May I be painfully honest? I have really not felt like running since Grandma’s Marathon on 6/18/16. In fact, I’ve really not felt like doing much of anything-except sleeping! It’s summer for goodness sake, what’s WRONG with me???
I tend to internalize crap that I shouldn’t. Like having a crappy race experience when I know I am capable of so much better! Oh there are other things like not hearing from my kids for weeks, worrying about my mother’s health, and thinking about the project I need to get done for work. Some things are out of my hands, this I realize. Other things, like knowing I should be training more (or better) are completely in my control!
I refuse to blame it on age, because I have always believed that age is a number. We get out of anything what we put into it. I know 90 year old people that have more energy and spunk than a lot of 40 year olds (and younger). I am definitely not a lazy person, but I have discovered that I am definitely one who gets bored easily. I thrive under pressure. I am always looking for that new experience and adventure.
I have never followed just ONE running plan. I tend to glean from a few different ones and adjust them to my schedule. I also admit, that as a nurse on my feet for 12 hours for 2 days in a row completely drains me mentally and physically. Running is usually my outlet, but then again, I have been in a rut of sorts.
So I decided that I needed something more. I need accountability to help me get through the rough spots. So once again, I hired a trainer to get me to the finish line of my next marathon pain free and under 4 hours. The last time I did this was early 2014 before my first Boston qualifier. It’s so easy to get lax when one doesn’t have someone pushing them and expecting more out of them. PLUS, when I have spent the $, I expect to get my money’s worth! It is definitely no quick fix. I MUST put in the work!
Variety is the key. I love being around people who are constantly trying to better themselves and do not accept mediocrity. The dumbing down of our society as a whole is so frustrating! I have mentioned before that I am SO thankful for the high school teachers who pushed me and didn’t let me get away with less than my best! I will forever be grateful for my college prep teacher who instilled in me a HUGE vocabulary!
So once again, discipline is key. July first will be the start of my training for the Marine Corps Marathon this fall. No more rest days when I need to be training. No more talking myself into less miles than I should be running. I need to “get out of my head” and be a little selfish with my time.
Would I like my kids to visit/contact me more? Certainly! Would I like for my mother to be completely healthy? Of course! But those are two things that are completely out of my control. What is in my control is the goals I have for myself and the steps it takes to get there. That means core work every day even when I’m sore and running when I don’t feel like it!
Everyone experiences low spots in life, it is the human experience. Realizing that you are not alone is a major step to breaking out of ruts, no matter what it may be. Maybe it’s not running. Maybe it’s life in general. The news media certainly doesn’t help with making our world a cheery place. Depression is real. It is nothing to be ashamed of. It is treatable, and you are not alone. You are not a weirdo or a freak of society.
This month marks 7 years that someone I was close to chose to take her life. She is missed every day and her contribution to society is forever gone. It doesn’t have to be this way. Reach out-there are people who truly care and can help you through this rough spot.
Sometimes we can get so down on ourselves that we can’t see the beauty of our lives for what it really is. ALL lives matter. Whatever you’re going through, don’t let it defeat you!
“I choose to be strong by being soft and pliable rather than inflexible, brittle, and hard.”–Affirmation by Wayne Dyer from Living the Wisdom of the Tao, verse 76
Hope to see you out on the road or trails!
Stephanie
National Suicide Prevention Lifeline 1-800-273-8255
Wow, it is May 4! Just another day to many of us. Second month of the second quarter and the weather has been a little schizophrenic. I like it HOT. In fact- the hotter, the better. Screw those cold weather runs! Actually, the low 50s is sort of a runner “sweet spot” but I cool down very quickly and get cold rather easily. At any rate, I will run in whatever weather if my running family is out there too.
I love running. No other way to put it, pure and simple! There is nothing I would rather do in my idle time, and when you get to do it with others, it is all the sweeter. Don’t misunderstand, I enjoy my solo runs as well. In fact, they make up the bulk of my running. It just makes the time with others all that more awesome. It is a community of commonness, a fellowship of perseverance. We’re all out there for the common goal of competing with no one other than ourselves in pursuit of pushing ourselves to the limit.
As much as I love running and what it has done for my health, body, and mind, I love that it has brought people into my life that I would have otherwise never met. They just “get it.” By “it” I mean the struggles-battling injuries, trying to get faster while not getting injured, getting the nutrition “just right,” wearing the correct shoe for your gait, pace, racing, body lube, recovery…the list goes on & on! Struggles…THEY GET IT!
They also get it when you talk about the time when you first finished a 5k, 10k, half marathon, marathon, & ultra marathon. They relive the ecstasy of a new “PR” even if it is just by a few seconds, and they rejoice with you. They are the people with the most “intestinal fortitude” on earth! If I was stranded on an island, I would want runners with me. We don’t give up and we don’t give in. We persevere to the end.
To all of my running family past and present: I want to tell you how grateful I am for you. I watch you, I admire you, I feel your pain when you have to take time off for an injury or illness. I get it when you get in a “rut.” I get pissed at you when you talk negatively about your run and that you “only” did 4 miles, or that you “only” had a 9:48 pace. We are all built differently and we all have “off” days. You all are phenomenal. It brings me great joy and pleasure to run with you, even if it is just in passing and we give each other a “high five” or whether we are just acquaintances via social media. Don’t ever underestimate yourselves or give up on your dreams.
We were passionately destined to meet. We are family…we are runners!
Hope to see you out on the road or trails,
Stephanie
“I learned that if you want it bad enough, no matter how bad it is, you can make it.” -Gale Sayers
Recent thoughts going into my final 27 days of training
Let’s start with living. Take a deep breath in. Do you feel that? That is life in it’s purest form. No breath, no life. It’s the basic component of CPR-the ABCs- Airway, Breathing, Circulation. You have to have an airway to breath. Ventilators can breathe for you, but eventually you must breathe on your own, or it is shut off & you die. Take another deep breath. Relax & let the stress melt away. You are alive.
I think it was Les Brown who said, “Some folks are dead at 25, but not buried until they are 85.” I love this metaphor as it describes so many who just “settle” for existing. They are born, go to school, get a job (or not), retire, and wait to die. Their dreams, hopes, and talents are buried with them. They are the naysayers, the ones who don’t believe in themselves even when no one else will. They give up and settle. They never go outside of their comfort zone.
Now, I’m not saying to be irresponsible. Heck, in this day & age of entitlement, we need more responsibility. What if we all took a few more risks? You will never no how far you can go until you push yourself. Don’t die while you are still alive. Here’s one I’ve used before, but is worth repeating:
Live Your Life
On dying: Was is Star Trek that always started with, “Space the Final Frontier?” I personally don’t believe that is true. I think death is the final frontier. What is left after that? Despite one’s beliefs on the afterlife, it is permanent and the one thing that we cannot control. We are all going to die. Many do not want to believe or accept that. That is why it is so hard to sell life insurance & why many a family is left to pick up the pieces and sort things out after the fact.
Many die way too young. So much living left to do, so much heartache left for those who loved them. Their chances are over. Just. like. that. Human nature, or selfishness (human nature), or the “I’ve got time” mentality makes one think that one will always be there. Words left unsaid, fences left un-mended, & “one of these days” are gone forever.
A tale of two women:
2/24/2016 a young woman left this world unexpectedly. I’m sure when she awoke that morning that the thought that she would perish that day never crossed her mind. So tragic, so sad, no time to say goodbye, just gone. I met this young woman when she was seven years old. She died way too young at the age of 40. Her facebook post from the previous day, almost exactly 24 hours to the time of the accident was this:
We all have a departure date
A few days ago a friend called to tell me that a former co-worker was in the hospital and got devastating news out of the blue that she had inoperable cancer. In fact, it is so bad that they could not distinguish one organ from another when they opened her up. The only symptom she had was stomach swelling. The medical professionals have given her 3-4 months to live before her departure date. She herself is one of the finest medical professionals I know, and she taught me a lot about being a nurse. Tragic-yes. Still young by today’s standards of longevity in her early sixties. Yet she has the advantage of getting her affairs in order and saying her goodbyes.
Finding 100
As my training is winding down for the Epic Ultra 100, I have struggled to get things just right. Finding the right pace per mile has been one of the issues that has been difficult. Not too fast-definitely not too fast. Yet for someone who has always strived for speed, it has been a challenge wrapping my head around this. It is almost painful to go too slow, but I know this is what must be done to go the distance. So far, I have varied between an 11-12 minute pace and that has seemed to work even with 30 second walks every 4.5 minutes. I know I should slow down even more. I will hit my longest training run on 3/19 of 50 miles-2 weeks before the Ultra. Other struggles have been getting nutrition just right, strengthening my core/hips, and adjusting to carrying 2 liters on my back. At best, I am mentally prepared & I am determined that the other things will just fall into place.
LIVING: Had anyone told me a few years ago that I would be running 100 miles, I would have laughed. But that has been with so many other things in my life as well. I have chosen not to die while still living and breathing. There is so much more living left to do. I am a risk taker & an adventure seeker. I have goals and hopefully will inspire others along the way.
DYING: I realize that I have no control over when my number is up, but I sincerely have tried to leave no regrets. Nor do I have control over how others choose to respond to me, leaving words left unsaid. That is for them to deal with when the time comes, but my mind is at peace. It requires dying to self, self-righteousness, pride, & ego. Sadly, many people would rather hang on to their need to “be right” than to “make things right” with others.
Metaphorically speaking-what will it take to find your 100? Is there a phone call you need to make? A debt you need to pay? A visit, a card? A vacation you’ve been meaning to take? A talent that needs to be unleashed? The chance for “one of these days” may never come.
The textbook definition of psycho is short for “psychopath,” and is defined as: one who has a personality disorder characterized by enduring antisocial behavior, diminished empathy & remorse, & disinhibited or bold behavior (Wiki dictionary). Psycho as used in this blog has the more vague definition of “crazy” as in the “disinhibited or bold behavior,” insane, or just plain “nuts,” in a “why would you want to do that” sense. At any rate, this is my experience with my second but long(ish) trail run called the “Psycho Wyco Run Toto Run” winter trail race put on by Ben Holmes & the Trail Nerds. It was held on Saturday, February 20 this year.
I’m assuming the “psycho” in the race name is more referring to the course itself more than the people who run it, or maybe a little of both. The “Wyco” is short for Wyandotte County, as it takes place at Wyandotte County Lake Park Bridle Trails. I’m guessing the “toto” is referring to the cute little dog in the Wizard of Oz since it is in Kansas. But sometimes I guess & assume amiss. At any rate, it was the most difficult course I have ran to date since I became a runner. But then again, there is a HUGE difference between road racing & trails. Here is my journey of four hours, 29 minutes, & 34.6 seconds.
The description per psychowyco.com – “A loop course on rocky, rooty, and hilly bridle trails & single-track trails. Time limit: 9 hours for 50k & 20 miler, 8 hours for 10 miler.” I was a little scared of the “rocky & rooty” since I met some of those face to face last November at Sander’s Saunter. But then I thought, “how hard can it be, I’m nearly a PRO now after completing a six mile trail run” (I laugh heartily at myself). I was originally going to sign up for the 10 mile since I really thought it was going to be cold. As I watched the extended forecast, it was looking like great weather so I decided to jump on the 20 mile. Two ten mile loops, what the hey. Signing up late meant that I forfeited the race hoodie. I would rather lose that than lose my entry fee had I signed up early and had a DNS (Did Not Start) if it had turned out snowy & bitter cold! I shudder to think about what that trail is like in snow & ice as it was two years ago.
I arrived at the lake right at 0630 per advice from a trail running god friend. He stated that the parking lot near the start/finish would fill up fast, so be an early bird. After a complete loop around the lake (I am somewhat directionally challenged), I found the aforementioned parking lot. First things first-johnny room location. I was pleasantly surprised that I was the only one in there (two stall park bathroom). I went back to the car, grabbed a jacket, and went to pick up my bib. I felt chilled, so since I had plenty of time to kill, I sat back in the car. I made sure all of my gear was intact, ate a “Honey Stinger” waffle, sat some more, made another trip to the john, pinned my bib on, took the jacket off, donned my new CamelBak hydration pack (without the bladder on purpose) & headed to the shelter where the heat was. Important things first: love on the running god’s dog “Athena” and get into her head.
Photo Credit: Mile 90 Photography
Since the director strongly advised carrying your own hydration device or water bottle, the vest was perfect for one bottle that I could fill up along the aid stations & carry my phone, keys, gels, & salt capsules. Or so I thought. The water bottle was about three inches too big & I had to hold onto it for 2.8 miles until I got to the first aid station where I dumped it and had the kind volunteer put it where my water bladder should be. Some of us gathered around the electric heater as if we were freezing to death at 43 degrees.
0758: Engage Garmin to find satellite & head toward the start. Two minutes pass & we’re off across a lawn full of Sugar Gum tree balls-#$%@&*! I felt those! “Hope I don’t roll an ankle before I even get started,” I thought. We cross a bridge, go up a hill and enter the trail head. Lots of people. Congested. I engaged my herd mentality and took the lead of the feet directly in front of me. Lots of rock, lots of walking. The faster runners began to gain a little speed until the all rock hill from hell.
Photo Credit: Stephanie W.
A few seasoned trail runners leaped right up that thing. Since I didn’t want to
“bust a knee cap” (I do a BAD Joe Pesci impersonation), I walked gingerly (always wanted to use that word) up & around those rocks. Smooth sailing for a bit until the wrestlers mud pit (at least that’s what it looked like-doubtful that much wrestling goes in in mud-dung). Great! Thought there was no mud?! Since I don’t own gators, I tried to stay to the sides.
Mud & muck (photo credit my own)
All this time my water bottle was going “slosh, slosh” and my keys were singing “jingle, jangle.” It was annoying to me, so I know it had to be annoying to others. Have we even reached a mile yet? Next up: a creek (stream?) to cross.
Photo Credit: Mile 90 Photography
I don’t know what I was looking at but it must have been pretty interesting as runner in back was looking that way too. Could have been an alligator for all I know. Right foot got wet. Glad it was warming up. Just a bit longer and there it was in all of it’s glory-the 2.8 mile Triangle aid station!
Photo credit: my own
I can’t say enough good about these people. I drank what I could of my water, dumped the rest & nice lady put it in my back compartment I ate one of my gels, fixed the key problem and off I went annoying noise free! I was entering the “triangle” one of the most fun parts of the trail with lots of winding up, down, & around. I was feeling pretty full of myself staying upright around all of those rocks and mud and water. Then it happened at mile 3.2 after I had just told the girl behind me if I fell to just “use me as a stepping stone.” Toe caught a rock or root and down to my right side I went. This pic must have been a little before it happened because that was definitely the girl.
Photo Credit: Mile 90 Photography
Okay, had to get that first one out of the way. No bragging rights for no falls this day. Then just 0.2 miles later, there I went again-down to the right. I determined that the Jeff Galloway “shuffle” for the roads was not working out for me on the trails. I decided to pick my knees up a little and “trot like a horse.” After all, they ARE bridle trails!
Mile 3.8 was the backside of the first aid station. I downed some “Heed” drink and some more water and took off again. I don’t remember specifics about the next 1.2 miles, but there were a couple of open culverts to cross and the long winding dam area. I suppose that’s why the next aid station is called the “Dam aid station.”
There I swallowed a salt capsule as I had been running over an hour at this point, drank some water and glory of all glories: road hills! Two gloriously STEEP hills to run before entering back into the woods & on the trails. “I can make up some time here,” I thought to myself (as if I cared about time, <snort>)! I remember mumbling to the guy I passed (who was walking), something like, “THIS is MY forte-the ROADS!”
Photo Credit: Stephanie W.
Crowd was really thin at this point, 3 of us and a lady with a Weimaraner. This was the toughest part of the course to the finish. Lots of steep, steep hills and rocks.
Photo Credit: Stephanie W.
After feeling like Tarzan and three miles later, there was the mile 8.2 aid station. I drank more water & Heed, ate something that I don’t recall, and took off with 3 other women. I actually “semi-fell” while walking up a hill but caught myself, so I count that as 1/2 a fall. On this next steep rocky climb, I told the three gals to go ahead so that I could take a pic.
Photo Credit: Stephanie W.
A mile or so later after topping a hill, there was a lone drummer in full marching band gear. It was weird & awesome all at the same time. Wish I would have taken a pic. I will mention the lady in pink and the lady in orange in the above pic again in the next paragraph.
I caught up to the three and was enjoying some shady, soft leaf covered trails and got a bit ahead. Darned if those rocks didn’t jump up and grab the toe of my right foot and down I went AGAIN… on-can you guess? MY RIGHT SIDE! This time the inner part of my left knee hit the hard ground. The girls in pink and orange were not too far behind and stopped and were genuinely concerned. Yes it hurt & for a moment I thought that with less than a mile left, I may be hobbling to the finish and dropping down to the 10 mile distance. Girl in pink offered to help me up but I told them to go on, that I just needed to “sit and feel sorry for myself” for a minute. After what seemed like 30 minutes (it may have been three), I got up, dusted my butt off, tested out the knee and took off running. It stung some but not enough to impede my running or walking.
Soon after, I heard the music and knew the finish line was near. My ten mile split was 2:05:03.1 with a 12:30 pace. I stayed at the Main aid station for 5-10 minutes to stretch, hydrate, swallow another salt cap, ate some bacon and other goodies (sugar free diet out the window until after major races), and took off for the second loop.
This time there was no crowd and I determined that I was just going to take my time, not fall, and take some pictures. It was truly peaceful until I caught up to a guy that had the same four AC/DC songs blasting over & over. He finally got way ahead of me after the triangle. The next pic was taken by Mile 90 Photography on what they call “Speed Demon.” Some of the down hills the last 4 miles were of the winding, curvy type.
One of the coolest things was seeing the four firemen in full attire doing the 10 miler. I thanked them for their service. Photo Credit: Mile 90 Photography
Being mostly alone the second time around was great for leisurely taking photos of steep, rocky cliffs with danger signs, complete with a shot of my shadow! (humor, arr, arr).
Photo Credit: My own (sad)
I had one more fall between miles 18 & 20, this time on my left side-go figure. Only one witness. I finally reached the finish with a total time of 4:29:34.6 with an average pace of 14:27/min per mile. All things considered, I was extremely happy with that in the sense that my projected finish time for my age and gender was 5:50:00. Not bad for an antique finishing 60 out of 87 with 8 of those total being older than me and 3 the same age. Of the 27 finishing after me-two were older and one the same age. Not bragging, just stating that age is a number. Photo credit below: Mile 90 Photography.
I try to learn something from every experience in life. What I learned was this:
Avid trail runners are beasts & are much more nimble of foot than I am.
The “proper way to fall” skills I learned from skydiving class come in handy on trails.
The dancing lessons I took as a child for my clumsiness did NOT help.
The appropriate size water bottle for your pocket is essential.
Extraneous noises out in nature annoy me.
I need to find a really GREAT trail shoe.
Ben Holmes & the Trail Nerds/Volunteers are awesome.
Mile 90 Photography is phenomenal (of course I already knew this).
Many (and mini) down hills shred the quads.
When in horse territory, learn to pick up your knees & trot like a horse.
I don’t know if bears crap in the woods, but horses sure do!
Photo Credit: My Own (REALLY sad)
All in all it was a great time on a 72 degree winter day in February.
Hope to see you sometime soon on the roads or trails,
So it has been a month since the Boston Marathon-the most coveted marathon in these United States. The experience was phenomenal, the weather abominable. You know how you get that picture in your mind about how you think things area suppose to be? Yeah, you know-how you think things are suppose to work out, end, be, start, finish, complete, fulfill you, complete you, challenge you, be that all climacteric event of life? You don’t know? Well then, exit this blog & read some “feel goody” blog. First of all, what I must state emphatically is that the “joy is in the journey.” It took me 7 years, a lot of sweat, body aches, heartache, and overcoming naysayers to even qualify for Boston. I set out on this journey in 2007 and knew in my heart of hearts that I would make it. I have overcome much in life and I don’t intend on stopping now- 2014 was the pivotal year in which I PR’d every race I did & FINALLY got my Boston qualifying time! I chose to never give up in the midst of injuries, negativity from others, and self-doubt at times. With every race I finished, I became more confident. Even with the crappy races and less than stellar finishing times, I chose to never give up. ALL of those experiences gave me confidence that I had the wherewithal to meet my goals and dreams. Time and perseverance paid off.
Keep Moving Forward
Did I want to give up at times? You betcha I did. Seemed at times I was taking two steps forward, three steps back. But I am NOT a quitter! I may have to remove myself from toxic situations, but I NEVER quit or give up on myself! People really suck at times. They can try to make you feel less than, play mind games, and try to drag you down to their level…don’t let them!!! Your journey is YOUR journey! YOU are the captain of your ship! But I digress. Boston as I stated earlier was a WONDERFUL experience. The expo, the run with Bart & Deena, the ambience of the event, the excitement…it was ALL wonderful! Did I have my BEST race? No, I did not. I finished 18 minutes slower than what I needed to requalify. Did that bum me out? NOT IN THE LEAST! I got to run freakin’ BOSTON!
Live Your Life
The weather was horrendous and I was freezing. Since my wave was wave 4, I was drenched at the start. I do not do cold weather well. I did great time wise my first half and declined from there. The weather, head wind and hills at mile 17 were just too much. But I had a BLAST! From kissing the guy on the cheek at Wellesley College, to high fiving little kids, to encouraging other runners, to pinching myself that I was running the BOSTON FREAKING MARATHON! What a deal! How did I get here anyway? I got there by blood, sweat, tears, and perseverance and by never doubting “me.” People can bring you down and attempt to make you feel like crap…don’t you DARE believe it for ONE minute! Don’t you dare let anyone mess with your mind or mentally abuse you. You are worth FAR more than that! If you don’t get anything else out of this blog, get this…YOU MATTER! LIFE MATTERS! Who you choose to spend time with…MATTERS! Don’t you DARE let anyone bring you down! You have a dream, a goal, a plan for your life…GO AFTER IT AND LEAVE THE NAYSAYERS IN THE DUST! That is all for now. Until We Meet Again, Stephanie
Holy Moly, have two months really gone by since I last posted? Egads, time flies! I know, I know-it doesn’t really, especially this time of year. Winter-bleck! It is definitely NOT my favorite season. Although I must confess, January here in ole Missouri wasn’t half bad. We even had one or two 70 degree days. It was running bliss. Then came February (darned that groundhog)! Brr, cold, windy, snow, ice…dreadmill…er treadmill time!
Love/Hate relationship
Now, I know some of you are BEASTS and run in all kinds of winter weather. I don’t mind the cold so much as the slick stuff on the ground, and I have actually done my fair share of running (dodging) ice patches as well. But I do not like it one bit. One slip and this half a centurion could be laid up and injured for weeks. I just can’t risk that with Boston looming on the horizon in seven short weeks. I know I could just walk out to my car and slip as well, but that would be do to my clumsiness (that dance lessons didn’t fix).
The month of February posed a challenge to get my long runs in in preparation for the 50 miler I am participating in at the end of March. Notice I said, “participating in.” I am definitely NOT racing it and have no goal times. My goal is to finish and still be standing. My challenge when running long has always been starting out really slow-uncomfortably slow! Yet, I know that is what I must do or I will not finish. Some runners say, “Death before DNF.” I say, “Hog wash!” That is just dumb. I have completed all races I have entered up to this point and finished in pain lots of times. Two particular marathons I despised every mile past 18, but I trecked on. I have learned a lot since then. To not finish would not be the end of the world, especially when it comes to an ultra. As I’ve gotten older, I have realized it is about the journey. I learn a lot about myself with every training run and every mile covered. Now to DNF Boston would be another thing!!!
That is the point of doing the 50 miler three weeks before Boston. It’s called endurance, and I have enough of a base now from running consistently and smartly for over a year now in contrast to prior years when I would take months off at a time (winter). My hope is to taper from there & make 26.2 seem like a half marathon. People have called me crazy for doing it, but hey…that’s their problem. I think drinking soda every day is crazy, but that’s just me. Now when people see me out running in winter weather I may LOOK crazed, delirious, insane, and ninja like- but that’s okay. I gave up on trying to look “cool” a long time ago. I was a fat little introverted kid in school-definitely not the “popular” cheerleader or “cool” athletic type.
Just me and Johnny D. & my Ninja like running attire
I decided while grocery shopping today (and freezing), that I am ready to sweat and to not have to wear so many clothes. I know there are a lot of running folks who love this cold weather running…I am not one of them. I would rather sweat and look like I came out of a swimming pool fully clothed than be cold. But that’s just me, we’re all different (thank God)!
Learning how to fuel for a 50 miler has been a learning experience as well. I’m not one to carry things during a race that I have to chew. It has always been GUs for me. I did discover the baby food pouches and have decided that they will come in handy. I am also going to have someone crew for me, so there’s that as well If I decide I need a banana or something. Again, since I am not focusing on a specific finish time goal, I have been experimenting with many different things. Oh yeah, and it will be nice to be able to go potty when I need to (no time goal, etc).
Fueling Options
The good news is, this is suppose to be the last really cold week and the temp may even hit 70 by this coming Sunday. My training is somewhat off due to a nasty stomach bug I had a couple weeks ago and the blasted weather. I am not concerned. Daylight savings is also this weekend, so running after work will be possible again. I am super excited for that. I am super excited for Springtime and sultry Summer nights. Winter has it’s place. I realize that I may not appreciate the warm weather as much without it. It could have been worse for most of us in the U.S. Poor Boston got pounded with heavy snowfall. But they are Boston strong! It still seems surreal that I am running Boston. This former fat, introvert’s big running dream came true. I guess life is sort of like that. Through running I have learned that if you’re going to dream, dream BIG…anything is possible!
7 weeks away!
Until we meet again (it just may be at a start line somewhere),
One of the coolest things was seeing the four firemen in full attire doing the 10 miler. I thanked them for their service. Photo Credit: Mile 90 Photography
Life Begins When You Let It 