day so that I could actually see out of the windows!

Tuesday afternoon to Sunday morning is a fairly long time to have with family but it never seems long enough! We are already trying to figure out the next time we can get together so I can see my sweet nieces. Hopefully having Mom and I on the same coast again will increase the chances of that happening more! Of course, we’ll have to look into fun adventures in Colorado as well. For now, I’ll look back at the pictures and smile thinking about the fun times we had this week. Not only was it great to have a break from the car, but it was great to be with my family. I hope the rest of you had a relaxing and enjoyable Thanksgiving with your family and friends as well!

Kelsey and Eli’s Wedding Weekend

This past weekend my cousin, Kelsey, married her fiancé Elias. These two are from Richmond, VA but reconnected and currently live in Boulder, CO. Because they are so close to my brother’s family, I’ve had the pleasure of seeing them throughout their relationship and could not have been happier to make the trek to the East Coast to celebrate with them! Everyone has been interested to see how they would blend their traditional, southern upbringings with their more free-spirited adult lives. I’m pleased to say that, in my humble opinion at least, that they NAILED it!

Let me back up a quick second though. So Thursday I flew to Denver and met up with my brother’s family on my layover. We then flew to Dulles and spent the night at my mom’s new house in Ashburn, VA. From there, we all drove together to my maternal grandparents in Williamsburg. It was a special treat to see my nieces playing with their great-grandparents! Then we were off to the hotel in Glen Allen. After quick rests, changes, and organization my niece went off with her parents to the rehearsal since she was a flower girl. Mom and I worked out and napped before catching a ride with my uncle to the rehearsal/family dinner. I won’t talk much about that so I can get to the good stuff, but suffice it to say that there was tons of food, tons of relatives, and tons of fun. Saturday morning we hit the pool with the little ones, went to a park, grabbed enough Chick-fil-a to feed a small army, and then migrated to Tuckahoe Plantation for the ceremony!!

Before I get into the details of the wedding, let me first say that I am only going to highlight a fraction of the small details in place on Kelsey and Eli’s special day. They both worked hard to make this day exactly what they wanted it to be and I’m so proud of them for staying true to that. I’m going to mention or show in this post the things that really jumped out to me as unique or special in a way I hadn’t seen before.

First was the seating and “stage” for the ceremony. Under the arch of trees, there were rows of benches for the guests who were instructed to “sit wherever and mingle”. Approve. But then at the front, there was a row of wooden chairs for the couple’s parents and grandparents. This added comfort and more of a decision from the seats to the bridal party. Handmade felt ball garlands were strung across the back as well. Additionally, the bridal party ended up sitting in a semi-circle on the pillows shown in the picture above. This was so they could see and be more settled as well. It also left just the bride, groom, and minister at the focal point of attention. I don’t have pictures of the actual ceremony because the couple requested that the guests not take them, but instead be present in the moment. Love!

We got an adorable program, which I was secretly hoping was an interactive game, for the ceremony. It started with a blessing or warming of the rings. This was a tradition I had heard of but never seen in practice. Dan, the minister and our cousin, started by telling how our late grandfather held and blessed the wedding rings two weeks ago before he passed. Then he explained that as the ceremony proceeded, the rings would pass through the entire audience and back to the best man. We were to send positive vibes or prayers towards the couple while we held the rings for a moment. What a great way to include everyone!

Sprinkled throughout the grounds were vintage furniture pieces in a variety of shapes and colors. They held the programs, gifts, activities, and drinks but also gave the wedding a more rustic, classy feel. On one such table, there were directions (painted on wood, of course) for guests to complete “thankful cards”. We were instructed to write or draw things or sayings or people we are thankful for. These will be re-purposed as thank you cards for the bride and groom. Who thinks of this stuff?! Oh, my yoga instructing, art therapy studying cousin… Right 😉

No afternoon outdoor wedding would be complete without a set or two of cornhole boards. Luckily for Kelsey our other cousin, Michael, is a craftsman and was more than willing to make two sets of cornhole boards, which were decorated by a collaborative effort of several of our more artistically inclined family members. I may have to commission a new set from him well! We obviously played a few games during cocktail hour and after dinner. We were also instructed to paint a square or section of a large canvas in the tent as well. The happy couple plan to hang this artwork up in their house as a reminder of all of their family and friends who joined them this weekend. It evolved throughout the night and you can see earlier editions in my Facebook album, but the final(ish) product is above.

Dinner was set up at a number of stations scattered around the grounds. And seating was an eclectic assortment of high-top bar tables, traditional tables and chairs, and couches with carpet. You can see an example in the corner of the picture above. There were also banners, flowers, and other colorful touches hanging from the ceiling and sprinkled on the tables. There were some more traditional aspects included in the reception, such as toasts and first dances and cake cutting. But, as you can see below, there were still unique touches with a variety of other desserts available as well. And we threw rainbow sprinkles at Kelsey and Eli as they sprinted for the car, since rainbow was (and probably still is) her favorite color. The bridesmaids and groomsmen each had a different color of the same bowtie and dress too!

I could go on and on, but I’ll stop there. Bottom line: the rest of my cousins and I decided that we will never be able to top this wedding. Oh, Saturday night after the event we all continued the party at my aunt’s house. Then Sunday morning we wrapped up with a farewell brunch. I even managed to sneak in a quick visit to my college friends, Alex and Megan, to catch up and meet their adorably small 55-day-old son, Luke. Then my aunt drove myself, one of the bridesmaids, and two of our second cousins to the airport for our flight to Dallas. We got away with no problems and somehow all made our close connections at DFW. I got home exhausted but happy late Sunday night. This weekend was a beautiful reminder of how important it is to be you, always, and to love openly those who are important to you. So thank you, Kelsey and Eli, for allowing me to be a tiny piece of your happiness this weekend… I love you both!!

Crewing an Ultramarathon at The Bear 100

What? Okay, let me start by breaking down the title of this blog for those of you who, like me a month ago, have little clue what it means. An ultramarathon is any race whose distance is longer than 26.2 miles. To crew one is to be the support team for an athlete competing in the event. The Bear 100 is a specific event that goes from Logan, UT to Fish Haven, ID. So this post will be all about my experiences this past weekend as I supported my brother, an ultramarathoner, in his first attempt at completing a 100-mile course. Prior to this race, the longest he’d finished was a 100K race (62 miles) but he’d been training for months and was ready to give it a go. So how did I get involved? Well, Brother asked if I would come to Utah and be on his crew team with my sister-in-law, Meggan. I was hesitant since I didn’t really know what to expect, but he sent me a few articles to read and ultimately I was up for the adventure and in! I’ll be writing this blog from my perspective throughout the race and weekend, but I’ll be sure to link to Jason and Meggan’s blog posts as well (Jason’s is up here!).

So this past weekend my mom flew to Boulder, CO to watch my nieces while I flew through Vegas to Salt Lake City and then bused up to Logan, UT to meet J and M. We met up on Thursday afternoon and first went to the pre-race meeting where course details and safety procedures were explained. There were 310 registered runners plus their respective crew (anywhere from one to a dozen people) and pacers at the meeting in the park. Wait, what are pacers? They are the other runners who aren’t entered in the race but who are allowed to run with the competitors for any portion of the last 63 miles of the race (in this case). Typically, the pacers are experienced ultramarathoners with knowledge of the course who accompany the athletes through the night and darkness to ensure safety. Brother’s official pacer was Eric, a friend and fellow ultramarathoner from Boulder who has finished The Bear 100 previously (read Eric’s account of the adventure here!). We also knew three other racers and their pacers, which was an added bonus!

Dropbags organized by aid station

After the meeting, we turned in Jason’s drop bags before heading back to the hotel room. These bags would be taken to specific aid stations throughout the course where J would have access to them. They contained a variety of gels, extra clothes, medical supplies, and hand warmers that Jason had carefully organized in the weeks leading up to the race. Back at the hotel Jason and Meggan rested while I got in a quick workout (80 laps in a 10 meter pool) and showered. Then I grabbed dinner for us and we called it an early(ish) night.

Runners at the start line, Friday at 6am

Friday morning we were up before five and off to the start. It was non-assuming (re: on a random neighborhood street) and still dark. We later learned that 277 athletes actually started the race and at 6:00am they were off! We wouldn’t set eyes on the runners again until mile marker 19.6, which Jason predicted would be about 4.5 hours later. So Meggan and I went back to the hotel, packed the car, ate breakfast, grabbed a few groceries for ourselves for the next 30 hours, and headed to the aid station. At nine points along the course, crews would be able to see their runners. Jason had written out an estimated arrival time for each station based on a finishing time of 28 hours. His ultimate goal was to be in under 30 hours and the course cut-off was 36 hours. J wanted to average around 15 minute miles and knew that he would walk/hike most uphills and jog/run the downhills. His big goal for the first half, until mile 52 where Eric would join him, was to stay slow to conserve his energy and muscles.

Typical aid station set-up with necessary and emergency supplies.

Meggan and I got to the first checkpoint about 9:30am in plenty of time to work out our plan. We established that at each stop, we would pick up Jason’s dropbag, lay out the contents, and set out other “emergency” supplies from the car. When he came in, it was our job to assess his health (mental and physical), nutrition, equipment and clothing. Then, much like pit crews in NASCAR, we were supposed to make the necessary exchanges in a timely manner so J could head out as quickly as possible. Meggan and I had decided that I would manage water, nutrition, and basic equipment while she took the lead on health and clothing. This meant that at each aid station I swapped his water bottles out for full ones, collected trash from his pack, added gels as needed, got whatever food he felt like and either fed it to him or stuffed it in his pack for later, and replaced batteries in lights. While I took care of these tasks, Jason could focus on Meggan and her questions about his body, his clothing, and any other concerns that might have come up. This process was repeated at each of the nine aid stations we were able to get to and once Eric joined the race, he was able to relay information to us as well.

J coming into our first aid station

The biggest question mark throughout the race was when exactly Jason would arrive. We had his outline but a lot can happen in a few hours out on the course. We were relieved when he cruised into our first meeting point a mere 10 minutes after his estimation. After a quick stop, he was off again and we didn’t see him again until mile 30. This was another quick pitstop and was where we met up with Eric. It was HOT and sunny but Jason appeared relaxed and happy, still just off his goal pace. At the third aid station for crews, and mile 36.9, I was slated to run with Jason for a leg. He had decided that it would be nice to have both Meggan and I complete a leg with him before Eric started. Not only would it break up the monotony but it would cut about 15 miles off of Eric’s load.

Crew station #2 at mile 30

When J came into Right Hand Fork (each aid station had a name), we did our usual pit stop routine and then I headed out with him. Our section was 8.2 miles total, with the first 4.5 gaining 1,000 feet of elevation and the last 3.7 being downhill. We set off at a strong hike and chatted easily as we went. To be honest, I’d been a bit nervous since I haven’t run that long since my marathon in July. And I live at sea level, while we started at 5,600 feet. But I was fine other than some heavy breathing at first. It was still quite warm (we started about 3:25pm) but we got ice water at the top of the climb and some shade on the way down. Most of my section was on gravel ATV tracks and not very technical, which was intentional as I do a lot more road running. I had a great time and we passed quite a few runners before coming into the next aid station at 45.1 miles. Here, Meggan took over pacing J and they hiked a huge, long uphill together while Eric and I got the cars situated.

Running with Brother for a section of the race!

By the time they got to the Tony Grove aid station (mile 51.8) it was dark. Meggan and I were happy to be done with our sections and were able to settle into the crew rhythm. For the rest of the race after J and Eric left a station, we would break down our setup, load the car, follow the directions along back-country roads to the next spot, set up, wait, and repeat. Depending on the time and distance between stations, we would cheer on our other friends, try to nap in the car, or just hang out. It helped that with the exception of one or two sections in the early part of the night, Jason was staying consistent with his times. This meant that we could calculate his projected arrival time and be ready without freezing outside in the dark for too long. Oh, I should also mention that sometime between 11:30pm and 4:45am it started to rain. In fact it downpoured where we were trying to sleep in the car. I felt so bad for J and we prepared for a cold, wet, and tired runner to come into Beaver Lodge at mile 75.8. Luckily for him, J had been at a non-crew aid station during much of the rain so he was okay!

Crew discussion between M and E at mile 75.

However, during the next 10 mile stretch in the early morning hours Brother and Eric were caught in a second thunderstorm. At Beaver Creek (mile 85.25) we weren’t sure when the boys would get in because Jason’s shin and foot had been bothering him at the previous stop. Couple that with the rain and we knew it could be a while. Since it was raining, Meggan and I stayed in the car and it was my job to watch the hill above for the guys. In my head, I’d last seen them wearing blue and red jackets so that’s what I was looking for. It was the early part of the window we expected them and all of a sudden an orange-jacketed man slammed into the driver’s window. We both screamed bloody murder. Then laughed as we realized it was Eric! J was in a black trash bag to keep dry and Eric had changed into a more waterproof layer as well. So the orange/black duo I’d written off coming down the hill a few minutes before had been them! It was 7:51 am when the guys left this aid station. They were feeling okay and J was motivated to finish the last 15 miles in under four hours and ten minutes to beat his 30-hour goal.

Waiting for the boys in the morning at Beaver Creek.

This is the point of the race when Meggan and I felt more at ease but also more stress. On the positive side, they had survived the night with any major injury, malfunctions or falls. I was confident that worst-case J could hobble the last 15 miles in 10 hours and finish (YAY!) It was also raining lighter and was getting brighter by the minute. On the not-so-positive side, they were now racing the clock. The course was muddy and mucky and J had been on his feet for 26 hours and counting. We knew that the next (and final) aid station would give us a good idea of whether or not his time goal was going to happen, so we packed up, bounced down our own mud-covered roads, and got set up. We knew that J would need to leave this point no later than 10am to have a chance to break 30 hours. We also knew that he’d want to be in and out extremely quickly.

Mud collecting on our tires as the race wore on.

At 9:36am, they rounded the corner and were MOVING. Our instructions this time were to take everything out of J’s pack that wasn’t essential. I pulled leftover food, gels, jackets, trash bags, etc. out of the bag and they headed off without even sitting. Again, our spirits rose and Meggan and I congratulated each other on completing our crew duties. Then we hopped in the car for our last drive, this time across the border into Idaho and to the finish.

Kari and Chris grabbing food from the last aid station.

Here, we stood in the rain and watched other runners come in. The finish was a 100 meter (or so) straight-away with a banner hanging outside the timing tent. We saw one friend, who left the last aid station with J, finish about 11:15am. This was a good sign as he was moving strongly and gave J 45 minutes to get in. Then we cheered on a second friend about 11:30am who told us that Brother wasn’t too far behind her. Finally, about five minutes later, Jason and Eric rounded the corner and we all started cheering. At 11:36, J crossed the finish line, completing his first 100-mile ultramarathon. Meggan, Eric, and I all jogged across the line with him and were all smiles. His official finish time was 29:36:34!!

Coming into the finish with Meggan and Eric… Go Jason!!

Finished and happy 🙂

Eric (pacer), Jason (racer), Kari (r), Kendrick (r), Chris (p), Erin (p), not pictured: Mark (r), Callie (p)

Everyone was tired, especially Jason, so we enjoyed the moment and then shuttled back to the condo for showers, naps, and well-deserved vegging. The rest of the day was spent playing games, eating pizza, and just recovering. Our fourth friend finished a few hours later so the condo had a 100% finish-rate. J ended up 70th out of the 167 runners who completed the course under the 36-hour cutoff, including one who crossed the line at 5:57:26. Yikes! Understandably, we all crashed early Saturday night but not before we dried out and reorganized our gear to prepare for the return to reality. Sunday morning we were up early and Meggan/I switched off driving duty for the 8-hour drive back to Denver. They dropped me at the airport just in time to find out my flight had been delayed. Sweet. I finally walked in the door about 11:30pm Cali time and face-planted. Happy to have been a part of such a phenomenal achievement in Brother’s life but absolutely exhausted and thankful for my bed. Until next time…

Finisher! Check out the elevation map of the course.