On Saturday April 18th, Karel and I participated in the Cohutta Races , organized by Chainbuster (a wonderful family-run company who puts on excellent events). Karel completed the Big Frog 65-mile event in 5:35 (7200 feet elevation) and placed 2nd AG (50-59) and I completed the Cohutta 100-mile event in 9:25 (~13,000 feet elevation) and placed 1st overall female. Before I talk about the race, I need to talk about the day before it because getting to that start line was harder than many of those miles that followed. The travel went smoothly. It was an easy 3.5 hour drive and very scenic. I rented the cutest Airbnb just 20 min outside of the Ocoee Whitewater center. The food (grocery store) options were limited (Dollar General is the best option) so we brought all of our food. My mom and Alan came with us so they could do some hiking and watch Sunny while we raced. I love bringing Sunny along as he is a great companion and I love making memories with him - just like we d...
Thursday We made the 4:20 drive to White Lake, NC after my morning swim. I swam with Grace (who is very speedy) and modified her main set so that it would work for a pre-race swim workout for me. The drive was uneventful and we arrived to our lodging around 5:30pm. We stayed at a cottage at the Shoreliner, just a block from the lake. I booked by calling The Grand Regal Resort because no availability was shown online when I was wanting to make a reservation. I had no trouble booking a place on the phone a few months out from the race. Our cottage was like a tiny home and it was super cute. We had a friend (Chris -husband of an athlete we coach) stay with us and he slept upstairs in the loft area. The cottage had a set of bunk beds and a master bedroom, one bathroom, washer/dryer and kitchen. The weather was perfect when we arrived and after unloading, we walked on the beach by the lake. Although I had never been to White Lake, I had heard great things about the race. Also, Grace,...