Blog Post

Well, I’m halfway there….2 races down in the US Skyrunning Ultra Series and 2 to go. I am amazed at how far I’ve come physically, mentally, spiritually... and how much further I am going to get the opportunity to go in just one summer. Besides running, life has taken a few twists and turns as well, as it does. Right now a little summer cold has me slowed down, giving me a moment or two to either get really irritated about it...or instead, eat some chicken soup in front of the space heater at work, and reflect while I wait for the next patient.

I was so afraid in April, getting ready for Cruel Jewel in May..the first of the skyrunning events. No mountains in Oklahoma to train on, no altitude training within reach, 17000ft of climbing in 57miles. I had no concept of this kind of climbing, oh, and 17000ft of descending too. My history of knee/IT issues and some niggling persistently pesky plantar fasciitis... I was afraid I either wouldn’t finish or would limp the last 20 miles and barely cross the line a survivor. I worked very hard, followed my training plan and worked my calves and feet with strength exercises and tortuous massage and core strength work- which I have yet to develop a love for! The race went like a dream. I came into aid station after aid station surprised at how good I felt...and how close I was to #1 and #2 girls. We exchanged places briefly and I got to experience racing...what I love...racing...back and forth, up and down..I was tickled pink to be racing girls number 1 and 2, but it could have been girls #51 and #52...it was the feel of racing, of knowing I was performing at my top level of fitness and smarts. I encountered problems and had to re-adjust, re-size, and re-frame things and go on..and I did. I finished exhausted and thrilled and in 3rd place, I think 7th overall.

Next, Speedgoat 50k. 11000 feet of climbing, 11000 feet of descending...add altitude and treacherous terrain...and amazing beauty! This would be the first “big race” that I would attend solo, no family or close friends with me in a place I had never been. This course is touted as “the toughest 50k in the US”. I had done more than just survive Cruel Jewel, so I had confidence that I could climb and climb and descend and descend without falling apart...I just wasn’t sure what would be in store with the ruggedness and altitude. This race delivered a whopping dose of both, but again, I was able to race smart and move well….and race! Now, I came in way down the list...like #30+ female, but I had just as much satisfaction with that finish as I did with 3rd at Cruel Jewel. This really was a brutal course, and seeing how the day played out for many, I was grateful. This one built confidence not only in my ability to climb and descend thousands upon thousands of feet, but now I knew I could do it at altitude...and race to the end. I managed my effort well enough that I flew those last few downhill miles (I’m sure it looked nothing like flying).  I am learning what I love about running and racing

So here I sit, currently in 5th position in the US Skyrunning Ultra Race Series! Kasie Enman in 4th and Ellie Greenwood in 6th.  Google those names! It may be short lived, but it sure is a hoot to see my name between those two! Here I sit, 41 year old female from Tahlequah Oklahoma, with 3 children, and a career as a nurse practitioner….in front of a space heater eating chicken soup, waiting on the next patient to be seen for the same damn virus that’s got me down. So weird and unlikely for this same person to be sitting between Kasie Enman and Ellie Greenwood, however short lived!

Looking forward, next up is The Rut, 50k in Montana, World Skyrunning Ultra Championship race. I am sooooo looking forward to what my brain and body are gonna be able to do now that I have a little more experience, smarts, and courage. I now KNOW I can climb and descend. I KNOW I can also do it at altitude...now what?  Can I put things together and take it a step further? Can I do it more efficiently?  Cant wait to see.  So here’s to the weird and unlikely!

I was at my cousin’s house last weekend and flicked through a copy of "The Cool Impossible", her husband said he’d briefly read it, there were some interesting running philosophies and that I should I take it home with me and read it.

I brought it home with me, read it over the course of the next two days and genuinely thought I’d found the answer to my recurring running injuries and problems (more of these later). For the first time in a very long time, I feel genuinely inspired.

Having re-read the sections I’d previously skimmed through and I’ve decided that this is make or break, this new approach is either going to get me back into running, or confirm what my GP has previously told me and accept that I’m simply not suited to distance running. I would have to give up on something I’ve grown to love over the last few years, consigning my shoes, shorts and shirt to the bin and my running career to history.

I’ve decided to rigorously follow Eric’s programme and philosophy, and since it’s going to be a major departure from my current MO, I thought I would also do something else for the first time….. write a blog.

I will share my journey, my thoughts, my experiences and my progress, starting from scratch and referencing Eric’s book, instructions and techniques, and ending up, well, who knows…

Along this journey, through the comments and feedback that you are kind enough to provide, I hope I can answer your questions, seek your advice and share an experience with anyone going through, thinking of going through, or having already gone through the journey that lies ahead.

I'm feeling a lot better.

Not that I've been feeling ill, or anything like that necessarily - just that now I'm feeling better.

I mentioned in my last blog post that once worrying about the b-word is all done and out of the way, I'll be able to relax and actually think about just running again and you know what? I think it's starting to happen. As far as the whole literary thing goes, I've set all of those wheels in motion and aside from occasionally lubing them over the next couple of weeks, I don't have to worry about it too much.

What was nice was that over the weekend, I managed to leave those wheels at home entirely and have what I realised with hindsight was my first proper clear-headed couple of runs in a long time.

I've been running a lot with other people over the last few weeks and so Saturday's solo venture out was a welcome change (nice as it is to have company). I was able to simply pull on shorts, t-shirt and kicks and run out the door, more naturally and naively than I've managed in ages. In that drizzly run around town and the surrounds, Old Ben was back - I ran around 10km I think (but have no real idea), for a while (again, no accurate guess - less than an hour I reckon?) and ran quick (no idea). After spending the last few weeks wondering a little, I'll freely admit, about what other people will make of my running through reading Ben on Foot, I was back to being the Ben who just went out and ran. I didn't and don't care how quick I am right now, or how far I need to train over - just that I can run when and where I want to. I feel a lot better.

I remember the guy with the insatiable appetite for getting up hills when his legs are screaming at him to go back to bed - that Ben made a reappearance the following day, on Sunday. This was also the Ben that loves dragging his mates out for said hilly runs too, so my mate Lee and I spend a sublime couple of hours out in the arse-end of hurricane Bertha, up and down the local rolling countryside. Dripping wet, cold and wind blowing almost as hard as our breathing. Perfect. When my chest started to get uncooperative on one climb, we both slowed and recovered; when Lee's knee started to feel awkward on a steep descent, we both waited and picked our way until we were ready to carry on. We ran because that's what we do; that's who we are now (apparently).

So right now, it gives me great pleasure to report: no racing, no set training plans... just running. My new Cool Impossible is to now cement this return to the form I want - remembering what I get from just running and encouraging other people to open the door to getting the same.

So, that guy who ran his bare feet to a bloody mess through excitement; the one who had to go out for the same 10 miles run twice in one day because it wasn't quite good enough the first time round; the guy who decided it was a good idea to run 28km just for a burger? I think he's here again. I'm feeling a lot better.

- Ben

I have been away for awhile because of family stuff.  It looks like a lot of great things are happening here.

 I thought I would give an update on my training for Madagascar.  This is a self supported 6 stage 7 day race in northern Madagascar.  The 1st 4 stages are 25 mile days, the 5th stage is 50 miles, and the last stage is 6 miles.  I carry everything I need for 7 days (toilet paper, food, sleeping bag, extra cloths, emergency stuff...). I have gotten my pack down to about 15 lbs.  The beginning of my race season I was training in the mountains and doing a lot of climbing. This was important for my earlier races. The last few weeks I have been doing more specific training for Madagascar. I have been mostly training on dirt and gravel roads with my race pack. My pace is slow and and I have been working on my form as well as making my pack as comfortable as possible.  I use poles to help with the weight with the earlier stages and will pack them up during the later stages once my pack lightens up.  One of the most challenging things about this race is nutrition.  I am required to have 14,000 calories on me at the beginning.  This is going to be a hot race and living in the mountains I am used to cooler weather. I am using a high calorie drink for breakfast and recovery.  Pocket fuel, bars, nuts and dried fruit for the race, and dehydrated meals for dinner.  They supply the water and hot water for meals.  I will also use SOS for electrolytes as well as electrolyte pills.  I will have a few treats with me. 

This will be my 1st race out of the country and first time in a developing country.  There are 250 racers, 40 americans and the largest number of women Racing the Planet has ever had! I hope to have a great race report for you when I get back.  Happy Racing.

Today's Thoughts: Running Ultras is all about performing when everything goes wrong.

It is easy to perform when things are going well, but just like in life, 'real' performance is about how we act after we think, being aware, and continuing to perform when things "seem" to be wrong.

But in reality, the only thing that is wrong is this flawed thinking in the moment.

Can you perform when your thinking goes south?  

Can you be aware when thinking goes wrong?  

Can your mind perform when you want the current situation to be different?

What Can You Do?

I believe most of our thinking is just fear, and once we can understand this and have awareness of these thoughts, we can break the cycle, fear stops, and we can then create better thoughts to keep moving forward and perform extraordinary.

Race on!

By Katie Rosenbrock for The Active Times

What if someone dared you to sign up for a 100K ultra marathon right now? Would you take on the challenge or completely dismiss the idea?

I would tell that someone they were crazy. “I’ve never even completed a marathon. How could I possibly cover more than double the distance?” I would say. Heck, I’ll run my first marathon this year, but even after that I’m still not sure I’d be able to wrap my mind around the idea of finishing an ultra.

Eric Orton believes otherwise; for me, for you and for all runners everywhere. And he mostly has me convinced.

You may know Orton as the coach from Christopher McDougall’s widely popular book about running, Born to Run. Or you may know him as the author of his own book The Cool Impossible. I know Orton as an enthusiastic coach who believes in adventures and following your dreams.

Orton has an impressive background as a running coach and fitness expert. He is the former fitness director for the University of Colorado Health Sciences Center and works with dozens of athletes from recreational runners to elite ultra-marathoners. He’s helped countless athletes reach feats they never dreamed possible, but his real dream is to create a larger, lasting impact.

Enter, the Jackson Hole Running Camp; a three-day, running-intensive camp set in Jackson Hole, Wyo. amidst the breathtaking terrain of the Tetons with Orton as your coach.

“I’ve always wanted to do this camp,” Orton told me. “Timing is everything and the timing just seemed right. With my book The Cool Impossible and with Born to Run, these last four years I’ve heard from people all around the world who wanted to come and train with me. This camp will really allow me to affect a lot of runners globally.”

The camp is designed for experienced runners who want to push their potential to the next level. Although Orton requires that you must be able to run continuously for two to three hours upon arrival at the camp, he emphasizes the fact that it’s meant for runners of all abilities.

“It’s important to get across that even though we will be running a lot and people need to be running two to three hours up to that point, that this is a camp for all abilities. Experienced runners of all abilities,” he said. “It’s not an elite camp. It’s a camp for runners who have a good foundation and who have the ambition to find the next big goal for themselves.”

In all that I discussed about the camp with Orton, he seemed most excited to be able to share the exquisite scenery of Jackson Hole (where he currently resides) with his new student athletes.

“I think this is an opportunity for people to come and use the mountains as a way to challenge themselves within their own abilities,” he said. “The mountains provide a natural challenge that is above and beyond anything anywhere else. It’s like ‘nature’s classroom,’ when they walk away from this three days later… The point is to walk away thinking, ‘Wow there’s something more possible for me.’”

That’s a lot to learn about running and your own potential in just three days. So I asked Orton how he trains athletes to conquer the mental aspect of training, which is arguably the most difficult part of the battle to overcome.

He says it’s all about understanding effort.

“Most people have the ability but they don’t understand the effort. We’re all ultra runners. It’s just understanding how effort works and how we manage that. You have to be efficient,” he said.

In fact, Orton told me that it’s his passion to help his athlete’s morph the physical and the mental aspects of athleticism together. “They’re so important and go hand in hand,” he said.

But how exactly does one go about better understanding effort? And probably more importantly, what does that really mean?

“That’s where heart rate training comes in,” he said. “That learning will take place and how they use the heart rate monitor will help them understand what proper effort is based on what they’re doing, how to really manage their effort so they can run four or five hours every day. That’s the key… to understand what running at 160 beats per minute means for you. Work interval, rest interval and distance all go together to form this understanding.”

So, maybe in terms of running experience you’re more towards the beginner end of the spectrum, if that’s we’re you’re at what can you do right now to improve your performance? I asked Orton to share some of his best running advice.

“If you’re looking to train and get better you really have to have purpose. My number one tip is to set a goal,” he said.

He also said that he always reminds his athletes to never confuse difficulty with failure. “It’s supposed to be difficult and we have to view that as part of the process,” he said.

And for runners like me who are somewhere in the middle (say, about to start training for their first marathon), Orton reiterated the following advice.

“Understand what effort is. What is my marathon pace? What should my interval pace be? Many people don’t get to have that understanding,” he said. “Understand what’s appropriate for you based on where you’re at, that will allow you to run more without breaking down. The more we can run well the better.”

At the end of the day, Orton says that accomplishing your goals is about eliminating any fear you might have.

“People are dealing with fear, they don’t know what they can do. When they leave my camp and go back home they might think, ‘I don’t know if I can do 100 miles, but I know can try.’”

The weekend just past saw my 10 year old son Jason compete in his first fun run. It was a 3km run as part of the Run Melbourne festival with my wife also running the 10km the next day. The kids event is a family event where parents and guardians can run with the kids. There were kids of all ages being pushed, carried, walking and running, it was fantastic to see such fun being had around a healthy activity. The only danger was being accidently tripped by parents stopping abruptly or walking backwards to take photo's of their kids as they ran. 

The kids could nominate a super hero team to be apart of, Captain America, Spiderman, The Hulk or Iron Man, Jason Chose Captain America and the Super Hero's were on hand to rev up the crowd, pose for photo's and sign autographs.

Just Before The Start

Ready To Go!

The run itself was a loop along the Yarra River, running out of Galoshes Paddock along the path following the Yarra river and it seemed the whole of Melbourne was out. There were other runners, cyclists, rowing and walkers, it was great to see so many people out on a Grey, damp winters day.

Rowers and The Path That The Kids Ran On

At the end of the usual count down and a huge hooray, we started walking slowly towards the kite marking the start, then not too far afterwards we started to slowly run. On Leaving the park the kids and parents then ran for about 1.5 km along the banks of the Yarra river, over the river via a foot bridge and along the river on the other side finishing at Federation Square. My wife and I ran with Jason & it was wonderful to run as a family and be apart of such an upliftingly good event. We felt very proud because not only was Jason doing something we are passionate about, as a kids safe event he could have chosen to run by himself, but he wanted to do this with Mum & Dad.

Everyone was there for the right reasons, everyone had huge smiles on their faces, everyone encouraged and supported kids other than their own. The super hero's took up positions along the course and gave "Power Boosts" to all that wanted one by touching a special "Power Pad" they were carrying. But it wasn't really needed as the positive energy being emitted by the collective running was amazing.

Christina & I were so excited and into the vibe that we forgot to remind Jason to start Christina's Garman he was wearing but he didn't, I remembered, reminding him about 10 minutes into the run with Jason saying "it's ok dad, I did it".

Jason crossed the finish in a shade over 24 minutes at the same place where the 5, 10, 15km, and half Marathon would finish the next day. I know its obvious and doesn't need saying but indulge me, the time of cause didn't matter, not that the kids realised this as their time was important to them, and should be. What's important is the bonding, community spirit, kids and parents participating in a healthy activity and the seeds that may have been sown that help produce healthy, productive and positive people, now and into the future.

Once through the finishing area Jason received his finishers medal and goody bag containing the usual product samples and give a way's.

We then had a look around the runners expo still being set up for the next day before walking to a coffee shop situated in the Fitzroy Gardens feeling very proud indeed.

Melbourne City, The Old & The New

I was nervous about how this race would go. I’ve been at altitude for over a week now, but am only 1 week post Speedgoat...32 miles with 11,500 feet of climbing...and descending. I was actually surprised at how good my legs were feeling within a few days. Tuesday, I summited Mt Elbert, adding another 4500ft of climbing in 4.5 miles.

Climbing and summiting Mt. Elbert, at 14,500ft solo was a deeply personal experience. I don’t even know if I could put it into words. I honestly don’t even want to, it was just me and the mountain.

So, on to La Maratona. Good friends Aaron and Katie were there dark and early to see me off. The race was supposed to start at 6am 7/26, but there was a delay, so we didn't actually get started until around 6:40 or so. At speedgoat I had been conservative on the climbs...they were hard, and at some points painful, but I know there were climbing sections I could have run...maybe, but chose to hike. I am learning to find a moderate climbing effort. I am still a little shy on the long climbs, not completely trusting my ability/or knowing where my ability lay. So today, the goal was to treat each climb as an individual race. 3 climbs, 3 separate races. Get to the top of the climbs as quickly as I could, taking every opportunity to run, giving those climbs a less shy effort, and recover, if I needed to going down. I just wasn’t sure what my legs were up for today. I was afraid they would tire quickly and not do well climbing...or descending. I was afraid I would end up walking the whole damn thing after 10 miles, I was afraid of blowing up. Basically, I was afraid of the unknown. I didn’t know what would happen. I also wasn’t feeling “all in” on this race at the start like I did with Speedgoat, which made me more nervous...would i have the desire to work a little harder over the duration?

We finally got started, we ran out of the Copper Mt village straight onto single track trail zig zagging up the now grassy ski slopes. It would be a 6 mi climb to Copper Mt summit. The switchbacks were relatively runnable for me. I trusted a little harder effort, and backed off when I felt like I was straining. Initially, my calves were burning quite a bit, and legs felt fatigued, but that seemed to ease once we hit a dirt road section of the climb. There were aid stations every 2-3 miles on the course. I skipped the first one at 2.5 miles and continued up. I wore my Salomon S lab race vest with a 17oz soft water bottle in the front with a product called Tailwind, a sport/eletrolyte drink. I had been sipping on that for calories/water initially. Hit the next aid station at 4 miles and refilled my now empty sport drink with water and grabbed a couple of gels for the next hour or so. At about 5.5 miles, the jeep road ended and we were back on single track steeper trail up to the summit. We crossed a rock field and a small snowy section to reach the summit at 12,400ft. My breathing wasn’t as difficult as usual at that elevation. I could tell even just 7-10 days at elevation had made a sig difference. I was also thrilled not to have the usual nausea and mild headache that typically appears. So far this year, I have tolerated and adapted to altitude better.

Time to take off down the summit! The rock field required a little slower motion, but this section was short. I felt good going down and ran well, although going down I could feel some quad soreness and a little IT soreness after a couple of miles of descending. I Hit the aid station and on to the next section, which was up just a bit then a little flat. I noticed some orange flags next to a trail sign, “fat marmot trail”. I got tickled at the title and totally missed the fact that I was supposed to turn. Went straight for another 1/4mi and realized there were no longer any orange flags. I went back and forth for about 10 minutes before realizing my mistake and heading back to “fat marmot trail” and turning. At this point there was no one around me. I started to wonder if I was on the right track. On this course there were 10 aid stations and one of them we would hit 4 different times, this was not a simple out and back course. I followed the trail back up to the aid station before the second summit of Copper Mt. I checked my distance with the aid station, they confirmed I was on target distance wise and I headed off up to the summit. I still wasn’t sure though. This was a difficult time for me. My legs were tired and I knew I had lost about 10 minutes going past the flags...then with no other runners in sight, I was fairly convinced I had just completely jacked up the course. I decided I would check my distance against the aid station again at the summit and as I went to see if by mileage I was still on track.  I realized I was distracted and not giving the race the effort I had intended. At that point I brought myself back to the race and kinda flipped a switch and got back after it. One really cool thing was seeing Stevie Kremer, female World Skyrunning Champion run! We criss-crossed paths several times on the course and it was very motivating to see her blaze past smiling and being able to encourage her and hearing her encourage me. She finished in an amazing time of 4:10..CRAZY!

Second summit down and back down, through the aid station grabbing a couple of gels and water. Tummy still doing well and even able to crave/tolerate a small stack of pringles. I was getting close to 200 cal/hr and 17-20oz water/hr. I was swelling though. I tend to have trouble with this during races. I had no trouble with this at Speedgoat, but hands were getting fat and tight today. The race would not be long enough for me to need to be concerned though and I was not feeling ill. This second descent felt pretty good, quads still mildly tender and IT bands a little tender toward end. Came through the aid station on the final climb and up I went. This was dirt road. I alternated hiking/running as I could and really tried to push effort a little knowing it was the last climb. I started seeing more runners here and had a sense of being chased, so I determined I would let loose more on the descent as it was going to be almost all downhill from there to the finish. This descent was a little more uncomfortable with quad tenderness and IT band soreness picking up a bit. I knew the soreness was temporary though, and mild enough that I was not doing any harm trying to be more aggressive on this last downhill stretch.

I finished with mixed emotions about the race. I am now quite confident I missed a section of the course. Most runners finished with distances of 28-29 miles and my watch only showed almost 26. I sent my data to the race director, who reviewed my data and replied that she thinks it’s right, but I’m pretty sure I missed some of the downhill segment after the first climb. I am pleased with my effort, I’d sure like to get better at climbing!! It’s a little frustrating..I see so many girls climbing waaay better than I, but at the same time, I see myself climbing better as well with each race. I love this type of racing and running. I feel like I have lots of room for improvement, which makes it fun. I know all things considered, I am doing well out there with these races. I’m not seeing the times I’d like yet, but I’m recovering very fast from them and hungry for the next and learning learning learning

Now, before I start this post at all, I really want it to be more 'telling about', rather than 'advertising' - I hope that it ends up coming across as such. On the one hand, I hate (in other forums and sites, thankfully) spammy, adverty posts... on the other hand, a lot of you guys here have asked me about the progress on my book, about my journey from non-runner to fledgling ultra-runner.

I'm hoping that this will be interesting to at least the guys who've asked before and that if you're not that bothered, I hope you'll bear with me :)

After spending twelve months going from writing on here about how I was struggling to run 10km home from work, I made it to running ultra distances and setting out to run 130 miles across the South-west... I wrote a book about what I learned along the way and it's going to be released at the start of September. There are still a few bits and pieces to add in and tweak before the ever-looming final-draft deadline of 22nd August, but it's pretty much there - and if you're here reading this, I'm guessing there's the chance you might be interested in reading the book :)

I've set up a Kickstarter page as a kind of pre-order hub, so that I can offer a bit more back to anyone who would like to pick up a copy (there are things like signed copies, your name in the book itself, limited-edition covers etc).

If anyone's interested in having a look, the link is http://kck.st/1An9Uhg.

Although I've said this before, I'm indebted to everyone here who's shown me even the tiniest bit of support on my running journey - I wouldn't be the capital-R Runner that I am today (and certainly wouldn't be posting now about having written a book about it) if it weren't for all of your kind words and encouragement along the way.

Also, the nice thing is that once the book's released, I can clear my head of it and go back to writing blogs about actual running ;)

Thanks again everyone, speak to you all soon, I hope you take a minute to check out the book.

- Ben

Wow, what an amazing race! I arrived in Snowbird Utah on Wednesday, 7/16/14. The race was Saturday 7/19/14. I arrived with a bit of illness, but seemed to come around in time to race. I ran into some superstars of the ultra world including Ellie Greenwood and  race director and speedgoat Karl Meltzer the day before the race.

I came to Snowbird solo, knowing no one. I met up with a wonderful group of individuals at breakfast, inlcuding Trent Beachy, creator of Elevation Tat, a temporary tattoo of race elevation profiles. I first came across his tattoos at San Juan Solstice 50 last year in Lake City, CO. It helped me keep track of where I was and what was coming next during that long race. Memorizing a mountain course is difficult, and once you get a few hours into a race things become blurry. This product is really exciting to have, and I was sooooo geeked out to meet the creator!. Here is a pic of the Speedgoat course profile as it looks on the tattoo that runs the length of your forearm. Pic credit to Elevation Tat.

He had his lovely girlfriend Abigail, and their two friends Dan and Meggie Graham with him. Dan would be racing. Our trails crossed several times (well, basically at every meal) before the race, and eventually they sort of adopted me into their little tribe and 

even  ended up crewing me and cheering me on during 

the race. Here you see Trent on the left and Dan (racing) on the right. This was at mi 8, Hidden Peak. Obviously, the elevation had gotten to their brains!

Race morning I arrived at the start early to pick up my packet and help Trent and his crew pass out tattoos. I managed to put the first one on a young lady upside down...rookie mistake. The course does look a lot easier upside down though! Oh well, can’t fire free help. After that I opted to hand out the tattoos and let the experts affix them. I wished Dan good luck and we lined up. After making us repeat “I will not cut the switchbacks” and “I will not get in the stream” a few times he cut us loose at around 6:30 am. My goal was to race conservatively, getting to mi 14 feeling as good as possible.  We climbed the dirt road about a mile and hit the single track trail that would take us 7 more miles up to Hidden Peak at mi 8 and 11,000ft. I alternated between running and hiking, keeping my effort low moderate the whole way. I was able to gradually work my way up the field as we climbed. At around mi 7 we hit the talus field. Millions of melon size, jagged edged, granite rocks. Here is one of the pics of this field...

Going up them wasn’t so bad...I knew coming down would be a challenge. We crossed a small snowfield going up, a little dicey on a 12” wide trail. This is the view from Hidden Peak looking back at the zig zag trail that leads up through the snow. It was fun with only 1 misstep taking me knee deep in snow.

I made it to the top at mi 8 feeling very good. I used a product called Tailwind for calories/electyrolytes and was taking in about 17-22oz of water with this per hour. I was doing well at getting about 200cal/hr in and my stomach was tolerating this well. Usually, at altitude, I struggle with nausea and have a really hard time getting calories in. Not today. It was also a huge charge to hear Abigail and Meggie cheer me in, it brought a huge smile to my face! I almost cried. Henry Bickerstaff was also there to greet me. He pulled my pack off and between he, Meggie, and Abigail they had me in and out in no time. I asked where Dan was, and was pleased to hear he was moving well, probably 10 or so minutes ahead. My new goal was to find Dan. was getting to them both! Photo cred to Abigail Taylor and Meggie Graham.

I took off down the other side of Hidden Peak toward Larry’s Hole aid station at mi 10. This pic shows the first switchback down toward Larry's Hole.

I passed on through this aid station, as I had filled up just 2 miles before. I continued down, then a short but steep up and then down again. The next 2 miles were very difficult. I was looking forward to the long downhill toward Pacific Mine aid station at mi 14, near the midway point of the race. I was greated with nearly 2 miles of running down a dry riverbed of again, melon sized, loose rocks that wobbled under every step. I tried to run up on the side where there was more dirt/less rock but the sides were too steep and just kept pushing me back into the rock bed. I finally gave up and just ran down the middle. The heat was cranking up as well. I expected around 80 to be the max temp….Cool by Oklahoma standards. Turns out it cranked up to 96 coming into Pacific Mine. The sun at altitude intensified the heat. I finally got off the rock field about a mile or so before Pacific Mine, starting to feel a little hot and sluggish. I determined at Pacific Mine I would dump ice water over myself and fill the spare bottle in my pack with ice water to douse myself as I ran back up out of there. I was soooo glad I stuffed an extra water bottle in the back of my pack! I grabbed a couple of popsickles and headed out of Pacific Mine, mile 15 on the course with 2 full water/electrolyte drink bottles and an extra bottle of ice water in back.

Next up was a 5 mile climb out of that aid station. I continued that moderate effort up, I sought out shade as I climbed, this section included several miles of jeep road with intermittent shade. Here I came upon Dan, he was not feeling well and had pulled over for a minute. I could tell he was a little overheated. I whipped out my magic ice water bottle and pulled his cap off and poured some ice water on him. I know how incredibly good this feels….it can bring one back from the dead. One thing I have found in ultras, it doesn’t usually take much to rejuvinate an ultra runner. Sometimes just even a kind word can turn a DNF into a finish...and ice water has super magic power. I let him rest and I continued on. I continued to move up a little in the field which felt good. I knew it meant I had been smart at the start. Time wise I was wanting to hit the turnaround before 4 hours and ideally around 3.5, I wasn’t even close, but I was very satisfied with how I was racing and how I was moving up in the field. I was also starting to see some carnage from runners who were struggling to continue.

I made it back to Larry’s hole aid station at mi 21 again feeling pretty good. There were a couple of runners contemplating quitting here. As I filled my bottles and grabbed a handful of chips, I encouraged them. We only had 2 climbs left, both shorter than any climbing sections we have done. I felt a little guilty trying to encourage them, knowing the most brutal climb lay just ahead. 2 miles up to the top of Mt. Baldy. The first mile is steep, the second is just insane. I had experienced some varying levels of discomfort up to this point, but the last mile up Baldy introduced me to a whole new level of difficulty I had not previously encountered (i.e. pain). So, the first mile up out of Larry’s hole I prepped myself mentally for what lay ahead. I also convinced myself if I got over Baldy, I would be fine, falsly convincing myself that the rest of the course would be “easy” in comparison. I was prepared for Baldy, I was not prepared for after. As we hit the seemingly 70% uphill grade of Mt Baldy, there was a gentleman in a chair directing us to the flags that led up the mountain. No trail, just flag to flag climbing. He said, “Just put your head down and climb, it’s 1 hour, you can do this”. And I did, hands and feet mostly, looking up only to see the next blue flag. I climbed some like this and some with my hands on my thighs, pushing them into the ground. My breathing was out of control, laborous, and I felt like an inchworm. I could smell the wildflowers, my face so close to the mountain. I grabbed clods of flowers and grass and the occasional rock. I thought of my mother-in-law. Newly diagnosed with terminal lung cancer. The day before the race we learned the extent and prognosis. Large masses fill both her lungs with numerous smaller lesions. She needs oxygen now.  Is this how she would feel? ...I wondered. And then I broke down. I climbed and cried and grieved a little. I reached the top.

It took about a ¼ mile to find my legs again as I shifted back into a run. The next mile would be downhill into the Tunnel aid station. I found my legs and then some. I was flying down the dirt road into the Tunnel Aid station. There was Trent, Meggie and Abigail. I was surprised and happy to see them here. I told them Dan hit a rough patch, but would be coming soon. They filled me up and I flew out of there through the tunnel in the mountain. Trent had to chase me down to give me a couple of popsickles. It was fun to be chased. It was fun to be fast for a bit.

I descended down for another mile or more coming to the last climb back to Hidden Peak. I just knew this climb would be easy compared to Baldy. My legs felt fantastic flying down. Everyone said this climb was to be a piece of cake all things considered.  It was only a mile and half climb at most. As soon as I started to climb my legs revolted. I tried to be patient thinking they would feel better. It always takes a few minutes to shift from descending to climbing and my legs to get adjusted. They never adjusted on this climb. And here’s where expectations kicked my ass. My brain “expected” this to be easy. When it wasn’t, it made it that much harder. Instead of letting go of that expectation, I clung to it for the next mile. I tried to fight the mountain, fight the fact that it wasn’t easier, force my legs to move faster. Finally, with about ½ mi to go, I finally let go. “It is what it is”. Lori, let your legs do what they can. Relax your arms, breathe, relax your legs and just climb….whatever pace that is it is...but it will be easier and faster if you quit fighting. I made it back to the top of Hidden Peak feeling pretty roughed up. I saw the time and felt a little down, I had developed a new time goal based on my halfway point time and I was past that new goal as well. I also had not peed since I left Hidden Peak the first time 6-7 hours ago. I gave my pack to a volunteer. I was glad no one I knew could see me at that moment, I looked and felt bad.

I hit the bathroom and what little urine I produced was no longer “coors light” it was “IPA”. I left the porta potty and drank a bunch of water and filled my bottles with water instead of Tailwind. I knew I only had 5ish miles left and needed to hydrate. I ate the nastiest gu gel with “2x the caffeine” for a little kick and left the aid station drinking water. I headed down...the talus field, which dictated a slower speed and more opportunity to drink. Hit the snowfield and skated awkwardly down the trail, barely managing to stay upright, but laughing as I went. I was passing people which felt good. I was nervous though. Karl had changed the course this year….making it more difficult than it already was by adding another 300ft climb at around mi 29. I was afraid of what my legs were gonna do with this last little bugger. Well, I at least knew not to expect it to be “easy”!

Sure enough, the trail markers led to a more primitive, bushwhacked trail straight up 300 more feet over a really short freaking distance. BUT, once I hit the top of that, I knew it was ALL DOWN HILL!! I also knew my descending legs were good. Real good.  I took off like I had a mountain lion on my ass! I flew past 3 girls and several guys as I ran. It felt so good to open up my hips and fly! I blazed right on through the finish and immediately shook Karl’s hand and told him what an evil bastard he was….but that I meant it in the kindest way possible! He smiled knowingly. The field was completely stacked with awesome male and female ultra athletes. I was thrilled to be 5th in my age group and supposedly first from the Plains States, I haven't checked that one yet. I was the first…and last…from Oklahoma..hehe.

I found Trent, Abigail, and Meggie and we all cheered Dan as he came through. It was definitely the toughest course I have ever been on. It was also one of my best races. I came no where near to the time I had hoped for, but I raced well. I kind of see races like paintings, creating something that changes me, different hues reflecting different emotions, different segments, different efforts, as the painting is coming together. After, I get to look at it and see the colors and brush strokes individually and collectively. This painting holds a special place in my collection, as every new painting does. Thanks most especially to my husband Todd, without his encouragement and dedication to seeing me “demand the impossible” it really would be simply impossible. Thanks to my children Noah, Ethan, Avery, for being my reason “why”. Let nothing be impossible to you.

I am again on the Road with work & will be until about the end of November. I'll be away for 10 days then home again for 2 weeks before going away again as I complete a maintenance project for Kmart at all their stores in Queensland Australia.

The work will take me all over the state from the Gold Coast where we are now to Cairns  which is 1,900km North and across to Mt. Isa in the West some 1,300 km from Cairns. This trip gives me the opportunity to run in some amazing places, the tropics, desert area's and resort towns, the full gamut of running experience.

The above photo is taken at Biggera Waters just North of the Gold Coast where we are staying, the beach you can see is Surfers Paradise.

The above photo is the running track right outside where we have been staying and will be staying when we return. It 15km in length, it's is marked every 50 meters as shown and is literally across the road.

I will continue to complete Phase 2 of the Strategic Running Foundation and then prepare for the Melbourne Marathon which will be run on the 14th of October while I am away and of cause when I'm home.

I know there will be the occasional day when I won't be able to train or complete the session I would like due to travel or the work it self but the pay off is the runs I will complete will be completed in some amazing locations.

To date I haven't missed a session while away in either Tasmania or this trip, I've had to rearrange the program a little, changing rest days or swapping sessions to fit them in but so far so good.

I see this as all part of my journey, I'm so privileged to do what I do, to be able to train in the amazing places I do and have a loving and supportive family. Having to rearrange, compensate, modify and changing my run schedule is a such little thing compared to the joy and privilege it is to be able to train and run in the places I do.

Besides, the only real constant in life is change itself, so really this is just life in action. We all need to be resilient and adaptable in our training, running and in life but the change I may need to heed is a pure joy to accommodate.

Tomorrow I fly home for a couple of weeks before returning to the Gold Coast for another 10 day stint. I will keep you posted of where I am training and how it's progressing when I'm away so I hope I don't bore the pants off you all.

I wrote this in reply to a runner that had been struggling with injury and now dealing with fear of re-injury limiting her. I thought I'd share it with you to generate some thought and discussion. We all struggle with fear and injury.....

Fear is normal....embrace it, it is supposed to be there when you are stepping out of your comfort zone. I have had intermittent trouble with IT pain and plantar fasciitis and have still been able to accomplish some amazing things over the past 3 years including 3 100 mile finishes...one first female ;)

I say that to say your goals are more than possible, despite some painful experiences you have had. We all have aches and pains to work through...some physical, some mental. Don't stop because it hurts...evaluate the hurt and work on the root cause to begin to ease/eliminate the pain. Some pain can be worked through while continuing to train, obviously, some require stopping and resting...same is true with our minds. I have managed to train through a lot of my IT and heel pain and have made great strides in working to resolve some of the factors that have contributed (mostly form and strength issues). I have also had to stop training for brief periods to rest those "hot" areas.

I have learned it is a work in progress and seeing it as such has eliminated a great deal of frustration. I see my body kinda like a mechanic sees a car. If you take your car to the shop because something is rattling, the mechanic is going to tinker with it, using his knowledge and experience. If what he does fixes it, great!  If not, he tinkers with it more until it runs properly. I also see a lot of runners stop running because of injury or aches/pains, advised by their medical professional "your should stop running, running is too  hard on your body".  Again, like a mechanic, if you take your car in because it is rattling, he's not going to say, "you should stop driving, driving is too hard on your car". He's going to work to help it run better and more efficiently and he's going to help you work out the rattle.

“Disappointments are to the soul what a thunderstorm is to the air.”

~ Friedrich Schiller ~

Wyco is making me Psycho!

This is going to be a tough one to write so where do I start? Like so many previous plans; yesterday began with confidence and good intentions and leaving my watch at home so I could take the day as it came. I really felt ready both physically and mentally for the challenge to come, but it is said that momentum is a cruel mistress and she can turn on you at the drop of a hat.

I dedicated the race to a 14 year old named Abigail who has been struggling with being bullied and has responded by trying to hurt herself. I do not know her but she is the granddaughter of someone I know and I guess I wanted her to be aware that people she doesn’t even know care about her. Bullying has become a real problem and people need to realize that life is hard enough without us making it harder on each other.  

This was three races in one for the Psycho Psummer with a 20 miler and 50K starting at 8:00 and a 10 miler starting at 9:00. Since I was signed up for the 20 and my wife was doing the 10, I took the shuttle to the park at 7:00 and she read her book and came over before I started. We got our picture taken together and she gave me some words of encouragement before the start.

It was already getting hot and I had no idea what to expect, but I was going to try to go with whatever the trail had in store for me. Ben gave his pre-race talk and blew the horn and we were off, over the bridge and across the grass towards the entrance to the bridle trail which is always a conga line at first. Shortly people found their pace and we began moving more smoothly. The group I was running with was talkative and moving at a good pace so I stayed with them. I was pushing a little but decided to hang with them as long as I could. We got to the first manned aid station and there was a little girl ringing a cowbell; I smiled and waved at her and realized after I passed her that she may not have been waving but waiting for high fives. Sorry I missed that opportunity. I topped off my water and grabbed a couple of orange slices and was off again.

I crossed the road and entered the single track and I was still pushing but moving pretty well. They are nice trails with some rolling hills and switchbacks that go through the woods and have some nice views of the lake from time to time. At about 4.5 miles on one of these switchbacks I turned the corner and lifted my head for a second to look ahead and caught my right toe on a root, which sent me flying through the air. As soon as my feet left the ground I tucked my arms into my body and hit the ground hard and rolled a few times. I got up and assessed the damage, saw a cut on my hand and my arms, my hands were covered in dirt and my water bottle was squashed and packed with dirt. Shortly after, I passed Rick from Mile90 photography, who has a knack for appearing and disappearing on the trail, so I have dubbed him Photo Ninja.

I walked for a while trying to clean and unbend my bottle and trying to regain my focus. At the point where you get closest to the water I saw Bob sitting in his kayak taking pictures and I raised my arms and told him I was taking some of the trail with me. I walked/ran for a bit and was getting frustrated because I was not planning on walking this early in the race. I came out onto the dam where my friend Carl was working the aid station. He started hollering when he saw me and asked what I needed. I showed him my dilapidated water bottle (it leaked the rest of the day but did its job) and he cleaned it off and filled it and got some orange slices. My plan was to grab a couple of S-Caps here but with the distractions I forgot. I also tried to eat a peanut butter wrap, but took one bite and quickly decided that was not going to work either.

After another couple of miles my calves began to cramp and I was back to a walk/run again, getting more frustrated and having thoughts about not making it the whole 20 miles. I was drinking water with electrolytes or Heed and grabbing a couple of S-Caps along the way but I could feel the indecision and doubt getting the best of me. When I got to the Shelter 14 aid station they cleaned my arm up and, as I was leaving, the first 10 miler came running through. I said, “That’s awesome, he started an hour after me.” I was reminded that he is an elite runner, which I know, but I also knew there were more to come. I justified the top five 10 mile runners but then it got demoralizing and I was losing ground and I had not even reached the hardest part yet, the dreaded three sisters. A very nice lady passed me and asked if I needed medical attention; I guess I looked pathetic and I was limping because of the cramps.

I was not only frustrated with the possibility of not completing what I set out to accomplish in the race; today represented much more than just the race. Personally this was going to be the day when I pushed past what I thought I could do and transformed another piece of who I am.  There was also Abigail. I dedicated this to her, so would I be letting her down if I settled for a 10 mile finish?

I did not want to feel like I was taking the easy way out or quitting, but without proper caloric intake and the high temperatures I had to decide something soon. The lead 50 K people cruised past me and they looked like they were not even breathing hard. As I came out of the woods and saw the finish line and the turn to go for another loop, I decided to try a little and see what happened. I switched out a couple of things in my bag and was heading out across the bridge and field battling with what to do. A couple of people asked if I was okay and I said “I guess, just trying to decide if I am going any further”. Once I realized that I was standing by the lake watching the geese swim around I took that as a sign that I was done. I turned and did the walk of shame back to the start/finish area to tell the race director I was done. Soon after my friend Brittany and then my wife came across the finish line. They both did great!

Decision time - A million thoughts going through my head

Kristen finishing the 10

I know I was not the only one to drop down but it does not make it any easier. I will never know for sure if it just was not my day and if I made a sound decision or if this was yet another case of giving up too soon.

To Abigail and anyone else who is being bullied or struggling with being depressed, please know that there are a lot of people who care and are willing to help. Remember that “Hurt people, hurt people”. Sometimes the people who least deserve your love, need it the most. Seek out help because hurting yourself is never the answer. Sometimes when we are hurting emotionally, we seek out ways to hurt physically so that maybe the emotional pain doesn’t seem so bad.  Finding an athletic endeavor to push your body through is a far healthier way to counteract that pain than doing something that harms you, and may harm those in your life who care about you and want to help you.  Those who really care about you will support you and assist you in getting the help you need to work through the pain.      

Hello All,

I completed the Stowe 8 Miler this morning in 1:10:02. I thought I was using good form through-out the race (good foot strike).  After looking at the pictures my wife took toward the finish line, I was heel striking!!!  Arghhh!!!  

I just received the slant and wobble board last week.  I look forward to working to success!!

Patrick

I believe an effective “peak” in fitness first starts with a well thought out training plan and more importantly, a prioritized race schedule.  This all sets the stage for the peak process, making your run fitness as race specific as possible. Peaking is a mysterious art and for many reasons, it is just not easy to achieve one’s highest possible level of performance on the day of a major goal race or peak part of the season, despite all the effort and care that goes into planning and training to produce peak results.

I see it all the time, athletes to race very well early in the competitive season and fall flat toward the end of the season, when they should hit their peak.  The reason, I believe, is that they start to do race specific training too early in the season and do too much cardiovascular conditioning in preparation for early season races.  I have mentioned in previous posts that the development of endurance is associated with the functional specialization of the skeletal muscles, particularly the enhancement of their strength and neuromuscular qualities, rather than the improvement of prolonged cardiovascular ability.  And to experience great gains in strength and speed endurance, one should aim to eliminate the disparity between the anaerobic and aerobic abilities of the muscles.  If this is not the focus early in the season and carried out to some extent all season, there is a tendency to do too much endurance or cardiovascular training and peaking too soon or plateauing, which many times cause runners to over train.  To drive this home, here are some points to ponder:

• Why do athletes with equivalent VO2 max levels perform different results?
• Why do VO2 max results in elite athletes stabilize as results continue to improve?
• Why is there a decreasing correlation between VO2 max and improved times?

This could indicate that VO2 max or cardiovascular efficiency on its own is no guarantee of an outstanding performance and that a runners body can only progressively adapt to race specific training for a few weeks until a limit is reached. For this reason, I assign about 6 weeks of race specific training leading up to the athlete’s seasonal peak or race occurs.  Once the athlete hits the peak phase, they are now ready for a heavy dose of hard intervals.  These hard intervals heighten neuromuscular coordination and enhance economy, in concert with the easier overall weekly volume for recovery.  As coordination and efficiency at high speed improve from these hard intervals, the athlete’s previous race pace is now faster, because the oxygen cost of running at that speed has fallen. Thus, one reaches VO2 max at a higher speed than previously, and might explain why there is a decreasing correlation between VO2 max results and peak performance.

Merely regulating or limiting the duration of your race specific or peak phase of training will not guarantee a successful peak, however.  There are a few tricks you can use to reliably increase the odds of peaking successfully.  As mentioned above, your peak phase should include some hard intervals once or twice a week.  If you feel you are peaking too soon or need to extend your peak longer than a 3-4 week period, integrate some tempo runs to ‘massage’ your form and prolong it for the duration required.  If you are in your peak time of year, your heart rate should be very responsive, elevate quickly, and be higher than during your heavy training phase.  If  you notice this is not the case and your heart rate is low and slow to respond, be sure to take 2-4 days of recovery running or reduce you peak training volume even more.  Your legs need the recovery and a lower heart rate is NOT an indication of peak fitness.

And finally, you should taper not just before your big races but on a monthly basis. After all, since tapering is such a great thing, why reserve it for just a couple of times a year? If you taper for the last five to seven days of each month, you'll find that your fitness will move upward in sizable jumps, instead of just creeping up a little or - worse yet - stagnating at the same level.

Hope this helps - E

Hay is in the barn...so to speak. Now it's time to cruise in to Speedgoat. This morning's run was perfect. 45 min, low heart rate zone. 5:30am with sun just starting to rise, fog, and hues of pink and blue bouncing off the wispy clouds above. Gravel crunching under my feet with each rhythmic step. Ahhh...

I fly to Salt Lake City next wednesday and on to Snowbird Utah for Speedgoat 50k 7/19. 

After more than five weeks of almost no training at all (due to a very prolonged virus infection) I was finally able to pick up my training again. I also went on a one week vacation with my family to the Swedish mountain and managed to get two runs and one hike up a mountain done. 

The Swedish mountain are fairly old and therefore do not have very sharp peaks. They've been rounded by the glaciers during the ice age. One would think that this makes it easier to run but it also means that there are a lot of rocks and boulders everywhere.

Nice view from a peak

I quickly realized that I was extremely spoilt when it came to running back home where I mostly find asphalt, gravel and nice smooth trails along fields. I'm extremely grateful to Eric for all the slant board and balance discs exercises that have strengthened my feet enough to survive this (for me) unusual terrain. 

The two runs went fairly well but a lot slower than I had expected. I found myself "mountain goating" along the trail, jumping from rock to rock with quick, short strides. The terrain was either rocky paths or 1 feet wide walk boards that required some concentration to stay on ... especially the more "springy" ones. It was a lot of fun and I realized that it required a lot of concentration to run in this kind of terrain. I let my mind stray for a short while and managed to get a very nice scratch on my knee (which my 4-year old daughter was very happy to patch up for me). 

One of the mosquito infected paths I explored

Unfortunately I'm now back home in farm country again. I learned that the mountain hut we stayed in arranges running camps a few times a year. I now know what I want for Christmas this year :)

Today was a tough day. I love that picture coach posted, I didn't see it 'till after my run. Rugged, beautiful mountains pictured with  the phrase, "don't confuse difficulty with failure". I had to chuckle, because today...I didnt. Was it a preemptive post? Did he know today would be hard or coincidence? I was thinking about my run as I drove home. Analyzing my effort and feel out there, my HR and how it correlated with effort, terrain, etc. It's a 90 min drive and I always love that quiet time on the road. My brain buzzing, but my body relaxing.

I didn't expect today to be difficult.  The climbing I'm used to, and the hr zone progression looked easier on paper I thought compared to recent training runs and races.

I thought I'd share my run if you are curious what it looks like.  Today's run was to warm up and then do 3 sets of 20 min climbs progressing up through HR zones, finishing last 10 min in zone 4b-5a each time, running back down between for recovery, and then run fast down after the last one to the base.

The closest place with more than 1 mile of climbing is Cavanal Hill...The World's highest hill....really. 2385ft. 4ish miles to the top from where I start in buddy Josh's back yard.  There is a road that winds from bottom to the top, but Josh has bushwhacked 1 mi of gnarly trail from his back door, up the woods, to the road. It is a hellishly fun and brutal mile. Highly technical, with like 2 short switchbacks.  The rest of the mile is straight up, with rocks and roots strewn at all kinds of angles, poison ivy and oak, and the occasional snake to contend with. one is relieved to hit the road and climb the next  3 miles on road, however this is steep climbing and you trade all the distractions of footing to the relentless road grind and sun.

I opted to climb that 1 mile gnarly section as easily as possible to warm up and do the 20 min intervals on the road section. I thought it would be easier on the road to control my HR and really progress my effort up as I went. Immediately ,as I was warming up the steep climb my calves burned and my legs were a bit sluggish. About a half a mile up there's a jeep road that cuts across, so I took that road for about a half mile out and back to relieve my calves and warm up a little without climbing. Got back on and climbed the last half mile trail to the road. Relieved to hit the road and start work on the first 20 min interval. The first 10 minutes I progresses through HR zone 3-4a, getting into 4b by 10 min. I increased my effort and grazed 5a, but my legs were struggling. My best effort could only get me to zone 4b. I was a bit surprised, after 20 min I jogged down ez and started the second 20 min interval. Intervals 2 was similar to the first. On to the 3rd, my best effort was only able to generate HR zone 4a. My legs wouldn’t climb faster despite my coaxing.

The refreshing thing though was that I wasn't really frustrated. I was very satisfied with my effort. I could be objective about my run, break it down, and not attach any personal meaning to it. No sense of failure. Maybe dealing with traumatic news this week has my perspective shifted a bit, or maybe I'm growing. I'd like to think both. Regardless, it was a good training day.

Here's my strava link if ya wanna check it out...http://www.strava.com/activities/161655892

Up and down. Training and life right now. My training is literally up and down...climbing and descending and recovering in between (and I love it). Speedgoat is a little over 2 weeks away. I fluctuate between excitement and sheer terror. I read race reports and hear descriptions of running on terrain that resembles running on “baby skulls” referring to talus fields (baby skulls? really? who thinks of such?),  of climbing hands and feet up walls at 10,000ft. Similarly, life is up and down. Mother in law with what looks like metastatic lung cancer.  She saw the pulmonologist today and has procedure tomorrow for biopsy. He states, however, that what looks like metastatic lung cancer may actually be a dental infection that has seeded in her lungs. We’ll know more tomorrow after procedure. I should be thrilled at knowing this may not be cancer and may be remedied with antibiotics. Instead, I feel like crying, and crying because I’m crying. ...why am I crying when we now have hope? A bit of an emotional mess, but ok.

 Entering the bridle trail

The Bridle trail gets a little messy